Under ECU policy, academics can only become a Principal Supervisor on a Higher Degree by Research (HDR) panel after they have had a successful completion as an associate supervisor. However there is an alternative pathway to principal supervision.
Supervisors who successfully participate in the year-long Principal Supervisor Accreditation Program (PSAP), hold appropriate qualifications, and are research active, can then be accredited as a Principal Supervisor at ECU.
The supervisors attend workshops and work individually with a senior mentor. They also create a reflective portfolio, share supervision tools and give a presentation on supervision to the wider university.
PSAP Keynotes – the first hour of the workshops is open to the wider ECU supervisor community, and includes invited Keynote Speakers.
Participants need to:
Participants will need support from their School to complete this program, as it involves a considerable commitment. They are asked to:
Participants in previous iterations of PSAP comment very positively on:
The workshops include keynote presentations, panels of experienced supervisors and hypotheticals. Topics include supporting students at all stages of candidature; ethics and research integrity; dealing with challenges; publication and co-authorship; student and disciplinary diversity, thesis examination processes, and planning for life after the thesis. The emphasis is on reflective, resilient, and adaptive supervision.
Bond University has also run a version of PSAP since 2017 and also reports very positive responses from their newly accredited Principal Supervisors.
If you are interested in PSAP, please talk to your Associate Dean Research and ask to be nominated for the following year’s program.
For more information please contact Dr Kate Howell, HDR Course Coordinator, Graduate Research or reseacher.development@ecu.edu.au