The aims of advising

Academic advising has two main purposes:

  1. Transitions: To support student transition on to their courses, through the stages of the course and into a graduate job or further study.
  2. Wellbeing: To support the wellbeing of students during their time at university
     

Effective advising is intended to have the following impacts for students:

  • Ensure students are well engaged in a dialogue with their tutors about effective learning behaviours
  • Be a source of information about how the university works
  • Inform students about opportunities to enhance their university experience
  • Help students seek the support they may need to learn well and make the most of their life at university
  • Help students reflect on their future and support and signpost them in making effective choices about work or further study after their course ends.
  • Signpost students to help they may need from time to time to support their physical and emotional wellbeing

How advising works

Who?

Academic Advisers will be from the school of study in which the student is registered, and ideally teach on their course. Each student must have an identified first point of contact, although Advisers will work as team to best meet student needs. Students on joint course should have a point of contact in both schools.

Each school will define an advising team that comprises of identified first contacts for all students, and includes the Senior Adviser, Disability Liaison Officer, Attendance and Engagement Officers if appropriate. Larger schools may appoint deputies or share these roles. The School Employability Director will also sometimes be involved in the discussion of Transitions Advising.

What?

Aspects of transitions advising can be delivered as part of the core of the student’s course and may be delivered in groups. This might include:

  • Workshops on study skills, for example referencing, lab reports or dissertation writing
  • Workshops on module choices
  • Workshops in the student opportunities programme and the UEA Award
  • Workshops on applying for work experience, jobs or further study.

There will be no need for additional recording of attendance at such sessions as this can be done though the eVision attendance system for taught events.

Many students during their time at university may need additional support with their wellbeing.

Such cases may be self reported by students or identified by the school team through the regular checking of attendance data, formative and summative assessment submission data and marks and the application for extensions. The school will have robust processes for reviewing this data at least once every two weeks during term time. Triggers for additional support might be:

  1. Attendance lower than 70%
  2. Missed formative or summative assessment
  3. Requests for extensions
  4. Reports of concerns from staff or other students

Students in need of wellbeing support may also be offered help through the Faculty Embedded Teams. The school teams will meet with their embedded team members on a regular basis to discuss ongoing cases and ensure that students are receiving support that is joined up and meets their needs.

In these cases, students may meet members of the school or embedded faculty teams on a one to one basis.

The cases of students in need of this one to one support will be monitored through an online case management system by the school, faculty embedded teams and student services where appropriate.

Communication of responsibilities and entitlements between staff and students on all matters of both transitions and academic advising is crucial and these are set out in a booklet co-created by the university and UEA Students Union.

All schools must have a core team of Advisers who have undertaken the following training:

  1. Mental health first aid training
  2. Online micro module about wellbeing

All staff must complete an online micro module about transitions.