University Calendar 2006/7
Section X
Responsibilities and Obligations of Tutors
Section X
Responsibilities and Obligations of Tutors
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University Calendar 2006/7 Section X Responsibilities and Obligations of Tutors |
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2.1 Medical Registration and Illness It is important that all students have access to medical advice if they need it. It would be of great assistance if tutors would remind students, especially first year and international students, of the available sources of such advice and that they should register either with Highfield Health or the University Health Service (which will accept registration from all students under the National Health Service provided that they live within reasonable distance of the University), or with a local general practitioner. Tutors may find it helpful to know the practices with whom their students are registered; this information is normally given at registration and should appear on the University Registration Form, a copy of which may be consulted in the relevant School Office. A self-catering suite of three rooms is set aside in the Wessex Lane Halls for use by any sick or seriously disturbed student, and their carer. Initial contact should be made through the Warden, Tel: 023 8059 8015. Periods of absence owing to illness for up to five days, or short-term illness during an examination, should be reported using forms for self-certification of illness available from School Offices and the Student Services Centre. In cases of serious illness, or periods of absence longer than five days, a certificate signed by a medical practitioner may be requested. Where an illness or medical condition persists for some time and affects the student's ability to study, the student may qualify for additional assistance with their academic activities and should be referred to the Disability Service, ext 27726, email: enable@soton.ac.uk. Students holding awards from public funds who are absent through illness for 28 days or more must arrange for the submission of medical certificate/s to the School Office. With the student's permission, the doctors in the University Health Service and Highfield Health are always willing to discuss with a tutor the medical problems of a student, especially where ill-health is interfering with study or the stress of academic work may be affecting health. Tutors are asked to inform the Health Service through School Offices of students who propose to withdraw, who request suspension of course because of ill-health, or who are returning after such suspension. It is then possible to arrange help, plan medical care for the period of absence, and offer subsequent supervision in an attempt to prevent problems recurring. 2.2 Guidelines on Consensual Relationships The University of Southampton regards relationships between staff and students for whom they have some specific academic or other professional responsibility as an important professional issue. This is particularly so where relationships are romantic or sexual in nature. It is recognised that there can be no absolutes in defining whether a relationship is romantic; however it might conjure words such as emotional, close, deep, passionate, tender, affectionate or intimate. An overriding issue in determining if a relationship has crossed the professional boundary is whether the member of staff concerned would like other staff and students to know about the relationship. There are other types of relationships which are covered by these guidelines, including marital or established partnerships, parental or sibling. For the purposes of these guidelines, the term 'staff' also encompasses postgraduate students who have supervision, teaching, or assessment responsibilities. All such consensual relationships raise serious questions of conflict of interest and equal treatment in teaching and assessments, selection and research. They can also be damaging to trust, confidence and dependency as well as potentially having a harmful effect on working relationships with other students and colleagues. There can be no objection in principle or, if matters are properly handled, in practice to personal relationships between staff and students, but the list below details some services and functions where particular care is required. For the protection of both staff and students, the boundaries of the professional role of staff must be fully recognised and respected. Staff should recognise their professional and ethical responsibility to protect the interests of students, to respect the trust involved in the staff-student relationship, and to accept the constraints and obligations inherent in that responsibility. Consequently, a personal relationship between a member of staff and a student, particularly where it is a romantic or sexual one, will always involve serious risks rooted in unequal power as well as real problems in maintaining the boundaries of professional and personal life. In such circumstances, staff are strongly advised to terminate any supervisory, assessment or other direct professional responsibility in connection with the student and to make alternative arrangements for the discharge of those responsibilities. It should be noted that there are some services and functions whose work requires particular care where they are dealing with vulnerable adults as detailed in the Home Office Guidance 'Caring for Young People and the Vulnerable'. There is no strict definition of a vulnerable adult given in the Guidance. The relationship, however, would normally be based on authority and trust and the potential for exploitation so strong that any romantic or sexual relationship would be unacceptable whilst the member of staff continues in their professional capacity with that vulnerable adult. It can also cover people who go through periods of vulnerability, for example after having a nervous breakdown and subsequently recovering. Such services where particular care is required include, but not exhaustively:
