Supporting PGR students
As campus quietens down over the summer, it is easy to forget that there are some 1500 Post Graduate Researchers still working away on their research and thesis writing. In a focus group run by our student voice team last year, PGRs highlighted five key issues they have faced across the university at varying levels. We have been working with the University to make changes in these areas, heres an update below:
1. Stipend and payments made on time
We had received reports about PHD students who were not receiving their pay/stipends regularly and sometimes had to wait months before they were paid. The usual payment was quarterly and this could raise issues with bank payments and other financial requirements. We raised the issue to the University and the Liverpool Doctoral College and in turn they immediately ensured that the specific schools have been dealt with and that Liverpool finance are looking to make the appropriate changes. If there still is an issue, please let us or the LDC know so we can rectify it as soon as possible.
2. Compulsory supervisor training and supervisor relationship monitoring
Our Student Voice Report from the year 2016-17 stated that the supervisor provision was varied across the three faculties - with some supervisors making their students enjoy their candidacy period whilst others were barely complying with protocol. As such, we have worked with the LDC to ensure all supervisors attend training and all relationship comments are scrutinised.
We have also ensured the duties of supervisors are fully outlined in the code of practice so students can rely on it and know exactly what duties both the supervisor and PGR needs to do. A key change involves secondary supervisors who were not all required to even read the PHD students' thesis but now whose duties are listed out.
3. PGR profiles for all
Students had suggested that all PGRs got online profiles like they do in other universities to enable networking and promotion of their research and themselves. We have secured this for students and now all departments will put it up on request from students. This is because some students have highlighted that they do not want automatic profiles so we will not be forcing them to publish profiles.
4. Networking and cohort building activities
A key issue raised by PhD students in consultations was isolation and a lack of ability to network outside their supervisor/group. We have now put in place two initiatives in conjunction with the LDC, which aim to directly coordinate with local departments to organise such networking and cohort building activities. We can't say more at the minute as such activities really depend on departments and institutes to organise it and each department will have its own take. However, the fact it is now part of the PGR action plan for the university means we have secured its place and that it will be carried out. You can contact the Liverpool Doctoral College for more information.
5. A university wide PGR showcase
Another suggestion from the Student Voice Report was to organise a university wide PGR showcase to foster cross faculty partnerships while also giving students an opportunity to show their work to the wider university population and develop skills in a local environment. This suggestion has been met with great enthusiasm from the university and we have now secured it as part of the LDC's action plan for the next academic year.
For anymore information, feel free to tweet me using the @GuildOfficers handle.
Thanks, Ananda.
