IS PHD Manual August 2019
IS PHD Manual August 2019
IS PHD Manual August 2019
CONTENTS
Topic Page
I. INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................4
X. CONFLICT RESOLUTION................................................................................................... 26
I. INTRODUCTION
Students in the doctoral program are required to commit full-time attention to our
program. Part-time enrollment is not allowed.
2. College transcripts showing grades received while pursuing all prior undergradu-
ate degrees as well as graduate degrees, if any. Must have a Bachelors degree
and a Masters is strongly preferred. Official copies should be sent directly to the
Department of Accounting and Information Systems (see above for address and
contact information).
3. Three letters of reference from individuals who are able to appraise your per-
sonal interests, abilities, and the likelihood that you will successfully complete
our Ph.D. program. Letters should discuss evidence of research experience, if
possible.
IS PhD Program Manual
Page 5
5. A written statement of personal goals. This statement should address (a) the
area(s) of information technology management in which you are interested, (b)
why you believe the program and faculty at Michigan State University fit your in-
terests, and (c) your career objectives upon completion of your degree. This
statement should be no longer than two pages (double-spaced).
An admissions committee will screen the applications. We also examine the fit be-
tween our program and the applicant’s interests based on the applicant's goal state-
ment, letters of recommendation, and previous work and/or academic experience.
Applicants passing this initial screening are then considered for acceptance by the
complete IS faculty.
Students begin our program in the Fall. We currently plan to admit students every
other year, in order to preserve an appropriately low faculty-student ratio. Admis-
sions standards and procedures conform to the equal opportunity and affirmative
action policies of MSU.
A. Overview of Requirements.
scribed later):
1. The major (four courses: ITM911, ITM912 or ACC950, ITM914, and ITM
915)
2. The minor (course requirements will vary)
3. The research component (four courses, including MGT 906 and MKT907
or equivalent)
4. Competency in economics and behavioral analysis (as required by the
college of business)
5. Business concepts coursework (as required by the college of business)
2. The minor:
One relevant field of study outside of IS is selected by each student and the
guidance committee (see Section IV C) as a minor. Examples include re-
lated disciplines, such as economics, psychology, sociology or computer
science, or related fields of business such as accounting or supply chain
management. Ideally, the minor field provides a foundation for dissertation
research.
this requirement can be taken from (but are not limited to) the departments
of Psychology, Communications, Educational Psychology, Political Science,
or Sociology.
Students are required by the Eli Broad Graduate School of Management to know
and be able to apply certain concepts, tools and techniques of business practice.
This requirement is automatically fulfilled by students who enter the doctoral pro-
gram with an MBA or undergraduate degree from an institution accredited by the
American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Students with-
out such background should identify appropriate coursework in discussion with
their Guidance Committee. .
Students are required to complete an empirical research project before they sit
for their comprehensive examination. Thus, the paper is normally completed by
the end of the second summer in the program. The paper should be written un-
der the supervision of an IS faculty member, who will judge the quality of the
work and notify the Director of the IS PhD program of its successful completion.
A typical second year paper should involve data collection and analysis, or the
creation and evaluation of an innovative IT artifact. We encourage students to
“aim high” and plan projects that could, in principle, be presentable at a confer-
ence or publishable in a journal, but external presentation or publication is not a
requirement for successful completion and faculty approval.
If the project involves collecting data from human research subjects, students
are responsible for obtaining prior approval from an Institutional Review Board for
research involving human subjects, part of MSU’s Human Research Protection
IS PhD Program Manual
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Economics and/or
Behavioral Analysis: 2 courses (6 credit hours) in economics and/or behavioral
analysis (i.e., in core disciplines such as psychology, soci-
ology, anthropology, etc.).
Business
(if required): To be determined by the student Guidance Committee.
Note: Per college requirements, to be in good standing each student must at-
tain at least a 3.25 (out of 4.0) cumulative grade point average by the end of the
second full semester of enrollment and thereafter.
The following timetable shows an example of course order and times taken. It is
not a blueprint or even “typical”. Students should consult university course timeta-
bles to determine when courses will be offered.
Current students and the Faculty Advisor are an excellent source of information re-
garding scheduling of classes. IS department seminars (900-level courses) should
be taken the first time they are offered. The exact schedule will vary depending on
faculty availability.
Michigan State University and the Eli Broad College of Business uphold the high-
est standards of ethics in research and scholarship. Students are expected to
conform to MSU’s Guidelines for Integrity in Research and Creative Activities:
https://grad.msu.edu/sites/default/files/content/researchintegrity/guidelines.pdf,
pages 7-10.
Michigan State University requires that all students involved in research must
complete training in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). This includes
all PhD students, as well as any other student working on a research project.
IS PhD Program Manual
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1. The IS group invites speakers to MSU for faculty/student colloquia or job in-
terviews. We expect that students will attend these guest presentations and
related events. Our expectation concerning student attendance is based on
our belief that we should take advantage of every opportunity to learn about
what other researchers are currently doing in the field.
