Table of Contents Chapter I – introduction

A Thesis Adviser is an IT faculty member assigned by the Program Chair to a thesis group. Each thesis group shall be assigned a thesis adviser depending on the topic submitted.

2. Guides the proponents in the achievement of the objectives of their study (i.e. acts as a consultant) and in the preparation for defense (i.e. giving a mock defense).

3. Directs the group to sources of information necessary to accomplish the requirements of the thesis project.

4. Monitors the progress of the advisees’ study through the submission of periodic reports and deliverables.

5. Evaluates the group members’ project management skills and gives advises for any deficiencies.

6. Ensures that all members of the thesis group know how to program and are the only programmers of the software.

7. Reviews thesis documents and deliverables for correctness and completeness.

8. Ensures that all thesis projects endorsed for defense have completely and correctly met the requirements and all documents submitted for defense are properly signed.

9. Certifies the acceptability of the thesis proposal for Thesis Proposal defense and the thesis document and thesis output for Thesis 2 defense.

10. The Thesis Adviser reserves the right to recommend or reject the thesis project for Thesis 2 Defense. Recommendation for defense is indicated when the Thesis Adviser has signed the Adviser’s Recommendation Sheet. Thesis documents not signed by the Thesis Adviser should not be scheduled for a defense.

11. Helps settle conflicts within the group.

12. Submits the required reports:

• status reports and copies of status reports by students

• log of meetings with students

13. Endorses letters of complaints.
A change in Thesis Adviser may be requested at the end of the semester upon the recommendation and approval of the Program Chair or Dean.
THE PANEL MEMBERS
Selection
The Program Chair selects the panel members by matching the expertise of the faculty members and the thesis topic of a Thesis Group. The Program Chair finalizes the panel members of a Thesis Group and submits a copy to the Dean within the specified deadline. Panel members who are non-IT faculty members of the school must be approved by the Dean.
Responsibilities
1. Knows the theoretical principles in computer science of the topic to be defended.

2. Reads the Thesis document before the defense date.

3. Punctuality in all Thesis defense schedules.

4. Contributes positively in the defense exercise by asking the Thesis Group pertinent questions which would clarify and evaluate the knowledge of the students in the topic of their study (problem domain) and their application of principles in computer science (e.g. theories, programming, etc.). Questions of each panelist must be written in the Panelist List of Questions Form.

5. Evaluates objectively the presentation of the students, the developed software, and the responses made by the students.

6. At all times promotes and exhibits unbiased behavior that is deemed appropriate and consistent with any academic exercise.

7. Observes all thesis policies and procedures.
THE THESIS GROUP
1. A thesis group is composed of a minimum of two (2) and maximum of four (4) members.

2. A thesis group shall be given a passing grade for Thesis 1 only after complying with all the requirements of Thesis 1, which are the following:

• a thesis proposal approved by the school

• partial documentation and completion of the system as specified

3. If the group wishes to change their approved topic, the proponents will have to submit and defend the new proposal.

4. In the event of a group breaking up into separate groups, the subgroup inheriting the original project proposal will be allowed to continue working on the approved project. The subgroup proposing a new topic must have their proposal approved.

5. In cases of conflict where the group fails to decide which subgroup will inherit the original proposal and is still determined to break-up their original group, the Program Chair reserves the right to give a failing grade to each member of the group for the Thesis subject they are enrolled in.

6. All members of the original group must inform the Program Chair of their intention to break-up the group. The Program Chair will handle each request on a case-to-case basis. For matters of serious concern, the Program Chair may elevate the matter to the Dean, as the case requires.

7. The group has the responsibility to ensure that the thesis project is completed within the scheduled deadlines.

8. All members of the group must sign the Thesis Policies and Procedures Acceptance Form to indicate that they fully understand and accept everything contained in the Thesis Policies and Procedures as well as all matters pertinent to the Thesis Program.

