Reasons for Discontinuing: Survey of Non-Completing Postgraduate Research Students

September 2001

Introduction

Methodology

Results

Conclusion

Questionnaire

1. Introduction

The Research and Development Board commissioned the Teaching and Learning Centre to undertake a survey of students who were at one time enrolled in a postgraduate research degree, but who have not completed their degrees and have either formally withdrawn or are not currently enrolled. The purpose of the survey was to collect information from the students on their reasons for withdrawal or discontinuation of enrolment and what changes the university might make to assist students experiencing difficulties and, thereby increase its retention and completion rates.

The survey commenced in April 2001 and was completed in August 2001.

2. Methodology

A questionnaire was constructed in consultation with the Research and Development Board. The questionnaire listed a number of reasons which might have contributed to non-completion of postgraduate study and asked respondents to indicate how important each reason was to them in their decision to withdraw or discontinue. Some reasons related to university issues, others to personal issues. They were also asked what the most important reason was to them and space was provided for them to add issues which may not have been included. Comments on changes Murdoch might make to improve the postgraduate research experience were sought.

A number of students who though no longer formally enrolled are, nevertheless, continuing with their research or writing their thesis. A question was included to gain some measure of their current status with regard to their research degree and whether they were likely to complete or return to their study. Some demographic information was also collected. A copy of the questionnaire is attached as Appendix A.

The criteria for including students in this study were -

• the student had been formally enrolled for a Postgraduate Research degree (PhD or MPhil),
• the student was not currently formally enrolled for a Postgraduate Research degree,
• the student had not provided a valid reason (other than withdrawal) for not re-enrolling, and
• the student had not provided an Annual Progress Report for the last two years.

A list of students who met the above criteria was provided by the Division of Research and Development. It was emphasised that this type of survey typically has a low response rate. The main reasons for this are, a) address details have not been updated by students who no longer have contact with the university, b) people who have failed to complete do not wish to be reminded of this and c) often the reasons for non-completion are very personal. To maximize returns, a staff member in the Division of Research and Development was allocated the task of following up all mail returned from outdated addresses. The questionnaire was mailed in April 2001. To encourage quick responses, the incentive of a book token prize was offered. Reminder questionnaires were sent to non-responders after four weeks and again after a further four weeks. Follow-up telephone calls were made to those who had still not responded four weeks after that reminder.

The Sample

A total of one hundred and ninety-two questionnaires were mailed and seventy-one were returned, giving a response rate of thirty-seven per cent. This is low, though not uncommon for surveys of this type. Forty-one questionnaires were 'returned to sender' as the address was no longer valid. Of these, seventeen had no further address available, whereas the remainder were sent to alternative addresses obtained from student records or, in some cases, from the former student's supervisor.

Given that the data collected is a sample of the total population, it useful to examine how representative the sample is. The main demographic characteristics of the sample and population are compared in Tables 2.1 and 2.2 below. Table 2.1 indicates that the sample does not reflect the population across divisions particularly well. Students from the Division of Science and Engineering are somewhat over-represented, the others under-represented.

Table 2.2 provides as comparison of the population and sample by gender and shows the sample to be somewhat better matched to the population in this area. Given the low response rate, however, and the lack of any further demographics which we are able to consider, the findings of the survey can be said to represent only the views of those students who completed the questionnaire and cannot be generalised to the total population of non-completing postgraduate research students.

3. Results

Reasons for discontinuing

The main focus of this survey was to discover why postgraduate research students do not complete their degrees. The questionnaire had a number of questions which aimed to collect this information. The first questions of the questionnaire asked students to rate how important a number of issues, both personal and university-related, were to them in deciding to discontinue their postgraduate research degree. The scale provided ranged from 'not at all important' to 'very important'. The results are shown in Table 3.1 and 3.2. Results are given as percentage of students responding in each category. To allow for easier identification of what were most important factors in respondents' decisions, issues are ordered according to the aggregated percentage of respondents indicating it was 'very important' or 'somewhat important' in their decision to discontinue. Two complementary questions were added to provide further information on why students did not complete their research degrees, asking what the most important reason was and to comment more fully on areas they had indicated were 'very important' in their decision to withdraw or discontinue.

