Student Support

When you arrive at University, the School will assign you a personal tutor. Please contact the School Office if you have any queries or are not assigned a tutor. This is an academic member of staff who acts as your first point of contact with the University for student support. They can provide you with any information or advice that you may need throughout your academic career.

The role of a personal tutor, as described in the Framework for Personal Tutoring, is to help students’ personal and academic growth. Your personal tutor is there to help with any issues you may have. This can include personal problems that could affect your studies, to giving advice when picking modules. They are even available just for a chat.

At a bare minimum, you should see your personal tutor once during Semester 1 of your first year (usually within the first four weeks). After that, your tutor will offer you a meeting at least once a semester. You should take the opportunity to schedule meetings with your personal tutor to discuss any difficulties.

It is possible to change your personal tutor if you’re unhappy for any reason. For example, if you have a male personal tutor and would feel more comfortable with a female one. You don’t have to give any reasons for changing your tutor. All you have to do is contact the School Office with your request.

For undergraduate students, tutors record all tutor meetings through the ePortfolio system. Either you or the tutor can start a meeting through email, phone, or ePortfolio. Your tutor will make a record after the meeting, and the only requirement is that the record states when the meeting took place. You can also make notes on your meetings and keep them in ePortfolio. This is a good place to keep track of your concerns and any decisions that you’re making with the help of your personal tutor. We assure you that the meeting record on ePortfolio is strictly confidential. Only those people who attended the meeting (and possibly the senior tutor) will be able to see your notes. The first meeting in stage 1, semester 1 is compulsory.

If you undertake a placement as part of your undergraduate study at Newcastle, personal tutoring still applies. You should still be contacted by your tutor or perhaps a placement lead within the School.

For postgraduate taught students, the ePortfolio system will record the offer of a meeting by your personal tutor.

The personal tutor system depends upon you and your personal tutor both contributing to the relationship. A personal tutor can’t help you if you don’t show up to a meeting. You need to be open and honest with your tutor to receive the best advice and student support. At the end of your degree, you can ask personal tutors to provide you with references. For these to be good references, your personal tutor needs to know you well enough to write them. This means that you should attend all arranged meetings, respond promptly to emails, and keep your personal tutor informed if you have any concerns.

The School will assign all new undergraduate students with a peer mentor who will have made contact with you prior to starting University. The goal is to enable all students to make a smooth transition to feeling at home and settled into the University community. This is academically, socially and culturally.

Your peer mentor can serve as a role model and help you to understand what the University expects of you. Your mentor should also be very approachable and can help answer questions that you might not want to ask staff. Your peer mentor can also tell you about the social scene at the University and in Newcastle and help to answer practical questions about budgeting, sport facilities, the library, taking lecture notes, accommodation etc.

Your peer mentor will set up a social media network (using tools such as Facebook or Yammer) to help support this process so remember look out for information from them. You will also receive a Mentee Handbook to explain the benefits of the scheme, expectations and student support available.

The University has a policy that explains peer mentoring schemes.

King’s Gate building provides access to many services and student support you may need, all in one single location. Current opening hours for King’s Gate are as follows:

• Monday and Tuesday — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Wednesday — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Thursday and Friday — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

When you arrive at King’s Gate, you should go first to the Customer Services Advisers Team on Level 2. They are your first point of contact for any questions about academic support, accommodation, fees/funding/finance, health/wellbeing, exchange/study abroad, and visa support.

Both drop-in and pre-booked appointments are available.

The Student Advice Centre is a service of the Students’ Union staffed by professionals who specialise in student concerns. They can help you by providing information, listening to any problems, advising on the options open, helping you resolve difficulties, and referring you to any relevant agency (they cannot recommend any commercial companies however). They may even take on your case for you, even to the representation stage. You can browse through a range of information, help yourself to leaflets and obtain forms (benefits, help with NHS charges, Access to Hardship Funds etc.).

The Student Advice Centre cannot provide immigration advice to international students. If you have immigration questions, you should contact the Visa and Immigration Service (VIS) at King’s Gate for advice.

The Student Advice Centre is situated on the ground floor of the Students’ Union Building. Opening times vary throughout the year, so you could check the weekly schedule before dropping by.

During term-time, you may drop in for a brief session with one of the advisers. For complex or serious problems (requiring more than 20 minutes to discuss), you should make an appointment.

Telephone 0191 239 3979; or e-mail: student-advice-centre@ncl.ac.uk

Note that staff will treat anything you say in strictest confidence and not disclosed without your consent. The Union, including the Student Advice Centre, is independent of the University structure and is primarily concerned with its members’ welfare.

We know that things will occasionally go wrong while you're at University. The following information will help to explain the steps you can take if something does go wrong and you need student support.

If you are ill or away from the University for personal reasons

If you are ill at any point while at University, you should inform your personal tutor as soon as possible. If you are absent for more than three working days (Monday through Friday), you must obtain a Student Notice of Absence form from the Student Portal. You should return this to the School office or your personal tutor. If you are absent for more than seven working days, you must obtain a medical certificate from your doctor and send it to the School office as well.

The Student Notice of Absence form should also be used for absences other than sickness. For example, when you need to be away from the University for personal reasons.

