Senate

SEN98-P57

Subject: Research Degree Oral Examinations

Origin: Unconfirmed Minutes of Research Committee Meeting held on 29 October 1998

A paper outlining issues raised at Senate was considered. The Committee noted that it had been affirmed at Senate that only the appointed Examiners, the candidate and the Observer could attend the examination and that only the research supervisor could act as an Observer. Amendments had already been made to the relevant documents to ensure that the student’s consent to the Supervisor’s presence as Observer had been obtained and that an Observer had been identified at the stage the Examiners were appointed. The Committee agreed:

that the Supervisor's presence at the oral examination should be a matter of mutual agreement between Supervisor and student with the right of veto with the student. The Supervisor should however have the right to decline a student's request for him/her to attend
that the Observer should have no examining function but should make a contribution during the oral examination if requested to do so by either of the Examiners

Author – Fidelma Hannah

Date - November 1998