Academic advising and personal tutoring

Academic advising and personal tutoring can make a significant contribution to improving student engagement, belonging, retention and success in higher education. We can offer services to review and develop your academic advising or personal tutoring system drawing on research evidence about:

• Different models of academic advising and personal tutoring
• The ways in which academic advising/personal tutoring improve student retention and success and offer value for money
• Research evidence about effective approaches to academic advising and personal tutoring
• Elements of effective advising/tutoring that can be used to review your provision.

In particular you may be interested in: policy review and development, staff capacity building, research and evaluation and consultancy.

Relevant publications

Thomas, L. (2006) Widening participation and the increased need for personal tutoring. In Thomas, L. and Hixenbaugh, P. (eds) Personal tutoring in higher education. Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books Ltd

Thomas, L. and Hixenbaugh, P. (eds) (2006) Personal tutoring in higher education. Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books Ltd

Thomas, L. et al (2009) Review of Widening Participation Strategic Assessments. Ormskirk: Action on Access.

Thomas, L. (2012) Building student engagement and belonging at a time of change in higher education. London: Paul Hamlyn Foundation

Other activities

Liz has worked closely with NACADA, the National Academic Advisers Association in the US, and in 2010 she was invited to the 4th international conference on personal tutoring and academic advising. She organised two international conferences on personal tutoring and academic advising in the UK in 2007 and 2009.
Liz and Rob are currently working with a research-led university to improve their academic advising/personal tutoring system, including enhancing staff engagement.