Student Support in BLS

Dr Kate Doolin

Head of Student Support, Development and Welfare/Senior

Tutor

K.Doolin@bham.ac.uk

Room: 236

Student Support, Development and Welfare

Key people in Law SSDW team•Head of SSDW/Senior Tutor – Dr Kate Doolin•Deputy Head of SSDW – Dr Maureen Mapp•Student Experience Officer – Dr Emma Login•Welfare Tutor – Noorulain Majoka•Reserve Welfare Tutor – Dr Emma Oakley•Director of LSAS – Dr Clark Hobson•International Students Tutor - Dr Emma Oakley

Supporting you

• Support from your peers• Support from your student mentors • Academic support• Pastoral support• Learning & Assessment support• Welfare support• Extra-curricular support/Student

Opportunities

Forms of Academic support• Personal tutor• Progress review meetings (transition

review)• Seminars• Formative assessments• Office and Feedback Hours• Module leaders/teaching team• Academic Writing and Legal Skills

support: LSAS , AWAS, BIA

Personal tutoring- Monitors academic progress- First port of call to answer

questions/deal with queries- Provide academic references- Help with CVs, career advice, etc.- Progress reviews (one a semester)- Referral to welfare tutor or specialist

support services on campus

Progress review meetings• Progress reviews: Semester 1, Wks 4 and 5• Transition reviews: Semester 2, Wks 4-6• Reflect on your academic progress and

adjustment to university• Discuss and get feedback on academic

progress• Get advice on study and career• Pastoral support• Referral to specialist student support

services or welfare tutor, where appropriate

Formative assessments

• At least one piece of formative written work (i.e. practice essay/problem solving task) is set for most modules

• Core modules provide opportunity to do a piece of optional formative work

• Written feedback is provided by your seminar leader

• Feedback identifies: what was done well and what could be done to improve the next piece of work

• May involve referrals to LSAS, AWAS, BIA and can self refer

Seminars

• Prepare• Think• Participate• Ask

Feedback and Office Hours

• Teaching staff & personal tutors• Two hours during term time • Can also make an appointment

outside of Feedback and Office Hours• Check Canvas for times• Don’t expect mini-lecture• Come prepared

Academic Writing and Legal Skills support

Developmental opportunities•BLS Legal Skills Advisory Service (LSAS); Dr Clark Hobson•CAL Academic Writing Advisory Service (AWAS) for Law •AWAS •Birmingham International Academy (English Language for International Students•Academic Skills Centre (ASC) – run through Library Services: https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/libraryservices/library/skills/asc/index.aspx

Bank of Assessed Work

• Look out for and accept invitation on canvas

• Bank contains real pieces of assessed work from past years in specific modules across a range of marks

• Help you to understand school marking criteria, academic grading and reflect upon and evaluate your own work

Learning and Assessment Support

• Extenuating Circumstances (i.e. extensions for assessed coursework; deferral of examinations)

• Leave of Absence (registered break from study)

• Reasonable adjustments (Student Support Advice documents)

Reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities

“Reasonable adjustments”adjustments made to the ordinary

methods of learning and assessment for students with disabilities

Reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities cont…

• Process for obtaining RA:

- If you declared a disability as part of the admission procedure: Student Support Advice document (SSA)

- Students can declare a disability at any time while they are at University.

- Contact the University’s Disability and Learning Support Service (DLSS) to discuss whether an SSA is required

• Also discuss with your personal tutor and School’s Welfare Tutor, Noorulain Majoka

Dyslexia or dyspraxia and other learning specific issues

• Must have reasonable adjustments confirmed with DLSS: Contact them asap.

• http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/support/disability/index.aspx

• or email: learning-support@contacts.bham.ac.uk

• www.intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/learningsupport

Long-term conditions or chronic illnesses

• University’s Disability and Learning Support Service (DLSS) at Student Hub, Aston Webb Building

• disability@bham.ac.uk

• https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/studentservices/disability/contact/index.aspx

• www.intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/disability

Mental health

• Eg: depression; anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder

• In order to have reasonable adjustments need to contact DLSS asap

• Emailmentalhealth@contacts.bham.ac.uk

• Web:www.intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/mentalhealth

School Welfare Welfare Tutor: Noorulain Majoka N.Majoka@bham.ac.uk

Tel: 0121 4146273

Room: G2 Law School

Works Monday-Wednesday

Drop in hours: 11:30-2:30 on Mon-Wed (term time)

Reserve Welfare Tutor: Dr Emma Oakley E.L.Oakley@bham.ac.uk

Drop in hours: 1-2 on Thurs-Fri (term time) in G2 Law School

University-wide Welfare Support

• University’s Counselling and Wellbeing Service

• https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/studentservices/counselling/index.aspx

• All specialist student support services are based in the Student Hub, Aston Webb Building

• Tel: 0121 4145130

Student Funding Office

• Information and advice about financial support

• https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/studentservices/funding/index.aspx

Support for International Students

• Birmingham International Academy (provides English language support for current overseas students) http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/International/bia/index.aspx

Email: presessional@contacts.bham.ac.uk

• International Student Advisory Service (ISAS) provides advice on issues such as visas, immigration, financial situations.

https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/studentservices/international/index.aspx

• BLS International Student Tutor (Dr Emma Oakley)

Guild of Students

• Advice and Representation Centre (ARC) in Guild of Students provides help and advice to all students on:– Financial issues– Housing problems– Immigration questions– Academic queries– Employment issues etc

• Nightline nightline@guild.bham.ac.uk

Extra-curricular support

Personal Skills Award (PSA)• Formal accreditation for skills and experiences that appeal

to employers• The modules you take appear on your academic transcript• These are in addition to your main programme of study and

give you an additional qualification• A range of modules to suit your personal development and

interests• Enrolment to the Personal Skills Award is now open, with

three pathways to choose from, the PSA is a flexible and convenient way to develop, recognise and articulate your skills. Undertake online skills courses, bespoke accredited modules or take part in a choice of over 200 activities.

• Find out more www.intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/psa and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fHY_MJbCz8

CEPLER

• Centre for Professional Legal Education and Research (CEPLER)

• Advocacy opportunities – mooting, debating, negotiation skills competitions

• Pro bono opportunities and activities – Birmingham FLAG (Free Legal Advice Group); Street Law; Casework and Research Assistance Group (CRAG); pro bono lecture series

• Careers guidance and careers–related events

• CEPLER Professional Development Scheme

BEING HEARD

Student representation

https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/registry/policy/studentreps/index.aspx

Contact: Student Experience Officer, Dr Emma Login (E.L.Login@bham.ac.uk)

Application form in Welcome Booklet

Some examples of changes student

reps have effected:

- Changes to welcome week programme

- Increase in number of seminars - Decrease in seminar group sizes

- More feedback on written work- Feedback on summative work- Longer library opening hours- Installing vending machines and water coolers-Typed feedback forms-More opportunities for formative work-More support in choosing final year options

Harassment & Bullying

• No tolerance policy• Tell someone in the school – e.g. HSSDW,

Welfare Tutor, Personal Tutor, Equality and Diversity Officer, Dr Bharat Malkani

• University Harassment Advice Service https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/hr/wellbeing/employeesupportservices/harassment/index.aspx tel: 0121 4158774

• NOT ON – say no to sexual harassment

http://www.guildofstudents.com/noton/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QKDeOSJ4tg&feature=youtu.be

• More information about all these forms of support and contact details of support services – see your Law School Student Handbook on canvas

• Look out for and accept the invitation to BLS Student Experience on canvas