PG Officer Blog

Top 10: PGR Supervision

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:21:52 +0100

Because "Have You Spoken to Your Supervisor?" Can Only Solve So Much

If you're a postgraduate researcher, chances are your supervisor is one of the most important people in your university journey.

They guide your research, challenge your thinking, help you navigate academia, and occasionally send emails that make you question everything you've done for the last six months. No pressure.

That's exactly why PGR Supervision is one of the Students' Union's Top Ten priorities this year. Good supervision can make a PhD an incredible experience. Poor supervision? Well... let's just say there's a reason people keep bringing it up.

Before we get to the work, I just want to say I am so thankful to all the support from staff, students, reps, PVCs to further this top 10 item. Special thanks to Associate PVC Research Joe Devine (the lead for this Top 10) and interim PVC Research Emma Carmel (the UEB sponsor for this top 10) for their contributions. None of this would be happening without them.

So, here's what we've been working on this year.

Through consultations, discussions, workshops, and feedback from PGRs, we're making supervision a central conversation rather than something that only gets discussed when things go wrong.
A New Supervision Framework Is in the Works. One of the biggest developments this year has been the creation of a new supervision paper. Exciting? Maybe not. Important? Absolutely. The paper has been written by Associate PVC Research (Doctoral), consulted on by postgraduate researchers, UDSC, PG Officer, academics, Directors of Studies, and professional services colleagues and is currently in the final draft stage before moving through governance processes.
PGR Voices Are Shaping the Changes. PGRs have been involved throughout the consultation process, ensuring proposed changes reflect real experiences rather than assumptions. Because nobody understands supervision better than the people experiencing it every day.
Supervisor Training. Supervision workshops have been running throughout the academic year, helping supervisors develop skills and share best practices. We are looking at reviewing them, measuring impact, covering gaps, and their continuation.
Supervision in practice. One question we've been asking is: "How do we know good supervision on paper is actually good supervision in practice?" It's an important conversation. Supervisor nominations and records provide useful information, but they don't always capture the full student experience. We're continuing to explore how we can better understand and monitor what supervision actually looks like for researchers.
Agreement of expectations. One of the most common causes of supervision difficulties is mismatched expectations. You think meetings should happen every two weeks. Your supervisor thinks "whenever necessary" is a schedule. Neither of you are technically wrong, but somebody is definitely frustrated. That's why work is underway to introduce clearer agreements around expectations from next academic year, helping both supervisors and students understand their responsibilities from the beginning.
Academic Milestones Reviewed. Another area of focus has been academic milestones and changes are being introduced as an outcome of the E2E after being consulted and approved by PGR UDSC reps, PG Officer and UDSC committee.
The End-to-End Project Is Still a Priority. Discussions continue around the future of End-to-End (E2E) developments and how best to support the postgraduate research experience.

Next steps:

Supporting the finalisation of the supervision paper
Reviewing the impact of supervisor workshops
?Introducing agreement of expectations and changes to academic milestones
?Making sure PGR voices remain central to every discussion

Sanya Jethwani

Students' Union Postgraduate Officer 25/26

Top 10: PGT Careers

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 11:16:41 +0100

One of the things I've heard repeatedly throughout the year is that postgraduate students want more careers support that feels relevant to them.

Not generic advice. Not something aimed at first-year undergraduates. Something that recognises that postgraduate students often arrive with different goals, experiences and expectations.

We have made great progress this year and I want to say a great thanks to the Careers team who have been the sole reason why we have been able to make such positive impact- Helen Stringer (top 10 lead, Director of Employability and Student Success), Ghislaine Dell (Head of Careers), and Cassie Wilson (top 10 sponsor, PVC Student Experience and Sport). They have been just fabulous to work with!

Getting on, this is what the Careers team and the SU have been working on this year.

1.Careers Panels. This year we've delivered 13 sector-specific careers panels covering everything from robotics and sustainability to finance and consulting, which were now extended to PGs as well. They've attracted more than 500 student attendances, giving postgraduate students the opportunity to hear directly from professionals, alumni and employers working in industries they're actually interested in.

