Student Supports:

Student Services and Support are a central part of life at Cork College of FET, Tramore Road Campus.

Our support structure is made up of an integrated network of people and resources and provides information, advice and support to students. Even though there is a large student population in the college we pride ourselves on our friendliness and high standard of support for students. This support includes Careers and Counselling Service, Academic Support Centre, Information Technology, etc.

Access & Inclusion:

To help everyone we have:

• An Academic Support Centre
• Erasmus+
• a Disability officer
• Career Service
• Student Council
• Guiding and Counselling service
• A Mature Student officer
• A Learning Support coordinator
• A Green Campus Team
• other Access & Inclusion Personnel to meet your needs (Student Council, Moodle Support, IT Support, etc.)
  JAM – Just a Minute

Academic Support Centre:

For detailed information about Academic Support, please visit our main page for Academic Support Services, or email support@csn.ie

Disability Support Service:

Contact: Karen McGrath
Email: disability@csn.ie
Telephone: (021) 2067 630

The College welcomes applications from students with disabilities, medical conditions and special needs.

The Disability Support Service (DSS) provides advice, information and support to such students. If you need any particular supports or arrangements (e.g. 1-2-1 tuition or a scribe for end-of-year exams) it is advisable to contact the DSS as soon as you are accepted onto your course.

Funding is provided by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) Fund for Students With Disabilities. Application deadlines are in early October and February.

If you do not qualify for disability funding but require assistance with any of the following:

• Completing assignments
• Researching projects
• Revising difficult topics
• Exam techniques

…instead you should contact the Academic Support Services, or email support@csn.ie

• support@csn.ie
• our Guidance Counsellors Siobhan Daly (021 2067608) and Jim O’Connell (021 2067626)
• your tutors or course director
• the Disability Officer Karen McGrath. Email disability@csn.ie

Medical Conditions: If you have any medical conditions that your teachers or our First Aid staff should be aware of please email with the details to disability@csn.ie

Guidance and Counselling Service:

Siobhán Daly: Phone (021) 2067 608 / Email: siobhan.daly@csn.ie
Jim O’Connell: Phone (021) 2067 626 / Email: jim.oconnell@csn.ie

We offer a professional and confidential counselling service that listens to students on all manner of issues. We provide a caring and non-judgmental atmosphere in which to help students cope with their circumstances and approach their lives with confidence.

Appointments can be made by calling to the Guidance and Counselling office or by phoning 021 2067608 or 021 2067626, where we will be on hand to help you.

Designated liason for students under 18:

 Designated Liaison Person: Lynda O’Connor, Email: lynda.oconnor@csn.ie

Student Council:

Contact: John Halpin, Email: john.halpin@csn.ie

The Student Council is made up of representatives from every course in the college. The council provides a forum for students to establish clubs or societies within the college. Two members of the Student Council are also elected as representatives on the Board of Management. Students are encouraged to participate to ensure that the Council is as active and vibrant as possible.

Mature Students:

If you are not a school leaver, e.g. someone who did their leaving cert last year, and/or just back into education after a short or even very long break, please email siobhan.daly@csn.ie telling us the type of support you might need and we will get back to you.

Accommodation:

Every year, the college is host to a large body of students from different parts of the country and indeed from different corners of the world. To this end, the college provides a list of addresses to students who wish to avail of local accommodation with families. Alternatively, local newspapers and flat finding agencies will help you select the most suitable place while attending your course. Additionally, the college is within easy reach of a number of the recently constructed student accommodation complexes in Cork.

Careers Service:

Effective careers planning means exploring your options early. Our careers team are here to help. Whatever your age, course of study, plans or aspirations, the Careers Service is available to you. Professionally qualified careers advisers are available for consultation on career choice, further study options, presentation and other work place skills, jobsearch, applications/interview procedures and aptitude tests.

The Career Guidance Office contains a wide range of information on careers and further study options. Comprehensive information, internet access, computerised guidance programmes, video library etc., are all available to our students.

GARDA Vetting:

Cork College of FET, Tramore Road Campus is committed to practices that safeguard the welfare of students, young people and vulnerable adults. Garda vetting is required for all students attending courses where interaction with children or vulnerable adults is a feature of the course. If you require course vetting, ask your Course Director how to apply.

Confidentiality:

The information you give to us while requesting support is confidential. By law we cannot share this information with anyone without your permission and this includes your parents (provided you are over 18yrs old), your teachers, or classmates; unless the information you disclose poses a serious health & safety threat to you and /or the other students/staff at the college. We have a legal duty of care to all of the people who use our campus. If we need to share any of your information ideally, we would speak to you first.

Attendance:

Attendance here at Tramore Road Campus is your responsibility. We do take a roll call in each class, but this is primarily for Insurance purposes. The only exception is if you have a grant; Grants are stopped because of poor attendance. If you miss classes, it is your responsibility to get the information you have missed. Many of the PowerPoints teachers use are available electronically on Moodle.

Assignments:

You will have many assignments to submit throughout the year. Please submit these in the format they are asked to be in and on time. If you are late submitting your assignment you will have marks taken off. Please look at the student Handbook on our website for information about Assignments and many other items.

We have times when the Library will be open and when there will be someone there to help you out with lots of different questions you might have. Please go to the library (Room 103) and see the opening times posted there.

If you need any support or questions answered in relation to your course, subjects or assignments, etc., just email support@csn.ie and we will get back to you ASAP.

 JAM – Just a Minute:

Cork College of FET, Tramore Road Campus, uses JAM cards which allow students with learning barriers or communications difficulties to discreetly communicate a need for empathy and understanding in social situations that they might find challenging.

JAM stands for “Just a Minute” and was developed specifically by Belfast based social enterprise NOW Group for people with learning disabilities to allow them to ask for “just a minute” of patience in customer service situations. However, the JAM card can also be used by anyone with a communication barrier such as Asperger’s or Autism but can also be used by those with a brain injury or people who may feel self-conscious about their ability to effectively communicate when engaging with other people.

All staff in the college have received JAM Card training so they will be aware of the card and why a student might be using it. Visit www.jamcard.org for more information.