MINUTES OF THE FIRST MEETING OF THE GRADUATE COUNCIL FOR 1997
Graduate Council Room 1:10-1:50 January 15, 1997
NOTE: These minutes are subject to correction and approval at a subsequent meeting.
Members of the Council
with Retirement Dates:
John Pritchett (Chair), Mike Lisano (Vice Chair), Bruce Berger (August 1998),
Curtis Bird (August 1997), Terry A. Byrd (August 1997), David Haney (August
1999), Jo Heath (August 1999), Jackie Mize (August 1999), Edwin T. Moran (August
1997), P.K. Raju (August 1997), T. Gilmour Reeve (August 1998), Dennis Siginer
August 1998), Larry Teeter (August 1999), Sadik Tuzun (August 1997), James
Weaver (August 1999), Karen Zagrodnik (student 1996-1997), Rebecca H. Roden
(Secretary).
1. Approval of Minutes.
Dr. Raju moved that the minutes for the meeting of December 4, 1996, be approved.
Dr. Tuzun seconded, and the motion carried.
2. Announcements.
Dr. Lisano asked the committee for the Distinguished Graduate Faculty Lectureship
to meet after the Council meeting.
Dr. Pritchett asked the Credentials Committee to meet briefly after the Council
meeting.
Dr. Pritchett announced that Dr. Dennis Siginer was recently appointed an
associate editor of the prestigious Journal of Applied Mechanics published by
the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Just prior to that appointment,
Dr. Siginer was elevated by the Board of Governors to the grade of Fellow of the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, which is one of the largest
professional societies in the world with a membership in excess of 150,000.
Dr. Pritchett announced that a program honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
will be held in Langdon Hall today at 4 p.m. and invited everyone to come. Mr.
Fred Gray, attorney, will speak.
3. Reports.
Credentials Committee: Dr. Reeve presented the report of the Credentials Committee
and moved approval of the report recommending that thirty-six faculty
members be appointed or reappointed to the Graduate Faculty. Dr. Heath seconded
and the motion carried. The recommendations will be forwarded to President Muse
for his approval. Committee Concerning Journal Articles Used as Chapters
of Theses/Dissertations: Dr. Bird, chair, presented the final version of the
draft statement proposed for guidelines to be used by students who wish to use
journal articles as chapters of theses/dissertations. (See minutes for
November 20 and December 4, 1996.) Ms. Ilga Young, thesis/dissertation
evaluator in the Graduate School and committee member, was present for the
report. Dr. Pritchett asked Council members to study the report and discuss it
with faculty members. Action will be taken at the next meeting.
Graduate Student Organization: Ms. Zagrodnik distributed copies of the Research
Forum Application Form that students should use to apply to participate in the
Research Forum on April 16, 1997. A copy of an abstract should be submitted
with the application. The deadline is February 10, and forms may be obtained
from the GSO office in Foy Union. Ms. Zagrodnik said that the GSO Times
is being published again after a dormant period. It is distributed to all
graduate students.
The GSO is working with University officials so that the tuition payments for
graduate student assistants can be made easier by dividing the tuition into three
equal payments and having the money deducted from assistants' pay checks over
three months per quarter. A survey of interest is being conducted. This plan
would be only for GTA's and GRA's and would have to be approved by the Board
of Trustees.
Dr. Pritchett stated that calls have gone out for the following: (1) Nominations
for the Merriwether Fellowship (three awards will be made again this year).
(2) Nominations for outstanding graduate students. Ten doctoral students and ten
master's students will be selected. (3) Applications for Graduate Student
Research Awards (for thesis-and dissertation-option students only). The
deadline for applications is February 21.
Ms. Zagrodnik said that the GSO budget for 1997-98 has been submitted to the
Student Activities Committee of the Student Government Association and that
committee will decide whether the budget should go to the SGA.
The GSO is sponsoring three job information seminars for graduate students, which
will be held in the computer resource room of Ralph Brown Draughon Library. The
first is scheduled for 4 p.m. on January 22. The seminars are limited to 60
people each.
