Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership
Policies and Procedures 2009

1. THE DOCTORAL PROGRAM

1.1 Introduction

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The  doctoral program in Educational Leadership in the College Education and Human Services (COEHS) supports the development of educational leaders with knowledge, vision, and commitment to work for the improvement of education through a variety of leadership roles. The policies and procedures that follow have been developed through the doctoral program collegial governance structure in the College of Education and Human Services and have the approval of the Dean of the College, the University Graduate Council (representing the Graduate Faculty), and the Dean of Graduate School (representing the Vice President for Academic Affairs).  These policies and procedures provide the framework for governance of the program. 

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All policies and procedures governing the doctoral program in Educational Leadership may be amended by a majority vote of the Doctoral Teaching Faculty in consultation with the Doctoral Steering Committee and are subject to agreement by the chair of the Department of Leadership, Counseling, and Instructional Technology, the Dean of the College, and the Dean of Graduate School. All proposed new policies and amendments are forwarded to the Doctoral Steering Committee for consideration and recommendation. Amendments may be initiated by any of the entities listed above, or by an individual faculty member.

1.4 Exceptions to Policies and Procedures

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Exceptions to doctoral policies and procedures must be approved by the student's faculty advisor, the Program Director, and the department chair.  

1.5 Academic Appeals

Every student is entitled to fair and equitable treatment. If a situation arises where a student believes that he/she has been denied fair treatment, and the dispute cannot be resolved directly with the individual concerned, then an appeal should be filed following the procedures outlined in the current UNF Graduate Catalog.

2. ADMISSION

2.1 Florida Residency

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For the purpose of assessing registration and tuition fees, a student will be classified as a " Florida " or "non-Florida" resident.  Additional information on Florida residency may be obtained from the Office of Admissions [(904) 620-2624] and the University catalog. 

2.2 Faculty Participation

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All doctoral teaching faculty are invited to participate in the screening, interviewing, and selection procedures for each class of doctoral students. Faculty accepting the responsibility will participate in each step of the process.

2.3 Admissions Criteria

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Admission requirements for the doctoral program in Educational Leadership are listed below.  Each student shall:

a. meet all requirements for admission to graduate programs established by the StateUniversity System and the University of North Florida .  Those requirements include fordoctoral students:

(1) a minimum 3.0 undergraduate grade-point average in last 60 semester hours or

(2) a minimum of 1000 on the verbal plus quantitative portions of the GraduateRecord Examination.

b. hold a Master's Degree earned from a regionally accredited institution or an equivalent international university with a minimum 3.25 grade-point average.

c. have three years successful teaching experience or related work in training anddevelopment.

d. be recommended by the program faculty. The faculty recommendation shall be madebased on evaluation of the stated criteria above and the screening committees evaluation

of (a) the applicant's written responses to a set of questions, (b) the applicant's writingbased on the requested paper submitted, and (c) the applicant's performance during atargeted-selection interview with program faculty.

2.4 Exceptions

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The program faculty may recommend a limited number of exceptions to the stated admissions criteria based on other professional attributes of applicants.

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An applicant who does not meet stated criteria for admission to the doctoral program may request

review of her or his application by submitting a letter detailing the reasons that an exception to the admissions policy should be granted.  This letter should be submitted to the Doctoral Program Director prior to the closing date for receipt of applications. The letter will become part of the application and reviewed during the student selection process.

3. ADVISEMENT

3.1.  Initial Advisement

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A faculty sponsor will be appointed during the first term that a student is enrolled in the doctoral program. The faculty sponsor will provide program advisement for each doctoral student prior to the second term of the planned program. The sponsor will assist the student in developing a cognate within the program of study which meets program requirements and which meets the personal professional development interests of the student.

The faculty sponsor will assist their assigned doctoral students in identifying faculty whose research interests and expertise are consistent with the student's likely area of inquiry.

3.2 Research Mentor

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Students will identify and request the Doctoral Program Director to appoint a faculty research mentor prior fall of the third year in the program. The research mentor will provide program advisement for the student through the remaining program of study and will typically serve as chair of the student’s comprehensive examination and dissertation committees.

3.3 Changing Faculty Sponsor or Research Mentor

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If either a student or a faculty member who is serving as a faculty sponsor or research mentor believes that it would be appropriate to have a different faculty member appointed to serve as the faculty sponsor or research mentor, the student or faculty member should present to the Doctoral Program Director a request for change.  Any request to have a particular faculty member appointed should be appended.  The Doctoral Program Director makes a requested change in appointment after conferring with the persons involved.

4.  ACADEMIC STANDING

4.1 Doctoral Student Status: Definition

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Doctoral students are degree-seeking students who have been admitted to the doctoral program in Educational Leadership at the University of North Florida .

The doctoral program in Educational Leadership at the University of North Florida is designed to accommodate students who are full-time employed professional educators. Each student is required to enroll in course work common to the cohort in which they were admitted and to continue such enrollments until the common cohort courses are completed. Such enrollments will include a minimum of six semester hours during each of the first seven consecutive semesters, including summers.

