Each student on the programme will be allocated a named Personal Tutor during the first week of the course. This is a member of academic staff in the Division of Allied Health Professions, Nursing & Midwifery who will be your key point of contact for academic and personal support throughout the three years of study. Your personal tutor will help you if you are having any difficulties with your studies or experiencing personal difficulties that you are worried about or you feel are impacting on your studies and they will work with you to help you achieve the best you can during your time at this University.
You should arrange to meet with your Personal Tutor periodically during your time at University to discuss how you are getting on and if you have any concerns. You should meet with them at the beginning of the course and at least twice each semester thereafter.
If you are experiencing difficulties, don’t wait for scheduled meetings but do contact your Personal Tutor as they will want to help you identify ways to help resolve the problem. You can email or phone your Personal Tutor to ask for an appointment or visit your Personal Tutor during their office hours. It is important to meet with your personal tutor early on in your programme so you know who to go to if you have a problem. Remember also that we have a Wellbeing Advisor for the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health who can provide further pastoral support and guidance (Matthew Wong: m.wong@sheffield.ac.uk)
Your Personal Tutor is likely to be the same person throughout your degree, (although this may change if they are away for a period of time or there are changes to personnel). If this occurs, you will be allocated a replacement Personal Tutor. If you are having difficulties contacting your Personal Tutor you should contact Fiona Wilson (Programme Leader) or Debbie Turner (Programme Coordinator) to make alternate arrangements.
In cases where you ask that information given to your Personal Tutor be kept confidential this will be respected in all but exceptional circumstances. However, you are encouraged to discuss with your Personal Tutors what information (relating to mitigating circumstances affecting their performance on the course) may be shared more widely in the interest of your progress on the course. Your Personal Tutor will also be available to help you to think through how you can most effectively organise your course work and to develop ideas around how you can get the most from the course in relation to your own personal / career development.
Occasionally, questions or problems will need to be referred to the Programme Leader or to module leads. The Personal Tutor may in these circumstances, have a role as a mediator.
Please note that if you have a problem or question relating to a procedural aspect of the course (progression, examination arrangements etc.) you may contact also Debbie Turner rather than your personal tutor
To get the best from your personal tutor you should:
Arrange to meet with them twice each semester
Attend scheduled meetings punctually;
Keep your tutor informed of any problems that affect your university work;
Talk to them about your academic progress - they will be able to offer an informed overview and if necessary, suggest places to find more help;
Become an 'active learner' - reflect on the feedback you get from assignments and discuss this with your tutor to help improve your performance;
Discuss future planning and personal development;
Get to know them and let them get to know you - they will be writing your references in future and need to do this accurately.
Personal tutors are well placed to offer guidance and to direct you to the range of support services that exist at the University.
The university offers a range of different sources of help and support, signposted in the General Handbook for Allied Health Professions, Nursing & Midwifery which can be accessed via your BB sites