There are also some functions within Schools where such care is similarly necessary and this includes personal tutor roles. 2.3 Insurance for Students Abroad Tutors and supervisors are asked to make clear to students travelling abroad as part of their University course that the University does not arrange insurance cover for them. In the case of medical expenses in particular, such students should be advised to take out personal insurance cover. The University offers a comprehensive insurance package which students can purchase. Further details are available from Ruth McFadyen (hrm@soton.ac.uk). Students may be eligible for free medical services when travelling to a country which has reciprocal Health Service arrangements with the United Kingdom. Please note, however, that membership of the European Union (EU) does not necessarily mean that reciprocal Health Service arrangements exist. To be eligible for free medical services where they are available within the EU, students should be advised to obtain an E128 form from the UK National Insurance Contributions Office (0191 225 4811) prior to their departure. This would entitle a UK student studying in France, for example, the same medical benefits a French student would receive. Students seeking advice on other insurance matters should be referred to the Advice and Information Centre in the Students' Union. 2.4 Changes in University Enrolment Students admitted to the University must enrol formally on first arrival and at the start of each session. Arrangements are co-ordinated by their School Office. Enrolment ensures that students receive a student card, which is required when using the Library, Information Systems Services and Students' Union facilities. Tutors should inform their School Office, by completing a Change of Course form, of all changes in a student's enrolment particulars, some of which may have to be approved by School Boards. It is essential that students complete this form for any change of unit course within the first three weeks of the semester. Where this involves a change of School or degree programme for an undergraduate, a School transfer form, available in all School Offices, must be completed. If the student is supported by a LEA and/or the SLC, and a longer period of study is entailed, this support will normally be extended for the full duration of the new course only if the change is notified to the LEA/SLC (by School staff) before the second year of study begins. 2.5 Withdrawal from Course and Suspension Attendance No paid or unpaid work should be undertaken by students during a period of full-time study which would conflict with a student's studies and the obligation to attend all required classes. Persistent absence from required classes may constitute grounds for termination of course. Students must also abide by any condition of their studentships which include a restriction on part-time work as a condition of their award. Furthermore, in the event of poor academic or clinical performance, no student may cite as an extenuating circumstance that their study was adversely affected by any period of paid or unpaid work. The University has the right to terminate at any time the course of a student whose academic work proves unsatisfactory, or whose level of attendance is unacceptable. Withdrawal Students who withdraw from the University are required to notify the School Office (see Calendar, Section IV, General Regulations for Students, Regulation 9), but as a safeguard tutors also should notify the School Office at the earliest possible time. Tutors are asked to identify the cause of withdrawal and inform School Offices of the reason which grant-awarding authorities will wish to know. This information is also required for the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA): tutors should remind any student (including any postgraduate student) withdrawing from the University to comply with this regulation immediately, and to include a brief statement of the reasons for and the effective date of leaving. When an undergraduate seeks to transfer to another institution, the School Office should be informed of the position at the time of transfer, since steps have to be taken to ensure the continuation of the student's LEA/SLC support. Students who are withdrawing from a course and are not transferring to another course, should do so within 20 weeks of the date of first attendance (vacations are not counted in the 20 weeks); since otherwise they will not be eligible for LEA/SLC support at any time in the future, unless there are exceptional grounds for withdrawal, such as health problems. Students do not have to repay their grant/loan for any weeks for which they have received instruction, but they do have to repay the grant/loan for any other weeks of term and the Christmas and Easter vacations, where applicable. Students who are transferring to another course can normally continue to receive an award if arrangements are made within 16 months of the start of the course. Students who are withdrawing from a course can be referred to the Student Advice & Information Centre for further advice on their financial position. Students may also find it helpful to contact the Counselling Service and/or Careers Advisory Service to discuss their decision and future plans. Suspension Requests for suspension of registration (as distinct from permanent withdrawal) should similarly be made to the School Office. Where suspension is on grounds of ill-health, the student should be informed that return to the University will be conditional upon the provision of a medical certificate. Degree programmes with professional accreditation may have additional requirements regarding student health, and students registered on such programmes are asked to seek advice from the relevant School Office. Students who suspend their registration will not be eligible to claim benefits and will normally have their award suspended also. Students who are likely to be in financial difficulty should be referred to the Student Advice & Information Centre for further advice. Where an illness or medical condition persists for some time and affects the student's ability to study, the student may qualify for additional assistance with their academic activities, and should be referred to the Disability Service, ext 25644. 2.6 Preparing References for Students Background Writing references may appear to be a straightforward matter, and indeed many apparent problems can be solved simply by common sense. However, it is important to protect both the reference-writer and the University from legal claims, and the advice in this section is offered for that purpose. Content of References
Telephone References References should not be given over the telephone except in exceptional circumstances (you do not know how the information will be filtered as it passes through the various stages of what the enquirer understood you to say, what s/he jotted down, what s/he reported orally to the panel). If references are given over the telephone, a note should be made of the information given and a follow-up written reference should be sent. When a written reference is provided and this is followed up by a phone call, the same advice applies. Access, Confidentiality and Sensitive Information The Data Protection Act 1998 gives subjects the right, in principle and under certain conditions, to see any information kept about them in either computerised or paper form, and also places conditions on the release of sensitive information. This clearly has implications for references. There has been no case law so far, and so it is not clear how the Act will work in practice, but the following is our best advice at present.
Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, it is unlawful for employers, or prospective employers, to take into account offences in relation to which the person is deemed to be rehabilitated, unless for example they are involved in the care or supervision of children as part of their duties. This means that after a certain period of time, which will depend upon the seriousness of the offences and the length and severity of the punishment, the person concerned should be assessed as if the conviction had never occurred; ie: the conviction is considered to be 'spent'. The individual may omit to give details of a 'spent' conviction to a prospective employer and this must not be counted against him/her in selection. Where a request for a reference seeks information regarding previous convictions, offences or conduct, the question should be treated as not relating to 'spent' convictions and the answer framed accordingly. There are, however, certain professions, offices and employment where individuals must disclose all previous offences. Human Resources can provide more information on these exemptions and when a conviction is considered to be 'spent'. Insurance The University has insurance which covers both itself and individual members of staff (as employees) against claims arising from a reference. This includes references written by a member of staff while employed by the University, and as an employee on University business - so including references on behalf of current and former students or employees - but excluding references written in a private capacity, for example on behalf of a friend or neighbour. The cover extends beyond the period of the referee's employment by the University, but only for references written while in employment here. If you are challenged over a reference, you should immediately refer the matter to the Director of Student Services (for references on students) or on the Director of Human Resources (for references on staff). 2.7 Research Students The University places great emphasis on the importance of good supervision. The responsibilities of supervisors and students are set out in the University's Code of Practice on Research Candidature and Supervision (in the Calendar, Section V). Individual Schools require supervisors to monitor closely the progress of research students with a view to ensuring submission of a thesis within the prescribed time limit. This will involve both supervisor and student in producing progress reports at least annually. The maximum and minimum periods of candidature for research degrees are also set out in the Regulations for Higher Degrees. Students who have completed the minimum period of candidature must continue in registration, and pay the appropriate fee, until they submit their thesis or withdraw, otherwise their candidature lapses. School Boards may allow students to transfer to nominal registration when they have completed the minimum period of candidature, ceased to require supervision, and planned their thesis in detail after discussing it in draft with their supervisor. Nominal registration lasts one year initially, and candidates must apply in writing to their School Office for any extension. A nominal registration fee will be charged at the time of transfer. Before contemplating transfer to nominal registration, students holding studentships should carefully check upon the effect of any change of status on their studentships. It is helpful if any changes to candidature are recommended to the School Board during the summer vacation, or at least that the position of every research candidate is reviewed, so that the students' status is clear at the start of the next session when they come to enrol and to be charged fees. Supervisors should be aware that additional support may be available for research students who have a specific learning difficulty (e.g. dyslexia), or disability. Please contact Deb Viney, the Disability Co-ordinator, Ext 25644. 2.8 Academic Appeals Copies of the full Regulations governing Appeals by Undergraduate or Postgraduate Instructional Students, or by Postgraduate Research Students, are available from School Offices or from the Student Support Manager, Student Services Department (Ext 23062). Students requiring assistance in requesting a review or making an appeal may wish to contact the Student Advice & Information Centre for advice and representation as appropriate. The Regulations are published in full in Section IV of the Calendar. 2.9 Student Complaints Procedures Copies of the full Regulations Governing Student Complaints, as approved by Senate in March 2001, are available from School Offices or from the Student Support Manager, Student Services Department (Ext 23062). Students requiring assistance in making a complaint may wish to contact the Student Advice and Information Centre for advice and representation as appropriate. . The Regulations are published in full in Section IV of the Calendar.
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Submitted by the Editors |
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