This section contains a general introduction and links to subsidiary pages dealing with different aspects of the tutorial role. We hope it will be useful for colleagues new to personal academic tutoring at this university, to help you to:

• develop your confidence in the role of Personal Academic Tutor (PAT) and support your students more effectively;
• familiarise yourself with the University of Brighton Policy on Personal Academic Tutoring and the way the system works in your own School;
• explore some common issues that students may raise and ways of dealing with them;
• understand the range of specialist support offered by Student Services and other agencies, and when and how to refer students to other people.

The role of the PAT is a vital one, but new lecturers can sometimes take it on without being entirely sure what is expected of them. The University Policy on Personal Academic Tutoring defines it as follows:

“the provision of personal, professional and academic guidance and development which provides a central point of contact, designed to foster a sense of belonging and develop sustained engagement, self-confidence and self-efficacy.”

Details of how this is implemented vary between Schools so do check your School-specific Guidelines which describe how the tutorial system operates locally.  Indeed, all the advice on this site should be read in conjunction with the University Personal Academic Tutoring Policy and School Guidelines – available on the Policies page. These documents will help you understand your responsibilities and expectations. Within each School, the Student Engagement Lead is responsible for PAT and can offer further advice and access to CPD opportunities.

• Managing expectations
• Initial meetings
• Subsequent meetings
• Written records and confidentiality
• Tutorial ‘technique’ –  listening & questioning
• Online Tutoring
• Success for All: Working with specific groups
• Common concerns
• Specialist Advice and Referrals
• Student Lookup