Storyboard Development for all Academic Advisors at Sheffield Hallam University

1. Being an Academic Advisor
Development for all Academic
Advisors at Sheffield Hallam
University
Storyboard

2. About Being an Academic Advisor
Being an Academic Advisor provides you with essential information relating to your Academic
Advising role.
You should set aside 20 minutes to work through this tutorial.
The tutorial presents key information about the role and uses self-tests to help you think about the
practices and principles in relation to your own practice. You are encouraged to make notes and to
create a personal action plan for your ongoing development.
The tutorial uses text, graphics and video scenarios for which you will need headphones or
speakers.
Your completion of this tutorial will be recorded by Blackboard so that the University can check
engagement with this training.

3. Content list
You will be guided to move through this tutorial sequentially.
Being an Academic Advisor is structured around two themes:
1. Academic Advising at Sheffield Hallam University
2. Making Academic Advising work for you and your students
The tutorial concludes with suggested next steps, prompts for action planning, and links to useful
resources.
The objectives for the tutorial are set out on the next screen.

4. Objectives
Being an Academic Advisor,
• Introduces the University's updated Academic Advising Framework, the purpose of academic
advice, its underpinning principles, values and ways of working;
• Explains how Academic Advising relates to a student's academic progression, their Personal
and Professional Development, and its connection to student support and careers support;
• Explains how good consistent practice can be adopted to reflect your course context;
• Explains your role and responsibilities as an Academic Advisors at Sheffield Hallam University
and lists further development opportunities.

5. Academic Advising at Sheffield Hallam University
Section 1
Advice

6. Academic Advising at Sheffield Hallam University
Every student is challenged and supported consistently and
regularly to succeed academically, whatever their course.
Every student at Sheffield Hallam University has a single named
Academic Advisor for the duration of their course.
Advice

7. Academic Advising at Sheffield Hallam University
Academic Advising is one of three dimensions of the University's
student support strategy.
Links to information about Student Support and Employability Advice is provided at the end of this tutorial
The University’s Student Support model
• creates an environment in which all of our students are
challenged, supported and encouraged to succeed.
• Provides a consistent, co-ordinated and integrated model of
support so students can access the right level of support at the
right time.
A key attribute of the
Academic Advisor is your
ability to signpost students

8. The model places the student at the centre of its design, enabling self-service through an online
portal or through a single frontline function for queries and signposting to specialist support
services.
Academic Advising at Sheffield Hallam University
Your students will mostly access Academic Advising through scheduled contact time arranged by
you. However, as one of three dimensions of the University's student support strategy your
students may be referred back to you through the University’s Student Support model.
The model is being
developed to create a
unified approach to
booking appointments for
students (2018-19)

9. Academic Advising at
Sheffield Hallam
University
Supporting a student is complex and, as an Academic
Advisor, you may need to consider who else can help.
Sometimes you will need to refer students on to
Student Support Advisors and Employability Advisors
where they can access more specialised personal and
professional support.
Advisors in each of the three roles must be alert,
therefore, to the different types of need that students
have.
Up-to-date information on services and signposting is
available through the Academic Advising online toolkit:
https://blogs.shu.ac.uk/academicadvising/
Challenge, Support
and Encourage

10. Three Dimensions of Academic Advice
a personal point of
contact
“The face of the
University”

11. Academic Advising at Sheffield Hallam University
As a student’s named Academic Advisor, you monitor
and support their academic progression through to the
successful completion of their course.
You ensure your students successfully transition
• onto their course
• through each level,
• into and out of placements, and
• through to graduation and into employment or
further study.
A student’s Academic Advisor is a constant point of
personal contact who offers a consistent and regular
level of support throughout their course especially at
key transition points.

12. The Academic Advisor's role
Academic Progression
You are proactive.
You monitor your students' academic
performance and engagement.
You support your students to reflect on
their progress and achievement.
You develop their capabilities so that
they can manage their own learning
and ongoing development.
As Academic Advisor you support your student's:

13. The Academic Advisor's role
Personal Development
You are a personal point of contact.
You are approachable and ready to
listen sympathetically to student
concerns.
You are accessible and stay in regular
contact with them throughout their
studies.
You develop your students so that they
are active members of their academic
community.
As Academic Advisor you support your student's:

14. The Academic Advisor's role
Professional Development
You develop your students'
professional thinking and foster their
professional identity.
You support your students to make
connections between their academic
work and their life aspirations.
You provide academic advice on the
relationship of academic knowledge,
skills and dispositions to their
professional outlook.
You discuss possibilities for study and
work beyond university.
As Academic Advisor you support your student's:

15. Principles underpinning academic success
The Academic Advice Principles explain the critical dimensions of being effective in this role.
Principles enable you to adapt your Academic Advising practice so that it consistently supports
your students in ways that are appropriate to your course context.
Academic Advice at Sheffield Hallam University is based on principles set out by the NUS in their Academic
Support Benchmarking Tool (2015)
https://www.nusconnect.org.uk/resources/academic-support-benchmarking-tool

16. Principles underpinning academic advising
Academic Advice at Sheffield Hallam University is based on the following 9 principles:
i. Equity - all students have access to high quality academic advice.
ii. Coherence - professional services and academic staff work together to ensure a holistic experience
of academic and student support for students.
iii. Consistent – the Academic Advice Framework is consistently implemented.
iv. Supported - staff offering academic advice to students are appropriately trained and developed.
v. Regular and structured – academic advice will be regular and structured.
vi. Proactive monitoring of student progression - Academic Advisors will provide advice and guidance
to help their students progress and develop towards their chosen goals.
vii. Clear, accessible, up-to-date - all students receive clear, accessible, up-to-date information about
academic advice at appropriate times and in an appropriate format.
viii. Equality – academic advice is based on respect for individual learners and diverse learning
communities and supports equality of opportunity for learners.
ix. Trust and respect - academic advisors and students strive to develop an effective working
relationship based on mutual trust and respect.
These principles establish a consistent and adaptable approach appropriate to the specific needs of all
of the University's courses.

17. Principles underpinning academic advising
Equity
all students have
access to high
quality academic
advice
Coherence
professional
services and
academic staff
work together to
ensure a holistic
experience of
academic and
student support
for students
Consistent
the Academic
Advice
Framework is
consistently
implemented
Supported
staff offering
academic advice
to students are
appropriately
trained and
developed
Activity
Consider each of the principles and note their implications for your practice.

18. Activity
Consider each of the principles and note their implications for your practice.
Trust and respect
academic advisors and students will strive to develop an effective
working relationship based on mutual trust and respect.
Principles underpinning academic advising
Regular &
Structured
academic advice
is regular and
structured
Proactive
monitoring of
student
progression
Academic
Advisors provide
advice and
guidance to help
students’
progression and
development
towards their
chosen goals
Clear,
Accessible &
Up-to-date
all students
receive clear,
accessible, up to
date information
about academic
advice at
appropriate times
and in an
appropriate
format
Equality
academic advice
is based on
respect for
individual
learners and
diverse learning
communities and
supports equality
of opportunity for
learners
Notes
Make a list of the
implications and
discuss these
with colleagues.

19. Follow-up Action
1. Arrange to discuss the principles with your colleagues. Compare how you apply them in
your practices.
2. Arrange to discuss the principles with your students. What do they think is most
important? Why?
Comparing your understanding of the Academic Advising role with
colleagues leads to consistency of practice and message.
Involving students each year in improving the way you advise them
• helps them to understand its value;
• develops their sense of ownership over their personal academic
and professional development;
• leads to better student engagement.
Questions to consider:
Do you think some principles are more important than others?
Would your colleagues agree?
Would your students agree?
Principles underpinning academic advising
Support is
“…regularly reviewed by
staff and students in
partnership, and a continual
process of enhancement is
informed by sector leading
best practice.“
– NUS principle of best
practice

20. Making Academic Advising work for you and your
students
Section 2
The Academic Advising Principles underpin a minimum set of requirements for the Academic
Advisor's role and provide the basis for consistent and equitable practice.
This section explores the Academic Advisor’s responsibilities and the nature of your role.

21. Why you are a great
Academic Advisor!
Research, internally and across the sector, has identified a
number of positive attributes in staff who embrace this
role.
You are,
• Approachable
• Responsible
• Helpful
• Friendly, and
• Knowledgeable
Students value advisors who care about how they settle
into university and help them to grow in confidence as they
develop through their time at university.
They value the knowledge and experience that advisors can
share.
Many academics believe that
challenging, supporting, and
encouraging their students
academically is central to their
professional motivation.

22. Why you are a great Academic Advisor!
video scenario 1: problem
You are meeting one of your students for the first time.
View this video and think about how you would begin to
respond to your student.
On the next page, review the response.

