Enhancing Academic Advising and Personal Tutoring in Higher Education
UKAT, the United Kingdom Advising and Tutoring association, is a learned society of professional practitioners and researchers interested in advancing the scholarship and practice of student advising and personal tutoring in Higher Education in the UK. We advance the field through our conferences, symposia, workshops, support for original research, peer-reviewed academic publications, accreditation of practice, professional courses, and resources.
Webinar - Aiding Transition and Retention: Embedding personal tutoring in a first year core module - Thursday, June 19, 2025
This session presents a case study from the English Department at Manchester Metropolitan University where a first year core module was redesigned around the principle of students being taught by their personal tutors. It focuses on the way that the new module supported transition and retention, helped students develop key degree skills, and encouraged greater engagement and community building.
The module content focused on Manchester as a city, facilitating students’ extra-curricular experiences and confidence building as they settled into university life and introduced project-based learning to develop independence and foster an active and inclusive classroom. Project supervision allowed a space for scaffolded conversations about students’ academic progress as well as opening a pathway to signpost into other student services.
The module data-mapping demonstrated a positive impact for engagement and the closing of continuation gaps.
Free Resource - Because of My Tutor poster campaign
Demonstrate the value and impact of personal tutoring to students and colleagues on your campus using our free, customisable Because of My Tutor poster campaign, which features real student stories. You can customise the posters, change the terminology, add your own stories, and even use your institutional logo to give it a personalised touch, all by editing a simple spreadsheet. The resource contains all the images and stories showcased in the gallery and detailed instructions on customising them. All you need is access to Abode InDesign, a spreadsheet application, and your institutional logo to enable you to create a poster campaign for your institution.
Download the Because of My Tutor resource. [ZIP, 140MB]
Community
UKAT promotes collaborations and the sharing of research-informed effective practice. We offer many ways to get involved, connect with others and further your professional development, including
- Special Interest Groups
- Conferences
- Committees
- Professional development and mentoring
- Research development and support
- UKAT Blog
Membership
Becoming a member means joining a nationwide community of professional advisors, personal tutors, academics, researchers and students who are working to support student success and enhance their educational development.
Members enjoy various benefits, including access to resources, events and professional mentoring.
We offer Institutional Membership, Personal Membership and Student Membership.
Resources
UKAT offers a wealth of resources to help members stay abreast of latest developments, share effective practice and support professional development. Member resources include
- UKAT Professional Development Curriculum of scaffolded professional development opportunities for personal tutors and academic advisors
- Publications
- Webinars
- Masterclasses
- Access to consultancy
- Sign up to our mailing list
Events
UKAT organises and supports regular events for both members and non-members.
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Aiding Transition and Retention: Embedding personal tutoring in a first year core module
Online
Thursday 19 Jun 2025, 14:00 - 15:30 -
Advising Students in Clinically Related Disciplines
Online
Monday 7 Jul 2025, 10:30 - 12:00 -
UKAT Annual Conference 2026
Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
Monday 13 Apr 2026, 08:00 - Tuesday 14 Apr 2026, 15:00
Our Member Institutions
