Academic Progress Concerns

If you're feeling lost, or unsure about your progress, and don't know who to turn to: the most important thing is not to suffer in silence. The Mathematical Institute has a number of people who want to help you.

Who's Who?

Supervisor(s): your supervisor(s) should be your first point of contact for support with your academic progress, as they are typically best-placed to help you.
College Advisor: typically separate from you research group/supervisor, these assigned staff members can offer an outside perspective on your progress, and provide general help and advice. They will belong to the same college as you, and generally hold a position in the Mathematics Department.
Departmental Mentor: further information on the Department's mentoring scheme can be found here. The scheme allows every graduate research student to approach a member of the academic staff and ask them to act as a mentor for their career and personal development.
If you would like a mentor but are unsure how to find/approach one, you can contact Dave Borthwick or the relevant member of your research group.
Student "Buddy": normally allocated at the start of your course, your student mentor will likely be in a similar research area to you, and may have experience with the same sort of issues that you are facing from the perspective of a student.
Research Group Members: each research group in the Department has a number of specific individuals responsible for supporting their members in different ways. See here for a list of research groups, their member's responsibilities, and how they can help you.
Director of Graduate Studies (DGS): the Directors of Graduate Study (Christoph Reisinger - Taught, & Tom Sanders - Research) are key contacts in the Department responsible for your study as a graduate, and should be contacted if you have concerns about your progress, particularly if you do not feel able to approach your supervisor(s).
The Graduate Studies Administrator: Rosie Lee is very happy is happy to talk to you in confidence about progress concerns and other academic issues.
GSR: the termly reporting structure provides you with an opportunity to officially record any comments or concerns that you might have, which may then be escalated further.

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm a graduate taught student. Who can I talk to? You will have an assigned supervisor and college advisor like every graduate student; if you're unsure how to contact yours, ask Dave Borthwick. If you are an MSc student, you can also contact your course director. Information on who your course director is can be found on your course website (see here for all MSc courses; check your course handbook under ''Information for Current Students''). You can also contact the Director for Graduate Studies (PGTs) Christoph Reisinger.
Who should I contact if I have a problem with my supervisor? See this support section for more information.
Who should I contact in case I feel that my academic progress is slow? Your supervisor is generally the first person to contact with these concerns. However any of the people above are happy to help; your college advisor, your departmental mentor, members of your research group in particular. If you feel concerned about your academic progress, you can flag this on the GSR and the DGS will be notified. You can also contact your DGS directly; Christoph Reisinger is the DGS for Taught Students and Tom Sanders is the DGS for Research Students.
Who else can I talk to? Your Transfer/Confirmation of status assessors are members of the Mathematics Department, and most likely have experience being a supervisor. They will be able to offer an outside perspective and advice. The Head of your Research group would also be able to assist you. You can also contact the Academic Administration staff - the Graduate Studies Administrator is Rosie Lee. Finally, you might like to attend one of the weekly Fridays@4 sessions the Department organises to help support the career and personal development of graduate students during their studies.
I have to suspend my studies - who should I contact about this? After discussing this with your supervisor, you should contact the Graduate Studies Administrator (@email). You should also fill out the relevant forms for your situation. At any point, your college advisor and departmental advisor are also available to help.
Where can I find my college advisor? Your college advisor would have been assigned to you at the beginning of your graduate programme. If you're unsure how to contact them, try reaching out to your college, or Dave Borthwick in the Mathematics Department.
Why should I fill out the Graduate Supervision Report (GSR)? The GSR is a way of keeping track of your academic progress, and serves as an easy means to flag your concerns and contact your DGS if necessary. More information on the GSR can be found here.
Where can I access the GSR? Details for accessing the GSR can be found here. More information on what the GSR is, and how it helps to fill it out, can be found here.