23. Your student is showing signs of anxiety. He has depended on
strategies at school that have worked well enough, but he is now
doubting whether he is suited to university academically.
Some things to note:
• You have already created a degree of trust - he knew he could
come and talk to you one-to-one.
• You have met students like him many times and you will be able
to reassure him that his self-doubts are normal and, even if
others seem confident, they will also be working out what is
needed.
• There will be plenty of opportunities this year to settle into the
course and develop a feel for what is needed.
• He was accepted onto the course because you believe he is
good enough.
• You give him some pointers to get him started on his
assignment and begin by reading through the brief with him.
• You also give him information about student support services.
Why you are a great Academic Advisor!
video scenario 1: responses

24. The Academic Advisor's
role and responsibilities
Regular contact
The foremost requirement is that every student has regular
contact with a named Academic Advisor.
It is your responsibility to initiate and maintain contact with
your students.
As a minimum, scheduled opportunities will occur
three times in each academic year.
The minimum
As an Academic Advisor you set up
a minimum of three scheduled
Academic Advising opportunities
each academic year, one of which
will be in the first three weeks of
the academic year to support
induction and transition.
Contact, sessions or meetings?
In most cases you will engage your student groups in face-to-
face workshops and personal tutorials. In some situations, you
might decide it is more effective to use webinars or other
forms of contact.

25. The Academic Advisor's
role and responsibilities
Being proactive
Being proactive may mean,
• Spending time explaining the value of Academic Advising
when you first meet your students;
• Planning a structured approach to scheduled sessions
reflecting key challenges at different points in the course;
• Being prepared;
• Having time for questions and discussion;
• Involving your students as a group to clarify and fine-tune
the way you run your Academic Advising;
• Providing information about your availability;
• Reminding students in advance of scheduled sessions;
• Being aware of support services and ready to signpost them
to students;
• Being alert at key stress times, e.g. in the lead up to
assessments and the publication of results and feedback;
• Meeting periodically with other Academic Advisors to
discuss good practice, emerging issues, and consistency.
Beyond the minimum
As an Academic Advisor you are
accessible and ready to make
proactive interventions.
Activity:
What else does being a
proactive Academic Advisor
mean?
List other good proactive
practices that would work for
you. Discuss these with
colleagues to ensure
consistency across your area.

26. Unexpected Drop
video scenario 2 : problem
It’s late Semester 1, Year 2 and you are meeting your students to discuss their progress
after receiving their marks for two of their modules. One of your students is troubled
when you ask why her grades are markedly lower than her end of Year 1 grades. After all,
they have shown every sign of being an excellent student until this point and you are
concerned about what has happened.
How would you respond?

27. As Academic Advisor you have responsibility for pastoral support. Your students may see you as the
only responsible adult they can turn to, or they may be unsure about the extent to which they can
confide in you.
Here are some of the things you could do immediately,
• Give her the space to say what she needs to say. Listen, don't try to solve problems, but be
empathetic.
• Reassure her, through your response, that opening up has been the right thing to do.
• Your immediate concern is her wellbeing. When she is ready you can ask her whether she has
confided in anyone else and whether she feels she needs more support.
• You reassure her that you will support her.
• You explain what other support is available and refer her on to her Student Support Advisor
who will be able to provide more support and advice including extenuating circumstances.
• Tell her how well she has done to be attending teaching sessions and to have completed and
submitted the assessments in such difficult circumstances.
• Again, reassure her - many students have difficulties during their course but with support and
encouragement their grades pick up and do well.
• You are both concerned that this might continue to affect her academic performance and
arrange to meet again to talk through strategies for addressing this.
Unexpected Drop
video scenario 2: responses

28. Signposting
Your student's Student Support Advisor has a range of practical supportive strategies and tools.
For example,
• Big White Wall is a free online service and provides an immediate, 24/7 response that can
help in many circumstances (see wellbeing pages)
• Her advisor can talk through options such as extenuating circumstances, Request to
Repeat an Assessment Attempt (RRAA), and break in study.
• If your student wants a listening ear then the Multifaith Chaplaincy is an option, whether
they have a faith or not.
Unexpected Disclosure
video scenario 2: connections

29. The Academic Advisor's
role and responsibilities
Maintaining records of meetings and follow-up actions
You need to keep a record for each student.
There are two aspects to this:
1. An objective record that succinctly records what you have
discussed and agreed.
2. Your notes about the meeting to remind you of emerging
developments and any concerns that you think you should
keep an eye on.
You and your student may decide to produce the agreed record
together with. Both of you can keep it as a record of progress. It
will include agreed actions assigned to each of you with a date
for completion.
This record may provide a useful starting point for your next
meeting.
Making good notes
Don’t let note making get in the
way of good conversations.
Don’t write copious notes.
Do make notes
• succinct,
• objective,
• clear,
• actionable.
Data protection
Your students have the right to ask
you for any information you keep
on them. Ensure your notes are
clear and not open to
misinterpretation.

