UCP4SUCCESS strengthens university tutoring through hands-on workshops
Universidade Católica Portuguesa advanced its Tutoring program and strengthened the university tutoring community during the online session “Tutoring Hands-On: Building Tutoring Practices in Higher Education”, held on January 21 as part of the UCP4SUCCESS Project. The initiative brought together 32 participants, including faculty, researchers, and staff from the institution's 4 campi.
The first workshop, “Tutoring in Action: Tools, strategies, and challenges”, conducted by Armanda Gonçalves, professor at the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences in Braga, focused on current challenges in higher education and the evolution of tutoring. Participants shared experiences, discussed obstacles faced by tutors and students, and collaboratively designed key elements of the University’s tutoring model.
“Resilient Tutoring: Transforming challenges into opportunities”, the second workshop, led by Susana Costa Ramalho, professor at the Faculty of Human Sciences, addressed tutoring as a protective factor in the academic journey. The session examined characteristics of resilient tutoring in Lisbon, discussed monitoring of practices, and addressed potential risks in interventions. It concluded with a collaborative mapping of best practices. Maria José Correia, professor at the Faculty of Dental Medicine in Viseu, emphasized the value of the workshops: “The sessions were very interesting, especially the second, as they allowed us to share experiences and reflect on what happens in our units.” She added that the workshops helped her better understand “the project, its rationale, the activities developed and deliverables produced,” which she believes “will certainly be applied in the new semester.”
The workshops brought together professionals from diverse backgrounds, promoting an integrated approach to tutoring by connecting people, services, and existing resources. This collaboration fosters synergy and mutual support, strengthening the university’s tutoring community of practice.
UCP4SUCCESS will continue its efforts at the National Congress Tutoring4Success: The Present and Emerging Futures of Tutoring in Higher Education, scheduled for June 3, 2026, in Lisbon. This event reaffirms Universidade Católica Portuguesa’s commitment to sustained, student-centered tutoring practices.