The Graduate School of Education welcomes and encourages the continued contributions of retired faculty (some of whom may have been granted emeritus status) to the School and
University. Continuing to serve as the Ed.D. Advisor, who helps one’s advisee to complete the doctoral program, is one especially valuable contribution. The GSE wants to facilitate as smooth a transition as possible for the retiring faculty and the Ed.D. students with whom the faculty is working. The GSE is also committed to empowering the Ed.D. student(s) with whom the faculty member is working. In order to honor these valuable, co-created relationships, to facilitate a successful completion of the program for Ed.D. students, and to develop a smooth transition to retirement as can be achieved, the following criteria, procedures, and resource support are recommended for continuing the Ed.D. advising relationship after the faculty member retires.
1.
Criteria a.
Preference – Both the student and the faculty member have indicated that they prefer to continue to work together. Neither party should feel obligated to continue this relationship after the faculty member has retired, and provided that the other criteria for success can be agreed upon, neither party should feel limited by the transition of the faculty member into retirement.
The primary requirement is an active commitment between the faculty advisor and the student so that student progress is ongoing. The Doctoral
Coordinator can serve as a resource to the Advisor and/or the doctoral student either separately or together in determining advising preferences.
The Doctoral Coordinator will also report these preferences to the Doctoral
Program Council (DPC) for its information and potential discussion. If at any point after such an agreement has been made the doctoral student wishes to change advisors, the student may do so without penalty by initiating the appropriate paperwork with the Doctoral Program Secretary.
Typically, a transition to a new Advisor would be recommended for doctoral students who have not yet been advanced to candidacy after the successful defense of a dissertation proposal. However, a student at an earlier stage in their studies, in consultation with their Advisor and the Doctoral Program
Coordinator, may continue to work with a retired faculty Advisor. b.
Access and Engagement – Both the student and the faculty member should develop a concrete plan of commitment for continued access and engagement with each other, their committee members, and their fields of
Approved by the Doctoral Program Council: June 9, 2003
Approved and Made Effective by the Coordinating Council: June 15, 2003
Clarified & Affirmed by DPC: January 26, 2004
Being reviewed by Doctoral Coordinator & DPC Fall 2014

study. This written plan will be presented in a face-to-face conversation with the Doctoral Program Coordinator. Faculty serving as doctoral advisors may sign forms for by-arrangement experiences required for the doctoral student’s approved Program of Study. c.
Critical Juncture Reviews – Congruent with current doctoral procedures, the student and the faculty advisor will review the status of their continued relationship at critical junctures in the student’s Plan of Study (i.e., completion of coursework, completion of Core Comprehensive and Specialty
Comprehensive papers, completion of the dissertation proposal, launch of the dissertation, and critical juncture points within the dissertation).
2.
Procedures
Ed.D. students and their Advisors are asked to use the “Continuing Faculty
Advising Form” (attached) if the student has not yet successfully reached the completion of the Core Comprehensive paper. If the student has completed a request for appointment of the Core Comprehensive Committee, or is in any of the remaining stages of their Program of Study, the approval of the committees for the Core, Specialty, Proposal, and Dissertation will be used to indicate that both the student and their Advisor wish to continue to work together. All of these forms will be submitted to the Ed.D. Program Secretary and approved by the Doctoral Program Coordinator with a copy placed in the student’s file.
3.
Resources
The Doctoral Program Council, in concert with the Coordinating Council, has recommended that a continuing faculty advisor who has supervised a student’s doctoral dissertation to successful completion receive 2 credits of compensation at the current adjunct rate. “Successful completion” is taken to mean that the completed dissertation has been conveyed to the PSU
Graduate Office after a successful defense (as evidenced by the required signatures on the GO-17D) and the completion and advisor approval of any substantive and formatting revisions to the manuscript. Funds for this compensation are established in the Dean’s budget. When the Advisor’s doctoral student successfully completes the Ed.D. Program, the Advisor will notify the GSE’s Executive Assistant, conveying a copy of appropriate paperwork to indicate the student’s completion, so that the Advisor can be paid.
Approved by the Doctoral Program Council: June 9, 2003
Approved and Made Effective by the Coordinating Council: June 15, 2003
Clarified & Affirmed by DPC: January 26, 2004
Being reviewed by Doctoral Coordinator & DPC Fall 2014

This form is to be jointly completed by the Ed.D. student and their advisor. The plan should then be presented to the Ed.D. Program Coordinator in a face-to-face meeting, so the plan for access and engagement can be discussed. Only students who have not yet successfully completed the Core Comprehensive paper/exam and wish to continue working with a retiring faculty member as their Advisor need to complete this form. Students who are further in their Program of Study will use the current committee approval forms to indicate the continued advising relationship.
The Ed.D. student and the retiring faculty member listed below have met and are requesting approval to continue their Ed.D. student and Advisor relationship after the retirement of the faculty member. In signing this form, they both agree to continue to stay engaged in pursuit of the student’s approved program of Study and have developed concrete plans for continued access after the faculty member retires.
This plan of access and engagement should be attached to this form.
Name of Student (print) ____________________________________________________
Signature of Student ____________________________________date ____________
Student PSU ID# _____________ -- _____________ -- ______________
Home Address ____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Name of Faculty Advisor (print) _____________________________________________
Signature of Faculty Advisor _______________________________date ___________
Ed.D. Program Coordinator (print) ___________________________________________
Signature of Ed.D. Program Coordinator ________________________date ___________
Copy to Student File ______ Copy to Student ______ Copy to Advisor _____
Approved by the Doctoral Program Council: June 9, 2003
Approved and Made Effective by the Coordinating Council: June 15, 2003
Clarified & Affirmed by DPC: January 26, 2004
Being reviewed by Doctoral Coordinator & DPC Fall 2014