4. Initial Consideration of Graduate Retention Standards.
Dr. Pritchett distributed information from seven universities concerning graduate
retention standards. He will appoint a subcommittee to study retention
standards at Auburn and make a recommendation to the Council. The subcommittee
membership is Ed Moran, David Haney, Jackie Mize, Gil Reeve, and Jo Heath, chair.
John Pritchett, Mike Lisano, and Rebecca Roden will serve in an ex officio
capacity as resource persons.
Rebecca H. Roden
Secretary
Graduate Council Room 1:10-2:15 January 29, 1997
NOTE: These minutes are subject to correction and approval at a subsequent meeting.
Members of the Council
with Retirement Dates:
John Pritchett (Chair), Mike Lisano (Vice Chair), Bruce Berger (August 1998),
Curtis Bird (August 1997), Terry A. Byrd (absent) (August 1997), David Haney
(August 1999), Jo Heath (August 1999), Jackie Mize (August 1999), Edwin T. Moran
(August 1997), P.K. Raju (Raju) (August 1997), T. Gilmour Reeve (August 1998),
Dennis Siginer August 1998), Larry Teeter (August 1999), Sadik Tuzun (absent)
(August 1997), James Weaver (August 1999), Karen Zagrodnik (student 1996-1997),
Rebecca H. Roden (Secretary).
1. Approval of Minutes.
Dr. Bird moved that the minutes for the meeting of January 15, 1997, be approved.
Dr. Moran seconded, and the motion carried.
2. Announcements.
Dr. Heath requested the Graduate Retention Standards Committee to meet
following the Council meeting.
Dr. Pritchett asked the Credentials Committee to meet briefly after the Council meeting.
3. Reports.
Credentials Committee: Dr. Reeve presented the report of the Credentials
Committee and moved approval of the report recommending that thirty faculty members
be appointed or reappointed to the Graduate Faculty. Dr. Heath seconded and the
motion carried. The recommendations will be forwarded to President Muse for his
approval. Four nominations are being held for additional information.
Committee Concerning Journal Articles Used as Chapters of
Theses/Dissertations: Dr. Bird, chair, presented a revised version of the draft
statement proposed for guidelines to be used by students who wish to use journal
articles as chapters of theses/dissertations. (See minutes for January 15, 1997,
No. 3.) Ms. Ilga Young, thesis/dissertation evaluator in the Graduate School and
committee member, was present for the report. Following considerable discussion of
the committee's proposed guidelines, Dr. Pritchett asked Dr. Bird and Dr. Haney to
incorporate suggestions and comments made by Council members into the draft. He
will then send the proposed guidelines with a cover letter to all Graduate Program
Officers and ask that they give the Graduate Council the benefit of their review.
Graduate Student Organization: Ms. Zagrodnik distributed copies of the GSO
Times. It is being sent to all graduate students and is scheduled for publication
fall, winter, and spring quarters. The GSO budget for 1997-98 has been approved by
the Student Activities Committee to go to the Student Government Association for
approval. The GSO hopes to get the requested amount of funds. Ms. Zagrodnik said
that the GSO is still working with University officials to obtain approval for
graduate assistants' tuition payments to be deducted from pay checks over three
months per quarter.
MINUTES OF THE THIRD MEETING OF THE GRADUATE COUNCIL FOR 1997
Graduate Council Room 1:10-2:20 February 12, 1997
NOTE: These minutes are subject to correction and approval at a
subsequent meeting.
Members of the Council
with Retirement Dates:
John Pritchett (Chair), Mike Lisano (Vice Chair), Bruce Berger
(August 1998), Curtis Bird (August 1997), Terry A. Byrd (August
1997), David Haney (August 1999), Jo Heath (August 1999), Jackie Mize
(August 1999), Edwin T. Moran (August 1997), P.K. Raju (Raju) (August
1997), T. Gilmour Reeve (August 1998), Dennis Siginer August 1998),
Larry Teeter (absent) (August 1999), Sadik Tuzun (August 1997), James
Weaver (August 1999), Karen Zagrodnik (student 1996-1997), Rebecca H.
Roden (Secretary).
1. Approval of Minutes.
Dr. Tuzun moved that the minutes for the meeting of January 29,
1997, be approved. Dr. Bird seconded, and the motion carried.
