Faculty of Education Research Students' Association (FERSA)
Introduction
Students in their Master's and PhD/EdD years are members of the Faculty of Education Research Students' Association (FERSA). FERSA’s main aim is to provide activities promoting academic excellence and collaboration within the student research community. The Association is also routinely engaged with the Faculty Board, the PhD/EdD and MPhil/MEd Management Groups through its student representatives.
Events
The Lunchtime Seminars are a long-standing series of student-led seminars, where graduate students in the faculty have traditionally had the opportunity to present their work. Starting with Michaelmas 2010, the seminars are organised weekly and are also open to education research students from other institutions.
FERSA also conducts an annual student conference, Kaleidoscope, which has become a staple of inter-university collaboration and interaction at the student level since its first edition in 2004.
The Oxford-Cambridge Exchange Seminars are also organised with the purpose of sharing knowledge and practice, in collaboration with the Department of Education, University of Oxford.
Set up during Easter 2010, the Peer Learning/Writing Group has attracted numerous students at both MPhil and PhD/EdD level, creating an additional peer support structure in the Faculty.
Representation
Within FERSA, the Research Students' Representatives Committee (RSRC) comprises students who are representatives on the Faculty Board, the Standing Committee for Higher Degrees, the Doctoral Management Group, and the MPhil/MEd Management Group. They work together to address the academic, social and welfare concerns of the graduate student body. The FERSA committee members are elected by the student body in the Easter and Michaelmas terms.
A listing of current Doctoral students and recently completed theses are found in the People area of the website, with personal profiles of registered Doctoral students being added on a monthly basis.