Educational Administration Doctoral Program Handbook

Revised August 24

Mission

To inspire and develop educators who lead innovation in schools and communities utilizing intentional, evidence-based, and inclusive processes.

Vision

The Department of Educational Leadership at East Texas A&M University will educate scholar practitioners to transform and shape the future for global impact.

Program Goals

Foster the development of scholar practitioners who will:
Construct and apply knowledge guided by national and state educational leadership standards to mitigate barriers to educational access and opportunity;
Establish authentic partnerships with stakeholders to address local problems of practice rooted in equity, ethics, and social justice;
Engage in systemic and systematic inquiry with community partners to identify problems of practice;
Collaborate with diverse communities to gather, organize, and critically analyze data to yield meaningful solutions;
Provide evidence-based justification for change and improvement;
Understand and incorporate multiple perspectives in leading transformational improvement;
Understand and navigate the multiple political contexts impacting education for successful policy implementation.

Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate

Educational Leadership Faculty

The faculty of the Educational Administration Educational Doctorate (EdD) Program are professional educators who bring their Texas public school leadership experiences to the program. Our faculty members have served as Assistant Principals, Principals, Coordinators, Assistant Superintendents, and Superintendents in various school districts. These field-based understandings coupled with active research agendas make for the best possible learning experiences as students seek to become educational leaders who will make a difference in schools, school district, and local communities.

The Educational Administration Programs at East Texas A&M University has a rich history dedicated to the creation of educational leaders. Though the name of our university has changed along the way, its role in creating educators of excellence has not changed. Professor Mayo's founding creed of “ceaseless industry, fearless investigation, unfettered thought, and unselfish service to others” continues to this day.

Since 1996, the university has been a part of the Texas A&M University System. East Texas A&M University, with its online delivery of instruction, continues to grow throughout Texas and strives to provide students with a quality education that serves as a springboard to careers and lives that make a difference through public and private education systems.

The EdD Program is fully online and faculty maintain offices in the Department of Educational Leadership in the Young Education North building in Commerce, within the College of Education and Human Services.

The Department of Educational Leadership is located on the Commerce campus in the Young Education North Building, Room 113. The mailing address and other contact information are listed below.

College of Education and Human Services

Department of Educational Leadership

Office of Certification and Academic Services

Sherri Harwell Director Educator Certification and Academic Services

Visit East Texas A&M University Office of Educator Certification and Academic Services webpage.

Overview

Welcome to the Doctoral program in Educational Administration at East Texas A&M University. The Department of Educational Leadership prepares graduates for leadership positions in schools, districts, and state agencies including colleges and universities.

The Doctor of Education degree in Educational Administration is designed with a K-12 public school administration emphasis. Our program is one of the oldest and most prestigious in the state and is designed with the school practitioner in mind. As one of the first fully online Doctoral Programs in the state, we are proud to also be one of the best values in higher education. Program admission is competitive in nature. As such, the department prioritizes admission to practicing administrators who hold a Master's Degree in Educational Administration or a related field. We encourage applications from candidates with a strong academic commitment to education, seasoned leadership skills and competitive academic achievement
and scholarship abilities. Incoming cohorts are accepted each fall and spring semesters into the program.

This handbook includes the following information:

Admission procedures and requirements
Residency Requirements
Student orientation and advising
Degree plans and course listings
We designed this handbook to provide a general overview of our program. The handbook is supplementary to the information provided in the official graduate school handbook, providing information specific to our program. This handbook is written under the jurisdiction of the Doctoral Program Faculty. If further information is needed, please contact Doctoral Program Coordinators, Dr. Peter Williams or Dr. Teresa Farler.

Degree Information

Time Limitation for Degree

All degree requirements must be completed within ten calendar years from the date of admission to the Doctoral program. No coursework beyond the master’s degree that is over ten years old at the time the Doctoral degree is conferred can be used toward the Doctoral degree. When this occurs, the student must replace old coursework with additional courses.

Transfer Credit

The program accepts no outside hours toward the degree.

