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The University of Oslo has a responsibility to provide
postgraduate students and research fellows studying for a doctoral degree with
high quality supervision. At the same time it is the responsibility of the
departments and of the individual supervisor to manage and exercise this
supervision. This supervision shall in the best possible manner satisfy the
demands of both academic and personal considerations in respect of the
individual. The University of Oslo expects the individual supervisor to carry
out his or her activity in an academic and kindly way with a high standard of
professional ethics. The student1 is also expected to contribute to making the
supervision function optimally2. Finally there is an appendix containing
comments on the individual guidelines.
1 The term student is used here as a common
designation for postgraduate students and research fellows/doctoral degree
students.
2 See the study agreements for postgraduate
students taking a main subject and the standard agreement for research training
concerning the obligations of the student who is in receipt of
supervision.
I. The obligations of the basic units and the supervisor to the
student
A. The basic units must ensure the quality of supervision through
training and/or promotion of an awareness of what supervision is.
B. The supervisor must show respect for supervision as a field of
competence. The supervisor must show respect for the special challenges that
supervision represents and feel an obligation to develop his or her own
competence in this field.
C. The supervisor must seek to be a good role model for any
student being supervised.
D. The supervisor should set aside time during supervision to
discuss how the work is to be organised. The form of work should be evaluated
from time to time and adjusted in keeping with the results of this
evaluation.
II. Respect for the personal and academic integrity of the
student
A. The supervisor must show respect for the studentÕs
personal and academic integrity and refrain from any act or statement that may
imply an affront to his or her dignity.
B. The supervisor must work systematically with attitudes and use
of language that are in conformity with the studentÕs entitlement to
respect and personal integrity, and adopt a considered relationship to gender,
ethnic background, personal morality, sexual preference, situation in life etc.
C. The supervisor must not pass remarks or behave in any manner
that may seem humiliating and sexually provocative to the student.
D. The supervisor must be receptive to reactions from students who
point out prejudices, unfortunate use of language or unacceptable behaviour,
and he or she must make a point of correcting whatever might be unfortunate.
III. Asymmetry in the context of supervision
A. The supervisor must be aware of the asymmetry that exists in
the context of supervision. Knowledge of the subject and authority shall not be
exploited in order to gain academic/personal advantages at the expense of
others or to humiliate or suppress others.
IV. Double relationships
A. The supervisor must ensure that he or she keeps a professional
distance from the student and the supervisor has a special responsibility not
to enter into any relationship that will place the student in a vulnerable
situation. Double relationships in the context of supervision should not
arise.
V. Trust and confidence
A. The supervisor must not give priority to his or her own needs
in the supervision situation, e.g. by confiding in the student about his or her
own academic or personal problems unless this is of significance to the
student’s work.
B. The supervisor should be open and willing to listen in respect
of any personal circumstances relating to the student of significance to the
work on the dissertation.
C. The supervisor should exercise great care and discretion in any
mention of colleagues in the supervision situation.
VI. Academic honesty
A. If the supervisor wishes to use the studentÕs data or
research results in his or her own publications or research, the supervisor
must ensure that permission is obtained from the student in advance.
The supervisor must follow customary ethical standards of
behaviour applying to reference to sources and the crediting of others
contributions in his or her subject if the material is used.
VII. Gifts and remuneration
A. The supervisor shall not receive any form of remuneration for
supervision beyond what has been agreed with the University. The supervisor
must carefully assess the consequences that may arise if he or she accepts any
gift or other benefit from the student.
VIII. Involving a third party in the case of any dispute
A. If the supervisor or the student finds the supervisory
relationship so difficult that further cooperation seems impossible, the
supervisor/student should consider involving a third party in the clarification
of whether the supervisory relationship ought to cease or be renegotiated.
IX. Information to students
A. The basic unit must inform the student of the content of the
professional ethical guidelines for supervisors when a supervisory relationship
is established. By signing the supervision agreement the student confirms that
he or she has read the guidelines.
APPENDIX
The following comments provide more precise information and
examples relating to the individual guidelines. Attention is drawn to the fact
that these comments are not exhaustive. The comments are set out in the same
way as the guidelines. The individual paragraphs under each letter correspond
with the relevant paragraphs in the guidelines.
I. The obligations of the basic units and the supervisor to the
student
(A). In order to increase the degree of competence with which
supervision is carried out it is necessary to bring about greater publicity and
openness around this activity. The basic units should for example arrange
regular seminars at which academic, pedagogical and ethical problems relating
to supervision are taken up for discussion.
(B). Showing respect for supervision as a field of competence
means that the supervisor continually acquires knowledge, skills and
qualifications in order to be able to fulfil in the best possible manner his or
her obligations as an academic support in the studentÕs work. Being a
good academic support also means being thoroughly prepared, keeping
appointments and avoiding interruptions and disturbances during the periods of
supervision. (See the study agreements for postgraduate students taking a main
subject and the standard agreement for research training for information
concerning the academic requirements imposed on the supervisor.)
(C). It is just as important for the supervisor to be conscious of
his or her function as a role model for students as it is to check that
students live up to the standards by which researchers are obligated.
(D). A supervisory relationship is a professional relationship
that functions best when cooperation between the two parties is agreed between
them. Throughout the whole process of supervision the supervisor should take
the initiative to bring about a frank discussion about how the supervision is
to be designed and carried out so that to the greatest possible extent the work
is perceived in the same manner by the two parties and is a reasonable
compromise between any conflicting interests and needs.
