The purpose of the Student Advisory Committee (SAC) is to provide critical feedback on the research plan, to assess experimental progress, and to advise the student when to write/defend the Thesis. The SAC is charged with aiding the student in moving efficiently towards the PhD degree, while at the same time maximizing the significance and impact of the thesisresearch.
The progress of modern science is measured by the quality and quantity of peer-reviewed scientific publications. Thesepublications are frequently used to distinguish between the holders of “minimal” and “competitive” PhD degrees in the postgraduate job market. Because of this, the SAC meeting should focus on the factors that are limiting the student's progress toward publishing high quality peer-reviewed scientific results.
The Student Advisory Committee (SAC) is chosen by the student and the mentor and consists of:
The student should choose members whom he or she can trust to provide honest advice and critiques. Ideally, the SAC should consist of scientists who are able to comment on the student's goals and can suggest if a goal does not sound feasible or if an approach seems too risky or unlikely to yield significant results. Each member should be capable of providing cogent, timely, and relevant feedback about the student's project. It is not essential that all members be experts in the field, but it helps to find at least one.
The student, in consultation with the mentor, may change the composition of the SAC at any time. However, barring an unusual circumstance, the chair is to remain the same. The composition of the SAC is meant to be dynamic and may go through several changes during the time a student progresses to the Dissertation. Each student is strongly encouraged to get to know their SAC members. If the members are truly familiar with the student and their work, they may also be able to provide useful letters of recommendation. If a SAC member is from another institution, the student should request additional information from the Office of Biotechnology and Business Development at biotech@einsteinmed.edu.
At minimum, frequency of SAC meetings is determined by the student's year in the program.
Failure to schedule and meet with your Student Advisory Committee may result in a registration hold (affecting your student status) or academic probation. Repeated delays and failures to meet with the SAC will result in a mandated appearance before the Academic Affairs Committee.
The student, the mentor, the SAC, or the Academic Affairs Committee may require the student to meet with the SAC at more frequent intervals. The span of time between SAC meetings is referred to below as a “project period.” The student should schedule a SAC meeting when it is due and should not postpone a meeting on the basis of anticipated scientific results. Students who do not meet their SAC meeting requirement(s) will be blocked from online registration in the succeeding semester. Release of this registrar's hold and continuation in the program requires approval of the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs.
It is required that a student submit a goal - based Progress Report to all members of the Student Advisory Committee at least one week before the meeting. The length of this report should be one to three (1-3) pages, single-spaced, and may include figures. The Progress Report should allow the SAC to assess the student's progress toward a set of previously stated goals, to identify barriers to the submission of the student's next scientific manuscript and to help the student to develop a set of new goals for the next project period.
In the absence of any directives to the contrary issued by the SAC, the Progress Report should be written in four sections as described below. It may also include figures to document the student's scientific progress.
The student should retain copies of all Progress Reports. The SAC may ask the student to provide a copy of the Progress Report from the previous project period. In addition, the description of research progress provided in these reports may help the student to write the initial draft of a scientific manuscript or a chapter of the thesis dissertation.
The emphasis of the Student Advisory Committee meeting should be placed on the student's progress toward a set of previously specified goals, the identification of current difficulties, potential solutions to these difficulties and the specification of a set of new goals for the next project period. Progress toward these goals should bring the student closer to submitting a peer-reviewed manuscript and to completion of the requirements for the PhD degree. The SAC should also be available to support any efforts made by the student to acquire external financial support.
The length of time and the agenda of a Student Advisory Committee meeting will vary, depending on the needs of the student and the members of the SAC. However, a typical SAC meeting is described below.
Note: A student who fails to progress in Thesis Research or is, in the opinion of mentor an d/or SAC, performing poorly, may be recommended by the mentor or SAC, for review by the Academic Affairs Committee (AAC). This may involve the appearance of both the student and mentor at an AAC meeting to discuss lack of progress and the development of an academic plan. Failure to progress in Thesis Research is grounds for academic probation or dismissal from the Graduate Division.
Recording the SAC meeting
A SAC meeting may be recorded to enable an absent committee member to later hear the
meeting/discussion,
and then
provide feedback to the student. However, the student must obtain written permission from the
other
committee members
and their mentor(s)
prior to the meeting. If one participant declines recording the meeting, then the meeting cannot
be
recorded.
The student will ordinarily have discussed with the mentor whether it may soon be appropriate to begin writing the Thesis. However, before doing so, the student must obtain permission from their Student Advisory Committee. Permission to write and defend must be documented in the SAC Summary Report. Although the student may have met the minimum requirements for course work, the Qualifying Exam, and the requirement for the submission of a suitable scientific publication, the SAC need not issue permission to b egin writing the Thesis if it believes that the student’s overall progress or scientific maturity are insufficient for the defense of the Thesis.
If permission is granted to write and defend and the thesis (and defense paperwork) is not submitted within s ix months, then another Student Advisory Committee meeting will be required.
For completing and submitting the required meeting evaluation/report forms.
One45 Instructions for Student, SAC Chair, SAC Member, and External SAC Member