Research Tools

The student must demonstrate proficiency in the use of research tools prior to taking the Doctoral comprehensive examination. Research tool requirements are met by successfully completing each of the four courses with a grade of B or better. (Note: All courses that count toward the degree plan must be completed with a final course grade of B or better). All research tool courses must be taken in sequence and PRIOR to taking the comprehensive examinations.

Admissions

Admission to the Doctoral program in Educational Administration is a competitive process. In any given year, the department receives more applications from qualified students than can be accepted. Consequently, application materials should be carefully prepared so as to present the student in the most positive light.

Process

Students must first apply to and be accepted by the East Texas A&M Graduate School. The general requirements for admission to the Graduate School are found in the graduate catalog and on the Graduate School’s website. To be accepted into the Graduate School, you must submit to the Graduate School evidence that you have satisfactorily completed the admission requirements. Please see Doctoral admission packet linked below for details:
Graduate School Doctoral Admission Packet
- Students apply to the graduate school through Apply Texas. The direct link is provided here:
  Apply Texas
- The Graduate School will forward your application materials to the department only after the above requirements have been met. Moreover, admission to the Graduate School (in non-degree status) does NOT constitute admission to the department’s Doctoral program.
The Program Admissions Committee, comprised of faculty members who teach in the Doctorate Program of Educational Administration and are committed to the principle of equal educational opportunities consistent with the mission and policies of the Texas A&M University System, state, and federal law, will review the doctoral application packets.
- A department-approved rubric is used to assign standard points to the departmental entrance criteria. If the sum of these points falls within the accepted entrance requirement range, the committee recommends to the EDL department Head that the applicant be admitted.
The EDL Department Head and the Dean of the College of Education and Human Services must approve the committee's recommendation. If approved, the Dean for Graduate Studies and Research makes a final decision regarding admission to the degree program. Students will receive a final notice of acceptance or denial to the Doctoral Program in Educational Administration directly from graduate school.
Once admitted, students are strongly encouraged to progress through the program with their cohort. The cohort program is designed to provide students with opportunities to progress through the program in a logical and sequential manner with a group of colleagues pursuing similar professional goals. Course sequencing and cohort structure of the program are designed to maximize the student's learning potential and professional growth. The degree plan is 60 credit hours. If eligible, students may elect to take up to 9 elective credit hours towards Superintendent Certification.

The Graduate School

For information and forms for the Graduate School, please visit the link below: Graduate School Forms

These forms are used throughout the graduate study period to schedule exams, defenses, and complete the dissertation. It is recommended that students regularly refer to the graduate school website while progressing through the program. Also, the ETAMU Doctoral Student Handbook on the page linked above. That handbook contains University policies for all doctoral students.

The EdD Curriculum

The EdD curriculum consists of 48 credit hours of doctoral level courses, a residency, comprehensive exams (written and oral), and twelve credit hours of dissertation research. Following are descriptions of these curricular requirements.

Course List

Seven Core Courses: 21 Hours

EDAD 601: Foundations of Educational Administration
EDAD 634: Dynamics of Change and conflict Resolution
EDAD 637: Advanced Organizational Behavior in Education
EDAD 639: Program Evaluation for School Leaders
EDAD 641: School District Instructional Leadership: Curriculum
EDAD 647: Ethics and Philosophy
EDAD 674: Governance of Educational Organizations

Research Tools: 12 Hours

EDAD 695: Research Methods
EDAD 603: Statistical Procedures for Education & Research
EDAD 604: Advanced Statistical Techniques
EDAD 698: Qualitative Research

Additional Required Courses: 6 Hours

EDAD 664: Doctoral Writing – Proposal Development
EDAD 699: Resident Seminar

Elective Courses: 9 Hours

EDAD 654: Foundations of Educational Administration
EDAD 655: Executive Communication
EDAD 658: School Crisis Leadership
EDAD 620*: School District Instructional Leadership: Human Resources
EDAD 627*: School District Organizational Leadership: Finance
EDAD 651*: School District Organizational Leadership: Facilities

Additional Superintendent Courses: (Remaining 6 Hours)

EDAD 611*: School District CEO Leadership: The Practicum
EDAD 628*: School District CEO Leadership: The Superintendent*

