Page 45 - DISSERTATION AND THESIS HANDBOOK 2017 -2020

L. Vote of the Examination Committee

After the candidate has concluded the defense of the dissertation, s/he will be asked to
leave the examination room. The outcome of the oral examination dissertation defense
is decided by an open vote of the dissertation examining committee in the absence of
the candidate. The decision of the committee (pass or fail) is determined by a majority
of those present and voting. The candidate is invited to return to the room, and is
informed of the committee’s decision.

At the oral defense, only the members of the Dissertation Examining Committee have
the authority to decide whether or not the candidate passes or fails. Both the
Dissertation itself and the candidate‘s performance in the oral examination are grounds
for the committee‘s decision to pass or fail.

Doctoral candidates may pass the oral defense but still be required to revise their
dissertations. It is the responsibility of the dissertation advisory committee Chair to
review and approve minor revisions to the dissertation. Dissertations requiring either
minor revisions or no revisions must be submitted to the Dean of Graduate School in
final form within four weeks of the concluded defense.

Please note: If the Dissertation is not received within four weeks of the oral defense,
that defense is nullified, and a new oral defense must be scheduled. If the changes
cannot be made within four weeks of the defense or the Dissertation Examining
Committee identifies the required changes as major, then the oral defense must be
reconvened.

When major revisions are required, the defense should be suspended until a majority
of the members of the doctoral/master‘s advisory committee agree that the
dissertation has been sufficiently revised and is now defendable. The Dissertation
Advisory Committee Chair should notify the Dean of Graduate School when a defense
has been suspended. New defenses also must be announced in writing at least 10 days
in advance.

At the conclusion of a successful oral defense, in which the Examining Committee has
viewed the dissertation as acceptable, the committee members will sign two forms:

The Report on the Final Exam and
The Dissertation Cover Sheet (which is signed in duplicate).

The Report on the Final Exam is a form used only in the department and should be
handed in to the Dean of Graduate School at the completion of the oral defense.

The dissertation advisory committee chair must obtain this form from the Department
Chair before the oral defense. The Dissertation Cover Sheet must be affixed to the
Dissertation when it is handed in to the Dean of Graduate School (after complete
editing and approval by the Dissertation Advisory Committee Chair).

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