As at 19th June 2020

Thank you for continuing to engage with your studies and the College throughout this challenging time – we hope you are remaining safe and well as we enter Phase 2 of the Scottish Government’s easing of restrictions.

We are pleased to let you know that the process of SQA assessment and resulting is almost complete and full-time and infill students should receive an email from the College within the next week to ten days to inform them of their results.

You will receive certification from the SQA over the summer period as normal.

The SQA and the College recognise that, for a variety of reasons, it may have been problematic to gather and assess evidence from you as it may have been difficult for you to engage with your learning (through illness, other caring responsibilities, access to technology, other practical course requirements).  Where that is the case, completion of your course will be postponed until a time when it is safe and appropriate for students to gather and provide evidence.  We will do all we can to ensure that no student will be disadvantaged by the coronavirus pandemic and restrictions.

Our normal robust academic appeals procedure will be available.

We hope that this reassures you and reduces the level of uncertainty created by these challenging circumstances.  Remember that this is happening across Scotland and all students are affected.  The SQA and the College have provided a range of FAQs below and we hope that these will help you to address any concerns you might still have.

We are very impressed at the efforts each of you is making in these complex times and will continue to provide the same services to support you and your studies.  We are conscious of the pressures you may be under and would encourage you to make full use of the services and contacts available elsewhere on the Student Information pages.

 

Q: Will universities recognise my grades?

A: Yes. Your result and grade will result from a rigorous evidence-based assessment process.  This will be a valid result which reflects your achievement throughout your course.

 

Q: Can I progress within college with an incomplete result?

A: This will depend on your individual progress and your lecturer will discuss with you the available options.

 

Q:  When will I know my result?

A:  You will receive your certification from the SQA over the summer period as normal but the College will be in contact with you before then to let you know the outcome of your course.

Foundation Apprenticeships – Certification during COVID19

For those of you who have been undertaking Foundations Apprenticeships at Glasgow Kelvin College you may well be anxious about certification for your work in the last year as the COVID19 restrictions have impacted on your learning.  Let us assure you that the SQA, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council have been working with college providers and have now issued a statement on the way forward.

We’ve outlined arrangements for certification below:

If you have achieved the full FA Award:

If you have completed all elements of the award and have been resulted as such by 15th July 2020, you will receive a FA Certificate and a Scottish Qualification Certificate detailing your achievements in August 2020.  This FA Certificate will give evidence of eligibility for your college or university application and for UCAS.

If you were on track to achieve the FA Award:

That is, if you have not completed but have achieved the NC/National Progression Award element of your award and have no ‘Fails’ recorded, you will receive a Scottish Qualification Certificate in August 2020 detailing those elements which you have achieved.  In addition you will receive a Letter of Recognition from SDS/SQA confirming you were on track to achieve.  This also provides evidence of eligibility for your college or university application and is acceptable to UCAS.

If you would like to continue to work to achieve the FA Certificate, please discuss this direct with Skills Development Scotland.

If you were not on track to achieve the FA Award:

That is, if you have not achieved the NC/NPA element of your course or you do have any ‘Fails’ recorded, you will receive a Scottish Qualification Certificate in August 2020 detailing those elements which you have achieved.  You will not receive the FA Certificate or the Letter of Recognition and, if applying to college or university, should discuss your application direct with the institution involved.

Apprenticeships Scotland has helpfully provided a list of Frequently Asked Questions and these are available at:  https://www.apprenticeships.scot/faqs/faqs-for-apprentices/foundation-apprentices/

The team continue to be available throughout the ongoing COVID 19 situation.  If you work with one of our Advisers they will be in touch via email or please email them directly. Specific enquiries about teaching and assessment should be directed to your course tutor.

If you haven’t engaged with the team before but think we may be able to support you in any of the following areas then please get in touch:

Advice & Guidance

Additional support is available from our Advice & Guidance team who can offer a wide range of information on: Details of college programmes, applications and pre entry guidance Financial implications of being a student Pastoral care and support with welfare issues Ongoing support to help keep students on track, including 1:1 guidance Support with the UCAS application process Guidance relating to progression, job seeking and employability support Links with external agencies who may also be able to support our learners All enquiries are dealt with confidentially, the team can be contacted on Email: guidance@newsite.glasgowkelvin.ac.uk

Learner Support

Learner Support's aim is to provide appropriate learner centred support which will aid, develop and encourage all learners to fulfil their academic and personal potential, whilst benefiting from college life. The Learner Support team can offer a wide range of support measures and has specific resources available to assist learners with:

Extended Learning Support (ELS) for learners requiring additional academic support Organising and implementing support for learners with disabilities, difficulties or barriers Assistive technology Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) applications Core Skills profiling Links with external agencies who may also be able to support our learners All enquiries are dealt with confidentially, the team can be contacted on Email: learnersupport@newsite.glasgowkelvin.ac.uk

We have also created a promotional video to highlight our services.

Q: Will students still be paid their Bursary/EMA/Childcare/Discretionary entitlement if the college closes?

A: Yes with the exception of travel costs as the student will not require to travel to the college.  College staff will be working from home to maintain essential services.

Students should contact bursary@newsite.glasgowkelvin.ac.uk if further advice is required.

