Guidelines for online doctoral thesis defence

Student responsibilities

• The student shall take all required precautions to ensure that the online thesis defence is conducted thoroughly and in compliance with the specified procedure. Accordingly, the student  must be alone in the room to avoid any disruptions. 
• It is not the student’s responsibility to ensure an electronic link for the thesis defence.  
• The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies recommends to the student to forward to program management ahead of time a copy of his or her presentation (PowerPoint, video, etc.).
• The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies recommends that technical trials be conducted with participants attending the thesis defence and that a member of the technical staff be appointed to assist if needed.

Responsibilities of program management

• Program management must ensure all jury members are notified that the thesis defence is to be held online.
• Program management (or a designated person) is responsible to create an electronic link for the thesis defence and to forward it to the student and to other persons concerned. It is recommended that a member of the technical staff be appointed to assist if needed.
• The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies recommends to the student to forward to program management ahead of time a copy of his or her presentation (PowerPoint, video, etc.). Program management may forward the document to the chair as the case may be.  
• The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies requests that jury members forward questions which the student may be asked in case of technical problems. Program management must ensure collecting and forwarding these questions to the jury chair as the case may be.  

Online doctoral thesis defence may be held before a virtual audience.
Certain conditions must be respected:

• The number of persons who may attend the online thesis defence is unlimited.
• The link for connection to the thesis defence must be sent to the persons concerned by the thesis defence and to the virtual invitees or it may be posted publicly.
• Persons who attend the on-line thesis defence must be duly informed of the time when they may connect to the thesis defence and of the conditions to be respected.
• During the thesis defence, the virtual public audience must turn off all cameras and microphones.
• During the in camera deliberations of the jury, the public audience may turn on cameras and microphones to discuss with the student.
• Following the announcement of the decision, a discussion period may also be held with the student, the chair of the jury, the jury members and the public audience.

1. Access to the virtual Room

The student must have access to the virtual room one hour before the beginning of the doctoral thesis defence. This will allow ensuring the downloading of the presentation.

2. Opening the meeting

• The jury chair opens the meeting by reading the instructions:
• Each jury member introduces himself/herself and this allows checking proper operation of the microphones and the allocation of speaking rights by the jury chair.
• To avoid additional noise and to avoid any distractions, the jury chair will ask the student to confirm that he/she is alone in the room where the thesis defence is being held. 
• The jury chair reminds everyone of the prohibition to record the thesis defence.

3. Submission

The student makes his/her presentation.

4. Question period

According to the established procedure, the jury chair invites the jury members to ask the student oral questions.

5. Deliberations

Deliberations are held in camera by the jury members without the student’s attendance. It is strictly prohibited to record these discussions.  

The jury chair or the designated person designates a breakout room and assigns all the jury members to that room, except for the student. If necessary, you may read the procedure to make and manage small breakout rooms for video discussions.

• In this breakout room, discussions may take place between the jury members without attendance by the student. Microphones, loudspeakers and cameras are available just like in the main room.
• Discussions held in the breakout rooms are not recorded and are confidential.
• If the deliberations extend beyond the estimated period of time, the jury chair or his/her representative shall briefly return to the main room to notify the student that an extended period will be required for the deliberations.

Once the deliberations are completed, the jury chair or the staff member who ensures the technical assistance shall reassign all of the jury members to the main virtual room (where the student is sitting).

6. Announcing the results

Once all of the jury members are back in the main room, the jury chair announces the results of the deliberations to the student.  

7. Issuance of the certificate of successful thesis defence

The jury chair fills out the Certificate of Successful Thesis Defence and ensures that all of the required signatures are given. Electronic signatures of jury members are accepted. 

Absent an electronic signature of the Certificate of Successful Thesis Defence by each jury member, a return of email of each member who approves the certificate may be the equivalent of a signature.

Interruption in Case of Technical Difficulties

If the technical environment does not permit a thesis defence in good conditions, the jury chair may interrupt the thesis defence. This exceptional situation may be considered only in the following situations:

If the jury members cannot hear the student.
If the electronic connection with the student is interrupted, the thesis defence is suspended. If the connection cannot be established within a reasonable time limit, the thesis defence is postponed to another date.

If the quorum for the thesis defence cannot be respected due to technical difficulties.
If the electronic connection of one or several jury members is definitively broken, the thesis defence shall continue if the jury still has quorum. Jury quorum is established at the majority of jury members and the external examiner must ideally be present as well. The thesis defence shall be postponed if the jury does not have quorum.