Loughborough Doctoral College

2. Staff roles

Code of Practice banner - Staff roles

How the different members of academic staff support the research student.

This Policy sits alongside and should be read in conjunction with the Terms and Conditions of Study which form the contract between applicants, doctoral researchers and the University.

2.1 Primary Supervisor

The primary supervisor will be responsible for managing the doctoral researcher’s overall research programme. They will:

  • Ensure the doctoral researcher has access to appropriate facilities and advice to pursue their programme, agreeing with the secondary supervisor and the doctoral researcher how the programme will be conducted including how the responsibilities of doctoral researchers and supervisors listed below will be discharged.
  • Ensure the doctoral researcher understands the progression requirements and the format and standard of work which is required of them during each Part of the programme including the provisions of Regulation XXVI and this Code.
  • Take the lead in advising the doctoral researcher on their transferable skills training requirements.
  • Be responsible for signing off any requests from the doctoral researcher for periods of study away from the campus (full-time doctoral researchers), holidays, leave of absence, parental leave etc. and ensuring the impact of any such arrangements on the research programme are clarified and documented if required.
  • Take the lead in the academic supervision of the doctoral researcher, unless the secondary supervisor has particularly relevant subject knowledge but is still developing their experience of supervision, ensuring that monthly meeting reports are recorded in Co-Tutor.

2.2 Secondary Supervisor

The secondary supervisor will normally provide additional academic expertise for the research degree programme and an alternative point of contact where the primary supervisor might be temporarily unavailable. Ideally, they should be willing to step in as primary supervisor should the original primary supervisor cease to be available for some reason, but it is recognised that this will not always possible or appropriate. The relative academic input within the supervisory team may vary as the programme of study develops. Where the primary and secondary supervisor are not in the same School the doctoral researcher will be registered in the School of the primary supervisor.

2.3 Criteria for Appointment of Supervisors

Supervisors will be appointed on the basis that their research expertise and experience is appropriate to the research to be undertaken.

Supervisors will only be appointed when there is reasonable expectation that they will be available to supervise the doctoral researcher for the normal duration of their degree.

Supervisors will normally be full-time members of the academic staff of the University or of equivalent standing and the Primary Supervisor must normally meet this criterion. The Director of Doctoral Programmes may appoint other suitably experienced and qualified staff including research staff and staff on part-time contracts but such individuals must be of doctoral standing and sufficiently available to provide satisfactory support to the doctoral researcher.

Where a member of staff is retiring or retired they may, with the agreement of the Dean of the School or nominee, continue with the supervision of their current doctoral researchers if appropriate arrangements can be made.

Where a research supervisor leaves the University, there should be a discussion with the doctoral researcher, supervisor(s) and Director of Doctoral Programmes as to the options available to the doctoral researcher which may include re-locating with the supervisor; appointing a replacement supervisor for the current programme or amending the research programme and the supervisory team; appointing a supervisor from another University or appointing the previous supervisor as an External supervisor. There should, however, always be two supervisors from Loughborough University. Joint supervision should be available to the doctoral researcher throughout their programme. Wherever possible the arrangements should be made with the full involvement and agreement of the doctoral researcher, however, it is recognised that it will not always be feasible to provide the revised supervisory arrangement preferred by the doctoral researcher.

2.4 Role of the Supervisors

Research Supervisors have the following responsibilities, which will normally be provided by the supervisory team jointly although as noted above it is the Primary Supervisor’s responsibility to manage the delivery of the programme including these responsibilities:

