Postgraduate Administrative Arrangements Brief for Supervisors

1
Postgraduate Administrative ArrangementsBrief
for Supervisors

• Rick Kiralfy
• Head of the College Postgraduate Office
• 1st Floor David Hume Tower
• George Square

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Format.

• Management Information Flow
• Key Admin Processes
• University Level Support
• Useful References
• Reminder Dos and Donts
• The timelines shown in the presentation refer
• to full-time PhD study, and are different for
• MPhil or part-time study

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• The University has a Senatus PG Studies Committee
  structure
• Each College has a Dean of PG Studies, a College
  PG Studies Committee, and a PG Office
• Each School has a PG Director and a School PG
  structure

Regulations Guidance
Issues and Proposals
x11
Your School admin focus is through your PG
Office, but the College PG Office is also here to
help
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Regulations? Guidance?
Regs
Guidance
Regs
Playing Space
Mandatory
Mandatory
Discretionary

• Regulations tell us what is required no
  discretion
• inc DRPS, Exam Regulations
• Guidance inform us about best practice based on
  experience

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Admissions

• Applications come via EUCLID
• Communication with student is electronic
• At least one supervisor appointed pre-offer
• 2nd no later than 2 months in
• Nurturing during lead-up to matriculation
• Induction phase very important
• The applicant phase is the start of getting to
  know your student

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Interruptions/Extensions

• Interruptions stop the clock fees stop too
• Extensions add extra time extra fee
• Both require a case to be made, with evidence
• Cannot be made retrospective
• IoS cumulative maximum for PhD is 60 months
• Approval authority College PG Dean ONLY
• Request does NOT equal automatic approval
• Must have Research Council support if
  applicable
• Be alert to your students potential lack of
  progress in good time. Get students to keep you
  in the picture. Monitor and document progress.

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Leave of Absence

• Leave work away, NOT a holiday!
• Students to be in Edinburgh during PPoS, unless
  granted leave PG Director can recommend up to 15
  months
• Supervisor applies on students behalf
• Appropriate supervision/facilities must be
  available to the student whilst on leave
• Tell the College Office (standard form), as we
  need to confirm to student and to Registry
• Be alert to absence of student from Edinburgh

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Withdrawals/Terminations

• Supervisor can apply on students behalf
• Reason for withdrawal must be given
• Independent letter from student will be sought if
  not provided
• If as a result of student deciding career choice
  was wrong, best if happens in first year
• Initiated by College Office when
• Student has gone away (ie no contact), fails to
  submit, fails to make corrections, or fails to
  resubmit
• Be alert to lack of expected contact, try to get
  in touch, tell PG Director and College if none
  forthcoming

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Annual Reports

• Done towards end of 1st, 2nd and 3rd year
• Timeliness is essential
• Need to identify
• Whether on track or with shortfalls
• Plan way ahead
• Comment on shortfalls mentioned in previous
  report
• Tell the student - feedback
• Timely annual reports are vital to monitoring
  progress and managing remedial actions.

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Writing Up Year The Thesis

• Expectation is that student will submit well
  before the 12 month point
• Student should aim to complete in 3 years, but
  with the 4th year being a contingency period
• Supervisor must keep in contact
• Arrange how, before writing up period starts
• NITS
• Before submitting, student should consult with
  supervisor about adequacy of thesis, BUT this is
  not compulsory
• Student tells college 2 months before submission
• College initiates getting examiners and sending
  thesis.
• Head of school nominates examiners, in
  consultation with supervisors (1 Internal, 1
  External
• Encourage student to submit thesis on time

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Examination

• Student has no right to veto examiners
• Examiners review thesis (Part 1 report) and then
  conduct Viva (Part 2 report)
• Internal examiner usually makes arrangements for
  oral
• Supervisor(s) can attend oral as observer if
  student agrees
• Non-Examining Chair preferred
• College exam committee decides result
• Student and supervisor informed
• College authorises exam result. Do not assume
  viva recommendations will be final

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Appeals and Complaints

• Students may appeal when they-
• Alert UoE about personal difficulties previously
  not known
• Feel they lacked the resources to complete the
  project
• Feel they have had inadequate supervision
• Feel they were not fairly examined
• Students may complain when they-
• Would otherwise appeal, but lack the grounds
• Miss milestones, fall behind and submit poor work
  
• Fall out with their supervisor
• Have a grievance (eg plagiarism)
• Have paid money but not got a degree
• This does not mean that all students must pass,
  but supervisors must demonstrate due diligence
  and schools must provide appropriate resources

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University Level Support

• Disability Office
• Careers
• Chaplaincy
• Health Service
• International Office
• Scholarships Student Finance Office
• Students Association (EUSA)
• Advice Place
• Student Counselling

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• PGR SUPERVISOR DOs and Donts
• Please see Handout
• These tips help you to help
• the student, and help both of you to steer away
  from problem areas

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Guide to PG Administration

• Essential information is on the web
• Hard to know where they are
• Indexed College links Page
• Alphabetical order
• Easy to navigate, links to Golden Copy
• Routine updates
• Can add topics quickly
• Available from PG Office Home Page
• http//www.hss.ed.ac.uk/Postgraduate/infostaff/Pra
  ticalGuide/guide.htmlc

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Click Here
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Click Here
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Click on letter to go there
Click on the Links as required
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The Last Word

• Although your first point of contact will usually
  be your own school PG Office,
• please seek our advice
• when you need to
• The College PG Office is here to help
• College PG Office Web Page www.hss.ed.ac.uk/Postg
  raduate/
• PG Admin Index Page http//www.hss.ed.ac.uk/Postg
  raduate/infostaff/PraticalGuide/guide.html