Please note that several procedural changes have come into effect since transitioning to virtual defences:

1. Before the Graduate Officer or Admin Staff contacts the examiner to see if they are willing to examine the thesis, would they be so kind as to email Ruby Barron, to confirm the date and time of the proposed defence. When contacting the examiners to see if they are willing to examine; the following questions are to be asked of the examiner:

• Are you available to examine the thesis?
• Can you have the reports sent back to SGS by the requested date (Examiners usually get 1 month to examine the thesis)?
• Are you available to participate in the oral defence on a specific date and time (the date provided by Ruby Barron) at either 9:30 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. Newfoundland Time.

2. Once the examiners have been assigned, the Graduate Officer or Admin Staff submits the following to SGS:

• PDF thesis (for the foreseeable future, paper copies will not be provided)
• Appointment of Examiners form
• Supervisory Approval Form
• Change of program form if applicable – Any changes in courses, for example deleting the Electives to the actual course taken or changes in course; also if any change in the supervisory committee members

3. Once the examiners have been approved, SGS will send the PDF thesis and the required forms to the examiners.

Departments are not required to send letters to the examiners; SGS will do so, along with the thesis and other required documents. Please note that examiners will be given one month from the date of their appointment letter to complete the examination. If an examiner is given a specific date of return, please let SGS know, when you submit the appointment of examiners material for approval.

4. If the reports are not received by the requested time, SGS will contact the examiners directly for the reports.

Once the three reports have been received, and the AVP(A) and Dean of Graduate Studies gives final approval to proceed, SGS will advise that the recommendation is to proceed to the oral defence. At that time, the Graduate Officer or Admin Staff should contact all participants, to re-confirm they can still participate in the defence on the designated date and time.

5. The following people must be in attendance for the defence: the student, the three examiners, and the Supervisor(s), in the case where there is a supervisor and co-supervisor, at least 1 must be in attendance. The committee members and a delegate from the academic unit can attend, but it is not mandatory.

6. SGS will handle all the technical aspects of the defence, by sending the video conferencing link.