Session Outline

Personal Tutoring in Transational Education

Tina Marolt-Cebasek (Liverpool John Moores University)

This research explores personal tutoring in Transnational Education (TNE). Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) is the fifth largest university in the UK in terms of the number of students studying through its global partner network, with 24,000 students across 17 partner institutions (Data Futures Return – October 2025). Personal tutoring plays a significant role in students’ academic achievement and development, and LJMU’s Personal Tutoring Framework—adopted in 2025/26—provides full details of how personal tutoring should operate across the university.

This research examines how personal tutoring is implemented at partner institutions and what additional provisions (if any) are in place locally. Further analysis focuses on the design and processes of personal tutoring, with particular attention to staff-related factors.

Shifting sands. A re-division of personal tutor responsibilities at the University of Greenwich.

Rachel George (University of Greenwich ); Louise Woodcock (University of Greenwich)

High-quality personal tutoring that combines academic and pastoral support is widely recognised as contributing to student success (Yale, 2019). It promotes belonging, supports transitions, and builds resilience, providing the “human face” of the institution (Wooton, 2006). However, increasing student numbers, diverse needs, and growing time pressures on UK academics have made it challenging to sustain the traditional, holistic personal tutor role (Thomas, 2006). These pressures raise concerns that students may miss out on vital support (Evans, 2009), while tutors risk feeling overwhelmed or unable to maintain clear boundaries around their expertise and workload (McFarlane, 2016).

To address these challenges, the University of Greenwich introduced a new framework in 2024–25 that separates academic and pastoral responsibilities. Academic staff now serve as Academic Tutors, focusing solely on academic guidance within programme teams. In parallel, a new professional services role—Faculty Student Advisor (FSA)—has been created to provide pastoral support. FSAs are embedded within faculties but operate outside programme structures, enabling a more specialised and coordinated approach to student care.

This lightning talk will share insights from the second year of implementing this model. We will outline the rationale behind the change, explore early successes, and examine emerging challenges. Particular attention will be given to the FSA role: its scope, day-to-day activities, and interactions with other stakeholders, including programme teams, academic tutors, senior tutors, and student services. We will our work to ensure seamless coordination across these groups to prevent students from “falling through the cracks.” Additionally, we will highlight ongoing work to design professional development opportunities for FSAs, recognising the need to equip them for the complexities of pastoral care in higher education.

Our presentation aims to stimulate dialogue on the implications of dividing academic and pastoral responsibilities. Does this approach enhance support for students and staff, or does it risk fragmenting relationships and continuity? How shall we evaluate the new approach, ensuring that we hear our tutees’ voices? We invite participants to share experiences of similar initiatives or plans for restructuring personal tutoring within their institutions. Audience engagement will be encouraged through questions and discussion throughout the session.

Advising that Connects: Science of Compassion for Empowering Students in a Time of Change

JMPVK (Viji) Jayasundara London (University of Sunderland in LONDON)

Higher education continues to navigate profound and interconnected challenges arising from increasing digitalisation, widening participation, the long-tail effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the growing complexity of students’ academic, emotional and social needs. Across the sector, academic advising and personal tutoring are expected to play an increasingly central role in addressing these pressures. Yet, the communication strategies traditionally embedded within advising frameworks often prioritise information delivery over relational connection, limiting their relevance in a period characterised by uncertainty, fragmentation and shifting learner identities. This paper argues that Cognitive Strategies of Compassionate Communication (CSCC) provide a powerful, evidence-informed approach for strengthening the relational, motivational and wellbeing dimensions of academic advising in contemporary higher education.

CSCC refers to the intentional use of cognitive, behavioural and metacognitive communication practices that enable advisors to skilfully notice, interpret and respond to students’ needs with clarity, wisdom and relational attunement. Drawing on the psychobiological model of compassion, CCCS emphasises non-judgement, perspective taking, emotional regulation, and the explicit communication of safety and support. When developed systematically, CCCS can enhance both verbal and non-verbal signalling, promoting psychological safety, trust and active presence, conditions known to underpin student engagement, belonging and learning.

This proposal is grounded in findings from a mixed method experimental study conducted with UK HE STEM students. The study explored the impact of taught cognitive compassionate communication skills on student behaviour in online group contexts. Results demonstrated that CCCS significantly increased students’ willingness to switch on their cameras, an important proxy for presence, engagement and trust in online environments. Students reported feeling more confident, valued and socially connected, indicating that compassionate communication cues helped reduce anxiety and promote relational openness. Quantitative evidence revealed improved (statistically significant p < 0.05) screen gaze-based attentiveness and sustained online presence among students using CSCC, while qualitative data highlighted enhanced group cohesion, respectful turn-taking, and more constructive critical thinking and problem-solving behaviours. Hence, the results highlight that CCCS produces measurable improvements in group dynamics, emotional safety and collaborative engagement, outcomes directly relevant to contemporary advising and tutoring practice in current HE.

In a time where higher education faces increasing concerns about student isolation, reduced participation, digital fatigue, and escalating mental-health demands, advisors require communication approaches that go beyond procedural guidance. This paper demonstrates that CCCS provides such a framework: it equips advisors with practical skills for building trust, fostering belonging, supporting self-regulation, and scaffolding student agency in both digital and in-person contexts. By integrating CCCS into advisor training, institutions can strengthen personalised support, improve student–advisor relationships, and enhance students’ capacity to navigate academic and emotional challenges fostering student engagement, inclusivity and psychological safety.

This presentation offers evidence-based insights, practical model and actionable strategies for embedding Cognitive Compassionate Communication within academic advising—a timely and necessary development for supporting students effectively in a rapidly changing contemporary higher-education landscape.

Learning Outcomes

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