Supporting You

The University is concerned to ensure that your transition from school to University is smooth and successful. A range of supports and services are provided by the University to assist this transition, and to enhance your personal development throughout your period of study.

Finding Your Feet - The Orientation Programme

The Orientation Programme is held the week before the start of the academic year and is designed to assist you in your integration to third level education at the University of Limerick.

The main objectives of the Orientation Programme are to:

• Enrol you as a new student at the University
• Familiarise you with your academic programme and teaching staff
• Introduce you to the various student support services provided on campus
• Provide you with a guided tour of the UL campus.

Maximising student interaction is an important aspect of orientation, so to start you off we have organised a few social events help you in meeting and getting to know fellow new students, and to make new friends.

Getting Help and Advice

The Student Adviser System is designed to help you in your transition from secondary school to University. On enrolling at the University of Limerick you are assigned an adviser. An adviser is a member of the academic staff who teaches on your course.The functions of the adviser include:

• Meeting you early in the first semester and assisting in your orientation
• Acting as a source of advice and information on general student problems and where appropriate, referring students to the support services
• Monitoring your academic progress and, where appropriate, recommending remedial action
• Assisting you in your choice of elective modules
• Advising you on changes in your educational arrangements.

Further information can be obtained from the Director of Student Affairs, Dr Bernadette Walsh, tel 061-202971 or email bernadette.walsh@ul.ie

The First Seven Weeks

The first seven weeks is an initiative at the University of Limerick designed to provide strong, targeted support to you during the very early weeks of your time as a UL student. Successful early adjustment to college life is linked to subsequent success. We want to let you know we care and are interested in your successful adjustment. Each of the first seven weeks has its own theme, designed to focus your attention on various issues that we know are important for settling in and thriving as a higher education student.

The themes for the first seven weeks are;

Week 1 WELCOME, SETTLING IN, FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND
The theme of this week is aimed at helping you to settle in, get your bearings, and get comfortable with your surroundings. From the very start, you will be encouraged to set up good habits that will stand to you in the longer term. Supports, events and messages will include: On campus messages of welcome and communication, both physical and online; First seven weeks launch; Initiation of the first seven weeks blog for daily messages of support and information to new students; Opportunity to meet and talk with members of the UL community, students and staff; raise awareness of the library peer support scheme; IT resources for assisting you with registration; information/maps/directions/signage for helping you to find your way around the campus; trained university guides to provide extra help to you, answering your queries and showing you around.

Week 2 STUDY SKILLS AND TIME MANAGEMENT
The theme of this week aims to provide you with as much information as you need to help you set up good study patterns and manage your time well. Supports, events and messages will include: Communication and literature on effective study skills and time management; study skills sessions focusing on study/life balance, scheduling time; Study skills blog with insights and advice from existing UL students and academics; special emphasis on the importance of lecture attendance and showing links between lecture attendance and academic performance.

Week 3 HEALTH AND WELLBEING WEEK
This week pays special attention to health and wellbeing, encouraging you to make deliberate efforts to focus on staying well and being healthy. Supports to assist this will include: Free passes for new students to Arena fitness sessions; promoting the contemplative centre and open relaxation rooms for drop in sessions; Promoting events from medical, counselling and pastoral centres; Health science experts showcasing key issues in health and wellbeing; The ‘healthy student zone’ – using the student canteen to raise awareness and offer screening and health checks; Drug and alcohol awareness events; Workshops on stress management and coping with life at university.

Week 4 MEET YOUR ADVISOR WEEK
We want to make sure that all new students have met their advisor by this week, so that if you haven’t done that during earlier weeks, this is the time! We’ll also be using the first seven weeks facebook site messages to focus on success stories.

Week 5 LEARNER SUPPORT CENTRES
This week draws attention to the range of helpful learning centres that are part of the UL campus and will help you to tackle challenges in maths, science, language, and academic writing. There’ll be a learner Support “Roadshow” on campus, showcasing the learner support services; we’ll have taster experiences with learner support centres and learner support updates on our first seven weeks facebook site.

Week 6 CAREER AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AWARENESS
This week will encourage you to start developing a career and civic outlook; focus on professional skills and an emphasis on becoming engaged citizens. Events will include the Careers fair – targeting early participation and exposure to career planning; we’ll showcase a student-produced video on the benefits of career awareness; we’ll facilitate and encourage participation in the volunteering fair.

Week 7 CRITICAL THINKING AND LONGER TERM PLANNING
This week will shine a light on the importance of “critical thinking” as a major element of successful engagement with learning at UL; getting you to think about your longer term engagement with your studies at UL. We’ll produce and distribute a critical thinking checklist; we’ll help you to start generating your own personal academic plans; there will be postgrad speakers at four faculty events; this week the facebook site will focus on broadening your awareness of issues and insights beyond your own disciplines. There’ll also be some sound advice to help you start planning and preparing for exams and other assessments.

