• Section 1 - Key Information
• Section 2 - Purpose
• Section 3 - Scope
• Section 4 - Key Decisions
• Section 5 - Policy Statement
• Section 6 - Procedures
• Development of a Revision Plan
• Revision of the Thesis
• Conduct of the Re-examination
• Reaching a Decision
• Section 7 - Definitions
• Section 8 - Authority and Associated Information

Section 1 - Key Information

Section 2 - Purpose

(1) This Procedure describes the requirements and process where an examination outcome is classified as deferred, and a candidate is provided the opportunity to revise and resubmit their thesis (and if applicable research artefact) for re-examination.

(2) This Procedure should be read in conjunction with the Graduate Research Examinations Policy, the Graduate Research Examinations Procedure - Appointment of Examiners, and the Graduate Research Examinations Procedure – Thesis Requirements, Submission and Retention. 

(3) As prescribed in the Graduate Research Examinations Policy, the Board of Graduate Research (BGR) determines the conditions under which graduate research theses are examined.  The examinations are administered by the Graduate Research School (GRS).

Section 3 - Scope

(4) Refer to the Graduate Research Examinations Policy.

Section 4 - Key Decisions

Section 5 - Policy Statement

(5) This Procedure forms part of the Graduate Research Examinations Policy suite which governs its application.

Section 6 - Procedures

Development of a Revision Plan

(6) Where the Chair, BGR decides that a thesis should be classified as deferred, per the provisions of the Graduate Research Examinations Policy, an Examination Panel will be formed to determine a plan for the revision of the thesis based on the independent examiners’ reports.

(7) The Chair of the Examination Panel is responsible for developing the revision plan in consultation with all examiners and using the Revision Plan Template provided by the GRS.

(8) The candidate and principal supervisor will be invited by the Examination Panel to address in writing the concerns raised by examiners and/or to propose changes to be made to the thesis.  The Panel may also invite written submissions from the co-supervisor(s) if required.

(9) The candidate may nominate another person who has expertise in the field of research to be their representative. The representative may provide written proposals for amending the thesis on behalf of the candidate and may attend parts of the meeting as allowed by the Examination Panel.

(10) The Chair of the Examination Panel will determine if it is necessary to convene a meeting of the Panel, or whether matters can be decided by circulation.  The Examination Panel may invite the candidate, their representative, and/or their supervisors to meet with the Panel. 

(11) When attending an Examination Panel meeting, candidates may be accompanied by a support person. The support person may not be a legal practitioner or possess any form of legal qualification. The support person may provide general support for the candidate but may not speak on the candidate’s behalf.

(12) No other direct communication regarding the examination or the revision plan may occur between the candidate or their supervisors and the examiners, without approval of the Chair, BGR until the examination is concluded and the candidate informed of the outcome.

(13) All members of the Examination Panel must endorse that the revision plan constitutes an acceptable framework for revision of the thesis.  If the Examination Panel are unable to reach agreement, the Chair of the panel will refer the matter to the Chair, BGR to determine an appropriate course of action.

(14) The Chair of the Examination Panel will submit the approved revision plan to the Chair, BGR for review.  The Chair, BGR may ask an Examination Panel for clarification of any part of the Revision Plan and its consideration of the examiners’ reports, and, where the Examination Panel’s recommendation does not appear to meet the examiners’ concerns or provide an acceptable framework for the revision of the thesis, the Chair, BGR may refer the Revision Plan back to the Examination Panel.

(15) Once finalised, the GRS will send the approved revision plan to the candidate and their supervisors.

(16) The candidate should indicate in writing their acceptance of the revision plan within 10 working days of receipt.

(17) If the candidate wishes to raise any concerns regarding the revision plan, they should communicate these in writing to the GRS within 10 working days of receipt.  The GRS will convey their concerns to the Chair of the Examination Panel for consideration.

