GRADUATE COMMITTEE (Approved by Dept Faculty 6-2-05)

The Department Chair will assign each student a temporary advisor within one week after the student begins graduate work.Before an applicant is admitted to a program, a regular faculty member from the department must agree to serve as the major academic advisor for the student’s committee. An adjunct faculty member or limited term researcher can serve as the major research co-advisor with the major academic advisor. The student must decide on a permanent(in consultation with the advisor) and will form a graduate committee (in consultation with the advisor) by the end of the first term. The composition of the graduate committee must be approved by the Department Chair and should be confirmed by memo from the advisor to the student with copies to the student's file and to committee members. The student may request in writing to the Department Chair that changes be made in the graduate committee at a later date. A committee meeting should be held as soon as possible to help plan the student's programs of course work and research. Additionally, for the Wildlife Ecology major, the committee has responsibility to determine that the student has completed course requirements for certification as an Associate Wildlife Biologist with The Wildlife Society.

The graduate committee for the M.S. should consist of the student's advisor, one other faculty member from inside the Department, and one expert from outside the Department. The graduate committee for the Ph.D. should consist of the major advisor and one other committee faculty member representing the student’s primary area of study; one faculty member from within the department but from an area outside of the student’s primary area of study; and one external member. The three primary committee members from the department must be full-time members of the faculty. The external member can be from another academic unit at the University of Delaware or from outside the institution. The external member should have an established record of publication in the field of the dissertation. Other members may be included on committees for either degree, up to a maximum of six. The Department Chair is an ex officio member of all committees and must be notified of all committee meetings. The committee should represent the areas of emphasis of the student's intended program and research. All members of the Ph.D. committee should hold the doctorate or an equivalent terminal degree. The composition of the graduate committee should be confirmed by memo from the advisor to the student with copies to the student's file and to committee members.

Maintenance of steady, reasonable progress toward the degree is the responsibility of the student and the advisor. Regular meetings with the graduate committee to discuss progress are strongly encouraged and are required at least once each year. The department maintains a checklist to record completion of individual requirements for graduate study. Each student is expected to see the graduate program secretary periodically to update his or her progress.