The Australian Association of Writing Programs

Students and recent graduates of writing HDR programs were asked to describe what/who helped or hindered their learning. This is a summation of the responses. There was a very pleasing reiteration by many of the respondents about their supervisors’ capacity to listen, support the academic and administrative aspects of the candidature, and identify the holes in the project so that the students can then sort it out. There was a worrying reiteration of unavailability, lack of interest, very slow turn-around on drafts, and of supervisors complaining to students about their own life, work and workload.

 

We should point out that several respondents discussed the importance of fellow students in supporting their own candidature.

 

It helps when s/he:

critical                                                                     

*critically analyses my thesis; because s/he spoke academic language and I did not

*suggests theorists or approaches that I may wish to investigate; because it exposes me to ideas not previously considered

*introduces me to new texts and old texts long forgotten; because I have limited knowledge and expect him/her to fill the gap

*challenges my ideas through in-depth discussions; because in justifying them I become clearer about my creative/theoretical intentions

*identifies areas of strength in my work; because it gives me confidence and the opportunity to build on my strengths

*encourages me to find solutions to problems; because this not only developed my skills but ensured the work was consistent in tone and style, as well as instilling me with confidence

*listens to my ideas and the ways in which I prefer to work; because this encourages me to continue and develop my skills in ways that work for me

*provides rapid and detailed feedback; because then I can have a sense of what’s working, what’s not working, and which direction to go

*critiques my draft conference and publication papers; because there’s no other way of learning that stuff

*insisted that it was important to achieve publications from my PhD; because this enabled me to publish a great deal before graduation and secure an academic position

 

administrative

*lets me know about conferences and seminars coming up, or grant opportunities; because I don’t necessarily have access to such information

*is on time for appointments and does not take phone calls; because it demonstrates that they value the discussion that takes place

*allows time and space, speaks politely, looks pleased to see me, doesn’t blanch at reading work in progress; because writers are sensitive and would rather keep away than be read by an uninterested or time-pressed person

*gives clear guidelines as to what s/he expects from me; because then we have a clear contract for our partnership and a good basis for communication

*sets a timeline with me; because that progresses work at a faster pace than is otherwise possible

*outlined the examination process and mindset; because it helped me know how to write my work

*organised monthly seminars with all writing HDR students; because we learned a lot from our reading of each other’s writing and discussion which followed.

 

personal

*imparts his/her own lived experience of research and writing and discusses his/her own thoughts on particular issues; because a student can identify with the hurdles that may have been described and aspire to overcome them as the supervisor may have done

*is producing his/her own work; because it gives me faith in his/her ability as a teacher

*is supportive and listens to writing process grievances; because that’s mostly what I want to nut out

*encourages and supports me; because I find that I sometimes lose heart or lose confidence in my ability

*engages with my work on an emotional level as well as a technical level; because this helps me push myself to give my best in my work and acknowledges that the writing process involves more than just mastering the technical skills

 

 

It hinders when s/he:

critical

*doesn’t listen to what I am struggling to articulate; because it negates me as a person who thinks differently and is better able to express themselves through written expression

*makes criticisms about the creative work and doesn’t offer methods of tackling or improving them; because then there is nothing to work with

*fails to address the dual theoretical-creative nature; because the two components demand different methodologies of research and production

*doesn’t help me to problem solve issues I am struggling with, such as structure; because it means I take a longer time to produce work, setting up, in turn, long periods of inactivity and ‘writer’s block’

*only gives localised / editing assistance; because I desperately need a structural / theoretical framework

*is overwhelmingly negative about my theory; because it makes me want to crawl into a hole and die

*misses the point or makes assumptions about what my writing is about; because my area is not his/her area

*hijacks my ideas; because they are turned into something else and I find myself going down a path distant from my original thought

*appears to appraise my work according to current academic focuses or preoccupations; because the application of some of these risks either warping or missing the point of some work

 

administrative

*fails to respond to emails, isn’t readily available for meetings, doesn’t give much or any feedback on drafts; because it leaves me isolated and frustrated

*never covered practical advise such as writing synopsis or proposals; because I need to learn these things

*is preoccupied with other extraneous things which impinge on her time such as administrative demands or travel away; because a student needs the regular and constant attention and support

*spends hours a week on ‘squeaky wheels’ and begrudges reasonable meeting times with independent workers; because his/her investment is based on fear (of litigation/trouble) and not fair play

*tells me how busy she is and that she doesn’t have time to read my stuff just now; because I’d like some timely feedback and because we should be made to feel that our work is as important as any other students, and as important as our supervisor’s own work

*keeps a draft of my thesis for 18 months with reading/returning it; because I’d like to know that it fulfils the criteria of fitting with the dissertation, and because I’ve put a year’s work into that 100,000 word draft

*does not meet with me; because then we both feel pressured and I do not feel that s/he is really interested in my project

 

personal

*assumes a position of superior knowledge and experience without bothering to find out about my accomplishments and skills; because this either annoys me or makes me feel inadequate

*didn’t acknowledge my prior learning / life experience in the early stage; because I felt disempowered and I wasted time

*talks about problems at work, or about his/her own writing; because there’s nothing I can do about it, it doesn’t mean much to me, and it makes me feel guilty about seeking support

*didn’t acknowledge my prior learning / life experience in the early stage; because I felt disempowered and I wasted time

*talks about problems at work, or about his/her own writing; because there’s nothing I can do about it, it doesn’t mean much to me, and it makes me feel guilty about seeking support

 

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