The Nature and Agenda of Personal Tutor Meetings Will Inevitably Vary Between Schools

REVIEW OF PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC SUPPORT

FINAL REPORT

18th May 2007

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

There is a need for the University to signal to students and academics the developmental as opposed to just problem solving potential of personal tutoring. Whilst central service departments are proving increasingly successful in providing an integrated student experience in the area of personal and academic support, there is still a disconnect between the work of these units and the often narrowly defined scope of personal tutoring in schools. E-PAR was a brave technological initiative, but in its current form is not delivering what many undergraduate students want. The lack of co-ordination of first year optional module registration causes problems for many students early in their undergraduate career. On the positive side, the DLO network has been consistently praised by all parties.

This Review recommends renaming “Personal and Academic Support” as “Student Support and Development”. It also proposes a distinct University-wide personal tutoring initiative of “Personal Development Goals”. This could be implemented in September 2007, and has the potential to catalyze a culture-shift from problem-solving to developmental personal tutoring, whilst introducing a new focus on employability and a signalling of a renewed interest in students by academic staff. The Review also proposes a zero-based revision of the Quality Manual in this area (completed); the preparation and annual update of both University and individual School guidance for personal tutors; and training for all personal tutors cascaded from a one-day Senior Tutor event (already arranged in conjunction with SEDU). Finally the improved co-ordination of first year module registration is additionally recommended.

Incorporated Within (as appendices)

Proposed revision of the Quality Manual

Personal Development Initiative proposal (What’s Your Goal?”) + student materials.

Qualifying Year Module Registration proposal

OVERVIEW & TERMS OF REFERENCE

The Terms of Reference of the review of Personal and Academic Student Support were:

1. To recommend a definition of personal and academic support within the University.
2. To define the needs and reasonable expectations of students in regard to receiving personal and academic support.
3. To define the role(s) of and connections between the following in providing personal and academic support:

a)Personal tutors

b)Senior Tutors

c)Module convenors and other teaching staff

d)Academic Programme Directors

e)Administrative support staff in schools

f)The Student Registry

g)Central support services

h)Wardens and residences

1. To recommend what all schools must ensure is delivered to their students in respect of personal and academic support, whilst recognising that the mechanisms for achieving such delivery are likely to vary across schools and disciplines.
2. To provide recommendations on the content and role of personal and academic records (PARs), as well as their integration with other aspects of personal and academic support and wider University systems.
3. To recommend how personal and academic support can best be co-ordinated across the University and how provision at both School and University level can be integrated, monitored and enhanced.
4. To formulate the above definitions and recommendations as an updating of the University's existing policies in regard to personal and academic support.

The Review Group believes that is has explicitly or implicitly met all of the above in all respects aside from those mentioned under “Future Work”.

THE CONSULTATION PROCESS

The Review held meetings on February 15th, March 22nd and May 18th 2007, and which were attended by representatives of most central University student support services, the Student Union, and Senior Tutors from a range of schools. Inputs also included e-mail communications within the Senior Tutor Network, raw data and analysis from the International Student Barometer, discussion at Student Services Committee, and a report and presentation on “Academic Feedback and the Personal Tutor System” prepared by B2B Consultants following 24 student focus groups across all schools. An Academic Board Consultation Paper was circulated in February 2007 and discussed at all three Academic Boards in May, with four schools providing further detailed written input as part of this process. The Review was also taking place in the wake of the 2006 National Student Satisfaction Survey results which naturally also informed discussion.

KEY ISSUES & CHALLENGES IDENTIFIED

The Review of Personal and Academic Support has identified the following:

1. Whilst students with particular difficulties do seem to be getting the support they require, student expectations in the area of their broader personal development are often not being met. This is particularly the case at the school level, with many students (c.75% according to the B2B report) apparently not appreciating the (potential) role of their personal tutor. There is a clear need for the University to signal the relevance and value added of personal tutoring beyond that of providing a “safety net” for solving personal problems.

1. Many schools consider personal and academic support only to involve academic guidance in areas such as dealing with extenuating circumstances and providing information on academic progress. Indeed, several school representatives during the review process implicitly and even explicitly expressed the view that broader personal and academic support issues (such as learning about academic practices, employability and citizenship) are not and should not be their concern.

1. There is a significant diversity of practice in respect of both personal tutoring and wider personal and academic support across different schools. It has been identified that there are good reasons for this related to differing organisational and teaching models. However, a more detailed University policy on personal and academic support would seemingly be welcome provided that the value of diverse delivery mechanisms is also recognised. Such policy will permit a far more systematic auditing of personal and academic support via UQA and other processes.

1. Whilst a few schools praised the E-PAR system — largely as a useful personal tutorial booking tool — most schools reported E-PAR to be less effective than other University resources (eg Exchange) in even this respect, as well as technologically constrained and too isolated from other University systems (especially SATURN).

