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Postgraduate Academics: How It Works

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Title: Postgraduate Academics: How It Works


1
Postgraduate Academics How It Works
Sarah Pickard, Head of Graduate Students
Board of Graduate Studies
2
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
    wasnt too grueling did best to help, apologies
    if sometimes delays in getting through to us

3
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

4
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
  • Dont feel any pressure to confirm to certain
    social habits such as drinking
  • Remember to have fun as well as work!

5
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/offic
    es/gradstud/practice/
  • Statutes and Ordinances http//www.admin.cam.ac.u
    k/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/offic
    es/gradstud/ and in particular with the
    information on the Boards web site for new
    graduate students http//www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offic
    es/gradstud/current/new/

6
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/curren
    t/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

7
Your Student Record and the Board
  • CAMSISYou 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

8
Your Student Record and the Board
  • CamSIS request various types applications
    http//www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/curren
    t/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

9
Academic practices
  • Important to be aware of academic conventions in
    UK and Cambridge, which may be different to what
    used to
  • Look at universitys 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

10
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,
    dont wait for them to do it, its fine to ask to
    meet them
  • Agree between you how often you will meet and how
    you will do things

11
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 whats 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

12
Finances
  • As stated in Prospectus, cant 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

13
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_at_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/inde
    x.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!

14
Students immigration and visas
Catherine Fage, PBI Officer (Tier 4)
Academic Division
15
Congratulationsyou are here!
16
For somefrustration
17
For someclimbed a mountain
18
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)

19
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

20
Keep current
  • UK Border Agency website
  • www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/adult-s
    tudents/

21
PBI Office
  • The Points Based Immigration (PBI) Office,
    Academic Division, is the office responsible for
    compliance with immigration legislation and has
    responsibility for the Universitys 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/

22
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 dont 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_at_admin.cam
    .ac.uk

23
Developing PBI web page
http//www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/pbi/visas/
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