A lot has happened since Aberdeen College and Banff & Buchan College merged to become North East Scotland College on the 1st November 2013.

Transcription

1 A lot has happened since Aberdeen College and Banff & Buchan College merged to become North East Scotland College on the 1st November Up to now, the biggest challenge for most of you was remembering our new name, but now that you are a student at the College, you may be interested to hear what else has been going on

2 TEACHING STRUCTURES Our teaching area is now divided into three Schools. As a student, you are enrolled on a course which belongs to a Curriculum Area. The Curriculum Areas are grouped together to form a Faculty. Each School is made up of four Faculties. DID YOU KNOW? that each NESCol School is equivalent in size to the number of pupils at three secondary schools? WHICH SCHOOL DO YOU BELONG TO? School of Engineering, Science & Technology Curriculum subjects taught include: Electrical & Mechanical Engineering, Measurement & Control, Science, Welding, Construction & Automotive School of Creative Industries, Computing and Business Studies Curriculum subjects taught include: Creative Arts, Music, Drama, ESOL, Business, Administration, Accounting, Law, Tourism, Events, Computing & IT. School of Service Industries Curriculum subjects taught include: Childcare, Health & Social Care, Nursing, Hair & Beauty, Professional Cookery & Hospitality, Sport, Animal Care, Social Sciences & Learning Opportunities.

3 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES Our teams of qualified staff are there to offer support and advice during your time at College. The support teams based in Aberdeen and Fraserburgh include: STUDENT ADVISERS Our student advisers are here to give you advice on funding, applying to university, general advice on career choices and CV and employability support. They maintain the online part-time job and volunteering bulletin which includes full-time vacancies towards the end of the year. They also run the Impress Employability Skills and BP Tutoring programmes. Here are just a few examples of the services on offer: Eligibility for funding and how to apply Budgeting your money Additional support for learning Practical advice on transition to College Tier 4 and international admissions Study options and career choices Applying to University (UCAS) and HE funding Employability and volunteering Enterprise and business start up Pastoral Care Employability GUIDANCE TUTORS Guidance Tutors meet some groups of students in timetabled guidance slots, but they are also available for one-to-one support for all students.

4 THE LEARNING DEVELOPMENT TEAM North East Scotland College is an inclusive and diverse college, and our Learning Development Team is in place to offer learning support and advice to all students. Here are just a few examples of the services on offer: Assistance with essay and report writing Additional help with course work Study and research skills Exam techniques Special examination requirements and alternative methods of assessment Scribes and readers Additional help with key skills such as writing, communication, numeracy and IT Equipment loan Learning support needs assessment Dedicated Learning Development Centre site on Blackboard, the College s Virtual Learning Environment. If you would like to talk to someone from the Student Support team, visit the Student Services Reception at the Aberdeen City Campus. The reception is in the South Block just off the Gallowgate and is open from 8:30am - 5:00pm Monday to Thursday, and 8:30am 3:30pm on a Friday. Or you can call to talk to someone for advice or to arrange an appointment. To talk to someone at our Fraserburgh Campus, visit Student Services situated in the main atrium beside the refectory. There is an open door policy, which means you can drop in at any time. If nobody is available you can wait or make an appointment to come back. Opening Hours are 8:30am - 5:00pm Monday to Thursday, and 8:30am 3:30 pm on a Friday. Or call , select option 5 for main reception and ask for extension 4785.

5 LEARNING RESOURCES TEAM The Learning Resources team comprises Learning Technologies, Library+ and the IT and Assessment Centre teams. If you want to browse courses, apply or simply find out more about the College and student life then our website is packed full of useful information. You can also keep up to date with College news and events, and access useful links to sites like Blackboard, itunesu and Degree Link. BLACKBOARD Blackboard is a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) which uses Internet technology to provide a platform for teaching and learning via the web. We use it to assist and support the delivery of our curriculum across all full-time, and many of our parttime courses. Your tutor will advise you how to use Blackboard for your course during your time at College. The aim of Blackboard is to support and enhance the quality of all our courses. As a student making use of Blackboard, you will experience many benefits from this state-of-the-art learning environment. You will be able to: Access course materials such as handbooks, lecture handouts, interactive quizzes, videos and web links from wherever you are, as long as you have an internet connection. Submit coursework electronically and receive automatic receipts upon submission Complete assessments online Obtain course information such as timetables, assessment deadlines and classroom scheduling via announcement boards and course calendars Communicate with other learners and your lecturers using blogs or wikis Increase your experience of using Information and Communications Technology which will benefit both your personal and career development plans. In addition to course work, Blackboard contains a host of useful information on events, announcements, guidance, the Students Association and much, much more!

