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University of Liverpool MANAGEMENT
SCHOOL ACADEMIC ADVISOR
HANDBOOK
2014-2015
Academic Advisor Handbook, 2014-2015
2
CONTENTS
1. The Purpose of the Academic Advisor Framework
2. The Role of the Academic Advisor
3. The Role of the School in Student Support
4. University Level Support for Academic Advisors
5. Referral and Advice
6. Organisation of the Academic Advisor Framework in the University of Liverpool Management School
Academic Advisor Handbook, 2014-2015
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1. The Purpose of the Academic Advisor Framework
The University of Liverpool regards the role of the Academic Advisor as a
fundamental component of the relationship between academic teaching staff
and students. It is a key contributor to a positive student experience.
For students, time spent at University brings opportunity not only for
disciplinary academic growth but also for effective and guided personal
development. Academic Advisors should aim to foster partnerships with
students to promote their development as independent and scholarly learners.
The Academic Advisor framework, by promoting both formal and informal
contact between academic staff and students, fosters a sense of an academic
community. The framework is intended to contribute to the academic success
of students by focussing on their individual development and ensuring their
academic work is monitored and supported by their advisors. The advisor-
student relationship should also ensure that academic progress is not
obstructed by issues which may well be resolved by timely advice from the
advisor or other support/professional services staff.
The Academic Advisor should also develop a relationship with a student that is
supportive in encouraging students to develop their skills for self-management
and employment. This will best be realised through the experience of a well-
designed and delivered programme of learning, teaching and assessment, as
well as through opportunities provided outside the formal curriculum. The new
My Liverpool interactive resource is a website where students can find out
about a wide range of co- and extra- curricular activities that they can take part
in to make the most of their time at Liverpool. These opportunities include
sports, music, volunteering, CE courses (some of which are free to students)
opportunities to study abroad, specific activities organised by a student’s
school/department and many many more……. Students can search the new
website via www.liv.ac.uk/my-liverpool
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For many new students life at university will bring great excitement along with
new problems, stresses and anxieties, particularly in the early weeks. Many of
these problems can be addressed if the student has the opportunity to talk
and, most importantly, to be listened to. However, the Academic Advisor is
only part of a network of support provided by the wider University.
This handbook sets out the minimum engagement expected in your role as
Academic Advisor.
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2. The Role of the Academic Advisor
All students at the University of Liverpool will be assigned a named academic
member of staff as their Academic Advisor. Their role is to develop a
relationship with the students assigned to them: to provide information, advice
and guidance on academic matters; to direct students to further sources of
information on academic matters and to the wide range of information, advice
and guidance on non-academic matters available to students at Liverpool.
Schools (and in some instances departments) will be responsible for the
administration of this process [see section 6].
The Academic Advisor will:
i. Meet with the student at the beginning of their studies and at the
start of each new academic year. For new undergraduate and
postgraduate taught students, the initial meeting should normally
take place during Welcome Week. This could be a group meeting
where the Academic Advisor meets with all newly assigned
students.
ii. Ensure that the students are made aware of the additional support
offered within the School and across the institution.
iii. Ensure that the students are aware that they can contact/meet
with the Academic Advisor at other times during the year. i.e. AAs
should provide details of their office hours.
iv. Arrange a second meeting to take place within the first 4-8 weeks
of the 1st semester. Ideally this should be a one to one meeting. At
this meeting the Academic Advisor may help the student to review
their experience so far, highlight the stated learning outcomes of
the programme of study and discuss opportunities and a strategy
for personal development [Section 6 will provided details on
specific School advice for Academic Advisors. Students
Academic Advisor Handbook, 2014-2015
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undertaking PBL classes may have this meeting with the PBL tutor.