II. Respect for the personal and academic integrity of the
student
(A). Cooperation with the student shall be based on consideration,
respect and mutual trust and be of such a nature as to safeguard his/her right
to selfdetermination.
(B). It is important to be continually aware of underlying
attitudes and habitual notions that are indirectly expressed through use of
language. The supervisor must take pains to avoid any behaviour which may have
an excluding, hurtful or humiliating effect on the individual student or
groups, and which is in conflict with the idea of a university as an
institution that is open, unbiased and free of prejudice. Any careless remark
about the student’s personal, physical or sexual appearance that is
hurtful is unacceptable, even if it is meant innocently, amicably and/or
humorously.
(C). Humiliating remarks must be judged on the basis of the
recipientÕs perception of them. This may be a matter of words or actions
of an erotic or sexual nature that cause the person who is subjected to them to
feel humiliated, afraid or embarrassed. It may be a question of seemingly
jocular hints or gestures, comments on the studentÕs body or private
life, confidential, intimate or sexual physical contact or proposals or demands
for sexual services, perhaps linked to threats of punishment or the promise of
a reward.
(D). The supervisor should invite students to speak out about any
negative reactions to his/her behaviour or use of language, directly in the
situation or subsequently at a suitable opportunity.
III. Asymmetry in the context of supervision
(A). Supervision is based on formal, academic and personal
authority, and neither of the parties will benefit from any attempt to erase
the asymmetry of the supervisory relationship. At the same time this authority
confers power, and the individual supervisor must therefore take great care not
to misuse it.
IV. Double relationships
(A). By double relationships is meant the fact of the
supervisorÕs entering into at least one other role beside the
professional one. An example of such relationships would be that in addition to
the professional role the supervisor has a romantic or family relationship with
the student. There may also be cases in which the supervisor has a financial
interest in the student.
In the case of the abovementioned examples it is especially those
relationships in which the supervisor and the student have fallen in love that
special problems may arise. A romantic relationship between a supervisor and a
student may arise. The main rule in such a situation is that the supervisory
relationship is broken off. If for various reasons it is impossible to break
off the supervisory relationship, the parties must seek to find other
appropriate solutions. The parties must then be conscious of the fact that the
main rule is being broken and thus exercise great care in their further
cooperation.
In the wake of double relationships the problem of
disqualification may arise when it comes to evaluating the student’s work.
It is not only the studentÕs integrity that is to be protected. It must
not be possible for anybody to raise doubts about the border between what is
private and what is professional, nor about the supervisorÕs objectivity
and impartiality.
V. Trust and confidence
(A). The supervisor must consider himself/herself as the player of
a professional role and the relationship with the student as a professional
one. This means that the supervisor must take pains to distinguish between any
possible private interests and what is the professional focus in a supervisory
relationship.
(B). Work on a dissertation may in periods be psychologically
demanding on the student. Many get to a point at which they lose heart and feel
a desire to give up. The supervisor should be attentive to such signals on the
part of student and take them up for discussion. Support and encouragement from
the supervisor is generally valuable. Nevertheless such conversations should
not to any great extent impinge on the time that is set aside for academic
discussion. If the supervisor forms the opinion that the student needs help on
account of problems in his or her private life, the supervisor should as a
general rule encourage the student to seek help from the relevant bodies. It is
a matter of course that any confidential information that may have been
disclosed by the student during supervision is not to be communicated to any
outside person.
(C). The supervisor has a particular responsibility to be cautious
about openness with respect to internal matters between colleagues. The
supervisor cannot simply take for granted that the student will exercise the
same degree of caution in the handling of confidential information as the
supervisor is obligated to do.
VI. Academic honesty
(A). Academic honesty must be upheld to just as great a degree in
respect of the student as in respect of other research colleagues. There should
be open and clear lines of communication between the supervisor and the student
when it comes to the supervisorÕs use of the studentÕs data or
research results and the practice applying to references to published and
unpublished dissertations for a postgraduate degree in a main subject and for a
doctoral degree.
VII. Gifts and remuneration
(A). Supervision is part of the working duties of University
staff. In some cases other sources of funding will come into the picture. In
such cases there shall be clear agreements on any such remuneration for
supervision with the department to which the member of staff concerned is
affiliated, so that no doubt can be raised concerning the justification for the
remuneration and/or the question of impartiality. If the student wishes to
express friendship or gratitude for good supervision in the form of a gift or
gifts to the supervisor in the course of the supervision period, the supervisor
should consider whether there may be unfortunate effects if any such gift is
accepted.
VIII. Involving a third party in the case of any
dispute
(A). Both parties to a supervisory relationship should be
determined to complete their cooperation notwithstanding any difficulties that
might arise, and to take responsibility for ensuring that such cooperation does
function. Contacting a third party who can assist the parties in settling any
conflict and reaching agreement on the form and content of further cooperation
can have a decisive effect.
Conciliation in a dispute may prevent the supervisory relationship
from breaking up with the possible problematic consequences this may involve.
In those cases in which such efforts do not succeed or in which the parties are
in fundamental agreement to end the supervisory relationship, there should be
undramatic procedures for termination or change of supervisor. (Reference is
made to the study agreements for postgraduate students taking a main subject
and the standard agreement for research training when it comes to procedures
relating to termination and change of supervisor.)
IX. Information to students
(A). It is in the interest of both the student and the supervisory
relationship that the student should be ensured knowledge of these guidelines.
The basic unit must work out a routine for the manner in which
these guidelines shall be made known to students. |