National Community of Practice on Graduate Supervision
The National Community of Practice on Graduate Supervision aims to bring together colleagues across Canada with a shared commitment to advancing supervision practices and supervisor wellness through collaborative learning.
We invite you to join this national conversation, connect with peers, and stay informed about upcoming events and resources. Click the link below to join the National Community of Practice and sign up for our mailing list. Please also share this webpage with graduate supervisors at your institution and we look forward to connecting with you!
Join the National Community of Practice Mailing List
Click HereOur Goals
- To foster conversations and sharing of effective practices among supervisors across Canada
- To foster strong research cultures that enable supervisors and students to flourish
- To co-create and share a national set of principles on supervision
- To co-create rich, open access resources & materials for supervisors
- To support an annual online conference on supervision
Co-Chairs
|
Dr. Cheryl van Daalen-Smith, RN Associate Dean (Academic) Faculty of Graduate Studies York University |
Dr. Michele Jacobsen Associate Dean, Supervision and Mentoring Faculty of Graduate Studies University of Calgary |
2026 – Speakers Series on
graduate supervision
6 February 2026 - Navigating Conflict and Power in Graduate Supervision
27 March 2026 - Supervising and Supporting Neurodivergent Students
Date : Friday, March 27, 2026
Time: 1:00PM-2:30PM EST
Registration Required
1 May 2026 - Supervision and Student Mental Health & Wellbeing
Date : Friday, May 27, 2026
Time: 1:00PM-2:30PM EST
Registration Required
2025 – Past Events
31 January 2025 - Inaugural Conversation
Inaugural Conversation
Our first meeting was held on 31 January 2025, in which we outlined some goals of the National CoP, explored common challenges in supervision, and featured a Best Practice Spotlight and Discussion with Dr. Jeff Casello.
28 March 2025 - Learning to Supervise - On the Job
Learning to Supervise – On the Job
Supervising graduate students is a complex and evolving role shaped by personal experiences, disciplinary norms, institutional contexts, and ongoing learning.
- This online conversation invited participants to reflect on their own doctoral supervision experiences and explore how those experiences influenced their current supervisory practices.
- Through discussion and shared insights, we examine how supervision pedagogy develops over time, the ways mentors shape our approaches, and the resources that help us continue to grow as effective supervisors.
- Whether you’re new to graduate supervision or looking to refine your approach, this online conversation will provide valuable perspectives and strategies for fostering meaningful student-supervisor relationships.
20 June 2025 - Supervision of International Graduate Students
Supervision of International Graduate Students
This conversation focussed on Supervision of International Students. York University shared its new tool for graduate supervisors. Developed following extensive consultation with York international, and reviewed by leading supervisors of International students, the Strong Start to Supervision: An International Student Companion Guide aims to bring awareness to the unique aspects of the international graduate student experience while fostering open dialogue between supervisor and student. When the supervisor understands what international students are managing at various stages of their graduate studies journey, as well as the ways in which diverse cultural differences can lead to misunderstandings related to expectations and other aspects, they are more able to adjust their supervisory style and focus through intercultural competence and support.
Strong Start to Supervision: An International Student Companion Guide (York University)
3 October 2025 - Supervisory Best Practices: Mobilizing Students to Write
Make ‘em write! The no mess way to extract a dissertation from a grad student’s brain
This book won’t provide tips for adding luster to a research advisors C.V., nor is it a guide for torturing students. Instead, it offers reflections about how the advisor relationship can support student in learning scientific writing. It was written by two professors who, while at time embodying all the caricatures depicted on the cover of this book, have won awards for the quality of their mentorship and been invited to take leadership of doctoral programs. Delivered with a dash of humour, this book represents whatever wisdom they could scrape together through their combined experience of supervising more than 50 graduate students, not to mention five years of venting around the coffee machine.
14 November 2025 - Supervisor Wellness & Wellbeing
12 December 2025 - Spotlight on the Power of Supervisor Feedback and Feedforward
Upcoming Annual Online Graduate Supervision Conference
Spring 2026 - McGill University
Date: June 8 to June 10, 2026
Spring 2027 - First Nation's University & University of Regina
Spring 2028 - University of Alberta
Spring 2029 - Université de Moncton & University of New Brunswick
PAST Annual Online Graduate Supervision Conference
31 May 2024 - York University
Collaborative, Constructive, Considerate: Fostering Dialogue on Best Practices in Graduate Supervision in Canada
9 May 2025 - Memorial University
Rock Solid Supervision: Building Foundations for Student Success
