Discussion of Standard 6 – Student support services

Introduction
What's new
Obligations and responsibilities
Implications for different sectors
Documents, knowledge and procedures
 Definitions
Assistance and examples
Learning Activity
National Code 2007

Introduction

DEST (now DEEWR) Commentary

The support services and orientation programmes provided to all students helps them to adjust to study in Australia and improves the quality of their overall educational experience. Registered providers have important responsibilities to provide access to support services and support staff to meet the needs of the students enrolled in their courses.

Critical incident policies ensure the interests of the student and their families are managed appropriately. Such policies also ensure registered providers are prepared for such incidents and have a clear protocol to follow in what can be distressing and upsetting circumstances.

Generic standard applicable to all sectors

What's new

  • The provider’s documented internal complaint and appeals process must include provision of a written statement of the outcome including details and reasons for the decision.
  • The student must be granted immediate access to the provider’s complaints and appeals process and procedure and the process commences within 10 working days of the formal lodgement of the compliant or appeal.
  • The provider is required to immediately advise the student and implement any decision in the event of any favourable outcome to the student through the provider’s internal or external and complaints and appeals handling process.
  • The provider must now have a documented critical incident policy together with procedures that covers the action to be taken in the event of a critical incident, the required follow-up to the incident, and records of the incident and the action(s) taken.
  • Further reference document: DEST Comparison Chart (December 2006).

Obligations and responsibilities

Providers must:

  • provide sufficient student support personnel for the number of students enrolled
  • provide appropriate and well-informed support services including study and learning advice and help, language assistance, help with meeting and dealing with course requirements, attendance, and welfare issues
  • maintain and deliver up-to-date and correct information for students relating to support services; study issues; emergency, legal and health services; and facilities and resources
  • make accessible to students information on institutional complaints and appeals procedures
  • regularly review and deliver a comprehensive orientation program that includes all of the above as well as information on course progress and attendance visa conditions
  • provide welfare-related support services at no cost to the students including referrals to any additional services.

Implications for different sectors

  • Smaller institutions may have limited capacity to provide in-depth, stand-alone support services and so may need to consider outside resources that they could engage
  • larger institutions may need to provide additional orientation sessions rather than a one-off orientation program to accommodate large numbers of students at any one intake and to accommodate students who arrive late
  • Orientation - local conditions need to be considered in the provision of information e.g. there may be only a small Muslim community in the local area and therefore halal food supply and prayer opportunities are not readily available.

List of documents and specific knowledge of institutional and government matters and procedures required for this standard

  • Documents:
    • documented information for students about support staff and services, including specific student support contact person
    • critical incident records in relation to a critical incident policy.
  • Knowledge:
    • institutional progression rules
    • visa conditions for attendance requirements
    • support staff roles particularly as to who is the nominated official contact point for students
    • staff obligations under the ESOS Framework.
  • Procedures:
    • institutional procedure for tracking students’ compliance with regards to course progress and attendance visa conditions
    • institutional support services policies including the maintaining of currency and relevancy of information to be provided to students
    • institutional critical incident policy with ability to include follow-up actions, records of incidents and actions taken
    • institutional complaints and appeals procedures
    • age-appropriate orientation program delivered to students, including late-comers, as per section 6.1
    • institutional process by which all staff interacting with students are aware of their obligations under the ESOS Framework.

Definitions of key words/phrases

  • Adjust to life and study in Australia
    - Making the transition to a new life and study is a social and academic experience - both aspects are important in the process of a student's adjustment.
  • Course progress
    - The measure of advancement within a course towards the completion of that course irrespective of whether course completion is identified through academic merit or skill based competencies.
  • Critical incident
    - A traumatic event, or the threat of such (within or outside Australia), which causes extreme stress, fear or injury.
  • ESOS framework
    - Principally comprises the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act), the Education Services for Overseas Students Regulations 2000 (the ESOS Regulations), the Education Services for Overseas Students (Registration Charges) Act 1997 (the ESOS Charges Act) and the National Code. The ESOS framework is supported by the Migration Act 1958 and the Migration Regulations 1994 and various state and territory legislation relevant to the education of overseas students.
  • Orientation
    - A detailed introduction designed to help students settle into their specific institution and to provide them with information to fully prepare for the start of classes and enable them to make an adjustment or adaptation to a new environment, situation, and custom.
  • Student contact officer
    - An employee(s) of the registered provider deemed to have an appropriate level of skill, knowledge and expertise who is able to provide advice to overseas students on a range of matters.
  • Welfare
    - Consideration is given to the mental, physical, social and spiritual well-being of overseas students.
  • Welfare-related support services
    - Services which address the mental, physical, social and spiritual well-being of overseas students. These services may include, through direct provision or referral, information/advice about: accommodation, counselling, crisis services, disabilities and equity issues, financial matters, legal issues, medical issues, mental health, peer mentoring, programs promoting social interaction, religious and spiritual matters, and stress-management. It may also include advice on academic and study issues.

Where to find assistance and quality practice examples

  • Queensland University of Technology has a good international student support website , clear and accessible, covering Orientation, Language and Learning, Student Life, and Resources which contain a range of excellent fact sheets on a number of issues.
  • Edith Cowan University has a good student support site with an interesting 8 step theme to their orientation program.
  • M-power game (Monash University)
  • The National ELT Accreditation Scheme Limited (NEAS ) is Australia's national accreditation scheme for English Language Teaching centres.
    - Student Support standards for ELICOS sector can be found at the NEAS Australia website under the ‘ELT Centre Accreditation/Standards’ tab.
  • ISANA: International Education Association's Critical incident kit
    - This kit is intended to serve as a useful resource for ISANA members handling critical incidences in the International Student Community. It covers a limited number of scenarios and is by no means complete. However, you can add to it any local phone numbers, contacts, reflections or experiences which will better prepare you for handling critical incidents on your campus. Moreover, share this information with your colleagues on campus and at other institutions in your region.
  • The University of Wollongong have very good critical incident policy and information procedures .
  • For staff dealing with a critical incident, excellent guidelines on how to cope with the stress involved can be found at the University of Sydney.

Learning Activity

National Code 2007

Outcome of Standard 6

Registered providers support students to adjust to study and life in Australia, to achieve their learning goals and to achieve satisfactory progress towards meeting the learning outcomes of the course.

6.1

The registered provider must assist students to adjust to study and life in Australia, including through the provision of an age and culturally appropriate orientation programme that includes information about:

  1. student support services available to students in the transition to life and study in a new environment
  2. legal services
  3. emergency and health services
  4. facilities and resources
  5. complaints and appeals processes, and
  6. any student visa condition relating to course progress and/or attendance as appropriate.
6.2

The registered provider must provide the opportunity for students to participate in services or provide access to services designed to assist students in meeting course requirements and maintaining their attendance.
6.3 The registered provider must provide the opportunity for students to access welfare-related support services to assist with issues that may arise during their study, including course progress and attendance requirements and accommodation issues. These services must be provided at no additional cost to the student. If the registered provider refers the student to external support services, the registered provider must not charge for the referral.
6.4 The registered provider must have a documented critical incident policy together with procedures that covers the action to be taken in the event of a critical incident, required follow-up to the incident, and records of the incident and action taken.
6.5 The registered provider must designate a member of staff or members of staff to be the official point of contact for students. The student contact officer or officers must have access to up-todate details of the registered provider’s support services.
6.6 The registered provider must have sufficient student support personnel to meet the needs of the students enrolled with the registered provider.
6.7 The registered provider must ensure that its staff members that interact directly with students are aware of the registered provider’s obligations under the ESOS framework and the potential implications for students arising from the exercise of these obligations.

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