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Policy Contact: Graduate School

1. Purpose

   This policy and its procedures establish the protocols for University acceptance of theses and dissertations for degree requirements along with a corresponding agreement for their delayed publication in order to facilitate the protection of valuable intellectual property rights and provide opportunities for self-publication while facilitating academic freedom and access to scholarly works.

2. Definitions
    
   1. Public Dissemination: to make available a thesis or dissertation, in any format, to the general public, a third party, or the student body.
       
   2. Deposition (Deposited): providing the thesis or dissertation, which has been approved by the student’s academic advisory committee, to the Graduate School for review and acceptance as partial fulfilment of a graduate degree.
       
   3. Publication Delay: to refrain from public dissemination of theses and dissertations following deposition of such documents.
       
   4. Self -Publication: the student, through the use of non-university resources, makes available a thesis or dissertation, or parts contained therein, in any format, to the general public.
       
3. Policy
    
   1. All theses or dissertations must be deposited with the Graduate School.
       
   2. Any thesis or dissertation that is not burdened by a publication delay will be publicly disseminated.
       
   3. Any thesis or dissertation including works arising from federally funded research or scholarship shall be made publicly accessible in accordance with University and SDBOR policies and procedures, as well as the applicable requirements of federal and state laws and regulations.
       
   4. Theses and dissertations that include intellectual property, subject to invention disclosure pursuant to SDBOR Policy 4.9.1, shall be disclosed in conformity with those requirements.
       
   5. Publication delay requests will be for six (6) months or for one (1), two (2) or three (3) years.
       
   6. Publication delay will be for no greater than three (3) years.
      1. Any publication delay originally approved for less than three (3) years may be extended but must not sum to a period of time greater than three (3) years.
      2. The effective date of the publication delay begins the day following the official University graduation date for the semester the thesis or dissertation was deposited.
          
   7. A publication delay must be submitted in writing and accompanied by a justification.
       
   8. A publication delay may be requested by:
      1. The Vice President for Research & Economic Development, successor, or designee, and such requests must be justified in terms of ensuring compliance with SDBOR Policy 4.9.1.
      2. The student who deposits the thesis or dissertation, and such requests must be justified in terms of self-publication.
      3. Committee Chair who supervised the student’s thesis or dissertation project.
          
   9. Publication delays must be approved by the Director of the Graduate School or designee.
       
   10. Any publication delay originally approved may be shortened upon approval of the Director of the Graduate School or designee.
        
   11. Publication delays will apply to both the abstract and thesis or dissertation body.
        
4. Procedures
    
   1. The Vice President for Research & Economic Development, successor, or designee committee chair, or requesting student will initiate a publication delay by written request to the Director of the Graduate School or designee.
       
   2. The Director of the Graduate School or designee will seek consultation with the program upon receipt of a request for publication delay and inform all parties of the decision within two (2) weeks of receiving the written request.

5. Responsible Administrator

   The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Vice President for Research & Economic Development, successors, or designees, are responsible for the biennial and ad hoc review of this policy and procedures. The University President is responsible for approval of modifications of this policy.

Approved by President 06/16/2015. Revised; Approved by President 04/28/2021. Revised 01/26/2024 (clerical).

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