*Courses for Superintendent Certification. Not a requirement for Doctoral Program

Dissertation (12 Hours)

EDAD 718 – Doctoral Dissertation

Doctoral Sequence Worksheet

Effective February 2025

THIS SEQUENCE WORKSHEET IS ONLY FOR EASE OF PLANNING

	ALL SUMMER COHORTS	ALL FALL COHORTS	ALL SPRING COHORTS
SUMMER	EDAD 641
FALL	EDAD 601 EDAD 695	EDAD 601 EDAD 695
SPRING	EDAD 637 EDAD 664 Note: 1. POP	EDAD 637 EDAD 664 Note: 1. POP	EDAD 601 EDAD 695
SUMMER	EDAD 603 EDAD 647 Note: 2. Committee Chair	EDAD 603 EDAD 647 Note: 2. Committee Chair	EDAD 603 EDAD 647
FALL	EDAD 698 EDAD 671 Note: 3. Qualifying Exam	EDAD 698 EDAD 671 Note: 3. Qualifying Exam	EDAD 698 EDAD 671 Note: 1. POP and 2. Comittee Chair
SPRING	EDAD 604 EDAD 621 Note: Elective Option	EDAD 604 EDAD 621 Note: Elective Option	EDAD 698 EDAD 621 Note: 3. Qualifying Exam
SUMMER	EDAD 639 Note: 4. Residency and Elective Option	EDAD 639 EDAD 641 Note: 4. Residency and Elective Option	EDAD 639 EDAD 641 Note: Elective Option
FALL	EDAD 699 Note: 5. Proposal and Elective Option	EDAD 699 Note: 5. Proposal and Elective Option	EDAD 604 EDAD 671 Note: 4. Residency and Elective Option
SPRING			EDAD 699 Note: 5. Proposal and Elective Option
	MINIMUM 12 HOURS EDAD 718	MINIMUM 12 HOURS EDAD 718	MINIMUM 12 HOURS EDAD 718

Superintendent Certification

Contact Dr. Teresa Farler for more information and instruction.

After acceptance, you will need to request registration clearance from the department for each of the following courses:

EDAD 620 – School District Instructional Leadership: Human Resources
EDAD 627 – School District Organizational Leadership: Finance
EDAD 651 – School District Organizational Leadership: Facilities

(EDAD 620, 627, and 651 can be used as your Selected Elective Courses in the Doctoral Program)

Final Superintendent Courses – taken concurrently

EDAD 611 – School District CEO Leadership: The Practicum*
And – EDAD 628 – School District CEO Leadership: The Superintendent*

*Practicum courses are seperate from doctoral program.

Learn more about the course information

Residency

The purpose of the residency requirement is to develop students' ability to engage with the broader community of scholar-practitioners to apply theory to practice. The residency partially addresses the following CPED guiding principle: Provides opportunities for candidates to develop and demonstrate collaboration and communication skills to work with a number of different communities and to build partnerships.

The residency requirement is mandatory for all doctoral students at East Texas A&M University. Residency allows students the opportunity to acquire intellectual experiences beyond the coursework by providing students opportunities to develop original scholarly contributions to their chosen disciplines. Students will collaborate with the faculty members in the doctoral program during the development and presentation of their research in a state, national, or international setting.

The Graduate School expects all graduate programs to encourage and provide opportunities for immersion of doctoral students in scholarship. Students may fulfill residency requirements by participating in scholarly state, national, and international conferences and symposia including CPED convenings.

The curriculum advisor and dissertation chair oversee the residency requirements. Two forms must be used: the Residency Plan and Residency Completion forms. Students will first develop an individualized residency plan with their respective advisors. Each residency plan must be completed, approved, and filed in collaboration with the dissertation chair. These activities should provide the student with academic experiences outside the daily work environment and add to the knowledge base for the student's research interest. Residency completion forms must be filed before the proposal defense.

