UCL Academic Manual

Induction Week

contact: Dr Ruth Siddall, Dean of Students (Welfare)

Good Practice

1. This document provides a list of activities and ideas to guide staff in constructing the programme for induction week. Induction week should be seen as part of the teaching and learning experience of students and, because it is the first activity they will encounter should be as interesting, exciting and useful as possible.

2. The list below is based upon programmes which already operate at UCL and which have been evaluated by students. Departments are not expected to implement all these activities and ideas, but rather to select those seen as appropriate to their individual circumstances and their students’ particular needs.

• Welcome by the Dean of the Faculty
• Welcome by Head of Department
• Orientation - guided walk around UCL with maps
• Mentoring by more senior students

Efficient enrolment procedures

• Registry procedures
• Module enrolment procedures

Introduce the concept of student health and welfare

• Registration with Student Health
• Pastoral role of tutors: personal, departmental, faculty
• Dean of Students (Welfare)' role
• Adviser to women students
• Transitions Programme Seminars
• International Office and overseas students
• Rights and Advice Office of the UCL Union
• Student Psychological Services

3. A list of academic activities to prepare students for their programme of study might include the following:

Library

• Introduction to UCL libraries and any departmental collections

Computing

• Use of Libertas
• Introduction to UCL computing facilities
• Departmental computing facilities
• Using basic software e.g. 'Word'

Study skills

• Essay writing getting started
• Lectures and note taking
• Bibliographies and how to use them
• References and plagiarism
• Preparing for a seminar
• Writing your laboratory practical book
• Advice about textbooks; when to buy - involve students; second-hand book fair
• Time management
• Departmental Tutor - introduction and explanation of role
• Personal Tutor - introduction and explanation of role
• Introducing the Careers Service
• Safety procedures and practices for laboratory sciences and field-work etc
• Linking the induction week programme to the courses which follow

4. More general points relating to induction are listed below.

Social activities

• Introducing the Departmental Society
• Reception for staff and all students on Departmental basis

Student Union activities

• Departments to provide time for student to attend Freshers' Fayre and Freshers' Conference

General

• Well-planned induction programme which is neither too intensive nor time-wasting
• Make use of teaching assistants and more senior students for training
• Keep events relatively short - 30 to 40 minutes
• For study skill and academic-related activities devise an outcome so that students have a sense of achievement
• Provide written information and an induction pack
• Take the opportunity of obtaining photographs of students to help staff in identifying students
• Take care in constructing the Induction Week so that various 'timetables' (Registry, UCL Union, Faculty, Departmental, etc) do not clash
• Avoid 9am starts if they follow social events the previous evening but encourage punctuality
• Liaise with UCL Disability Co-ordinator to make special preparations for those with disabilities
• Remember the problems of students who may miss Induction week (JYA, Socrates who start in January, part-time students, students undertaking placements outside UCL, direct entry to second year).

November 2012

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