Student Support
We are committed to the success of all of our students. We provide a broad range of advice and guidance on personal, practical and academic issues.
Support from your teacher
Your teacher is someone that you can speak to should you have any concerns related to your course. They are available upon request and you can contact your teacher via e-mail should you have any queries specifically related to your learning.
The Student Support team is also available for you to speak to about any other concerns or queries that you may have. In addition your Programme Manager is always pleased to be able to help you with any issues you may be having.
See your Student Handbook for more details.
Academic Support
We want you to succeed! If you are struggling with your studies, we will help you at our weekly tutorials and will provide extra teaching and tutoring should you need it. Your expected class and tutorial hours are outlined in our Programme Handbook which also includes your weekly timetables. Our College Calendar outlines key semester and exam dates. Whilst studying you will be able to easily access your learning materials and guides through our Learning Management system (LMS). This will be used for assignment submission in many instances. Your will be shown how to use the LMS at induction.
Student Wellbeing
We provide many types of pastoral care from general queries about living in Ireland to mental health, medical and wellbeing providers.
Living and studying in a foreign country for the first time can be lonely at times. Studying at an international college through a language that is not your first language can also be hard, especially near exams and at assessment times. We are here to help you so please tell any of our staff if you are struggling in any way. UniHaven College offers 6 free multilingual counselling and coaching sessions through our partner, Spectrum.Life in conjunction with their trained and specialist counsellors. Your first 6 counselling sessions are free of charge and can be accessed online if necessary. Should you want more than 6 sessions, the sessions after the first 6 will be paid for by you. Every student will be given access to the Spectrum.Life website from which they can request such support. Spectrum.Life also provide emergency mental health support. Full details about how to access such supports will be provided at induction.
If you need any help outside of hours, an emergency out of hours phone is always carried by one of our staff. Its number is 00353 89 2647567 which will also be provided to you at induction and registration after you arrive at the College. Please ring this for any need that cannot wait until the following day to be sorted. Minors will also have been provided with emergency contact details by our partner Godsil. Emergency services can be contacted by dialling 112 or 999 even when out of credit/coins/cards.
Sick Leave
If you are unwell and unable to attend College, notify the College by emailing the Student Support Officer directly on the first day of sickness and each day of sickness thereafter. The Student Support Officer name and contact details will be provided at induction. Permitted absences and unpermitted absences are dealt with as per our Attendance Monitoring Procedure.
Under 18's
In Ireland, students who are under the age of 18 at enrolment are classified as ‘minors’ and as children by law under Irish child protection and child welfare legislation. This places specific duties on UniHaven College and its partners, including accommodation partners, to make special arrangements to ensure their safety and their ease of transition into life in Ireland to study here. The fact that minors are likely living away from home for the first time only adds to UniHaven College’s duty of care towards such younger students. If you are a minor, you will be dealt with differently to other students until you reach the age of 18 in some circumstances. This will include the need for someone to accompany you to
- Medical Care including Appointments.
- Emergency Care.
- Garda (Policy) Stations/Offices for Visa Purposes.
UniHaven has taken the following steps to ensure younger students are looked after as appropriate to their age as follows:
- Staff are Garda vetted to ensure that none of our staff have any criminal or other convictions that would get in the way of the College providing a safe environment in which you will study.
- Staff have been trained in the need to and how to ensure that all minors are treated fairly and age-appropriately while studying at our College.
- UniHaven has appointed a Child Welfare Officer/Designated Liaison Person who will be your point of contact if you are a minor and if you have any serious welfare concerns. This person will be made known to you at induction.
- UniHaven has appointed an external body, Godsil Education, to act as guardian nominee to minors unless you have someone who can play this role for you and for whom your parents will confirm in writing to us, e.g., a relative living in Ireland. Godsil will provide out-of-hour emergency care and point of contact services as well as in-hours medical appointment and Garda appointment accompanying services. They can arrange home stay accommodation for minors or minors can stay at UniHaven's Dublin accommodation provider that is a short train journey (approx. 45 minutes in total) from the College. You will pay Godsil directly for the use of their services.
Complaints
Students have the right to communicate any issues they may experience whilst a studying at UniHaven College. Further information as to how to do this is available here.