STUDENT HANDBOOK
Fall 2020 cohort
Ed.D. in Professional Leadership – K-12
Program Handbook / Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership
Table of Contents
Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................................................................ 2
Program Director Welcome ......................................................................................................................................................... 3
Degree Requirements ..................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Course Load Policy .................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Continuous Enrollment ............................................................................................................................................................ 4
Termination of Enrollment ..................................................................................................................................................... 4
Thesis .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Time Limitations ........................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Transfer Credit ............................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Faculty & Staff .................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Program director......................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Faculty Advisor ............................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Thesis Committee Chair ........................................................................................................................................................... 5
Program Components .................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Courses .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Degree plan / Course sequence .............................................................................................................................................. 7
Superintendent Certification .................................................................................................................................................. 8
Comprehensive Examination .................................................................................................................................................. 8
Thesis .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 8
Proposal Defense .................................................................................................................................................................. 10
IRB approval .......................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Final Defense. ........................................................................................................................................................................ 10
Pol
icies and Procedures ............................................................................................................................................................... 11
Program-specific ....................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Email & Communication. .................................................................................................................................................. 11
MyAdvisor ............................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Selecting a Chair and forming a Thesis Committee .................................................................................................. 11
Physical Presence for Face-To-Face Class Sessions .................................................................................................. 12
Use of a Professional Editor ............................................................................................................................................. 12
Adequate Progress / Annual Review .............................................................................................................................. 13
College-level Policies ............................................................................................................................................................... 13
Ethics Guide .......................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Grievance ............................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Additional Standard Operating Procedures ................................................................................................................ 13
University-level Policies ......................................................................................................................................................... 13
Academic Honesty ............................................................................................................................................................... 14
Grades & Low Grade Policy ............................................................................................................................................. 14
Petitions .................................................................................................................................................................................. 14
Thesis Formatting & Submission .................................................................................................................................... 14
Graduation & Commencement ....................................................................................................................................... 14
Appendix Forms ......................................................................................................................................................................... 16
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Program Handbook / Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership
Program Director Welcome
The Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership program prepares equity-oriented scholar-
practitioners and leaders who are committed to educational justice and the betterment of schooling in the
Greater Houston area. As faculty, we are unified by our shared commitments to these very same ideals:
equity, justice, and increased opportunities/outcomes. Through your time in the program, you will learn
alongside renowned faculty with a rich diversity of educational and professional experiences. We are
thrilled to have you as part of the program, and look forward to learning from your expertise.
This handbook contains a wide variety of information and policies relevant to graduate studies writ large
and the Ed.D. program itself. Before you go on to read the rest of this document, I wish to offer four
pieces of advice that should serve you well during your time in the program:
1. Treat your cohort like a family. Over the next eight semesters, you and your fellow cohort members
will progress through the program of study in lockstep. A lot of life can happen over that time, so it
behooves you to be intentional about building rapport. Write together. Break bread together.
Celebrate together. Cry together. Be comfortable seeking support from your cohort. Be comfortable
providing support to your cohort.
2. Read independently. In relation to their thesis, I often tell students the following:until you know
what has been said, you will have nothing to say. Beyond those assigned to you in class, you must
read peer-reviewed journal articles relative to your topic, or you will fail to develop the expertise
necessary to craft a thesis proposal.
3. Get engaged. Your acceptance into this program is only the beginning of the rest of your journey.
There is so much more to earning a doctorate than a credential behind one’s name. Submit proposals
to present at conferences. Seek scholarships, fellowships, and internships. Join campus, student,
professional, and research organizations. Attend board meetings, forums, and other events. Be
intentional about expanding your professional network. Lend your expertise and advocacy to others.
Share your experiences in the program with others and speak about the program with pride.
4. Build relationships with faculty. Graduate school gives you the opportunity to access diverse
expertise from nationally-known faculty in our program and the greater University of Houston
community. Regular, responsive, and professional communication are crucial to maximizing this
access. Take advantage of the time you have in courses and as you begin your thesis research to learn
from the full-time and adjunct faculty in the program, and don’t be afraid to reach out with questions
about anything. Lastly, think of the faculty in the program not only as your course professors, but as
individuals who you can continue collaborating with and reaching out to even after you conclude your
studies.
