The University's view on the role of a Personal Tutor

The following formal statement about the duties of a Personal Tutor was made in 1965 before the University admitted its first students and is still largely applicable today.

1. The functions of a Personal Tutor shall be:
   1. to establish such contacts, both formal and informal, with the students assigned to him/her as a Personal Tutor as will enable him/her to know whether each student is adjusting her/himself to university life, and whether any personal problems, or any difficulties or misapprehensions are preventing her/him from obtaining full benefit from the University;
   2. to offer her/his students advice on any matter, including matters not immediately arising from their formal instruction, when such advice is asked for or appears to be needed;
   3. to help her/his students to feel that the university has an interest in them as individuals and not merely as members of classes;
      
   4. to help broaden her/his students' outlook and to stimulate interests outside their immediate academic work.

2. Personal Tutors shall make a point of seeing each one of their students at the beginning and end of each term, and shall set aside some fixed time in each week at which their students may consult them. In case of emergency they will be ready to see their students at short notice.

3. It is a duty of students to meet their Personal Tutors when requested to do so, and it is their right to ask their Personal Tutor for advice whenever it is needed.

In December 1993 the Senate reaffirmed its commitment to the Personal Tutor system and approved the adoption across the University of a Statement of Good Practice. This statement follows:

GOOD PRACTICE FOR PERSONAL TUTORS

It is expected that Personal Tutors will:

1. Meet all their students at least once a term for an individual review of general progress and well being.

   Many tutors will see their students at least twice, usually at the beginning and end of each term. Contact in the first year of study is especially important and tutors would normally be expected to meet more frequently during this period.

   Some students do not respond to written invitations and how much students should be chased depends on the circumstances: independent, self-sufficient students will need little chasing; students who have given cause for concern in the past may need a great deal. Perhaps as much effort should be expended as is needed in the interests of the student.

2. Set aside and advertise some fixed time or times (totalling at least one hour) each week during which students may drop in; or otherwise effect a method of communication.

   Senate has recommended that personal tutors should wherever possible, be assigned to students on the basis of close academic contact between them. If this model is adopted tutors will often be accessible to students during the normal teaching processes in addition to any fixed consultation times. It may be necessary, if the fixed 'office hours' approach is used, to remind students that they are not restricted to those times only.

3. Give students advice about their academic progress in the Department and general academic advice about courses, options, etc. available.

   The emphasis here is on 'general' academic advice; it is, of course, not expected that specific academic advice about the subject matter of individual courses be given; this is better obtained from course tutors.

4. Give students help and advice about non-academic matters in as far as it is within your competence to do so, or advise them where further help can be obtained on campus if is not.

   Personal tutors are often rightly concerned that they have neither the training, nor the inclination, to deal with their students' serious personal problems. Often a sympathetic ear and some practical help and advice are all that are required, but in cases where the tutor feels unable to help further the tutor should be familiar with the sources of help available on campus (e.g. Counsellors, University Senior Tutor, Health Centre, Careers Advisory Service).

5. Be sensitive to the need of some students to discuss personal matters with members of staff of the same gender and make appropriate arrangements.

   This is easier to do in some departments than others; a number of departments, for example, have very few female academic staff. Students can always, of course, be referred to female counsellors in the University Senior Tutor's Office.

6. Advise their students of the procedure to be adopted in the event of an emergency.

   Some tutors will willingly give their home telephone numbers to be used in emergencies; other strongly object to doing so. It is entirely a matter for individual tutors to decide for themselves. Students should be advised that a call to the emergency line on the University switchboard (Extension 22222) or a visit to the gatehouse at any time will get them access to an appropriate source of help, e.g. University Senior Tutor, duty warden, medical care.

7. Be prepared to act as referee for their students for job and other applications, both before and after graduation.

8. Perform the following responsibilities conferred on Personal Tutors in the University Regulations:
   1. To inform and, if appropriate, address meetings of the Boards of Examiners on their students' behalf in terms both of their academic work and any relevant personal or medical issues. Tutors should also ensure that their students submit correct examination registration forms and that any special examination needs a student might have are properly catered for. In cases where it is impossible to attend examiners' meetings, the Personal Tutor should ensure that relevant information on their students is given either to a colleague who can attend or in writing to the Examination Secretary.
   2. To accompany their students when appeals against requirement to withdraw are heard (e.g. Reg. 9.1, Section [9] [c] for degree of BA and similar sections for all other first degrees).
   3. To accompany their students at hearing of investigating committees hearing allegations of cheating. (Reg. 12 [A] [3].)
   4. To advise the chairmen of departments on cases involving attendance at prescribed classes or completion of prescribed coursework. (Reg. 14.1 [4].)
   5. To attend meetings of Termination of Registration Committees involving their students. (Reg. 14.2 [4].)
   6. To support their students, if requested, at Disciplinary Committees or appeals. (Reg. 25 [5]; Reg. 25 [7] [a].) In circumstances such as at disciplinary hearings, where Personal Tutors feel their support would be equivocal, they should advise their students to seek help from a colleague or from the University Senior Tutor.

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