2. Students are expected to attend other informal (i.e. brownbag) meetings for
IS faculty and students. These meetings provide students the opportunity to
sharpen presentation skills and practice critical inquiry in a supportive atmos-
phere.
4. Publications are highly desirable for all of our students. They enhance the
visibility of our group, help to insure that students will be placed in first-rate
academic jobs, and involve all of our members in the same central research
process. Therefore, we encourage them vigorously. Often, class papers and
projects can form the basis for starting the publication process. The second
year research paper is also an excellent opportunity for generating a poten-
tial publication. Professors are happy to guide students who wish to pursue
such opportunities.
gree, and approval to take these courses must be attained from the student’s
advisor.
10. We expect that students will have successfully defended their dissertation
proposal before beginning the search for an academic job.
11. We expect that students will take Comprehensive Examinations in the fall of
their third year.
Faculty are responsible for providing guidance and mentoring to graduate stu-
dents. In the IS PhD Program, our goal is to keep the program small so that fac-
ulty can work closely with each student we admit. The role of the faculty advisor
is described in MSU’s Guidelines for Graduate Student Advising and Mentoring
Relationships: https://grad.msu.edu/sites/default/files/content/researchintegrity/
guidelines.pdf, pages 3-6.
During the first year, each new doctoral student works with his or her guidance
committee to develop a curriculum plan. For new students, the Guidance com-
mittee is simply the current IS PhD Program committee. By starting with an ad-
visory committee (rather than a specific advisor), we hope to encourage stu-
dents to get to know more of the faculty and to feel comfortable selecting an ap-
propriate advisor as their research interests and working relationships with other
faculty evolve. With regard to general University Guidelines, the PhD Program
Director serves as the student's Guidance Committee chair.
The role of the guidance committee is to work with the student to formulate a
plan of study that meets the student's unique interests within the constraints im-
posed by department, college, and university requirements. The membership of
this committee will probably be different than the student's dissertation commit-
tee, which is formed during the latter part of the student's graduate program (af-
ter completion of the Comprehensive Exams).
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The guidance committee is also responsible for advising and approving: (a) the
students course of study; (b) the choice of dissertation advisor; and (c) the dis-
sertation committee. Students may add or remove members from their guid-
ance committee by notifying the Chair of the guidance committee in writing.
By the end of the first year, a planned course of study must be completed by the
student in consultation with the guidance committee. The plan must be entered
into the on-line system, GradPlan: https://grad.msu.edu/gradplan. This is the of-
ficial website for all doctoral student program planning, guidance committee re-
ports and changes, comprehensive and final defense reports, submission of the
dissertation to the Graduate School, and the final University degree certifica-
tion. It provides electronic circulation for checking/approvals and generates au-
tomatic emails when needed. Once entered, the plan will be approved by the
faculty advisor, the Department Chairperson, and the College Dean (or their rep-
resentatives). The course of study can be changed, but it must be completed,
since it identifies the specific courses that must be taken to complete the de-
gree.
Once the dissertation committee is formed, the members can be entered into
GradInfo (also accessible at https://gradinfo.msu.edu/. This application allows
the Graduate School to track the formation and completion of dissertations
across the University. Members can be added or changed as necessary.
1. For first year students, there will be a scheduled informal session held at the
beginning of the Spring semester with the guidance committee, and a sec-
ond, formal evaluation and feedback session held near the end of the Spring
semester. Thereafter, there will be one formal session near the end of the
Spring semester with the understanding that there will be unscheduled infor-
mal contact throughout the year.
2. For formal evaluation and feedback sessions, each student will prepare a
working document of 1-2 typed pages describing past accomplishments as a
graduate student and future goals. The student will distribute an updated
copy of this document to all Guidance Committee members prior to each
spring semester evaluation session. Starting with the second year, students
are required to begin writing professional vitae and submit them as part of
their evaluation documents. These sessions are intended to provide devel-
opmental as well as evaluative feedback .
a. Listed below are the questions students should address when preparing
IS PhD Program Manual
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4. Do you have any particular weaknesses that the faculty could help
you remedy? What strengths do you have that you could share with
other graduate students and faculty?
b. Our goal in these sessions is to make sure that students stay on track for
successful completion of the program, in accordance with their career ob-
jectives. Thus, feedback will be developmental as well as evaluative.
The faculty members will:
Students can access their academic records by making a request from the Pro-
gram Director. If there is an error, the program director will assist the student in
researching and resolving the problem. While unusual, typical errors include
grades that have been recorded incorrectly; credits that have been transferred or
assigned incorrectly, and so on. The program director will work with the student
to ensure the speedy resolution of such problems.
Graduate Assistant funding is generally provided for five years, contingent on the
student receiving satisfactory annual evaluations. Funding beyond five years is
contingent on resource availability and Departmental needs.
