ed.d. doctoral program procedures handbook dissertation ... · this doctoral handbook of policies...

Ed.D. Doctoral

Program Procedures Handbook

& Dissertation

Formatting Guide

March 2016

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INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................... 2

THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND POLICY STUDIES’ ED.D. PROGRAM 2 LEARNER OUTCOMES .................................................................................................................................... 3 ADMISSIONS .................................................................................................................................................. 3 TRANSFER OF CREDITS ................................................................................................................................. 4 MATRICULATION ........................................................................................................................................... 5 PROGRAM OF STUDY/PLANNED PROGRAM ................................................................................................... 5

Program Course Sequence/Curriculum Map ............................................................................................. 6 Electives ...................................................................................................................................................... 7

THE COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION ........................................................................................................... 7 DOCTORAL CANDIDACY ............................................................................................................................... 8 CONTINUOUS ENROLLMENT ......................................................................................................................... 9

THE DOCTORAL DISSERTATION ......................................................................................................... 10 THE DISSERTATION PROPOSAL DEFINED .................................................................................................... 10 GETTING STARTED ...................................................................................................................................... 11

The Concept Paper and First Pass Dissertation Proposal. ...................................................................... 11 The Dissertation Committee ..................................................................................................................... 11 Crafting the Dissertation Proposal ........................................................................................................... 12 Use of Human Subjects ............................................................................................................................. 13 Copyright Permission ............................................................................................................................... 14 The Dissertation Proposal Defense .......................................................................................................... 14

THE DISSERTATION ..................................................................................................................................... 16 Crafting the Dissertation .......................................................................................................................... 16 Final Dissertation Preparation and Formatting ...................................................................................... 20 Specific Formatting and Procedures Guidelines ...................................................................................... 20 Final Dissertation Submission .................................................................................................................. 24

APPLYING FOR THE ED.D. DEGREE AND GRADUATION ............................................................. 25

APPENDIX 1: FORMS ............................................................................................................................... 26 ED.D. FORM #1: COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION APPLICATION .............................................................. 27 ED.D. FORM #2: COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION RESULTS LETTER ........................................................ 28 ED.D. FORM #3: DISSERTATION COMMITTEE CHAIR AGREEMENT FORM ................................................... 29 ED.D. FORM #4: DISSERTATION COMMITTEE AGREEMENT FORM .............................................................. 30 ED.D. FORM #5: REQUEST FOR CHANGE IN DISSERTATION COMMITTEE ................................................... 31 ED.D. FORM #6: APPROVAL TO HOLD DISSERTATION PROPOSAL DEFENSE FORM ...................................... 32 ED.D. FORM #7: ELECTRONIC DISSERTATION PROPOSAL ACCEPTANCE FORM ......................................... 33 ED.D. FORM #8: REQUEST FOR ADMISSION TO CANDIDACY ..................................................................... 34 ED.D.FORM #9: APPROVAL TO HOLD DISSERTATION DEFENSE FORM ...................................................... 35 ED.D. FORM #10: FINAL DEFENSE DETERMINATION FORM ....................................................................... 36 ED.D. FORM #11: ELECTRONIC DISSERTATION ACCEPTANCE FORM ........................................................ 37

APPENDIX II: .............................................................................................................................................. 38 2015-2016 CALENDAR OF ED.D. KEY DATES AND ACTIVITIES ................................................................. 38

APPENDIX III: ............................................................................................................................................. 41 DISSERTATION EXAMPLE PAGES ................................................................................................................ 41

Table of Contents

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Introduction This Doctoral Handbook of Policies and Procedures is intended to guide both faculty and

students in the implementation of the Ed.D. Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (EDL) at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU). These policies and procedures become effective once a student is admitted to the Ed.D. program. Faculty and students are held to current Ed.D. policies and procedures, not the ones that are in place when they enter the program.

The policies and procedures have been developed by the Ed.D. Doctoral Program

Committee and the EDL Department Chair in collaboration with EDL graduate faculty, the Dean of the School of Education, and the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. These policies and procedures should be adhered to by all faculty members in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies and any other faculty member or other relevant professional from SCSU or another university or institution who is involved in the Ed.D. program through teaching, research, or engaging in the dissertation guidance process.

These policies and procedures are intended to complement and supplement all policies

and procedures in the Student Handbook of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies and the School of Graduate Studies website – particularly those relating to graduate admissions; enrollment and planned program information in the Graduate Catalog; and dissertation proposal, final defense, and placement of the final dissertation in the ProQuest repository. It should be noted that University, Graduate School, and EDL Department policies and procedures do change; thus Doctoral students are responsible for keeping abreast of current documentation related to their program of study. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this handbook, the program reserves the right to make changes or updates. Students are required to obtain and review new procedures annually in order to remain current (check the EDL Website)

The Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies’ Ed.D. Program

The Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies is committed to delivering high-quality, service-oriented professional programs to meet the needs of aspiring school leaders in Connecticut and beyond. Our department prepares school leaders to focus on systemic thinking, taking into account the needs of diverse learners and communities as they strive to improve student experiences and achievement. It is the vision of the Department that our graduates will “understand, lead, and influence practice and policy.” The mission of the Department is “to prepare educational leaders and policy practitioners with comprehensive knowledge, appropriate skills, and empowering attitudes to create and implement change in diverse educational settings, communities, and education-interested agencies.”

Our faculty members have experience with non-profit organizations, the business sector,

the policy sector, and a wide range of local, national, and global education initiatives. Thus, they offer Ed.D. students a broad range of information and research experience regarding curricular,

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pedagogical, organizational, leadership, and policy issues in public schools, non-charter and charter public schools, private schools, higher education, social services, government, and other organizations concerned with, and involved in, education-focused research and evaluation. The variety of faculty and student perspectives represented in the Ed.D. Program strengthens our ability to understand and address complex educational issues.

The Ed.D. Program is a part-time program designed to meet the needs of working

professionals (note that 6 credits per semester is considered full-time for Financial Aid). The program generally takes four to five years to complete. Since the Ed.D. Program is practice-oriented, coursework and dissertations are applied in nature. The curriculum includes foundational coursework and opportunities for field-based research activities and immersion projects in schools or other agencies. The program aims to prepare leaders who can solve real problems facing education systems today and who, through their research or applied work, further academic knowledge toward this end.

Learner Outcomes The Learner Outcomes and the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership and Policy

Studies are based on the ELCC National Leadership Standards and the Connecticut Standards for School Leaders:

Ed.D. Program Learner Outcomes – Ed.D. Students will: 1. Demonstrate an advanced level of comprehensive knowledge and appropriate skills to

stimulate, facilitate, and implement change in diverse students, educational settings, communities and education-interested agencies.

2. Access and apply information within educational leadership and policy studies to relevant situations.

3. Communicate scholarly information clearly and logically, both orally and in writing, to a variety of audiences, including conferences and publications.

4. Think critically and creatively to identify and address problems in educational leadership and educational policy areas through conducting original research and evaluating data and scholarly information to contribute to the field.

5. Collaborate effectively with peers, general public, and clientele, as appropriate, in educational leadership and policy studies.

6. Identify and explain ethical standards, and be able to address ethical dilemmas, within educational leadership and policy studies, including those connecting to research.

7. Develop a comprehensive knowledge of the standards for school leaders as determined at State and National levels, including those of accrediting agencies.

Admissions The admissions process for the doctoral program is selective and occurs once per year. The

application deadline for September enrollment in any given year is March 1st of the same year. Admissions interviews are typically held in April with notification of acceptance in early May. An application consists of the following:

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1) A completed SCSU School of Graduate Studies Application (there is a $50 fee). Review the following to apply:

i. Overview of Admissions Procedures http://www.southernct.edu/academics/graduate/graduate-admissions/admissions-procedures.html ;

ii. Overview of the Graduate Application Process http://www.southernct.edu/academics/graduate/graduate-admissions/graduate-application.html; and

iii. The Graduate School Application https://www.nationalappcenter.com/applications/scsu_grad/apply.html

2) Official transcripts (bachelor's and master's degrees) from regionally accredited institutions

3) Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (for information regarding the GRE, see

https://www.ets.org/gre/

4) A current resume

5) A writing sample demonstrating the applicant's writing and/or research ability (e.g., course paper, report, journal article, research study)

6) A “statement of interest/personal statement” of up to 1500 words describing professional aspirations, current and desired knowledge/skill sets, and how the Ed.D. will contribute to these

7) Three (3) letters of recommendation

8) Effective written and verbal communication skills and seriousness of purpose as evidenced in an

in-person interview and writing exercise

NOTE: Applications that are not complete by March 1st will not be eligible for that admissions round. Students whose applications are fully complete with each of the above items by March 1st , and who are selected during the first round of application reviews, will be invited for an in-person interview with EDL faculty members. Prior to the interview, applicants will be asked to undertake a brief writing exercise to further document effective written and verbal communication skills and seriousness of purpose.

Transfer of Credits Credits totaling 25% of the degree program may be transferred from other institutions

and/or programs as electives – for the Ed.D. program this totals 15 credits. The courses to be transferred must be at the Masters level or above and from an accredited university and may not have been used for any other degree. All courses to be considered for transfer must be submitted to the EDL Standards & Appeals Committee for a ruling. The submission must include a catalog description and/or syllabus and a rationale for the request transfer of credit. Students who are in an existing SCSU 092 or 093 Certification Program may transfer all credits from their program as electives and receive certification. Students who have taken coursework in the Sixth Year

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Diploma may also transfer relevant credits as long as the student DOES NOT receive the Sixth Year Diploma.

