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"How should I, as a PhD supervisor*, handle students who complain to me about other staff?" |
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Supervisors and academic managers have not infrequently acknowledged that they have felt a sneaking sympathy for students who complain to them about certain supervisors. However, the considered view seems to be that academics have a loyalty to their departments, their colleagues and their profession not to encourage students to elaborate on their complaints about their supervisors.
The safest course of action for everyone concerned, irrespective of where blame, if any, may happen to lie, is to refer the student to the academic who has responsibility for the research students in the department. That academic must decide how to sort the matter out, whether it be a quiet word with the supervisor concerned, a change of supervisor, or an open discussion with the student. If the problem persists, the academic has recourse, through channels which are normally well-defined, to the head of department and to the higher authorities which will be named in the institutional regulations. It is the responsibility of this academic to be familiar with the channels, and to deal with the issues sympathetically, diplomatically and firmly. edited extract from no 2 in the Guides series |
* This term is a shorthand for "research degree supervisor", and applies to varying extents to all research degrees: PhD, DPhil. MPhil and even undergraduate and masters' projects.
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