Minimum Standard of Resources and Facilities and other Support Provided for Research Higher Degree Students

Policy and Procedures

In deciding whether or not to accept a student, Schools must be mindful of the availability of resources within the time constraints imposed by limits to the student’s length of candidature and scholarship funding. The following represents a generally accepted minimum standard for research higher degree students

The Board of Higher Degrees by Research recognises that in addition to full-time on-campus students, research students may include (the list is not exhaustive):

• Residents of Townsville or Cairns but who are precluded from full-time candidature because of their employment or family commitments:

• Full-time research students who are based at other research institutions in the region for the purpose of completing a research degree;

• Full-time and part-time candidates who are off-campus for a specific research related purpose such as a field trip;

• Part-time and full-time students who elect to complete a proportion of their formal research program overseas;

• Full-time or part-time research students who are off-campus by virtue of their residence in another city;

• Full-time or part-time research students who are off-campus and resident in another country undertaking a conjoint program e.g., students in Rural Education programs, students enrolled under a co-tutelle agreement with another university.

It is noted that the supervision strategies, minimum resources requirements and duty of care responsibilities in the context of fieldwork are likely to differ for each of these categories of student. It is recognised that equity and duty of care must be seen to operate across all categories of student while they are enrolled at JCU.

a) Physical Facilities

The resources listed below should be available to all full-time students while on campus. Part-time and off-campus students should negotiate with the Head of School about their needs.

1. Guaranteed access to desk or bench space in a secure shared space dedicated to postgraduate and/or honours students. This space may be in a school or University facility. Infrastructure must comply with the University’s Workplace Health & Safety Policies. Schools with significant numbers of part-time and off-campus students should arrange to have suitably-equipped desk spaces which can be booked by such students on a short-term basis as required.

2. Bench space and access to suitably maintained scientific and technical equipment appropriate to the discipline in which the research is being conducted and complying with the University’s Workplace Health & Safety Policies. In particular, consideration must be given to the location and operation of this equipment to ensure that its use does not place the student at risk of injury.

3. Use of a lockable filing cabinet or locker adequate for the need of the individual student. . Schools with significant numbers of part-time and off-campus students should arrange to have filing cabinets and lockers which can be booked by such students on a short-term basis as required.

4. Every HDR student will require sole access to a desktop or laptop computer from the beginning of their candidature to write up their research. Under normal circumstances, JCU expects each HDR student to own a computer with web browser, email, word processing and spreadsheet capabilities and this requirement will be included in the letter of offer to each student. Schools should provide access to additional computing facilities appropriate to the project requirements of the individual student. eg. by having a pool of university –owned computers with specialist software and/or hardware appropriate to the discipline.

5. Access to computing facilities appropriate to the need of the individual student.

6. Reserved notice board and mailboxes.

7. Reasonable after hours access to facilities, subject to security, health and safety considerations.

b) Financial Assistance

The resources listed below should be available to all full-time on campus students; part-time on campus students should receive a pro-rata allocation. Off campus students should refer to section (d) Other Resources and Support.

Financial allocations will be available to assist in meeting the research costs of individual students as listed below.

Amount of support: Each school will budget a notional allocation totalling aminimum of $1,000 per research student EFTSL per annum to support the research students enrolled in the school on the basis of merit and project cost, taking account of funding from other sources. e.g., If the school has an HDR load of 30 EFTSLs the amount allocated should be at least $30,000 excluding external funding. All enrolled students should be included in this load, irrespective of the student’s RTS or fee-paying status. (If a student has exceeded his or her allocated RTS or fee-paying candidature period, the candidature should be managed by the school independently of this policy.)

Policy for allocation: A policy for expending these funds in each school shall be determined by a school committee (composed of 50% research student representation, excluding the chair) from time to time. This policy should be submitted to the Board of Higher Degrees by Research for formal approval.

Schools are discouraged from allocating the funding to students on a pro-rata basis irrespective of the external funding available to support their project. Some schools run competitive grant rounds for students twice a year administered by the school research committee. This practice has two advantages: it provides the students with practice in preparing grant proposals; (2) it provides staff with practice in assessing grant proposals. Allocations to students under this policy will be monitored by the relevant school.

Students who wish to undertake research, which cannot be adequately funded from this source and other school research funding, must have identified the need for and have a strong likelihood of additional funding from external sources for the duration of their degree, before their candidature is formally confirmed. Students must be aware that their project may not be viable if funding does not come through.

Relevant Research Costs

• Photocopying.

• Printing of thesis

• Internet charges related to the project including reasonable recompense for charges external to JCU in the case of off-campus students. Such recompense must be negotiated in advance on a case by case basis and approved by the relevant Head of School.

