Postgraduate Academics: How It Works

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Postgraduate Academics How It Works
Sarah Pickard, Head of Graduate Students
Board of Graduate Studies
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Introductions

• Congratulations!
• Cambridge strange, complex, collegiate, special,
  almost unique
• What is everyone doing?
• MPhils, PhDs
• Arts, Sciences
• Gone through admissions process, will have been
  in contact with the Board. Hope the process
  wasnt too grueling did best to help, apologies
  if sometimes delays in getting through to us

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The experience

• No such thing as the Cambridge experience
• Should make it your own, and everyone experiences
  Cambridge in a different way
• If scientist, may spend lots of time in lab and
  with lab friends
• May join societies and try new hobbies, or may
  not
• Do get the most out of it, but that will mean
  different things for each of you

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Socialising

• Work is v. demanding, but having a break is also
  important!
• Large numbers of international students, as well
  as all the UK students, so very culturally
  diverse environment take advantage of it
• Avoiding socialising only with those from same
  country
• Dont feel any pressure to confirm to certain
  social habits such as drinking
• Remember to have fun as well as work!

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Where to find information

• Every department is different key is to
  familiarise yourself with departmental procedures
• Go to inductions, health and safety, fire
  training etc
• Get hold of departmental literature, handbooks,
• Code of Practice http//www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offic
  es/gradstud/practice/
• Statutes and Ordinances http//www.admin.cam.ac.u
  k/univ/so/pdfs/
• Find out who the Director of Graduate Education
  is
• Meet your College Graduate Tutor very important
  person! Can help, for example, if you need to
  apply for exam allowances
• Familiarise yourself with the Board of Graduate
  Studies web site http//www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offic
  es/gradstud/ and in particular with the
  information on the Boards web site for new
  graduate students http//www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offic
  es/gradstud/current/new/

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Role of the Board

• http//www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/
• Teams in Board dealing with current students and
  examinations
• There mostly to deal with the administrative and
  academic side processes requests for leave to
  work away, intermission, submission of theses
• Candidates are approved for degrees only at a
  meeting of the Board
• If you want to apply to continue to another
  graduate course MPhil to a PhD Degree you will
  need to apply to continue your studies
  http//www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/curren
  t/continuing/
• NOT a pastoral body. Job of college tutor.
• NOT responsible for initial stages of problem
  resolution if there are difficulties initially
  this is pursued within the department, through
  liaison with college tutor if relevant

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Your Student Record and the Board

• CAMSISYou will need to use CamSIS via your own
  self-service account (referred to as a Student
  Centre on CamSIS) in order to manage your life
  whilst a student at Cambridge.
• CamSIS and the Board of Graduate Studies web
  site http//www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/
  are your most important sources of information
  for managing your graduate study and life at
  Cambridge.
• May only have access to certain facilities once
  registration process is complete
• Cambridge Supervision Reporting system part of
  CamSIS you can read reports written about you
  from your supervisor

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Your Student Record and the Board

• CamSIS request various types applications
  http//www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/curren
  t/procedures/
• Leave to work away
• Exemption/allowance of terms
• Intermission from your studies
• Changing your course registration
• Changing your Department/Faculty
• Changing your mode of study from part-time to
  full-time or vice versa
• Changing your name
• Applying for a person to join you in Cambridge

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Academic practices

• Important to be aware of academic conventions in
  UK and Cambridge, which may be different to what
  used to
• Look at universitys webpage on plagiarism what
  it is, how to avoid it http//www.admin.cam.ac.uk
  /univ/plagiarism/
• Also, intellectual property issues may apply if
  sponsored by someone, or shared IP if group
  sponsorship, implications for thesis etc. Read
  about it on web, talk to department
  http//www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/so/2008/chapter13-
  section2.html

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Academic practices (2)

• Read departmental handbook know what procedures
  are in your own department, what is expected
• First year assessment format etc
• Relationships with academic staff v. different
  to undergrad, strange for everyone
• Supervisors will expect you to approach them,
  dont wait for them to do it, its fine to ask to
  meet them
• Agree between you how often you will meet and how
  you will do things

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Academic practices (3)

• Particularly in research courses, find out about
  the availability of training courses e.g. writing
  a thesis, teaching undergraduates, finishing a
  PhD
• Transferable skills presentation skills,
  assertiveness, communication skills etc
• Take advantage of whats on offer at the Centre
  for Personal and Professional Development
• http//www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/cppd/
• May be compulsory in some departments

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Finances

• As stated in Prospectus, cant work while
  studying
• PhDs can do v limited teaching
• MPhils no working permitted
• Perception of University as rich not case. In
  any case you all signed financial undertaking
  forms, serious issue if you cannot meet your
  financial obligations
• University unable to bail out if there are
  difficulties

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If there are any problems

• Ask for help! You can always email the Board. If
  we cannot help, we can always point you in the
  right direction graduate.students_at_admin.cam.ac.uk
  
• Talk to Supervisor, College Tutor, other
  students
• If you need help with English, approach the
  Language Centre http//www.langcen.cam.ac.uk/inde
  x.htm
• If you are struggling emotionally, loneliness,
  you can approach your College Tutorial staff or
  you could approach the counselling centre
  directly let them decide whether you need help!
  http//www.counselling.cam.ac.uk/other.html
• Raise any problem, whether academic or otherwise,
  sooner rather than later!

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Students immigration and visas
Catherine Fage, PBI Officer (Tier 4)
Academic Division
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Congratulationsyou are here!
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For somefrustration
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For someclimbed a mountain
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I can forget about visas

• The UK Border Agency has laid down conditions of
  your visa while in the UK.
• You must understand and abide by the conditions,
  which include
• Working restrictions
• No access to state benefits
• Possible registration with the police
• Providing your College with copies of passport,
  visa pages and any ID card (now and every time
  re-enter UK)
• Maintaining your contact details (CamSIS or
  College record)

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Other UKBA conditions

• Notification of any change to a course or
  education provider
• Notification of early completion of a course
• Notification of changes to contact details,
  personal details and/or appearance
• Notification of any changes in your application
• Conditions on your partner and children who enter
  the UK as your dependants
• Understanding that any time you spend in the
  student category will not count towards the time
  needed to qualify for settlement in the UK

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Keep current

• UK Border Agency website
• www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/adult-s
  tudents/

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PBI Office

• The Points Based Immigration (PBI) Office,
  Academic Division, is the office responsible for
  compliance with immigration legislation and has
  responsibility for the Universitys sponsorship
  of its overseas students.
• Whilst the PBI Office cannot give immigration
  advice, you can contact
• International Office, www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/
  international/
• UK Council for International Student Affairs,
  www.ukcisa.org.uk/

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PBI Office

• Contact this office to request for visa letters,
  and to advise change your circumstance.
• Renew your visa in good time
• within last four months of permission to stay ..
  but dont wait until last month
• If expires you will have to leave the UK
• The office is open Monday to Friday, 0830 1700
  and can be contacted using studentvisas_at_admin.cam
  .ac.uk

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Developing PBI web page
http//www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/pbi/visas/