Professional & Personal Support

Professional Support

All students at Aberystwyth study in an environment which combines individual attention with flexibility and choice, hands on experience with theoretical background, and cutting edge ideas with traditional values. Students examine topic and case-studies from around the world, and make the most of the superb natural laboratory in the Aberystwyth hinterland. They are taught by experienced staff, all of whom are actively engaged in research and many of whom have worked or studied at universities around the world, including North America, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa, as well as Britain, bringing a global perspective to their teaching.

The Institute aims to provide both instruction and opportunities for all students to develop professional competence in their chosen discipline. Support for Learning and Teaching is provided by staff in the department:

Degree Scheme Co-ordinators supervise and are responsible, on behalf of the Director, for the co-ordination, organisation and delivery of the academic programme. They can offer advice on your choice of programme.

Module Co-ordinators are responsible for individual modules and they are the first people you should approach if you have problems with a particular course.

An Academic Tutor is specified for each student to discuss and guide their progress through the academic year. Academic tutorials provide small group teaching throughout your degree to support your studies. Tutorials introduce you to and allow you to develop further key themes and ideas within your discipline with ample opportunity for direct feedback on your work. This will allow you to evaluate and reflect on your performance and how it may be improved. As part of the tutorial programme you will take part in the Academic and Personal Progress Review (APPR) programme which will require that you reflect on your learning and engage with your future career intentions. Further details about support for career planning provided by the University can be found at http://www.aber.ac.uk/careers/.

We recognise that effective study skills need to be learnt and nurtured. The tutorial programme plays a major role in supporting learning, with specific exercises aimed at developing study skills such as effective essay writing and exam technique, and productive use of library and internet resources. Module specific support is provided not only through paper handouts, but also be innovative use of the local intranet to access the ‘Virtual Learning Environment' called Blackboard, where information is provided on lectures, reading lists, resource packs and useful web links for each module. Additional support is also available from the Universities Language and Learning Centre which produces help-sheets and organises workshops on key study skills.

Personal Support

Aberystwyth prides itself on being a very happy University, with the majority of our students encountering no problems during their time here. However there are structures within the Institute and University to provide support to students if problems do occur.

The Institute provides personal support on welfare matters through Degree Scheme Tutors and Personal Tutors.

Degree Scheme Tutors are designated within each degree scheme to deal with pastoral, welfare, attendance, assignment deadlines, extensions to deadlines and assessment matters for their Honours group.

Personal Tutors are allocated to each undergraduate in the first year. In the second and third years your Academic Tutor acts as your personal tutor.

At Aberystwyth we believe in the importance of treating people as individuals and encouraging their learning to maximise personal development. Throughout all three years of a degree at IGES, students meet regularly in small groups of three to five with an academic tutor to discuss key issues in their chosen degree scheme, develop study skills and careers awareness, and expand on lecture topics. Small group work at the beginning of the first year helps to forge friendships between students.

Within the University, and located within the heart of campus the Student Support Centre provides a one-stop-shop for general enquiries and a variety of specialist services. These include; Financial advice, learner support, medical advice, disability support, advice for parents and general issues related to your personal development and wellbeing.