Support if you have a disability or other additional requirements
The OU in the West Midlands: Page 1
The
Open University Students Association (OUSA)
in the West Midlands
The Open University in the West Midlands: Page 2
On this page:
If you need information, advice or guidance on:
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Contact the Learner Support team at the Regional Centre on 0121 426 3539. For other queries 0121 426 1661. As always, have your Personal Identifier handy when you contact the OU.
email: west-midlands@open.ac.uk
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Please tell the OU if you have these requirements so they can discuss how it may affect your studies. The Learner Support Team can tell you about the facilities and support available. Check out www.open.ac.uk/disability
At the time of registration you should have received their booklet 'Meeting Your Needs' and a Facility Request Form. If not call 0870 333 4340
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Your tutors details are shown on your Student Allocation Record (SAR). You tutor should be able to answer your queries and offer advice on course materials and assignments.
Tutorials and day schools are an excellent way to meet your tutor and fellow students, and to improve your understanding of course material, resolve difficulties and take part in group activities and discussions.
Tutorials are not obligatory and some students may not be able to attend. If your course has more than one tutorial group in your area you are welcome to attend tutorials held by another tutor or at a different time or place but your own tutor will continue to mark your assignments. The OU would like you to let your own tutor know if you intend to attend another tutors tutorial regularly.
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New students should check out the StudentHome page and the Study Support pages in particular. If you haven't received the Welcome Book (or have misplaced it) there is an e-book version waiting for you there. Further suport is available from the Learner Support team and your tutor.
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The regional Careers Advisory Service con provide help with issues like planning,
developing or changing your career, deciding what type of work would best suit
you, completing application forms, CVs or covering letters, preparing for an
interview and looking for employment.
As a student, you con ask to have a careers interview with an OU careers adviser,
look at their website or request
careers information to be sent to you.
You may have career ideas or plans but not know how to achieve them, or simply
no ideas at all. If you would like to use their service then it's probably better
to get in touch earlier rather than later in your studies. You may find the
idea of talking with a careers adviser a little daunting so here ore some ideas
about making the most of the service.
Remember, a careers interview is not like a job interview - the careers adviser
will try to put you at ease and you will feel able to speak freely. They will
usually arrange to contact you by telephone or email at a time that is convenient
to you. Sometimes they can arrange a face to face meeting.
Try not to assume that you will resolve everything in one discussion. You may
need to do further research and make another appointment later in the year.
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The OU have a full set of course material at the Regional Centre
They also provide some course material for undergraduate courses for reference
at the libraries below. If you need to travel some distance call the library
first to check the materials are available. Please note that course material
for new courses will not be available until after the first presentation of
the course.
Birmingham Central Library
Phone: 0121 3034511
Coventry Library (course guides only)
Phone: 024 7683 2311
Herefordshire College of Technology
Learning Resources Centre (Block C)
Phone: 01432 352235 x270
Staffordshire University
Phone: 01785 353604
Shrewsbury Reference Library
Phone: 01743255380
Telford Library
Phone: 01952 292151
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If you are attending a residential school this year then you can look forward
to an excellent opportunity for a more intensive engagement with your course.
Residential Schools provide a full programme of academic
and social activities to ensure that you get the most out of your time. Shortly
before your school starts you will receive full details of your accommodation,
on-site arrangements and travel advice from your host region. Academic details,
including the school programme, will have been sent to you by your Faculty.
If you haven't received these, then check the dispatch
schedule or phone 01908 233842
If you think you will not be able to attend your residential school, please
contact the Learner Support team as soon you can.
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Limited funds are available to help students n the Region who are experiencing
financial hardship.
These regional funds are intended to meet essential study costs that can't be
met from sources such as Courses Grants, the Access to Learning Fund and the
Open University Students Educational Trust (OUSET)
administered by OUSA.
These other funds should be investigated first but if these sources of funding
cannot help you, you can apply for help from the OU Regional Student Assistance
Fund. These funds are very limited and are intended for small awards of, normally,
less than £100. You can obtain more information from the Regional Centre.
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If your course has an exam as a part of the assessment, the OU can gjve you
help with revising and preparing for your exam.Your tutor should be the first
person to contact to get help with exam preparation. There's also a range of
materiats that can help you to cope with this aspect of your course's assessment
which you can obtain by contacting the Learner Support team. You can also take
a look at http://www.open.ac.uk/assessment
for a range of online activities that may he1p you.
About a month before your exam; the Examinations Office will send you detailed
information about the date and location of your exam as wll as details of exam
procedures; if you have not received the information in the month prior to your
exam, please contact the Examinations Office on 01908 858312
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The OU are happy to send a reference about you to a prospective employer. The reference that will be supplied is an academic one rather than a personal one, which will be based on your academic record and will mention the qualities that are demonstrated by successful OU students. As they (the OU) need your written authorisation to provide references to others on your behalf we need you to send a request in writing - either by letter or email to the Regional Director. You can also ask your tutor if they would be willing to give you a personal reference but please don't quote them as a referee without their consent.
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The OU in the West Midlands: Page 1 |
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