Supportive and Knowledgeable are among the top ten characteristics of graduate students’ ideal supervision

The Supervision and Graduate Program Experience Survey shed light on graduate student experiences with supervision and their graduate program

Understanding the experiences between graduate students and their supervisors is key to improve the quality of academic research at the University of Calgary. However, scant formal research was done on this topic for the University of Calgary graduate student community until the four researchers, Dr. Michele Jacobsen, Sonja Johnston, Alex Paquette and Tanille Butler, two former GSA Board Directors, teamed up and launched the first ever modern in-depth student-supervisor survey in 2022, followed by the 2nd survey in 2023.

The first version of the survey was launched in the spring of 2022 with 762 graduate students participated to produce encouraging preliminary results on the top characteristics of ideal supervision and effective supervision.

The second version of the survey was launched in spring 2023, and 775 students participated.

Ideal Supervision

Almost 500 survey participants weighed in and identified the top characteristics of ideal supervision: Supportive – On Your Side No Matter What; High Personal Regard for Students; Effective Communication; Committed to Students’ Professional Development; Provides Regular Constructive Feedback; A Good Listener; Knowledgeable About Program Requirements. According to graduate students, ideal supervisors are invested in student well-being and guidance.

Effective Supervision Contributors

The survey findings also help Dr. Jacobsen’s team to explore the five key ideas: Mental Health and Wellness, Good Match, Funding and Recognition, Safe Spaces, and Meeting Frequently and how these ideas impact effective supervision. In her blog on this topic, she expands upon the importance of health and wellness, the need for a trusting relationship basing on individual support, the continuous communication, strong funding model, and the role of the departments’ community to establish a safe and inclusive space.

What Counts in Communication

Another important aspect of effective supervision is communication. Sonja Johnston, PhD Candidate in Learning Sciences at the University of Calgary, reflects on the survey findings and her own experience and growth as doctoral candidate. The 2022 survey findings indicate that a large majority of graduate students agreed they were comfortable approaching their supervisor to schedule additional meetings as needed. Secondly, only half of the students indicated their supervisor communicated information about grants, scholarships, and awards that they were eligible for. Lastly, approximately a quarter of students indicated their supervisor did not take an interest by asking about their progress with coursework, and another one-third disagreed that their supervisor had taken time to get to know more about them and their interests. (Source: What Counts in Communication)

She concurs, “what counts in communication is a relationship of authentic trust and respect – mutually shared between the student and supervisor. If the relationship is framed as professional colleagues, the roles and responsibilities may differ, but respect and accountability for both people involved creates the space for endless possibility!”.

“We are very interested in what graduate students have to say about their experiences in graduate school. It is vital that graduate students are given opportunities to freely share perspectives and feedback on their experiences with supervision, their program and the university. Graduate student voices can highlight the practices, designs and systems that support their learning, persistence, and progress toward graduation, along with uncovering any challenges or roadblocks to their success and satisfaction in graduate school.”

– Dr. Michele Jacobsen, Werklund School of Education.

Dr. Jacobsen and her research team are launching the 3^rd Supervision and Graduate Program Experience Survey on May 1, 2024.. Graduate students can fill out the survey URL to help the team further understand the student-supervisor relationship at the University of Calgary.

Supervision Blogs Profile Findings:

To mask or not to mask?: A story of a neurodivergent graduate student in STEM: https://michelejacobsen.ca/mask-or-not-mask-neurodivergence/

Building Skills Beyond the Dissertation: Professional development and mentorship for graduate students’ diverse career paths: https://michelejacobsen.ca/professional-development-and-networking/

To Conference or Not to Conference? Reflections on the Value and Costs of Academic Conferencing for Graduate Students: https://michelejacobsen.ca/value-costs-academic-conferencing/

Let’s Talk about What Counts in Communication: https://michelejacobsen.ca/what-counts-in-communication/