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This document explores the collaborative endeavor to enhance doctoral education, focusing on the needs and experiences of students pursuing their PhD. Authors Lynn McAlpine and Cheryl Amundsen discuss the motivations behind undertaking a doctorate, the importance of supportive supervisory relationships, and the challenges students often face. Through reflections on common expectations of faculty, this resource aims to establish better policies and practices that foster successful academic journeys. Collaborative efforts are proposed to ensure students receive the support and guidance they need for timely graduation.
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Enhancing doctoral education: A collaborative endeavour? Lynn McAlpine, Oxford University Cheryl Amundsen, Simon Fraser University (As you get settled) Please respond to Part A of the handout and discuss with the person next to you. U of Alberta
Why do a doctorate? I wanted to pursue personal intellectual interests. I wanted to increase my knowledge in my field of study. I needed a doctorate to enter into or advance in my field. A faculty member recommended I pursue a doctorate. *All options chosen: top to bottom most common whether full or part-time
Reading/ knowing the literature What students reported Other Reflection Writing
Relationships: Who do students interact with ? Who is most important?
Another view of relationships (Mack & Passet, 1993)
What do students expect of supervisors? • Expertise, experience, most informed about ‘my work’ • Concrete constructive timely feedback on work (writing, design, data collection, analysis) • Feedback on overall progress • Available (meeting at least once a month) • Ethical advice (co-authorship, referreeing fairly, appropriate use of research funds) • Dealing with bureaucratic tangles and regulations ** Shifts in frequency and nature of need over time ** Rarely mentioned: career planning, reading
Supervisory relationship • Absence • Lack of intellectual investment • Conflict Other challenges: Why some students take longer • Concurrent chronic family/ personal issues • When students seek help • Lack of information (including who to see) about issue • Lack of consistent response
Moving forward: an agenda What is working What is missing
Moving forward: an agenda Our ideas: Policies Our ideas: Practices • Critical review – scanning the landscape, e.g., U of A report • Codes of practice for supervision, e.g., Oxford • Exit survey of all doctoral students who leave including those not graduating, e.g., SFU • Institutional regular reporting structures (students and supervisors), e.g., Oxford electronic report • Review institutional resources: • Oxford, Career Services academic mentoring program • McGill, Counselling Service self help group • Ensure visibility of resources: • SFU, Faculty of Education Handbook for Students and Supervisors • McGill, Faculty of Education ‘ABCs of the PhD’ workshops • Oxford, research supervision website
Contacting us lynn.mcalpine@learning.ox.ac.uk lynn.mcalpine@mcgill.ca camundsa@sfu.ca