In July 2024, the Education, Quality and Standards Committee approved changes to QA33 Personal Tutoring for implementation from the 2024-25 academic year onward.
Why we are making these changes
- Improve student and staff understanding of the role and its boundaries
- Support both academic colleagues' and students' wellbeing
- Ensure a level of consistency across academic advising
- Embed review and development of academic advising to help improve the experience for staff, students, and departments
What is changing
- Quality Assurance Code of Practice QA33 Academic Advising updated
- Personal Tutors are now called Academic Advisors, and Senior Tutors are Senior Academic Advisors, and new role profiles published as part of QA33
- Emphasis on how the academic advisor role complements specialist support and acts as a conduit to these services
- QA33 now ensures the annual review of academic advising is part of department/School processes聽
- QA33 amendments emphasise its application to PGT students (as well as UGs), the importance of case note recording, and confidentiality protocols
What is not changing
- Academic Advisors will undertake the same duties as when they were called Personal Tutors
- QA33 still requires advisors to meet with their taught students three times in Semester 1 and offer a 1:1 meeting every semester thereafter for the duration of the course
- Advisors still contribute to their department鈥檚 educational and student experience offer by being a personalised point of contact for a group of students
Watch the new video below for a summary of academic advising at 蘑菇视频. Please note that it will take time for all references to personal tutoring to be removed from university web pages and systems like SAMIS.
Further information
- Information for students about academic advising is available online, and they can speak to their Director of Studies.
- Key information, guidance and training for staff is available online and they can speak to their departmental Senior Academic Advisor.