In undertaking a graduate program, graduate students make a commitment to devote the time, effort and energy necessary to engage in scholarship. Students should demonstrate initiative in their research, recognize that their Supervisors are responsible for providing guidance as well as evaluating their performance, and be receptive to suggestions and criticisms about their scholarly performance. Whether in a course-based or thesis-based program, students must comply with the rules, procedures and standards in place in the program and at the University and should be familiar with the regulations regarding academic and non-academic matters as per the University Calendars. Specific responsibilities are as follows:
(a) to gain the background knowledge and skills needed to pursue the research project successfully;
(b) to work with the Supervisor on the establishment of a realistic timetable for the completion of the various requirements of the program of study, and to adhere to the timetable and to meet deadlines;
(c) to meet with the Supervisor and Supervisory Committee when requested and to report fully and regularly on progress and on results, and to consider and respond to advice and criticisms received from the Supervisor and the other members of the Supervisory Committee. The frequency of meetings with the Supervisor will vary according to the discipline and the nature and stage of the project, but normally interaction, which may be electronic, should occur at least once per month;
(d) to work with the Supervisor to ensure that appropriate ethics approval is obtained prior to conducting research on animals or humans;
(e) to provide accurate and honest reporting of research results and to uphold ethical norms in research methodology and scholarship;
(f) to discuss with the Supervisor the Intellectual Property Checklist (available at http://grad.ucalgary.ca/current/managing-my-program/supervision) and conform to University, and other policies regarding intellectual property, scholarly integrity, and other policies applicable to the research environment;
(g) to discuss with the Supervisor faculty and program requirements, including those related to deadlines, thesis or dissertation style, course requirements, and conflict of interest;
(h) to discuss with the Supervisor the responsible use of resources, and to assist in obtaining additional resources for the research;
(i) to bring to the attention of the Supervisor other responsibilities and the estimated time commitment (e.g., teaching assistantships) or special circumstances or needs that affect program progress;
(j) to bring to the attention of the Supervisor any matters of conflicting advice or expectations on the part of members of the Supervisory Committee;
(k) to recognize that the Supervisor and other members of the Supervisory Committee may have other teaching, research and personal obligations which may preclude immediate responses;
(l) to work with the Supervisor to meet agreed performance standards and deadlines of the funding organization when financing has been provided under a contract or grant;
(m) to acknowledge the contributions of the Supervisor and others in presentations and in published material, including joint authorship, if appropriate;
(n) to help ensure that the research environment is safe, healthy and free from harassment, discrimination and conflict;
(o) to act responsibly upon conclusion of the project by leaving a clean work space, returning borrowed materials, and providing the Supervisor with appropriate documentation of software, data, experimental procedures so that others may continue the research.