2.5 Evening and part-time students

2.5 EVENING AND PART-TIME STUDENTS

Academic staff must give due consideration to the different study environment within which non-traditional/ part-time students operate. Specific aspects of this environment include:

• Employment and family responsibilities. In light of these commitments, more than any other student group, this group needs to know all their time and work commitments at the commencement of the academic year.

• Time for private study. Full-time employment (and in many cases family commitments), significantly reduces available study time to these students.

Well-structured courses will take account of this in the allocated workloads and schedules. • Access to the Library. Limited access (mainly evenings and weekends) to library resources and staff for these students places an additional onus on academic staff to ensure adequate and timely availability of recommended materials.

• Fewer Support Services. Non-traditional students have limited access to administrative and departmental offices. Inevitably, they expect a greater support role from academic staff.