 

Q: Do students still have to show engagement in their studies for payments to continue?

A: Yes, if they have no symptoms of COVID-19, students are expected, where possible, to keep up to date with learning remotely/digitally.  If they have symptoms that make them too unwell to study, or indeed receive a positive diagnosis for COVID-19, then they would not be expected to show engagement throughout the duration of their illness.

Students should contact bursary@newsite.glasgowkelvin.ac.uk if further advice is required.

 

Q: Will self-financing students be expected to continue to pay their tuition fees during the period of college closure?

A: Yes, the College is working hard to ensure delivery of course materials remotely/digitally to enable you to complete your qualification.  However, the direct debit payment due to be paid by students on 8 June 2020 will not be collected.  The expectation is that the payment period will be extended beyond your original agreement and you will be contacted in due course in regard to all future direct debit payments.

Should you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact finance@newsite.glasgowkelvin.ac.uk for advice.

 

Q: Will self-financing students be entitled to a refund during the period of college closure?

A: No.  The expectation is that students should be able to complete their qualification remotely/digitally.

Students should contact finance@newsite.glasgowkelvin.ac.uk  if further advice is required.

 

Q: Will payment plans be adjusted to take account of a change in a student’s circumstances e.g. a reduction in working hours or loss of employment?

A: Yes, students who face financial difficulty in paying the remainder of their tuition fees should contact finance@newsite.glasgowkelvin.ac.uk for advice.  Each case will be dealt with on an individual basis.

 

Q:  I’m moving on to Higher Education (HNC/HND/degree level).  When should I apply for funding from SAAS – Student Awards Agency for Scotland?

A:  Funding applications to SAAS open on 23rd April 2020.  Further information regarding applications can be found on the SAAS website or through this short video.  If you have any questions or require further assistance please contact us on - guidance@newsite.glasgowkelvin.ac.uk

Applications for part-time funding from SAAS are not yet open.  SAAS have asked us to let you know that they are currently in discussion with providers and the college will update this page as soon as this information is available.

 

Q:  When should I be applying for Bursary funding (FE level)?

A:  The college bursary team will send you an email when you can apply for funding.  This will be in mid June 2020.  Information relating to this will also be available through the college website at http://newsite.glasgowkelvin.ac.uk/student-funding/

 

Q:  How do I request a letter to confirm my student status?

A:  Letters confirming your student status can be requested by emailing reception@newsite.glasgowkelvin.ac.uk.  We would ask that you provide your Student GK number, which can be found on your student card when emailing.

 

Q:  How do I arrange to have my council tax form (or other similar form) officially stamped by the College?

A:  We are unable to complete paper forms at present.  However, if you can email either a scan or picture of there completed form we can complete and return to you with an accompanying letter if required.  Requests can be made by emailing reception@newsite.glasgowkelvin.ac.uk.

 

Q: What is happening with Part-time Fee Grants?

A:  Under the SAAS business continuity plan, they are currently trialling a solution to allow us to start running the Part-Time Fee Grant (PTFG) scheme again and they will provide an update shortly.

The PTFG is a grant provided to learning providers, and they're working with the College to ensure any impact is minimal.

SAAS are working with course providers to relax the current rules around applying for part-time funding no later than six calendar months after courses start. This should not adversely affect funding to learners or providers.

The existing conditions and eligibility for the PTFG remain unchanged. Thank you for your patience during this time.

The following documents and video instructions will help you stay connected to your tutors and fellow students while the country is in lockdown.

ICT At Home

ICT Advice for Students during the Coronavirus situation  - PDF ICT Advice -  How to get Adobe Software For Home Use - PDF ICT Advice - Help With Avid Licensing - PDF ICT Advice - Student Online Etiquette Guidance for using Microsoft Teams

Signing into Microsoft Teams for the first time if you're a student - Video Working with classes and classmates in Microsoft Teams - Video Connecting with Microsoft Teams as a student - Video Organize schoolwork with Microsoft Teams - Video

Library Updates

Library Overdues - Please disregard all Overdue Notices, until further notice.

Online Support – Study from Home

There are many online resources (eBooks, articles, videos, study packs etc.) available for your course and research which you can access from home. Check out the links below, you’ll need to log in using your College network login. This is the institutional login area.

Ebooks – over 10,000 ebooks available for Download or reading Online, Check the Library catalogue at  https://kelvin-glasgow.koha-ptfs.co.uk/

Over 10,000 Journals, Videos etc – check out at Online Resources

Study Guides including referencing guides available at Guides & Forms

Your Course – Check out the list of resources for your course under Course Subject Study Guides

Additional Free Training to Support Learners

A number of publishers have made content freely available until 31 July 2020, to help students, see the following:

Construction training Digital resources that use gamification to appeal to different learning styles, mapped to construction curricula.

Digital and IT training Interactive digital learning resources to support learning and teaching mapped to IT curricula across the UK.

Education and childcare training Engaging online learning and teaching resources mapped to education and childcare curricula.

Health and social care training Innovative online learning and teaching resources mapped to the health and social care curriculum.

Hairdressing Training A free online service for hairdressing and barbering teachers and students.

 

Any queries, please email library@newsite.glasgowkelvin.ac.uk