• Section 1 - Purpose
• Scope
• Section 2 - Policy
• Section 3 - Procedures
• Responsibilities and Required Actions
• Section 4 - Guidelines
• Section 5 - Definitions

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) This Policy specifies the steps required and criteria to be met for approval of Graduate Research Offsite Enrolment (offsite enrolment) for graduate research applicants and students.

(2) To ensure that all external and internal obligations are met for supervision and candidature management, Macquarie University (the University) requires approval of all offsite enrolment.

Scope

(3) This Policy applies to all graduate research applicants and  students enrolled at the University, and all staff involved in graduate research supervision and candidature management.

Section 2 - Policy

(4) The default enrolment mode for students enrolled in the University’s graduate research courses is Onsite Research Enrolment (onsite enrolment). This includes Cotutelle and Joint PhD students who are on ‘MQ time’.

(5) Students may apply for offsite enrolment if the research project requires the student to be permanently or predominantly located outside the University’s Wallumattagal campus, or in exceptional circumstances, which will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

(6) The following criteria must be met for offsite enrolment to be approved:

1. the research project must be designed in such a way that the student has access to all resources required to complete a high-quality research project including research and physical infrastructure and applicable IT/information services; and
2. the proposed arrangement does not disadvantage the student with respect to access to academic and pastoral support services, access to/mechanisms for engaging with intellectual culture and other researchers, or opportunities for social engagement with other students and academic staff.

(7) International students residing outside Australia will not normally be approved for offsite enrolment, with the exception of students undertaking applied industry embedded research or where geopolitical or global events prevent travel to Sydney and the University's Wallumattagal campus. In the event that a student is prevented from travelling to Sydney and the University's Wallumattagal campus at the time of commencement, the Graduate Research Academy requires that students travel onsite at the earliest opportunity.

(8) Where a Principal Supervisor and student have not met in person, the Principal Supervisor must confirm that at a minimum a Teams/Zoom interview has taken place with the student.

(9) A robust plan for communication must be documented and agreed to by the student and supervisory team for all  offsite enrolment. This is to include the mode and frequency of communication that factors in any time zone differences, as well as a contingency plan should issues arise (e.g. if one party stops responding to messages or fails to meet appointments).

Section 3 - Procedures

Responsibilities and Required Actions

(10) This Procedure requires actions by the following:

1. Associate Dean, Research Training and Performance;
2. Department/School Director, Research Training (or equivalent);
3. Applicants and current students;
4. Officer, Graduate Research Academy;
5. Principal Supervisor; and
6. Pro Vice-Chancellor, Graduate Research.

Applicant

(11) The University will notify applicants for graduate research courses of their obligations under this Policy. Applicants are expected to have read and understood the provisions of this Policy prior to enrolment.

(12) The applicant must note in their application:

1. their country and place of residence during their candidature;
2. whether their research will primarily be undertaken via onsite enrolment or offsite enrolment; and
3. for offsite enrolment, the applicant must complete and upload the Request for Offsite Enrolment Form.

(13) Where approved by the Graduate Research Academy, accept offer of admission subject to offsite enrolment requirements.

Current students

(14) Current students seeking to change from onsite to offsite enrolment must review this Policy and complete the Request for Offsite Enrolment Form and submit this to their Principal Supervisor.

Principal Supervisor

(15) The Principal Supervisor must review the Request for Offsite Enrolment Form and complete the Supervisor Section.

Department/School Director of Research Training, or equivalent

(16) The Department/School Director of Research Training, or equivalent, will consider the Request for Offsite Enrolment Form, complete the Department/School Section of the Form, and recommend approval of offsite enrolment (if suitable) to the Associate Dean, Research Training and Performance.

Associate Dean, Research Training and Performance

(17) The Associate Dean, Research Training and Performance, or equivalent, will consider the Request for Offsite Enrolment Form, complete the Faculty Section of the Form, and recommend approval of offsite enrolment (if suitable) to the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Graduate Research.

Pro Vice-Chancellor, Graduate Research

(18) The Pro Vice-Chancellor, Graduate Research will review the Request for Offsite Enrolment Form and the recommendation from the Department/School and Faculty.

(19) The Pro Vice-Chancellor, Graduate Research will approve or not approve the offsite enrolment request.

Officer, Graduate Research Academy

(20) The Officer, Graduate Research Academy will receive the Request for Offsite Enrolment Form.

(21) The Officer, Graduate Research Academy will advise the student of the offer of enrolment and candidature requirements.

(22) When the student accepts the offer of offsite enrolment, the Offsite HDR Location Category will be selected in the student record.

Section 4 - Guidelines

(23) Nil.

Section 5 - Definitions

(24) The following definitions apply for the purposes of this Policy:

1. Onsite Research Enrolment (onsite enrolment) is a mode of enrolment where the student lives within reasonable commuting distance from the University’s Wallumattagal campus. This does not mean daily attendance at campus, but students and supervisors will have frequent contact, which may be online, with an agreed, regular attendance schedule on campus to enable the student to be embedded in the campus environment and research culture. Students who reside within a reasonable commute of the University’s Wallumattagal campus but who are permanently (more than six (6) months) carrying out research, or research related travel, fieldwork or collaboration activities at a location outside that campus (such as  students who are employed by industry and/or carrying out research for their graduate research degree at an industry location) are considered to be ‘onsite’, and expected to have frequent contact with their University supervisor, with an agreed, regular attendance schedule on campus to enable the  student to be embedded in the campus environment and research culture.
2. Offsite Research Enrolment (offsite enrolment) is a mode of enrolment where the student lives permanently (greater than 6 months) outside reasonable commuting distance to the University’s Wallumattagal campus. Students and Supervisors will have frequent contact via online or other digital means. Offsite Research Enrolment does not apply to students undertaking research related travel, fieldwork or collaboration activities away from campus for less than six (6) months. Approval of short term (less than six (6) months) graduate research related activities away from the Wallumattagal campus should be approved via the relevant Faculty processes, with notification to the Graduate Research Academy.