School of Computing Science

Una Marie Darragh is the Student Support Officer for the School of Computing Science.

As the first point of contact, Una Marie can support a range of questions you may have. These could include, but are not limited to advise and information regarding:

• Accommodation
• Careers Services
• Counselling Services accessing
• Disability support and access
• Finances
• Good Cause Claims
• Personal issues
• Study support

The Student Support Officer works closely with staff from each professional support service at the University and can offer advice, support, and signposting to the relevant services required.

You can find her in the Student Support and Enquires Office on the ground floor of the Sir Alwyn Williams Building, or can get in touch using the following:

Tel:     +44 (0)141 330 8783

Email: UnaMarie.Darragh@glasgow.ac.uk

You can also book an appointment with the Student Support Officer via your MyGlasgow student page.  

If you have any questions regarding anything on this page, please contact Una Marie using the above contact information.

The University Careers Service can assist you with help around your career options, CVs, applications and interviews, finding jobs, work experience or further study.

You can access job vacancies, internships, book appointments and register to attend events and masterclasses via Glasgow Careers when you login with your GUID and password.

In addition to the services provided by the University Careers Service, the School of Computing Science holds regular talks by local employers and CV and interview clinics. You can find out more information on the Computing Science Careers Moodle.

The University has a Student Carers’ Policy which outlines how the university can support students to balance their caring responsibilities with their studies.

The University is committed to providing as much flexibility as possible to facilitate students’ success, making sure no student is disadvantaged. For Carers who, due to their caring responsibilities, will require special arrangements, these can be can put in place by filling out a Student Carers’ Plan. This plan can be found on the final pages of the Student Carers’ Policy above.

Students who are carers may be awarded a grant in recognition of the extra costs associated with this status from the Discretionary Fund. You can find the eligibility criteria for applying and further information on the financial aid web pages.

Please contact the Student Support Officer if you have any questions about the support available or if you would like to complete a Carers’ Plan so that arrangements can be put in place to help support you during your studies.

The SRC also have a Student Carers’ Network on Facebook to help enable students to share advice or organise meetups. It is open to all University of Glasgow students whether full-time, part-time or distance learners. The Facebook Group is closed which means no one can see that you are a member of the group unless they are also a member.

The Disability Service provides a dedicated service for students who have a disability (a chronic medical condition, a physical or sensory impairment, mental health difficulties or specific learning difficulty). Information on arranging support and the types of support available are outlined on their web pages. 

If you would like to get in touch with the service, you can make an appointment using the following contact details:

Email: disability@glasgow.ac.uk 

Phone: (0) 141 330 5497/5121/2260

Office opening times: 9.00am-5pm, Monday – Friday

65 Southpark Avenue, Glasgow G12 8LE

Please note : The 13th March 2020 is the last day for students to meet with Disability Service to have exam arrangements in place for April/May exams.

You will need to bring supporting professional evidence along to your appointment. This could be in the form of a letter from your GP, consultant, or an assessment from a Chartered Educational Psychologist. Please ask the service if you are not sure what kind of evidence is required.

There is an interactive campus map that can give you directions from one building to another. This is similar to the room finder app, but also allows you to add in features you might be looking for, such as public toilets, disabled parking bays, and allows you to view locations of rooms on particular levels for specific key buildings. AccessAble also provides an online description of the physical access features of over 100 university services and buildings.

The SRC also have a Disabled Students’ Network: for students who define themselves as having a disability. This is a closed group which means no one can see that you are a member of the group unless they are also one.

Each School has at least one Disability Coordinator to help support disabled students as well as to promote disability equality within their School. The Disability Coordinator for Computing Science is Una Marie Darragh.

Free sanitary product locations.

The Financial Aid Team are located on level two of the Fraser Building. They offer support such as the administration of the Discretionary & Childcare Funds, the Hardship Fund and Crisis Loans.

Crisis Loans.  A small amount of money may be given as a short-term loan. This can be requested in person by attending a brief interview with a member of the Student Financial Aid Team in the Fraser Building between 10am- 12pm Monday to Friday. Please contact reg.finaid@glasgow.ac.uk in advance to arrange an appointment if possible.

You will need to bring your student ID and any supporting documentary evidence, i.e. a bill to which the financial emergency relates.

You should also bring a printed mini-statement from your bank account or be prepared to show your current balance via a mobile device. Loans are only offered to those who can demonstrate means of repayment and the repayment deadline will be discussed with a member of Financial Aid Team.

Hardship Fund. This is limited one-off emergency support available to part-time and full-time registered students. Students undertaking a one-year Masters will only be considered in exceptional circumstances.

UK students must apply for the Discretionary Fund first but may be considered for support from both funds in exceptional circumstances.

International students wishing to discuss the fund should contact International Student Support in the first instance.

SAAS HEI Discretionary and Childcare Funds. This is support available to UK students in receipt of their full student loan entitlement.  UK students not eligible for student loans (e.g. Scottish PhD students) can still apply for the Discretionary Fund. The fund can provide support towards living costs, including childcare, but cannot assist with tuition fees and is not intended as a primary source of income.

