forming a supervisory committee is an important step in the graduate process but its never a binding thing. committees members can ebb and flow and that is totally up to the student.
the committee is who evaluates you and assessing your progress through graduate school. At UW, this evaluation comes most prominently during the general exam and they read your dissertation.
everyone has their own opinion about the role of the committee and the team you assemble for yourself. regardless, I think there are a few main themes to keep in mind.
- the committee should have diverse scientific backgrounds. these alternative perspectives on your work will be crucial to having a well rounded project
- the committee should be made up of people that are supportive and have your best interest in mind. the role of the committee is to help you grow, not just point out your flaws.
- building off the last point, the committee should push you out of your comfort zone. there is a balance of emotional and academic support. some committee members will teeter towards one side or the other.
some other points to consider about committees are communication and scheduling. Both should happen early. the larger the committee the harder it is to schedule meetings. some members respond to emails, slack messages, or in person more readily. figuring out the idiosyncrasies and nuances of working with your committee as a superorganism is part of the graduate training.