Tutoring and Mentoring at the University Level: Experiences in Padua and Burgos

Over recent years and in view of the Bologna Declaration, tutoring and mentoring have become ever more commonplace in the University context. Although tutoring is an age-old practice, it has only recently been introduced in different areas of human activity (educational, academic, business and professional). During the last decade, the Italian university has officially introduced tutoring - both normal and peer-implemented - services intending to assist students, to provide information, and to analyze the activities carried out during the precedent year's activities. The tutor is entrusted with the task of accompanying students who have decided to embark on an academic career, and in particular when they encounter difficulties. The Spanish University has proposed an "accessible system of support and guidance for enrolled students”. That contribution will be described here and then compared with two models of peer tutoring and mentoring implemented by the University of Padua and the Universidad de Burgos in order to reflect upon their features, dimensions and potential.