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Workshop series

2008 Series

The University of Newcastle seminar series for Research Supervisors provides valuable information for both new and experienced supervisors.  Registration for all seminars is via HR Online.

 

A highlight of this year's program is the seminar presented by Hugh Kearns from Flinders University.  Hugh is the author of a highly successful series of booklets for PhD students and received a Carrick Institute award in 2006 for 'innovation in applying the latest psychological and educational research to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the RHD study experience'.

 

Workshop 1.

Orientation to Supervision

Presenter:  Professor Scott Holmes, Dean, Graduate Studies

 

Thursday 5 June

9.30 – 11.30 am

The Treehouse

Shortland Union

 

This session is strongly recommended for all new RHD supervisors and RHD supervisors new to the University.

 

Presented by the Dean, Graduate Studies, Professor Scott Holmes, the seminar will provide an orientation to supervision at the University of Newcastle to ensure supervisors of Research Higher Degree candidates approach their duties fully informed of services available to support them and their students, and relevant policies, procedures and codes of conduct

 

 

Workshop 2.

Creating the Seven Secrets for highly Successful PhD Students (for supervisors)

Presenter: Hugh Kearns, Flinders University

 

Callaghan

Thursday 14 August

10.00 – 12.30 including lunch.

The Treehouse

Shortland Union

 

Ourimbah

Friday 15 August

1.30 – 4.00 pm

Board Room,

Administration Building

(Ourimbah venue limited to 30 attendees).

 

You know what it is your PhD student should be doing, but it just doesn’t seem to be happening. Despite your best efforts to set up good habits for your student, it just does not work. Why is this, and what can you do about it to make completing a PhD easier for your students and for you?

 

This seminar will give you practical strategies to deal with common problems such as:

 

The presenter, Hugh Kearns, andhis colleague Maria Gardiner are the team behind the "Effective PhD Candidate" series of booklets. They have a long history of working with academics and other professionals to maximise their effectiveness and help them achieve their goals. They are leading practitioners in the area of cognitive-behavioural coaching and in 2006 they received a prestigious national Carrick Citation for outstanding contribution to teaching and learning.

 

 

Workshop 3.

‘Preparing for confirmation – the RHD supervisor’s role in confirmation’

And ‘Co-supervision of RHD candidates: How to make it work’

Presenter:  Assoc. Professor Allyson Holbrook, Director of SORTI and Assistant Dean (Research Training) Faculty of Education and Arts.

 

Tuesday 26 August

10.00 - 12 noon

Lamber Lounge, Shortland Union

 

 

This session is strongly recommended for all new RHD supervisors.

 

This seminar covers two key areas of concern for supervisors of Research Higher Degree supervisors.  The presenter, Associate Professor Allyson Holbrook, Director of the Centre for the Study of Research Training and Impact and Assistant Dean Research Training for Education and Arts will provide an overview of the topics. 

 

The group will then break into two for further discipline based discussion.

 

 

Workshop 4.

Orientation to Supervision

Presenter:  Professor Scott Holmes, Dean, Graduate Studies

 

Tuesday 9 September

9.30 – 11.30 am

The Treehouse

Shortland Union

 

This session is strongly recommended for all new RHD supervisors and RHD supervisors new to the University.

 

Presented by the Dean, Graduate Studies, Professor Scott Holmes, the seminar will provide an orientation to supervision at the University of Newcastle to ensure supervisors of Research Higher Degree candidates approach their duties fully informed of services available to support them and their students, and relevant policies, procedures and codes of conduct.

 

 

Workshop 5.

The Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research

Presenter: Professor Pat Michie, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research)

Wednesday 1 October

2.00 - 3.00 pm

The Treehouse

Shortland Union

This session is strongly recommended for all new RHD supervisors.

 

The ‘Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research’ is a guide for institutions and researchers in responsible research practices.  The code was revised in 2007 and replaced the ‘Joint NHMRC/AVCC Statement and Guidelines on Research Practice’ (1997).

 

Professor Pat Michie led the University of Newcastle’s working party which has reviewed the University’s current policies for compliance with the code, resulting in a number of new policies.  Professor Michie will discuss the code and policies and provide information on the key aspects particulary as they relate to supervisors of RHD students.

 

Workshop 6.

The Supervisor as Cultural Guide

Presenter:  Assoc. Professor Alison Ferguson, Faculty of Education and Arts

 

Tuesday 14 October

2.00 – 3.30 pm

The Treehouse

Shortland Union

 

As one part of the complex process of supervision of RHD candidates, the supervisor also acts as a ‘cultural guide’ as students take on increasingly significant roles within the scholarly community of practice.  This seminar explores ways to understand and support this role.  The presenter, Associate Professor Alison Ferguson, was the winner of the inaugural Vice-Chancellor's Award for Supervision Excellence in 2007.

 

 

Support Materials

Workshop notes and overheads will be placed on the web where possible.  Copies available by clicking here.