1. There is a deficiency of communication on personal and academic support issues between some central departments and schools, and in particular between these bodies and personal tutors. There were also many views that the provision of information to students on University practices and regulation should be improved. There is subsequently a need for more adequate guidance to be prepared and regularly updated for personal tutors and for better information to be provided to students. There were strong views from both academics, and from students via the B2E report, that “hiding” such information within online systems would not by itself provide an acceptable solution. Training for personal tutors is required.

1. The co-ordination of appropriate information to first year students during induction was a recurrent theme, with schools (and hence personal tutors) having inadequate awareness of what is provided to students centrally. Very strong views were expressed that insufficient co-ordination of first year Week One optional module choice and registration detracts from students' impression of the University almost immediately on arrival. This is a student support issue as it is important for schools and personal tutors to be able to provide students with effective guidance.

Overall, a strong impression was obtained that whilst central service departments care about student development, many academics and some schools apparently do not entirely share this focus. The International Student Barometer raw data in particular highlighted the negative perceptions that some students have of the engagement with them of schools and academic staff. This issue of a partial disconnection between student needs and expectations and what schools and academics apparently believe they need to offer is clearly a far wider one than the scope of this review, extending as it does into areas such as assessment feedback and teaching delivery. The following recommendations therefore do not and cannot address all of the issues identified within this Review. However, they do hopefully provide a list of proposals that can be relatively easily implemented and monitored, and which should improve student value added and may spark a culture shift.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. To re-title “personal academic support” as “student support and development” (SSD) in order to refocus attention on the need not just to help students with particular difficulties, but also to engage with all students in helping to maximise their experience of studying at the University of Nottingham.

[PROPOSED ACTION: IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPLETED QUALITY MANUAL REVISION]

2. To introduce a Personal Development Goal (PDG) initiative across the University in order to reinforce the developmental (as opposed to just problem solving) role of personal tutors for all students. This initiative would also highlight the wide range of development opportunities available whilst at the University, help bring a level of consistency in student support and development across schools, signal the need for students to take responsibility for their own development, and potentially engender a renewed interest in students by academic staff.

[PROPOSED ACTION: SENIOR TUTOR IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPLETED PROPOSAL]

3. To centrally co-ordinate Qualifying Year optional module enrolment in order to unify the student experience across schools, and, in particular, to improve the impression the University has on new students in their first week here.

[PROPOSED ACTION: COURSES OFFICE TO INITIATE WITH SCHOOLS]

4. To define one of the roles of every personal tutor to be a primary but not sole gateway to the wider student support and development offering of the University.

[PROPOSED ACTION: IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPLETED QUALITY MANUAL REVISION]

5. To produce and update annually a brief “University Guidance for Personal Tutors” in hardcopy and online, and containing a summary of key elements of the Quality Manual and other resources in respect of effective personal tutoring. This document will outline what every personal tutor needs to know and is responsible for regardless of what school they are in.

[PROPOSED ACTION: UNIVERSITY SENIOR TUTOR]

6. To require all Senior Tutors to produce and update annually a guidance document for personal tutors in their Unit/School as a local supplement to the University Guidance.

[PROPOSED ACTION: IMPLEMENTATION OF QUALITY MANUAL REVISION / SENIOR TUTORS]

7. To remove any current aspects of personal tutor support and development responsibilities that schools may best achieve via means other than their personal tutor system.[1]

[PROPOSED ACTION: IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPLETED QUALITY MANUAL REVISION]

8. To include explicit information in the Quality Manual of the key student support and development roles of all central support services, and as a guide to both students and personal tutors.

[PROPOSED ACTION: IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPLETED QUALITY MANUAL REVISION]

9. To develop a training package for Senior Tutors and Schools to enable personal tutors to deliver a higher and more integrated level of student support and development in 2007-2008 and onwards.

[ACTION: UNIVERSITY SENIOR TUTOR WORKING WITH SEDU]

10. To hold a Training Away Day for Senior Tutors to roll-out all of the above pack and developments to schools, and following which the training and roll-out will cascade across all schools.

[ACTION: UNIVERSITY SENIOR TUTOR WORKING WITH SEDU]

FUTURE WORK

This Review has by and large met the objectives set out in its terms of reference. However, its relevance and success will depend on its implementation as detailed in the following appendices. More work could usefully be done in the area of personal and academic support for postgraduate students. However, the Review group believes that the changes proposed in respect of undergraduate student support and development are significant enough for it to be sensible to focus first on their implementation, and then to review the potential to roll new practice forward to postgraduates as their particular needs may dictate. This said, some of the proposals and revisions to the Qualify Manual would immediately apply to and benefit postgraduate students.

