Research Committee

Subject: Research Degree Submission Rates

Cohorts: 1997-99, 1998-2000

Origin: Dr B P Vale, Assistant Registrar, Research Student Office

1. Research Committee is asked to consider data relating to research degree submission rates for cohorts of full-time students commencing their research degree programmes in the calendar years 1997-99, 1998-2000. This data has been circulated to Heads of Departments for verification.

Criteria

2. Students who withdrew within 12 months of registering or who transferred to another University are excluded from the data. In a small number of cases an adjustment has been made to take account of students who took leave of absence and subsequently submitted by the revised deadline. By comparison the submission rate for the cohort for 1995-1997 was 59%, and for 1996-1998 was 63%.

Context

3. Both the AHRC and ESRC operate a sanctions policy whereby the University is not eligible to receive studentships if we fail to meet the required targets for 4 year submissions for studentships funded by that source. EPSRC have abandoned their policy of financial sanctions via the studentship algorithm, but continue to monitor performance in this area for EPSRC funded students.

HEFCE are no longer setting a performance target of 70% of research degree submissions within 4 years. Nevertheless HEFCE are monitoring research degree award rates against the HESA data and this information will be made available to the QAA auditors in due course.

The University has set itself a target of 80% of research degree submissions to be made within 4 years. Although performance is improving this target is still some distance away. It should be noted that the introduction of 4 year research degree programmes e.g. EngD, New Route PhD, and extending the funding for PhD programmes may have an impact on this

Recommendations

4. Research Committee is asked to consider whether a more systematic approach by the Research Student Office to reminding students and supervisors of approaching submission deadlines should be adopted. If so at what point should students be notified? This could be mid way through the final year and/or mid way through the fourth year for full-time research students. It should be noted that in order for this to be an automated process some developmental work will need to be done and it is anticipated that this will be via the LUSI project.

Research Committee is asked to consider recommending that Departments take a quarterly overview of all research student progression on their Department where this is not already done (also referred to in the items for consideration under the QAA Code of Practice).

Author – Dr B P Vale

Date – May 2005