In consultation with the thesis supervisor, an appropriate supervisory committee will be selected. By the end of the third term in the program, you should have identified at least one other supervisory committee member in addition to any primary or co-supervisors. It is important that the student have this second source of advice. The remaining members of the supervisory committee should be added if/when needed, to fill gaps in the expertise required to supervise the thesis topic. In addition to the supervisor or co-supervisors, at least one other person on this committee MUST be a member of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and all committee members MUST hold at least Teaching and Advisory Membership with the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (list available here). Supervisory Committee membership is subject to the approval of the Departmental Graduate Affairs Committee.

Committee members may be drawn from eligible faculty in any department at Western or faculty at other institutions who also hold Western appointments.

In choosing supervisory committee members, students should consider the research interests, as well as the supervisory experience, of potential committee members. The following criteria are guidelines, not requirements:

• there should be at least one person whose primary field matches that of the student (e.g. at least one biostatistician for students in the biostatistics field; at least one epidemiologist for students in the epidemiology field)
• there should be at least one experienced member who has supervised students through to completion in this department or another Epidemiology and Biostatistics program (someone who "knows the ropes")
• there should be at least one person expert in the content area of the inquiry;
• the full supervisory committee should cover, as much as possible, content areas in which the student and/or supervisor perceive a need for support

The department website has a list of all full-time, part-time and cross-appointed faculty and their research interests (click here to see). Discuss possible choices with your supervisor and also discuss who will be responsible for contacting potential supervisory committee members (the student or the supervisor).  Any additions or removals to the supervisory committee must be communicated to the Academic Programs Coordinator using the form on the departmental website..

Students are responsible for completing and submitting a Supervisory Committee Change form ( PDF, 150 KB) whenever a change in committee membership takes place (with the exception of changes made immediately prior to the Annual Review of Student Progress). All change forms should be submitted as close to the date of the change as possible to ensure timely approval and tracking of committee membership.

It is the student's responsibility to schedule regular meetings with the supervisor. While the meeting schedule needs to be tailored to the student/supervisor working styles, it is recommended that you meet with your supervisor at least once a month, regardless of the stage of your program. When you are actively designing your project, it is recommended that you meet with your supervisor at least every two weeks. Frequent meetings between the student and supervisor and occasional meetings of the entire supervisory committee have been reported by many students as a helpful part of the process and are strongly encouraged.

1. The program should implement and follow the policies of the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS).
2. Programs should provide sufficient information in the letter of offer of admission to new graduate students. This would include, for example, details about means of support (e.g., TA, scholarship, supervisor funding), amount of funding, time of funding, and any initial program expectations. Information should also be provided regarding supervisor arrangements, including the assignment of supervisors, or availability of potential supervisors and their research areas.
3. Programs should provide orientation/information sessions for both new and continuing graduate students. Information conveyed in these sessions might include: overviews of program policies and requirements, areas of expertise of faculty members for research supervision, expected performance and time-lines for completion of degree requirements, intellectual property policies, publication and authorship issues, scholarship and funding information, TA information (and for international students, information about visa requirements and employment regulations), information on policies regarding the proper conduct of research, sexual harassment and race relations, AIDS policies, information about safety and work place regulations, procedures for complaints and appeals, and information on help lines, advisory offices, and counseling services.
4. The program should ensure that each new graduate student has an identified supervisor (or interim supervisor/program consultant) as soon as possible after starting the program. The program should also ensure that the supervisory committee is in place at the appropriate point in time.
5. The program shall ensure that arrangements are made for an alternate supervisor if the regular supervisor either departs or is absent for an extended period.
6. The program should provide students with written guidelines of program policies and notification of any changes.
7. The program should assess and review each student’s academic and research progress, at least on an annual basis. This review would include such factors as performance on course work and Ph.D. comprehensive examinations, and thesis progress. The program should provide feedback which may include specific goals and time-lines for completion of various components of degree requirements. Feedback may also take the form of a written contract of expectations. Areas of concern and lack of progress must by clearly identified for the student.
8. The program should identify paths/resources available to students for assistance, and if they wish to raise concerns about their program, supervisor, etc.
9. The program should encourage open communication and feedback between students and supervisors on all issues, including supervisory practices.
10. The program should strive to maintain an atmosphere conducive to scholarly work by graduate students, and help enhance their creativity and productivity.
11. The program should provide mechanisms for monitoring/resolving problems which may arise between graduate students, supervisors, and members of supervisory committee, and do so in a timely fashion. Programs should further ensure that these mechanisms are congruent with established appeals policies and procedures.
12. The program should ensure a safe working environment for students, and inform them of all relevant safety and work regulations.
13. The program should ensure that a supervisor takes on only as many graduate students as he/she can properly supervise.

