uwa_notsolonelyguide_excerpt__notfordistribution

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THE LONELY POSTGRAD’S GUIDE TO UWA

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not so

Ten Essentials

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Emergencies

Emergency (24 hours): #2222 (on campus), or 6488 2222 (off-campus)

UWA Security: #3020

Medical Centre: #2118

Safety and Health: #3938

Advice, Administration, and Support

Graduate Research School (GRS)

www.postgraduate.uwa.edu.au/

email: [email protected]

Graduate Research Coordinators (GRCs)

www.postgraduate.uwa.edu.au/contact/coordinators

Graduate Education Officers (GEOs)

Michael Azariadis ([email protected])

Jo Edmondston ([email protected])

Krystyna Haq ([email protected])

Student Services

www.student.uwa.edu.au/life/health

The Postgraduate Students’ Association (PSA)

www.psa.guild.uwa.edu.au/

email: [email protected]

UWA telephone numbers

All UWA telephone numbers are four digits long if you call from a University telephone on-campus. To contact someone when you’re off-campus, or if you’re using a mobile phone, dial 6488 and then the extension number.

E.g., The UWA Medical Centre number is 2118 on-campus, or 6488 2118 off-campus.

Useful Contacts

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The University of Western Australia 3 !

Contents Welcome 5 Ten essentials

1. Get to know your supervisors 7 2. Know your anniversary 10 3. Get online 11 4. Settle in and make yourself at home 13 5. Know the Uni structure 15 6. Know what’s outside your bubble 17 7. Become a hoarder 19 8. Complete a unit in less than 30 minutes 20 9. Feel welcome 22 10. Connect with other researchers 23

A few final words 26 Glossary and index 28

Acknowledgements

Many people have contributed to this booklet. Although there isn’t space to acknowledge their generous contributions throughout, we’d like to acknowledge them here: Alison Bartlett, Van Ikin, Heather Morton, Golnar Nabizadeh, and Rob Stewart.

Special thanks to Lisa Goldberg who helped with the research and planning of this booklet.

Thanks also to Maria Carvalho and UWA Archives and Records Management Services for giving us permission to use the historical photos that feature throughout the following pages.

For more about the history of the University, see the UWA Historical Society website:

www.development.uwa.edu.au/friends/historical-society

This booklet was produced through assistance from Student Services and the Graduate Education Officers.

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The (Not So) Lonely Guide 4 !

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The first three months are crucial for any new postgraduate. Regrettably, it’s also a time when you’re most likely to be inundated with competing information, unwelcome advice, unfounded horror stories, and outright myths.

The University felt that the transition into graduate study could be made a little easier. So, it launched a new initiative to help students get the most out of their first three months of study, and as part of this, I was asked to put together this booklet as a kind of ‘insider’s guide.’ (I’m a third-year PhD candidate in the final phases of completing my studies.)

To write this guide, I asked postgrads, supervisors and Graduate Research Coordinators from different disciplines across the university the same question:

What are the essentials research students need to know in their first three months?

What follows is a selection of the great advice they gave.

This booklet isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ approach to postgraduate study at UWA. Instead, the aim is to set out some key things to get you started, get settled, and get working towards your first major milestone – your research proposal.

More detailed information can be found on the Graduate Research School website, in the Postgraduate Students Almanac (see details on the next page), or by talking to your supervisors or your School’s Graduate Research Coordinator.

If you have any suggestions about how we could improve this booklet, send us an email ([email protected]). We’d love to hear from you.

All the best with your research, Antony Gray

Welcome

(Following page) 5948P, Women’s Club Committee, c.1918

(Previous page) 4379P, Women’s Athletics, 1930

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More detailed information about graduate study at

UWA can be found in two places…

1. The Graduate Research School (GRS) Website

The GRS website has everything you’ll need during your candidature, including information about enrolment, scholarships, funding, and academic resources and support. It’s a good first place to go to when you’re unsure of something.

www.postgraduate.uwa.edu.au/students

2. The Postgraduate Students Almanac

The Almanac is a comprehensive guide to postgraduate life at UWA, covering everything from finance to special resources and facilities for research students.

The Almanac is available for download as a PDF from the GRS website, or as a hard copy booklet from the GRS Office (a handy thing to have on hand as a quick reference).

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Throughout your candidature, your first point of contact will often be your supervisors, so the first three months are crucial for getting to know them and negotiating how you’ll work together. Before your first few meetings, you might want to consider some of the things listed below. Some will be easy to discuss; others may take time to negotiate.

Planning regular meetings

You might discuss how regularly you’ll meet. Obviously, this will change over the course of your study, but you could talk about what might work best as a general rule.

Working out how you’ll interact outside of meeting times

Find out your supervisors’ preferred method of communication. Are they happy for you to drop by their office anytime, or would they prefer some advanced notice? Do they prefer talking face-to-face, over the telephone, or only via email?

