Follow-up group

Follow-up group, the duties of the follow-up group and guidelines on the general operating principles of the follow-up group

Table of contents

General instructions on the follow-up group

Follow-up group

In accordance with the general principles the University Board has approved for the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ Graduate School for Doctoral Studies, a follow-up group is formed for each doctoral student. The follow-up group is appointed by the faculty. The follow-up group includes at least one person with doctoral degree, who is not the supervisor of the student in question and is not closely linked to student's dissertation research, for example as a co-author, or in a role that enables the production of research-based information. Follow-up group members may be external to the University. 

The follow-up group meets the doctoral student and the supervisor once a year. Main responsibilities of a follow-up group include following-up the progress of doctoral student's dissertation research and studies and supporting doctoral student's career planning. The target is to create a group that has good internal communication and can be expected to communicate openly with the student.

Doctoral student documents the follow-up group in the supervision document.

Appointing a follow-up group 

  • The follow-up group is appointed before the start of postgraduate studies as part of the doctoral student admission process.
  • The follow-up groups are also named for doctoral students who have already started their doctoral studies (excluding students marked inactive in the study register) but do not have a follow-up group or whose follow-up group is no longer available.
  • The supervisor or the doctoral programme is responsible for nominating the follow-up group members. The student’s opinion should also be heard when selecting the group members. The target is to create a group that has good internal communication and can be expected to communicate openly with the student.
  • The faculty is responsible for confirming the follow-up group members. The dean decides on the follow-up groups. This matter can't be delegated to be handled and decided by other parties. 
  • The doctoral student documents the follow-up group (i.e., names of the group members or describes the body operating as the follow-up group) in the supervision document. The student also updates changes in the follow-up group if necessary.

Duties of the follow-up group

 The duties of the follow-up group are described in appendix 1 of the supervision document and they are as follows: 

  • Supporting and follow-up of the progress of doctoral studies and dissertation work and collaboratively refining the study and/or research plan, if needed.
  • Supporting the doctoral student’s career planning and discussing postdoctoral employment opportunities with them.
  • Paying attention to that the amount of teaching and other duties of the doctoral student is appropriate considering the maximum time of four years (if doctoral studies are full-time) and does not prevent graduation within the target time.
  • According to given instructions, reporting of potential problems with the progress or funding of the doctoral studies to the steering board of the doctoral programme or to the persons in charge of doctoral training in the department or faculty.
  • Verifying the supervisor information registered in the supervision agreement form in the annual meeting of the doctoral student and the follow-up group.

Doctoral student follow-up groups and monitoring of the progress of doctoral students. Additional guidelines on the general operating principles of the University Graduate School

The Graduate School steering board has issued detailed instructions on follow-up groups and monitoring the progress of a doctoral student (see below). 

Resolving of conflicts and problematic situations

Conflicts during doctoral training are prevented by the supervision document and follow-up group practices as well as through competence development, informing and guidance. The aim is to resolve conflicts as early as possible.

Doctoral students discuss about their dissertation research and doctoral studies with the supervisor and the follow-up group in the supervision discussions and the follow-up group meetings. The follow-up group informs the contact persons of the doctoral programme about unresolved conflicts. If a conflict cannot be resolved at the level of the doctoral programme, it is transferred to be resolved by the doctoral school. The doctoral student or the supervisor can also contact the contact persons of the doctoral programme or doctoral school directly. The director of the Graduate School for Doctoral Studies and the Graduate School Steering Board support doctoral programmes and doctoral schools in resolving conflicts.

If the conflict concerns a matter whose settling or resolution has been stipulated in a separate university-level decision (e.g. the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ Regulations or the Degree Regulations) or the University has a suitable operating model for settling or resolving the problem (e.g. the RCR process), the model is followed. 

(Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ Graduate School for Doctoral Studies: Structure and General Principles. Approved at the University Board meeting of 10 December 2021.)

The supplementary instructions of the Faculties

The faculty doctoral school or the doctoral programme gives detailed guidelines to doctoral students and supervisors on the practices for the organisation and proceeding of follow-up group meetings as well as for preparing for the meeting and writing a report.