2. Announcements.
Dr. Lisano asked that the committee to select this year's
outstanding graduate students meet with him after the Council meeting,
Dr. Pritchett requested the Credentials Committee to meet
following the Council meeting.
3. Reports.
Credentials Committee: Dr. Reeve presented the report of the
Credentials Committee recommending that ten faculty members be
appointed or reappointed to the Graduate Faculty. Dr. Raju seconded
and the motion carried. Two additional nominations were found not to
meet required criteria and standards and were returned. The
recommendations for appointment will be forwarded to President Muse
for his approval.
Committee Concerning Journal Articles Used as Chapters of
Theses/Dissertations: Dr. Bird, chair, presented a draft statement
proposed for guidelines to be used by students who wish to use journal
articles as chapters of theses/dissertations that he and Dr. Haney
revised to incorporate suggestions and comments made at the last
Council meeting. Following discussion, Dr. Pritchett said that he
will send the proposed guidelines to departments for review.
Graduate Retention Standards Committee: Dr. Heath, chair,
presented a report of the subcommittee on Graduate Retention Standards
(see Minutes for January 15, 1997, No. 4). Following discussion of
the report, which follows, Dr. Pritchett asked the Council to discuss
it with departments and solicit input. The report will be considered
further at the next meeting.
Graduate Council Retention Subcommittee Proposal
We recommend that the following two steps be taken:
(1) Institution of a "Probationary period with possible dismissal"
policy for graduate students who begin their studies after August
1997.
Currently two of the rules are that (a) in order to graduate, a
graduate student must have a cumulative grade-point average of at
least 3.0 on all courses attempted carrying graduate credit and (b) a
deficiency of sixteen or more honor points in the student's overall
academic record, including undergraduate courses taken as a graduate
student, will result in dismissal.
We recommend that to these two rules we add another:
(c) if, at the end of any term, the number of honor points in a
student's overall academic record, including undergraduate courses
taken as a graduate student, falls between -1 and -15, inclusive, the
student is put on probation and has two additional quarters in which
to raise the honor-point total to 0 or above. If at the end of the
second probationary quarter the honor-point total remains negative,
the student will be dismissed. Reinstatement procedures are the same
as those for students dismissed for a deficiency of sixteen or more
honor points.
(2) Issue a request, with explanation, to the Auburn University
graduate programs that some courses be changed from graded to S/U.
Graduate Student Organization: Ms. Zagrodnik announced that the
GSO budget for 1997-98 has been approved by the Student Government
Association. She also requested Council members to send letters to
department heads/chairs and deans asking for financial support for the
Research Forum. They will be contacted by graduate students for
support.
Return to Graduate Council Minutes index
MINUTES OF THE FOURTH MEETING OF THE GRADUATE COUNCIL FOR 1997
Graduate Council Room 1:10-1:50
February 26, 1997
NOTE: These minutes are subject to correction and approval at a
subsequent meeting.
Members of the Council
with Retirement Dates:
John Pritchett (Chair), Mike Lisano (Vice Chair), Bruce Berger
(absent) (August 1998), Curtis Bird (August 1997), Terry A. Byrd (August
1997), David Haney (August 1999), Jo Heath (August 1999), Jackie Mize
(August 1999), Edwin T. Moran (August 1997), P.K. Raju (absent) (August
1997), T. Gilmour Reeve (August 1998), Dennis Siginer August 1998), Larry
Teeter (August 1999), Sadik Tuzun (August 1997), James Weaver (August
1999), Karen Zagrodnik (student 1996-1997), Rebecca H. Roden (Secretary).
1. Approval of Minutes.
Dr. Heath moved that the minutes for the meeting of February 12,
1997, be approved. Dr. Tuzun seconded, and the motion carried.
2. Announcements.
Dr. Pritchett announced: (1) There will be no Graduate Council
meeting March 12. (2) The Distinguished Graduate Faculty Lecturer for
1996-97 is Dr. Chris Rodger, Department of Discrete and Statistical
Sciences. The lecture will be on May 21. (3) Dr. Pritchett is serving
on the steering committee for the quarter-to-semester transition. Dr.
Christine Curtis is coordinator, and the committee has drafted a document
of guiding principles and guidelines for conversion to the semester
system. (4) Dr. Parks, Provost, has distributed information on the
budget for the coming year and asked deans to address special needs. Dr.