1. Thesis Proposal Documentation (refer to the Proposal Documentation Outline and Guidelines of the program or topic for content details)

2. Log of meetings held with the students.

3. Accomplished Thesis 1 Grading Sheet

• 15-minute presentation of the proposal

• question and answer

• discussion/deliberation on the feasibility of the proposal

• evaluation of the proposal

2. Failure to submit the thesis proposal on the date and time when it is due will mean that the group will fail in Thesis 1.

3. Failure to submit an approved thesis proposal within the specified period will also mean that the group will fail in Thesis 1.
Panel Members
1. A panel composed of two (2) faculty members from the IT Department and the Program Chair shall review and recommend approval of the thesis proposal. If the Program Chair is the adviser of the group to undergo a Thesis Proposal defense, the Dean may take the Program Chair’s place.

2. A panelist from the computer industry or from the client of the project may also be invited to review and recommend approval of the thesis proposal.

3. All members of the panel shall observe the Thesis Defense Policies and Procedures.
Evaluation Criteria

1. Criteria for evaluation includes:

• Correctness and completeness of the thesis proposal documentation.

• Scope of work:

􀂾 feasibility of finishing the project within one year

􀂾 amount of effort and work that the group is expected to perform

􀂾 practicality of the project

􀂾 uniqueness and originality of the project

􀂾 availability of resources

􀂾 technology involved and/or application of computer science theories

􀂾 technical depth of the project
Decision

1. Each student is required to participate in the defense. All students should exhibit sufficient initial knowledge of the topic being proposed (problem domain), technical competence to execute the project, and have the necessary resources to implement the proposal.

2. The group may get any of the following evaluation:

• Acceptable for submission to the Dean.

• Acceptable with Revisions (the group must revise proposal accordingly and defend again)

• Disapproved Project (the group must look for another topic)

• Unacceptable Project (the group failed Thesis 1)

3. Thesis Proposals with revisions as determined by the panelists should be revised accordingly. Disapproved projects should be changed. Thesis groups should keep on revising or changing the proposal as required until an acceptable evaluation of the thesis proposal is achieved. Failure to get acceptance for a thesis proposal means the group fails Thesis 1

(Unacceptable Project).
THESIS 1 GRADE
The Thesis 1 grade is given only at the end of the semester when all requirements for Thesis 1 have been complied with. The following serves as the guidelines for determining the Thesis 1 grade of a student.
1. If the group has an approved thesis proposal within the specified period, a minimum grade of 3.0 may be given to each student of the group.

2. However, based on the criteria indicated below, the grade of each student may be higher than 3.0:

2.1. Thesis 1 Deliverables and Output (40 pts.) – To be rated by the Program Chair.

2.1.1. The output of the group is complete in accordance with the specified requirements (20 pts.)

2.1.2. The output of the group is correct in accordance with the theories and concepts of the topic category (20 pts.)

2.2. Thesis 1 Proposal Defense Performance (35 pts.) – To be rated by the Thesis Panelists

2.2.1. The student was responsible for authoring at least 1/n (where n is the number of members in a group) of the content of the Thesis Documentation (10 pts.)

2.2.2. The student contributed significant ideas for discussion (10 pts.)

2.2.3. The student correctly answered questions given by the panelists (10 pts.)

2.2.4. The student contributed to the development of visual aids and exhibited preparedness in presenting the topic assigned for discussion (5 pts.)

2.3. Work Behavior (25 pts.) – To be rated by the Thesis Adviser

2.3.1. The student actively contributed to the discussions of thesis group meetings with the thesis adviser or among group members (5 pts.)

2.3.2. The student researched for the required information of thesis project (5 pts.)

2.3.3. The student promptly submitted the correct output of any assigned work by the adviser or as agreed upon by members of the group (5 pts.)

2.3.4. The student is always present and punctual in attending meetings with the adviser and among the group members (5 pts.)

2.3.5. The student contributed to the task of encoding the thesis documentation and in the provision of resources needed by the group for the preparation of the thesis document and the proposal defense (5 pts.)

