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Annual Review of Progress

The annual review of progress, which occurs during September/October every year for all higher degree by research students who are active in candidature or on leave of absence, must be submitted to the Graduate Centre by the due date of 31 October. Note that if you commenced your candidature in August, September or October, you are exempt from undertaking an annual review in your year of enrolment.

Re-enrolment and the continuation of your scholarship (where applicable) are dependent upon satisfactory progress in the twelve months preceding the review or since the commencement of your candidature where this was less than twelve months ago.

The annual review is intended to be an open and frank appraisal of your rate of progress by both you and your supervisory panel. The review serves several purposes. It:

• ensures that you highlight your achievements during the preceding year so that you can clearly see the progress you have made both in your research and your professional development (it is common for students to underestimate their progress and the review process can provide some useful reassurance)
• provides you with an opportunity to formally set goals with your whole supervisory panel for the next stage of your project and in the next stage of your professional development
• is an important tool for identifying any problems that may be occurring in your candidature so that they can be documented and resolved. Documentation is very important, as the problems you report on your annual review form (which were beyond your control and have negatively affected your progress) will be taken into consideration if you submit an application for a candidature or scholarship extension in the future
• provides an opportunity to review and re-negotiate your access to resources and facilities
• provides an opportunity to review your supervisory arrangements, including the frequency and usefulness of meetings; and
• serves to ensure that your Postgraduate Co-ordinator, the Head of School and the Dean of Graduate Studies are kept fully informed of your progress.

The process for the annual review is as follows:

The Graduate Centre will post an annual review package to you in early September each year. The annual review form and associated information may also be down-loaded from the web at: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/graduatecentre/review/

After reading and completing the relevant sections of the form, make two appointments: one with your supervisors and a second, later appointment, with your Postgraduate Co-ordinator or Head of School. Note that if the Head of School is one of your supervisors, the second appointment should be made with the Postgraduate Co-ordinator. Similarly if the Postgraduate Coordinator is one of your supervisors, the second appointment should be made with the Head of School. On those rare occasions when both the Head of School and the Postgraduate Co-ordinator are your supervisor(s), the Head or Postgraduate Co-ordinator will nominate another senior academic staff member of the School to conduct the second interview.

You should complete Section A of the Annual Review form before meeting with your super-visors. This information will form the basis of the discussion between you and your supervisors. The contents of the form may be refined at ensuring meetings with supervisors and the Head of School/Discipline or Postgraduate Co-ordinator. During the first appointment, discuss your work with your supervisors, who will complete their section(s) before returning the form to you. Next, pass your completed annual review form to your Postgraduate Co-ordinator or Head of School prior to your scheduled meeting; he or she may wish to interview you alone or together with your supervisor(s). The Postgraduate Co-ordinator or Head then signs the form before returning it to you.

When you have sighted the comments of your supervisors and Postgraduate Co-ordinator or Head and checked that all sections have been completed and signed by the appropriate persons, sign the form yourself and make a photocopy for your records before lodging it with the Graduate Centre by no later than 31 October.

Your completed annual review form will be examined by staff in the Graduate Centre on behalf of the Research Education and Development Committee and any problems identified will be pursued at the appropriate level. Unresolved problems may be referred to the Committee for further consideration if required.

The outcome of the review will be an assessment of your progress by your School as:

(i) satisfactory
(ii) acceptable, but with some (specified) reservations or
(iii) unsatisfactory.

A period of conditional (re-)enrolment may be recommended in the event of assessments (ii) or (iii). Conditional (re-)enrolment is discussed in more detail later in this Guide (refer to the sections on unsatisfactory progress during provisional and confirmed candidature).

If you disagree with any of your supervisors’ comments but are reluctant to contradict them or to raise and document any other sensitive matters that concern you, then you may submit a separate statement for the attention of the Dean of Graduate Studies. Subject to the University’s privacy policy and insurance obligations, an issue raised in this way will remain strictly confidential unless you agree that it can be taken further.

If it appears likely that you will not be able to have your review completed by 31 October, you should request that your principal supervisor arrange for an extension (prior to the 31 December deadline) by contacting the Graduate Centre on 8303 5882 or by email to graduate.centre@adelaide.edu.au It is important to note that failure to lodge a completed Annual Review, or to arrange an extension, by the due date, will result in the suspension of your candidature and any scholarship payments.

A word of warning: do not assume that your supervisor has requested an extension or that your supervisor/Postgraduate Coordinator or Head of School has forwarded your completed annual review form to the Graduate Centre. Make sure you check with them before the annual review deadline - it is your personal responsibility, not theirs, to ensure that you complete the annual review on time.

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