Welcome to
ROBINSON COLLEGE
The Warden
‘I’m Richard Heaton. I’m the Warden of Robinson College, a post known in some other colleges as the Principal or the Master.
I chair the Governing Body and the College Council, and with the other college officers I am responsible for the administration of Robinson. But, along with other Fellows and members of staff here, I am just as interested in the spirit and values of the place. I hope you will find Robinson to be a welcoming and friendly college. We were founded in the Cambridge tradition. But our modernity gives us licence to be different: unpretentious, informal, willing to try new things, interested in ideas and creativity that cross boundaries. We are proud, each year, of what Robinson people achieve – the prizes they win, their sporting and artistic performances, the kindness and support they show each other. Our postgraduate students are an important and valued part of the college. You can help Robinson to feel more outward-looking, your experience of collaborative working can bring people together, and whether you are here for one year or several, I hope you will feel full members of a lively and stimulating collegiate community. I look forward to meeting you.’
The Senior Tutor
‘My name is Scott Annett and I’m the Senior Tutor at Robinson, which means that I'm responsible for the academic performance and pastoral welfare of students at the College.
I work closely with a team of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Tutors, as well as all of the undergraduate Directors of Studies. I am one of the Directors of Studies in English, and my research focuses primarily on the interconnections between Italian and English literature. I’ve published on Samuel Beckett’s writing, but more recently I’ve been focusing on interconnections between Dante and Chaucer. I realise that many postgraduate students will be coming to Robinson from other universities and I hope that you will find it to be a diverse and welcoming environment. As a postgraduate student, your academic work might be slightly less connected to the College than if you were an undergraduate, but we are very appreciative of the contributions that our students make to the life of the university, including but not limited to academic research, drama and the arts, sporting activities and of course the role of postgraduate students in teaching many of our undergraduate students.’
Porters
The Porters will probably be the first staff members that you meet in College when you come to collect your room key and they will assist you in navigating your way around the College, which can be confusing at first, as well as the wider Cambridge area whether it be where to find the Fitzwilliam Museum or where to go punting.
Our Porters are a small team who come from a very wide background, many having had long careers in other industries and who are very friendly and approachable. The Porters Lodge is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week and please do not hesitate to ask questions of them – if they do not know the answer themselves they will know to whom to forward the query. They can offer first aid and can be a supportive shoulder if you need a chat in the early hours of the morning.
Your pigeonhole is located within the Porters’ Lodge in which your letters will be placed and the Porters also manage the Post Room from where your parcels may be collected. So do please call in for a chat so we may get to know you, whether it is just to say hello or if you want to know where to buy a bicycle, catch the bus or where to find the MCR.’
The Financial Bursar
The Finance Bursar, Ms Fiona Brockbank, has overall responsibility for the budget and endowment of the College as well as being a Fellow. Her office can be found off Long Court opposite the Red Brick Cafe Bar.
