6

Student support

The student support services should contribute to the achievement of the intended learning outcomes. They should take into account specific challenges of mobile students.

This standard is directly related with the ESG standard 1.6. Learning resources and student support. However, specific settings of a joint programmes’ operations require highlighting and focusing on particular needs of their students. Support provided by a consortium offering the joint programme should include measures taking into account international mobility of students within the programme duration. These might include the following areas of students’ mobility:

1. Pre-arrival

This part shall cover all services provided to students before they actually arrive at the HEI to study the joint programme. This would encompass both starting their first year as well as another semester at one of the consortium universities. Services offered to incoming students may include:

• attributing of a local tutor (a student or a faculty member), who will make the transition easier and adaptation faster
• creating channels of communication for new, current and alumni students to keep in touch, exchange experiences and give or get advice (one of the means to do is can be social media channel mostly suitable to the countries and locations involved)
• sending out student guides that would include all vital and necessary information for newcomers, e.g. contacts, maps, administrative formalities, conditions and contacts of the insurance,
• providing immigration and visa procedures to incoming students, e.g., via sending out guides, website with all procedures and contact details to immigration offices, as well as information on travel preparations, arrival and residence in the country of future study.
• Creating and providing students with a student handbook. It shall contain important information on the joint program, including the joint structures of the programme, the mobility options in subsequent semesters, joint standards and requirements with regard to internships & placements, theses and the degree, student life and facilities, joint program Directors, administrative staff.
• Providing information on language courses offered by all partner universities

2. Upon arrival

Upon their arrival, students are offered a number of support services so that their transition and adaptation went as smoothly as possible.

Services offered to incoming students may include:

• Welcome at the airport, which can be provided either by their tutor, fellow students from senior years or other parties, like professional taxi services
• Full package of daily life information from their tutors (transportation, communication, etc.)
• Participation in Orientation/Welcome Days organized either for all new incoming students or specific group of joint program students.
• Administrative support in order to explain all the formal requirements of the program
• Meeting with the teaching staff of the joint program to make the students familiar with the program, ECTS requirements, agenda for the semester, students calendar as well as final thesis requirements
• Contact details to both the program directory as well as administrative staff in case of any emergency that occurs, or questions related to the program and other issues.

3. Other support services

Insurance

All students of the joint program shall receive an international insurance that covers includes medical treatment, assistance abroad, pregnancy/childbirth, accidents, baggage loss, damage to household furniture, and civil liability. Students shall receive an insurance certificate before their arrival to the first country of residence, as well as a document with the general conditions of the insurance.

Equity Policies

The consortium shall strive to provide all students with equal opportunities. All European institutions represented in the consortium shall be barrier-free and promote universal access. Applicants should be requested to inform the coordinator of special requirements. Assistance is given to any student who requests special assistance, adjustments or equipment during his/her studies or exam period.

Accommodation

Each partner provides accommodation for the students, either in the form of dormitories or in studies both assisted by the administrative staff members of students of the host university. This might be one of the most expected support, given the fact that students of joint programmes would change study countries much more often than their peers from regular programmes. Depending on the consortium agreement, the students pay for accommodation either individually or by the host/sending institution. In the first case scenario, each student is informed prior to arrival about the terms and condition, including financial requirements, of all possible accommodation options either by the host university or other consortium member.

Visa procedures

The consortium aims at having a fast and transparent procedure for visa and permit of stay issues in the forms of:

• at the end of the selection procedure, a letter of acceptance is sent to the selected students so that they can timely apply for the visa
• the local coordinator provides assistance, and communicates with the relevant embassies and/or Immigration offices to ease the process
• proving students with Student Handbooks containing all necessary information

Other administrative support:

• bank account assistance
• mentoring program
• digital support – e.g. email account, university wi-fi
• international office/student services office contact details
• internships and exchange/mobility opportunities
• alumni network and other students’ meetings
• intercultural training and preparation