Administration

The preliminary examination will be administered by the "Prelim" Committee, which consists of the student's Supervisory Committee minus their Research Advisor (i.e. four faculty). See the Student Guidelines for a description of the Supervisory Committee. The advisor has the option of attending the Prelim exam meetings if they wish to observe their student's performance, but they cannot participate in any aspect of the examination. The Prelim Committee has the option to invite a fifth "ad hoc" member to join in order to provide expertise in a particular area that will be covered during the exam. Students should avoid including collaborating faculty members on their Prelim Committee. Although collaborators may be ideal for the Supervisory Committee, they are often too closely involved with the student's research to provide an unbiased perspective during the preliminary exam. The Prelim Committee may designate a chairperson for the examination.