Monash Research Graduate Centre - Student Office Allocation Policy

The Monash Research Graduate School is responsible for management of the Research Graduate Centre. The Centre provides a range of facilities and services to research students, including the provision of office space.

Offices are provided on a 'room-share' basis. This operational policy aims to:

•  outline the process of student office allocation, and
•  regulate the process so that it is fair and reasonable.

Office Allocation Process

Application

Application forms for office occupancy are available at the Research Graduate Centre. The application form must be endorsed by the candidate's main supervisor.

Applications may be received any time, and applicants should contact the Centre Supervisor to track their application's progress.

Allocation

Office allocation is generally left to the discretion of the Centre Supervisor. If any individual feels that their request is not being dealt with fairly, they should raise this with:

•  Centre Supervisor, or
•  Management Advisory Group [MAG].

Notification

The Centre Supervisor will notify successful applicants once a decision has been made. Successful applicants will have seven days to accept the offer and make arrangements for collecting keys.

Office Allocation Eligibility and Priority

Eligibility

The following students are eligible to apply for office space:

•  enrolled Monash research postgraduate students (Doctoral and masters by research)
•  other students at the discretion of the Centre Supervisor.

Current Monash University policy states that once a student has submitted their thesis for examination, they are no longer enrolled and are therefore not automatically eligible to use the centre.

Students whose candidature has lapsed, and those on Postgraduate Publications Awards (PPA) or other honoraria, are not automatically eligible to use the Centre. See below for the conditions under which these students may continue using the Centre's facilities.

Priority

The  Centre takes a flexible approach to space management. Listed below is a range of key factors considered in the office allocation process. External and part-time students are still encouraged to apply in cases where office space is genuinely needed, and these applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Office allocation criteria:

• Space is allocated on a needs basis
• Students intending on working in the Centre for many hours each week will have priority
• Students with earlier expected completion dates receive priority over those with later expected completion dates
• Students who are registered users of the Centre receive priority over those students who are not.

Occupancy

Term of Allocation

All office allocations and Centre registrations are valid until 31 March of the year following allocation, provided there is no change in the enrolment status of the applicant, or any other event that would render allocation inappropriate.

Absences

Where a student intermits, or undertakes study away from the university, for more than 28 days, the student must vacate the office and re-apply on their return. The same application procedures apply, but the previous documentation may be used at the discretion of the Centre supervisor.

Students re-applying after undertaking study away from the Centre will have priority.

Failure to notify the Centre Supervisor in writing may result in the application being treated as a first application and being placed in the queue.

Extensions

Any extensions to candidature granted through the Monash Research Graduate School (or faculty for masters students) will be honoured by the Centre, unless there is specific advice to the contrary.

Conditions of Occupancy

The following conditions of occupancy apply to all office occupants:

• In view of the demand for office space within the Centre, office occupants are expected to make full and proper use of the facilities allocated to them. If it is brought to the attention of the Centre Supervisor that the office is not being utilised, then the occupant may be asked to vacate.
• Office occupants are responsible for informing the Centre Supervisor when they no longer require use of their allocated office space or when they take study away/intermission for longer than 28 days.
• An office occupant may be asked to vacate if the Convenor of the Management Advisory Group and the Centre Supervisor consider that the occupant does not have sufficient reasons for remaining in the office, or behaves in a distracting and/or offensive way to other Centre users.

Vacating

The office occupant must make arrangements with the Centre Supervisor for handing over the room keys upon vacating.

Where the occupant submits their thesis for examination prior to the end date of their office allocation, they will be required to vacate the office within seven days and return the keys to the office.

Post-Submission Support

Students may continue to use the facilities of the Monash Research Graduate Centre after they have submitted their thesis if they have been awarded either a Junior Honourary Research Associate position or a Postgraduate Publications Award (PPA).

Junior Honorary Research Associate (JHRA)

Departments may recommend the appointment of students to the JHRA position on the submission of a thesis, for a period of no longer than six months, where there is a demonstrated need for the continuing use of Monash University facilities.

Appointees may continue to use all other facilities: computer lab, lounge, kitchen and internal phones, subject to vacating their carrel or desk and office in the Research Graduate Centre.

In order for students applying for a JHRA to remain a registered Centre user, they must inform the Centre Supervisor of their intention to apply, and have that application approved within four weeks of submission. Successful applicants must bring their JHRA notification to the Centre Supervisor for verification.

Students with a JHRA position can continue using the Centre's facilities for a maximum of six months after their submission, or for the time granted on the JHRA application, whichever is less.

Postgraduate Publications Awardees (PPA)

Students who have applied for either a centrally or faculty awarded PPA may continue to use the Centre's other facilities: 24-hour access, computer lab, lounge, kitchen and internal phones, subject to vacating their carrel or desk and office in the Research Graduate Centre. While every effort will be made to accommodate students awarded a PPA, priority will be given to current research students.

In order for students applying for a PPA to remain registered as a Centre user, they must inform the Centre Supervisor of their intention to apply. Successful applicants must bring their PPA notification to the Centre Supervisor for verification.

Students awarded a PPA can continue using the Centre's facilities for a maximum of three months after their submission, or for the time granted on the PPA application, whichever is less.

Appeals and Special Consideration

All office occupants have the right to appeal any decision made by the Centre Supervisor. These appeals can be made to the Management Advisory Group. If there is no active MAG at that time a special group consisting of no less than five members (including the Centre supervisor) can be convened to hear the appeal.

All appeals must be made in writing to the Centre Supervisor within seven days of notification of the decision.

Requests for special consideration can be made to the Centre Supervisor, with decisions made in consultation with the student's supervisor and other relevant parties. If a request is for an extension to the use of office space beyond the normal time restrictions, this should be made before the expiry of a candidate's allocated time in an office.