LORRAINE FRASER
Academic Registrar, University of St Andrews
- What does your job involve?
- What contact do you have with students?
- What happens if I fail an exam or hand an essay in late?
- What happens if I start studying a course and discover that it’s not for me?
- What is direct entry from an HN qualification?
- What are “matriculation” and “graduation"?
- I’ve heard of the ‘Court’, ‘Senate’ and ‘General Council’. What are they, and what do they have to do with students? Do they exist in all college and universities, or just at St Andrews?
- In your opinion, what are the top three reasons for going to college or university?
1. What does your job involve?
I deal with everything to do with the registration and recording of students. This starts when the person gets accepted to St Andrews and selects it as their first choice through UCAS. It continues until just after graduation, when the Alumni Relations Officer takes over. I deal with everything to do with student records, and the information we keep about students, from their home address to their marks in essays and exams. We have a record of every student who ever attended the university, right from the 1400s to today.
2. What contact do you have with students?
I have lots of contact with students, both directly and indirectly. I get to meet all students at matriculation (see question 6) and again at graduation. Other than this, students will come to see me for a whole range of different reasons, from getting special confirmation of their student status for Council Tax or scholarship reasons, to difficulties they’re having with any problems they experience. I am accessible to every student. I also work very closely with the elected student representatives in the Students’ Association, and have recently been a member of the Students’ Association Board.
3. What happens if I fail an exam or hand an essay in late?
If you fail an exam you have the right to re-sit it. You will usually only be given a limited number of opportunities to re-sit, however. If you fail a module more than once, you might want to look at alternatives that may be open to you. If you continually fail exams, and cannot meet the requirements for the course, your studies may be terminated, and you will have to leave university.
If you think you are going to be late on an essay then talk to your tutor. They may be able to offer you an extension, if you have a valid reason for being late. If you don’t get the extension you may have marks taken off your score in that essay. You get penalised for every day that you are late on the piece of work. Even if your tutor is unable to offer an extension, it is important to let them know that the work will not be handed in on time.
In both of these cases it is essential to seek help, either from your tutor or from Student Support. They will be able to help you assess the situation, and come up with the best plan of action for you.
4. What happens if I start studying a course and discover that it’s not for me?
In St Andrews if you want to change the module you are studying (e.g. 20th century French history to 18th century French history), you can do so within the first two weeks of that module, subject to space being available in the class you want to change to. After this it is much more difficult to catch up on the work that has been missed. If you want to change your whole programme (e.g. you study history but want to change to computer science) that can be a bit more difficult. You should talk to an adviser of studies as early as possible, and look at the requirements for the course you want to change onto.
Before applying to college or university you should research the courses you are interested in as much as possible, and get a really clear idea of which you want to study. It is possible to change at a later date, but it causes a lot of hassle and can lead to you repeating years of study.
5. What is direct entry from an HN qualification?
This means courses that you can enter in second or third year, based on previous HNC/HND qualifications. It is important that the content, not just the level, of the material covered at HN matches the degree course that you are hoping to pursue. If it does not, you will normally find that direct entry is not possible, but entry into the first year may be offered.
6. What are “matriculation” and “graduation"?
Matriculation is the process of signing up to be a student. At matriculation you are basically signing a contract with the university, which sets out what is expected of you and what will be offered to you. You agree to abide by the rules and see that your fees are paid (which is done automatically by SAAS for all Scottish students), and the university agrees to provide teaching of the subject you are signed up to study. After matriculation you register for individual modules.
Graduation is the end product of four years of hard work, when the degree you have studied is given to you. Even after you have done your last exam, handed in your last essay, and got all your marks back saying you have passed, you still do not have your degree until you attend the graduation ceremony, or the ceremony takes place in your absence. For all students, this is a very special day.
7. I’ve heard of the ‘Court’, ‘Senate’ and ‘General Council’. What are they, and what do they have to do with students? Do they exist in all college and universities, or just at St Andrews?
The Court is the governing body of the university, a bit like a Board of Directors. Every college and university has one, but many call it the Board of Governors. Court is made up of the Rector, senior members of staff, leading members of the community, members of the Senate and three students. In the ancient universities, Court is chaired by the Rector, who is elected every three years by the students. Court is responsible for the non-academic affairs of the university.
Senate is the supreme academic body within the university. It exists in some universities, mostly the older ones, and does not exist in colleges. It is made up of every professor in the university, which makes up for 75% of the Senate, and the other 25% is made up of members of academic staff who are not professors. There are also student representatives on the Senate. This means it is huge, and therefore does not meet very regularly. The business is managed by the Academic Council, which is made of representatives elected from within the Senate.
The General Council is made up of everyone who has ever graduated from the university. Upon graduation students pay a General Council fee, which includes life membership of the Alumnus Association. Alumnus means graduate of the university. There are lots of smaller groups of alumni around the country, and indeed around the world, who hold regular events and reunions8. In your opinion, what are the top three reasons for going to college or university?
It gives you the opportunity to take forward your learning, beyond the level that you reach at school, being taught by some of the experts in your chosen field. You can go on to college or university straight after school, or take some time out before continuing your education, but it is important to remember that the opportunities to improve your learning exist right throughout your life. This, in turn, improves your careers options.
Also, attending college or university prepares you for life. It allows you to take that step from the childhood of school, towards the adulthood of employment. At university and college you are learning about your subject, but you are also developing skills that are essential, both in your private life and your work life. There are lots of opportunities to get involved in activities outside the classroom, through clubs and societies, and it is so important for students to seize them.
Finally, you make so many wonderful, life-long friends at college and university. You get the opportunity to study alongside people from all different walks of life, from right across the world. Meeting new people helps improve your interpersonal skills, and really builds your confidence, at a critical stage in your personal development. Sharing your experiences of college or university with these friends is priceless.
