HDR student admin team update

Published in the Research School of Physics Event Horizon
Vol45 Issue32 10–14 August 2020

An update from your local HDR student admin team: 

 

Following the discussion around communication with candidates, supervisors and administrators during the examination process the HDR Examinations Office will implement a change to communication practice.

From Wednesday 5 August 2020 there will be no information provided by the HDR Examinations Office about an examination, while it is under examination. All enquiries about examinations will receive a response outlining this change in arrangement.

The recommendation to change HDR Examinations communication is to ensure the ongoing integrity of the ANU HDR examination process, and aligns to recommendations in a recent audit conducted by Ernst Young, an internal review of HDR Examination communication.

Further information about the change is available from the HDR Examinations Office by emailing HDR.Examinations@anu.edu.au.

Generally, HDR examinations can take up to 3-4 months. Most examiner reports are received within three months.

 

In May 2020, the Higher Degrees by Research committee (HDRC) approved a pilot of oral examinations for HDR candidates. The pilot will test whether there is value in adding an oral exam to our assessment practice and how the process could work at ANU. The pilot will be overseen by the Dean of HDR,  the Researcher Development team, and the Graduate Research Office. You can find out more about the benefits and how the oral exam will operate on our FAQ page.

As it is a pilot program only a small number of candidates will be able to participate (approximately 20 to 30 over the period of the pilot). A general awareness email has just been sent to all candidates and a targeted email giving further information on how to apply to be considered for a place to those that “are in the zone” (more likely to submit in the next year) after an information session for candidates is run will be sent later this month. The “in the zone” target list of candidates is based on a combination of Maximum Submission dates, Extension of Program End dates and Nomination of Intention to submit dates that fall within the next year but also include those that are in the past, as there are always a number of program extension and leave applications which are awaiting processing. You can assist by raising awareness of the pilot with candidates who may be able to participate in the pilot. 

Participation is entirely voluntary. Training will be offered to all participants through the Researcher Development team. The EOI form can be found here:  If interested in participating in the Pilot, candidates should complete the form and have it signed by their Chair of Panel. They can then send it to the DA for approval or send it to their HDR administrator for assistance with having the form signed by the DA and or ADHDR.

Once the form is signed by the ADHDR please send it to GRO@anu.edu.au. GRO will then communicate with all parties concerned regarding the outcome and for those that are approved will then proceed with next steps to facilitating the Oral Examination.

If you have any questions regarding the administration side of the Oral Exams pilot please contact  hdr.examinations@anu.edu.au. If there are a few common questions we will collate these and share an Admin specific FAQ’s or add them to the existing FAQs.   

If you are interested in hearing more about the pilot exam project and how you might be involved, please come along to our briefing session on 11 August 2020.

 

Nominations are being called for the John Carver Seminar Series 2020. This is the annual Research School of Physics annual competition enabling our research students to showcase their research to their peers.

The Seminar Series is scheduled to be held on Thursday 24 September 2020 in a format yet to be confirmed. Participating students, including up to two from each department, will be expected to present a 15 minute talk on their research. The talks are not followed by questions.

Generous prizes and certificates on offer for the best presentations.

The winners may be invited to present their talk at the equivalent competition run by the NSW branch of the Australian Institute of Physics or at a regular meeting of the ACT branch of the Australian Institute of Physics.

The initial closing date for nominations is 27 August 2020. Students wishing to nominate themselves are requested to register and submit presentation titles to hdr.physics@anu.edu.au by this date.