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Gonzaga University
School of Professional Studies
Department of Leadership Studies
Dissertation Process
Last updated December 30, 2012
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Table of Contents
Candidate Responsibilities .............................................................................................................. 3
Timeline Tracking, Planning and Changes ..................................................................................... 4
Timeline Planning.................................................................................................................... 4
Timeline Changes .................................................................................................................... 4
Estimated Time for Each Stage ............................................................................................... 5
Details on the Dissertation Process ................................................................................................. 5
Content ............................................................................................................................................ 5
Planning .......................................................................................................................................... 5
Pre-Requisites for DPLS 730 .................................................................................................. 7
DPLS 730 Proposal Seminar Petition ...................................................................................... 7
Proposal Defense ..................................................................................................................... 8
Scheduling of Proposal Defense .............................................................................................. 8
Research and Writing ...................................................................................................................... 9
Sign-off Ceremony........................................................................................................................ 10
Editors ........................................................................................................................................... 11
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Candidate Responsibilities
The dissertation is to represent the candidate's best work. This means that candidates must take it
upon themselves to provide careful thought to each dissertation draft submitted to their faculty
advisor. Although each draft submitted will not be "perfect" and there is likely to be more work
needed to strengthen the document, doing one's best work at any particular time is important. Not
only does this save time for the review process, candidates gain an appreciation for and a sense
of personal mastery over their own work.
In working with your dissertation advisor, the candidate is responsible for maintaining a
reasonable timeline for completing the research and must be willing to adjust the planned
graduation date if more time is needed to complete the dissertation in a quality manner. Either
the candidate or the advisor can initiate discussion about the need to change the timeline.
Listen. Listen carefully to the advisor's feedback and be willing to engage in conversation
concerning this feedback. If the candidate does not make changes suggested by the advisor, the
candidate should explain the reasons why. Pay Attention. The candidate needs to be attentive to
thinking and writing and always put forth their best work. All work should represent a logical
flow of thought, be clearly written, and carefully edited.
Write. The candidate ensures that the writing meets the requirements of academic writing. If
needed, the candidate should be willing to consider hiring a writing coach, one who can help
formulate and organize thoughts and put them on paper. In addition to the edits by an approved
editor required before the distribution of the proposal to the committee and before the
distribution of the completed dissertation before the dissertation signing, some candidates will
need to hire an editor or even a writing coach as they work through the dissertation process.
Relate. Dissertation writing and advising is about the relationship formed between the candidate
and the advisor. The candidate is encouraged to deepen collegial relationships with committee
members throughout the dissertation process. At a minimum, the candidate is responsible for
developing, maintaining, and coordinating committee relationships, meetings, and deadlines.
Working with the advisor in a manner that is healthy and positive can reduce stress associated
with dissertation writing. If the candidate has a complaint about the advisor, talk to him or her
about how to improve the partnership. If this does not resolve the concerns, schedule a meeting
with the dissertation advisor and the Chair of the Department or someone identified by the Chair
of the Department. It is unprofessional to discuss problems with other faculty members, the
Program Coordinator, or others who are not directly involved in the process.
Create. Remember, this is the candidate’s dissertation and not the advisor’s. This means the
candidate is responsible for doing the work. The advisor will provide you feedback for
improving the work, but it is the candidate who is responsible for making it something both the
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candidate and Gonzaga University will be proud of. Network. The candidate is encouraged to
network with DPLS student colleagues during the process.
Timeline Tracking, Planning and Changes
Timeline Planning
When a candidate asks a faculty member to serve as the chair or advisor of the dissertation
committee, the candidate needs to provide a desired graduation timeline and to update this
information on the dissertation synopsis. The faculty member will talk with the candidate about
whether the timeline is realistic in light of the normal time it takes to complete the dissertation in
a quality fashion. This timeline is important to faculty members to assure they will not have
more than four candidates they are advising who will be graduating in any given academic year.
If a faculty member's dissertation load is already "full" for that academic year:
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Either the faculty member may agree to be a member of the committee but may not be
able to serve as the chair of the committee; or
The candidate may agree to change his or her timeline for graduation to accommodate the
faculty member's dissertation load.
The faculty realizes there is some flux in the timelines candidates set for themselves, in that
candidates may come to realize that the data collection, analysis, and writing takes longer than
anticipated to create high-quality work; or life brings unanticipated events that require shifts in
plans. These situations can create a backlog for the faculty advisor, such that the subsequent
academic year he or she may be serving as dissertation advisor for more than four candidates
who intend to graduate that year. Any exception to the limit of four graduates during an
academic year requires the approval of the entire core faculty of the program.