Word icon Doctoral Researcher Induction Checklist

Word icon Supervisory Partnership Expectations Form

  • At the commencement of the research, to agree with the doctoral researcher how the research programme will be conducted including expectations of attendance and delivery of work, the relative roles of the supervisors, a written timetable for the conduct of the research and the completion of written work. This timetable should be reviewed and amended as the research progresses. Any adjustments which are appropriate due to a disability or long term health issue should be discussed, implemented and kept under review in consultation with Student Wellbeing and Inclusivity
  • The supervisors should provide an induction into the School’s expectations of the research and complete a written record of this induction to be made available at the 6-month review meeting.
  • To ascertain if the student has any particular research or transferable skills training needs or if there are particular training programmes that the student is required to attend. The bulk of research training takes place within the research process, through discussion between student and Supervisors, and through referral to appropriate reading. However, Supervisors should determine at the outset if students have any additional requirements, and keep these under review throughout. Supervisors should promote engagement with the transferable skills training offered by the Doctoral College. The normal expectation is that the student will undertake 10 days per annum professional development training and a summary of the training undertaken is required as part of the progress review process.
  • To establish and maintain regular contact with the student by whatever means is most suitable given the student’s location and mode of study, including any period during which the student is working away from the University. Permission to work away from the University is subject to approval by the primary supervisor and must be recorded in writing in Co-Tutor. The minimum number of formal contacts between full-time doctoral researchers and research degree Supervisor(s) will normally be 12 per annum and these should normally be face to face meetings. Part-time doctoral researchers, and doctoral researchers working away from the University, should have formal contact with their Supervisors at a frequency equivalent to the above related to their mode of study; however, this contact may be maintained in part via video conferencing or email where necessary.
  • The 12 formal supervisory contact meetings and their outcomes must be recorded in Co-Tutor for the purpose of monitoring doctoral researcher attendance and performance and to ensure records are accessible should the supervisors not be available. It is the primary supervisor's responsibility to ensure that these essential written records are maintained but both supervisors are encouraged to maintain reports of supervisory activities in Co-Tutor.
  • To provide satisfactory guidance, support and feedback to the doctoral researcher on the progress of their research.
  • To give advice and instruction on research methods appropriate to the doctoral researcher’s field of study.
  • To encourage the doctoral researcher to keep themself informed of all relevant developments within their subject.
  • To report, usually jointly, on the doctoral researcher’s progress to the Progression Board. With a clear recommendation as to progression in accordance with Paragraph 6.4 of Regulation XXVI.
  • To monitor the progress of the doctoral researcher within the guidelines of Regulations and University and School practice.
  • To ensure that the doctoral researcher is aware of the need to conduct their research according to ethical principles, to provide advice on this matter and ensure the doctoral researcher is aware of and engages with relevant School and University procedures.
  • To encourage and support doctoral researchers to publish and present their work where appropriate, and disseminate the research.
  • To make it clear to doctoral researchers that they are expected to participate in the planning of work to be done, encourage them to question advice that is given to them and to reach independent decisions on what work needs to be done. In the last resort, a Supervisor should defer to a doctoral researcher's decision wherever possible.
  • To agree arrangements for regular contact with their doctoral researchers if their tuition fee paying registration ends before the award of their degree and they have therefore entered a period of extension to complete their thesis. The aim is to support the doctoral researcher to successful completion in good time. Where a doctoral researcher is sponsored by the University as a doctoral researcher visa holder, the doctoral researcher should be working on their thesis full-time during any extension period, and meetings must continue to take place and be recorded on the same basis as during tuition fee paying registration.
  • To provide advice on the preparation of the doctoral researcher’s thesis and to encourage them to write up and submit the thesis with necessary documentation before leaving the University.
  • To identify and recommend the appointment of the doctoral researcher’s research degree Examiners.
  • To maintain contact with a doctoral researcher in the event of referral of their thesis or where corrections are required should they feel the need for advice and assistance. As noted above, student visa holders should be working on the revisions to their thesis full-time and meetings must continue to take place and be recorded on the same basis as during tuition fee paying registration.

2.5 Director of Doctoral Programmes

The Dean of School shall nominate a Director of Doctoral Programmes, and where necessary Deputy Directors of Doctoral Programmes, whose role shall be:

2.5.1    Recruitment and overseeing the admissions process

  • Working proactively with the Dean, the ADR and others to support the recruitment of new doctoral researchers across all disciplines and sub-disciplines in the School/Dept so as to build a thriving doctoral researcher community;
  • Receiving and reviewing applications for research degrees, and, in consultation with colleagues, confirming decisions on those applications;
  • Assisting in the dissemination of information concerning relevant doctoral researcher funding opportunities;
  • Ensuring that School doctoral researcher publicity materials, including relevant web pages, are up to date;
  • Raising the profile of doctoral researcher related matters across the School and encouraging colleagues to seek funding to support future doctoral researchers.

