Communicating with Schools
Quick links:
Contacting school about circumstances
Adviser of studies
Chasing up contact
Unable to contact staff
Worried about speaking to staff
Preparing for meetings with staff
Q: I need to let the School know about circumstances affecting my studies. Who do I need to tell?
A: It's normally best to send an email to the generic school address or School secretary. Then it will be forwarded to the people who need to know, and you may be asked to give more details, or explain your circumstances in person. There might also be your guidance in your module handbook about who you need to contact in certain situations.
Q: Who is my adviser of studies?
A: You can find this out by checking your advising page. Once you know who it is, an easy way to find their contact details is by checking the lists of advisers under documents on the Advising and matriculation page.
Q: I've emailed my adviser/tutor/module organiser a few days ago and I haven't had a response, what shall I do now?
A: Try phoning or going to see the member of staff in person. They might also be away, so it is worth checking with the School secretary.
Q: My tutor/lecturer is always out of their office or too busy. I need to speak to someone about my assignment quickly.
A: Academic staff do much more than just teaching. Lecturers also do research, publish articles/books, present work at conferences/other institutions, apply for grants, supervise a number of staff and students, perform administrative tasks and be part of committees, all alongside writing and giving lectures and tutorials and other teaching duties. So, they may not always be in their office and free to see students. Try sending an email, or checking with a school secretary. Next time, try and catch your tutor/lecturer before it becomes urgent.
Q: I'm worried about speaking to the staff in the School, have you got any advice?
A: Sometimes it can be quite scary speaking to your lecturers - you might see them as big important people, difficult to approach, and too busy to deal with your queries. But whilst they are often leaders in their field, and extremely busy, part of their role is responding to student queries. This doesn't mean you can go and ask them for all the answers to your assignments, but it does mean that you shouldn't feel bad if you need to speak to them about circumstances affecting your work, or asking for a bit of direction to complete your assignments.
Q: I've got a meeting with my lecturer/supervisor to ask a few questions about my assignment. Is there anything I should do to prepare?
A: Making a list of things you need to discuss helps, and highlight those that you really need to look at. Make sure you've done enough background reading so that you can understand what you are discussing, you can't just expect to be given the answers. It's best to go into the meeting with ideas so that you have something to start with. Remember to scribble down some notes/key points during your meeting so that you don't forget what you've been told when you leave the room.