GRADSkills: Navigating the Student-Supervisor Working Relationship: Strategies and Skills

Being a graduate student, even at the best of times, can be a stressful, and challenging experience. Students may find themselves balancing multiple roles, navigating difficult situations and professional relationships, while also having to focus on ensuring they are making academic progress. 

In this workshop, we will provide an overview of current research by Ryerson faculty and graduate students, on the mental health and wellbeing of graduate students and on some of their prevalent concerns on successfully navigating one of the key experiences in graduate studies: the student-supervisor relationship.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Identify some shared sources of stress in the graduate student experience;
• Describe common challenges and concerns, including those related to the student-supervisor relationship;
• Create and use an empathy map as a way of constructively navigating complex challenges involving multiple perspectives.