LSHTM Teaching Policies STUDENT SUPPORT CODE OF PRACTICE

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1 LSHTM Teaching Policies STUDENT SUPPORT CODE OF PRACTICE Note about this Code of Practice This document sets out the School's overall approach to providing academic and pastoral support for students. The current version is specifically focused on practice for face-to-face MSc courses. It is intended to update this Code of Practice in due course to be applicable for all types of provision, across both London-based and distance learning programmes including Masters degrees, modules, award-bearing Diploma and Certificate courses, non-award-bearing short courses, and research degrees. Related documentation Staff should make themselves aware of other relevant LSHTM Codes of Practice, policies and procedures particularly the Orientation and Induction Code of Practice, and the Teachers handbook. CONTENTS POLICY... 1 Principles... 1 Aims of student support... 2 Objectives of student support... 2 CODE OF PRACTICE... 2 Role of personal tutor... 2 Frequency of tutorials... 3 Part-time students... 3 Other academic support... 3 Project supervision... 3 Other student support... 3 Monitoring of student progress... 4 THE PERSONALISED ADDITIONAL STUDY SKILLS (PASS) PROGRAMME... 5 POLICY Principles 1. The School recognises the need for ongoing support for each student, both for pastoral care and academic guidance. Specifically for MSc students: (i) (ii) (iii) Each student should have a personal tutor. Tutors cover primarily general academic advice and pastoral guidance and must be approved by the MSc Course Director and the Faculty Taught Course Director. The role of the tutor is defined at School level. If Faculty or Course arrangements differ from the School norm, a separate Code of Practice must be prepared and agreed at Faculty and School level, and announced to staff and students. Tutors should be aware of the needs of students and should be accessible to them. They should either be members of the relevant Course Committee, or should make 1 of 6

2 (iv) themselves aware of the actions of the Committee and should be prepared to act appropriately on matters discussed there. In addition to the personal tutor system, other forms of academic and pastoral support are made available. Aims of student support 2. The School aims to provide two kinds of student support academic guidance and pastoral care. Objectives of student support 3. The objectives of student support are to: (i) (ii) (iii) Provide general academic and pastoral support through the personal tutor system. Provide specific academic support, where this is required, through access to subject staff. Facilitate access, where this is required, to specific pastoral and other support systems, for example the Student Adviser (Welfare & Disability), the Careers Service, support for enhancing English language skills, etc. CODE OF PRACTICE Role of personal tutor 4. The role of the personal tutor is considered to be particularly important in a system which is primarily module-based. Students following the same MSc may take a variety of modules and the MSc class may rarely meet together, possibly leading to a lessening of course identity and a reduction in group support mechanisms. Specifically, the personal tutor: acts as the first point of contact over any matter of concern and establishes a good relationship with the student; assists with orientation to life and study in the UK, explains the School s academic expectations and clarifies assessment arrangements; helps in setting academic and professional goals and advises on study choices; monitors the progress of the student and guides them towards appropriate remedial help, and assists with the development of study skills, writing and other communication skills, and gives general academic guidance. 5. It is particularly important in a predominantly module-based system that tutors provide guidance for tutees on their choice of modules, taking into account the objectives of the individual tutee and the options available for that MSc. Tutors should be familiar with the sections of the MSc Course Handbook relevant to their tutee s MSc. 6. The personal tutor should be available for consultation on assignments and assessments and should advise on study skills related to these assignments. However, it must be emphasised that responsibility for completing assessed work is entirely the students. Tutors may give general advice on how to approach an assessment task. Once it is prepared, they may comment on the clarity of presentation but are not permitted to make substantial academic input, such as detailed editing of essays or practical assignments. 7. The tutor plays a trouble-shooting role, reporting any academic or non-academic problems to the MSc Course Director. Language problems likely to impede learning should be reported at an early stage. Tutors should also refer the student to other resources (including other staff) which can help meet needs and expectations. Where academic problems are identified with which the tutor cannot help, the tutor should facilitate remedial support, including approaching other staff on behalf of the tutee. Where personal, medical or other problems are identified, the tutee should be referred to appropriate sources of help, 2 of 6

