The Personal Tutor System

Trinity College is very keen to provide academic and pastoral support to students. For this reason, Personal Tutors are available to all taught students. Personal Tutors are assigned to each student by their School to provide support and advice (approach the Head of School if you are unclear who your Personal Tutor is).

Personal Tutors are there to support you if you face any difficulties at all, not just those of an academic nature. Personal problems and illness can have a more serious effect on studies and well being than we tend to expect, so it is essential that someone within your department is aware of your circumstances.

Remember that no one benefits if you keep problems to yourself. You are entitled to support but you do need to ask for help.

College Regulations - Student Guide

The College maintains a traditional model of Personal Tutors within the Faculty stucture. The following information was duplicated from 'College Regulations - Student Guide' (September 2003):

8 About You and Your Personal Tutor

8.1 Pastoral Care

Trinity College has been particularly commended for “the high reputation its support services has established amongst its students, and for the work of all its teaching and support staff in sustaining a caring culture throughout the college." (The HEQC Audit team, 1996)

8.2 Policy statement

The college is committed to providing a thorough, consistent and supportive tutorial programme for all students.

8.3 Guiding principles

Systems for student support are focused on enabling students to take control of their own personal development, by providing opportunities for the exercise of choice, decision-making, and responsibility. The college environment is supportive of all students.

Educational, personal and vocational guidance services offer impartial, confidential and readily accessible support and advice to all students and prospective students.

There is strong commitment to equality of opportunity for all students, with additional resources and strategies being invested in those students who are likely to be disadvantaged in their learning or career development.

8.4 The Personal Tutor System

The Personal Tutor System is recognised by all teaching staff to be an integral part of the academic framework of the college

The role of the college's personal tutor system includes:

Removing the barriers, both real and perceived that can exist between between staff and students.

Supporting the student's personal and academic development.

Serving as a means of internal communication between the college's central services and students.

Gathering information on reasons for non-completion of courses.

Providing an additional channel whereby student opinion can inform the development of services offered by the college.

The success of the system at Trinity College can be attributed, very largely, to the excellent informal relationship that exists between staff and students and to the commitment of staff to the welfare of students. The code of practice for personal tutors reflects this ethos of support.

8.5 Code of Practice for Personal Tutors

Personal tutors are required to adhere to the following code of practice at all times:

To treat all students with respect.

To treat every student as an individual with unique needs and aspirations.

To respect confidentiality.

To be proactive and reactive in combating discrimination in any form.

To act as a sympathetic friend, mentor and supporter to tutees.

8.6 Personal tutor system - modus operandi

The personal tutor system is part of a college-wide service provided to students in addition to services provided by the Directorate of Student Services. Other components of this network include the chaplaincy, careers service, catering and residential services, student study support centre and the Student Counselling service.

Personal tutors provide the first point of contact for advice, guidance and support. If they cannot answer the question or help solve the problem themselves, however, they should, in discussion with the student(s), be able to identify a source of advice.

All academic staff are potentially personal tutors and personal tutorial lists are issued at the beginning of each academic session to the relevant Faculty Offices.

Students will be informed of their personal tutor before or during induction week and will be provided with an outline of what they can expect from the personal tutorial system, and what they can contribute to it. Students will be asked to sign a statement which indicates that they have been given these details.

Students will normally remain with the same personal tutor for the duration of their time at college. If a tutor leaves college or is otherwise unavailable to continue with the duties of a personal tutor, students in his/her care will be assigned another Personal Tutor.