Xiaohongshu
Written by Sarah Jilani, Education Officer.
As your Students’ Union Education Officer, I’ve spent this year talking to students and academic representatives and listening closely to your experiences of academic support at UCL. While many students have positive relationships with their Personal Academic Tutors, an increasing number have raised concerns about how the new Personal Academic Tutoring Policy is being delivered across departments.
Who is my Academic Representative?
You have an academic rep at a local, departmental and faculty level. You can raise issues with your reps and they’ll raise them at meetings with the university.
Find your rep using the online directory .
Issues surrounding Personal Academic Tutors are having a real impact on students’ academic progress, wellbeing, and sense of belonging.
Here’s what we’re hearing.
What students have told us
1. Students don’t always know who their Personal Academic Tutor is
Many students report that they are not informed about their assigned Personal Academic Tutor, or that information in Portico is incorrect, out of date, or never updated when changes are made. As a result, students waste weeks trying to work out who they should be contacting for support.
2. Termly meetings aren’t being arranged
Under the new Personal Academic Tutor Policy, tutors must offer termly meetings to all of their tutees. These meetings are crucial opportunities to check in, talk about academic progress, discuss career opportunities, and raise any wellbeing concerns.
But some students are telling us these meetings often aren’t scheduled at all.
3. Emails from students aren’t being responded to
A worrying number of students say their emails go unanswered, sometimes for weeks, sometimes entirely. When students reach out for help, they deserve timely and supportive communication, not silence.
4. Personal Academic Tutors aren’t offering clear ‘contact hours’
Some tutors are not advertising office or student hours, leaving students unsure of when they can speak to their tutor. Students shouldn’t feel like they’re chasing shadows when trying to find help.
Why this matters
Personal Academic Tutoring is a vital part of the student experience. It helps you navigate your degree, access support, plan for your future career, and stay on track.
Many tutors do an incredible job and go above and beyond for their students. But we know there is inconsistency and too many students are being left without the support they are entitled to.
What’s being done now
I’ve already written to UCL and spoken to staff in the Senior Education Team, to raise these concerns formally and call for immediate action. I’ve also been proactive in helping students understand what they should expect from their Personal Academic Tutor.
UCL is now asking departments to:
- Ensure tutor allocations are correct and updated in Portico
- Email students when any changes happen
- Make sure tutors review the policy and understand their responsibilities
- Ensure tutors schedule termly meetings and respond to student enquiries
- Clearly publicise office/student hours
UCL’s has also compiled good practice examples to help departments set up better processes, and training for staff will launch later this term. Practice examples to help departments set up better processes, and training for staff will launch later this term. We’ve also secured dedicated staffing resource to ensure these actions are coordinated across UCL. practice examples to help departments set up better processes, and training for staff will launch later this term.
These are positive steps but we need to ensure they are followed consistently and across every department.
What students can do
If your tutor isn’t meeting with you, responding to emails, or providing clear office hours, please reach out to your department tutor for help or contact your academic rep. The more information we have, the more effectively we can make change.
If you have experiences to share or suggestions to make, my inbox is always open!