Im a PhD student doing my research in UK. Its really impressive as I speak with other PhD students to realize that most of Supervisors don't have the skills to guide a PhD student. Students are left alone in the Lab and the worst thing is the completely lack of interest from supervisors about the project.

This needs to stop! There is public money being invested to do science and in this scenario what kind of science are we producing nowadays? And what kind of experience and knowledge are students getting?

Does Universities know how many PhD students are unsatisfied with their supervisors?

Does Universities care at all about this issue? Or PhD students are just numbers to get profits?


I created a blog for all PhDs students that have finished their PhDs to expose their worst experiences with their supervisors and help other students that want to do a PhD to avoid choosing these supervisors. Public money should be invested in supervisors that meet their obligations with their PhD students. In this way we can do good science and students can improve their knowledge and experience.

http://phdsupervisorexperience.blogspot.co.uk/

Universities need to be aware of the lack of supervisors skills in order to create rules so that students can get the best support to do their PhD.

Nowadays, PhD journey is a way of getting experience in the field, acquire knowledge , learn how to design experiences , share ideas in congress, but for all of this happen there must be someone – the so called supervisor – to guide you in this enrichment experience. We are not in the past where people would go for a PhD when they had already experience in the field. Nowadays, students go for a PhD without having any experience in the field. This means that a PhD is a sample of how to be an independent researcher in science and again for this we need a structural training and support from supervisors that are supposed to be expertise in the field and know how to do science.

PhD students are just numbers for universities and this is not the purpose of doing science. To be a number?

Science should be taken more serious if we are talking about publishing results in qualified journals. Otherwise what is the meaning to do science?

Well the thesis is still the responsibility of the PhD student. A supervisor isn't meant to be spoon-feeding the PhD candidate, only offering guidance where necessary.
Interesting that you only talk about science BTW.

I've been very happy with my supervisory team - they are all dedicated, approachable, knowledgeable. If a student has problems with their supervisors it's up to them to raise it?

There are postgraduate surveys so universities can monitor student's opinions of their supervisors and annual progress reviews where issues can be addressed, but of course this requires the honesty of the students.

Like most management stuctures, they have line managers. As do we!

BTW- gotta ask- are we to assume that your username is meant to say PhD rather than psd...?

My supervisors are accountable to the head of the department, and I am very happy with the support I'm getting.

I agree that there are some 'horror stories' out there, but I'm not sure that naming and shaming bad supervisors on a public blog is a good idea - it's more likely to harm the student than anyone else. I also think we need to be reasonable about what to expect from supervisors - if a student has no other experience, a supervisor can't be expected to fill that gap - a PhD student has to take a bit more responsibility for self-development than that.

5 years of university (BSc + MSc) should give you the tools you need to do your own research. If you are not able to do so, you are not a suitable Phd candidate. It sounds like you search for someone who looks over your shoulder while you work in the lab but that is not how it should be. You perform your own research and you discuss the results with your supervisor and discuss strategies and directions. At least that is what I expect.

What is a Phd worth if you just follow the instructions of a supervisor and how will you be able to do good science after a Phd?

PS : Of course there are bad supervisors but in my opinion more in a way that they demand too much and put too much pressure on the student.

The structures will vary across departments, and universities. But, Quality Assurance is a HUGE deal for universities so typically they will have some sort of structure to ensure they are doing a good job. And if they aren't (in the view of the student, or whoever) then there will be procedures in place to address any issues.

For example, in my department everyone has a line manager. In the case of a supervisor this will typically either be the head of their research group, or if they are the head of their research group it will be the head of department. If the Head of Department is the PhD supervisor, then the student will have another co-supervisor because the HoD job is insane.

The supervisors line manager, on a yearly basis, and more frequently if required or if they are new staff, will review their performance - this includes their supervision of research students as well as other aspects of their job.

On top of this, we have a Research Studies Committee who meet regularly (I think at least 3 times per term) to deal with any issues in relation to research students. If a student is having problems with their supervisor, they can approach either their Internal Assessor (who is an academic member of staff from the same research group, who is outside of the supervisory group) or the Research Studies Committee Chair to discuss the problem and steps will be taken to alleviate it.

The students are ALL made aware of how they can get help with their supervision issues. There is a student handbook, inductions, regular progression points with Thesis Advisory Panel meetings soon afterwards with the supervisors and the internal assessor where any issues can be identified and sorted out.

In terms of training, all new academics have to do a postgraduate certificate of academic practice. And no academic is allowed to supervise a PHD student alone until they have had 1 student graduate from their PhD.

Obviously, my department and university may be somewhat atypical. But, my experience is, that we are not.

I'm fascinated at the response to the OP, in a good way. BTW has anyone found evidence for the existence of a European Ethic Commission?

DocInsanity
How can a Supervisor offers you guidance if he doesn't know what you are doing?
What I have realized is that most PhD students unsatisfied is due to supervisors that are over occupied. And my question is why these supervisors accept PhD students if they don't have time to perform their functions as supervisors? And the main problem is when the head of the school is also a supervisor that don't care about of what his PhD students are doing.

Pd1598
I raised the problem to the council because i was starting to be very depressive to feel alone in the lab with know one around to speak or share ideas, and from the council they told me, 2 years ago, that they would open a group for PhD students that have the same problems. I'm still waiting for this group exist! I also try to approach the postgraduate society but apparently this group is only to gather people in bars to have drinks. I even exposed to my supervisor that I was feeling alone and need more meetings and until now I'm waiting for his interest in what I'm doing. Like I said when the head of the school is also a supervisor that don't have time for his PhD students and don't know what they are doing is really difficult to seek help from other sources because they will cover each other. This makes you feel so little and without power and as a PhD student who am I to say to my supervisor what are his functions. Its why I want to understand what universities do when they find in their surveys PhD students unsatisfied? Because 2 years ago there was a survey and I expose how unsatisfied I was with my supervisor and none was done since then.

Chikpea
The blog his for PhD students that have already finished their PhD so they want be harmed. And the main purpose of the blog is to help people avoid supervisors that dont meet their obligations. Someone can create a blog where people could expose their best supervisors, it would help a lot!

You make a big thing about supervisors not being "qualified", but now you're changing tack. As a PhD student, once you are coming towards the end of your project you should know more than your supervisor about your topic. Don't you agree?
You also now divert onto the issue of supervisors being too busy. Again a totally different issue. Why?
I suspect that you're wanting to have a general multi-purpose whine, a pity party.

Like many others have said, I had a very positive experience with my supervisors who continue to support me post PhD.

What I felt was lacking, was not so much direction from them, but from graduate programs about accessing grants and funding, knowing how to determine what conferences one should present at, and how to effectively build partnerships and collaborations with other researchers.

The frustration, and an overwhelming sense of uncertainty I'm currently facing in my current teaching and research role, is this expectation to secure funding, without knowing where to start.

Despite going through 'induction' programs, I've had very little mentorship in this area, and seeking out additional support has left me nowhere. The other frustration is not be eligible for seed project grants and other small-scale ones that could help me get started, because I'm on a one-year contract, or my academic level is not high enough (I.E I'm an A, and most start at B).