Doctoral Residency Requirements:

Student attends 2 conferences (one regional/state and one national/international)
Presentation at one conference (either regional/state or national/international)

Following are potential conferences, symposia, and convenings students can participate in that focus on research ideas and reports: the CPED Convening, CPED Virtual Conference, International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership (ICPEL), American Educational Research Association (AERA), Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, American Association of School Administrators, Texas Council of Professors of Educational Administration (TCPEA, Fall Conference or TASA/TCPEA Midwinter Conference), Southwest Educational Research Association (SERA), or University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA). Also, the ETAMU Annual Research Symposium each Spring is an opportunity to present.

Certification of Completion

After students complete their respective residency plan, his/her advisor will certify its completion noting any changes in the plan and file this certification in the department's (and/or Graduate School) records. It is the responsibility of the student to maintain all records of presentations, attendance at conferences or any other collaborative work with faculty.

Curriculum Advisor

Assignment

Upon admission to the department's EDAD Doctoral program the Doctoral Program Coordinator assigns a faculty member to serve as the student's curriculum advisor.

Curriculum Advisor's Role

Your curriculum advisor will serve as your main point of contact for any questions or concerns you have as you begin your doctoral program journey. Your Curriculum Advisor will guide your through the course sequence, the Residency requirement activities, and the comprehensive exam process.

Your curriculum advisor and dissertation committee chair do not serve the same role and may or may not be the same person. Your Curriculum Advisor is assigned to you for your first 12 hours of course completion.

Students will discuss the appropriate semester in which to sit for the comprehensive examination with their Curriculum Advisor, with final approval resting with Curriculum Advisor. Students must have completed all Residency requirements in order to sit for the comprehensive exam.

Exception: Dr. Kemp-Graham or Dr. Sharonda Pruitt will serve as curriculum advisor for students enrolled in the Urban School Leader EDAD Fall 2023 Cohort upon admission.

Dissertation Committee Chair

Dissertation Chairs are selected after completion of all coursework, successful completion of the residency requirements and the Doctoral Comprehensive Exam. Once eligible, students will receive an email delineating the specific steps of the dissertation chair selection process. Students will receive an opportunity to indicate their first (3) choices for a dissertation chair. While we cannot guarantee that students will receive their request, we will always do our best to accommodate student request for a dissertation chair. The dissertation chair will assist students in developing the research proposal and in establishing a dissertation committee.

Exception: Dr. Kemp-Graham or Dr. Sharonda Pruitt will serve as dissertation chair for students admitted as part of the Urban School Leader EDAD Fall 2023 Cohort. Students in this cohort will be notified of chair assignment during their first semester in the program.

Doctoral Comprehensive Exam

The Doctor of Educational Administration Comprehensive Examination is a milestone event in the academic program study leading to candidacy. Specifically, the comprehensive examination provides the Doctoral student an opportunity to

demonstrate comprehensive understanding of their knowledge base;
chronicle the student's foundation as an academic scholar as well as an educational leader;
demonstrate and characterize a grounded vision of leadership in the educational administration context for the future; and
provide academic insights and thought that reflects the work completed with their respective Curriculum Advisor through the residency and other professional activities during the Doctoral study.

The comprehensive examination is not intended to be an exercise in regurgitating all that a student has gained and learned throughout the program, but rather to ground the student in the discipline of educational administration. This process allows students to enhance their knowledge to establish the student as a thoughtful yet inquisitive thinker which will subsequently be applied to their future practice.

The written portion of the exam will consist of a 35–40-page Review of Literature. The topic will be directly related to the student's dissertation topic of interest. The oral portion of the exam will consist of a presentation of the literature review to the student's curriculum advisor and one other faculty member.
Exception: Urban School Leader EDAD Fall 2023 Cohort

Prerequisites

Research tools

The student must have met the proficiency standards for level I-IV of the research tools by successful completion of the research tools courses: EDAD 603, EDAD 604, EDAD 695 and EDAD 698.

Courses

The student must have taken or be in his or her last semester of the core cohort EDAD courses and completed approximately two full years of study in the major area, as approved by the student’s Doctoral advisor. This includes: EDAD 601, 671, 637, 641, 647, 639, and 634.

