🚀 go-pugleaf

Everybody know how doublespacing requirements were designed from the
days of typewriters and all that. I have a new twist to relate. We
have managed to persuade the powers that be to accept typeset theses
without abnormal spacing. Our student rep has a letter from the dean
of graduate study and one of my ex-colleagues has submitted his thesis
in that format. Basically what we did was generate a sample document
showing all the nifty things TeX can do, including mathematical
typesetting, tables, index, l.o.f., l.o.t. and inclusion of graphics
and present that to the dean. The secretary guarding the portal to the
dean's office looked at the sample and said, this won't work, there
are rules to be followed, etc, etc. Our rep said please let him see it
anyway. A while later a letter comes saying go ahead, it's fine.

So this tale is to encourage you to press for thesis format reform at
your institution. I'm not saying you will have as easy a time as we
did but do try anyway.

1. Be diplomatic.
2. Present the best case you can.
3. Follow current requirements where they do not impinge on layout
quality.
4. Be prepared to compromise on the draft format. Editors sometime
want space to put annotations.
5. Try to get support from faculty by having them over the proposed
format and appoving it.
6. Anything else I've missed.

Good luck.