The university has introduced a pilot project which sees the more traditional roles and responsibilities of Personal Tutors transformed.

The ‘Here for You Guides‘ pilot model, introduced by the School of Psychology, including the Malaysia campus, and the School of Law, is specifically tailored for first-year students.

This initiative marks a departure from the conventional personal tutoring system.

The model incorporates the assistance of Peer Guides, fellow students employed to nurture a sense of community within the cohort; Academic guides who facilitate group meetings, promoting collaborative learning and the exchange of knowledge among peers; Student Guides who triage first-year students and allow more focused support and signposting.

Dedicated spaces in both schools provide first-year students the opportunity to meet with their Academic Guides, Student Guides, and Peer Guides for effective support and community-building.

Participants in the pilot have received training covering university support services, including coaching techniques to offer high-quality assistance.

The ‘Here for You Guides‘ model aims to showcase the positive impact of a structured support system, benefiting first-year students in their educational journey within the modern university context.

The pilot also aims to ensure academic guides can prioritize supporting students with their studies, as students are effectively signposted towards appropriate services for other issues.

In close collaboration with the Getting in Shape Team and the UX team, we are actively collecting both qualitative and quantitative data to refine the ‘Here for You Guides‘ model throughout the 23/24 academic year.

The data collected will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of personal tutoring at the university. Future Campus News items will update on this data and on the project’s progress.

Dr Emma Whitt (Senior Tutor, Psychology) said: “We are excited to be a part of this pilot and to design a system that is flexible to meet the needs of our students but also allows equality of access to support when students need it.

“Peer Guides are the latest addition to the team and already have some fantastic ideas about how they will support students.”