Seeking supervisability: the inclusivity implications of doctoral supervisors’ engagement with prospective applicants prior to formal admissions

Abstract

In doctoral admissions research, a neglected stage is the informal phase which precedes the submission of a formal application, and which involves the circulation of various communications about admissions; we term this stage ‘pre-application doctoral communications’ (PADC). Due to the informality of PADC, there are inclusivity concerns about the potential for prospective applicants to be screened out of even applying for doctoral education. Supervisors are major actors in the PADC stage. This paper illuminates supervisors’ hidden, informal practices within PADC. It redeploys Julie Posselt’s work on doctoral admissions committees to conceptualise supervisors’ decision-making processes in PADC. The paper draws on an in-depth institutional case study of a research-intensive UK-based university. This paper focuses specifically on the supervisor participants, where 19 supervisors participated in a six-week solicited diary process, followed by focus group discussions with 11 supervisors. Findings show that supervisors are caught between their principles and values and squeeze conditions which impede inclusivity efforts. The paper argues that supervisors’ actions and reactions are produced by and across social, institutional, and personal factors. The paper concludes that formalising PADC may not be ideal or even possible, yet there is scope for improving systems for managing PADC and awareness of inclusivity issues.