Transcript Document 7259989

Doctoral programmes and Graduate Schools in
the UK: A case study of Nottingham Trent
University
UNICA, Dubrovnik September 23rd 2009
Dr Matt Henn, Head of Research Degrees and Research Training
Graduate School
College of Business, Law and Social Sciences
Nottingham Trent University
Burton Street
Nottingham NG1 4BU
Great Britain
Tel: (0115) 848 8156; Fax: (0115) 848 8700;
Email: [email protected]
Doctoral programmes and Graduate Schools
in the UK: A case study of Nottingham Trent
University
• Changes to the UK PhD over the last 20 years
• Key external forces shaping PhDs
• Introduction of Graduate Schools
• Overview of the structured approach to PhDs
• How NTU organises our PhD programmes
• Overview of our PhD Programme of Supporting Studies
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Nottingham Trent University
College of
Arts, Humanities
and
Education
College of
Science
Central
Graduate School
College of
Business, Law
and
Social Sciences
School of
Social
Sciences
Nottingham
Business
School
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Graduate
School
BLSS
College of
Art and Design
and
Built
Environment
Nottingham
Law
School
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What do UK PhD’s look like?
The traditional PhD - 80,000 word thesis
PhD by published work:
• published work, artefact or performance that is accompanied by a
written commentary placing it within its academic context resulting in
an independent and original contribution to knowledge
Professional doctorate (e.g., Doctor in Business Administration, Doctor
of Social Professions etc) - for practising managers and professionals:
• 4 research papers,
• personal reflection of the PhD process
• 30,000 thesis
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A personal view of changes in the
organisation of UK PhD’s over 20 years
In the past:
• The traditional apprentice model, in which the research student sat
at the feet of the supervisor who was the Fountain of Knowledge
• Very personal and “individualised” relationship
• No support outside of that relationship (subject, methodological,
pastoral)
Now:
• There is now much support outside of that relationship
– a team of supervisors
– School Research Degree Co-ordinators
– Head of Research Degrees
– Graduate School
– and of course, the other students!
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A personal view of changes in the
organisation of UK PhD’s over 20 years
In the past:
• Single discipline-orientation
Now:
• Mix of core disciplines and interdisciplinary orientation
- Supervisors
- PhD Programme of Supporting Studies
- Research environment
• “The Council’s Strategic Plan also places a strong emphasis on innovation in
research and training, and on the need to foster purposeful interdisciplinarity
to address what are increasingly complex, and multi-faceted research
questions” (Economic and Social Research Council 2009, ESRC Postgraduate
Training and Development Guidelines, p.3)
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A personal view of changes in the
organisation of UK PhD’s over 20 years
In the past:
• Little contact with other research students
Now:
• Part of a Graduate School - and subsequently of thriving graduate
and research communities
– Gathered together in a single open-plan workspace
– Workshops every two weeks (research training, transferable skills,
teacher training)
– Graduate School Conferences twice each year
– Subject research seminars open to all
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A personal view of changes in the
organisation of UK PhD’s over 20 years
In the past:
• Little regard for ethical issues, or for health & safety matters in the
research project
Now:
• All prospective PhD research degrees projects are required to gain
approval from the College Research Ethics Committee
• Workshops and comprehensive guidance notes – Ethics; Health and
safety
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A personal view of changes in the
organisation of UK PhD’s over 20 years
In the past:
• Very low completion rates  1970s and 80s - the Winfield Report
revealed that only 20% of UK social scientists completed within 4
years (Taylor, S. 2007. Improving retention rates and completion rates. UK
Council for Graduate Education, Goodenough College, London UK, March 2007)
Now:
• Research councils set target completion rates – (60% in 4 years)
• UK 1996-97 PhD research student cohort - 36% completed within 4
years; 57% within 5 years (Higher Education Funding Council for England,
2007. PhD research degrees update: Entry and completion. Bristol: Higher
Education Funding Council for England)
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What is a “Graduate School”, and what are
its benefits - Bologna
Create organisational structures for:
• Research training to prepare people for careers outside of the HE
sectors across Europe to strengthen research capacities and meet
needs of wider employment market
• Promote interdisciplinarity in terms of skills training, and also in the
research environment
• Professional skills development and training of academic staff
• Increasing mobility across Europe for research students, and
international collaboration between universities and other partners
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Graduate Schools - The UK context
Harris Review 1996
• Harris, M., (1996). Review of Postgraduate Education, M 14/96.
