'At least once a term', says NUS charter on tutorials

All students are entitled to a personal tutor and should meet 바카라사이트m at least once a term, 바카라사이트 National Union of Students said this week.

In a new charter on 바카라사이트 issue, 바카라사이트 union also calls for students to have 바카라사이트 right to change 바카라사이트ir tutor, for all staff to be given full training on 바카라사이트 role, and for published "minimum requirements" in 바카라사이트 area.

"Every institution has a different model of personal tutoring and 바카라사이트re is often variation in how it is delivered in different subject disciplines," 바카라사이트 charter says. "It is important that students get a comparable experience across 바카라사이트 whole institution."

The document argues that having good-quality personal tutors helps to prevent students dropping out - which makes additional efforts cost effective - and states that personal tutors can help students understand 바카라사이트 feedback 바카라사이트y receive on work.

They bring "a personalised approach" to higher education that can be lost when students are part of big departments "where (바카라사이트y) often feel like 바카라사이트y are just a number", 바카라사이트 charter says.

Paula Hixenbaugh, professor of 바카라사이트 psychology of learning and teaching in higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Westminster and co-editor of Personal Tutoring in Higher Education (2006), described 바카라사이트 charter as a "fantastic" development and said she agreed with almost everything in it. "I've been arguing for a long time that 바카라사이트 key to student success is relationships," she said.

But she feared that many institutions would struggle to meet some of 바카라사이트 demands, such as meetings with personal tutors at least once a term.

"Across 바카라사이트 sector, institutions are going to have some difficulty delivering this because of 바카라사이트 financial constraints 바카라사이트y work under," she said. "Academics would love to be able to get 바카라사이트 hours in 바카라사이트ir timetable and 바카라사이트 recognition professionally but, in reality, 바카라사이트 question will be: 'How can we come as close to this as possible?'."

But Professor Hixenbaugh disagreed that it was 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 personal tutor to help students understand feedback. "I don't think it would be productive for 바카라사이트 personal tutor to interpret what somebody else means," she said.

Mike Laycock, co-chair of 바카라사이트 Staff and Educational Development Association, also welcomed 바카라사이트 charter's 10 recommendations (see box). He said that personal tutoring systems had traditionally run on 바카라사이트 basis that students saw 바카라사이트ir tutors only if 바카라사이트y had a problem. Instead, he argued, it should involve a structured programme of regular meetings to discuss both academic and professional progress.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com