Sometimes it might not be obvious where to take a piece of feedback to. Sometimes, you might not be sure if you are the right person to be dealing with a piece of feedback. In this guide, we explain when you should deal with feedback, and when you should signpost someone instead. We’ve also compiled a list of feedback you might receive, and where is the best place to signpost the student to.
Actioning vs Signposting
If students approach you with feedback about their course, an assessment deadline change, delays in receiving assessment marks/feedback, a lack of resources in the department etc, these are situations you can deal with. If an individual student raises any of these issues, it might be worth investigating if anyone else has been affected, as generally the rule of thumb is if an issue affects one student only, then it is better to signpost them (though if they are asking for an academic book for example, you can help with this).
What to raise at Board of Studies: feedback which might affect a course / department in the long-run i.e. structural changes, larger-scale issues affecting several students i.e. timetabling issues or delay in receiving assessment feedback, something which has been raised in the Staff-Student Forum (SSF) / Staff-Student Liaison Committee (SSLC), and needs escalating.
What to raise at the SSF/SSLC: less urgent course / department issues i.e. setting up additional sessions for students, raising something if it has not been dealt with by another area i.e. increasing resources available in the department.
Where you raise something may also depend on when a solution is needed. Sometimes it's best to go straight to the module convener / Student Services / Chair of CBoS, if you need an answer more quickly.
If a student comes to you with a query which is just affecting them, and/or requires more professional support that you do not have the training / expertise in, signpost them to somewhere that can help them.
It’s important to remember that your job is not to give them advice, or force them to get advice - you are being responsible by directing them for help.
List of Places to Signpost students towards:
Academic issues, University policies & processes, Wellbeing and Personal matters - YUSU has a dedicated Advice and Support Centre. They are open Monday - Friday between 10am and 4pm, and they can be contacted at asc@yusu.org.
Postgraduate academic issues i.e. exceptional circumstances, problems with your supervisor, submitting a complaint to the University - the GSA also has a dedicated Advice Service, and they can be contacted at advice@yorkgsa.org.
Cost of Living questions - if a student wants directing to additional resources, there is a dedicated webpage on the YUSU website.
For housing queries and money management advice - The Student Hub. They also provide support for other types of issues - the full list is on their website. The Student Hub is open Monday - Friday between 10am and 4pm, and they can be contacted via a live chat option on their website, or by email (student-hub@york.ac.uk), or by phone (01904 324140).
For international student advice and support - The Student Hub also has a specialist support team for International Students.
For students experiencing psychological and/or mental health difficulties - the Open Door Team. If a student needs to talk to someone urgently, there is a 'in crisis now' page on the website too.
For students who are wishing to access disability support, there is a specialist Disability Services page on the University website.
There is some overlap with the support different places can offer i.e. academic issues can come under both the Student Hub and the ASC team. It might be that a student just feels more comfortable going to one place over another, but it's their choice at the end of the day. It is still good to signpost all the different resources available, so they can make the choice themselves with where to go to.
If you're ever unsure whether you should help a student or signpost them, you can ask us at engagement@yusu.org, as long as you keep any confidental details private so we cannot identify who is involved.