1. Because of the interdisciplinary character of Honours+, the main role of the Supervisor is to monitor an equal input from and interaction between the various disciplines and guarantee sufficient challenge and academic depth.
2. The Supervisor doesn’t necessarily have knowledge to a detailed level on all disciplines, but needs to stimulate the students themselves to create links between the various disciplines in the team.
3. The Supervisor is not the source of required knowledge, but a broker of knowledge throughout the execution of the challenge.
4. Furthermore, throughout Honours+, the Supervisor will support the team in planning, developing, and completing the challenge. The Supervisor does not take over the role of the team leader. The students will be instructed to appoint a team leader in their team. However, the Supervisors is asked to intervene when the team doesn’t display enough initiative and stimulates the students to handle pro-actively.
5. The Supervisor takes the role of steering and guiding the group and provide for a safe learning environment, and is sensitive towards team dynamics.
6. The Supervisor also initiates and chairs the team’s kick-off meeting and midterm feedback session.
7. The Supervisor is in close contact with the Honours+ Central Management Team, in order to assure monitoring of the overall programme process and team development.

The main concern of the Honours+ Supervisor should be the student’s learning experience.
More detailed information about the role of the Supervisor will be included in the digital course manual for Supervisors, and free training on team dynamics will be provided.

By working on the challenge during the Honours+ programme, following the scientific method, students will get a grasp on the interdisciplinary collaboration, together with all the opportunities and challenges it provides. This learning process is vital, and the results of it are to be put in an academic report.

Furthermore, Honours+ requests each student team to translate their findings into a presentation and poster during the Closing Event.

These formats aim at teaching students how to present results to non-expert audiences and peers.  This process of transfer of knowledge begotten during the Honours+ programme, and using it to make an impact and impression, is something we wish our Honours+ students to gain further experience in.

Additionally, since multiple teams will be working on the same challenge topic, it means that teams will be able to compare each other’s progress throughout Honours+, are able to exchange knowledge and experience on the topics during the events and will be competing for the most value adding findings during the Closing Event, thus creating a system of peer support.

Honours+ defines general guidelines for the outcome of the team challenge. The further refinement of the style of the academic report needs to be defined in close interaction between Supervisor and students. Honours+ requires the following outcome (1-3):

Outcome:

1. Academic report, that displays an interdisciplinary understanding of the researched subject, reflecting all involved disciplines and clearly shows what the added-value was of every discipline involved in tackling the challenge;
2. Based on the outcome of the scientific exploration of the team challenge, each team presents their outcome during a 5-minute pitch during the Closing Event;
3. Based on the outcome of the scientific exploration of the team challenge, each team visualizes their outcome in an A0 poster, to be exhibited during the Closing Event.

For supervising the team of students the Supervisor will receive 30 hours. The standard compensation fee is € 75 per hour. The financial administrator of EDLAB will contact your department’s controller to accommodate the transfer of the compensation to the right UM budget numbers at the end of Honours+, following the faculty regulations in this.

We require an honours mentality of our students, and needless to say, we ask the Supervisors to display exemplary behavior. Meaning that you partake in the training programme, supervise the students to your best knowledge and communicate regularly with the H+ Central Management Team.

Because of the supporting role of the Supervisor and the safe learning environment he/she provides within Honours+, we require the Supervisor:

1. To be physically present in Maastricht during November-May to regularly attend team meetings and be available for questions the students might have. We also recommend Supervisors to be on occasions available during some evenings, to help facilitating team meetings.
2. To help getting the team off to a good start, we require all Supervisors to be present as well during the Honours+ Kick-off on November 2nd, 18.00-22.00 hrs. Prior to the Kick-Off, from 16:00-17:30 hrs there will be an introductory training meeting to inform (new) Supervisors on how to best supervise students doing interdisciplinary research.
3. To help teams staying on track and propel them forwards, we ask all Supervisors to be present as well during the Honours+ Midterm Peer & Expert Discussions Evenings either on 01.03.2023 or 02.03.2023.  Supervisors are requested to be present to exchange experiences with other Supervisors as an intervision session, and to help teams with questions.
4. To support Supervisors in guiding the team and their learning process, we have organized a training programme, which consist of multiple workshops and an intervision session. Having attended all trainings, a Supervisor will be granted an official by UM’s rector approved certificate. The trainings may also count towards a Supervisor’s CPD.