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Dissertation Committee: Roles, Functions, and How to Choose

The path to a dissertation is filled with choices that determine the quality of your experience as a student as well as the future strength of your professional network. 

Choosing your dissertation committee is one of the most important decisions–and one of the most fraught–that you’ll make as a graduate student. With the stakes being so high, many doctoral students worry about making a misstep and getting it wrong. 

Fear not! Putting together your dissertation committee becomes easier once you know the right questions to ask: of potential committee members, of your dissertation chair, and of yourself. While forming your dissertation committee can be challenging, striking the right balance will lead to a richly rewarding academic experience that will pay dividends throughout your career. Do your homework, and you’ll be just fine. 

Dissertation Committee Questions

• What does a dissertation committee do?
• Who serves on your dissertation committee?
• How do you choose dissertation committee members?
• What can you expect from your dissertation committee? 

What Does a Dissertation Committee Do?

The basic function of your dissertation committee, which typically consists of five members, is to guide you through the process of proposing, writing, and revising your dissertation.  

Dissertation committee members serve in a mentoring capacity, offering constructive feedback on your writing and research, as well as guiding your revision efforts. They are also the gatekeepers of the ivory tower, and the ultimate judges of whether or not your dissertation passes muster. 

The dissertation committee is usually formed once your academic coursework is completed. It is not uncommon in the humanities and social sciences for dissertation committee members to also write and evaluate qualifying exams, and of course serve as faculty. By the time you begin working on your dissertation, you may know the faculty members who will serve on your dissertation committee quite well. 

Who Serves on Your Dissertation Committee? 

To a degree, who serves on your dissertation committee is up to you. Dissertation committees usually consist mostly of faculty members from the doctoral student’s home department, though this can vary due to the rise of interdisciplinary programs. 

Some universities also allow an outside expert–a former professor or academic mentor from another university–to serve on your committee. It’s advisable to choose faculty members who know you and who are familiar with your work. 

While it’s a good idea to have a mix of faculty members, it’s also important to be mindful about the roles they can play. For instance, I always advise graduate students working in quantitative fields to have a statistician on their committee. When there’s big data to crunch, it never hurts to have a stats expert in your corner. You’ll also want at least one faculty member–besides your chair–whose research is in the same relative area as yours, or adjacent to it. 

How to Choose Dissertation Committee Members

Think Carefully. It’s tempting to approach a faculty member who is a superstar in their field (if not, necessarily, in yours) to lend a little extra sparkle to your own academic credentials. Or perhaps the kindly professor you can always count on for an easy A. Or even the faculty member you’d like to be friends with after graduate school. Right? 

Not so fast. Here are some things to keep in mind when building your dissertation committee dream team: 

• Avoid Superstars. Though the prospect of having your department’s most eminent name on your committee sounds exciting, their star power comes with a price. Between guest lectures, books, keynotes, and conference travel, their time is not their own, and it won’t be yours, either. Choose dissertation committee members who have time for you. 
• Choose faculty members you know, like, and can learn from. It’s not a bad idea to approach a professor whose coursework challenged you. One of the professors who served on my committee was such an exacting grader that my term papers for her courses were accepted for publication without revision (academia’s most coveted mythical creature). 
• Keep your eyes on the future. Members of your dissertation committee can be your mentors, co-authors, and research collaborators throughout your career. Choose them wisely. 

Forming Your Dissertation Committee

Reaching out to potential dissertation committee members and formally asking them to serve on your dissertation committee can be a surprisingly taxing process. It takes some planning, and you’ll want to put some thought into it before making the big ask. While being asked to serve on a dissertation committee won’t come as a surprise to most faculty–they know the drill–these are some considerations to know going in:

• Talk to your advisor before approaching anyone to be on your committee. Remember, your advisor knows their colleagues in a way that you don’t, and is also aware of departmental politics, potential personality conflicts, and which faculty members are a good fit on a dissertation committee. Trust your advisor’s judgement. 
• Know what you’re asking. Serving on a dissertation committee is a big time commitment for any faculty member. If they say yes to being on your committee, it means they are invested in you and your research, and they want to play a role in your future. It doesn’t hurt to send a thank-you note. 
• Don’t sweat it if they say no. It does not reflect on you as a student or a scholar. A good faculty member is aware of their limitations, and they probably just don’t have the time or bandwidth to take on another big commitment. Thank them and move on. 

Expectations

Once your dissertation committee is formed, it’s time to get down to business. As a faculty member, I love serving on dissertation committees because doing so gives me the chance to work with grad students one on one as they journey into new frontiers and carve a place for themselves in academia. It is a deep, rich learning experience, and it’s thrilling to watch students transform into scholars. 

Even though researching and writing a dissertation is the most challenging work you’ll ever do, recognize this time for the opportunity it truly represents. In your dissertation committee, you have a panel of experts all to yourself, and they’re eager to help you knock your dissertation out of the park. This is the experience of a lifetime; take advantage of your dissertation committee’s time and talent, and channel that energy and goodwill into your development as a scholar. 

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Courtney Watson, Ph.D.

Courtney Watson, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of English at Radford University Carilion, in Roanoke, Virginia. Her areas of expertise include undergraduate and graduate curriculum development for writing courses in the health sciences and American literature with a focus on literary travel, tourism, and heritage economies. Her writing and academic scholarship has been widely published in places that include  Studies in American Culture ,  Dialogue , and  The Virginia Quarterly Review . Her research on the integration of humanities into STEM education will be published by Routledge in an upcoming collection. Dr. Watson has also been nominated by the State Council for Higher Education of Virginia’s Outstanding Faculty Rising Star Award, and she is a past winner of the National Society of Arts & Letters Regional Short Story Prize, as well as institutional awards for scholarly research and excellence in teaching. Throughout her career in higher education, Dr. Watson has served in faculty governance and administration as a frequent committee chair and program chair. As a higher education consultant, she has served as a subject matter expert, an evaluator, and a contributor to white papers exploring program development, enrollment research, and educational mergers and acquisitions.

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Forming Your Committee

Students should not schedule the proposal defense prior to their committee being finalized and their appointment form being approved by the Graduate School.

It is necessary to have the form approved in advance of the proposal defense, as there are instances in which committee members are not approved (for example, if someone is listed as the Graduate Faculty Representative who the Graduate School does not deem  qualified to serve in this capacity).

The Graduate School's requirements for everything from committee formation to graduation clearance can be found under the Current Students tab on the Graduate School website. 