Matriculation All students admitted to the Ed.D. Program are expected to matriculate into the program

before their first courses, or during the first semester, by signing appropriate documentation that outlines the courses, requirements, and expectations of the Ed.D. program. Upon admission to the program, the Coordinator of Doctoral Education serves as advisor to all doctoral students until they identify and sign on a Dissertation Committee Chair. A student must be approved for continued matriculation after completion of the first 12 credits of the program. Eligibility for continued matriculation is based on the following:

• An overall GPA of 3.0 in the first 12 credits of coursework;

• Successful completion of coursework, and demonstration of appropriate dispositions as deemed by the professors of the first 12 credits and in keeping with the guiding principles of the Ed.D. Program.

When Department faculty approves a student for continued matriculation, no action is

taken. If a student is not approved for continued matriculation, the student will be advised to take a course of action, which might include seeking academic support, taking a lighter course load, taking a temporary leave of absence from the program, or other options based on individual circumstances.

To remain in the program, a student must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 each semester.

If, at any point, a student’s GPA falls below 3.0, the student will be placed on academic probation by the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. The student will be required to meet the 3.0 GPA standard by the end of the following semester and maintain that GPA continuously thereafter in order to remain in the program. If a student’s GPA falls below 3.0 a second time, that student will be subject to dismissal from the doctoral program.

Program of Study/Planned Program The Ed.D. Program in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies consists of 63-credits.

Core courses constitute 42 program credits. Eight courses are electives, which constitute 21 program credits. As students near the end of their core coursework, they sit for a comprehensive exam after which they can fully develop their research interests in a dissertation proposal and dissertation research process. The doctoral program culminates in the defense of a dissertation.

The Core Courses (42 program credits):

• EDL 701-Leadership and Organizational Development • EDL 702-Applications in Leadership and Organizational Development • EDL 703-Leading Organizational Change • EDL 704-Quantitative Methods in Educational Leadership

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• EDL 705-Qualitative Methods in Educational Leadership • EDL 708-Leadership for Social Equity • EDL 711-Educational Policy: Context and Inquiry • EDL 725-Advanced Research Methods • EDL 731-Doctoral Inquiry Seminar I • EDL 731-Doctoral Inquiry Seminar II • EDL-722-Research Design • EDL-800 Dissertation Advisement and Defense (6 credits) Currently there are three options for Planned Programs: 092 certification, 093 certification,

and a general program in which students select their own topic area and relevant electives. Entry into a particular program is premised upon which program a student originally applies and on completion of any subsequent relevant paperwork. Students seeking 092 Intermediate Administrative Certification or 093 Superintendent of Schools Certification while they are undertaking the doctorate need to ensure that they have alerted the appropriate coordinator and that they complete all core courses for certification requirements.

The following Program Course Sequence/Curriculum Map outlines the program of study

necessary for completion of the ED.D. program in four years. In some cases, students do take more than four years to complete the program. The program sequence is subject to change, as necessary, for program coherence.

Program Course Sequence/Curriculum Map

YEAR 1 Fall Credits Spring Credits Summer A Summer B Summer C

EDL 701 EDL 703

3 3

EDL 708 EDL 711

3 3

EDL 663 (For 093) and Electives

YEAR II Fall Credits Spring Credits Summer A Summer B Summer C

EDL 702 EDL 704

3 3

EDL 705 EDL 725

3 3

Comprehensive Exams & Electives (July)

YEAR III Fall Credits Spring Credits

Summer A Summer B Summer C

EDL722 EDL731

3 3

EDL731 Elective

3 3

Electives

Dissertation Proposal Hearing in Spring of Year III. If not passed at end of EDL731, enroll in EDL799 until passed. Begin identifying Dissertation Committee Chair and members to engage them in proposal development. If required, apply for Institutional Review Board approval.

YEAR IV +

Credits ACADEMIC YEAR WITH SOME SUMMER EXCEPTIONS

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3-6 Student registers for EDL 799 Dissertation Research & Writing (if proposal is not defended after two semesters of EDL 731. Student receives an “Q” until successful defense of proposal). Electives (3 or 6 credits)

3-6 EDL 800- Doctoral Dissertation Advisement and Defense Student receives a ‘”Q” until the Dissertation is successfully defended.

AT ANY TIME DURING THE EDL 799 /800 STAGES

OPTION 1 credit

or 0 credits

If a student does not need more than 5 hours of faculty supervision, but does need to work on their proposal or dissertation and use email, library services, and other university resources, register for IDS 900 for 1 credit If a student wants to “stop out” of the program temporarily without access to faculty, email, library services, and other university resources, register for IDS 901 for 0 credits

Over a two-year period, students proceed through coursework and take the

Comprehensive Examination as outlined above. Upon successful completion of the examination, students enroll in EDL 731- Doctoral Inquiry Seminar and EDL 722- Research Design. EDL 731 is comprised of two seminars (I & II) over two semesters in which students: a) draft their dissertation, b) select a Dissertation Committee Chair and Committee, and c) pass their proposal hearing. If students do not defend their proposal or do not pass the proposal defense at the end of the second semester of EDL 731, students receive a “Q” grade and then register into EDL799. In EDL 799 students continue to work on their dissertation proposal with their Dissertation Chair and Committee. After the successful defense of the proposal, the EDL731 “Q” and the EDL799 “Q” (if taken), will change to a “P” (Pass) and students enroll in EDL 800 – Dissertation Advisement & Defense under the guidance of their Dissertation Chair in order to conduct their research and proceed to the defense of their dissertation.

Electives For students seeking 092 or 093 administrative certification, their 24 elective credits

are clearly set out. See the EDL Handbook for additional information. Students not seeking certification may select electives at the Masters level or above from the Graduate Catalog that satisfy their research interest. Courses can be taken from other institutions, but courses should be pre-approved for eligibility with the student’s Dissertation Committee Chair and the Coordinator of Doctoral Education.

The Comprehensive Examination At the end of the second year of the program, after completion of 36 credits of

coursework, students take the comprehensive examination. The comprehensive examination is designed by the doctoral faculty to rigorously assess students’ mastery and synthesis of knowledge garnered during coursework. Further, it is intended to gauge students’ potential for independent dissertation research.

The comprehensive examination is administered once each year during the summer.

Examination dates will be published in May of the year of the exam, but are typically held during mid to late July. To take the comprehensive examination, students should submit an “Application for Comprehensive Doctoral Examination” (See Forms in Appendix I) to the

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Coordinator of Doctoral Education on or before the last day of the Spring semester of the year of the exam. Further details regarding the content and format of the comprehensive examination will be made available to doctoral students prior to the exam.

The comprehensive examination is four hours long and is taken using a computer. The

computer is equipped with word processing software (MS Word and Excel) and a printer is made available at the examination site. No notes, phones, or Internet is allowed during the examination. All comprehensive examination answers are submitted both on a provided removable digital drive and in hard copy, which students print out and submit to the examination administrator at the end of the comprehensive examination session. Students do not receive a copy of their comprehensive examination.

Two faculty members within the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy

Studies will read and score all examinations (exams are anonymized). The final score is determined by averaging the two readers’ scores. Students receive either a Pass or Fail grade. In the case of a “Fail,” a third reader will assess the exam and the final score will be determined by averaging all three readers’ scores.

Students will be notified of their examination results within one month after taking the

exam by email or letter. Students may re-take a failed comprehensive exam only once and may not enroll in courses that will apply to the program during the semester following a failed exam. A make-up date for those who failed the Comprehensive Exam will be announced during the following fall semester, at least one month after the release of results. Failure of the comprehensive exam on the second attempt will result in the student’s dismissal from the doctoral program (although a student in this situation may reapply to the ED.D. program). Once the comprehensive examination has been passed, students then should proceed to identify their Dissertation Committee and develop their full dissertation proposal. Passage of the comprehensive exam is a pre-requisite for beginning work on, and defending, the dissertation proposal.

Doctoral Candidacy Students must be admitted to Doctoral Candidacy before they can register for EDL 800

dissertation development credits and pursue the data collection, analysis, and write up of their dissertation. As noted, students must have passed the Comprehensive Examination and have successfully defended the Dissertation Proposal to submit the application. Admission to Doctoral Candidacy will be conveyed to the student by an official letter from the Graduate School. A student must be a Candidate for at least one full semester prior to the granting of the Ed.D. degree. A student may not defend the dissertation during the semester immediately following the semester during which he or she defended the proposal unless he or she has been granted a waiver. The purpose of this requirement is to assure students have ample time to develop a quality, professional product. Once students are advanced to candidacy, they must be enrolled for graduate credit each semester in EDL 800 or in either the IDS 901 or IDS 900 Continuous Enrollment courses (see below) until graduation. Students do not need to register for courses during the summer unless they are working actively with faculty. If the student is not advanced to candidacy within five years from the time of admission to the doctoral program, the student will be dismissed from the Ed.D. program unless s/he seeks an exception from the Committee on Standards and Appeals.