1. The supervisor should make and maintain a strong commitment to devote the required time and energy needed to successfully engage in graduate student supervision. As part of this commitment, the supervisor should display the highest ethical standards of behavior at all times.
2. Potential supervisors should have sufficient familiarity with the field of research to provide appropriate guidance and supervision, or indicate a willingness to gain that familiarity before agreeing to act as supervisor.
3. The supervisor should discuss with the student, very early on, any expectations and the relevant policies concerning authorship on publications, and issues surrounding ownership of intellectual property (this may include patents/licenses). This may result in written agreements or contracts between the supervisor and student covering these issues.
4. The supervisor should make the student aware, very early on, of program requirements and deadlines, various sources of funding, policies covering the conduct of research, and any relevant safety and/or work place regulations. The nature of any financial support provided by the supervisor should be communicated clearly to the student, in writing, including such details as the amount of financial support, the length of time of such support, and any specific conditions pertaining to this financial support.
5. The supervisor should, very early on, discuss and formulate with the student a plan of study for completion of degree requirements and thesis work, with clear milestones denoting progress. This would include, for example, assisting the student in selecting and planning a suitable and manageable research project, as well as setting a viable time schedule and adhering to it for thesis progress and completion.
6. The supervisor should be available for regular consultation with the student. The supervisor and student should discuss and agree on an appropriate schedule for supervision meetings, and the supervisor should provide constructive and timely feedback to the student. More generally, the supervisor should maintain open communication and feedback with the student on all issues, including supervisory practices.
7. The supervisor should provide regular evaluations and assessments of the student’s progress and academic performance. This would include a review with the student and supervisory committee, at least on an annual basis, of progress on thesis research and any other relevant degree requirements. The supervisor should then provide input to the program regarding the student’s progress.
8. The supervisor should make reasonable arrangements to ensure that adequate and appropriate research resources are available for the student’s thesis project.
9. The supervisor should help ensure that the research environment is safe, healthy, free from harassment, discrimination, and conflict. To this end, the supervisor should be aware of all pertinent regulations and policies covering these issues.
10. The supervisor should provide guidance, instruction, and encouragement regarding the research activities of student. The supervisor should help ensure that the student has access to intellectual resources and research opportunities, and should also encourage the dissemination of research results by publications and conferences.
11. The supervisor should monitor any major discrepancies in advice given to the student by members of the supervisory committee and/or supervisor, and attempt to achieve resolution and consensus on the issue(s) involved.
12. Supervisors should be familiar with all program, School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, and University policies and procedures pertaining to graduate students and supervision, along with information on graduate student financial support.
13. Supervisors should make satisfactory alternative supervisor arrangements if away for a prolonged period of time.

1. In conjunction with the supervisor, the supervisory committee should help the student develop a program of study, and also report on the progress of the student’s work. Members of the supervisory committee thus serve to broaden and deepen the range of expertise and experience available for providing advice and for assessment of the student. As such, membership on this committee should be determined by consultation between the supervisor, student, and program (e.g., graduate chair).
2. The supervisory committee may assist the supervisor with the monitoring process. This may include at least an annual meeting between the student, supervisor, and supervisory committee to review progress on degree requirements.
3. Members of the supervisory committee may provide additional guidance and advice on the student’s thesis research project, thus complementing the expertise of the supervisor. The supervisory committee members should be available to provide other sources of information to the student, and also provide constructive criticism and discussion of the student’s ideas as they develop.
4. Members of the supervisory committee should be reasonably accessible to the student when called upon for discussion of the student’s academic progress, consultation on issues related to the thesis research project, and for general guidance. Supervisory committee members should be reasonably available to meet at the request of the student or supervisor.

1. The student should make and maintain a strong commitment to devote the required time and energy needed to engage successfully in graduate work and research, write a thesis, and contribute fully to the scholarly and intellectual life of the University. The student should show dedicated efforts to gain the background knowledge and skills needed to pursue graduate work successfully, and adhere to the highest standards of ethical behavior to assure academic integrity and professionalism.
2. The student should discuss with the supervisor, very early on, any expectations concerning authorship on publications, and issues surrounding ownership of intellectual property (this may include patents/licenses). This may result in written agreements or contracts between the student and supervisor covering these issues. In this regard, the student should become familiar with relevant policies in these domains.
3. The student should become aware of, very early on, all program requirements and deadlines, information about various sources of funding, and university policies covering the proper conduct of research, race relations, sexual harassment, AIDs, appeals, and any other relevant safety and/or work place policies and regulations.
4. The student should, very early on, discuss and formulate with their supervisor a plan of study for completion of degree requirements and thesis work, with clear milestones denoting progress. This would include, for example, setting a viable time schedule and adhering to it for all graduate work, including thesis progress and completion. Any variations to this schedule, including prolonged absences by the student, should be discussed. More generally, the student should maintain open communication and feedback with the supervisor on all issues, including supervisory practices.
5. The student and supervisor should discuss and agree on an appropriate schedule for supervision meetings. This discussion should also include agreement regarding appropriate time-frames for the submission of student materials to be reviewed by the supervisor, and the supervisor providing feedback to the student.
6. The student should be reasonably available to meet with the supervisor and supervisory committee when requested, and be able to report fully and regularly on thesis progress and results.
7. The student should give serious consideration and response to comments and advice from the supervisor and committee members.
8. The student should maintain registration throughout the program and ensure, that where required, visas and employment authorization documents are kept up to date. The student should be aware of and conform to program, School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, and University requirements relating to deadlines, thesis style, award applications, and other graduate requirements, etc.
9. The student should pay due attention to the need to maintain a workplace which is safe, tidy, and healthy. The student should respect the work and equipment of others, and show tolerance and respect for others sharing the same facilities. This would include, for example, cleaning up work space when finished, and complying with all safety and work regulations of the program/university.
10. The student should be thoughtful and reasonably frugal in using resources, and assist in obtaining resources for the research of other group members, when applicable.
11. Where applicable, the student should comply with all ethical policies and procedures governing human or animal research.
12. The student should meet agreed performance standards and deadlines of funding organizations, to the extent possible, when financing has been provided under a contract or grant. This would include adherence to any contractual terms under which the thesis research is conducted
13. The student should meet the terms and conditions of any financial contractual agreements, such as a TA position