{"id":1761,"date":"2020-02-03T13:58:43","date_gmt":"2020-02-03T13:58:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/sdhandbook\/?page_id=1761"},"modified":"2020-09-10T04:44:01","modified_gmt":"2020-09-10T03:44:01","slug":"eca-student-support","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/sdhandbook\/eca-student-support\/","title":{"rendered":"ECA Student Support"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A\nnetwork of student support is in place to help you with any issues you may\nencounter during your studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Personal Tutors<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Each\nstudent within ECA is allocated a Personal Tutor whose role is to offer\nguidance and encourage reflection on academic matters. The Personal Tutor will\nbe a link between you and the wider academic community of the University. The\nPersonal Tutor is not the same as a subject tutor: rather than dealing with the\nspecifics of your studies in a particular course or programme, your Personal\nTutor&#8217;s role is to provide you with advice about academic matters, to ensure\nthat illness or personal difficulties are dealt with appropriately and to help\nyou review and reflect on your progress and develop the skills to allow you to\ndo this. There is also a responsibility on you to attend and engage with this\nprocess, so it is important that you are familiar with the system and how to\naccess it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For\nmore information:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ed.ac.uk\/students\/academic-life\/personal-tutor\">www.ed.ac.uk\/students\/academic-life\/personal-tutor<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If you don\u2019t\nknow who your Personal Tutor is you can find this information on MyEd. You will\nmeet with them a number of times throughout your studies<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sign-up\narrangements for meetings will be sent to you by your Personal Tutor and <strong>attendance is compulsory. <\/strong>If for good reason you are unable\nto attend, please let your Personal Tutor know as soon as possible. If you are\naway from campus (e.g. studying abroad) you can still access support and\nguidance from your Personal Tutor; typically this will be via telephone, Skype\nand, in some circumstances, email. You are welcome to request extra meetings\nwith your Personal Tutor as necessary, by email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Student Support\nOfficers<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>ECA\nhas four specialist Student Support Officers (SSOs) who work alongside academic\nand administrative colleagues. The SSOs\nsupport all ECA undergraduate and postgraduate students and can undertake a\nnumber of tasks for you including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Advice\nabout transferring to a new degree programme<\/li><li>Advice\nabout requesting an Authorised Interruption of Study, or AIS (the total\nduration of which depends upon your programme of study)<\/li><li>Policies\non withdrawing permanently from your degree programme<\/li><li>How\nto apply for Special Circumstances (where your performance in assessment has\nbeen disrupted) and guidance on criteria for Special Circumstances<\/li><li>Further\ninformation about other support services available and how to access them e.g.\nStudent Counselling, EUSA Advice Place, etc.<\/li><li>Being\na general contact point for all ECA undergraduate and postgraduate students &#8211;\nif you don\u2019t know who to ask, the SSOs will be able to point you in the right\ndirection.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Please note\nthat SSOs do not provide detailed programme support,<\/strong> so if you have\nspecific questions about your programme, e.g. hand in dates or a question about\nassessment, then you will need to speak to an appropriate member of staff in\nyour Subject Area such as a <strong>Course and\nProgramme Administrator,<\/strong> or your Personal Tutor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nmain <strong>ECA Student Support Office is located\nin the Hunter Building <\/strong>at Lauriston\nplace, Room O.30 (next to the ECAfe). It is open at the following times:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Monday 11am \u2013 5pm;<\/li><li>Tuesday to Friday, 9am \u2013 5pm.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nStudent Support Team also offer outreach days and can be found in the Student\nAdministration and Support Service Office in the following locations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"wp-block-table\"><tbody><tr><td>\n  <strong>Location<\/strong>\n  <\/td><td>\n  <strong>Day<\/strong>\n  <\/td><td>\n  <strong>Time<\/strong>\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Minto\n  House\n  <\/td><td>\n  Tuesday\n  and Thursday\n  <\/td><td>\n  9am\n  \u2013 5pm\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Alison\n  House\n  <\/td><td>\n  Wednesday\n  <\/td><td>\n  9am\n  \u2013 5pm\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Evolution\n  House\n  <\/td><td>\n  Friday\n  <\/td><td>\n  9am\n  \u2013 5pm\n  <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You can either\npop in and see the SSOs or make an appointment. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The SSOs can be\ncontacted by emailing: <\/strong><a href=\"mailto:eca-sso@ed.ac.uk\">eca-sso@ed.ac.uk<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Special\nCircumstances<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nSpecial Circumstances Committee (SSC) meets before the Board of Examiners to\nconsider the cases of students whose performance has been affected Special\nCircumstances, and makes recommendations on mitigation actions that might be\nmade at the exam board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Special\ncircumstances are circumstances which <strong>are exceptional for the individual\nstudent<\/strong>, are beyond that student\u2019s control, and for which there is\nsufficient evidence to show that they had a significant adverse impact on the\nstudent\u2019s performance in an assessment, or resulted in non-attendance or a\nnon-submission for a scheduled assessment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nSpecial Circumstances Committee deals with issues in the strictest confidence,\nbut it can only deal with problems it knows about, so it is very important that\nif the need arises, you make sure that your Personal Tutor is aware of any\nproblems. If appropriate you will be advised to complete a Special\nCircumstances application which will be presented to the Special Circumstances\nCommittee. The ECA Student Support Officers can also give you advice and\nsupport to help you complete your Special Circumstances application. The\ndeadline for applications is 7 days after your final assessment\/exam in the\ncorresponding exam diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Examples\nof circumstances that a Special Circumstances Committee is likely to accept:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Significant\nshort-term physical illness or injury;<\/li><li>Significant\nshort-term mental ill-health or similar illness;<\/li><li>Bereavement\nor serious illness of a person with whom the student has a close; relationship<\/li><li>A\nlong-term relationship breakdown, such as a marriage.