Parallel sessions F - Tuesday 13 July, 4.00-5.00pm

Parallel sessions 4 - Single slots

F3. Sharpening the saw: taking self-care seriously

This participative workshop will explore the importance of self care for the international education professional.

We know from extensive research that the key to developing healthy, productive relationships in education is to pay attention to the personal social, emotional and professional well-being of staff as well as students.

During this workshop participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their personal, social and emotional needs and to identify a range of strategies to help them maintain their sense of well-being, enhance their self-esteem and help them become more effective in their personal and professional life.

This workshop is ideally suited for those who enjoy a balance of fun, support and challenge.

Presenter: Belinda Harris, University of Nottingham

F4. Dipping your toes into immigration appeals

(Repeat of B11)

The session will cover UEL advisers’ experiences with challenging immigration decisions and supporting students with immigration appeals.

Including:

• expanding knowledge of the Appeals System
• different approaches to challenging decisions
• advising and supporting students on Appeals as an OISC level 2 adviser
• real case studies
• sharing our experiences of challenging decisions and supporting students with immigration appeals
• enabling participants to develop their own confidence in appeals work and take a dip

Please note: this session is not designed to train participants on the Appeals rules or to make official representations at appeals.

Suitable for: OISC level 2 and experienced advisers.

Presenters: Niru Williams, Lynsey Berrecloth and John Kayan, University of East London

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F5. Entry Clearance correction schemes

(Repeat of E9)

This is a session for new advisers, and for those who would like a refresher, about the process of Entry Clearance correction.

The Scheme is one whereby errors that have occurred at the entry clearance stage can be reviewed and amended. This includes errors such as an incorrect Sponsor License number, omission of work conditions and the inclusion (in error) of the requirement to register with the police. This is a free service run by the UK Border Agency for advisers to use on behalf of students. The scheme benefits many students who might otherwise have to apply for further permission.

This session will look at the purpose and remit of the scheme, as well as the various administrative processes involved in using the scheme.

Presenter: Christine Stevenson, UK Border Agency

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F6. Culture and mental health: attitudes among African students studying in the UK CANCELLED

Advisers and counsellors alike will at times be faced with international students struggling with psychological issues. Given the widely diverging cultural attitudes around mental distress, including how to seek help, what are the issues we need to consider in order to best help such students?

This session is based on primary research for an MA dissertation which explores how African students think about psychological distress, and what they might consider appropriate (or inappropriate) help. Although the session is specific to African students, it will help participants to think more widely about the issues at stake, when dealing with students from other cultures.

The session aims to explore the impact of culture on:

• our own assumptions of what is helpful and
• what students from other cultures might consider useful, when dealing with mental distress.

Presenter: Emma Nabavian, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

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F7. Batch scheme surgery

(Repeat of E6)

An opportunity to meet staff from the UK Border Agency (UKBA) Student Batch Scheme face-to-face.

The session will include a presentation from staff managing the scheme, and a question and answer session.

You are invited to raise any issues about the operation of the scheme that it would be useful and productive for advisers to discuss with the staff managing it.

Please note that this session is not appropriate for you if students at your institution post their applications to UKBA themselves, rather than through the Student Batch Scheme.

Presenters: Staff from the UKBA Student Batch Scheme

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F8. Easy as Ai, Bo, Cai

The Pinyin system of transcribing Chinese names into Roman characters sometimes causes more problems than it solves. How does an English speaker correctly pronounce a name written in Pinyin as “Qi” or “Xu” or “He”?

This interactive session will teach you how. We will also look at some simple gestures and body language used among Chinese communities.

Participants will learn how to read the Pinyin system, and how to pronounce Chinese names

Suitable for all.

Presenter: Andrew Humphrey, SOAS

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F9. Getting prepared: how UNIAID’s new Student Life Wiki and resources can help

The UNIAID PMI project has now produced three resources to complement information and guidance about money management and university life.

This workshop will introduce the new online Student Life Wiki and International Adviser’s Resources. Participants will hear how their institution and students can add content to the Wiki plus how they can use the resources in orientation.

It will be an interactive session; delegates can participate in interactive activities to trial the resources, discuss best practice and put forward their ideas for how the International Student Calculator, Wiki and resources could be improved for the coming year.

The session aims to:

• introduce the UNIAID Student Life Wiki website
• explain the aims of the Student Life Wiki and show how institutions and students can upload, edit and read content
• give an overview of the student calculator and how to promote it
• give an overview of the advisers resources which institutions can use in orientation, sessions or as handouts/materials for their students throughout the year. To explain the content, aims of the resources and how to download them.
• collect feedback from delegates on the resources which can feed into the final year of the PMI project

Presenters: Jemma Samuels and Stephanie Saffrey, Brightside Uniaid

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F10. Advice where it’s needed

Tier 4 has thrown many in senior management, and administrative staff, into the deep end of the immigration system. While issuing Confirmations of Acceptance for Studies (CASs) might appear to be simply a data inputting task, undertaking this task without enough knowledge of the immigration system and its frequent changes can be perilous for students and the reputation of the institution.

This session will look at the role of the adviser who gives immigration advice to students and the need for asserting the importance of their involvement in developing and maintaining institutional policies and procedures relating to the training and work of sponsor licence staff.

There will be a chance for group discussion and sharing best practice with perspectives from both higher education and further education.

This session aims to share experiences from both the HE and FE sectors, get participants to discuss issues in their institution with each other and gain some confidence/mechanisms to approach management and share immigration expertise to ensure the institution remains Tier 4 compliant.

Suitable for all international student advisers.

Presenters: Barbara Montagna, Bournemouth University and Maxwell Howells, Thanet College

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