Dates for these meetings are mapped against group rotations].
v. Arrange a further meeting (feedback tutorial) in the 2nd semester
during which overall progress can be discussed.
vi. Keep a record of student attendance at these meetings. This is
important in cases where a student complaint is made. Academic
Advisors should be aware of the University Framework for Student
Attendance. The sections relevant to the role of the Academic
Advisor are reproduced below:
Section 3.5. …. The monitoring of student engagement by reviewing
attendance at recordable activities will form part of the School’s overall
monitoring of students’ academic progress and their support for their
wellbeing. A range of systems will be in place to do this, including the
Academic Advisor system;
Section 3.10. … If a student (subsequently) returns to their studies, a meeting
will be held with their academic advisor to discuss their attendance and
investigate any underlying issues or contributing factors affecting poor
attendance.
Section 3.11. … where a student is showing poor engagement by intermittent
attendance, the normal processes for exploring the reasons for this with the
student and providing support should take place, normally with the academic
advisor.
A guide to how Academic Advisors within the School should structure the
meetings in the best interests of the students is detailed in section 6.
Academic Advisor Handbook, 2014-2015
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Notes:
All students will be assigned an Academic Advisor. This includes UG,
PGT, PGR and exchange students.
Schools will be responsible for allocating Academic Advisors and for
administration of the framework.
Where possible Academic Advisors should be initially allocated
students who are studying within programmes they are associated
with.
Schools will be responsible for ensuring that Academic Advisors are
provided with the necessary information, training and support to carry
out the role (See section 6). Additional support will be provided by
CLL. www.liv.ac.uk/eddev
Students joining the University at different times in the year (i.e. as
Year 2 entrants, PG medics etc.) should be provided the same support
as Year 1 students.
Mitigating circumstances: Academic Advisors should be prepared to
give advice to students on the University Policy on Mitigating
Circumstances, although students can also obtain guidance from the
Guild if they wish.
Academic Advisors should arrange appropriate student support if they
are likely to be absent from the University for any reason. Schools
should ensure that appropriate cover is provided where an Academic
Advisor will be absent for a substantial period of time e.g. study leave.
It may be appropriate in some areas that the undergraduate
dissertation/project supervisor takes the role of Academic Advisor in
the final year of study.
The primary PGR supervisor will be indicated in the student Liverpool
Life/TULIP record as the first point of contact for student support and it
is likely that the supervisor will also have the role as Academic Advisor..
However, the Guide on Academic Progress of PGR Students states that
all PGR students have a Progress Assessment Panel independent of the
supervisory team and that other independent figures are available, for
Academic Advisor Handbook, 2014-2015
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example Directors of PGRs and mentors. Any of these might also carry
out some of the functions of an Academic Advisor
Formal timetabling of Academic Advising sessions is suggested as good
practice.
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3. The Role of the School in Student Support
Each School will have a student support team available to provide advice to both
students and staff and refer students to specialist support services available
across the University. The support team can also give guidance on non-
academic/personal aspects of student life: information on who to contact will be
found in the student handbook. In addition, students can independently contact
central Student Support Services at any time during their studies; more
information is available at http://www.liv.ac.uk/studentsupport/
Named persons within the school support team should be identified to act as
an additional point of contact for students. Schools are responsible for
ensuring this provision is made available and communicated to academic staff
and students. Schools are also responsible for ensuring that appropriate
training is provided to these individuals. The school student support team can
comprise both academic and professional services staff. The organisation in the
School is detailed in section 6.
The school student support team will:
i. Provide a point of contact within the School to provide both advice
on School level procedures and signposting to central and
specialised support services for both students and academic
advisors.
ii. Be proactive in responding to and liaising with central support
services to meet the support needs of identified cohorts of
students (e.g. mature, international, disabled, care leavers) and of
vulnerable students e.g. students experiencing personal difficulties.
iii. Be a point of contact for the Disability Support Team (or other
central support services) prior to admission to co-ordinate
necessary support.
iv. Work with senior Academic Advisors and staff in central
Professional Services to determine strategies and operations to
support students with specific and complex difficulties.