3 after consultation with the MSc Course Director and/or the Registry and/or the Student Adviser. 8. It is the personal tutor s responsibility to keep up-to-date on changes in the MSc course, on educational practice on the Course and in the Faculty, and should be prepared to act appropriately on matters decided by the Course Committee. They should ensure their tutees are aware of developments or changes to the course. 9. As members of their Faculty community, tutors may be assigned further responsibilities that are not directly linked to their individual tutees including that tutors will normally be expected to be markers for courses and modules that they or their students are associated with, and may also be asked to mark on others. 10. In the event of a breakdown in the tutor/tutee relationship, either party may request a change following discussion with the MSc Course Director or Taught Course Director. Frequency of tutorials 11. All students have a right to see their tutor individually, where necessary. Personal tutors should be accessible to tutees and maintain regular contact with them, whether or not specific problems have been identified. The frequency of these meetings should be agreed between the tutor and tutee. In general, each student should have the option of seeing their tutor once a fortnight in term one, and at least once every three weeks in term time thereafter. Tutees should be spread among staff so that these arrangements can be achieved. 12. When a tutor will be absent for more than two weeks in term time they should organise a replacement, and this should be clearly agreed with the replacement and the tutee, and recorded with the Course Administrator and/or the MSc Course Director in advance of the absence. Part-time students 13. For tutoring, part-time students should be regarded as one whole tutee since experience suggests that one part-time student needs about the same amount of support in any one year as one full-time student. Tutors need to be aware of the issues that are pertinent to part-time students. Other academic support 14. Student academic needs and expectations differ so other support mechanisms are required to supplement the tutorial system, for example, individual or group remedial teaching, revision classes for written examinations, and study skills sessions. Students sometimes need backup discussion or remedial support in a particular module and the staff associated with that module should endeavour to accommodate these needs. 15. One of the channels via which such support can be provided is the Personalised Additional Study Skills (PASS) programme, as described at Annex 1. Project supervision 16. Students can expect to receive guidance from their personal tutor on how to identify an appropriate project topic and supervisor (when this is not due to be the personal tutor). Other student support 17. Peer support mechanisms should be facilitated and encouraged by the MSc Course Director to strengthen links between students following the same course, for the purposes of both academic and personal support. 18. Staff should be aware of the range of other support services available to students such as the Student Adviser, Student Counsellor, Careers Office, local health services etc. Staff 3 of 6

4 who may not be fully aware of the range of support services available to students are encouraged to attend the presentations arranged for students by the Student Adviser during International Students Welcome or Orientation week. On request, the Student Adviser may also be in a position to speak to groups of staff about the various channels of support available for students. 19. Tutors should also be aware of the most appropriate steps to take to assist any students experiencing non-academic crisis problems e.g. financial hardship (consult the Student Adviser) or visa problems for international students (these should always be referred to the Student Adviser; tutors should not contact the Home Office direct). Monitoring of student progress 20. MSc Course Directors, tutors and subject staff should liaise concerning students who have problems and should seek to address problems before they become too great. Such discussions should always occur where students fail in-course assessment, and often if several passes are only at the satisfactory level. 21. To monitor progress and needs, MSc Course Directors should meet with Course Representatives regularly and with the whole class periodically. If the MSc Course Director is absent at any time during term time, their role should be assigned to a member of the Course Committee who is present, and the students should be informed in advance. LSHTM Student Support Code of Practice Approved by the Associate Dean of Studies, April of 6

