Supervisory Committee Guidelines

Dean of Graduate Studies' regulations governing Graduate Students' Supervisory Committees can be found in the SFU Calendar, Graduate General Regulations, Section 1.6 Supervision. 

In addition, the following Department of Biological Sciences Regulations apply:
 
Senior Supervisor

• In all cases, a senior supervisor is appointed prior to admission except MET, where a senior supervisor is required by the end of the third semester.

Supervisory Committee

• All students except for MET students must form a supervisory committee within the first 2 semesters of their degree program. MET students must form a supervisory committee within the first 3 semesters of their degree program (please ignore the SFU Calendar which says 4 semesters).
• At minimum, the supervisory committee must consist of a senior supervisor plus one additional regular or associate Biology faculty member.  In exceptional cases, an SFU faculty member from another department may be substituted for the Biology faculty member.
• If senior supervisor retires, DGSC normally appoints a 'back up' supervisor who is willing to assume responsibility fo student should senior supervisor be unable to continue in this capacity.
• Professors emeriti are permitted to serve as a senior supervisor with the permission of the Dean of Graduate Studies.
• MSc and MPM students must have their first supervisory committee meeting no later than the second semester enrolled, at which time they should discuss the research proposal that will be submitted with their first APR (see Annual Progress Report for more information on the proposal).