30. What next?
video scenario 3 : problem
It’s Semester 1 and you’re are meeting with one of your Level 6 students who has
returned to Uni in an anxious state. It seems that they have not really thought about life
after graduation until now and they are really unsure about what to do.
How would you respond?

31. Your student needs to make an informed decision about her future and there are several ways to
gather that information. Here are some ideas for how you can advise your student.
• Reassure your student. It is late in the day, but there is still time to significantly improve the
situation.
• Listening to and thinking about what your student’s peers have done is a good idea. She can
consider how his own thinking and aspirations are similar or different to them, and why. This
should provide some clues immediately.
• As her Academic Advisor, you are perfectly positioned to reflect with your student on their
experience of the course, module by module, and discuss what they have learnt about
themselves from the various formative and summative activities with which they have been
involved. For each module, explore how they felt - not just the content.
• Talk them through the entrance requirements for postgraduate courses and discuss with them
what their end degree classification might be, and what actions they can take to improve it.
• Discuss what they have actually done outside class and term time, going as far back as their
school years. How has your student learnt about themselves over the years? Through what
experiences?
• Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the University has professional Employability Consultants
in Careers who can provide the practical support to help your student address the situation. You
provide them with information that you have to hand on how to contact them.
What next?
video scenario 3 : responses

32. Review of your responsibilities
Academic Advisors will:
• act as a personal academic contact for students throughout their time at the university;
• initiate and maintain contact throughout their studies with the students they advise;
• assist students with the process of induction to university life;
• contact their students a minimum of 3 times in each year of study: in the first 3 weeks
of the academic year to support induction and transition, and once in each semester to
review academic progress and offer advice to support their students' success;
• identify times to be available to meet with their students;
• communicate their availability and contact details clearly at the start of the academic
year;
• inform students in advance of the purpose of meetings and any of preparation they
need to complete before attending;
• maintain records of meetings and any follow-up actions agreed;
• listen sympathetically and respond actively to student concerns;
• refer students on to other specialist student services as necessary;
• work with colleagues (academic and professional) to provide a comprehensive,
consistent and effective approach to academic support;
• provide a reference for their students on request;
• engage in professional development activities in order to meet requirements of the role
and maintain their professional standing as an Academic Advisor.
from the Sheffield Hallam University’s Academic Advice Framework (2018)

33. Student Engagement in Academic Advising
Consider the following scenario
Perhaps your main challenge is to ensure good student engagement. Students must want to
come.
Initially you had a good engagement, but only three of your original 15 Level 5 students turned
up last week. You know you need to address this - but how?
Activity: How do you address the dwindling turnout from your Level 5 students and ensure that
next year’s students maintain their engagement?
Select one of the following then check the recommended answers on the next screen.
The Academic Advisor's role
A1. Tell your students that if they don't come next time, they're on their own.
A2. Change the time, offer alternative sessions, and focus on practical skills development where they
clearly have a need.
A3. Find out from your students what will work best, focus on their needs, and engage them
beforehand.

34. The Academic Advisor's role
A1. Tell your students that if they don't come next time, they're on their own.
No, this might be tempting but is not acceptable! You need to make every effort to find out why
individuals don’t come. Ask them what they want at this point in their course. This is more than
what you think they need.
A2. Change the time, offer alternative sessions, and focus on practical skills development
where they clearly have a need.
Yes, you could do this but you also need to think about what’s manageable and whether your
colleagues could be so flexible with their students – it might not be realistic.
A3. Find out from your students what will work best, focus on their needs, engage them
beforehand. Yes, this is probably best and make sure Academic Advising sessions are perceived
to be enjoyable and useful.
On the next screen we review more ways to develop engagement.
Promoting Student Engagement in Academic Advising

