Code of Practice for Quality Assurance for Research Programmes of Study
Approved by BRE on 9 June 2005 and including all revisions up to 31 August 2009.
Annex H: Supervision
1. School Directors of Graduate Studies Committees are responsible for ensuring that all students have access to appropriate levels of supervision and support. This section of the Code of Practice sets out detailed requirements in relation to such supervision.
2. Team Supervision
2.1. The University strongly encourages team supervision of research students.
2.1.1.
Where a supervisory team is appointed to a student, there must be a supervisor designated to act as the student’s main point of contact for support and advice (Main Supervisor).
2.1.2. Where a supervisory team is appointed to a student, there must also be a designated Chair of the Supervisory Team (Supervisory Chair) approved by the University to act in this capacity. The Supervisory Chair is responsible for ensuring that the requirements of this Code of Practice are met with regard to students for whom they are appointed.
Note: The same individual can undertake the roles of the main supervisor and the supervisory chair.
2.1.3. Where appropriate, a Sole Supervisor may undertake all supervisory duties for a student, providing that they are approved by the University (see 3.2).
Note: In the case of programmes which incorporate practice as research, supervision must be undertaken by a supervisory team and not by an individual supervisor.
3. Supervisors
The criteria for the approval of academic staff as Supervisory Chairs are:
3.1.1. evidence of research activity relevant to the programme in the past five years and
3.1.2.
experience of previous successful research degree supervision (or co-supervision) normally at PhD level.
Note: In the case of programmes which incorporate practice as research, the appropriateness of proposed Supervisory Chairs with regard to these criteria must be specifically in the context of practice as research.
In order to act in this capacity, members of academic staff must be approved by the relevant Faculty1. Supervisory Chairs approved by the Faculties should be reported to the Office for Quality Assurance and Validation regularly so that there a central register of approved Supervisory Chairs can be maintained.
3.2. The Supervisory Chair is only approved to act in this capacity on designated programme(s).
3.3. Applications to act as Supervisory Chair for additional programmes must be approved by the relevant Faculty.
3.4.
Once approved, it is the responsibility of the School Director of Graduate Studies to ensure that the status of Supervisory Chairs appointed to new candidates remains current in the light of these criteria.
3.5.
Only members of University academic staff may be appointed as Supervisory Chairs.
3.6.
Individuals who do not meet the criteria for approval as Supervisory Chairs may, at the discretion of the School Director of Graduate Studies, act as main supervisor or as part of a supervisory team, providing that they meet the first criterion (3.1.1 above).
Note: Where there is good cause, individuals from without the University may also act in this capacity.
3.7. Supervisors are responsible for:
3.7.1. Advising students on the academic matters including expected attendance, research standards, methodologies, plagiarism, progression and examinations.
3.7.2. Arranging regular meetings with the student and setting aside adequate time to discuss progress and future work.
3.7.3. Considering the safety implications of their students’ research.
Note: Supervisors are responsible for all aspects of safety which fall within their control and in particular for the safe conduct of experiments carried out in the course of their students’ research. Further information is available from the University Safety Officer.
3.7.4. Advising students on the ethical implications of their research and appropriate routes for ethical approval where appropriate.
3.7.5. Participating in Student Progress Reviews as required by the Faculty and by this Code of Practice (see Annex K: Progression and Examination).
4. Supervisory Meetings
4.1. While it is acknowledged that research students may work closely with their supervisors and may have a great deal of informal supervision, it is a requirement of the University that students are also involved in regular formal supervision meetings.
4.2. It is the expectation of the University that these meetings should normally take place at least twice per term and up to a maximum of 50 contact hours per year.
4.3. It is essential that both students and supervisors keep records of the outcome of these meetings.
5. Absence of the Main Supervisor
The School Director of Graduate Studies should ensure that appropriate arrangements for supervision are made should a student’s main supervisor be absent from the University for a period greater than four weeks. The School will undertake to employ an external supervisor with relevant subject expertise, where alternative subject-specific supervision is unavailable within the University, should the main supervisor, for whatever reason, be unable to continue to offer supervision to the candidate. It would be expected that the external subject-specific supervisor would co-supervise the student in conjunction with a University staff member who would provide the student with general supervision.
6. Supervisor/Student Relationship
Supervisors and students are expected to treat one another with courtesy and discuss any problems at the earliest opportunity thus allowing any issues to be resolved quickly and effectively. In cases where there is a more serious breakdown in the main supervisor/student relationship, the matter should be brought to the attention of the School Director of Graduate Studies who will review the situation. In cases where there is an irreparable breakdown in the student/supervisor relationship, an alternative main supervisor will be provided.
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1. Applications for approval of Supervisory Chairs from collaborative partner institutions approved to offer research programmes of study should be submitted to the Programme Approval Sub-Committee for consideration and approval.