Regulations of the doctoral school

Regulations of the doctoral school of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń

Chapter 1

General provisions

Article 1

1. The regulations of the doctoral school of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń specify the principles of operation of the doctoral school, the competencies of its bodies, as well as the organization of education and the rights and obligations of doctoral students, including in particular:
1) method of appointing and changing the supervisor, supervisors or auxiliary supervisor;
2) method of documenting the course of education;
3) method of conducting the mid-term evaluation;
4) conditions for extending the deadline for submitting a doctoral dissertation.
2. The provisions of the regulations shall apply to doctoral schools operating at the University.

Article 2

Whenever the provisions of the regulations mention:
1) APD – it shall mean the Diploma Theses Archive;
2) doctoral student – it shall mean a doctoral student pursuing education at a doctoral school;
3) PRK – it shall mean the Polish Qualifications Framework;
4) doctoral school – it shall mean the doctoral school referred to in art.1.2;
5) University – it shall mean the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń;
6) USOS – it shall mean the University Study-Oriented System (an IT system used to manage the course of studies at the University);
7) Act – it shall mean the Act of July 20, 2018 – Law on Higher Education and Science (Journal of Laws of 2023, item 742, as amended).

Article 3

The task of the doctoral school shall be to create conditions for doctoral students to:
1) conducting scientific research;
2) scientific cooperation in research teams;
3) preparation of scientific publications, in particular in journals included in the list drawn up under the regulations issued pursuant to Art. 267.2 point 2 letter b of the Act, as well as artistic works presented in public space;
4) scientific development through the possibility of carrying out research internships and conference trips, including abroad;
5) implementation of an education program adequate to qualifications at PQF level 8;
6) preparation of a doctoral dissertation.

Article 4

1. Supervision over the education of doctoral students at the doctoral school shall be exercised by the relevant vice-rector for research, except for individual matters of doctoral students, in which the supervision authority is the relevant vice-rector for student affairs.
2. The body monitoring the quality of education in a doctoral school shall be the doctoral school council and, in a university-wide interdisciplinary school, the University Senate.

Article 5

1. Decisions of the doctoral school director to which the Act of 14 June 1960 – Code of Administrative Procedure (Journal of Laws of 2024, item 572) does not apply may be appealed to the vice-rector responsible for student affairs. The appeal shall be submitted through the director of the doctoral school within 14 days from the date of delivery of the decision to the doctoral student.
2. Delivery of the decisions referred to in Art.5.1 shall be made by sending a copy of the decision to the doctoral student’s account referred to in Art.13.8, collecting it in person at the Doctoral Schools Secretariat or sending it via the postal operator serving the University.

Article 6

The rector may authorize the relevant director of the doctoral school to issue administrative decisions in the first instance in matters relating to doctoral students, and the relevant vicerector for student affairs to consider applications for reconsideration of the case pertaining to these decisions.

Chapter 2

School authorities

Article 7

1. The doctoral school shall be run by the director appointed for a four-year term by the rector from among the academic teachers employed in the group of professors after consultation with the doctoral student government and the competent school council.
2. The director of the school shall:
1) develop a draft curriculum for the school;
2) develop draft rules for the recruitment to the school;
3) organize recruitment to the doctoral school;
4) prepare the teaching offer of the doctoral school;
5) appoint a supervisor, supervisors or a supervisor and an auxiliary supervisor and dismiss or change them;
6) organize the conduct of a mid-term evaluation;
7) establish, in cooperation with the doctoral school council, framework principles for conducting mid-term evaluation;
8) organize and monitor the implementation of the doctoral education process;
9) take decisions regarding individual cases involving doctoral students;
10) consent to extending the deadline for submitting a doctoral dissertation;
11) every two years, present a report on the activities of the doctoral school to the rector and, in the case of an interdisciplinary school, also to the senate.