Funding to support doctoral students is provided for all approved research, travel,
tuition, copying/printing, and mailing expenditures for up to a period of five years
that students are in the doctoral program; no funding support under this category
is normally provided to students after their fifth year in the doctoral program. Ap-
proval for funding must occur before the expenditure is incurred. Students should
contact the Doctoral Program Director for approval, including providing a proposal
for any major expenditure. While the department does not have a pre-set per-stu-
dent funding limit, the availability of funds for the above expenditures depends on
the current level of university and department resources, the importance of the ex-
penditure for the student’s academic success, the student’s past history in terms
of academic productivity and the use of approved resources, etc. Students will not
be denied funding merely based on the amount of resources they have consumed
in the past. Students are expected to apply for external funding whenever possible
and prior applications for external funding will be viewed favorably when consider-
ing requests for Departmental funding.
Although the department has no pre-set funding limits, the department staff in
charge of the doctoral program will keep track of student expenditures including
the following items:
Data Purchase: Funding to pay for access to data for research (e.g., buying
data, paying participation fees in experiments, costs of mail surveys).
Travel: Funding for travel, hotel, and registration fees is available to present a
paper in which the student is the author or a coauthor at a scholarly meeting.
Students should contact the Doctoral Program Director or their advisors regard-
ing the suitability of the conference they are planning to attend.
In addition, the Department will pay students' travel and hotel costs (two students
per room, if possible) to attend one or more approved doctoral
consortiums/colloquia for students who are making satisfactory progress toward
IS PhD Program Manual
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In addition, funding may be available from the Graduate School for travel to
conferences. See application at:
https://grad.msu.edu/sites/default/files/content/fellowships/Travel%20funding
%20application.pdf.
Mailing: Students can use their funding support for the cost of mailing their dis-
sertation-related materials to other institutions for the purpose of securing job in-
terviews.
The Graduate Employees Union has entered into a collective bargaining agree-
ment with Michigan State University. This agreement provides a broad range of
rights and responsibilities, and is renegotiated periodically. The terms of the cur-
rent contract agreement are available at:
https://www.hr.msu.edu/contracts/documents/GEU2015-2019.pdf, with current
developments at: http://geuatmsu.org/.
MSU candidates for TA appointments who were required to demonstrate English pro-
ficiency as a condition for regular admission to Michigan State University must
also demonstrate that they meet a minimum standard of proficiency in spoken
English before they can be assigned teaching work that involves oral communi-
cation with undergraduate students.
Those international teaching assistants (ITAs) may meet this requirement in one of
the following ways:
• Presenting a TOEFL iBT speaking section score of 27 or higher.
• Receiving a score of 50 or higher on the MSU Speaking Test
IS PhD Program Manual
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• Taking AAE 451 or AAE 452 (ITA language support courses) and receiving a
score of 50 or higher on the ITA Oral Interaction Test (ITAOI).
Those ITAs who received a waiver of the TOEFL or of other accepted tests of English
proficiency for admission, must also meet the requirement of proficiency in spo-
ken English before they are assigned to teaching work that involves oral commu-
nication with undergraduate students. To meet this requirement, those ITAs may
use any of three options listed above. Individual exceptions from these require-
ments (on a case-by-case basis in rare circumstances) will be considered by the
Graduate School in consultation with the ELC upon the request of the depart-
ment and with the endorsement of the Associate Dean of the College.
Before students can teach a course on their own, they must have been a TA for a
discussion section of that course and been evaluated by the professor responsi-
ble for the course as ready to teach a section on their own. MSU's Teaching As-
sistant Program (TAP) “provides a wide variety of resources and services in sup-
port of the teaching and learning development of all MSU teaching assistants.”
See http://tap.msu.edu/ for more information.
Exceptions to the above teaching policies can be made at discretion of the De-
partment Chairperson responsible for staffing the course.
We expect that all of our students have the skills and motivation to successfully
earn a PhD, and the program is structured to help them do so. We meet with
students every term to review progress, so that we can identify potential prob-
lems and help students stay on track. We have identified key “check-points” on
student progress that must be met or students may be dismissed from the pro-
gram, unless there are extenuating circumstances. Any action for dismissal re-
quires unanimous written approval by the IS PhD Committee.
IS PhD Program Manual
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1) Failure to remain in good standing can result in dismissal. Students are ex-
pected to maintain an adequate grade point average, as described elsewhere in
this document.
It is expected that students will take the exam during the fall semester of their 3 rd
year. The exam must be completed by the end of the 4th year.
