Statement of Provision

Supervision

Research students have at least two named supervisors, one of whom can be external to the University. In many cases, only the principal supervisor is formally appointed prior to the student's arrival, with the second supervisor agreed once the direction of the work becomes more precisely defined, usually within the student's first term. Specific arrangements between supervisors and students, e.g., the frequency and nature of meetings, depend very much on the individuals concerned. Typically, you should expect to have meetings with your supervisor or a member of the supervisory team with a frequency of at least once a fortnight averaged across the year. Supervisors are intended to be the first point of reference for the student in the Department; students also have a college tutor responsible for your general well-being.

The role of a supervisor is both to stimulate the student's thinking and provide guidance in the implementation and reporting of research. A personal development plan will be drafted for each student to achieve this aim. Supervisors can assist competent, industrious and dedicated students to make good progress and submit a good thesis within the requisite period: two years in the case of a research MSc, or three in the case of DPhil. A supervisor cannot and should not be a substitute for adequate thought, work or application on the part of the student. Good supervision, therefore, assists able students to acquire, over the defined period of their degree, the ability to successfully initiate, effect and report, both in writing and orally, their own independent research, and eventually to direct the research of others. Very few students can achieve the necessary standards without the help of a supervisor; no supervisor can make much progress unless the student is both talented and hardworking.

The Division's Code of Practice on the Supervision of Graduate research Students is available at: http://www.mpls.ox.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/5963/Code-of-Supervision-TT10-updated-Sept-10.pdf

Induction arrangements

You will have departmental induction before the beginning of your first term. The main induction to the department is provided at the start of Michaelmas Term. Other arrangements will be made for students starting at other times of the year. Your supervisor(s) will arrange more specialised induction subsequently.

Workspace

Workspace will be related to individual circumstances. For your experimental work you will be provided with bench space in a laboratory, for your writing etc. you will be allocated a space in a shared office.

IT support/ library facilities/ experimental facilities

You will have access to a computer, and the Departmental Intranet run by the Departmental Computing Service, who will also provide you with IT support. In addition to the RSL and other university libraries, and the centrally provided electronic resources, you will have access to the Plant Sciences Library and Forestry Information Service (part of the main Library Service), which is housed in the Plant Sciences building and carries all the key plant-related books, journals and other literature. Library staff will explain the functioning of the University Library Service during induction week. A University card will give you access to all Bodleian-run libraries, the Radcliffe Science Library is probably the most relevant. The Plant Sciences Library needs sight of this card before allowing out-of-hours access. Your college will have information on the procedures necessary to obtain a card.

Research seminars

You will have access to the seminars that individual research groups or groups with common areas of interest organise for their own members and others. You are entitled to attend any University lecture; timetables for each term are published as Lecture Lists, and updated in the weekly University Gazette; both documents are available in the library. You should also check Departmental and College noticeboards for notices of other lectures, seminars, meetings, etc. You are expected to attend the Departmental Research Seminars, held in the Large Lecture Theatre at 4 pm on Thursdays during term.

Access to research funds

You will be provided with sufficient funding to carry out your research programme. Students are encouraged to attend relevant scientific conferences and meetings. Depending on the circumstances, funding agencies and/or the Department may contribute towards expenses; you should enquire through your supervisor in the first instance. Most colleges are able to offer some contribution to such costs at least once during your degree; your college tutor, or tutor responsible for graduate students, would usually be the point of inquiry. There may also be occasions where your group/supervisor or the Department will pay for you to attend specialised courses, or visit other laboratories. Neither the Department nor your group/supervisor expect to cover the costs of producing, printing and binding your thesis.

Graduate skills training

You will have the opportunity to attend a variety of skills training sessions offered by the Department, as appropriate to the different stages of your graduate career. These include courses on statistics, bioinformatics and presentation. The MPLS Division also organises courses and career planning events, details of which are emailed to students via their departments. Information about transferable skills training is provided in the division's WebLearn site https://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/portal/hierarchy/mpls/mplsdiv/skills/

Information about divisional training and other courses offered across the University is also available through the Skills Portal at http://www.skillsportal.ox.ac.uk/

This site provides information about transferable skills development for research students and research staff at Oxford University, and includes a searchable database of skills training opportunities, links to articles on subjects such as project management, teaching and career planning, and message boards for asking questions and discussing issues with other researchers. An online Personal Development Planning System also is available through the Skills Portal.

