ACADEMIC ASPECTS OF WORK PLACEMENT

1
How do I manage my work as well as possible? Know
who is responsible for what

• Three key parties
• The student (you)
• Your supervisor
• Your unit/UCC

Who is responsible for what? Make three
lists! Teams of three one play each role 15
minutes
2
The official position
3
UCC Code of Practice Duties of a postgraduate
student

1. Maintain a professional relationship
2. Maintain regular communications with
   supervisor(s)
3. Record plans of work, and any changes
4. Fulfill requirements of your doctoral programme
   completion of academic and/or training modules
5. Be familiar with the Universitys and
   departments regulations and the administrative
   requirements

4
Duties of a postgraduate student

1. Familiar with Postgraduate Research Student
   Handbook
2. Initiative in identifying problems that impede
   the progress seek solutions familiar with
   procedures and supports
3. Collaboration? Clarity on explanation of the
   contribution you have made work by others
   explicitly defined and acknowledged

5
Duties of a postgraduate student

• You will
• receive advice and feedback from your
  Supervisor(s)
• participate in annual formal reviews
• Thus, you must
• Agree on type of guidance and feedback regular
  formal meetings to review progress
• Present reports or other written material
• Participate in review and evaluation procedures

6
Duties of a supervisor

• Guidance and support on the students research
  topic,
• Planning
• academic standard
• Professional, constructive and effective
  relationship
• Highest ethical and academic standards,
• aware of regulations
• Policies
• codes of practice

7
Duties of a supervisor

• Regular communications with the student
• Advise on selection of academic and/or training
  modules / facilitate training needs
• Encourage
• Publications
• colloquia, seminars
• Conferences
• Leaves of absence (longer than a month) ensure
  that alternative supervisory arrangements

8
Duties of a supervisor

• Advice and support on the submission Prep for
  viva
• Review the students progress
• structured manner
• ongoing basis
• formal and/or informal
• formal annual review Graduate Studies Committee.
  
• Regular formal meetings to monitor and review
• research progress

9
Duties of a supervisor

• Regular written work
• interim reports or research results
• agreed timeline
• prompt and constructive feedback
• Student familiar with reporting and review
  requirements
• Providing formal written annual reports if
  required.
• Student is made aware of unsatisfactory progress
• In writing
• Suggesting ways of addressing them.

10
Responsibilities of the Academic Unit

• Access to adequate resources, facilities and
  equipment
• Confirming adequate supervision arrangements.
• Provide support and oversight of progress,
  through its Graduate Studies Committee
• Programme Board?

11
Responsibilities of the Academic Unit

• Head of Unit to assign student to one Graduate
  Studies Committee
• GSC responsibility monitor and support progress
• Transfer Masters/PhD track to PhD programmes
• Assisting supervisors
• Improving the research student experience
• Local resolution of problems

12
Responsibilities of the Academic Unit

• GSC identify staff responsible for the review and
  verify that such reviews have taken place.
• GSC info guidance to supervisors and students
  regarding policy and procedures
• Postgraduate Research Studies Handbook
• GSC accurate records
• procedures, activities and meetings, including
  annual reviews of student progress, are kept
  within the unit.
• Academic Unit ultimate responsibility to the
  Student for the supervision of the research.

13
Structuring the discussion

• Research Student Learning Plans
• Aim is to clarify expectations and roles at the
  start of study
• Use to structure the discussion with your
  supervisor(s)