Between the program handbook and the superintendency practicum guide, you will find the primary
guidance needed to successfully navigate the program and the certification process. For any questions or
concerns not addressed by these resources, I am happy to assist in any way that I can. I look forward to
watching your educational journey progress.
Warm regards,
Bradley W. Davis, Ph.D.
bdavis8@uh.edu
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Program Handbook / Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership
Degree Requirements
There are several graduate degree requirements established by the university with which students should be
familiar. The information provided below are but highlights of some of the more important requirements.
Students should familiarize themselves all requirements in their entirety by reviewing the Graduate Catalog
.
Course Load Policy
The Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership is designed for working professionals with full time
employment. Accordingly, students in the program are enrolled part time. Students on fellowships or
assistantships, or receiving financial aid, should verify the conditions of their awards with respect to required
enrollment, and know that full-time enrollment is defined by the university as follows:
Fall Semester - 9 Credit Hours Minimum
Spring Semester - 9 Credit Hours Minimum
Summer Semester - 6 Credit Hours Minimum
Continuous Enrollment
In general, graduate students are expected to be enrolled in consecutive long terms (i.e., fall and spring terms)
until the degree program is completed and the degree is awarded. A graduate student who is not enrolled
should not expect to be able to use the facilities (including assistance from faculty) of the University of
Houston campus. In order to remain in good standing, students who cannot enroll in a given term must
submit to the program director a petition requesting leave of absence. A student who leaves the university
without obtaining a formal leave of absence from graduate study is not automatically readmitted and may be
required to reapply to the program. An approved leave of absence is needed for each semester of absence.
Termination of Enrollment
A satisfactory rate of progress toward the degree is required throughout a student’s enrollment. A department
may terminate enrollment at any time if the rate of progress is not satisfactory. A student whose enrollment is
terminated will be notified, with an explanation, in writing by the chair of the department of the major.
Copies of this notice and explanation will be sent to the dean of the student’s college. Specific details on the
program’s Adequate Progress policy is provided in the “Policies and Procedures” portion of the handbook.
Thesis
A student enrolled in a thesis course should receive the grade indicator “IP” (in progress) without a grade on
the student’s permanent record for each registration period until the semester or term in which the thesis is
defended, approved by the College, and graded with a letter grade. A final grade of B or better is required on
the completed thesis or thesis in order for the student to graduate.
Colleges will ensure that the thesis has been submitted and approved, and a letter grade of B or better
assigned to the thesis course prior to certifying the student’s graduation.
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Program Handbook / Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership
A maximum of 12 credit hours of thesis coursework may be applied to the requirements for a Doctoral
degree and a maximum of 6 credit hours of Master’s Thesis coursework may be applied to the requirements
of a Master’s degree. However, once students are enrolled in thesis courses, they must continuously enroll in
them until a degree is conferred.
Greater detail around program-specific expectations for the thesis are provided in the “Program
Components” portion of the handbook.
Time Limitations
Students who enroll as doctoral candidates must complete their degree requirements within 10 years of the
date of first enrollment with a doctoral degree objective. Failure to comply will result in the candidate being
ineligible for that doctoral degree.
Doctoral students who fail to complete their thesis within five years after completion of the comprehensive
examination must retake the examination.
Transfer Credit
In cases where credit is transferred from another program or institution, no more than a combined maximum of
9 credit hours is allowed. A student seeking transfer credit must provide the graduate program faculty advisor
in their academic unit (program director) with an official syllabus, catalog, calendar and/or bulletin with
detailed course description, in addition to an official transcript including official explanation of the course
numbering and grading systems at the school at which the credit was earned. The graduate program faculty
advisor may request additional documentation to complete the transfer credit determination. If approved by
the department and the college, a Graduate and Professional Student Petition
is submitted to the Graduate
School to have the credit posted to the transcript.
Faculty & Staff
The Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership is supported by a dedicated group of faculty and staff.
Students can learn more about them by visiting the ELPS page
.
Program Director
Students should be proactive and do their level best to find answers to their questions through the program
handbook and practicum guide. All other program-specific questions should be brought to the program
director: Dr. Bradley W. Davis (bdavis8@uh.edu
).
Faculty Advisor
Upon entry to the program, students are assigned a faculty advisor. This person serves as an informal point of
contact, advice, and guidance in addition to the program director. Toward the end of their first year in the
program, students select a thesis committee chair who will take over the role of faculty advisor.
