The key to positive relationships with the committee is preventing problems before they occur. First, choose a committee whose members are compatible with each other and with you. Problems of relationships can often be avoided if you are sensitive to the matter when forming a committee. Thus, you should do your homework to determine the capability of likely professors to serve as committee members. You should review the completed dissertations from your department in the university library. While reviewing those completed dissertations, note those committee members whose names appear frequently. A dissertation student can learn those who work well together, because their names appear frequently on the dissertations’ signature pages. Second, at a very early stage in your work with the committee, clarify the nature of the committee’s relationships with each other and with you. Most committees are structured in this fashion: The chair does most of the work involved in directing the research and the dissertation and is the primary contact with the student; a second member of the committee provides needed technical expertise; other committee members play a much less active role. Be sure you understand where you are expected to get the help you need, and how much help the committee wants to give you. Learn to use your committee without taking advantage of the members.

As a doctoral student, to maintain productive relationships with your dissertation committee, you need to:

1. Not appear for a conference without an appointment. Most university professors are busy people, contrary to the view of those who think that professors do not have much to do all day. They don’t like being surprised by seeing a doctoral student at the office door, chapter in hand. 2. Avoid telephoning the professor while at home, unless directed otherwise. Most professors prefer to keep academic life and home life separate. Be sensitive to your dissertation committee’s work schedules and holiday periods. If you feel you have to give the members a chapter to read over the spring break, make suitable apologies. 3. When you mail materials, do so in a businesslike manner. Put your name and address on all correspondence and manuscripts. Never send original materials through the mail. Check with the dissertation committee to determine if the use of e-mail is acceptable for receiving and responding to chapters. If so, ask the committee member’s preference for word processing software to avoid any issues with the recipient’s ability to open the e-mail attachment. 4. Keep your dissertation committee informed about progress. A good general rule is this: Do not let a month go by without contact. Even a brief note on a postcard or an e-mail message will be a useful reminder that you are still working.

Dealing with Dissertation Committee Problems: Committee Members Not Giving Feedback Promptly For most committee members, providing assistance to doctoral students is a labour-intensive responsibility, one that is rather low on their list of priorities. This means that some committee members will be slow in giving you feedback, not because they are irresponsible, but because of their conflicting responsibilities. The unwritten norm is two weeks for committee members to provide feedback. Obviously, this will vary, depending upon such factors as the academic calendar, professors’ attendance at conferences, and their own involvement in research and publication. When you experience what you feel are inordinate delays, you should deal with the problem differently, depending on the source. If other dissertation committee members are slow in responding, email a tactful reminder (without sending a copy to your chair, or if you decide to copy your chair, be sure that it is a blind copy) or telephone your concern. If they still do not respond, then simply report the facts to your dissertation chair and let him or her handle the problem.

What do you do if your dissertation chair is slow in responding to your chapters? First, as previously noted, you should attempt to clarify at the outset how much time is usually required; two weeks seems to be an unstated norm. The first few times you experience an inordinate delay, handle the matter as if you’re a very tactful bill collector. Call and say, “I’m calling just to be sure you received Chapter 2; I haven’t heard and was getting just a bit anxious. When do you think I might be receiving your comments on Chapter 2?” Then if you still haven’t heard by the date indicated, call again: “I’m calling just to inquire if there’s a special problem with Chapter 2; you indicated that I might be receiving it by today.” If those tactful phone calls do not have the desired effect, talk the problem over in a face-to-face discussion. Express an attitude that’s reflected in these words: I know you’re very busy, and I don’t want to make unreasonable demands. However, I am feeling frustrated by my lack of progress. I thought it might be helpful if we could talk the matter over. I want to determine in what way I may be responsible for the delays and take appropriate action. The rest of the discussion should maintain this problem-solving orientation: How can we cooperate to reduce the turnaround time?

Dealing with Dissertation Committee Problems: Committee Members Give Conflicting Advice Sometimes the conflicting advice is from two different dissertation committee members; sometimes it comes from a single professor who changes his or her mind. If you receive conflicting advice from two members of your committee (including the chair), let the chair handle the matter. Explain the conflict to the chair and ask how you should resolve it. It is the chair’s responsibility to mediate such differences; you should not be in the middle. The problem of receiving conflicting advice from one individual is common. Doctoral students often justifiably complain that after they have revised a chapter according to their chair’s (or committee member’s) recommendations, they receive more revision suggestions from the same individual that conflict with those first received. Here is a good process to use that will avoid this frustrating experience. 1. Always check to be sure that you understand the feedback received and have a written record of it. If you meet in a conference, summarize the conference in a written memo and send a copy to the professor: “Included in this e-mail is a summary of my notes of the changes we discussed on Feb. 2, 2025. I want to be sure my record is accurate.” If you get a written response, call to clarify any ambiguities. You have to be sure that you understand correctly what the professor wants you to do. 2. When you have revised according to the professor’s suggestions, send the professor a copy of his or her suggestions with the revised chapter when it is forwarded. That helps the professor remember what was said and reduces the amount of conflicting advice.

Dealing with Dissertation Committee Problems: Committee Members Give Unhelpful Advice You may receive what you consider to be unhelpful advice or editorial comments. If the advice or comments are too general, call and ask for specifics. If you feel that you received counterproductive advice about a relatively common matter, accept it. It is not worth arguing over. However, if you feel that the matter is important, deal with the difference in a professional manner. If the unproductive advice comes from a dissertation committee member other than the chair, ask the chair to help you resolve the matter. If the unproductive advice comes from the chair, then meet to review the matter. In essence, communicate with the chair on a regular basis.

Dealing with Dissertation Committee Problems: Relationships Critically Deteriorate In a few unfortunate instances, graduate students find that their relationship with the chair or some other committee member deteriorates so badly that they feel the conflict is interfering with their progress. If the conflict is with some member other than the chair, ask for a meeting with just you and the member. In that conference, emphasize that you wish to solve a problem, not complain or blame. Use a problem-solving mode that makes these points: I have the impression that there are some serious problems between us. What is your perception? I believe these are the specific difficulties. What is your perception? These difficulties are causing me some serious problems in my progress. How do you think we might solve the problems together? If that face-to-face conference does not solve the problem, you should ask the chair to intervene. If the problem is with the dissertation chair, you should use the same problem-solving approach in trying to resolve the difficulties in a private conference. It is probably unwise to ask another committee member to intercede on your behalf in this instance; doing so may place the member in an untenable position with the chair. If you are convinced that the chair or a member should be replaced, be sure to handle the matter professionally. In doing so, keep in mind three useful guidelines: Use a face-to-face discussion rather than writing. Writing about a problem usually makes it worse, since it is a one-way communication. Observe the university’s chain of command. Work with a committee member before going to the chair. Work with the chair before going to the department chair. Try to resolve the matter with the department chair before going to the dean of your school. In extreme cases, work with your school’s dean before complaining to the dean of the graduate school. Accept the fact that conflict is endemic to the faculty-student relationship. You each have different perspectives, values, and goals. Differences are bound to arise. Accept all the minor ones as part of your struggle to achieve the degree. Resolve all differences in a professional manner, even when you feel that others are taking advantage of you. #Dissertation #dissertationcommittee #research #dissertationstudent #dissertationchair #doctoralstudent #dissertationcommitteeproblems