The EdD Program Coordinator will announce the dates for the exams

Students will take their Doctoral comprehensive exams during their last semester of coursework. The examination must be taken and passed a minimum of eight months before the degree is conferred.

Exception: Urban School Leader EDAD Fall 2023 Cohort. Students seek approval from their Dissertation Chair to take comprehensive exam during their last semester of course work.

Approval of the curriculum advisor

Students will discuss the appropriate semester in which to sit for the comprehensive examination with their curriculum advisor, with final approval resting with curriculum advisor.

Evaluation of Written Examination

Each written response is rated as either a pass or fail. Students must score 80 of 100 points. Literature will be scored by both the Doctoral advisor and an in-department faculty member. An applicant who does not pass the qualifying examinations may be suspended from the Doctoral program, or upon the recommendation of the advisory committee and approval of the Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, may be permitted to repeat the examination (from Graduate Handbook).

Evaluation of Oral Examination

Permission to proceed with orals. If the student passes the written comprehensive examination, the student will be assigned a date and time for the oral examination during the semester when the written portion was completed. The oral exam is scheduled directly with the curriculum advisor. Each presentation is scored as pass or fail. Students must score 80 of 100 points. A student who does not pass the qualifying examinations may be suspended from the Doctoral program, or upon request and subsequent recommendation of the curriculum advisor and approval of the Dean for Graduate Studies, may be permitted to repeat the examination (See Graduate Handbook).

Exception: Urban School Leader EDAD Fall 2023 Cohort. Oral examinations will be scheduled by the Dissertation Chair. The Oral exam will be facilitated by dissertation committee members.

Final Report of Doctoral Comprehensive Examination

Prior to the oral portion of the comprehensive exam, the student should provide his or her major advisor with a copy of the Graduate School Doctoral Comprehensive Examination form. This form is available from the East Texas A&M Graduate School web page and from the department office. The student should complete the top portion. The major advisor verifies the written and oral examination results on this form and the student returns the signed form to the Graduate School. Any performance disputes will be settled by a committee consisting of all members of the Doctoral faculty in Educational Administration. Any student who does not pass the qualifying examinations after the first attempt may be suspended from the Doctoral program; however, upon the recommendation of the advisory committee and approval of the Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, students may be permitted to repeat the examination for a second and final attempt (from Graduate Handbook).

Doctoral Written Comprehensive Exam Literature Review Rubric

You are to locate resources/research articles (60-100) from peer-reviewed scholarly journals; not including dissertations. You are to write a 35-40 page literature review, which includes a synthesis of these articles and secondary sources as they pertain to your topic. The reference page should include all sources cited in the literature review. The Reference page(s) does not count toward your 35-40 page limit. This literature review should serve as part of the background/foundation for your dissertation research. The literature review should adhere to APA 7 format.

Grading of Assignment

A total of 80 of 100 points is required for the successful submission of your Literature Review.

1. Coverage

A. Justified criteria for inclusion and exclusion in the literature review
(0-5 Points): Did not discuss the criteria for inclusion or exclusion in the literature review
(6-7 Points): Discussed the literature included and excluded in the literature review
(10 Points): Justified inclusion and exclusion of literature

2. Synthesis

B. Distinguished between what has been done in the field and what needs to be done: Critically examined the state of the field
C. Placed the topic or problem in the broader scholarly literature: The topic clearly situated in broader scholarly literature
D. Placed the research in the historical context of the field: Critically examined history of the topic
E. Acquired and enhanced the subject vocabulary: Discussed and resolved ambiguities in definitions
F. Articulated important variables and phenomena relevant to the topic: Noted ambiguities in literature and proposed new relationships
G. Synthesized and gained a new perspective on the literature: Offered new perspective

3. Methodology

H. Identified the main methodologies and research techniques that have been used in the field, and their advantages and disadvantages: Critiqued research methods
I. Related ideas and theories in the field to research methodologies: Critiqued appropriateness of research methods to warrant claims

4. Rhetoric

J. Was written with a coherent, clear structure that supported the review: Well developed, coherent

Adapted from “Scholars before Researchers: On the Centrality of the Dissertation Literature Review in Research Preparation,” by Boote, D. N., (2005), Educational Researcher, 34(6), 8.

