When a manuscript committee has assessed a thesis, the chair of the committee writes a synthesis: a summary based on the individual assessments of the committee members. Until now, after approval by the dean, this synthesis went exclusively to the first supervisor via Hora Finita. The first supervisor could then share the main findings with the PhD candidate and the other supervisors, but could also withhold information. For example, Article 39.2 of the doctorate regulations determines that the decision to set up a cum laude committee may never reach the PhD candidate. Thus, such a decision cannot be shared by the supervisor with the PhD candidate. At the same time, the doctorate regulations indicate in Article 36.4 that the synthesis is always attached to the committee's assessment and thus goes directly to the PhD candidate. Until now, this was not the case. This is now changing.
From 1 April, Hora Finita will also send the manuscript committee's synthesis directly to the PhD candidate. This has implications for its drafting. The chair of the manuscript committee must be aware that the first supervisor no longer functions as a filter. This means that the chair must ensure that the synthesis does not contain any conclusions that can be traced back to an individual committee member. Most importantly, the synthesis must NOT contain anything about a possible cum laude. For the PhD candidate and everyone else, the setting up of a cum laude committee must remain secret.