2.5.2 Overseeing doctoral researcher induction and training

  • Ensuring that all new doctoral researchers are properly inducted and integrated into the research community of the School/Department either through a formal School induction event at the start of the academic year, or for those doctoral researchers who join later in the year, through individual induction programmes at an appropriate time;
  • Identifying, in conjunction with supervisors, the learning needs of new students and helping them to decide on appropriate training courses; encouraging doctoral researchers to review their own changing learning needs during the course of their programme, and to participate in appropriate training sessions;
  • In conjunction with taught Programme Directors, to co-ordinate issues relating to Postgraduate Teaching Assistants, including their additional skills training and progress in relation to teaching duties. (Note this may not apply in all Schools.)

2.5.3 Progress monitoring

  • Ensuring that all doctoral researchers are receiving appropriate supervision, that supervisors are employing best practice and to monitor supervisory loads;
  • To liaise with the Dean to ensure appropriate supervision arrangements are made whenever a supervisor leaves;
  • To be the point of contact for doctoral researchers where there are difficulties with supervision and to escalate these to the Dean or ADR in the first instance where necessary;
  • Overseeing progress reviews for all doctoral researchers, including appointment of Independent Reviewers, and ensuring that there is a robust progress monitoring and review system through a Progression Board;
  • Dealing with any issues (academic or personal) in conjunction with the Dean, ADR, or Supervisors arising from Progress Meetings that cannot be satisfactorily be dealt with by the progress reviewers, taking advice from professional services as necessary, and ensuring that appropriate records of progress meetings are kept;
  • Overseeing annual reports from doctoral researchers and their supervisors on progress;
  • In conjunction with supervisors to encourage and/or arrange opportunities for doctoral researchers to make presentations of their research internally, and to seek publication opportunities, conference presentation opportunities, or practical work exhibition/production opportunities as appropriate;
  • In conjunction with supervisors to ensure that doctoral researchers working away from Loughborough are kept in touch with the School and its research culture;
  • To support doctoral researcher support staff in the School in ensuring attendance monitoring records are kept up to date and that the School doctoral researcher handbook is up to date;
  • To report to the ADR on issues relating to the management and oversight of research degree programmes;
  • To represent PGR programmes at meetings of Progression Boards or School Committees;
  • To participate in Academic Misconduct or Student appeal hearings if required;
  • To contribute to the School periodic review processes.

2.5.4  Other

  • Providing an initial point of contact where a doctoral researcher has a complaint and to resolve that complaint wherever possible informally as part of the University’s complaints procedure;
  • Providing guidance on the University Regulations or seeking further advice where appropriate;
  • With the ADR maintaining an overview of the allocation and distribution of studentships and dealing with issues arising in connection with studentships in conjunction with the Doctoral College Office;
  • Preparing and delivering reports on doctoral researcher issues to relevant School and Doctoral College meetings;
  • Attending relevant School and University committee meetings concerned with doctoral researcher issues and raising any specific issues that require attention.

2.6 The Role of the Dean of School

The Dean of the School will appoint a Director of Doctoral Programmes for the School and one or more Deputies depending on the size of the School

The allocation of supervisors and School facilities to doctoral researchers will be undertaken on an operational basis by the Director of Doctoral Programmes and where necessary Associate Dean (Research). Supervisors will typically be responsible for the allocation of specific research facilities. However, the Dean remains accountable overall for the adequate provision of resources and support to doctoral researchers registered in the School.

2.7 The Role of the Independent Reviewer

An Independent Reviewer should be identified at the earliest opportunity by a doctoral researcher’s supervisors and nominated to the Director of Doctoral Programmes for approval.

The Independent Reviewer should have sufficient expertise in the field of the doctoral researcher’s research programme to be able to make an informed judgement on their progress.

The Independent Reviewer shall review output produced by the doctoral researcher in accordance with the paragraphs 5 and 6 of Regulation XXVI. They will produce reports for consideration by the Progression Board which include a recommendation on the doctoral researcher’s progression in accordance with paragraph 6.4 of Regulation XXVI.

The same member of staff should normally act as the Independent Reviewer throughout the research degree programme if appropriate.

The Independent Reviewer may not normally act as the internal Examiner for the thesis submission unless there are exceptional circumstances, and permission has been given by the Doctoral College Office.