An examination of Tables 3.1 and 3.2 show that the respondents felt that personal reasons were the more important factors in their decision to discontinue their postgraduate research study. Issues relating to finance were particularly important, ie the pressure of studying and working for those in full-time employment, general financial issues, the end of scholarship funding and the difficulty of surviving on a scholarship. Family commitments also came high on the list of very important factors in the decision to discontinue, with almost one-third of the respondents rating that a 'very important' issue. University related issues were generally a less important factor in their decision. Isolation from other researchers, inadequate training and supervision problems being the most important issues which related to the university.

* Respondents who indicated they were in full-time employment only.
** Respondents who indicated they receive a scholarship only.

The majority of respondents gave several reasons for discontinuing their studies. In examining the number of responses overall, the median number of reasons given by respondents was seven, with a maximum of twenty-one. A median of three reasons were selected as 'very important', and three reasons as 'somewhat important'.

There were some significant differences in the responses of different groups of students. As might be expected students who had received scholarships responded differently to whether the scholarship time limit had expired and to whether the difficulty of surviving on a scholarship had been a contributing factor to their decision to discontinue. Therefore, only the responses of those who indicated they had received a scholarship are reported on these issues. Similarly only the responses of those students who had been in full-time work while studying are reported on the issue of how important the pressure of balancing full-time work and study to their decision to discontinue. Other areas where significant differences were found were -

Issues relating to employment -

• Lack of research ambience in the Division/School contributed less to the decision to discontinue of students in full-time employment (87% indicating - 'not at all important', cf. 58% of those not in full-time employment.



• Changing job was more important for those students in full-time employment (42% 'very' or 'somewhat important', cf. 18% not in full-time employment).

Issues relating to status

• 35% of students who were no longer researching or writing up or had formally withdrawn from the university felt that lack of employment prospects had contributed to their decision compared with only 7% of students who were continuing with their research or writing up.

Issues relating to gender

• 54% of females but only 33% of males indicated that isolation or the lack of other researchers in their field locally was a 'very' or 'somewhat important' reason in their decision to withdraw or discontinue.



• Females were evenly split on whether health (of themselves or a family member) was a 'very important' reason (43%) or 'not at all important' (57%). In comparison, 80% of males indicated that it was 'not at all important'.

There were no significant differences in the reasons given across any other demographic variables, ie age, full-time or part-time enrolment, study mode, length of enrolment or length of time since enrolment.

Respondents were asked to nominate their most important reason for withdrawing or discontinuing. Fifty-five people provided this information with the reasons listed being as you would expect from the results given in Tables 3.1 and 3.2 above ie

• Job/career issues - 10 respondents



• Finance (eg difficulty of surviving on a scholarship) - 8 respondents



• Supervision - 8 respondents



• Family - 5 respondents



• Health - 5 respondents



• Funding (eg securing funding to do research) - 4 respondents



• Administrative issues - 2 respondents



• Interest - 2 respondents



• Moved house - 2 respondents



• Other - 11 respondents

A full list of comments is provided in Appendix B.

Further comment was requested on issues that respondents had nominated as very important factors in their decision to discontinue. Full comments are provided in Appendix C. The majority related to financial, family, and supervision issues.

Respondents were also asked to list any other contributory factors for discontinuing their postgraduate research degree. Most 'other' reasons related to those already given above - supervision (8 respondents), research ambience (6), job issues (5), distance (2), family (2), moved home (2), administrative problems (2) and other (7). Full comments are provided in Appendix D.

Areas where Murdoch University might make improvements

To try to decrease the rate of postgraduate research student non-completion Murdoch University is eager to identify areas where it can improve the postgraduate research experience. To this end non-completing students were asked what the university could have done to improve their experience.