Students who live in the family home are generally ineligible for funding.

Thesis Pending students are eligible; students with other non-standard forms of study (Dissertation Extension, Exams Only etc.) are ineligible but may be eligible for the Hardship Fund under certain circumstances.

Applicants should be able to demonstrate a shortfall between income and expenditure.  Shortfall can be demonstrated on a short-term basis (e.g. one month) or from the point of application until the end of the academic session.

Applications including supporting documents are submitted via MyCampus. 

If you have any questions about crisis loans, discretionary, childcare or hardships funds please contact reg.finaid@glasgow.ac.uk

For US Loan enquiries, please use the below contact details:

US Loans (Postgraduates)
carol.barnett@glasgow.ac.uk
+44 (0) 141 330 8645

US Loans (Undergraduates)
pamela.mcnair@glasgow.ac.uk
+44 (0) 141 330 7059

Scholarships.  Scholarships and bursaries are administered by a variety of teams and offices across the University and you can search for available scholarships.

Information on gender neutral facilities.   

Good Cause allows for unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances which have affected your assessments (i.e. coursework or exams) to be taken into consideration.

The Good Cause FAQs covers what circumstances are usually considered to be good cause as well as what evidence you should submit. 

You only have five working days from the date of the assessment (e.g. exam date or coursework submission deadline) to initiate your claim on MyCampus, otherwise it is deemed to be late and will not be accepted without good reason for not submitting on time.

There are two stages in considering a Good Cause claim:

a)  A judgement on whether the circumstances themselves should count as good cause

And, in cases where you have submitted a claim for under performance in an assessment

b)  A judgement on whether the grade you achieved in your exam or coursework has been significantly affected by the circumstances.

Step b) will only happen if Good Cause is accepted at step a).

If your Good Cause claim is accepted in relation to work that you completed (e.g. an exam that you sat, a piece of coursework that you submitted) the grade that you achieved will NOT be increased to reflect the difficulties that you were facing. 

Guidance on reporting good cause and how to submit a good cause claim on MyCampus.

If you have you have any questions about this process, please contact the Student Support Officer, Una Marie Darragh. 

For an extension of up to five working days, you do not need to submit a good cause claim, and instead should request an extension via the school’s LTC/ SoCS online system.

If you are concerned about your own or someone else's mental health, you can contact:

• The Samaritans
• Breathing Space Helpline

You can also access the University crisis support team 24/7 via Campus Security:

Tel: +44 (0) 141 330 4444

In the case of an emergency, please call 999 which will put you straight through to emergency services.

Please note: If you have had a diagnosis of a mental health condition for six months or longer, you can contact the Disability Service for additional support.

The International Student Support (ISS) web pages provide a wide range of information on the support available for international students. The ISS team offer specialised advice and information for international students and their dependants. The Advisers can also refer you on to other University Services for specific types of assistance.

They offer advice on issues including:

• welfare and personal issues
• immigration and visa advice
• financial issues
• information on UK and Scottish culture
• consumer rights issues
• support for dependants accompanying you during your studies

You can book an appointment to see an Adviser via your My Glasgow page or visit a drop-in session on level two of the Fraser Building at the following dates and times:

Monday: 1400-1630

Wednesday: 1400-1630

Friday: 0930-1200

Please note that drop-in sessions are for quick queries and are not suitable for visa application checking.

You can contact the International Student Support Team using the following contact details:

Tel: + 44 (0) 141 330 2912

Email: internationalstudentsupport@glasgow.ac.uk

There are various sources of support both on and off campus to help with any mental health difficulties that you may be experiencing.

University Counselling and Psychological Services

The purpose of the University of Glasgow Counselling Service is to support students to manage their mental health and to build strategies that will help them successfully complete their course of study. 

The Service is primarily designed to support those with mild to moderate needs. The Service does not diagnose or prescribe and is not a crisis service, although we do offer Crisis Support. Students who require medical support should consult their GP (General medical Practitioner).  

Upon fully registering with the Service, students will be offered an initial 1-2-1 consultation. Depending on need, the support we then offer includes: 

Masterclass Programme: University of Glasgow - MyGlasgow - Counselling & Psychological Services - Wellbeing Masterclass Programme  

The masterclasses are group sessions which help you to learn practical skills to allow you effectively and proactively manage your mental health and wellbeing. They are between 45 and 60 minutes and cover a variety of topics including anxiety, low mood, sleep and stress, and you can attend as many sessions as you like.  

Registering for Counselling: University of Glasgow - MyGlasgow - Counselling & Psychological Services - Register with the Service 
 
Email: studentcounselling@glasgow.ac.uk 

Call:  0141 330 4528 

Togetherall

Togetherall is a safe space online to get things off your chest, explore your feelings and learn how to improve and self-manage your mental health and wellbeing.  

