Philosophy

Review

Prior to the preparation of the first semester progress report, the supervisor will have a meeting with the student, the main aim of which will be to reach agreement on a research proposal. The agreed proposal or, if agreement is not reached, a summary of the discussion with the student, should be set out on the progress report for the first semester's work. A copy of that report and each subsequent report should be kept on file in the Department Office.

Since progress reports should indicate the frequency of meetings with students, supervisors should keep a record of these meetings.

The supervisor should ensure that all the matters referred to in section 5.1 of the University Guidelines for the Supervision of Research Students are addressed at an early stage in the student's period of study. If some such matters are not addressed in first year the supervisor, in conjunction with the student, should make plans to address them at an appropriate time thereafter.

For each research student there will be a review committee comprising three people, including the Postgraduate Tutor, the supervisor and, if there is one, the additional supervisor.

In May or early June of first year the review committee will meet the student to review progress and discuss plans for the following months. Students will normally submit an agenda for further work in advance of this meeting of the committee. This might, but need not, take the form of a chapter by chapter outline. It could be an analytical breakdown of the topic into key concepts and issues, with indications of lines to be pursued and relevant literature. The review will take note of the submitted agenda, the frequency of discussions between student and supervisor, the availability of written work and any other matters relevant to progress, including any teaching commitments which the student has undertaken or may be considering undertaking. The Postgraduate Tutor will prepare a report on this review committee meeting, will file this report along with the student's agenda (revised, if necessary, in the light of discussion at the meeting), and will forward a copy of the report to the student.

Supervisors' progress reports will always take account of the reports of review committee meetings.

In second year and beyond supervisors will evaluate progress in relation to the agreed agenda for work. Students will meet their review committee at least once a year in time for the June progress report. At such meetings the agenda for further work will be updated.

Where students commence their registration at some time other than September, appropriate adjustments will be made to the timing of meetings with the review committee.

Copies of progress reports will be submitted to the Philosophy Department Committee at the meeting following their submission to the School of Arts.