Nineteen respondents felt that there was nothing Murdoch could have done which would have made their experience any different, most indicating that the university had been very supportive of them. Of those respondents who suggested improvements the most common areas were support (9 respondents) both in technical areas and in relation to research study overall, skills training/induction (9 respondents) and supervision (8 respondents). Full comments are provided in Appendix E

Further information on the respondents

When the questionnaire was constructed it was recognised that some postgraduate research students, though no longer formally enrolled at Murdoch University, are still continuing with their research or thesis writing and intend to finish. Table 3.3 describes the current status of the respondents. This information is not available for the population to allow us to make a comparison, however information provided shows that 49 per cent of the survey population had formally withdrawn from the university.

Of the nineteen respondents who were either continuing with their research or writing up their thesis, fourteen gave an indication of when they were likely to complete. Their responses ranged from 'in one month's time' to 'in 2010'. Where possible these responses were converted to number of months, the median response being seven months. Of the group who had not formally withdrawn. ie 11 respondents, but who were no longer working on their research or writing up, the majority felt it was possible (6 respondents) or very likely (2 respondents) they would return to their research. Only two respondents felt that it was unlikely.

Respondents were also asked a number of questions relating to their employment status while they were enrolled in their postgraduate research degree, whether they were full-time or part-time, on or off campus students and whether they were in receipt of a scholarship. Table 3.4 provides these details on the respondents.

Respondents had been enrolled for average (mean) of 2.5 years with a maximum of 10 years. Five respondents had been enrolled for less than one year. The mean time since there last formal enrolment was 2.4 years.

Other comments

Respondents were provided with space to make any further comments. Twenty-one students added comments, these are provided in Appendix F. In many cases these comments reiterated what respondents had stated earlier in the questionnaire. Comments are grouped according to the issues they related to, ie support (5), finance (4), administrative issues (2) and other general comments.

4. Conclusion

The respondents of this survey indicated that the main reasons for discontinuing their postgraduate research degree were personal issues, relating mainly to finances and family commitments. Issues relating to the university which were important factors in the decision of these students were isolation from other researchers in their field, lack of adequate research training and supervision issues. Suggestions on improvements Murdoch University could make to their postgraduate research experience included more support and better supervision. A number of respondents, however, felt that Murdoch had been very supportive and their decision to discontinue was nothing to do with the university.

It should be borne in mind that this report contains only the views of the seventy-one former students who completed the questionnaire. This represents only thirty-seven percent of the one hundred and ninety-two students who, over the last two years, have withdrawn from or 'dropped-out' of a postgraduate research degree. The views expressed in this report, therefore, are representative of the respondents only and cannot generalised to the whole non-completing cohort.

Appendices

Appendix B

Reasons rated the 'most important' in the respondents decision to discontinue their postgraduate research study.

Figures indicate the number of respondents. Comments have been edited to preserve anonymity

Job/ career issues - 10

• Got a good job
• Disinterest converging with a job opportunity arising.
• No time given from work to carry out testwork (laboratory)
• Insufficient time due to changed/new work commitments.
• Degree was not leading to preferred career path.
• Decided to do Masters by coursework first. Job changed, Masters more relevant. Ph.D. too theoretical for new employer.
• Job change, different career path.
• Pressures of studying while in full time employment.
• Changed job and interstate move left no time to continue studies
• Moved house/job

Finances - 8

• Having to support my wife through her studies = very expensive.
• Career prospects and status and finances
• General financial reasons
• Unable to survive financially and with children to support this was not easy.
• Financial commitments to family - scholarship etc don't pay enough, have to work.
• Financial issues
• Financial difficulty and offer of an attractive job
• Financial commitment

Supervision - 8

• Accessibility on face to face basis with supervisor who was familiar with my work context as my thesis is centered on my lecturing practice.
• Lack of contact with supervisor
• The fact that my supervisor had taken up a job at another university.
• Supervisor and stress
• The supervisor left for another Uni. Did not establish a good rapport with new allocated supervisor.
• Supervision changes
• Supervisors time, interest, stimulation
• Supervisor undermining my experience in chosen field.

