Responsibilities of the Postgraduate Student Advisor

This page explains the role and responsibilities of the School Postgraduate Student Advisor (SPSA), including the appointment procedure and recording of consultations.

Every School must have at least one full-time member of academic staff designated to act as an independent School Postgraduate Student Adviser (SPSA).

Heads of School, or delegate, must nominate a School Postgraduate Student Advisor (SPSA) and must inform the University of the name of the SPSA, which must also be included in the School Handbook.

The SPSA shall have responsibility for providing support to advise research students and to deal confidentially with any concern raised by research students about their research studies and supervision. This must be provided to all Research Postgraduate students registered with their home school.

Responsibility for PGRs does not extend to the corresponding school on an international campus, although cross campus cooperation between SPSAs is encouraged on common areas.

The School Postgraduate Student Advisor (SPSA) is available to offer independent and strictly confidential advice and support to research students who, for example, have a query about University, Faculty and School regulations and procedures relating to research study; are concerned about the progress of their research work and the facilities or resources available to them; are having difficulties with the supervisory relationship (including a complete breakdown of that relationship); or who have any other query relating to their research studies at Nottingham.

If the SPSA is the student's supervisor, the student can seek guidance from any other member of School academic staff.

The SPSA must advise the student as is required and, if they cannot answer the student's query, will indicate to the student what sources of expert advice and support exist within the University (eg. Counselling Service, or Researcher Academy). 

When a research student requests a meeting with the School Postgraduate Student Advisor (SPSA) on a serious matter concerning their research studies and/or supervision, the SPSA must make a careful record of the problem and the discussions (the record must be agreed with the student), including the outcome and any proposed course of action.

Where appropriate, the SPSA may offer to mediate between the student and other staff and students in the School, including the supervisor.

Subject to the degree of confidentiality agreed with the student, the SPSA may report the problem to the Head of School and, if appropriate, Registry and Academic Affairs.

For more information about these services, please consult the following:

Researcher Academy

The University Counselling Services

Additional guidance in 2020/21 due to Covid-19         

Please be aware that the following guidance was developed and applied during academic year 2020/21 in response to the coronavirus pandemic. These additional responsibilities were specific to Heads of School, Supervisors and Directors of PGR Programmes and it is recommended that they are read in conjunction with all other content on this page:

Supplementary responsiblities of Schools, Supervisors and PGR Directors - Additional guidance for the 2020-21 academic year in response to Covid-19

This guidance appeared alongside the University's Exceptional Regulations that were developed and applied in response to the coronavirus pandemic. For more information about the Exceptional Regulations as a whole, please consult the following:

Exceptional Regulations: Covid-19 - 2019/20 - 2020/21

Version Control Table

Version Number	Purpose/Change	Approving Committee	Date
1.0	Reformatted to align with new University of Nottingham Policy Management Framework based on content last modified on 25/04/2024	QSC	March 2025