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Managing workload and supervisory duties

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Managing workload and supervisory duties

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I find balancing my supervisory commitments with my other job duties extremely challenging for a range of reasons, largely due to university unrealistic expectations on staff workload. I have only recently begun supervising two PhD students (my first PhD supervisions), and I’ve already noticed that the only realistic time I have to prepare properly for supervisions is by blocking out the hour or so beforehand.

I am, however, becoming increasingly concerned about how best to support them as they progress through the PhD, particularly as they begin producing more substantial work and require more sustained guidance.

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This can be more challenging during the teaching term than outside of it.

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I haven't yet started supervising my first PGR, but from supervising a number of Masters, I'm conscious of my tendency to get a bit over-involved, which is terrible for my time management and probably not ideal for them either. However, for PGR supervision I know that more involvement is expected and the schedule of meetings is quite intense, so I'm looking forward to learning about both the standard practices and also how other people navigate it.

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I've only just started supervising students so the expectations on me currently aren't huge and I've managed to prepare by blocking out set hours here and there in my diary. I've joined (late in the day) the supervisory team for one student who will submit in the next 12 months. Hence, there will soon be a lot of reading of chapters to be done and fitting this in/around other expectations is something of a worry.

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I try to do "informal" supervision meetings often (about once per week) where we just talk and troubleshoot any day-to-day issues in the lab. In addition, we have monthly formal meetings. I also have a document where I log the most relevant things discussed every meeting so I can keep track of things, and which I share with the students at the end of the formal meetings so they also have a record.

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I really enjoy planning my time out, using both digital software and hand written notes. I tend to break my days up into morning and afternoon activities, and although this sounds rigid, it allows me the chance to move things around when things pop into the diary or things don't go to plan

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It is very early days for me as i started supervising in January, however we hold meetings with the co-supervisor and the student every 2 to 3 weeks so far in order to help them with their project approval. These are usually on a day i do not have too much teaching (currently in a teaching and scholarship contract) so i can have a look at written work before the meeting. I am not sure how things will develop when the student produces much longer pieces of text- i think i would probably approach it as I do with marking, carve out a couple of quiet hours during the week in order to focus on the task.

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Balance between supervisory duties and other duties

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Balance between supervisory duties and other duties

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Balancing my supervisory duties with my other duties can sometimes be challenging during weeks when my teaching load is heavy. To juggle everything I sometimes end up working longer hours. When teaching is not too intense, I usually allocate a few hours during the week to review the material in advance of the meeting.

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I don't have any supervisees yet, but from my experience of supervising undergraduate students and my involvement as a panel member for PhD students, I know I have a tendency to over-think and over-prepare for meetings to try to give the best advice I can (coming from a place of great uncertainty about what I "should" be doing!). I block my time out to do this, which is more of a challenge during the semester. I am really looking forward to strategies to help with this in a PGR supervisory setting.

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I think it depends on what we (the academic team) and the student see as "quality" supervision. Having ground rules and expectations helps from day one.

For instance, some students may be happy with a mixture of hybrid supervision online and on campus, others prefer one or the other. In addition, some don't mind emails in-between more 'formal' meetings to deal with straightforward queries or get things in writing. Some students might need a bit more initial "hand holding" whereas others like a hands off approach and don't want to be micromanaged. It's good to discuss all that from the start. I tend to agree meeting dates in advance with students to block out the time.

My commitment varies throughout the academic year it seems - I generally do all my teaching in one semester so things are a bit tight, but the rest of the year I am a little more flexible with other research commitments. But I still work some evenings to catch up on stuff.

That said, I do wonder if I over prepare and get over involved and do more than what I should be doing. I try to take the bits I like from observing from other colleagues in their practice when I have been on supervisory teams, so I am a bit of a mixture of all of those things!

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I'm not sure I have figured this out. I try to present when I'm with the students and ensure I come prepared. I don't know if I have a lot of time to be proactive for them, but I try to always be responsive

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I have only been supervising for a couple of months, but I have in the past supervised undergrad and masters projects. In all cases, I have held weekly meetings with the student which helps to keep on top of any issues they may be having, as well as offer steering on a more frequent basis. This also helps me prepare myself for the meeting as well, as I know when I need to have read or thought about any topics raised, either in the last meeting or via email in between.

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I think what I struggle with most when I am supervising research students is keeping up-to-date with the sheer amount of work published in my area, which they might be engaging with. I have tried to cultivate an attitude of being a facilitator rather than an expert. I am definitely more comfortable when I feel well-read on the literature they are citing, but it feels like it's not always possible to fit in so much reading alongside my own research.

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This is still an area I am feeling my way through, and it is challenging to balance my supervision preparation against other commitments. I don't think I have achieved balance yet, and it does feel like I am moving from task to task as things arise in supervision, rather than having a sense of overall trajectory and how my preparation can help support the PhD appropriately.

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I don't think I have found the right balance yet. Some weeks I am extremely involved in supervision, with a lot of time dedicated to my students and some weeks I am not. It is challenging. I usually have weekly meetings as a constant to stay on top of things.