Thesis Committee Chair
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Program Handbook / Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership
Once a student has secured a thesis committee chair, that faculty member will then become the first point of
contact for all questions relating to development of the thesis. This includes submission of drafts, setting
proposal defense dates, working with IRB, etc. Students should also work with their thesis committee chair
on the timing of the comprehensive examination.
Program Components
The Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership is comprised of four major components: courses,
superintendent certification, comprehensive examination, and the thesis. Detailed information about each of
these components is provided in the following passages.
Courses
The Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership is comprised of 51 credit hours across 8 semesters.
While it is possible for students to complete the program in just 8 semesters, such occurrences are a)
uncommon, and b) reliant upon two important elements: 1) strong academic writing skills at the time of
program entry, and 2) consistent, on-time completion of critical milestones (see degree plan below).
Because degree plans are enhanced periodically to support continuous improvement planning objectives,
students will follow the approved degree plan they have in MyAdvisor. The most current sample degree plan,
replete with course numbers/titles, essential tasks, and critical milestones can be viewed on the following
page.
Students not seeking superintendent certification will generally be excused from ELCS 7392 - Internship in
Superintendency and ELCS 8310 - The Superintendency. These two courses must be substituted with doctoral
classes, each of which should be directly relevant to the student’s thesis topic and/or methodology.
Students whose scholarships or financial aid is reliant upon ≥6 credit hours of registration, should prepare
accordingly for the 8
th
semester of the program. With their thesis committee chair and program director’s
permissions, students may elect to enroll in ELCS 8695, which is a 6 credit hour section of doctoral thesis.
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Program Handbook / Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership
Degree plan / Course sequence
Calendar
year
2020 2021 2022 2023
Academic
semester
Fall Spring Summer Fall Spring Summer Fall Spring
Program
semester
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
Courses
ELCS 8301
Leadership Theory for
School Administrators
EDRS 8380
Research Methods in
Education
ELCS 8191
Special Field Projects
(Saturday Seminar)
ELCS 8313
Critical Issues for Urban
Education
Administration,
Leadership, & Policy
EDRS 8381
Research Methods
(Qualitative Techniques)
ELCS 8191
Special Field Projects
(Saturday Seminar)
ELCS 8355
Policy, Politics, &
Governance of
Education
EDRS 8382
Statistical Analyses in
Education
ELCS 8191
Special Field Projects
(Saturday Seminar)
ELCS 8310*
The Superintendency
ELCS 7392*
Internship in
Superintendent
ELCS 8311
Laboratory of Practice:
Literature Review
ELCS 8312
Laboratory of Practice:
Methods Development
ELCS 8361*
Public & Community
Relations
ELCS 8350*
Resource Management
ELCS 8371
Legal Issues - School
District Level
ELCS 8356*
Program & Policy
Evaluation
ELCS 8395
Doctoral Thesis
ELCS 8395
Doctoral Thesis
Credit
hours
7 7 7 9 6 6 6 3
Tasks
Attend orientation
Complete certification
application
Submit degree plan in
MyAdvisor (beginning
of semester)
Identify thesis topic
Complete IRB training
Select thesis chair and
update in MyAdvisor
Develop draft of
chapter 1
Log 100 hours of
internship activities
during 7392
Undergo first field
observation
Develop draft of
chapter 2
Log 30 hours of
internship activities
during 8361
Undergo second field
observation
Develop draft of
chapter 3
Draft IRB application
Log 30 hours of
internship activities
during 8350
Undergo field
observation
Data collection &
analysis
Register for and pass
Superintendent exam
Data collection &
analysis
Register for graduation
Critical
Milestones
Comprehensive
examination
Proposal defense (early
in semester)
Secure IRB approval
Final defense
Submit approved thesis
* denotes the course belongs to the superintendency preparation program of study
a Students should register for the section of this course that has the program director as the instructor
b Students should register for the section of this course that has their thesis chair as the instructor
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Program Handbook / Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership
Superintendent Certification
Superintendent certification is an embedded aspect of the program. Per
Title 19, Part 7, §242.20 of the Texas
Administrative Code, the following requirements must be met in order to obtain superintendent certification
in the state of Texas:
Successfully complete the required exam
Successfully complete an approved superintendent preparation program (an embedded aspect of the
Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership program)
Hold a master's degree from a university that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by
the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Hold a principal certificate or the equivalent issued by the TEA, another state, or country; or
Have three creditable years of managerial experience in a school district. Experience must include
responsibility for:
o supervising or appraising faculty or staff;
o conducting district-level planning and coordination of programs, activities, or initiatives;
and
o creating or maintaining a budget.
