Reading lists and course outlines for Philosophy Tripos papers are available from the Library and from the Faculty website. Further advice can be obtained from the Director of Studies at the relevant college, from Paper Co-ordinators, and from the Undergraduate Co-ordinator.

• You should supply undergraduates with a list of reading for each topic.
• You can follow the reading lists supplied by the Faculty on its website https://www.phil.cam.ac.uk/curr-students/undergraduate-tripos-informatio... or issue your own list. The Faculty reading lists are advisory. They do not define what will be examined at the end of the year, but they are targeted to the syllabus that will be examined.
• Only set reading that can be digested in a week. You can give the student further reading at the end of each term and in the revision term to flesh out their understanding if desired.
• First-years in particular may need reassurance that they are not expected to read everything on a long list before they start writing an essay. Indicate important works and one or two outline texts as a starting point.
   

• There is no one way of supervising. Different approaches and tones are appropriate, depending on the skills of the student and the stage they are at in their studies. Each student needs to be treated individually.
• Supervisors should be aware that overly hostile or exclusively negative criticism can do great damage to undergraduate morale, particularly in the first year. Criticism is an essential part of the supervision process, but should always be accompanied by acknowledgement of those things the student has done well, and suggestions as to those things they might do better. It is an essential part of good supervising practice to give regular encouragement and constructive feedback.

An undergraduate should come away from a good supervision with a clearer sense of three things:

1.    The worth of the essay submitted

• Comment on accuracy and relevance of content; breadth and depth of analysis; structure of argument; clarity and precision of expression; and, where appropriate, style (vocabulary, syntax, punctuation, tone, etc.).
• You will usually need to give advice on how to improve essay structure and expression.
• It is important to encourage undergraduates to write a full plan in advance of writing the essay itself.
• Non-native speakers, and some mature students, may need special help with their writing, but the writing skills of home students also vary enormously. Undergraduates often learn techniques and gain reassurance by reading each other’s essays. Students may find Undergraduate Writing Skills on the Faculty website useful.

2.    Coherent understanding

• You should evaluate students' understanding of what they have read and what they have written about. Ask them about matters not covered in the essay, and make connections between what they have written and what – with more thought and/or reading - they could have written.
• Your aim should be to clarify and broaden their understanding. Encourage them to have their own agenda and to ask you questions. It’s a good idea to end by summarising or asking them to summarise the central points of the topic, and by asking if anything is still obscure to them.
• Students should probably take some notes in supervision and should be encouraged to collect their thoughts and commit them to paper immediately afterwards.

3.    Limits to knowledge

• Impress upon students that, even if they have a firm grasp of the issues tackled in their supervision essay, this is likely only to represent a fraction of the material covered in the syllabus for this topic. They will need to engage in wider reading and further study in order to be adequately prepared for the exam.
• Be aware that many undergraduates invest a great deal of themselves in coming up with the ‘right’ answer, and may take criticism in a particularly personal manner. Take care to suggest improvements in a constructive way, as well as encouraging your student to see that speculation and debate can be a productive part of the philosopher’s craft.

In general, these three goals are best pursued by discussion; a supervision is not a lecture.  Do not be embarrassed if you reduce an opinionated student to silence from time to time while forcing them to think.
 

• Supervision reports and payment are managed through the CamCORS online reporting system for supervisions. To use CamCORS you will need to obtain a CamCORS Supervisor Account which can be set up for you by the Tutorial Office of the College for which you are supervising.
• It is important to write supervision reports and submit them ten days before the end of Full Term. They are usually discussed with the undergraduate in the company of the Director of Studies and/or Tutor at an end of term meeting, so try to make helpful suggestions for improvement. Most colleges will also release the report for the students to read themselves online.
• If you have submitted your reports promptly, you should expect to be paid by the colleges for which you have supervised within a few weeks.
   

• It is Faculty policy that all Part IB and Part II extended essays and dissertations are routinely passed through the plagiarism software, Turnitin.
• All students should read the Faculty policy on plagiarism available here: https://www.phil.cam.ac.uk/files/plagiarism.pdf
• The University policy on plagiarism is available here: http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/plagiarism/students/statement.html