Managing Your Committee

You may assemble your committee for the proposal defense, and then never see them until the final dissertation defense. That may work fine for you, or you may decide that you would prefer more frequent contact.

• Talk with your advisor about how committees usually work with doctoral candidates in your department.
• Ask the members of your committee whether they would prefer to see drafts of your chapters individually, or wait to see the final complete draft.
• Keep in regular contact with your committee, even if they don't want to see your work until it has been approved by your advisor. Let them know about fellowships you receive, fruitful research excursions, the directions your thinking is taking, and the plans you have for completion. In short, keep them aware that you are working hard and making progress. Dissertation Plans
• It doesn't hurt to talk to your committee when you're floundering either. Too often, we only talk to our professors when we're making progress and hide from them the rest of the time.