35. Promoting Student Engagement in Academic Advising
The Academic Advisor's role
Find out what your students want e.g. talk to them between
sessions, ask course reps, use online request forms, etc.
Know what your students need e.g. what are they having to deal
with in terms of transition, assessment types, feedback messages,
challenges by level, etc.
Make it useful and just-in-time - post an outline of a draft plan and
ask for feedback, invite questions, leave space to discuss ‘hot’ issues,
etc.
Make sure the time and the place is accessible – book the room for
the session beforehand and post this well in advance. Check time
zones for online students.
Engage students in forthcoming sessions well in advance e.g. end of
lecture and Blackboard announcements.
Be productive and make good use of time.
Make it enjoyable!
Ensure students take away
positive memories.
Advisor-student relationships
should feel positive.
If running group sessions,
create opportunities for peer
support as this can extend
beyond scheduled time and
build a sense of community.

36. Student Entitlements and Responsibilities
You should ensure your students are provided with
information about how to provide feedback on the academic
advice they receive.
Students are expected to:
• attend all scheduled meetings with their Academic
Advisor;
• communicate with their Academic Advisor if for any
reason they are unable to attend these meetings or
reschedule the meeting at an agreed alternative time;
• take an active role in reflecting on their progress and
managing their own academic and professional
development;
• take the initiative in raising difficulties that impact their
ability to study;
• be proactive in identifying and accessing any relevant
specialist support offered by the university;
• maintain records of actions agreed academic advisor.
from the Sheffield Hallam University’s Academic Advice Framework (2018)
Trust and respect
Principle:
Academic Advisors and
students strive to develop
an effective working
relationship based on
mutual trust and respect

37. Next Steps
Links to:
Notes template
We strongly
encourage all
Academic Advisors
to establish a
Professional
Development
Portfolio to record
and reflect on
practice.
Link to Personal
Development
Planning space in
PebblePad
Following this required introduction, staff acting as an
Academic Advisor can expect the following:
• Appropriate access to continuing staff development.
• Up-to-date information about the range of support
delivered by professional services to enable referral to
the appropriate specialist services if required;
• Access to appropriate space to conduct academic advice
sessions as required;
• Ongoing support from a senior and experienced
academic advisor within each department;
• Recognition of the Academic Advisor role in supporting
an excellent student experience through allocation of
time and inclusion in professional development review.
Professional Recognition
Your experience as an Academic
Advisor provides you with evidence
of how you remain in good standing
as a Fellow of the Higher Education
Academy and gives you opportunities
for development as a Senior Fellow.
For example, Academic Advising
practice is likely to map to at least the
following dimensions:
A4 Develop effective learning
environments and approaches to
student support and guidance
A5 Engage in continuing professional
development in subjects/disciplines
and their pedagogy, incorporating
research, scholarship and the
evaluation of professional practices
K3 How students learn, both
generally and within their
subject/disciplinary area(s)
V1 Respect individual learners and
diverse learning communities
V2 Promote participation in higher
education and equality of
opportunity for learners

38. Next Steps
You have considered,
• the essential information needed to be an Academic
Advisor at Sheffield Hallam University and how this is
based on a set of established principles.
• your role, its associated responsibilities and good
practices
• some aspects of what this role means to you and your
own students in practice.
Your Notes
You should have notes on:
• How the principles relate to
your practice and the
experience of your students.
• How you and your peers will
ensure academic advising in
your area in consistent.
• How you are going to
approach the planning of
scheduled contact.
• What being proactive means
to you in your Academic
Advising role.
Use these notes as the basis for
discussing the role with your
colleagues and planning your
further development.

39. Next Steps
Speak to your line manager or your Faculty's Senior Advisor
about further development opportunities.
You may still have important questions about this role. It’s not
easy and you need to establish a supportive peer community.
Talking with your colleagues about:
• Sharing practice
• How you can support each other
• How you can be consistent.
The Academic Advising toolkit in Teaching & Assessment
Essentials is a key resource to support you in this role.
Don’t forget: There is a range of support across the University
for your students. Check the Academic Advising Toolkit for
links.
Links
Academic Advising toolkit:
https://blogs.shu.ac.uk/
academicadvising/
There are opportunities for
you to seek accreditation in
this role based upon your
experience.
We strongly encourage all
Academic Advisors to establish
a Professional Development
Portfolio to record and reflect
on your practice as an
Academic Advisor.
Information on this is available
in the toolkit.