Students who have been admitted to Doctoral studies in Human Sciences, within the Department of CYAF, will choose a Graduate Faculty member to Chair or Co-Chair (also referred to as the major professor) of the Supervisory Committee. When the student and Supervisory Committee Chair have decided on candidates for the Supervisory Committee, the Supervisory Committee Chair recommends the appointment of the Supervisory Committee to the Dean of Graduate Studies (Appointment of Supervisory Committee Form). The Supervisory Committee should be approved before the student completes more than 45 hours towards her/his Doctoral degree (including the hours earned while pursuing the Masters degree), exclusive of language or research tool, (University of Nebraska-Lincoln Graduate Studies Bulletin, 2008-09; hereafter referred to as Bulletin, p. 14). The Supervisory Committee members are generally chosen jointly by the student and major professor on the basis of their expertise in terms of the student's research and their ability to provide help and guidance in the student's achievement of research and career goals.
The Supervisory Committee consists … "…of at least four Graduate Faculty. Graduate Faculty who have been appointed to Emeritus status may co-chair the supervisory committees of doctoral students with a resident Graduate Faculty member. (All professors on the examining committee must either be on the Graduate Faculty or be nongraduate Faculty approved to perform specified Graduate Faculty duties.) At least one Graduate Faculty member external to the academic Department or area in which the doctorate is to be granted must be included on the committee responsible for supervising the student‘s doctoral program of studies. The representative of the minor department on the committee may serve as the outside representative. The Supervisory Committee is appointed on the recommendation of the CYAF Graduate Committee.‖ (Bulletin, p. 14)
If the Chair of a Ph.D. Supervisory Committee leaves the employ of the University or retires, the Office of Graduate Studies must be notified immediately and a change in the Supervisory Committee made as follows:
- If the student has already achieved Candidacy, the former Chair who has left the employ of the University may be permitted to continue as co-Chair of the Supervisory Committee, with the concurrence of the Departmental Graduate Committee and the UNL Dean of Graduate Studies. A second co-Chair must be appointed who is a resident Graduate Faculty member.‖ (Bulletin, p. 14)
- "If the student has not yet achieved Candidacy, a new Chair of the supervisory committee who is a resident Graduate Faculty member must be appointed immediately, with the concurrence of the departmental Graduate Committee and the UNL Dean of Graduate Studies.‖ (Bulletin, p. 14)
- "If a member of the Supervisory Committee other than the Chair leaves the employ of the University, or retires, a replacement should normally be appointed who is a resident Graduate Faculty member. In certain circumstances where a special and needed continuing expertise is involved and the staff member is willing to continue serving, he/she may continue as a member of the Supervisory Committee, with the approval of the Supervisory Committee Chair and the concurrence of the Graduate Committee and the UNL Dean of Graduate Studies.‖ (Bulletin, p. 14)
- "Occasionally a Doctoral student‘s Supervisory Committee may believe that the participation of a graduate faculty member from another university would enhance the quality and direction of the dissertation. Faculty from other universities with special expertise may be enlisted, with the approval of the Graduate Dean, to serve in a courtesy association on the Supervisory Committee of a Doctoral candidate. Such individuals would serve without official vote but would be empowered to sign the dissertation approval document and be duly acknowledged by the student in the dissertation.‖ (Bulletin, p. 14)