4.2 Continuous Enrollment

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Students must maintain continuous enrollment in pursuing their degrees by following the policies and requirements in effect at the time of their original admission. To maintain continuous enrollment a doctoral student must enroll for each term of the academic year including summer prior to admission to candidacy. After admission to candidacy, students are not required to register for dissertation credits during the summer term.  Students who have not maintained continuous enrollment and who have not been admitted to candidacy for the degree shall follow the regulations in the most recent catalog. Students who have not maintained continuous enrollment and who have been admitted to candidacy for the degree shall follow the regulations in the catalog in effect at the time at which they were admitted to candidacy. Students are responsible for being aware of all changes in regulations which affect their graduate work.

A student who is approved for a leave of absence, will then enroll in the common course work with a subsequent cohort and maintain continuous progress with that group.

4.3 Academic Load

4.3.1 Full-Time Status

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The University of North Florida defines full-time enrollment in graduate programs as a minimum of nine semester hours for each term.

The maximum number of credits in which a doctoral student may enroll in any one semester is 12 semester hours. No student will be permitted to enroll for more than 15 credit hours in a semester.

Approved enrollment in course work at other universities that is included on a doctoral student's program of study shall be included in the determination of enrollment status.

4.3.2 Part-time Status

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Part-time enrollment is defined as registration in fewer than nine semester hours of graduate credit. Unless otherwise exempt, part-time doctoral students must enroll in the common course work of the cohort in which they were admitted. That common registration is approximately six semester hours per term for seven semesters.

4.4 Recency of Credits  (See section 5.11, Time Limits)

4.5 Leave of Absence

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The student cohort is an integral feature of the doctoral program in Educational Leadership. Once admitted, students are expected to matriculate with the other members of their cohort and to observe the policy on continuous enrollment.

In the event of personal hardship a student may request a leave of absence from the program for a specified period of time. To officially withdraw from all classes and thereby from the university, or to not register in a given semester without loss of student status, doctoral students must obtain prior approval of the faculty sponsor/faculty research mentor and the Doctoral Program Director.

Any extension of an approved leave of absence, whether before or after admission to candidacy, requires prior approval of the student's faculty sponsor/research mentor and the Doctoral Program Director.

If a student is approved for a leave of absence, then the student must enroll in the common course work with a subsequent cohort and maintain continuous progress with that group.

4.6 Incomplete Grades

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A doctoral student who is earning a passing grade in a course but who has not completed all of the course requirements at the end of the term may, with approval of the instructor, be assigned a grade of "I".

An "I" grade will be changed to the earned final grade at the time the student completes the required assignments.

If the "I" grade is not removed within one calendar year following its assignment, the grade will be recorded as "F".

4.7 Academic Dismissal

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Graduate students who fail to maintain satisfactory academic progress are subject to dismissal. The graduate average of a student is computed over all graduate course work taken at UNF, regardless of the level of the course. Graduate students are expected to maintain at least a 3.0 (B) average. A grade of C or below in two or more courses will result in academic probation.  Students who fail to maintain satisfactory academic progress are denied further registration, and may be readmitted to the program following a successful appeal, only upon the approval of the dean.

(See the Graduate Academic Policies and Regulations of the current UNF Graduate Catalog for an expanded description of university policies regarding academic progress, academic probation, and academic dismissal.)

4.8 Administrative Dismissal

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Students may be subject to administrative dismissal for the following reasons:

a. failure to maintain continuous enrollment until the completion of the doctoral degree,

b. failure to take the comprehensive written and oral examinations in the first administration following the semester in which the student completes 52 48 credit hours of approved course work,

         c. failure to pass the comprehensive written examination by the second attempt,

         d. failure to pass the oral comprehensive examination by the second attempt,

         e. failure to register for at least 3 credit hours of dissertation each semester after admission to candidacy, with the exception of the summer terms, unless the faculty mentor and the program director approve enrollment in a 1 credit hour dissertation course,

         f. failure to defend the dissertation successfully within five years of admission to candidacy.

5. PROGRAM OF STUDY

5.1 Preparation of Program of Study

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5.1.1. A completed program of study must be approved by and filed with the Doctoral Program Director by the  completion of 18 hours of course credit in the program.

5.1.2. Changes in a student's program of study must be approved by (1) the student, (2) the faculty sponsor or the faculty research mentor, and (3) the Doctoral Program Director.

5.2 Educational Leadership Core

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Each doctoral student shall include in his or her program of study the following courses in Educational Leadership:

EDA 7190               Evolving Educational Leader                              3 credit hours
EDA 7192               Leadership: Group/Team                                   3 credit hours
EDA 7193               Educational Leadership: Leadership &Change        3 credit hours
EDA 7194               Seminar in Educational Policy                             3 credit hours
EDA 7262               Educational Leadership: Org. Theory / Design       3 credit hours
EDA 7945               Practicum: Assessment/Develop.                        3 credit hours

5.3 Research Core

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5.3.1 Prerequisite:

Students entering the program must have completed a survey course related to educational, business, or social science research methods or they must complete such a course by the end of their first term of enrollment.

