Mike’s Doc Blog

So, I have a Committee Chairperson or as we call them, Dissertation Mentor. This process seems to me more individual than traditionally thought of programs where candidates do the research of their chairs or committee.

In the past my mentor has indicated that she would rather have the proposal ready to go and then bring on the other committee members. This seems like it might add time to the process, a commodity I am short of these days. So how to meet her expectations and still keep on my time line?

I suspect the process of finding committee members might take a few weeks of mutual interviewing and finally selection. It sure did for the mentor position. If it is all similar for the committee members it will be like finding a gem in a field of coal. I was fortunate to find a mentor once and then twice when my first had to step aside for another job. But in that process was a lot of no replies, odd replies, and some outright rude replies (something I am still disappointed with today some years later). I think I should expect some of the same.

Fortunately, as my mentor has explained, it is the mentors job to manage the committee and mine to be the expert and get the work done. In talking with some other doctoral students it would seem that being a committee member is a little more fluid than being a mentor and that is perfectly alright. What I am looking for is sound advice, respectful support, and someone to sign off on the proposal, research, and final product.

There are a few weeks of time before I begin the session with my mentor and I think I will use that time to search the available committee members and make a short list of possible candidates for the job. As I finish up my proposal with my mentor I would like to be bringing on committee members along the way. Perhaps this is a two-pronged approach. We’ll go up the middle and flank them too.

Lots to think about as I come into the hoe stretch on this dissertation.

A long day of work is done. I found my proposal draft and realized it was woefully inadequate. So, I printed it out on the few sheets of paper it required and did some searching. I searched, and found, other documents like checklists, change trackers, IRB/ARB submission guidelines and forms, and some internal research request forms.

At the end of the searching and printing, I had a noble stack of paper to sift through this weekend. Yes, this weekend. I know I seem gung-ho about getting this on track but I have to prioritize this final class. A class, I might add, that holds no interest or value for me (dare I say any student…I dare not. Let them have their own blog and feelings about this awful class).

So tonight and tomorrow are dedicated to re-writing a paper I’ve already written based on the feedback from my professor and learning team members. I also get the joy of writing up a plan for how I will or won’t incorporate feedback for this round and potential rounds. I can assure you that this final part will be completely conjecture and will never leave this classroom space and be applied in my real world. If you were ever baffled why public K-12 schooling was onerous and complicated take a few classes and realize that this is a group of professionals that just over-think everything. If there is a silver lining it is that I am more prepared to fight for my child(ren)’s education than ever before. /rant

Okay, where was I?

Right, there it is. So having found my proposal and gathered some other forms needed to submit a qualified proposal to my committee I need to make a plan for the weekend. First, re-read and make notes on my proposal draft. I think this will provide me some insights and reflection on my work and thinking around it. Second, start making a plan for completing the proposal using the guidelines and forms as my checkpoint and ruler. That should take most of the weekend.

Once I’ve finished with this, I think putting some writing in place daily will really help get me going. I begin my next session with my committee chair on March 16th and want to have a finished draft ready to go by the time I’ve hit that starting point with her.

A meeting last week with my boss yielded a surprising “all in favor” response to asking about doing research within our job family and using resources other than me to complete it. Not that there is anything in the research that warrants a ‘no’ but I was surprised by the enthusiasm and vision of what this could mean for our job family in terms of training. It also beget a conversation about the things that could be coming down the road for this group. We both left equally excited.

Still there are some other hurdles to overcome.

1. Permission from the regional leaderhsip of the geographic location I intended to use. I am using something outside the Northeast United States to eliminate bias and potential other hurdles related to vision and allowances
2. Letters drafted for each leader to showcase to the various committees and boards needed to earn an approved proposal
3. The finalized proposal and executive summary for the various committees and boards needed to earn an approved proposal
4. Finally, some project planning to implement this. I honestly think we can carry out the research in about 2 weeks of time.

I also have to finish updating my literature review and fortunately, an assignment in my current class hits right on the topic I need to research so bingo.

I must say that for the first time in months, I feel good about this. I wish I’d felt this long ago, I’d be done by now. I need to finish this Spring though. There is some celebrations and plans moving ahead for the Spring, Summer and Fall whether I am done or not.

Image Source: Kristina B

I begin DOC/733 today, it is the second course with my mentor and one that I’ve been looking forward to completing for some time now. I had to delay the start due to some unexpected circumstances and bills. The purpose of the class is to prepare the proposal or Chapters 1, 2, and 3. This is a monumental undertaking for me. As most of you know, I stepped back on my research to focus solely on podcasted training and the learning impact of using podcasts.

This narrowing of focus should help my research but it does require me to get going and flesh out the research. I also need to get my research methods in order and secure an study group. Apart from that, I need to find a committee in the next few weeks so that my proposal can be thoroughly guided and built. There is a lot to do. Perhaps it is a good thing that I am being certified in FranklinCovey’s Focus Time Management series. I can use all the help I can get.