Admission to Candidacy

Prerequisities

The Graduate School will verify that required coursework, residency plan, and all portions of the qualifying comprehensive exam have been successfully completed before approving students for Doctoral candidacy.

Notification

Notification of a Doctoral candidacy status will be made by the Dean for Graduate Studies and Research. This must occur 8 months prior to graduation.

Dissertation Committee

Selection of Dissertation Chair

Dissertation Chairs are selected after completion of all coursework, successful completion of the Doctoral Comprehensive Exam and completion of residency requirements. Once eligible, students will receive an email delineating the specific steps of the dissertation chair selection process.

Students will be invited to attend a “Meet the Faculty” Event. During this time, students will meet briefly in small groups with each faculty member.

Dissertation chairs are not selected at this event
Students are not able to enroll in EDAD 718 until completion of all course work, residency, and successful mastery of the comprehensive exam.
Students will receive an opportunity to delineate their first (3) choices for a dissertation chair.

Exception: Students enrolled as part of the Urban School Leader EDAD Fall 2023 Cohort will have dissertation chairs assigned during their first semester in the program.

Selection of Doctoral Advisory Committee Members

Your dissertation chair will guide you in selecting a dissertation committee at an appropriate time. Committee members should be selected to assist the student in the dissertation area of study.

How many?

The committee is composed of three to five faculty members, one of whom is an EDAD faculty member who will serve as your dissertation chair. The remaining member(s) will be from the Department of Educational Leadership and a member from outside the department. Members and associate members of the Graduate Faculty may serve.

Who may chair?

Members of the Graduate Faculty are eligible to serve as chair as established by the Graduate Council.

Function of Doctoral Advisory Committee Members

Proposal – The committee works closely with the students in preparation of the proposal for dissertation. In this stage of the student's program, it is important that the chair of the Doctoral advisory committee be appropriately matched to the student's research area.

Request to Change Chair

If the student considers the interaction between the student and the dissertation committee chair to be not viable, then the student may make a written request to the Department Head for reassignment to a new chair. If granted, this action may impact the student's graduation timeline and may require the development of a new dissertation topic. A student's reassignment request must include the nature of the circumstances initiating the change, including

the history of the interaction,
the steps the student has taken with the chair to resolve the concern,
appropriate documentation, and
the name of the current chair.

Requests will be carefully reviewed by the Department Head and Program Coordinator. Additional information from the student and/or the current chair may be required. If the request for a new dissertation chair is approved, the student, the new chair, and the former chair will be notified by the Program Coordinator or Department Head via email.

Multiple requests by a student for changes to the committee may prompt a conference between the student and the Department Head to determine underlying issues and possible solutions. If it is determined that the student has failed, without due cause, to cooperate with the chair or the committee in accordance with the procedures outlined in this Dissertation Handbook, then the faculty may move to suspend or dismiss the student from the program.

Dissertation

The committee monitors the student's progress in writing the dissertation, advises accordingly, and conducts the oral defense of the proposal and final defense.

EDAD 718 Requirement

After Doctoral candidates are admitted to candidacy, they are required to enroll in a minimum of three semester hours of dissertation, EDAD 718, each fall and spring semester until the dissertation is completed and approved by the Doctoral advisory committee and the Graduate School. Students who fail to enroll for dissertation during any fall or spring semester after admission to candidacy will be prohibited from enrolling until the tuition has been collected for each semester.

NOTE: Doctoral candidates will not be required to enroll during the summer term, unless using the counsel and advice of their dissertation advisor or university facilities, such as the Library. A student cannot propose or defend during the summer if not enrolled in EDAD 718. Also note that students may be required to pay out of state tuition after they have completed 99 hours of work.

