1. An evaluation of the 2011-12 experience

2.  SHU Corporate plan aims for an excellent student experience. In practice this means:  An enhanced course focus and strong course leadership;  Identifying success factors and performance indicators;  Academic and career management support for students;  A review of assessment practices;  A review of contact hours;  Improvements in timetabling to support the student experience

4.  Support the personal action planning of students with respect to the development of their academic and employability skills;  Support transition into level 4 and bring to the attention of students resources to support academic and employability skills development;  Motivate and support students in their endeavours to secure a placement at level 5 (slight variation for nutrition courses;

5.  Facilitate awareness, understanding and planning for the future in the context of students’ career aspirations at level 6;  Communicate with relevant Course Leaders concerning any issues affecting the academic and personal development of students and identify those students ‘at risk’;  Act as a personal referee for students when requested and support students in the development and completion of a high quality CV.

6.  Academic / Professional Advisors held one-to-one meetings with their allocated students  Duration of meetings: 20 minutes  The first meetings took place November  The second meetings took place February  Advisors contacted students to communicate the date/time/venue for the meeting  Advisors requested to record attendance and alert Course Leaders of any absentees as and when they occured

7.  Before the meeting students asked to complete templates - bring to meeting - these used as a basis for discussion  Level 4 - focus - academic development  Level 5 - focus - academic development and placement support  Level 6 - focus - academic development and springboard into work  Templates available via SBS placement intranet site: http://teaching.shu.ac.uk/sbs/placements/http://teaching.shu.ac.uk/sbs/placements/

8.  Level 4 - Flying Start tutors  Level 5 - Staff from the appropriate subject area  Level 6 - Tutors involved with: the new post - Placement module; WBL module, PASBD module, Project module, Business Society and Culture (3)

9.  Data gathered by:  Interviews (7 Advisors interviewed at level 5, 13 at level 6)  Student focus group

10.  Attendance:  Overall attendance at level 5 - poor  Level 6 - very strong attendance on some modules for meeting 1; attendance at meeting 2 variable; poor attendance on some modules (WBL, PASBD)  Students seemed more likely to attend meetings when:  they had undertaken a placement year  they had a familiar relationship with their APA  meetings were insisted upon by the APA

11.  Arranged during seminars (level 6) or e mail  Location - booked room or Deli Bar  Duration - from 10 - 90- minutes, average 30/30 minutes  Discussion - often not focused on the 'forms' students were required to complete; (APA's did not feel forms were that useful;) focus of discussions - academic and personal development, addressing specific concerns, module-related assignments  Some contact with students after meetings

12.  Students unsure as to purpose and relevance of APA role  APAs not always clear about 'what they had to do'  Feedback from students on meetings was varied  Flexibility of timing for students was a key issue

14.  Communicate the role to students more powerfully  Encourage stronger relations between APAs and students e.g. by aligning seminar tutors with APA role  Enhance connectivity between APAs and other roles (placement officers, course leaders)

15.  Revise the APA guide for students and associated process; reduce overlaps with level 6 employability modules  Introduce more guidance on how to structure meetings  More briefing opportunities for staff