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Student support in the Faculty of Education
Student Support in the Faculty of Education
The Faculty of Education at Edge Hill University is committed to providing students with high quality, effective and appropriate guidance and support during their studies to contribute to their effective transition into higher education and excellent student experience.
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Personal Tutor Support
Students may have different requirements in terms of support but can all expect Departments to provide a baseline of pro-active continuous pastoral and academic support from programme start to graduation. This support includes being allocated a personal tutor (PT) within the first 2 weeks of term and having timely interventions designed in anticipation of student’s potential needs, throughout their time at Edge Hill University.
Students are responsible for their own participation with the learning and teaching on their programmes of study and for engaging with the support which is offered. Support includes any tutorial sessions and interventions designed to guide and support students, whether pastoral or academic. This means students must attend, prepare for and contribute to all PT meetings. It also means students must let their PT know in advance if they are unable to attend.
It is important that all students keep in touch with their PT, so that PTs are aware of their tutees progress through the programme. Students should provide their PTs with relevant information when asking for help so that PTs can identify the most appropriate support.
As a minimum students can expect four PT sessions per academic year at key milestones in their learning journey. These sessions might be face to face, by phone or email as agreed between the student and their PT. There will also be opportunity for group tutorials if there are common areas for discussion
It is very important that students act on the advice and guidance provided by their PT, including accessing other support they recommend which may be provided by Student Services, Learning Services, Academic Registry or other services at Edge Hill University.
Further Support
For most issues or challenges which students may face, the PT is able to help, advise and guide. Any issue which poses an extreme or serious risk to the student concerned or to the wider university community may be referred for further support via a Departmental Progress Meeting (DPM). Students will be informed in advance if such a meeting is required and the reasons for the need for further support, advice or guidance.
The DPM meeting may include relevant members of staff from Learning Services, Students Services or Academic Registry as appropriate to the issue. At the DPM meeting, after the issue has been identified, the focus of the meeting will be to agree SMART objectives which will help the student resolve the issue and/or get back on track and progress with their studies. Objectives should be time limited, and a follow up review of objectives meeting (DPRM) will be scheduled for normally no longer than 2 weeks’ time. The student will receive a copy of these mutually agreed objectives. The student can be accompanied by a member of the Edge Hill community, in many cases this will be a member of the Students Union Advice Team.
In the unlikely event that the student has made no significant progress towards the agreed objectives, revised SMART objectives will be set. If such supportive intervention fails to help the student get back on track, or if a concern is raised either about an individual student’s fitness to study on any FOE programme, or behaviours which may render the student unfit to be admitted to the teaching profession
(FOE teacher training programmes only), the student may be referred to Faculty Progress Meetings (FPM) for additional support, which may result in a recommendation of referral to the disciplinary, fitness to study or fitness to practise procedures.