Pritchett has requested 50 tuition fellowships for doctoral students for
1997-98, to be increased to 100 the second year, 150 the third year, and
200 the fourth year.
3. Reports.
Credentials Committee: Dr. Reeve presented the report of the
Credentials Committee and moved that five faculty members be appointed
to the Graduate Faculty. Dr. Bird seconded and the motion carried. The
recommendations for appointment will be forwarded to President Muse for
his approval.
Curriculum Committee: Mrs. Roden presented the report of the
Curriculum Committee and moved that it be approved. Dr. Weaver seconded
and the motion carried. The following courses were approved for graduate
credit:
Botany and Microbiology:
BY 645 Plant Metabolism
Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures:
FAA 540 Aquaculture Production I
FAA 541 Aquaculture Production II
Note: The committee deferred action on BY 540, FY 547, FY647, and
PLP 661 until further information can be obtained.
Graduate Retention Standards Committee: At the meeting on February
12, 1997, Dr. Pritchett requested the Council to discuss with colleagues
the "Graduate Council Retention Subcommittee Proposal" presented by Dr.
Heath (see minutes for February 12, No. 3, for proposal). At today's
meeting, Council members reported their findings and discussed the
proposal. By consensus, one change was made in No.1 (c) : "of
enrollment" was added so that (c) reads "if, at the end of any term, the
number of honor points in a student's overall academic record, including
undergraduate courses taken as a graduate student, falls between -1 and
-15, inclusive, the student is put on probation and has two additional
quarters of enrollment in which to raise the honor-point total to 0 or
above." Dr. Weaver moved that the report as amended be approved. Dr.
Teeter seconded and the motion carried.
If approved by the Academic Standards Committee and the University
Senate, the new retention requirements will become effective for students
who begin their graduate studies after August 1997.
Some Council members thought that the grade-point average required
for graduation should be raised for doctoral students but others did not
agree.
Graduate Student Organization: Ms. Zagrodnik announced that the
Auburn University Graduate and Professional Students Appreciation Week
will be April 9-16, culminating with the Research Forum on the 16th. She
also expressed appreciation for financial support that is coming in to
the GSO for the Research Forum.
Return to Graduate Council Minutes index
MINUTES OF THE FIFTH MEETING OF THE GRADUATE COUNCIL FOR 1997
Graduate Council Room 1:10-2:10 April 23, 1997
NOTE: These minutes are subject to correction and approval at a subsequent meeting.
Members of the Council
with Retirement Dates:
John Pritchett (Chair), Mike Lisano (Vice Chair), Bruce Berger (August 1998),
Curtis Bird (August 1997), Terry A. Byrd (August 1997), Kai Chang (substitute for
Dennis Siginer) (August 1998), David Haney (August 1999), Jo Heath (August 1999),
Jackie Mize (August 1999), Edwin T. Moran (August 1997), P.K. Raju (absent) (August
1997), T. Gilmour Reeve (August 1998), Larry Teeter (absent) (August 1999), Sadik
Tuzun (August 1997), James Weaver (August 1999), Karen Zagrodnik (absent) (student
1996-1997),Rebecca H. Roden (Secretary).
1. Approval of Minutes.
Dr. Haney moved that the minutes for the meeting of February 26, 1997, be
approved. Dr. Heath seconded, and the motion carried.
2. Announcements.
Dr. Pritchett announced that Dr. Dennis Siginer is on a sabbatical this
quarter and that former Council member Dr. Kai Chang will substitute for him.
Also, Dr. Larry Teeter will be unable to attend meetings this quarter. A
substitute will be namedfor him.
Dr. Pritchett told the Council that the GSO Research Forum held April 16 was
well attended and was the best to date. The graduate students did an outstanding
job.
In response to a request from a Council member for comments concerning Dr.
Muse's address to the University Senate on April 8, Dr. Pritchett is attaching a
copy of the President's "State of the University Address" made on that date. One Council
member suggested that President Muse be invited to meet with the Graduate Council.
3. Reports.
Curriculum Committee: Mrs. Roden presented the report of the Curriculum
Committee and moved that it be approved. Dr. Bird seconded and the motion carried.
