Responsibilities of the student
An overview of post-graduate students’ responsibilities towards supervision and their studies.
General
- Every student must ensure that their contact details and addresses are kept up-to-date.
- All students must maintain appropriate standards of behaviour when dealing with others, including fellow students, members of staff and the public and familiarise themselves with various university regulations regarding their studies.
Introduction
The student must ensure that they have read, understood and comply with the University’s policies, procedures and regulations, which are set out in the guidelines of post-graduate studies, student handbook for post-graduate, course curriculum and the University’s statutes.
Supervision
- In the early stages of the research the student should discuss with the supervisor(s) the type of guidance believed to be most helpful and the training which may be required, to clarify both the needs and objectives of the research. The student should work with the supervisor to identify and select strategies to meet these needs and objectives.
- The student should work with the supervisor(s) to establish an effective supervisory relationship, tackling the research with a positive commitment, and taking full advantage of the resources and facilities offered by the academic environment.
- The student and supervisor should reach an agreement on the record keeping of supervisory meetings. Both the student and supervisor shall keep copies of the written or electronic record.
- The student should check their university email account on a regular basis, so as not to miss important messages.
In general, you can expect your supervisor to assist you in these areas highlighted below:
- Planning. Guiding you in the selection and planning of a meaningful and appropriate research topic that can be successfully completed within the normal time limit for the degree program; helping you establish a realistic timetable for completion of your program, preferably including a number of milestones to measure progress along the way.
- Guidance. Providing you support and resources to help you understand the relevant theories, knowledge, and background literature, and the methodological and technical skills necessary for the research; providing adequate opportunity and a positive environment for discussion and constructive criticism of ideas, research plans, research results, and thesis drafts as the research progresses.
- Feedback. Providing sufficient and appropriate guidance and commentary on progress to help ensure successful completion of the program; keeping track of progress and investigating any concerns; being open, honest, and fair with you when your academic performance is not meeting expectations. Sometimes, the most helpful feedback a supervisor can give you is that you are not making sufficient progress and what is required of you for improving your academic performance. While dealing with inadequate academic performance can be difficult, it is in no one’s best interests to prolong a program of study when success is unlikely.
- Accessibility. Establishing regular meeting times for discussion and review of progress; being reasonably accessible for unscheduled meetings; making arrangements to ensure continuity of supervision during leaves or extended periods of absence.
- Awareness of policies and regulations. Ensuring that you are made aware of all relevant policies and requirements for both your academic program and research.
- Ensuring academic and research integrity. Ensuring that you understand the need for and meaning of the highest standard of academic and scholarly integrity both in coursework and research.
- Support and encouragement. Assisting and encouraging your wider professional development through such means as: participation in seminars and colloquia, attendance and presentation of work at local, national, or international conferences; publication of your work in appropriate journals; encouraging authorship or co-authorship on publications as appropriate;
- Health and safety. Ensuring that the research environment in the lab or research group is safe, equitable, and free from violence, harassment and discrimination.
- Avoiding conflict of interest. Avoiding personal or business relationships that may constitute a (perceived) conflict of interest.
Obligations of the student
- Maintaining regular consultation with their supervisors; at least once a week.
- Submitting progress reports every month through their supervisors in the prescribed form (DeKUT/SGSR/F6 – Progress report form). Submission of the reports will be done through the supervisors, the School Postgraduate Studies Committee and the Board of Postgraduate Studies and Research. All progress reports must have a copy of the work plan attached and should show the number of meetings held with the supervisor, dates of the meetings, work so far accomplished, work yet to be done and the time required to complete the work;
- Participating in scheduled postgraduate colloquia and research seminars organized by the University;
- Organizing and presenting research content professionally and accurately;
- Adhering to correct format of presenting quotations, footnotes, bibliographical items, tables, and other illustrative materials;
- Ensuring the integrity of thesis by preparing plagiarism-free work
- Publishing the required peer reviewed articles in SCI journals from the thesis before it can be formally defended (Two articles for PhD and One for Masters’) Journals with high impact factors are encouraged;
- Submitting intention to submit the thesis to the School of Graduate studies and Research through the relevant School Postgraduate Studies Committee as stipulated in the University School of Graduate studies and Research guidelines;
- Defending all aspects of the thesis during oral examination;
- Making corrections as recommended by the Board of Examiners;
- Ensuring that the required number of copies of the thesis and the originals are duly signed and the certificate of correction is submitted to Board of Postgraduate Studies and Research within stipulated timelines.
- Ensuring adherence to the research activity schedule for timely completion of studies.
