Supervision

All postgraduate research students will be allocated a supervisory team comprised of at least two members of staff. One or more of these will be an academic staff member of the University, normally from the department you are registered in.

You should meet with your supervisor at least every four to six weeks, though many students meet with their supervisor every week. It is essential that you take notes of your meeting and record them on PATS (Personal and Academic Tutoring System).

Audio Recording

The University has a policy on audio recording of supervisory meetings in exceptional circumstances and where both the student and supervisor consent to the recording being made:

1. Supervisory meetings may be recorded by the student where this is considered to be of benefit to the student's personal learning or to aid the student's comprehension, for example, where a student's first language is not English.

2. Any student wishing to make a recording of a supervisory meeting must request permission from their supervisor(s). If permission is not granted, the student should respect this decision and should not attempt to make an unauthorised recording.

3. Students should always be encouraged to take written notes of any supervisory meetings, regardless of whether they have been granted permission to record a supervisory meeting.

4. All parties should be aware that there may be instances where the recording of supervisory meetings is recommended by Disability & Dyslexia Support Services (DDSS), as part of a specific Learning Support Plan to support a student with a confirmed disability.

Change of Supervisor

If serious conflicts arise between yourself and your supervisor which cannot be resolved, then the matter should be referred to either the PGR Support Officer, the PGR Tutor, or the Head of Department. If it is considered to be appropriate, feasible, and in the best interests of all parties, the student may be assigned to a different supervisor or an additional supervisor may be appointed. This decision rests with the academic department.

If a supervisor leaves part way through a student's research programme, cover should be arranged until an alternative supervisor is found.

Responsibilities of the Student - Supervision

• The student should agree with the supervisor to have regular meetings, which should take place at least every four to six weeks, and to attend supervisory sessions in accordance with the agreed schedule.

• The student should work with the supervisor to establish and maintain a satisfactory timetable for the research, leading to Confirmation Review and submission of the final thesis within the time limits. The student should, by the end of the first year (or second year for part-time students) have defined the area of research, become acquainted with the background knowledge required and the relevant literature, and have established a provisional timetable for conducting the research and writing the thesis. Confirmation Review should have taken place and students should also have made satisfactory progress in the Doctoral Development Programme.

• The student should submit written work to the supervisor regularly and in good time, in accordance with the agreed timetable. This work should be word processed, not handwritten.

• The student should take note of any guidance and feedback offered by the supervisor.

• The student should discuss any problems, e.g. access to data, information, facilities, equipment or supervisory relationship with the supervisor at the time. The early identification and resolution of problems can prevent difficulties later on. If the student feels unable to raise the problem with the supervisor, then the student's Personal Tutor, Head of Department or departmental PGR Lead should be consulted. If for any reason this is not felt to be possible, the student should contact Research Services for advice. Further advice and support is also available from the Advice Centre in the Students' Union for guidance.

• The student must complete a Data Management Plan, which will be checked at Confirmation Review.

• The student must attend regularly and must agree in advance with the supervisor any period(s) of absence from the University and seek appropriate permission.

Responsibilities of the Supervisor - Supervision

• The supervisor should ensure that the research project can be completed fully, including preparation and submission of the thesis, within the student's funded period, and should advise the student accordingly.

• The supervisor must ensure that a clear agreement is made with the student on the frequency and nature of the supervisory contact required at any particular stage of the project. Supervisory sessions should be uninterrupted as far as possible by telephone calls, personal callers and departmental business. The frequency of such sessions should be every four to six weeks as a minimum (pro-rata for part-time); the frequency may depend on the nature of the research (e.g. whether laboratory work is involved) and the particular research project. The length of sessions will also vary, from student to student, across time and between disciplines.

• The supervisor should comply with the attendance monitoring requirements of the department/University and notify their department at an early stage if a student's attendance gives cause for concern.

• Written records of formal supervisory meetings should be made and retained by both the student and supervisor for at least the duration of the student's registration.

• Both the supervisor and student should keep any relevant or significant correspondence, including emails, which relate to the student's degree. This is especially important for students who are studying via Remote Location programme or who are spending a significant amount of time off campus.

• The student and supervisor must have an agreed procedure for dealing with urgent problems (e.g. by telephone, e-mail and/or the arrangement of additional meetings at short notice).

• The supervisor should, in discussion with the student, establish and maintain a satisfactory timetable for the research, including the necessary completion dates for each stage, so that the thesis may be submitted on time. This planning should take into account the requirements of the relevant funding body in relation to submission.

• The supervisor should read promptly all the written work submitted in accordance with the agreed timetable and provide constructive and timely feedback. The supervisor should advise the student of any obstacles to providing timely feedback, e.g. periods of time away from the University, particularly when the student is approaching submission.

• The supervisor should arrange, as appropriate, (in many departments it is a requirement) for the student to present work to staff or graduate seminars and should take an active part in introducing the student to meetings of learned societies and to other researchers in the field. The supervisor should provide advice, where appropriate, on publication of any of the research.

• The supervisor should advise the student well in advance of any planned periods of absence from the University. If the period of absence is significant (more than the length of time between supervisory meetings), the supervisor should ensure that appropriate arrangements for alternative supervision are made and that the student is informed of them.

• The supervisor should take note of feedback from the student.