1. The student and the chair of the dissertation committee jointly assemble the student’s proposed dissertation committee. The process can be initiated early when the student first begins working with a faculty member who is the prospective chair. However, as stated in the School of Business Ph.D. Handbook, the dissertation committee is not formally selected until the student has successfully completed all major and minor area requirements, including any comprehensive examinations.

2. The Department Chair of each faculty member proposed as a member of a dissertation committee (including the chair of the proposed dissertation committee) fills out the “Request for Designation – Eligibility to Teach 700 Level Courses and Chair Doctoral Dissertations” form (footnote 2). This is the same form used for the staffing of 700-level classes. At this point each Department Chair determines whether the faculty member who is being considered to be a member of the proposed dissertation committee meets, at a minimum, the existing guidelines set by the Ph.D. Committee. Each Department Chair completes and signs the form (with appropriate documentation) if he or she determines that the faculty member meets these guidelines.

3. The form (footnote 3)on which the Ph.D. Program Committee records its approval of the proposed dissertation committee and the forms on which the Department Chairs record their respective approvals (footnote 4) for the faculty members wishing to be members of the proposed dissertation committee are forwarded to the Graduate Studies in Business office.

4. The Ph.D. Program Committee then reviews the proposed dissertation committee to ensure that the committee meets the School’s specifications for dissertation committee’s, as stated in the Ph.D. Handbook (see Section VII of the Handbook). All forms will be kept by the School's Graduate Studies Office.

5. At any point in this process, a negative decision can be appealed by any party to the Ph.D. Committee, or if necessary, to the Dean of the School of Business.
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2 - Currently, the form is available at http://www.bus.vcu.edu/gsib/documents/appform_700.pdf. This is the same form as the one mentioned in footnote 1.
3 - Currently, the form is “Request for Approval of Dissertation Committee,” available on page 23 of the Ph.D. Handbook at http://www.bus.vcu.edu/gsib/programs/apply/phdguide.pdf.
4 - The form is “Request for Designation - Eligibility to Teach 700 Level Courses and Chair Doctoral Dissertations,” available at http://www.bus.vcu.edu/gsib/documents/appform_700.pdf. This is the same form as the one mentioned in footnotes 1&2.