Student Support and Development Services (SSDS) is go!

As of tomorrow (1st July) the Centre for Learning and Student Support will cease to exist and instead the provision of centralised Student Support at Keele University will be delivered by the newly named and reconfigured; Student Support and Development Services (SSDS). This transition will not be without its challenges, however, the preparation and diligent planning of staff in SSDS will help to accelerate the time in which this great news for students, and staff spreads across and beyond Keele's campuses. I have no doubt that stray CLASS web pages or a random poster on a notice board will emerge in the coming days and weeks, however, as a result of the very hard work of staff within the Department, and our great colleagues across the University (in particular Dave Emley, Chris Beard and Andrew Thelwell) Student Support webpages and print publications are now ready to go live and be distributed across campus to both staff and students.

Perhaps the most striking and most immediate of changes is the creation of new Student Support Webpages which can be found at www.keele.ac.uk/studentsupport  These pages are designed to provide students and staff with a comprehesive and valuable resource that assists in the provision of effective student support,offers opportunities for students to enagage, get involved and enhance their Keele Student Experience and that provides student supporters with a better understanding of what support is available to students and how it can be accessed.

These pages will develop over time so please do revisit them from time to time. Any ideas for inclusion will be gratefully received.

As we approach the 2011/12 Academic Year,  Schools will receive student and staff facing publications and information. In particular a new publication titled 'Supporting Students Together' has been designed to make clear what support and services are available to staff and students across the University  and how Keele staff can appropriately and effectively support students in often difficult and challenging circumstances.

Staff and Services within SSDS will, in the coming weeks be communicating with staff and students their plans for the future. It is then that the hard work really begins but the goal, that being to significantly enhance the lives of our studenst here at Keele, is one worth striving for.