The Graduate Student-Supervisor Relationship

Graduate student relationships with faculty members are regarded by students as the most important aspect of their graduate education. Positive student-supervisor relationships are also associated with greater completion rates and faster times to completion.

The relationship between supervisors and students, however friendly and supportive it may become, should always be academic and professional. Relationships that are unprofessional (e.g., romantic, sexual, family ties) are unacceptable between supervisors and students.

Resolving Conflicts in Supervisor-Student Relationships

The relationship between students and supervisors is normally close and long-lasting. At times, conflicts may arise between a student and the supervisor. In such cases, the first step should be to try to resolve the misunderstanding or conflict informally. This is more likely to be successful if attended to as early as possible. The supervisor and student should discuss the problem together. The supervisor should document the discussions and keep a record of any agreements made. This document should be shared with the student. In the event of a conflict that cannot be resolved, the Director of Graduate Studies in the GAU should be consulted as early as possible by the parties involved.

It is the responsibility of the Director of Graduate Studies to arrange for consultation and mediation. The Director of Graduate Studies or the parties involved may request advice and/or mediation assistance from their department or faculty, the SGS, and/or other appropriate services such as the Student Advocate. The student and supervisors shall not be required to participate in informal resolution, as this is intended to be a voluntary process. If both parties agree to and engage in informal resolution and it is unsuccessful or inappropriate, and the supervisor, student, or Director of Graduate Studies determines that the supervisor-student relationship cannot be reconciled, then the department will attempt in good faith to work with the student to find alternative supervision within the department and consult the SGS if needed.

If the best arrangements of the department and the SGS fail to meet the expectations of the student, then the student may choose to withdraw without prejudice. If the student refuses to accept the supervision provided, or if no supervision can be secured, then the student is not fulfilling the academic requirement of having a supervisor and may, on academic grounds, be required to withdraw.