Your Supervisor(s)
Supervision
Supervisors
Supervisors play a fundamental role in supporting research students throughout their programme. Your supervisor or supervisory team is responsible for helping you to manage your research, as well as being your primary link to your department and the University. Your main supervisor is your first point of contact for any issues that arise throughout your programme.
Supervisory Meetings
Formal Supervision meetings with your supervisor or supervisory team should take place at least eight times per year, with an expectation of one meeting at least every 6-7 weeks for all full-time and part-time students. At these meetings your supervisor(s) should give detailed feedback on the work you present and help you make plans for your next steps. A detailed record of your formal supervisory meetings and actions agreed will be kept through SkillsForge, and must be signed by both you and your supervisor(s).
Within three months of the start of your registration you and your supervisory team are expected to sign that you have read the 'Principles of Supervision' document, which you will find in your SkillsForge account. This summarises aspects of the Policy on Research Degrees, extracting the points which are most essential to a successful supervisory relationship. You can therefore expect your supervisor to discuss these with you in your early supervision meetings.
The amount of supervision varies widely, often for the best reasons - the nature of the research, the personalities of both the student and supervisor, where the research is done. 'Best practice' is the responsibility of both the student and supervisor. You must report your work to your supervisor on a regular basis, seek advice on research and training, and be accountable for the continued use of facilities and resources. The student can expect a supervisor to provide advice and support throughout the degree, both on research and in a general pastoral way.
The Department of Biology considers that both the supervisor and the student should have at least one hour of contact per week during the first and second years. This contact time may be 'casual' e.g. peering over a gel together, looking at some DNA sequence, striding together through woods looking for sites, doing an experiment together, getting statistical advice, making a poster, laboratory meetings, etc.
The Department additionally expects student and supervisor to follow the University recommendation of at least one hour 'quality' interaction per month. 'Quality' interaction means that supervisor and student discuss formally a piece of work produced by the student - data, analysis, report, outline for thesis/future work, etc. Every six weeks, the student must submit a brief summary of such a meeting to the graduate office.
Actions for you:
□ Familiarise yourself with SkillsForge.
□ Complete the Principles of Supervision form with your supervisor on SkillsForge within the first three months of registration.
□ Hold regular supervisory meetings at least every 6-7 weeks and record these in SkillsForge.
Principles of Supervision
The key responsibilities of supervisors and research students within the framework of PhD study is outlined in the Principles of Supervision.
This document is not exhaustive, nor does it relate to other roles which a research student may hold such as teaching or demonstrating. For full details of the expectations, roles and responsibilities of both parties please see the York Graduate Research School Policy on Research Degrees.
Concerned about Supervision?
If you consider that your supervision does not meet these recommendations, you should talk to your supervisor and/or Thesis Advisory Panel about it. Where serious difficulties arise between student and supervisor, you should inform the Director of Graduate Studies.