Research Supervision

Each research student is allocated to a supervisory team, to see them through their studies. This team usually comprises three members of academic staff as follows:

  • First (Lead) Supervisor: has expertise in your chosen research area and/or methodology;
  • Second Supervisor: brings a different perspective on the research process;
  • PGR Pastoral Tutor: helps with any non-academic issues that may arise

Research students are required to meet with their full supervision team within three weeks of their initial registration with the University. At this meeting you and your supervisors are required to complete a Supervision Agreement and a Training Needs Analysis form, and then upload these documents to your MyPGR record, along with a write-up of your supervision meeting. Your supervision agreement and training needs analysis should then be reviewed on an annual basis and an updated version of each document should be uploaded to MyPGR each year. It is your responsibility to upload these documents to MyPGR annually.

The minimum frequency of formal supervision meetings are as follows:

  • For full-time students: ten times a year, at regular intervals
  • For part-time students: six times a year, at regular intervals  (or equivalent depending on part time attendance)
  • For continuation students: three times a year, at regular intervals (roughly once a term).

Normally, supervision meetings should be held face-to-face but where this is not possible contact may be made via email, telephone, post or video conferencing (such as MS Teams or Skype) and recorded as a formal supervision meeting. This should be agreed in advance between you and your supervisor(s) and must also be included in the Supervision Agreement Form. 

Please note however that under current restrictions due to Covid-19 we expect that supervision meetings will normally take place online via video-conferencing, unless socially distanced supervision meetings can be arranged.

Students are required to maintain detailed records of each supervision meeting, which should include information regarding matters discussed and any agreed actions. Use of the MyPGR system (see Section 4 of this handbook for further details) to record these meetings is compulsory. Once you have uploaded the record of the meeting your supervisor(s) will review, comment on, and sign off the record.

A formal progress review meeting (progress review) should take place three times a year in which you and both of your supervisors specifically discuss your academic progress and training. Following these meetings, a report on matters discussed should be entered on to MyPGR by the student. A review of your training needs should also be included in the report.

The College of Humanities expects all supervisors to continue supervising their research students during any periods of research leave. However, in exceptional circumstances, if it is felt to be in your best interests the College will consider assigning a new lead supervisor if it is felt that the nature of the supervisor’s research leave means they are unable to maintain a suitable level of supervision. The location of the supervisor whilst on leave, the availability of a replacement supervisor and the acceptability to you of the proposed contact and supervisory arrangements will all be taken into consideration if a change of supervisor is requested. 

The final decision lies with the College Director of Postgraduate Research and you will be informed in writing if it is decided that a new lead supervisor is to be assigned.

Supervisor Leaving the University

If your supervisor resigns or retires from the University of Exeter they should inform the discipline DPGR as soon as possible so that a new supervisor can be appointed, and so that you can be informed. 

If it is in your best interests that the services of your original supervisor should be retained, the discipline DPGR will need to make a case to the College DPGR seeking to retain the academic as an external supervisor. An external supervisor can only act as second supervisor so a current member of University staff must be appointed as the lead supervisor, who is responsible for your progress and for ensuring that all relevant regulations and Codes of Practice are followed.

Student Requests for a Change of Supervisor

When a student wishes to request that their supervisor be changed they should first discuss the matter with their PGR Pastoral Tutor or the discipline DPGR. If their supervisor is the discipline DPGR, then the student should discuss this with the Head of Department. Requests to change supervisor should be made with the appropriate form, available from the PGR Support Team, which will then be passed to the College DPGR for approval.

Supervisor Resignation from Student Supervision

If a supervisor does not wish to continue with the supervision of a particular student, they should make a case, in writing, to the discipline DPGR. 

Following consultation with the supervisor and the student, and having ascertained whether suitable alternative supervision is available, the discipline DPGR should decide on the appropriate course of action. The student’s best interests should be the primary consideration when making this decision.

Continuity of Supervision

In all cases of a change of supervisor, it is the responsibility of the initial supervisor to fully brief their successor.

Authorisation of Change to Supervisory Arrangements

Any change to supervisory arrangements requires the approval of the College DPGR, and all requests should be made on the appropriate form, available from the PGR Support Team.

Role of PGR Pastoral Tutor

A PGR Pastoral Tutor is a designated member of staff with a responsibility to provide pastoral support for you at your request. This may include providing advice for you in cases when difficulties arise between you and your supervisor(s), or directing you towards relevant Wellbeing or Welfare resources or student advice. Every student has a PGR Pastoral Tutor appointed alongside their supervisors. PGR Pastoral Tutors are not subject specialists and will not advise on the intellectual content of your research. You may be assigned a pastoral tutor outside your discipline, where this is deemed appropriate for reasons of staff availability or more effective provision of support. Your PGR Pastoral Tutor may change during your degree, which will be reflected on MyPGR.

Initial Meeting with PGR Pastoral Tutor

New research students are expected to meet their PGR Pastoral Tutor at the beginning of their first term. These meetings may differ between disciplines.   

Frequency and Mode of Contact with PGR Pastoral Tutor

Your PGR Pastoral Tutor will contact you at least once per term (by email, telephone, video conferencing, or in person) to offer you the opportunity, if it is needed, for advice and support on pastoral matters which are adversely affecting your ability to study, and to ensure that a record of this contact be recorded in MyPGR. In some cases, Pastoral Tutors may arrange collective meetings with their Tutees to discuss issues affecting the group, such as preparing for upgrades or engaging in research culture. There is no intention that any confidential or personal/sensitive issues would be discussed in collective meetings: you should contact your Pastoral Tutor individually about these. 

Records of Meetings

Your PGR Pastoral Tutor should make a written record of any significant matters in your MyPGR record. It is worth noting that these records are considered confidential and therefore are not available to supervisors on MyPGR.