Getting the most from HDR milestones Assoc Prof Suellen Murray DSC HDR Director 11 March 2015

RMIT UniversitySlide 2 Overview Milestones and candidature Milestones timing and timely completion Preparation for milestone reviews Milestone review panel member selection Monitoring progress through supervision

Candidature milestones - Break candidature into chunks of time at important stages in the research and writing processes when progress can be assessed - Provide opportunities for review of candidate progress by those external to supervision team - Ensure the timely offer of support – to candidates and supervisors Their successful completion produces a sense of achievement for all parties RMIT UniversitySlide 3

RMIT UniversitySlide 4 Milestones timing and timely completion (FT PhD) Confirmation - within first year Mid candidature - within 2 years Completion - within 3 years Submission - within 6 months of completion seminar So we are aiming for timely completions of 3.5 years. Untimely completions are more than 4 years.

RMIT UniversitySlide 5 Getting started Inform your candidates of candidature time frames at your first supervision meeting. Tell them what they need to have done to achieve each milestone. Work towards achieving these milestones through structuring your supervision sessions to meet these milestones. Remind them what they need to have done to achieve each milestone.

RMIT UniversitySlide 6 Getting cracking –Encourage your candidates to get cracking in the first year. –Get them to decide on their topic and focus, as soon as possible. Assist them to get to this point. –Tailor the project to the time you have available. –Discuss with them principles of ethical research and introduce the need for ethics approval (if applicable) from the beginning –Aim to get to confirmation well within the first year.

Preparation for a milestone Your candidates will know what they need to have done by each milestone and will be working towards this point of progress Provide guidance and written feedback on the written work they are submitting Guide their use of powerpoint Advise on verbal presentation skills and preview their presentation; suggest they attend a workshop on this If they are involved in peer support groups they could do a test run there Suggest they attend milestones of other candidates in advance of their own RMIT UniversitySlide 7

Giving feedback Have regular and frequent supervision meetings – book meetings in advance When giving feedback –Be as clear as possible, verbally and in writing –Discuss what is the most useful form of feedback on written work – track changes or hand written –Provide the ‘right’ feedback at the right time – e.g., detailed editing, big picture argument, specific content RMIT UniversitySlide 8

RMIT UniversitySlide 9 Milestone panels At each of the milestones supervisors have the benefit of 2 experts who read the candidate’s work - chair and independent member - as well as comments from audience members. Senior and associate supervisors in any combination or time percentage must read and provide feedback on documentation for milestones. These are likely to be very constructive interventions and aids to timely completions.

Panel selection –Having critical review of your candidate’s work is necessary and can be very helpful –External reviewers can be appointed – from other Schools or elsewhere (but be aware of need for category 1) –Consider the expertise of panel members that would most benefit: Specific content knowledge Broader disciplinary knowledge and experience Methodological expertise RMIT UniversitySlide 10

Monitoring progress through supervision Regular supervision meetings also provide a forum for monitoring progress –For all candidates, but especially those who are part- time, it’s a long time between milestones Monitoring research progress through supervision meetings instructionMonitoring research progress through supervision meetings instruction Document supervision meetings – request that the candidate routinely provides notes on the meeting and a list of agreed actions, to which you accept, add or change, and confirm If there are concerns with progress, seek advice from your HDR coordinator RMIT UniversitySlide 11

RMIT UniversitySlide 12 Leave of Absence (LOA) –Candidates have up to a year of LOA within their candidature, with justification. –Pre-confirmation, LOA is subject to SGR approval. –If there is a reason for ongoing lack of progress - illness, family illness, work pressure etc - take action. (Don’t wait for the milestone.) Use LOA and seek its approval ASAP. –Retrospective LOA is problematic because it affects enrolment across time. –What this means is being on the case. Knowing what is happening with your candidates and taking action in a timely manner.