3. Based on the total points that the student will get from the evaluation of the above (from the program chair, thesis panelists, and thesis adviser), the following grades may be earned by a student whose group has an approved proposal within the specified period:
Grade Earned Total Points

3.0 <50

2.5 56 to < 62

2.25 62 to < 68

2.0 68 to < 75

1.75 75 to < 82

1.5 82 to < 89

1.25 89 to < 96

1.0 96 to 100

1. An Electronic copy (in CD format) of the Thesis Project that contains the following:

• Thesis Documents

- Softcopy of the Thesis Main Documentation that contains all the necessary discussions and is in the form and style specified in the Thesis Main Documentation Outline and Guidelines (including appendices, bibliography,

curriculum vitae of students, etc.)

- Users’ Manual

- Presentation Material used during defense (e.g. PowerPoint slides, Html file,

Macromedia Files, etc.)

All deliverables must be in PDF format to secure/ protect the integrity of the

documentation contents.

• Source Code or Program Listing (e.g. PRG files, VBP files, other modules, etc.)

• Other supporting files (e.g. database/ picture/ video/ audio files, certification, etc.)

• The expected output (e.g. installable software) in executable format

• Readme – contains pertinent information like user names and passwords,

installation guide, software and hardware requirements, etc.

• AutoRun* – an executable program which links the different thesis 2 deliverables

• SC Name

• Thesis Title

• Group Members’ Full Name

• Thesis Adviser (signed)

• Thesis Panelists (signed)

• Date of Submission (Month and Year)

Thesis 2 groups are still required to submit at least one (1) hardbound Thesis 2 Document to the school for archiving purposes.

1. Hardcopy of the Thesis Document that contains all the necessary discussions and is in the form and style specified in the Thesis Main Documentation Outline and Guidelines must be submitted to the Dean on a specified deadline before the actual Thesis 2 Defense. It should be consistent with the designed or programmed output of the Thesis Group.

2. The thesis advisers and program chair must ensure that students will be able to develop the complete expected output prior to their defense.

3. At least three (3) extra computers must be provided in the defense venue which will be used for checking the individual programming skills of the students.

1. A schedule for Thesis 2 defense will be given to a group who has:

• the Adviser’s Recommendation Sheet signed by the Thesis Adviser

• the Dean and Program Chair’s Acceptance Sheet signed by the Dean and Program Chair.

• submission of all requirements necessary for the defense to the Dean on or before the deadline given

2. The defense and redefense periods of all thesis groups will be determined during the Thesis Workshop. Specific defense and redefense schedules of thesis groups will be determined and issued by the Program Chair at least 2 weeks before the specified schedule of the defense.

3. Revision period is for a maximum of fourteen (14) calendar days (after Thesis 2 defense date).

4. Only thesis groups who have defended during the defense schedule and have been evaluated as Conditional Pass with Revisions (major or minor) or Re-defense will be given slots during the re-defense schedule.

5. Thesis groups who have failed to submit the required deliverable on or before the specified deadline in Thesis 2 will not be allowed any slot during the re-defense schedule and will fail in Thesis 2. A schedule of all defending groups shall be posted with the following information:
WHAT WHEN WHERE

(name of thesis project) (date and time of defense) (venue for defense)

Activity Time Responsible Party

Presentation of Thesis - 15 minutes

Project Demo - 20 minutes

Panelists’ preparation of Questions - 5 minutes

Question and Answer - 30 minutes

Checking of Individual Programming Skills - 20 minutes

Panelists’ deliberation and Listing of Revisions - 20 minutes

Lead Panelist - Verdict and/or Revisions Announcement - 10 minutes

2. The Lead Panelist should first introduce the panelists and inform the thesis proponents of the mechanics of the defense.

3. All members of the group are required to discuss a part of the document, demonstrate the software and answer the panelists' questions.

4. The presentation of the project should use any of the following:

• PowerPoint / Macromedia presentation

• Overhead Projector

• Video presentation

• Slide Projector

• Other visual aids

5. The following sections need not be discussed:

• Abstract

• Review of Related Studies

• Theoretical Framework

• Appendices

• Bibliography

6. The panelist may cut-off the presentation if the group exceeds the specified presentation time.

7. The thesis group may assume that the panelists have read the submitted documents.

8. The Lead Panelist will fill up the Thesis List of Revisions for all required revisions on the thesis. The students must sign the Thesis List of Revisions. The students must list down all the revisions required of them for their own reference. The revisions are given during the verdict announcement.