Students seeking superintendent certification must hold principal certification at the time they begin the
program. Non-certification seeking students are not required to submit internship activity logs or
observation forms. Further, and as previously mentioned, they are generally excused ELCS 8310 and ELCS
7392. Instead, they must substitute doctoral level courses directly related to their thesis topic or methodology.
Course substitutions are subject to the approval of the student’s advisor/committee chair and the program
director. Early attention to the development of an approved, alternative degree plan is of critical importance
to the success of non-certification seeking students.
Students shall refer to the superintendency practicum handbook for further guidance on obtaining activity
hours, undergoing field observations, and satisfying certification requirements.
Comprehensive Examination
The comprehensive examination is a major milestone in the Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership
program and is comprised of the first two chapters of the student’s thesis. Comprehensive examinations are
reviewed by the student’s thesis committee for a pass/fail determination. Students who do not pass the
comprehensive examination after a second attempt will be removed from the program. The form for
reporting results of the comprehensive examination is available in the appendix and must be submitted by the
student in MyAdvisor.
Thesis
A primary goal of the Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership program is to fuel inquiry into school
and district organization, leadership, and policy. The written form of this inquiry is the thesis, which is
conducted under the close advisement of a committee chair. Through their theses, some students will address
highly-specific problems of practice (applied research). Others will seek to create broader forms of
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Program Handbook / Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership
knowledge that supplement the scholarly literature supporting their specific area of interest. Whatever
pathway students embark upon, they must recognize that a doctoral thesis is much more than a very long
research paper. The purpose of a thesis is to bring about new knowledge; this is done by asking research
questions that have never been asked, conducting research in a new, unique, or understudied setting (or
unique case), or by employing methodological and/or analytical techniques that had not been previously
utilized to address a particular research problem.
In order to make a convincing argument as to the scholarly significance of a proposed thesis, students must
have at least an emerging mastery of the literature around their topic. Accordingly, it is incumbent upon all
students to maintain a serious program of independent reading outside of that which is required for class
assignments. Peer-reviewed journal articles are the gold standard for scholarly literature and should comprise
the vast majority of what students select in order to build mastery of the literature around their topic.
Doctoral theses are typically comprised of five chapters, the content and order of which is loosely as follows:
1. Introduction
Topic background
Problem statement
Purpose statement
Research questions (RQs)
Scholarly significance
Overview of theory/lens/framework
Overview of proposed methodology
Researcher statement / positionality
Definitions
Limitations
Outline of remaining chapters
2. Literature Review
This chapter is not a series of discrete article summaries. Chapter two is a synthesis of
relevant literature that a) makes a clear argument as to the significance of the study, and b)
provides a bridge between the purpose of the study and the methodology chosen.
Theoretical perspective
i. Identify and define the chosen framework
ii. Description of what makes it appropriate (i.e. how it informs the design of the study
and will support the analysis and interpretation of results).
3. Methodology
Detailed description of setting, participants, and data
Literature-supported rationale for chosen method
Description of technique(s)
Description of how the analysis will be conducted and how the results will explained
4. Results
Detailed description of findings with clear interpretations for reader
Can be organized around the RQs in the order they were asked in chapter 1, organized
around themes, or otherwise.
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Program Handbook / Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership
5. Discussion
Further interpretation of results (e.g. explanations behind what was discovered)
Situation of results within extant literature
Discussion of implications for research, policy, and practice
Every thesis is unique, therefore the guidance from each student’s chair will not necessarily reflect what is
listed above, particularly with regards to verbiage, sections required, and order of content.
Proposal Defense
The thesis proposal document is comprised of chapters 1 through 3. The purpose of the proposal defense is to
ensure students have a cohesive, feasible study: the topic about which they are knowledgeable and the content
of which they are prepared to independently execute. Only after the committee chair deems the proposal is
ready for committee review can a proposal defense date can be set. The committee should be provided no
fewer than 2 weeks to review the proposal.
Proposal defenses are met with a pass/fail determination as voted on by the thesis committee. All proposals
will require additional edits as determined by the committee. Students conducting Human Subjects Research
may not apply for IRB approval until after passing their proposal defense. In collaboration with their thesis
committee chair, students should request a proposal defense through MyAdvisor. The form for reporting
thesis proposal results is available in the appendix and must be submitted by the student in MyAdvisor.
