Seminar Papers and Theses

Temporary Changes to Thesis Supervision During the COVID-19 Crisis

A Guide for Faculty Members Supervising Theses

As of April 16, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has also had an impact on the supervision of theses, which is briefly outlined in this document. The process is presented in a total of nine phases, which form the basis of the ZHD workshop “Taking a Structured Approach to Theses—The Path to Your Own Guide.” Due to the highly individualized nature of the thesis process, these phases may differ from your own experiences. They should be viewed as a guide rather than as absolute rules. This document was developed in collaboration with the Office of Academic Affairs at Clausthal University of Technology. If in doubt, please direct any questions regarding examination regulations or organizational matters to the Office of Academic Affairs.

 

Table of Contents

1. Phase 1: Preliminary Discussions and Topic Selection

2. Phase 2: Registration of the Thesis

3. Phase 3: Outline (and experimental design)

4. Phase 4: Research

5. Phase 5: Practical Work Phase

6. Phase 6: Writing the thesis

7. Phase 7: Submission and defense

8. Phase 8: Evaluation

9. Phase 9: Archiving

10. Contact Persons

Phase 1: Preliminary Discussions and Topic Selection

In the first phase of the thesis process, not only is the topic agreed upon, but a timeline is also established and mutual expectations, rules, and responsibilities are discussed to establish a transparent working relationship. The initial meetings have not changed significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, except that they must be conducted digitally. Communication channels must be clarified from the outset to avoid misunderstandings. Contact that takes place primarily online also typically requires a greater degree of structure and more transparency regarding guidelines. You can find information on this on the page about communication during the supervision of written theses.

When selecting a topic, please note in particular that laboratory work is currently only possible to a limited extent and may therefore not be feasible within the specified deadlines. Laboratory work is permitted to the extent that it is compatible with and practicable under the current social distancing regulations. Supervisors must coordinate this with the relevant departments at the TU.

Phase 2: Registration of the Thesis

To register their thesis, students must still submit the completed and signed “Application for Admission to Thesis Work” to the Office of Academic Examinations. As was the case even before the COVID-19 crisis, this can be submitted via email.

Phase 3: Outline (and Experimental Design)

If experiments or laboratory work can take place, care must be taken when planning experiments to ensure that laboratory capacities are limited in accordance with current regulations and may change at any time. Please discuss this with your students as well.

Phase 4: Research

Not every book or article is accessible due to restrictions on library operations. Have your students check for electronic availability and provide support if necessary. Offer students pragmatic solutions. The University Library provides information on the current options for accessing literature.

Phase 5: Practical Work Phase

If ongoing projects cannot be completed by the deadline due to the restrictions, the topic must be withdrawn by Clausthal University of Technology or adjusted thematically. Since practical work can only be carried out by prior arrangement, the (future) topics this semester will likely need to be of a more theoretical or simulation-based nature. Advise affected students to contact the Registrar’s Office as soon as possible. Ideally, assist the students in making this contact.

Phase 6: Writing the Thesis

Essentially, nothing changes in this phase. The Writing Workshop will continue to offer its services in a virtual format. You can find additional ideas for communication during this phase in the document on communication when supervising written theses.

Phase 7: Submission and Defense

Currently, students are required to email a PDF version to the Registrar’s Office and both reviewers, and to mail the required printed copies along with an electronic data storage medium. The thesis is considered submitted upon receipt of the PDF version. Please advise students to use Cryptshare. This tool allows for the upload of larger data packages for retrieval from the TUC servers. It is an alternative to email, which has limits on attachment sizes.

Before the thesis is submitted, clearly remind students that they must provide the required declarations and signatures, as these are often forgotten. A simple cover letter is sufficient when submitting by mail. Students must also provide their contact address for the coming year as well as their personal email address, since—particularly upon leaving Clausthal University of Technology—it will no longer be possible to contact them via their university email address.

If there is a risk of missing a deadline due to the current situation, decisions regarding possible accommodations must be made on a case-by-case basis. In such cases, students should contact the Examinations Office and their advisors as early as possible.

Final colloquia can be conducted online, e.g., using BigBlueButton.

Phase 8: Grading

There are no changes here. Within the university, printed copies will continue to be forwarded to faculty members via internal mail along with the evaluation forms. This requires that you be physically present at your institution in the meantime. Otherwise, please contact the Examinations Office to discuss an alternative option. You may use either the printed or digital copies of the theses for grading.

Phase 9: Archiving

There are no changes here.

Contact Persons

Dr. Marvin Hecht, Florian Kainer, and Jürgen Lars Sackbrook are your points of contact for online tutorials. You can find their contact information here.

The COVID-19 pandemic poses enormous challenges for everyone at Clausthal University of Technology, including in the area of higher education teaching. We at the ZHD are constantly working on solutions and recommendations to support faculty and students. Given the constantly changing (higher education) policy decisions and technical conditions, the content of this page is continually evolving. The ZHD team considers it important that the information and concepts be developed in collaboration with colleagues from a wide variety of institutions. If you, as a faculty member or student, have concerns regarding technical matters or examination regulations, you must contact the relevant departments to discuss your concerns and proposed solutions. If you have questions or comments about the content of this document, or if you cannot find the information you need here, please write to us at: hochschuldidaktik@tu-claustal.de. We’re here to help!