Recommendation for the appointment of examiners for candidates for the degrees of PhD, MPhil or MA/MSc (by research)

Full details of the procedures relating to the appointment of external examiners and the related terms and conditions can be found at:

http://www.york.ac.uk/about/departments/support-and-admin/registry-services/exams/examiners/

Arrangements for the oral examination should not be made until confirmation has been received from Research Student Administration that the appointment of examiners has been approved.

1. General

Department:
Student’s first name:
Student’s surname:
Student’s number:
Supervisor’s name:
Degree (PhD, EngD, MPhil, MA/MSc by research)
Thesis or dissertation title:
Please confirm that the student has been consulted about possible conflict of interest with proposed examiners / Yes/No

2. Details of proposed external examiner

a) Title (e.g. Professor, Dr) and full name
b) Correspondence address:
Postcode:
Email address:
Telephone No:
c) Relevant academic and professional qualifications (including details of awarding institutions):
d) Current institution (or last institution and end date, if retired) and length of time employed there:
e) Position within institution:
f) Summary of external examinerships held at first / higher degree level over the last three years (or prior if no examinerships in the last three years) :
g) Is the proposed examiner a former student or former employee of this University?
If so, please give details, including dates. (Former students or members of staff may not normally be nominated for appointment unless a period of five or more years has elapsed since they left the University) / Yes/No
(h) Is the proposed examiner a former external examiner of this University? If so, please give details, including dates of appointment. (The same examiner may be appointed to examine no more than two research degree candidates in the same department in any 12-month period, and no more than four research degree candidates in the same department in any 36-month period) / Yes/No
(i) Has the candidate’s supervisor or proposed internal examiner been appointed, currently or within the last six months, to examine a research student in the proposed external examiner’s department? / Yes/No
(k) Confirm that the examiner has declared no known conflict of interest which might impinge on their role as external examiner. (Declarations should be received via email / in writing, and kept on record in the department.) / Yes/No
(l) Confirm that the examiner is aware of, and has agreed to, the audio recording of the examination / Yes/No
(m) An external examiner will normally be a member of the academic staff of another higher education institution in the United Kingdom, or be of comparable academic standing. External examiners should have appropriate levels of expertise and experience. Please confirm that a CV is attached. / Yes/No

3. Details of proposed internal examiner

(only those who are currently employed on a University contract can act as internal examiner)

(a) Name of proposed internal examiner:
Department of proposed internal examiner:
(b) Has the proposed internal examiner been a member of the student’s Thesis Advisory Panel? / Yes/No
If yes, has the proposed internal examiner been involved in the final preparation of the student’s thesis? https://www.york.ac.uk/research/graduate-school/support/policies-documents/research-degree-policy/#assessment / Yes/No

4. Signature of Chair of Graduate School Board / Board of Studies

I confirm the satisfactory completion of points 2(a-m), above.
Name:
Signature:
Date:

5. Notes

a) ‘Any candidate for a research degree award who, at any time, during the five years prior to the date on which s/he submits his/her thesis for examination, has been an Academic/Research/Teaching (ART) member of staff (at grade 7 or above) of the University shall normally be examined by at least two, and not more than three, examiners, two of whom shall be external examiners. Exemptions from this requirement may only be made by the Standing Committee on Assessment on the recommendation of the Graduate School Board concerned.’ (PoRD, 12.7). If you are nominating two examiners for your student, please submit two versions of this form, attached together.

b) The device of appointing two external examiners may also be used in other exceptional cases, but only with the prior agreement of the Chair of the Standing Committee on Assessment.

c) At the MPhil/PhD level it is University policy that a candidate’s supervisor must not be appointed as the internal examiner. Exemption from this requirement will be granted only in exceptional circumstances. If you wish to recommend an exemption, please give details on an accompanying sheet.

Please return completed forms to Research Student Administration

May 2017