Family - 5

• Child
• After 1 year fulltime in one area of research I took 1 year off for family reasons and had to change my topic on return - so 1 full year of research and 1 year HECs exempt scholarship wasted - new topic v. difficult and diverse.
• Family
• Marital breakdown
• Family commitments

Health - 5

• Poor health
• Health
• Personal injury interrupted research
• Health - I had surgery and on going health problems since then.
• My husbands health

Funding - 4

• Lack of funds for fieldwork and sample analysis
• Cessation of funding
• Lack of funding
• Failure to secure funding for an expensive research project. In the end I funded much of the research myself at a cost of about $10-15,000. Most of my scholarship time (3yrs) was wasted trying to find funding - I expected supervisors to anticipate such pr

Administrative issues - 2

• Delay in processing M.Phil
• The time frame allowed for submission of proposal and mixed advice about requirements from different quarters. Head of school not knowing what the facts were.

Interest - 2

• Lost enthusiasm because of crummy vice chancellor.
• Irrelevance of Ph.D. and lack of interest in topic equally important.

Other

• Studying at a distance in isolation.
• Isolation/ no other known researchers in my field
• I fell behind with my program of study due to a combination of all above.
• The university has become a bloated, expensive bureaucracy.
• Opportunities elsewhere
• No progress after 5 years
• Other priorities
• Another offer
• Pregnancy
• Personal reasons
• Scholarship time limit

Appendix C

Further comment on reasons rated 'very important' factors in respondents' decision to discontinue postgraduate research study.

Figures indicate the number of respondents. Comments have been edited to preserve anonymity

Finances - 13

• I had no scholarship (gap between degree and p/grad study)
• As I have said in #2 above, research works and writings need full-concentration. In the course of study students can be disrupted if the issues identified to be very important above were not resolved. In this regard, students should exert extra effort to ... with his/her studies which most of the time causes his/her decision to stop, delay or withdraw from the course. As for me all of this can be resolved if I had a generous financial status in life that would sustain my family's need during the course of my research works.
• I did not finish my research degree because my scholarship had expired. I had actually done most of the work. I was working on the last chapter of my thesis.
• Research = Being paid peanuts to do high powered work = Fool I was on a $20,000/anum scholarship (tax free) and still found it difficult to justify it to myself to continue working.
• The financial pressures of not working/part time work created hardship for my family.
• Finance - have struggled for too long to pay the house and other bills.
• Financial pressures made it impossible to reduce time worked.
• My HECs exemption scholarship ran out ( I guess over 6 years all that is to be expected but it was a very difficult struggle … circumstances).
• May go back to research, may not. Realities of paying bills now paramount.
• Scholarship did not allow me to switch to part-time
• Lack of funding, particularly so for labour intensive research project, was a crucial factor in de-motivating student who … not on scholarship or grant.
• I was unable to obtain a scholarship and had to acquire funding from industry,, this funding was withdrawn due to a change of management.
• Murdoch also didn't offer me a scholarship (...... did so I took it up).

Family - 10

• The Uni. was very supportive in my struggle to cope with family illness and my own illness and grief with time off etc. I feel that I could have coped better if I could have deferred doing my Ph.D. but I didn't see that as an option - if I gave this one up I couldn't come back again - is that true?
• Time involvement and children - my child was more important
• My wife has a history of alcohol abuse combined with anti-depressants, and would often become physically abusive at night, to the point where I would be forced to call the police1.5 years ago, now I'm in the process of a divorce!
• I felt the workload was too heavy to complete with a family when with full time scholarship. If scholarship could have been part time it may have fit in better with family commitments. But my family is more important.
• Had 3 children to fully support (both financially and emotionally) and juggling commitments was difficult.
• Sustaining the family and time with family are related issues and contributed to the decision.
• Had a wife to support through studies and needed a break from that environment.
• At the same time my wife started a restaurant business which took more and more of my own time.
• Moved house twice during period of study due to force of circumstances (family tragedy).
• The time spent studying and working full time (especially in an unrelated field) decreased personal satisfaction and 'family' time.