Timeline Changes
If candidates need to change their dissertation advisor because of the advising load of their
advisor, efforts will be made to have the new chair be a faculty member who is already on the
dissertation committee and is familiar with the candidate's work. In most instances this would
mean the candidate would keep the same committee membership, but there would be a switch in
who would serve as the committee chair. Candidates will be involved in making decisions about
such shifts.
Students who plan the completion of the dissertation and the sign-off in a semester other than the
Spring semester will have an easier time. They will avoid the stress of competing for the
attention of their advisor when many other candidates are trying to complete their dissertations in
order to participate in the May Graduation Ceremony.
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Estimated Time for Each Stage
It is the expectation that a student should be able to complete:
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The planning stages of the dissertation in six months,
The proposal stage in six months,
And the writing and completion stage in one year.
Students who take more than six months in the planning or the proposal stage or more than one
year in the dissertation stage will be asked to remove themselves from the “active” category to
make room for another student who is ready. As noted above, students who are ready to advance
to the writing and completion stage when the advisor already is working with four students can
chose another chair or continue to work on their own and wait for the advisor to have an
opening.
Details on the Dissertation Process
Content
For information on what the content for the proposal and dissertation should be please refer to
the Dissertation Blue Book which can either be purchased at the DPLS administration office or
downloaded from the web site.
Planning
Numbers correspond to items on the Dissertation Timeline.
The Planning stage normally begins with submission of clean final copy of the Candidacy paper
and receipt of a letter from the Program that Candidacy has been granted.
1. Planning actually begins with a consideration of possible dissertation topic that should
have started in DPLS 720.
2. Student then requests a faculty member to chair their dissertation committee, gets
signature, and returns Dissertation Committee Selection form to the Program
Coordinator.
3. Within 30 days the student signs and returns to the Program Coordinator the
Faculty/Candidate Agreement Form and discusses responsibilities for the dissertation
with the Advisor. Eventually this will be added to the Dissertation Committee Selection
form. Until then the student signs and dates a statement that they have read, discussed the
form with their chair, and agree with the division of responsibilities.
4. The candidate works closely with the chair to define and focus the topic, a process that
will continue until the dissertation is completed.
5. Other committee members are generally chosen in consultation with the Chair. All
committee members do not have to chosen at once. The chair and one committee member
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are usually from the Program. The third committee member can be from the department
or form the outside. Outside committee members must have Ph.D. (or equivalent terminal
degree.) For outside committee members the student submits a CV to the Advisor who
then requests approval of the Doctoral Faculty.
6. Completion of a dissertation is made a lot easier with a little help from friends. The
Program will look for ways to facilitate social networking among the students at the
Planning/Proposal and the Research and Writing stage. Initially this will be involved
monthly meetings and opportunities to use the internet to stay in touch. It will be the
responsibility of the students to find the support what works for them and to support their
classmates.
7. As part of the effort to build relationships with the research librarians at Foley and as
part of the exploration of topics and ways of approaching them, students should identify
dissertations from Gonzaga and other universities that might serve as a model for their
work. Begin the habit of recording successful combinations of search words. Remember
that students can get electronic copies for free of Gonzaga dissertations completed since
1997.
8. Continue focused reading on the topic, while ensuring that full citations, page numbers
where material is found, and URL and date access for web pages are recorded. Often
students enroll in individually directed study or work independently to produce annotated
bibliographies.
9. Use RefWorks or a program of your choice for building a database of all references.
10. Work closely with the chair to develop a draft Dissertation Synopsis. The Dissertation
Synopsis should include:
a. Tentative title,
b. Student name,
c. Date information in synopsis was last revised,
d. Name of committee chair and other committee members,
e. Tentative purpose for the study (less than 350 words),
f. Tentative methodology (less than 350 words),
g. Relevance to the leadership scholarship (less than 350 words),
h. Rational for doing the study and answer to the “so what?” question (less than 350
words),
i. Projected semester for taking DPLS 728 (optional),
j. Projected semester for taking DPLS 730,
k. Projected proposal defense date,
l. Projected date for distribution of edited dissertation to committee, and
m. Projected committee sign-off date.
By the time of the proposal defense the tentative statements should become more
definite. Projected dates become dates completed. Sections e, f, g, and h should not
exceed about 350 words each.
11. Post the Dissertation Synopsis not later than the beginning of DPLS 728 and keep this
information up to date.
12.
It is strongly recommended that students enroll in the optional course DPLS 728
Dissertation Scholarship and Development of the Conceptual Framework.
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Proposal
The Proposal stage begins with acceptance into DPLS 730 (Proposal Seminar) and ends with the
successful defense of the proposal. DPLS 730 (Proposal Seminar) is a required course designed
to help the candidate develop and complete Chapter I, II, and III of the dissertation proposal.
