Supervision

    The supervisor is the person responsible for overseeing and guiding the research development of the student and plays a big role in the development of the proposal. Supervisors are allocated to students by the department. The allocation is done based on the research idea submitted by applicants, supervisory capacity/ current supervision load, research expertise ore research interest. At the very least, supervisors should be in possession of the qualification that they are supervising.

   Supervisors must not in any way be related to their students. Spouses, relatives and individuals in a personal relationship with the student cannot be appointed as a supervisor/ co-supervisor to that student. Allocated supervisors should not have any potential conflicts of interest with the student or co-supervisors on the project. 

Contractual Staff including Emeritus and Extraordinary Professors can be appointed as supervisors. The university welcomes contract staff to participate in postgraduate supervision (duration of studies should be taken into consideration).

The allocated supervisor is formally appointed by SHD on recommendation of the FHD. The appointment of supervisor form must be used for this process.

     NB! Supervisors may not provide supervision to students who are not registered.

According to the Postgraduate Procedural Protocol for Higher Degrees (Approved SHD January 2022), ONE additional supervisor (formally referred to as co-supervisor) may be appointed for the following reasons:

• Developmental purposes: First-time supervisors are encouraged to work in supervisory teams. Departments must consider the developmental needs of new supervisors and students in the compilation of supervisory teams. This requirement will remain in place until the first-time supervisor has completed a student successfully at the respective degree level. Thereafter, they will be able to supervise a student on their own. Staff who are new to the institution also fall into this category

• Expertise in a particular field

The appointment of supervisor’s form will require a clear indication of the category in which the additional supervisor(s) will be appointed and clarify the expected contribution of the additional supervisor. The rationale for the appointment of additional supervisors must be made explicit.

Consultants or collaborators can be appointed in addition to the one co-supervisor.

• Consultant: (technical expertise) Individuals may be appointed for their specific contribution related to the research project. The contributions may be limited to specific consultations or can include a fuller participation in the supervision of the entire project.

• Collaborator: Research studies completed in the context of project-based work may draw on more than one collaborator to assist in supervision. In such cases collaborators may be appointed on the basis of their involvement with the broader project.

A Memorandum of Understanding is compulsory and must be submitted when a supervisor is appointed. 

The MOU should explicitly outline the expectations and relations between the students and their supervisors. Clearly defined expectations regarding the responsibilities of all parties are crucial to ensuring good supervisory relationships. It represents statements of intent and the implied obligations of what a supervisor and student could reasonably be expected to meet under normal circumstances. The student and supervisor are required to uphold the agreement for the entire period of registration of the degree.

The University of the Western Cape expects students and supervisors to adhere to a supervision MOU which must be signed by all parties. 

The MOU must be reviewed annually to identify any issues that may require attention and to develop a clear plan with allocated responsibilities for that year of enrolment.

Supervisors/ students must be able to produce evidence of the work produced and of their interactions during supervision. Good records should therefore be kept of these discussions. This might come in handy if grievances arise.

Although most supervisory relationships are successful, in some cases either party may feel that the relationship is not conducive to smooth progress towards the degree and that the pairing is not productive and feasible. A new supervisor can then be appointed. 

Both the student and supervisor should approach the Programme coordinator to discuss the matter in an attempt to either resolve conflicts or to appoint a new supervisor. Where it is opted to appoint a new supervisor, the latter should agree to become the new supervisor. The new supervisor should be appointed following the regular process for appointing supervisors via FHD and SHD. A change of supervisor form must be completed and the current supervisor must indicate his or her agreement to be replaced. There should be a clear indication of how the current supervisor will be acknowledged relative to the work completed and the contribution made. The change of supervisor will be considered by FHD and recommended to SHD for approval.

A supervisor remains responsible for supervision of their students during sabbatical or during any other periods of approved research leave, such as fellowships and study leave. Alternatively, an additional supervisor may be appointed and nominated as the corresponding supervisor for the period of leave. This is particularly important when the supervisor is out of the country or not in a position to supervise the student during his/ her absence.