Academic Advisers

Academic Advising is a key part of your university experience. Did you know that students who engage with their Academic Advisers are more likely to succeed and obtain a higher class degree?

What is an Academic Adviser?

Each student is assigned an Academic Adviser, who is an academic from your School dedicated to supporting your academic journey.

Think of your Academic Adviser like a Personal Tutor you may have had in school or college - someone who checks in with you regularly, supports your progress, and helps you succeed.

You will have a minimum of two Personal Feedback Meetings and one Group Meeting per year. You will have:

  • A Personal Feedback meeting in the Autumn term
  • A group meeting in the Spring term
  • And a Personal Feedback Meeting in the Summer term

You can also request extra 1:1 meetings at any time. You can do this by emailing your Academic Adviser. Find their email address in KentVision.

How do I find my Academic Adviser?

  1. Go to KentVision  
  2. Click ‘My details’ and then go to ‘My Course Details’.  
  3. You will find your Academic Adviser’s name and their email on the right-hand side. 

What does an Academic Adviser do?

Your Academic Adviser will: 

🧠 Help you understand academic expectations 

📝 Discuss your progress and feedback 

📚 Provide guidance on module choices and academic development 

💼 Support your career planning 

🧭 Help with personal development and life at university 

💬 Refer you to additional support services when needed 

🖊️ Write references for job or further study applications 

🗣️ Share concerns and feedback with the Student Experience Lead in your School 

📂 Keep track of Academic Adviser meetings using Presto

Register your attendance/absence

☑️ Register on Presto

These meetings are a core part of your student journey and are a compulsory part of your studies. They count as engagement activities under the University's Attendance and Engagement Policy. 

If you are unable to attend for any reason, you must contact your Academic Adviser as soon as possible to reschedule the meeting, you must give a reason so that this is logged on Presto.

How to prepare for an Academic Adviser meeting

  • Come prepared with questions, updates or concerns
  • Review your grades and feedback before meetings using Progress Profiles
  • Set academic and personal goals
  • Follow up on action plans, referrals, and advice 

How to change Academic Advisers

Your comfort and success matter - don’t be afraid to raise your concerns.

If you are unhappy with or would like to change Academic Adviser, firstly discuss this with your Student Representative, so that they can highlight this in the Student Voice Forum. Academic Advisers will remain anonymous in these forums.  

If you have deeper concerns regarding your current Academic Adviser, you can: 

  1. Speak to your Student Experience Lead.
  2. In the first instance, they will meet with you to discuss the challenges and aim to find a way to resolve the issues. 
  3. If there is a continued concern, the School Leadership Team will initiate formal resolutions between yourself and your Academic Adviser.
  4. If a resolution cannot be found you can then complete the Change of Academic Adviser Request Form.

If the request for a change is upheld, the Student Experience Team can then help arrange a new Academic Adviser for you.

School Student Experience Leads

Document list

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