Thesis Advisory Committee Guidelines

Along with thesis supervisor(s), members of a graduate student’s thesis advisory committee (TAC) can help provide the student with research guidance, expert feedback, mentorship, and personal support throughout their graduate program. However, the requirement of a TAC, including when it is formed, is at the discretion of specific units or programs. It is the responsibility of the student (in consultation with and support from their supervisor) to identify and secure TAC members. Members can be selected based on their specific research expertise as well as how they may complement the needs of the student and associated research project. The roles of TAC members should be made clear to both the TAC members and the student, including their level of participation in research milestones such as committee meetings, comprehensive exams, research proposals, and thesis defences.

Definition

As originally defined in the Graduate Supervision Appointments Policy, these guidelines refer to different types of Carleton faculty members as well as other potential members:

Group 1:

Full-time Carleton University tenured/tenure-track Assistant, Associate, and Full Professors, excluding the Teaching Stream

Group 2:

Full-time Carleton University Lecturers, Assistant, Associate, and Full Professors in the Teaching Stream

Group 3:

• Other internal and external individuals, including:
  • Distinguished Research Professors
  • Professors Emeriti
  • Adjunct Research Professors
  • Adjunct Professors
  • Postdoctoral Fellows
  • An Indigenous Elder, Knowledge Keeper, or community representative
  • An academic or professional outside of Carleton University with appropriate expertise

Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) Membership Eligibility

I. Group 1 and joint institute faculty members are permitted to serve as TAC members.

II. Group 2 and 3 individuals may potentially serve as TAC members, but their participation is subject to unit/department considerations and requires approval from the relevant Department and/or Dean on an ad hoc basis.

III. Besides the supervisor(s), a TAC must include a minimum of two members for doctoral students, as required in the Thesis Examination Policy. All TACs at the PhD level should typically include one member who is a Group 1 faculty member within the home program/unit, to ensure that program-specific needs and requirements are met. To accommodate this, the TAC can be expanded beyond the minimum number of two, when additional Group 2 and/or 3 members are desired.

Thesis Advisory Committees for Indigenous-Focused Research

For graduate research projects focused on specific Indigenous Peoples, communities, languages, lands, waters, territories, or cultural knowledge, it is recommended that the TAC include an Indigenous Elder, Knowledge Keeper, or community member. This advisory role does not have to be filled by a single individual; in some cases, it may be more appropriate for it to be held by a group or collective. To foster trust and maintain a respectful, reciprocal partnership, it is essential that the research team first build a meaningful relationship with the identified Indigenous community or its members before inviting them to take on a formal role within their TAC (see also the Indigenous Research Ethics Board – Ānako Indigenous Research Institute for related ethics considerations).