Article 8

1. The doctoral school council shall act as an opinion-giving and advisory body consisting of:
1) director of the doctoral school as its chairperson,
2) chairpersons of councils of scientific disciplines belonging to relevant fields,
3) deans of faculties competent for scientific disciplines,
4) representative of the Doctoral Students’ Self-Government.
2. In a university-wide interdisciplinary school, the doctoral school council shall consist of persons appointed by the rector at the request of the rector’s council.
3. The scope of activities of the doctoral school council shall include in particular:
1) providing an opinion on the candidate for the director of the school;
2) providing an opinion on the school curriculum;
3) approval of the qualification committee conducting the recruitment;
4) monitoring the quality of education at the doctoral school, subject to art.4.2;
5) giving opinions on the manner of conducting the mid-term evaluation and the evaluation referred to in Article 21;
6) giving opinions on other matters specified in the University’s statute.

Article 9

1. The relevant vice-rector for research may, at the request of the director of the doctoral school, appoint for the period of the director’s term of office a five-person scientific council of the doctoral school, the majority of whose members shall be non-employees of the University.
2. The tasks of the scientific council shall in particular include:
1) monitoring the quality of research conducted by doctoral students;
2) monitoring the level of internationalization of the doctoral school.
3. Other bodies may operate in a doctoral school co-financed from external sources under the principles specified in the acts on which they operate.

Chapter 3

Rights and obligations of doctoral students

Article 10

1. A person admitted to the doctoral school shall begin education and acquire the rights of a doctoral student upon taking the oath, the content of which is specified in the University’s statute.
2. One may be a doctoral student at only one doctoral school at a time.
3. The person admitted to the doctoral school shall confirm taking the oath electronically in USOS within 7 days from the beginning of the academic year, and in the case of doctoral students admitted to the doctoral school during the academic year, within 7 days from the date of admission.
4. The rights and obligations of a doctoral student shall expire on the day of completing education at the doctoral school or being removed from the list of doctoral students.
5. The status of a doctoral student shall be confirmed by a doctoral student card issued free of charge by the University, the form of which and the rules for issuing and extending its validity shall be regulated by separate regulations.

Article 11

The doctoral student shall have the right to:
1) free education, in particular obtaining reliable and modern knowledge to the extent necessary to obtain a doctoral degree;
2) conducting scientific research, in particular to the extent necessary to obtain a doctoral degree;
3) use the infrastructure of teaching, service and support units, as well as laboratories, libraries, rooms intended for conducting scientific work, IT infrastructure, scientific equipment and other scientific aids of the University;
4) scientific supervision of the supervisor or supervisors or supervisor and auxiliary supervisor in the preparation of the doctoral dissertation;
5) applying for internal and external grants;
6) publish the results of their research or artistic work and present them at national and international scientific conferences in consultation with the supervisor(s) or the director of the school;
7) join the University doctoral student organizations;
8) suspension of education for a period corresponding to the duration of maternity leave; paternity leave, and parental leave as defined in the Act of 26 June 1974 – Labour Code (Journal of Laws of 2023, item 1465);
9) suspension of education at the doctoral school under the terms specified in Article 34;
10) extension of the deadline for submitting the doctoral dissertation, but not longer than by two years, under the terms specified in Article 35;
11) rest breaks not exceeding 8 weeks a year;
12) doctoral scholarship and applying for a student loan under the terms specified in the Act;
13) sickness insurance on the terms specified in separate regulations;
14) ensuring the possibility of continuing education at another doctoral school in a given discipline or covering the costs of proceedings for awarding a doctoral degree on an extramural basis in the cases specified in Art. 206 of the Act;
15) accommodation in a student or academic house, as well as accommodation of their spouse or child in a student or academic house, on the terms specified in separate regulations.

Article 12

1. A doctoral student with a disability and a doctoral student who is a parent may apply for adapting the organization and implementation of the educational process to the type of disability or needs resulting from parenthood, in particular for changing the rules of participation in doctoral student education and the procedure for passing courses.
2. The director of the doctoral school, in the cases referred to in art 12.1, at the request of a doctoral student, may consent in particular to:
1) including third parties in classes, especially as sign language interpreters, stenographers, and laboratory assistants;
2) enabling the use of technical devices, including image and sound recording devices;
3) preparation of teaching or assessment materials in an alternative form of recording;
4) changing the form of verification of learning outcomes;
5) changing the form of conducting classes, consisting of conducting classes on an individual basis;
6) changing the place of taking classes or completing subjects;
7) extension of the duration of credit tests;
8) including third party into courses assigned by the organizational unit of the University responsible for doctoral students with disabilities, especially as sign language interpreters, stenographers, and lectors, for credit purposes;
9) enabling the use of technical devices while passing subjects, including computers, Braille and sound devices;
10) carrying out the course assessment on an individual basis.
3. If the doctoral student’s disability or parenthood makes it impossible to participate in classes in a given semester, the director of the doctoral school, at the request of the doctoral student, shall designate another semester in which they will be able to participate in classes.
4. Decisions regarding doctoral students with disabilities referred to in art. 12.2 and 12. 3 shall be issued by the director of the doctoral school after seeking the opinion of the organizational unit of the University responsible for doctoral students with disabilities.

