Academic Supervision

The following information and guidelines are intended as advice and, with the exception of explicit references to Graduate General Regulations and University Policies, do not have official status.

The information on this page is primarily geared towards students who are in research-based programs – whose degrees will fall within the parameters of Graduate General Regulations 1.7.2a, 1.7.2b, or 1.7.3.

Your academic unit will also provide program-specific academic supervisory information.

Are you an applicant to SFU?

If you are not yet an admitted student, please visit the academic supervisory information page for prospective students.

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Regulations Related to Academic Supervision

Graduate General Regulations related to academic supervision can primarily be found under GGR 1.6.

The following areas may also be helpful when reviewing reasonable expectations with an academic supervisor over the course of a student’s program:

Program Requirements (GGR 1.7)
Progress and Withdrawal (GGR 1.8)
Enrollment and leave (GGR 1.4)
Time Limit for Program Completion (GGR1.12)

We also recommend that both academic supervisors and students review our full Student Responsibilities page, as well as the Graduate Student Handbook.

Being familiar with this information will help to frame your studies, and your academic supervisory agreement (see below).

Make sure you and your academic supervisor and committee are aware of Conflicts of Interest and Conflicts of Commitment and how to proceed if there is a real or perceived potential conflict.

Academic Supervisor and Committee Selection

Selection of an academic supervisor is extremely important and should be a well-informed decision. Your academic supervisor should normally be selected prior to your second term of study, as per GGR 1.6.3.

In many cases, your academic supervisor is assigned at the time of your offer of admission. If an academic supervisor is not assigned prior to commencement of study, an interim academic supervisor should be assigned to you. In the absence of this, the departmental Graduate Program Chair supervises and counsels you prior to the assignment of an academic supervisor.

Selection of an academic supervisor and other members of the academic supervisory committee should occur as early as possible in your program. (Note that a Professor Emeritus/Emerita may serve as an academic supervisor - see item 49.31 in the Collective Agreement, here.

You and your academic supervisor should identify and recruit other members of the committee. Once the committee is identified and approved, a meeting should occur, including details of when meetings will take place going forward, and preferred communication channels (email, phone, in person) for all parties.

Academic Supervisory Agreement

Expectations that are set early and are clear, explicit and mutually agreed upon are the basis of a good academic supervisory relationship. These expectations should include a supervisory agreement.

Your progress toward degree completion should be monitored closely through the establishment of a realistic timetable of milestones and communication with your academic supervisor/faculty advisor, graduate program assistant, and/or academic supervisory committee.

We recommend that this take the form of a Supervisory Agreement. Completing a Supervisory Agreement and using this checklist will reduce misunderstandings/communication issues, and expedite your degree completion. The Supervisory Agreement Template addresses common expectations and potential areas of misunderstanding. Evaluation criteria and benchmarks for satisfactory progress should be clear. It can be modified to suit any details specific to your academic unit of study, as needed.

Template Academic Supervisory Agreement

This template is meant to be modified to accommodate the specific needs of you/your academic unit and your research.

Academic Supervisory Agreement Template

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Well-Being Through the SFU Academic Supervisory Process

Review the student guide for optimizing your academic supervisory experience with faculty members and learn how to advocate for your needs and find resources to support your success.

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Program Progress

Your supervisor is responsible for filing your annual progress evaluation (GGR 1.8.1) within your department; having regular communication checkpoints will inform that evaluation.

Checklist: each term, with your academic supervisor

Establish your goals for the term: courses, research, writing, teaching, TA/TM positions.
Establish a regular meeting schedule. Discuss progress, as well as where you need help or advice.
Discuss your plans for professional development: conferences, workshops, learning new techniques, etc.
Discuss requirements for financial support
Initiate approvals as needed for ethics or safety requirements, and factor the time required for this into your timeline

Checklist: at least once a year

The academic supervisory committee is responsible for reviewing a student's annual progress at least once a year (going back one year) and plans (going forward one year). The meeting report is recommended to be submitted using the Graduate Progress Review Form.
The final copy of the report is transmitted to the student, academic supervisory committee, chair of the Graduate Program Committee, and the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Discuss plans for major absences, either yours or those of your committee members
Review your long-term plan for completion of your degree. Ensure that the current year's plan is consistent with the long-term plan.
Discuss your plan for publishing research results and/or co-authorship of papers.
Consult with your committee about your career goals following graduation. They are a valuable part of your professional network and can help you establish realistic post-graduation goals.

Comprehensive Exams, Candidacy Exams, and Thesis Proposal Exams

The full academic supervisory committee should be involved in these examinations, both to ensure broad academic supervisory involvement in key milestones, but also full committee awareness of progress.

The academic supervisor and the student share the responsibility of ensuring that required examinations are arranged in a timely way.

Faculty members who feel they cannot or can no longer, evaluate a student's work in an unbiased way should arrange to have another qualified person evaluate the work. Students who feel their work is not being evaluated fairly should notify the Graduate Program Chair in their department and seek resolution. If satisfactory resolution cannot be reached at this level, the Graduate Appeal Procedures may be applicable.

Changes of Committee or Academic Supervisor

Change in membership of the academic supervisory committee may be initiated by the student, any member of the academic supervisory committee or any member of the academic unit’s Graduate Program Committee, as described in GGR 1.6.6.

A graduate student may wish to change their academic supervisor and/or committee member(s) for any number of valid reasons. These reasons include, but are not limited to, change in direction of research, change of interests and irreconcilable academic or personal conflicts.

If you feel you wish to initiate a change of academic supervisor for your graduate studies, contact your Graduate Program Chair. Each academic unit will have internal steps and mechanisms for mediation, should the issue be differences between yourself and your academic supervisor.

Faculty of Graduate Studies