Academic Advising
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What is Academic Advising?
Academic Advising gives students ongoing support from a named Academic Adviser. It helps students reflect on their academic progress, skills development, goals and future plans. All undergraduate and postgraduate taught students are assigned an Academic Adviser.
For colleagues, Academic Advising is about:
- Building supportive academic relationships with students
- Encouraging students to take an active role in their development
- Helping students reflect on progress, learning and achievements
- Supporting students to set academic and career-related goals
- Identifying when students may need additional support
- Signposting students to specialist services when appropriate
Academic Advising is not about solving every issue for a student. It is about supporting academic development, enabling reflection, and helping students access the right support at the right time.
Why Academic Advising Matters
Academic Advising helps students to:
- Stay on track with their studies
- Develop academic skills and confidence
- Plan for future goals
- Access appropriate support when needed
For colleagues and Schools, effective Academic Advising supports:
- Student belonging and engagement
- Early identification of concerns
- Clearer routes into support services
- Academic confidence and continuation
- A more consistent student experience
- Better coordination between academic and professional services teams
Academic Advising Framework
Co-designed with students and colleagues, the Academic Advising Framework sets out the model of support for our students.
Expectations for Academic Advising
The Institutional Expectations for Academic Advising policy sets out additional requirements for Academic Advising.
Roles and Responsibilities
Academic Adviser
Academic Advisers are usually the student’s main point of contact for academic guidance and development. The Academic Adviser is part of a wider support network, helping students with academic guidance and development.
Responsibilities include:
- Meeting students at key points in the academic year
- Supporting students to reflect on academic progress
- Encouraging goal setting and development planning
- Helping students understand feedback and learning progress
- Signposting to wellbeing, careers, academic skills or other services
- Recording relevant advising activity where appropriate
- Escalating concerns through agreed School processes
Director of Academic Advising
The Director of Academic Advising is the person who oversees advising in the school and helps ensure quality support.
Responsibilities include:
- Providing leadership for Academic Advising within the School
- Supporting consistency of advising practice
- Advising colleagues on complex or escalated cases
- Monitoring engagement, quality and student experience
- Working with Education Managers, programme teams and central services
- Supporting development and induction for Academic Advisers
- Reviewing requests for changes to Academic Adviser where appropriate
Find out more in the Director of Academic Advising Role Descriptor.
Programme Teams
Programme Teams contribute to the broader teaching, learning and student experience. The student-facing outline positions programme teams as part of the academic support network.
Responsibilities include:
- Sharing relevant programme-level information with advisers
- Supporting joined-up communication with students
- Identifying patterns in student engagement or progression
- Working with Academic Advisers to support student success
Education Managers and Professional Services Colleagues
Responsibilities include:
- Supporting local processes and communications
- Helping coordinate data, systems and records
- Supporting referral and escalation routes
- Working with Directors of Academic Advising on implementation
- Helping maintain local guidance and resources
Supporting Students
Academic Advising is partnership students are expected to attend meetings, reflect on progress, set goals, seek support early and use available tools and opportunities.
Colleagues can support students to take an active role by:
- Encouraging preparation before advising meetings
- Asking students to reflect on progress and goals
- Referring students back to feedback, assessments and development plans
- Encouraging early engagement, especially during transition points
- Helping students understand when and how to seek support
- Making clear what students can expect from Academic Advising