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The Academic and Professional Advisor Role in SBS

The Academic and Professional Advisor Role in SBS. An evaluation of the 2011-12 experience. Introduction - The SHU Student Experience Agenda. SHU Corporate plan aims for an excellent student experience. In practice this means:

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The Academic and Professional Advisor Role in SBS

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  1. The Academic and Professional Advisor Role in SBS An evaluation of the 2011-12 experience

  2. Introduction - The SHU Student Experience Agenda • SHU Corporate plan aims for an excellent student experience. In practice this means: • An enhanced course focus and strong course leadership; • Identifying success factors and performance indicators; • Academic and career management support for students; • A review of assessment practices; • A review of contact hours; • Improvements in timetabling to support the student experience

  3. APA scheme - aims

  4. SBS Academic / Professional Advisor role 2011-12- aims • Support the personal action planning of students with respect to the development of their academic and employability skills; • Support transition into level 4 and bring to the attention of students resources to support academic and employability skills development; • Motivate and support students in their endeavours to secure a placement at level 5 (slight variation for nutrition courses;

  5. SBS Academic / Professional Advisor role - aims • Facilitate awareness, understanding and planning for the future in the context of students’ career aspirations at level 6; • Communicate with relevant Course Leaders concerning any issues affecting the academic and personal development of students and identify those students ‘at risk’; • Act as a personal referee for students when requested and support students in the development and completion of a high quality CV.

  6. The Scheme in Practice • Academic / Professional Advisors held one-to-one meetings with their allocated students • Duration of meetings: 20 minutes • The first meetings took place November • The second meetings took place February • Advisors contacted students to communicate the date/time/venue for the meeting • Advisors requested to record attendance and alert Course Leaders of any absentees as and when they occured

  7. The Process • Before the meeting students asked to complete templates - bring to meeting - these used as a basis for discussion • Level 4 - focus - academic development • Level 5 - focus - academic development and placement support • Level 6 - focus - academic development and springboard into work • Templates available via SBS placement intranet site: http://teaching.shu.ac.uk/sbs/placements/

  8. Who were the Academic / Professional Advisors? • Level 4 - Flying Start tutors • Level 5 - Staff from the appropriate subject area • Level 6 - Tutors involved with: the new post - Placement module; WBL module, PASBD module, Project module, Business Society and Culture (3)

  9. Evaluation of APA role undertaken April and May 2012 (Femi Hardwick-Slack) • Data gathered by: • Interviews (7 Advisors interviewed at level 5, 13 at level 6) • Student focus group

  10. Findings • Attendance: • Overall attendance at level 5 - poor • Level 6 - very strong attendance on some modules for meeting 1; attendance at meeting 2 variable; poor attendance on some modules (WBL, PASBD) • Students seemed more likely to attend meetings when: • they had undertaken a placement year • they had a familiar relationship with their APA • meetings were insisted upon by the APA

  11. Organisation of meetings • Arranged during seminars (level 6) or e mail • Location - booked room or Deli Bar • Duration - from 10 - 90- minutes, average 30/30 minutes • Discussion - often not focused on the 'forms' students were required to complete; (APA's did not feel forms were that useful;) focus of discussions - academic and personal development, addressing specific concerns, module-related assignments • Some contact with students after meetings

  12. Key issues - putting the pieces together • Students unsure as to purpose and relevance of APA role • APAs not always clear about 'what they had to do' • Feedback from students on meetings was varied • Flexibility of timing for students was a key issue

  13. Recommendations / Refining the scheme for next year

  14. Recommendations / Refining the scheme for next year • Communicate the role to students more powerfully • Encourage stronger relations between APAs and students e.g. by aligning seminar tutors with APA role • Enhance connectivity between APAs and other roles (placement officers, course leaders)

  15. Recommendations / Refining the scheme for next year • Revise the APA guide for students and associated process; reduce overlaps with level 6 employability modules • Introduce more guidance on how to structure meetings • More briefing opportunities for staff

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