5.3.2 Program Requirements:

Each doctoral student shall include in his or her program of study the following courses in Educational Research or equivalent:

EDA 7400     Research in E.L.: Quantitative                                   3 credit hours
EDA 7410     Research in E.L.: Qualitative                                     3 credit hours
EDA 7420     Foundations of Research in E.L.                                 3 credit hours
EDA 7421     Inquiry Research in E.L.                                            1 credit hour
EDA 7979     Research Seminar in E.L.                                       3- 6 credit hours

5.4 Foundations Core

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Each doctoral student shall include in his or her program of study the following courses in the foundations of education or equivalent:

EDF 7215    Psychological/Social Aspects of Learn/Instruction          3 credit hours
EDF 7545    Philosophy of Education                                            3 credit hours
EDF 7635    Cultural/Social Foundations of Education.                     3 credit hours

5.5 Cognate/Minor

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5.5.1 Doctoral students shall include in their programs of study a sequence of planned learning experiences consisting of courses offered in the College of Education and Human Services and/or in other colleges and schools. The intent of this requirement is to provide students with a broad perspective about the environment of educational leadership. The student's faculty sponsor and research mentor will assist the student in choosing appropriate course work. The following criteria must be met:

a. Minimum of 12 semester hours of graduate credit.

b. Maximum of three semester hours may be 5000 level.

5.5.2 Concurrent Enrollment Policy

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To complete the 12-semester hour cognate requirement for the Doctorate in Educational Leadership, students may enroll concurrently in another approved graduate program at another regionally accredited and approved institution. This policy is to facilitate students pursuing advanced study in a specialization not available at the University. A maximum of 12 semester hours may be transferred to the University of North Florida under the Doctorate of Education Cognate Concurrent Enrollment Policy. To exercise the concurrent enrollment option, students must meet the following requirements:

a. Formal approval of the proposed cognate by faculty advisor and doctoral program director.

b. File a Concurrent Enrollment Form with the UNF Registrar’s Office in advance of each term that the enrollment is planned.

c. Earn a grade of 3.0 or higher in each concurrent course for which transfer of credit is sought.

d. At the conclusion of each semester concurrently enrolled, the student will provide the Graduate School with an official transcript from the transferring institution.

5.6 Required Credit Hours

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Programs leading to a doctoral degree require a minimum of 76 semester hours credit beyond the master's degree. No more than 24 semester hours of dissertation credits may be used to satisfy this requirement.

5.7 Transfer of Credit

5.7.1 Transfer of Work Done Prior to Admission

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Doctoral program faculty sponsors may approve a student's request to transfer a maximum of 12 six semester hours of graduate credit earned from another institution provided:

a. the student's faculty sponsor judges the course work to be relevant to the student's doctoral program

b. the course work was taken at a regionally accredited institution that offers post master's degree programs

c. a grade of B or better was earned in each course transferred

d. transferred course credits were earned post-master's degree

e. graduate credits transferred were completed no more than five years prior to the semester in which the student is admitted to the program

f. courses were not used to satisfy the requirements for a degree program.

Some program requirements may be waived based on previous coursework upon the recommendation of the faculty sponsor or research mentor and approval of the program director.

5.7.2 Transfer of Credit Taken while Enrolled in the Doctoral Program

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Doctoral program faculty sponsors or research mentors may petition the Doctoral Program Director on behalf of a student to transfer up to 12 semester hours of graduate credits earned at an accredited university while the student is enrolled in the doctoral program. The credits must be approved prior to registration and may count in the cognate area only. Only grades of "B" or better may be transferred.

5.8 Academic Standards

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5.8.1 Doctoral students must maintain at least a 3.0 ("B") grade-point-average throughout the program of study.

5.8.2 No grade lower than "B" is acceptable for course work taken in the Educational Leadership Core

5.8.3 No more than two "C" grades (6 credits) may be counted toward the minimum hours required for graduation.

5.9 Repeating Courses for Credit

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A doctoral student may repeat a course one time in which a grade of "C" or lower has been earned.

5.9.1 A repeated course shall be taken for credit and a letter grade other than "I" must be assigned.

5.9.2 Graduate students are not eligible for grade forgiveness. The graduate GPA includes all hours the student earns once fully admitted.

5.9.3 A student may repeat no more than two courses under this rule.

5.10 Residency

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Students will have met the residency requirements of the program by completing at least 76 credit hours of approved course work, by being advanced to candidacy, and by maintaining continuous enrollment as defined in these policies until they graduate.

5.11 Time Limits

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All program requirements, including the dissertation, must be completed within 8 five years of admission to the program.

6. CANDIDACY

6.1 Advancement to Candidacy

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In order to be advanced to doctoral candidate status a student must:

         a. maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 in all doctoral courses

         b. have grades of B or better in all educational leadership core courses

        c. have satisfactorily completed required written and oral comprehensive exams

d. have all “I” grades removed

e. have completed the 52 credit hour program of study which constitutes the formal   course work.

6.2 Comprehensive Examination

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The comprehensive examination is administered under the oversight of the Doctoral Program Director.

The comprehensive examination consists of two parts.  The first is a written segment expected to take no more than twelve hours, and the second is an oral portion anticipated to take no more than two hours.  Students must successfully complete both before advancing to candidacy.