Composition of the Doctoral Committee: Roles and Responsibilities

The Graduate School requires that doctoral committees consist of no less than four members. These four members must be regular members of the Graduate Faculty or must be granted an exception by the Dean of the Graduate School.  All committees must include a chair and a Graduate Faculty Representative. Assistant Professors are usually not approved to serve as chair unless they have served as a committee member first. Exceptions are granted on a case-by-case basis. 

Graduate Faculty Representative

The primary role of the Graduate Faculty Representative is to ensure that the student is treated fairly and that Graduate School policies are upheld. Expertise in the student's area of research is not a requirement. The Graduate Faculty Representative's responsibilities are explained in greater detail here . Assistant Professors are not eligible to serve as Graduate Faculty Representative. 

The requirement to include an outside member on all dissertation committees is not uncommon among institutions of higher education and is in keeping with best practices in doctoral support. 

Committee Members

Committee members are often chosen to provide topic or methodological expertise. Even without contributing their expertise, committee members may be chosen based on faculty with whom the student has a good professional relationship or who could offer a helpful outside perspective. Committee members are generally not as involved as the committee chair in the everyday progression of the dissertation.  Typically, they read the dissertation only in its final form before the defense, although they should be available for consultation throughout the process and may be more closely involved in sections or chapters in which they have particular expertise. 

The committee members and Graduate Faculty Representative will:

• Approve of the subject matter and methodology of the thesis or dissertation research
• Review and comment on drafts of the thesis or dissertation prior to submission to The Graduate School
• Verify, to the best of their ability, the quality of the data collection and evidence, data analysis, and logical reasoning or interpretation in light of the proposal aims
• Evaluate whether the student’s thesis or dissertation fulfills the requirements of the degree

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Selecting your dissertation committee members, published by steve tippins on april 12, 2019 april 12, 2019.

Last Updated on: 3rd June 2022, 04:36 am

You have finished all of your classwork and maybe even passed your comprehensive exams. The only thing that you have left to do is write your dissertation. In order to do this, you need to select your dissertation chair and the remainder of your committee members.

While a few institutions that I know of assign committees, even those often allow students to give preferences. What should you think about when choosing your dissertation committee members?

What Do Dissertation Committee Members Do?

Your dissertation committee members serve several roles. First, they are charged with helping you through the dissertation process. While this “help” may seem like hinderance when you receive endless comments and requests for revision, your committee members do this to help you come up with a stronger document.

The second major role your committee plays one can be thought of a gatekeeper. Schools have particular requirements and standards that committees must follow before they can accept a student’s dissertation. Many comments from your committee will pertain to adhering to university requirements.

Committee Chair

You will work most closely with your dissertation committee chair . Be sure to find someone that you can work with. There are stories out there about chairpeople who have bullied those under their charge and used their students as minions to help push the chair’s agenda. Avoid this type of chair.

I believe that you should be looking for someone who wants to serve as a chair and who exhibits real concern for his or her students. Choose someone who has filled the role before and has a track record of helping students finish in a reasonable time period. If your goal is to work in academia, I would also look for someone who has had success publishing and flourishing within an academic setting.

Finally, look for someone who is genuinely interested in your topic and who you get along with.

Other Dissertation Committee Members

Depending upon your institution, you will most likely need to add one to four more members of your committee. The number is not overly important, but the composition is. People usually think of committees being made up of people who bring strength in either the subject matter or the methodology.

If your committee chair is strong in your subject matter then at least one additional committee member should be strong in the methodology you plan to use. Putting your committee together in this way can give you a well-balanced support team.

Read also: Dissertation Committee Request: Sample Email and Guide

Avoid Becoming a Battleground

Just like in life, not everyone in academia likes each other. When dealing in the world of ideas, it seems that it is easy to find people who disagree with each other. Sometimes those disagreements are thoughtful and considerate and sometimes they are not.

Make sure that when you choose committee members that you find people who can work together. You do not want two (or more) committee members using your dissertation to fire barbs at each other. This will be very frustrating and slow you down. It is good to consult with your committee chair about the interpersonal relationships between committee members.

Thank Your Committee

When you finish your dissertation you should be very proud of what you have accomplished.  You have accomplished a great achievement. Remember, without your committee’s help and approval you wouldn’t have made it.

Some people look for and give gifts to their committee members to show their appreciation.  As long as the gifts aren’t too overboard, this is acceptable. At many institutions, there is a tradition of putting your chairperson’s name on your first publication that comes from your dissertation as a thank you. When appropriate, this is a great gesture.

Selecting Your Dissertation Committee Members: Conclusion

It is important to find a dissertation committee that is dedicated to helping you reach your goal. Make sure that you take the time to craft a committee that can provide you the support that you will need and not hinder you. Whatever time you take to create your perfect committee, it will be worth it in the long run.

If you need additional support beyond what your committee can offer you, check out my dissertation coaching and dissertation editing services.

Steve Tippins

Steve Tippins, PhD, has thrived in academia for over thirty years. He continues to love teaching in addition to coaching recent PhD graduates as well as students writing their dissertations. Learn more about his dissertation coaching and career coaching services. Book a Free Consultation with Steve Tippins

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How To Assemble Your Dissertation Committee

Graduate school is full of complicated assignments and difficult decisions, and most graduate students have developed a process they follow when faced with a daunting task. Since choosing your dissertation committee is one of your most consequential scholarly decisions, you might want to try something besides your standard operating procedure. If it's time to select your dissertation committee but you don't even know where to start, follow the following seven tips to select a stellar dissertation committee.

What is a dissertation committee?

A dissertation committee is a carefully selected group of people who will provide feedback and guidance as you research and compose your dissertation. It is important to pick a balanced group of people for your committee, because these people will help shape your research and ultimately, they will determine whether your dissertation is complete enough to earn you the coveted Ph.D. title.

What does a dissertation committee do?

Dissertation committee members will read sections of your dissertation and provide extensive feedback at various points in your process. They will identify weak arguments and challenge your assertions, with the understanding that you will use their feedback to craft a strong dissertation backed with exceptional research. Make sure to choose people capable of providing constructive feedback, because committee members will expect you to resolve their previous concerns by the next time they review your work.

Many graduate students cringe at the thought of asking faculty members to serve on their dissertation committees, because they erroneously think they're asking potential members for a favor. While serving on your dissertation committee will require members to invest time and effort, it is actually one of their professional responsibilities as faculty members. Keep this in mind as you create your list of possible committee members.

Now that you have a better understanding of the purpose of your dissertation committee, follow these seven essential steps to choose an effective dissertation committee.

