Improving Personal Tutor provision

The University of Wolverhampton is aiming to improve its personal tutoring programme and encourage students to take more advantage of the support at their disposal.

The current retention rate of students moving from year to year at the University is below the national average, and one of the measures planned to improve that statistic is to ensure students are fully aware of the range of guidance that their personal tutor can give.

More training will also be given to personal tutors so they are able to provide the best possible service for the students.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Anthea Gregory says: “As a University, we always strive to provide a high level of support to our students both in terms of their academic work and also any other issues that they may face.

“We already have an extensive network of personal tutors in place, but now it is a case of making sure we are making the most out of the process and that our students are fully engaged with both their tutors and the University as a whole.

“We do have a number of students who leave us before completing their studies, and it is important that we understand why that happens and whether there is anything more that can be done to help those students who are thinking about taking that decision.

“Personal tutors offer an invaluable source of advice and information, and, the earlier they can step in to help students, the more chance of resolving any problems that do exist.

“It is not just about students who are finding things difficult, but about having that healthy working relationship which ensures that all students feel comfortable and can enjoy their time with us at the University and be successful in their studies.

“We have several plans in place to improve the current system, including providing more training to personal tutors and improving the administration of the process to make it easier for staff and students to maintain regular contact.”

These planned improvements will be communicated to staff and students in due course. Anyone with any questions or thoughts about the current personal tutor provision is asked to contact Dr Derek Walton in the Offices of the Vice-Chancellor at d.walton@wlv.ac.uk