School of Chemistry, UNSW

Introduction
Outline of Processes
How to Prepare for Your Progress Review Step
Problems and Grievance Resolution

Introduction

UNSW and the School of Chemistry have specific policies and procedures on the monitoring of progress for graduate research students. It is best for the student and the School if the progress in the project leads to timely completion. Early recognition of less than satisfactory progress is a primary aim followed closely by procedures for assisting students who are experiencing slow progress to catch up. The progress review process in the School of Chemistry borrows a number of principles from the models of good practice described in the 1998 report 'Optimising Postgraduate Research Supervision'. A full copy of the Optimising Postgraduate Research Supervision report is available to graduate research students.

The UNSW guidelines require that each graduate research student undergo a formal review of progress each year. The first review is in the first year of enrolment (full-time) and involves an interview with the School's Head and/or Graduate Studies Committee. After this an Annual Progress Report involving forms completed by the student and the supervisor represent the minimum process.

The School of Chemistry includes in the annual progress reporting procedure an annual seminar presentation for each full-time graduate research student (students are normally expected to present one seminar per year except in the first year when an interview is held instead). The seminar (and the progress that it communicates) will be appraised by a panel of academic staff who will provide feedback to the student and supervisor. In the event that progress is less than satisfactory, as indicated by the seminar or the Annual Progress Report, the School will respond by providing support to assist the student to improve progress. The nature of the support may vary from written suggestions for a revised research plan to interviews with student, supervisor and the progress review panel. Failure of the student to regain satisfactory progress can in some cases lead to cancellation of enrolment (this is rare at UNSW).

Outline of Chemistry Progress Review Process

Progress Review Steps	No. of full-time sessions enrolled
Research Proposal and Interview (Induction)	~1 - 2
Mid-project Colloquium* Second Annual Progress Report	~3 ~4
Completing Colloquium* Third Annual Progress Report	~5 ~6

*Some students may remain at the Mid-Project or Completing stage long enough to undergo an additional colloquium and Annual Progress Review. For an M.Sc. project that is progressing well the Mid-project and completing stage progress review processes may merge into one colloquium and Annual Report.

Chemistry Progress Review Steps and How to Prepare for Them

Interview and Research Proposal

The first Progress Review step involves an interview which determines that you have begun the project and are working consistently and in accordance with your enrolment (i.e., full-time or part-time). At this stage the School seeks to confirm that you are adequately equipped with the infrastructure (laboratory, desk, access to supervisor and services etc.) to work on the project. Any problems that are preventing the project from progressing well should be raised at the interview. Prior to the interview, you complete a form that is designed to determine how well the project has started and whether there are special needs that should be addressed. You can download the First Review Form here at any time but it is recommended that you do this about 3 months after enrolling. You should discuss the form and your responses to it with your supervisor in the weeks leading up to the interview. The interview is coordinated by the Graduate Studies Committee. It is attended by one or more members of the committee as well as your supervisor(s). You are entitled to have an advocate attend this meeting. This could be another graduate research student or an official Student Advocate appointed by the UNSW Student Guild (see the 'Your University' section or the Postgraduate Board home page to locate a postgraduate student advocate).

When you first enrol in your Research Higher Degree you will probably have already discussed the research project, at least in broad terms, with your supervisor. During the first months of your project it is important that you contribute to and develop a clear appreciation of the specific aims and the significance of the project as well as the background literature. Your research project should become very well defined at this stage and it may take a direction that is strongly influenced by your literature survey and your recently gained understanding of the specific field of research that you are entering. The School expects you to document a research proposal and literature survey. This will be assessed and feedback will be provided to assist you and your supervisor to maximise future progress in the research project. The proposal should be written as though it was to support a research grant application. The following headings are provided as a guide but individual projects may need different headings:

Project Title (possible thesis title)
Summary (seven line summary of the significance of the project in your research discipline)
Aims, Significance and Expected Outcomes
Research Plan and Methods
Infrastructure and Equipment Needs
Relevant Literature (literature survey)

It is recommended that you discuss your proposal extensively with your supervisor and possibly other members of your research group and have your first draft read by your research group and its collaborators. The proposal should be submitted by the due date (usually two weeks prior to your interview). The proposal should be concise. Usually five pages will suffice (not including the references).

Satisfactory completion of the Interview and Research Proposal will lead to your progressing to the 'Mid-Project' stage.

The Learning Centre provides assistance to students in preparing research proposal. Please visit the learning centre web site for details or go directly to a page with excellent guidelines for preparation of the thesis proposal

Colloquium

About 3 and 5 sessions after enrolment you will be expected to present seminars to show how your project is progressing. These are School-based and will have an audience of staff and graduate research students. The first of these is when you are in the Mid-Project stage.