Article 13

The doctoral student shall be obliged to:
1) conduct in accordance with the content of the oath and applicable regulations at the University, including in particular the regulations of the doctoral school;
2) submit to the director of the doctoral school, within 12 months from the date of commencement of education, agreed with the supervisor or supervisors, an individual research plan, including, in particular, the schedule for the preparation of the doctoral dissertation and the deadline for its submission; if an auxiliary supervisor is appointed, the plan shall be presented after receiving the opinion of this supervisor;
3) implementation of the educational program and individual research plan;
4) submit to the director of the doctoral school by the end of each academic year, approved by the supervisor or supervisors, a report on the implementation of the individual research plan;
5) immediately provide information about scientific and artistic achievements, in particular:
a) publications of which they are the author or co-author to the University unit responsible for bibliometrics,
b) information about artistic achievements obtained by entering them into the Artistic Achievements application operating within the Nicolaus Copernicus University Form System,
c) information about obtained patents and protection rights to the University Patent Advocate;
6) submit declarations authorizing the University to demonstrate achievements resulting from education at the doctoral school for the purposes of evaluating the quality of scientific activity of the discipline or one of the disciplines included in the field in which the doctoral dissertation is being prepared;
7) immediately notify the director of the doctoral school about obtaining a doctoral degree, if it occurred during the education at the doctoral school, as well as about changes to the data referred to in Article 28;
8) create and have an account on the university server (USOS account), as well as contact via this account in matters related to education at the doctoral school;
9) verification of data in USOS, as well as receiving decisions of the University authorities via the account referred to in point. 8, and to immediately report errors in the documentation of the course of education to the Doctoral School Secretariat;
10) respect for University property;
11) comply with the rules of using the computer network applicable at the University.

Article 14

A doctoral student shall be subject to disciplinary liability under the principles specified in separate regulations for violating the regulations applicable at the University and for an act violating the dignity of a doctoral student.

Chapter 4

Supervisor, supervisors, and auxiliary supervisor

Article 15

1. The supervisor or supervisors or the supervisor and auxiliary supervisor shall provide scientific supervision to prepare a doctoral dissertation.
2. The supervisor may be a person holding a habilitated doctor’s degree or the title of professor.
3. The supervisor may be a person who does not meet the conditions specified in art.15.2, who is an employee of a foreign university or scientific institution, if the director of the doctoral school, after consultation with the appropriate discipline council, decides that this person has significant achievements in the field of scientific issues covered by the doctoral dissertation.
4. The supervisor or auxiliary supervisor cannot be a person who:
1) during the last 5 years:
a) was the supervisor of 4 doctoral students who were removed from the list of doctoral students due to a negative result of the mid-term evaluation, or
b) supervised the dissertation preparation by at least 2 persons applying for a doctoral degree who did not obtain positive reviews referred to in Art. 191 section 1 of the Act, or
c) was the supervisor of 2 doctoral students for whom the evaluation of scientific supervision carried out during the mid-term evaluation resulted in a negative result:
2) was punished with a disciplinary penalty of deprivation of the right to perform the tasks of a supervisor, referred to in Art. 276 section 1 point 4 of the Act – during the period of this penalty.
5. An auxiliary supervisor may be a person with at least a doctoral degree.
6. Rules for providing care referred to in art.15.1, shall be determined by the director of the doctoral school, by way of an order, after consultation with the doctoral school council. The rector shall approve the order of the director of the doctoral school.