The comprehensive examination is intended to assess the student's knowledge in the areas of educational leadership, foundations, research, and a cognate area.  In addition, it is intended to measure the student's ability to think and express ideas clearly.  The written examination consists of questions designed to assess mastery of course work in the student's program of study and the student's ability to integrate knowledge from all work in the program.  The oral examination provides opportunity for the student to demonstrate mastery of doctoral level course content as well as to elaborate on written responses.

The written examination is administered twice a year in the spring and summer semesters. Students will have a maximum of six hours each day over two consecutive days in which to complete the written examination. Students are expected to complete the examination by microcomputer/word processing.

Students must schedule the oral examination with the Dissertation Committee within two weeks after receiving official notification of their performance on the written examination.  The Chair of the Dissertation Committee will notify the Doctoral Program Director of the scheduled oral examination date.  The oral examination may concern written examination questions, related topics, educational issues or course work and may include questions related to the student's proposed research topic.

6.3 Qualifications for Taking the Comprehensive Examination

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Students become eligible to sit for the comprehensive examination in either the spring or summer semester of their third year of study. Those who elect to take the examination in the spring may also be enrolled in EDA 7194 (3 credit hours) and EDA 7421 (1 credit hour). In addition, a maximum of 3 semester hours of course work in the cognate/minor may be completed during the semester in which the student takes the examination. Students who elect to take the examination in the summer should have completed all course requirements, with the exception of the final 3 semester hours of course work in the cognate/minor.

Eligibility to sit for the comprehensive examination further requires that a student be in good standing academically with no incomplete grades. During the semester prior to taking the examination the student must apply in writing to the Doctoral Program Director for approval to take the comprehensive examination. All doctoral students will be given sufficient notice of the application deadline and the schedule for the written examination.

6.4 Procedures for Development of the Comprehensive Examination  

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All members of the Doctoral Teaching Faculty  are invited to submit questions in order to form a comprehensive examination item pool.  Questions in the areas of leadership, foundations, and research will be submitted to the Doctoral Program Director.  Authors of the questions are asked to include specifications/criteria for acceptable answers to each question submitted.  Faculty members may submit as many questions as desired. All questions will be subject to a peer review and a review by the Doctoral Program Director.  After this review, all questions will be placed in the comprehensive examination question pool for that particular administration of the examination.  All items within the approved pool will then be forwarded to each student’s Primary Dissertation Committee Chair who will select the questions that will be on each student’s particular examination.  Typically, the examination will consist of three or four questions from leadership, and at least one question from foundations, research, and the student's cognate/minor area. The Dissertation Committee Chair will determine specifically how many questions will be on the student’s examination and whether students will be required to respond to all questions on the exam or whether students will be allowed to select from an option of items as specified.  All examination questions (with the exception of cognate/minor area questions) must be selected from the approved pool of questions.  No substitutions will be permitted.

6.5 Assessment of Performance on the Written Comprehensive Examination

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Assessment of individual student's responses will be coordinated by the Chair of their Doctoral Dissertation Committee. The assessment of each individual's written responses will be conducted by their Doctoral Dissertation Committee. In addition, at the discretion of the committee chair, other faculty may be asked to review responses.  Committee members will assess the student's responses individually, based on the criteria specified by the authors of the items and upon acceptable standards for graduate writing.

Each member of the Doctoral Dissertation Committee members will read and evaluate the student’s written responses.  The committee will form a consensus evaluation of the student’s performance on the written examination and eligibility to proceed with the oral segment of the comprehensive examination. The student's responses will be assessed overall as "satisfactory," or "unsatisfactory."

The committee chair will then provide feedback to the student. The feedback will consist of the

overall assessment and appropriate comments. The committees' overall assessment will be submitted in writing to the Doctoral Program Director no later than four weeks after the written examination has been administered.

When a student’s responses on the written examination are assessed as “unsatisfactory” they will be granted permission to retake the written examination in accordance with the policy on Eligibility to Take the Oral Examination.

6.6 Eligibility to Take the Oral Examination

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Students are deemed either eligible or ineligible to take the oral examination by their dissertation committee.

Students deemed ineligible to take the oral examination because of a violation of the university’s policy on Academic Integrity (i.e., cheating, plagiarism or other inappropriate assistance in work presented) would not be granted the privilege of retaking the written examination.

Students who are deemed ineligible to take the oral examination because of unsatisfactory performance on the written examination will be granted permission to retake the written examination.  The Chair of the Dissertation Committee, in consultation with other committee members, will recommend whether the student will retake the entire examination or a particular portion of the exam.  In addition, the Chair will recommend to the Doctoral Program Director whether questions for retaking the examination will be drawn from the original pool of questions or whether the Doctoral Teaching Faculty will be requested to submit new items for consideration by the committee.  Under no circumstances will the privilege of retaking the written examination be extended to the student more than once.

6.7 Assessment of Performance on the Oral Examination

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The oral examination will be administered by the student's Doctoral Dissertation Committee.  The chair or co-chairs of the dissertation committee will direct the oral examination.  The procedure followed in administering the oral examination will be determined by the committee.  The student will be responsible for scheduling the oral examination with the Committee.  The Chair of the committee will be responsible for coordination of the oral examination with the Doctoral Program Director. The chair or co-chairs will coordinate with committee members the procedures to be followed on the oral examination. 

