Session Outline

"Why do UK HEIs persist with a seemingly archaic system of student support which, if performed well, requires staff to invest significant personal effort that is neither recognized nor rewarded?” Grey, D., & Lochtie, D. (2016)

In this interactive workshop, we'll briefly report on the University of Nottingham's project to rethink and implement a new personal tutoring approach across its institution. As context, Nottingham is a large, global Russell Group University with approximately 32,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students across campuses in the UK, China, and Malaysia. The project piloted a new approach in two large UK schools - Law and Psychology and one school in Malaysia - Psychology. Our discussion will outline the rationale, political nuances, effectiveness data, and future plans related to Nottingham's newly piloted tutoring model. We will reflect on how elements might translate to participants' institutions and prompt broader conversations about enhancing local tutoring structures, metrics, and future-proofing strategies in light of dynamic factors like evolving legal duty of care regulations. Guiding questions include: Can current approaches demonstrate compliance and sufficiently evidence tutor-student interactions? How might we better align systems with emerging accountability frameworks?