Researcher Feedback

Your feedback as a research student is very important to us as it allows us to continuously monitor, enhance and evolve the experience we provide for the benefit of our students.​
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There are a number informal routes and formal mechanisms we've developed to help facilitate student feedback. These include:​

• Research student programme support framework: including the supervisor-research student relationship​
• Research student representation: on Research Degrees Committee​
• Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES)​
• Research student complaints process​
• Research student appeals process​
• Research & development support office​
• Independent student support services: such as compass, student union

Our research degrees programme has been designed with research students in mind and integrates a number of touchpoints for students to request support and provide feedback through the duration of their studies. All research students will have access to a formal programme support network comprising their supervisory team, faculty tutors and lecturers, department staff and support teams who they can access, liaise with and feedback to at any time.​
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Whilst your first point of contact to discuss any issues, challenges or requests should be your Supervisor team you are welcome to request confidential support from or provide confidential feedback to any member of your programme support network.

There is an elected research student representative who sits on the Research Degrees Committee. The representative's job is to channel information between students and staff, and requires the ability to represent the views of others objectively and even if they are not their own. ​
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There will be an election for the Research Student Representative at the end of each academic year, promoted at the Summer Symposium, and you will be notified of the process by email from the Research & Development Support Officer. ​
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Nominations can be for yourself or a fellow student and should be forwarded to the Research & Development Support Officer. ​
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More information about Research Student Representatives can be found in the Research Degrees handbook.

One of the formal feedback processes available to our research students is the annual Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) conducted by the University. ​
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The survey will be conducted towards the end of the academic year, and students will be able to participate anonymously.​
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Responses from these surveys will then be reported to the Research Degrees Committee who will subsequently report to the Research & Innovation Committee, for analysis and any appropriate action.

The Falmouth University Complaints Policy and Procedure can be found on our Regulations, Policies & Procedures for Students page. ​

In the first instance, students are encouraged to discuss any complaints with the relevant member of staff directly concerned. If the complaint cannot be resolved through informal discussion, it should be submitted on a Student Complaints Form to Quality Assurance & Enhancement (QAE), who will direct it to the most appropriate member of staff.​

Depending on the nature of the appeal, it will be dealt with using either Falmouth's or UAL's procedures as appropriate. ​
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Procedures can be found in the University's Regulations, Policies and Procedures for Students and the UAL Research Degrees Handbook 2019-20.

As well as the formal channels and committee representation we encourage our students to approach us on an informal basis with any questions, suggestions or feedback on their experiences here at Falmouth. This is a benefit of being a close-knit research community, and students can approach their supervisors or the Research & Development Support Officer with anything they want to raise.​

Katy Shannon​

Research & Development Support Officer
E: katy.shannon@falmouth.ac.uk