Training research supervisors: a single event

I believe that it is particularly important for a one-off training event to develop a sense of ownership with everyone participating. So I like to see the event being planned by a group of the staff concerned (including one or more secretaries or administrators). Then I like to see the separate elements of the day being run, chaired or facilitated by staff within the department, not outsiders.

For content, my preferred starting point is roles and responsibilities - see my suggestions for a full programme, as even quite experienced staff tend to learn something new from this, and they also of course have a lot to give. Then, for variety and relevance, I would suggest additional but very short inputs from one or two support units from across the institution (chosen according to the current priorities of the department) - such as the Registry, the International Office, Industrial Liaison, the Careers Unit.

The topics, generated thus far, tend to be largely informative with some scope for questions but less for discussion. So the day could well progress to discussion of the more intractable problems, where there is opportunity to examine diverse but equally valid views. A topic such as 'handling student's written work (reports and the thesis)' would be eminently suitable. For other possibilities that are likely to stimulate heated debate, see Guide 2 in the SRHE/THES series.

A finale of a panel discussion on such topics would mean that the day would end on a high - but it is often difficult to find people who are prepared to be panel members. Then open discussion or group work has to suffice.