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Examples\nof circumstances that are unlikely to be accepted include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Pressure\nof academic work;<\/li><li>Employment\ncommitments or financial issues;<\/li><li>A\nshort-term, self-certificated illness, such as a common cold;<\/li><li>Occasional\nlow mood, stress, or anxiety.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Marks\/grades\ncannot be adjusted by either a Special Circumstances Committee or a Board of\nExaminers as a consequence of Special Circumstances<\/strong>. In many\ncases, if you fail a course and your SC application is upheld, you will\ntypically be allowed to resubmit as if it was the first\/original attempt, or\nyou may have late penalties partially or fully waived. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For\nfurther information, including the Special Circumstances form, see:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ed.ac.uk\/academic-services\/students\/assessment\/special-circumstances\/procedure\">www.ed.ac.uk\/academic-services\/students\/assessment\/special-circumstances\/procedure<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\ncan also email the Student Support Office for the application form:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"mailto:eca-sso@ed.ac.uk\">eca-sso@ed.ac.uk<\/a><strong>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If\nyou feel your studies have been disrupted as a result of Special Circumstances,\n<strong>please contact your Personal Tutor as soon as possible<\/strong>. It is essential\nthat you make an application in good time, prior to the Board of Examiners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your\nPersonal Tutor will provide support and guidance in making an application for\nSpecial Circumstances. The final decision on your application is made by a\nSchool Special Circumstances Committee which meets prior to the Board of\nExaminers. This decision will be communicated to you by the Student Support\nOffice following the publication of results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Authorised\nInterruption of Studies (AIS)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>An\n\u2018Authorised Interruption of Studies\u2019 (AIS) is required if you are going to be\nabsent for more than two weeks. Students seeking an authorised interruption\nmust have their Student Support Officer submit the request for authorised\ninterruption of study form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\nshould contact the Student Support Office as early as possible to discuss\nwhether to apply or to proceed with an application. It is really important that\nyou do not simply stop engaging with your studies \u2013 please seek advice first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ed.ac.uk\/students\/academic-life\/study-interruption\">Authorised\nInterruption of Studies request form<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nform, together with appropriate evidence, will be sent to the ECA Senior Tutor\nfor consideration. Any such request must have the support of the student&#8217;s\nPersonal Tutor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Leave\nof Absence (LoA)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>As a\npostgraduate student you may apply for a Leave of Absence (LoA) to move away\nfrom your normal (semester time) residence to continue your studies for\ntemporary periods at a more remote location. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>An appropriate\napplication procedure must be followed to allow this \u2013 you should not simply\nleave.<\/strong>\n<strong>This is of particular importance to\nthose students who are in the UK on a Tier 4 visa<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Authorisation\nmay be given by Colleges and Schools provided that such a temporary move does\nnot conflict with any other requirement of your programme of study, including\nany obligations to be physically available for on-campus activity. Please note\nthat you have a right to request a LoA, but there is no automatic entitlement\nto being granted one. In some circumstances an Authorised Interruption of\nStudies may be a more appropriate option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you wish to\nrequest a LoA, you should discuss the matter with your Personal Tutor or\nsupervisor, and contact the Student Support office. The SSOs will advise on\nwhether a LoA or an AIS is most appropriate for the time period requested.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Withdrawal<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If\nyou are considering withdrawing from your programme you should contact your\nPersonal Tutor in the first instance. If they are not available, please contact\none of the ECA Student Support Officers. Please note that withdrawing from your\nstudies will have implications for your fee liability, loans, student finance\nand, for international students, your visa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Degree\nProgramme Transfers<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If\nyou are considering making a request to transfer to a different degree\nprogramme, you are advised to contact your Personal Tutor or Student Support\nOfficer as soon as possible to discuss your plans. They will give you advice on\nwhat may or may not be possible, as well as informing you of any formal\nrequirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Transfers\nwithin ECA and to programmes elsewhere in the College of Arts, Humanities and\nSocial Science (CAHSS) are often possible, but a number of factors will be\ntaken into account, including your academic profile to date, space on the\ndestination programme, and other relevant factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Transfers\nwhich extend your total period of study have to be approved by CAHSS and so a\nformal application is required. For more information, see:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ed.ac.uk\/arts-humanities-soc-sci\/taught-students\/changing-your-programme\">www.ed.ac.uk\/arts-humanities-soc-sci\/taught-students\/changing-your-programme<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Transfer\nrequests may be subject to strict deadlines and should therefore be made as\nearly as possible.