ECR Workshop on Getting Involved in Doctoral Supervision and Examining

Date/Time
Date(s) - 10/07/2018 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Location
Leeds Beckett University

Audience:
Early Career Researchers

The aim of the workshop is to support academics in getting involved in doctoral supervision and examination. Through a sharing of experiences and practice across different institutions the workshop aims to address the challenges of:

  • growing supervisory capacity and developing best practice
  • managing the doctoral examination
  • the role of independent chairs

Workshop summary

This workshop will focus on exploring the supervisory journey from first meetings to the examination of the doctoral thesis and offers participants the opportunity to share best practice and to learn from others’ experiences.

The opening workshop session briefly sets the scene for the workshop. It provides the platform from which to begin the focused discussion of the research supervision process – from student application, through the stages of student progress assessment to the selection of the examination team and the viva.

After the opening session, the focus in the morning will be on supervisory practice and challenges. We will explore how experiences of being supervised inform and shape academics’ own supervisory practices. The first session will offer an opportunity to share practice and assess the importance of establishing boundaries, managing supervisor and student expectations (e.g. deadlines, feedback, and publications) and effective communication. Through group discussion of real-life scenarios, it will conclude by examining supervisory challenges and the management of conflict and tensions in supervising the doctorate (PhD and Professional doctorates).

The focus in the afternoon will be on conducting and managing the oral examination of the thesis. Through a re-enactment of the viva, there will be the opportunity to critically assess the role of the examiners and that of the independent chair.

By the end of the workshop participants will be familiar with how supervision might look from the supervisor’s position and how they might reflect on their own PhD experience to become a successful supervisor and doctoral examiner.

The Presenters

Dr Murray Clark was until recently the PhD Programme Leader at Sheffield Business School.

Dr Caroline Oates is Programme Director of Postgraduate Research at Sheffield University Management School.

Dr Nicola Palmer is Director of Post Graduate Research Training at Sheffield Hallam University and Head of Programmes of Research at Sheffield Business School.

Professor Mark Rhodes is Head of Economics, Analytics and International Business at Leeds Business School, Leeds Beckett University, and was previously the Graduate Research Director at Hull University Business School.

Programme

10 July 2018 Activity
09.00-09.30 Registration, refreshments and welcome All presenters
09.30-10.30 Supervisor perspectives on the research journey Mark Rhodes & Murray Clark
10.30-11.30 Reflections on experiences of being supervised Caroline Oates & Murray Clark
11.30-11.45 Refreshments
11.45 -12.45 Supervisory challenges and scenarios in a contemporary PhD context – Nicola Palmer
12.45-13.30 Lunch
13.30 -15.00 Re-enactment of the doctoral examination Murray Clark, Mark Rhodes & Caroline Oates
15.00-15.15 Refreshments
15.15 – 16.30 Independent chairs and managing the viva Nicola Palmer
16.30 Close