Supporting you
A state-of-the-art refurbishment of our Student
Services/Advice ‘One Stop Shop’ facility is taking place during
2013. This facility will provide highly visible, flexible,
accessible and exceptional learner support services in the heart of
the University.
Being
a student is exciting and a lot of fun. It also involves a lot of
hard work, and for some, it means moving away from home for the
first time. For many, it involves a whole new way of life!
At York St John, we’re keen to make sure that every part of your
student life is as successful and happy as it can be. Our student
support teams are available to you, at any time throughout your
student life, to make sure you get the best out of your time at
University.
We’re here to help you succeed
We offer all students a comprehensive
introduction to university life and study skills, usually starting
just before the first semester begins, continuing through Welcome
Week and well into the first semester. This provides a warm welcome
for those starting university for the first time!
We pride ourselves on our reputation
for putting students at the heart of everything we do and we offer
a wide range of support. Our external Quality Assessors regularly
rate this aspect of our provision as outstanding.
Putting you first
We realise that everyone has different
experiences, personalities, backgrounds and ways in which they
learn, so we have a range of professional experts available to
advise, guide and support you in all your academic, welfare and
recreational needs. We want to ensure that you gain the most from
your experience with us.
Our teams can provide professional
advice, information and guidance, counselling, referral, skills
development, advocacy, liaison, training, assessment and
support.
Additional learning support
York St John is working hard to create
an inclusive environment for all our students to ensure that they
gain the most from their time at university. We work with a wide
range of students who may require some kind of additional learning
support such as students with dyslexia, disabled students or
students with medical conditions.
The Disability Advice Team
The Disability Advice Team coordinates
the University’s support for disabled students and we offer a range
of services such as note taking, mentoring and special arrangements
for examinations.
We realise that each student’s
requirements are different. Therefore, we ask that if you do need
our advice or support that you get in touch with the team as soon
as possible so that we can discuss the types of arrangements that
are in place at the University.
We would also advise you to visit us
if you can, before accepting an offer, as there may be some very
specific arrangements that we may need to discuss. Please call us
on T: 01904 876540 or E: disabilityadvice@yorksj.ac.uk
Specific learning difficulties such
as dyslexia
The University offers screening for
specific learning difficulties (SpLDs) and you can also apply for
funding towards the costs of a full educational psychologist’s
assessment. If you are diagnosed with a SpLD there is a wide range
of support and guidance to help you. This includes individual and
small group sessions with specialist tutors, mentoring and training
on the use of assistive technology software packages such as
TextHelp and Inspiration.
Funding to pay for support
Most UK full-time and part-time
students, who require the sorts of services mentioned above, are
eligible to apply for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA) from
their funding provider such as Student Finance England. DSAs are
non means-tested grants which can be used to pay for such things as
technical equipment, support workers and specialist one-to-one
study skills tuition. Further details on the funding available can
be found at www.yorksj.ac.uk/DSAs
How can I find out more?
If you have any queries or would like
to arrange a visit please do not hesitate to get in touch. You can
contact us on: T: 01904 876540 or E: disabilityadvice@yorksj.ac.uk
Study development
Study development is available
to all students and is delivered through workshops, short
writing courses, individual and small group tutorials. It is
available to help you to improve your overall abilities as a
student, whether you have identified a particular problem or if you
just want to develop your writing. It provides support in many
areas of academic study such as structuring and planning your
research, improving your academic writing style and expanding your
critical vocabulary.
Health and welfare
Your success at York St John
University is dependent on your wellbeing, so your health and
welfare are very important to us. We offer the following
services:
Wellbeing & Counselling
The Wellbeing team offers free
confidential support for students to discuss personal or academic
concerns. Our professional counsellors offer drop-in and
appointment sessions and work on a one-to-one or group basis.
Wellbeing Advisers provide specialist advice and facilitate a range
of skills training workshops on personal development and emotional
wellbeing issues. We want you to succeed in our studies and the
Wellbeing team are here to help.
Health Centre
We recognise the importance of quality
health care for all students and our on-campus medical practice
provides a wide range of free health services for students. Health
promotion activities/campaigns are held regularly, to help you make
the most of your time as a student.
Residential Support Assistants
The team consists of trained
residential support assistants and a number of team members are on
call every night during term-time. The team works closely with
colleagues across the University in coordinating responses to wide
ranging issues relating to the student experience. Together they
work to ensure an environment where you will feel safe, supported
and able to succeed in your studies.
Chaplaincy & Spiritual Care
The Chaplaincy & Spiritual Care
team offer holistic spiritual care to students from all beliefs and
none.
The University provides a prayer room
for use by all faiths, the Peace Garden, the Quiet Place and the
Chapel. Christian worship takes place on a daily basis.
The Chaplaincy offers a
nonjudgemental, confidential ‘listening ear’ service to all and
Chaplaincy team members fully respect each person’s identity and
beliefs. Faith advisers from many of the world faiths also provide
support and advice. It also has a role in helping to ensure that
issues of faith are fully and appropriately attended to within the
life of York St John.
This includes, for example, offering
opportunities to engage with local faith communities and increasing
religious literacy among all students and staff.
Student Advice
The Student Advice team will provide
you with advice and guidance concerning a wide range of student
issues and matters relating to student life. If the team cannot
deal with your enquiry directly they will either refer you on to an
expert adviser in one of our specialist teams, another member of
York St John staff or an external advisory body where
appropriate.
They can be contacted on T: 01904
876477 or E: studentadviceteam@yorksj.ac.uk
Student Funding Advice Team
These advisers are available to
provide you with impartial advice on a wide range of issues
including student funding, welfare benefits, debt, housing,
part-time and casual employment, insurance and consumer rights. The
team can also provide information on the different scholarships,
fee waivers and bursaries for which you may be eligible.
T: 01904 876939
E: fundingadvice@yorksj.ac.uk