Keeping track of things

Setting an agenda and keeping notes for each meeting is invaluable. This can be as simple as writing down a few things beforehand, and making notes during and after each meeting.

Although this might seem a little too formal at first, having a written record is handy when it comes to writing your annual reports and keeping track of your progress over time.

Exchanging drafts and receiving feedback

Find out what your supervisors think is the best way to read and give you feedback on your work. Do they prefer printed or electronic copies? How many drafts of the same thing are they prepared to read? Are they happy to read early, rough drafts, or would they prefer you wait until your work is more developed?

One. “Get to know your supervisors”

Ten Essentials !

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Setting goals and discussing each other’s expectations

On top of all the requirements you’ll be expected to meet in your first year, you’ll also be trying to decide the direction, scope and originality of your project, whilst simultaneously planning all the small successive steps towards your goal. At the same time, you’ll be doing all of this in consultation with two or more supervisors.

Considering the complexity of this undertaking, it’s crucial that you and your supervisors discuss your respective expectations about how you’ll work together and the broader aims of the project itself. In order to understand some of the issues involved in research supervision, the University Policy on Graduate Research Training is a good place to start:

www.universitypolicies.uwa.edu.au/search?method=document&id=UP12%2F11

“Know your supervisors,” cont…

SPORS: A tool for negotiating expectations

The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL) has a voluntary questionnaire, which is designed to help research students and supervisors to discuss their expectations of PhD and Masters supervision.

Student Perceptions of Research Supervision (SPORS):

www.catl.uwa.edu.au/evaluation/student-research

Ten Essentials

4389P, Unidentified Photo, 1930

(Following page) 5656P, Winthrop Hall Clock Tower, 1955

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What it says on the

University coat of arms…

In addition to the motto, ‘Seek Wisdom,’ the University’s coat of arms features two inscriptions in Latin. The first reads, Literae humaniores, which translates as, ‘The arts make us more humane.’ The second reads, Non nisi parendo vincitur, which translates as, ‘Nature is only mastered by obedience to its laws.’

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Knowing your ‘anniversary’ is essential because everything revolves around the exact date you enrolled.

Each year on that date, you’ll be required to submit an Annual Progress Report to the Graduate Research School (GRS).

In addition to this, in your first year, you’ll have a number of research ‘milestones’ to complete, including the submission of your Research Proposal to the GRS (and Confirmation of Candidature paperwork for PhD students).

The deadlines for all your research ‘milestones’ are determined by your anniversary, and by your particular programme of study (i.e. full-time, part-time, Master’s, or PhD).

Everyone’s anniversary is different, so consequently, the due dates of your ‘milestones’ will be specific to you.

By knowing your anniversary, you’ll be able to work backwards from the end goal of your first Annual Report, making note of the due dates of each ‘milestone.’ From here, you can plan how much time you’ll need to complete each task, and how long you’ve allowed your supervisors to read and give you feedback on your work.

Two. “Know your anniversary”

How to check your ‘milestones’ through StudentConnect

StudentConnect is UWA’s Student Information Management System where you can access all the details related to your enrolment (www.studentaccess.uwa.edu.au/).

Here, you can check your enrolment status, change your personal details, pay fees, and most importantly, check your research ‘milestones.’ For instructions on how to check your ‘milestones,’ see:

www.postgraduate.uwa.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/1351126/How_to_check_your_Milestones_in_Student_Connect.pdf

Ten Essentials

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The University of Western Australia 1 1 !

Early on, you’ll want to get access to your university email account and the Internet facilities on offer at UWA.

The UWA Information Services website has everything you need to get online (www.is.uwa.edu.au/it-help/students). Some of the essentials are listed below.

1. Set up your Pheme account

Pheme is the University’s central password management system.

Once you’ve set your Pheme password, you’ll be able to log on to nearly all of UWA’s web-based services, including your email account, enrolment information, and wireless Internet access. Go to:

help.pheme.uwa.edu.au/pheme/students

2. Get access to your University email

All official correspondence will be sent via your University email address, so it’s crucial you set up your account early on. See:

www.is.uwa.edu.au/it-help/email/student/email

3. Set up your full Internet access account

Once you set up your Pheme account, you’ll be able to access your email, and a small number of essential, University-based websites.

But, in order to access the Web beyond the University website, you’ll have to upgrade to a ‘full Internet access account.’

A full access account is free and will take no more than five or ten minutes to set up. Go to:

www.is.uwa.edu.au/it-help/accounts/student/full-access

Three. “Get online”

Ten Essentials !

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4. Set up your computer to use the University’s wireless network

After you’ve set your Pheme password, and set up your full Internet access account, you can use the university’s wireless network, Unifi. For more info, see:

www.is.uwa.edu.au/it-help/access/wireless/unifi

“Get online,” cont…

MyUWA

MyUWA is your ‘one-stop shop’ for many of the University’s Online Services. From here you can access your email, StudentConnect, and many other useful UWA sites and resources.