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4. University Level Support for Academic Advisors
The Academic Advisor web page will provide links to all of the
support required to effectively carry out the role. At the website
you will be able to download copies of this handbook and discover
information on all of the support services that will be available to
students.
http://www.liv.ac.uk/eddev/supporting-students/academic-advising/
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The webpage will also provide a link to an on-line Induction Guide
for Academic Advisors: this is a brief (5 minute) video introduction
to the role of the Academic Advisor.
iLearn:
iLearn is the University’s online learning and skills development
portal containing a skills diagnostic with feedback and interactive
resources and quizzes. It can be accessed by all University of
Liverpool students and has an extensive range of resources (both
generic and subject specific) to support the development of skills
appropriate to university level study. iLearn has proved popular
and useful with students and with staff. www.liv.ac.uk/ilearn
Student Representation Procedures: An enhanced student
representation system has been developed and implemented to
try to improve the effectiveness of student engagement and
representation at all levels, from specific student issues and
concerns to real involvement in the quality systems and processes
throughout the institution. At the core of the new framework is an
enhanced role for Student Course Representatives (who sit on Staff
Student Liaison Committees) in order to facilitate greater and
more in-depth student involvement in Learning and Teaching and
quality issues, as well as the more operational issues. To achieve
this, more (structured) opportunities for course representatives to
engage with the student body have been developed, together with
additional support and training for the representatives.
Further information can be obtained from Trish Lunt
[email protected] or Kylie Williams [email protected]
Case Studies (Student Talking Heads): Educational Development
will (in collaboration with the Guild) prepare a series of student
views on the role of the AA. These will be made available via the
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AA web page and will present the views of students from all three
faculties.
CPD opportunities: The University offers generic training in the
Role of the Academic Advisor. This training workshop, which is
part of the Certificate in Professional Studies programme, will be
offered 2 or 3 times per year. You can find out when the workshop
will run and book onto the next session at the Academic Advisor
web pages.
Bespoke training within Schools: It is intended that School will
provide bespoke induction and training in the Academic Advisor
role. Information on such training will be provided by School
student support offices.
Senior Academic Advisors (Senior Tutors) may be allocated in your
school to provide advice for new academic advisors and to support
more formal student issues e.g. progress committee issues.
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5. Referral and Advice
As a University Academic Advisor you will have a range of conversations
with students and you may be able to offer advice on many issues
however, it is likely that you will encounter situations that fall outside your
expertise. You are not expected to play the role of a counsellor or specialist
professional. It will always be in the interest of the student that, where
appropriate, they are referred or self-refer on to the best advice and
support available within the University. [Academic Advisors in the clinical
Sciences should consult with the relevant Director of Student Support in
such cases. See section 6 for contact details].
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is a complex area. Often a student will appreciate that if an
Academic Advisor is to help, confidential information may need to be given
to others, such as Examining Boards. Academic Advisors should not pass on
information obtained from a student to any third party unless a student’s
permission has been given, except where (1) the Academic Advisor believes
that someone is at serious risk or (2) the Academic Advisor is concerned
that an offence has taken place.
Where it is thought that a student may be involved in criminal conduct or
that others may be at risk, it is the duty of the Academic Advisor to report
the matter to the appropriate authority and/or their Head of Department.
University Support
There is a well-established network of specialist services throughout the
University to provide students, Academic Advisors and School Support
Teams with advice and support in a number of specific areas:
Central Student Support Services assist students with a range of welfare
issues affecting their personal lives including traumatic incidents and safety.
Student Support Services coordinate responses to wider student issues
across the University such as natural disasters and cases of meningitis, and
Academic Advisor Handbook, 2014-2015
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support Schools and Departments in responding to critical incidents
involving students.
The University produces a Student Support Guide which is available on-
line from the start of Welcome Week. Copies can be collected from the
School Support Team, picked up from the Student Services Centre at 150
Mount Pleasant or downloaded from the web-link above; this Guide
provides full details of support available at Institutional level. Information
on Central and Institutional Support available is also provided in the
Student Handbook.
