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GRADUATE SCHOOL FORUM Research students: growth and experience

GRADUATE SCHOOL FORUM Research students: growth and experience. Themes – Effective ways of enhancing the research student experience The scale and nature of complaints by research students Meeting the University’s strategic target of a 50% increase in the number of PGR students by 2014.

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GRADUATE SCHOOL FORUM Research students: growth and experience

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  1. GRADUATE SCHOOL FORUMResearch students: growth and experience Themes – Effective ways of enhancing the research student experience The scale and nature of complaints by research students Meeting the University’s strategic target of a 50% increase in the number of PGR students by 2014

  2. Theme 1 Effective ways of enhancing the research student experience

  3. Sources of student feedback • LUSU surveys • Postgraduate Research Experience Survey [PRES] • National survey, online, voluntary • 2008 Survey • 208 Lancaster students, 17.8% response rate • Benchmarking • Lancaster vs sector and 95-Group • Results not published (no league tables) • Aim = inform enhancement • No exit surveys

  4. PRES results2008: Satisfaction • Overall: 60% [sector = 60%] • Supervision: 64% [62%] • Opportunities to develop a range of research skills: 48% [55%] • Opportunities to develop a range of transferable skills: 42% [49%] • Access to appropriate facilities: 42% [47%] • Research environment: 44% [48%] • Guidance on institutional standards: 34% [36%]

  5. Relatively low Lancaster scores • Skills development • Confident about managing research project: -5% • Learning resources • Appropriate financial support: -6% • Intellectual climate • Good department research seminar: -5%

  6. Career/personal development planning • Encouraged to think about range of career opportunities: -4% • Encouraged to reflect on professional development needs: -8% • Encouraged to reflect on career development needs: -8% • Selection, admission, induction • Understand responsibilities as research degree student: -5%

  7. Awareness of skills training opportunities • Adequate opportunities for me to further develop my research skills: -5% • Adequate opportunities for me to further develop my transferable skills: -12%

  8. Follow-up • Faculty & department patterns • Low response rates • University-level • Skills training – RTP • Career development • PRES 2009 • Open mid-March to end May • Need much higher response rate • Dept/supervisor support

  9. Theme 2 The scale and nature of complaints by research students Andrew Okey (Student Registry)

  10. Theme 3 Meeting the University’s strategic target of a 50% increase in the number of PGR students by 2014

  11. First year research students +20% +18.5% Lancaster market share: 0.95% in 2002/03 / 1.04% in 2006/07

  12. Why grow PGR numbers? • Research-intensive HEI • Critical mass, infrastructure • Funding, numbers not capped • REF metric • reputation, future funding • Concentration of research funding • Research Councils – EPSRC, AHRC, ESRC • Wellings Report to Denham – threshold (HEFCE fund PGR in c30 Universities)

  13. Strategic Planning: 2009-2014 Ambition 1 : 10 : 100 Five key targets: • Increase high citation staff by 50% • Offshore international programme, increase international numbers by 50% • Sustain financial strategy and surplus at 5% • Outstanding teaching & learning environment (top 10) • PGR volume up by 50%

  14. % PGR, 2006-7 Lancaster = 26th

  15. Quantity vs Quality • Submission rates • KPI – Lancaster and sector • Proxy for quality of supervision and research environment • Efficiency – supervisor time etc • Reputation, attractiveness & recruitment • Research Council thresholds & sanctions • REF metric • Student experience

  16. Reaching the 50% target? • Funding • Faculty funding: already advertised • RCs & other external sources • UMAG – 27 additional PhD studentships • FST 10; SHM 3; FASS 8; LUMS 6 • 4 year funding, RC stipend, £1.5K/year research support • Other initiatives? • Discuss in faculty groups, report back

  17. PGR applications cycle

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