Supervision - 9

• My supervisor was more and more wrapped up in administration and teaching, and unable to devote time to me or my research, which was challenging and progressing badly.
• Supervisor was involved in other projects and eventually resigned from Murdoch. There was difficulty in finding another supervisor. This coincided with personal problems.
• Supervisor support not there during tough times. No feedback on submitted work. I spent too much time helping him accrue kudos. Therefore felt somewhat exploited.
• My first supervisor was very good but unfortunately left. The next supervisor on my first visit … "This is not really my area and I will be away from the university quite a lot on study leave". Coupled with the fact that my employment changed considerably my interest in study waned.
• Supervisor had no time. Did not read my writings. Did not make adequate criticism of them. Tried to shape my research to his own experience too much. You have to feel that your supervisor is in sympathy with what you are trying to do and that he has same grasp of the methodology/ content.
• Supervisor unwilling to allow research to be conducted under him outside his field of knowledge, and unwilling to accept different views on his field of study from someone without a Ph.D..
• Whims of supervisor
• I was given no real structure or method just 'read, read, read read, read,' A very unsatisfying and stressful experience.
• Having supervisors who show little or no interest in their students work and not providing written feedback, to mentally stimulate student was another important factor that de-motivated student to persevere in the tedious laboratory research project.

Job/career issues - 8

• Change position within the company and move as a site technical engineer.
• Boss promised writing time that never was given.
• Ph.D. not necessary for my chosen career - am and have been for 5 yrs working in my chosen profession. Ph.D. will not benefit me in any way.
• Since completing my undergraduate degree/s I have never found work within my field or anywhere near it.
• Research = becoming specialised in an area, therefore lack of employment prospects, as employer and industry do not appreciate your transferable skills. On completion of Ph.D. one is unemployable.
• Degree was not going to lead to a preferred career of my choice and financially, it was not feasible to continue given that I did not want to continue down that career path.
• As ............... I found it impossible to continue my research under the extreme stress and the proposed merger.
• My university teaching workload was greatly increased by the resignation of a colleague. I was not offered additional resources to meet the demands of this extra load.

Health - 6

• Just the health issue, as indicated above #3
• At the time I decided to discontinue my research my husband had recently had a cardiac episode and was facing the prospect of … bypass surgery and was coping well with that prospect. That has not yet been necessary and during the interim the anxiety attaching to the issue has diminished somewhat - Thereby removing the principle cause of my withdrawal. All ... to do is ... up enough enthusiasm to start over again!
• An injury to my neck made any computer work impossible. My research had got to stage where I was beginning to write chapters.
• My accident.
• I became ill and underwent emergency surgery which resulted in me doing part time instead of full time work. Subsequent health/work issues saw me abandon my efforts to continue further study.
• Health - was lacking in motivation, energy and drive towards Ph.D..

Interest - 5

• The Ph.D. was a narrow aspect of my broad field of interest.
• I proposed my research topic but then was guided to applying in an area in which I had almost no knowledge. This area is a huge topic in scholarly research, but almost unknown in WA. I had wanted to do something else but was talked out of it. I should have been stronger and stuck to it!
• I had 'retired' from a career and gone onto the land. I found 'farming' more attractive that writing up my topic now!
• I also found that academia from the inside was unattractive. Losing interest in this plus lack of interest in topic are a deadly combination. I would choose very differently next time.
• Focus of research changed from fundamental to apply.

Facilities/Resources - 5

• Due to what seems to be a lack of financial resources and a demand for space, post grad rooms were often over crowded and not conducive for work.
• Post grads were also not offered good computers to work on which was frustrating - there was a lab but not really a place where you could sit and write at ( was meant for people with no on campus offices to use the net).
• Lack of essential technical support in rectifying malfunction of high-tech test equipment pertinent for students experiment added to student de-motivation. Time is too precious for adult research student to be wasted unnecessarily on trouble shooting equipment problem when it could easily be rectified by experienced laboratory technicians.
• Also I found too many changes - change of topic, I was moved from my office into a transportable.
• Lack of library resources is a Western Australia rather than a Murdoch problem. A trip to Canberra unfortunately coincided with an academic strike so that the library closed in the evenings and I was not granted borrowing privileges. Access to statistical information on their computer was also denied.

Mix - 3

• A combination of poor health, divorce, remarriage, new baby and expiration of funding.
• I would have liked to have better advice an deferring temporarily while I was developing my thesis. As it was my delay in completion was also exacerbated by an accident and other family issues.
• Emotional stress of all these factors and travel time etc from Uni. made access v. v. hard.