The exam will be scheduled during the first eight weeks of the Fall semester. It con-
sists of two written parts, usually scheduled on two consecutive days, plus an oral
exam to be scheduled after grading of the written parts is completed. Each written
part will be six hours in length, split into two 3-hour blocks to provide a break. The
date(s) and times of the exam must be arranged in advance with the IS program di-
rector. Other specifics pertaining to the comprehensive exam are as follows:
1. In the first six-hour session, students will answer four questions. Students
will choose to answer one of two questions from each of the following areas:
IS PhD Program Manual
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a. Behavioral science
b. Network Science
c. Macro perspectives on IT
2. In the second six-hour session, students will answer one of two questions in
the Economics of Information Technology Management. For the research
methodology and critique questions, there will be a single question (no
choices):
3. The oral examination provides an opportunity for faculty to discuss the re-
sults of the written exam, ask additional questions of clarification, and pro-
vide feedback to the student. It will be scheduled after the written exam is
graded.
1. In the semester of the examination, a student wishing to sit for the exam
must declare his or her intent to do so, in writing, to the IS Guidance Com-
mittee.
2. Grading
d. When individual grading is complete, the faculty will meet to discuss eval-
uations of responses to items and reach a consensus grade for each item
IS PhD Program Manual
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completed by a student.
Students are urged to consult prior exam questions, available in the IS Depart-
ment office, before taking the exam. Students should also consult with IS fac-
ulty members; especially those who have taught the core courses, prior to the
time the students begin preparing for the exam.
Students should not overlook other students who have passed comps as a
source of valuable information, since the norm in our program is that students
will help each other. Strategies for studying and writing answers, especially
helpful papers and books, and so on, are available if students pursue them.
We emphasize that the comprehensive exam is not a "big final" that covers only
material encountered in core classes. Students who take comps are assumed
to be quite knowledgeable with respect to the history and traditions, controver-
sies and accomplishments, theories and applications, methods and principles,
as well as significant books and papers in the fields of the exam.
Students normally take the exam in the fall of the 3rd year, and the exam must
be passed within four years of beginning the Ph.D. program. If a student fails
the exam on the first try, he or she may retake the exam once, the next time it is
offered. A student has 12 months to retake and pass the exam.
If a student does not pass the exam and does not or cannot take the exam
again, he or she will be unable to complete the requirements for a Ph.D. Gener-
ally, the student will be terminated from the program at the end of the semester
in which the exam was last taken. Exceptions to this may be considered with
the approval of the IS faculty and IS program director.
The Ph.D. dissertation is the capstone of our doctoral education program. When
completed it signifies individual competence as a researcher, and, as a public docu-
ment, it represents the researcher to his or her professional peers.
Dissertation projects take many different forms. Some are based on a single large
study, while others consist of a group of smaller, related projects. The dissertation
mush be original, empirical research that makes a significant contribution to theory.
Our goal is to generate publishable results that will help launch the student on a
IS PhD Program Manual
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successful academic career. The design of the dissertation project must be ap-
proved by the Dissertation Committee.
The decision to pass a student's dissertation is our final certification of that stu-
dent's professional competence. We take this certification seriously since the
quality of the dissertation reflects back upon the personal credibility of individual
committee members as well as the quality of our program as a whole.
The first step in the dissertation process involves the development of a proposal
indicating the research topic that a student desires to examine, and the method
that he or she will use to examine it. The development of this proposal typically
involves intensive interaction between the student and his or her dissertation
committee. When committee members are generally satisfied with a student's
proposal, the committee meets with the student to decide whether to proceed to
the next step. This next step, the oral defense of the Dissertation Proposal, re-
quires the student to defend the dissertation proposal in an open meeting. Be-
cause the purpose of this requirement is to provide faculty input for the disserta-
IS PhD Program Manual
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tion research, it should be satisfied before the majority of the research effort is
undertaken. A successful defense of the dissertation proposal is achieved when
three-fourths of the student’s dissertation committee, including the chairperson,
approves the defense. The guidance committee will report to the Doctoral Pro-
grams Office the successful completion of this requirement.
With the exception of doctoral dissertation research credits, all course work
listed on the student’s approved guidance committee report must be completed
with grades reported before the student will be permitted to defend the disserta-
tion proposal.
In a closed session following the defense, the committee formally votes to deter-
mine whether the student will be allowed to proceed to the next step, Ph.D. can-
didacy and dissertation research.
Students are responsible for obtaining prior approval for their dissertation re-
search from the University Human Subjects Protection Program. Research in
the College of Business is reviewed by the Social Science Insitutional Review
Board (SIRB): https://hrpp.msu.edu/contacts/about/SIRB.html. Guidelines and
procedures are available and it is the responsibility of the student to get ap-
proval. When in doubt about the need for IRB approval, it is best to file for IRB
approval and be given an exemption. This approval is generally required any
time human research subjects are involved in data collection (including surveys,
interviews, experiments, etc.) and must be obtained before data collection be-
gins.
1. The final oral presentation of the dissertation occurs in an open meeting when
the Ph.D. candidate's dissertation committee agrees that the candidate has com-
pleted an acceptable independent research project and written it up satisfactorily.
Specific policies for the conduct of the oral defense of dissertations, the format of
the dissertation, dates for submissions of the document and other procedures
must conformd to the Graduate School's specifications.
MSU only accepts electronic theses and dissertations submitted via ProQuest.
