UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS

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UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS

• CENTRE FOR JOINT HONOURS
• (Established 1998)
• Arts and Social Sciences Modern Languages -
  Science

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STAFFING

• 400 named Joint Honours programmes
• 3,000 students (1/10 of University)
• 3 Directors (including one overall Director of
  the CJH)
• 14 other permanent full- and part-time members of
  staff (administrators and secretaries)
• Approximately 100 part-time Joint Honours
  Personal Tutors (seconded from Schools)

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JOINT HONOURS DEGREE STRUCTURE

• BA and BSc
• Many cross-Faculty degrees
• Languages combined with non-language subjects,
  including social science or science (e.g.
  French-Chemistry, German-Physics)
• Most students take three subjects in first year
• Flexibility/transferability

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MAIN FUNCTIONS OF CJH

• Applications (approximately 6,000 for 890 places)
• Enrolment/Registration
• All administrative processes for JH students
  throughout programme accurate and objective
  advice re programmes, University regulations,
  etc.
• Pastoral care JH Personal Tutor takes overview
  of progress in all subjects and sees tutees
  regularly, writes references, etc.
• Non-subject-specific academic advice, referrals
  to other agencies where appropriate
• Classification Boards
• Graduation Ceremonies

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RECRUITMENT

• Participation in University Open Days
• Visits to local schools/colleges (WP initiative)
• CJH leaflet/programme outlines
• Open Afternoons for candidates
• Individual visits for candidates from overseas
• High conversion rate
• As yet no need to enter Clearing/UCAS Extra

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CJH VALUE ADDED

• Outside Faculty and School structure, so
  independent and objective
• Overview of all Faculties and Schools able to
  act as mediator for students
• Purely administrative and pastoral role able to
  remove significant administrative burden from
  Schools (important for academics in RAE context)
• Ensures administrative processes carried out only
  once
• Students with personal problem, illness, etc.,
  need to tell story only once
• Able to ensure consistency and equity for all JH
  students

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BREADTH AND FLEXIBILITY OF JH STRUCTURE

• Three subjects of equal weight in first year
  (usually)
• Many students may choose from 12 possibilities
  for second- and third-year study
• Retention advantages frequently no need to take
  temporary leave and return if wrong degree choice
  made
• Possibility of beginning new subjects with
  safety net
• Most students may take 20 credits of electives in
  second and third years improve language or IT
  skills, Career Planning modules, etc.
• Ad hoc programmes (e.g. English-Textile
  Management!)

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DEGREE CLASSIFICATION

• Before CJH, difficult to ensure consistency
  (series of meetings between School
  representatives)
• One Classification Board for each discipline area
• Representatives from Schools
• JH External Assessor procedural external,
  ensures equity and consistency of treatment
• SPARCS software gives presumed degree class,
  highlights students in discretionary band
• CJH ensures all personal, health, mitigating
  circumstances brought to attention of Board

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LIVE ISSUES/WORK IN PROGRESS

• Creating one unitary Centre from three
  semi-autonomous Divisions
• Not only ensuring achievement of global target in
  student numbers, but getting it right at School
  level overshooting/undershooting has serious
  implications for Faculties and Schools
• Managing on-line enrolment
• Rethinking structure of Open Afternoons

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Helena CousensPersonal Tutor Co-ordinator
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JOINT HONOURS PERSONAL TUTORING SYSTEMUniversity
of Leeds
A Mission Statement The Centre for Joint
Honours provides an experienced and caring staff
committed to ensuring the best possible student
experience by providing a unique focal point for
pastoral and administrative support from
pre-admission to graduation and beyond.
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University Support Structure

• University Student Support Network
• Individual School support (teaching)
• CJH support
• Breaking down into manageable units to recognise
  the individual

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WHY DO WE OFFER A PERSONAL TUTORING SERVICE?

• PT quote helping students to develop their full
  potential academically and personally - at
  university
• Stress on face-to-face contact (not just
  web-interface)
• Ongoing personal encouragement and support
  quintessential raison detre of CJH
• Should get to know PT as there to help even if
  nothing wrong at least if relationship developed
  student can be confident if something does go
  wrong that they can approach him/her (the door
  handle syndrome)

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• Extra leverage in Progress/Classification
  meetings if highlight problems raised
• Identification with a unique home base Level
  1 students especially take 3 different subjects
  lost within a huge system
• Advice and guidance non-subject-specific advice
  can direct to Skills Centre etc.
• Pastoral care advice on whom to contact in SSN

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• Recognition that students need more than
  self-motivation over 3 or 4 years
• Referees build up a personal portfolio on
  individual students
• PDPs (Progress Files) linked to JH Tutoring
• CVs
• Retention issues

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Tensions

• Between Schools/CJH
• Individual Personal Tutors/CJH
• Students/CJH
• SHOULD STUDENTS BE TREATED AS 12-YEAR-OLDS OR AS
  SELF-SUFFICIENT ADULTS?

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Problems

• Staffing our system (Schools provide us with PTs)
• Ensuring good-quality/caring and committed PTs
  (the personal tutoring system is only as good as
  the personal tutor)
• Ensuring a continuation of PTs over the 3 or 4
  years of study for individual students
• NEED TO BUILD UP A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH PTs

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Making the system work

• Students need to value the system and to realise
  it can help them
• References The thinner your file the thinner
  your reference will be!
• They have an advisor for academic and pastoral
  matters
• Practical points
• Encourage attendance, ie keep pestering students
  to meet with PTs and telling them it is essential
  to do so
• Also
• Encourage good working attitudes (eg reliability
  and courtesy)
• Temper everything we do for students with a
  mutual understanding that they have
  responsibilities

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ADMINISTRATION

• Constant communication
• Handbook and email explanations
• Initial group meetings
• Individual meetings once a semester
• Surgery hours
• Tutor report form

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Personal Development Profiles

• a structured and supported process undertaken by
  an individual to reflect on their own learning,
  performance and achievement and to plan for their
  personal, educational and career development
  (Dearing Report 1997)
• No direct academic reward
• Self-awareness and evaluation

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Wish list

• A University Code of Practice
• Workload model recognition
• Staff training
• Student Partnership Agreement
• To achieve a uniform PT system across CJH
  encourage Schools to supply us with competent PTs
  
• Encourage PTs to be more proactive
• Enthuse students
• Student Portals the entry to enthusiasm?

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Questions

• Is a PT system really necessary? Students are of
  working age no tutorial system in the
  workplace
• Are group meetings more beneficial? If so, when,
  how often and how long?
• Should PT meetings be compulsory in HE
  institutions? How do we make them count?

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