For more information, see:

www.uwa.edu.au/MyUWA

Ten Essentials

22353P, Wind Tunnel Experiment, Civil Engineering, 1984

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Office, Laboratory and Workshop Space

All Schools at UWA try to offer their full-time graduate researchers with some form of workspace, as well as access to postal services, photocopiers and fax machines. Your supervisors, your Graduate Research Coordinator, or your School’s admin staff will be able to tell you what’s on offer.

Failing this, both temporary and permanent desk space is available in the Scholars’ Centre on the second floor of the Reid Library. Talk to the staff at the reception desk in the Scholars’ Centre to find out how to apply.

After-Hours and Weekend Access

You should also be able to use your office, lab, workshop, or shared workspace after 5pm on weekdays, and all day on weekends. The rules for these will vary across the campus; so again, it’s worth checking with your supervisor, or someone ‘in the know’ in your School.

Other Resources

Some schools offer training, grants, and allowances for specialist equipment.

Your supervisors will be the best people to ask, but it’s also useful to find out who are the ‘gatekeepers’ in your discipline group or School. These ‘gatekeepers’ are usually in charge of office admin, resource management, or lab and technical support.

They are often people who know how to get things done, or know who to ask. Sadly, however, they are also usually over-worked and under-appreciated.

Make friends with these people (which is easy because they are often very friendly and helpful) – they are a lifeline.

Four. “Settle in and make yourself at home”

(Following page) 7384P, Winthrop Hall Steps, 1975

Ten Essentials !

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If you use statistics in your research…

If you use statistics in your research, you can get training and support from the UWA Centre for Applied Statistics, free of charge.


www.cas.maths.uwa.edu.au/

You can also brush up on your general maths skills through the numeracy support services offered by STUDYSmarter team:

www.student.uwa.edu.au/learning/studysmarter/on-campus/numeracy

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When you need to ask a question, or get something signed, it might be difficult at times to figure out who you should speak to first.

More often than not, your supervisors will be your first point of contact, but it’s also important to know how your supervisors, your Graduate Research Coordinator, your School, and the Graduate Research School, all work together.

Their key responsibilities can be divided up like this:

1. Coordinating Supervisor

Both you and your Coordinating Supervisor are responsible for all the administrative aspects of your candidacy (e.g. reports, changes to supervision, applications for leave, etc.), and you’ll both discuss and sign-off together on any major changes.

2. Principal Supervisor

You and your Principal Supervisor look after the scope and direction of your research. In some Schools, your Coordinating and Principle Supervisors might be the same person; while in others, this responsibility is sometimes split between two people.

(Note: It’s always good idea to keep all of your supervisors informed of any major changes during your candidature.)

3. Graduate Research Coordinator (GRC)

Your GRC looks after you and your supervisors. In addition, they are responsible to your School, your Faculty, and to the GRS. All official communication and paperwork flows through this person.

Five. “Know the Uni structure (to know who to ask)”

Ten Essentials !

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“Know the Uni structure,” cont…

Ten Essentials

You

Supervisors

GRC

GRS


The Graduate Research School (GRS) Website

www.postgraduate.uwa.edu.au/students

Find your Graduate Research Coordinator (GRC)

www.postgraduate.uwa.edu.au/contact/coordinators

4. Graduate Research School (GRS)

The GRS is responsible for all postgraduate students at the University. The GRS is where the paper trail ends. They administer a whole host of essential functions, including enrolments, thesis examination, reporting, grants and scholarships.

The Paper Trail

Although you’re free to contact anyone at any time, the usual flow of information between you, your supervisors, your GRC, and the GRS looks something like this:

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You also have access to other resources and support beyond the GRS and your School. There’s far too little space in this booklet to list all the services on offer, but here’s a few you might want to look into further:

Six. “Know what’s outside your bubble”

Other University services on offer…

Student Services

www.student.uwa.edu.au/

Graduate Education Officers

www.postgraduate.uwa.edu.au/students/resources/officers

Information Services

www.is.uwa.edu.au/

Postgraduate Students Association (PSA)

www.psa.guild.uwa.edu.au/

You

GEOs

Student Services

Information Services

PSA

StudySmarter Medical

Childcare

Housing

Counselling

Representation

Travel Awards

Training Awards

IT support

‘Get it’

Subject Librarians

Writing w/shops

Research w/shops Advice

FIRSTatUWA

Writing groups

3 Minute Thesis

(see details on the next page)

Ten Essentials !

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Special events, workshops and seminars…

The Graduate Education Officers through the Graduate Research School (GRS) offer a wide range of special events, workshops and seminars throughout the year to help enhance and refine your research, writing and generic skills.

For more information, check the GRS Calendar of Events: www.postgraduate.uwa.edu.au/students/resources/workshops

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