Higher Education Funding Council for England, Bristol. Accessed on
11 September 2009 from
<http://www.hefce.ac.uk/Pubs/hefce/1996/m14_96.htm>.
Roberts Review 2002
• Roberts, G., (2002). SET for success: The supply of people with
science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills. The Report
of Sir Gareth Roberts’ Review. HM Treasury, London. Accessed on
11 September 2009 from <http://www.hmtreasury.gov.uk/ent_res_roberts.htm>.
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Graduate Schools - The UK context
• QAA (Quality Assurance Agency) 2004 Code of practice for the
assurance of academic quality and standards in higher education http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/codeOfPractice/section
1/
• The Research Councils:
– ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) http://www.esrc.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/opportunities/postgraduate/
pgtrainingpolicy/
• VITAE - http://www.vitae.ac.uk/
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The Graduate School at Nottingham Trent
University
Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences Graduate School
formed 1997 ; University Graduate School formed 2004
Operating purposes:
• Co-ordinate institutional ambition for high-quality provision for
research students
• Interdisciplinarity
• Bring students together to create a critical mass and a stimulating
knowledge environment
• Centre for methods and general research skills training
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How we ensure quality 1: Recruitment
through to examination
• Recruitment and applications process – the Graduate School is the
key point of initial contact with all prospective students
• Project approval
• Monitoring arrangements (twice yearly)
– Annual monitoring of student as a condition of progress to
subsequent year of study. It includes a review meeting with the
student, the supervisory team, and an independent assessor
• Ethical approval
• Transfer (MPhil-PhD upgrade) stage
• Independent assessors
• The viva
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How we ensure quality 2:
Supervisory support
Our principles:
• Supervisor/ student relations are very important - but the supervisory team
is accountable to the university for the successful conduct of supervision
• Supervision “teams” – minimum qualifications (2 completions)
• Economic and Social Research Council has a limit of 4 students per
supervisor
• PhD students are entitled to regular, accurate and constructive feedback
about their progress
• The university has an obligation to ensure that the student receives the
support, training and advice needed for success in the PhD and in their
future career
• Supervisors need support, training and advice too!
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How we ensure quality 3:
The student experience
• Student training – Programme of Supporting Studies (workshops,
conferences)  We will consider this in a moment…
• High level research environment with exposure to alternative
paradigms and approaches
• Student evaluation and feedback
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PhD programme of supporting studies (PSS)
What is the Programme of Supporting Studies?
• Programme of research training designed to:
– Support PhD research
– Provide skills and competencies training for later careers
• Process for development of the Programme of Supporting
Studies
• Active participation in, and full completion of, the PSS is
specified in the research student’s research plan – their initial
Project Approval application
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PhD Programme of Supporting Studies
Research training
Modules
Individually
Identified
Specialist Advanced
Research
Training
Graduate School
Conferences
(December &
May)
Programme of
Supporting
Studies
Graduate School
workshops
Research groups’
Annual seminar
series
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The outcome?
• Initially – culture of resistance… especially amongst supervisors
• Now – a more realistic appreciation that such a supporting
programme equips the student with the skills to approach their PhD
research degree with confidence
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The future of PhD’s, and major challenges
• Interdisciplinarity
• Collaboration (nationally and internationally)
• Culture of resistance
• Training the supervisors
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Thank you for listening.
Any questions?
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