A collaborative work in progress

1. LIMITLESS POTENTIAL | LIMITLESS OPPORTUNITIES | LIMITLESS IMPACTLIMITLESS POTENTIAL | LIMITLESS OPPORTUNITIES | LIMITLESS IMPACTCopyright Universityof Reading
Transforming academic tutoring:
A collaborative work in progress
SEDA Presentation, 9 May 2019
Amanda Millmore - Lecturer in Law, School Director of Academic Tutoring
Dr Jo Cordy – Academic Developer, Centre for Quality Support &
Development 1
Academic Tutor System Project

2. Session objectives
• To explore how the University of Reading
is transforming academic tutoring to
enhance the student learning
experience.
• To gain insight into ways to improve
academic tutoring systems to support
student progression through and
transition between educational levels
• To identify collaborative strategies for
meeting the challenges encountered in
making the changes to the tutoring
system at Reading.
• To share key examples of good practice
in supporting student success and
wellbeing.
2

3. Introducing the Academic Tutor System
3

4. OUR COLLABORATIVE APPROACH
Collaborative
Design
Collaborative
Implementation
Collaborative
Support
4

5. 5
Collaborative Design

6. Reviewing the Personal Tutor System (1)
6
Roles and responsibilities
Workload and
recognition Signposting
to support
services
Support for staff
and students
Student engagement
Consistency
of experience

7. Reviewing the Personal Tutor System (2)
7

8. Steering Group Membership
Teaching &
Learning Dean
Student Support
Services Manager
Welfare Manager
Student Support
Centre Manager
Chair of Directors
of Academic
Tutoring
Community of
Practice
RUSU Education
& Welfare
Officers
(Students)
Student
Complaints &
Discipline Officer
CQSD Academic
Developer
Teaching &
Learning Project
Manager
Marketing &
Communication –
Student
Engagement
Manager &
Student
Communications
Business Partner
Other Academic
Representatives
8

9. STEERING GROUP MEMBERSHIP
Teaching &
Learning
Dean
Staff
Engagement
Workstream
CQSD Academic
Developer
Chair of Directors
of Academic
Tutoring
Community of
Practice
Other Academic
Representatives
Student
Engagement
Workstream
Marketing &
Communication –
Student
Engagement
Manager
RUSU Education &
Welfare Officers
(Students)
Student
Communications
Business Partner
Student
Welfare &
Student
Services
Student Support
Services Manager
Welfare Manager
Study Advisor
Student Support
Centre Manager
Project
Management
& Horizon
Scanning
Project
Implementation
Officer
Institutional
Change
Teaching &
Learning Project
Manager
Teaching &
Learning Dean
Student
Support Centre
Manager
Student
Complaints &
Discipline Officer
9

10. 10
‘Partnership actively engages students in the design, delivery,
evaluation, decision-making, governance, and enhancement of
teaching and learning’.
Mercer-Mapstone and Marie (2019)

11. 11
Collaborative
Implementation

12. Introducing the Academic Tutor System
12
The ATS helps to ensure
that the University is
providing a consistent
level of academic and
pastoral support to
students.

13. 13
Introducing the Academic Tutor System

14. Key features of the ATS
14
The Academic Tutor / Tutee relationship
focuses on students’ academic, personal
and professional development.
School Directors of Academic Tutoring
(SDATs) provide essential School
leadership to the ATS.
A new Welfare Team assists students with
any personal challenges that may impact
on their studies.
Staff and students receive ongoing,
up-to-date and relevant support.

15. From Personal Tutor to Academic Tutor
15
‘The way I like to think about this is... we used
to be the little Mario [as Personal Tutors] and
now we have had the ‘power up’ to become big
Mario’s as Academic Tutors’.
‘What this has meant is that our
responsibilities, which used to be this
mishmash of pastoral care, academic
guidance, professional development has now
moved much more towards the skills that are
actually aligned with job that we are employed
to do, so it much more aligned to this
academic focus’.
Academic Tutor, UoR, January 2019

16. 16
Collaborative
Support

17. 17
Support for Academic Tutors

18. 18
Support for students

19. Impact on the student experience
The feedback I’ve had this year from students is overwhelmingly
encouraging, especially in regards to the improvement of academic
tutors’ ability and confidence to signpost correctly.
There has been a huge positive impact on the student experience
because of this and I am confident that this system will continue to
develop as it matures’.
Lillie-Mae Firmin, RUSU Education Officer 2018/19
‘The new Academic Tutoring System has been
a great step forward for the student
experience at the University.
This change helps to ensure that students
receive a high standard of academic and
professional guidance, as well as guidance on
personal matters from the new Welfare Team.

20. Questions
20

21. References
21
• In relation to student-staff partnership: Mercer-Mapstone, L., and Marie, J.
(2019) Practical Guide: Scaling up student-staff partnership in higher
education, Institute for Academic Development: University of Edinburgh.
• Professor Liz Thomas who has written widely on the topic of academic
tutoring, in particular: Thomas, L. (2015) NACADA The Global Community
for Academic Advising, International Conference;
• Dr. Alison Stenton’s work on personal tutoring and student success,
including: Stenton, A., ‘Why personal tutoring is essential for student
success’, AdvanceHE Blog; and
• In relation to staff being agents of change: Mountford-Zimdars A, Sabri D,
Moore J, et al (2015) Causes of differences in student outcomes, Higher
Education Funding Council for England.
Contact details: Amanda Millmore (a.millmore@reading.ac.uk),
Jo Cordy (j.cordy@reading.ac.uk).