After the oral examination has been administered, the Committee will immediately meet and assess the student's responses to the oral exam.  The student's responses will be assessed as "satisfactory" or "unsatisfactory."  The student will wait while the Committee meets, and the student will then be invited to meet with the committee.  The committee will give the student feedback on his or her responses, and the status of the student's candidacy will then be announced.  In the case of a "satisfactory" rating, the chair or co-chairs of the committee will submit a final assessment in writing to the Doctoral Program Director, who will forward the results for filing in the student's permanent record.

In the case of an "unsatisfactory" rating on the oral examination, the student's Dissertation Committee will decide what further action will be taken.  As with the written examination, the Doctoral Dissertation Committee shall extend to the student the privilege of retaking the oral examination one additional time.  Under no circumstances will the privilege of retaking the oral examination be extended to the student more than once.

7. DISSERTATION

7.1 Dissertation Enrollment

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7.1.1 A student must earn a minimum of 24 semester hours of dissertation credit at the University of North Florida . The dissertation is a supervised, original research project, carried out independently by the student with oversight and guidance provided by the candidate’s designated chairperson and faculty committee. 

7.1.2 A student may enroll for dissertation credit in the semester in which he or she expects to be admitted to candidacy. However, if the student is not advanced to candidacy during the term of concurrent enrollment for dissertation credits, the dissertation credits may not count toward the minimum required for the doctoral degree. 

7.1.3 A student enrolled in dissertation credit is required to participate in a three credit hour seminar in one of the first two semesters of dissertation enrollment. The regularly scheduled research design seminar is conducted by the doctoral faculty. The candidate’s committee chair may request that the seminar attendance requirement be waived. This waiver is recommended for students who have substantially completed their proposals and are planning the proposal defense.

7.1.4 Once enrollment in dissertation credits is initiated, continuous registration for at least three semester hours each term (fall and spring) is required until the dissertation has been approved. Enrollment during the summer term is optional. With the support of the dissertation chair and the approval of the program director, students may be permitted to register for one credit hour of dissertation for a limited number of semesters.

7.1.5. A student who has not defended a dissertation proposal after completing nine semester hours of dissertation credit will not be allowed to register for additional dissertation hours until the chair of the student’s dissertation committee recommends continuance and specifies the conditions for continuance.

7.1.6 A student must be enrolled for a minimum of three dissertation credits during the term in which she or he successfully defends the dissertation proposal and the dissertation.

7.2 Dissertation Committee

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7.2.1 Selection of the Dissertation Committee is the joint responsibility of the student and faculty research mentor. The Dissertation Committee is composed of a minimum of four members of the UNF graduate faculty.

7.2.2

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The overall committee consists of a minimum of four faculty members.  Each committee will begin with a minimum of three members.  The fourth member must be added prior to the defense of the dissertation. Normally, the committee will consist of 1) A Chair, who must hold chair status; 2) Two additional members of the Graduate Faculty who may or may not hold chair status; 3) A fourth member of the dissertation committee must be a UNF graduate faculty member from outside the College of Education and Human Services.

7.2.3 One member of each committee must be a faculty member with an academic appointment in the Educational Leadership Program

7.2.4 At the discretion of the Chair in consultation with the student, one of committee members may serve as Co-Chair.

7.2.5 At the discretion of the Chair, the committee may include a fifth member who will serve as the Clinical Committee Member.  The fifth member will serve as a resource and may assist in the review of the dissertation document and participate in the formal defense of the dissertation. Students are encouraged to select a fifth member of the committee who is a qualified practicing leader outside the University.

7.3 Dissertation Proposal

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7.3.1 Recommended procedures for dissertation proposal development are attached in Appendix C.

7.3.2 The dissertation proposal must be approved unanimously by the primary (three-member) dissertation committee and will generally be defended in a formal meeting of the committee. If the fourth member of the dissertation committee has been selected prior to the proposal defense, then the full four member dissertation committee shall approve the proposal. The dissertation committee chair must secure a copy of the Dissertation Proposal Signature Page from the Departmental Office before the proposal defense. Once the dissertation proposal is acceptable to the committee, the chair must secure signature from each committee member. The completed Signature Page with original signatures must be attached to a copy of the approved proposal and filed with the Doctoral Program Director. The chair should make copies of the signature page for the Chair and for their personal files. 

7.3.3 If human subjects are involved in the proposed research, a Request for Review by Institutional Board for the Protection of Human Subjects must be completed. This form and instructions for its completion are available on the webpage of the University’s Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. The doctoral candidate should sign the request and submit it to the Dissertation Committee Chair for signature. The Doctoral Program Director acting as the Department Chairperson should also sign before submitting to the  Office of Research and Sponsored Programs for transmittal to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for approval.

7.4 Dissertation Completion

7.4.1 Generally, the doctoral candidate will work with the chairperson to complete the study and will consult other committee members as needed.  It is the student’s responsibility to keep the chairperson apprised of the progress of the work.  A schedule of regular contact between student and chairperson should be maintained.