1. Review your department's requirements

Consult your departments guidelines to determine how many people you need to select for your dissertation committee and identify any necessary qualifications for committee members. Requirements vary based on your department: Some departments and universities require faculty members to make up a certain portion of the committee while others might require a percentage of the committee to come from external institutions or from your specific industry.

2. Ask for recommendations

• Ask your advisor if he or she has any recommendations that you should consider for your committee. Your advisor is most likely already invested in you and your research topic, and aside from you, probably has the best understanding of your dissertation topic and your ultimate goals. Your advisor will hopefully have established strong relationships with other faculty members in your department, so he or she should have valuable suggestions for you to consider. Your advisor will probably also serve on your committee (and might even serve as the committee chair), so it will be worthwhile to consider people that you know will work well with your advisor.
• Ask your fellow graduate students if they can recommend any potential candidates for your dissertation committee. If you have friends who have already selected their dissertation committee, try to learn from their experiences. Ask how they selected their committee members and if they encountered anyone that might be a good fit for you. Friends can also give you tips if a favorite faculty member is going on sabbatical soon or is too busy to serve on any additional committees.

3. Make a list of your ideal committee members

• Professors and teachers you respect and value
• Faculty members who have shaped your understanding of your subject matter
• Industry experts in your field
• People who will broaden your networking circles: If you plan to seek a career in industry after earning your PhD, select at least one committee member with extensive contacts in your preferred industry (if your department's guidelines allow external members on your committee). Additionally, if you choose well-connected committee members, they might be able to introduce you to future collaborators or suggest research areas you have not yet considered.
• People with strong communication skills
• People who will challenge and inspire you

4. Present your list to your advisor and ask for feedback

As you research and write your dissertation, you will seek feedback from your advisor frequently, and you will get some good old-fashioned practice at this during the committee selection process. In Step 2, your advisor recommended a handful of candidates for your committee. Since then, you have added more names to your list, so ask your advisor for feedback on your complete choices. Here are some questions you might want to consider asking:

• Is there anyone on the list who is difficult to work with and might impede your dissertation progress?
• Does your list include someone who is already serving on multiple committees and won't be able to give you the time and attention you deserve?
• Are there any knowledge gaps in your list? In other words, have you included two or three people from the same specialty, which means you probably overlooked including a candidate from another important sector?
• Does your advisor possess personal or professional information that might lead you to exclude any candidates? Don't be nosy here—you don't need to know the reason, just trust your advisor if he or she tells you that someone you should probably remove someone from your list.

5. Ask your top candidates for a meeting

Email your preferred candidates a brief summary of your research topic and ask if you can schedule an appointment to discuss the possibility of them serving on your dissertation committee. If candidates don't reply to your email within a reasonable time frame, assume that they are too busy to serve on a dissertation committee and remove them from your candidate list. Similarly, if a candidate does not have any availability to meet with you during your selected time frame, that candidate is likely overbooked. You might want to take this as a sign and scratch this person off your list.

6. Meet with your top candidates

If a candidate responded promptly, agreed on a time to meet, and followed through on the meeting, chances are high that he or she is reliable and will be able to fit you into a busy schedule. Remember, you are interviewing this person for to serve on the committee that will have the final say in whether you complete your dissertation and earn your Ph.D. Approach the meeting as if you are interviewing them for a position on your payroll.

Create a list of questions to gauge candidates' knowledge about your topic and to get an idea of their communication styles. Asking the same questions in every meeting will highlight the candidates' similarities and differences, and you can use this information to assemble a compatible group of experts. Ideally, each member of your committee will contribute a different type of knowledge or expertise, so treat these meetings as if you are interviewing to fill a specific role on your team.

After each meeting, take a moment to write down your assessments of the candidate and anything that stands out from the meeting. If a candidate stimulated your mind and offered valuable suggestions during an initial meeting, write that down and make a mark to signify that you definitely want that person on your committee.

In contrast, if you feel an abundance of negativity while meeting with a candidate, it's probably best to eliminate that person from your list of potentials. Choosing who serves on your dissertation committee is one of the most important decisions of your academic career, and you have a better chance of success if you assemble a group of people who challenge and inspire you in positive ways.

7. Ask candidates to join your committee

After you've met with all of your possible candidates, use your post-meeting notes to evaluate your options and create a compatible team. Send a separate email to each potential member and highlight a few reasons that you think he or she will be an ideal choice for your dissertation committee. Explain that you are currently in the process of gathering your dissertation committee and ask candidates to give you an answer by a (reasonable) deadline.

If you decided after a meeting that a candidate was not a good fit for your committee, send a follow up email and thank the person for meeting with you. After expressing your appreciation, state that you have filled all positions on your dissertation committee at this time. If applicable, you might consider asking if you can consult him or her if you have questions while working on your dissertation.

Follow the seven steps above if you want to assemble a dissertation committee composed of experts who will guide you towards a successful dissertation. You're already off to a great start.

Header photo by Luckybusiness .

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Forming an Interdisciplinary Dissertation Committee

Doctoral students in interdisciplinary programs face unique challenges in forming dissertation committees. Based on our experience as directors of three such programs (Public Health Genetics, Urban Design and Planning, and Astrobiology), we offer the following suggestions.

Your first challenge

Find the optimal set of members — especially the right chair (or two co-chairs) for your committee. Committee members need to:

• be the best match for your intellectual interests
• have the expertise to help you succeed in designing and completing your dissertation
• be able to help you prepare for your career

In planning for a dissertation, you should consult extensively with faculty members in your program for guidance about:

• potential research questions
• planning/timing methodology
• potential committee members

The role of the committee

The final decision about the appropriate content of your project rests with the dissertation supervisory committee. You should work closely with the committee (especially the chair) to determine your project’s scope and content. The committee will guide your research and should meet regularly with you. Being sure you and your committee agree on what is meant by “regular” meetings is also a good idea. You may find it useful to meet individually with the members and obtain their feedback at several stages of your dissertation process. The interdisciplinary nature of your work may require that feedback at an advanced stage of your dissertation will be provided by the committee in an integrated form. You may want to discuss with your chair how the committee could produce a collective memo integrating their shared feedback.

The composition of dissertation committees

The dissertation supervisory committee must have at least four members, including the chair and the Graduate School representative (GSR). At least three committee members (including the chair and the GSR) must be UW graduate faculty members with an endorsement to chair doctoral committees; a majority of your committee members must be graduate faculty members, identifiable through the  Graduate Faculty Locator .

