Faculty learning support tutors and advisors

The Faculty of Business and Law has a team of Academic Skills Tutors and Student Engagement Officers who can help you improve and develop your academic skills and offer personal support and advice.

Academic Skills support

Academic Skills Tutors can help you in any area related to your academic, scholarship and study skills.

Services include:

• Support with academic writing for tasks such as essays, reports and dissertations
• Tips on delivering presentations and working in groups, including observing and filming presentations
• Support with understanding and using your assignment feedback
• 1-to-1 or small group tutorials
• Help with managing your time and workload 
• Support and advice about effective revision and exam techniques
• Study Huddles and Writing Retreats to support students with motivation and overcome procrastination

To contact an Academic Skills Tutor, please email bal-ast@port.ac.uk or use our website.

Personal support and advice

Our Student Engagement Officers provide personal support and advice to all students in the Faculty of Business and Law, so you can make the most of your time with us.

You can see one of our officers for a confidential chat about a particular problem you might be experiencing or to get advice about using the services available to you.

Some of the areas they offer advice on include:

• Wellbeing, stress, motivational problems
• Accessing financial and housing support
• Dealing with personal problems
• Assistance with Extenuating Circumstance Forms
• Accessing support for health and disability issues
• Integrating into the University or Faculty

The Student Engagement Officers operate independently from your course staff, so course staff won't contact them without your permission.

You can make an appointment with our Student Engagement Officers by emailing them at balengagement@port.ac.uk or calling on +44 (0)23 9284 4155 or +44 (0)23 9284 4070. You're always welcome to drop by our office at Room 1.12 in Richmond Building.

English language support

The School of Languages and Area Studies (SLAL) runs a Global Cafe for students from all faculties to mix and practice speaking English in a fun environment. It's held in the cafe of Park Building every Wednesday afternoon 1.00pm – 2.00pm during term time.

Our Academic Skills Tutors and Creative Skills Tutors in the Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries offer academic support to all our undergraduate and postgraduate students.

You can get support with your theoretical and academic assessment-based skills, and they can help you develop the practical knowledge and expertise you can use now and in the future.

Our Student Engagement Advisors can offer additional help with things like academic, personal, or financial pressures.

Academic Skills support

During term time, Faculty Academic Skills Tutors are available for bookable 1-to-1 sessions, small group sessions and online sessions. These sessions are tailored to your needs.

Support is available for skills including:

• University study
• Getting into the right study mindset
• Note-taking and note-making skills
• Referencing
• Presentation skills
• Time management, planning, and goal setting
• Critical creative thinking
• Avoiding plagiarism

Contact our tutors via cciacademicskills@port.ac.uk.

Book a 1:1 coaching session

If you'd like to book a 1:1 study coaching session, you can do so via Moodle.

Creative Skills support

Our Creative Skills Tutors offer workshops and 1-to-1 sessions in many areas, from software and hardware skills to video production techniques and drawing classes.

If you're looking for extra guidance, want to learn additional skills or a new skill from outside your degree studies, you can call in to find out what’s on offer. As a CCI student, you can sign up for free to any of the Creative Skills workshops or activities.

Group workshops and 1-to-1 tutorials are available in areas such as:

• Image editing software such as Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator
• Film, television and video editing software such as Avid Media Composer, Premiere Pro
• Architectural modelling (CAD) software, e.g. SketchUp, Revit and AutoCAD
• Post-production and special effects software, including After Effects
• Sound production software and techniques including Pro Tools and Audition
• Television studio video camera setup and use, studio lighting, sound recording
• Life drawing, observational and perspective drawing

Creative Skills tutors

Brady Salvatore – brady.salvatore@port.ac.uk

Stephen Hall – stephen.hall@port.ac.uk

Kathryn McGroarty – kathryn.mcgroarty@port.ac.uk

Book a Creative Skills session

Find more information about Creative Skills support, such as how to book a 1-to-1 session, on the department's Moodle page.

Creative Skills is an official Certiport exam centre, where students on level 6 or level 7 of their degree can take the Adobe Certified Professional (ACP) exams free. Please find us on Moodle for further help.

Student Support Adviser

Academic, personal or financial pressures during your studies can make things more difficult and lead to a lack of attendance or reduced work quality. You don't need to struggle alone.

Our Student Engagement Adviser offers support and guidance if you're experiencing any of these difficulties, or are concerned about someone who is.

You can get help and support such as:

• Confidential discussions on academic, personal and financial matters
• Impartial advice
• A gateway to other university support services
• Assistance finding specialist support
• Clarification of student-focused university policies
• Assistance with extenuating circumstance forms
• Resources to help kick bad studying habits

Contact and availability

You can contact the Student Engagement Adviser on Tuesdays–Fridays. You can book appointments by emailing ccistudentsupport@port.ac.uk or calling on +44 (0)23 9284 5458.

