SENATE

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Subject: Amendments to Regulations for Higher Degrees by Research and the Notes for the Guidance of Research Students, Directors of Research, Supervisors and Examiners

Origin: Dr B P Vale – Research Student Office

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Research Committee recommends to Senate the following amendments to the Notes for Guidance and Regulations for Higher Degrees by Research (RHDR) with immediate effect.

1. Section E6 Examinations – General, paragraph v

This paragraph states that ‘where corrections are required or a thesis is referred the Examiners are required to submit a list of corrections or to specify the points which require further work, in a form suitable to be given to the candidate at the time of the examination’.

On occasion Examiners have been unable to produce the corrections at the time of the oral examination and this has been the cause of complaint. It is proposed that this paragraph be amended as follows:-

‘where ………. further work in a form suitable to be given to the candidate at the time of the examination’. The list of corrections shall be attached to the Examiners’ report form and returned to the Research Student normally within ten working days of the oral examination’.

2. A hearing to determine an appeal following a fail outcome for a research degree submission made a recommendation that in the event of a candidate’s re-examination with a further oral examination it would be appropriate to introduce independent , non-examining viva chairs. It further recommended that the University should consider introducing more detailed guidance relating to the conduct of oral examinations for the benefit of candidates and Examiners. An independent chair should in this instance be independent of the Department in which the candidate is registered. Research Committee considered whether they should also be from outside the Faculty in which the candidate is registered, and proposed the following amendment to RHDR:-

Paragraph 12 Unsuccessful Candidates

12.4 In the event that a candidate whose thesis has been referred is required to attend a further oral examination or where a candidate is required to attend a further oral examination following an appeal in accordance with paragraph 16.9 an independent non examining chair of the viva panel shall be appointed.

3. Research Committee considered whether the provision of more detailed guidance on the conduct of research degree vivas should form part of a broader review of the University’s Notes for Guidance.