7.4.2      The doctoral candidate is responsible for obtaining current information regarding dissertation preparation and binding from the Carpenter Library prior to final formatting of the document. The doctoral candidate is also responsible for ensuring that the dissertation is prepared in accordance with style guidelines of the American Psychology Association (5^th edition, 2001) and the APA guidelines for electronic references (2007). <

7.5 Dissertation Defense and Approvals

7.5.1 When the student and chairperson determine that the dissertation has reached the final draft stage, the candidate must distribute copies to all committee members for review and comment.

 7.5.2 The dissertation defense must be completed prior to the deadline established for the

term in which the candidate intends to graduate.  This deadline is generally not later than one month before the graduation date. The dissertation defense should not be scheduled until the committee chair has determined that the dissertation is complete and accurate.  When approval is secured it is the responsibility of the candidate to schedule the defense.  The defense must be announced to the university community and scheduled in a manner that permits interested observers to attend  The defense is generally scheduled with the Doctoral Program Department at least two weeks prior the date on which it will occur. The deadline for dissertation processing is found at the following URL: http://www.unf.edu/graduatestudies/enrolled/thesis_timeline.html

7.5.3  The dissertation must be approved unanimously by the dissertation committee. The

committee's approval of the dissertation will be indicated by completion of the approval form included in the dissertation itself.

7.5.4  Once the committee has approved the dissertation and the candidate has made final

corrections in the document, the dissertation will be forwarded for approval to the Doctoral Program Director, the Department Chair, the Dean of the College of Education and Human Services, and the Dean of the Graduate School for the University of North Florida . Additional document corrections and clarifications may be requested of the candidate in this approval process.

7.6  Filing the Dissertation

APPROVED:  DSC 12/08/03; DTF 3/04/04; DTF 4/08/09

When the signatures in 7.5.4 have been obtained, the department will notify the candidate, who is responsible for retrieving the document from the department office, preparing the required number of finished copies on bond paper, filing the completed dissertation with Carpenter Library, and filing an application for ProQuest/UMI publication with the Graduate School .

7.7 Graduate Certification

REVISED: DTF 4/08/09

The award of degree is not complete until the Graduate Dean has approved the document, so that the department chair may certify graduation. There is a published deadline each semester for securing approval of the Graduate Dean. Failure to meet this deadline may result in a change in the official date of the award of the degree. The deadlines are established in each academic year and generally fall in the second week immediately following commencement. A procedural guide for the filing process is available on the Web page of the Graduate School . Library requirements may be found at the following URL: http:www.unf.edu/library/pol/THESIS.html Students should review both sets of requirements carefully.

8.  AWARD OF DEGREE

APPROVED:  DSC 12/08/03; DTF 3/04/04

8.1  Requirements

In order to be awarded the doctorate, the candidate must:

a. complete all course requirements within prescribed time limits,

b. maintain a grade average of "B" or better in all work attempted on the program of study. All grades other than acceptable letter grades must be resolved,

c. satisfactorily complete all required examinations,

d. be recommended by the student's dissertation committee and the college,

e. receive approval of the dissertation by the dissertation committee, Department Chairperson, Dean of the College of Education and Human Services, and the Dean of the Graduate School ,

f. be registered during the term in which the dissertation is defended,

g. meet all other academic and professional qualifications, as published by the appropriate governing bodies of the university.

8.2  Graduation Application

The doctoral candidate must apply for graduation before the published University deadline in the term in which graduation is anticipated. Candidates are expected to attend the degree-conferring ceremony.

9.  SUPPORT SERVICES

9.1 Financial Aid

APPROVED:  DSC 12/08/03; DTF 3/04/04; DTF 4/08/09

The University provides a comprehensive student financial aid program through the Office of Student Financial Aid.  All aid is based on individual need, educational costs, and availability of funds.  Awards may consist of scholarships, loans, grants, and/or employment.  Funds are limited; students are encouraged to apply for financial aid as soon as possible after admission.  Information about specific types of financial aid is contained in the University catalog.  Inquiries concerning financial aid should be directed to the Office of Student Financial Aid.

The College of Education and Human Services awards a limited number of competitive graduate tuition scholarships. Interested students should review the scholarship pages on the COEHS website. In addition, the Graduate School office provides tuition waiver monies for qualified graduate students. The number and amount of the award is determined by the allocation of annual funding from the Graduate School office.

9.2 Thomas G. Carpenter Library

APPROVED:  DSC 12/08/03; DTF 3/04/04; DTF 4/08/09

Enrolled doctoral students and doctoral faculty have full access to the services of the Thomas G. Carpenter Library at UNF.  Descriptions of these services are available in the University catalog and from library staff.

9.3 Computing Services

APPROVED:  DSC 12/08/03; DTF 3/04/04; DTF 4/08/09

Enrolled doctoral students and doctoral faculty have full access to the services of the Department of Information Technology Services.  The department provides technical assistance in the use of computing equipment and systems.  Descriptions of the services the department provides are available in the University catalog and from staff in the department.