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Continuous Enrollment Continuous enrollment is required of all graduate students who are not currently

enrolled in a formal course. Thus, every graduate student must enroll in a course every Fall and Spring semester from the time of acceptance by the School of Graduate Studies until completion of all requirements for the graduate degree. Students who are completing work for a thesis, special project, dissertation, practicum, internship, student teaching, or laboratory research, and are not simultaneously enrolled in a required or elective course during the fall and spring semesters must register and pay for IDS 900 (1 credit): Course Continuation by the course registration date for the semester. Enrollment in IDS 900 gives students limited access to faculty for advisement and other matters (roughly 5 hours during the semester), and allows use of email, the library, and other university resources. Please complete the registration form at (http://www.southernct.edu/academics/graduate/currentstudents/forms.html). For IDS 900, the form will serve as the student's request to be registered for the course, and the Registrar's Office will register the student.

Students who must maintain their matriculation status while completing comprehensive

exams or who wish to maintain their matriculation status while taking a leave of absence must register and pay for IDS 901 (0 credit): Continuous Enrollment. IDS 901 is a “holidng” course that provides no access to the university, Dissertation Chair, or committee. Please complete the registration form at (http://www.southernct.edu/academics/graduate/currentstudents/forms.html). For IDS 901, the School of Graduate Studies will assign Dean's permission and the Student will be notified they may register for IDS 901.

Failure to register for an academic course, IDS 900 or IDS 901, to ensure

continuous enrollment in the Ed.D. program, will result in automatic dismissal from the program. If a student is dismissed from the program, but would like to continue the Ed.D. s/he must reapply with no guarantee of readmission.

In extenuating circumstances, a student may petition for a waiver (available at http://www.southernct.edu/academics/graduate/currentstudents/forms.html) to the

continuous enrollment policy. The Coordinator of Doctoral Education must sign the waiver form before sending it to the Dean of Graduate Studies. If the Dean of Graduate Studies approves the waiver, a letter to that effect will be sent with a copy to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education and for the students’ permanent file.

Questions about IDS 900 and IDS 901 or the Continuing Enrollment Policy can be directed to the School of Graduate Studies.

Please note that IDS 900 only affords students roughly 5 hours of faculty advisement, so if more time is needed to meet with your Dissertation Committee Chair or other faculty members for proposal or dissertation work, EDL 799 Dissertation Research & Writing or EDL 800 Dissertation Advisement and Defense are the more appropriate courses.

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The Doctoral Dissertation A doctoral dissertation is “…a formal document that demonstrates your ability to conduct

research that makes an original contribution to theory or practice” (Roberts, 2010, p. 18). The dissertation process consists of:

• Selecting a topic that considers and seeks to address a “problem” relevant to our field • Identifying a Dissertation Committee Chair and two other committee members and

securing their commitment by completing the “Dissertation Committee Chair Agreement” and the “Dissertation Committee Agreement” forms and submitting these to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education

• Crafting a dissertation proposal outlining a research study • Securing Institutional Review Board (IRB) Human Subjects approval (if necessary) • Defending the proposal • Conducting the research study by gathering and analyzing data • Drafting the dissertation and submitting it to multiple reviews by the committee • Finalizing the dissertation including preliminary copyediting, copyright, and formatting • Defending the dissertation • Making required revisions, copyedits, and formatting and submitting it for final review and

approval by the Dissertation Committee Chair • Completing the electronic Thesis/Dissertation Acceptance Form, getting all

signatures, and submitting this and the completed dissertation to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education

• When approved by the Doctoral Coordinator, submitting the dissertation to the ProQuest repository

Doctoral candidates must propose, execute, submit, orally defend and complete a

dissertation of high quality and importance under the supervision of a committee of graduate faculty members. A copy of each dissertation proposal and dissertation is electronically archived by EDL. It is expected that dissertations will be electronically submitted to ProQuest, where they are made available to the international community of scholars. All dissertations must meet rigorous standards of published research. The Dissertation Proposal Defined: The dissertation proposal is a document that reflects an intent to conduct a research study. The proposal is the first step toward completion of the dissertation, which is an original contribution to one’s field of study. The proposal includes the student’s statement of a research problem and chosen method of investigation. The study may be conducted as applied research that can be experimental, quasi-experimental, or non-experimental in its design. It may include reactive or non-reactive quantitative or qualitative methods, or both. The dissertation proposal is typically written during the third year. It is essential that the student be capable of defending the theoretical basis of a proposed study and the statements, analytical decisions, and analytical methods relevant to successful execution of data collection and analysis and completion of a high quality dissertation. A detailed proposal (Chapters One, Two, and Three of the dissertation) must be approved by the dissertation committee and Coordinator of Doctoral Education before the student begins any data collection.

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Getting Started

The Concept Paper and First Pass Dissertation Proposal. Before students select their final topics, Dissertation Committee Chairs, or committee members, they

should develop a concept paper comprising an overview of their ideas and preliminary research regarding a proposed dissertation topic and focus and, then, a First Pass Dissertation Proposal. This is typically done as a course requirement of the Doctoral Inquiry Seminar (EDL 731). The 3-6 page double-spaced concept paper should be provided to potential dissertation committee members so that they can gauge the focus and level of readiness for dissertation work that a student demonstrates. If desired, the First Pass Proposal can also be submitted. These two documents are a basis for further development of the dissertation proposal. The following elements comprise the content of the concept paper:

• A statement of the problem to be investigated • A description of the research question(s), significance and relevance of the topic and

questions • A brief commentary on your initial exploration of the literature • A proposed methodology to conduct the inquiry • A draft timeline for completion of the dissertation proposal (first three chapters of the

dissertation).

By discussing the research concept paper and First Pass Proposal with a potential Dissertation Committee Chair, other potential committee members, and peers, the student can obtain advice about the suitability of a topic for study and the appropriateness of the research questions and methodology early in the dissertation process.

The Dissertation Committee A dissertation committee is comprised of three members: a Dissertation Committee Chair and two

readers. Each student is responsible for forming his or her own dissertation committee from among EDL and other faculty. The committee Dissertation Committee Chair must be an EDL faculty member, must have Graduate Faculty status in the SCSU Graduate School, and must be selected prior to the selection of the other two committee members. All full time EDL faculty members are eligible to serve as Dissertation Committee Chairs. The Dissertation Committee Chair acts as an advocate for the student, helps identify and recruit other committee members, and provides primary guidance to the student throughout the dissertation process. During EDL 731, and upon completion of the concept paper and other course requirements, students will select a Dissertation Committee Chair who will work with them to further select the dissertation committee members. The student should complete and submit the required “Dissertation Committee Chair Agreement Form” (See Appendix I) to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education.

The second committee member typically is, but is not required to be, an SCSU graduate

faculty member. The third member may be an SCSU graduate faculty member or may be external to SCSU. In the case of the latter, the committee member may be located at another accredited university or have professional relevance to the program of study. All committee members must hold a Ph.D. or Ed.D. degree. For committee members external to SCSU, students should submit an application to the Committee and the Coordinator of Doctoral Education indicating the individual’s title, institutional affiliation, and a rationale for why that particular individual should serve on the committee. The Coordinator of Doctoral Education

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reviews and approves such applications. Committee members must be asked to sit at least two months before the dissertation proposal hearing (see section entitled Dissertation Proposal Hearing) at which point, if they agree to participate, the student must provide them with the dissertation proposal.

All who agree to serve on a dissertation committee must sign a “Dissertation

Committee Approval Form” (Appendix I), which should be submitted to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education for approval, signature, and submission to both the Dean of the School of Education and the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies for their files. Submission of the form may occur at any time prior to six weeks before the dissertation proposal hearing.

Once the committee has been approved, any change in the composition of the dissertation

committee must be accepted by the student and the Dissertation Committee Chair, and approved by the Coordinator of Doctoral Education. To request a change in committee membership, the student must complete the form “Request for Change in Dissertation Committee”(Appendix I - http://www.southernct.edu/academics/schools/education/departments/edl/proceduresandforms.html) with the required signatures and submit it to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education for approval. If the Coordinator denies the request, the student may need to postpone the dissertation proposal hearing until the dissertation committee is finalized and approved. Notification of such a change will be given to the Dean of the Graduate School.

Crafting the Dissertation Proposal A student becomes a doctoral candidate upon successful defense of the dissertation

proposal. Once the proposal has been successfully defended, copies of the proposal are reviewed by the Program Coordinator and placed in the EDL Ed.D. Proposal Archive. Each proposal must be of very high quality and meet the professional standards of published research. The dissertation proposal is not a draft document and all sections should be properly edited for content, format, grammar and spelling, and APA style. The SCSU Doctoral Procedures are derived from standard practices among universities, libraries, and publishers. The student is expected to read and follow the procedures throughout the proposal preparation.

Close coordination with the student’s Dissertation Committee Chair is essential to the

development of a strong proposal. The Dissertation Committee Chair is the main person that the student works with on all aspects of the dissertation and Dissertation Committee Chair feedback should be received prior to sending drafts to committee readers, unless another process has been decided by the committee in full. When candidates submit drafts of their proposal to all committee members, it is advisable to await feedback from the full committee prior to making additional revisions. Due to the iterative nature of the process, candidates can expect to make several revisions prior to gaining approval for the dissertation proposal’s hearing. The expectation is that a quality proposal will be approved for hearing.

As noted earlier, the proposal outlines the intent to conduct a research study. It is a

formal document that is very structured and, at a minimum, contains the following elements: Chapter 1 – Introduction. The Introduction essentially establishes a framework for the study.

