The students of Sussex have many support services on the campus. Here are three such support services.
1 Student Life Centre: This gives general information useful for students. It also provides information relating to the important University procedures, advice and guidance; general money advice; and specific advice in relation to hardship funds, scholarships and bursaries and non-UK student-finance schemes (e.g. US loans).
2. Academic Advisor: All students are assigned an Academic Advisor who is a faculty member of the School/Department. The role of the Academic Advisor is to provide advice and assistance to their students. The Academic Advisor is often the first person to see when problems arise. The Academic Advisor receives a report from the course tutors, and students should make arrangements to discuss these with him or her at the start of each term. Any number of times student can meet the Academic Advisor so that the Academic Advisors become a vital link between the students and the University. If a student develops good relationship with the Academic Advisor, she or he can get ‘Academic References’ from the academic advisor easily whenever required even after the students leave the University. The students can take appointments to see their Academic Advisors if they have any problems throughout their time at Sussex. Each academic advisor is assigned 20-30 students.
3. Student Mentors: Student mentors (also known as peer mentors) are second and third year Undergraduates and postgraduate students who have been trained to offer advice and support to other students. There are mentors from each department and school throughout the University. Student Mentors help the students to succeed in their studies. They have a broad knowledge of the student support available on campus and where to direct the students for more specific help. They work closely with the team of Student Advisors and had received training to play their role effectively. The student mentors are paid for their work (£ 8 per hour). The students are advised to go along prepared to see a mentor. This could mean bringing questions that have arisen from reading a text, a proposed essay plan, interpreting feedback from a tutor, preparatory work for a presentation and assignment etc. On every Wednesday, 5-6 mentors in the School of Life Science are available for students between 2.00 to-4.00pm.
Mentors are seen as an integral part of student support in most Schools as it is recognised that some
students would prefer to talk first with one of their peers. Mentors are not intended to be a substitute for Personal Tutors, course tutors or Student Advisors.
students would prefer to talk first with one of their peers. Mentors are not intended to be a substitute for Personal Tutors, course tutors or Student Advisors.
Having student or peer mentor is a good idea. For a University spread over a large area this element of student support, I guess, comes in very handy.
ReplyDeleteActually student mentor is a good idea. Can we implement it in our College? One possible issue could be the academic load on the prospective student mentors themselves. What is the difference between the number of hours of lectures for Sussex students per week as compared to our students?
ReplyDeleteWe can implement this in our college by identifying students who are academically very good in different subjects and willing to accept this responsibilty. Our students have on an average 10 hours per week more academic work than Sussex.Our academic year is spread over nine months whereas here it is six and half months including examinations.
ReplyDeleteThis is equal to 2,350 hrs that our students are in class for. Exactly what is it that we are doing in this extra time? And why are not producing more Nobel prize winners?
ReplyDeleteI am sorry this is 2350 extra class hours
ReplyDeleteOur system of education is an affiliating system. All Indian Universities are following mass education system. Here the courses are designed and assessed by the faculty who has complete academic freedom. The courses are more specialised and specific in the areas.Ten hours is not an extra time we have and our system demands teaching in these hours also .
ReplyDelete