There may be instances during your candidature where a change of supervisor becomes necessary. This could be due to reasons such as illness, leave, relocation to another institution, or other unforeseen circumstances that render a supervisor unavailable. Additionally, if the relationship between you and your supervisor becomes unsatisfactory, it may be necessary to explore alternative arrangements.
In such situations, it's advisable to initiate a discussion with your current supervisor first to address any concerns and explore potential solutions.
If you find it challenging to communicate directly with your supervisor, you can seek guidance and support from your School Coordinator or Associate Dean (Research) or Dean, Graduate Research. They can assist you in navigating the process and making appropriate arrangements for a change of supervisor if necessary.
Changing or adding supervisors to your team can be done by completing an online Nomination of Supervisors form. The form must be initiated by an ECU staff member through the Online Forms and Workflow application, accepted by all supervisors in the panel and approved by your Dean of School or nominee. For more information about the process, staff should refer to the Nomination of Supervisors web page.
While the final allocation of a supervisor will be confirmed by your School, it’s in your interest to take an active role in identifying a supervisor you would like to work with. Use the Find a supervisor tool to identify potential supervisors.
Your supervisor cannot be a member of your family or someone who is in or was in a close personal relationship with you.
In many cases, only you and/or your supervisor(s) will be aware of the close personal relationship or potential conflict of interest. It is a joint responsibility to advise a senior member of staff if a potential or actual conflict of interest occurs.
More information about personal relationships and conflict of interest can be found in the University’s policy on Conflicts of Interest.
If you’re experiencing difficulties with supervision you should initially try to resolve the problem through discussion with your supervisor. If this is unsatisfactory, or not possible, you should discuss the matter first with your School Coordinator, then, if necessary, with your Associate Dean (Research).
If the problem can’t be resolved through discussion at these levels, you can lodge a written complaint with the Dean, Graduate Research. If you’re still dissatisfied with the decision after an investigation by the Dean, you may appeal against that ruling to the Committee of Review.
Following submission of your thesis for examination, you may appeal against aspects of the examination process or outcome of the examination, but not against aspects of supervision. Therefore, it is essential to attempt to resolve supervision issues as early as possible.