Research and Graduate Affairs Supervision Policy

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Preamble

The FAL Research and Graduate Affairs Committee is responsible to the USP Research Committee for the conduct of all matters pertaining to higher degrees by research.

The FAL Research and Graduate Affairs Committee is also responsible for administration of the Academic regulations in accordance with policies of the University.

FAL currently offers the following higher degrees:

Policy

The University of the South Pacific awards the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Masters by Research (Full Thesis), and Masters by Supervised Research Paper and Coursework (SRP), in accordance with its policies through the USP Council.
The FAL Research and Graduate Affairs Committee shall be responsible for administration of the Academic Regulations for Higher Degrees by Research and shall recommend to Senate names of those persons to be admitted to the degree.
Schools/Centers will be responsible for ensuring that each Higher Degree by Research student undertaking a higher degree by research has appropriate supervision and that resources are available for the research project in line with the University's policy in this regard.
The University will be responsible for providing comprehensive research support for higher degrees.
A proposed higher degree by research program should be consistent with the mission of the University of the South Pacific.
Higher Degree by Research students may be admitted to the relevant award on the following bases:

Doctoral students must demonstrate that their research work, which may include artefacts (such as painting, performance or multi-media presentation), is comprehensive in both theory and methodology and that they have made a significant original contribution to knowledge and/or to the application of knowledge within the field of study
Masters degree by Research students must demonstrate that their work, which may include artefacts (such as painting, performance or multi-media presentation), is competent in both theory and methodology and that their thesis makes a contribution to knowledge and/or to the application of knowledge within the specified field of study.
Masters degree by Masters by Supervised Research Paper and Coursework (SRP) (Coursework Degree with a significant research component) must demonstrate that their work, which may include artefacts (such as painting, performance or multi-media presentation), is competent in both theory and methodology and that their Supervised Research Paper makes a contribution to knowledge and/or to the application of knowledge within the specified field of study.

Administration of a Higher Degrees by Research will be undertaken in accordance with the policies of the USP Senate.

FAL Register of Postgraduate Research Supervisors

The FAL Register of Postgraduate Research Supervisors shall be made of academic staff within the faculty in the first instance, with appropriate academic and teaching qualifications and experience deemed as a requirement for higher degree supervision.
A second level in the register shall include other academic staff of USP with appropriate supervisory qualifications in areas expressed in the research abstracts, from within the USP region.
The third level of the register of external supervisors will include academics, regionally and internationally with suitable supervisory qualifications in areas of arts and law, preferably with some experience of teaching and supervision at USP or within the greater USP region.
The register will enable FAL to meet the requirements of supervisions at the higher degree level in a more coordinated manner.
It will enable transitions to take place in supervision, especially when supervisors leave the university without students completing their higher degrees.
It will also enable students to enroll in the event where faculty and USP levels of the register do not hold staff of the required qualifications or experience to supervise a particular project.
The register will work as part of a guaranteed minimum supervision policy towards promoting higher degree research at the faculty.

Policies and Guideline

The register will include policies and guidelines on supervision in the following areas:

Duration of supervision at each level of the higher degree
Enforceable timelines from progress reports to completion of research and supervision
Remuneration for external supervisors, with guidelines on payment in relation to reports, assessments and completion of supervision.

Appointment of External supervisors for Postgraduate Research

Appointments will only be made once all internal USP sources are exhausted.
Appointments will be made and monitored on the basis that the supervision is for a research active student who is adhering to minimum time-frames for the level of study.
Appointments will be on a semester by semester basis, subject to satisfactory progress reports from the supervisor and positive feedback from students on the supervision.
External supervision at the MA level (Full-Thesis) will be limited to full-time supervision only, therefore for a maximum period of 1 year. Student therefore will need to be enrolled for consecutive semesters during this period in order for supervisory appointments to be made.
External supervision at the MA (SRP) level will be only made in exceptional cases, and limited to one semester at the appropriate remuneration scales.
External supervision at the PhD level will be limited to will be limited to full-time supervision only, therefore for a maximum period of 3 years. Student therefore will need to be enrolled for consecutive semesters during this period in order for supervisory appointments to be made.
Supervisors will be paid the same honorarium amounts as that for examiners on a yearly basis.

MA level (Full-Thesis) $750
MA (SRP) $500
PhD $1,000

HR FAL and Finance Officer FAL will draw up the contract for supervision and progress reports will be coordinated by AA FAL with reporting to the Associate Dean - Research and Graduate Affairs.
Payments for supervision will be made upon assessment of supervision reports on the basis that proper and adequate supervision has been provided within the deemed period.

Dr. Mohit Prasad
Associate Dean - Research and Graduate Affairs
Faculty of Arts and Law - The University of the South Pacific
Phone: 3232411 Fax: 3231500
Email: prasad_m(at)usp.ac.fj