The following courses were approved for graduate credit:
Botany and Microbiology:
BY 540 Principles of Plant Physiology
Educational Foundations, Leadership and Technology:
EDL 741 Educational Forecasting (from EDL 641)
EDL 785 Administrative Organization and Behavior (from EDL 685)
Forestry:
FY 547 Geographic Information Systems Applications in Forestry
FY 647 Geographic Information Systems Applications in Natural Resources
Management:
MN 530 The Business of Sports
Plant Pathology:
PLP 661 Biocontrol of Plant Pathogens (from PLP 513)
Note: The committee discussed proposed course PH 622 Anaerobic Bacteriology but
deferred action until further information can be obtained.
4. Manuscript Format for Theses/Dissertations.
Following the Council meeting on January 29, 1997, Dr. Bird and Dr. Haney
incorporated suggestions and comments made by Council members into the draft
statement proposed for guidelines to be used by students who wish to use journal
articles as chapters of theses/dissertations. Dr. Pritchett then sent the proposed
guidelines with a cover letter to all Graduate Program Officers for review. At
today's meeting, Dr. Pritchett gave all responses from departments to Dr. Bird for
consideration by the committee.
5. Discussion of Minimal Hours for Graduate Degrees/Semester Transition.
Dr. Pritchett distributed information concerning transition from quarter to
semester credit hours for graduate degrees and asked what sort of refinement we
need to make. He also asked what constitutes a full-time graduate student at
Auburn University on the semester system. [Currently, a graduate student must be
registered for 10 quarter hours to be certified full time.] Following discussion,
Dr. Haney moved that a full-time graduate student will be defined as one who is
registered for nine semester hours. Dr. Tuzun seconded and the motion carried.
Dr. Pritchett will reconstitute the committee appointed February 15, 1995, to study
minimum credit hours required for doctoral degrees to make recommendations
concerning minimal semester hours required for graduate degrees.
[See minutes for
February 15, 1995.]
Graduate Council Room; 1:10-2:50; May 7, 1997
Important Note for May 21st Meeting: Dr. Michael Moriarity, Vice
President for Research, will attend the May 21st Council meeting to
discuss issues of interest.
NOTE: These minutes are subject to correction and approval at a
subsequent meeting.
Members of the Council with Retirement Dates:
1. Approval of Minutes.
2. Announcements.
Dr. Pritchett announced the following:
Chemical Engineering :
CHE 671 Introduction to Research Seminar
CHE 672 Advanced Process Design Seminar
CHE 719 Advanced Topics in Computer Control Systems
Mrs. Roden then moved approval of the proposed non-thesis option Master of Science degree in the Department of Geology that will be offered in addition to the thesis-option Master of Science. Dr. Reeve seconded. Following discussion, the motion c arried by a vote of 7 to 3.
4. Follow-up on Manuscript Format for Theses/Dissertations.
5. Consideration of Draft Statement on 500-Level Courses and Forms for Quarter to Semester Transition for Existing Graduate Programs and Minors.
Members of the Council
with Retirement Dates:
John Pritchett (Chair), Mike Lisano (Vice
Chair), Steve McFarland (Secretary), Bruce Berger (August 1998),
Curtis Bird (August 1997), Terry A. Byrd (August 1997), Kai Chang
(substitute for Dennis Siginer, August 1998), David Haney (August
1999), Jo Heath (August 1999), Jackie Mize (August 1999), Edwin
T. Moran (August 1997), P. K. Raju (August 1997), T. Gilmour Reeve
(August 1998), David South (substitute for Larry Teeter, August
1999), Sadik Tuzun (August 1997), James Weaver (August 1999),
Alexander Magg (student 1997-1998).
Members Absent:
Byrd, Chang, Moran, South, Weaver
Minutes of May 21, 1997, Council meeting
approved without correction.
Paul Turnquist (Head, Agricultural Engineering)
presented a history of the Department of Agricultural Engineering
and an explanation of the need for a new departmental name to
represent its broadened scope and general shift from an agricultural
focus to a biological focus. Council member questioned Turnquist
about the department's connection to the School of Engineering,
the nationwide trends in similar departments, and of possible
overlaps with other Auburn programs. Mize moved the approval
of the department name change and Raju seconded. The motion carried
without opposition.