9.4 Student Services

APPROVED: DSC 12/08/03; DTF 3/04/04; DTF 4/08/09

Enrolled doctoral students have full access to other services provided through the Division of Student and International Affairs including Student Health Services, the Counseling Center , Child Care, the Disability Resource Center , the Women’s Center, the Ombudsman’s Program, and the Victim Advocacy Program.

10.  FACULTY

10.1 Graduate Faculty

APPROVED:  DSC 12/08/03; DTF 3/04/04; DTF 4/08/09

Graduate Faculty teach graduate courses (courses at the 5000 level or above), supervise and serve on examining committees for master's degree students, serve as members of doctoral research committees, and vote on all matters presented to the Graduate Faculty. A Graduate Faculty member must:

a. hold the minimum rank of Assistant Professor at the University of North Florida ,

b. hold the terminal degree, or its equivalent, normally accepted for academic appointment in the discipline,

  c. be tenured, tenure earning, on multi-year contract,

  d. be involved in graduate teaching and/or research,

e. have demonstrated clear evidence of scholarly activity, and

f. be recommended by the faculty of the academic program, the Dean of the College of Education and Human Services, and approved by the Graduate Council.

Courtesy appointments to the Graduate Faculty may be recommended on an ad hoc basis by members of the academic unit to the Dean of the College of Education and Human Services. The Dean shall request approval of the Graduate Dean for such appointments prior to the appointment.

10.2 Doctoral Chair Status

REVISED: DTF 4/08/09

Graduate faculty may serve as chairpersons of doctoral dissertations provided:

a. they offer evidence of having served as chairperson of a completed dissertation at another regionally accredited institution or

b. they offer evidence as having served as co-chairperson of at least one completed dissertation at the University of North Florida , and

c. they are recommended by the doctoral teaching faculty and approved by the chair of the department.

10.3  Consulting Faculty

APPROVED:  DSC 12/08/03; DTF 3/04/04

Clinical experiences in leadership are a substantial component of the doctoral program in Educational Leadership. Consulting faculty have important roles as consultants to the program and facilitators for the provision of clinical experiences.  The roles of the consulting faculty are defined as follows:

a) to facilitate the development of field and leadership assessment experiences for doctoral students.

b) to consult with faculty on issues of program evaluation and development from a clinical perspective

c) to serve as guest lecturers as appropriate;

d) to help students select problems for study and work with students as they are doing their field research;

e) to serve as a bridge between university faculty and the field.

Qualifications of the consulting faculty are as follows:

a) hold appropriate academic degree(s);

b) have significant leadership experience;

c) be able to make a two-year commitment to the program.

10.4 Doctoral Teaching Faculty

APPROVED:  DSC 12/08/03; DTF 3/04/04; DTF 4/08/09

The Doctoral Teaching Faculty consists of those faculty members who have dissertation chair status and those who are responsible for teaching the courses which comprise the three strands of the program of study:  Educational Leadership Core, Research, and Foundations. Members of the Graduate Faculty from other colleges in the University who regularly teach courses within the doctoral program in the College of Education and Human Services shall be recognized as Doctoral Teaching Faculty and invited to participate in seminars, workshops, and other events sponsored by the Faculty in the College.

10.5 Faculty Productivity and Recognition

APPROVED:  DSC 12/08/03; DTF 3/04/04; DTF 4/08/09

10.5.1 Chairpersons of Dissertation Committees

Faculty productivity and recognition for serving as chairperson on doctoral dissertation committees shall include the following:

a.  Workload assignments for student credit hours generated by registrations for dissertation credits will accrue to the individual(s) designated as the chairperson or co-chairpersons of students' dissertation committees.

b.  In the case of co-chairpersons, one-half of the load allocation will be made to each faculty member unless the involved faculty members shall agree to a different allocation.

         c.  Allocation of workload will be made as follows:

       (1)  The availability of dissertation assignments will be determined in the summer of

       each academic year by dividing the total dissertation credit hours earned in the

       previous academic year (summer, fall, spring) by 30. This formula represents the

       credit hours generated by a graduate class with an enrollment of 10 students.

       (2)  Dissertation workload assignments are made by the Chairperson of the

       Department of Counseling and Educational Leadership in consultation with the

       Doctoral Program Director and the faculty member’s Department Chair. 

       (3)  Faculty who feel their work chairing dissertations merits a workload assignment

       shall make a formal request to the department chairperson.

       (4) Faculty normally shall not receive workload assignment consideration for more

       than 30 credit hours of dissertation enrollment per student chaired. Exceptions to this

       policy are subject to the approval of the department chair.

d.  No faculty member shall have more than two workload assignments for dissertation in any one semester.

10.5.2 Recognition of Non-Chairperson Committee Service

Faculty recognition for membership on doctoral dissertation committees other than as chairperson or co-chairperson shall include the following:

a.  Faculty shall include on their annual evaluation reports a merit designation in recognition of dissertation memberships for which workload was not assigned. Such designations would normally appear under the category of either service or non-credit generating instruction. When the committee member makes a substantial contribution to the shape of the work or coauthors a paper or presentation with the student, the designation may appropriately appear under research.

b. The Department Chairperson shall when funds are available consider requests for certain program resources (e.g., student assistant, travel to conferences, purchase of instructional and research materials, professional development opportunities) from faculty who have completed a number of dissertation memberships.

