Research Degrees Committee

Terms of Reference 2025-26

• The Research Degrees Committee acts with the delegated authority of the University Senate on all matters relating to the award of Research Degrees and Professional
• The terms of reference of the Research Degrees Committee with regard to Research Degrees and the research component of Professional Doctorates are, acting in accordance with the regulations and policies of the University:
  
  1. to determine and review the overall arrangements and criteria for the admission, supervision, training, monitoring and assessment of research students;
  2. to monitor and support the overall academic progress of research students by;
     
     • considering reports on the student experience and student outcomes, including postgraduate research student satisfaction, continuation, completion and progression and making recommendations for action;
     • receiving and responding to internal and external audits, reports and surveys on research student experience, engagement and progression
     • receiving and reviewing annual action plans from academic Schools to improve the research student experience and academic and professional outcomes
  3. to work with academic and support Schools and Departments to develop policies and strategies to enhance the experience of research students studying at the University;
  4. to review and make recommendations to Senate on research degree academic regulations to enhance student outcomes and student experience;
  5. to appoint and consider the recommendations of internal and external examiners for the final examination and to grant awards to eligible research students;
  6. to consider the implications of external policy and regulatory frameworks as they relate to research students and develop policy on research degree programme quality assurance;
  7. to consider any relevant matters referred to it by the University, a Research Student Review Board, School Committee or Research Student Representative
  8. to review and make recommendations to the Graduate School on the training of research supervisors

  (x) to report annually to Senate on research degree policies, regulations and standards, including feedback from external examiners.

• The Research Degrees Committee meets as required to conduct business, normally three times across the calendar
• The membership of the Research Degrees Committee comprises a Chair, appointed by the Vice- Chancellor, and the Research Programme Leader from each academic School or Professional Doctoral Programme, Academic staff with responsibility for Research Student training, relevant staff from the Research Office and Graduate School, and a Research Student Representative.
• The Vice-Chancellor and the Academic Registrar each has the right to attend, or to send a representative to attend meetings of the Research Degrees Committee in a non-voting capacity. The Chair may permit other individuals to attend meetings in a non-voting capacity as
• Decisions of the Research Degrees Committee are normally reached by consensus and are binding on all members. Resolutions may be reached by a majority vote of those members who are present, with the Chair holding a casting
• The Chair, or their delegate, has authority to take decisions on behalf of the Research Degrees Committee between meetings either independently, or in correspondence with other members. Any action taken in this way will be reported at the next

Updated: September 2026