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As such, it puts the study in the context of other related research and includes the following:

• Purpose Statement • Statement of the Problem • Research Questions • Significance of the Study • Definition of Terms • Limitations & Delimitations

Chapter 2 -‐‑ Literature Review. The proposal should include a critical review of literature supporting the study and demonstrating the need for the dissertation (i.e., expose the “gap” in the literature that this study will fill). It should include your synthesis of existing scholarship on key concepts related to your topic, your theoretical and methodological frame, and methods of data collection, analysis and interpretation.

Chapter 3 – Methods. This chapter should clearly spell out the research design, methods, and analytic procedures that will be followed in conducting the study. Quantitative studies should include the following, at a minimum: a) site & population; b) sample and sampling procedures; c) methods and instruments of data collection; and d) methods and tools/approaches to data analysis – especially the anticipated statistical treatment. Qualitative studies should assume a format appropriate to the nature and design of the study and include, at a minimum: a) site, population, and participant selection procedures; b) methods and instruments of data collection; and c) methods and tools/approaches to data analysis. APA Publication Style/ In-‐‑Text APA Citations and End of Text References. It is required that the proposal follows APA publication style procedures as put forth in the most recent edition of the American Psychological Association Publication Manual, Washington, DC. (Sixth Edition). Thus, every proposal draft should include in-text citations and end of text references that adhere to APA style. See the guidance on formatting for the dissertation for additional information regarding formatting, as not all aspects of APA formatting style are followed. Use of Human Subjects

By federal law, all research involving human or animal subjects requires prior ethical review and approval by an independent review committee. At SCSU, the relevant committee for research involving human subjects is the Institutional Review Board (IRB). No recruitment of subjects or data collection involving human subjects may take place without IRB approval. The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee has jurisdiction over research involving non-human subjects.

If the dissertation involves human participants, students must submit to the IRB, an IRB Application that follows the SCSU Protection of Human Subjects Protocol. This application does not need to be submitted to the IRB before the proposal hearing, but a draft IRB application should be submitted to the dissertation committee as part of the dissertation proposal and defense process. In this way, the dissertation committee can review and provide feedback on the IRB application and the student can make any changes to it that were suggested in the proposal defense. When the IRB application is submitted to the IRB Review Board, approval will be sent

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via email and in hard copy to the student and his/her Dissertation Committee Chair. A copy of the IRB approval form must be included in the defended Proposal when it is submitted to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education. It is the student’s responsibility to complete and submit human subjects approval forms to the Institution Review Board (IRB) and to ensure that they are professional, accurate, and edited for content, grammar/spelling, and other technical issues. All forms and procedures related to IRB protocol are available from the SCSU IRB and Human Research Protection Program. Absolutely no recruitment or data collection should take place before human subjects approval has been granted by the IRB.

In cases where research involving human or animal subjects is being performed at another institution, approval also must be obtained from that institution’s appropriate review committee(s). Copies of such approval should be attached to the SCSU IRB materials to expedite the IRB review process and included in the defended Proposal when it is submitted to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education. Copyright Permission

If a student includes copyrighted material in his/her dissertation, s/he is responsible for obtaining permission to use such material unless the student is the owner of the copyright or the material meets the “fair use” criteria. Guidance can be found in the relevant edition of the APA Manual. Stanford University’s website also has useful fair use information (http://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/fair-use/).

The Dissertation Proposal Defense When the Dissertation Committee Chair, committee, and student believe the proposal is

ready, a hearing of the proposal is scheduled at which the student presents and defends the proposal. The three members of the student’s dissertation committee must be present at the hearing and the committee members must receive a final copy of the dissertation proposal at least three weeks in advance of the hearing. Proposal defenses should be scheduled during one of three specific times each Fall or Spring semester: a) the first week of classes and before the last day of the Registrar’s Add/Drop deadline, b) during the mid-term week (the week of the semester), and c) during final exam week. It is the student’s responsibility to schedule the two-hour hearing with the Coordinator of Doctoral Education and EDL’s administrative assistant. If, after reading the proposal, one or more committee members believe that the hearing is premature, the committee member will discuss this with the rest of the committee and the proposal hearing may be rescheduled or postponed. Scheduling a defense date, therefore does not necessarily mean that a student will defend on that date if the committee deems s/he is not ready. In order for a scheduled Dissertation Proposal Defense to go forward, the Dissertation Committee needs to submit Form #6: Approval to Hold Dissertation Proposal Defense Form, no later than two weeks before the first day of the particular dissertation defense period in which the student has scheduled a date. This form indicates whether the Committee feels the student should defend or reschedule to a later date.

Notification of the Proposal Defense: The student and/or the student’s Dissertation Committee Chair must notify the Coordinator of Doctoral Education when the proposal defense is scheduled and the Dissertation Committee Chair notifies faculty of the department when the proposal hearing will take place. Notification to all faculty should take place at least

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two weeks before the proposal defense and only after the the Approval to Hold the Dissertation Proposal Defense Form has been submitted. Should a committee member be unexpectedly unable to attend, participation by phone or other type of teleconference may be possible. If that option either impossible, or deemed unacceptable by the other two committee members, then the defense must be rescheduled. Proposal hearings are open to anyone who would like to attend. The student should prepare a 20 minute presentation and bring handouts relating to his/her presentation along with at least one printed copy of the proposal and the “Doctoral Admission to Candidacy” form (Appendix I) to the hearing. Most students do use PowerPoint presentations or the like, and prepare handouts of relevant information. This presentation should be reviewed and approved by your Dissertation Committee Chair and arrangements for projection and/or other electronic needs should be arranged well in advance of the defense.

Dissertation Proposal Defense Procedures: Procedures for conducting the proposal hearing are as follows:

1) The student and Dissertation Committee Chair should arrive roughly ½ hour before the defense start time to set up the room and presentation. Committee members and other attendees should be seated with committee members at the table.

2) The Dissertation Committee Chair begins the hearing, keeps time, and is responsible

for facilitating the question and answer period;

3) The student presents for 20 minutes or so. Questions from the Dissertation Committee Chair and other two committee members will be followed by questions, first, from faculty member guests and, if there is time, any other guests present. The student answers these questions – “defends” his/her answers and the content of the proposal. After questions, the student and all non-committee members are asked to leave the room so that the committee may deliberate. After a bit of time, the student will be called into the room and committee members will share their determination of result – full pass, pass with minor revisions, pass with major revisions, or fail. If pass with major or minor revisions is the determination, the committee will identify specific changes, adjustments, or edits to the proposal necessary and the student will be expected to provide a corrected, acceptable version of the proposal to the Dissertation Committee Chair

4) After all next steps are outlined for the student, assuming the proposal was successfully defended, the student needs to electronically complete and get the electronic signatures of the 2nd and 3rd Readers of the committee on the Thesis/Dissertation Proposal Acceptance Form (http://southernct.edu/academics/graduate/thesis_diss_sp_proposalform.pdf) and the Application for Candidacy Form (Appendix I). Once the student submits the finalized dissertation proposal, and the Dissertation Committee Chair reviews and accepts it as complete, the Dissertation Committee Chair electronically signs the Thesis/Dissertation Proposal Acceptance Form (http://southernct.edu/academics/graduate/research/thesis_dissertation.pdf) and completes the Application for Candidacy Form and submits these, with an electronic copy of the final dissertation proposal, to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education. The Coordinator reviews the proposal and signs off on the forms. The proposal is archived electronically in the EDL Dissertation Archives. The forms are delivered to the School of Graduate Studies for final

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approval. Upon approval by the Graduate School, the student, Coordinator of Doctoral Education, and the EDL Chair will receive a letter acknowledging passage of the proposal defense and admitting the student into Graduate School Candidacy.

Passing the proposal hearing is a course requirement for EDL 731 and a requirement for being given Graduate School Candidacy for the Doctorate. Should a student not pass the hearing during the semester in which he or she is enrolled in EDL 731, he or she will receive a “Q” grade and will need to register for EDL 799 and also receive “Q” grades until the proposal defense is satisfactorily passed. Once the proposal defense is complete, all Q grades will revert to Pass.

Then students should enroll in EDL 800 with their Dissertation Committee Chair to work

on crafting their dissertation by undertaking data collection, analysis, synthesis and write up.

The Dissertation

Crafting the Dissertation In the same way that the dissertation proposal must be of very high quality and meet the

professional standards of published research, so should the dissertation. The student should work with his or her committee to gather and analyze data, write up the findings and discussion, and rework chapters 1-3. As with the proposal, the Dissertation Committee Chair is the main person that the student works with and feedback should be received from the Chair prior to sending drafts to committee readers, unless another process has been decided by the committee in full.

While conducting dissertation research, the candidate should work closely with the

Dissertation Committee Chair and consult other committee members as necessary. The candidate takes primary responsibility for collecting data, analyzing data and preparing and submitted drafts for review in a timely manner, according to a schedule agreed upon with his or her committee Dissertation Committee Chair. No research data collection should take place until IRB approval has been received. Also, candidates should submit drafts for review and feedback to the Dissertation Committee Chair before passing them to readers for further review and feedback. Readers should not be expected to read first drafts from students.

