52 Changing a Topic, Director, or Readers

Students should consult the Graduate Advisor if contemplating a change of topic or of director. The Advisor can help determine the need for or direction of a potential change.

In order to change the thesis or dissertation topic, a student must first discuss the change with the director of the thesis or dissertation. Since a major change in the topic may require changes in the committee, perhaps even a change of director, it is important to discuss all of the ramifications of the change before committing to it. Depending on the kind of change, new forms may need to be filed with the graduate college.

A student may need to change director for any number of legitimate reasons. When pursuing a change, the student should speak in person to the former director as well as to the potential new director concerning the reasons for the change. It may be necessary to file a Change of Advisory Committee form with the Graduate College.

A student may need to change readers during the writing of the thesis or dissertation, and such a change should be made in consultation with the director. The student should speak in person (if possible) to the former reader(s) as well as to the potential new reader(s) concerning the reasons for the change. As with the change of director, it may be necessary to file a Change of Advisory Committee form with the Graduate College.

Under certain conditions, in-person approaches to potential directors or readers may not be practical. Instead of requesting an in-person meeting, students making changes should request a video conference or phone appointment.