1. Academic Advising :
the Re-emergence of Tutoring at SHU
Lynne Crowe D & S
Lynne Booth SBS
Andy Hirst ACES
Cathy Malone QESS

2. Historical Context
• Feature of elite education
• Tutoring offering high degree staff student contact always been
characteristic of exclusive elite education(Trow 1974 in Myers 2008)
• Academics don’t tutor
• Massification HE, pastoral function removed from academics, concurrent
growth student services.
• Concerns staff student contact time
• Student Engagement research reveals persistent concern staff student
contact time and quality and responsibility for academic support (Thomas
2010, 2012, 2015, Kandiko & Mawer 2013, Kuh 2009, NUS 2010)
• National resurgence interest tutoring
• Professional initiatives (CRA 2015) & UK branch of NACADA (US
National Advising Association 2015)
• Link with retention – financial case(Hixenbaugh & Thomas 2006, &
Thomas 2010).

3. Some tensions & questions
“Mass education renders the informal relationships
between staff and students ......... less reliable and
potentially inequitable”.(Myers 2008)
“Personal contact is seen as an important means by which students will be
retained in higher education, and the gold standard of personal contact is
with an academic“ (Marr & Aynsley-Smith 2006).
Our mass education system with its commitments to inclusivity offers HE
to previously excluded groups. Can we adapt tutoring for a mass
educational context? How do we create an academic system of support
that is;
•personal ?
•professional and consistent?
•rooted in the discipline?

4. Overview of the session:
Tutoring in a mass system
• This workshop will examine how three different subject areas have met the
challenge of embedding academic advice over three years
• This workshop will present three case studies followed by a panel
discussion;
1. Academic Advising for Geography, Environment, Planning and Housing :
Lynn Crowe
2. Academic Advising in SBS : Lynne Booth
3. Academic Advising in Business and ICT: Andy Hirst
4. Panel Discussion

5. Personal and Professional Development
Programme
• Lynn Crowe
• Department of the Natural and
Built Environment

6. Geography, Environment, Planning and
Housing Programme
• Undergraduate programme with four courses - 180 students at each level -
40 staff
• PPD Programme developed to provide students with both academic and
pastoral support, following revalidation in 2011.
• Students are allocated to a PPD tutor, who remains their tutor throughout
their time at SHU, in small groups of around 7-9 students.
• Group tutorials are timetabled through both semesters, as well as one 1:1
session each year to reflect on individual academic and personal
development (and of course, tutors and their students may meet informally
as well).
• Since the programme was developed, the Faculty has developed a new
`academic support` tutor role, and in the GEPH programme, this role is now
delivered via the PPD process.

7. PPD Programme Guidance
• Students and staff are provided with a PPD Guide, and additional
supporting resources via Blackboard, to provide a framework for a
cohesive programme of tutorials.
• The PPD guides contain a tutorial programme, with links to a range of
resources, group exercises, and other information. The main focus is the
development of academic study skills, and placement support and
career planning.
– At level 4, the focus is on transitional study skills and university life,
rights and responsibilities.
– At level 5, there is greater focus on personal development,
employability (for their placement opportunities), and research skills.
– At level 6, the above continues, but with increasing focus on personal
action planning, careers and life after University.
• PPD tutors will often write references for their tutees after they graduate.

8. PPD Programme - Positive Feedback
• Welcomed by students - and a good selling point for prospective
students.
• The majority of staff enjoy the PPD tutor role , particularly the
opportunity to get to know and support a group of students individually
• `Employability` support - covers personal action planning, placement
and work experience, and our Careers and Employability services.
• Support for transitional study skills and independent learning.
• Very first assignment supported, marked and feedback provided via PPD
tutorials.
• Student experience issues explored and resolved before they become
really serious, and in more of an informal setting.

9. PPD Programme - Developments
• Reinforcing the need for PPD tutors to point students at appropriate
services (Student Support, Student Counselling, etc.) where needed.
• Tutors contact the Student Support team as soon as any student is
`absent` from tutorials for more than three sessions.
• We have increased the involvement of our Employability Advisor in the
delivery of the programme. This has also enhanced staff understanding of
the careers service.
• We have agreed an `informal` system for dealing with student experience
and teaching delivery issues where these were related to staff
performance.
• Staff encouraged to contribute to the `supporting resources` part of the
PPD Blackboard site - shares and develops best practice in PPD, and
develops a sense of `ownership` of the programme across the team.