11. GOVERNANCE

11.1 Introduction

APPROVED: DSC 12/08/03; DTF 3/04/04; DTF 4/08/09

Under the direction of the Doctoral Program Director, policies and procedures of the educational leadership doctoral program will be developed normally through a Doctoral Steering Committee and will be brought to the Doctoral Teaching Faculty for review and approval. All such decisions will be subject to review and approval by the Chair of the Department of Leadership, Counseling, and Instructional Technology, the Dean of the College of Education and Human Services and, as appropriate, the normal governance structure of the College and University.

11.2 College Dean

APPROVED:  DSC 12/08/03; DTF 3/04/04

The Dean of the College of Education and Human Services is the chief academic officer of the College and has final responsibility for all College programs, including the doctoral program.

11.3 Dean of the Graduate School

APPROVED: DSC 12/08/03; DTF 3/04/04; DTF 4/08/09

The primary responsibility of the Dean of the Graduate School is to provide administrative oversight for all graduate programs within the University, including the doctoral program in Educational Leadership.  The Dean of the Graduate School works with the Doctoral Teaching Faculty, the graduate faculty, the Graduate Council, and the college deans in the development of policies and procedures for the administration of the doctoral program.  The Dean of the Graduate School serves as chair of the University Graduate Council.

11.4  University Graduate Council

APPROVED: DSC 12/08/03; DTF 3/04/04; DTF 4/08/09

The University Graduate Council is responsible for setting standards for graduate programs, for

continuous monitoring of standards, for development of new policies and procedures as they are needed, and for reviewing existing policies to provide assurance of University-wide compliance with all graduate standards.  The role and responsibilities of the University Graduate Council are described in more detail in the by-laws of the Graduate Council.

11.5 Program Director

APPROVED:  DSC 12/08/03; DTF 3/04/04; DTF 4/08/09

Administrative responsibilities for the doctoral program in Educational Leadership are assumed by the Doctoral Program Director. The Doctoral Program Director is recommended by the chair of the department and appointed by the Dean of the College of Education and Human Services. The Doctoral Program Director reports to the Chair of the Department of Leadership, Counseling, and Instructional Technology.

11.6 Doctoral Steering Committee .

APPROVED: DSF 9/21/90 /revised on 1/10/92. REVISED: DSC 12/08/03; DTF 3/04/04; DTF 4/08/09

The Doctoral Steering Committee assures representation for all program constituents in the policy process. Policies and procedures related to the educational leadership doctoral program will be developed through the Doctoral Steering Committee which shall be chaired by the Doctoral Program Director and will be brought to the Doctoral Teaching Faculty for review and approval.

11.6.1 Composition and Term Limits of the Committee 

The Doctoral Steering Committee shall consist of seven voting members and two ex officio members. The composition of the Committee is as follows:

a) The Doctoral Program Director will be a permanent member of the committee and will serve as the committee’s chair.

b) One Educational Leadership faculty representative elected from those faculty with an academic appointment in the Educational Leadership Program for a two year term beginning with an odd numbered year.  

c) One elected representative from the COEHS Graduate Faculty for a two year term beginning with an even numbered year.  

d) One elected representative of the Doctoral Teaching Faculty for a two-year term beginning with an odd numbered year.  

e) The Dean of the COEHS or the Dean’s designate will serve as an ex officio, non- voting member of the committee.

f) The Dean of the Graduate School or the Dean's designate will serve as an ex officio, non-voting member of the committee.

g) Each cohort of students will select annually a representative to serve as a voting member of the committee. A cohort’s representation will continue until the end of the academic year their comprehensive examination is administered. Terms are for one year.

11.6.2 Purpose of the Committee

The purpose of the Doctoral Steering Committee will be to assist the Doctoral Program Director in the development of policies and procedures related to the ongoing operation of the program. 

These shall include, but not be limited to, the areas of curriculum and instructional development, faculty development, student policies, program planning, program budgeting, and program review

11.6.3 Authority of the Committee

All policies will be subject to review and approval by the doctoral teaching faculty, the department chair, the Dean of the College of Education and Human Services, and, as appropriate, the normal governance structure of the College and University.

11.6.4 Election of Membership

Elections as proscribed in section 11.6.1 above will occur during the Fall Term of each academic year. If an elected member of the Steering Committee is unable to complete the term of membership, the Committee Chair will appoint a replacement to serve out that term.

11.7 Doctoral Teaching Faculty

APPROVED: DTF 4/08/09

Doctoral teaching faculty members are responsible for the curriculum of the program and must approve recommended changes in policies and curriculum. The doctoral teaching faculty will meet at least once each semester.

The doctoral teaching faculty will develop learning outcomes for the program. The doctoral program director will report annually to the faculty on progress in achieving the learning outcomes.

12.  APPLICATION OF POLICIES

12.1 Date of Approval and Retroactivity

APPROVED:  DSC 12/08/03; DTF 3/04/04

Students admitted to the doctoral program before the date of approval of these policies and procedures will be held harmless of any adverse effects on their academic programs.

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