PT/Student Support Helpful reminders pre semester 

Personal Tutor Briefing Student Survey Results – there is a summary in your notes for you to read through. Best Personal Tutor Award – Jan Penrose & Mikael Attal Best PT prize was a mug with Best PT on it and a bottle of wine. Dan Swanton & Linda Kirstein

Personal Tutor Expectations The PT will provide: One individual meeting per semester (welcome meeting in fresher’s week does not count!) Students on exchange or year abroad should still have the meeting (via skype/phone etc) Group meetings (at least one per semester)* Provide feedback on student portfolio Brief students on any preparatory and follow up work (SCC can assist) Degree program specific needs: Ecol will utilise IAD for Year 1 and 2 if deemed appropriate, Year 3 will be mandatory Dissertation meeting and Year 4s have tutorials two weekly so no groups will run in Year 4 unless by demand

Personal Tutor Expectations Respond promptly to student requests for contact within 3 working days (If you are travelling put an out of office – see Emma) Maintain accurate and appropriate records via EUCLID Refer students with personal (pastoral) matters to SSC Academic references for students The School Personal Tutoring Statement has been given to you and gives detailed information about the Personal Tutor role http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/geosciences/teaching-organisation/ug- students/student-support This has been updated and College approved (we have copies though its all online)

Progression – THIS HAS CHANGED FROM 2014 We now have Progression boards Full-time students are expected to take and pass courses worth 120 credits each year All pre Honours will automatically progress if 120 credits gained Technically year 1 to 2 can progress with 100 (resit or carry) Anything Year 2, 3 which falls short credit wise is considered at the progression board in June and Sept after exam boards SSC checks all students progression and refers student to Senior/Deputy Tutor for interview if appropriate No PTs to contact College directly regarding concession. All queries go through Emma

Student Feedback Portfolio The Student Portfolio will consist of assessed work that students will be required to bring to the compulsory PT meetings in semester 1 and 2. The SSC will provide PT’s with folders to give to 1st and 2nd year students at their meetings in fresher’s week. Students will be asked to keep any work they get back in the folder so as it can be brought along for discussion/feedback at later date. Work for 3rd and 4th year student’s are kept in Teaching Office, student can request to sign it out for their meetings.

What goes in Euclid notes? Comments on meeting outcomes From PT: brief comment From student: expanded comments From PT: feedback on student comments Comments from SSC Any other communications from anyone that should be on the record (all staff can add notes) Note: mark private/sensitive information as Confidential. Dean of Students; PT ; Snr PT ; Student; Student Support Coordinator; Sarah McAllister and orginator of note can view.

EUCLID UPDATE Immigration Overview gives access to view the following from 2014/15: Student passports and visas - New students are uploading passport and visa documents as part of the registration Tier 4 census records - attendance will be recorded in EUCLID Status change reports made to the home office CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance of Study) Requests A flag has also been added to the Student HUB to indicate if a student is Tier 4 Sponsored TO staff and SSC monitor attendance – PTs need to contact TO/SSC if there are concerns over lack of communication with Tier 4 students What is a CAS? When students apply for a UK visa to study at the University of Edinburgh they will need to have a reference number that they can give to the visa authorities to show that they have an unconditional offer. This reference is called the Certificate of Acceptance for Studies, or CAS

New Policies for students inc Tier 4 2015/16 Student Attendance & Engagement Monitoring Policy UOE suggested points of contact: Point Attribute Description Timeline 1 Attendance In-person meeting with Personal Tutor/Supervisor as part of matriculation and/or School/Programme Induction Sept/Oct 2 Attendance at Semester 1 census point Oct/Nov 3 Attendance at tutorials/practicals or similar classes This could count as engagement, if participation is evaluated and marked 4 Engagement Engagement with online virtual learning content on or by a given date (Learn), or regular usage of the Library (evidenced from Library gate data) Throughout year 5 Submission of scheduled assessed work Nov/Dec 6 Attendance of the examination diet Dec 7 Mid-year meeting with Personal Tutor/Supervisor Jan/Feb 8 Feb/Mar 9 Attendance at a census point Jan/Mar/July for PGs 10 May/June School points of contact to follow. Important that PT’s assist by recording meetings on EUCLID. Background (taken from UOE Student Attendance and Engagement Policy 2014): Five Key Principles of Student Attendance and Engagement Monitoring Tier 4 regulations legally oblige institutions to be able to demonstrate that sponsored students are attending and engaging in studies and that there are procedures in place to both readily identify and address attendance/engagement patterns of concern.   The University must identify 10 points of contact throughout the academic year at which they can record whether students are attending, and engaging with their programme of study. The 10 points should be spread throughout the year, for each year of the programme. The University is required to: Retain evidence of attendance/engagement records (spreadsheets/databases/online software etc) to demonstrate that attendance/engagement is recorded and that non-attendance/engagement is noted and acted upon, where required. Report to the UKBA within 10 working days of decision, any Tier 4 student whose lack of attendance or engagement or lack of progress has resulted in their exclusion thereby, cancelling the University’s education sponsorship of the student to be in the UK. For UKBA audit purposes, attendance and engagement records should be securely retained in line with relevant data protection legislation, for a period of 1 year after the end of the programme.

Please encourage attendance! Lunch time sessions for first year students in semester 1 This is peer support, student led and NOT teaching Website and info here www.geopals.weebly.com The SSCs support this and me as Snr PT (!)

Questions?