Improve the working relationship between post graduate research students and supervisors, giving students the support and resources to be successful 

Lead Officer: Sanya Jethwani, Postgraduate Officer

What is the issue about?

Students are best served by positive and productive relationships with their supervisors. It is such a crucial element of the PGR student experience. Improvements would be appreciated and can make or break a students’ experience at Bath.   

Despite raising concerns since the last national survey, Bath has a significantly lower score for supervision for Postgraduate Research students compared to every other area of their experience.  For PGR students, interactions with their supervisor are their main interaction with the university. Because of that, it can shape their access to opportunities outside of their research project (e.g., teaching, conferences) and even the experience of their research project itself.

What are we asking the University to do?

We acknowledge that improving the quality of supervision is a priority for the University as well, and therefore we ask for a renewed commitment to raising standards of supervision across all departments.  

• Establishing clear expectations for both supervisors and PGRs, with transparent communication of rights and responsibilities.  

• Calculating the impact of the mandatory training that was introduced in the 2024/25 academic year, covering student wellbeing and satisfaction.  

• Ensuring robust and safe mechanisms for PGRs to raise concerns about supervision without fear of negative consequences.  

• Regularly reviewing the effectiveness of these initiatives through PGR surveys and direct feedback loops.  

• Ensuring there are no gaps in communication or misbehaviour and imposing adequate consequences if reported.   

• Option (as a last resort) to change their supervisor and making the process of doing so easier.   

What will success look like?

1. Improved supervision satisfaction scores in national surveys, closing the current gap between supervision and other areas of the PGR experience.  

2. A clear framework of expectations for supervision, consistently applied across all departments.  

3. An ongoing system for year-on-year PGR input to shape and strengthen Bath’s supervision practices.  

Updates