SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY
Tutor Development Coordinator Position Description: 2010
The following provides a position description for the type of responsibilities and tasks
that may be appropriate for a Tutor Development Coordinator in a School or
Program. This was developed by Professor Keithia Wilson who has evolved and
maintained the position since 2001 in the School of Psychology.
Tutor Development Coordinator
Responsibilities
Pre-semester preparation :
Training of Tutors
1.Training of new Tutors (1 day)
2. Top up training for experienced tutors
(2 hours)
3.Intensive training of first semester first
year tutors (2 hours)
Tutor Development Coordinator Tasks
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Organising dates, venues,
catering, printing of resources
Updating training resources Tutor Guidebook, Training
Manual, Evaluation Guidelines,
First Year Tutor Training
Resource
Conducting Training events
Evaluating Training events
During Semester:
Systems Support and Problem Solving
1.Ensuring an equitable and stable
School/Program system for the
management of sessional staff with
clearly negotiated roles and consistent
guidelines and standards
2.Providing ongoing support and
assistance to tutors in their roles
.
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Negotiating clear roles for tutors
and course convenors with a set of
minimum standards for workload
distribution and standards of
practice (e.g., number of team
meetings, notice for tutorial
topics, marking workload,
payment etc.) The Good Practice
Framework for the Management
and Development of Sessional
Academic Teaching at Griffith
provides clear guidelines for this.

Inducting new academic staff into
the guidelines to ensure
consistency for tutorial staff

Being available for tutors, on
request to assist with problem
solving tutor’s concerns and
issues as they arise viz. with
peers, convenors or distressed or
difficult students
1
3. First Year Tutor Review
Conducting a mid-semester review for
first year tutors to identify & problemsolve issues which may have arisen

Referring tutors to School
leadership for further problem
solving where required
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Organising a meeting of first year
tutors to identify system’s issues
requiring problem solving e.g.,
students requiring referral or
additional support, tutors
requiring additional support or
development

Scanning all ITRs submitted by
both new & first year tutors to
ensure baseline teaching
competence
Following-up with any tutors who
do not meet baseline competence
to provide feedback, support &
problem-solving
Quality Assurance for New Tutors and
First Year Tutors
1.Monitoring evaluations of first
tutorials (Initial Tutorial Reviews –
ITRs) for all new and first year tutors
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2 .Peer Reviewing of First Year
Tutor’s Teaching Practice
Conducting peer review of new first year
tutor’s practice in the first 3 weeks of
semester to provide professional
development for tutors and to ensure
teaching quality for the School system
If time does not permit the above, peer
reviewing the tutors who have identified
themselves as struggling in the midsemester review of first year tutors
for the purposes of professional
development and coaching
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Organising a system of peer review of
teaching by other tutors for interested
tutors
3. Peer Mentoring for New Tutors
Organising peer mentoring for new
tutors, and any other interested tutors
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Participating in 1 tutorial for each
new tutor to observe their practice
in terms of 1) strengths, and 2)
suggestions for improvement
Arranging a short meeting to
provide verbal and brief written
feedback to each tutor
Providing follow-up with course
convenors if necessary for further
problem solving
Providing follow-up with
individual tutors if necessary for
further problem solving, coaching
or peer review of teaching
Establishing a pool of peer
mentors willing to support and
assist new or less experienced
tutors to develop their skills and
practice
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