Advisory Dissertation Committee

Each doctoral student must work with a qualified Advisory Dissertation Committee that is knowledgeable in methods of graduate-level study and research, as well as in the subject area concerned. The Advisory Dissertation Committee comprises the Faculty Mentor (Chair), Faculty Reviewer (Research Specialist), and Independent Reviewer (Content Specialist). The Faculty Mentor is also the course professor for all the dissertation courses acting as the Chair for the student. The Faculty Mentor assists the student in selecting an appropriate Faculty Reviewer and Independent Reviewer. The student will submit the formal requests for the two remaining committee members during the first dissertation course. The Faculty Reviewer must be an Aspen University professor who understands the University’s dissertation process. See Faculty Request Form. The Independent Reviewer must have appropriate understanding and interest in the topic of the dissertation research project. This individual may be someone representing a different organization. See the Independent Reviewer Request Form. The individual may be a visiting scholar or professor representing a different program or another field of study. Selection of the Independent Reviewer should consider the relative fields or sciences involved in the research study. For instance, in a Doctorate in Education program, if the study were based upon the teaching field in psychology, medicine, business, or criminal justice, a professor involved in the relative discipline would provide valuable input. All members of the Advisory Dissertation Committee must hold a doctoral degree and one member must hold the Doctorate degree being sought, ensuring that all members of the committee are well versed on doctoral-level work as well as on the field of the program. The student is permitted to select the committee members in consultation with the Faculty Mentor, but Aspen University makes the final decisions. To select committee members, the student sends a statement of request to the Faculty Mentor listing the individuals being solicited and explaining the rationale for the selection.

The professional relationship between the student and the Advisory Dissertation Committee is characterized by enthusiasm, professionalism, and regular and reciprocal communication. In the ideal relationship between the Advisory Dissertation Committee members, the student receives constant, timely, and quality feedback on progress. This type of interaction and feedback can be accomplished in a variety of ways. However, the emphasis of interactions and feedback is on both the frequency of interactions and quality feedback to maintain a dialogue on the issues and research questions raised by the student’s investigative work.

The Faculty Mentor assists the student in formulating the Advisory Dissertation Committee and oversees its progress. The Faculty Mentor also serves the roles of advisor, director, counselor, coach, role model, guide, collaborator, facilitator, advocate, chair, and the like.

The Faculty Mentor facilitates communications and resource exchanges among all members of the Advisory Dissertation Committee and is accountable for the committee’s work. The Faculty Mentor provides guidance and supervision for the entire dissertation process, timely and practical reviews including specific constructive critiques to the student, communicates appropriate concerns to the student, and communicates with all the members of the Advisory Dissertation Committee and Aspen University administrators. The Faculty Mentor is responsible for contacting and chairing meetings of the full Advisory Dissertation Committee. When there is a difference of opinion or conflict, the Faculty Mentor negotiates with all committee members and the student.

The Faculty Mentor serves as a guide and consultant to the student throughout the dissertation process and ensures the integrity of Aspen University’s dissertation guidelines. The Faculty Mentor is an expert in providing guidance to the student about research including the research topic, problem statement, current literature review, research design and planning, data collection, analysis and reporting, dissertation document preparation, and the like to maximize the student’s progress for successful and ethical doctoral research. The Faculty Mentor maintains documentation of all communication within the Advisory Dissertation Committee, ensuring that all necessary forms are completed, signed, and submitted to Aspen University administrators.

If the Faculty Mentor is unable to serve for the entire duration of the student’s dissertation process, the Faculty Reviewer may serve the role of Faculty Mentor and assist the student in selecting a replacement for either the Faculty Mentor role or the Faculty Reviewer role accordingly.

Any additional human resources should be discussed with the Faculty Mentor. Such resources might comprise a dissertation editor, academic advisor, or a subject matter expert (SME), such as a statistics expert. All individuals associated with the dissertation process should be acknowledged for their contribution. Any expense incurred by the student for external services rendered is managed independently between the student and the service provider. Hiring a writer or buying a completed dissertation product is not acceptable and grounds for termination.