It feels like I am beginning again. It has been some time since my last class and the bad habits have snuck back in on me. I am breaking them now and it hurts. I know the road ahead is going to be a rough one but no doctoral program would be complete without these rites of passage. There are times that I wish I could be in a physical community of doctoral learners to keep the momentum. I realize, though, that would breed unhealthy competition for favor and attention from faculty. I also know that would mean being apart from my work and family; two things I am not willing to part with right now.

As I look ahead to the next 8, and likely 16, weeks I see clarification beginning to happen and a new sharpness and professionalism coming to this research. I know a lot of people are interested in the outcomes, so am I.

Image Source: LiveALittle.org

Frequent readers know that I lost my dissertation mentor before we even began the process. This forced me to restart the search. I am happy to report that I found a wonderful person and skilled professional to mentor my dissertation process.

Meet Dr. Maureen Steinwall.

Maureen is a skilled executive running a plastics company in Minnesota and having earned her Ph.D. from Capella University. Her dissertation research focused on a training intervention (which tightly aligns to my own methodology for the coming research).

We exchanged screening questionnaires (which I found refreshing…no one gave me one to fill out), we spoke on the phone, and reflected on working with each other. There are many great mentors at UOP. I feel I’ve found the best fit for me and my research.

I am thrilled to have Maureen along side this process and look forward to February when we begin writing the dissertation.

Yesterday morning I had an eMail from Dr. Fischer that he can no longer be employed by the University of Phoenix due to a payroll issue with his new address. He moved from one location in Ohio to another in Ohio. According to my sources, there is some payroll tax/deduction issue with the State of Ohio, which is preventing him from being employed.

Yikes! He lived in Ohio when I selected him and he was active as a professor with UOP. Now, he is denied employment because HR cannot withhold taxes, or some such issue. Yikes! I’ve heard of things similar in the past with other employers and employees, usually resolved with some action on the companies behalf to resolve the problem with the State. Alas, that must not be going on at UOP for this situation, at least not now.

I am disappointed that Dr. Fischer cannot proceed with the dissertation.

I am disappointed the UOP-HR allowed this situation to occur without being proactive or understanding the impact on the student/customer.

The mentor search can be fun, if not time consuming, when your mind and heart are in it. There are numerous great mentors at UOP and I am confident in finding someone of equal or greater passion, experience, excitement about my topic.

I began my search yesterday and will continue it through until I find a mentor suitable for the project and fits my working needs and me to their own.  Wish me luck.

My recent misadventure in scheduling is forcing me to think about my dissertation and how the course adjustment impacts my progress. First, let me say that, I am disappointed that 1 person can throw my schedule off by a month or more. Second, I am equally frustrated that other sections of the course are not provided or available for me to remain as close to target as possible.

That said, the additional time off might not be so bad. My newborn daughter, Olivia, can use more Daddy-time and I can always use more Olivia-time.

There is so much to consider.

• My committee chair/mentor for one is someone I need to be in continual contact with as my schedule finalizes so we can stay on the same page.
• Not to mention that I need to stick to my plan on literature review and use this time to develop a more thorough review.
• I need to watch my end date and make sure that is not beyond the allowable period of time
• My next residency component time is now pushed out and in a different location
• A multi-family vacation next July is looming and needs to be handled
• And, my employment post-doctor is now delayed slightly

It is unavoidable that the schedule is changing and it is up to me to own my own learning and navigate this change.

Read more about my process this point:

Topic:

Millennials
100.2 Million

Dissertation Progress:

Here it is…. A Research Plan…Well a Draft of One
Gathering Steam
Residency is coming
Problem Statement Revisions
I’ve Got a Problem
Nailed It
Mentoring Update
Continual Attention to the Dissertation
Meet Dr. Fischer

Other Doc Blog posts about my RES/722 class adventure:

Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics
Disappointed
Happy
Fill Out This Survey…
Navigating the Schedule Change

I began my mentor search about a little over a week ago. The mentoring database at University of Phoenix is rather hit and miss. I was able, however, to find 6 people I thought would fit my project interest. I am now expanding my search to find more potential mentors. Casting the net wide will help me find someone the fits my methodology and interest well.

The 6 potential mentors I found all had a variety of responses to my request. Each potential was asked to complete a questionnaire.

dissertation-advisement-committee-screening-interview.doc

It is an important part of the process for me. The matchmaking questionnaire is also highly recommended by both the school and proceeding doctoral students. The enjoyment derived from reading the responses is hard to capture. The variety and professionalism of the mentoring pool is awesome. While some did not fit, others did. This process is fascinating.

Only one potential balked at the questionnaire citing the length and his lack of time to complete the document. This ruffled my feathers and I felt that this person would not be a match, on any level, to my needs as a student or the vision of mentoring of University of Phoenix. Just think, if a mentor does not have the time to complete a 15-25 minute questionnaire, what kind of time will the mentor has to review, comment, and return a 3 chapter portion of the dissertation? Not much. Worse, this person took nearly a full week to reply that he had no time for the questionnaire. I parted ways and continued the search.

This is an important decision and one I do not make lightly. I am looking for someone who is in it for the long haul and has the tenacity to be as driving as I am. This is a massive undertaking and the strength of the mentor is important to success.

Comments are welcome.