Committee members should include faculty expertise in your dissertation’s core fields. You might consider having five members, especially if your project involves different disciplines requiring advice and guidance in all areas. Four committee members must attend general and final exams — so having five on your committee provides flexibility if one member cannot attend. However, having more than four committee members may make it more difficult for them to find time to work together.

Selecting a Graduate School representative

You must select the Graduate School representative for your committee by consulting with your chair, other committee members, and/or program directors. The GSR votes and represents the interests of the Graduate School. GSR requirements:

• be a graduate faculty member
• have an endorsement to chair doctoral committees
• no conflict of interest with you or your committee chair

Also, the GSR may not have an official faculty appointment within your committee chair’s department(s) or the department in which your program is housed. This can be challenging for students in interdisciplinary programs. Exceptions to this rule can be made, with appropriate justification, by petition to the dean of the Graduate School.

by Professor Emeritus Melissa Austin, Public Health Genetics; Marina Alberti, professor, Urban Design and Planning; and Woody Sullivan, professor, Astrobiology

Thesis Committee

The Ph.D. Thesis Committee has the responsibility of advising a student on all aspects of the thesis experience, from the proposal process through the preparation and defense of the final document.

The Committee should be comprised of

• the Thesis Advisor(s),
• the Thesis Committee Chair who presides at all committee meetings (must be a BE faculty member), and
• at least one additional member (unrestricted).

The student and research supervisor should agree upon members of a Thesis Committee, and the student is responsible for inviting faculty to sit on their committee. Beyond administration of the Oral Exam, the Thesis Committee is meant to provide guidance on the various aspects of the student’s project; Thesis Committee members should therefore be selected with this goal in mind.

Forming the Committee

During the summer of the second year, the student must submit the BE PhD Thesis Committee form  to the BE Academic Office ) to request approval of the Thesis Committee membership.

Changing the Committee

The Thesis Committee constituted for the Oral Exam/Thesis Proposal may change over the course of the student’s research, as determined by the student and advisor with approval by the Graduate Program Chair. Students should submit a new PhD Thesis Committee form (above) to the BE Academic Office.

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• Dissertation Reading Committee

The Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee consists of three faculty members (the principal dissertation advisor and two other readers) who agree to read a student’s dissertation and serve on the orals committee. All members of an approved reading committee are expected to sign the signature page of the completed dissertation. The reading committee normally serves on the oral exam committee, but not always. At the very least, the primary dissertation advisor and one reader from the reading committee serve on the oral exam committee. The student is responsible for obtaining signatures from advisor and readers before submitting the form to the Doctoral Programs Officer for final processing.

The rules governing the composition of the reading committee are as follows: at least one member of the committee must be from the GSE; the principal dissertation advisor must be on the Stanford Academic Council (AC); and any member of the committee that is not a member of the academic council must be approved by the Area Chair and the Associate Dean of Educational Affairs. In the last case, the Petition for Non-Academic Council Member to Serve on Doctoral Committee form (available from the Doctoral Programs Officer) and a current CV of the proposed member are required. This person must be particularly well qualified to consult on the dissertation topic and hold a PhD or an equivalent foreign degree. Non-AC members may not serve as dissertation advisors, but may serve as a co-advisor along with a member of the AC. Students may only have one non-AC member on the reading committee. The only exception to this rule is if you have more than the three members required for a reading committee. At least two members of the reading committee must be members of the Stanford AC. Reading Committee members must sign the Doctoral Reading Committee form (all forms located on the GSE website under current students>forms). Email confirmations or digital signatures will be accepted.

The reading committee formation, and any subsequent changes to the committee composition, are reviewed and approved by the Associate Dean of Educational Affairs. This signature is obtained by the Doctoral Programs Officer, not the student.

The University requires approval of the Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee form prior to advancement to Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) status, or before scheduling a University Oral Examination–whichever comes first in the student’s program. Further instructions for form completion are on the GSE Website.

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• Getting Started on Finding Your Research Committee

Committee Members Roles and Responsibilities

• Subject Matter Expert
• Committee Member

Committee Chair.   The chair schedules the comprehensive exams, delivers feedback and results of the comprehensive exams, acts as an instructor, oversees the production of the thesis/dissertation, communicates feedback from the subject matter expert and committee member, schedules the dissertation defense, meets monthly via Zoom with the student/candidate throughout the research courses, and reviews work for publication quality.  The chair deals directly with the student on the quality of the paper, the presentation, the flow, the sequence, and the conclusions.  

The role of the committee chair includes the following responsibilities:

• scheduling the comprehensive exams,
• communicating the grades and feedback from the doctoral comprehensive exam,
• overseeing the production of the dissertation,
• managing the timeline and schedule for completion of each phase of the dissertation in the courses.
• acting as an instructor in the courses,
• contacting the student/candidate regarding setting and meeting deadlines in the dissertation process,
• directing the timely and successful completion of each assignment,
• working directly with the SME and committee member to garner added perspective, feedback, and constructive criticism to strengthen the dissertation,
• communicating with the student/candidate to convey feedback, insights, added perspective, and constructive commentary provided by the committee member and SME,
• confirming with the SME that the content of the dissertation is factual and accurate,
• advising the student on formatting, sequencing, and organizing the thesis/dissertation,
• ensuring the academic quality of the thesis/dissertation, including each of the assignments in courses.
• facilitating final approval of the thesis/dissertation by making sure that all committee members sign the approval form, and
• scheduling and leading the thesis/dissertation oral defense and publication.

Subject Matter Expert (SME).   All members of the committee are subject matter experts (SMEs). The title of this particular member of the committee emphasizes and highlights specific responsibilities within the committee dynamic.  The SME should be in constant contact with the student regarding  content  of the dissertation.  This is the person the student turns to in order to test ideas and conclusions and to ensure the appropriateness, relevance, significance, and accuracy of the dissertation’s content in order to meet university and academic standards.

The SME also certifies the accurate reporting of that material to the chair and determines the factual nature of the work.  The SME knows the subject closely and acts as the student’s sounding board.  The SME does not establish timelines, length of the thesis/dissertation, etc.  The role of SME includes the following responsibilities:

• consistently consulting with the student/candidate regarding the relevance and significance of the research content,
• regularly discussing content with the student/candidate to test ideas and conclusions,
• updating the committee chair about discussions with the student/candidate and about any suggestions or recommendations resulting from those discussions, and
• confirming the accuracy, appropriateness, relevance, and significance of the research focus and content with the committee chair.

