Successful Supervision

1

Successful Supervision
Prof Kathy Horadam

• Learnt from successful students and fellows
  supervised (Thanks!)
• 1984 1 MSc, U. Melbourne
• 1996-2008 RMIT supervision
• 7 Postdoctoral Research Fellows
• 14 Postgraduate Research Students 7 PhD 3 MSc
  awarded, 4 PhD current
• 8 Honours Student theses 1 current
• 12 Coursework MSc Student Team minor theses 2
  current
• But also from unsuccessful and incomplete
  experiences
• 2 PhD students offered scholarships opted for
  other universities
• 2 PhD students enrolled opted for other topics
  and supervisors
• 4 PhD/MSc students enrolled withdrew within 1
  year (personal/financial)
• 1 MSc student enrolled both supervisors had to
  withdraw
• 2 successful MSc students transferred from PhDs
  due to lack of progress

2

Successful Supervision

• Good Groundwork (prevention is better than cure)
• Pre-enrollment discussions (nature of PhD/MSc
  work, mutual expectations, likely difficulties,
  background vs possible topics, IP)
• Say no when necessary
• Encouragement, reward, esprit de corps, networks
• Location with other students, group parties
• Sympathy and praise
• Encourage practice in write-up of results early
• Conferences and publications
• Regular meetings (1 hour per week, every week)
• Pay attention (or, damage control and harm
  minimisation)
• Lack of progress needs intervention (3 months OK,
  6 months not)
• Cultural differences
• Select examiners with care
• And make it easy for them