5 THE PERSONALISED ADDITIONAL STUDY SKILLS (PASS) PROGRAMME 5 of 6 Annex 1 Introduction 1. The School provides an extensive programme of study skills support for taught course students, including the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programme which runs for much of the year. However, for a small number of students some additional individualised study skills support may be necessary. The Personalised Additional Study Skills (PASS) programme is intended to address such needs. 2. The PASS programme operates as follows: Near the start of each academic year, Faculty Taught Course Directors (TCDs) should draw the attention of Course Directors to the support available under the PASS programme. Course Directors should notify TCDs in the course of the year as they identify struggling students in need of additional study skills support. TCDs should then agree, in consultation with each involved Course Director, the type of support to be provided; and make arrangements for this to happen. TCDs should maintain personal records of students supported under the programme (inc. when and by whom), including to support audit of support payments. These records should be destroyed after the end of each academic year when all payments have been made. Identifying students eligible for support under the PASS programme 3. The student body encompasses a very broad spectrum of both ability and prior knowledge and experience. Some have greater difficulty than others in coping with the demands of a postgraduate-level course. The nature of the difficulties encountered by students varies from student to student, as does the point at which struggling students are identified. Where these difficulties are related to study skills, the most appropriate time to provide support will also vary between students. Some flexibility is therefore necessary in the provision of such support. 4. Decisions about which students should be eligible for support, and the nature of that support, need to be taken at course level. It may be helpful to distinguish between weak and struggling students based on the extent of progress being made: Struggling students are those about whom a judgement of insufficient progress can be made i.e. for whom there are clear indications (through submitted progress tests or by other means), that, without support over and above that offered to all students through tutors, Course Directors and Module Organisers, they are very likely to fail their degree. The option of advising deferral or withdrawal from the course should be considered for struggling students although if so, they should have the issue of non-refundability of fees drawn to their attention. Weak students are those for whom there is some indication, through submitted progress tests or by other means, that the student may potentially fail their degree; but that this should be avoidable if the student makes suitable efforts and otherwise receives standard support from tutors, Course Directors, Module Organisers and where appropriate the Student Adviser. 5. Course Directors have discretion to distinguish weak from struggling students, and nominate those for whom they feel additional support via the PASS programme would be most beneficial. It is recognised, for example, that some otherwise bright students may be struggling due to absence in term 1 as a result of illness or language difficulties, or late arrival due to visa issues such that they are making insufficient progress, even though they ought to be capable of passing the course. Others may struggle with workload-balance issues, and a sympathetic approach will be necessary. Type and timing of support 6. The most appropriate type of support may vary considerably between MSc courses, but:

6 Annex 1 A typical approach to providing additional support for struggling students is the provision of extra sessions on core modules, to be run for small groups of up to 5 MSc students. Focusing on past papers for an MSc may also be a useful approach. Such sessions may typically led by research degree students, as identified by TCDs, who are able and willing to provide subject-specific support. 7. Support should be provided at the most appropriate time, at any point during the academic year. This may mean: During Term 1 especially for any late-arrival students who are struggling, for whom intervention as early as possible in Term 1 may be most appropriate. During Term 2 (the most common approach) with intensive sessions typically being scheduled for Reading Week in February. In Term 3 e.g. offering intensive coaching immediately after each course s revision week, prior to MSc summer exams. Arrangements for payment under the PASS programme 8. A modest standard budget is available to support the PASS programme, held within the Dean of Studies Office and allocated by Taught Course Directors. Arrangements are currently as follows: Each Faculty has an allocation of 600 to support struggling students via PASS. This may be adjusted at the discretion of the Dean of Studies. TCDs will take responsibility for managing the funds available (e.g. using it towards paid tutorial time from research degree students or in other ways) and arranging cross-msc and cross-faculty support where appropriate. The Quality Manager should be kept informed of expected spend, specifically by providing updates both after Term 2 Reading Week and towards the end of May regarding support arranged. 9. Any staff asked to provide PASS support are expected to do so as part of their contract and are not eligible to be paid for this. 10. However, any research degree students recruited by TCDs to provide support as part of the PASS programme should be eligible to be paid normally at rate B, inclusive of preparatory work. Arrangements operate as follows: Step 1: The research degree student fills out a standard Payment to Student Demonstrator form, indicating the date(s) of sessions, the course or module from which the supported students were drawn (NB that names of students taught must NOT be recorded on payment forms), and writing "PASS scheme specialist study support in the type of work box. Step 2: The research degree student takes the completed form to the TCD, to sign off in the Course/Module Organiser confirmation box under the phrase I confirm the work has been undertaken and at the rate of pay as detailed above. Step 3: The TCD passes the form on the Quality Manager, who will sign off the payment authorisation against the Quality budget for processing by Finance, and keep details on file. 6 of 6