If you believe that your absence has affected your academic performance in an assessment (coursework or exam) or prevented you from attending a required session, you should inform your personal tutor. You should also fill in a Personal Extenuating Circumstances (PEC) form to explain how your illness has affected your studies. If your circumstances are sensitive, then you can provide a confidential letter and information in a sealed envelope. This will be delivered to the Chair of the School PEC committee and won't be disclosed to your tutor if you wish.

Personal extenuating circumstances

If your studies, or ability to complete assessments, is being adversely affected by significant personal extenuating circumstances, advise your School. Complete the online Personal Extenuating Circumstances (PEC) Form via the Student Portal as close as possible to the time that the problem arose. Try to do so in advance of any imposed School deadline for appropriate adjustments. Carefully read the Guidance for Submission of Personal Extenuating Circumstances on the Student Progress Webpages.

Change in circumstances (Transfer, Suspend Studies or Withdraw)

Sometimes circumstances do change, and you may decide that you want to transfer degree programmes, suspend your studies, or withdraw from the University. You should first speak with your personal tutor for student support to discuss your options. You can also seek confidential advice from Student Wellbeing or the Student Advice Centre.

If you transfer from one programme in the University to another, you may also be able to transfer the credits and marks that you have earned. You will need to discuss this with the Degree Programme Director of both programmes.

Permission to make these changes often depends upon approval from the Degree Programme Director.

Your personal tutor should be able to help you complete these forms if necessary.

Complaints and appeals

The Student Complaints and Resolution Procedure is the University’s formal complaints procedure under the Student Charter. Students can make a complaint about a service or a member of staff within the University. The procedure applies to all complaints, including those related to harassment or racial equality.

You can make a complaint on nearly any aspect of your academic studies, but prepare to provide evidence to support any allegation. Please note: you cannot use a complaint to seek to overturn the academic decision of examiners. The complaints procedure has a three-stage process. You should try to try to resolve your complaint informally with the individual or service concerned under Level 1 of the procedure before you submit a formal complaint under Level 2. If you remain unhappy after receipt of your Level 1 outcome, you can submit a complaint under Level 3 of the complaints procedure. Submit the Complaints Form and supporting evidence to casework@ncl.ac.uk.

If you want to complain about another student at the University you should contact the Casework Team by emailing casework@ncl.ac.uk. The email should contain a full explanation of the nature of the concern, with supporting evidence. Student Progress Service may invite you to a meeting as part of the investigation. The allegation will normally be investigated under the University's Disciplinary Procedure.

The Student Academic Queries and Appeals Procedure is for appeals against the decisions of the Boards of Examiners (except those related to assessment irregularities), Personal Extenuating Circumstance (PEC) Committees, and sanctions imposed under Unsatisfactory Progress procedures.

Canvas

Canvas is the University's main Virtual Learning Environment. This enables staff to add resources for students to access online. ReCap recordings will be made available via Canvas. ReCap is a lecture and event-recording service.

ePortfolio

ePortfolio is a tool designed by the University that supports students' reflective learning process. ePortfolio is for pastoral support as part of the personal tutoring system.

University library

The University Library Service provides access to a wide range of resources, services, and study spaces as well as professional expertise. This helps you to be successful in your studies and research.

Academic Skills Kit (ASK)

The Academic Skills Kit is an online resource which brings together the range of academic skills development provision across Newcastle University into a one-stop website.

Academic Skills Team

The Academic Skills Team's role is to help you become a confident and successful independent learner.

INTO Newcastle in-sessional english

The INTO Newcastle In-Sessional team can provide information on the University English Language Assessment. Free academic English classes for Newcastle students whose first language is not English. One-to-one English writing tutorials.

Maths aid

Maths-Aid is a drop-in centre providing a free and confidential service to all students of Newcastle University. This includes all aspects of mathematics and statistics.

Computing facilities

You should use computing facilities for word-processing and data handling and analysis. You will use computers for most modules, and you will often prepare and submit coursework electronically. There are facilities available at the School, faculty, and University level. You can check cluster availability online.

There are currently 179 centrally supported facilities managed by our Estates Support Service and NUIT. Centrally supported rooms aim to provide high quality learning spaces. These rooms support an excellent student learning experience and staff teaching experience. Many people use these rooms, so the Code of Practice promotes effective and considerate use of the rooms and facilities.

If you have any questions about computing facilities or software, including email and printing, please check the NUIT information available to students.

Make sure you have a look at the software deals available to you as a student.

Careers service

Whether you're seeking a graduate career, doing further study, or starting a business, the Careers Service offer a wide range of student support to help you realise your potential.

Health and safety

The University has a duty to keep you healthy and safe while you are studying with us. The Occupational Health and Safety Service (OHSS) is a central support service which helps Schools and institutes to meet their legal requirements under health and safety legislation.

Like each other School, the University has a Health and Safety policy. School Induction Health and Safety information is accessible via our Blackboard Community.

In the case of discovering a fire:

• Sound the fire alarm
• Leave the building by the nearest available exit
• Ring 999 and then security on 0191 208 6666

For other emergencies, please contact the staff member in charge of the area or the security team who operate 24 hours a day on 86666. For non-emergencies, call 0191 208 6817 or email security@ncl.ac.uk. If you see any physical defects on campus, report these to the Estates Support Service helpdesk on 0191 208 7171 or ess-helpdesk@ncl.ac.uk.

Additional contact information:

• Chaplaincy
• IT Service Desk (IT Support)
• International Office
• Language Resource Centre
• Nightline (confidential listening and information service run for students by students)
• Student Union