AGC News 23 February - 8 March 2007
Table of Contents
Message from the Dean
One of the most common complaints in all large organisations is “ lack
of communication.” In fact one can never communicate enough but there
is a risk that the more one communicates the less they are heard. However I
think we all recognise that the need to know about increasing amounts of policy
and procedure and this requires an extra effort on our behalf to make this a
palatable task. With this in mind we shall be introducing, in this edition,
a small segment on commonly asked questions along with their answers. Given
a little time we will collate these on our website for future reference but
hopefully this segment will help supervisors, postgraduate coordinators and
students feel more at home with key issues of policy.
Today is of course Induction Day and amongst the matters I shall be addressing
is the issue of Continuous Quality Improvement and how students can contribute
to the quality cycle. Whilst I doubt this will be the most popular topic of
the day the AGC does take very seriously the inputs we receive from our students
and tries wherever practical to incorporate them into the way we operate.
We have just had our first thesis submission under the new rules for the Digital
Thesis Library. It was a great learning experience and enabled us to test and
refine what until that point had been a” theoretical” procedure.
I think we can confidently say its full steam ahead from here onwards.
Some time during the next week we shall be uploading new forms for “Establishing
New Supervisors” as a prelude to the introduction of the Register of Eligible
Supervisors. These are slightly more detailed than those currently in use but
I hope not unduly burdensome. There will also be substantial changes in the
requirements for recommending remote candidature involving external supervisors.
Finally, may I extend a very warm welcome to the new cohort of
PhD and Masters research students. I hope you will feel free to contact the
AGC if you have problems. Hopefully, however, most of you will have a trouble
free candidature and enjoy the research experience. Best of Luck
Failure to Complete Reviews of Progress by the Due Date from
2007 Onwards
During candidature, students are required to complete a number of progress
reviews to ensure that their research is proceeding satisfactorily and is on
track to result in submission of a thesis for examination within 3.5 years (for
doctoral students) or 1.5 years for Masters by Research students.
These reviews include:
- The Core Component of the Structured Program (due 6 months full time equivalent
(FTE) from commencement);
- The Major Review of Progress (due 12 months FTE from commencement);
- The Annual Review of Progress (due 31 October each year); and
- The Minor Review of Progress for remote students only (due 15 April each
year);
Unlike the Annual Review and Minor Review, the due dates of the Core Component
and Major Review are affected by changes of attendance status (full time to
part time or vice versa) and periods of leave of absence. Accordingly, all students
are sent a letter, approximately one month in advance of the due date for these
milestones specifying when they will fall due. Reminders about the Annual Review
due date are not sent to individuals, however, all students are reminded of
the requirement to undertake an Annual Review by 31 October via AGC News.
In 2006, students were allowed a two-month grace period from the due date of
each milestone to submit the required documentation to the Graduate Centre,
or to apply for an extension via their Principal Supervisor, before their candidature
(and any scholarship payments) were suspended.
However, all students and academic staff members are asked to note that
from 1 January 2007, there is no longer a grace period; documentation is required
by the due date. If it is not received by the Graduate Centre by the due date
and if no justifiable request for an extension has been received, candidature
and any scholarship payments will be suspended immediately.
You are asked to note that:
It is the personal responsibility of students to see that the required documentation
for each progress milestone is completed and lodged with the Graduate Centre
by the due date or an extension request lodged.
Failure to lodge the completed documentation with the Graduate Centre by the
due date, or to apply for an extension, will result in candidature being suspended.
If you are a scholarship holder, payments will stop from the date of suspension.
If the required documentation is lodged within twelve months of the suspension
date, payments may be re-instated from the documentation lodgement date. Suspension
means that students are not eligible to have access to University facilities,
including laboratories, libraries and insurance; and they may not submit a thesis
for examination.
The suspension can be lifted only if the completed documentation is lodged
with the Graduate Centre within twelve months of the suspension date.
A candidature which has been suspended for twelve months is automatically terminated.
A terminated candidature can only be re-instated following a successful appeal
(through the provisions of the Student Complaints Policy).
Details about the policy may be obtained from www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/100/.
