Establishing a supervisory panel

Overview and research

In most Australian universities there is a requirement for each candidate to have a panel or committee for supervision, at the very least more than one supervisor. The need for more than one is obvious given the length of candidature time where many events are likely to occur in a supervisor's life: change of jobs, study leave, ill health. Hence, having at least one other person who knows the candidate and the project is deemed to be sensible practice.

However, there are other critical factors involved in providing a panel of supervisors for each candidate. For example, different panel members can offer different perspectives and offer complementary expertise and support. Panels are of great value where students' interests are interdisciplinary or cross disciplinary; and provide a structure for cross department and cross university industry projects.

Unsurprisingly, a study carried out at the ANU established that students prefer active panels and further studies in academic areas have confirmed these findings. Additional research, some conducted at the ANU, suggests that effective supervision requires various roles in addition to content and methodology specialists. Sometimes these roles need to be found outside the panel but consist of: coach, facilitator of the project, mentor, and sponsor.

The term coaching is used regularly in other arenas (sport, management development). In the research context coaching involves helping the candidate develop their research expertise in the context of actually doing his or her own particular research. A range of people with varying expertise often provide coaching including:

Other supervisors and advisors (in many instances the principal supervisor may not have all the specialist expertise required)
Postdoctoral candidates provide much of the day-to-day coaching in some disciplines
Specific assistance from technical staff and/or other candidates can coach candidates
Skilled professionals e.g. Librarians, statistical consultants

Facilitating the project is the underlying educational strategy for research education and training is 'experiential learning' in which the candidate carries out research, and in so doing is learning how to do research. Ways of facilitating the research can include:

Monitoring progress
Assisting candidates in the development of the following skills e.g. project management skills, time management skills, self-management skills
Setting up peer support groups for students.

Many successful researchers will refer to mentors who were significant in their career. So what did those mentors do? Mentoring can take various forms and it is not always the leading researcher in the field who makes a difference for a student. Mentoring involves both advising and supporting students through their candidature within the framework of their evolving personal and career goals. The candidate is a novice researcher within the institution and within professional/ disciplinary networks. Mentoring gives the student access to networks. Mentors can provide encouragement when needed, build confidence and open doors. Examples of mentoring include:

Sponsoring the candidate in the department/research group
Introducing them to professional and discipline networks
Ensuring the candidate has the necessary resources to carry out their research

The role of the sponsor (akin to the sponsor of a sporting or scholarly activity) is to assist with funding and the identification and provision of resources. In research supervision the sponsor is one, who for example will:

Make sure that new candidates have access to basic resources such as desk, phone and computer
Ensure, or advise how students can access funding for conferences, field work, workshops
Keep students up to date with policies and procedures
Identify administrative procedures that students need to meet and assist in achieving these in a timely manner.

The above text was based on the following research:

Cullen, D. J., Pearson, M., Saha, L. J. & Spear, R. H. (1994) Establishing Effective PhD Supervision, DEST, 94/23.

Pearson, M. (2001). Research supervision: mystery and mastery. In J. Higgs & A. Titchen, Practice knowledge and expertise in the health professions. Butterworth, Heinneman, Oxford.

Pearson, M. & Ford, L. (1997) Open and Flexible PhD Study and Research, DEST, 97/16 (Chapter 3, pp. 55-58)

Pearson, M. & Kayrooz, C. (2004). Enabling critical reflection on research supervisory practice. International Journal for Academic Development, 9 (1), 99-116

Taylor, S. & Beasley, N. (2005). A handbook for doctoral supervisors. Routledge, London.

Ideas and tools

Questions to ask in your School/Centre

Are there specific expectations/procedures regarding panels e.g. some small Centres list all academic staff as part of the panel with a panel chair?
Do successful supervisors in your School/Centre meet regularly with the student and if so is it with:
- panel members (including advisers)?
- all supervisors only?
- one-on-one with the expectation that the candidate will meet with others as required?
Who organises group meetings, the chair of the panel, the candidate?
What advice is given to candidates regarding 'reconciling' different advice from different advisers?

Roles of panel members

Reflect on your strengths regarding coach, facilitator, mentor and sponsor and then draw up a list of the different skills, knowledge and attributes you would look for in the people you are bringing together as a panel to support a current/recent/potential student.

Students' use of panel

Some panels meet infrequently and students interact with members separately; some panels meet often together. The opportunity is there to use the structure to advantage. If you were the chair of that panel how would you advise the candidate to make the best use of the panel?

ANU information

The panel system of supervision was introduced at the ANU following a review of ANU PhD education in 1977. All students were required to have a panel of supervisors and/or advisers. Later policy documents have clarified aspects of procedures and processes.

Basically a panel consists of a Panel Chair (who is also a supervisor) one, perhaps two other supervisors, and advisers. Advisers vary from supervisors in that their responsibilities include:

Providing additional expertise from within the University or outside
Providing wider contacts within the University or outside
Providing advice on the Research Proposal and Mid-Term Review presentations
At the request of the student, advising on matters relating to the program, including advice on any difficulties in the relationship between candidate and supervisors/advisers

Advisers might be willing to read draft chapters of the thesis, but this is not a formal responsibility.

See Review University Policy and Guidelines

Some ideas on mentoring which could usefully apply to research students of both genders can be found in a 1997 report to the Board of the Institute of Advanced Studies and the ANU Council: Quinlan K, (1007) Options and Strategies for Enhancing Mentoring and Networking of Junior Academic Women in the ANU Institute of Advanced Studies.

For College-specific information contact:

College of Engineering & Computer Science

College of Law

College of Arts and Social Sciences

College of Asia & the Pacific

College of Business & Economics

College of Medicine and Health Sciences

Alternatively, contact the College Associate Dean (HDR) for more general college information.