Richmond Strengthens Partner Engagement Through Link Tutor Induction and Training

On 6 October, Richmond American University London hosted its Link Tutor Induction and Training session, bringing together Link Tutors, Academic Reviewers and colleagues from across the University to support the continued development of its collaborative partnerships.

As Richmond enters its sixth year of validated partnerships, the session explored how Link Tutors and Academic Reviewers contribute to maintaining academic standards, supporting partner programme teams and strengthening collaboration across the partnership network. It also highlighted opportunities for colleagues to work with the Collaborative Provision team to support partnership engagement and academic quality throughout the academic year.

Kelly Coate, Provost and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) at Richmond, highlighted the importance of relationship-building across the partnership network:

“What we really want to do is create strong relationships with our partners. We learn from them, they learn from us. We want to make it a collegial relationship and find as many ways as possible to interact with them, build on synergies and develop new initiatives.”

To support this approach, the session outlined a series of initiatives to strengthen communication and collaboration. The newly established Richmond Link Tutor Network on Microsoft Teams and twice-yearly Link Tutor Forums will provide opportunities for colleagues to share experiences and good practice throughout the year.

Richmond is also introducing Link Tutor Engagement Sessions for students and faculty at partner institutions. Through guest lectures, workshops, seminars and focus groups, these sessions will support academic enrichment and faculty development, while providing opportunities to hear directly about students’ and colleagues’ experiences.

Alongside these online activities, Richmond is exploring opportunities for visits to partner institutions to support in-person collaboration. Together, these initiatives will help Link Tutors share expertise, build closer connections with partner students and faculty, and enhance the experience of students and staff across validated provision.