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6. Organisation of the Academic Advisor Framework in the University of
Liverpool Management School
a) Support structures within the Management School
b) Guidance for Academic Advisors for ‘formal’ meetings with
students
c) Provision of references to students
a) Support structures within the Management School
The Management School has a number of trained staff in both its Professional
Services and academic teams who can provide additional support to students.
Academic Advisors may find the following helpful:
Student Support Office – located on the ground floor of the Management
School. Students can obtain forms for mitigating circumstances, transfers,
suspensions and withdrawals from the Office. Staff can also support students
who require help with administrative issues, including changing modules,
amending registrations and updating address details. The ULMS Student
Support Office should normally be the first point of referral for students.
Student Learning and Teaching Support Officers – At the time of writing
(August 2014), these roles are vacant. Contact details will be circulated to all
staff as soon as the roles are filled.
The School has two Learning and Teaching Support Officer posts, with different
responsibilities:
Study Skills Support Officer – provides individual support to students
requiring help to develop their study skills, as well as weekly group
sessions covering a range of study skills issues. This member of staff
will also act as the School’s Disability Officer and will provide support
and advice to students who have a disability.
Pastoral and Welfare Officer – provides support to students with
welfare issues and can provide further advice on complex cases
regarding mitigating circumstances and requests for
suspension/withdrawal.
Please note that the Student Learning and Teaching Support Officers cannot
offer visa advice to international students. Any student who consults an
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Academic Advisor for advice about their visa status should be referred to the
University’s International Support Team, [email protected].
Director of Undergraduate Programmes – Liz Crolley, x53809, room SE15,
Management School. Liz oversees all Undergraduate provision at the
Management School and can provide advice on general issues or complaints
received from students.
Director of MBA Programmes – Elaine Eades, x53811, room S8, Management
School. Elaine oversees all MBA programmes at the Management School and
can provide advice on general issues or complaints received from students.
Director of MSc Programmes – Ólan Henry, x52177, room F7, Management
School. Ólan oversees all MSc programmes at the Management School and
can provide advice on general issues or complaints received from students.
Senior Undergraduate Tutor – Lewis Gordon, x53531, room GE18. Lewis can
offer advice to Academic Advisors about mitigating circumstances and welfare
issues. The Student Learning and Teaching Support Officers or the Student
Support Office remain the point of contact for students.
Senior Postgraduate Tutor – Gayle Waddell, x52424, room GE19. Gayle can
offer advice to Academic Advisors about mitigating circumstances and welfare
issues. The Student Learning and Teaching Support Officers or the Student
Support Office remain the point of contact for students.
b) Guidance for Academic Advisors for ‘formal’ meetings with students
The Academic Advisor Policy expects that ‘formal’ meetings will occur between
Academic Advisors and their Advisees once every semester, with an additional
meeting in Welcome Week for new students and ideally a similar meeting at
the start of Year 2 with returning students (although this may be more difficult
to arrange). Academic Advisors may prefer to arrange initial meetings as group
meetings.
Below are suggestions for topics of initial discussions with students. It is not
expected that Academic Advisors keep to the questions below, but rather use
them as prompts to foster discussion.
N.B.
Meetings with PGT or PGR students can be arranged at appropriate times. It is
important that Academic Advisors meetings and discussions are relevant for
postgraduate students (PGT and PGR)
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UG Year 1 Semester 1:
Welcome Week (this meeting could take place with the group of advisees
together)
Main purposes:
to introduce students to the Academic Advisor role, what it is and
is not;
to explore students’ motivations, initial expectations and any
concerns.
For example:
Why did you choose this degree programme? Why this university?
Do you think you have a good understanding of what will be
expected of you as a student on this course? What are you
expecting from the staff/the University?
Do you have any questions or concerns right now?
