As a postgraduate member of a college, over the course of your PhD you will have access to a Postgraduate Tutor (also known as a Graduate Tutor).

As opposed to your supervisor, who may be outside your college and primarily provide academic advice, your tutor will be a college fellow providing advice about any pastoral, academic, financial or emotional problems you may experience during your studies. In most colleges, there is a single individual - the Postgraduate Tutor or the Senior Tutor)who takes on responsibility for the whole community of postgraduate students.

You might speak to your college tutor about mental health issues, financial worries, problems with your PhD work, or anything else that is making life difficult. They can provide you with listening support and signpost you to relevant services in your college, the university and beyond. Your college tutor is also the one who supports your applications for help from the University, for example financial relief, extending deadlines, having an intermission, etc. 

Though your Postgraduate Tutor will listen to your experiences of studying and research, offering advice or introducing you to fellows with similar interests where appropriate, they are generally not an expert in your field of study, so you should not expect detailed academic advice from them.

Your tutor will have access to reports submitted online by you (via the Self-Evaluation System) and can liaise with your supervisor where necessary - particularly if you are experiencing difficulties.

• Reporting illness or disruption to work
• Applications for personal leave
• Formal complaints or appeals against a university department (very rarely!)

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