10. PPD Programme - Continuing Challenges
• Consistency of student experience provided by over 30 staff.
• Different experiences can result in lack of engagement by students.
• The support , timely marking and feedback, and moderation of the first
assignment (for a generic, programme wide module) at level 4,
reinforces some of the above challenges. Sensitive negotiation of an
effective but reasonable `light touch` moderation process needed.
• We remain under intense scrutiny over the resourcing of the PPD
Programme. The resourcing is actually similar to an academic advisors'
programme of two 1:1 meetings per year per student.

11. The Academic and Professional Advisor
Role in SBS

12. SBS Academic / Professional Advisor role
2014-15 aims
• Support the personal action planning of
students with respect to the development of their
academic and employability skills;
• Support transition into level 4 and bring to the
attention of students resources to support
academic and employability skills development;
• Motivate and support students in their
endeavours to secure a placement at level 5
(slight variation for nutrition courses;

13. SBS Academic / Professional Advisor role -
aims
• Facilitate awareness, understanding and planning for
the future in the context of students’ career
aspirations at level 6;
• Communicate with relevant Course Leaders
concerning any issues affecting the academic and
personal development of students and identify those
students ‘at risk’;
• Act as a personal referee for students when
requested and support students in the development
and completion of a high quality CV.

14. Some continuing issues based on
experience from the last few years:
• Students can be unsure as to purpose and
relevance of APA role
• APAs not always clear about 'what they had to do'
• Feedback from students on meetings is varied
• Flexibility of timing for students is a key issue

15. What we need to continue to do
• Communicate the role to students more powerfully
• Encourage stronger relations between APAs and students e.g. by
aligning seminar tutors with APA role
• Enhance connectivity between APAs and other roles (placement
officers, course leaders)

16. The Scheme in Practice 2014-15
Before the meeting students complete the 'My Agenda' template and bring
to the meeting
Level 4 - focus - academic development
Level 5 - focus - academic development and placement support (additional
forms for tutor to complete during meeting); sign post to Employment
Advisers (where appropriate)
Level 6 - focus - academic development and springboard into work;
encourage students to book one-to-one meeting with Employment Adviser

17. The Scheme in Practice 2015-16
Following the revalidation of the Business Studies and Business "and"
courses, a spine of specialist course modules at Levels 4, 5 and 6 for
each course will include employability and Academic and Professional
Advising activities.
Therefore 2015/16 will be a transition year as we roll out a new Level 4
course, a modified Level 5 and manage out the Level 6 in the old style.

18. 24 hours (two
groups) 2x 12 hours
per group
Speculating on 44
hours - 2 x 22 class
sizeLevel 4 HR:The profession
Week
No
Week Lecture Hrs Seminar Employability APA/Skills
10 1 Introduction/induction/
assessment (1 individual page
interlinked to each other) (CT)
1 Module overview; Getting to know;
Assessment;
Team working and integration -
how personality makes a
difference
11 2 Research and referencing for
beginners
12 3 History - toward SHRM (CT) 1 The context for HR: ipads
13 4 Coaching and learning sets -
feedback
14 5 CIPD accreditation and CPD (LB) 1 History - past, present, future with
case studies
15 6 CIPD Annual Conference and
Exhibition - 4-5 November 2015,
Manchester
16 7 Behaviour, policy,
implementation (CT)
1 CIPD, CPD in a firm - talent and
career planning (LB to do both)
CIPD profession map; entry
level opportunities; mapping
yourself; areas of skill gap
17 8 critical and evaluative thinking
18 9 MI (MB) 1 Behaviour, policy, implementation
(CT both)
How to develop your skills
19 10 Project and time management
20 11 Learning and development (MB) 1 Learning how to learn through
formative Assessment feedback
sessions MB both)
21 12 Impacts Session & XMAS drinks

19. 24 hours (two
groups) 2x 12 hours
per group
Speculating on 44
hours - 2 x 22 class
sizeLevel 4 HR:The profession
Week
No
Week Lecture Hrs Seminar Employability APA/Skills
26 13 Performance management and
reward plus discipline (LB)
1 Giving feedback, Managing
performance: Assessment feedback
sessions
27 14 Website design (1)
28 15 Resourcing/recruiting (MB) 1 MI (relate to the resourcing topic -
eg HR planning
Experience, CV/Linkedin/Blog
29 16 Website design (2)
30 17 ER and legislation - grievance
disputes (CT)
1 Resourcing/recruiting Articulating your value in
Interviews / CVs/presenting
31 18 coaching and learning sets
32 19 Ethical/reflective practitioner
(LB)
1 ER and legislation - grievance
disputes
Formative Assessment
feedback sessions
33 20
34 21 Assessment Catch up 1 Ethical/reflective practitioner (LB) Career Planning and
internships & CV review
37 22
38 23 Guest speaker 1 Coaching and learning sets