When preparing the final dissertation document, students should consult a cur-
rent copy of the Graduate School's requirements for preparation and submission
of the final dissertation document: http://grad.msu.edu/etd/.
IS PhD Program Manual
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We have found that students often underestimate the time that is needed to
form an idea for a dissertation, prepare a proposal, conduct the research and
defend it. The modal time is two years. For example, the dissertation proposal
may require three to six months to draft, then another three to six months to re-
fine and acquire committee acceptance. Two weeks to one month advanced
notice is required to schedule a proposal defense. Dissertation research and
writing usually takes about a year, although additional time is sometimes
needed. Another month or two should be allowed for revisions required by final
committee recommendations made prior to the defense. Scheduling the de-
fense requires advanced notice of about two weeks. Final editorial revisions re-
quired after a successful presentation may take another month or two. In sum, it
is unrealistic to expect to complete the entire dissertation process, from proposal
draft to accepted dissertation, in less than about a year and a half. Conse-
quently, a draft of the proposal should be under initial committee review no later
than six to ten months after passing the comprehensive examination.
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Special sessions are conducted for outstanding graduate students at national con-
ventions. The purpose of these sessions is to acquaint doctoral students, on a first-
hand basis, with newly emerging ideas being developed by recognized experts in
our field. Criteria for our selection of a student include:
A. Performance as a Student.
It is not always the case that one or more students will be sent to consortia by the
Department each year. The final decision is made by the IS faculty and is based
upon whether one or more students have met the criteria for attendance. For ex-
ample, many doctoral consortia require a viable research proposal. An individual
may be invited to participate in one consortium one year and another in another
year. However, no one will be sent to the same consortium twice.
The faculty of the IS program have diverse interests which, when supplemented by
the interests of other faculty on campus, provide students with an unusually broad
educational opportunity. The core faculty consist of those individuals whose teach-
ing and research responsibilities are primarily in one of the IS programs. Please
visit their web sites at http://broad.msu.edu/facultystaff/ for more a complete list of
faculty at the college of business.
1. Departmental Policy
IS PhD Program Manual
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The principles of truth and honesty are fundamental to the educational process and
Students whose research relates to the use of human subjects are responsible
for obtaining prior approval for their research from the University Institutional Re-
view Board (SIRB). This approval is generally required any time human research
subjects are involved in data collection (including surveys, interviews, experi-
ments, etc.) and must be obtained before data collection begins.
Michigan State University and the Eli Broad College of Business uphold the high-
est standards of ethics in research and scholarship. Michigan State University re-
quires that all students involved in research must complete training in the Responsible
Conduct of Research (RCR) Students should use the ABILITY information management
system at http://ora.msu.edu/train/ to complete their on-line RCR training. This is the
system that must be used for proper documentation of training. This includes all PhD
students, as well as any other student working on a research project. This training is
mandatory.
RCR training is an on-going, annual requirement. Each student must complete the ini-
tial certification, plus a 1-hour annual refresher session every year while enrolled at
MSU. Doctoral students are expected to complete the initial training during their first
year.
Students who fail to comply with the RCR training requirement will be considered ineligi-
ble for TA, RA or Fellowship funding until training is completed, subject to the discretion
of the PhD program director.
To satisfy the RCR training requirement, PhD students in the College of Business must
complete the training offered by the College of Business. For your convenience, the
IS PhD Program Manual
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College will offer two sets of training sessions each year, once during fall semester and
once during spring semester. If students cannot attend the College of Business ses-
sions, they can satisfy the RCR requirements by attending RCR training sessions of-
fered by the MSU Graduate School (subject to the written approval of their PhD pro-
gram director).
In addition to these sessions, RCR training includes certification through the MSU IRB.
Participants are expected to complete IRB training before attending the RCR training
sessions. IRB training is on-line and can be completed at any time.
X. Conflict Resolution
In accordance with the provisions of Michigan State University’s Graduate Student Rights and
Responsibilities (GSRR), The Eli Broad College of Business and Graduate School of Manage-
ment has established a procedure for the receipt and consideration of student academic com-
plaints. Your doctoral program director or coordinator can provide you with the current version of
the procedure. The procedure from February 2005 is included in Appendix C, and includes the
procedure for adjudication of grievances at the department level.
Most doctoral students in the College receive a graduate assistantship, with duties that
may include teaching or research performed under the supervision of a faculty member.
Graduate assistants are expected to fulfill their assigned responsibilities at a high level
of performance. For more information regarding the rights and responsibilities of gradu-
ate students at MSU, refer to “Graduate Student Rights and Responsibilities”
[http://www.splife.studentlife.msu.edu/graduate-student-rights-and-responsibilities .].
The performance of graduate assistants involved in teaching is formally evaluated at
least once per year. Teaching assistants also are governed by the agreement between
the University and the Graduate Employees Union. Information on health insurance op-
tions for MSU students is available from Human Resources [https://www.hr.msu.edu].
