Supporting Personal Tutors

Student needs an extension on a piece of work of 7 days or less:

• Student needs to fill out a Late Submission form
• You will need to see evidence of problem (you can judge whether you think it is acceptable)
• Student should discuss a new deadline which must be within 7 days of original deadline with the course lecturer.
• Submit form to computing office (computing@gold.ac.uk)

Student will need an extension on a piece of work for longer than 7 days:

• Encourage the student to fill out an Extenuating circumstances form.
• The student will need to submit supporting evidence. This link provides information about acceptable supporting evidence. You do not need to assess the evidence but help the student to understand what evidence is acceptable.
• Student must submit the form and supporting evidence to the computing office, either in person or via email (computing@gold.ac.uk)
• The case will be decided by the Senior Tutor Team and exam board.

Student has issue that will cause them to miss multiple deadlines

• Ask student to contact the Senior Tutor Team directly using computing@gold.ac.uk

• The student will need a RASA (Reasonable Adjustment Student Agreement). These are issued by the disability service team. This involves the student meeting with a DS representative for an hour and working out what adjustments they require for studying. This can cover lectures, assessment deadline extensions and library access.
• Student should attend a DS drop in (11.00am-12.00pm Tuesday RHB 123) or email disability@gold.ac.uk.

• Listen to student’s concerns. Address any of the student’s concerns that you feel confident addressing.
• Ask the student to contact the Senior Tutor team via computing@gold.ac.uk or contact them on the student’s behalf (with student’s permission and student cc’d in).
• Interruption is an option (until the 31st March of that academic year), refer the student to https://www.gold.ac.uk/students/studying/taking-an-absence-changing-leaving/ for more information.

• Tell the student to get in contact with the tutor for that course, show student how to find tutor’s office hours on the Intranet.
• Find out whether student has underlying issues resulting in difficulty studying.
• Suggest that student goes to the Student Centre who will be able to tell the student about study skills workshops on offer.
• If student is behind on work from many tutors, ask them to contact the Senior Tutor team via computing@gold.ac.uk or contact them on the student’s behalf (with student’s permission and student cc’d in).

• Discuss with the student why they are looking to do this. Address any concerns you feel able to address.
• Ask the student to contact the Senior Tutor Team (via computing@gold.ac.uk) to discuss the matter further and deal with the request.

• Highlight the problem to the Senior Tutor Team at computing@gold.ac.uk

• Ask student to contact the computing office at computing@gold.ac.uk

• If student is with you:
  • Call an ambulance on 999. Have another person call security (020 7919 7105 / 7979) so they can guide ambulance to the correct location.
  • It is important to sit with the student while the ambulance is on its way.
  • If a student does not want an ambulance to be called, suggest they contact their GP for an urgent appointment.
  • If a student is not registered with a GP they can go to the Waldron Walk-In Service (Just opposite the entrance to New Cross Station) to see a GP there. This service is open from 8am – 8pm every day of the year (including weekends and all public holidays). It is a good idea to ask the student if they have a friend or someone supportive they can take with them.
• If student has emailed you and you have concerns about their safety:
  • Respond to student with the information in this text file.
  • Also refer to the information on the Goldsmiths website about Emergency and Crisis Support.

• Advise that student makes contact with their GP. Here is a list of local healthcare facilities.
• Advise the student to attend a Wellbeing Drop In which are held daily at 2:30pm (they can register from 2pm) to 3:30pm Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and from 9:30am to 10:30am on Fridays in RHB 123. If they cannot make these times they can email wellbeing@gold.ac.uk to ask for an appointment.
• Let student know that extenuating circumstances mean that they will be able to have more flexible submission deadlines if they need them – try to ensure that study stress doesn’t make condition worse.

• Call an ambulance on 999. Have another person call security to inform them of the situation and where the student is so that they can direct the ambulance.
• Stay with the student and on the phone to the emergency services who will be able to advise you on what to do while you are waiting for an ambulance.

• There are a range of self-help guides that students can collect from the Student Centre or from RHB123 during office hours including “Coping with Bereavement” and “Trauma”.
• Listen. The student may just want to say a lot of things out loud.
• Validate their feelings – tell them that everyone responds to grief and loss in their own way and anything they are feeling is ok.
• Confirm that grieving is a process, one that can feel terrible now, but will eventually change. They can take their own time going through the process.
• Don’t hug the student. If you think there is a need for personal contact then touch them on the arm.
• Suggest the student make use of counselling services available from Wellbeing. Can be arranged via drop in or email.
• If they are concerned about impact on studies, suggest the student apply for extenuating circumstances.
• NOTE they don’t have to complete them there and then. Can be done in days following. For tutor – See "Student has a one-off issue" in Academic Concern section above.

The fact that the student has chosen you for disclosure means that the student already trusts you and you have created a safe space for them. Your role is to support the student. It is up to management to decide on the outcome and investigation.

When the student contacts you

• If student is in immediate danger call the police or ambulance on 999. Ask another person to contact security so that they can guide emergency vehicles.
• Acknowledge disclosure from student. Let the student know that you believe them. Thank them for the disclosure.
• Take minimal notes – you can note the time and nature of student issue, but don’t make more detailed notes.
• Inform the student they can expect confidentiality from you, but this is not a guarantee of absolute privacy. Some information may need to be passed on to ensure the student's safety. Do not pass on any infromation to external bodies unless the student is in danger.
• Advise student that there is a lot of support available to them. Direct them to contact the Wellbeing team who will be able to help them make contact with local services which can offer specialist support.
• Link the student to this list of external support providers who may be able to respond more quickly out of hours or offer more detailed support to the student than can be offered on campus.
• Advise student that they can make a formal complaint about the other student. Talk through the complaints process with the student. Students may feel more confident about following the complaints process if they understand what will be involved.
• If the student’s work is affected or they are worried it might be affected, assure them that they can apply for extenuating circumstances adjustments. This form does NOT need to be filled out there and then. Focus on student needs at the time.

After the student has contacted you

• Inform the department of the incident – contact Rose (0)20 7919 7869 or (r.hepworth@gold.ac.uk)
• Use the Report and Support page to report the incident. You can keep the student's name anonymous, and can keep your name anonymous too if you wish to. Including your name will ensure that the WellBeing team can contact you to offer you ongoing advice.

If the student (or you) want to know more, Goldsmiths has a page of resources for dealing with sexual violence.

Goldsmiths has an anonymous reporting page called Report and Support. You can suggest this as an option if the student wishes to report an incident anonymously.

This link takes you to the full Goldsmiths policy on Sexual Violence, Harassment and Misconduct.

Note if you aren't sure what terminology to use, often "survivor" is better to use than "victim".

• Advise student to contact the Senior Tutor team via computing@gold.ac.uk or contact them on the student’s behalf (with student’s permission and student cc’d in)
• Inform student of the university Mediation service. Contactable on 020 7919 7951 or email mediation@gold.ac.uk