Open studios are an opportunity each term for students to present their ongoing creative ideas/work to their peers, supervisor, staffing body and other invited guests. Students book with the postgraduate coordinator in advance and each student is allocated an hour to present work to their peer and staff body for engagement. Such sessions are crucial to artistic development and should be welcomed both in terms of getting and giving critical feedback. Students can also use this opportunity to present their MAFA proposals – as is a requirement by Faculty – to the student and staff cohort to gain feedback before final submission to their readers. Final Exhibition and Dissertation After the research proposal has been accepted (usually within a month of being submitted), the student is given formal notification to continue with the degree – you would have continued working on practice and written research while awaiting the external’s feedback and will incorporate such feedback going forward.
Change of Supervisor and Submission without Supervisor’s consent While it is not advisable for students to submit without their supervisor’s consent, sometimes relations between a supervisor and student may break down. While in the first instance the Departmental postgraduate coordinator should be approached well in advance to intervene where possible in assisting both supervisors and students (or alternatively where this is not ideal the Head of the Fine Art Department can be approached), where there is an irrevocable breakdown in a relationship, a change of supervisor can be requested. Where this happens close to submission for examination and there is contestation over the submission for examination itself, students who intend to submit without their supervisor’s consent are required by the Faculty to submit a motivation THREE MONTHS prior to submission date if submitting to the Senior Faculty officer (Phillimon.Mnisi@wits.ac.za).
It is encouraged that the final exhibition take place before the dissertation submitted, so that work can be reflected on in the writing. Alternatively, the exhibition can take place after the hand-in of the written paper, but preferably not more than one month later. Aim to hand in the dissertation around November/December of the year of registration. At the end of the year (December), you and your supervisor will be sent a report directly by Faculty to fill on your progress, noting any difficulties you’ve had thus far – it is important to fill this form out honestly. The dissertation should be handed in by no later than 15 February of the following year following registration (any later and you might liable for registration fees).
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