Doctor of Ministry
Dissertation Committee
Faculty Mentor
- Selection and Assignment
Mentors will be assigned by the Dean after consultation with the student and prospective faculty member. These assignments are normally made at the time a student takes DM803. Whenever possible, mentors shall come from disciplines which relate to the advisee's area of concentration. When this is not possible, Mentors may nominate an Internal Reader who may have more expertise in an area of the project- dissertation. In addition, Mentors are encouraged to work in an interdisciplinary fashion, consulting with faculty members from other areas vis-a-vis the project- dissertation. In this manner, through the mentor the advisee indirectly accesses the resources of the Asbury Theological Seminary faculty.
The Mentor serves as an "integrator" helping you to reflect upon the relationship between theory and practice in ministry. The Mentor also serves as a "mentor" in the dissertation-project process.
- Functions
- Integrator
- Schedule times for telephone conferences or personal meetings.
- Report to the D.Min. Dean each anniversary of assignment regarding contracts with you.
D.Min. Office will supply report forms and will request information regarding conferences, phone calls, letters, visits with you as well as an update on your progress vis-a-vis graduation time line.
- Mentor
- Recommend a suitable Internal Reader to D. Min. Dean before the proposal final draft is submitted and a proposal hearing is requested.
- Attend a proposal hearing with you, the internal reader, and D.Min. Dean to determine if you are ready to proceed with the research phase of the process
- In consultation with the internal reader and D.Min. Dean either approve, approve with modifications, or disapprove the dissertation-project proposal and application for admission to candidacy
- Require regular dissertation-project progress reports from you
- Read/critique/return materials submitted within two weeks of reception when possible
- Channel all feedback on dissertation-project materials to you, including any feedback from the internal reader. (With the possible exception noted in the following item)
- Prepare you in advance of mentor's sabbatical leave by attempting to work as closely as possible up to the date of the sabbatical and arrange for feedback while the mentor is on sabbatical
- Utilize other faculty for input when not a specialist in topic advisee has chosen
- Meet with internal reader over completed dissertation-project.
- Inform you when you are ready to defend your dissertation-project and chair the dissertation-project defense hearing.
- Make recommendation to Dean regarding completed dissertation-project
- Integrator
Internal Reader
- Selection
The internal reader is selected by the mentor after consultation with the student and Dean of Doctor of Ministry Studies.
- Role
The role of the internal reader may vary from committee to committee, but generally the person is chosen to complement the strengths and weaknesses of the mentor.
- Responsibilities
Specific responsibilities for all internal readers include:- Serve as a member of the dissertation committee
- Function as resource person to the mentor, as requested, with regard to areas of individual expertise
- Participate in proposal hearing
- The mentor, internal reader, and Dean of the Doctor of Ministry program must all accept the proposal. The finished dissertation-project will be evaluated against the approved proposal. A "Modification to Proposal" must be approved and accompany the student’s proposal whenever any significant changes to the original proposal are made
- Participate in dissertation defense hearing
- When critiquing both the proposal and the finished project-dissertation, take into account:
- Grounding in the literature
- Design of the study
- Logic, flow, and clarity of expression
- Grammar, spelling, and punctuation. (The dissertation committee may require anyone with a severe handicap in this area to secure a technical reader at personal expense).
D.Min. Dean or Other Program Representative
Either the Dean of the Doctor of Ministry Program or a faculty representative of the program will round out the dissertation committee. This person will help you uphold the standards of the program and will be available for consultation as needed.