Session details Monday 28 January 2019 1000-1200 | Stoddart 7138 Prof Christine Le Maître & Dr Gill Adams The second in the series of supervisor fora will focus on how you can support doctoral researchers to successful timely completion. Increasing reliance on metrics within a marketised Higher Education has directed attention to timely completion, and doctoral programmes typically set timescales for various milestones on the doctoral journey. In this session we will consider: • what ‘timely completion’ means in practice; a completion timeline • importance of meeting the early deadlines (RF1 and RF2) • strategies to support doctoral journeys • responsibilities of doctoral researchers and supervisors in relation to progression • example thesis progression/completion plans • tailoring support to the individual student • challenges and support The session is designed to provide opportunities for discussion with other supervisors and to facilitate the development of a peer support network. This session will be useful to both new and experienced supervisors.
Beginning with the end in mind: Supporting doctoral researcher's progression. Professor Christine Le Maitre (HORD HWB) Dr Gill Adams (PGRT Education)
What is timely completion ? • Research Degrees site
Why is timely completion important ? • Have completion times changed ? • How are students funded ? • When do students want to be completed by ?
What gets in the way ? • Factors that prevent completion on time ? • Role of Student ? • Role of Supervisor ?
PhD Lifecycle Offer Interview Enquiry/Application Enrolment and Induction Month 1 RFConf - Confidential Information Month 3 (6 PT) RF1 - Approval of research RF9 - Changes of Registration programme Article Based Approval of RFAB - PhD Month 12 (24 PT) RF2 - Confirmation of PhD Month 24 (48 PT) Thesis Plan RF3 - Approval of Examiners 4 Months Prior and Thesis Title to submission RFDec - Candidate's At Submission Declaration ASAP following RF4 - Examination arrangements submission
RF1 • Student led. • Light touch. • Should include a clear aim and objectives – and a research hypothesis were appropriate. • Approves Project and Supervisory Team. • Supervisory team must include 2 completions and attend regular training.
RF2 Supervisor input ? • Student led, • Specifics slightly different in each area • Check Blackboard. • Consider Learning Contracts • 12-15 months FT. 24 -27months PT Oral Presentation RF2A Form Written Report Viva
Strategies to support doctoral journey • Activities in place in some areas: – Thesis Plans – Progress Reports – 3 rd year Review How can these help completion times ? – Tracker Panels Adv / Dis Would these work in your field ?
What else can be done to support timely completion ? • Importance of dissemination of research - internal and external seminars / conferences etc.
Case Studies ? Discuss what you would do ?
Supervisor Responsibilities ? • Student / supervisor Responsibilities. • Useful to do the scale sheet discussion. • How could it be improved other questions to support completion ?
RF3 • Supervisor Responsibility. • 4 months prior to submission. • DoS responsible for obtaining examiner details including external CV and documents (e.g. passport). What makes a good examiner ?
Support network ? • Supervisory team - Experienced supervisors should mentor new supervisors. • Research Mentors. • PGRTs • HORDs • Doctoral School • Admin Team/support • Wellbeing services • Disabled Student support - Learning contracts.
Beginning with the end in mind: Supporting doctoral researcher's progression Supervision scenarios 1) Full time home student: This is a full time student who has been provided a stipend for 3 years of study, and has been hard working throughout the course of the PhD, but has not been able to write up the PhD during the period of funding. They are successful in gaining employment following the end of the 3 years of funding but are struggling to find the time to write up the PhD during working as well. What would you advise and how would you support this student? 2) Full time international student: This student has faced many challenges throughout the PhD - including ill health, financial difficulties and a family bereavement. They have suspended studies three times over three years. Now in the fourth year of study they are keen to complete before their visa expires in seven months time. You have only seen drafts of three chapters to date and all require a lot of work. You believe that the PhD is achievable but that a more realistic timescale is twelve months. What would you advise and how would you support this student? 3) Part time home student (SHU Staff member): You are supervising a home student whom is studying for their doctorate part time, the student is also a full time member of academic staff within your department with a heavy teaching load. They are struggling to find any time to commit to their PhD/Prof doc. They are currently coming up to their RF2 stage, yet state they have only manage to spend a few weeks on the PhD/Prof doc so far. What would you advise and how would you support this student? 4) Part time home student (External workplace): You are supervising a home student who is studying for their doctorate part time. The student is in full time employment within the NHS. The student has successfully completed data collection for their project and coming to the end of their 4 th year of study as the data collection aligned closely to their normal job in the workplace. However their employer is now unwilling to allow the student any time to complete data analysis and thesis completion. What would you advise and how would you support this student? 5) Full time home student (GTA): This student is in the second year of a PhD. The RF2 was submitted at the deadline and approved subject to conditions. The student has struggled to engage with the process of revising the proposal and you are concerned that they are falling behind their schedule. They appear to be taking on additional teaching and support in the department that may also be affecting the time available for the research. Added to this, the Director of Studies has been away from the university with illness for the past two months. What would you advise and how would you support this student? Sheffield Hallam University 28 January 2019
The Supervisor – Research Student Relationship Complete the questions below quickly. It is only designed to prompt your thinking and is not a precise instrument. 1. Supervisors should initiate tutorial Students should initiate tutorial meetings meetings 1……..…2…..……3..………4..………5..………6..………7..………8..………9..………10 2. Supervisors need to have detailed Supervisors need to have a general specialist knowledge of the research knowledge of the topic topic 1……..…2…..……3..………4..………5..………6..………7..………8..………9..………10 3. Supervisors should always give honest Supervisors should guard against giving feedback on students’ work, even if it is highly critical feedback highly critical 1……..…2…..……3..………4..………5..………6..………7..………8..………9..………10 4. Supervisors should correct students’ It is not the role of the supervisor to writing style as well as content correct poor English 1……..…2…..……3..………4..………5..………6..………7..………8..………9..………10 5. Supervisors are always an authority Supervisors are colleagues acting as a figure rather than a colleague sounding board for the research 1……..…2…..……3..………4..………5..………6..………7..………8..………9..………10 6. Students should always adhere to Deadlines are guidelines rather than agreed deadlines firm targets 1……..…2…..……3..………4..………5..………6..………7..………8..………9..………10 7. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to It is the student’s responsibility to keep track of the progress of the keep the supervisor informed about research the progress of the research 1……..…2…..……3..………4..………5..………6..………7..………8..………9..………10 8. Supervisors should set agendas for Students should set agendas for tutorial tutorial meetings meetings 1……..…2…..……3..………4..………5..………6..………7..………8..………9..………10 9. Supervisors’ names should always be Students’ research work, including any included on published papers published papers, belongs to them and emerging from the research sole authorship is the presumed norm 1……..…2…..……3..………4..………5..………6..………7..………8..………9..………10 10. The decision to submit the thesis rests The supervisor decides when the thesis with the student is ready for submission 1……..…2…..……3..………4..………5..………6..………7..………8..………9..………10
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