Educational programme

Monitoring

On recommendation of the EPS PhD Student's Council and the International Advisory Board (IAB) of EPS, EPS wishes to reduce the time-lag between the end of the PhD student's appointment and the graduation. The EPS PhD Student's Council strongly supports this idea, because it is important to start a (scientific) carreer as early as possible. To reduce this time-lag EPS developed a Monitoring System that may also function as an early warning system against 'drop-outs'(although rarely occuring). To smoothen the introduction and to optimize the acceptance of the system EPS called upon the EPS PhD Student's Council for the development of the system. The monioring system is based on meetings of the supervisory committee. It forces the PhD student to:

• look back: 'did I meet the goals I set for the past period?'
• look ahead: 'which goals do I want to reach in the period to come?'
• look aside: 'is my project on scheme, did I publish enough, did I attend enough courses?'

1. a standardised evaluation on all aspects of the work of the past period;
2. insight in the progress of the project;
3. reevaluation by PhD student and promotor concerning the expectations of the PhD project.

In close cooperation with the PhD Student's Council of EPS, a checklist has been prepared which takes approximately 15 - 20 minutes to complete. The checklist should be discussed during a meeting of the Supervision Committee. The Monitoring System is compulsory to EPS PhD projects. The first progress monitoring must be scheduled about 0,5 year after the start of your appointment; a second, third and fourth monitoring form must be completed and discussed with the Supervision Committee after 1,5 year, 2,5 year and 3,5 year respectively.

After the evaluation with the Committee, the questionaire can be adjusted and sent to the scientific director of EPS, Binnenhaven 5, 6709 PD  Wageningen (internal postal number 180).

THE INFORMATION OF THE PhD STUDENT WILL BE STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL!!!

EPS will use the information to identify problems experienced by PhD students and, on request of the PhD student, EPS can offer direct support to the PhD student, like mediation in case of conflict between the PhD student and the promotor(s)/co-promotor(s)/(daily)supervisor(s).