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"How should I, as a PhD supervisor*, handle students who complain to me, particularly about other staff?" |
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In recent years universities in the UK have tightened up their complaints procedures and it is important not to fall foul of yours. So when students complain to you about anything at all, it is important to find out whether they are just in a bad mood and grumbling or whether this is something for action on your part. The simplest way forward is to ask the direct question: "Are you making a formal complaint?" The answer will probably be no, but if it is yes, then the safest course of action for everyone concerned - and quite possibly your obligation - 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, probably informally in the first instance. If the problem persists, the academic has recourse, through channels which are normally well-defined, 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. Supervisors and academic managers not infrequently acknowledge privately that they feel a sneaking sympathy for students who grumble to them about certain supervisors. However, the considered view seems to be that academics have a loyalty to their departments, their colleagues and their professions not to encourage students to elaborate on grumbles about other people. If the grumbles turn out to be formal complains, the advice in the previous paragraph holds. Either way, it is unprofessional for supervisors, to encourage or join in gossip. It is worth pointing out that there are technical differences between complaints and appeals. Complaints have to be dealt with immediately and can be in terms of what is judged as bad supervision. Appeals are for after a event such as the upgrade or the exam, and have to be in terms of regulations not being followed. They cannot be made about bad supervision because that ought to have been recognised earlier and generated a complaint which would have been dealt with. based on an 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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