• Essential inter library loans and document delivery.

• Reasonable expenses for undertaking approved research at libraries and archives external to host campus.

• ISD and STD telephone calls and fax costs related to the project.

• Cost of access to service facilities.

• Data analysis and other specialised computer packages.

• Fieldwork expenses appropriate to the research project (sufficient to enable the research to be conducted in accordance with the University’s Workplace Health & Safety Policies).

• Laboratory consumables specific to the research project.

• Postage associated with essential research activities, eg. surveys.

• Substantial support towards attendance at one conference away from Townsville or Cairns during period of candidature (Only for PhD students presenting a paper at the conference.)

• Thesis costs if not met from external sources.

• Training costs to meet requirements of the University’s Workplace Health & Safety Policies.

Note: This list is not exhaustive. Other resources are listed under (d).

c) Participation in School/Faculty Research Culture

This section of the policy is most easily implemented for full-time on campus students and/or other students resident in Townsville or Cairns. All students are encouraged to network with their supervisor and colleagues through e-mail and electronic forms of dialogue such as tele-conferences, video-conferences, together with face to face social interaction where possible.

1. Involvement in a structured program of research seminars based on research being undertaken by students and faculty staff or other initiatives such as a postgraduate student conference.

2. Access to any distinguished visitors, either in-group seminars or on an individual basis.

3. Entree to any space (eg. reserved tearoom) provided for faculty staff.

4. Opportunities for social interaction with other honours and postgraduate students and faculty staff¹.

d) Other Resources and Support

All students at JCU have access to e-mail on enrolment. The other components of this section of the policy are most easily implemented for full-time on campus students and/or other students resident in Townsville or Cairns. Other students should negotiate with their Head of School. Resources will depend on the level of research funding obtained.

1. Internal and local telephone access. Note: Off campus students can contact their supervisors or other JCU staff at JCU via the Student Association’s free call number 1800 330 021 and ask for their calls to be forwarded.

2. E-mail account.

3. Reasonable access to basic stationery, eg. University letterhead, OHPs, ruled note pads, pens, computer disks and paper, subject to School rules and control. Off-campus students should have access to stationery during their visits to JCU.

4. Reasonable access to use of University vehicles, video and audio recording equipment etc, on certification by supervisor of relevance to program of research².

e) Orientation

This section of the policy is difficult to implement for students who are not resident in Townsville or Cairns. Orientation sessions should be held at weekends to facilitate attendance by part-time students. All students should have access to a School Research Student Handbook which outlines the procedures relevant to and entitlements of students in their school.

1. Both the schools and the Board of Higher Degrees by Research will be responsible for exposing students to an integrated orientation process. This process will be conducted in conjunction with the Postgraduate Students Association.

2. The Graduate Research School will provide enrolling students with information about the University’s policies pertaining to their candidature (including thesis examination and other relevant policies) eg. research ethics, intellectual property, copyright, sexual harassment, grievance procedures, sharing of responsibilities for the management of their candidature between the schools, the faculties and administration offices. This information required for successful candidature will be increasingly supplied by the Graduate Research School in electronic format.

3. The schools will provide specific information about student entitlements as described above, and how to access them. Desirably, a school induction package will also include the following:

a) A tour of the school’s facilities;

b) An introduction to relevant academic, technical and administrative staff, including the librarian appointed to assist the school’s research students;

c) Advice on how to contact the librarian appointed to assist the school’s research students;

d) Information on access to relevant training opportunities, eg. AARNET and computer training, workplace health and safety;

e) Information on procedures to resolve problems;

f) Information on opportunities for participation in School/Faculty decision making processes, including arrangements for electing student representatives to relevant School/Faculty committees;

g) Guidelines on ethical and safety procedures appropriate to the discipline³.

f) Compliance and Reporting

Each Head of School, through their Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor, will report annually to the Board of Higher Degrees by Research regarding compliance, or problems with compliance, with this policy.

The report by the Head of School (pro-forma attached) will be countersigned by the School’s Postgraduate Liaison Officer and forwarded through the Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor to the Board of Higher Degrees by Research by 31 December each year.

g) Performance Indicators

The Board of Higher Degrees by Research will review and note the percentages of Research Higher Degree Students on each campus who record overall satisfaction with the suitability of resources, facilities and other support in the ‘Postgraduate Research Students Annual Survey on the Quality of Supervision and Academic Support.’

¹ To provide opportunities for collegial informal interactions.

² Funded under (b) above.

³ In addition, a school/facility is required to provide relevant training to ensure that students comply with these safety procedures and other relevant University safety policies.

Approval Details

Modification History