The Personal Tutoring System

Background for new personal tutors and other student support staff

Why a Personal Tutoring System?

• Focus on enhancing academic guidance and study support

• Promote the development of graduate attributes and co-curricular activities

• Develop a greater sense of academic community, belonging and identity

• Integrating the approach to personal (pastoral) support and coordination with local teams

Academic and personal support:Online guidance and resources

• For staff http://www.ed.ac.uk/staff-students/staff/supporting-students/home– For personal tutors, programme directors, students support teams,

senior tutors and other staff involved in student support– Resources, roles & responsibilities, IT tools and other support

• For students http://www.ed.ac.uk/staff-students/students/academic-life/personal-tutor

• School documentation and contacts

Who’s who – roles & responsibilities• School Personal Tutoring Statements

– See staff website (http://www.ed.ac.uk/staff-students/staff/supporting-students/home)

• School Student Support Team– First point of contact for routine enquires & referrals– Administrative support & maintenance of accurate records

• Senior Tutor – Overall responsibility for School personal tutor

arrangements (including staff briefings & support)– Advise on unusual or complex issues– Key link/liaison with College Dean of Students &

Central Student Services

The Role of a Personal Tutor (1)

• Core Purpose – to support students to:– Review their academic progress across complete

programme of study by providing: • welcome at the beginning of each academic year• guidance on course choices• advice on study development• overview of progress

– Reflect on long term development based on learning within and outwith the formal curriculum

– Help foster a sense of belonging to a learning community

The Role of a Personal Tutor (2)• Meetings:

– Scheduled individual meetings (and others by appointment)– Group meetings– Brief students on any preparatory and follow-up work

• Respond promptly to student requests for contact:– Normally within 3 working days– Liaise with Senior Tutor/Student Support Team where this isn’t

possible

• Share personal (pastoral) responsibilities with Student Support Team:– Refer to central services and specialist sources of guidance as

appropriate

• Maintain accurate and appropriate records via EUCLID• Undertake training and CPD associated with role

The Role of the Student• Opportunity for students – to reflect on their academic performance – to reflect on how their learning contributes to their

longer-term aspirations – to engage as a member of a community of learners

• Benefits for students• Student’s responsibilities – partnership working– Reflect, engage, take an active approach to their

development, write records– Preparing for meetings

• Adaptable worksheets http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-development/learning-teaching/academic-pastoral/support/resources/adaptable

1:1 Meetings

• Tailored to individual student:– time of year, year of study, student’s progress

• Focus on core purposes & any student concerns• Guidance, advice and resources for Personal Tutors in

preparing for and running 1:1 meetings– http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-acade

mic-development/learning-teaching/academic-pastoral/support/resources/individuals

Group Meetings

• Considerable flexibility in timing, topic and structure– Opportunity to link to specific elements of the degree

programme (e.g. preparation for placements)– To deal more effectively and efficiently with specific topics

(e.g. study skills)– To work with other personal tutors across different year

groups or support particular cohorts (e.g. joint degree students)

• Guidance, advice and resources for Personal Tutors in preparing for and running group meetings– http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-acade

mic-development/learning-teaching/academic-pastoral/support/resources/groups

1:1 and group meetings: other ideas & approaches

1:1 and group meetings: other ideas & approaches

• Adaptable study skills resources – Templates & worksheets that can be used or adapted– Includes note taking, feedback, time management– www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-development/

learning-teaching/academic-pastoral/support/resources/adaptable

• Careers & employability– Common career themes for each year of study, prompts for meetings,

resources for studentshttp://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/careers/university-staff/supporting-your-students/support-for-personal-tutors

1:1 and group meetings: other ideas & approaches

• Graduate attributes– Introduction to graduate attributes

for staff and students– Sample session plans– www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-devel

opment/learning-teaching/academic-pastoral/support/graduateattributes

• School case studies – Approaches to 1:1 and group meetings,

other aspects of student support– www.wiki.ed.ac.uk/display/casestudies/Academic+and+Person

al+Support

eTutor – IT tools• Minimise administrative overhead and ensure easy access to

information• Create an enriched, personalised and dynamic supplement to the

student record• Enable Tutee/PT/Staff to create notes related to their discussions• Ability to add a file and link to other digital material and resources• Provide appropriate information to relevant staff in support of our

students• Enables students to request a meeting• User guides, training and support for personal tutor IT tools – http://www.euclid.ed.ac.uk/staff/User_Guides/Personal_T

utors/

Working with the School Student Support Team

Support for Personal Tutors University Student Support Services

• Student Disability Service www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/student-disability-service/staff

• Advice on helping distressed studentswww.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/student-disability-service/staff/supporting-students/help-distressed-students

• Student Counselling Service www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/student-counselling

• Careers Service (employability and careers)http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/careers/university-staff/supporting-your-students/support-for-personal-tutors

• Institute for Academic Development (study skills)www.ed.ac.uk/iad

• A to Z of Student Support Services www.ed.ac.uk/staff-students/students/student-services

• Advice Place (EUSA)www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/advice