20. Our Course Universe
Dr Andy Hirst – Teaching Fellow in
Work Based Learning
Academic tutoring pilot -
Department of Computing

21. Structure
Lectures Tutorials
Intro to the Module (AH) Intro to the Blog (all students)
Intro to professional bodies (IET) - Jake Godfrey a - Making the most of Uni (AH)
Intro to Student Support (Anita Whitworth) b - Making the most of Uni (AH)
SLS (Bea Turpin) a - Using resources effectively (JB)
Guest Lecture (Paul) b - Using resources effectively (JB)
Intro to Employability (AH) a - Understanding Assignments (SC)
Schools Task Launch (AH/VM) b - Understanding Assignments (SC)
1. 28th November – Designing an app.
2. 1st December - Designing a tourism initiative.
3. 2nd December- Setting up a mini enterprise
4. 3rd December - Setting up a mini enterprise
8.30 am - 2.30 pm
Meet your Academic Tutor (check timetable)
Meet your Academic Tutor (check timetable)
a - Developing CV STARS (AH)
b -Developing CV STARS (AH)
Poster Presentation (all day)

22. Lectures sessions
–Professional bodies
–Student support
–Student Learning Services
–Employability
–Guest lectures on entrepreneurship

23. Other teaching sessions
– Bi-weekly tutorials
• Subjects covered
– Making the most of university - motivation and commitment
– Using resources effectively
– Understanding assignments
– Meet the tutor
– Employability
– Standalone employability exercise
– Poster session
– Online learning blog - Weekly entries read by the tutors

25. Results and Feedback
• High attendance >80%
• Great student feedback (blog)
– Enjoyable sessions
– Useful guidance
– Variety and interest
– Blog useful
– Timetable needs to show alternate sessions
– Meet the tutor sessions need to be earlier
Pixlbot case study

26. What next?
• Level 5 support for employability
• Level 6 support for achievement

27. Level 5 Academic Tutoring Iceberg (including employability support)
Application Support CV check and approval
Review ongoing applications
Unpicking Job descriptions
Choosing jobs
Provide reference
Emotional Support Confidence
Rejections
Motivate
Sign Post (triage) Careers website
Careers advisors
Highlight jobs opportunities
One to one
One to Many
Using AT4
Benefits of a placement experience
Understanding the application process
Understanding employability
Expressing skills and experiences
Understanding job descriptions
Choosing the structure for a CV
Constructing letters
Answering Interview questions
Managing assessment centres
Presentation skills
Peer
Support
Course team
support
Module
Support
(Essential activity)

28. AcademicAdvising For more information on how
academic advising is being implemented please go to
AcademicAdvising section of Teaching Essentials.
The site is under construction but due online from August 2015
Teaching Essentials. Academic Advising
•Case Studies
•Practical resources and ideas for sessions,
Academic Development
Social Development
Professional Development.
•Student Engagement bibliography
•Relevant research
•Links to external sites and tutoring resources for staff.
Contribute to the site
If you have a case study or great idea that has worked well in your academic advice
sessions that you’d like to share, please send it to c.malone@shu.ac.uk.
Resources are also being developed to support staff to explore different aspects of
their own academic advice. These are designed to contribute to Peer supported
Review and FHEA applications. If you’d be interested in piloting these with a
colleague please contact c.malone@shu.ac.uk

29. Selected Student Engagement Bibliography
Kandiko C. & Mawer M 2013 Student Expectations and Perceptions of Higher Education QAA Project
Report
Kuh G.D. (2009) What student affairs professionals need to know about Student Engagement
Journal of College Student Development 50 (6) pp 683-706.
Marr L. & Aynsley-Smith, S. (2006) Putting students first: Developing accessible and integrated
support. In Personal Tutoring in Higher Education Thomas L. & Hixenbaugh 73-82 Stoke on Trent,
UK: Trentham books
Myers J. (2008) Is personal tutoring sustainable? Comparing the trajectory of the personal tutor with
that of the residential warden. Teaching in Higher Education Vol 13 Issue 5 p607-611
Thomas L .,(2010 ) Can you afford not to have a personal tutoring system? Available at
www.nusconnect.org.uk
Thomas L., (2012) Building Student Engagement and belonging in Higher Education at a time of
change: final report for What Works? Student Retention and Success programme. HEFCE HEA PHF
Thomas L., 2015 (forthcoming) Independent Student Learning
Thomas L. & Hixenbaugh P. (eds)(2006) Personal Tutoring in Higher Education Stoke on Trent, UK:
Trentham books
Trow M. (1974) Problems in transition from elite to mass higher education cited in Myers, J. (2008)