Minimum Time Limit

The degree can be conferred no sooner than eight months after admission to candidacy and not sooner than the semester following proposal defense. (See Other Deadlines in this document that pertain to the proposal)

Dissertation Proposal

(See Other Deadlines in this document that pertain to the proposal)

Preparation of the Proposal

Step 1. Enroll in EDAD 718 and contact Dissertation Advisor. The student should begin talking with his or her dissertation advisor regarding dissertation topics and research plans.
Step 2. Select a research topic. Work closely with your dissertation chair and other committee members in the selection of an adequate topic or area for research in the educational administration field. All students are to use The American Psychological Association, 7th Edition, as a guide for writing the proposal and dissertation.
Step 3. Schedule your proposal presentation. Reserve a time and place for the proposal in consultation with your chair and committee members. Your dissertation proposal must be submitted to each member of your committee a minimum of 2 weeks prior to scheduling your proposal presentation date. Each member of your committee must have your complete proposal no later than the 1st of the month PRIOR to the month you wish to propose.
Step 4. File with the Graduate School. Once approval to present the written proposal has been received from all members of the student's Doctoral advisory committee, the student obtains all committee member's signatures on the Schedule for the Presentation of the Dissertation Proposal (obtained from The Graduate School web page) and submitted to the Graduate School by the 20th of the month preceding the month of presentation of proposal.

Defense of the Proposal

Who is present?

All departmental faculty and the Graduate Faculty representative are invited to the presentation of the proposal for research in addition to the student's dissertation committee. The proposal presentation is also open to all university faculty members and interested students.

How is the presentation conducted?

The procedure may vary by advisor, but a standard format includes the following: introductions, introductory remarks by the student regarding his or her interest areas, and an explanation of the proposed study by the student. During the session any committee member present may ask for clarifications and/or offer suggestions regarding the proposed study. After the proposal presentation, the student and any observers are asked to leave the room while the dissertation chair and committee members discuss the student's study. The student returns to the session, at which time the student is informed of the committee's decision outcome and recommendations regarding the proposed study.

Outcome

The student’s dissertation committee has final recommendation authority, subject to review by the Dean of the College of Education and the Dean for Graduate Studies and Research. The outcome may be to (a) accept the proposal, (b) modify and accept the proposal, or (c) reject the proposal. If the proposal is accepted or modified and accepted, the student completes the Advisor's Approval form obtained from the Graduate School, and presents this to the Graduate School, signed by all dissertation committee members, the Department Head, and the Dean of the College of Education (COEHS).

Human Subjects Protection

Human Subjects Protection forms. Following the successful proposal defense the student must submit an application to the University Institutional Review Board (IRB) for approval to conduct the research. The student must clear this application with his or her Committee Chair before sending it to the IRB committee. This process must be completed for all university research activities even when human subjects are not involved in the research activity.

In general, a research proposal should ensure that risks are minimized to those participating in the research study (any risks beyond those incurred in daily life must be outweighed by benefits to the subjects). Reduction of risks can be accomplished through providing procedures consistent with sound research design, equitable selection of subjects and appropriate setting, confirming that informed consent is adequate and documented, checking that continued monitoring takes place to ensure the safety of the subjects, and making sure that privacy and confidentiality are noted to the participant and maintained throughout the project.

Participation of a human subject in any study must be voluntary, and the information provided to obtain participant consent must be adequate and appropriate. The IRB or University Human Subjects Protection Committee may choose to waive the requirement for informed consent in some cases; however, such action must be based on clearly defensible grounds. The ultimate and final decision belongs to the University Human Subjects Protection Committee.

Final Dissertation

The final dissertation is published in the academic community and is a reflection of the University and its faculty. Hence, the student is expected to design and write a dissertation of high scholarly and academic quality. It is the responsibility of the dissertation committee and Graduate School to ensure the highest quality of research delivered through the dissertation.

Time Limit

All degree requirements, including the dissertation, beyond the master’s degree must be completed within ten calendar years from the date of admission to the Doctoral program. No coursework beyond the master’s degree that is over ten years old at the time of the Doctoral degree is conferred can be used toward the Doctoral degree. Timely completion of the dissertation is advised as the topic may become outdated if extended for a long period of time. There is no waiver for this policy.

Special Assistance

Writing. Doctoral students may receive assistance from the University Writing Center if needed.

