Here at APU we operate the Student Support Scheme,
which employs dedicated assistants for individual
students. Assistants are expected to have a cognate
degree to the discipline being studied by the student;
although the majority of their time is spent in taking
notes and producing them in an accessible format (at
least word processed), they are expected to perform
any other reasonable task necessary for the academic
support of the student. (What is reasonable is
decided by discussion between a Student Adviser, the
assistant and the student: the precise nature of the
package of support agreed depends on individual
circumstances.)
The assistants are part time, term time only employees
of the University and are paid 11,467-13,701 pro rata.
They are provided with all the resources they need
to carry out their work competently, from pads and
pens to computer terminals and specialist training.
In turn, the University charges students 8.50 an hour
for the support they receive (typically a student will
hire an assistant for 20 hours per week). I invoice
LEAs directly on behalf of the students termly in
arrears.
In practice, most assistants are earning something
like 6.40 per hour; given that most of them have post
graduate qualifications and a number a great deal of
experience of teaching in higher education, this seems
exploitative. I am conscious that the success of the
scheme is heavily dependent on being centred in
Cambridge. However, the scheme can only operate on a
break even basis, and aside from my time as
co-ordinator it costs the University nothing. At
the same time, the University pays NI and other
costs. At the moment, on the Cambridge campus we
employing 10 assistants and I need another 2 as soon
as possible (a maths/physicist and an analytic
chemist).
Students who require very few hours of support, or
whose support needs a relatively low level of skill,
are encouraged to make private arrangements. A
Student Adviser would normally deal with their LEAs on
their behalf to make claims for reimbursement from the
DSA.
Please ask if you want to know more.
Regards, Bernard
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Bernard Doherty
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