Professional Development for Research Students
Whether you are a new or a continuing student in 2007, RED provides a range of workshops and resources to support your progress:
- online modules;
- in-person workshops at the RED unit; and
- workshops in Faculties, Schools and Disciplines, as arranged by postgraduate coordinators or Associate Deans (Research).
1. Online modules are available on your computer desktop via MyUni for use at home or uni. New modules will be launched regularly during the year.
Online modules available now
- Writing a research proposal
- Plagiarism and independent research writing
- Citation is more than referencing
To access the modules
- Login to MyUni [https://myuni.adelaide.edu.au/webapps/login]
- Under 'My Current Courses', select Writing and Speaking at Uni
- In the menu on the left-hand side of the screen, select 'Research Education Programs'
- Begin your selected On-Line module by clicking the relevant link.
Face-to-face introduction to the suite of modules will be provided for students who would appreciate detailed guidance about "what help can I find where?" - see below.
2. In-person workshops at RED: enrolments opened Monday 19
Feb. at http://www.adelaide.edu.au/graduatecentre/rep/student/
'Getting best benefit from RED online modules' -
Thursday 1 March, 1:00 - 2:00 pm, RED Seminar Room, Level 13, 10 Pulteney St
'Pronouncing English Sounds' (for research students from non-English
speaking backgrounds) - Wed 21 March, 4:00 - 6:00pm
Also find via this link details of the RED Online Modules and our list of 'high
Relevance' web-links. http://www.adelaide.edu.au/graduatecentre/rep/student/
For enquiries, email margaret.cargill@adelaide.edu.au
Commercialisation Training Scheme
Under a new scheme to support research commercialisation training the Commonwealth Government is providing funds for a number of full-time domestic Higher Degree by Research students to undertake a Graduate Certificate in Commercialisation. The funding comprises payment of tuition fees for the Graduate Certificate and a scholarship valued at approximately $12,000. This can be received in addition to any stipend received to undertake the Higher Degree (ie. APAs or Divisional Scholarships).
Applications will be open to students in any discipline area who meet the eligibility and selection criteria for the scholarships. The Graduate Certificate in Commercialisation (currently known as the Graduate Certificate in Science & Technology Commercialisation) is run by the Education Centre for Innovation and Commercialisation (ECIC). Scholarships will be applied for and administered by the Graduate Centre.
Further details regarding applications, closing dates and course structure
will be available soon.
Commonly Asked Questions
How soon will I get paid after enrolling or returning from leave?
Scholarships are paid via the University's payroll system. The paperwork
for enrolling or returning from leave needs to be submitted to the Graduate
Centre at least 2 weeks before the date you expect to be paid on.
This will usually ensure that you receive payment on the first possible pay
day after enrolling or returning from leave, ie, to be paid on the 2nd of March,
all paperwork will need to be submitted to the Graduate Centre by the 16th of
February. Pay dates for 2007 are:
05 Jan 2007, 19 Jan 2007, 02 Feb 2007 , 16 Feb 2007, 02 Mar 2007, 16 Mar 2007,
30 Mar 2007, 13 Apr 2007, 27 Apr 2007, 11 May 2007, 25 May 2007, 08 June 2007,
22 June 2007, 06 July 2007, 20 July 2007, 03 Aug 2007, 17 Aug 2007, 31 Aug 2007,
14 Sep 2007, 28 Sep 2007, 12 Oct 2007, 26 Oct 2007, 09 Nov 2007, 23 Nov 2007,
07 Dec 2007, 21 Dec 2007
What if I can't meet a milestone deadline?
If there is a genuine reason it can't be met, either the Principal
supervisor or Postgraduate Co-ordinator should e-mail the Graduate Centre explaining
the reason for the delay and giving the date by which the Centre CAN expect
to receive the relevant documentation.
It is vitally important that this be done BEFORE the due date because if the
documentation is not received by the due date, the student's candidature is
suspended. If the candidature remains suspended for 12 months, it is automatically
terminated.
How many SPPAs do I have to sign?
Three and all must be originals: i.e. the information inserted on to each must
be original (not photocopied).
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