DPLS 728, Scholarship and Dissertation Framework, can be used to develop the petition to
enroll in DPLS 730 Proposal Seminar.
Pre-Requisites for DPLS 730
1. Have been advanced to candidacy.
2. Have completed or be enrolled in DPLS 722 (Quantitative Data Analysis) AND DPLS
723 (Qualitative Research Theory and Design).
3. Have completed the (NIH) training regarding the protection of human subjects AND
4. Provide a copy of their certificate of completion to the Program Coordinator for
placement in the student’s file.
5. Students must complete and submit a petition, then have that petition approved prior to
registering for DPLS 730 (Proposal Seminar).
6. Student receives letter from the department chair stating student has achieved candidacy
status and is now a doctoral candidate.
7. Have completed 20 pages of the Chapter 2 literature review and 10 pages of Chapters 1
and 3.
8. Have a comprehensive understanding of what the literature says about the proposed topic.
DPLS 730 Proposal Seminar Petition
1. At a minimum the petition includes the following steps:
a. 3 to 5 pages of Chapter I;
b. 20 to 30 pages of Chapter II; and
c. 3 to 5 pages of Chapter III.
2. The petition should cover:
a. A statement of the problem to be investigated; and
b. The proposed purpose of the study, buttressed with a rationale for its
significance.
3. For most studies the petition should include:
a. Reference to major issues related to the topic; and
b. An indication of unanswered questions.
4. For most studies the literature review should:
a. Cover a combination of empirical studies; and
b. More theoretical/conceptual studies.
5. The petition should describe the conceptual framework proposed for the study while
realizing that this is likely to change.
6. The petition should include:
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a. A brief description of the methodology to be used;
b. A rationale for this choice; and
c. Why other methodological approaches have been rejected.
7. The petition should be prepared using the dissertation template. RefWorks or another
reference database system should be utilized when creating the reference list.
8. The candidate's advisor then reviews the petition and then forwards it, with her or his
recommendation to the instructor scheduled to teach to DPLS 730-Proposal Seminar
during the term the student wishes to enroll. The instructor for DPLS 730 selects up to
seven students to enroll.
9. The petition should be submitted to the advisor and forwarded onto the instructor at least
60 days before the beginning of the class. Upon acceptance of the petition, the instructor
will notify the student who has been accepted and arrange for them to be enrolled. (Note:
students cannot enroll themselves in DPLS 730).
Proposal Defense
Upon completion of DPLS 730 (Proposal Seminar), the candidate will have a completed first full
draft of the dissertation proposal (Chapters I, II, and III).
Prior to Proposal Defense, Chapters I, II, III, will be further refined with ongoing support of the
candidate's dissertation chair. The candidate's Defense can be scheduled as early as 30 days after
completion of DPLS 730 (Proposal Seminar).
Once the dissertation chair is satisfied that the draft is ready to distribute to the other committee
members, the student arranges and pays for the document to be edited by a program approved
editor (or the candidate, if the candidate is a Program approved editor).
The chair approves the distribution of the Proposal to the other committee members. The
candidate contacts committee members to identify which format is desired for review of the draft
(electronic, hard copy, or both) and then distributes the draft to the committee.
From the date the Proposal is distributed to the committee there must be a minimum of 20
working days before the actual defense. This allows time for the committee members to review
the Proposal and to submit comments to the chair. Any committee member may indicate that the
Proposal is not ready for defense and recommends more time is needed.
The chair considers feedback from the committee and reviews recommendations with the
candidate for revisions that need to be completed before the defense.
The chair in consultation with the candidate determines the date for the defense. If the candidate
is asked to make revisions to the Proposal the committee members must be given an additional
10 working days before the scheduled defense date.
Scheduling of Proposal Defense
The candidate makes the following arrangements to schedule the defense:
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Contact Program Coordinator and committee members
Determine room location with guidance from Program Chair
Distribute any additional documents
Ensure that all committee members are available to participate in the proposal defense
If necessary arrange audiovisual equipment for remote contact with appropriate
committee member such as speaker phone, webcam, etc.
6. Secure necessary contact information from committee members if remote set up is
appropriate.
Guests are usually not allowed at the defense.
The proposal defense process involves:
1. A discussion to clarify the study’s purpose, conceptual framework, and corresponding
research methods
2. At the conclusion of the defense, the student may be required to submit an addendum or a
substantial rewrite and complete other work either prior to collecting data or at the time
the completed dissertation is submitted
3. The Chair takes notes on the decisions of the committee and provides the candidate with
a follow letter detailing the decisions of the committee members
4. The Chair obtains the signatures of the other committee members on the Dissertation
Proposal Approval form and gives it to the Program Coordinator for the candidate’s file.
