After the questioning by the committee members, the chair asks the candidate to exit the room.
The committee discusses the candidate’s performance and any suggested revisions or changes.
Following the committee’s discussion of the candidate’s performance, the UGC Representative conducts
the secret ballot vote. (The UGC Representative does not vote.) For voting members attending remotely,
committee members should email [or text] their secret vote to the UGC Rep.
The UGC Representative announces the results and informs the members whether the student passed the
examination (4/5 or 3/4 pass votes).
If the student passes the defense with only MINOR changes:
The UGC Representative records the number of pass and fail votes on the Final Oral Examination
(Thesis/Dissertation Defense) - Part 1 Pass/Fail Form
The UGC Rep (or the committee chair) notes the revisions/changes on the Final Oral Examination
(Thesis/Dissertation Defense) - Part 1 Pass/Fail Form and specifies on the form which committee
member(s) will verify that the revisions/changes have been made prior to submission of the final copy of
the dissertation to ProQuest.
Committee members and UGC Representative sign the form. There are 2 options.
Option 1 (electronic option, preferred): While still at the defense, the UGC Rep electronically records
the vote, saves the form, and emails it to the committee chair for their electronic signature (and
perhaps for the completion of the required revisions/changes section). The committee chair then
electronically signs the form, saves it, and sends it to the next committee member. This process is
repeated for each member. After the last committee member electronically signs and saves the form,
that member will email the form back to the UGC Rep for the UGC Rep's electronic signature and
submission of the completed and fully signed form to
ETD@nau.edu. To ensure that the form is
submitted to the Graduate College within 48 hours of the defense, this procedure should be
completed in the moment, i.e., during the defense.
Option 2 (print and scan option): The UGC Rep prints the form and, with the permission of the
committee members who are attending remotely, signs it on behalf of committee members: this is
formally done by writing p.p. (Latin for per procurationem, meaning power has been delegated to sign
on behalf), followed by the UGC Representative’s signature on the signature line and the committee
members' names printed on the appropriate line (please see example below). The UGC Rep then scans
and emails the completed form to
ETD@nau.edu within 48 hours of the defense.
Signatures of the Committee
pp UGC Rep Signature
pp Mary Smith
Printed Names
Remote Member’s Name
John Doe
Following the secret vote and committee members' signatures on the Part 1 form, the candidate is called
back in to hear the results.
The UGC Rep goes over these important Student Reminders:
In order to graduate in the defending term, the student must upload the revised and final
dissertation (approved by the committee with the submission of the Oral Defense Part 2 form) by
the last day of term. Submitting the final dissertation beyond the term deadline
will defer the
posting of the student’s degree to the following term. The student will then be required to submit
a new graduation application and enroll for at least 1 unit of 799 in that following term to comply
with the
Continuous Enrollment policy. A student can submit final revisions within six months of
the defense date but must enroll for at least 1 unit of 799 for each term within that six month
