HI Isabelle,
Confidentiality is a tricky one - We've thought a lot about it. there was no policy in place when I first arrived, so I swiftly wrote one so I could have the first say before anyone thought to demand student info from us!
I don't want to create a remedial, quasi-therapeutic environment associated with 'issues' and therefore shame, so I'm careful to avoid that kind of language. Accessing an LD tutorial shouldn't be a shameful secret - that's counter to the 'aspirational' value! My main concern is that this remain a space separate from formal assessment in which the student's own agenda and best interests are foremost, unlike in the schools due to the nature of the curriculum and assessment, and a confidentiality policy is to my mind the best way of giving the student control over that space. I've also been asked to disclose whether a student has attended tutorials as a condition of their progression - which I absolutely will not do as it's counter to so many of my other values around student-centredness- I think we all recognise how hard it is to work with the student who has been 'sent'! A confidentiality policy is a key tool in reframing that conversation with the student. Some students don't care about confidentiality, which is fine, some see it as in their best interests to disclose to academic staff, which is also fine, but others are very anxious that their access is not disclosed to lecturers- and given the remedial perception of some academic colleagues, I can see why! Hopefully that will change over time.... I find I do have to work quite hard with academic colleagues who wonder who we are and what we are doing with 'their' students, but that building of trust comes through better understanding of our role, rather than not having a confidentiality policy, I think.
I'm lucky that no one has yet noticed our policy - I expect it will be challenged one day! Hopefully I will have been able to articulate and rehearse the case when it does.
Best wishes,
Helen
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Pottinger, Isabelle B [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent: 13 March 2017 10:27
>To: Helen Webster <[log in to unmask]>;
>[log in to unmask]
>Subject: RE: Learning development values and principles
>
>Thank you, Helen, this is an enormously powerful and insightful document.
>
>As you say, some of it is specific to Newcastle and to your writing centre. But
>with only a few tweaks I'm sure I could easily create something that would be
>a 'good-enough-for-now' match for my situation and my institution. The
>challenge then would be reflecting on this 'good-enough-for-now' document
>with colleagues to raise it to the level that Newcastle has achieved.
>
>Confidentiality? I used to keep my provision confidential at the level of the
>student. But management staff have demanded that I disclose the Academic
>School and Year of Study of each student I see. (Despite pressure to do so,
>I've refuse to disclose the nature of the conversation/interaction the student
>and I have.) So I've had to remove from documentation any mention of
>confidentiality.
>
>Has Helen's document raise questions with others on this list about standards,
>values and principles?
>
>Best wishes,
>
>Isabelle
>
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>-------------------------------
>Isabelle Pottinger
>Effective Learning Advisor
>Information Services
>Cameron Smail Library
>Gait 12
>Heriot-Watt University
>Edinburgh
>EH14 4AS United Kingdom
>Tel: +44 (0)131 451 3062
>E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>http://www.hw.ac.uk/is/skills-development/study-support.htm
>http://www.hw.ac.uk/is/skills-development.htm
>
>Appointments: http://hw.ac.libcal.com/appointment/15880
>
>
>Heriot-Watt is a Charity Registered in Scotland, SC000278
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: learning development in higher education network
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Helen Webster
>Sent: 13 March 2017 09:53
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Learning development values and principles
>
>Dear colleagues,
>
>At Newcastle, we've been doing a lot of thinking in the team about our
>professional values and principles as we develop the service and establish
>what we want to offer and what standards we want to hold ourselves to. The
>discussions have been very enlightening in terms of unearthing our implicit
>assumptions and beliefs, sharing a common understanding and defining our
>approach! We've also found this a very practical way to look at our practice
>right from the minutiae of how we first greet a one to one student and
>present workshop materials.
>
>We've now finalised our values and principles document, and I wondered if it
>would be of interest to the wider LD community. Some of the items have
>arisen out of circumstances particular to Newcastle University, others may be
>more universal, some may even be contentious, but as it's been such a useful
>process for us, thought it might raise similarly productive discussion on the
>LDHEN list, whether it chimes with your own LD practice or not.
>
>Best wishes,
>
>Helen
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