Department of Computer Science, University of Liverpool

Information for PhD Supervisors

The Information that I give to students is here. (Please read this --- I have not repeated everything here.)

These things happen throughout the year

PDR: Supervisors need to have a monthly PDR meeting with each student, and to sign off the meeting in real time (not at in a batch at the end of the year). This is necessary for visa monitoring purposes. My advice to students, which is here, is simply to record every meeting with you in the PDR so that they are sure to have enough. We are also told ``all supervisory staff are reminded that if a PGR student misses an expected interaction (ie a meeting, laboratory session or a formal PDR meeting) they should record the missed interaction in the new TULIP absence recording database. Supervisors should also alert staff in the Graduate School Office if they have reason to believe that an international student (who is studying in the UK on a General Student Visa) has gone missing or who has not been in contact with them for some time and has not responded to the normal requests to get in touch.''

Seminars: Students are expected to attend seminars. They are also required to attend the ``Postgraduate Workshop'' to listen to talks by all second-year PhD students. My advice for them is here. Make sure that they do this, because they need the ``training credits''.

(Sort of) Chronological list starting at the beginning of the academic year

Term 1: Choose a second supervisor and three advisors for each 1st-year PhD student, and inform Helen, Clare (DDPR) and the student of this choice.

Term 1: 1st-year PhD students must sign up for a First Year Skills Workshop and 2nd-year PhD students must sign up for a Careers Skills Workshop. Information is available on the graduate school website which you can get to from here.

Your 3rd-year PhD student needs the opportunity to give a technical talk to a specialist audience. If your student does not have the opportunity to give a talk at a conference or workshop (or at a seminar elsewhere) then arrange for them to give a talk in the seminar series of your research group.

By 15th January: each 1st-year PhD student should compose a timetabled three year PhD project plan (not more than two pages in length) and related form including the aims of the project. The advice that I give the students about it is here. This should be sent to the supervsior, the three advisors (or their substitute) and a copy to Helen. The three advisors should fill out the feedback form (follow this link) to give the student feedback. Please return the feedback form directly to the student with a copy to Helen.

In March, 2nd-year PhD students must present a poster at the University Poster day. The advice that I give the students about it is here.

In April/May the 2nd-year PhD students will present talks at the departmental Postgraduate Workshop. The timetable for the 2012 workshop is here. The three advisors should attend the talk (or send a substitute) and fill out the feedback form (follow this link) to give the student feedback. This should be returned to Helen. One of the advisors (or his/her substitute) will chair the talk.

1st-year student's progress report are due by the end of May. Each student will submit three copies directly to his/her supervisor. Details of what is required is available in my advice to students section.

2nd-year and 3rd-year progress reports are due by the end of May. Each student will submit three copies directly to his/her supervisor. Details are available here (second year) and here (third year). If your 3rd-year student is making good progress on the thesis (if it is about half-written) then you can request that they be exempt from the third-year progress report and progress interview. To do this you have to notify the DDPR in writing (or email) by the end of May (but read this first).

By the end of June you should organise a progress interview for your 1st-year PhD student to discuss the progress report. You should arrange a panel of three academics for the interview. These are typically the three advisors (one of whom acts as chair) but you may make a different choice if appropriate (or if somebody is away). The academics providing feedback should not be the first or second supervisor. The supervisor, the second supervisor, can attend the interview if desired but are not expected to provide formal feedback. Each member of the panel (i.e. the three advisors or their substitute) should fill out a feedback form and return it to Helen. The feedback form is available here. The completed forms need to be submitted to Helen by the end of June.

By the end of June you should have a progress interview with your 2nd-year PhD student and your 3rd-year PhD student (if they are not exempt) to discuss the progress report. You assemble a panel of three academics for this interview (and provide them with copies of the report). Usually this is the three advisors but (for year three students it will be supervisor, the second supervisor, and the advisor) but you can arrange a different panel if necessary. One of the advisors acts as chair. Each member of the panel should fill out a feedback form. The forms are available here (second year) and here (third year). Completed feedback forms should be returned to Helen.

In May or June, your students will be asked to complete an Annual Faculty Progress Report via Spider. After they complete this, it gets passed electronically to you. Please fill it out so that it gets passed to me (DDPR). In the case of students who started at the normal time, please wait until after the progress interview (if any) before filling this out.

In early July, the Progress committee will meet to consider the end of year progress reports.