Nine preconditions for my dissertation project supervision so as to avoid grievances

Nine preconditions for my dissertation project supervision: 

1. Attend my dissertation workshop and study the readings and workshop e-resources that I provide.

2. Be prepared to do revision of the workshop study materials that I provide.

3. Be prepared to be committed and engage in the dissertation project. This also implies that the student needs to have adequate intellectual curiosity and the personal resources to pursue intellectual learning as embedded in their life routine.

4. Contact me direct to gain my approval to be your dissertation project supervisor before submitting their dissertation project application forms [e.g., project synopsis form].

5. Spend sufficient time to produce drafts on concerns and theoretical framework diagrams before working on the project synopsis and proposal form.

6. Show respect to this dissertation supervisor.

7. Be willing to discuss with this supervisor on dissertation study issues.

8. Be prepared to engage in self-directed and deep-level learning in doing dissertation projects, because the student needs to gain high-level learning to produce dissertation content with own line of reasoning that is sufficiently refined.

9. Be prepared to spare time to refine dissertation content ideas and report format.

If the student finds these preconditions too "tough", then it is more appropriate to consult me as the dissertation project lecturer, BUT not as his/her dissertation project supervisor.

I have had enough of some dissertation students who asked me for help to be their supervisor and, subsequently, complained about my supervision work. For students who do not meet the nine preconditions listed above, they have a number of other dissertation supervisors to choose from [the university admin is very happy to let students know about the supervisor list.] It is simply inappropriate to contact me and ask me to be his/ her supervisor if the nine conditions are not met. It remain inappropriate to contact me for project supervision simply because the student's existing supervisor does not supervise him/ her well.

Finally, if students find out that they cannot meet the nine conditions or find they cannot accept my supervision style during the course of project work, they should also contact the university right away to change supervisor.

*** I am not active in seeking for dissertation project supervision work at all; I am a tough supervisor; and I do not provide "detailed instructions" to a project student so that he/she can simply translate my "cantonese content" to produce his/ her dissertation report content.