Committee Member.   One additional committee member works for the committee chair.  The committee member advises and assists the committee chair in every aspect of the project.  The committee member interacts directly with the chair, not the student.  This prevents conflicting information from being sent to the student and presents a unified stance during the process.  The chair and the committee member work out all responses presented to the student and resolve any conflicting guidance before the student is contacted.  If conflicts cannot be resolved, the chair makes the ultimate decision.  The chair and the committee member work together constantly, but the chair is the face of the university to the student.  The role of the committee member includes the following responsibilities:

• interacting with the chair to provide added insight, perspective, and feedback to be shared with the student, and
• determining responses, suggestions, and constructive criticism that will be shared with the student through the chair.
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Find data or policy by:, structuring your dissertation committee.

An occasional series from the Doctoral Scholars Program on postsecondary topics

In graduate school we are bombarded with decisions. We decide whether to be quantitative, qualitative or mixed-methods researchers, what classes to take, and what topic to expand on for our dissertation. One of the most important decisions we make, though, is deciding which faculty members will sit on our dissertation committee.

Typically, students will begin to form their committee once graduate coursework is complete. This allows them to take classes with different faculty members and build rapport. It is out of these nurtured relationships that students should gather potential committee members. Given the function of the dissertation committee, you should recruit faculty members that you work well with.

Faculty members selected to be on your committee can ease — or make more difficult — the process of completing your dissertation.

Your dissertation committee is like a board of directors voted in by you to supervise your business. They are the ultimate judges on your passing the dissertation phase. They will advise you on your research topic and methods, assess the quality of your written work and provide suggestions, assess your ability to function as an independent researcher during the oral defense and, lastly, give their signatures of approval on your work.

The role which each member fills — chair, content expert, methodologist — should be determined by their expertise and your rapport with them.

Chair: The chairperson will work closest with you; this individual will help you select your dissertation topic, provide feedback and suggestions on your written proposal before it goes to other committee members, and steer you back on track when distractions get the best of you.

The decision of chair should not be made in haste; it should be thoughtful. Consider a faculty member you feel comfortable discussing professional and personal issues with, because sometimes they overlap.

Content Expert: The content expert will thoroughly read your literature review to assess and suggest variables of interest, aid in writing a more comprehensive literature review, gauge research gaps and the significance of your study, and help shape effective research questions.

Recruit a content expert who is well-researched in the topic of your dissertation. If you are studying literacy development in students with dyslexia, then find a faculty member with a research background that fits.

Methodologist: The methodologist pays special attention to everything about methods, from the research design to the statistical approach. Their feedback and suggestions will mainly be related to your methods.

Recruit a methodologist who understands the types of analyses you want to perform. If you want to conduct structural equation modeling, get someone who thoroughly understands that.

Faculty members selected to be on your committee can ease — or make more difficult — the process of completing your dissertation. Here are three things to consider when structuring your committee:

• Personalities – Some personalities play well together, and others do not. You must consider the personalities of your committee members and whether those personalities will work well together. Internal feuds could make your dissertation process difficult.
• Demands – Consider the demands committee members may place on you during the dissertation phase. Ideally, committee members are professors you’ve had in class, so you should be able to gauge their expectations as it relates to the workload they place on students.
• Communication – If the communication sucks when you’re in their class, it is probably going to suck when you place them on your committee. Recruit members who are accessible and easy to communicate with.

If you’ve made it to this phase, celebrate yourself. Remember you’ve made it this far because you’ve earned it.

Precious M. Hardy is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Educational Psychology at the University of Missouri, Columbia. She earned her bachelor’s in psychology from Lincoln University of Missouri and a master’s in educational psychology from the University of Missouri, Columbia. She is a Gus T. Ridgel Fellow, a Graduate Student of Excellence Scholar, an SREB Scholar, and a Center for Advancing Opportunity Fellow. Her research interests center around ethnic and socioeconomic achievement gaps in education with a special emphasis on reading and math gaps.

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Feb. 27, 2023

Selecting your master’s thesis committee members, by karyssa courey: selecting a thesis committee is like completing a puzzle every piece of this process is very valuable to have the right fit for your committee.

First off, congratulations on advancing to this stage in your academic career! Meeting the requirements for your thesis is not an easy task but you did it! You deserve to celebrate your achievements, both big and small. 

After you have finish celebrating, it’s now time for you to select committee members for your thesis. A thesis committee is a group of faculty members who provides mentorship for your entire thesis experience.

Before you begin randomly selecting members of your committee, there are a few steps and strategies that will help you pick the right members!

Where do I start?

• Review the requirements for thesis committees in your department

Rice provides requirements for thesis committees online . For example, a thesis committee for a graduate student in the psychological sciences must have three members (your advisor and two others). At least two committee members must be within your department. Reviewing the requirements will help you understand who can and cannot be on your committee!

• Breaking down your topic

If you are considering committee members, you likely have a draft of your master’s proposal or at least an idea of what your project will be about. Consider the keywords of your project (i.e., what are five terms that can be used to categorize your proposal?). These keywords are the core of your project and can help you identify faculty that align with your interests and research goals.

• Connect your topic to faculty research

Now that you have identified your keywords, think about faculty that you know in your department that are knowledgeable in the topics you are studying. You can also search faculty/lab websites or Google Scholar if you are unfamiliar with a faculty member’s research expertise. 

If there are aspects of your master’s proposal that are interdisciplinary, don’t be afraid to search for faculty outside of your department that can provide you with a valuable perspective on your research topic.

Who should I be in communication with?

• Talk with your advisor

Often, your advisor will have suggestions for potential committee members. Your advisor is one of the few people that will understand both the scope of your research project and know the faculty expertise in your department. Listen to your advisor’s recommendations and suggestions, note any faculty that may be a good fit, and share any ideas that you have based on your search in steps 2 and 3. Don’t feel constricted the recommendations from your advisor either, your peers could also be a resource.

• Talk with your peers

Older peers in your program often have a great perspective on selecting thesis committee members. Your peers may also have first hand experience with the same faculty members you are considering. E.g., Professor X provides more substantive feedback than Professor Y, so if you want substantive feedback, this is extremely helpful information!

• Talk with other faculty

Don’t be afraid to schedule meetings with potential faculty members if you want to discuss your thesis. Meeting with faculty is a great way to explain your project, hear their feedback, and gauge their interest.

I’ve talked to everyone on the list; what's next?

• Email potential committee members

Once you have selected your committee members, it is now time to email them! This might be scary or feel like a daunting step, but remember that the faculty at Rice are here to support you and help cultivate your skills as a researcher. Committee members are your team members, and are here to ideally provide constructive feedback to make your project even better!

