The
ETD Working Group, an ad hoc committee of the
University Council on Graduate Study (UCGS), embarked on a voluntary pilot project from December 2001 through December 2002 to assess the procedural feasibility and scholarly advantages of accepting theses and dissertations in electronic rather than paper-based format. For more information about the ETD Pilot Project, read the
ETD Proposal.
In December 2002 the ETD Pilot Project entered a transition period, working toward all theses and dissertations being submitted electronically. This transition was endorsed unanimously by UCGS at its November 2002 meeting. During the ETD transition period, scheduled to last at least until April graduation 2004, paper-based theses and dissertations will continue to be accepted as well as ETDs.
In August 2003 the ETD Working Group expanded and re-formed, creating two separate groups with different responsibilities. The ETD Steering Committee is charged with handling policies and long-term issues. The ETD Process Group is charged with identifying and discussing issues that may arise in the ETD process.