IRB approval
The University of Houston is committed to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research and public service.
Concomitantly, the university seeks to protect the welfare of every person who may become a participant in
research projects undertaken by UH faculty, staff, and students.
Review and oversight of research involving human subjects or identifiable data derived from human subjects
is the charge of a federally mandated committee called an Institutional Review Board, or IRB. The IRB is
responsible for safeguarding of the rights and welfare of all persons participating in University of Houston
research projects in accordance with federal regulations and the ethical principles established by the
Belmont
Report.
Information about what constitutes “Human Subjects Research”, as well as information about IRB training
sessions can be viewed here
.
Final Defense.
The final thesis document contains all chapters. Only after the committee chair deems the thesis is ready for
committee review can a final defense date can be set. The committee should be provided no fewer than 2
weeks (not including university holidays) to review the thesis.
Final defenses are formally announced and open to the public. Defenses are met with a pass/fail
determination as voted on by the thesis committee. Every thesis will require additional edits as determined by
Program Handbook / Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership
the committee. Students cannot earn the Ed.D. without passing the final defense. The form for reporting final
defense results is available in the appendix and must be submitted by the student in MyAdvisor.
Policies and Procedures
The Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership program operates under a variety of policies. Some
policies come from the department, while others emanate from the College of Education or the university.
Some of the more essential policies are outlined below.
Program-specific
Email & Communication.
Because personal and work emails are outside of the university’s IT infrastructure and thus subject to outages
and other problems, students should use their official UH email exchange account for all program-related
correspondence. To create an exchange account, visit the Student Email page
.
All email conversations should be treated as professional exchanges. Whenever possible, students should
identify themselves and the course/activity about which they are inquiring. Students should check their
exchange account regularly or have it forward to an account they check regularly.
MyAdvisor
The MyAdvisor portal is the electronic interface for student services in the College of Education. Students
use this online application primarily to document their progress toward the degree and to submit required
forms for approvals. Please note that students must use their UH CougarNet credentials to log into the
MyAdvisor application, which can be accessed here
. Students with questions about entering information in
MyAdvisor can contact the program director or Ms. Bernice Roberts in the College of Education Office of
Graduate Studies (Farish Hall, Room 256) at
broberts2@uh.edu.
Selecting a Chair and forming a Thesis Committee
Selecting a thesis committee chair is an important decision in the Ed.D. journey. Whenever possible, students
should identify a chair who brings topical and/or methodological expertise to bear. Further, an ideal chair is
someone with whom the student communicates well; successful theses are built upon responsiveness to
direct, critical feedback. It behooves all students to have a clear conceptualization of what they would like to
achieve through their thesis prior to asking a faculty member to chair their committee. Accordingly, students
should consider crafting a 1 to 2 page outline of their topic, intended purpose, potential research questions,
and proposed methodology when “shopping” their study.
Junior faculty are those on the tenure track who have yet to gain promotion and tenure (typically, their title is
Assistant Professor). In an effort to support their success on the tenure track, the department limits their
participation on thesis committees. Therefore, students may be turned down by junior faculty. Students
struggling to identify a thesis chair should connect with the program director. The program reserves the right
at any time and for any cohort, to engage a system in which thesis chairs are assigned to students. Under such
Program Handbook / Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership
a scenario, the program will consider students’ preferences for a chair and make every effort to establish the
best pairings possible.
Thesis committee formulation should be conducted in collaboration with the thesis chair. Students should
confer with their chair about the process for identifying and recruiting committee members prior to reaching
out to other faculty. Chair and committee appointments should be formalized through MyAdvisor.
Committees should be comprised of at least four faculty members as follows:
Chair
o Must be a clinical or tenure track ELPS K-12 program area faculty member. Thesis
committees chaired by a clinical faculty member must have a tenure-track faculty member as
co-chair. Tenure-track status is denoted with the absence of the word clinical and a title of
Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor.
Additional ELPS K-12 program area faculty member
UH faculty memberthis can be someone from within or outside of K-12 program area, so long as
they are a full-time UH faculty member.
