Standardised inclusive practice across PGR programmes

On

Inclusive Practices across all PGR programmes and students

Embracing a uniform approach to inclusive practices across the entirety of our cohort not only ensures equitable treatment, but also cultivates a sense of belonging and respect for all members. By championing inclusivity as a collective responsibility, we foster an environment where diversity is celebrated, perspectives are valued, and each individual feels empowered to contribute fully to our academic community. This commitment to inclusivity enriches our collective experience, fosters collaboration, and ultimately enhances the quality and impact of our research endeavours.

The following outlines the recommended practices that all staff engaging with PGRs should adhere to, in order to foster a fully inclusive research environment. Please note that if you witness staff or student behaviour that is not inclusive, you should raise this with your line manager. If you feel that the behaviour is also discriminatory, then you should use the Report and Support system. 

Start of the programme (to be completed by the PGR administration team)  

  • Email the student within the first 2 weeks of the programme to provide named members of staff, contact details and open office hours for all PGR support staff the student can access. Include information on what these support roles include in their remit and how they can support a student and when.  The minimum on this list should include:
    • Departmental/School Disability Liaison Officer  
    • PGR Support Officer
    • All members of the supervisory team, including the personal/pastoral tutor
    • PGR Lead and Head of Department/School 
  • If allocating a workspace, ensure that the space is appropriate to each student's needs and research requirements.  The student should complete a DSE assessment as part of their compulsory University training and if the school is able to support the student to change their work set up to allow better accessibility then they should make every effort to do so.  For some disabled PGRs a dedicated/regularly available workspace will be required, and this will be specified in their LSP. The individual reasons – and the requirements – will be made clear by DDSS, who will communicate directly with the department/school. Likewise if any specialist equipment is needed by a student then the school should work in liaison with DDSS to arrange this. 

Supervision (to be completed by the supervisory team)

  • As early as possible, discuss with each PGR student what the format and purpose of supervision is, and consider tools that will help you both to gain the most from supervision in a supporting and accessible manner. Refer to the university’s Statement of Expectations for Postgraduate Researchers and Supervisors.
  • If the student has a Learning Support Plan, acknowledge at an early stage that you have received and read this. Make it very clear that if and when the student wants to discuss this further you are open to supporting them.
  • You might wish to consider negotiating a supervision agreement for all parties to accept. This can be written up by the supervisor and the student in the first supervision meeting.  Use the requirements within the Code of Practice to guide this agreement, but consider including things such as  timings of supervisory meetings, setting supervision agendas, deadline keeping and feedback timings. 
  • Use agendas and SMART targets in supervision, ensure that these targets are accurately recorded on PATS or faculty approved system. Ensure these targets are both project and course specific, i.e. considering the compulsory milestones and submission within the tuition fee-paying period. 
  • Use clear and unambiguous language when communicating with all staff and students about the course expectations and what is expected of the student.

Personal or Pastoral Tutors (to be completed by the personal/pastoral tutors)

  • Personal tutors should contact their PGR student within four weeks of their start date. It is essential that all PGR students know who their personal tutor is, when they can contact them and what they can be contacted about. 
  • Ensure all personal/pastoral tutors fully understand the expectations of the role.

 Compulsory training (to be completed by the training provider)

  • Schedule any compulsory training well in advance (ideally at the start of each academic year) and ensure students know when and where they are expected to attend. Proactively communicate any options for hybrid/online attendance if available. 
  • If required and to improve accessibility for a student, provide all materials (including slides/notes) at least 24 hours in advance and in an accessible electronic format.
  • If required, and to improve accessibility for a student, confirm in writing the activities (e.g. group work, presentations) you will expect students to undertake as part of the training before it begins.

Compulsory milestones (to be completed by the supervisory team)

  • Define all the compulsory six-monthly milestones at the start of the programme and communicate their requirements and timescales to students in writing. If this is already stated in school handbooks, the supervisor needs to ensure the student knows where to find this information. 
  • These milestones are set deadlines and cannot be moved. However, it is paramount that the supervisory team check what support and guidance the student requires to enable them to meet these deadlines.
    • Give plenty of notice.
    • Explore any reasonable adjustments which might be required. 
    • Include the milestone completion in every supervision agenda.
    • Ask to see plans/drafts for the milestone and give feedback.

Assessment (to be arranged by the internal examiner, supervisor and PGR administration team as appropriate) 

  • Ensure that all assessments (including confirmation viva and final viva) are accessible to all students:
    • If a student expresses concerns about the accessibility of their viva room, offer an opportunity for the student to access the viva space at least 24 hours beforehand to familiarise themselves with the room if possible. This will not take long, just a few minutes to allow the student time to familiarise themselves with the room, and check that there are no accessibility issues. 
    • The norm is that all vivas are held in person. However, for accessibility reasons and reasonable adjustments the option of an online viva format to suit a specific student’s needs should be available.
    • Contact the student before the viva to see if they have any specific access needs. 
    • Ensure there is at least one break during the viva, roughly equating to 5 minute break for every 60 minutes of oral examination to be used in a way that suits the student’s needs.
    • Remind the student they can bring notes and an annotated copy of their thesis into the viva if they wish. 
    • Give students time to process each question and formulate their answers before expecting a response to each question; ask prompting questions if they seem to be struggling. Let students know at the start of the viva that they will have this time and that there is not an expectation for immediate answers.
    • Students and staff should be aware that supervisors may only attend vivas in exceptional circumstances. The candidate’s supervisor may attend the oral examination at the request of the candidate, subject to the prior agreement of the candidate and the examiners. If present, the supervisor must not participate in the discussions, questioning or assessment, though examiners may ask them to provide clarification on a specific matter, and should enter and leave the viva with the candidate and should not be present during any deliberations over the overall outcome of the assessment.