Management of Student Progress 23 November 2016 Management of Student Progress Garry T Allison May 2018

Overview of the Research Degree Process Enrolment Application for Candidacy Application for Admission Research Integrity Unit Proficient English Language Assessment - support Milestone #1 – Candidacy Milestone #2 Confirmation Milestone #3 Pre-submission Presentation Ethics (HIT) Clearance YES NO Research and Writing of Thesis Annual Progress Reports International Sponsored Students Reports Submission of Thesis for Examination Graduation

Doctoral Thesis “.. uncover new knowledge either by the discovery of new facts, the formulation of theories or the innovative reinterpretation of known data and established ideas…” 65,000 Thesis students in Australia almost 10,000 per year graduate with a Level 10 award (PhD). There are just over 40 Institutions that award Doctoral level qualifications

Milestones Curtin University Current Milestones process. Currently we have one milestone – called Candidacy. Prior to 2017 – about one in 5 PhD students did not undertaken a candidacy process that incorporated an oral presentation. Many only had one person read their written submission. An audit of 35 of the 43 Institutions in Australia show that virtually all of the institutions have a milestones process that is significantly greater than just the Candidacy process. i.e. 2 or three milestones.

Requirements for candidacy (milestone #1) Completion of the Research Integrity training (on Blackboard) Masters - 5 page proposal Doctoral - 10 page proposal Presentation of research plan (most areas) Budget Timelines Risks Turnitin report (via Research Integrity) Confirmation Tasks List tasks that will be achieved in the next 12 months. Must have a substantial written body of work.

Who will be involved in your candidature? What are students told…. Who will be involved in your candidature? You must have 2 committed people Your peers, fellow HDR students Supervisor Co-supervisor Associate Supervisor Chair of Thesis Committee Director of Graduate Research (Postgraduate Coordinator) Head of School Graduate Research School GSOs

The usual process that includes todays seminar. Milestones We are currently introducing a Curtin Milestones Model for all HDR students. This has been approved but the rules and policies need to be formally adopted – but this is what is happening. Milestone #1. Candidacy. The usual process that includes todays seminar. Oral Presentation Written Submission + required to write a list of Confirmation Tasks that will need to be achieved in 12 months time after Candidacy.

Confirmation – Milestone #2 Oral presentation Confirmation of Confirmation Tasks Plan for the next half of the doctoral thesis Pre-submission Oral presentation – Milestone #3 Oral presentation A pre-submission approval / acknowledgement (not an oral defence/ examination of the thesis like most other Institutions)

How things are progressing? Thesis Chair….. The new role of the thesis Chair is to talk to the student and the supervisors at each milestone time period (….and maybe more often). How things are progressing? What are the barriers and drivers for the student to reach the milestones in a timely manner? RU-OK - PhD?

Today …. Setting expectations Opportunities for progress review Student-supervisor relationships Planning for success When things go wrong International student issues What happens next

Setting expectations: Milestones – Formal Processes Candidacy Midterm (confirmation) Oral presentation (Pre-sub v Defence) Setting expectations: Set expectations early Milestones Goals – short/medium/long term Meetings – how often? Who attends? Take notes at meetings – Email record Support What support will student need – training/language Budget for consumables/travel Student emails summary and the next agenda / tasks with timelines etc.

Essential Facilities for HDR Students Essential Facilities (scroll down to heading) include: Supervisory Time Allocation Consumables/Fieldwork ($5k low cost; $7 high cost Linked to milestones) Conference Attendance (one-off $2,500) Access to On-campus Accommodation Computer Access (NOT funded by consumables) After-hours Access Library Support The course defines this not the type of research

Scholarships for HDR Students Extensions of up to six months may be available where research delays are beyond a student’s control (refer Conditions of Award) New Australian Government RTP Scholarship Policy and Procedures Aust. Govt. RTP Fee Offset Scholarship Aust. Govt. RTP Stipend Scholarship Aust. Govt. RTP Allowance Scholarship What scholarships do HDR students receive? How long is a PhD scholarship??

