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Graduate student relationships with faculty members are regarded by students as the most important aspect of their graduate education. Positive student-supervisor relationships are also associated with greater completion rates and faster times to completion.
The relationship between supervisors and students, however friendly and supportive it may become, should always be academic and professional. Relationships that are unprofessional (e.g., romantic, sexual, family ties) are unacceptable between supervisors and students.
Resolving Conflicts in Supervisor-Student Relationships
The relationship between students and their supervisors is normally close and long-lasting. At times, conflicts may arise. In such cases, the first step should be to try to resolve the misunderstanding or conflict informally. This is more likely to be successful if attended to as early as possible. The student, supervisor, and where relevant the supervisory committee, should discuss the problem together. The supervisor/supervisory committee should document the discussions and keep a record of any agreements made, sharing this record with the student and committee.
If the conflict cannot be resolved, the Director of Graduate Studies in the GAU should be consulted as early as possible by the parties involved. The Director is responsible for arranging consultation and mediation. The Director or the parties involved may request advice and/or mediation assistance from their department or faculty, the SGS, and/or other appropriate services such as the Student Advocate.
The student, supervisor/supervisory committee members shall not be required to participate in informal resolution, as this is intended to be a voluntary process. If the parties agree to and engage in informal resolution and it is unsuccessful or inappropriate, and the supervisor/supervisory committee, student, or Director of Graduate Studies determines that the supervisory relationship cannot be reconciled, then the department will attempt in good faith to work with the student to find alternative supervision within the department and consult the SGS if needed.
If the best arrangements of the department and the SGS fail to meet the expectations of the student, the student may choose to withdraw without prejudice. If the student refuses to accept the supervision provided, or if no supervision can be secured, then the student is not fulfilling the academic requirement of having a supervisor and may, on academic grounds, be required to withdraw.