5. The candidate enrolls in the one credit DPLS 735 (Proposal Defense) course. When a
satisfactory grade is achieved the proposal has been successfully defended.
If the candidate has completed all the required credits except for the dissertation credits, the
candidate is officially considered to be ABD (All But Dissertation).
The candidate may be asked to submit a clean copy for the file. A letter will be prepared by the
advisor to serve as a contact between the Program and the candidate concerning what is needed
to complete the dissertation and the degree. The candidate is responsibility to work with the
Program Coordinator to ensure that these documents are placed into their academic file.
At the time of the defense the candidate should provide a draft of their IRB application.
Research and Writing
The Research and Writing Stage begins with successful Defense of the Proposal and ends with
submission of the clean copies of the dissertation along the signed Candidate Dissertation
Checklist provided to the Program Coordinator.
Enroll in 5 credits of DPLS 736, either during one term or spread over several terms.
Networking with other DPLS students is even more critical at the Research and Writing stage
than it was at the Proposal stage. Since there is no formal class for DPLS 736 interaction with
other students is not scheduled and students are on their own.
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Using the approved Proposal as a guide conduct the research and write up the results. Maintain
close contact with the Advisor. Begin writing up the results and conclusions simultaneous to
conducting the research. Make sure the final chapter is well developed.
Draft the abstract and discuss with the Advisor.
Arrange a public presentation on the research. The public presentation must occur before the
dissertation is submitted to the Dean. It is the candidate's responsibility to make the necessary
arrangements for this required presentation, including announcements. Most public presentations
follow the format of a presentation at an academic conference. Participation in the Seattle
University-Gonzaga University conference satisfies this requirement.
Have the dissertation edited by a Program approved editor.
The chair approves the distribution of the Dissertation to the other committee members. The
candidate contacts committee members to identify which format is desired for review of the draft
(electronic, hard copy, or both) and then distributes the draft to the committee.
Sign-off Ceremony
There is a minimum of 25 working days between the distribution of the dissertation to the
committee and sign-off ceremony. This time allotment provides the committee members time to
review the Dissertation and to get back to the chair their comments. Any committee member can
indicate that the Dissertation is not ready for sign-off and that more time is needed. Committee
members should be informed how much time they have to review the Proposal.
The chair identifies how to receive feedback from the committee, what to do with the feedback,
and when sign-off can be scheduled.
If the candidate is asked to make revisions to the Dissertation the committee members must be
given copies of the revisions and have at least 10 working days before the sign-off.
The chair in consultation with the candidate, determines the date for the sign-off ceremony. It is
the responsibility of the candidate to arrange the room and ensure the committee can attend. If
necessary the candidate will arrange audiovisual equipment for remote contact with appropriate
committee member such as speaker phone, web cab, etc. The candidate will obtain the contact
information such as the phone number of anyone who has to be contacted remotely.
There should not be a need for any substantive revisions after the sign-off ceremony.
1. The candidate prepares and brings to the sign-off ceremony multiple copies of the
signature page and the abstract page to be signed by the committee.
2. The candidate should ensure the names of the committee members and their degrees are
correct.
Some candidates bring a camera. Guests are welcome to attend the sign-off ceremony.
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After the signing ceremony, the student makes any last minute edits prior to printing. At least 2
copies of the dissertation are printed on 25% cotton, white paper (SouthWorth fine business
Paper or equivalent).
If more than 5 terms have passed since the Proposal Defense, the candidate must enroll in DPLS
737 (1 credit) for each term, starting with the 6th, until completion. The candidate may not enroll
in DPLS 737 until he or she has reached 60 credits.
It is the student’s responsibility to:
1. Request a transcript.
2. Make sure all grades have been turned in.
3. Work with the Advisor and the Program Coordinator to ensure that all the course degree
requirements have been satisfied.
The student will also want to ensure that there are no outstanding financial obligations.
The student submits to the Program Coordinator the clean copies of the dissertation printed on
approved paper along with the signed Student Dissertation Checklist. The student needs to
double-check the specific requirements for printing and make sure all pages are in order before
printing the final copies of your dissertation.
The Research and Writing stage ends when:
1. The Program Coordinator has submitted the dissertation to the Dean,
2. The Dean has signed it, and
3. The graduation is posted to the official transcript.
After dissertations have been sent for binding, it can take as long as four months for them to be
returned.
Editors
At least twice in the process, (a) before the distribution of the proposal to the committee and (b)
before the distribution of the entire dissertation to the committee the document needs to be edited
by an editor. This will be at the student’s expense. Students are expected to use editors approved
by the Program. The program maintains a list of approved editors that can be requested from the
Program Coordinator. Students can of course become certified editors
Last updated December 30, 2012