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Peer Support<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Peer\nSupport in the context of the University means a student with more experience\nsharing their knowledge, skills, abilities and expertise with a new or less\nexperienced student.&nbsp; Peer Support may\nfocus around advancing your academic work, providing opportunities to socialise\nwith other students within your School, or offering additional support to\nensure your wellbeing while at University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Edinburgh\nUniversity Students\u2019 Association (EUSA) and the University have been widely\ndeveloping the Peer Support Project across the University since 2012.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Student\nRepresentation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Staff\nmembers at the University of Edinburgh work closely with student\nrepresentatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Edinburgh\nUniversity Students&#8217; Association (EUSA) coordinates student representation and\nprovides training and support for student representatives across the\nUniversity. Student representatives (\u2018Reps\u2019) listen to you to identify areas\nfor improvement, suggest solutions, and ensure that your views inform strategic\ndecisions within the University, building a stronger academic community and\nimproving your student life. Schools share students\u2019 emails with their student\nrepresentatives as a matter\nof course; any student wishing to opt out from this should tell the School\u2019s\nTeaching Office\/Graduate School or equivalent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ed.ac.uk\/students\/academic-life\/student-voice\/student-representation\">www.ed.ac.uk\/students\/academic-life\/student-voice\/student-representation<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eusa.ed.ac.uk\/representation\/studentrepresentation\/\">www.eusa.ed.ac.uk\/representation\/studentrepresentation\/<\/a>\n<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Student\nFeedback<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Edinburgh\nCollege of Art offer the opportunity for Student Feedback in a variety of\nways.&nbsp; On some postgraduate programmes\n(and\/or groups of postgraduate programmes) this takes the form of a Student\nStaff Liaison Committee (SSLC) that is held once per semester and that is Chaired\nand attended by members of academic staff.&nbsp;\nSome programmes also have meetings throughout the year giving the\nopportunity for students to feedback to academic staff at regular intervals.&nbsp; All student feedback is taken seriously at\nEdinburgh College of Art, and the opportunity is provided for you as a\npostgraduate student to raise any issues, of concern or praise, via the\nmid-course feedback mechanisms and Course Evaluation Questionnaires.&nbsp; Course Evaluation Questionnaires are opened\nat the end of all courses, and provide the opportunity for you to submit\nanonymous feedback on your courses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Programmes\n(or programme groupings) that have a Student Staff Liaison Committee should\nnominate their own student representative to speak at the SSLC meetings.&nbsp; Reps should be chosen at the beginning of the\nacademic year (usually in the first week of Semester 1). If you are interested\nin being a student representative for your programme, please contact your\nProgramme Administrator. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nstudent rep is responsible for letting the wider student body know when\nmeetings will be held, and should invite students to tell her\/him of any ideas\nor problems. Students should also feel free to approach the nominated student\nrepresentative at any time with particular issues. Additionally, you are\ninvited to give full and free comments and opinions on all aspects of your programme,\nto the Programme Director, to other members of staff, or to the ECA Director of\nLearning and Teaching (PG) at any time. Further details on student\nrepresentation can be found at:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ed.ac.uk\/arts-humanities-soc-sci\/taught-students\/participation-quality-assurance\">www.ed.ac.uk\/arts-humanities-soc-sci\/taught-students\/participation-quality-assurance<\/a>\n<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ed.ac.uk\/studying\/postgraduate\/facilities\/academic\/representation\">www.ed.ac.uk\/studying\/postgraduate\/facilities\/academic\/representation<\/a>\n<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eusa.ed.ac.uk\/representation\/yourrepresentatives\/\">www.eusa.ed.ac.uk\/representation\/yourrepresentatives\/<\/a>\n<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A network of student support is in place to help you with any issues you may encounter during your studies. Personal Tutors Each student within ECA is allocated a Personal Tutor whose role is to offer guidance and encourage reflection &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/sdhandbook\/eca-student-support\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">ECA Student Support<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":20,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/sdhandbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1761"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/sdhandbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/sdhandbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/sdhandbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/sdhandbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1761"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/sdhandbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1761\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1762,"href":"https:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/sdhandbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1761\/revisions\/1762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/sdhandbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}