2.Dedicated PGT Careers Events. We have tried to map out times of the year where PGT Specific career events would have maximum impact. There is one planned for June, between finishing taught content and fully disappearing into dissertation or project mode. The aim is to create something tailored to postgraduate students and the questions many of you are asking about employability, graduate opportunities, and future career pathways.

3.Making Careers Support More Visible. A recurring theme throughout the year has been students telling us: "I didn't know that existed." Whether it's careers appointments, CV support, employer events, workshops or networking opportunities, there's often far more available than students realise.

The challenge isn't always creating support. Sometimes it's making sure people actually know it exists. That's why we've been working with colleagues across the university to improve communication and increase visibility of careers opportunities.

Yes, we made careers content for Instagram. No, it wasn't just someone pointing at floating text while trending audio played in the background, I got them to Dance :P

Our recent careers-focused social media content has reached over 8k views combined, with the dancing reel reaching over 5k views.

4. SUmmit standpoint on employability passed. This was passed by Sanya Jethwani (PG officer 25/26) in SUmmit of April 2026 to ensure that PG and international students employability remains on the radar of priorities even outside the top 10 and the officer’s term.

5. Global Employability Hub. This is focused on supporting international students, and anyone interested in working internationally, to make the most of their time at Bath. It brings together practical tools to explore global career opportunities, understand how employment varies across countries, and build the skills and awareness needed to succeed in an international context. The aim is to help students think more globally about their future and feel more confident navigating different career pathways.

6. Learning From What Doesn't Work. Not every initiative has been a success. One careers panel aimed specifically at PGT Computer Science students had to be cancelled due to low bookings, despite us securing three fantastic international alumni speakers. That was disappointing. But it was also useful.

Part of representation is understanding not only what students ask for, but also how they engage with opportunities when they're offered. We're now reviewing how events are promoted and exploring better ways to reach students who would benefit from them. Because opportunities only matter if students know they're there.

Building networks, developing skills, exploring career options and gaining experience can start long before graduation. You don't need to have a five-year plan mapped out. You don't even need to know exactly what you want to do. Most people don't.

What matters is giving yourself opportunities to explore possibilities and build confidence along the way.

This Is just the beginning. Ultimately, the goal isn't simply to run careers events. It's to help postgraduate students feel more informed, more confident, and better prepared for whatever comes next.

That might be a graduate role, it might be a PhD, it might be starting a business, changing industries, or pursuing something completely unexpected. For some (like me) it can even mean doing a second master’s :p

Everyone's path looks different. Our job is to make sure postgraduate students have access to the support, opportunities and information they need to make informed decisions about theirs.

What's Next?

Keep an eye out for:

Upcoming careers panels
Dedicated PGT Careers Event in June
More careers content across social media
Opportunities to connect with alumni and employers
New ways to engage with Careers and Employability services
Global Employability Hub

Sanya Jethwani

Students' Union Postgraduate Officer 25/26

My Officer Life Like It’s a Movie – Pt 3:

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 15:40:52 +0100

Hi! I’m Sanya, your Postgraduate Officer. Welcome to my blog where I take you through my officer journey like it’s a movie (it really is).

Three months in, and honestly? My calendar looks like a game of Tetris, but I’m thriving (mostly).

Its giving.. Advocacy Core

The last few weeks have been all about campaigns and advocacy, making sure student concerns are brought to the front of the line.

The Plot Lines

Working with the Officer Team to finalise the SU’s Top 10 priorities, making sure postgrads are front and centre.
Attending university meetings like the Education and Academic Board (EAB) meeting.
Linking up with Doctoral College staff, academic and doctoral reps, and support teams to build better resources for PGs.
Managing social media and shooting reels, and no, I won’t stop until we go viral. Go engage ??
Setting up and planning the launch of the PG Network (watch this space – it’s going to be iconic ??)
Planning pre-arrivals and events specially for international and PG students to make sure the best fresher’s week experience.

