In the Academic Tutor System:
Tutors focus on students’ academic, personal and professional development.
Student welfare provision is increased through the introduction of a new dedicated Student Welfare Team.
School-level leadership is provided by School Directors of Academic Tutoring.
The Academic Tutor System: Enhancing the student learning experience
Tutoring is key to enhancing the student learning experience, a Teaching and Learning strategic priority at Reading. Our new Academic Tutor System enables students and staff to work together in partnership to enhance students’ academic, personal and professional development.
Working in consultation with staff and students
Following detailed research and extensive consultation with current students and staff, we have evolved our well-established tutoring system and have developed an Academic Tutor System which was launched in September 2018. Our new system focuses the Academic Tutor relationship on students’ academic, personal and professional development, provides essential discipline/school level leadership for the system, works in partnership with our professional support services, and invests in our student welfare provision through the introduction of a new Welfare Team to support students with any personal challenges that may impact their studies. This holistic approach ensures our students’ individual needs are catered for at every stage of their studies, aiding our students’ success.
Principles of the Academic Tutor System
We believe that academic tutoring has a crucial role to play in supporting the success of all students. Underpinning the Academic Tutor System are six principles, designed to help us achieve a consistency of experience for staff and students across the University:
A key point of contact
Academic Tutors act as a key contact for their tutees within their School/Department, establishing proactive, effective and long-lasting relationships that promote positive engagement within the academic community.
Academic Tutors play a vital role in upholding and embedding the principles of the Academic Tutor System, working in partnership with their tutees to support their development through proactive relationships, structured academic conversations and signposting students to specialist services for ongoing pastoral support as appropriate.
Academic Tutors are supported by School Directors of Academic Tutoring, who provide discipline/school-level leadership of the Academic Tutor System. School Directors of Academic Tutoring maintain strategic oversight across the School of student success and retention, and student engagement with their studies.
Contact Cindy Isherwood to find out more about the Academic Tutor System.