The context

The new May 25th decree provides for an individual follow-up committee. The council of the doctoral school is in charge of its organisation.

The doctoral committee

The follow-up committee was voted on the council of November 4th 2016 along these guidelines :

1) Personalised tutoring

In each laboratory, the supervisor offers the candidate upon arrival a permanent tutor in the lab. This choice must be done in agreement with the candidate and the supervisor. The name of the tutor will be done during the enrolment in the first year and should be mentioned in the enrolment file.

The tutor should not intervene on the scientific aspects of the PhD but should accompany the candidate along her or his thesis and be his main discussion partner in terms of his/hers future orientations (post-doctoral studies, ATER, i.e. temporary trainer and researcher…) and regarding the questions related to the scientific field (relationships with the permanent members of the team, with the other doctoral candidates, with the thesis director…) The tutor will inform the director of the research unit and/or the directing staff of the doctoral school in case of conflict, discrimination or harassment.

When the tutor is designated he must be in contact with the PhD candidate for a quick discussion regarding the “rules and duties” of the PhD student and the general conduction of the PhD. A 30 min discussion between the supervisor and the director of the unit should take place after the 1st year. The meeting’s main goal is to help the PhD candidate regarding his/her’s conduct and how to maintain good relationships in the laboratory and on aspects other than scientific. A one page report will be required in the second year re-enrolment application.

2) The individual follow-up committee

An individual follow-up committee is arranged for all the doctoral students.

This committee is by no means a pre-defence jury and its members should regard it as a setting to listen and accompany the PhD candidate. It should be constructive and helpful to the candidate.

This committee which does not take part in the supervising of the PhD candidate (please refer to article 13 of the May 25th decree) consists of the tutor, at least one external member of Université Sorbonne Paris Nord who has the scientific competences to evaluate the advancement of the work as well as a representative of the doctoral school. Based on the needs, and among the permanent members of the laboratory or the “UFR/composante”, the unit director names one or two representatives of the Doctoral School in charge of the organisation of the follow-up committee.

The full composition of the follow-up committee (designation of the representative of the doctoral school and of the external expert) is indicated in the doctoral candidate’s file at the time of her/his re-enrolment latest, and validated by all the signatory members.

This committee will gather at least once at the end of the second year of the PhD (between May and October) for a meeting with the candidate when she/he requests to re-enrol in the third year. This committee will meet again for each new re-enrolment request after the third year. The meeting consists of two aspects : a scientific aspect and a relational aspect. The scientific aspect will be a maximum 20 min oral presentation by the doctoral candidate followed by a discussion with the members of the committee. The relationship aspect is a general discussion with the PhD candidate in the absence of his supervisor.

After the end of the second year’s follow-up committee, a form is given by the Doctoral School of the committee. In the event of an extra re-enrolment being needed, that’s to say after the 3rd year, a specific form for the extra years is given. For the part-time PhD candidates who have the possibility to do their PhD in 6 years (2016 decree), the form of the follow-up committee given at the end of the second year should be used at each re-enrolment.

After the meeting, the form is completed by the members of the follow-up committee and then sent to the secretary () by the representative of the doctoral school. This form includes recommendations or a synthetic report in case issues are identified and is examined/validated by the doctoral school direction and then sent to the representative who will forward it to the PhD candidate, to the supervisor and to the director of the laboratory. If one of the parties is not satisfied with the report by the committee via the form, it can contact the directing staff of the doctoral school within 15 days upon receiving it ().

In accordance with the May 25th decree, the examination of the re-enrolment request depends on the follow-up meeting and on the reception of the form.

To summarise :

Division of tasks :

  • The director if the laboratory : for each PhD candidate, he/she organises/validates the follow-up committee.
  • The tutor : follows the integration of the doctoral candidate and makes sure the thesis is well conducted. She/he contacts the doctoral candidate upon arrival for a first meeting. She/he meets the candidate at the end of the 1st year and writes a short report (one page maximum) which is submitted in the re-enrolment file for the second year.
  • The representative of the Doctoral School for the follow-up : organises the committee (calls the members), sends the form to the doctoral school and after it has been validated by the doctoral school, forwards it to the doctoral candidate, to the PhD supervisor and to the director of the laboratory.
  • The follow-up committee : conducts the meeting, fills in the form and summarises it to the PhD candidate.
  • The Doctoral School : validates it and reports to the representative of the.
  • The PhD student : take note of the reports (interview with the tutor, comité de suivi form) and download them in the online file

Timeline :

  • Appointment of the tutor : upon 1st year enrolment
  • Meeting with the tutor : first meeting with the PhD candidate upon arrival and second meeting at the end of year 1.
  • Full organisation of the follow-up committee (designation of the doctoral school representative and of the external expert) : at the time of the second year re-enrolment.
  • The meeting with the committee : during the months of May and October, during the second year of the PhD. Must be done every time a re-enrolment is requested after year 3.

Please find below :