Selection

• Advisers are normally members of the Department. They should be research active with sufficient experience and expertise to monitor the student’s research project and provide general advice.
• The advisor should not be too closely associated with the supervisor
• Advisors should have supervised at least two students to completion.
• They are nominated by the supervisor and approved by the DGS.

Role

• Their main role is to monitor the student’s progress in their research and their training and to provide advice to the student.
• They may also be expected to provide advice to and support supervisors, particularly inexperienced supervisors.

Meetings

• The advisor is expected to meet with the student and supervisor at least three times in the first year and at least once every 6 months thereafter.
• The first meeting should be held within 1 month of the student starting. The student usually drafts a brief (one page) outline of the project and initial experimental goals before the meeting to serve as a basis for discussion. This may be modified following the meeting. The resulting plan should be posted on GSS where it will be checked by the supervisor and DGS.
• The second meeting will usually be to assess the Literature review and will be held early in the second term. Typically a draft of the review will be sent to the Advisor before the meeting who will provide detailed feedback at the meeting. A brief report of the meeting should be posted on GSS by the student.
• Subsequent meetings will be to monitor progress and provide advice. For example, the advisor might attend a lab presentation by the student and meet with the student and supervisor after this presentation. After the meeting the student should write a very brief report, with an emphasis of future plans. This will typically be drafted by the student and commented on/revised by the supervisor and advisor. The final report should be posted by the student on GSS.  

Please note that:

• The students are expected to bring their Record folder to advisor meeting so that their training can be reviewed.
• Approval of a student’s application to transfer to full DPhil status (in the 4^th term) will be subject to them having and recording advisor meetings.
• It is up to the student to arrange these meetings. Ideally meetings should involve both advisor and supervisor but this is not essential.
• It is up to the student to record these meetings by posting reports on them on GSS when they are invited to comment. Written forms are no longer required.

September, 2011