Several procedural changes have come into effect since transitioning to virtual defences:

1. Before the Graduate Officer or administrative staff contacts the examiner to see if they are willing to examine the thesis, they are 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 the School of Graduate Studies 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 (as 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 administrative staff submits the following to the School of Graduate Studies:
   
   
   • 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, School of Graduate Studies will send the PDF thesis and the required forms to the examiners.

   Departments are not required to send letters to the examiners. The School of Graduate Studies will send the thesis and required documents directly to the examiners. Please note, examiners will be given one month from the date on the appointment letter to complete the examination. If an examiner is given a specific date of return, please inform School of Graduate Studies when you submit the appointment of examiners material for approval.

4. If the reports are not received by the requested time, the School of Graduate Studies will contact the examiner for the reports.

   Once the three reports have been received and the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies gives the final approval to proceed, the School of Graduate Studies will advise that the recommendation is to proceed to the oral defence. At that time the Graduate Officer or administrative staff is to contact all participants to re-confirm that they are still available to participate in the defence at 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. The School of Graduate Studies will handle all the technical aspects of the defence, by sending the video conferencing link.