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Read this document to familiarise yourself with pastoral supervision in the department

Department of Environment & Geography Pastoral Support Policy

1.0 Purpose of Policy

The aim of this document is to set out the pastoral support available to students in the Department of Environment & Geography, University of York.

2.0 Overview

The Department of Environment & Geography is committed to providing its students with effective academic and pastoral support. The aim is to ensure that students have access to a framework of support that builds on best practice, meets the needs of students, and is of a quality and consistency appropriate to a department and University of high global standing. The framework is designed to provide consistent quality of provision, while also helping students to monitor their progress and performance more systematically and relate these to their long-term aspirations.

3.0 Pastoral Supervisor

The Pastoral Supervisor (a member of the academic/teaching staff) provides a readily accessible, primary point of contact for academic guidance and pastoral support (signposting to student services team), to help students reflect on their academic progress and get the most out of their studies. He/she will help their supervisees to take an active partnership approach to learning.

3.1 Core Purpose

assist students in regularly reviewing their academic progress and performance;
encourage students to reflect on their learning, both within and beyond the formal curriculum, and how it contributes to their future development and career;
help students to feel part of a community of learners;
to provide pastoral support for their supervisees consistent with the limits in section 8 and referring students to other staff in the Department and/or student services team as appropriate.

3.2 Main Responsibilities*

guiding supervisees in module choice and confirming module choice;
advising and supporting supervisees in their studies including, for example, special circumstances, disciplinary or appeal matters;
following the progress of supervisees;
to liaise with student services team;
to meet with tutees as specified in the Departmental Pastoral Supervision Policy;
to respond promptly to a request for contact or support from a Supervisee and to provide an alternative point of contact when unavailable;
to provide references for supervisees;

4.0 E&G Student Services Team

The Departmental Student services team includes the professional staff

4.1 Core Purpose

to provide a point of contact for students;
to maintain appropriate records and ensure that these are made available to staff;
to provide administrative student support.

4.2 Main Responsibilities:

to assist with and record the allocation of students to pastoral supervisors;
to provide information to staff and students;
to ensure the Pastoral Supervisor is made aware of any student who may need support;
referring students to central support services as appropriate.

5.0 Student as Supervisee

5.1 Core Purpose

to reflect on their academic progress;
to record their reflections on how their learning contributes to their longer-term aspirations;
to engage as a member of a community of learners.

5.2 Main responsibilities

to attend and participate actively in meetings with their Pastoral Supervisor (this is a mandatory requirement and attendance will be recorded);
to inform their Pastoral Supervisor and/or student services team promptly of any relevant change in their circumstances and of any problems affecting their studies to enable effective support to be offered;
to keep a record of activities and reflections on their progress, performance and longer-term aspirations associated with these activities;
to take due account of advice or information given.

6.0 Director for Students

6.1 Core Purpose

to have oversight of pastoral supervisory arrangements within the department;
to ensure that new pastoral Supervisors are well-briefed about the role;
to advise Pastoral Supervisors regarding unusual or complex issues;
to ensure that the effectiveness of Pastoral supervision within the department is regularly and systematically monitored.

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Facilitate a joined-up approach to the delivery of services to students throughout the student lifecycle and provide leadership to enhance the student wellbeing and experiences.
Champion the importance of the student wellbeing and community, ensuring it informs our decisions.
Assist Director of Teaching and Learning in interpreting student feedback in to guide enhancement of the pastoral supervision system.
Advise pastoral supervisors, student services team seeking advice on local student-support issues.
Deal promptly and effectively with concerns raised by pastoral supervisors and supervisees
Seek regular interactions with student representatives and work with them as partners in design, development, and delivery of support services

7.0 Pastoral Meeting Requirements

The minimum requirement for pastoral meetings is listed below:

7.1 Undergraduate

Year 1 – four meetings (AuT 1-2; AuT 8-10; SpT 7-8; SuT 8-9)
Year 2 – three meetings (AuT 1-2; SpT 7-8; SuT 8-9)
Years 3 or 4 with YII -three meetings (AuT 1-2; SpT 2-3; SuT 1-2)
Years 3 or 4 MEnv- three meetings ( Aut 1-2; SpT 7-8; SuT 8-9)

7.2 Postgraduate Taught

Taught part of programme (6 meetings)

AuT 1-2; AuT 8-10

SpT 1-2; SpT 8-10

SuT 1-2; SuT 8-10

7.3 Purpose of Scheduled Meetings

Students should be actively encouraged to request additional meetings with their Pastoral Supervisor as required throughout their time at the University.
Meetings with students who are not on campus (e.g. studying abroad for a period, or on placement) may take place by telephone, or a web conferencing application. Email exchanges are not considered to be meetings unless they take place within a pre-agreed timeframe to enable a proper conversation.

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While Pastoral Supervisors and other academic and administrative staff have a responsibility for supporting students, they are NOT expected to provide specialist pastoral care and should not attempt to do so.

Consequently, in cases where a student appears to be experiencing severe distress (e.g. serious physical or mental health problems), he or she should be encouraged to seek appropriate professional help.

It may occasionally be necessary for the departmental staff to establish explicit boundaries, especially if the student is reluctant to seek professional support or if their behaviour is having a disruptive effect on others. The Director for Students must be consulted in such cases.

8.1 Confidentiality

Where a member of staff is concerned about the wellbeing of a student, s/he may want to share personal information about the student with relevant staff whose role is to provide support in such circumstances. Similarly, staff may wish to share personal information about a student with a third party, because of significant concerns regarding the person’s wellbeing. Any such actions should be made in accordance with the University’s Data Protection policies.

* WHAT TO DISCUSS DURING PASTORAL SUPERVISION MEETINGS: During the pastoral supervision meeting discuss for example, the following with your supervisees:

Housing issues; academic progress (look at marks on e-vision); satisfaction with marks and feedback; disability issues; and any issues impacting academic progress.

The notes in row 12 of the pastoral supervision recording google sheet indicate additional points that should be discussed with students during the relevant meetings. Please respond to student queries in line with the 'Staff guidance for responding to student queries' document.All staff that have been allocated pastoral supervisees should familiarise themselves with the following four documents:

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