Research Ambience - 2

• Vice Chancellor's attitude : … Murdoch is business which just happens to be education. More like a high school than a university.
• I have resumed my degree (actively) only because of the insistence of my supervisor and my partner. I understand the university will gain financially. I am still in two minds. Over 15 years I have seen this institution reduced to a shell of its former self. Run by and for bureaucrats (marketers) and MBA's.

Distance - 2

• When I started my degree I was working and living in Perth. I was transferred away form Perth. This move coupled with a job that has involved constant travel away from my base location has made … the thesis very difficult.
• Although email and research packages were useful there was insufficient email response especially during critical time of completing/designing research objectives. The supervisor was a great person - you just had to be there!

Other - 7

• Unfortunately soon after enrolling I encountered a number of problems that led me to seek a supervisor 6 months in.
• I intend to re-enrol and complete at a future date (poss 2002).
• I had no issues with the Uni. - my supervisor was very supportive and as I was never on campus (wholly external), lack of space, resources from the Uni. was not an issue.
• I reckon I should quit whilst I was ahead.
• Factors are all very personal. My decision to leave in no way reflects Murdoch as an educational institution. I'm proud of my achievements there and hope to maintain contact in future.
• With hind sight I should have gone from full time to part time.
• The time frame for submitting the proposal was the same for full time and part time students and unrealistic.

Appendix D

• Other reasons which were important in respondents' decision to discontinue their postgraduate research study.
• Figures indicate the number of respondents. Comments have been edited to preserve anonymity
• Supervision - 8
• Lack of coordination between co-supervisors.
• Joint supervision … Depts. and one of the Depts staff made access to required equipment extremely difficult. V. obstructive. O/ staff overworked and had little time to assist.
• I could see no point in paying fees to the university if I was not receiving any supervision from the university.
• Supervisor in contact area not available. A co-supervisor from another university was put forward by me but not followed up by Murdoch.
• My problem was having a supervisor at all. The first left and as I was beginning rather than completing my work it was considered better to appoint a second supervisor. This person (left). My third attempt to obtain a supervisor was greeted with the suggestion that I proceed alone. I didn't feel that I could continue without dedicated support and a point of regular contact and encouragement.
• The person who became my supervisor suggested taking the degree - not my idea. At the time, it seemed a first rate idea to us both.
• General lack of support/guidance in early stages. Took up position at another university.
• Being 'pushed' into a direction by one supervisor.

Research ambience - 6

• I found the change to the ethos of Murdoch under this VC demoralising.
• The school I was enrolled in had lost a number of senior staff and there was a sense of 'gloom' because of talk of ....... being targeted as a division to cut. Not conducive working environment.
• Politics in the department
• The lack of intellectual capacity and interest within the program to nurture my studies.
• Attitude of … staff.
• Low staff morale due to continual cost cutting and dominance by Murdoch Uni. admin.

Job/career issues - 5

• Family business
• I had to decide between the degree and voluntary and consultancy opportunities as to where I could make the greatest contribution to my field of interest. I very reluctantly did not pursue the Ph.D..
• I was offered a very challenging and attractive job which created an obstacle.
• Job prospects and career development prospects
• Opportunity to become involved in a business that I partly owned.

Distance - 2

• Studying at a distance - needed stronger direction, training and supervision.
• My supervisor was great but I found it difficult to maintain contact because I live ........
• Family - 2
• I had to take care of my son. I took time off from my research but I guess my heart and soul had changed priorities and the grief was difficult to deal with. Together with reasons in 3 below I could no longer cope.
• Family commitments - I had my son and I didn't want to leave my child in care until he was older
  Moved location - 2
• Moving overseas and getting married.
• I moved (home) and into a demanding job. I would have continued at Murdoch if I'd stayed.

Administrative problems - 2

• Delay in processing M.Phil
• Principle reason was that I was offered a Scholarship at another Uni. after being rejected by M U. That in itself is fine except it was most disappointing that all Uni's to which I applied for a scholarship went to great lengths to obtain my final semester results prior to their official release so they could adequately consider my scholarship application. The only Uni. which did not do so was the one which had easiest access to my results - Murdoch!!!