When emailing faculty, make sure to use an appropriate tone, provide the title of your thesis, explain your project in a few sentences (or add your abstract), and note any specific reasons that that faculty is a good fit.

For example, if a faculty member has expertise relating to a theory you are applying in your research, make sure to name the theory in your email! The goal is for your potential committee members to have a clear understanding of the scope of your project and connect their expertise to your project.

What should I be mindful of during this process?

• Handling rejection

If a prospective committee member declines your offer, it’s okay! Do not take it personally or be discouraged! There may be many reasons why a faculty member might decline (e.g., tight on time, perceived lack of fit, or think another faculty member might be a better fit). Do, however, consider other faculty members and consider scheduling a meeting to discuss your thesis project. Meeting with potential committee members can help you understand if they would be a good fit, plus it’s a great opportunity to meet faculty members outside of your courses!

• Sticking to your timeline

Lastly, keep in mind your deadlines. Different departments have different requirements for scheduling your proposal and declaring your master’s candidacy. For example, in the Psychological Sciences department, a student can propose their master’s without declaring a master's candidacy. However, it is required that committee members are notified at least ten days prior to scheduling your proposal meeting.

Collegial Cloud: Committee Members

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Message to Dissertation Committee Members

Dear faculty, thank you for agreeing to serve on dissertation committees for CUC doctoral students and all the work you do to ensure that our students successfully complete and defend their dissertation. On this page you will find the following information: 1) roles and responsibilities of dissertation committee members; 2) description of the dissertation process (a letter that our students get when they pass the comprehensive exam).

Roles and Expectations for Committee Members

Dear doctoral faculty and dissertation committee members,

As the number of CUC’s doctoral student enrollment continues to grow so does the number of faculty involved in the process of guiding students toward the degree completion. At the present time, more than 1,000 doctoral students are enrolled in our programs. All of us have been working diligently and conscientiously, although somewhat independently, to contribute to student success. To provide formative experiences in line with CUC's mission and vision and to serve the increasing doctoral enrollment, the Doctoral Advisory Committee (DAC), would like to delineate the roles and expectations of dissertation committee members and to highlight academic etiquette that supports the university's values. Out goal is to offer recommendations that would ensure consistency and integrity of doctoral committee work, while also supporting different teaching and mentoring styles and ways of working with students.

Overall assumptions

• Committee members provide critical and constructive feedback to draft material within 2-3 weeks of receiving drafts, with clear recommendations for improvement. During particularly busy periods (end of the term or school year), or summer break, faculty may need more time to respond;
• Committee members are responsive to student e-mails and phone calls;
• All the workflow between the student and the committee members is coordinated by the chair;
• If deemed necessary and helpful, all committee members work directly with students;
• Committee members are expected to be in agreement prior to bringing students to a proposal and dissertation defense.
• Understands the dissertation process and effectively communicates with their students and committee;
• Oversees the entire dissertation process;
• Provides direction and feedback on all chapters as needed;
• Works to resolve the disagreements and tensions between the committee members and the committee and the student in a collegial and collaborative way;
• Ensures that the IRB process is followed appropriately;
• Appropriately uses technology and sets up meetings in order to clarify miscommunications and disagreements and demonstrates to students that the committee is working in accord;
• Reviews the entire manuscript prior to the proposal and final defense for the overall document quality;
• Schedules the proposal and dissertation defense with the Doctoral Office;
• Facilitates the proposal and dissertation defense process in a professional manner.

Methodologist

• Provides critical and constructive feedback on chapters One, Three, and Four to ensure that the study purpose, research questions, and chosen methodology are aligned;
• As applicable, provides guidance on the development and use of data collection tools and procedures;
• Communicates proposed revisions to student and chair;
• Attends the proposal and dissertation defense and participates in a professional manner.

Content Expert/Reader

• Provides critical and constructive feedback on chapters One, Two, and Five, with an emphasis on the integration of the literature review, conceptual and theoretical framework, findings, and implications;
• As applicable, provides context expertise guidance and feedback on the development of data collection tools;
• Communicates to students and the chair the proposed revisions;
• Reviews the entire manuscript prior to the proposal and final defense for content soundness;

Documents for Dissertation Committee Members

• Dissertation Process
• Proposal and Defense Procedures - Chair
• Guiding your students through IRB application/IRB common mistakes
• Defense Scheduling Web Form
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Dissertation Defense: Ryan Bond

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• Apr. 26, 2024, 11am to 12:30pm

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Office/remote location, description.

Ryan Bond, D.M.A. Candidate

School of Music 

The Science Behind Free Rebound

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• Timothy Jones, D.M.A., Committee Chair
• Dean Gronemeier, D.M.A., Committee Member
• Thomas Leslie, M.Ed., Committee Member
• Tony LaBounty, M.S., Committee Member
• Brackley Frayer, M.F.A., Committee Member

Admission Information

This event is open to the public.

Contact Information

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• Doctoral Writing Center
• Ed.D Dissertation Process

Dissertation Committee

Committee makeup.

Dissertation Chair

Role: Primary project manager of the committee. The Chair will have both subject matter and general methodology expertise and will guide the student through the dissertation process. Duration: Begin in year 3 and continue until completion of the dissertation Time Commitment: 24 hours per session with student Selection: Doctoral students will select/approve their Chairs (see below for how to select a Chair)

Committee Member One

Role: Advise students on possible dissertation topics by narrowing down research interests. This committee member will have both subject matter and general methodology expertise. Duration: Begin in year 1 and continue in this role until completion of year 2. In year 3 the Advisor continues to support the dissertation committee in the role of Committee Member # 1 until completion of the dissertation Time Commitment: 2 hours per session in year 1, and 2 and 4 hours per dissertation course in year 3 with student Selection: The Dissertation Director will assign this committee member after matching expertise with student focus.

Committee Member Two

Role: Review dissertation document in preparation for preliminary and final defense. This committee member will have both support subject matter/and general methodology expertise. Duration: Begin in year 3, for courses 3 and 4 (BUS 902 & BUS 903) Time Commitment: 2 hours per course with student Selection: The Dissertation Director/Program Chair will assign this committee member after matching expertise with student focus.

