Photo by Chris Meyer Dana Ruddick, graduate recorder, stands next to a pile of dissertations in various boxes as they’re traditionally submitted. Twenty-four IUB departments now allow them to be filed electronically, and the option is being discussed at IUPUI.

Currently, the University Graduate School (UGS) requires Ph.D. students to submit paper copies of their thesis for approval, in addition to any copies requested by the department. A bound copy is sent to the library stacks while an unbound copy is microfilmed. But pressures from the library, which is near capacity, coupled with advances in digital microfilming make a paper-based system unnecessary.

“For years I have received calls from students on campus saying they’ve heard that other schools are doing electronic submissions, why can’t we?” said Dana Ruddick, graduate recorder. “I kept saying ‘someday, someday.’ But then we talked with the library and decided just to go for it.”

Theses, even the unbound copy submitted to UGS, must be printed on costly high-cotton paper. Although students are still required to pay for microfilming and optional copyrighting, Ruddick believes this means progress for graduate students. “If you’re out of state, this way you don’t need to worry about postage costs or getting your thesis bound from long distance.”

The step towards an electronic submission is also in line with actions taken by IU departments—many now don’t require a physical thesis copy. For now, Ruddick said, UGS is helping departments transition into this new process, but next spring, paper dissertations will no longer be accepted.

“Switching to an electronic submission is no extra work for departments. It’s just a matter of them getting the new information out to their students,” Ruddick said.

Departments interested in trying the new system should contact Ruddick at E-mail: druddick@indiana.edu to receive an information packet on electronic dissertation submission.