Advice and Information

UELSU Advice and Information Service (commonly referred to as the AIS)

About us

AIMS of the Service

The AIS provides free, independent, impartial, non-judgmental, confidential and professional advice, information and representation on a range of welfare and academic related issues to UEL students

The AIS defines students as follows:

• enrolled students at UEL and affiliated colleges (noting that there are limitations to the service that can be offered to students who are engaged in a course of study at an affiliated college due to resources available to the AIS- staff and financial constraints, however, where possible every effort will be made to offer a service to you)
• prospective students.
• students who have completed their studies but need assistance with a student related issue.
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The AIS is a member of adviceuk (the UK's largest network of independent advice agencies) and subscribes to an electronic information system provided by the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux This details information about a wide variety of areas such as: welfare benefits, housing, employment, consumer, court procedures and a wealth of other useful information.

The AIS is a member of UKCISA (the Council for International Education) which provides us with access to information and advice on issues relating to international students.

Areas of advice covered by AIS:

• Academic issues - appeals, course complaints, assessment offences- cheating, plagiarism, collusion, missing marks, degree classification queries and much more.
• Extenuation - noting we are the only people that can assist you with any advice/information/guidance on extenuation.
• Welfare Benefits - entitlement to benefits as a student, how to make a claim and much more.
• Complaints - how to make a compliant about a service that you have received from a UEL School or Service.
• Housing - deposit not returned, rent arrears, repairs, harassment, discrimination, entitlement to housing, homelessness.
• Employment - National Insurance number- how to obtain one, non-payment of wages/salary, employer disputes and much more.
• Disciplinary issues - making complaints about fellow students under the Disciplinary Regulations of UEL.

Representation

This forms a major part of the work that the AIS does and we often receive requests from students to represent them at meetings with tutors, at School Hearings for Assessment Offences, Standards Assesments, Suitability Hearings, University Panels which include: Appeals Panels, Complaints Panels, Disciplinary Panels and Investigating Panels.

The AIS requires a minimum of 48 hours notice from a student who requires representation for a meeting or School Hearing. This is to ensure that the Advisor is given sufficient notice for their diary and more significantly to ensure that sufficient time is allocated to prepare for the meeting/hearing.

For University Panels a minimum period of notice is defined as 5 working days.

Please see Service Standards section of the website

Please note that none of the above represents an exhaustive list as there are a wide range of areas that we can provide assistance with.

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