Evaluation of the Post Graduate Research Student Experience

Tender description

The 2021 annual report from the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) stated that postgraduate (PhD and other postgraduate students) were consistently over-represented in terms of complaints. For example, in 2021 45% of complaints received came from these students, who make up 27% of the student population in England and Wales. The OIA has considered the potential reasons for this, which included the fact that these students may have made substantial personal financial investment in their course, considerations for non-EU students (such as visas and sponsorship), and issues that only affect postgraduate or postgraduate research students such as issues with the supervisory relationship. As there are various means for obtaining information regarding the postgraduate taught student experience at institutional level, this proposal focuses on postgraduate research students (PGR). This procurement aims to appoint a contractor to carry out research into the Postgraduate research student academic experience across Wales. This work would look into the various areas of the postgraduate research student academic experience, as noted in the specification, to produce evidence-based findings into a report complete with recommendations for the Wales higher education sector. There is no standard system or mechanism across the whole UK sector to monitor the postgraduate research student experience, other than monitoring of retention and completion data. The proposed work is designed to provide HEFCW with insights and understanding of the issues faced by these students. Anecdotally HEFCW is aware of lack of consistency of the postgraduate research student experience both within and between institutions, both in Wales and across the UK. This work aims to understand the experience, and identify recommendations that would achieve greater consistency, where appropriate. With the Tertiary Education and Research Act (Wales) recently having received royal assent HEFCW will be dissolved and its functions moved to the Commission of Tertiary Education and Research (CTER). This work will provide the commission with a firm foundation of knowledge of the postgraduate research student experience. The contract will be for a period of six months. We anticipate that the contract will begin January 2023 and that it will take approximately 20-25 days to complete the work. The final report will be expected the end of June 2023. NOTE: The authority is using eTenderwales to carry out this procurement process.