When candidates submit drafts of their dissertation to all committee members, it is

advisable to await feedback from the full committee prior to making additional revisions. Due to the iterative nature of the process, candidates can expect to make several revisions prior to gaining approval for the dissertation defense. As well all sections of the dissertation should be properly edited for content, format, grammar and spelling, and APA style. The procedures for developing and formatting dissertations are derived from standard practices among universities, libraries, and publishers. The student is expected to read and follow the procedures throughout the proposal preparation. Close coordination with the student’s Dissertation Committee Chair is essential to the development of a strong dissertation.

Like the proposal, the dissertation is a formal document that is very structured and, at a

minimum, contains the following elements (more chapters may be possible or content may be arranged in a different order):

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Chapter 1 – 3 Introduction, Literature Review, and Methods. See the guidance regarding dissertation proposal above in the dissertation proposal section. As the dissertation progresses, these sections are updated to reflect verbs in past tense (what was done, not what will be done) and to reflect updated thinking as a result of doing the research and continuing to keep current with relevant research in the field. Updates and refinements to the literature review and the methodology chapter are also warranted. Chapter 4 – Findings. In this chapter, the student presents the findings of the study’s data collection and analysis. It should be focused on presenting the facts and not include interpretation.

Chapter 5 – Discussion & Conclusion. This chapter is where the student interprets the findings in light of the theoretical/conceptual framework used for the study and in light of the current research. The chapter can include discussion of implications and present specific recommendations for practice, policy, and/or future research. An overarching conclusion to the dissertation may also be included.

APA Citations and Reference, Human Subjects Permissions, and Copyright. Remember to address these issues as appropriate for the dissertation.

Scheduling the Dissertation Defense: The student and his or her dissertation committee can schedule the dissertation defense during six specific periods – three for each Fall or Spring semester during the first week of classes and before the registrar’s add/drop deadline, during the week of midterms (usually the seventh week of the term) and during the final exam week. The student should complete a “Request for Approval to Schedule Dissertation Defense” form (Appendix I), which includes the date, time and location of the defense, and electronically submit it to the Coordinator of the Doctoral Program and administrative assistant who will confirm the request and send a campus-wide notice of the defense.

It should be noted that Doctoral Candidates my only go forward to their dissertation defense if their dissertation committee deems that they are ready. Thus, a dissertation defense may be cancelled or postponed if the committee determines that the student is not ready. No dissertation defenses will be held during the summer. The candidate is responsible for determining a mutually agreeable time for the defense.

Final oral dissertation defenses are open to the public and the Coordinator of Doctoral

Education will disseminate notification of the defense. All committee members are expected to be present. Should a committee member be unexpectedly unable to attend, participation by teleconference may be possible. If that option is either impossible or deemed unacceptable by the other two committee members, the defense must be rescheduled. The student must bring one clean printed copy of the dissertation to the defense. Preparing for the Dissertation Defense: Preparation for the dissertation defense consists of sharing the complete dissertation manuscript and related documents with the committee for their review and feedback (e.g., title and copyright pages, preliminary pages, references, and

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appendices). Committee members should receive the final draft of the dissertation no less than three weeks prior to the defense date, unless specifically negotiated with the Dissertation Committee Chair and committee through email with approval submitted to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure that each committee member receives the dissertation and to provide a hard copy of the dissertation to specific committee members, if requested.

During the three week review period, the candidate may be required to make additional revisions and updates. The Dissertation Committee Chair should notify the student when s/he may begin preparing for the defense presentation and help guide content, strategy and/or any presentation documents and materials. Defenses completed with a score of 1/Unconditional Pass or 2/Pass with Minor Dissertation Revision (see below) by the official deadline for applying for graduation will render the student eligible for participation in the December or May commencement ceremony of that year. Defenses completed with a score of 3/Pass with Major Dissertation Revision may typically participate in the December or May commencement ceremony of that year and complete revisions afterwards within a designated time period, unless the committee or Coordinator of Doctoral Education has a compelling reason for the student not to. Dissertation Defense Procedures: Procedures for conducting the dissertation defense are largely the same as for the proposal defense:

1) The student and Dissertation Committee Chair should arrive roughly ½ hour before the defense start time to set up the room and presentation. Committee members and other attendees should be seated with committee members at the table.

2) The Dissertation Committee Chair begins the hearing, keeps time, and is responsible

for facilitating the question and answer period;

3) At the defense, the candidate should make a formal 20-30 minute presentation of the dissertation, using the necessary technological tools to convey the materials in a professional manner. The candidate may be asked questions relevant to the written document, the oral presentation, his or her preparation, or his or her future plans. Questions from the Dissertation Committee Chair will be followed by questions from the other committee members. Guests may ask questions if time allows. Discussion of the candidate’s performance is initiated after the oral presentation and questioning and after the candidate and all guests have left the room. The discussion should result in one of the following four alternatives:

a. Unconditional Pass. The committee agrees that the dissertation and defense are fully acceptable. The Dissertation Committee Chair completes the “Notice of Completion of Final Examination and Dissertation Requirements,” indicating “Unconditional Pass” and delivers this to the EDL Coordinator of Doctoral Studies and Program Assistant. The student initiates the electronic Dissertation Defense Acceptance Form, acquires all committee signatures, and electronically delivers this form, with the fully completed electronic dissertation, to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education and Program Assistant. The Coordinator will review the dissertation to ensure it is ready to go forward for submission to ProQuest and sign the form and transmit it to the Graduate School while cc’ing the Dissertation Committee Chair and student.

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b. Pass With Minor Revision. The committee agrees that the defense is acceptable but

that the dissertation still requires revision. The Dissertation Committee Chair completes the “Notice of Completion of Final Examination and Dissertation Requirements” indicating “Pass With Minor Dissertation Revision” and delivers this to the EDL Coordinator of Doctoral Studies and Program Assistant. The committee provides specific revisions to execute, the process by which the corrections will be made, reviewed, and accepted by the committee, and a deadline for making all revisions and corrections. Once approval is achieved, the student initiates the electronic Dissertation Defense Acceptance Form, acquires all committee signatures, and electronically delivers this form, with the fully completed electronic dissertation, to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education and Program Assistant. The Coordinator will review the dissertation to ensure it is ready to go forward, sign the Dissertation Acceptance Form, and transmit it to the Graduate School while cc’ing the Dissertation Committee Chair and student.

c. Pass With Major Revision. The committee agrees that the defense is acceptable but the dissertation requires substantial revision. The Dissertation Committee Chair completes the “Notice of Completion of Final Examination and Dissertation Requirements” indicating “Pass With Major Revision” and delivers this to the EDL Coordinator of Doctoral Education and Program Assistant. The committee provides specific revisions to execute, the process by which the corrections will be made, reviewed, and accepted by the committee, and a deadline for making all revisions and corrections. Once approval is achieved, the student initiates the electronic Dissertation Defense Acceptance Form, acquires all committee signatures, and electronically delivers this form, with the fully completed electronic dissertation, to the Coordinator of Doctoral Studies and Program Assistant. The Coordinator will review the dissertation to ensure it is ready to go forward, sign the Dissertation Acceptance Form, and transmit it to the Graduate School while cc’ing the Dissertation Committee Chair and student.

d. Failure. If the dissertation and/or its defense are not acceptable, the candidate fails. The Dissertation Committee Chair completes the “Notice of Completion of Final Examination and Dissertation Requirements” indicating “Fail” and delivers this to the EDL Coordinator of Doctoral Education and Program Assistant. If the committee foresees the possibility that the candidate can revise the dissertation in a way that might eventually be acceptable, it may recommend a reexamination. The EDL Coordinator of Doctoral Education, in conjunction with the committee, makes the decision as to whether to allow a second examination.

4) As noted above, when a defense is completed the Committee should fill out the “Notice of Final Defense Determination” form and submit this to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education. The student should undertake revisions and transmit the completed dissertation to their Chair for review and confirmation that the suggested revisions were completed. The student should then initiate the Electronic Dissertation Acceptance Form and collect the electronic signatures of their committee members. The completed form should be submitted to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education and Program Assistant along with a complete copy of the final dissertation. The dissertation should be formatted according to the guidelines within this Handbook and in accordance with the School of Graduate Studies. The Coordinator will review the dissertation, primarily for formatting and copy editing issues, and sign off on the forms. The Coordinator then delivers the forms to the School of Graduate Studies for final approval and the dissertation is archived electronically in the EDL Dissertation Archives. Upon

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approval by the Graduate School, the student, Coordinator of Doctoral Education, and the EDL Chair will receive a letter acknowledging passage of the dissertation defense and recognizing fulfillment of all requirements of the program.

The next steps are to apply for Graduation, apply for the Ed.D. Diploma, and, after the Coordinator of Doctoral Education confirms that the dissertation is properly formatted, etc., submit the finalized electronic dissertation to Proquest (See the Final Dissertation Submission and Applying for Graduation sections below). Note that completing and submitting the “Application for Graduation and Diploma” and “Application for a Graduate Degree” to the Registrar typically takes place the semester prior to the candidate’s semester of anticipated graduation.