Your seminar will normally be of 25 minutes duration (including question time). Your supervisor will guide you in how to format the colloquium. Please remember that the clarity of your presentation is important but that the gratuitous use of graphics and multimedia presentation will not compensate for a weakness in the scientific content of the presentation.

Your seminar will be assessed by a Review Panel. Fellow postgraduate students will also appraise your presentation. The forms used for assessment of seminars are may be downloaded here. The current colloquium program is available for viewing on this www site.

The following guidelines are extracted from the 1998 Draft UNSW Report: 'Optimising Postgraduate Research Supervision.' You may wish to use these guidelines for your seminars.

Mid-Project Colloquium and Annual Review

The focus of this review is to establish that major goals, as delineated in the proposal and plan, are being achieved. The review panel must determine whether the progress of the project has been satisfactory, and should identify any problems hindering progress. Appropriate strategies to overcome these problems and optimise progress should be suggested. If any problems were identified at previous reviews, an assessment as to whether or not they have been satisfactorily resolved should be made.

Plans for further work: An assessment should be made of proposed further work, as well as timelines to completion. Students initially enrolled in MSc research degrees may be considered for transfer to PhD if the progress is outstanding.

Conditional satisfactory and unsatisfactory progress should be dealt with in a similar way to that outlined for the Proposal Review/Annual Review 1. If the student is having difficulties meeting the requirements of a PhD research program (e.g., consistent unsatisfactory progress) a transfer to MSc candidature can be recommended by the School.

Some students will need to pass through the mid-candidature review more than once. Multiple passing of a stage should be acknowledged openly and serves to signal the need for better management of the project.

Completing Colloquium and Annual Review

The focus of this colloquium and review is on the presentation of most of the findings of the project and demonstration that the body of work is sufficiently complete for it to be documented as a thesis. The main issues to be addressed at this stage of the review process are:

Appropriateness and Originality of Work: This review acts as a "mock defence" of the research program and aims to determine whether sufficient work has been completed in terms of appropriate scope and originality for the degree sought.

Establishing that experimental work is complete: This has implications in respect of fee status, i.e., the student may apply for a reduction in tuition fees (if allowed by the University) only if the final review establishes that this is appropriate.

Further Work: The extent of any further experimental work necessary to complete the project and the student's enrolment status during this period should be considered. A thesis submission date should be targeted at this stage if experimental work is deemed complete. Students initially enrolled in MSc research degrees may be considered for transfer to PhD if the progress is outstanding.

If a student has not submitted the thesis within one year after the final review, an annual review of progress should continue. In most cases, an interview with the HOS or SPGC, or the submission of an Annual Review Form would be an appropriate course of action.

Annual Progress Reports

The annual progress reports are formally required by the UNSW policy. These are usually called for near the end of each calendar year. The step involves completion of a form by both you and your supervisor. Your supervisor will see what you write about your progress and you will see what your supervisor writes about your progress. The completed forms are then submitted to the School Graduate Studies Committee. From 1999 the Annual Progress Report will include a record of the assessment (and follow-up, if any) of the most recent seminar.

To complete the Annual Progress Report form you need only give an frank account of your progress over the preceding year. It is important to be realistic. If your progress is less than satisfactory you should state this and so should your supervisor. If your supervisor agrees that your progress has been unsatisfactory the School will provide support to assist you to improve your approach to your project and monitor your progress until it improves. In most cases this involves a focus on the research plan and the requirement for you and your supervisor to meet weekly to review progress on the plan and set goals for the following week. This process is usually effective in bringing about satisfactory progress.

Problems and Grievances

If you encounter some difficulty in your working relationship with other members of your group, a School staff member, an administrative process etc., you should first see your supervisor. You should discuss the problem with your supervisor as soon as it arises and preferably make a written record of your concerns and the advice that your supervisor offers. You should give a copy of this record to your supervisor. In the majority of cases the supervisor is able to resolve the problem or cause it to be resolved through appropriate channels.

If your problem involves your relationship with your supervisor then you should discuss it with the Director of Graduate Studies. You may wish to seek advice from the Postgraduate Student Advocate of the Student Guild .

If your problem is gender specific and you do not wish to discuss it with your supervisor or the Director of Graduate Studies then you should discuss it with another member of the Graduate Studies Committee. The current members of the Graduate Studies Committee members are listed in the your school section of this site.

To discuss a grievance with a UNSW representative outside the School you should contact the Director of the Office of Postgraduate Studies.

In the great majority of cases, problems and grievances are resolved within the School. The ease of resolution is greater if the problem is reported early. If the problem cannot be resolved in the School there are procedures that should be followed involving the appropriate UNSW staff who are trained to resolve problems. A full account of UNSW procedures as well as models of good practice in grievance resolution is given in the 1998 Draft UNSW Report: Optimising Postgraduate Research Supervision site.

Ph.D./M.Sc. Resources - Progress Review & Dealing with Problems