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UNIVERSITY OF EXETER

Board of the Faculty of Graduate ResearcH

Annual Report on Research Student Monitoring: School of Sport and Health Sciences

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Please complete the following sections:

1. Please give a brief summary of the monitoring mechanisms used during the academic year, and an evaluation of their effectiveness in monitoring student progress.

Sport and Health Sciences (SHS) requires a termly progress report from each student and his/her supervisor(s). This is a joint report signed by the student and supervisor(s). The progress report utilises a pro forma circulated at the end of the Autumn, Spring and Summer Terms. The progress reports are reviewed by the School Manager each term. Any issues of concern are followed-up with the Director of Research initially and if necessary are referred to the School’s Research Committee. Termly progress reports are a well-established monitoring mechanism within the discipline and have proved effective in monitoring student progress and highlighting issues of concern. They complement the annual reporting process and other more specific monitoring mechanisms (e.g. MPhil to PhD Conversion Committees).
SHS also requires termly supervision records (signed by supervisors and students) which are submitted to the School Manager. These supervision records and the termly progress reports, along with the annual report, form the main points of contact for the attendance monitoring required for the new points based immigration system in the UK and are recorded on LISA.

2.Please detail below a note of any general issues highlighted through your monitoring procedures and action to be taken.

It was noted that several students are now working full-time in their continuation year in academic roles and had consequently failed to finalise their thesis as quickly as expected. These students were expected to submit their thesis within the require deadline but are in danger of failing to complete within four years. The Panel suggested that in such cases the student should be advised to interrupt their studies while they settle into their new roles and the School Manager agreed to discuss this with the supervisors of the students concerned.
Action: School Manager to contact supervisors.
The Panel noted that a number of students are still being supervised by staff who have left the University and that with the departure of more staff over the summer, in a couple of cases both the original supervisors will have left. It was agreed that the Director of Research and Head of School should review the supervision arrangements of all students who have an external supervisor to ensure that appropriate supervision arrangements are in place for 2010/11.
Action: DoR and Head of School to review supervision arrangements

3.Please report on the number of cases in which the progress of a student, or another matter, was found to be a cause for concern.

There were 10 students where progress-related issues were identified and discussed by the Panel. These discussions resulted in 7 students being identified as requiring follow-up action by SHS as recorded in the minutes. All students were progressed.
The Panel also drew attention to aspects of good practice when identified in the annual reports – this primarily related to students commending the support provided by their supervisors.

4.Please give a brief summary of the mechanisms in place for identifying, meeting and reviewing student’s generic skills development needs[1] (e.g. initial student needs analysis, use of personal development plans, standing item for discussion at regular supervisory meetings, opportunity for review in mid and end of year student progress reports).

Prior to their arrival for research study supervisors identify the potential skills development needs of individual research students in the relevant section of the School’s ‘Supervisor Assessment Form’. Research students in the School are normally required to undertake at least one taught MSc research module (Quantitative Research or Qualitative Research) in their first year of MPhil/PhD study.

During the Autumn Term each year supervisors undertake a basic training needs audit with students. Supervisors then discuss skills development needs with students in termly progress meetings and encourage students to attend relevant skills training sessions offered by the University. Training undertaken and courses/meetings attended, along with any training needs identified are recorded on the termly progress reports (as a standing item).

Students and supervisors are regularly circulated details of the training sessions available through the Effective Researcher Development Programme. The ‘Nuts and Bolts’ induction session is compulsory for students.

Research students participate in and present at regular research seminars within the School. Students active as GTAs in the School attend the relevant Learning and Teaching Programmes offered by the University. Several research students each year gain accreditation as Associates of the Higher Education Academy, following successful completion of the Learning and Teaching in HE (LTHE) programme.

In 2009/10 SHS submitted a successful bid to the annual fund for 50% contribution (SHS contributed the remainder) of the cost of the attendance of five students at the European College of Sports Science conference in Turkey. Four students were selected to attend following presentations to staff and students, and three of the four won top prizes at the conference, including the highly prestigious Young Investigator Award (YIA), for which there were more than 270 contenders. SHSfinancially supports research students to attend other national/international conferences and workshops to present their work and other students also won prizes at these.

SHS holds an annual Careers’ Day in which PG research students are activeparticipants and they are also encouraged to attend the School’s Seminar Series featuring contributions from internationally recognised external speakers. Several research students also had the opportunity in 2009/10to attend training courses in first aid, defibrillator use and cardiac rehabilitation.

To be completed by Head of School or Director of Graduate Studies:

I can confirm that an annual review of research student progress has now been completed in this unit, in accordance with the Graduate School’s Code of Good Practice: Annual Research Student Monitoring.

In all cases, students have been asked to complete a form assessing the level of supervision they have received, independently of their supervisor.

Supervisors have been asked to complete a report on each supervisee separately.

The reports have been assessed by a panel of academic staff, at least one of whom was not involved in the direct supervision of the students concerned.

The task of this annual monitoring panel was to identify any obstacles to the completion of the thesis, either in terms of the student’s work, or the supervisory arrangements.

Where problems were identified, remedial action has been taken.

In addition, the annual monitoring panel has made decisions on progress for each student, and communicated these both to the student and to the Postgraduate Administration Office.

Full Minutes of the panel’s meeting have been made and submitted to the Postgraduate Administration Office.

NB: Report may be submitted by e-mail with a scanned signature.

Name (Print):Professor Andrew Jones

Signature:

Position:Head of Sport and Health Sciencs

Date:31 August 2010

[1]* Generic skills, as identified by the research councils and the QAA, covers research management, personal effectiveness, communication skills, networking, team-working and career management. Generic skills differ from discipline-specific (research) skills.