Preamble
This Code of Practice should be read in conjunction with the Code of practice for supervision of doctoral and research masters candidates (Chapter 5 of Doctoral information handbook).
Under the Code of practice for supervision of doctoral and research masters candidates, academic units are required to ensure that an experienced supervisor is appointed. Experience in this case is defined as having supervised doctoral student(s) from commencement of the research to successful completion of the thesis. In some circumstances, a supervisor who does not have this experience may be appointed, but only where an experienced associate supervisor is also appointed. In these circumstances, the academic unit must make a strong case for such an appointment. The Committee's preferred position is that the inexperienced supervisor be first appointed as an associate supervisor so that the main supervisor may act as a mentor for the duration of the candidature (the 'apprenticeship' model).
Alternative supervision training modules for new supervisors, which may be completed in a shorter time are now available.
A. Responsibilities at institutional level
The University has the responsibility to ensure that appropriate policies are developed and implemented university-wide and within the faculties, schools, departments and centres of the University to ensure that there is:
- a program of supervision training workshops coordinated by the Centre for Higher Education Quality (CHEQ) and/or the Monash Research Graduate School which covers the full range of supervision issues;
- an experienced and expert supervisor to act as mentor for a new supervisor during his or her supervision training;
- a CHEQ workshop for mentors appointed to assist new supervisors;
- an induction kit for new Monash supervisors which includes material on supervision and doctoral candidature issues.
B. Responsibilities at departmental level *
* Normally the role of the departmental head but in some departments or faculties without departments, this may be delegated to the chairman of the graduate studies committee or in other instances to the graduate studies coordinator of the relevant department or faculty.
It is the responsibility of the department to ensure that:
- there is a registry of experienced and expert supervisors who can be nominated as mentors for new supervisors during the period of supervision training;
- the mentor has sufficient time to offer an appropriate level of assistance and guidance to the new supervisor;
- written information is distributed not only to research postgraduates (as per Code of practice for supervision of doctoral and research masters candidates), but also to new supervisors, with details on particular requirements, procedures and materials relating to postgraduate research candidature and supervision within the department including:
- a statement on the facilities and resources available to postgraduates and their supervisors within the department and within the university (eg library, computing and technical facilities, statistical advice, English language tuition etc);
- a departmental list of staff and research students and their areas of research interests;
- guidelines on authorship and intellectual property and the procedures for monitoring them within the department consistent with university policy on these matters;
- student grievance and appeals procedures at departmental level consistent with university policy on these matters;
- information on the department's seminar and workshop programs, including graduate seminars; workshops on research procedures and skills development; occupational health and safety procedures; ethical issues etc.
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C. Responsibilities of the academic mentor
It is the responsibility of the academic mentor to provide support and guidance to the new supervisor during his or her supervision training.
Where supervision training proceeds under the 'apprenticeship' model, the academic mentor shall:
- attend regular meetings with the candidate and new supervisor to discuss candidate's progress, identify difficulties that may be impeding the work and agree on strategies to solve these problems;
- establish and maintain a mutually agreed timetable of meetings between academic mentor and new supervisor when, in the light of their current supervision experience, they can review both the general principles and practice of research supervision, while also considering the most appropriate approaches to take with the particular candidature they are supervising together;
Note: The Research Graduate School Committee strongly recommends that the new supervisor maintain a written record of these discussions, strategies, decisions and observations as a basis for a final review of the supervision process at the conclusion of the candidature;
- enable the new supervisor to assume an increasing share of the supervisory role as the candidature progresses, and thus ensuring that he or she:
- plays an active role in the annual progress report process and, if appropriate, confirmation procedures; and
- assists the candidate to develop and shape the research proposal, access (if required) to off-campus specialist facilities, present the research findings at conferences, and write up publications based on the work etc.
- involve the new or inexperienced supervisor in the examination process, including the nomination of examiners; the completion of the supervisor's certificate, including the writing of the citation or graduation summary; and the deliberations of an advisory panel, should one be convened;
- undertake with the new or inexperienced supervisor a final review of his or her participation in the candidature and thesis examination process, identifying both the supervisor's strengths and, if applicable, any difficulties experienced, together with suggestions on useful strategies that might be adopted in any subsequent supervisions.
Where supervision training proceeds under the alternative supervision training module program, the mentor must oversee the expeditious completion of the nine modules within that program.
D. Role of new or inexperienced supervisor
During the first doctoral supervision it is the responsibility of the new or inexperienced supervisor to:
- become familiar with the regulations, guidelines, codes and work practices pertaining to doctoral candidature within the department, faculty and the university;
- attend university-training programs for new supervisors;
- initiate discussions with the academic mentor on the type and level of guidance and support considered most helpful;
- take the initiative in raising difficulties associated with the supervision training process should they occur, and seek solutions to these problems;
- maintain a record of the supervision process by way of a journal or other written account, so as to provide a basis for a final debriefing at the conclusion of the student's candidature and thesis examination.
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