General:
In connection with the adjudication of Norwegian doctoral degrees, the faculty appoints an expert committee consisting of at least three members. One member of the committee typically works at the faculty and is thus proposed as the committee's coordinator or administrative leader. This means that the third member of the committee has a dual role as a member of the committee and the committee's administrative leader.
If none of the three proposed members of the adjudication committee are employed at the faculty, the department will in addition to the expert committee, propose an internal, administrative leader. In this case the committee will still consist of three expert members.
The committee’s coordinator/administrative leader – areas of responsibility
The committee’s coordinator has a special responsibility in connection with all aspects of the committee’s work.
Coordinator
- Ensure that all communication from the committee to the candidate is via the faculty’s administration.
- Responsibility for organizing the work of the committee, including ensuring that the work is started promptly and that the timeframe is adhered to.
- Present a time schedule to the committee and inform the Faculty’s administration of this without delay. Potential delays must be reported to the administration as soon as possible.
- Liaise between the Faculty’s administration and the committee in relation to information on the process and final phase.
- Provide other members of the committee with detailed information on the Faculty’s various decision-making procedures, coordinate the recommendation work, including collating members’ work where necessary, sign the recommendation and send it to the faculty’s administration.
- Send the recommendation to other members of the committee for signature.
- Work with the committee to select a topic for the trial lecture and ensure that the Faculty is informed of this well in advance.
- Inform other members of the committee of how the Faculty can help in relation to travel and accommodation for adjudication meetings and public defences.
- Inform other members of the committee of the procedures and norms in relation to the public defence, including the various roles at the subsequent dinner.
- Ensure that the committee appoints opponents, and notify the faculty’s administration thereof.
- Inform the committee that the tradition at the faculty is for the first opponent to initiate the opposition by giving a brief summary of the thesis, focussing on the purpose and results of the scientific investigation.
- Inform other members of the committee of the time and place of the trial lecture and public defence and where the committee will meet beforehand, and deal with any other matters that may arise.
The coordinator also hosts a working dinner the day before the trial lecture and public defence, where the committee discusses the final preparations.
UiO is certified as a Green University. The faculty requests that the coordinator conducts work meetings via Skype or holds conference calls, where appropriate.
Coordinator’s interaction with the chair of the public defence
The coordinator must interact with the chair of the public defence on all practical and formal details in advance of and during the trial lecture and public defence. If the coordinator does not have sufficient knowledge of these details, the chair must provide clarification.
Before the trial lecture and public defence begin, it is important that the committee, candidate and chair meet. This meeting is organized by the chair and the other members of the committee are informed of the meeting by the coordinator of the adjudication committee.
Finances
For finances relating to the adjudication work see: