1. Everything You Need to Know to Defend…
Everything You Need to Know to Defend….And OTHER Useful Information January 24th, 2018
Sponsored by the GSA and the Office of Instruction and Graduate Studies

3. The General Process
Form 8
5C, 5D, 5E, 5F
5B form
3B form
2A form

4. Committee Appointment Form

5. Committee Structure for MPS, MF, MLA Degrees
Major professor, plus at least one other member
No examiners needed
No chair assignment needed

6. Defense Committee Structure
MS Thesis Defense: Steering committee members (major professor, plus at least two additional members) and one examiner, plus the chair.
PhD Dissertation Defense: Steering committee members (major professor, plus at least two additional members) and two examiners, plus the chair.
Your MP has to be on faculty at ESF.
“additional members, including the examiner(s)” may be faculty members at ESF or other institutions or they may be experts in their fields.
They may not be other students.
If you have co-MPS, then you only need one additional steering member.

7. Examiner’s Role
The examiner’s role in the defense is to read the thesis/dissertation and participate fully in the defense but have no involvement in the actual supervision of the thesis/dissertation.
Examiner information must be included in the chair request (form 5B) 
Serve as another set of eyes to offer a fresh perspective. Need to find someone who will invest a little time, but obviously not the kind of time commitment your steering committee members put in.

8. Chair Appointment Form

9. Chair Appointment
All MS/PhD students were required to submit the form 5B for a spring graduation by Friday February 8th
OIGS office will appoint a committee chair. (Students requesting chair assignments must have approved program of study form 3Bs on file).
Once you have your steering committee and 3B in place,
you will need to request a chair in the semester in which you plan to defend.
If we do not have your 3B on file, the request will be held up until we have your 3B. If you filed your 3B electronically, please let me know as you cannot access it through the portal.
How many of you still need chair assignments for this semester?

10. Chair’s Role
The role of the chair is to manage the defense, ensure its integrity, and represent the interests of both the student and faculty.
The chair’s role is critical. The chair assigned will be someone outside of your discipline. This is intentional-It’s very important to have someone who is impartial. A neutral party if you will.
The chair also serves as the time keeper and makes sure all members have equal time to ask questions.
Voting on a successful defense must be unanimous.
The chair may or may not ask questions and vote—that is decided before the defense.

11. Defense Scheduling
Once the chair has been assigned, student must coordinate the defense date with the chair and the rest of the committee members.
The chair’s participation in this process is essential; do not select a date before talking to your chairperson.
Once the defense is scheduled, the student must notify OIGS of date, time, and location of the defense only. OIGS asks for two weeks advance notification.
Once the chair assignment is made, student can start looking at dates for scheduling their defenses and capstone seminars.
It is crucial that you do not set the date without the chair’s participation as the likelihood the chair will be available for a predetermined date/time is nearly impossible.
(Doodle poll works well with coordinating calendars.)
Also, keep in mind-we ask all our faculty to chair exams and defenses, and we rotate them. If you ask for a chair in the spring but you really don’t think you’re actually finishing until the fall semester then you are tying that faculty member up an extra semester and they get out of their rotation.

12. defense. Students may not skype themselves in for the defense!
The defense usually lasts two hours, and it is expected that all committee members stay through its entirety.
Students are required to submit the final thesis or dissertation to all committee members at least 14 days prior to the defense.
Within five days of oral defense, the major professor confirms with committee that oral defense should proceed as scheduled.
Students may invite one other student to serve as a silent observer during the defense.
While OIGS prefers all members of the graduate committee to be present during the defense,
members may participate via video conferencing or Skype if they cannot be on campus for the
defense. Students may not skype themselves in for the defense!
Defenses are scheduled for two hours
Students must submit xerox copies of their work at least 14 days prior to the defense
Within 5 days the MP confirms with the committee that the defense should proceed as scheduled

13. Capstone Information
The capstone seminar is required for all MS and PhD degrees and usually MPS, MF, and MLA degrees.
The capstone usually lasts one hour. It is the student’s responsibility to coordinate the date, time, and location of the capstone with the department, not OIGS.
Only send the date and time of the defense to OIGS (not capstone information).
Capstones can be scheduled just before the defense or at a separate day/time.

14. Formatting Theses/Dissertations
The general style manual for the College is Council of Science Editors Scientific Style Manual (7th Edition), available in the reference area of Moon Library and at the Reference Desk of Bird Library.
Instructions and Guidelines for Formatting a Thesis or Dissertation:
If your department wants you to use another style guide, that is fine with us.
Or if you are preparing your work for a journal, it’s okay to use their style guide.
Just be consistent throughout the document.
Don’t follow formatting information from your friend or an old bound thesis copy—it may not be correct.
I can usually tell if you follow the guidelines!

15. Thesis/Dissertation Formatting Review
Students are asked to send a pdf copy of thesis/dissertation to Suzette Vandeburg, for formatting review no later than five days before the defense. Do not submit the final copy of the document until it has cleared format review.
Of course Earlier is better! If you don’t hear back from me, send me a gentle reminder. Do not print your copies without communicating with me! Don’t assume everything is okay if you haven’t hear back.

16. Required for Completion
All students: Graduate and Key Return Form
MS and PhD Students:
Thesis Processing Fee showing proof of payment for thesis/dissertation (pay $35 fee to Cashier in 102 Bray)
Upload PDF of thesis or dissertation to Google Forms (the link will be sent separately)
Upload PDF of thesis or dissertation to ProQuest:
PhD Students: online Survey of Earned Doctorates
All forms are available in OIGS office or online at:

17. Online Survey of Earned Doctorates is Required of PhD students only
The Survey of Earned Doctorates is conducted by NORC-National Opinion Research Ctr.
It is widely used by federal agencies to inform Congress and make decisions about financial commitments that affect graduate education throughout the US. As you can see, it’s sponsored by such agencies as NSF, USDA and the National Institutes of Health. The information is held in very strict confidence, and it’s a requirement of graduation.

18. Spring 2019 Deadlines
Last day to defend thesis or dissertation for spring 2019: April 26,
A final, revised, and signed version of document and associated paperwork must be filed with OIGS no later than April 30, 2019, for a spring 2019 completion.
MPS, MF, and MLA students need to notify OIGS of their intent to complete the degree no later than April 24, 2019 to be included in the commencement program.
Fall conferral date will be May 11, 2019.
PhD students who plan to participate in the ceremonies, must have everything into our office by the deadline or you will not be able to participate or get your gift from us—very nice hood

19. Deadlines for Fall Commencement
RSVP Deadline (to OIGS):
Saturday April 13th , 2019
Cap and Gown Orders:
Placed NO LATER than Saturday April 6th 2019
SU Bookstore - (315)
Master’s cap and gown: $39.99, hood: $29.99
PhD cap and gown (rental): $46.95, hood: paid for by OIGS
ESF Commencement: Saturday, May 11, 2019
You should have received the mailing by now. If not and you plan to participate, please let our office know ASAP as we need to add your name to the SU list. There will 2/3 days announced later in the semester when you can come in to Bray Ratunda and get measured and pick up cap and gown.

20. TODAY 17
Weeks for graduation

21. Request for chair deadline16 15 14 13

22. 12 11 10
SPRING BREAK 9 8

23. 7
RSVP deadline 6 5
Inform OIGS deadline 4
Last day to defend 3

24. 2 1

25. Questions?
It will be okay