Academic supervision: The invisible work shaping the next generation of researchers

For every graduate student, there is a professor who has committed to being their supervisor — overseeing their progress and guiding every step of a journey that spans multiple years. In the social sciences, humanities and fine arts alone, these academic supervisors aid new researchers as they pursue challenging, often groundbreaking research that will shape the future of their disciplines, and beyond. 

“Academic supervision is fundamental to research-intensive universities,” says Heather Young-Leslie, a senior research partner for the University of Alberta’s College of Social Sciences and Humanities (CSSH). “It’s very consuming intellectual work that requires a substantial time commitment.” 

Yet, despite the enormous responsibility shouldered by these mentors, the important role they play can often feel like what Young-Leslie calls “invisible work.”

Randy Wimmer, a professor in the U of A’s Faculty of Education, is no stranger to this kind of work. A specialist in teacher education, he recently saw his 25th PhD student earn their doctorate. When he thinks about academic supervision, the educator and author John Goodlad’s insight comes to mind.

“Goodlad compared supervision to housework, in the sense that everybody knows it has to get done, but nobody really acknowledges it being done,” Wimmer says.

Across the CSSH there are a great many veteran supervisors who know first-hand the challenges and rewards of this vital role, and whose insights can shed light on an under-appreciated area of academia. 

Risk and reward

Like housework, the effort that goes into being a supervisor is not sporadic, but a regular part of each week in addition to typical teaching and research workloads.

Wimmer and colleagues Kim Noels from the Department of Psychology and Sean Caulfield from the Department of Art and Design all describe a weekly schedule of ongoing student meetings, each roughly an hour long. 

These CSSH faculty members usually supervise at least four or five students at a time. Wimmer, however, has recently scaled back his doctoral supervision from eight or nine students a year —and also works with many thesis- and course-based master’s students. 

Meanwhile, Noels and Caulfield also provide group meetings, in addition to their one-on-ones.Noels oversees team research in her Intercultural Communication Lab, which includes approximately 20 undergraduate students in addition to her grad students.

Caulfield leads group critique sessions and reviews in the studio each term for students in the MFA program, and frequently stops into the studio for informal discussions. 

Being a good supervisor requires more than time; it demands a strong approach to mentorship to ensure the next generation of researchers are equipped to make an impact in their fields. For instance, it requires finding a balance between supporting students and nurturing independent researchers who have confidence in their abilities and ideas.

Despite the differences between their disciplines, the philosophies described by Wimmer, Noels and Caulfield share this set of core goals.

For Noels, this starts with fostering a collegial atmosphere in the lab where students feel safe to take risks and make mistakes that will ultimately help them grow. 

“It’s a tricky balance; you can’t do it for them, but you have to help them figure out how they can do it,” she says.

Similarly, Wimmer says he rarely tells his students what to do. Rather, through his relational, people-oriented approach, he strives to get them to figure things out for themselves. 

“My role is to make sure they're progressing and are on track,” he says.

This approach is intrinsic to mentoring studio artists as well, Caulfield says. “It's really about fostering the capacity to ideate and to be willing to take risks and experiment, but at the same time, doing that in a way that's controlled and has a forward momentum.” 

On the ground

Academic supervision is a role filled with challenges — both from the supervisor–student relationships themselves and from outside factors in the postsecondary environment. 

The day-to-day reality of supporting students through graduate-level work can at times mean confronting difficult situations. For Noels, figuring out how to give negative feedback constructively was one of the hardest things to learn. 

“It’s all about keeping the faith that they do have the potential — even when it’s tough — and being frank with them about things that aren’t working,” she says. 

Caulfield also describes dealing with students’ struggles as one of the hardest parts of his supervisory role. When a student hits a creative block, for example, it can result in friction between them and colleagues, or otherwise “manifest in negative energy or behaviour. “

“I see negotiating that as my responsibility,” he says. “It’s not something I shy away from, but it can be difficult.”

Working in a large, complex environment can add more challenges to an already time-consuming job. Some researchers feel there is a stark divide between their on-the-ground work with students and the administrative requirements that increasingly accompany this work. Wimmer says that this can include complicated processes to complete paperwork, set up contracts and other tricky administrative tasks for which the supervisors are responsible. 

This is “perhaps my biggest challenge right now,” he says. 

There is also the pervasive question of how supervisory work is recognized. Aside from a handful of awards, there is no formal recognition (such as a release from other duties) for supervision.

As a result, Noels explains that the amount each supervisor puts into this work is essentially voluntary. Considering the crucial nature of the role, and the limited amount of time supervisors have, this can be problematic.  “If we didn’t have supervisors, where would the future researchers learn how to do what they need to do?” she asks.

As Caulfield points out, supervisors also have to contend with the shifting academic landscape. Often, students will vye for a limited number of positions, and many end up needing to pursue different options.

This opens up a larger discussion about the future of academia. One part of this is determining if big, global changes simply require new courses to meet the changing needs of students and graduates, or if there’s a larger, more existential conversation to be had about the importance of academia to society. 

“This is a much bigger issue, but it’s a problem we have to think through in terms of how we design our programs and respond,” Caulfield says.

‘The greatest part of my job’

Despite these challenges and pressures, many professors nonetheless view their supervisory work as a career highlight. For Wimmer, the greatest rewards are when students get papers and conference proposals accepted, and secure tenure-track positions. 

“I love teaching — I always have — but working with grad students, especially PhD students, is the favourite part of my work,” he says.

Caulfield finds gratification in everything from the daily interactions with students in the studio to seeing them find resolutions for the ideas they’ve been grappling with when they present their final gallery exhibition. He describes the conversations he has as a supervisor interesting, complex and sophisticated. 

“The group discussions around art and the place of art in society are amazing,” he says. “Working with colleagues to help mentor students is probably the greatest part of my job.”

This is a sentiment shared by Noels as well. She thinks fondly of the “bubbling” energy that goes on in the lab as people work on projects together, and share their exciting findings with each other. 

“That is why I'm a professor. That's my everyday, and I feel so grateful to have that.”