'Active Referrals' - a partnership approach between Personal Academic Tutors and the Academic Skills Centre to support student engagement, outcomes and academic skills development
Monday, April 7, 2025 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
SUCCESS AND OUTCOMES
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Session Outline
This session will:
- create an opportunity for participants to reflect on their own institution and whether a similar process would work
- explain the process of securing institutional buy in
- give opportunities to consider and discuss possible obstacles and how they could be overcome
- share how the offering was evaluated
In 2023/24 the Academic Skills Centre at the University of Birmingham piloted a new ‘active referral’ (1) system whereby Personal Academic Tutors can refer any undergraduate attaining below Good Honours level directly to the ASC. This scheme is the first of its kind at the University, and aims to promote and enhance collaboration between students, their tutors and the ASC. During termly progress tutorials, tutors and students discuss the benefits of referral and, if the student agrees, complete an online referral form together and simultaneously book a referral 1-1 appointment using a live booking link. This minimises the ‘run around’ (2) that can be an obstacle to a student receiving support.
Referred students are given enhanced 1-1s which cover a wide range of academic skills and take a collaborative approach focusing on ‘students as partners’ (3): students and Academic Skills Advisors work together to agree an individualised action plan containing SMART action points to support academic success. Tutors are copied into 1-1 summary emails so they are aware of action plans and progress, and also track referral students’ marks in subsequent progress tutorials, and re-refer if necessary so students receive ongoing support.
This approach combines different academic advising approaches such as, developmental, appreciative and solution-focussed coaching (2, 4, 5). A channel of regular communication between students, advisors and personal tutors is also opened up where students are supported holistically by their advisors and tutors as a team, with their personal tutor being a key link (6). It addresses a common personal tutor frustration about the lack of feedback after a referral (5).
The impact of the first year of the scheme was that 45% of the final-year students who were referred with below Good Honours level average marks and who attended enhanced 1-1s graduated with a 2:1 Honours degree. Evaluation data also suggest that attendance at enhanced 1-1s means referral students are more likely to gain a Good Honours degree even when their average referral mark is low. Referral students also complete the TASO Access & Success Questionnaire (7) pre/post-appointment, and results show attendance at enhanced 1-1s improved students’ cognitive and metacognitive strategies and their sense of belonging. This further evidences that student success is underpinned by collaboration between academic and non-academic support services (8). Going forward we will also be evaluating the impact of the scheme for non-finalists by incorporating data from the University’s new learning analytics platform.
Learning Outcomes
Learn about the process of securing institutional buy-in when collaborating between academics and third space professionals to enhance student success, and effective ways of evidencing the impact of collaborative academic advising interventions.
Reflect on their own institution and whether and how a similar process would work, identify obstacles/challenges and potential ways to overcome them.
Bibliography
2. Sepulveda A, Birnbaum M. Perceptions, reality and semantics: exploring perceptions of coaching and academic advising as distinct roles. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education. 2022;11(1):119-33.
3. Healey M, Flint A, Harrington K. Students as Partners in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. York: Higher Education Academy; 2014.
4. Grites TJ. Developmental Academic Advising. In: Drake JK, Jordan P, Miller MA, editors. Academic Advising Approaches: Strategies That Teach Students to Make the Most of College. Newark, United States: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated; 2013. p. 45-60.
5. Lochtie D, McIntosh E, Stork A, Walker B. Effective personal tutoring in higher education: St Albans : Critical Publishing, 2018.; 2018.
6. Stuart K, Willocks K, Browning R. Questioning personal tutoring in higher education: an activity theoretical action research study. Educational Action Research. 2021;29(1):79-98.
7. Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education. TASO Access and Success Questionnaire (ASQ). 2023.
8. Obaje TA, Jeawon R. A Critical Review of the Adopted Academic Advising Approaches at the Durban University of Technology: Unpacking its Strengths and Challenges. Journal of student affairs in Africa. 2021;9(2):17-29.
Competencies
This session addresses the following competencies of the UKAT Professional Framework for Advising and Tutoring