9. Panelists are required to use the Thesis Defense Evaluation Form. A unanimous vote of Conditional Pass is necessary for the group to pass the defense. The Lead Panelist may reject the decision of the other panelist(s) when necessary.

10. Panelists and students are expected to be in business attire.

11. Failure to be present in the defense venue within the first 15 minutes of the scheduled defense will mean that the group will fail in Thesis 2.
Panel Members

1. The choice of panel members are restricted to the following three (3) members:

• the Dean of the College of Computer Studies

• two (2) panelists from the program department of the school or one (1) panelist from the program department of the school and one (1) panelist from the computer industry or from the client of the project.

2. In the event that one of the panelists is not available during redefense, the dean/ program chair may replace the panelist provided that they are not the adviser of the presenting group.

3. All members of the panel shall observe the Thesis 2 Guidelines and Procedures.

4. Only the panel members, the thesis group, and the adviser are allowed inside the defense room at all times during the Thesis 2 defense.
Evaluation Criteria

1. A standard Thesis 2 Evaluation Form shall be used for the Thesis 2 defense. Specific evaluation criteria may be determined for each topic category. In general, the following minimum requirements must be complied with to pass the Thesis 2 defense:

• Completeness of the output

• Correctness of the output

• Originality (not copied from existing sources)

• All outputs/deliverables were made by members of the group and no other individuals were involved

2. The following shall have been displayed in the process of the study and the defense by all members of the thesis group:

• Technical Skills (e.g. programming, application of computer science concepts, etc.)

• Presentation Skills (e.g. oral and written communication)

• Interpersonal Skills

• Project Management Skills

• Analytical and Problem Solving Skills

• Ability to answer questions correctly and completely

3. Each member of the group is required to develop and program at least 20% (assuming there are 4 members of the Thesis Group) of the software.

4. All members of the group are expected to contribute in the writing of the documentation and to participate in the presentation and answering of questions.

5. Members of the group will be evaluated individually during the defense and may pass or fail accordingly. This means that there will be no group grades and group members will have to pass the defense on the basis of their actual individual contributions to the thesis and their individual demonstration of competence during the defense.

1. Each student is required to participate actively and equally in the defense of the project.

2. Panelists shall give individual ratings for each member of the group.

3. The group may get any of the following evaluation (refer to the Thesis 2 Evaluation Form for the definitions of each):

• Conditional Pass with No Revision

• Conditional Pass with Minor Revision (to be checked by Thesis Adviser or to be checked by Panelists)

• Conditional Pass with Major Revision (possible to have a re-demo of study)

• Re-defense

• Fail

4. Revisions of thesis projects evaluated as Conditional Pass with Minor/Major Revision may be checked by the panelists during the re-defense schedule.

6. Thesis projects evaluated as fail should be enrolled again in the next semester and may be given any of the following requirements:

• Continue working on the project

• Change of the entire thesis project if the project is completed and the panelists determine that there are other individuals aside from members of the group who developed the project

• As determined by the panelists

7. Unacceptable thesis outputs include but are not limited to any of the following:

• Plagiarized projects/outputs

• Illegal or criminal projects/outputs

8. Only after submission of all items listed under the section, The Thesis Paper, with the required revisions given during a successful Thesis 2 defense, shall the thesis group be considered as having passed Thesis 2. Panelists will sign the Panel’s Approval Sheet only if the group is considered to have passed Thesis 2. The electronic copy and bound copy of the thesis paper, other documents, a copy of the software in program source code, and an installable copy should be submitted on or before the specified deadline.

9. Failure to submit the required final thesis 2 deliverables on the date and time when it is due will mean that the group will fail in Thesis 2.

10. All evaluation results remain conditional until the required final thesis 2 deliverables have been submitted by the Thesis Group and accepted by the Dean.