Graduate student supervision policies and procedures: A case study of issues and factors affecting graduate study

Abstract

This study was designed to identify salient issues in supervision across disciplines at a Canadian research university with a history of decentralized administration of graduate programs. Three sets of issues guided the inquiry: (a) the definition of supervision, (b) policies and procedures for supervision, and (c) the resources available for supervision. Although most departments reported having some form of policies and procedures, they did not tend to be explicitly stated or communicated. According to program directors, the two most important factors in the graduate supervision process were the supervisor's knowledge of the research field and his or her availability. There was considerable variability across faculties in the existence of policies and in the importance attached to different factors. Resources also varied greatly across disciplines. One conclusion of the study is that since the process of supervision is complex and occurs within a disciplinary context, much of the effort involved in enhancing the quality of graduate student supervision must be made at the department level. However, a comprehensive definition of graduate student supervision is needed to ensure that, where possible, there is common ground for graduate student supervision policy and practice.

Strategising PhD supervision in Ukrainian higher education

“…For example, the supervisors who lack skills and experience in publishing internationally are unable to ensure that their doctoral students engage in this practice, whereas those who have skills and experience in publishing internationally prefer their PhD candidates also to focus on this practice. In this way, the study results resonate with the literature which points out the importance of knowledge of supervisors (Donald et al, 1995;Halse, 2011). However, the example of the supervisor in the environmental sciences from the last group shows that only a high level of research competencies is insufficient for efficient supervision.…”

“…salaries and working conditions. Individual dimension refers to knowledge, values, beliefs and practices of PhD supervisors (Donald et al, 1995;Nulty et al, 2009;Jung, 2018;Feather & McDermott, 2014). In the case of PhD supervisors, these dimensions determine the strategies for supervising.…”

Responsibilities of Graduate Student: The Review of Research Student Policies

“…On the other hand, they should submit written work in some form as early as possible in their studies so that writing problems can be recognised and corrected [13] . Donald et al [14] propose that the responsibilities of the student should include understanding the scope of doctoral work, such as the number of years to be devoted to full time study, knowledge of research methods necessary to carry out studies, the regulations on thesis submission and the expectations of the supervisor regarding every aspect of the research.…”

Ethical Leadership: The Role of Ethical Competencies in Doctoral Supervision Context in Canada

“…Inspiring the students to publish and participate in national and international conferences is important (Donald et al, 1995), and this implies the importance of stewardship as a competency that supervisors should demonstrate. Supervisors are also expected to expand the students' knowledge by finding opportunities to discuss their thoughts with other scholars in their fields (Brown & Adkins, 1988).…”