Your Supervisory Panel

There are official University documents about the rights and responsibilities of supervisors and their students, which you are encouraged to read. Guidelines for Supervision and Candidature of Doctoral Research Students.

The University norm is a one hour meeting per fortnight, however what is most important is that you and your supervisory panel together work out an arrangement that is acceptable to all of you. For further information and advice, for $5 you can get a copy of the booklet ‘PhD Supervision: A Guide for Students and Supervisors’ from the Academic Skills and Learning Centre.

If you have concerns about your supervision, the graduate academic advisor is happy to discuss these with you.

Your Panel Chair

Every Supervisory Panel has a Chair who is generally, but not always, the primary supervisor, i.e. the main topic expert. The Chair is generally your initial contact at the ANU and has responsibility for progressing your candidature and signing off on all matters related to candidature.
Your Supervisor

Your supervisor (or supervisors) have responsibility for assisting you with candidature and for reading and giving feedback on your work. Your supervisor will take over as Chair is your Panel Chair goes on extended leave or moves to another university.

Your Advisors

While formal regular contact with your advisors is not common, you may wish to consult them from time to time for a variety of reasons, for example if your supervisor is away, or the advisor has expertise in an area covered by a particular section of your thesis, or if you are experiencing difficulties and are in need of an extra ear.