[Academic] New PhD annual progress reports + PG conference & 1st/2nd year vivas

[Gordon Robb]

As mentioned at recent Departmental Committee meetings, the University has now standardised its annual progress reporting for PGR students across the entire university.

One consequence of this is that there are now compulsory, university-wide annual progress reports to be completed by all PGR students and their supervisors.
In the Science Faculty these forms will be completed on SPIDER.

Rather than complete the new university forms and our usual departmental paperwork, I've tried to combine the new forms with the procedure we have followed in recent years to assess
progress of 1st and 2nd year PhD students, which in the last few years has been :
- student submits extended report (1st year) or poster + brief report including thesis plan (2nd year)
- report is read by 1st supervisor, 2nd supervisor and viva chairman
- PG conference/poster session takes place
- Viva takes place and viva form is completed by chairman at viva.

The procedure this year will be   :
- Student completes parts 1A and 1B of Annual Progress Report form on SPIDER
(PDF version attached). An extended written report (1st year) or poster with 1-page thesis plan (2nd year) will be
uploaded as part of the report form.
- When the student submits parts 1A and 1B of the Annual Progress Report form on SPIDER, the supervisor is notified and completes part 2 (PDF attached) in advance of the viva.
- PG conference/poster session takes place
- Viva takes place involving supervisors and viva chairman (termed "assessor" on SPIDER). Part 3 (assessors form) is completed on SPIDER by the assessor at the viva.
- Student "signs off" on SPIDER acknowledging feedback received
- PG tutor or HoD adds final comments and submits, locking the report

The deadline for students to submit parts 1A and 1B of the form will be 9th August.
The deadline for supervisors to submit part 2 of the form will be 23rd August.


Other dates for your diary :
PG conference for 1st year PhD students : Wed 21st August at Ross Priory.
PG poster session for 2nd year PhD students : Thurs 22nd August in the Department.
Most vivas will be scheduled in the week beginning Monday 26th August.



You'll see that the generic character of the new forms make some of the questions appear rather strange. The students will be issued with guidance notes on what and how much information they are expected to provide.

Gordon

-- 
Dr. Gordon Robb
Department of Physics
University of Strathclyde
Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA)
John Anderson Building
107 Rottenrow
Glasgow, Scotland, U.K.
G4 0NG

Tel : +44 (0)141 548 3358
Fax : +44 (0)141 552 2891
e-mail : g.r.m.robb at strath.ac.uk

The University of Strathclyde is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, number SC015263

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