All new undergraduate students that are ‘owned’ by the School of Social Sciences are allocated to a small ‘Academic Tutor Group’. These groups are led by a member of academic staff who is designated as the ‘academic tutor’ for the student over their full period of study with us. In the first year, Academic Tutors meet their students regularly as a group and also individually.
Academic Tutors
The role of the Academic Tutor is to:
- Help their students settle into university and develop their awareness of the diverse demands higher level of study
- Help their students understand the academic context within which they are working, so that they can assess their academic development and match their level of success to their capabilities
- Tutor their group in basic study skills and group skills
- Provide a regular point of contact for queries about academic progress
- Provide a point of referral to appropriate support services, where if required
- Where appropriate, Academic Tutors can advise students to contact the appropriate ‘Year Tutor’ and/or module coordinator, for further advice and support.
Year Tutors
In concrete terms, Year Tutors are responsible for granting
extensions for course work (however these can only be granted to
students’ who have suitable evidence of mitigating
circumstances), assisting students submitting extenuating
circumstances and helping students with academic anxieties. They
can also offer advice if students are considering changing their
degree, suspending or withdrawing from their studies for any
reason. Year Tutors have a system of office hours when they are
available to see students but can be approached at any time via
email or telephone (including voicemail). Their contact details
are widely available including on notice boards, in year
handbooks and the University's intranet via Blackboard.