International students are required to take an English-language proficiency test adminis-
tered by the English Language Center [elc.msu.edu/], which also offers language in-
struction to teaching assistants and others seeking to improve their fluency.
For information about your academic rights and responsibilities as a graduate student,
refer to the Graduate Student Handbook
[http://www.splife.studentlife.msu.edu/graduate-student-rights-and-responsibilities ].
Library Resources
The MSU Libraries have a growing collection of over three million volumes and access
to a large collection of electronic resources including full text databases and indexes to
IS PhD Program Manual
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journal articles. The William C. Gast Business library provides services for the MSU Col-
lege of Business. Students may call Gast Business Library reference librarians to help
plan research strategies. They will consult via telephone or e-mail. If you go to the Busi-
ness Library, call beforehand to make an appointment with a librarian, so they can bet-
ter assist you.
APPENDIX A
COURSEWORK
_____ _____ _____ _____ 1. Performance in IS core courses (Years 1-2)
TEACHING
_____ _____ _____ _____ 1. 300-level teaching performance (Years 1-4)
RESEARCH
_____ _____ _____ _____ 1. Level of participation in ongoing research (Years 1-
4)
_____ _____ _____ _____ 3. Ability to perform independent research (Years 2-4)
OTHER
_____ _____ _____ _____ 1. Proposal/dissertation progress (Years 3-5)
_____ _____ _____ _____ 3. Timely progress toward degree completion (Years
1-4)
APPENDIX B
1 2 3 4 5 6
Just plain B.S. Obviously unfamiliar Omitted several Shows some attempt The included material Originality in
with area content. important references. at organization. was well expressed. bringing research
Would be better data from various
Blank. Student does not No evidence of Answered the Cites supporting sources to bear
adequately know integration of question or problem research to back up problem.
Response painfully the material. material. posed. points.
padded with A well organized
details. Misses most Shows considerable Sticks to the topic. Most of the answer that covers
important points. tendency to stray. research cited. all major points.
from the point. Answer to be
Did not understand expected from Relevant information Organized before
the question or the Organization is weak. someone with a with minimum of writing and
topic. general exposure to redundancy. supplemented with
Poorly integrated in the material. cited research.
Lack of acquaintance terms of overall Organization around
with the literature. structure. Evidence clearly some theoretical
presented but not the orientation that gives
Misses many Answer is full of most germane to internal and logical
important points. the obvious. the point. cohesion.
Appendix C
Each right of an individual places a reciprocal duty upon others: the duty to per-
mit the individual to exercise the right. The student, as a member of the academic
community, has both rights and duties. Within that community, the student’s most
essential right is the right to learn. The University has a duty to provide for the
student those privileges, opportunities, and protections which best promote the
learning process in all its aspects. The student also has duties to other members of
the academic community, the most important of which is to refrain from interfer-
ence with those rights of others which are equally essential to the purposes and
processes of the University. (GSRR Article 1.2)
________________________________________________________________________________
The Michigan State University Student Rights and Responsibilities (SRR) and the Graduate Student Rights and Re-
sponsibilities (GSRR) documents establish the rights and responsibilities of MSU students and prescribe procedures
to resolve allegations of violations of those rights through formal grievance hearings. In accordance with the SRR
and the GSRR, the Information Technology Management Doctoral Program has established the following Hear-
ing Board procedures for adjudicating graduate student academic grievances and complaints. (See GSRR 5.4.)
A. The Hearing Board serves as the initial Hearing Board for academic grievance hearings involving
graduate students who allege violations of academic rights or seek to contest an allegation of aca-
demic misconduct (academic dishonesty, violations of professional standards or falsifying admis-
sion and academic records). (See GSRR 2.3 and 5.1.1.)
A. The Program shall constitute a Hearing Board pool no later than the end of the tenth week of the
spring semester according to established Program procedures. Hearing Board members serve one
year terms with reappointment possible. The Hearing Board pool should include both faculty and
graduate students. (See GSRR 5.1.2 and 5.1.6.)
B. The Chair of the Hearing Board shall be the faculty member with rank who shall vote only in the
event of a tie. In addition to the Chair, the Hearing Board shall include an equal number of voting
graduate students and faculty. (See GSRR 5.1.2, and 5.1.5.)
C. The Program will train hearing board members about these procedures and the applicable sections
of the GSRR. (See GSRR 5.1.3.)
A. After consulting with the instructor and appropriate unit administrator, graduate students who re-
main dissatisfied with their attempt to resolve an allegation of a violation of student academic
rights or an allegation of academic misconduct (academic dishonesty, violations of professional
standards or falsifying admission and academic records) may request an academic grievance hear-
ing. When appropriate, the Department Chair, in consultation with the Dean, may waive jurisdic-
tion and refer the request for an initial hearing to the College Hearing Board. (See GSRR 5.3.6.2.)
