Note: This document is intended as a supplement to “The Defense and Final Paper Work,” an existing English department resource (see pages 18 and following of the most recent version of the Practical Guide [updated August 2019]). Please refer to that resource for detailed information and advice regarding the defense and the required Graduate School paperwork, as well as the Graduate School webpage on deadlines and submission instructions.
If you are planning to defend in spring or summer of 2020, please also refer to the Graduate School social distancing policy, including instructions for online submission.
Basic Logistical Decisions
- What platform will you use for the defense?
- Zoom (if you use the new UT security settings it can be tricky to access for those without UT accounts)
- Skype (will require you to collect everyone’s Skype contact beforehand; does not allow for screen sharing)
- Other
- Will you invite guests to join the meeting/call (preferably with audio and video off)? You may find it easier in this format to not have an audience.
- Do you want to record the meeting/call so family/friends can watch? If so, make sure to receive permission from everyone who will be participating in the meeting.
- What back-up plan will you have in place in case you experience insurmountable technical difficulties, e.g. conference call, individual meetings with each committee member?
- What method will you use to collect the committee’s signatures at the end of the defense, e.g. DocuSign, Adobe Sign?[*]
- The Graduate School wants every signature to have a digital date/time stamp.
Zoom Meeting Set-up
- One of your committee members (probably your chair) needs to “host” the meeting. This will allow you to leave and re-enter the meeting.
- This meeting should be scheduled through the UT Zoom interface to allow the meeting to last longer than 40 minutes, and to utilize tighter security settings.
- Make sure that the “waiting room” option is turned on for “all participants.” This should allow the “host” to let you back into the meeting when the committee is ready for you.
- Send around the meeting link well in advance of the scheduled defense. Keep in mind that posting the link to your social media accounts will leave you vulnerable to zoombombing. Consider emailing the link only to those people who are invited, and/or setting a password that you give to each attendee directly.
- Double check that all of your committee members have claimed their UT Zoom account and have downloaded and registered the Zoom app on the device they plan to use during the defense.
Skype Call Set-up
- Collect everyone’s Skype contact and create a Skype group. A free Skype account should allow you to make a video conference call to the members of a Skype group. (If you want to have audience members present, double check how many people can be on such a call.)
- Since you cannot leave and re-enter a Skype call, you will need to mute the call and hide your screen when you need to “leave the room.” Exchange phone numbers with one of your committee members so that they can call/text you when it is time for you to return.
Before the Defense
- In consultation with your chair(s) and committee members, form a remote defense plan. Make sure everybody is on the same page. If you can, try to give your plan a test run, perhaps with friends or family.
- Ask your chair or a committee member to act as a “host”: initiating the Skype call or scheduling the Zoom meeting, letting you back into the meeting when appropriate, and taking point on resolving any technical issues that may (and likely will) arise. You will be under enough pressure that day as it is.
- If you would like written feedback on your dissertation or notes from the defense, talk to your committee in advance. During traditional in-person defenses, faculty will often take notes or leave comments on a hard copy of your dissertation and hand that copy to you at the end. This, obviously, cannot happen during a remote defense.
- Try to be realistic in your expectations: no defense is perfect, and a remote defense is not ideal. Focus on the big picture. You have finished a dissertation (!) and now have the opportunity to be recognized as an expert in your field.
During the Defense
- Do not worry about logistics during the defense. The conversation may feel stilted; technical difficulties will probably arise. These are not the ideal circumstances under which to hold a defense, and everybody knows that. Focus on showcasing your expertise to the best of your ability in the moment.
After the Defense
- Send around your Graduate School documents to collect signatures using the selected method.
- Petition to embargo your dissertation (optional).
- Submit your final dissertation document (properly formatted and with any necessary revisions made) and all other necessary forms online to the Graduate School.
- Celebrate your accomplishment! Even though in-person social gatherings are not currently feasible, find other ways to celebrate with your loved ones: Zoom parties, phone calls, etc. You’ve earned it, Doctor.
Special thanks to Laura Faircloth (Linguistics) and Caroline Barta (English) for sharing their experiences successfully defending their dissertations over Zoom and Skype.
[*] Laura and Caroline both used free DocuSign accounts. They reported that it was very easy for them to set up and for their committee members to sign.