Stephen L. McFarland
Secretary
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
June 25 Graduate Council Meeting, 1:10 P.M., Hargis Hall
July 9 Graduate Council Meeting, 1:10 P.M., Hargis Hall
July 23 Graduate Council Meeting, 1:10 P.M., Hargis Hall
August 20 Graduate Council Meeting, 1:10 P.M., Hargis Hall
June 23 Last day for acceptance of approved drafts of doctoral dissertations
June 23 Last day to apply for foreign language examinations
July 1-14 Submission of thesis rough drafts for format check
July 10 Foreign language examinations
July 21 Last day for submission of approved theses to Graduate School in final
form and last day for filing Form 9 (report of thesis-option final oral
examination)
August 8 Last day for doctoral and non-thesis final oral examinations
August 15 Last day for submission of final copies of dissertations to Graduate
School
August 29 Last day for students to request graduation checks in the Graduate
School for December graduation (students must be registered no later
than the fifth class day to graduate)
Whereas Rebecca H. Roden has served Auburn
University and the Graduate School for 41 years; and
Whereas her service has been characterized
by a deep and abiding loyalty and personal commitment to the faculty,
staff and graduate students of the University; and
Whereas Rebecca has provided constant leadership
in establishing superior standards for quality and integrity in
graduate education at Auburn University; and
Whereas, on June 1, 1997, Rebecca has commenced
a new chapter in her life with her retirement from Auburn University;
Therefore be it
Resolved that the Graduate Council, on behalf
of the faculty, staff, students and administration of Auburn University,
unanimously commends Rebecca for her 41 years of personal dedication
and commitment and expresses deepest appreciation and gratitude
for her unmatched contributions to the Graduate School and graduate
education at Auburn University.
Unanimously adopted this fifth day of June,
1997.
Following are PROPOSED revisions of the Bulletin for the transition from quarters to semesters.
1. Minimum hour requirements for the Ph.D., and minimum number of
graded hours of course work required while in 09 status (p. 190):
Original:
The Graduate School requires a minimum of 46 hours of graded
(e.g. A, B, C) graduate course work (600-level and above) beyond
the bachelor's degree, at least 30 hours of which must be
completed under 09 classification at Auburn University. A
doctoral student must also complete 46 hours of additional course
work (may include ungraded courses, 500-level courses, 699 and
799).
Revised:
The Graduate School requires a minimum of 30 hours of graded
(e.g., A, B, C) course work at the 600-level and above beyond the
bachelor's degree, at least 18 hours of which must be completed
at Auburn University. A doctoral student must also complete 30
hours of additional course work (may include ungraded courses,
500-level courses, 699 and 799).
2. Residency Requirement (p. 189):
Original:
A significant part of the Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of
Education program is the residency year. This can be satisfied by
the student's completing a minimum of 30 hours of on-campus
course work during three consecutive quarters following
classification as a doctoral student (09 designation). During
this residency year, the doctoral student shall enroll for a
minimum of 10 hours each quarter, a minimum of five hours of
which shall be in graded (e.g. A, B, C) course work.
Revised:
A significant part of the Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of
Education program is the residency year. This can be satisfied by
the student's completing a minimum of 18 hours of on-campus
course work at the 500-level or above during two consecutive
semesters following classification as a doctoral student (09
designation). At least nine of these 18 hours shall be in graded
(e.g., A, B, C) course work. During this residency year, the
doctoral student shall enroll for a minimum of 9 hours each
semester, no fewer than three hours of which shall be in graded
(e.g., A, B, C) course work.
Dissertation and Thesis Format
One of two possible formats may be used in the writing of the dissertation/thesis: a traditional format or manuscript format. Either format may be used but these guidelines should be considered as establishing minimum requirements and many disciplines/departments have additional preferences or requirements. Students should clarify these preferences with their advisory committee prior to beginning to write the dissertation/thesis.
A majority of the actual research and the
writing of each paper must represent the efforts of the primary
student author and not collaborators. The research should represent
work performed while in the graduate program at Auburn University.
