Season's greetings
The University of Stirling is on winter break from Tuesday 24 December 2024 until Thursday 2 January 2025 inclusive. Find out which campus services will be available during this time.
Campus services over the 2024 festive seasonStudent Learning Services
We want to make sure every student at the University of Stirling gets the most out of their time here. To do this, we run a regular schedule of workshops and tutorials organised by our Student Learning Services team. We also have some great on-line guidance to enhance your study skills and support your success. No matter what stage of your studies you’re at, you can take advantage of these resources to ensure that your studying is effective, efficient and enjoyable.
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Our services
All students are welcome to use Student Learning Services. You may find our sessions and resources particularly useful if you:
- are in your first year of study
- are making the transition from college to university
- have been out of education for some time
- are finding your studies particularly challenging
- are studying in the UK for the first time
What we're able to do:
- advise you on effective study skills
- work with you to develop new learning strategies
- suggest tools to make your studying more efficient
- suggest practical solutions if you feel overwhelmed by assignment work
- help you build academic confidence and make learning enjoyable
We cannot read whole assignments, proofread work, edit work or comment on what grade you'll get.
Online resources
We have a dedicated site on Canvas (our Virtual Learning Environment) with useful information and guidance about studying at university. It cover a range of academic skills essential for a successful learning experience.
Study skills workshops
We have a great set of study skills webinar workshops to help you prepare for successful study at the University of Stirling. The webinars are informal and there will be opportunities to ask questions. All of the information about our workshops and how to book your place can be found on the Stirling Essentials Study Skills SharePoint site.
‘Chat with a Tutor’ tutorials
You can book an individual tutorial to chat about any aspect of your learning and studying at university. You can ask questions about particular issues such as how to approach studying at university, starting and managing assignments or improving your grades.
English language support
English language support for international students is provided by our joint venture partner INTO University of Stirling. We provide a range of opportunities for you to improve your study skills, meet new people and practice your English language skills.
Information for staff
Student Learning Services can work with staff to embed learning strategies into the curriculum and support students in programmes.
Confidentiality and data storage
What information do we collect?
In order for Student Learning Services (SLS) to deliver appropriate support, it is essential for SLS tutors to keep a record of their engagement with students. Typically, these brief notes will include limited personal information, such as student name and student number, as well as a summary of the key issues discussed, guidance provided by the tutor and any agreed actions. Recording and storing of these notes is necessary to ensure that SLS can deliver appropriate and relevant academic support to students, in turn enabling them to progress with their educational programmes of study.
During the course of engagement with a tutor, sensitive information, such as medical details or a disability, may be disclosed. If SLS think it would be advantageous to the student to record this information as part of the ongoing academic support provided, this will be discussed with the student. The student will be asked to provide written consent to allow the service to record and store this specific information.
Why do we collect this information?
It is essential for our staff to keep brief records on their engagement with students, for the following reasons:
- Engagement notes provide a reliable history of important information relating to a student’s academic progress and support requirements - they therefore ensure the delivery of appropriate and high-quality support;
- As the student may engage with several different SLS tutors over the course of their university career, the engagement notes ensure that continuity of support is provided.
Who might we share information with?
Student Learning Services staff are committed to protecting and respecting a student’s confidentiality and privacy. Our staff will not pass on personal information about students, except in the following circumstances:
- Where the member of staff has the consent of the student to disclose the information (e.g. to a GP, another university staff member or the Student Union);
- Where the member of staff believes the student is in danger/at risk of harm and it is in their vital interest to extend confidentiality.
Wherever possible, we will seek the consent of students to share information and we will encourage students to disclose information to relevant third parties where appropriate. Shared information will only be on a need to know basis and in the interests of providing robust and appropriate support to the student. However, in cases where the risk of harm is sufficiently acute and where there is no indication that a student has or will disclose information to the third party, we may pass on the information directly to relevant staff or to external parties, such as the student’s GP.
What do we do with a student’s information?
Student Learning Services collects data on, for example, how many students access our service, which modules and study topics students have questions about and how satisfied students are with the support they receive. Student information will at times be used for statistical monitoring purposes, but no students will be identifiable from reports produced using that data.
Actual student engagement notes are only used by SLS and a small number of other support staff for the purposes of providing ongoing academic support. The notes are not used by any other university staff.
How do we store information?
All SLS tutors’ notes and any information provided during meetings with SLS staff will be held securely within the case management system operated by the SLS team. This system is restricted to a small number of staff who need access to provide support and to maintain the IT system. The notes are not available to academic staff or other university services, except under exceptional circumstances.
How long do we keep hold of a student’s information?
The SLS team will retain student information and case notes for one year after a student graduates from the University of Stirling. Information will then be destroyed confidentially.
Information Rights
A student has the right to request a copy of the information that SLS holds about them and to request corrections or deletions of that information. In cases where consent has been provided for the recording and storage of sensitive information, the student has the right to subsequently withdraw that consent.
If a student is not content for SLS to record, use or share their information, the student is welcome to use the service but it may not be possible to provide them with the best support possible as the lack of records will prevent continuity.
Students can gain right of access to their SLS engagement notes by making a Subject Access Request. To request corrections to or deletions of that information, the student should contact us at sls@stir.ac.uk or call SLS on 01786 466188. For more information, students can contact the University of Stirling’s Data Protection team (data.protection@stir.ac.uk).