Progress Reviews Review progress informally at regular meetings Monitor progress against candidacy/ Project Plan More formal meetings 3 or 4 times per year with all supervisors Identify issues that require attention by the supervisor and student Highlight future matters of concern – research, institutional, personal and sponsorship

Progress Reports Annual Progress Reports Future? Progress reports will be related to the time consumed by the candidate and linked to the milestones. Progress Reports Annual Progress Reports Online information: http://research.curtin.edu.au/guides/hdrguidelines/apr.cfm Completion between 14 Feb and 31 March annually (six weeks) Higher Degree by Research Review Board International Sponsored Students Report Online information: http://research.curtin.edu.au/postgraduate-research/current-research-students/international-sponsored-student-reports/ Completion only by AusAID and DIKTI scholarship holders, between 1-30 September annually (four weeks) Director of Graduate Research Enrolling Area Review BoE meets twice a year and the Head of School or delegate is responsible for the progress of the student.

Changes During Candidature Thesis Committee Members Chair Supervisor Co-Supervisor Associate Supervisor Allocate percentage supervision contribution Supervisor Leave Arrangements Variation to Candidacy Details Thesis title Thesis Committee Nomination of Examiners Ethics

Develop rapport and positive student-supervisor relationship Good relationships Develop rapport and positive student-supervisor relationship Cultural sensitivity Remember – life happens Workloads Leave Personal issues

Planning: Essential for timely completion of thesis Major milestones Budgets Access to facilities Form of the thesis Conference and Publication Plan B

Student-supervisor issues When things go wrong: Lack of progress Personal issues – family, financial Difficulties with data collection Student unable to grasp “research” Student-supervisor issues Personality clash Disagreement over direction, publications Writing Plagiarism, language skills Milestones are they achieved?

International students Additional coursework Start date Plagiarism awareness Isolation Fees/sponsorship deadlines International Sponsored Students Unit

Attribution of Published work Transparent attribution to the examiners of the thesis. Is it OK to: publish a paper with 4 co-authors and then insert the paper in the thesis as a chapter and NOT acknowledge the publication or the fact that there were other authors? have two students use the same paper in their thesis if they are both authors? Not to acknowledge that the works in the thesis have been presented elsewhere? Not to have co-authors sign off on their contribution to the co-authored papers. Authorship -- what qualified for authorship?

International Student Tuition Fees Who pays when sponsorship ends? Important to develop candidacy that is achievable within sponsorship available Important to set research milestones and monitor progress in conjunction with sponsorship Information available from Fee Centre website and International student fees

Turnitin –once at Candidacy (#1) once at Submission.(#3) Yoda often orders sentences as Object-Subject-Verb, split verbs, switches entire phrases… “Speak like Yoda you can” Scenario 1 Plagiarism: Your student is approaching the submission of their Application for Candidacy. Their progress to date has been a little slow, but they have presented you with what seems to be a good quality proposal. As a matter of course you run the proposal past the co-supervisor for a second opinion of the quality. Your colleague’s response takes you by surprise: they recognised passages from a journal article by an overseas academic whom they have worked closely with in the past. You look into this matter further and find that a few passages in the proposal are copied word-for-word from other sources without acknowledgement. How do you proceed?

Scenario 2 Cultural expectations: You are supervising an international student. They have a good academic record from their previous studies in their home country. However, in preparing their candidacy application it becomes apparent that their previous studies have not included independent research in the way we understand it. You seem to have to give the student very close direction, and they do not take their own initiative. The work that is produced does not show the level of insight or intellectual sophistication required at the PhD level. You are aware that the student can be terminated but are reluctant to do this as the student may face social and financial implications in their home country. How might you approach this?

Scenario 3 IP/Data: You are supervising a PhD student who has a scholarship as part of a project funded by industry. The student has always been abrasive but has made good progress. Eventually your personal differences become insurmountable - two years into the PhD the student decides to change supervisors. However, the student does not have enough time left to change the focus of the project. They intend to keep the same research topic and use the data they have already collected under your direction. The data is related to your grant and was collected under funding provided by industry for your project. Can the student do this? How do you proceed? What about publications?