• An anonymous community available to all U of G students and staff, where members can support each other 
• Access 24 hours a day, 365 days a year 

• Trained professionals available 24/7 to keep the community safe 
• Self-assessments & recommended resources 
• Creative tools to help express how you’re feeling 
• Wide range of self-guided courses to do at your own pace 

Accessing Togetherall: 

• Go to: https://togetherall.com/en-gb/  
• Click "Join Now" and use your University of Glasgow email address to sign up 
• Choose an anonymous username 

University Nightline

Nightline is a confidential, non-judgemental information and listening service run by the SRC.

There are times when being at University can be stressful and the service can provide a friendly ear and a quick and discreet source of information. Any student can call Nightline between the hours of 7pm–7am Monday to Friday during term time.

As well as the opportunity to talk to someone in confidence, the service provides information such as exam timetables, phone numbers for taxis, clinics and details on other campus support services and specialist helplines.

You can phone Nightline on: 0141 334 9516 or visit gunightline.org for their instant messaging service.

Self- help Resources

The University also provides links to self-help resources that contains guidance, apps and links to external charities and resources for a variety of different issues such as: abuse, addiction, anxiety, depression, disordered eating and stress & relaxation.

General Practitioners

Your GP can also help you determine what support is best for you if you are struggling with your mental health, and if you could benefit from taking medication.

If you are not currently registered with a GP, you can register on campus with the Barclay Medical Centre located on the ground floor the Fraser Building.

Peer Wellbeing Support 

Peer supporters are students who have been recruited and received 27 hours of specialized, evidence-based training by qualified counsellors/psychotherapists to equip them for the role. 

Peer Wellbeing Supporters are trained to assist students who are experiencing mild mental health issues and/or with issues such as anxiety, stress, isolation, dealing with change, relationship problems, financial stress and homesickness.  

When accessing Peer Support, in line with established practice across universities, you will be supported by two trained Peer Wellbeing Supporters throughout your session.   

You can have a quick 10 minute chat or stay up to 1 hour, this is the student’s decision. 

Book In: University of Glasgow - MyGlasgow - Peer Wellbeing Support - Book a Session) 

Contact: scieng-pws@glasgow.ac.uk 

Sexual Health

As well as checking what services your GP can provide, the Sandyford Sexual Health Service provides sexual, reproductive and emotional health across the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. They are skilled health professionals who can discuss with you your sexual health or access to sexual health testing.

On Campus you can access free condoms from the Queen Margaret Union from 12-4 pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday on the ground floor of the building. You can also access free condoms from the porter at the GUU as well as from the SRC reception and Advice Centre.

Additionally, here is a list of free condom locations in Greater Glasgow.

Safe Taxi Scheme

This is a safety initiative to ensure that even if you are alone and have found yourself stuck on a night out with no money, you can still make it back home safely by using your student card as payment in emergency situations.

All it consists of are these three simple steps:

• Call 0141 429 7070, quoting ‘Get Home Safe’ and ‘GU1’, and give the operator your Surname and GUID. Always be sure to check that the registration on the cab matches the one you have received in your message from the taxi firm.
• Once you arrive home, sign the driver’s receipt and hand over your student card as payment.
• Wait 24 hours and come and collect your student card from the SRC Welcome Point and pay for your taxi fare.

If you have not got your student card, you can still use this scheme to get home. Ring 0141 429 7070, quoting ‘Get Home Safe’ and ‘GU1’ explaining that you have no student card and ask for the operator on the line to contact the University Gatehouse (0141 330 4282), who will then be able to confirm your student status. Once confirmed the taxi will be sent to pick you up.

Content Warning: Sexual Violence and Harassment

Both the University and the SRC have webpages below contain information and resources for students who have been affected by, or are supporting a survivor of sexual violence:

SRC Sexual Violence Support and Resources

University Sexual Violence and Harassment Support

Glasgow University Sports Association (GUSA) provides opportunities for students to participate in sport by coordinating club sport, recreational leagues, health and fitness classes, specialist courses and drop-in sessions. They have over 50 clubs that cater to all abilities. Find out more about student membership.

GUSA also have several welfare initiatives such as: their buddy system, which aims to encourage people who may not be comfortable exercising themselves to do so with the help of a buddy; and Starfish, a support group for anyone affected by disordered eating or exercise, whether personally or through a friend or family member. For further, confidential information about Starfish, please contact GUSA-welfare@glasgow.ac.uk.

The Learning Enhancement and Academic Development Service (LEADS) offers study and writing advice for students. You can make an appointment with an Adviser though your MyCampus page or go along to a class to talk about your academic work.

You can view the programme of classes this semester (Jan-May 2020) for students within the College of MVLS and Science and Engineering.

Common topics include:

• academic writing (essays, lab reports, research proposals)
• critical analysis
• scientific presentations
• time and project management
• effective, evidence-based study and revision methods

LEADS can also advise you on current unmarked work, including helping you to:

• interpret the question
• think about your argument
• plan your essay
• research and use your sources
• write and edit your work

They are unable to advise on specific content, but can advise you on past assignments, and their feedback, to help you improve your writing.

If you are struggling with a particular class or a concept within Computing, you should speak to your tutor, lecturer or go along to office hours to ask any questions you might have.