Graduate Field of Comparative Biomedical Sciences at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

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Comparative Biomedical Sciences

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Faculty Information -
Field of Comparative Biomedical Sciences

Membership in the Field: Membership in the Field of Comparative Biomedical Sciences is based on proven research interest and accomplishment and membership can continue as long as members actively participate in scholarly work and research. The Field consists of faculty members of the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine and other colleges who have been elected to the Graduate Faculty after satisfying the requirements set by the Graduate School, which are that they:

have a professorial appointment,
have earned the highest degree offered to students in their field (usually this means a Ph.D. degree),
spend (or expect to spend) at least 25% of their time on teaching, research or other activities contributing to the education of graduate students, and
have at least three first author publications in refereed journals on research additional to that described in their doctorate dissertations.

Interested faculty are required to submit a letter of interest and a current CV to the Director of Graduate Studies c/o the CVM Office of Graduate Education (Box 38, S3-016 Schurman Hall). Two recommendation letters from current CBS Graduate Faculty are also required. The nomination packet is sent out to the membership for a vote. The nomination packet with the results of the faculty vote and a letter from the DGS is sent to the Graduate School Associate Dean. The faculty will receive a letter from the Graduate School when their nomination has been accepted.

To retain membership in CBS, faculty are expected to serve on student Special Committees and teach graduate level courses in their discipline.

Executive Committee Membership: The Executive Committee consists of six members of the graduate faculty, including the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). Members of the Executive Committee will be elected for staggered terms of 3 years each. The DGS should have been a graduate faculty member for at least three years and have a tenured appointment.

Nominations for election to the Executive Committee of the Graduate Field of Comparative Biomedical Sciences will be accepted at a meeting of the Graduate Faculty. Subsequently, a description of the credentials of each nominee will be sent to members of the graduate faculty by mail, along with a ballot for election. Executive Committee members will then be elected by the Hare System.

Rotating Students:The Field of CBS is a member of the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program. This allows the faculty of the Field access to a larger group of students, since all first-year students in the program rotate in three laboratories of faculty in any of the member Fields (CBS, Immunology, Pharmacology, Physiology, BCMB and Microbiology). During this first year, the students are funded through the Program.

Faculty may allow students to rotate through their laboratory without financial obligation to take the student as a member of their lab. However, they should let the student know whether or not they are accepting new students and whether they would be willing to serve as a minor member of a Special Committee.

Faculty who accept rotating students should make their expectations clear to the student. Frequent and constructive feedback on the student's work and progress will help to develop the skills and habits necessary for successful graduate students and researchers. The rotation evaluation form should be filled out, reviewed with the student and sent to the Office of Graduate Education (Box 38, Schurman Hall S3-016).

Funding Students:The Field of Comparative Biomedical Sciences expects that no student will be admitted without a guarantee of funding for the duration of their graduate program. First-year students are funded through the Biological & Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program; in subsequent years, funding for this student is primarily the responsibility of the faculty mentor (Special Committee Chair) of the student.

Funding includes:

tuition (The 2006-07 rate is $20,800 for the academic year. A portion of this would be waiverable; the faculty mentor is expected to pay the non-waiverable portion).
health insurance premiums for the Student Health Insurance Plan (S.H.I.P.) (The premium for 2006-07 is $1,428).
stipend (For the 2006-07 academic year, the minimum stipend for baccalaureate graduate students in the Fields in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program is $25,814. This rate is subject to an increase each year. The stipend rate for DVMs seeking their PhD is based on academic and clinical background; these rates are set each year and are available in the DVM Graduate Research Assistant Guidelines which can be found on the program's website.

Special Committee Membership: The members of the Special Committee direct the student's program and decide whether satisfactory progress is being made toward the degree. They conduct annual meetings, conduct and report on oral examinations and approve or reject the thesis. Although the Committee and the student constitute an independent working unit, all members of the Graduate Faculty are free to participate in the scheduled examinations and to review the thesis of candidates.

Within the first three months of its formation, a student's Special Committee should meet to agree on the following:

a plan of research to be conducted by the student. A proposal for this purpose should be drawn up by the student beforehand;
the courses to be required of the student and the sequence in which these should be taken;
the teaching function required of the Ph.D. student. This is mandatory for all Ph.D. students.

The responsibilities of each member are listed below:

Chairperson: A student may ask any member of the Field of Comparative Biomedical Sciences to serve as a Chairperson and to represent his/her chosen concentration as his/her major subject. The Chairperson, in turn, advises the student about concentrations as minor subjects. The funding of the student is the responsibility of the Chair, as detailed above.
It is also the responsibility of the Chair of the Special Committee to award a Residence Unit (or percentage thereof) at the end of each semester.
Minor Members: It is the responsibility of the minor members of the committee to determine, in consultation with the student, the requirements for the minor.
Minor members participate in meetings and exam. If a minor member is unable to attend an exam or sign the Approval of Thesis form, (s)he should designate a proxy to serve/sign in his/her place.
Field-Appointed Member: This member is appointed by the Executive Committee of the Field as soon after the student's Special Committee is formed. He/She is a voting member who represents the Field in insuring the fulfillment of high standards during the student's training. His/her responsibilities are as follows:

attendance and voting at examinations;

participation in all other meetings of the student with his Special Committee;

participation in and critical evaluation of the formulation and execution of the student's research project;

participation in choice of coursework, subject to the approval of the entire Committee;

completion and filing of progress report forms at least once a year;

ensuring that the teaching requirement is adequately fulfilled;

ensuring that Field standards are maintained and that the student's program and experience be of adequate breadth.

If, due to circumstances outside his/her control, a Field Appointed Member cannot attend a committee meeting or examination, a proxy approved by the Executive Committee will serve in his/her place.