Other - 7

• I loved the topic, but it ran out of magic when the reality of research work became clear.
• Research works need full concentration on the issues and theories you are about to raise and prove, hence in order for a student to concentrate his/her mind should be free from worries other than those topic related.
• Lack of completion important to university.
• I felt as years progressed the value of my degree was undermined.
• Had enough of sacrificing personal and financial well being for opportunistic bosses-> Get out of research for a while.
• An injury that made continued studying impossible for health reasons.
• Inconvenience of not having allocated library space.

Appendix E

Suggestions as to what Murdoch University might do to improve the postgraduate research experience.

Figures indicate the number of respondents. Comments have been edited to preserve anonymity

Nothing - 19 (only those who added comments listed)

• No. I was treated really well.
• No. All facilities were provided. If anything I was fortunate that way.
• Not really. Not Murdoch's fault just personal circumstances.
• No. My years as an undergraduate, Honours, and post-grad student were great.
• No. In my view research in this area calls for independence. Occasionally a drink with other researchers proved helpful.
• Murdoch has been very helpful
• In my case, I find Murdoch Uni. a very good school. However, it is in my employment that I got problems. In fact, Murdoch Uni. even supported me to extend my scholarship.
• Murdoch and my supervisor were very supportive and accommodating.
• I have found the university and staff very supportive.
• Not really - it was an unfortunate set of circumstances that led to my discontinuing my enrolment.
• I don't see what. I suppose you'll always get a few who … in a magic bubble, then something pops it.
• Murdoch was good.
• Free counselling was very helpful as well.

Support - 9

• Series of post-graduate seminars and other get-togethers to facilitate discussions and networking.
• To improve on the inherent structural problems highlighted within the Division/School. Examples are: 1)Have an experienced lab technician designated for training and assisting research students in the use of sophisticated high-tech test equipment. Students should not be allowed to operate expensive equipment without first being trained on how to use them and also to provide students with on going support.
• More technical support
• More support/advice
• Better follow up of progress and direction in the first 6-12 months
• Perhaps students should discuss research topics with more than just supervisor.
• A more personal approach I'd say 90% of the time tried to contact the Dept' or my supervisor I was greeted by an answering machine. It was 6 months after my supervisor resigned that the university informed me.
• A little professional support and encouragement would have helped. As members of staff, even contract staff, we are encouraged to pursue our studies and obtain a doctorate. However, workloads require some consideration if we are to meet the university's demands as an employer at both in the workload area and the qualification area.
• A mentor would have been good.

Skills Training/Induction - 8

• Shown me how to change supervisors earlier - wasn't told I could until after I was ready to withdraw.
• More initial direction and advice.
• 1st - a training course first up on your rights and what is expected of you. I
• Yes! Coming across from a different institution meant that assumptions seemed to be made about my abilities in certain areas that were not necessarily true - for example computing skills. Murdoch could improve its post graduate retention time by spending time identifying if any areas such as this are a problem for post grads and offering undergraduate unit audits to help them.
• Post-graduate training programs relating to how to write a thesis and matters such as the nature of a Ph.D. vs. Masters thesis.
• Post-graduate student handbook with info on people to turn to for additional help with counselling etc, even editing.
• The head of school could be informed about the facts Academic staff/admin staff could tell you the same thing about expectations and requirements.
• If there was an option to actually give up the Ph.D. and then return later (rather than supervisors) it might help choice of continuing with my original topic - I now know in hindsight that that would have been an earlier option.

Supervision - 7

• Ensure that supervision was engaging and leading.
• Circumstances outlined in 4 above resulted in some disappointment and frustration. I am not sure if the university could have helped.
• Technical staff were v. obstructive and unhelpful and academic staff changed leaving me without a supervisor for 2 periods of time.
• Supervisor/professorial egos could be better looked at.
• Stronger supervision
• Academics who are lacking supervisory skills should undergo appropriate training and their performance closely monitored.
  
• Counselling to act as a guide when clashes with supervisor arise.