Editing and statistics review. Students are encouraged to work with an editor and/or statistician in the preparation of the dissertation proposal and defense. The editor and/or statistician should be familiar with the dissertation guide being used by the student. Faculty members, graduate assistants, and department staff members are not editors. Drafts submitted to these individuals in need of editing will be returned to the student. The student is solely responsible for completing and defending the dissertation.

Accommodations. Each division within the University is aware of the needs of the disabled student and is ready and willing to work with each student to solve problems as they arise. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact:

Office of Student Disability Resources and Services
East Texas A&M University/ Water Library Room 162
Phone 903.886.5150 or 903.886.5835 Fax 903.468.8148
[email protected]

Enrollment in Dissertation (EDAD 718)

Continuous enrollment

After the student is admitted to candidacy for the Doctoral degree, the student must continuously enroll in EDAD 718 until the dissertation is complete. University policy states that the student must be enrolled in 718 while receiving advice or assistance from a member of the faculty or while utilizing univer

Minimum and maximum 718 credit

Regardless of the number of semester hours of EDAD 718 in which a student enrolls, no more than 12 hours, as designated on the degree plan, will be counted for credit. A reduced fee may be approved by the Registrar’s Office and Graduate School after admission to candidacy and completion of all coursework other than 718. The student is reminded that the University will charge out-of-state tuition for credits earned above 99 hours.

Grade in EDAD 718 Grades

A grade of “in progress” (I) or “unsatisfactory progress” (U) is recorded each semes2 t 1 er until the dissertation is successfully complete and the student graduates. The registrar's office will change all “I” grades to an “S” for the final transcript.

Dissertation Defense

Scheduling Defense. Your final dissertation draft must be submitted to each member of your committee a minimum of 2 weeks prior to scheduling your final defense date. This normally means each member of your committee must have your complete proposal no later than the 1st of the month PRIOR to the month you wish to conduct your final defense.

Forms

A Schedule for the Presentation of the Final Dissertation Defense, available from the Graduate School, must be filed in the Graduate School by the 20th of the month prior to the month the defense is held. A Final Examination Report will then be forwarded by the Graduate School to the department for recording the results of the defense.

The dissertation defense is a public event and open to all interested graduate faculty and students. Voting persons include the major professor and committee members only.

After the Defense

The candidate will distribute and obtain relevant signatures on Signature Pages and the Graduate School Advisor's Approval form. Additionally, the candidate and the major professor will prepare a list of agreed upon changes or modifications to be made to the defended manuscript prior to its submission to the Graduate School.

Following approval by the COEHS Dean, the candidate will submit the completed Graduate School Approval Form, Signature Pages, and a copy of the completed manuscript to the Graduate School. Candidates are cautioned to be aware of required deadlines for final submission of all dissertation or thesis manuscripts, necessary forms, copyright agreements, UMI materials, fee payments, and applications for graduation etc. If the dissertation defense is successful, the Doctoral advisory committee chair completes the Final Examination Report, which is signed by committee members and the Dean of the College of Education and Human Services.

University Guidelines. It is the student’s responsibility to carefully follow the policy stated in the Graduate Catalog regarding the final dissertation, number of copies, deadlines, etc.

Graduation

Filing for Graduation

As specified in the Graduate Catalog, students must file for graduation in the Registrar’s Office by the deadline indicated in the schedule of classes or the Graduate Catalog for that particular semester, typically during the first two weeks of the semester. A student is entitled to graduate under the degree provisions of the catalog in effect at the time of admission into the Doctoral program or a subsequent year, provided that in all cases the student fulfills the requirements of a catalog within ten years of currency.

Commencement

The degree is conferred at the commencement following the fulfillment of all requirements. The candidate is expected to be present at the ceremony. Permission from the Dean for Graduate Studies and Research must be obtained if circumstances prevent a candidate from attending commencement.

Additional Information

Other information can be found in the East Texas A&M Graduate Catalog, via the website. Please contact the Department of Educational Leadership at 903.886.5520 if you need further information.

Note: This handbook is subject to change. Updates will be available on the Educational Leadership Department website. This is not a catalog and does not have catalog privileges.