Academic Advising at Oxford Brookes

Oxford Brookes has introduced an Academic Advising Strategy that aims to enhance practice, increase engagement and mitigate risk.

The strategy speaks directly to Brookes Strategy 2035, builds on the existing information to students contained in Academic Guidance: What to expect and the findings of a cross university Academic Advising Task and Finish group and includes the Principles for Academic Advising at Brookes (ratified July 2022).

The Strategy has 3 objectives:

1. Establish governance structures, reporting protocols and lines of accountability
2. Establish student engagement, monitoring and risk management protocols 
3. Introduce comprehensive guidance and professional development for those involved

A cross university Steering Group provides strategic oversight to realise these objectives which are being delivered through an Implementation group, via three workstreams:

1. Systems Solutions
2. Practical Policy Implementation
3. Policy Guidance and Training 

Academic Advising is a vital academic function which personalises the Higher Education experience for each student (Owen, 2002). Regular contact with an Academic Advisor offers a space in which positive relationships are built, confidence is nurtured, queries are addressed, and support is offered and clearly signposted. This in turn has a positive impact on student resilience and persistence (Drake, 2011), and increases student retention (Swecker, 2013).

The new Academic Advising offer reflects the guiding principles of ‘connectedness, inclusivity and confidence’ outlined in the Oxford Brookes 2035 strategy and underpins the Education and Enterprise pillar, supports Oxford Brookes’ Academic Framework, and is aligned with the United Kingdom Advising and Tutoring (UKAT) standards. It also aligns with  Conditions of Registration (2022) set out by the Office for Students (OfS) states that providers must take all reasonable steps to 'ensure that all students have access to resources and support to ensure a high quality academic experience, and enable them to succeed in and beyond Higher Education'.

The vision for Academic Advising at Oxford Brookes is to achieve a high-quality and inclusive academic support system which engages all students to (pro) actively participate in their own self-development so they have every opportunity to benefit from HE.

The Academic Advising Policy establishes a clear governance structure, reporting protocols and lines of accountability and was implemented in September 2023. The guidance on these web pages speaks to the policy.

Use the following guidance and resources to:

• clarify the Advisor’s role and responsibilities;
• identify the key activities of Advising practice including tracking and monitoring student engagement; referral, one to one tutorials;
• develop your coaching skills;
• set boundaries and expectations.

Sectoral guidance and resources on tutoring and advising are also included. The overall aim is to support you, as an Academic Advisor, to support your students.

Further information, support and development is provided through the EXPLORE sessions on Academic Advising.

If you would like to discuss any of this information and guidance further or make any suggestions about updates, please contact Ben Walker at bwalker@brookes.ac.uk  

• What is the role of an Academic Advisor and why is it important?
• Academic Advising at Oxford Brookes - approach, commitment and principles
• Connecting, communicating and monitoring progress (including email templates)
• Effective one to one tutorials and using coaching
• Setting boundaries and referring students to other services
• Content for tutorials - an indicative Academic Advising curriculum
• Sectoral guidance and support
• Guidance on preparing student references