Developing Positive Personal Tutor Relationships

Abstract

This chapter explores one form of mentoring in higher education, namely the mentoring of students by their personal tutor. The role of personal tutor is taken on by members of academic staff and is typically focused on providing both pastoral and academic individualised support. Through a series of qualitative studies at a post-92 university, using focus sessions and interviews, I explore the relationship first-year students have with their personal tutors and how, in a competitive context, higher education institutions might seek to develop more positive student-personal tutor relationships.