Responsibilities by Roles

The responsibilities of the Chair include:

• Staying current with dissertation policies and procedures
• Implementing any changes
• Advising the candidate from the first dissertation course until the completion of the dissertation and graduation (BUS 901 – BUS 903)
• Guiding the candidate to complete a work plan for completion of the dissertation in each dissertation course
• Guiding the candidate toward achieving a high level of technical and ethical quality in the dissertation research
• Assisting the candidate completing the CITI and in navigating the IRB approval process
• Assisting the candidate to complete their proposal
• Providing guidance on the dissertation structure, formatting, content
• Referring candidate to support functions when necessary – Doctoral Writing Center, Methodology Specialists
• Guiding the candidate in the selection of methods/procedures for data collection and analysis
• Preparing the candidate for the defense process

Dissertation Committee Members - Advisor/Reader

All members of the candidate’s committee share responsibility in ensuring that the candidate produces high-quality scholarship. The responsibilities of the Committee Members include:

• Providing subject matter expertise and guidance
• Reading drafts and provide meaningful feedback at each defense stage
• Providing guidance on correct usage of APA
• Directing student to editors list

Doctoral Candidate

The responsibilities of you as a doctoral candidate include:

• Proposing a viable project that has collectible data to support conclusions.
• Managing the doctoral research process, including initiation and continuation of communications with the Dissertation Chair and the Dissertation Committee Members.
• Completing weekly work plans and contact form in GAP and bi-weekly meetings with the Dissertation Chair.
• Meeting and abiding by the deadlines in the written and approved work plan and contact form.
• Completing a successful preliminary defense.
• Conducting ethical research that adheres to the approved written methodology received by the Institutional Review Board (IRB).
• Completion of CITI certification
• Completing a successful final defense.
• Incorporating any feedback and recommendations from the Dissertation Chair and the Dissertation Committee Members.
• Having a deliverable, scholarly written, edited, and properly formatted final draft of the dissertation research meets the university’s content and quality standards. (This is the completed Dissertation that must be successfully defended.)
• Keeping the Dissertation Chair and the Dissertation Committee Members informed of developments as the research study is conceptualized, designed, conducted, and written. A Doctoral Candidate may consult with an additional statistician, Methodologist, or editor, but in no case should any person other than the Doctoral Candidate conduct the work associated with the dissertation research.

Note: If an event occurs that prohibits the dissertation research’s progression and completion; the Doctoral Candidate must communicate with the Dissertation Chair to obtain advice, service, or assistance. If any significant modifications need to be made to the timeline, the Doctoral Candidate must seek approval from the Dissertation Chair and the Dissertation Director.

Selecting Your Dissertation Chair

At the end of the second year, after successful completion of RES 751, doctoral students will select their Dissertation Chair. The Dissertation Chair serves as the committee lead, providing expert support structure in content, methodology and guidance throughout the dissertation process.

After successful completion of RES 751, students will receive an email from Student Services with a link to the Dissertation Committee Selection Form. Students will use this form to identify their first and second choice for Dissertation Chair.

Considerations for Selection

Selecting your Dissertation Chair is a crucial step in the dissertation process and should be done so with careful consideration. For advice on what to consider prior to selection, please see here .

To see a list of the available Dissertation Chairs and their subject matter expertise and qualifications, please see here .

Additional Support

While the students’ Committee Members and Chair will be able to provide substantial support throughout the dissertation process, additional dissertation support is available.

Doctoral Writing Center Specialists

Doctoral Writing Center Specialists are available to assist students from the time they begin their prospectus until the end of your dissertation. The specialists are able to guide the process of writing, organization and revising the dissertation.

The responsibilities of the Doctoral Writing Center Specialists include:

• Provide suggestions and considerations for the author on organization, mechanics, cohesion, or flow.
• Focus on the areas that the author has specified the need for.
• Discuss aspects related to writing, not content.

How to Get in Touch: Book an appointment easily here!

Methodology Specialists

Methodology Specialists provide support to dissertation students if it is determined that a proposed dissertation is sufficiently complex to require more in-depth guidance. Individuals in this role guide dissertation students in selecting the best approach to data collection and analysis.

Roles and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Providing in-depth guidance into both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies
• Meeting students for 2-hour consultancy sessions (days/times may vary)
• Proposing the most appropriate research design fit to address a problem statement and research questions or for testing stated hypotheses
• Data collection and analysis
• Presentation of the data
• Conclusions drawn from analyses

How to Get in Touch: Please send an email to [email protected] for a current list of methodologists available.

Common Questions

For a list of responses to common questions regarding the chair selection process, please see here .

Contact Options If you have questions regarding any element of this process, please reach out to:

Dr. Geraldine Goodstone, Dissertation Director – [email protected] Dr. Alex Sherm, Program Chair – [email protected]

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Johnson Turns to Democrats to Bring Up Ukraine Aid Bill in the House

Democrats, who stepped in late Thursday to save a resolution paving the way for the foreign aid package to be considered, will have to do so again on Friday in a critical vote on the House floor.

By Catie Edmondson

Reporting from Washington

House Republicans are looking to Democrats on Friday to help them push past their own party’s opposition and supply crucial votes to bring up the long-stalled foreign aid bill for Ukraine and Israel.

A critical vote on the House floor was scheduled for Friday morning after the G.O.P. was forced to rely on Democratic votes late Thursday night to move the package out of the powerful Rules Committee over Republican objections — an extraordinary turn of events in a panel that usually operates strictly along party lines.

Democratic votes will also be needed on Friday to pass a procedural measure, known as a rule, to allow the aid package to be brought up, in what is expected to be yet another unorthodox vote in the face of Republican opposition.

The rule is critical to Mr. Johnson’s plan to push the foreign aid package through the House, because it would allow separate votes on aid to Israel and aid to Ukraine, which are supported by different coalitions, but then would fold them together without requiring lawmakers to cast an up-or-down vote on the entire bill.

That makes it the only all-or-nothing vote that lawmakers will face on the foreign aid package, in many ways making it more important than any of the votes on the individual pieces of the plan. The measure also includes aid to Taiwan and a package of sweeteners including a bill to require the sale of TikTok by its Chinese owner or ban the app in the United States.

The rule also would tee up roughly half a dozen floor votes on proposed changes to the aid package, including one by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, to zero out all funding for Ukraine, and another by Representative Kat Cammack, Republican of Florida, that would eliminate all nonmilitary funding for Kyiv.

The action was unfolding only hours after Republicans banded together with Democrats to take a major step Thursday night toward bringing up the bill. A 9-to-3 bipartisan vote in the Rules Committee was the part of the convoluted process the House is expected to go through over the next couple of days to approve the $95 billion aid package. It reflected the extent of far-right anger over Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan to push through the legislation over the opposition of ultraconservative Republicans, and underscored how heavily the speaker is relying on Democrats to push it across the finish line.