Student Counselling – A Friendly Listening Ear

The role of the Counselling Service is to assist your academic and personal development. Student counsellors provide a comprehensive, professional, confidential counselling service, free of charge.

The Counselling Service can help you deal with the wide range of problems common to any student population, e.g. personal problems, vocational uncertainty, family problems and examination anxiety. Psychotherapy is also provided where appropriate.

The Counselling Service provides a daily drop-in time during term time 11.00-12.00 and 3.00-4.00 for students to call, without appointment, to Room CM073.

Inquiries can also be made to:
Dr Declan Aherne,
Head of Counselling,
Room CM072,
Email: declan.aherne@ul.ie,
Tel: 061-202332.

Chaplaincy

Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland Chaplains are readily available to provide help and support to students and staff of all denominations. Various activities, including a Community Outreach Programme, are organised to foster student interest in both spiritual and personal development. A wide range of religious services are provided on campus on a scheduled basis and student participation is active.

Looking After Your Health - The Student Health Centre

An acute care advisory service is provided to all registered students. This service includes a full time nursing service and daily attendance by doctors. A consultant psychiatrist and chartered physiotherapist are available through internal referral.

The emphasis of the University’s health services is on prevention rather than cure; you will be encouraged to participate actively in the wide range of physical and recreational activities in the University which encourage a balanced approach to a healthy and wholesome lifestyle.

Students with medical problems should contact the Medical Centre:

Tel: 061 202534 Email: carmel.hall@ul.ie

Health Promotion Office

The Health Promotion Office coordinates and supports the implementation of a range of initiatives on campus that contribute to the overall development of students at the University of Limerick. Specifically, this involves:

• The coordination and implementation of the Orientation programme
• The administration, coordination and development of the Student Adviser System
• The development and implementation of the Health Promotion programme as devised by the University’s Health Promotion Working Group
• Supporting various University committees, including the Student Accommodation and Campus Alcohol Intervention working groups
• Coordinating and supporting various projects/ initiatives on campus as they may arise.

Disability Services

We welcome students with disabilities and specific learning difficulties. The University of Limerick is an equal opportunities institution. An essential part of this policy is to facilitate the entry to and participation in the student life of the institution by people with disabilities. School leavers who wish to be considered for DARE must apply as part of their CAO application (www.cao.ie) by 1st February 2012. Applicants must indicate that they have a Disability/Specific Learning Difficulty and are then directed to the separate online application form. This form asks applicants to provide additional information about their disability or specific learning difficulty and to provide evidence of disability. Applicants must also indicate their wish to be considered for DARE. Supporting documents must be sent to the CAO by 1 April 2012. Mature applicants with disabilities (23 years of age or over) should complete the Undergraduate Studies Application Form. Mature student applicants are not considered under this supplementary admission procedure but are considered in the normal way as mature applicants.

Applicants with disabilities, who are experiencing particular difficulties in their progression through education, may apply directly to the University. We encourage students with disabilities or specific learning difficulties to get in touch with us early so that we can discuss your requirements for third level. Students with disabilities should contact

Disability Services
Tel: 061 213478
Email: disabilityservices@ul.ie
Text: 086 0487825

Access For Socio- Economically Disadvantaged Students

The University actively encourages participation by socio-economically disadvantaged students in its programmes of study. Students applying to the University through the Access Office will be assessed socio-economically to determine their eligibility.

For further information about entry routes for socio-economically disadvantaged, traditional- age students, please contact the University of Limerick’s Access Office.

Tel.: 061 213104
Fax.: 061 234123
Website: www.ul.ie/access
Email: access@ul.ie
Free Text: access UL followed by your request to 50050

Connect

Connect is a new network of students in the University of Limerick which launched in 2008. We have one simple aim, to help you meet new people and give you the best possible college experience! We’re unique in the sense that our service was designed by students, for students, and as students we try to help other students with student related stuff, and we’re coordinated by someone who just graduated as a student (did we mention we’re student focussed?)

Just think of us as a mix between a peer mentoring and a matching service. Basically, we can link you up with someone based on your own course and interests before you come to college, or when you get here. So:

• If you’re a 1st year Business student, we can match you with a 2nd or 3rd year Business student.
• If you’re coming from Dublin we can match you up with other students from Dublin. Or if you’ve had quite enough of all those Dublin people we can find you someone from Limerick. Or Cork. Or even Jamaica.
• If you genuflect to your poster of Manchester United every night, we’ll find you someone who’s had time to build a small shrine.

Whatever it is you need, we’re extremely flexible and always here to help. Feel free to get in touch with us at any time, even if you just have questions about life in UL or want to meet some students who are already studying here. We look forward to hearing from you.

Email: connect@ul.ie
Website: www.ul.ie/connect