Supporting Progress

Supervisor Responsibilities

• Meet regularly with the graduate student (no less than once per term) and be reasonably accessible at other times throughout the supervisory journey. 
• Convene an annual meeting of the supervisory committee
  • Typically occurs in the spring
  • Evaluate the student’s Progress Report and submit a copy of the completed report to the Graduate Program Director after the meeting.
  • The Progress Report should also clearly identify the challenges, if any, facing the student, including considerations for students with disability.
• Be reasonably accessible to the student for consultation and discussion of the student’s academic progress and research problems.
  • The frequency of such meetings will vary according to the discipline involved and the stage and nature of the student’s work, but should normally occur at once a month, and never less than once each term.
• The Strong Start to Supervision Checklist (pdf) represents a curated list of key discussion topics to be discussed during regular supervisory meetings. 

Minimum Meeting Frequency Recommendations

At York, graduate supervisors are expected to be reasonably accessible to their student for consultation and discussion of the student’s academic progress and research problems.

The frequency of such meetings will vary according to the discipline involved and the stage and nature of the student’s work but should normally occur once a month and never less than once each term.

Additionally, supervisors should encourage supervisory committee members to meet with the graduate student to discuss their specific areas of contribution to the student’s work. Supervisors can assist graduate students to secure these meetings and in setting agenda items.

Planning Meetings

A successful supervisor-student meeting requires preparation from parties, including developing a co-constructed agenda with space for follow up from past meetings.

The meeting should include:

• Time for an informal check-in and have a set start and finish time.  
• Helpful agenda items such as the provision of progress updates from the student, establishing or refining next-step goals, programmatic and FGS milestone timelines, and where work has been submitted in advance of the meeting, the provision of oral constructive feedback to augment written feedback. 
• Specific requests for assistance, being prepared to discuss challenges, establishing trust, demystifying policies, linking to resources and ensuring a professional and respectful environment where both parties can openly discuss needs and ask questions.
• Supervisory dyads are encouraged to make use of the Meeting Agenda template (docx) and Meeting Notes template (docx). Ensuring congruence in what was discussed, and next steps contributes to the wellbeing of the student and supervisor. 

Annual Progress Reports

It is clearly established that completion rates are enhanced and average completion and withdrawal times reduced if supervisory committees meet regularly.

For the express purpose of annual progress discussion and reporting, supervisory committees must meet at least annually with each student, usually in the spring, and carefully evaluate the student’s activities and progress, keeping in mind any delays attributable to disability related circumstances.

Therefore, supervisors should convene an annual meeting of the supervisory committee and submit a signed copy of the completed report to the Graduate Program Director after the meeting. Apart from highlighting the student’s academic progress thus far, the Progress Report should also clearly identify the challenges, if any, facing the student, including accommodation considerations for students with disability .

Supervisors are asked to check with each student’s program, to determine the specific form or online platform in use for annual progress reports.

Remote Supervision

While supervisory styles vary, supervision at a distance requires higher structure and higher support. Distance from supervisors, programs and peers creates additional burden for students to self-organize, necessitating proactive structure as supervisory practice.

• Co-develop and maintain regularly scheduled meetings with graduate students.
  • Co-develop an agenda ahead of regularly scheduled meetings. Use the meeting agenda template (docx) under communication resources in the Graduate Supervision Toolkit.
  • Keep informal contact going, e.g., periodic emails to check in or provide support.
• Prioritize the time you schedule to meet with your graduate student online. Communicate your work schedule to people staying with you at home, to facilitate your full attention during remote supervisory meetings.
• Considerations of the student’s right to privacy, despite taking a meeting in their personal home environment, are the responsibility of the supervisor to protect. At times, a student may need to have their camera off, so having this discussion and setting this as an acceptable option when needed is important.

Some helpful remote tips

• Send documents in advance of the meeting and agree on an agenda. As with face-to-face supervisory meetings, documents should be sent several days in advance of the meeting so that participants can read them and be fully prepared to discuss them. While screen sharing is a useful tool, it should be used sparingly, and it is not a replacement for giving someone time to read documents ahead of time.
• Take time to start with a general check-in. Start each remote meeting with a quick catch up about your lives outside of work and research provided you both wish to share. Not only will this help you to understand each other better, the supervisory meeting fosters connection between your student and the university.
• Choose a mode of communication that works for you both. This can be via phone, or online platforms such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom. Access to internet bandwidth must be considered as video conferencing requires a connection stronger than some students have access to.
• Remember the time difference. When setting up a supervisory meeting across countries, consider time differences and strive to meet during typical hours that the institution is open unless your student requires a bit earlier or later. Their comfort and privacy concerns as well as yours, are to be considered.
• Keep records and check understanding. Taking notes of the key points covered in remote supervisory meetings can be shared or rotated. Follow up with email agreements related to follow up actions via email.

Towards Degree Completion

Consistent check-ins on your student's academic progress and overall wellness are vital to helping them achieve timely program completion.

• Schedule regular meetings to provide an opportunity to review the quality and advancement of the student's work.
• Offer constructive feedback and provide support and guidance.
• Identify any challenges the student may be encountering and direct them to appropriate resources or support services.