Admissions Career Services Educational Equity Programs Fellowship Office Academic Services (GSAS) Thesis Office
The Graduate College 801 South Wright Street
204 Coble Hall, MC-322
Champaign, IL 61820-6210
Phone: (217) 333-0035
Fax: (217) 333-8019
grad@uiuc.edu

Guide for
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Graduate Contacts

Completing the Request for Appointment of
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Doctoral Examination Committee Form

FOR DEPARTMENTAL USE ONLY

Departmental procedures for completing the request form vary, so students should contact their department for detailed information.

Note: Although we have not been strictly enforcing #4 below in the past, effective immediately, we will be strictly enforcing this requirement.

The Request for Appointment of Doctoral Examination Committee Form is located at www.grad.uiuc.edu/forms/appointdec.htm.

  1. Complete and submit the form early!
    • Forms should be sent to the Graduate College at least three weeks in advance of the examination date.
    • This form initiates the creation of the Certificate of Result for the examination. Thus the committee will not be able to indicate the examination result if the request is not sent early enough for the paperwork to be processed. One week is a minimum. If the request form is not able to be processed in time, a member of the department will be responsible for securing the needed signatures, as students may not be in possession of the certificate of result at any time.
  2. Make sure the Examination committee meets the Graduate College rules. The rules in full can be found at www.grad.uiuc.edu/gradhandbook/chapterVI/section02.asp, but the main points are below:
    • The committee must have at least four voting members.
    • At least three must be Graduate Faculty members. To see if a person is a member of the Graduate Faculty, search the Graduate Faculty Database.
    • Two members must be tenured. Tenure status is also available in the Graduate Faculty Database.
    • The Chair (and contingent Chair, if designated) must be a member of the Graduate Faculty.
    • The committee should include members from more than one area of specialization.
  3. If the form is for a final examination, it should be verified that the student’s preliminary examination has been recorded in Banner. The Preliminary result can be found in Banner on the SHATCMT form (be sure to go to the next block). If it does not show in Banner, a final examination committee will not be appointed by the Graduate College.
    • If the preliminary result has not been recorded, OAR will need a copy of the appointment of the preliminary examination committee as well as the Certificate of Result from the preliminary examination.
    • Both pieces should be faxed to Beth Brown or the Graduation Unit at OAR, 333-6383 and fax 333-3305.
  4. The request form needs to be signed by the Unit Executive Officer before it can be sent to the Graduate College, and some units may require additional signatures.
    • The Unit Executive Officer signature on the form must be that of a faculty member listed as a departmental authorized signature, approved to sign for doctoral committees.
  5. Forms should be sent to the Graduate College Thesis Office, 801 South Wright Street, 204 Coble Hall, MC-322, Champaign, IL 61820-6210. Her phone number is 333-6278.
  6. Frequently Asked Questions
    • Can an expert in the field who is not a member of the University of Illinois Graduate Faculty serve on a committee?
      • Yes, they may be appointed as a non-voting member by indicating such on the form. Or the advisor may ask they be allowed to serve with a vote if the request form is accompanied by the person's CV and a justification for voting status from the major advisor or committee Chair.
    • What if a tenured member of the committee has retired?
      • For doctoral committees only, the Graduate Faculty requirement can be met by term members of the Graduate Faculty who retired or resigned with tenure for a period of three years following their resignation or retirement. That period may be extended at the request of the unit, so long as the faculty member remains actively involved in the graduate program.
    • Can the committee be changed after the committee paperwork has been completed?
      • Yes. Complete a new form, and check the box at the top marked Substitution/Change/Deletion.
    • What if a department wants to grant someone Graduate Faculty status, or they should be a Graduate Faculty member, but they are not in the database?
      • Contact the person in your department that annually reviews the Graduate Faculty listing. The contact person can request membership for a faculty member that is not listed. If the faculty member is tenure-track, they can be added via the web by the authorized person. If the person is not faculty, the Unit Executive Officer can request Graduate Faculty membership by sending a letter of justification and a copy of the person's CV to the Graduate College.
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