External memberthis is someone with a Ph.D. or Ed.D. who is employed outside of the
university. Typically this will be a practitioner that hold or has held a leadership role. Their
resume/CV should be submitted to the committee chair. Final approval of external members is
subject to review by program/departmental leadership and the Office of Graduate Studies.
ELPS faculty titles and program affiliation can be reviewed here
.
Physical Presence for Face-To-Face Class Sessions
Given that a core element of Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership program is the cohort
structure, students are expected to be physically present for face-to-face class sessions. That is to say,
telepresence is not a suitable replacement for physical presence. This is a Houston-area, cohort-based
program for Houston-area educators. Students should keep this policy in mind when considering major life
changes such as moves/relocations and changes of employer.
Use of a Professional Editor
Students who want or need assistance with their writing are encouraged to hire a professional editor.
Program faculty can provide recommendations based on previous experiences. Professional editors are
permitted to assist students with the editing of drafts, including help with grammar, sentence structure,
formatting, style, and correction of typos. Professional editors are not permitted to do the following: Carry
out analyses or write any part of a proposal or thesis for the student.
When a student hires a professional editor, they must notify their thesis chair and share the name and contact
information with the chair. The chair has the right to be in contact with the professional editor to ensure that
all work being completed is appropriate and in accordance with this policy. Moreover, it is expected that any
student working with a professional editor will share evidence of the editor’s original feedback with the chair
and thesis committee upon request.
Program Handbook / Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership
Adequate Progress / Annual Review
Each year, program administration collaborate to determine each student’s adequate progress. Good standing
is maintained through:
Continuous enrollment
Regular communication with faculty advisor / thesis chair
Progress with critical milestones
Satisfactory grades with no incompletes
Students who do not maintain adequate progress are placed on an advancement plan. The advancement plan
is crafted in collaboration between program faculty and the student with the intent of mapping out a pathway
to success. Failure to satisfy the advancement plan triggers termination of enrollment. The program adheres
to the College of Education’s standard operating procedure for termination of enrollment, which can be
viewed here
.
College-level Policies
Ethics Guide
This General Ethics Principles Guide (referred to as “Ethics Guide”) describes the standards of practice
expected of all full and part-time faculty, staff and students (collectively referred to as “members”) within the
College of Education (“COE”) at the University of Houston. This document contains principles that are
considered the hallmark of our profession, and the members of the COE are expected to commit themselves
to meeting the needs of all members of our academic community by adhering to this Ethics Guide. Students
can learn more here
.
Grievance
The College of Education defines a legitimate grievance as a substantive circumstance that a student regards
as a just cause for complaint. A grievance can be relevant to any incident involving a classroom instructor,
faculty advisor, internship supervisor, administrator, or faculty member in the College of Education. A
grievance is a claim that an academic action or decision involved alleged unfair or irresponsible behavior
including violations of department, College, or University policies. The College of Education and University
have established procedures beginning at the department level for settling academic grievances. Students can
learn more here
.
Additional Standard Operating Procedures
Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are instructions intended to document how to perform a routine
activity. The College of Education Office of Graduate Studies uses standard operating procedures to help
ensure consistency and quality. Standard operating procedures are also useful tools to communicate
important University policies and College best practices. They can be viewed here
.
University-level Policies
Program Handbook / Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership
Academic Honesty
UH’s academic honestly policy can be reviewed here
. It cannot be overstated that instances of academic
dishonesty are taken very seriously. Sanctions can include course failure, program dismissal, and university
expulsion. Self-plagiarism (typically the resubmission of an older assignment as if it were new) is a form of
academic dishonesty. Students seeking to learn more about plagiarism can view
this guide.
Grades & Low Grade Policy
Passing grades for which semester hours of credit are awarded are A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, and S. A student
who receives a grade of C+ or lower and/or a grade of U in 12 semester hours of credit attempted at this
institution, whether or not in repeated courses or undergrad courses, is ineligible for any graduate degree at
this institution and will not be permitted to re-enroll for graduate study.
Petitions
The university uses a centralized petition form for a variety of special requests including but not limited to
the following:
leaves of absence
reinstatement
transfer credit requests
c
ourse substitutions
late graduation application
change of program
The form and instructions are viewable here
. Petitions should be submitted to the program director.
Thesis Formatting & Submission
Students should follow the university template
for the front matter of their thesis. Upon completion and
committee approval, the final thesis should be submitted along with an approval form through the Vireo
system. All relevant instructions and links can be viewed here. Students should review the university
academic calendar for submission deadlines.
