• Section 1 - Overview
• Section 2 - Scope
• Section 3 - Guidelines
• Office Workspace Equipment
• Grant Funding
• Student Resources and Induction
• Reporting
• Authority and Compliance

Section 1 - Overview

(1) These Guidelines provide advice to Schools to assist in the implementation of minimum facilities for UNE Higher Degree Research Students to ensure that the facilities, on campus and off campus, in which the Students undertake their research, are fit for their research purposes. The Graduate Research Committee recommends the following:

1. That each School have a minimum facilities policy that is published, and readily available to HDR candidates in the School;
2. That HDR candidates are provided with clear instructions about how to access the resources; and
3. That research supervisors ensure that HDR candidates are aware of resources available to them, and these are documented as part of the supervisor agreement.

Section 2 - Scope

(2) These Guidelines applies to UNE Representatives and Higher Degree Research (HDR) Students.

Section 3 - Guidelines

Office Workspace Equipment

(3) Schools should make available in the workspace one computer per Student adequate for accessing the internet, an email account, UNE-supported word processing software (e.g. currently licensed version of MS Office), a relevant statistics package, capacity to process languages other than English, or other commonly related research software, if required, and ITS support.

(4) Laboratory access, individual bench space and access to relevant equipment in laboratory-based disciplines are to be provided as appropriate for the research project.

(5) Students should be provided with appropriate 24-hour access to the relevant building(s)/room(s), following completion of WHS training for access to laboratories (where appropriate).

(6) Workspace areas/offices occupied by full-time internal and external HDR students (when on campus) should normally be provided with:

1. one desk and an ergonomically appropriate chair per student;
2. one telephone with voicemail or answering machine per HDR area/office. Free local access will be permitted on phones, and photocopier and printer access will be provided by the School through which a Student is enrolled;
3. a mail box, an on-campus mailing address and mail-out facilities;

(7) access to a tea room and washroom.

Grant Funding

(8) The minimum Student research grant will be set by individual Schools and published annually to HDR candidates.

(9) The Student research grant is to be held and administered by the School consistent with the relevant School's procedures.

Student Resources and Induction

(10) Schools are to provide HDR Students, upon commencement of their candidature, with the name and contact details of the School HDR Coordinator who is the nominated staff member of that School with the overall responsibility for postgraduate research.

(11) School HDR Coordinators should encourage all HDR Students to participate in a School-based orientation/induction programme within the first six months of their candidature in the interests of quality and safety.

(12) The orientation/induction program may be self-guided and online and should provide advice on, and indication of how to access the relevant University and School policies, procedures and practices concerning the conduct of research and a research degree, including policies concerning grievances, complaints and appeals.

(13) Research supervisors and HDR candidates should discuss resourcing available to HDR candidates and document those discussions in the supervisor agreement.

Reporting

(14) The annual report provided by the Head of School to the Graduate Research Committee provides a report on minimum facilities provision in the School.

Authority and Compliance

(15) The Guidelines Administrator, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, makes these Procedures.

(16) UNE Representatives and HDR Students must observe these Guidelines in relation to University matters.

(17) These Guidelines operate as and from the Effective Date.

(18) Previous Guidelines relating to Minimum Facilities for Higher Degree Research Students are replaced and have no further operation from the Effective Date of these new Guidelines.