Academic tutoring is key to enhancing the student learning experience – a Teaching and Learning strategic priority at Reading. Our Academic Tutor System enables students and staff to work together in partnership to enhance students’ academic, personal and professional development.

Our Academic Tutor System focuses the Academic Tutor relationship on students’ academic, personal and professional development, provides essential discipline/School-level leadership for the system, works in partnership with our professional and academic support services, and includes the Student Welfare Team to support students with any personal challenges that may impact their studies.

This holistic approach aims to ensure that our students’ individual needs are catered for at every stage of their studies, developing essential graduate attributes and fulfilling their potential. Partnership is the foundation of our academic community.

We believe that academic tutoring has a crucial role to play in supporting the success of all students.  Underpinning the Academic Tutor System are six principles, designed to help us achieve a consistency of experience for staff and students across the University:

Academic Tutors act as a key contact for their tutees within their School/Department, establishing proactive, effective and long-lasting relationships that promote positive engagement within the academic community.

Academic Tutors play a vital role in upholding and embedding the principles of the Academic Tutor System, working in partnership with their tutees to support their development through proactive relationships, structured academic conversations and signposting students to specialist services for academic or ongoing pastoral support if needed.

Academic Tutors are supported by School Directors of Academic Tutoring who provide School-level leadership of student development and maintain strategic oversight of students’ continuing success and engagement with their studies within their School.

Contact Cindy Isherwood to find out more about the Academic Tutor System.