Final Dissertation Preparation and Formatting The reputation and quality of SCSU’s graduate programs are measured in part by the

written and formatted quality of the dissertation document. These documents provide permanent, tangible evidence of the scholarly achievements of the student and the student’s graduate program. Upon approval, they are placed in ProQuest, a national repository of dissertations to which the public has access, and in SCSU’s University library. For these reasons, as well as professional excellence, dissertations must be prepared with exceptional care for appearance and formatting, for consistency of terminology, and for correctness of citations, grammar, and spelling and submitted to the EDL Coordinator of Doctoral Education and Program Assistant for final review to ensure that the requirements of style specified in the SCSU/EDL Procedures have been met. It is expected that this final dissertation document will be well edited and in publishable condition. The EDL Coordinator of Doctoral Education will notify the student when s/he may submit the final dissertation to ProQuest. Dissertation proposals that are judged unacceptable are returned to the student through the faculty Dissertation Committee Chair for correction and re-approval. The dissertation proposal then is resubmitted to the EDL Coordinator of Doctoral Education for further review. Ideally, all changes are accomplished in one correction. If new errors are made, however, they are noted, and the dissertation proposal subsequently is returned to the Dissertation Committee Chair. Once a student has entered into doctoral candidacy, procedures outlined in the timeline in Appendix II should be adhered to.

NOTE: A grade of “Q” will be submitted for EDL 800 by a student’s Dissertation Committee Chair until the dissertation document receives final review and approval by the EDL Coordinator of Doctoral Education. While a student will be eligible to walk in the commencement ceremony in December or May after a successful defense, the doctoral degree will not be processed until the Dissertation document is approved and the grade of “Q” is changed to a “P,” thereby indicating completion of all degree requirements. This may occur within weeks or months, depending on the number of corrections needed and the timeliness of document submission to the EDL Coordinator of Doctoral Education.

Specific Formatting and Procedures Guidelines Dissertations should follow the procedures described below. They address preliminary

pages, text, reference materials, and mechanics.

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Pages. The dissertation has a very specific format for its preliminary and other pages. It is crucial that a finalized dissertation incorporates the following page conventions. Preliminary Pages. The preliminary materials consist of the title page, copyright notice (optional), abstract, dedication (optional), acknowledgement/preface/support (optional), table of contents, list of tables, list of figures, and other lists. Preliminary pages are paginated separately from the rest of the text. The title page is counted, but it is not numbered. Beginning with the page immediately following the title page, place page numbers in lowercase Roman numerals centered at the bottom of the preliminary pages. The Roman numerals are continued up to the first page of the text. Proper order of preliminary pages: Title Page: The title of the dissertation should be as concise as possible. It must occur consistently in every respect, including punctuation, capitalization, and hyphenation, on the abstract and approval forms. On the title page, the identical title must appear in all capital letters with each line centered on the page. The degree date should be the month and year, e.g. May 2010, in which the degree is conferred, e.g., May, August, or January. The title page is not numbered, but it is counted. Copyright Notice (optional): Copyrighting of the dissertation is optional but strongly recommended. If included, the copyright page follows the title page and is not numbered, but it is counted. The copyright symbol © should appear with your full legal name and the year centered between the margins on the page, e.g.,

© Copyright by David Akai Carter 2000 If the copyright option is chosen, the student must indicate this choice on the ProQuest contract and submit the copyright fee. http://southernct.edu/academics/graduate/research/umi_agreement_papersub.pdf

Abstract: The abstract should provide a succinct, descriptive account of the dissertation. The abstract should not exceed 150 words, should be double-spaced, and should adhere to the same style manual as the dissertation manuscript. The abstract should include pertinent place names, names of persons, and other proper nouns. These are useful in automated retrieval. A lower-case Roman numeral is used on the abstract page. Dedication (optional): The dedication is brief, single-spaced, and centered on the page (horizontally and vertically). No heading is used. The word “To” customarily begins the dedication. A lower-case Roman numeral is used on this page. Acknowledgement/Preface/Support (optional): This section begins with the title ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS centered in all capital letters two inches from the top of the page. The text begins on the fourth line below the heading and is double-spaced. This page is used to thank those persons who have been instrumental to the student in completing the degree requirements. Acknowledgement of grants and special funding received to support the dissertation research also may be made on this page. A lower-case Roman numeral is used on this page.

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Table of Contents: The Table of Contents must include all chapter headings, the bibliography, and appendices. Preliminary pages are not included. Entries are double-spaced. Sub-headings are block-indented by half an inch. The headings of major sections (i.e., chapters, bibliography, appendices) are written in all capital letters. Table of Contents headings must be identical to those in the text. Page numbers listed must be right- justified and connected to the appropriate entry by a line of evenly spaced dot leaders (periods). The words TABLE OF CONTENTS must be centered on the page two inches from the top of the first page only. A lower-case Roman numeral is used on this page. List of Tables (if tables appear in document): The heading, LIST OF TABLES, appears centered on the page two inches from the top of the first page only. All table numbers and captions are listed exactly as they appear in the text. A lower-case Roman numeral is used on this page. List of Figures (if figures appear in document): The heading, LIST OF FIGURES, appears centered on the page two inches from the top of the first page only. All figure numbers and captions are listed exactly as they appear in the text. A lower-case Roman numeral is used on this page.

Other Lists (e.g., nomenclature, definitions, glossary of terms, etc.): The appropriate title in all capital letters is centered two inches from the top of the first page only. Each of these pages is numbered with lower-case Roman numerals. Text. The text of the dissertation consists of the substantive chapters. The text must be double-spaced and printed on only one side of each page. The text must be divided into a logical scheme that is followed consistently throughout the document. The larger divisions and more important minor divisions are indicated by suitable, consistent headings following APA (sixth edition) style guidelines. Chapter organization as practiced by the discipline should be followed. The student and Dissertation Committee Chair are primarily responsible for the quality and content of the text. Specific requirements for text presentation follow. Headings and Subheadings: The student may use headings and subheadings to subdivide chapters or sections, but a consistent sequence of headings as identified in the approved APA style guide must be followed. The student may not change the sequence and style of headings from chapter to chapter. Once the sequence is established, it must be followed consistently throughout the dissertation. All chapter headings should be positioned two inches from the top of the page. Pagination: Lower-case Roman numerals are used to number all pages preceding the text. Although the preliminary paging begins with the title page, as noted, no number appears on that page. The page immediately following the title page is numbered with a lower-case Roman numeral unless it is the copyright page, which should be counted, but not show a page number. Beginning with the first page of the text, all pages are to be numbered with Arabic numerals consecutively throughout the dissertation document, including the appendix and the bibliography or list of references. The Arabic numerals must be positioned at the bottom of the page, centered between the margins and 1” from the bottom. Do not use page headers or running heads in the dissertation.

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Tables and Figures: The term “table” refers to a columnar arrangement of information, often data sets, organized to save space and convey relationships at a glance. The term “figure” refers to graphs, drawings, diagrams, charts, maps, or photographs. All such details should be inserted in the text near where they are first mentioned. A table or figure may appear on the same page as the text that refers to it or on a separate page. Each figure or table must be numbered and have a caption. Captions are placed below figures and pictures and above tables. Captions may be single-or double-spaced. Refer to APA format.

Illustrations: Each illustration must be referred to in the text and it must be placed after, and as near as possible to, the first reference to it in the text. Illustrations are considered figures and should be formatted and labeled as such. Photographs: Photographs are considered figures and should be formatted and labeled as such. Reproduced Published Materials: Reproductions of published material must be legible and conform to formatting and labeling requirements. Reproductions of published material are considered figures and should be formatted and labeled as such. Widows and Orphans: “Widows” and “orphans” are terms that refer to isolated single lines of paragraphs that appear at the bottom or top of a page. These should be avoided. There should be at least two lines of a paragraph at the top or bottom of each page of the text of the manuscript. Reference Material. The reference material includes the bibliography and the appendices. These major divisions have pages numbered in Arabic numerals that continue the series begun on the first page of the text. Reference List: The reference list lists all sources cited in the text either by direct quotation or by reference. The title REFERENCES appears only on the first page of the section, in capital letters centered two inches from the top. The listing begins four single-spaced lines below. The Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies follows the APA Publication Manual style procedures as put forth in the most recent edition of the American Psychological Association Publication Manual, Washington, DC. Therefore, either double spacing between all references may be used or single spacing within a reference and double spacing between references. Appendix or Appendices: The appendix (or a series of appendices) immediately follows the References. The appendix includes material that may be helpful to the reader of the dissertation but may be too long for inclusion in the text or footnotes. The title, APPENDIX, appears only on the first page of the section, in capital letters centered two inches from the top. Examples of such material include questionnaires, letters, original data, sample forms, and vitae. Reference should be made in the text to the inclusion of these materials in the Appendix. Each appendix is a separate subdivision of the text and must begin on a separate page. Each appendix must be listed in the Table of Contents. Mechanics. The Graduate School will not accept a dissertation that does not conform throughout the manuscript to the SCSU Doctoral Procedures and to the latest APA Publication Manual style procedures. The requirements stated in the SCSU Doctoral Procedures take precedence whenever

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there is a conflict regarding matters of format. Font: Twelve-point Times Roman, Arial, Helvetica, or Century Gothic are acceptable font styles. The type must be black and uniform in size, face, and color throughout the manuscript. Where underlining indicates italics, either underlining or italics may be used as long as the choice is consistent and in keeping with APA style. The student should not change fonts within the document unless there is a compelling reason to do so related to the nature of the dissertation. Line Spacing and Indentation: The dissertation manuscript must be double-spaced within paragraphs and between paragraphs. New paragraphs begin with a one-half inch indentation. Footnotes, bibliographic entries, long quoted passages, items in lists and tables, and captions of figures and tables may be single-spaced. If individual footnote or bibliographic entries are single-spaced, there must be double-spacing between entries. Paragraph indentations must be uniform throughout the dissertation. Margins: The left margin must be one and one-half inch (1.5 inches). Margins on the top, right, and bottom must be one inch (1 inch). All images must fit within these margins, including the page numbers. These margin specifications apply to all text, figures, charts, illustrations, graphs, and appendices. Any pages submitted with less than the minimum margins will be returned. Inadequate margins can result in part of your materials being lost after the combination of copying and binding; even if all the materials remain, insufficient margins can affect the readability and the appearance of the work. These margin requirements apply to all materials included in the dissertation, including figures, tables, maps, plates, the abstract (if you decide to have it bound with the rest of your work), and any preliminary material you choose to include. Note that many title pages have a two inch margin on the top (2 inch). Footnotes or Endnotes: Footnotes and/or endnotes must appear either on the page where the annotation occurs, at the end of each chapter, or at the end of the dissertation following APA style.