Scenario 4 Student personal issues: RNA Respect Now Always You are two and half years into the supervision of a PhD student. They have made good progress. You usually see them every two weeks but after the Christmas holiday period you have not been able to arrange another meeting. The student does not respond to emails or answer phone calls. Eventually the student shows up unexpectedly and they appear to be acting a little strangely. Their attitude becomes negative and their behaviour seems erratic. The situation deteriorates to the point that you are convinced there is a mental health issue with the student, but you are not sure how to approach this, or if it is your place to do so. However, if the situation does not improve you do not see yourself being able to continue to work with the student, let alone see them to completion. How do you proceed?

Approaches to issues Where should you go for advice in the first instance? Do you know where to find the Rules and regulations regarding HDR enrolments? What resources are available to you and the student? Who can you ask for advice on the Rules in regards to HDR students?

Grievance Procedures When things go wrong: Principle – issues are resolved at lowest level possible Student ↔ Supervisor Student ↔ Chair Thesis Committee Student ↔ Director of Graduate Research (Head of Enrolling Area) Student ↔ PVC Student ↔ Dean Graduate Research School. Associate DVC, Research Excellence Complaints - supervision-related complaints dealt with via Complaints Policy and Complaints Procedure

Dealing with Plagiarism Plagiarism Policy on policy website Misconduct – Statute 10 Student Discipline Report to HoEA Ensure student is aware of plagiarism and how to avoid it Compulsory Research Integrity Training HDR Turnitin channel on Blackboard

Reviewing Student Status Formal Review Boards after APR Can change student status at any time (via your Director of Graduate Research)

Review of Academic Status Good Standing: candidates making satisfactory progress and likely to complete the research program Conditional: candidates whose progress raises concerns as to their ability to complete the research program or fail to meet a milestone. Terminated: candidates whose progress is unsatisfactory and who are unable to complete the research program Absent Without Leave (AWOL): (“Conditional on steroids”) candidates who have not submitted an APR by the due date and have not applied to the FGSC for Leave of Absence Other alternatives: withdrawal, leave of absence

When to go on Conditional Milestones are more than one month overdue Student is overtime (milestone #3 – 45 months): candidate has exceeded 2 years FTE for Masters/4 years FTE for Doctoral. Candidate placed on Conditional usually allowed a further 6 months full time equivalent before formal extension requests required. Candidacy and other Milestones are not successful. Failure to meet significant research milestones AWOL: candidates who do not submit an APR or ISSR Conditional The student will be informed, in writing, of the change of academic status and advised of the conditions imposed by the Area. S - specific, significant…. M - measurable, meaningful, motivational…. A - agreed upon, attainable, achievable, acceptable, action-oriented….. R - realistic, relevant, reasonable, rewarding, results-oriented…. T - time-based, time-bound, timely, tangible, trackable….

Actions on Conditional Discuss change of status with Thesis Committee Discuss change of status with student Determine measurable conditions Inform student of what attainment of conditions will achieve – good standing or further conditional tasks Inform student of what failure to attain conditions will mean – cancellation of scholarship, termination etc Formally advise student of change of status in writing Copy change of status advice to Chair of Thesis Committee and GSO

Moving to termination Discuss change of status with student Student formally advised by enrolling area/GSO of recommendation to terminate – student has 28 days to show cause Show cause accepted, termination ceases Show cause not accepted, termination proceeds No response, termination proceeds Termination proceeds, student formally advised of recommendation to terminate forwarded by FGSC to UGSC

Actions at Termination (cont’d) Termination not approved by UGSC – FGSC resolves Termination approved by UGSC, student formally advised of termination – student has 28 days to appeal process Appeal received, appeal process No response, termination is finalised Appeal proceeds, ends with decision by Provost and student notified of final outcome

Reasons for Termination (Rule 10 & 11) The enrolment of a candidate may be terminated by the University Graduate Studies Committee, upon the recommendation of the Faculty Graduate Studies Committee, in any of the following circumstances: where the candidate has failed to submit a thesis within prescribed time limits, including extensions of enrolment as approved by the UGSC (see Section 4(c)(ii)); where the candidate has failed to submit an application for Candidacy within prescribed time limits, including extensions of time as approved by the FGSC (see Section 6(c));

Reasons for Termination (cont’d) where the progress of the candidate is deemed to be unsatisfactory by the Head of Enrolling Area or appropriate alternative (see Section 9(c)); where the candidate is Absent Without Leave for a period exceeding six months (see Section 10(b)); where the candidate has failed to otherwise comply with these Rules.

