Personal Tutors

Each student will have a personal tutor, who is an academic member of staff from the School. You will have the same personal tutor for your entire time with the School. 

Personal tutors help in many ways:

• they are someone you can talk things through with when you’re feeling lost or behind;
• they can give advice on how to juggle your studies with health (or other) problems;
• they can help you access extra-curricular activities;
• they can help you find the right student service and help you liaise with them.

Your academic personal tutor is your main contact within the department/school throughout your studies, and can offer advice on both academic and personal matters. This person should know you reasonably well, keep an eye on how you’re doing, meet you regularly, and be there if you need to arrange an individual appointment. They should also be your first source of advice for things like:

• feedback received on work
• study skills
• option choices
• information about your course
• references
• anything else you feel relevant.

You will have timetabled group and 1:1 tutorials in your first year.

Senior Tutor

The senior tutor is an academic in your department/school who provides additional support if you need it. Your personal tutor may ask you to see the senior tutor if you have issues that are likely to significantly affect progress with your studies without targeted support, help, and guidance. The senior tutor takes the lead on personal tutoring in their department/school, supports personal tutors and will be knowledgeable about alternative sources of support.

As the person overseeing personal tutoring in your department/school, you may wish to see the senior tutor if you have an issue with the provision of academic support or feel that you need to change your personal tutor for any reason.

The Senior Tutor for Biological Sciences is Dr Emily Bell, the Deputy Senior Tutor is Dr Dave Lawson