Title and Abstract: Most people will learn about doctoral dissertations through online database abstracts. Students should, therefore, spend a good bit of effort in the composition of both the abstract and the title. The abstract must not exceed 150 words and the title should be phrased so that it clearly describes the contents and will be easily found in various electronic indices and databases. Consider key words in constructing the title, as they will typically be used for electronic searching. As well, keep the title as short possible without loss of clarity. Binding: Students who would like a bound copy of their dissertation can order one or more from ProQuest. Students can also secure copies from a printer. The over sewn method of binding is suggested, as Velo binding available from some photocopying businesses is not very stable. The bindery should be asked to put the dissertation title and the student’s full name on the front cover and title and student’s last name on the spine on the bound copy.

Final Dissertation Submission After the successful defense, the candidate should make any final revisions and send the

document to a professional editor. The document should be accompanied by direction to use APA style (6th Edition) as modified by the procedures outlined in this Handbook.

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Once the document is in final form, the candidate submits an electronic copy of the

dissertation to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education along with the Dissertation Acceptance Form. When the Coordinator has reviewed and accepted the final dissertation, s/he will sign the Dissertation Acceptance Form and forward it to the School of Graduate Studies. The student should then submit the final dissertation to ProQuest following these procedures http://southernct.edu/academics/graduate/research/umi_agreement_papersub.pdf. Note that there is an option to receive a bound copy of the dissertation, if the student chooses and supplies the fee.

The Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies and the SCSU Graduate School encourage, but do not require, that each student seek a registered copyright of the Ed.D. dissertation in his or her own name. In that way, choices about the future use of the student’s materials will be up to him or her. If the student does not secure a registered copyright of the work at the time of publication, it becomes part of the public domain and holds a general copyright. The student will not be able to secure a registered copyright after the dissertation is entered into the public domain. Whether or not a student decides to pursue a registered copyright for his or her dissertation, the School of Education and the University Graduate School insist that, except under extraordinary circumstances, he or she allows ProQuest to act as his or her agent with the Library of Congress Copyright Office. Please consult with the Office of Graduate Studies regarding all aspects of UMI/ProQuest dissertation publication and reproduction. Please note that prices are subject to change.

Applying for the Ed.D. Degree and Graduation Students need to apply for BOTH their Ed.D. Degree and to attend the Commencement

Ceremony. Application deadlines are generally six months in advance of your anticipated graduation date. It is the student's responsibility to initiate the necessary paperwork to apply for the degree; this is done through the Registrar’s Office. Students must actively apply to attend the Commencement ceremony, which is held twice a year (May & December). Students apply through the Graduate Office. The number of tickets available to each student for friends or family to attend graduation is limited. Deadlines are listed in the Semester Registration Bulletin, and students also usually receive written notification from the School of Graduate Studies. No student is allowed to participate without wearing appropriate academic regalia (cap, gown, and hood), which can be obtained from the SCSU Bookstore (please contact the Bookstore early).

263/9/2016

APPENDIX 1: FORMS

273/9/2016

Ed.D. Form #1: Comprehensive Examination Application Southern Connecticut State University Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Date:

Doctoral Student’s Name:

Student ID Number:

Email Address: Phone #: Mailing Address: Street City State Zip

Dissertation Committee Chair:

Name Student Signature Indicate the date on which you will take the written comprehensive examination in Educational Leadership: Date:

Note: The Comprehensive Examination is given on the previously announced days at SCSU from 9 am to 1 pm. Please arrive to the Examination site by 8:30 am.

Handicapped Accommodation Statement

Southern Connecticut State University provides reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, for students with documented disabilities on an individualized basis. If you are a student with a documented disability, the University’s Disability Resource Center (DRC) can work with you to determine appropriate accommodations for this Comprehensive Examination. Before you receive accommodations, you will need to make an appointment with the Disability Resource Center located at EN C-105A. To discuss your approved accommodations with me or other concerns, such as medical emergencies or arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment to meet with the Coordinator of Doctoral Education as soon as possible.

Received: ____ Coordinator of Doctoral Education Date

cc: Student, File

28

Ed.D. Form #2: Comprehensive Examination Results Letter Southern Connecticut State University Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Date:

Student ID Number:

Doctoral Student's Name:

Email Address: Phone:

Mailing Address: Street City State Zip

I am writing to notify you that you ____have ___have not passed the EDL Ed.D. Comprehensive Examination. If you have passed the Comprehensive Exam, please plan to take EDL 731 in the Fall and then find and work with your Dissertation Chair and Committee in the Spring (and perhaps beyond) to create and defend your Dissertation Proposal. If you have not passed the Comprehensive Exam, you should make arrangements to retake it a second time. If you fail to pass the Exam the second time, you will be dismissed from the Ed.D. Program. You may continue the Program if you apply for, and undertake the application process for, admission to the Ed.D. Doctoral Program once again.

APPROVED: Name Signature Date

(Coordinator of Doctoral Education ) (EDL Chair)

cc: Student, File Dean, School of Education Dean, School of Graduate Studies

29

Ed.D. Form #3: Dissertation Committee Chair Agreement Form Southern Connecticut State University Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Date:

Student ID Number:


Email Address: Phone:


The above named student has been matriculated into the doctoral program in Educational Leadership. As such the student is entitled to the assistance of a faculty member in the Department of Educational Leadership as he/she develops his/her proposal and dissertation. The Dissertation Committee Chair agrees to provide academic support and guidance to the student throughout the proposal and dissertation development process.

The following member of the graduate faculty has agreed to serve as Dissertation Committee Chair for the above-mentioned student:

Typed Name Signature Date

Dissertation Committee Chair

Student

Coordinator of Doctoral Education

cc: Student, File

30

Ed.D. Form #4: Dissertation Committee Agreement Form Southern Connecticut State University Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Date:

Student ID Number:


Email Address: Phone #:


The above named student is a Candidate in the doctoral program in Educational Leadership.

The following persons have agreed to serve as members of the dissertation committee:

Name Signature Date

(Chair)

(Member)

(Member)


(Student) (Coordinator of Doctoral Education) (EDL Chair)

• • Each dissertation committee should have three members, with the Dissertation Committee

Chair being a faculty member of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. cc: Student, File Dean, School of Education Dean, School of Graduate Studies

31

Ed.D. Form #5: Request For Change In Dissertation Committee Southern Connecticut State University Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Date:

Student Name Student ID Number



I am requesting the following change(s) in the membership of my dissertation committee:

Member(s) to be removed: Name Signature Date

Member(s) to be added: Name Signature Date


(Student) (Coordinator of Doctoral Education) (EDL Chair)

cc: Student, File Dean, School of Education Dean, School of Graduate Studie

32

Ed.D. Form #6: Approval to Hold Dissertation Proposal Defense Form Southern Connecticut State University Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Date: The student's committee below has previously been approved. All members have received and reviewed draft copies of the dissertation proposal and approve holding the dissertation proposal defense.

STUDENT NAME: STUDENT ID NUMBER:

EMAIL ADDRESS: PHONE #:

DISSERTATION DEFENSE DATE:

TIME: PLACE-BLDG:

TITLE OF DISSERTATION:

COMMITTEE: (Names Typed) SIGNATURES OF AGREEMENT TO ABOVE

NOTE: No doctoral proposal defenses are to be held without all committee members present.


cc: Student, File

33

Ed.D. Form #7: Electronic Dissertation Proposal Acceptance Form Found on the School of Graduate Studies Website https://www.southernct.edu/academics/graduate/thesis_diss_sp_proposalform.pdf

Please use this link to learn how to create a digital signature http://southernct.edu/academics/graduate/research/digitialsignature.pdf The student should initiate this form, sign electronically, and ensure that all committee members sign electronically. The form should then be sent to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education Dr. Sousan Arafeh [email protected] and the Program Assistant Carolyn L. Harris, [email protected]. They will review and submit to the School of Graduate Studies. cc: Student, File Dean, School of Education Dean, School of Graduate Studies

34

Ed.D. Form #8: Request for Admission To Candidacy Southern Connecticut State University Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Date:

Doctoral Student’s Name:

Student ID Number:



The above named student, who is a matriculant for the Ed.D. Degree, has satisfactorily

completed his/her comprehensive examinations and dissertation proposal defense.

The Committee recommends that the matriculant be admitted to candidacy.

Dissertation Committee Chair Signature Date Coordinator of Doctoral Education Date

EDL Department Chair Date cc: Student, File Dean, School of Education Dean, School of Graduate Studies

35

Ed.D.Form #9: Approval to Hold Dissertation Defense Form Southern Connecticut State University Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Date:

The student's committee below has previously been approved. All members have received and reviewed draft copies of the dissertation and approve holding the dissertation defense.