After Termination If a student is not satisfied with the result or conduct of the University’s internal complaint handling and appeals process, they have the right to lodge a further appeal with the Western Australia Ombudsman. The Ombudsman will normally only consider whether the University has followed its own policies and procedures and whether the handling of the case has been fair and reasonable. The Ombudsman does not make a new decision, however, as a result of an investigation the Ombudsman may recommend that the University reconsider the student’s case.

After Termination (cont’d) If a student does not accept that termination of enrolment has occurred a standard response is preferred. For example, in response to email/s: Dear XXX, Thank you for your email. Your enrolment at Curtin was terminated on 8 March 2014. The internal avenues of appeal have been exhausted and I regard this matter as closed. If you feel that we have not followed the appropriate process in terminating your enrolment, please contact the WA Ombudsman via http://www.ombudsman.wa.gov.au/. Kind regards, XXX.

Extensions of Time Formal extensions of time Candidacy – if necessary submit extension form prior to candidacy due date Thesis – if necessary submit extension form prior to Expected Work Submission Date (EWS) date - 6 Months of overtime. Detail explicit conditions to be met. Amendment and/or Re-submission of Thesis – beyond 12 months

Conflict Resolution Rules: Section 15, Grievance Procedures, of Rule 10: Degree of Doctor by Research, or Rule 11: Degree of Master by Research (See heading ‘Rules’ under http://research.curtin.edu.au/postgraduate-research/current-research-students/student-policies-and-procedures/) Policies: Complaints Procedures http://policies.curtin.edu.au/findapolicy/#c

Conflict Resolution (cont’d) Contacts: Conflict Resolution - Manager, Conflict Resolution & Equity; or contact the Integrity and Standards Unit Email: complaints@curtin.edu.au Telephone: (08) 9266 9184 The Curtin University Postgraduate Students Committee (formerly CUPSA) Email: psc.president@guild.curtin.edu.au Telephone: 9266 4911 Student Assist Officers within the Curtin Student Guild Email: reception@guild.curtin.edu.au Telephone: 9266 2900

Third Party Agreements Intellectual Property – As a general rule the University does not claim ownership of Intellectual Property created by Students independently (sections 4.1 and 4.3 of the Ownership of Intellectual Property Policy) Contracts – governs relationship with third parties e.g. IP and publications Copyright – As a general rule students retain copyright on their thesis unless they agree otherwise in writing (section 4.2 of the Ownership of Intellectual Property Policy) Confidentiality – University and third party

Student Sponsorship Includes students sponsored by overseas agencies, industry, APA/CUPS, APAI, IPRS, CIPRS or enrolling areas Student sponsorship by overseas agencies is managed through the International Sponsored Students Unit (ISSU) - International Office Sponsorship with an external provider who pays tuition fees and/or stipend, etc. as negotiated in the agreement Issues Failure to meet scholarship conditions Failure to make adequate progress in research Expiry of scholarship – fees and living expenses Students on LoA, AWOL – advise Scholarships Office

Student Sponsorship (cont’d) Information for sponsored students available via the International Office website: http://international.curtin.edu.au/sponsorships/ Information about Sponsorship available via the Fees Centre website: http://fees.curtin.edu.au/sponsorship.cfm

http://research.curtin.edu.au/postgraduate/

GRS Website – important links 23 November 2016 GRS Website – important links HDR Staff or Current Research Students Register of Supervisors (includes links to Application form; Guidelines for Establishing the Supervisory Relationship; Guidelines for Supervisor Load Limits) Guidelines for Research Students Guidelines for Thesis Committee Members Guidelines for Thesis by Publication (click and scroll to Thesis Examination /Thesis Production) Forms for Staff Forms for Students Seminars for students and supervisors

23 November 2016 GRS Website cont’d Information Regarding Authorship and Joint Authorship for Higher Degree by Research Students and Their Supervisors Research Integrity training