The Academic and Professional Advisor Role

in SBSAn evaluation of the 2011-12 experience

SHU Corporate plan aims for an excellent student experience. In practice this means:

An enhanced course focus and strong course leadership;

Identifying success factors and performance indicators;

Academic and career management support for students;

A review of assessment practices; A review of contact hours; Improvements in timetabling to support the student

experience

Introduction - The SHU Student Experience Agenda

APA scheme - aims

Support the personal action planning of students with respect to the development of their academic and employability skills;

Support transition into level 4 and bring to the attention of students resources to support academic and employability skills development;

Motivate and support students in their endeavours to secure a placement at level 5 (slight variation for nutrition courses;

SBS Academic / Professional Advisor role 2011-12- aims

Facilitate awareness, understanding and planning for the future in the context of students’ career aspirations at level 6;

Communicate with relevant Course Leaders concerning any issues affecting the academic and personal development of students and identify those students ‘at risk’;

Act as a personal referee for students when requested and support students in the development and completion of a high quality CV.

SBS Academic / Professional Advisor role - aims

Academic / Professional Advisors held one-to-one meetings with their allocated students

Duration of meetings: 20 minutes The first meetings took place November The second meetings took place February Advisors contacted students to communicate

the date/time/venue for the meeting Advisors requested to record attendance and

alert Course Leaders of any absentees as and when they occured

The Scheme in Practice

Before the meeting students asked to complete templates - bring to meeting - these used as a basis for discussion

Level 4 - focus - academic development Level 5 - focus - academic development

and placement support Level 6 - focus - academic development

and springboard into work Templates available via SBS placement

intranet site: http://teaching.shu.ac.uk/sbs/placements/

The Process

Level 4 - Flying Start tutors

Level 5 - Staff from the appropriate subject area

Level 6 - Tutors involved with: the new post - Placement module; WBL module, PASBD module, Project module, Business Society and Culture (3)

Who were the Academic / Professional Advisors?

Data gathered by: Interviews (7 Advisors interviewed at level

5, 13 at level 6) Student focus group

Evaluation of APA role undertaken April and May 2012 (Femi Hardwick-Slack)

Attendance: Overall attendance at level 5 - poor Level 6 - very strong attendance on some

modules for meeting 1; attendance at meeting 2 variable; poor attendance on some modules (WBL, PASBD)

Students seemed more likely to attend meetings when: they had undertaken a placement year they had a familiar relationship with their APA meetings were insisted upon by the APA

Findings

Arranged during seminars (level 6) or e mail Location - booked room or Deli Bar Duration - from 10 - 90- minutes, average

30/30 minutes Discussion - often not focused on the 'forms'

students were required to complete; (APA's did not feel forms were that useful;) focus of discussions - academic and personal development, addressing specific concerns, module-related assignments

Some contact with students after meetings

Organisation of meetings

Students unsure as to purpose and relevance of APA role

APAs not always clear about 'what they had to do'

Feedback from students on meetings was varied

Flexibility of timing for students was a key issue

Key issues - putting the pieces together

Recommendations / Refining the scheme for next year

Communicate the role to students more powerfully

Encourage stronger relations between APAs and students e.g. by aligning seminar tutors with APA role

Enhance connectivity between APAs and other roles (placement officers, course leaders)

Recommendations / Refining the scheme for next year

Revise the APA guide for students and associated process; reduce overlaps with level 6 employability modules

Introduce more guidance on how to structure meetings

More briefing opportunities for staff

Recommendations / Refining the scheme for next year