STUDEN NAME: STUDENT ID NUMBER:

EMAIL ADDRESS: PHONE #:

AREA(S) OF EMPHASIS:

DISSERTATION DEFENSE DATE:

TIME: PLACE-BLDG:

TITLE OF DISSERTATION:

COMMITTEE: (Names Typed) SIGNATURES OF AGREEMENT TO ABOVE

NOTE: No doctoral examinations are to be given without all committee members present.

*STUDENT MUST COMPLETE FORMS-APPLICATION FOR GRADUATION AND DIPLOMA *STUDENT MUST BE REGISTERED IN THE SEMESTER HE/SHE IS TO GRADUATE *DEFENSE WILL BE ANNOUNCED CAMPUS-WIDE AND IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC


cc: Student, File

36

Ed.D. Form #10: Final Defense Determination Form Southern Connecticut State University Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Student ID Number: Date:

Doctoral Candidate’s Name:

Doctoral Dissertation Title: The signatures below indicate that the above-named doctoral candidate has defended his or her dissertation in front of the dissertation committee. The committee hereby recommends to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies that the candidate should receive the following:

Unconditional pass

Pass with Minor Dissertation Revision Revisions to be completed by:

(Date) (Revisions Completed) Pass with Major Dissertation Revision Revisions to be completed by:

(Date) (Revisions Completed) Failure

Once all revision are made and the Committee is satisfied that all requirements are satisfied, the student should facilitate the completion of the electronic Dissertation Acceptance Form http://southernct.edu/academics/graduate/research/thesis_dissertation.pdf and submit it to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education.

SIGNATURES OF AGREEMENT TO ABOVE

(Dissertation Committee Chair)

(Member)

(Member) APPROVAL


EDL Department Chair

cc: File, Coordinator of Doctoral Education

37

Ed.D. Form #11: Electronic Dissertation Acceptance Form Found on the School of Graduate Studies Website http://southernct.edu/academics/graduate/research/thesis_dissertation.pdf

Please use this link to learn how to create a digital signature http://southernct.edu/academics/graduate/research/digitialsignature.pdf The student should initiate this form, sign electronically, and ensure that all committee members sign electronically. The form should then be sent to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education Dr. Sousan Arafeh [email protected] and the Program Assistant Mary Cubitt, [email protected]. They will review and submit to the School of Graduate Studies. cc: Student, File Dean, School of Education Dean, School of Graduate Studies

38

Appendix II:

2015-‐‑2016 Calendar of Ed.D. Key Dates and Activities Please Note: Students may schedule a dissertation proposal defense or full dissertation defense in consultation with the Committee. The final proposal or dissertation draft should be submitted to their Committee and the Doctoral Coordinator no less than three weeks in advance of a proposed defense date. If this final draft deadline is not met, or the Committee deems that the student is not ready, the student will need to reschedule the defense.

Date Time Description Link Check the Registrar’s Web Page for information about

withdrawal dates and percentages of refund given. 8/24/2015 5-8 PM New Graduate Orientation http://calendar.southernct.e

du/index.php?eID=2070 8/24/2015 6-8 PM New Graduate Orientation http://calendar.southernct.e

du/index.php?eID=2071 8/31/2015 Fall 2015 Classes Begin http://www.southernct.edu

/academics/calendar-fall-2015-csu-1.pdf

8/31/2015 – 9/8/2015

Proposal and Dissertation Defense Period 1

8/31/2015 – 9/8/2015

Check and Report Planned Program Progress

9/7/2015 All Day Labor Day – no school 9/8/2015 Last Day Add/Drop and Last Day to

Change from Full Time to Part Time or Vice Versa

9/8/2015 Last Day to Apply to Registrar for Fall 2015 Degree Completion

http://www.southernct.edu/offices/registrar/apply-graduation/apply-for-degree-grad.html

10/12/2015 –10/16/2015


10/15/2015 All Day Fall Semester Deadline for Proposal or Dissertation Defense

10/24/2015 9AM-1PM Fall Graduate School Open House http://calendar.southernct.edu/index.php?eID=2051

11/1/2015 All Day Last day to apply to Graduate School for December Degree

Per EDL document

11/2/2015 – 11/20/2015

Continuing Student Registration

11/15/2015 All Day Last day to register with Graduate School for December Commencement

Per EDL document

11/6/2015 Last Day for Course Withdrawals 11/23/2015 – 12/3/2015

EDL Proposal and Dissertation Defense Period 3

39

11/25/2015 Begin Thanksgiving Recess 12/10/2015 Last Day to Withdraw from Classes 12/10/2015 All Day Last day of Fall Semester Classes 12/11/2015 Last Date for All Proposal or

Dissertation Acceptance Forms to Graduate Studies for a Fall 2015 Graduation Date

12/11/2015 Reading Day 12/23/2015 Fall 2015 Semester Ends 1/18/2016 MLK Day – No School 1/19/2016 Spring 2016 Classes Begin 1/19/2016 – 1/24/2016


1/19/2016 – 1/29/2016

Check and Report Your Planned Program Progress

1/25/2016 Last day to apply to Graduate School for May Degree

1/25/2016 Last Day Add/Drop and Last Day to Change from Full Time to Part Time or Vice Versa

1/25/2106 Last Day to Apply to Registrar for Fall 2015 Degree Completion

http://www.southernct.edu/offices/registrar/apply-graduation/apply-for-degree-grad.html

2/12/21016 – 2/15/2016

Presidents’ Days – No School

2/29/2016 – 3/4/2016


3/1/2016 All Day Due date for EdD Graduate Applications

http://www.southernct.edu/academics/schools/education/departments/edl/academicprograms/doctoraleddprogram.html

3/21/2016 – 3/27/2016

Spring Recess

4/4/2016 – 4/22/2016

All Day Continuing Student Registration

4/18/2016 – 4/29/2016


4/18/2016 – 4/29/2016

Check and Report Your Planned Program Progress

5/5/2016 Last Date for All Proposal or Dissertation Acceptance Forms to Graduate Studies for a Spring 2016 Graduation Date

5/5/2016 – 5/6/2016

Reading Days

May 9, 2016 N/A Comprehensive Exam Date Published

40

5/30/2016 Memorial Day – No School 5/31/2016 Spring 2016 Semester Ends May 31, 2016

All Day Semester and Academic Year End

8/11/2016 Last Date for All Proposal or Dissertation Acceptance Forms to Graduate Studies for a Summer 2016 Graduation Date

General Ed.D. Program Deadlines Description Date Contingency/Forms/Links

Dissertation Defense Documents to Committee Members

3 weeks prior to scheduled defense date

Last Day to Apply to Registrar for Ed.D. Degree for December, May, & August

~ 9/8/2015 for December 2015 Graduation ~ 1/25/2016 for May 2016 Graduation Check that planned program is complete https://www.southernct.edu/ext/registrar_gag.php

Last Day to provide final Dissertation Acceptance Forms to Graduate Studies for December, May, & August Graduation

~ 12/11/2015 for December 2015 Graduation ~ 5/5/2015 for May 2016 Graduation

Apply to Participate in Graduation Commencement Participation Form (same dates as above) https://www.southernct.edu/commencement/graduate.html

Submit Dissertation to ProQuest This is where you submit your FINAL dissertation. Make sure that it is copy edited and fully formatted and has been reviewed and approved by the Coordinator of Doctoral Education. http://southernct.edu/academics/graduate/research/umi_agreement_papersub.pdf

EdD Program Completion Complete in 6 years. Can apply to the EDL Standards and Appeals Committee for an extension. if needed

41

APPENDIX III:

Dissertation Example Pages

As noted, the formatting and other technical aspects of your dissertation are a very specific and a crucial part of your doctoral experience. A poorly produced document reflects badly on you, the Department, and the University. See the School of Graduate Studies’ Guidelines for the Submission of Dissertation, Special Project, and Thesis Proposals and Submission of Dissertations, Special Projects, and Theses http://southernct.edu/academics/graduate/research/Guidelines.pdf You can also find templates for the preliminary pages of the dissertation. Here below, however, are examples of the preliminary pages.

42

A COMPARISON OF THE INTELLIGIBILITY OF ESOPHAGEAL, ELECTROLARYNGEAL AND NORMAL SPEECH IN QUIET AND IN NOISE

BY

DAVID AKAI CARTER

A Dissertation Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of

Doctor of Education

Southern Connecticut State University New Haven, Connecticut

May 2015

EXAMPLE OF TITLE PAGE FOR DISSERTATION – check for pagination information

44

ABSTRACT

Author: David Akai Carter

Title: A COMPARISON OF THE INTELLIGIBILITY OF ESOPHAGEAL, ELECTROLARYNGEAL AND NORMAL SPEECH IN QUIET AND IN NOISE

Dissertation Chair: Dr. Marie L. Johnson

Institution: Southern Connecticut State University

Year: 2015

The abstract should be a succinct, descriptive account of the study. It should not

exceed 150 words, should be double-spaced, and should adhere to the same style manual

as the thesis manuscript. The abstract should include pertinent place names, names of

persons, and other proper nouns. These are useful in automated retrieval. A lower-case

Roman numeral is used on the abstract page.

EXAMPLE ABSTRACT PAGE FOR DISSERTATION – check for pagination information