Opportunities for developing and practising teaching skills (for second and third year graduates)

The University has established a Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), which will support the development of research students who wish to follow an academic career, including training in teaching skills. The Department will be joining the CETL scheme in October of this year (2007). Demonstrating and tutoring are considered valuable experience, but are usually best avoided in the first and last six months of the degree. Research Councils stipulate a maximum load of six hours in any week; you may not commit yourself to demonstrating or tutoring without your supervisor's approval. A one day course run by the Zoology and Plant Sciences Departments will be available to provide training for research students in tutorial teaching and lab demonstrations. This course is compulsory for any student wishing to demonstrate or give tutorials.

Arrangements for accommodation, meals and social facilities on a year round basis

Department:
Beverages are available from the Departmental Common Room from 10.30 to 11.l5 am and from 3.30 to 4.15 pm. Outside these times hot drinks can be purchased from a vending machine in the Common Room. Snacks and cold drinks are also available from vending machines adjacent to the Common Room. The Common Room is of course available to you at all times. The nearest cafeteria is 'Darwin's' in the Zoology Department, where meals etc. may be purchased using a card system.

Departmental seminars and colloquia bring research students together with academic and other research staff in the department to hear about on-going research, and provide an opportunity for networking and socialising.

College:
Many colleges will be able to provide you with at least one year's accommodation. Generally speaking your college will provide meals throughout the year, but provision will vary from college to college, especially during vacations, and you will need to familiarise yourself with your college's detailed arrangements. In addition there are usually self-catering facilities available in graduate accommodation. You will be a member of the Middle Common Room, or equivalent, of your college, which is the main social centre for graduates. The MCR provides a common room and usually organises a programme of social events throughout the year. The college will also provide a bar, some computing facilities and a library, and may often have dedicated funds for research (conference and field grants). It also represents the interests of its members to the college through an elected Committee or through elected representatives to College Committees. Again, details will vary from college to college. Graduates are also welcome to participate in all other social and sporting activities of the college. Please see individual college websites for further details about all aspects of college provision.

Central:
Graduate Research Students may become members of the University Club in Mansfield Road, and participate in the range of sporting activities provided by the University.

Pastoral and welfare support

Department:
Within the Department, your supervisor, Director of Graduate Studies and Academic Administrator are all available to offer support. Plant Sciences does not have a Graduate Joint Consultative Committee, but the Graduate Studies Committee meets regularly with all graduates to discuss matters of concern.

Students who are unhappy with any aspect of their work, or their situation within the Department are encouraged to actively discuss the relevant issue with both their supervisors in the first instance. Students also have direct access to members of the Graduate Studies Committee and are welcome to discuss any relevant issues with them, but should do so in conjunction with discussion with their supervisors. Supervisors who receive complaints are encouraged to discuss these with the Director of Graduate Studies who may wish to involve, and further discuss the issue with the Head of Department.

College:
There is an extensive framework of support for graduates within each college. Your college will allocate to you a College Advisor from among its Senior Members, usually in a cognate subject, who will arrange to see you from time to time and whom you may contact for additional advice and support on academic and other matters. In college you may also approach the Tutor for Graduates and/or the Senior Tutor for advice. The Tutor for Graduates is a fellow of the college with particular responsibility for the interests and welfare of graduate students. In some colleges, the Senior Tutor will also have the role of Tutor for Graduates. Each college will also have other named individuals who can offer individual advice. The University also has a professionally staffed confidential Student Counselling Service which offers assistance with personal, emotional, social and academic problems.

Central:
The University provides a Student Counselling Service (http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/shw/counserv.shtml) and Careers Service (http://www.careers.ox.ac.uk/).