Support and development

Graduate research supervision can at times be difficult or complicated, and supervisors are not expected to work in a vacuum. The university provides a broad support network that is there to help answer questions, to model expectations, and to provide advice. The institutional supports available to supervisors are as follows:

• Schools provide leadership in the expectations of graduate research through research activities (such as seminar series) held at discipline, department or school level. Your School Director of Research can provide more information about activities in your area.
• Each school has a dedicated Director of Graduate Research (DGR) who oversees higher degree research matters for the School, and can advise you on aspects of supervision procedure.
• Graduate Research Coordinators (GRCs) are appointed at Department/discipline level to assist the work of the SGRCs and support supervisors and research candidates.
• The Research Education and Development (RED) team in the Graduate Research School offers specific workshops and seminars to help La Trobe academics develop their capacity as graduate research supervisors.

Introduction to Graduate Research Supervision

If you are new to supervision or to La Trobe, or want to refresh your knowledge of supervision, the RED team provides an intensive Introduction to Graduate Research Supervision workshop that covers all the basics and provides academic staff with the chance to reflect on what being a supervisor means in their disciplinary context. These workshops are face-to-face, and are held across various campuses on a rolling cycle.

Supervisor Development Program

The Supervisor Development Program (SDP) is a semester-long series of interactive, online workshops that aim to provide graduate research supervisors at La Trobe with knowledge and resources that will enhance their supervision practice. The SDP responds to the La Trobe Strategic Plan and the Graduate Researcher Experience and Wellbeing Plan by helping supervisors to build shared understandings of supervision practice that will enhance the research training experience and promote timely and effective completions.

The SDP workshops are organised in a sequence of four staged topics. It is recommended that participants aim to access the workshops in sequence over the course of a single semester. Participants are welcome to repeat any of the workshops at any time to reinforce specific aspects of their supervision practice.

Chairing Progress Committees

The Progress Committee Chair plays a pivotal role in supporting graduate research candidates and ensuring the success of their research endeavours.

The purpose of these workshop is to provide Progress Committee Chairs with an opportunity to develop their knowledge of the requirements of the role, and to share their experience with other Chairs from across the university.

Managing Expectations and Relationships in Supervision

These workshops are offered separately in two cohorts for candidates and supervisors, which aims to empower all members of the supervision team with strategies for effective communication and expectations management.

Respectful relationships in Graduate Research Supervision

These workshops aim to engender mutually positive and respectful interaction in graduate research supervision. This workshop is recommended for anyone involved in research training, and is offered in specific iterations for candidates, supervisors, and professional staff (pleased see event listing for correct cohort details).

For information on other workshops, please visit the RED Workshops page