Student Consultation Policy

Document type: Rule/Policy/Plan/Guidelines/Operating Procedures
Administering entity: Provost
Date approved: 03 Mar 09
Latest amendment date: 11 June 09
Approved by: (Academic Board / Principal)
Indicative time for review: Annual
Responsibility for review: Academic Board

1     Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure the implementation of a mechanism provided by TOP Education Institute that all students have access to appropriate student consultation services, outside of the lecture/tutorial time, with academic staff as and when required.

2     Scope

This policy applies to all Academic Staff including full-time and part-time/sessional lecturers and students at the Institute.

3     Definitions

Consultation means a time for students to seek face-to-face contact with Academic staff in order to raise any issues that they may have in the unit they are studying. This time is to be used to consult on issues related specifically to the unit the lecturer is teaching. Any student who seeks Academic skills support or Language Support should go to those at Drop In times and not at the Consultation time.

4     Procedures

4.1        All Academic staff must be available for appropriate student consultation times each week during designated study periods in which their teaching occurs in addition to the associated examination period for that study period. These times must be advised to students at Orientation and prominently displayed within the Institute such as a notice on the door of the staff member/s.

4.2       Both full-time and part-time Academic staff must have a consultation time of two hours each week during teaching weeks.

4.3        Academic Staff should ensure that the Director of Business Programs is advised of all consultation hours at the beginning of each semester. The Director of Programs will inform Administration staff of these times which will be published in the unit outlines, the timetable and on the information board.

4.4        The Administration, HR & Finance Manager and Director of Business Programs will work together to ensure that consultation times do not clash with the timetable.

4.5       Consultation sessions will be held at places suitable for the purpose such as a vacant lecture room, tutorial room, teachers’ office, the office of Director of Business Studies, or the Library.

.4.6       Should a student request a private or confidential consultation for academic purposes, the consultation can be located at the counseling room in the Institution, or any office without the attendance of other person.

5     Online Consultation

5.1        The Institute has introduced the Moodle system, a commercial off-the-shelf online teaching and leaning tool to assist in facilitating student consultation with academic staff

5.2        All academic staff and students have access to the Moodle through the website of the Institute by the use of their passwords

5.3     The Institute also provides all academic staff and students with TOP Education email accounts

5.4        The Institute encourages students to utilize the online tool for consultation outside of lecture/tutorial times. The lecturers, full-time or part-time, are obligated to respond to emails from students in relation to the academic consultation.

6  Related Documents

i.                Unit Evaluation,

ii.                Course Evaluation Survey