Rochelle Ade

Imagine it. You’ve finally reached the end of your doctoral studies, years of intensive research culminating in a thesis of original work. All you need to do is to hand it in. And then your University closes its campuses.

Rochelle Ade, a PhD candidate from the Business School found herself in just that position, becoming the University’s first doctoral candidate to complete a virtual thesis submission during the COVID-19 Alert Level 4. We chatted to Rochelle about her experience.

What was your PhD situation before lockdown?

I was due to submit my PhD thesis on 2 April at an in-person meeting at the School of Graduate Studies. I was just going through the process of finalising and preparing to print and bind my thesis and was looking for a JP to sign my DOC7 form when the campus closure was announced.

What did the campus closures mean for you?

I was very worried that I wouldn't be able to submit my thesis for examination. I was especially worried that I wouldn't be able to find a JP to sign my form. And that if I did find someone, I might expose myself to the virus and bring it home to my 70+ year old mother.

What did you do?

I emailed the School of Graduate Studies and asked them if there was a 'socially distanced' way to submit my thesis. They got back to me straight away and told me to just email a PDF across. When I queried the DOC7 form, they advised that I needed to sign it but that it didn't need to be witnessed by a JP.  

What’s next, now that you’ve submitted?

Once we come out of lockdown, I'll be looking for gainful employment.