Project defence - Thesis Advisory Committee

1st Step - Inform your Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) Composition

WHEN: before 15th December (check point 2. 'Regulation of the TAC' and 3. 'Doctoral Thesis Advisory Committee functions’ of this same webpage in order to know the members requirements and functions).
HOW: Your supervisor must propose TAC members and the student must inform  through this ONLINE FORM (inform the ID number of the doctors proposed). Remember the TAC will be composed by the same doctors every year.

2nd Step - UPF PhD program Academic Commission authorization

WHEN: from December 16th to January 30th
HOW: we will inform you, your supervisors and the Committee members of the Academic Commission decision by email so you can continue with the project defence. 

3rd Step - Organize your TAC meeting

WHEN: from January 16 to May 31
HOW: Arrange a meeting with your Committee (TAC). Send them a week before the meeting the document 'Research and Training Plan' (for first year students)' or 'Research and Training Plan' (for second year students onwards).

4th Step - Present your Thesis Project Defence

WHEN: from January 16 to May 31
HOW: - Check ‘oral meeting guidelines’ in order to know the requirements to present your meeting.
- Send the ‘Thesis advisory committee report for first year students’ or 'Thesis advisory committee report for 2nd year students onwards' form to the Committee Secretary to be filled in and signed by all the Committee members. After the defence, the secretary of your TAC must send back the documents to you and you have to upload them to Activities Document code 25 for TAC1, 71 for TAC2 and 72 for TAC3.

The TAC members will be proposed by the PhD supervisor. PhD students must present their PhD research project and progress to the TAC annually.

The TAC will be composed by the same doctors every year and consist of 3 researchers:

• All three members must have a PhD degree and accredited research experience.
• At least one of the 3 members of the TAC will be from an alternative research center, different from the PhD students research group center.
• Your supervisors and tutor CAN NOT BE members of your tribunal for the TAC

The member with the role of Secretary must be affiliated to the same institution where the PhD student is developing the thesis research. He/she will be responsible for writing the annual progress report and answering the confidential questionnaire that the UPF secretary will send to him/her.

Each student's PhD Progress Research will be assessed annually by the same Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC). The functions of the TAC for your 1st meeting are:

• To assess the viability of the project
• To identify possible problems 
• To provide alternative solutions to these problems
• Ask separately to the PhD supervisor/s and the PhD student how they organize the team working and communication to assure the research results.

The TAC draws up a ‘Thesis advisory committee report - follow up’ which includes an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the project as well as specific recommendations for improving its implementation.

Recommendations by the TAC must be responsible, realistic, feasible and constructive. The TAC cannot limit itself to highlighting weaknesses or giving criticism. It must propose viable solutions or approaches to solve potential problems. If the TAC finds serious problems such as conflicts between a student and supervisor or if it disagrees with the student or the supervisor, the TAC will report such conflicts and seek advice from the Committee of the Doctoral Programme.

Please, note that this Committee supervises the progress of the Thesis Project but it doesn't have to be the same as the examining committee, or jury, at the oral examination of the thesis.

Attendance:

The meeting will be attended by the student, supervisor/s and committee members
Duration: 20 - 25 min presentation of the project proposal by the student

Proceedings: 

• 15-20 min discussion with the committee members
• The TAC members will meet with the PhD student and his/her supervisor separately in order to identify any possible problems:
  • Brief between the committee members meeting with the supervisor/s alone
  • Brief between the committee members meeting with the student alone
• After committee members’ deliberation the committee’s Secretary will:

o Fill in this Follow up report for the student
o Fill in the online wellness questionnaire

Requirements:

- The presentation must be done in English. 
- The attendance of the thesis supervisor and tutor is mandatory in the first project defence meeting.
- In the Follow up TAC meetings the attendance is only mandatory for the supervisor.
- For your 1st meeting, the following issues must be considered: Objectives, Hypothesis and Methodologies (No results will be required).

First year students: upload your ‘Thesis advisory committee report for first year students’ in your Activities document (code 25 TAC1), inside your Virtual Secretary.

Second year students: upload your 'Thesis advisory committee report for 2nd year students onwards' in your Activities document (code 71 TAC2), inside your Virtual Secretary.

Third year students: upload your 'Thesis advisory committee report for 2nd year students onwards' in your Activities document (code 72 TAC3), inside your Virtual Secretary.