Your Academic Mentor
The academic mentoring system is available for all students on taught programmes delivered by the University. Your Academic Mentor is here to support you throughout your studies.
Your academic mentor will be a member of staff from your subject area (or one of your areas if you are a combined honours student) and will be assigned when you start at Keele. They are here to help you throughout your time with us and should be your first point of contact if you have any concerns about your studies.
If you need support for university life outside of your studies or are going through something that is impacting your studies, you can find additional support through Student Services.
You should expect to have four meetings with your academic mentor in each year of your studies. It is important you take up the offer of these mentoring meetings. Remember, the more your academic mentor understands your academic goals and your progress, the more they can support you to get the most from your time at Keele. They can even support you beyond your studies through writing a reference for you when you leave.
Working in partnership
Your Academic Mentor works in partnership with the Student Experience and Support Officer (SESO) within your school to provide the most appropriate support for you. For any queries or concerns you may have about your studies, your Academic Mentor is your key contact, but if you are struggling with aspects of life outside of your course, whether that be managing your finances, your mental health and wellbeing, or disability support and inclusion, you should get in touch with your SESO, who can then refer you on to specialist teams within Student Services or elsewhere in the University to ensure you are getting the support you need.
FAQs
Students will be informed before the start of welcome week who their Academic Mentor is, but at any time students can log into eVision and see who is assigned to them as their Mentor.
You should contact your Senior Academic Mentor - your School can give you their contact details - and they will consider your request.
We aim to allocate the same mentor for as long as possible throughout your studies, but in certain Schools and Faculties there is the need to change your mentor more frequently, often due to the nature of the programme you follow.
For many years the University has run a Personal Tutoring system so if you’ve already been at Keele, you will have been allocated a Personal Tutor. The Academic Mentoring system has superseded this system so instead of a Personal Tutor you will now be allocated an Academic Mentor. If you are a continuing student, you may be allocated as a Mentor the Personal Tutor you had previously.
The Academic Mentoring system is designed to ensure that all students have regular opportunities to review their progress and development. An Academic Mentor is an academic member of staff who will encourage students to reflect on their experience and performance and encourage them to set goals for the future. The Mentor’s primary purpose is to give advice and guidance relating to their mentees’ educational journey, and to signpost them to appropriate sources of specialist advice and support where required, which may include referring students to the named Student Experience & Support Officers for their school.
Each Faculty has a team of Student Experience & Support Officers (SESOs). They are there to provide support for students and you can book an appointment with a SESO at any time. Where there is an issue that your Academic Mentor cannot help you with, they may recommend that you arrange to see your SESO for further follow up.
Your academic mentor is assigned to you to ensure you have a source of advice and support regarding your studies and will encourage you to reflect upon your academic progress and think about your goals for the future. You will have scheduled meetings with your Academic Mentor who will be an academic member of staff. A Student Experience and Support Officer is there to provide other support and guidance if you are experiencing any other issues which may, or may not, be directly affecting your studies and you want some advice or help. They work for Student Services and are trained specifically in student support to ensure you are getting the most appropriate support for your issue.
Academic Mentors work alongside SESOs to ensure a comprehensive package of support for students.