Humanities and Social Sciences

English Program

Postgraduate Studies

Information for Postgraduates

University Regulations

It is important that you should be familiar with the specific requirements for the degree for which you are enrolled. You should have received from the Research and Graduate Studies Office a booklet entitled Information for Supervisors and Candidates for Higher Degrees by Research which should answer all your questions. The RGSO web site also contains up to date information and you can download most forms.

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Supervision

University regulations state that you should, if full-time, be seeing your supervisor at least once a month. You should make arrangements for regular contact with your supervisor: naturally these arrangements need to be flexible, but English is committed to maintaining close and caring supervision of all research students and you may choose to meet your supervisor fortnightly if you wish. Part-time students may see their supervisor less regularly: we would normally expect you to see your supervisor at least once every two months if you are part time.

Supervision requires both supervisor and student to recognise and respect mutual rights and obligations. You have a right of access to your supervisor as set out above. You have a right to expect written work to be returned with comments within a reasonable period of time. You need to recognise that all academic staff have heavy commitments throughout the year and you should ensure that you give your supervisor adequate notice if you expect her/him to read a large amount of work in any given time. In the case of co-supervisors, you need to make an equitable arrangement with both the people supervising you, as they cannot allow you the equivalent of twice as much time as someone with only one supervisor.

Your supervisor will almost certainly be on leave or otherwise absent for part of your candidature: you can expect that we will ensure that you have a suitable supervisor during this period of time.

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Progress Reports

The university requires you to fill in a progress report each your in consultation with your supervisor. You should ensure that you record on the form any circumstances which may have impeded your progress.

We expect you to produce a substantial piece of work of around 10,000 words during your first year of candidature if full time, or first 18 months if part time. This need not be a perfectly polished piece of work, but it should be the equivalent of a draft chapter (or more). This work will be read by both your supervisor and another staff member, to ensure that you receive detailed feedback, to ensure that a member of staff other than your supervisor is familiar with your work, and to allow us to assess your initial progress.

Postgraduate Coordinator

Dr Alison Ravenscroft, HU2, room 505, phone 9479 2813 email a.ravenscroft@latrobe.edu.au. Please phone or email to make an appointment to discuss any issues at any time.

Usually, the Postgraduate Coordinator tries to meet individually with each student before the annual progress reports are due.

The Postgraduate Coordinator has the responsibility of keeping postgraduates informed on all matters affecting their candidature and supervision, and of providing advice and assistance as needed.

MA Coursework students should note that all matters affecting the administration of 4/5 seminars are handled by the Honours Coordinator (Dr Paul Salzman), but they may at any time approach the Postgraduate Coordinator.

Social activities and special postgraduate seminars are organised by the student Postgraduate Committee.

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Sick Leave

If you are ill during your candidature you should fill in an application for sick leave (this may be retrospective). (The form can be obtained from research and graduate studies or downloaded from their web site.) This is important as it will ensure that the time of your candidature (and scholarship, if you have one) will be adjusted accordingly.

Note that there are also provisions for maternity leave (paid for scholarship holders) and more details can be obtained from the postgraduate coordinator or research and graduate studies office.

University support for Postgraduate Research

The capacity of the School to assist postgraduate students in funding research costs (including conference travel) is minimal at present. The Faculty does make research grants to postgraduates as well as staff. Students should think carefully about their funding needs (which may include conference travel) and discuss them early with their supervisors. Currently, if sufficient funds are available the Faculty will fund a postgraduate up to $2400 over the period of MA or PhD candidature. (MA Coursework students are not eligible for research grants.)

Application forms are obtained from the English office. There will be a call for applications. In general, funding is currently only being given for travel vital to a student's research and funding for conferences is rarely available.

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Program support for Postgraduate Research

Study accommodation

Unfortunately, the amount of study/office accommodation that English is able to offer to postgraduate students is restricted. You are also entitled to book study carrels in the library.

Use of computers

All postgraduate rooms have at least one computer for shared use and English's computer room currently has two computers (one PC and one Mac) which postgraduates may use. The Faculty Office also has a computer room for use by postgraduates. Contact the Faculty Office for more information.

Photocopying

English allows each student to photocopy 480 pages free of charge. Copying in excess of this figure is charged at the rate of 5 cents per page and is usually billed at the end of the year. Each student will be allocated a pin number to access the photocopier.

Mail and Email

English will provide pigeon holes in the Mail Room for all postgraduates. Notices, newsletters and all mail will normally be left there. All postgraduates are able to set up an email account, please get forms from the University web site.

List of students

A list of all postgraduates enrolled in English (MA Coursework; MA Research; PhD), showing names, topics, supervisors, is available for consultation in the main office. You need to provide any change of address or other updates on a regular basis to the Administrative Officer.

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Seminars

During semester, weekly seminars specifically for postgraduates are held. You are urged to attend these and to take the opportunity to test out your work in progress by offering a paper. The program will be circulated and seminar times are currently Thursdays at 11.00. A Saturday afternoon seminar/social occasion will also be arranged each semester. Please contact the organisers for further details.

Note that English also has regular seminars presented by staff members and visiting academics usually held on a Thursday at 2.00pm. You are warmly invited to attend these (and indeed any other seminar that interests you held within the university).

Library Assistance

The Borchardt Library is well equipped, and the staff are most helpful. Local graduates should be fully aware of the services that are available, but newcomers to La Trobe are encouraged to contact Valerie Forbes of the Reference Division of the library.

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Employment

Under university regulations students may engage in some part-time employment when they are enrolled full-time. The university itself will employ students up to a maximum of 8 hours per week (or up to 240 hours a year).

Teaching

Postgraduate students in English are given priority for any casual teaching available. If you are interested you should fill out an application form available from the office: owing to the way the budget is managed, casual teaching often has to be arranged at short notice, but normally postgraduate applications are assessed by the Program's Appointments and Promotions Committee, which will take into account supervisors' recommendations, the applicant's progress, and the needs of the subjects which have vacancies. The Program will also arrange a session of teaching techniques with the Academic Development Unit, available to all postgraduate students, at least once each year: for details, contact the Postgraduate Coordinator.

Counselling

The University Counselling Service is available free of charge to all students. If you are having problems with your study, you can of course discuss them with your supervisor or the Postgraduate Coordinator, but you should feel free to approach the Counselling Service at any time.

Contacts

Your administrative contact in the Program is Christine Burns ph. 9479 2390; email c.burns@latrobe.edu.au.

The Program Coordinator is Dr Sue Martin ph. 9479 1205; email s.martin@latrobe.edu.au

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