The student must be primary author of each manuscript and normally
would share authorship only with the major professor. Papers
that include other authors can be used provided the efforts of
the other authors represent less than half of the total effort.
The primary (student) author's effort should represent, in the
judgment of the faculty supervisor and the student's advisory
committee, a majority of the total effort expended in performing
the research and preparing the manuscript (51% or more).
Traditional Format
if appropriate, the following format may be used
Manuscript Format
Format Rules for Individual Sections
Acknowledgments
A one-page acknowledgment can be included.
Appropriate comments include a statement acknowledging the contributions
by the supervisor in the first sentence followed by additional
sentences acknowledging the contributions of others including
the advisory committee and collaborators. It is particularly
important to acknowledge co-authors of manuscripts submitted,
or to be submitted, for publication (see format for manuscript
chapters below).
Introduction
The introduction should include a clear
statement of the student's purpose or hypothesis to be tested,
an overview of the problem or subject as it is known form the
literature and a broad statement summarizing the findings of the
student's study.
Literature Review
The literature review should be composed
of a comprehensive review of all background knowledge and circumstances
pertinent to the subject of the dissertation/thesis. It should
include a thorough discussion and full literature review (normally
considered too long and unnecessary in journal articles and other
academic publications). Presentation and mastery of this material
is a critical component of the student's development as a scholar
and it is important to the growth of the discipline. The review
should provide a unique and valuable reference resource for other
scholars in the field of study.
Statement of Research Objectives
This statement should consist of a concise
series of specific objectives to be addressed by the research
published in the dissertation/thesis. They should follow as natural
questions to be posed given the preceding review of the current
literature and the state of knowledge in the discipline.
Manuscript Chapters (appropriate when using the manuscript format)
Each chapter represents a single manuscript
(usually a paper or manuscript submitted or to be submitted to
a peer-reviewed scholarly journal). A paper can be used (fully
or in parts) only in one thesis/dissertation at Auburn University
or elsewhere and should be included in the bibliography. If a
paper is published originally as a multi-authored publication,
the additional authors should be acknowledged on the acknowledgments
page. Each manuscript should be written according to the guidelines
of the publication or journal to which it was or is to be submitted
with the following exceptions.
Figures and Legends
All figures (if included) should be numbered cumulatively and
consecutively from beginning to end including all chapters and
appendices. The figures and legends should be inserted into the
text after, but as near as possible to, the point where they are
first mentioned in the text. In order to be visible when the figure
is viewed, the legend should be placed either in the lower part
of the figure page or inserted as the preceding page (but facing
the figure). It can also be inserted as the preceding page in
the normal orientation facing away from the figure. The style
of the legend should conform to one of the approved style manuals
and be noted on the style manual page. The style selected should
be used throughout the dissertation/thesis.
Overall Conclusion
The discussion/body or last chapter section should be followed
by an overall conclusion. The section should be composed of a
brief restatement of the important conclusions presented in the
dissertation/thesis. This section is particularly important and
should be somewhat longer if a chaptered format is selected as
this is the only section that will describe the importance of
the work in a comprehensive manner.
Bibliography
The bibliography should appear in one location
at the end of the dissertation/thesis ahead of any appendices
and should be cumulative for all cited references. All citations
in the bibliography should be listed alphabetically and should
conform to a single format that is accepted as standard within
the student's discipline, as determined by the student's advisory
committee (numbered citations in the text are not acceptable).
Separate bibliographies for each chapter should not be included.
Copyright
The copyright page (for dissertations) or
copyright permission of the author (for theses) should appear
on a separate page following the main title page for the dissertation/thesis
in the format shown in the examples (p.* for dissertations, p.*
for theses).
Appendices
Appendices may be included as a means to
publish relevant ancillary data or discussion that is not directly
related to the unifying theme of the dissertation/thesis. The
majority of such work must still represent the work of the student
and can include supporting data, materials or discussion not included
in the body/chapters or other work completed by the student that
is not included in the main dissertations/thesis. The format
can include individual figures with legends, text alone or whole
chapters. The same format rules apply to the rest of the dissertation/thesis
also apply to appendices. Any references included in the appendices
should be included in the comprehensive bibliography.
Adopted June 4, 1997