At the centre of every research-based graduate student鈥檚 life at AV俱乐部 is their relationship with their supervisor. Faculty supervisors help students shape the direction of their studies, mentor them through challenges and play a key role in their professional development.
Motivated by the importance of the relationship, the Faculty of Graduate Studies announced Tuesday (July 6) the creation of a new associate dean, student-supervisor relations position and the first person to hold it, Hany El Naggar, from the Faculty of Engineering.
鈥淎V俱乐部 is extremely fortunate to have hundreds of excellent graduate supervisors who are doing tremendous work supporting our students. Their expertise and commitment to their roles as mentors is inspiring,鈥� says Marty Leonard, dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. 鈥淲e are so pleased to have Dr. El Naggar join our team to help bring our community together to learn from one another, our peer institutions and academic research focused on grad student supervision.鈥�
An important bond
Supervisors are typically a student鈥檚 first and main contact when they arrive to study at AV俱乐部 from across Canada and around the world, and they often play a key role in helping students maintain their wellbeing throughout their studies.
Research shows that the quality of student-supervisor relationships is one of the most important factors in determining the time graduate students take to finish their programs, as well as the rate in which they complete their degrees. 听
In his new role, Dr. El Naggar will develop resources that students, faculty and staff can use to help build and maintain relationships. He plans to consult with colleagues to determine areas where support is needed and establish a cross-discipline committee dedicated to supervision. He will also design and deliver supervisory skills-building workshops for the graduate studies community, including events specifically for new faculty.
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Innovation and cultural understanding
Dr. El Naggar is well acquainted with the needs of graduate students, having spent six years serving as graduate coordinator in the Department of Civil Engineering, where he currently supervises 11 students. In addition to being an important source of support, Dr. El Naggar says a strong relationship is the key to sparking innovation. He notes that many students place their supervisor in an elevated status that can stifle creativity.
鈥淭hey can鈥檛 be scared to make mistakes 鈥� to experiment, fail and learn. This is at the heart of the innovation process,鈥� he says. 鈥淪upervisors need to cultivate a relationship with their students where they feel free to speak their mind and share ideas. When you have an open dialogue, real mentoring can take place.鈥�
Once a landed immigrant and international student himself, having travelled from Egypt to earn his master鈥檚 and PhD at the University of Western Ontario, Dr. El Naggar says he learned from mentors who made him feel at home in Canada. He has drawn on this experience supervising students from around the world and says that improving intercultural communication will be one of the focuses of his work.
鈥淓ach student brings a different perspective. It鈥檚 our responsibility to understand and respect these differences.鈥�
Reaching out
Dr. El Naggar says his first priority will be to reach out to faculties, departments, and colleagues to learn about their successes and challenges. He notes that while he has supervised close to 30 graduate students in his career, it has not necessarily prepared him to fully appreciate what supervisory relationships are like in other disciplines.
鈥淚 need to listen a lot,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to getting input from across the university about the kinds of support that is needed and creating a new network focused on supervision, so that we all can all learn from each other鈥檚 experiences. Inclusivity is so important.鈥