The main role of an Academic Adviser is to provide academic advice, while Student Support Coordinators take a complementary supporting role. The SSC's are usually the first port of call for a student with a problem.

Your relationship to the Student Support Coordinators
In broad terms, the SSC acts as a 'duty' academic adviser. They may be able to deal completely with a student's enquiry or problem. They may refer the student to one of the central services such as counselling, disability or dyslexia, or to the student's own academic adviser. Some students will, of course, prefer to use their academic adviser as the first point of contact. In these cases, the academic adviser will be the person dealing with the problem, referring the student to a central service or to the Faculty based SSC.

If there are aspects of this section of the staff guide which need further explanation, please contact the appropriate Assistant Dean responsible for student support in your Faculty. Alternatively, email Head of Student Services, Keith Cooper, khcooper@brookes.ac.uk

This section includes

• Academic Adviser's TO DO timeline
• Academic Adviser's 'How to'
• Academic Advisers and the Undergraduate Modular Programme
• Listening and talking
• Keeping records
• Making referrals
• Confidentiality and data protection
• Concerns about illegal drugs and alcohol
• Student complaints
• Writing references