Assessment criteria: Doctoral student perspective

Doctoral students are given the opportunity to take an active role in the work to improve the content and implementation of the programme.

Doctoral students have good opportunities to actively influence content and implementation of the programme, both formally and informally. Through the regularly revised individual study plan, each doctoral student has the opportunity to influence the offered supervision and discuss the contents of the programme. Suggestions, wishes, and experiences of the doctoral students are considered when redesigning courses and seminars. If necessary, supervision is revised.

The self-evaluation indicates that doctoral students have a sufficient amount of qualified supervision, both on the individual level and in form of seminars and courses. Doctoral students have a wide choice of courses and seminars that meet their individual needs both within and outside the institution. There are no compulsory courses, which the assessment panel finds can be somewhat confusing for the students, especially at the beginning of the studies. The assessment panel suggests that some compulsory introduction courses would be a positive addition to the course offer.

The doctoral students have good opportunities to participate in decision processes on department and university level as they are represented in the Student Union’s doctoral section and participate regularly in the section meetings.

The programme ensures a good physical and psycho-social work environment for the doctoral student.

As the self-evaluation shows, the doctoral students have good working conditions. Doctoral students are offered their own workspace and possibilities for using the excellent infrastructure, such as the concert venues and high-end technical facilities in the Studio Acusticum. The possibilities for collaboration with local ensembles (e.g., Norbotten NEO) are an example of good practice. The assessment panel recognises the significant efforts have been made to broaden the collaboration with further local ensembles in the near future.

The current doctoral student group is very small. The assessment panel notes with concern the fact that none of the five doctoral students live near the campus. Exchange and communication within the doctoral student group happen mainly through online platforms and during the one doctoral student week per month. The recent efforts to create new doctoral student positions and the new requirement of students to be on campus more often (at least one week per month) are seen as very positive. There are currently no post-doc researchers, but efforts are ongoing to enlarge the senior research environment with one new post-doc position starting in the near future.

The workload of the doctoral students tends to be very high as it combines research, ongoing artistic work, teaching duties, and frequent travel.

The interviews confirmed that the doctoral students feel listened to and valued and that their tailor-made individual study plan, agreed upon between students and supervisors, is useful, although some doctoral students were concerned that in their first year they were unsure what needed to be achieved. Therefore, the assessment panel recommends that setting clearer goals and aims for incoming doctoral students should be made a priority.

The opportunities for the doctoral students to teach and supervise within the department are excellent, and could be further improved by an increased presence of the doctoral students at the campus. National collaboration is stated as very active in the self-evaluation. The assessment panel recommends that the programme develop opportunities for students to interact with international researchers and doctoral students by, for example, requiring them to present their research at international conferences. Better communication with beginning doctoral students about the working conditions, such as the use of work computers and more transparent information on available project funding, are potential areas of improvement. Also, clear evaluation parameters for the artistic work within the doctoral research project needs to be developed further.

In the university, there are two doctoral ombudsmen and psychological services are available for doctoral students. On university level clear procedures for an eventual change of supervisor exist, but there is currently not much room for a change in supervisor if needed, as three out of the five students are with the same senior supervisor.

Overall assessment of the assessment area doctoral student perspective

Satisfactory

Doctoral students have good opportunities to influence content and implementation of the programme. The programme offers adequate supervision for the doctoral students to develop their knowledge and skills in order to accomplish their studies successfully. The individual study plans are tailor-made according to the student’s project and are discussed regularly. Doctoral students have a wide choice of courses and seminars that address their individual needs, both within and outside the institution. Viewpoints and experiences of the doctoral students are discussed regularly and the feedback is considered when making improvements to the programme. Apart from the consequences of the doctoral students spending little time at the campus of the higher education institution, the working conditions are good due to individual working space and excellent infrastructure with artistic and technical facilities. The integration of doctoral students in the Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes is good through teaching and supervising students. The assessment panel believes the quality of the programme will improve when more students are admitted, the students have a greater presence on campus, and a larger post-doc research environment is established.