Article 16

1. Within 6 weeks of starting education, a doctoral student shall submit an application to the director of the doctoral school to appoint a supervisor or supervisors or a supervisor and an auxiliary supervisor. The doctoral student must attach to the application a supervisory plan prepared by the candidate for supervisor or supervisors, a declaration of the candidate for a supervisor or auxiliary supervisor on meeting the requirements to serve as a supervisor or auxiliary supervisor, and a list of their scientific achievements.
2. The director of the doctoral school, by way of a decision issued after consulting the chairperson of the relevant scientific discipline council:
1) shall appoint:
a) the supervisor or supervisors, or
b) supervisor and auxiliary supervisor;
2) shall refuse to appoint the persons referred to in point 1.
3. The decision referred to in art.16.2 shall be delivered to the doctoral student and the supervisor or supervisors and the auxiliary supervisor. The relevant dean and the relevant chairperson of the discipline council shall be notified of the decision.
4. In the event of refusal referred to in art.16.2 point 2, the doctoral student, within 14 days from the date of delivery of the decision to refuse the appointment, shall submit to the director of the doctoral school another application for the appointment of a supervisor or supervisors or a supervisor and an auxiliary supervisor. In the application, the doctoral student shall indicate a candidate for a supervisor or auxiliary supervisor other than the one whom the director of the doctoral school previously refused to appoint. To the proposal art.16.1 and 16.2 shall apply accordingly.
5. If a decision refuses to appoint the persons referred to in art.16.4, the provision of art.17.3 shall apply accordingly.
6. If the recruitment rules for the doctoral school provide for the candidate to select one of the research projects submitted for implementation, the director of the doctoral school shall appoint the supervisor of the project chosen by the doctoral student as the supervisor.

Article 17

1. In justified situations, particularly in the event of a negative result of the evaluation of scientific supervision referred to in art. 33, the director of the doctoral school, after consultation with the chairperson of the relevant scientific discipline council, shall:
1) change the appointed supervisor or auxiliary supervisor;
2) dismiss one of the appointed supervisors or an auxiliary supervisor;
3) appoint a second supervisor or an auxiliary supervisor.
2. In the event of:
1) death of the supervisor;
2) factual circumstances that make it impossible or significantly difficult for the supervisor to perform this function;
3) the supervisor losing the right to perform this function – the director of the doctoral school shall call on the doctoral student to resubmit the application referred to in art.16.1, within 14 days from the date of delivery of the request.
3. If the application is not submitted within the deadline referred to in art. 17.3, the director of the doctoral school, after consulting the chairperson of the relevant scientific discipline council, ex officio shall appoint a new supervisor.
4. To change or appoint a supervisor or auxiliary supervisor art. 16.3 and 16.4 shall apply accordingly.

Chapter 5

Organization of education at the doctoral school and method of its documentation

Article 18

1. The education of doctoral students shall be based on the educational program adopted by the senate, according to the individual research plan of the doctoral student agreed upon with the supervisor and approved by the director of the doctoral school.
2. Education at the doctoral school shall last from six to eight semesters.
3. Education shall begin at the beginning of the semester. Framework organization of education based on the education program shall be determined by the director of the doctoral school.
4. Classes at the doctoral school may be conducted in a block or semester system.
5. Education may be conducted using educational methods and techniques remotely in accordance with the rules applicable at the University.
6. Education and tests of knowledge or skills may be conducted partially or completely in a foreign language, the knowledge of which the doctoral student demonstrated in the recruitment procedure to the doctoral school.
7. Classes included in the educational program shall require passing. The form of passing the classes shall be specified in the course syllabus.

Article 19

The doctoral student, in consultation with the supervisor or supervisors, shall develop an individual research plan containing, in particular, a schedule for the preparation of the doctoral dissertation and submit it to the director of the doctoral school for approval within 12 months from the date of commencement of education.

Article 20

In the event of starting the education of doctoral students at the University in a new scientific discipline, the doctoral student may change the scientific discipline in which the doctoral dissertation is being prepared within the same doctoral school, subject to Art. 201 section 1 of the Act.

Article 21

In justified cases, including a threat to the implementation of the doctoral project, a negative opinion of the supervisor or supervisors on the progress of the dissertation, the director of the doctoral school, ex officio or at the request of the supervisor or supervisors, in consultation with the council of the doctoral school, may carry out an additional assessment of the doctoral student, other than mid-term. For additional evaluation, the provisions on the mid-term evaluation of a doctoral student shall apply accordingly. Obtaining a negative result of the additional assessment may constitute grounds for removing the doctoral student from the list of doctoral students.

