After noticing colleagues struggle with this for years, Anke van Zuylen, Emmanuel Sharef,
and I decided to put together a more thorough and consistent checklist
for PhD students in ORIE submitting Cornell dissertations. The official
version may be found on the Cornell University Graduate School thesis page.
This checklist comes with no warranties whatsoever but should prevent many long walks to Caldwell.
It is written for ORIE graduates but you could probably extrapolate to your own field.
Please contact me with any comments/changes that you discover.
Committee should complete "Results of examination" form
Committee chair should sign both abstract copies on the top right; the signature has to be within the margins of the document!
The rest of your committee will often give their comments/revisions directly to your chair and will sign the "Approval of Dissertation" form (it's easier to get these signatures when everyone is in the same room), with the understanding that your chair withholds their signature until you have completed all of these revisions.
At this point you no longer need further signatures from your committee.
Important Notes:
The name on your approval forms and on your thesis (title page and abstract) must be EXACTLY as it appears on Just The Facts. You may not abbreviate your middle name if it is written in full on JTF.
The thesis advisor wants the copyright date (set in the latex template and appearing on the title page, abstract, and copyright page) to match the month and year of the degree CONFERRAL (and not the submission date).
Post B-exam paperwork
Submit "Results of examination" form to graduate school, give a copy to Kathy King
Photocopy onto archival paper:
One additional copy of the signed "approval of dissertation form"
Photocopy onto regular paper:
Three additional copies of the signed "approval of dissertation form"
One copy of your title page (for UMI); hand-write your committee chair's name on the front.
Complete degree information card (online if you are a registered student, otherwise print and bring to thesis advisor)
Submit thesis to eCommons:
Follow the instructions in the thesis advisor's email to submit
You'll probably need to resubmit a few times, because the thesis advisor will find things that are incorrect
Once approved, contact CBS Digital Services via their electronic order form to have 2 copies of your dissertation sent to the graduate school. You can also order extra copies for yourself, your advisors or the PhD lounge.
Prepare checks and pay fees
Check for $125 payable to Cornell University (this can be given to the thesis advisor)
Optional: Check for $65 payable to PQIL if you want UMI to register your copyright
Optional: If you took a leave of absence after your A-exam, pay active file fee, at Day Hall and keep receipt
Two copies of your signed abstract on regular paper
One original and one copy of the "approval of dissertation form" on archival paper
Three copies of the "approval of dissertation" form on regular paper
Filing fee check for $125 payable to Cornell University
For UMI (all on regular paper):
UMI Doctoral Dissertation Agreement form
Copy of the Thesis title page with chair's name handwritten on the page
Copy of abstract page (unsigned)
Optional: Check for $65 payable to PQIL (if you want copyright registration)
Optional: Receipt for your active-file fee (if you were on leave)
Survey of Earned Doctorates
The great beyond
Make sure that CBSDS delivered your thesis copies to the graduate school
Make sure that Kathy King gets a hard-bound copy of your thesis to put in the lounge
The thesis advisor can give you a signed letter stating that you have fulfilled all degree requirements (eg.- needed for a post-doc or faculty position) once everything has been submitted to her and she receives word from CBSDS that your thesis printing has been submitted/paid for.
Make sure that your address on JTF is updated so that the diploma is shipped to the correct place.
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