Examination Chair
Role of the Examination Chair
- To represent the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies during the Final Oral Defence.
- To ensure that the exam proceeds according to UBC policies (as outlined in the [Instructions for the Chair]).
- To report the recommendation of the Examining Commitee and to describe the events of the Final Oral Defence.
Eligibility of the Examination Chair
The Chair must not be closely associated with the Candidate (now or in the past) as a:
- colleague,
- supervisor,
- member of the supervisory committee,
- collaborator,
- co-author,
- employer, or the like.
Nor should the Chair be a associated with the research supervisor as a:
- former student,
- supervisor, or
- current research collaborator
Appointment of the Examination Chair
The Faculty of Graduate Studies will appoint an appropriate faculty member to serve as Chair of the Final Doctoral Examination.
The task of finding a suitable Chair is normally undertaken after the examination has been booked.
Once a Chair has been confirmed for the exam the Faculty of Graduate Studies will distribute a copy of the dissertation along with instructions to the Chair and to the Research Supervisor.
Relevant Resources
The oral defence procedure is outlined in the Exam Instructions. A copy is provided to the Examining Committee before the oral defence and can be found below. The evaluation protocol for the oral defence is detailed in the Chair Report Form. The Chair Report Form will be filled out and submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies by the Examination Chair shortly after the oral defence. Below is a sample chair report form.