6 LIBRARY+ Library+ is the brand name of North East Scotland College s regional library service. There are four Library+ sites at North East Scotland College; Aberdeen City, Altens, Craibstone and Fraserburgh Campus. Each Library+ stocks slightly different materials depending on the courses delivered at that site. In addition to subject specific resources, each library also has a wide range of other resources, including: Books Journals & magazines Newspapers DVDs and audio CDs e-books e-resources PCs Printers Scanners Study spaces Photocopiers. IT CENTRE In addition to the PCs available for use in Library+, the Aberdeen City Campus features a large IT Centre. It operates as a flexible learning space for students to work both independently and collaboratively and houses over 200 computers, a colour printer/photocopier and several black and white printers. Library+ also has an extensive online catalogue which can be found in the Library+ area of Blackboard. Here students can find e-books and search for books, magazines, films or any item of Library stock. Library+ has access to thousands of e-books which you can use anywhere you have access to the Internet, at home or in College and you can download them too.

7 LAPTOPS AND COMPUTERS At North East Scotland College, many courses involve the use of computers in learning and teaching. This can mean using them at College both inside and outside the classroom, or at home. Whilst the College has a number of specialist computing rooms to support particular courses, some of you will have heard in advance that there is an expectation to bring your own laptops or netbooks for your own use in order to personalise your learning. You will often hear this referred to as Bring Your Own Device or BYOD. The College firmly believes that your experience at college can be enhanced significantly by enabling you to use a mobile device, such as a tablet or a laptop, whilst at college for the purposes of learning and teaching (in fact, the College recently won a JISC itech Award for Mobile Learning for the innovative use of students personal devices as part of their overall learning experience!). Not only does bringing your own device with you to college offer you more flexibility in how and where you decide to work, but it also means that teaching can be more spontaneous, engaging and collaborative as you are able to work and share resources with your lecturers and peers in a much more effective way. In order to support the use of mobile devices, North East Scotland College has invested significantly in the facilities and infrastructure necessary to allow you to use your own personal devices effectively whilst at college. Such developments include a robust and ubiquitous wireless Internet network at all campuses, device-charging points in student areas and easily accessible IT helpdesk support. If you enrol on a BYOD course you will be required to source a laptop or netbook and bring this with you each time you attend college. Students studying nonadvanced BYOD courses (i.e. SCQF 4, 5 or 6) may be eligible for support to access a laptop. Those students enrolling on advanced level courses (i.e. SCQF 7 or 8) can access a SAAS student loan to help meet the cost of a device. You will be advised by College staff what the arrangements are for the course you have chosen to study. If you have been asked to supply a laptop or netbook and you have difficulty in meeting the cost, please arrange to see a Student Funding Adviser to discuss your current options by contacting our Student Services reception on: STUDENT IT HELPDESK The IT Helpzone can be found in the soft seat area next to Dino s Café in the Aberdeen City Campus. The helpdesk is run by students for students. They can help with passwords, give advice on IT related issues and log support calls for faults. You can drop-in (during opening hours) or them on:studenthelpdesk@nescol.ac.uk The Student Helpdesk can also be contacted by phone on extension 2510 or If you are based at Fraserburgh, Altens or Craibstone, then you can phone or the help desk for advice or pop into your nearest Library +.

8 NESCOL STUDENTS ASSOCIATION Coming to College isn t just about gaining a qualification, furthering your education and gearing up for employment; it s also about experiencing the new, fun and exciting lifestyle that comes along with being a student! The North East Scotland Students Association is run by students, for the benefit of students, and they strive to make sure that your experience at College is the best it can be, from the social side of things to the more serious, educational side where they can represent you at all levels from running Class Rep meetings to lobbying MPs. They also hold two important seats on the Board of Management, one of the main links between you and the College. So for those who want to have an active say in their education and really embrace the student experience at College, the Students Association is a great thing to get involved in! The Students Association has student-led groups and campaigns for you to join, and you ll find that throughout the year they organise a jam-packed timetable of events and projects; from sports and cultural activities to charity fundraisers. This gives you the chance to learn new skills, gain work experience and boost your CV all whilst spending time with enthusiastic, like-minded people and forming lifelong friendships! When you choose to study at North East Scotland College you will automatically become a member of the Students Association if you are aged sixteen or over (unless you choose to opt out). You choose your level of involvement - some students are very heavily involved in the SA, whereas others choose not to be. It s entirely your choice. One of the best things about being a member of the Students Association is your student card, which entitles you to substantial discounts in local and national shops, cinemas, restaurants and transport! Come and say hello! If you have any questions or queries, the Association would love to hear from you. You can find them at: Aberdeen City Campus: EG3 (next to main reception) Fraserburgh Campus: Upstairs in the atrium area, to the left of the coffee bar Alternatively, you can k.wetherall@nescol.ac.uk or k.anderson@nescol.ac.uk

9 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Freshers Week The Students Association has organised a Freshers Fair for the three main campuses to which you are invited to visit no matter what campus or centre you are studying at! With lots of stands, freebies and information on what s happening in town, it s a great way to find out what s going on and to meet new friends! Fraserburgh Campus Tuesday 8th, Wednesday 9th & Thursday 10th September in the Atrium from 10:00am - 2:00pm Aberdeen City Campus Monday 14th, Tuesday 15th & Wednesday 16th September in Dino s from 10:00am - 2:00pm IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS The best way to keep up to date with the latest news stories and announcements (including College closures due to bad weather), is to like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. NESCollege If you don t have a Facebook or Twitter account don t worry. Important announcements will also be displayed on and news and events can be found on Blackboard.