Article 22

1. Education at the doctoral school shall end with the submission of a doctoral dissertation by the doctoral student, along with a positive opinion of the supervisor or supervisors.
2. The submission of a doctoral dissertation means the acceptance of the final version of the doctoral dissertation by the supervisor or supervisors in APD, after checking the dissertation in the Unified Anti-Plagiarism System.
3. The doctoral student shall be obliged to submit the doctoral dissertation to the APD on the date agreed with the supervisor or supervisors, but no later than 7 days before the deadline for submitting the dissertation specified in the individual research plan.
4. A person who has completed the education program and submitted a doctoral dissertation shall receive a certificate of completion of education at the doctoral school.
5. A person who has been removed from the list of doctoral students shall be issued a certificate of education progress upon their request.

Article 23

1. Doctoral schools shall keep documentation of the course of doctoral students’ education.
2. Documentation of doctoral students’ education shall include:
1) education program;
2) documentation of the course of education, including course completion reports and
periodic achievement cards;
3) individual research plans;
4) doctoral student’s album;
5) personal files of doctoral students.

Article 24

The education program shall specify in particular:
1) name of the education program;
2) name of the education program in English;
3) disciplines in which education is provided;
4) the number of semesters provided for in the education program;
5) total number of ECTS points;
6) total number of hours of classes;
7) ISCED classification;
8) learning outcomes defined for the education program related to the characteristics of the second level of the PQF for level 8 qualifications;
9) names of classes or groups of classes along with their specific form of classes, number of ECTS points, symbols of learning outcomes, methods of verifying learning outcomes and their concise description.

Article 25

1. The course of education shall be documented electronically in USOS and the personal files of doctoral students.
2. The University shall provide the doctoral student with access to documentation of the course of education.

Article 26

1. The doctoral student’s album shall be kept centrally for all doctoral schools in electronic form in USOS. A person admitted to the doctoral school shall be assigned the following number of the doctoral student’s album within the University.
2. The following data shall be entered in the doctoral student’s album:
1) album number;
2) name(s) and surname as well as date and place of birth of the doctoral student;
3) PESEL number, and if it is missing, the number of the document confirming the identity and the name of the country that issued it;
4) information about the document constituting the basis for applying for admission to the doctoral school (type and number of the document, date and place of issue and name of the issuing institution);
5) name of the doctoral school;
6) discipline or disciplines or field in which the doctoral dissertation is being prepared;
7) date and period of suspension of education, date of completion at the doctoral school or date of removal from the list of doctoral students.

Article 27

For a person admitted to the doctoral school, a folder of the doctoral student’s personal files marked with an album number shall be kept. The doctoral student’s personal file shall contain the following information:
1) documents required from the candidate upon admission to the doctoral school;
2) documents confirming admission to the doctoral school, including in particular:
a) individual report from the recruitment procedure with information about being entered into the list of doctoral students,
b) decision on admission to the doctoral school and confirmation of delivery of this decision to the doctoral student – in the case of a foreigner;
3) documents regarding the doctoral student’s insurance;
4) oath certificate;
5) documents related to the course of education, in particular:
a) applications and decisions regarding the appointment or change of a supervisor or supervisors and an auxiliary supervisor,
b) the doctoral student’s individual research plan and its changes,
c) the doctoral student’s reports on the implementation of the individual research plan,
d) documentation of professional practice in the form of conducting classes or participating in them,
e) mid-term evaluation report, decision on the mid-term evaluation,
f) education record card;
6) conclusions and decisions regarding individual matters of the doctoral student;
7) doctoral dissertation (information on storing the doctoral dissertation in APD, containing data enabling its search);
8) opinion of the supervisor or supervisors on the doctoral dissertation;
9) a certificate confirming that the doctoral student has achieved learning outcomes for qualifications at PQF level 8 or a certificate of the course of education – a copy for the file.

