Photo: Jens Olof Lastein
In the autumn term of 2021, Stockholm University started an employee survey. The survey is divided into three parts. First out was a partial survey of the doctoral students' work situation. Later, sub-surveys will be carried out on work climate, leadership and development talks, as well as on harassment, sexual harassment and offensive discrimination.
Satisfied doctoral students
The results of the sub-survey conducted among doctoral students are now compiled and can provide a picture of the doctoral students' general work situation and also on how they experienced the conditions during the pandemic. The answers regarding the work situation in general show that the doctoral students are satisfied. The overall indicator for "Satisfaction" shows 74 (out of 100). The value is over 80 for sub-indicators such as "Study plan followed up", "Receives regular supervision" and "High quality". On the sub-indicators regarding "Introduction sufficient" and "Good opportunity to get ready", however, the index is lower, around 60.
Problems caused by the pandemic
The part of the survey concerning the work situation during the pandemic shows that most doctoral students believe that the pandemic has caused them problems. The index here is as low as 43 (out of 100). The sub-indicators with the lowest values are "Guidelines for prolongation", "Separate work and private life" and "Prerequisites for work environment". The sub-indicators "Support from supervisors" and "Access to materials" show, on the other hand, relatively high values.
The results will be analyzed
The heads of departments have received their respective reports and are responsible for communicating the results to the doctoral students. The results have also been submitted to the deans. At the central level, the Human Resources Office will analyze the results as part of the university's employee survey and write a report.
According to the plan, part two of the employee survey on work climate, leadership, etc. will take place in the spring of 2022. Part three on harassment, sexual harassment and abusive discrimination will take place in the autumn of 2022.
“But for various reasons we have been forced to terminate the agreement with our supplier of employee surveys and will deal with a new procurement in the spring,” says the university's human resources manager Marie Högström.
"More can and needs to be done"
Human Science Academic Area
The university vice presidents about the results and on further work with employee surveys.
What explains the lower values for the introduction and the possibility of being completed on time?
Postgraduate education is a complex activity that is difficult to introduce doctoral students to quickly, according to the vice presidents Elisabeth Wåghäll Nivre and Yvonne Svanström at the Human Science Academic Area. It is important to both educate them in the academic activities, ie what the doctoral education mainly applies to, and what is the academic everyday life at the department. It takes time. For many doctoral students, the first few weeks will probably be overwhelming. There's so much they need to get acquainted with.
“In many places a very good and solid work is done with introduction, but of course we also see that we must constantly work for improvements and that more can and needs to be done.”
The area today offers an introductory day that complements the departments' introductions. The Faculty of Humanities, which probably has most of the doctoral programs with relatively few doctoral students, is starting a program this year with a boarding school for doctoral students at the beginning, middle and end of the program.
The vice presidents believe that the fear of not being completed on time has intensified since the fully funded four-year doctoral program was introduced and the requirements for performance thus increased. The doctoral students now see clearly how their time is ticking and thus want to finish their education during the time they receive doctoral student salary.
“At the same time, this has meant great security for doctoral students, and Sweden is one of very few countries in the world with this system including health and parental insurance. However, the pandemic has of course meant that anxiety has increased. Several doctoral students, mainly those who work with archive material and field studies, have had problems,” says Elisabeth Wåghäll Nivre and Yvonne Svanström.
How will the Human Science Academic Area follow up on the results?
“This is an ongoing dialogue and it is very important. What the survey shows is something that we ourselves at the faculties also have noticed and are trying to solve. At the same time, it must be pointed out that this survey had a low response rate and that it is therefore difficult to know how representative the answers are within the doctoral student collective,” says Elisabeth Wåghäll Nivre and Yvonne Svanström.
Science Academic Area
What explains the lower values for the introduction and the possibility of being completed on time?
Photo: Niklas Björling
In the Science Academic Area, many doctoral students are recruited internationally. Among them the need for introduction regarding the actual doctoral education and practical questions about working, living and living in Sweden can be particularly great, says vice president Henrik Cederquist.
“Our departments are already doing a good job of introducing new employees, including doctoral students, but there is of course also room for improvement and perhaps especially for those doctoral students who come from other countries with other education systems and with other academic traditions. For the doctoral students recruited during the pandemic, part of the very important, and often partly informal, introduction to the working community in research groups and research departments has been more difficult than under normal circumstances.”
Henrik Cederquist believes that the pandemic had a negative impact with concerns about not being completed on time. In a normal situation, many doctoral students can probably experience a certain security in belonging to a research group that works partly together towards common goals.
“But even in such situations, you can experience delayed deliveries of equipment, canceled experiments or other types of delays. We can reduce the negative effects of such events by being prepared to, in consultation with the doctoral student, make changes in project planning to advance in the doctoral program,” says Henrik Cederquist.
How will the Science Academic Area follow up on the results?
“The departments are now analyzing the results of the survey. We expect that the need for measures may look different at different institutions and that they will be designed accordingly. The area will support the departments' work to further strengthen introductory initiatives aimed at doctoral students and also strengthen information and introductory initiatives from the area level.”