(18) If a candidate does not respond the GRS within 10 days of receipt of the approved revision plan, the GRS will make reasonable attempts to contact the candidate.  If the GRS has no response to these attempts, they will write to the candidate advising that their candidature will be withdrawn if they do not respond within 20 working days of the official advice.  If withdrawn, the candidate will then need to apply to revive their candidature per the Graduate Research Candidature Policy to proceed with the revisions.

(19) Candidates remain ‘under examination’ until the Revision Plan is finalised, endorsed by the Panel, and the approved plan is accepted by the Candidate.

Revision of the Thesis

(20) Once the candidate has confirmed their acceptance of the Revision Plan, they are re-enrolled for up to twelve calendar months (full-time equivalent). 

(21) During this period of re-enrolment, the normal support provisions and conditions of enrolment apply, as stipulated in the relevant policies.

(22) The Chair of the Examination Panel will specify a schedule of progress meetings to be held during the re-enrolment period, which will include a pre-submission review three months prior to the expected thesis submission date.

(23) Candidates who do not submit the final revised version of the thesis by the end of their re-enrolment period will normally have their enrolment lapsed for a period of twelve months per the provisions of the Graduate Research Candidature Policy.  

(24) Candidates may submit their thesis at any time prior to the expiry of the 12-month lapsing period.

(25) Candidates who have not submitted their thesis after 12 months of lapsed candidature will normally be withdrawn.

(26) Candidates who wish to submit their revised thesis after they have been withdrawn may apply to revive their candidature according to the Graduate Research Candidature Policy.  If they do not submit their revised thesis during the revival period, they will normally be withdrawn.

Conduct of the Re-examination

(27) A resubmitted thesis will be independently reviewed by the examiners on the same academic criteria as the first examination, guided by the approved revision plan.

(28) The complete revised thesis will be submitted for re-examination to all examiners from the initial examination, if available. The revised thesis must be examined by at least two examiners per the requirements of the Graduate Research Examinations Procedure - Appointment of Examiners. If an examiner is no longer available, then the reserve or other approved examiner can be appointed.

(29) Following the submission of the examinable material with the required documentation, as described in the Graduate Research Examinations Procedure - Thesis Requirements, Submission and Retention, the GRS will provide the examinable material to the examiners as outlined in the Graduate Research Examinations Policy and associated  procedures.

(30) Any new examiner of a resubmitted thesis will be advised that it is a resubmitted thesis. All examiners are provided with the approved revision plan. At the discretion of the Chair of the Examination Panel, a new examiner may request and be provided with the thesis in its original form and reports from the original examination.

(31) Examiners must have no contact with each other, or the candidate or supervisor(s), relating to the examination during the re-examination period and must independently examine the revised thesis and artefact (if applicable), unless communication is approved by the Chair, BGR or occurs in the context of an Examination Panel chaired by the School Director of Graduate Research (DGR)(or nominee).

Reaching a Decision

(32) Once all examiners have independently reviewed the examinable material, the Examination Panel will be reconvened to provide a joint recommendation to the Chair, BGR from the following options:

(33) For a re-examined Masters by research thesis, the Examination Panel will be asked to provide a grade based upon Graduate Research Examinations - Schedule A - Masters by Research Thesis Grading Schema.

(34) For a re-examined doctoral research thesis, if recommending (c) the Examination Panel will be asked if the thesis is at the standard of a Masters by research degree and to provide a grade based on the grading schema in Graduate Research Examinations - Schedule A - Masters by Research Thesis Grading Schema.

(35) The Chair, BGR makes the decision on the outcome of the examination, based on the recommendation of the Examination Panel.  In exceptional circumstances, such as when the Examination Panel has been unable to reach a joint recommendation, the Chair, BGR may make a decision on the outcome, or refer the outcome recommendation to a full meeting of the BGR. The Chair, BGR may seek further consideration by individual examiners or an Examination Panel.

(36) Once the Chair, BGR has made a decision, the outcome is communicated and remaining steps completed as described in the Graduate Research Examinations Policy  and associated Procedures. 

Section 7 - Definitions

(37) Nil

Section 8 - Authority and Associated Information

(38) This Procedure is made under the La Trobe University Act 2009.