Graduation & Commencement
To be eligible to graduate, students must:
Apply for graduation by the appropriate deadline. This means that students who have been
disapproved for graduation in a previous semester must reapply.
Complete all degree requirements in the semester they intend to graduate.
Clear all financial stops and meet any exit interview obligations.
Otherwise, their graduation application will be disapproved.
Program Handbook / Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership
To be eligible to participate in university commencement exercises students must:
Apply for graduation by the appropriate deadline. This means that students who have been
disapproved for graduation in a previous semester must reapply.
RSVP for university commencement by using the Graduation RSVP Form
Be conditionally approved to graduate. This means that students must complete or be enrolled in all
requirements for the degree during the semester they apply. If students have a course remaining to
take in a future semester, they will be disapproved for participation in Graduation.
Further information, as well as a link to apply for graduation and RSVP for commencement, can be viewed
here. The college has crafted a graduation/commencement checklist which can be viewed here
.
Students are responsible for ordering and paying for their graduation regalia at the University Bookstore for
all commencement exercises. More information can be obtained here
.
Program Handbook / Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Professional Leadership
A
ppendix Forms
Comprehensive Examination Report
_________________________________________________
Student name
_________________________________________________
UH ID
_________________________________________________
Date submitted
We,
the undersigned, as representatives of the thesis committee supervising the work toward the
Doctor of Education degree as undertaken by the above named student report that we have reviewed
the comprehensive examination. The student has:
passed unconditionally
passed unconditionally with the specified remedial work:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
failed, with permission to resubmit after specified period and/or remedial work:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
failed, dismissal from program
_________________________________
_________________________________
___________
Chair name (printed)
Signature
Date
_________________________________
_________________________________
___________
Program director name (printed)
Signature
Date
Thesis Proposal Defense Report
_________________________________________________
Student name
_________________________________________________
UH ID
_________________________________________________
Date defended
W
e, the undersigned, as representatives of the thesis committee supervising the work toward the
Doctor of Education degree as undertaken by the above named student report that we have witnessed
the proposal defense and examined the proposal document. The student has:
passed unconditionally
passed unconditionally with the specified remedial work:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
failed, with permission to resubmit after specified period and/or remedial work:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
failed, dismissal from program
_________________________________
_________________________________
___________
Chair name (printed)
Signature
Date
_________________________________
_________________________________
___________
Member name (printed)
Signature
Date
_________________________________
_________________________________
___________
Member name (printed)
Signature
Date
_________________________________
_________________________________
___________
Member name (printed)
Signature
Date
_________________________________
_________________________________
___________
Member name (printed)
Signature
Date
_________________________________
_________________________________
___________
Program director name (printed)
Signature
Date
WRITTEN THESIS/DISSERTATION
(DOCTORAL, MASTERS) APPROVAL FORM
Student’s Name:
(Name must match UH student records)
Student Email:
UH PeopleSoft ID:
Degree (ch
eck one):
Program: Defense Dat
e:
Anticipated Date of Graduation (Month/Year):
Thesis/Dissertation Title:
We, the undersigned committee members have read and examined this manuscript. We certify that it is
adequate in scope and quality as a thesis/dissertation for this graduate degree and indicate our approval
of the content of the document to be submitted to the college/department for processing and acceptance,
OR we indicate our dissent below.
Approve Disapprove
Chair: _______________________
Printed Name
Member:_____________________
Printed Name
Member:_____________________
Printed Name
Member:_____________________
Printed Name
Member:_____________________
Printed Name
Member:_____________________
Printed Name
Member:_____________________
___________________
Signature
____________________
Signature
____________________
Signature
____________________
Signature
____________________
Signature
____________________
Signature
____________________
Signature
Printed Name
Thesis/Dissertation Approval Form
UHGS-V1:1082019
Doctoral
Masters
Collegiate Dean or Associate Dean (as required by program)
Once approval has been received from the college, students must submit the college-approved thesis
or dissertation. Students will submit the work and faculty will approve it using Vireo, following the
instructions found at the following link: http://www.uh.edu/graduate-school/thesis/. Students must
submit their documents in Portable Document Format (PDF) per the guidelines on the web site,
following all program, department, and/or college-specific requirements. This form should be
submitted asimage onlyto the Graduate School via IRIS by the Graduate Coordinator/Advisor.