Key tasks by month
Please note that this list is not prescriptive as it is understood that all departments have slightly different ways of organising their administrative tasks. This is an example of how some departments currently schedule their PGR administration tasks and should be read in conjunction with the 'Tasks throughout the year' table to the right.
SEPTEMBER
- Hold new PGR student induction day
- Give new PGR students access to any Moodle pages required
- Give new PGR students access to room booking system
- Set up attendance monitoring system for new PhD students
- Update Banner with supervisory team details (SGAADVR)
- Agree dates for and post on Moodle details of departmental Research Training Seminars/PhD training
- Arrange mentors (3rd year students for 1st year students / PostDocs for 3rd year students)
- Update department contact pages
- Follow up late enrolments
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OCTOBER
- Tier 4 reporting point 1
- Send DoGS info. for PGR Annual Review
- Recruit and arrange training for new 1st year student reps. Check that existing reps happy to continue
- Notify PURE team of new students' research group affiliations (i.e. supervisory team)
- Check each student's PURE record has been populated
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NOVEMBER
- Staff / Student Committee - arrange, attend, minute and action points discussed
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DECEMBER
- Discussion with DoGS about number / type of studentships available to department for next academic year (e.g. deptmental / RCUK etc)
- Update departmental webpages to reflect studentships being offered / application procedures
- Advertise studentships via jobs.ac.uk, College HR pages and dept. webpages
- Update PGR page on College prospectus
- Monitor Arc and RHDirect for applications. Check all supporting documents e.g. application, project proposal (if required), financial plan, references, transcripts, supervisor support letter, English language requirements
- Send applications and supporting documents to DoGS plus other Research Panel members once deadline has passed
- Preparation for January intake
- Winter graduation ceremony
- Christmas social
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JANUARY
- In preparation for panel shortlisting meeting, combine panel ranks to provide one overall ranking for each student (ranked by student / supervisor / project)
- Attend panel shortlisting meeting and take minutes
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FEBRUARY
- Tier 4 reporting point 2
- Set up interviews for potential candidates. Send decline email to those not shortlisted.
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MARCH
- Staff / Student Committee - arrange, attend, minute and action points discussed
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APRIL
- Following interviews, inform Admissions and Research Degrees so that offer letters / studentship offers can be sent out. Send out decline emails (NB - reserve list)
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MAY
- Tier 4 reporting point 3
- Write to 1st year students and their supervisors asking them to arrange their 1st annual review within 9 months of start their date
- Book induction day rooms and ensure key staff are available
- Collate upgrade paperwork and send to the Research Degrees team for processing
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JUNE
- Tier 4 reporting point 4
- Advise Director of Teaching and Learning who will be available to teach 6 hours unpaid. Set up teaching contracts
- Prepare for and attend meeting with student reps about PGR traIning for following academic year. Take minutes
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JULY
- Staff / Student Committee - arrange, attend, minute and action points discussed
- Summer graduation ceremony
- Agree PGR seating plan and allocate cabinet / storage space
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AUGUST
- Prepare next year's PGR Student Handbook
- Arrange new PGR student induction day - e.g. book room and refreshment
- Write to new PGR students with invite to induction, agenda and details of other key dates to mark in diary. Include link to regulatory documents.
- Agree advisors
- Write to 2nd / 3rd / 4th year students and their supervisors asking them to arrange their next Annual Review (within 12 / 24 / 36 months of start date)
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