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PhD representatives report 2019

Our activities and achievements in 2019...

 

1. PhD regulations (Promotionsordnung)

  • In 2016, the PhD regulations were revised. However, the draft got lost somewhere between the legal office and the faculty. By resubmitting it in the beginning of 2020, we took the chance to introduce some improvements (see below).
  • Changes in the new PhD regulations that will affect us most and were strongly influenced by us are the following:
  • The oral examination (rigorosum) is supposed to focus stronger on the specific research topic instead of covering a broad field within biology.

  • The grade of the oral part of the PhD thesis (defence & rigorosum) will only count 1/3 of the final grade, while the written part, i.e. the actual thesis, will be weighed 2/3. (The current regulation weighs both parts equally.)

  • The need for coherence of topics included in a thesis was suspended.

  • A (formal) prolongation of the time frame, in which a thesis has to be done, can then be prolonged until 7 years. The maximum standard time frame, however, was kept at 5 years.

  • For the first time, the PhD candidates will have one vote within the Doctoral Board, where all PhD-related issues are discussed.

  • The new PhD regulations including all these changes were approved by the Doctoral Board and are now checked by the legal office. If they pass, only the Faculty Board has to give its approval until they become valid (most probably also for current PhD candidates).

 

2. Format of the PhD thesis

  • In contrast to the regulations discussed above, where we have to wait until the new PhD regulations become valid, the following ruling applies already from now on: When writing your final thesis, you may always include manuscripts - no matter whether published or not. This means that you can write in a cumulative style even if you have no publication as a first author. This new interpretation of the current PhD regulations was strongly supported by your representatives in the Doctoral Board.

 

3. Dissertation agreement

  • For the elaboration of this document structuring the relationship between PhD candidate and supervisor we put in a lot of effort in 2018: Our main points were that a one-sided termination of the PhD work should only possible after completing an ombuds process and that this document is a benefit for both, the PhD candidate and their supervisor. In 2019, the Dissertation Agreement was formally approved and is now a compulsatory part of the registration of new PhD candidates.

 

4. Teaching record & certificate

  • Your (voluntary) teaching and supervision activities will now be acknowledge with an official certificate at the end of your PhD. To keep track of your efforts, we created a record sheet together with the PhD office.

 

5. Faculty Council

  • We are extremely happy that we are now officially represented in the Faculty Council. Being part of it enables us to also give our opinon to important questions such as the development of the faculty in the next few years. Additionally, we will stay informed about current decision-making processes (e.g. appointment procedures).

 

6. GAA (PhD convent connection on university level)

  • We joined the meetings of this committee on a regular basis and gave input for discussions. This year, the following topics were most important:
    • Doctoral Candidates are now represented in the Senate and can officially give their opinion on important matters on university's highest hierarchy.  
    • The Doctoral Candidates Representation (the GAA) now has an own budget. Financial regulations how to deal with it were developed...
    • ... and money was already spent, e.g. for a workshop on University Financing.
    • Another important topic 2020: Climate change. There were many discussions about how the job as scientist can be made more climate-friendly.
    • Together with IGA and other players, the GAA developed constructive criticism concerning the mandatory enrollment of doctoral candidates