Northern Advanced Research Training Initiative (NARTI)
Workshop: 'Getting involved in doctoral
supervision and examining’
16-17th June 2015

Sheffield Business School
Sheffield Hallam University
Room 7516 Stoddart Building

Aim of workshop:

The aim of the workshop is to support academics in getting involved in doctoral supervision and examination. Through a sharing of experiences and practice across different institutions the workshop aims to address the challenges of:

·  growing supervisory capacity and developing best practice

·  comparing PhDs and professional doctorates

·  managing the doctoral examination, and

·  the role of independent chairs

Intended audience: Early Career Researchers (ECRs) and Faculty Staff

Workshop summary

This workshop will focus on exploring the supervisory journey from first meetings to the examination of the doctoral thesis and offers participants the opportunity to share best practice and to learn from others' experiences.

The opening workshop session sets the scene for the workshop. It provides the platform from which to begin the focused discussion of the research supervision process - from student application, through the stages of student progress assessment to the selection of the examination team and the viva.

By drawing on their personal journeys participants will, over dinner, have the opportunity to begin reflect on the importance of managing the student journey and share from their joint experiences.

On day two, the focus in the morning will be on supervisory practice and challenges. We will explore how experiences of being supervised inform and shape academics’ own supervisory practices. The first session will offer an opportunity to share practice and assess the importance of establishing boundaries, managing supervisor and students expectations (e.g. deadlines, feedback, publications) and effective communication. Through group discussion of real-life scenarios, it will conclude by examining supervisory challenges and the management of conflict and tensions in supervising the doctorate (PhD and Professional doctorates).

The focus in the afternoon will be on conducting and managing the oral examination of the thesis. Through a re-enactment of the viva, there will be the opportunity to critically assess the role of the examiners and that of the independent chair.

By the end of the workshop participants will be familiar with how supervision might look from the supervisor’s position and how they might reflect on their own PhD experience to become a successful supervisor doctoral examiner.

The Presenters

Dr Caroline Oates is Programme Director of Postgraduate Research at Sheffield University Management School.

Dr Mark Rhodes is the Graduate Research Director at Hull University Business School.

Dr Murray Clark is the PhD Programme Leader at Sheffield Business School.

Dr Nicola Palmer is Director of Post Graduate Research Training at Sheffield Hallam University and Head of Programmes of Research at Sheffield Business School.

Dr Keith Fildes is Researcher Development Adviser at Sheffield Hallam University and he manages the Sheffield Hallam Researcher Development programme.

Places are limited to 20 Participants

How to register for the workshop:

Please complete the online booking form at:

http://lubswww.leeds.ac.uk/narti/events/

How to get to Sheffield Business School, at Sheffield Hallam University

http://www.shu.ac.uk/university/visit/find-us/

The workshop will be held in room 7516 in the Stoddart Building, City Campus.

Please contact if you have any further questions.

Programme

DAY 1: 16th June / Activity
14.00 / Welcome & refreshments / Professor Bradley Barnes, Assistant Dean Research Sheffield Business School
14.30 -17.15 / Supervisor perspectives on the research journey / Mark Rhodes & Murray Clark
(Refreshments at 15.30)
Check in to Hotel (Jury's Inn - 300m from SBS)
18.30 - 20.30 / Dinner
DAY 2: 17th June / Activity
09.00 / Coffee
09.15-10.30 / Reflections on experiences of being supervised / Caroline Oates & Murray Clark
Refreshments
10.45 -12.15 / Supervisory challenges and scenarios in a contemporary PhD context - / Keith Fildes & Nicola Palmer
Lunch
13.00 -14.30 / Re-enactment of the Doctoral Examination / Murray Clark, Mark Rhodes & Caroline Oates
Refreshments
14.45 - 16.00 / Independent Chairs and Managing the Viva / Nicola Palmer
Close