Graduate School Board
3 June 2009
Agenda item: 9
Paper: GSB/09/19
Graduate School Board: Research Degree Programme Review 2008
The Research Degree Programme Review is in its third year of operation. This year the
questionnaire included additional questions on the facilities provided to research students.
As last year, an appendix to the questionnaire has been included to monitor follow up to
recommendations from Periodic Reviews covering postgraduate research degrees.
This report is provided to the Graduate School Board to identify issues arising from the reports
and to highlight examples of good practice. Feedback will be provided to each respondent
individually where necessary.
Good practice
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Director of Graduate Students produced a detailed report on improving the PGR experience
as a result of PRES results, which was discussed at a departmental staff meeting (CPS);
Database (Excel or Access) kept to record students eligible to have a Supervisory Board and
used to ensure that Supervisory Boards timetabled annually (various departments);
Working with the LTU to provide targeted training workshops to students covering topics
such as thesis planning, academic writing, and viva preparation (HHS);
We were pleased to note that all departments reported that they had included specific training on
the new regulations relating to maximum periods and the confirmation procedures in student
induction seminars, staff meetings and student handbooks.
Facilities
Infrastructure, facilities in particular, was an area in which we scored relatively poorly on the
PRES 2008. In order to ascertain which facilities were provided by departments across the
University, the RDPR questionnaire asked departments to provide details of the resources that
were provided for each research student, including part-time students, and indicating where
resources were shared.
Most departments provided shared use of desks/PhD office space, shared use of networked PCs
and printers (some departments gave students a certain amount of printing for free each year), and
shared use of a telephone (in some cases for internal calls only).
Other facilities which were provided to research students included access to a photocopier
(charged at cost price in some instances), dedicated social space, specialised software on
departmental PCs, access to a departmental research library.
It is considered that, as a minimum, students should have shared access to a workstation and desk
and use of printing/copying facilities, which it appears that all departments are providing.
However, departments are asked to consider the allocation of space and facilities for PhD students
to ensure that a suitable ratio of desks/workstations per student is provided. The Graduate School
will also be discussing the provision of departmental facilities for research students with the
Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellors.
Further Completion
There continued to be a pattern of large numbers of students in a period of further completion. It
is hoped that this trend will diminish with changes to the minimum and maximum periods and
confirmation procedures.
Summary
Members of the Board are invited to:


Note the examples of good practice identified in the departmental RDPR responses
Consider within your department the issue of allocation of space and facilities for PhD
students.
Laura Middleburgh
Academic Officer (Research Students)
March 2009