Supervisors new to the University who attend orientation will receive a copy of Supervising Doctorates Downunder by Denholm and Evans (2007). This is an extremely useful sourcebook that can be shared and discussed with research students and includes chapters pertinent to each of the training sessions, and key themes within those sessions

For further information contact Alison Chapman by email at: alison.chapman@newcastle.edu.au

or tel: (02) 49 21 6975.

2007 Series details

Details of the 2007 series are below.  Presentations from the 2007 series and other support materials are available at

http://www.newcastle.edu.au/research/rhd/supervision/supportmaterials.html

 

Thursday 6 December 2007
9.00 - 3.30pm
The Treehouse, Shortland Union

Balancing the demands of exegesis and exhibition - research supervision in creative fields

This session is for supervisors in the creative fields.

There are a number of unique challenges facing those who supervise practice-based research in creative fields, not least the process of assisting the student to understand, manage and progress in both the practice and the written elements of the thesis.

This panel session, chaired by Professor Richard Vella, will provide the opportunity to hear and seek advice from supervisors experienced in the creative fields. Panel members are Dr Nike Bourke (QUT), Dr Barbara Adkins (QUT) and Dr Jonathan Holmes (University of Tasmania).  In the afternoon session, University of Newcastle staff will respond to the panels' presentations.

The workshop will address two key questions – How is creative work research?  How do you supervise candidates in the creative fields?

Friday 7 December 2007
9.30 - 12.00 noon including morning tea
The Lambert Lounge,  Shortland Union
Presenter: Dr Robert Cantwell

How students write and ways to assist them (including the most effective feedback strategies)
This session is open to all academic staff who are supervisors.

This workshop explores how research students learn to write, and works closely with supervisors to explore ways of assisting students with their scholarly writing (including the most effective feedback strategies) and in overall thesis production.

Monday 10 December 2007

9.30 - 11.30 am
The Lambert Lounge, Shortland Union

The essentials of supervision in laboratory based fields

This session is strongly recommended for all new supervisors or supervisors new to the University who supervise in the lab based fields.

This panel presentation and discussion deals with special requirements and specific issues pertinent to lab-based research supervision across a number of scientific disciplines. Issues such as OH&S, Ethics and Intellectual Property will be discussed along with case studies and methods to resolve problems.

 

Friday 21 September 2007
9.30 - 1.30pm, lunch included
The Treehouse, Shortland Union

Orientation to supervision at the University of Newcastle.
This session is strongly recommended for all new supervisors and supervisors new to the University.

Presenters include Prof. Scott Holmes, Dean of Graduate Studies, Assoc. Professor Allyson Holbrook and Assoc. Professor Brailey Sims, Deputy Deans of Graduate Studies and staff from Equity and Diversity, NUPSA and Ethics.

The session provides information to ensure supervisors new to the University approach their supervisory duties fully informed of services available to support them and their students, and relevant policies, procedures and codes of conduct including:

  1. The Research Higher Degree Landscape at the University of Newcastle - overview, aims and strategic plan.
  2. Code of Practice for RHD Candidature and Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research
  3. Resources for Candidates
  4. Progress reporting
  5. Preparation for Confirmation
  6. Ethics
  7. Intellectual Property
  8. Equity Issues
  9. Working with co-supervisors
  10. NUPSA

Friday 28 September 2007
9.30 - 1.00 pm followed by lunch
The Treehouse

The basic principles of supervision This session is primarily for academic staff with little or no experience in supervision and is facilitated by Dr Margaret Kiley, Centre for Educational Development and Academic Methods at ANU. It provides a comprehensive introduction to the essentials of effective supervision with particular focus on:

  1. The research student as a learner
  2. Strategies for successful meetings
  3. Managing the supervisor-student relationship - including the emotional and intellectual demands connected with different stages of candidature
  4. Addressing issues connected with different expectations, backgrounds and needs.

Participants will have the opportunity to work through case based scenarios

Friday 28 September 2007
2.00 - 4.00 pm
The Treehouse
Presenters: Professor Sid Bourke, SORTI and Dr Margaret Kiley, Centre for Educational Development and Academic Methods, ANU

Doctoral Standards and Preparing the Candidate for Examination
This session is open to all academic staff who are supervisors.

How do academics prepare a student for examination? What is known about the standards applied in research examination? Where do examiners learn to be examiners? Who are the most effective examiners? This provocative workshop invites supervisors to share their examination experience and consider examination models, in the light of the findings of several large studies of doctoral examination.

Friday 19 October 2007
9.30 - 11.30 am
The Treehouse
Presenter: Associate Professor Allyson Holbrook

Assisting research students to make the most effective use of the literature
This session is open to all academic staff who are supervisors.

Many supervisors have not had the opportunity to explore how best to induct students into reading the research literature. This workshop begins with an analysis of what examiners and experienced academics say about thesis literature reviews, identifies key elements in the scholarly review process, and assists supervisors to frame formative feedback and provide practical advice for students at different stages of their immersion in the literature. This advice will also assist students to publish, and to gain a clearer understanding of peer review.