In addition Academic Advisors might:
Suggest students familiarise themselves with the Liverpool Life
website;
Suggest students visit the My Liverpool website:
http://www.liv.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/video/myliverpool;
Advise students to read their Student Handbooks carefully!
Ensure students are aware that they can contact their Academic
Advisor at any time to discuss their performance.
Ensure students are aware that if they need any pastoral support,
they can contact the Student Support Centre on the ground floor of
the Management School for further guidance.
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Week 4-8 (ideally after the student has been given some academic tasks and received
some formative feedback)
Main purposes:
To check that students are settling in well and identify any early
issues for which support might be needed
To establish the importance of feedback to student learning and
check that the student understands any tasks set and feedback
received.
For example:
Now you are about half way through your first semester here, what
are your first impressions of your programme and life at this
University? (Do you still feel the same motivation to follow this
degree programme? Do you like living here? Were any of your
initial concerns justified, or have they disappeared? Do you have
new worries or concerns? - about your work, your social life, or
anything else?)
How are you getting on in your modules? Do you understand the
feedback you are getting? Are you aware of the free academic
skills sessions provided by the Student Learning and Teaching
Support Officer?
UG students only – are you aware of the concept of the ULMS
Graduate? Have you been able to identify your
strengths/weaknesses? Direct students towards the iLearn
diagnostic tool for further support.
UG students only – are you aware of other academic support, such
as Maths Clinics and Peer-Assisted Learning?
Undergraduate Year in Industry students only – have you attended
any events organised by the Careers and Employability Service?
(YInd students must attend at least three events during the year,
those who fail to do so without good reason may be transferred to
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the three year version of the programme at the end of the
academic year)
Undergraduate students only – have you attended any ULMS Extra
events on Tuesday afternoons? How did you find the sessions?
Undergraduate students only – are you aware of the Study Abroad
programme? Are you considering applying to it?
UG Year 1 Semester 2: (should take place after Semester 1 assessment results
have been received)
Main purpose:
To encourage the student to think about his or her progress,
identify strengths and areas of weakness and start to take
responsibility for addressing them
o The student could be asked to collect together any
feedback received from assignments or exams completed
so far and bring these to the meeting. This could be marks,
grades, comments, ticks and crosses, scores against set
criteria. It also can include any notes made from face-to-
face feedback. He/she should be asked to go back over
their feedback and look for positive comments, ticks or any
other indications of areas where they did well, and
similarly for comments suggesting that they need to
improve, or mistakes that have been made, making a
summary list, noting the module or placement concerned
against the comment. These could then be discussed with
the academic advisor.
o Either beforehand or within the meeting itself, the student
could then create an action plan to tackle areas that have
been identified as areas for development.
Where appropriate to the programme, to encourage students to
think about future plans
o If the programme has an explicit set of employability skills
the student could be asked to comment on how he/she
feels these are developing.
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o It may be appropriate to prompt the student to visit the
Careers and Employability Service if they have not already
done so. This could be done in the context of the need to
keep the student’s CV up to date (e.g. if the student is
considering applying for work placements or vacation work
experience).
For example:
Are you happy with your module marks? Have you done as well as
you expected? If not, why do you think that is? Have you
considered attending any of the study skills support sessions? Are
you aware of other support that is available, such as Maths Clinics
and Peer-Assisted Learning (UG students only)?
Think about the feedback from your assignments and exams so far.
What seem to be your strengths? What are your areas of
weakness? Is there a pattern emerging?
What could you do to improve your performance? Do you know
where to get help if you feel you need it?
If appropriate refer students to the iLearn website, to the ULMS
Study Skills booklet or to the ULMS Study Skills sessions.
Do you have any plans for what you want to do after graduating?
Would it be useful at this point to seek advice from the Careers and
Employability Service?
Undergraduate Year in Industry students only – have you attended
any events organised by the Careers and Employability Service?
