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Postgraduate Advisory Service

Welcome! The Postgraduate Advisory Service is here to support postgraduate students in reaching their potential and getting the most from their time at Trinity

About PAS

The Postgraduate Advisory Service was established in 2009 to extend Trinity’s historic and unique tutorial service to the postgraduate community. We offer free, independent, and confidential support, guidance and advocacy to registered postgraduate students at Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin.

How we can help
We are here to provide support on any matter that may impact upon your time as a postgraduate at Trinity.
Some of the most common issues students come to PAS to discuss include: study-related stress or worry; concerns about academic progress; supervisor-relationship concerns; extensions and going off-books; queries regarding regulations and academic appeals; bullying; plagiarism and disciplinary cases.

We support students by:
- Providing frontline confidential and free support, information, and referral via the Postgraduate Student Support Officer
- Providing, on referral, named academics to provide advice, advocacy, and assistance via the panel of Postgraduate Advisors
- Providing a suite of complementary supports including informal mediation, workshops and training to postgraduates
- Administering the Postgraduate Student Assistance Fund and other financial assistance to postgraduate students.

Appointments & Queries

MAKING A QUERY
For general or brief queries you can email PAS at postgrad.support@tcd.ie. Please be sure to include your name, School/ course and a brief outline of your query/concern. We aim to return all student queries within one working day, though at busy times a reply may take a little longer.

PAS APPOINTMENTS
A first appointment with PAS is usually with the Postgraduate Student Support Officer (PGSSO). This initial appointment is a chance for you to discuss your query/ concerns in confidence.
The appointment will begin with the PGSSO introducing you to the supports and services available from PAS and explaining our confidentiality policy, before going on to discuss the specifics of your case.
In many instances, this appointment will provide enough information and support for you to manage your situation without further help. In other instances, the first appointment helps the PGSSO identify what other actions or supports are necessary to help meet your needs.
Other actions or supports may include helping you to access other supports offered by PAS, referring you to a Postgraduate Advisor, or referral to another support service in Trinity.

REQUESTING AN APPOINTMENT
To make an appointment with the Postgraduate Student Support Officer, email PAS postgrad.support@tcd.ie, with your name, student number, School/ course and a brief outline of your query/concern.
You’ll receive a reply offering you some appointment times. We aim to return all student queries within one working day, though at busy times a reply may take a little longer.
Once you have indicated your preferred time to meet, PAS will issue a confirmation email. You’ll also be asked to fill in a very short, anonymous statistical survey online.
On the day, please check-in for your appointment at the reception desk in the Senior Tutor’s Office, ground floor, House 27.

STAFF QUERIES
The Postgraduate Student Support Officer can offer general assistance and/or consult with staff members who have concerns about a postgraduate or have queries on how to manage a case. Please note that, for confidentiality and data protection purposes, PAS cannot discuss the particulars of our students’ cases with any third party without the relevant students’ written permission.
For staff queries please email PAS at postgrad.support@tcd.ie. Please be sure to include your name, School/ course and a brief outline of your query/concern.

Confidentiality policy

All contact with PAS is subject to our confidentiality policy. We understand it’s important for Postgraduates to discuss their concerns in confidence. Meetings with PAS will never be reported back to your supervisor or school and will not appear on your Trinity records. You can read the policy in full at this link:- Confidentiality policy PDF

Feedback and complaints

We are committed to continuous improvement of our service. A feedback questionnaire is circulated annually to postgraduates who contact PAS. We greatly appreciate your feedback as it essential to enhancing the quality of PAS.
Postgraduates wishing to raise an issue about any aspect of PAS’ service may avail of the internal PAS complaints procedure, which has been approved by the Senior Tutor. You can read the full complaint procedure at this link: Complaints Procedure