Advice and Support Centre
• Opening times 9am-6pm Monday-Thursday, 9am-4pm Friday. Advisers can be contacted between 9 and 6 Monday to Thursday and 9 and 5 on a Friday.
• We offer specialist advice on money, housing, academic issues and international student issues including student immigration.
• We also offer generalist advice on issues such as student employment, consumer matters, health and welfare etc. For specialist advice we refer or signpost elsewhere.
• We manage caseloads as well as offering advice to students who drop in and only require a one off service. Many students return to us with multiple enquiries throughout their time at the University.
• We are an independent, impartial and confidential service. We are licensed to advise and covered by indemnity insurance. We are liable as a service and as individuals should we give inaccurate advice. Furthermore, we cannot not share any of a student’s information with the university or any other third party, without their permission. Neither Data Protection law or our licence will permit this.
• Advisers maintain up to date knowledge of their specialist areas through continued training as well as through research and reading of professional journals and online sources.
• The Advice and Support Centre keeps an electronic record of any interaction with a student that has led to advice. This record can only be accessed by other members of the team and provides an accurate record for the student and third parties should the student wish for us to share information held on the database.
Finance and International Adviser
• Student immigration advice and assistance/representation
Tier 4 extensions
Dependants of PBS Migrants’ applications
Tier 1 (Post Study Work) applications
Rejected immigration applications
Refused immigration applications
Tier 4, Dependants of PBS Migrants and Tier 1 (PSW) appeals
Requests for reconsideration of refusals and rejections
• Advice and information in conditions of visa e.g. Police registration, employment restrictions, attendance and authorised absences from University.
• Advice and Information on laws and custom in the UK e.g. driving, using NHS services, utilities’ provision etc.
• Advice when students experience financial difficulties. Negotiation with University or third parties on their behalf.
• We operate the Student Batch Scheme so send Tier 4 and Dependants of PBS Migrants applications on students’ behalves. This is a useful scheme as the Batch Team is expert in student applications and does not make errors that other areas of UKBA do. The team is fair and reasonable so if a student has an unusual situation or is making an out of time application, we encourage students to let me send their application to the Batch Team. This also makes me the point of contact for the Team which is particularly useful where a student’s English is not strong.
Housing Adviser
• We mediate inter-tenant disputes or disputes between students and landlords. This can be particularly useful to international student where cultural or language barriers can make reaching an understanding or agreement, awkward.
• We offer to check that students’ tenancy agreements are legal and fair.
• We respond to health and safety concerns from students in private rented accommodation by carrying out checks ourselves or involving the relevant local authority.
• We may offer support to students who wish to leave accommodation or are dissatisfied with it. We try to help manage international students’ expectations of accommodation in the UK.
• We answer all queries regarding council tax or rent and any general housing enquiries.
• We provide information and material to assist students with finding appropriate accommodation.
• Depending on the nature of the enquiry and the situation, we may be bale to represent students in legal or ongoing disputes. This is an invaluable service for international students unfamiliar with UK law.
Academic Adviser
• We advise on academic hearings if students accused of academic misconduct. Academic misconduct disproportionately affects international students due to their unfamiliarity with teaching and learning methods in the UK.
• We offer advice on grades and progression on students’ courses.
• We advise on withdrawal and transfers looking at the academic perspective and the immigration considerations.
• Advice on remarks can be given.
• International students benefit from assistance with applications for extenuating circumstances when they are unable to submit assignments or sit exams. Ill-health, events in their personal lives or immigration issues, can mean that international students are forced to return home or experience periods during which they are unable to study. Identifying and expressing extenuating circumstances can be difficult for all students, especially internationals.
• We can advise and assist with academic appeals. International students may have more difficulty in writing an appeal in their second or third language and there may be factor relevant in an international student’s case that are less so in home student’s appeal, e.g. lack of support in English Language, UK academic methods not explained clearly enough to students, discrimination etc.
• We can also assist with complaints about a student’s course or University staff. We try to mediate where possible but if a formal complaint is necessary then individual assistance might be offered or we will use our Student Voice programme to canvass the opinions of other students and raise the problem through course or school representatives.
• The Academic Adviser runs workshops for international students and they are encouraged by their schools to attend. The workshops focus on academic misconduct and how certain activity is perceived as ‘cheating’ in the UK education system where it might not be in their home countries.
General Services
• Lists of doctors’ and dentists’ surgeries. We also explain to international students what Identification and paperwork they will need to have to register with a GP or dentist.
• We stock HC1 forms for reductions in NHS prescription charges.
• We offer information on health and welfare. Free condoms
• We have University shuttle bus time tables and an adviser is available at Walsall campus once a week.
• We produce our own booklets and information about housing, finance, international issues, academic problems etc.
• The Advice and Support Centre is a Crime Reporting Centre. Students can speak in private with the campus Police Officer and officially report crimes.