Page, Nigel, Clarke, Darren, Yonkers, Anne and Spurway, Tom (2022) Development of an enhanced personal and professional development programme supported through a tutee peer network to facilitate transition, inclusion and belonging. In: Horizons in STEM Higher Education Conference : Making Connections, Innovating and Sharing Pedagogy; 29-30 Jun 2022, London, U.K.. (Unpublished)

Abstract

We outline an enhanced personal and professional development programme integrated within our bioscience tutor scheme and curriculum at level 4. This initiative co-designed with students aims to provide seamless integration and dialogue between tutees, tutors, module teaching staff, the careers and employability service, student enrichment and our student success centre. The role of personal tutors is often cited as crucial in facilitating professional and personal development, supporting academic progress, and well-being and engagement. Yet, the effectiveness and consistency in value and support gained can be variable and dependent on the success of focalised relationships. Therefore, to provide broader support for our tutor scheme and professional development programme, we embedded a complimenting personal development programme into the curriculum collaboratively designed by our careers and employability service and student enrichment. The programme, which encourages its own active dialogue feeds directly into themed tutor meetings, which are extended to a network of tutee peer support teams, where students can connect to discuss their professional development portfolio, work together in supporting each other, and identify opportunities and share ambitions. Support is provided by linked workshops on preparing students on how to ‘work together and support each other’, ‘understand each other’, ‘understand themselves’ and ‘understand their future’. A primary driver for embedding a peer support network has come from the recognised need to establish earlier and more inclusive connections between peers to encourage belonging and a positive transition. In addition, the outcomes from the professional development portfolio are quantified through a series of evidence-based activities and short assignments designed to encourage not only active engagement in career development but provide employability metrics to inform both students and tutors to where inventions or support may be required. This presentation will outline our steps in developing this initiative and its evaluation.

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