Supervision

Your research will be supervised by two supervisors at the University.

The main supervisor takes full responsibility for the overall management and direction of your research degree and issues relating to your registration, attendance, and progress.

The co-supervisor will help the main supervisor throughout the development of the research degree and may act as a supervisor of sections of work in consultation with the main supervisor.

In addition to the main supervisory team, you will also be assigned an advisor. The advisor is normally the divisional-level PGR Director. Their main role is to provide pastoral support to you and to monitor your progress, providing advice accordingly. 

Your supervisors will most likely be members of the School where you are registered, but if your research requires it, the School or subject area may arrange for supervision by someone outside the School or the Faculty. Some students will have co-supervisors from other institutions.

While you should always feel free to consult any member of staff who may help you with your research, your most important academic contact will naturally be your supervisors.

Record of supervision

Every student is required to keep a Record of Supervisions in eProg. This will help you organise and manage your research programme towards completion and submission of a thesis within the prescribed period. It will provide a structured framework in which your research can be discussed, planned and recorded at regular meetings with your supervisors.

It is vital that all non-trivial meetings of student and supervisor(s) are noted in eProg. It is primarily the student’s responsibility to maintain the supervision record, although supervisors can also create a record, and comment on those created by the student. The agreed form is submitted by one of the supervisors. Agree between you how you will handle this. The targets noted in the record should be available at the next meeting, whether online or as a printout. These records provide a history of the progress of the research which may be of benefit, and sometimes of great importance, to student, supervisors and School alike.

Please use the Additional Meeting Form in eProg to record supervision meetings, which can be found at the top of your progression page. Once submitted the additional meeting forms will populate your progression page in chronological order.

Please ensure you are familiar with the information in the University Supervision Policy:

• Supervision Policy for Postgraduate Research Degrees

Responsibilities of main supervisors:

• Help you solve any problems you have within the School 
• Maintain contact through regular meetings, usually once a fortnight (for full-time students) and once a month (for part-time students) during term time
• Monitor your progress and guide you towards submitting your thesis in the required time 
• Normally give feedback on your work within two weeks 
• Discuss the role of conferences and other professional networks within your research area
• Advise and guide you on publishing in peer-reviewed journals and preparing and submitting papers 
• Help you prepare for the oral examination of your thesis 

As a PGR, you are expected to: 

• Accept responsibility for your own research activity and learning
• Prepare adequately for meetings with supervisor 
• Engage with the Researcher Development Framework and attend appropriate training programmes in accordance with University regulations
• Discuss progress with your supervisors regularly
• Seek permission for any periods of absence from the University aside from normal holidays
• Keep a record of all supervisory meetings on eProg
• Keep a record of your research skills training
• Agree deadlines with the supervisors for the submission of written work and maintain progress in accordance with the deadlines agreed
• Make every effort to submit your thesis at the appropriate time

Responsibilities of Co-Supervisors:

• Maintain contact through regular meetings and participate in all Mid/Annual Review meetings
• Monitor your progress and guide you towards submitting your thesis in the required time
• Be available to the student for consultation and advice on academic matters relating to the programme
• Offer support and guidance on non-academic matters
• Make him or herself fully aware of the research programme that has been agreed between the student and the main supervisor

Responsibilities of the Advisor:

• To provide pastoral support for you and provide advice accordingly
• Be a point of contact for you if the supervisor/student relationship breaks down

Changes in supervisory arrangements

The School cannot guarantee that students will be able to work with a particular supervisor or that they will have the same supervisor for the duration of their research degree, but will endeavour to ensure continuity wherever possible and make arrangements as necessary.

If the initial allocation of a supervisor is inappropriate, a change of supervisor may be requested by the student or supervisor. Although it should be borne in mind that there may be difficulties in finding a replacement supervisor with experience of the thesis research area. Funding bodies should also be notified when the main supervisor is changed.

If a supervisor is no longer in a position to continue with their supervision duties, (e.g. through moving to a new post at another institution) then the Discipline Coordinator should discuss the options with the student and assess the most beneficial outcome for the student. The Discipline Coordinator may be able to identify and allocate a new supervisor with the appropriate academic background and supervisory experience.

Where the student-supervisor relationship breaks down, the Discipline Coordinator will be consulted initially and every attempt should be made to resolve the issues involved at the School level. The Coordinator should be able to advise the student and consult with the PGR Director, and should be aware of the University’s complaints and appeals policies should a solution not be found at School or Faculty level.

Absence of supervisors

A situation can arise in which a supervisor retires, transfers to another institution or is absent from the University for an extended period of time due to illness, research leave or other reasons. Where the period of absence is less than three months the co-supervisor should normally assume responsibility for the student until the main supervisor returns.

Where the period of absence exceeds three months, it is essential in these circumstances that alternative arrangements are made in advance by the supervisory team, in liaison with the Discipline Coordinator, to ensure continuity of supervision and that the student’s interests are protected.

In all cases of research leave, the Discipline Coordinator should ensure that either the person on leave continues with their supervision duties or that appropriate arrangements are made for a replacement.

If the main supervisor retires or becomes an honorary member of staff during the period of a student’s PhD degree, they can continue to undertake a supervisory role as co-supervisor within the supervisory team, but a new main supervisor must be appointed.