Distance - 4

• Training in studying at a distance
• Maybe something like a supervisor (or post grad tutor) whose role it is to correspond regularly with remote/interstate/overseas students.
• Access face to face to a supervisor would have kept me at Murdoch.
• Better access to library resources at a distance

Scholarship - 3

• Murdoch might have given me a scholarship.
• It is very hard for mothers to study, but I would still like to if part time scholarship were more readily available.
• Additionally, a high probability of a scholarship at ....... was very influential.

Research Ambience -3

• Perhaps provide a more positive and secure environment - having unhappy academics around who weren't sure which direction the school was heading doesn't help want-to-be academics.
• Yes. Redevelop interdisciplinary 'ethos'.
• The atmosphere isn't very positive. The standard is degrading. People are writing papers without much research. There's no check.

Administrative Issues - 2

• Because the research x'd boundaries I had to have a supervisor from each to have access to equipment the schools work quite differently.
• I would have deferred had it been possible but I had already had one deferral during my Ph.D. and was told another was not possible.

Funding - 2

• Not allow students to take on research project for which there is little or no chance of funding.
• By world standards research and stipend funding is on the breadline though - this could be improved.

Other - 10

• Unfortunately none. The problem is the attitude of the nation of Australia, bureaucrats in Canberra and industry towards research and development. I was not going to sacrifice my life and finances to do R and D (that I enjoy). Currently I am earning twice or 3 times the money if I was doing R and D.
• One very negative experience: I was persuaded to collaborate with another full time student over one major area of project. The other student would write the research paper. He has subsequently done this 'on his own', which I consider to be totally unethical.
• You could start by replacing the V.C. with an educator rather than a political economist.
• On Campus time
• However after 13 years more or less of university I wanted to do something different.

Appendix F

Other comments.

Figures indicate the number of respondents. Comments have been edited to preserve anonymity

Support - 5

• With FT job FT family commitments there didn't seem to be any mechanism for mentoring when I was floundering.
• As an employer I believe that Murdoch University could provide some formal support or workload relief for those who are making every effort to increase their level of qualification. We need encouragement. During the time I was attempting to study we were carrying overloads on workload hours.
• Linking up formally with successful Ph.D. graduate would have been helpful.
• Very difficult, being geographically isolated from university, in spite of faxes, internet etc. Lack of access to library is a major problem.
• During my scholarship I have encountered many problems particularly regarding my employment here which can be attributed to the pressure being imposed on me by my supervisor. This is the reason why I had to leave and stop my research. Nevertheless, my work at present is quite related to my topic and I intend to use this to finish my thesis.

Finance - 4

• As a parent with children and no longer married my financial situation was acute. Most women with kids doing P/Grad had husbands to support them both financially and otherwise. My position was therefore not the norm.
• As I was not on a scholarship at Murdoch, I took up tutoring which did impact on my ability to do as much work as I would have liked on my research.
• Without adequate funding for study, it was impossible for me not to work.
• I am still negotiating for a short scholarship so that I can come back to finish.

Administrative Issues - 2

• During the period of my enrolment, I believe I only received enrolment status information 3 times from the University. So as soon as I suspended, that was the end of the communication. I would have preferred an annual update +/- advice on future prospects.
• Please get some imagination back into the Murdoch leadership/administration.

Other - 10

• I was employed by .... who were very accommodating and flexible re my research however now I work for private industry and negotiating time off for study is more difficult
• I had to give up for my own health reasons - I have become less able to cope with the foibles and variations in life and I guess research at Ph.D. level was just too much for me in the end. I do regret leaving the research as it was a lifelong dream but perhaps with my changed self I need to look at a lower level of stress at work - lab technician maybe?! I am 'retired' at present not really looking for anything to 'do'. Time will tell.
• I fully intend to complete my research, and hope one day to complete my degree. I have published several papers in the interim, although none were directly related to my degree research.
• I have enrolled at ...........
• Worked part time within the program
• Obviously an equal part to reasons for discontinuing is/was self induced/inflicted.
• I gave up full time employment so that I could concentrate on my studies.
• I have continued to work on my research independently although this has been much more difficult without access to university resources.
• Towards the end of tenure got interested in other things.
• Full time employment only in the last few months of enrolment.