For out-of-hours crises

In an emergency and for out-of-hours security, please call the Security Lodge on +44 (0)23 9284 3418 (or 84 3418 from halls landlines). They can advise you on who the relevant person is to help, and they can also contact the on-call Chaplain for advice.

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences has one overarching team for all your support needs, the Student Support and Development Team. The team is composed of learning development tutors, student engagement officers, and technicians. 

Learning Development Tutors

Learning Development Tutors offer support in developing the skills you need to succeed in your degree – everything from academic style to research methods. We offer one-to-one and group tutorials, personalised guidance, online support, and we work with you in modules to guide you in completing your assessments to develop your skills in the following areas:

• Writing in an academic style
• Making the most of feedback from your markers
• Researching, referencing, and citations
• Critical thinking skills and critical analysis of sources
• Time-management, organisation, and planning your assessments
• Delivering effective presentations and group-work skills
• Effective note-taking, revision, and exam preparation techniques

To find out more about the support we offer, access online resources, and book workshops at our Moodle page Faculty Learning Development Hub. You can also email fhssldt@port.ac.uk

Student Engagement Officers 

Student Engagement Officers (SEOs) are here to provide you with personal support and advice whilst you study within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

We’re your cheerleaders when things are going well and a listening ear when they’re not. You don't need to struggle alone; we’re here for you throughout your degree. Here’s how we can help:

• Wellbeing, stress, motivational problems
• Dealing with personal, family, or social problems
• Integrating into your course / the University and understanding our processes and procedures
• Assistance with Extenuating Circumstance Forms (ECF) and writing statements of support
• Liaising with other departments or your academic team, accompanying you to meetings, and advocating within the university on your behalf
• Signposting to financial, housing, health, and disability support

Although we complement the work of Personal Tutors, we operate independently from your course staff, so should you be unable to raise your concern with your Personal Tutor, we're a great place to seek confidential advice.

We’re committed to developing our support offer to best suit our students, so any ideas or feedback you have for new initiatives or improvements would be very welcome. You can either contact us directly or via your Student Course Representative.

You can find out more about our service on our Moodle page or contact us via your specific School’s SEO email address:

• sellsupport@port.ac.uk
• sasshplsupport@port.ac.uk
• sccjsupport@port.ac.uk 

Other support available

English Language Support

The School Education Languages and Linguistics (SEL) runs a Global Cafe for students from all faculties to mix and practice speaking English in a fun environment. It's held in the cafe of Park Building every Wednesday afternoon from 2.00 pm during term time. For more information, email globalcafe@port.ac.uk.

Mathematical and Statistical Support

Maths or maths-related knowledge and skills in need of a boost? Come and visit us at Maths Café where you can get help with maths, stats, and other maths-related problems, large or small. The Maths Café is free to access. It doesn't matter what degree you're doing, you can get help from us. Our tutors enjoy solving mathematical problems and sharing our knowledge and experience with you. No problem is too trivial and we'll always do our best to help you. Find out more here.

Learning Support Tutors

The Learning Support tutors in the Faculty of Science and Health can help you to develop your study skills and support you with a range of different assignment types. All students at all levels in the Faculty of Science and Health can use this learning support service.

The Learning Support tutors can offer advice and support with:

• Planning and structuring assignments    
• Understanding and addressing the question/learning outcomes    
• Searching for sources
• Using literature to inform and support writing
• Academic writing style        
• Criticality        
• Citation and referencing formatting     
• Understanding feedback    
• Time management and organisation
• Maths and statistics

Booking an appointment

You can request appointments via the booking form on the Learning Support Science Moodle page. You may need to scroll down and click “enrol me” to access the page. Once you've completed the booking form, one of the tutors will respond to you within 2 working days.

You can contact our Learning Support Tutors by emailing sci.learningsupport@port.ac.uk.

Data sharing and confidentiality

To provide the Learning Support Service, when you book an appointment, we need to collect data on the booking form for our records, including your student email, name, level of study, course, the reason you’d like to make an appointment and a record of your appointments with us.

To help evaluate and improve student provision, we will only analyse anonymised data to assess engagement with the service. Your personal information ("Full name" and "UoP email") will not be used and will remain confidential within the Learning Support team. However, if, at any time, we have concerns about your well being, we have a duty to contact the relevant staff, in line with the University’s Policy on Safeguarding. By using the Learning Support Service, you give your consent for us to inform relevant academic staff of your Learning Support attendance, if the need arises.

For further information, please consult the University's Data Protection Statement for Students.

