Northern College Good Practice Guide in Teaching and Learning

14.1 The Northern College provides students with a range of support services. Such services offer guidance, tutoring, counselling and mentoring. They help students to develop the skills to do various things:

to reflect on their personal, academic and vocational objectives
to set career or life goals
to adopt an appropriate learning style
to cope with difficulties and crises
to review their progress in and beyond formal education

14.2 The College supports student learning by providing various types of guidance:

Academic guidance on the nature and requirements of courses or programmes
Career guidance on the relevance of formal education to jobs or careers
Learning guidance on the availability and use of specially created facilities (e.g. for people with learning difficulties)
Personal guidance on financial, welfare and other personal matters
Administrative guidance on pre-entry, entry, on-programme and post-programme aspects of the formal educational system to which students will relate

All those who come into contact with students and, more especially, the teaching staff and the specially trained staff based in a dedicated student services unit share the role of guidance.

14.3 Tutors accept that they have a role to play in supporting students above and beyond their teaching responsibilities. In fact, they perform a pivotal guidance role for full-time as well as part-time students.

Students come to tutors to discuss and explore their needs and interests.
Students are helped to set specific goals with a view to realising them.
Students are advised to explore possible ways to act and to implement any self-chosen action plans.
Students are helped to evaluate their progress vis-à-vis their goals.

In each of the above stages, and more especially in the initial ones, students are made to feel welcomed, 'cared for' and safe so that they are able to develop trust in those who provide them with guidance.

14.5 A formalised mechanism for helping students become adept to studying and living in the College is the general induction process. In the case of full-time Diploma and Higher Education students this takes place before the relevant programme actually begins, and in the case of part-time students it takes place during either day visits or the introductory session of a short course.

14.6 Tutors also take on the role of personal tutors to provide guidance in relation to study and other matters where required.

14.7 Students whose personal or family situation is of such a nature that it impacts negatively on their academic performance make arrangements to seek guidance and support from part-time qualified counsellors.

14.8 'Specialist' support is provided to benefit students with learning difficulties and\or disabilities. This is done in line with the College's equal opportunities policy. (See checklist)

14.9 Generally, the College's guidance and support system spans all aspects of campus life from student entry through to student exit.