If one or both of the examiners give the thesis an outcome of 'not passed' on the examination report, a Master鈥檚 student will not graduate and a Doctoral candidate will not proceed to the oral defence. However, the student has the option to revise and resubmit a failed thesis. When the examiner鈥檚 report is received by the Thesis Office and after the results are shared with the student, the transcript will indicate 鈥楾hesis Requires Revision鈥�.
In cases where plagiarism in the thesis is alleged, the thesis examination process does not proceed any further and the case is investigated through University disciplinary processes.
Revise and resubmit process in myThesis (August 2022-present)
*For students who started the Revise and Resubmit process outside myThesis, prior to August 2022, see this webpage.
As of August 2022, the revise and resubmit process for students who have not passed the thesis examination takes place in myThesis. The process is highlighted in the table below:
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myThesis status |
What the status means |
|---|---|
|
Reports Received |
When one or both examiners return an evaluation of 鈥淣ot Passed鈥�, the primary supervisor will receive a notification via myThesis asking them to review the results in myThesis. They are advised to release the results to the student in myThesis within two days. |
|
Thesis Requires Revision |
When the results are released to the student, it is at this point that the transcript will reflect 鈥淭hesis Requires Revision鈥� for the current term. The student is advised at this point to choose among the following (1) Revise and resubmit; (2) Hearing Committee (for bias, error, or misrepresentation). They have 6 weeks to make the decision in myThesis. The supervisor will be notified of the decision. If there is no response from the student within six weeks of the date of the notification, they will be withdrawn from the University. Their transcript will indicate 鈥楾hesis Revision 鈥� Not Passed鈥�. |
|
R&R Intent Submitted |
When the student submits their decision to revise their thesis, the supervisor(s) will receive a myThesis notification asking them to confirm that they will maintain supervisory oversight for the revision. |
|
R&R Intent Acknowledged |
The supervisor(s) has/have responded 鈥榊es鈥� to the student decision to revise & resubmit. The student should proceed to working on the revisions. The revised thesis must be submitted to GPS no later than 1 year from the student鈥檚 decision to revise and resubmit. The due date to submit the revisions is indicated in myThesis. Students must remain registered at 91社区 throughout this time. If the student does not submit the revised thesis by the deadline, the thesis will be deemed to have failed and the student will be withdrawn from the university. Their transcript will indicate 鈥楾hesis Revision 鈥� Not Passed鈥�. |
|
R&R Package Submitted |
When it is time to submit the thesis, the student can log into myThesis and upload the following documents:
听 The supervisor and GPD will then receive notifications to approve the revised submission in myThesis. |
|
R&R Thesis Authorized by Sup. |
The supervisor(s) has/have approved the revised thesis submission. |
|
R&R Thesis Authorized by GPD |
The GPD has approved the revised thesis submission. |
|
R&R Thesis has been submitted |
GPS has received and approved the revised thesis submission. |
|
R&R Evaluation in Progress |
The revised thesis package is sent to the examiner who failed the original thesis. No contact between the Unit or student and the examiner is permitted. If the original examiner is not willing or available to serve, GPS will contact the Unit and secure another examiner. This new examiner will be provided with the original thesis and report that did not pass the thesis. They will be asked to determine whether the revised thesis has addressed the issues raised by the original examiner鈥檚 report and has met the requirements for the degree. |
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Once the thesis has passed, the student can submit their final or proceed to an oral defence, depending on their level of study. Should the examiner not pass the revised thesis, the student will be withdrawn from the University unless they believe there is bias, error, or serious misrepresentation on the part of the examiner (see below). |
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Hearing Committee (Bias, Error, or Misrepresentation)
Revised in 2012 and 2018. Start of revision.
If a thesis has not been passed and the student feels that this judgment is not based on the academic or scholarly quality of the thesis itself, but rather is determined by bias, error, or serious misrepresentation on the part of the examiner, the student may submit to the Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies a written request for a new examiner for the thesis, documenting the bias, error, or serious misrepresentation. This request must be made within six weeks of the notification that the thesis has not passed, and may be accompanied by a letter of support from the supervisor and/or Unit.
To consider the request, the Dean will convene (and chair) a Hearing Committee, composed of two (2) standing members of the Council of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (C.G.P.S) and an appointed member of the student鈥檚 Faculty. This Committee will review the request at a hearing to which the student will be invited in order to present their case.*** The Committee will render a decision (in the absence of the student) as to whether bias, error or serious misrepresentation has been proven. The decision and the reasons behind it will be communicated in writing to the student by the Dean of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies within one week of the Committee hearing.
If the request for a new examiner is approved by the Committee, the examination will be considered void; the student and supervisor with the approval of the Unit must identify and contact a new examiner (and submit a new Nomination of Examiners Form to GPS). The thesis may not be revised prior to submission of the new examiner.
If the request for a new examiner is not approved by the Committee, and this is the first time that the thesis had been evaluated, the student has the right to Revise and Resubmit under the normal procedures. If the revised thesis also fails to pass examination, the thesis will be judged as not fulfilling the requirements for the degree and the student will be withdrawn from the University and their transcript will indicate 鈥楾hesis Revision 鈥� Not Passed鈥�.
Revised and resubmitted thesis: If bias, error, or serious misrepresentation is first alleged as a result of the examination of a revised thesis (i.e. a thesis that did not pass the first examination and was subsequently revised and resubmitted), the Hearing Committee process described above will be followed. If the allegation is upheld, a new examiner will be secured as described above. If the allegation is not upheld, no further revisions will be considered; the student will be withdrawn from the University and their transcript will indicate 鈥楾hesis Revision 鈥� Not Passed鈥�.
Revised in 2012 and 2018. End of revision.
*Unit refers to a department, a division, a school, an institute, or a Faculty/University-wide program.
**Head refers to chair of the Academic Unit* or delegate (such as Graduate Program Director/Associate Director). Names of delegate(s) should be submitted to the Director, Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs.
*** The student may bring an advisor from the university community to the hearing (who must not be paid for their services.)
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