Article 28

1. The doctoral student shall be obliged to immediately, but no later than within 7 days from the date of commencement of education, verify the following data in the USOS system and, in case of errors, indicate to the director of the doctoral school:
1) names and surname;
2) PESEL number, and if it is missing, the series and number of the ID card or passport;
3) citizenship, and in the case of foreigners, the name of the country of birth and information about having the Polish Card;
4) year of birth;
5) gender;
6) discipline or disciplines or field in which the doctoral dissertation is being prepared;
7) residential address;
8) information about the degree of disability – if applicable;
9) permanent residence address;
10) residential address, if different from the permanent residence address,
11) correspondence address, if different than the address referred to in point. 9 or 10.
2. The doctoral student shall be obliged to immediately, but no later than within 7 days from the date of award or determination, provide the director of the doctoral school with
information about:
1) assigning an electronic researcher ID in accordance with international standards;
2) determining the right to a pension or disability pension.
3. In the event of a change in the data referred to in art.28.1 and 28.2, the doctoral student shall be obliged to immediately, but no later than within 7 days from their change, provide the director of the doctoral school with new data.

Chapter 6

Mid-term evaluation of a doctoral student

Article 29

The implementation of the individual research plan shall be subject to mid-term evaluation in the middle of the education period specified in the education program, and in the case of education lasting 6 semesters – during the fourth semester.

Article 30

1. Mid-term evaluation shall be carried out by a committee appointed by the director of the doctoral school after consultation with the relevant chairperson of the discipline council. The committee shall consist of 3 people, including at least 1 person with a habilitation degree or the title of professor in the discipline in which the doctoral dissertation is being prepared, employed outside the University or a person referred to in Art. 190 section 5 of the Act. The supervisor or supervisors and the auxiliary supervisor cannot be committee members.
2. A person who is a member of the committee and is employed outside the University shall be entitled to remuneration amounting to 20% of the professor’s remuneration.

Article 31

1. Mid-term evaluation shall be carried out on the basis of documents submitted by the doctoral student confirming the implementation of the individual research plan and an interview between the doctoral student and the committee members.
2. The criteria for mid-term evaluation shall be determined individually and depend on the topic, discipline, and nature of the research work carried out and take into account, in particular, the degree of implementation of the individual research plan, including published scientific works, conference presentations, patent and grant applications.
3. The documents referred to in art. 31.1 shall include, in particular:
1) report on the implementation of the individual research plan;
2) a list of published, accepted for publication and submitted for publication scientific works, with an indication of the publications that were created in international cooperation;
3) information and documentation confirming artistic works and events, highlighting those that were created in international cooperation;
4) a list of research internships in external research centers, in particular foreign ones, in which the doctoral student took an active part, i.e. conducted research or presented its results;
5) a list of applications submitted by the doctoral student in University competitions or to external entities for financing foreign trips or scientific research;
6) a list of classes or workshops conducted outside the compulsory education program that contributed to the development of the doctoral student’s soft skills;
7) list of research works carried out by the doctoral student for external entities; (patents, spin-offs);
8) opinion of the supervisor or supervisors on the doctoral student’s progress in preparing the doctoral dissertation;
9) additional opinions (maximum two) about the doctoral student prepared by scientists from other research centers, especially foreign ones, involved in the research conducted by the doctoral student.
4. Place and date of the interview, referred to in art. 31.1, shall be determined by the director of the doctoral school. The director of the doctoral school shall inform the doctoral student about the date of the interview at least 1 month before its date. The committee meeting and the interview with the doctoral student may be conducted remotely. Documents indicated in art.31.3 shall be provided by the doctoral student, no later than 2 weeks before the interview date.

Article 32

1. The mid-term evaluation shall end with a positive or negative result. The evaluation result and its justification shall be public.
2. A doctoral student may appeal against a negative grade to the rector. Until revocation, Article 5 shall apply accordingly.

Article 33

1. During the mid-term evaluation, the committee shall evaluate the scientific supervision provided by the supervisor or supervisors or the supervisor and auxiliary supervisor taking into account the rules specified pursuant to art.15.6.
2. Evaluation referred to in 33.1 shall end with a positive or negative result and shall be delivered in writing to the director of the doctoral school, the supervisor or supervisors or the supervisor and auxiliary supervisor, and the doctoral student.

