Postgraduate Academics: How It Works

Board of Graduate Studies

Sarah Pickard, Head of Graduate Students

Introductions

• Congratulations!

• Cambridge: strange, complex, collegiate, special, almost unique

• What is everyone doing?

• MPhils, PhDs

• Arts, Sciences

• Gone through admissions process, will have been in contact with the Board. Hope the process wasn’t too grueling – did best to help, apologies if sometimes delays in getting through to us

The experience

• No such thing as ‘the Cambridge experience’

• Should make it your own, and everyone experiences Cambridge in a different way

• If scientist, may spend lots of time in lab and with lab friends

• May join societies and try new hobbies, or may not

• Do get the most out of it, but that will mean different things for each of you

Socialising

• Work is v. demanding, but having a break is also important!

• Large numbers of international students, as well as all the UK students, so very culturally diverse environment – take advantage of it

• Avoiding socialising only with those from same country

• Don’t feel any pressure to confirm to certain social habits such as ‘drinking’

• Remember to have fun as well as work!

Where to find information

• Every department is different – key is to familiarise yourself with departmental procedures

• Go to inductions, health and safety, fire training etc

• Get hold of departmental literature, handbooks,

• Code of Practice: http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/practice/

• Statutes and Ordinances: http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/so/pdfs/

• Find out who the Director of Graduate Education is

• Meet your College Graduate Tutor – very important person! Can help, for example, if you need to apply for exam allowances

• Familiarise yourself with the Board of Graduate Studies web site: http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/ and in particular with the information on the Board’s web site for new graduate students http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/current/new/

Role of the Board

• http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/

• Teams in Board dealing with current students and examinations

• There mostly to deal with the administrative and academic side – processes requests for leave to work away, intermission, submission of theses

• Candidates are approved for degrees only at a meeting of the Board

• If you want to apply to continue to another graduate course: MPhil to a PhD Degree you will need to apply to continue your studies: http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/current/continuing/

• NOT a pastoral body. Job of college tutor.

• NOT responsible for initial stages of problem resolution if there are difficulties – initially this is pursued within the department, through liaison with college tutor if relevant

Your Student Record and the Board

• CAMSIS:You will need to use CamSIS via your own self-service account (referred to as a Student Centre on CamSIS) in order to manage your life whilst a student at Cambridge.

• CamSIS and the Board of Graduate Studies web site: http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/ are your most important sources of information for managing your graduate study and life at Cambridge.

• May only have access to certain facilities once registration process is complete

• Cambridge Supervision Reporting system – part of CamSIS – you can read reports written about you from your supervisor

Your Student Record and the Board

• CamSIS: request various types applications: http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/current/procedures/

• Leave to work away

• Exemption/allowance of terms

• Intermission from your studies

• Changing your course registration

• Changing your Department/Faculty

• Changing your mode of study from part-time to full-time or vice versa

• Changing your name

• Applying for a person to join you in Cambridge

Academic practices

• Important to be aware of academic conventions in UK and Cambridge, which may be different to what used to

• Look at university’s webpage on plagiarism – what it is, how to avoid it: http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/plagiarism/

• Also, intellectual property issues may apply if sponsored by someone, or shared IP if group sponsorship, implications for thesis etc. Read about it on web, talk to department: http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/so/2008/chapter13-section2.html

Academic practices (2)

• Read departmental handbook – know what procedures are in your own department, what is expected

• First year assessment format etc

• Relationships with academic staff – v. different to undergrad, strange for everyone

• Supervisors will expect you to approach them, don’t wait for them to do it, it’s fine to ask to meet them

• Agree between you how often you will meet and how you will do things

Academic practices (3)

• Particularly in research courses, find out about the availability of training courses e.g. writing a thesis, teaching undergraduates, finishing a PhD

• Transferable skills: presentation skills, assertiveness, communication skills etc

• Take advantage of what’s on offer at the Centre for Personal and Professional Development

http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/cppd/

• May be compulsory in some departments

Finances

• As stated in Prospectus, can’t work while studying

PhDs can do v limited teaching

MPhils – no working permitted

• Perception of University as rich – not case. In any case you all signed financial undertaking forms, serious issue if you cannot meet your financial obligations

• University unable to bail out if there are difficulties

If there are any problems…

• Ask for help! You can always email the Board. If we cannot help, we can always point you in the right direction: graduate.students@admin.cam.ac.uk

• Talk to Supervisor, College Tutor, other students…

• If you need help with English, approach the Language Centre: http://www.langcen.cam.ac.uk/index.htm

• If you are struggling emotionally, loneliness, you can approach your College Tutorial staff or you could approach the counselling centre directly – let them decide whether you need help! http://www.counselling.cam.ac.uk/other.html

• Raise any problem, whether academic or otherwise, sooner rather than later!

Students: immigration and visas

Academic Division

Catherine Fage, PBI Officer (Tier 4)

Congratulations…you are here!

For some…frustration

For some…climbed a mountain

I can forget about visas…

• The UK Border Agency has laid down conditions of your visa while in the UK.

• You must understand and abide by the conditions, which include:

• Working restrictions;

• No access to state benefits

• Possible registration with the police

• Providing your College with copies of passport, visa pages and any ID card (now and every time re-enter UK)

• Maintaining your contact details (CamSIS or College record)

Other UKBA conditions:

• Notification of any change to a course or education provider;

• Notification of early completion of a course;

• Notification of changes to contact details, personal details and/or appearance ;

• Notification of any changes in your application;

• Conditions on your partner and children who enter the UK as your dependants;

• Understanding that any time you spend in the student category will not count towards the time needed to qualify for settlement in the UK

Keep current

• UK Border Agency website

www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/adult-students/

PBI Office

• The Points Based Immigration (PBI) Office, Academic Division, is the office responsible for compliance with immigration legislation and has responsibility for the University’s sponsorship of its overseas students.

• Whilst the PBI Office cannot give immigration advice, you can contact

• International Office, www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/international/

• UK Council for International Student Affairs, www.ukcisa.org.uk/

PBI Office

• Contact this office to request for visa letters, and to advise change your circumstance.

• Renew your visa in good time

• within last four months of permission to stay .. but don’t wait until last month

• If expires you will have to leave the UK

• The office is open Monday to Friday, 0830 – 1700 and can be contacted using: studentvisas@admin.cam.ac.uk

Developing PBI web page

http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/pbi/visas/