(YInd students must attend at least three events during the year,
those who fail to do so without good reason may be transferred to
the three year version of the programme at the end of the
academic year)
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Year 2 :
Ideally a meeting should take place at the beginning of the academic session,
this could be a group meeting or a one to one meeting. There should also be
at least one meeting during each semester.
Main purposes of year 2 meetings:
- To continue to encourage student development as independent
learners, through discussion of their performance and plans for
enhancements.
- To encourage students, particularly those who have not yet done so,
to take advantage of opportunities beyond their academic
programmes to enhance their personal development and future
employability
For example:
How do you feel now about your programme of study? Are your
reasons for choosing your programme still valid?
Thinking about the academic feedback on your performance
throughout Year 1 – are you satisfied with how well you are doing?
What were the key strengths and areas for development identified in
the student’s feedback on assessments in Year 1?
Do you have specific plans for the future, after university? If so, how
clear do you think you are about how to go about achieving them?
Do you feel you are taking full advantage of what the university has to
offer beyond your academic programme? If not, what is hindering you?
Would it be valuable to you to add more skills and experience to your
cv (either for your own development or to enhance your job prospects)?
Do you know how to go about this?
Undergraduate Year in Industry students only – what are your plans for
your year three internship? How is the application process going? How
does this link to your career plans after graduation?
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[In addition questions from Year 1 Semester 2 relating to academic feedback
and the student’s plans for development in areas of academic weakness
remain relevant at each further meeting].
This series of meetings should be continued and structured appropriately into
year 3 and beyond where relevant.
Year 3 Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught Students
You should invite your tutees to see you during Semester 1. It is important that
you give students the opportunity to see you if they choose, though the format
of the meeting might depend largely on the extent to which students have
been in touch since Year 1.
Main purposes of Year 3 and PGT meetings:
- To continue to encourage student development as independent
learners, through discussion of their performance and plans for
enhancements.
- To encourage students, particularly those who have not yet done so,
to take advantage of opportunities beyond their academic
programmes to enhance their personal development and future
employability.
- To remind students of the importance of applying for jobs as soon as
possible.
For example:
How do you feel your ULMS Graduate skills and attributes are
developing?
What do you do outside your programme that might contribute to the
development of ULMS Graduate skills and attributes?
Have you been to the Careers and Employability Service and what
sessions have you attended?
Is there anything you would like to learn on your programme that you
have not covered so far?
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c) Provision of references to students
The Management School has developed a Student Reference Template in order to
provide an appropriate reference to students applying for employment or
postgraduate study in a timely manner, and to reduce the workload of staff asked
to provide references for students applying for work or further study.
Academic Advisors are expected to provide references in line with the
Management School Referencing Policy (please see appendix 1 of this Handbook).
Students may request up to five references from their Academic Advisor per
semester.
Students should not expect to receive advice about Postgraduate study or careers
from their Academic Advisor. Students with queries about either of these aspects
should be referred to the University’s Careers and Employability Service, where
trained staff can provide appropriate support. Undergraduate students should also
be encouraged to engage with ULMS Extra activities on Tuesday afternoons.
ULMS STUDENT REFERENCE TEMPLATE – NOTES FOR GUIDANCE FOR STAFF
The aim of the Student Reference Template is to provide an appropriate reference to
students applying for employment or postgraduate study in a timely manner, and to reduce
the workload of staff asked to provide references for students applying for work or further
study.
The template was introduced in December 2011 and was revised in November 2012
following a significant increase in the number of requests for postgraduate study
references. Further revisions were made in November 2013 following a further increase in
demand.
Students who require a reference must email [email protected] with the following
information:
Name
Student number
Name of academic advisor
Name of second referee, if required
Details of Postgraduate programme and institution to which the student is
applying, and/or
Details of position and employer to which the student is applying
Students must contact the second referee to ask them to provide a reference before
contacting [email protected]. Full guidance on the procedure to be followed will be
provided to students.
