Draft Doctorates Statute, Doctorates Policy and Supervision Policy

The University is reviewing the documents that govern doctoral admission, candidature, supervision and examination. The proposed suite is intended to be clearer, easier to navigate and better able to recognise the diversity of doctoral research, disciplines, outputs and candidate circumstances. The academic rigour of doctoral degrees will remain unchanged.

This consultation focuses on the Doctorates Statute, Doctorates Policy and Supervision Policy, which establish the overarching academic principles and policy settings for doctoral study. The supporting procedures and guidelines will be developed separately, informed by the agreed direction of the statute and associated policy documents. This sequencing allows the detailed procedures to be developed on a clear and consistent academic foundation.

Why this review is needed

The current doctoral framework has developed over time across many documents. Information can be difficult to locate; responsibilities and decision pathways are not always sufficiently clear; and the rules are not necessarily fit for the diversity of modern research practice.

In scope

• The clarity, coherence and navigability of the draft Doctorates Statute, Doctorates Policy and Supervision Policy.
• The proposed policy intent, principles and settings.
• How well the proposed framework accommodates different disciplines, research approaches, doctoral pathways and candidate circumstances.
• Potential impacts on equity, accessibility, candidate experience and doctoral supervision.
• Operational, legal, system, transition and implementation considerations that should be addressed before the document suite is approved or comes into effect.

Out of scope

• The detailed design of procedures, guidelines and practice notes, which will be developed and tested separately.
• The design or procurement of a doctoral candidature management system.
• Individual cases, complaints or previous decisions.
• The final commencement date for the document suite, which will be determined through the approval process and an assessment of implementation readiness.
• Matters outside doctoral education, specifically related to sub-doctoral policies and procedures.

Consultation documents

Design principles

• Document architecture: Separate principles, policy requirements and operational guidance and map to the doctoral lifecycle. This will deliver a coherent framework that is easier to navigate, in which the decisions are positioned at the right hierarchical level.
• Language: Simplify clause and sentence construction and write in plain English at the level of entry for English language proficiency. It will deliver content that is easy to comprehend, unambiguous, and accessible to the doctoral cohort.
• Roles and decisions: Clarify responsibilities, delegations, decision frameworks and escalation pathways. This will provide a more transparent and consistent decision-making process with clear separation between academic and procedural decision points. Note that this will be most visible within the procedures.
• Doctoral diversity: Use principles-based provisions with appropriate flexibility and guardrails. This will enable better recognition of disciplines, outputs, pathways and candidate circumstances without lowering standards.
• Operational guidance: Move detailed operating requirements into aligned procedures and guidance. This will make sure that operational material can remain current while policy intent and controls are protected.

How to participate

Complete the online form by 24 November 2026. You may respond as an individual or on behalf of a faculty, committee, team or representative group. Refer to specific clauses where useful, but you do not need to comment on every clause. Focus on the issues that matter most and include evidence, examples or suggested wording where possible.

If the form is not accessible for you, contact Celine Gilbert (celine.gilbert@auckland.ac.nz) for an alternative format.

Q&A sessions

How feedback will be used

1. Submissions will be registered, analysed and themed.
2. A cross-functional Consultation Review Panel will assess substantive issues against academic quality, candidate, equity, legal, policy, operational and implementation considerations.
3. Material changes will be recommended via the Graduate Research Committee and progressed for endorsement via the standard governance pathway, University Council, Senate.
4. A consultation outcomes report will summarise participation, major themes, decisions and significant amendments.

Privacy and publication

Feedback will be used for the purpose of reviewing the doctoral document suite. Reporting will normally be aggregated and will not attribute comments to individuals without permission. Group or committee submissions may be identified as collective submissions where this has been agreed. Personal information unrelated to the consultation may be removed from working analyses.