Main Character Moments:

Attending my first ever Board of Trustees meeting as an Officer Trustee (yes, I wore the blazer, yes, it was a moment)
Being interviewed by BBC Radio about my journey from international student to PG Officer, all in less than a year! Still pinching myself over that one. You can listen to that interview here! Manny Masih - 25/08/2025 - BBC Sounds

If you’re a postgrad, I’m here to make your SU experience bigger, better, and a little more fun. Whether you’re researching, writing, or just surviving, you deserve to feel part of a community.

See you in Part 4 with same snacks, new spreadsheets ??

Sanya <3

My Officer Life Like It’s a Movie: Pt 2

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 14:56:19 +0100

Hi! I’m Sanya, your Postgraduate Officer. Welcome to my blog where I take you through my officer journey like it’s a movie (it really is).

Its giving.. Trustee Era

The last few weeks have been focused on my role as a director and trustee of this charity. Governance is a big responsibility but I feel a lot more confident stepping into this new role now.

Two Months In – The Plot Thickens

Travelling to Birmingham for Trustee Training Day - learning the legal and strategic side of being a trustee, while also networking with officers and trustees from other SUs.
Attending the NUS Campaign Day at Bath Spa with all the South West SUs – a day of collaboration, networking, sharing ideas, and collectively agreeing we all need more snacks at events.
Shaping our Top 10 SU priorities, making sure PG needs stay front and centre.

Main Character Moments:

Sitting on the interview panel with Benji (SU President) and Ryan (CEO) to recruit our next Student Trustee.
Completing Lumina Sparks training, where we learned about each other’s personalities (spoiler: I’m apparently both “sunshine” and “post-it notes everywhere)
Filming a lot of Instagram reels for the SU socials (seriously, go watch them) @thesubathpg

If you’re a postgrad, I’m here to make your SU experience bigger, better, and a little more fun. So email me, grab me at an event, or just send me memes.

Until Part 3…

With snacks, spreadsheets & trustee lingo,

Sanya <3

My Officer Life Like It’s a Movie: Pt 1

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 10:08:59 +0100

Hi! I’m Sanya, your new Postgraduate Officer – and yes, I am very much still processing the fact that this is real.

It’s Giving… Hopeful Chaos

Everyone keeps asking, “How’s it going?” and honestly, it’s giving “ambitious girlie with a dream and an Outlook Calendar”. I’m excited, nervous, and ready to take on! I feel incredibly lucky to be working alongside such warm, welcoming staff and colleagues and I honestly couldn’t have asked for a friendlier officer team. (P.S. We are the most attractive dream team. Just saying.)

One month in and so far, my role has been a whirlwind of:

Back-to-back meetings with university and SU staff
Big-picture plans for postgrad engagement
A lot of nodding like I understand the annual area plan spreadsheets (I do now, kinda x)
Talking about how much I love dance

The Handover Era

A massive shoutout to Zuber (former PG Officer and absolute icon) who passed on so much wisdom and helped me settle in. While I look forward to carrying on the role, I am also excited to bring in novelty and uniqueness and make it my own.

My Personal Plotline

Like I said in my campaign, my focus is all about making the PG experience less lonely, more lively, whether you're here for a taught course, a PhD, or just for the free pizza :p

My four main storylines priorities this year:

PG Community & Belonging – More chances to connect, beyond seminars and group chats.
Academic Voice & Reps – Making sure postgrads feel heard and seen.
Mental Health & Wellbeing – Access, visibility, and actual action.
Celebrating PGs – You deserve the spotlight too, not just deadlines and dissertations.

I’ve already had early chats about pre-arrival support, PG-focused welcome events, and improving how we communicate important info (read: fewer emails, more memes? ).

Main character moments:

Met reps and staff working on Doctoral College and Skills Centre collabs.
Met the The Right Worshipful Mayor of Bath
Started working on our Top 10 SU priorities, making sure PGs are rightly represented.
Attended my first ever Board of Trustees meeting (impromptu blazer moment).
PG summer party

If you’re a postgrad student reading this: Hi, I see you. You’re doing amazing. And I’d love to hear from you.

Email me, book a chat, or stop by the SU. Whether it’s a big issue, a tiny frustration, or just “hey do we still get pizza?” I’m here.

Until Part 2…

With snacks and spreadsheets, Sanya