Some consultation has taken place with staff from the Malaysia Campus in the process of this Review, and all of what is proposed could potentially be implemented at the University’s international campuses in parallel to its implementation in the UK. This said, further work may be needed to tailor some proposals to the particular needs of international campus students, staff and resources. Work is also needed in respect of the exact nature of the personal and academic support to be delivered for students on mobility exchange who will inevitably be separated from their personal tutor for that period.

It is understood that a separate review of tutor provision in halls and other University accommodation is taking place, and that the outcomes of this may well lead to recommendations for further updates to the Quality Manual in this area.

It is proposed that all of the above future work is completed by the end of the 2007-2008 session.

CB / RD 18th May 2007
Appendix 1: Proposed Revisions to the Quality Manual

The following is proposed as a complete replacement for the current Quality Manual section titled “Personal and Academic Support” under the new title “Student Support and Development”. The change in title is intended to focus policy not just on assisting students with particular difficulties, but additionally on helping each and every student with their personal and academic development.

It also needs to be appreciated that the policy as below is merely a starting point that will require consistent, regular and co-ordinated action and resources committed at both a central and school level if it is to deliver the intended results.

STUDENT SUPPORT & DEVELOPMENT

1. Introduction: The Scope of Student Support & Development
2. Induction
3. Personal Tutors and Senior Tutors
4. The Personal Tutor Role & Personal Tutee Meetings
5. Personal Development Goals (PDGs)
6. Support & Development for Postgraduate Students
7. Personal and Academic Records (PARs)
8. Central Support Services
9. Student Responsibilities
10. Monitoring of Student Support & Development

A. Introduction: The Scope of Student Support & Development

1. Student Support and Development (SSD) refers to the range of University provision intended to help students maintain and improve their wellbeing, personal and academic development, understanding of University practices, employability, and sense of community.
2. All members of University staff have an important role to play in maximising the experience of every student. The University’s Student Support and Development Policy as detailed in this section of the Quality Manual outlines the particular responsibilities in this area placed on schools, personal tutors, Senior Tutors and central support services. However, it is important to appreciate that effective levels of student support and development require high levels of integration and information exchange across the wide variety of support and development services made available by the University as a whole.
3. It is important that all parties recognise how student development is about more than helping those students with particular academic or personal difficulties. Whilst such students clearly need our assistance, the best support and development provision will engage with every student to help them to maximise their potential whilst studying at the University of Nottingham.

B. Induction

1. Schools must ensure that all of their students obtain a clear and timely communication of their induction arrangements.
2. Schools must arrange introductory meetings for all new full-time students within their first two days at the University, and for part-time students as reasonably practical.
3. Within the induction process, schools must ensure that all of their students are provided with:

An opportunity to declare any disability.

Required health and safety information.

Guidance on their course and module choices.

Guidance on progression and degree award regulations, academic offence matters, and appeals and complaints procedures.

A student handbook and other materials as may be appropriate incorporating the above information.

1. During induction, undergraduate and taught postgraduate students should be provided with information on who their personal tutor is and how to contact them.
2. During induction, all undergraduate and taught postgraduate students should be provided with information on personal tutoring in their School/Unit, including information on the role of their personal tutor, the scheduling of meetings, and who to contact should their personal tutor not be available.
3. Schools are reminded that induction is not solely a Week One activity.

C. Personal Tutors and Senior Tutors

Personal Tutors

1. Every undergraduate student should be allocated a personal tutor by their School.
2. Personal tutors must be either academic members of staff, or in a limited number of cases members of the Administrative, Professional and Managerial job family at Level 4 or above, except in the circumstances stated in 3 and 4 below.
3. Practitioner Health Lecturers in the School of Nursing, senior and personal tutors in the Division of Midwifery and NHS mentors in the Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences may act as personal tutors.
4. Postgraduate research (PGR) students may act as personal tutors where both of the following conditions apply:

The School employs the PGR student as a teacher in the context of operating a School-wide policy of allocating personal tutors to students they teach.

The School makes arrangements for the training and support of PGR students both as teachers and as personal tutors, and allocates paid time for personal tutoring.

1. Schools should ensure that appropriate allowance is made for the staff time necessary for effective personal tutoring as defined in [appropriate link].
2. Schools should ensure that students are informed who they can seek assistance from if for some reason their own personal tutor is not available.

Senior Tutors

1. Each School should appoint an appropriately experienced academic member of staff to act as a Senior Tutor and should keep the University Senior Tutor informed of who this person is. If they so wish, schools may decide to appoint multiple Senior Tutors with responsibility for different groups of students (eg undergraduates and postgraduates) or different units or divisions within their School if they feel that this will improve their overall delivery of student support and development.
2. Senior Tutors are responsible for carrying out or co-ordinating the following activities within their School or part thereof:

Overseeing the operation of student support and development and the personal tutoring system in their School/Unit, and acting as a point of reference, advice and guidance for all personal tutors in their School/Unit.