At its meeting on 20 May 1999 Research Committee resolved to recommend to Senate amendments to paragraphs 17.2 and 17.9 regarding the constitution of Appeal bodies concerned with research degrees. It was proposed that the Associate Deans (Research) also be eligible to act as Chairs of Appeal Panels. This would recognise the role of the Associate Deans (Research) within the University and ease the difficulties sometimes experienced in constituting panels of eligible persons within prescribed timescales.
The amendments necessary to give effect to this recommendation are attached as Appendix 1.
Appendix 1
Paragraph 17.2
The Vice-Chancellor or failing him/her a Pro-Vice Chancellor shall nominate an appeal body to consider such appeals which shall be constituted as follows:
A Pro-Vice Chancellor or a Dean or an Associate Dean (Research) (Chairman).
2 Professors (at least one of whom shall be a member of Senate)
1 member of Senate (not being a Professor or a student).
Paragraph 17.9
A student wishing to exercise his/her right of appeal under paragraph 4.4 of these Regulations must lodge his/her appeal in writing (within fourteen days of receiving notice in writing of the decision by his/her Director of Research against which he/she is intending to appeal) with the Secretary of the appropriate Faculty Board, who will then convene an Appeals Committee of the Board, comprising the Dean of the Faculty or Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty (Chairman) and three other members of the Board. No member of the Appeals Committee shall have been associated in any way with the research conducted by the appellant or be a member of staff of the department(s) in which the appellant has been working. If the Dean or Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty has been associated with the appellant’s research, a past Dean or Associate Dean Research of the Faculty, who has had no such association with the student shall be appointed as Chairman. No department shall be represented by more than one of its members on the Committee. Any appeal shall be heard as soon as is convenient, and in any case not later than 28 days after the lodging of the appeal, by the Committee which shall determine its own method of proceeding within the framework set out in the Notes for Guidance of Students, Directors of Research, Supervisors and Examiners and which shall make its recommendation to the next available meeting of the Faculty Board.