Student Support
& Development
Personal Tutors Event
September 2007.
Programme
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Background: The SSD Context
Defining SSD
What’s New?
Student Support
- Personal Tutors as a “GP” / gateway
• Student Development
- Beyond solving student problems
- Personal Development Goals
- Discussion Groups / Role-play
• Feedback / Close.
Background: The SSD Context
• Increased institutional focus on the “student
experience” following the 2006 NSS results,
and also feedback from the International
Student Barometer.
• Review of “Personal & Academic Support” was
conducted Feb-May 2007.
• Input from B2B Consultants who conducted
student focus groups in all schools.
• University Teaching Committee has agreed the
recommendations and the Quality Manual has
been updated for the 2007-2008 session.
Defining SSD
• Student Support and Development (SSD)
refers to the range of University provision
intended to help students maintain and
improve their wellbeing, personal and
academic development, understanding of
University practices, employability, and sense
of community.
• All University staff have a role to play in
delivering an integrated SSD offering.
What’s New?
• “Student Support & Development” (SSD)
replaces “PAS” to focus attention beyond (only)
helping students with problems.
• All schools must now define and communicate
the role of their personal tutors.
• There is now a booklet of University guidance
on the role of all personal tutors.
• All schools are also required to produce their
own local supplement to this guidance.
• Student responsibilities have been defined.
• Potential for more formal UQA SSD auditing.
Personal Tutors as a “GP” / Gateway
• The role of all personal tutors now includes
being a “gateway to the wider SSD provision of
the University”.
• This is to try and offer all students an
integrated SSD offering from the University.
• You need to know where to direct students with
particular support or development needs. This
may be to somebody else in the School, or to a
central support department.
• The University Guidance lists key central
support services. Hyperlinks are in the QM.
Beyond Solving Student Problems
• B2B Consultants identified that many students
do not see the relevance of personal tutoring.
• Personal tutor systems across the University
do seem to help those c.25% of students with
problems, but do not really add that much
value to the majority.
• Personal tutoring needs a new focus on
developmental as well as problem solving
activities.
• One way to do and clearly signal this is via the
new Personal Development Goals initiative.
The Concept
• To invite students to set and reflect on a
“personal development goal” (PDG) with their
personal tutor every semester.
• PDGs may relate to any area of potential
achievement that does not result in an
assessment grade or academic award.
• PDG will run within our existing schedule of
personal tutor meetings.
• Recording goals is a student responsibility.
Potential Outcomes / Benefits
• An improvement in the relationship between
students and academics.
• A signalling of the relevance of, and renewed
interest in, personal tutoring.
• A heightened emphasis on student
employability.
• Students encouraged to maximize their
University of Nottingham experience.
• An increased consistency in personal tutoring
provision across the University.
The Pitch to Students
• Personal Development Goals are an invitation
from your personal tutor to help you set and
reflect on challenges in order to:
• Be more prepared to gain employment.
• Not regret what you didn’t do at university.
How PDGs will Work.
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Poster campaign (including Student Union) .
Distribution of student flyer.
Entry in student handbook.
Students told our PDGs during induction.
Input sessions for students from the Centre for
Career Development and the Student Union.
• Your tutees should be expecting to set one or
more PDGs with you this Semester.
• You simply have to ask your tutees if they want
to set a goal(s), show some interest, and ask
them to keep a record.
Goal Setting
• PDGs may relate to any area of potential
achievement not measured via an assessment
grade or academic University award.
• The best goals will be simple, tangible,
memorable and potentially achievable.
• Employers often ask students to say how they
have overcome challenges, shown leadership
demonstrated teamworking skills, etc.
• Setting and reflecting on PDGs may hence
improve potential employability.
• Goals may also link to wider development.
Potential Goals
• Investigating work placement or final employment
options and identifying possible companies to apply to.
• Undertaking a volunteering activity.
• Undertaking a sporting activity.
• Helping to run a student society.
• Becoming a member of a Hall committee or team.
• Learning about another society or culture.
• Improving writing/research skills.
• Improving time management skills.
• Increasing levels of tutorial contribution.
• Identifying and applying for study abroad/campus
mobility options.
• Developing ideas for a dissertation topic.
And Now . . .
• Any Questions?
• Discussion Groups
• Role-play of goal setting