Thesis Committee

The Honors Thesis Committee is made up of four faculty members: the Director from the student’s major area of study; a Departmental Member from the student’s major area of study; a faculty member from outside the student’s major; and an Honors Council Representative assigned by Fulbright Honors.

Thesis Director

The director has the responsibility of working with the student, making sure that the student’s thesis project is maintaining the integrity of the discipline.  The Director may set expectations, guidelines, and deadlines, whereupon it becomes the responsibility of the student to meet such requirements. 

The Thesis Director is entitled to rights and expectations...

  • If the student is not meeting expectations, the director may explain that the student is not ready to defend and should postpone the defense to a later term or graduate without honors. 
  • Fulbright Honors may act as a liaison between the thesis director and the student, where the director may inform Fulbright Honors Office that the student is not ready to defend and should postpone the defense to a later term.
  • Students are required to submit a final copy of their thesis to the director by a determined date.  The student must submit a final copy to all other committee members at least one week prior to the scheduled defense.  Failure to meet such deadlines will result in the postponement of the thesis, possibly to the following term.
  • The thesis director may ask a student to postpone a defense more than one term, should the director be unavailable for a summer defense, for instance, or on sabbatical.

A faculty member may decline to serve on more than five honors thesis defenses a year.

Committee Members

The student may seek the expertise of other committee members as well but the primary responsibility of the additional committee members is on the day of the defense.

All committee members are entitled to certain rights and expectations…

  • Students are required to submit a final copy of their thesis to all other committee members at least one week prior to the scheduled defense.  Failure to meet such deadlines may result in the postponement, possibly to the following term.  Any committee member may ask the student to move the defense term, if the deadline is not met. 
  • Any committee member may offer feedback, suggestions, and corrections during the defense.
  • All committee members must record their recommendation on the Salmon Sheet, as provided by the HCR or student.

If the student is not meeting expectations, the committee member may ask to be replaced, whereupon the student must contact the Fulbright Honors Studies Office in Old Main 525 for approval. 

Honors Council Representative

All students are assigned a faculty member from the Fulbright Honors Council who serves as the fourth and final committee member. 

The Honors Council Representative (HCR) has the following responsibilities:

  • The HCR will explain the scoring procedure for the salmon sheet, where committee members are asked to give a recommendation for the thesis and defense only.  The Director will provide the first score and the HCR the final score. 
  • If the committee determines the student should graduate with honors, the Honors Council Representative congratulates the student and welcomes him/her to return to the room.
  • If the committee feels that the student does not deserve honors, then the HCR explains that there is “some question of whether you will graduate with honors, and that the final decision will be determined by the Honors Council on Dead Day of that term.” 

The Honors Council Representative will bring the Salmon Sheet to the Fulbright Honors Office in Old Main 525.