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I will only begin supervising this September but I think a key part of this relationship is to set expectations of each another early. How often should we meet? Will the feedback be written or verbal? What happens if the student falls behind? etc. Blocking out specific time for meetings and reading drafts will be important too.

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That's certainly an area I've struggled a lot. I've recently implemented a method I've heard from colleagues that I hope makes things better. I reserve a block of time (e.g. Friday afternoons) for student meetings, and have a link where students can book time with me then whenever needed. Not sure how it will work out, but what was happening before was lots of weekly meetings throughout the week, and many times the students had nothing to report on. The original advice I received was to not even address emails outside that window, but I'm not sure about that. I'll likely still answer emails when needed. I'm also concerned about some students never booking a time, and not producing much when there's no accountability.

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I've developed quite a detailed work schedule that I try to stick to. Each month I have main tasks (usually about 7) and when planning my working days, I try to make sure that I've left time for any and all tasks associated with those main 7. Supervision is one of the tasks (alongside writing and teaching etc) and I record what might be coming up for a particular student (a TAP, or a chapter review). Because I treat supervision as a task equally important as writing and teaching, I think I've managed to balance it fairly well. It's also a welcome opportunity to do some reading in an area somewhat related to my research.

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This is something I have been thinking about, as currently my only PhD student is part time, so finding the right balance of regular contact while respecting their part-time status can be tricky, albeit it does mean the demands on me have been lower than might be typical so far. We have communicated well about expectations re: meeting frequency, so that has helped. I will have a full time student from September so that is something to think about moving forwards.

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As a lab-based supervisor who is also active in the lab this can be really challenging. Lab-based work doesn't usually neatly align itself to a regular schedule, meaning balancing competing demands is mostly done on the fly, prioritising the most immediate thing. The needs of each student vary, and are change dynamically over time meaning it's been hard to adopt a one-size-fits-all approach.

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I think that I try to manage expectations and encourage boundaries. Talking about roles can be helpful. I try to encourage preparation and during meetings to listen carefully, so that I can use our time productively. In the broader context, I learn from my peers about managing time and commitments, reflecting on approaches.

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I am currently supervising my first PhD students and I am still trying to figure out how to best balance my time. I tend to treat my students as my collaborators and consequently I am very much involved in their projects. This has been talking a lot of time, especially since 2 more students joined in fall 2025 (I work during weekends on a regular basis). I am hoping to learn how to find the right balance between being explicitly involved in my students' projects and providing guidance which would allow them to transition to being more independent.

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This is one thing about supervision that I am dreading. I work part time due to ongoing health challenges and although (or perhaps because) I don't have any PhD students yet, my work with PhD applicants tends to be picked up outside of technical working hours. I know I tend to put too much in (character flaw) and I need to change this and draw stricter boundaries - I'm hoping to learn how to be a better supervisor by addressing this issue and learning more professional practices ahead of time!

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That others share similar concerns and anxieties about the supervision process. That we do not need to be an expert in all aspects of a student's thesis area

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I resonate with many of the colleagues here. I sometimes find it particularly challenging when the student needs more support (especially at the earlier stages) or when there are issues with communication. I try to block time for supervision, but often end up reading their work the night before supervision meetings.

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I am looking forward to starting the supervision process in the Autumn and so it would be useful to understand how to balance being available for students with then equipping them with the skills to become independent researchers. My own experience of PhD supervision was of a very informal kind - interactions with my supervisor were often ad-hoc and social drop-ins, which had benefits and drawbacks - so I am keen to understand different models for time management in a way that is appropriate for both me and the students.

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Underestimating time needed to prepare or complete tasks (both myself and institution!). Not sure how to balance this when time is finite and desire/necessity to maintain personal time outside of scheduled work FTE. I also require better strategies and time to refine my existing strategies regarding impact of executive dysfunction - not letting the fallout disadvantage my engagement quality and usefulness of contact time

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I am the second supervisor to one PhD student currently. The supervision process is strongly led by the primary supervisor, and therefore my role is much more ad-hoc. I attend meetings periodically and the student will reach out if they have particular questions (or if the primary supervisor is very busy). Due to this, I find various other work commitments often take precedence over supervision. This set up appears to be working for the student (they are progressing well and meeting deadlines), but the informality of the second supervisor role (in this particular case and more broadly across my department) means that when prioritising tasks and work commitments, supervision is often lower down the order. This is partly my own fault, as I arguably could have made more effort to take a bigger role in the supervision process, but then again I don't want to impose myself on a current - even if informal - arrangement that is working for the student.

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That there are many types of supervision.

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The need to consider the different stakeholders and which are most 'important' was particularly useful.

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That the reality of supervision can often present challenges and issues that are not covered by institutional supervision policies.

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A key takeaway for me was thinking through and appreciating the multiple roles of supervisors, and that the emphasis on the different roles will be fluid over the course of the project.

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Fixing weekly meetings before starting the project leads to student engagement, motivation, and also provides regular support to the student.