B. At any time in the grievance process, either party may consult with the University Ombudsperson
at https://ombud.msu.edu/. (See GSRR 5.3.2.)
C. In cases of ambiguous jurisdiction, the Dean of The Graduate School will select the appropriate
Hearing Board for cases involving graduate students. (See GSRR 5.3.5.)
D. Generally, the deadline for submitting the written request for a hearing is the middle of the next
semester in which the student is enrolled (including Summer). In cases in which a student seeks to
contest an allegation of academic misconduct and the student’s dean has called for an academic
disciplinary hearing, the student has 10 class days to request an academic grievance to contest the
allegation. (See GSRR 5.3.6.1 and 5.5.2.2.)
E. If either the student (the complainant) or the respondent (usually, the instructor or an administra-
tor) is absent from the university during that semester, or if other appropriate reasons emerge, the
Hearing Board may grant an extension of this deadline. If the university no longer employs the re-
spondent before the grievance hearing commences, the hearing may proceed. (See GSRR 5.4.9.)
F. A written request for an academic grievance hearing must (1) specify the specific bases for the
grievance, including the alleged violation(s), (2) identify the individual against whom the griev-
ance is filed (the respondent) and (3) state the desired redress. Anonymous grievances will not be
accepted. (See GSRR 5.1 and 5.3.6.)
A. After receiving a graduate student's written request for a hearing, the Chair of the Department will
promptly refer the grievance to the Chair of the Hearing Board. (See GSRR 5.3.2, 5.4.3.)
2. send the names of the Hearing Board members to both parties and, to avoid conflicts of
interest between the two parties and the Hearing Board members, request written chal-
lenges, if any, within 3 class days of this notification;
3. rule promptly on any challenges, impanel a Hearing Board and send each party the names
of the Hearing Board members. If the Chair of the Hearing Board is the subject of a chal-
lenge, the challenge shall be filed with the Dean of the College, or designee. (See GSRR
5.1.7.)
4. send the Hearing Board members a copy of the request for a hearing and the written re-
sponse, and send all parties a copy of these procedures.
C. Within 5 class days of being established, the Hearing Board shall review the request, and, after
considering all requested and submitted information:
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2. reject the request and provide a written explanation to appropriate parties; e.g., lack of ju-
risdiction. (The student may appeal this decision.)
3. the GSRR allows the hearing board to invite the two parties to meet with the Hearing
Board in an informal session to try to resolve the matter. Such a meeting does not pre-
clude a later hearing. However, by the time a grievance is requested all informal methods
of conflict resolution should have been exhausted so this option is rarely used. (See
GSRR 5.4.6.)
D. If the Hearing Board calls for a hearing, the Chair of the Hearing Board shall promptly negotiate a
hearing date, schedule an additional meeting only for the Hearing Board should additional deliber-
ations on the findings become necessary, and request a written response to the grievance from the
respondent.
E. At least 5 class days before the scheduled hearing, the Chair of the Hearing Board shall notify the
respondent and the complainant in writing of the (1) time, date, and place of the hearing; (2) the
names of the parties to the grievance; (3) a copy of the hearing request and the respondent's reply;
and (4) the names of the Hearing Board members after any challenges. (See GSRR 5.4.7.)
F. At least 3 class days before the scheduled hearing, the parties must notify the Chair of the Hearing
Board the names of their witnesses and advisor, if any, and request permission for the advisor to
have voice at the hearing. The chair may grant or deny this request. The Chair will promptly for-
ward the names given by the complainant to the respondent and vice versa. (See GSRR 5.4.7.1.)
G. The Chair of the Hearing Board may accept written statements from either party's witnesses at
least 3 class days before the hearing. (See GSRR 5.4.9.)
H. In unusual circumstances and in lieu of a personal appearance, either party may request permission
to submit a written statement to the Hearing Board or request permission to participate in the hear-
ing through an electronic communication channel. Written statements must be submitted to the
Hearing Board at least 3 class days before the scheduled hearing. (See GSRR 5.4.9c.)
I. Either party to the grievance hearing may request a postponement of the hearing. The Hearing
Board may either grant or deny the request. (See GSRR 5.4.8.)
J. At its discretion, the Hearing Board may set a reasonable time limit for each party to present its
case, and the Chair of the Hearing Board must inform the parties of such a time limit in the written
notification of the hearing.
K. Hearings are closed unless the student requests an open hearing, which would be open to all mem-
bers of the MSU community. The Hearing Board may close an open hearing to protect the confi-
dentiality of information or to maintain order. (See GSRR 5.4.10.4.)
L. Members of the Hearing Board are expected to respect the confidentiality of the hearing process.
(See GSRR 5.4.10.4.and 5.4.11.)
V. HEARING PROCEDURES:
1. Introductory remarks by the Chair of the Hearing Board: The Chair of the Hearing Board
introduces hearing panel members, the complainant, the respondent and advisors, if any.