If a student contacts a member of academic staff directly, the member of academic staff
should still forward the request to [email protected]. It is known that a small number of
students make multiple requests for references, which can cause unnecessary and
excessive work for staff. Professional Services staff carefully monitor the number of
requests made by each student in order to support the workload of academic colleagues.
Students who abuse the system may be refused a reference.
Some students may make a request for a reference that you feel is inappropriate. For
example, a student with low average marks may make an application to a Postgraduate
programme that you know is beyond their academic capabilities and so you feel unable to
provide a supporting reference. In these circumstances, you should arrange to meet with
the student who has made the request to explain why you cannot provide a reference, and
Academic Advisor Handbook 2014- 2015
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to offer some guidance on more appropriate options. Students should not be refused a
reference in these circumstances without an explanation. Referees are asked to email
[email protected] so that a record of inappropriate requests can be kept.
Two separate forms have been developed for references. The first reference form serves
as a primary reference for the student. The second is designed for a second reference.
The First Reference
Sections 1 –12 of this form will be completed by Professional Services staff. Details of
modules and grades achieved will be taken from SPIDER records. Details of academic
prizes and extra-curricular activities will be taken from records held by the School (these
sections will be deleted by Professional Services Staff where no information is available).
Standard statements about the key skills attained have been prepared in consultation with
the Directors of Studies. It is intended that this information will be provided within ten
working days of receipt of the form, although at peak times this may take up to four weeks.
If a student contacts a member of academic staff directly, the member of academic staff
should still ask [email protected] to complete the template.
After completion of sections 1 –12 and the deletion of sections for which no information is
available, the template will be returned to the referee for completion of the remaining
sections. Section 13 forms the main part of the reference and staff are encouraged to
provide any additional information that may be relevant to the application, such as the
suitability of the student for postgraduate study, details of any modules that are
particularly relevant to the post or course, and any skills that may be of particular
relevance. If the referee feels that he or she does not know the student well enough to
provide a review, this section may be deleted from the reference, leaving a factual
statement about the student’s achievements.
The Second Reference
The second reference form has been designed to be read in conjunction with the first
reference form. Standard references have been developed for each of the Undergraduate
programmes. They do not contain the same amount of detail as the first reference, but
serve as a statement of the overall learning outcomes and transferrable skills that it is
expected that a graduate of a particular programme can expect to have achieved. There is
no requirement for the referee to provide a supporting statement, although staff may do
so if they wish (please delete the supporting statement section if you do not wish to
complete it). Staff acting as second referees will be asked to simply sign and date the
reference.
If you act as a second referee for a student, please email the student’s details to
[email protected]. Professional services staff will maintain a record of second references
and will monitor when staff have provided references to ten students. They will also
allocate second references to academic colleagues were students have not stated a
preferred second referee.
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Non-ULMS Students
Staff may, on occasion, be asked to complete references for students from programmes
outside the Management School, for example, BSc Maths with Finance. A standard
reference form based on the second reference model will be provided for these students.
The student’s home department should normally provide the first, more detailed
reference.
Return Completed References to [email protected]
Staff are asked to return a copy of completed references to [email protected] where they
will be held on file in case the student asks for further references in the future.
Professional Services staff do not send completed references or upload them to websites.
It is the responsibility of the referee to upload completed references to the relevant
website, or to post the reference to the prospective employer or postgraduate institution.
How Many References Do We Write?
It is expected that staff will provide a reference to any student for whom they act as an
Academic Advisor, plus up to ten other students, which may include references for
students from other departments.
Formal Transcripts
Students should contact Student Administration and Support Division (SAS) at
[email protected] if they require a formal transcript or Certification of Degree Result.
The School cannot provide these certificates. Students should allow twenty working days
for delivery of the document.
Do We Show Students Their Reference?
Professional Services staff do not provide copies of references to students. It is at the
discretion of the referee as to whether or not they wish to provide a student with a copy of
their reference. If provided, it is recommended that hard copies of the reference be
provided and that students should not be provided with an electronic version of the
reference.
Updated November 2013
