The personal tutoring project team is proud to announce the ongoing work of its innovative “Rethinking Personal Tutoring” project, aimed at delivering a consistent and enhanced experience for students.

With the Getting in Shape Team, and UX researchers, extensive consultation has taken place with key interested parties, resulting in an innovative model being developed. 

The project’s model will be piloted in the School of Law and the School of Psychology, with widespread support from all areas of the university, including key support services.

The pilot phase is scheduled to run throughout the academic year 2023/2024, during which data will be collected to inform any decision regarding a wider rollout across the entire university, whilst supporting ongoing improvements to the model.

One essential aspect of the model involves eliminating the need for every academic to act as a personal tutor. Instead, each school will establish a dedicated team consisting of academics (Academic Guides), students (Peer Guides), and APM support (Senior Administrator – Here For You Guides Support).

These teams will receive improved assistance from the university’s support services, leading to enhanced data management and case handling. This measure also aims to reduce university risk associated with record keeping and data management. 

The “Rethinking Personal Tutoring” project also adopts a general coaching approach, empowering students to become active participants in their own academic and personal journeys. This approach encourages students to support one another and fosters a collaborative learning environment. 

“We are thrilled to embark on this exciting and novel project,” said Andrew Fisher, University Senior Tutor.

“Our aim is to eliminate the inconsistency in personal tutoring experienced by students and ensure that every student receives the support they need to succeed from the correct place. We envision that this will also free up academic time and allow colleagues who are passionate about this area of student support professional recognition.” 

Additionally, the Guides teams will have the capacity to undergo specialised training and development to better support specific groups of students, including mature students and students leaving care for instance.

This targeted approach will ensure that the diverse needs of all students are met, further enhancing the overall student experience and delivering on the ESE Strategic Deployment Plan.

We are currently in the process of operationalising the model within the pilot schools. Regular updates on the progress of the project will be provided.