The Chair reviews the hearing procedures, including announced time restraints for pre-
sentations by each party and the witnesses, and informs the parties if their advisors may
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have a voice in the hearings and if the proceedings are being recorded. Witnesses shall
be excluded from the proceedings except when testifying. The Chair also explains:
(See GSRR 5.4.10.1 and 8.1.18.) For various other definitions, see GSRR Article 8.)
4. If the respondent is absent from the University during the semester of the grievance hear-
ing or no longer employed by the University before the grievance procedure concludes,
the hearing process may still proceed. (See GSRR 5.3.6.1.)
5. To assure orderly questioning, the Chair of the Hearing Board will recognize individuals
before they speak. All parties have a right to speak without interruption. Each party has
a right to question the other party and to rebut any oral or written statements submitted to
the Hearing Board. (See GSRR 5.4.10.2.)
6. Presentation by the Complainant: The Chair recognizes the complainant to present with-
out interruption any statements relevant to the complainant's case, including the redress
sought. The Chair then recognizes questions directed at the complainant by the Hearing
Board, the respondent and the respondent's advisor, if any.
8. Presentation by the Respondent: The Chair recognizes the respondent to present without
interruption any statements relevant to the respondent's case. The Chair then recognizes
questions directed at the respondent by the Hearing Board, the complainant, and the
complainant's advisor, if any.
9. Presentation by the Respondent's Witnesses: The Chair recognizes the respondent's wit-
nesses, if any, to present, without interruption, and statement directly relevant to the re-
spondent's case. The Chair then recognizes questions directed at the witnesses by the
Hearing Board, the complainant, and the complainant's advisor, if any.
10. Rebuttal and Closing Statement by Complainant: The complainant refutes statements by
the respondent, the respondent's witnesses and advisor, if any, and presents a final sum-
mary statement.
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11. Rebuttal and Closing Statement by Respondent: The respondent refutes statements by
the complainant, the complainant's witnesses and advisor, if any, and presents a final
summary statement.
12. Final questions by the Hearing Board: The Hearing Board asks questions of any of the
participants in the hearing.
A. Deliberation:
After all evidence has been presented, with full opportunity for explanations, questions and rebut-
tal, the Chair of the Hearing Board shall excuse all parties to the grievance and convene the Hear-
ing Board to determine its findings in executive session. When possible, deliberations should take
place directly following the hearing and/or at the previously scheduled follow-up meeting. (See
Section IV.D above.)
B. Decision:
C. Written Report:
The Chair of the Hearing Board shall prepare a written report of the Hearing Board’s
findings, including recommended redress or sanctions for the complainant, if applicable, and for-
ward a copy of the decision to the appropriate unit administrator within 3 class days of the hear-
ing. The report shall indicate the rationale for the decision and the major elements of evidence, or
lack thereof, that support the Hearing Board's decision. The administrator, in consultation with the
Hearing Board, shall then implement an appropriate remedy. The report also should inform the
parties of the right to appeal within 5 class days following notice of the decision, or 5 class days if
an academic disciplinary hearing is pending. The Chair shall forward copies of the Hearing
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Board’s report and the administrator’s redress, if applicable, to the parties involved, the responsi-
ble administrators, the University Ombudsperson and the Dean of The Graduate School. All recip-
ients must respect the confidentiality of the report and of the hearing board's deliberations result-
ing in a decision. (See GSRR 5.4.12 and 5.5.2.2)
A. Either party may appeal a decision by the Hearing Board to the College Hearing Board for cases
involving (1) academic grievances alleging violations of student rights and (2) alleged violations
of regulations involving academic misconduct (academic dishonesty, professional standards or fal-
sification of admission and academic records.) (See GSRR 5.4.12.)
B. All appeals must be in writing, signed and submitted to the Chair of the College Hearing Board
within 5 class days following notification of the Hearing Board's decision. While under appeal, the
original decision of the Hearing Board will be held in abeyance. (See GSRR 5.4.12, 5.4.12.2 and
5.4.12.3.)
C. A request for an appeal of a Hearing Board decision to the College Hearing Board must allege, in
sufficient particularity to justify a hearing, that the initial Hearing Board failed to follow applica-
ble procedures for adjudicating the hearing or that findings of the Hearing Board were not sup-
ported by the "clear and convincing evidence." The request also must include the redress sought.
Presentation of new evidence normally will be inappropriate. (See GSRR 5.4.12.1, 5.4.12.2 and
5.4.12.4.)
VIII. RECONSIDERATION:
If new evidence should arise, either party to a hearing may request the appropriate Hearing Board to recon-
sider the case within 30 days upon receipt of the hearing outcome. The written request for reconsideration
is to be sent to the Chair of the Hearing Board, who shall promptly convene the Hearing Board to review
the new material and render a decision on a new hearing. (See GSRR 5.4.13.)
The Chair of the Department shall file a copy of these procedures with the Office of the Ombudsperson and
with the Dean of The Graduate School. (See GSRR 5.4.1.)
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