In a spasm of anger, three far-right Republicans on the panel, which controls what legislation comes to the House floor, refused to back the rule needed to bring up the foreign aid bill, putting it on track to die in committee. But Democrats on the panel stepped in to save it in an extraordinary breach of custom.

The Rules Committee has traditionally been an organ of the speaker, and legislation is typically advanced to the floor in a straight party-line vote. This time, all of the Democrats voted to advance the plan.

The three Republicans on the panel who sought to block the measure were Representatives Chip Roy of Texas, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, and Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

The trio won their seats on the Rules panel as part of a concession made last year by the speaker at the time, Kevin McCarthy, who had to haggle with ultraconservatives who opposed electing him to the top post and agreed to back him only after he granted them critical leverage. They refused to support the measure to bring up the foreign aid package because it would not allow a vote on severe border security provisions they have said should be prioritized over aiding Ukraine.

That amounted to a remarkable act of rebellion, and left Democrats to bail out the speaker and push the measure through the panel.

Mr. Johnson has scheduled House votes on the aid package for Saturday.

“I’d rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys,” he said in an interview on Newsmax on Thursday night. “We don’t want to have boots on the ground, and we can prevent that by allowing them to hold Putin at bay.”

Catie Edmondson covers Congress for The Times. More about Catie Edmondson

A Divided Congress: Latest News and Analysis

Ukraine Aid Bill: The House took a critical step toward approving a long-stalled package of aid to Ukraine, Israel and other American allies, as Democrats supplied the crucial votes to push the legislation  past Republican opposition for consideration on the floor .

A  Tough Job : The Republican speaker Mike Johnson’s problems in advancing an aid package for Ukraine arise from previous efforts to placate the far right. Now the far right members are seeking to use the leverage they won .

TikTok Bill: The House made another push to force through legislation that would require the sale of TikTok by its Chinese owner or ban the app in the United States by packaging the measure with aid to Ukraine and Israel .

Surveillance Bill: Senate leaders of both parties are urging their colleagues to renew a warrantless surveillance law  before it expires. But the program would continue after any such lapse  — with some caveats.

Mayorkas Impeachment: Republicans say the Senate’s quick dismissa l of charges against Alejandro Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, sets a dangerous precedent. Democrats say the mistake would have been to treat the case seriously .

Campus Antisemitism Hearing: Columbia’s president, Nemat Shafik, agreed that the university needed to take a tougher stance on antisemitism, in response to harsh questioning from a Republican-led House committee .

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3rd Republican joins motion to oust Mike Johnson as House speaker

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Deirdre Walsh

Arizona GOP Rep. Paul Gosar, seen here on Capitol Hill in June 2023, announced Friday he's joining the move to oust Mike Johnson as House speaker. Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption

Arizona GOP Rep. Paul Gosar, seen here on Capitol Hill in June 2023, announced Friday he's joining the move to oust Mike Johnson as House speaker.

A third Republican House member has signed onto the effort to remove Mike Johnson as House speaker.

"We need a Speaker who puts America first rather than bending to the reckless demands of the warmongers, neo-cons and the military industrial complex making billions from a costly and endless war half a world away," Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar said in a statement late Friday morning.

Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene filed the motion to vacate resolution nearly a month ago, in part over disputes with the speaker on how he handled a $1.2 trillion appropriations package . Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie co-sponsored that motion earlier this week.

The trio of Republicans have expressed dismay that Johnson forged ahead with Ukraine aid without securing support for a bill aimed to strengthen security along the U.S.-Southern border.

Here's what's in the foreign aid package that House Republicans are debating

Gosar's announcement came shortly after a House vote to advance foreign aid bills to Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel, which required Democrats' support to offset GOP defections.

With Gosar signing onto the effort to oust the speaker it means Johnson will likely need votes from Democrats if the resolution comes up for a vote. The GOP majority shrinks to a one-vote margin after Wisconsin GOP Rep. Mike Gallagher's resignation becomes official, which is expected after the House votes on the foreign aid package.

Some Democrats have indicated they would help save Johnson if the motion to vacate comes to the floor.

Rep. Bob Good, who chairs the House Freedom Caucus, said that although he disagrees with Johnson, he doesn't think it's in Republicans' interest to remove him as speaker.

"I don't defend the performance of the speaker, I don't defend the actions that have been taken," Good told reporters after the Friday vote. "However, that doesn't mean that I support what I would consider to be not the most prudent action right now. We're six months before an election, we have a two-three vote margin."

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Several members of the Republican conference had called for a Thursday rule to include changing the threshold to bring a motion to remove the speaker — which currently is just one member.

Rep. Mike Lawler, a moderate Republican from a New York swing district, said Thursday the threshold should be changed "immediately."

"However it needs to get done, it should get done," Lawler said. "If Mike Johnson is removed simply because he put aid to our allies on the floor, No. 1, it'll cause another prolonged amount of chaos. And No. 2, it will make it that much harder for the next speaker to do the right thing at the right time."

But Johnson went on social media Thursday to say the House will "continue to govern under the existing rules."

Since the beginning of the 118th Congress, the House rule allowing a Motion to Vacate from a single member has harmed this office and our House majority. Recently, many members have encouraged me to endorse a new rule to raise this threshold. While I understand the importance of… — Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) April 18, 2024

Democrats provide critical votes to advance GOP foreign aid package

House Democrats played a key role in helping GOP leaders advance legislation to provide nearly $95 billion in stalled funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, teeing up a vote on final passage on Saturday.

"Even though it's not the perfect legislation, it's not the legislation that we would write if Republicans were in charge of both the House, the Senate, and the White House, this is the best possible product that we can get under these circumstances," Johnson said after the vote.

Democrats also took the extremely rare step of voting to advance the Republican foreign aid bills out of the Rules Committee late Thursday night.

House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar of California, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and House Minority Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts speak during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Kent Nishimura/Getty Images hide caption

House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar of California, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and House Minority Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts speak during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

Republican Reps. Chip Roy, Thomas Massie and Ralph Norman voted against the rule in committee.

Ahead of the vote, Democratic leaders had not committed to supporting the rule, as text was not yet available. But they said they were open to the possibility and they were committed to getting foreign aid passed.

"We're going to do what's necessary to make sure that the national security bill gets over the finish line," House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Thursday morning.

Minority support of a majority rule virtually never happens. As a result, Johnson and his predecessor, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, have seen several rules fail on the floor, largely over objections from the right flank of the party.