Chapter 7

Suspension of education and extension of the deadline for submitting a doctoral
dissertation

Article 34

1. At the request of the doctoral student, education shall be suspended for the period corresponding to the duration of maternity leave, leave on the conditions of maternity leave, paternity leave and parental leave as defined by the Act of 26 June 1974– Labour Code (Journal of Laws of 2023, item 1465).
2. The doctoral student’s education may be suspended at their request for unforeseeable reasons, and in particular in the case of:
1) diseases,
2) disability;
3) the need to provide personal care for a sick family member or a child up to 4 years of age or a child with a medical certificate
4) about disability;
5) other reasons of an accidental or family nature; – excluding or seriously hindering the continuation of education.
3. The doctoral student shall submit an application for suspension of education along with justification and documents confirming its validity to the appropriate director of the doctoral school.
4. In the case of suspension of education, the director of the doctoral school shall issue a decision specifying the date for which education is suspended.
5. The decision on suspension of education due to illness, treatment or rehabilitation shall be issued by the director of the doctoral school based on a decision of a medical commission appointed by the rector. A referral for the committee to issue a decision shall be issued by the director of the doctoral school immediately after the doctoral student submits an application for suspension of education.
6. The Rector shall determine the mode and principles of operation of the committee referred to in art.34.5.
7. The director of the doctoral school, at the request of a doctoral student, may consent to the implementation of part of the education program or an individual research plan during the suspension of education.
8. Within 14 days from the end of the suspension of education, the doctoral student, in consultation with the supervisor or supervisors, shall submit an updated individual research plan to the director of the doctoral school for approval, including an indication of the new deadline for submitting the doctoral dissertation.

Article 35

1. In justified cases, and in particular in the case of the need to conduct long-term scientific research in order to prepare a doctoral dissertation or for the reasons referred to in art.34.2, the director of the doctoral school may extend the deadline for submitting the doctoral dissertation, but not longer than by two years.
2. The director of the doctoral school shall issue a decision on extending the deadline for submitting a doctoral dissertation upon a substantiated request of a doctoral student, approved by the supervisor or supervisors, and submitted immediately after the reasons justifying the extension occur.
3. The application referred to in art.35.2, together with a justification and documents confirming its validity, as well as an updated individual research plan, including an indication of the new deadline for submitting the doctoral dissertation, shall be submitted by the doctoral student to the appropriate director of the doctoral school immediately after the occurrence of a reason justifying the extension of the deadline for submitting the doctoral dissertation.
4. In the decision referred to in art.35.2, the director of the doctoral school shall set a new deadline for submitting the doctoral dissertation.

Chapter 8

Removal from the list of doctoral students

Article 36

1. A doctoral student shall be removed from the list of doctoral students in the event of:
1) negative result of the mid-term evaluation;
2) failure to submit the doctoral dissertation within the deadline specified in the individual research plan;
3) resignation from education;
4) not taking up education;
5) violation of the prohibition referred to in Art. 200 section 7 of the Act;
6) being punished with a disciplinary penalty of expulsion from the doctoral school.
2. A doctoral student may be removed from the list of doctoral students in the event of:
1) unsatisfactory progress in the preparation of the doctoral dissertation, after consultation with the supervisor or supervisors;
2) failure to fulfill the obligations referred to in Article 13.
3. Resignation from education shall require the doctoral student to submit a written declaration.
4. The failure to undertake education shall also mean failure by a person admitted to the doctoral school to take the oath within 3 months from the date of admission.
5. In the proceedings to remove a doctoral student from the list of doctoral students, in the event of a violation of the prohibition referred to in Art. 200 section 7 of the Act, the doctoral student shall be requested to submit their resignation within a period not shorter than 30 days from the date of delivery of the request from education at another doctoral school.
6. Removal from the doctoral student list shall take place through an administrative decision.

Chapter 9

Transitional and final provisions

Article 37

1. The existing provisions shall apply to proceedings in individual cases of doctoral students initiated and not finally completed by the date of entry into force of this resolution.
2. Resolution No. 159 of the NCU Senate of 17 December 2019 – Regulations of the doctoral school of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń (NCU Legal Bulletin of 2019, item 429) shall be repealed.
3. The regulations become effective as of 1 October 2024.

RESOLUTION No. 30 of the Senate of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń of 23 April 2024