International Student Support Tutor

Our International Student Support Tutor is here to assist international students in navigating the challenges of studying in a new country and adapting to a different culture. You can schedule an in-person or remote appointment to discuss your concerns and receive tailored advice on studying and living in the UK, with a particular emphasis on Portsmouth. Our tutor works closely with academic staff, faculty, and student support teams to provide you with a supportive and welcoming introduction, along with access to valuable cultural insights throughout the year, as needed.

You can contact our International Student Support Tutor by emailing sci-int@port.ac.uk.

Student Engagement Officers

The Student Engagement Officers (SEOs) are here to offer you personalised support and guidance throughout your journey within the Faculty of Science and Health.

Whether you're thriving or facing challenges, our door is always open for you. You don't have to navigate through difficulties alone; we're dedicated to being by your side every step of the way throughout your degree. Here's how we can assist you:

• Supporting your wellbeing, managing stress, and overcoming motivational hurdles
• Addressing personal, familial, or social concerns
• Helping you integrate into your course and understand university processes and procedures
• Assisting with mitigating circumstances and providing statements of support
• Collaborating with other departments or your academic team, attending meetings with you, and advocating on your behalf within the university
• Guiding you to resources for wellbeing, financial aid, housing, health, and disability support

While we complement the efforts of Personal Tutors, it's important to note that we operate independently from your course staff, we're here to offer confidential advice and support.

Booking time to connect with us is easy:

You can reach out to us via email at sahsupport@port.ac.uk. We're available to assist you through email or to schedule an appointment with one of our team members.

We offer flexible 1-hour appointments, either online or in-person, depending on your preference. There's no limit to how many times you can meet with us.

Our Academic Tutors provide support to all undergraduate students in the Faculty of Technology.

We specialise in modules of study and help you to develop your general academic skills.

We provide support on a one-to-one basis or in small groups, face-to-face or online.

Visit the Faculty of Technology Academic tutors' page on Moodle to book a session. If you have any questions, email techtutors@port.ac.uk.

Computing and IT

Our specialist Academic Tutors for computing-related subjects are Simon Jones and Eleni Noussi.

Simon and Eleni offer tutorials supporting students with their programming skills (in Python, Dart, Java, C) and other computing-related topics.

Email simon.jones@port.ac.uk or eleni.noussi@port.ac.uk or book a session via our Moodle page.

Engineering sciences

Our Academic Tutors for engineering sciences subjects are Steve Bundy, Inka Godfrey and Eleni Noussi.

They can help with any modules relating to the mechanics and physics of engineering, from the principles of engineering sciences to working with algorithms, equations and formulae.

Email stephen.bundy@port.ac.uk, inka.godfrey@port.ac.uk or eleni.noussi@port.ac.uk, or book a session via our Moodle page.

Mathematics

Our specialist maths Academic Tutors are Kirsten Williams and Inka Godfrey.  Kirsten and Inka support engineering, computing, physics and mathematics students in the Faculty of Technology to develop their mathematical skills. They provide support in Matlab and topics ranging from trigonometry to differential equations and other mathematical subjects. 

Email kirsten.williams@port.ac.uk or inka.godfrey@port.ac.uk, or book a session via our Moodle page.

Maths Café

Maths Café is available to all University of Portsmouth students.

It doesn't matter what degree you're doing, you can get help from us. Our tutors enjoy solving mathematical problems and sharing our knowledge and experience with you. No problem is too trivial and we'll always do our best to help.

Find out more.

Surveying

Our Academic Tutor with a specialism in the field of surveying is Adel Abuzenah. He supports students in the School of Civil Engineering and Surveying, helping with subjects such as CAD/BIM, professional development and construction design and sustainability.

Email Opeyemi.Ajewole@port.ac.uk or book a session via our Moodle page.

Personal support and advice

As well as your individual Personal Tutor, our Student Engagement Officers provide personal support and advice to students across the Faculty of Technology.

You can see one of our officers for a confidential chat about a particular problem you might be experiencing or to get advice about using the services available to you.  They may also be in touch with you throughout the term to see if you need any support following non-submissions in your assessments / drop in engagement with your studies.

Some of the areas they offer advice on include:

• Integrating into your course / the University and understanding our processes and procedures
• Wellbeing, stress, motivational problems
• Signposting for financial, housing and disability support
• Assisting with Extenuating Circumstance Forms (ECF)

The Student Engagement Officers operate independently from your course staff, so should you be unable to raise your concern with your Personal Tutor - they're a great place to seek advice.

• Ana Baker – email ana.baker@port.ac.uk or call +44 (0)23 9284 2440
• Hollie Robson – email hollie.robson@port.ac.uk or call +44 (0)23 9284 2436

They're based in the Academic Tutors and Student Placements Office in Liongate Building, Lion Terrace room 0.08a, Portsmouth, PO1 3HF and can also meet you online.

For further support with general academic skills such as time-planning, writing and referencing, the Academic Skills Unit (ASK) is available to all University of Portsmouth students.