UKCISA Training programme 2016-17

Training programme 2016-17

Training for: International student advisers International officers Admissions officers Fee assessors Students’ unions All staff working with international students

Immigration

In-house training courses

We are able to offer some in-house provision of our courses, subject to trainer availability, including: Framework for fees (see pages 10-11) Residence requirements (see page 12) In-house courses are normally for a minimum of 15 participants and cost from £3,800 plus trainers’ expenses. We are not usually able to provide tailored courses. For more information, please contact the Training Administrator: tel: 020 7288 4330, fax: 020 7288 4360 email: training@ukcisa.org.uk

Contents Page Booking and general course information 2

In-house training previous page Understanding International online training toolkit 3 Training courses, events and resources: Immigration 4

Choosing the right immigration course 4

Understanding International – immigration module 5

Tier 4 basics 5

Preparing for enrolment: key immigration issues 5

Assigning CASs: all you need to know 6

Tier 4 and sponsor compliance 6

Compliance: problem areas 6

Advising on Tier 4 applications - I 7

Advising on Tier 4 applications - II 7

Tier 4 refusals 8

Challenging credibility refusals 8

Stop Press: recent changes and issues 8

Work options after study 9 Continuing Professional Development

9

Fees, finance and student support 10

Choosing the right framework for fees courses 10

Framework for fees (HE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) 11

Framework for fees (FE in England) 11

Framework for fees in (HE in Scotland) 11

Residence requirements (for fees) 12 The student experience:

International student recruitment in a challenging environment:

understanding and responding to the global context

Orientation for international students

Basic advisory skills

Enhanced skills for advisers

Frontline responses to the mental health needs of

international students

Training for trainers PG Cert International Student Advice and Support UKCISA Annual Conference 2017 Training events calendar

13 13 13 14 14 14 16 17 18

1

Booking and general information What are the course fees?

One day course: Members – Students’ unions £145 Members – Others £215 Non-members £420 Two-day course: £290 Members – Students’ unions Members – Others £430 Non-members £840

How do I book a place on a course?

Before booking, please check if the course, aim, objective and other details will meet your training needs.

Please read our terms and conditions. Then book online at www.ukcisa.org.uk/training.

How can I find out if there is space on a particular course?

Availability can be found online via the course calendar.

Alternatively, either call the Training Administrator on 020 7288 4342 or email training@ukcisa.org.uk. If a course that you wish to attend is fully booked, you can ask to go on a waiting list.

What happens after I make a booking?

Once we have received your booking we will send you an email to confirm receipt of your form. If you do not receive confirmation two weeks after sending in your form, please contact UKCISA to ensure that your booking has been received. Please do not make any travel arrangements until you are sure that you have been allocated a place on a particular course.

Joining instructions, which contain a map as well as further information on your course, will be sent via email a couple of weeks before you are due to attend.

When and how will I need to pay?

You will be invoiced two weeks before the training day.

We accept payment by cheque or BACS transfer.

What happens if I can’t make the date?

Please see our terms and conditions. Refunds will only be given if cancellations are made in writing more than two weeks prior to the course. Delegate substitutions can be made at anytime without any charge.

What time do the courses start and finish?

The timings for a full day’s course are normally as follows: 9.30am Registration 10.00am Training commences 4.30pm Training finishes However sometimes start and finish times do vary slightly, these will be detailed in your joining instructions.

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What does the course cost include?

The cost of a full day’s training includes all course materials, lunch and refreshments.

Where are courses held?

We try to ensure that the training venue is within walking distance of mainline railway stations: London: Kings Cross/St Pancras and Euston stations Manchester: Piccadilly station Birmingham: New Street station Edinburgh: Waverley station Please note that courses held in London are not held at our offices, so make sure that you go to the address given for the course, not to our correspondence address.

What if I need overnight accommodation?

Accommodation is not included with any booking. If you need overnight accommodation please contact us for details of whether the venue offers any deals with local hotels.

(Please do not make any travel arrangements until you are sure that you have been allocated a place on a particular course.)

What about dietary and other individuals needs?

If you have any dietary requirements, please give details on your course booking form and we will try to ensure that your requirements are met. If you are attending a course while fasting, for example during Ramadan, please let us know on your course booking form so that we can make appropriate provision.

If you have a mobility difficulty, please let us know on your booking form as we sometimes need to make appropriate arrangements with venue staff, even at some venues that have wheelchair access.

If you have any other needs such as an induction loop or large print materials, please tell us on your booking form. Alternatively, you can telephone the Training Administrator at UKCISA to discuss your needs.

Information on additional courses during the year

Often courses are added throughout the year. Look at our training programme on our website at www. ukcisa.org.uk/training or the UKCISA members’ weekly newsletter, signposting updated information and events.

You can subscribe to the newsletter by registering at www.ukcisa.org.uk/members. (Service available to staff at UKCISA member institutions only.)

Understanding International A toolkit for staff

Understanding International Online training toolkit

Understanding International is an online self-access toolkit for staff covering all the key aspects of international work.

The tool covers: Who is Understanding International for?

—— Staff new to international work who need an Introduction to Immigration overview Cultural Awareness —— Experienced staff wishing to brush up on knowledge Internationalisation and check the latest resources Partnerships —— Staff in a new role who would like information on a Outward Mobility particular topic Keeping Safe The international student journey Education systems and cultures

The immigration module The immigration module covers:

where the rules come from key functions of the immigration rules who can study applying for immigration permission immigration advice and OISC resources

Not signed up yet?

Access is free to all staff at UKCISA member institutions.

For demonstration of the first module, Getting started, go to www.ukcisa.org.uk/ui-taster

Register for the full toolkit at www.ukcisa.org.uk/ui-registration

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Immigration courses Choosing the right immigration course in the right order Our range of training activities dealing with immigration issues is presented under three headings: 1. Foundations 2. Sponsor compliance 3. Immigration for advisers Please see the table below to check which training and/or reading activities you should have completed before booking on to any particular course.

You may also wish to book on to some of our other, ‘non-immigration’ courses such as ‘Basic advisory skills’ and ‘Enhanced skills for advisers’ – please see pages 13 and 14.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT IMMIGRATION COURSE(S) AND IN THE RIGHT ORDER Course title

Type of course

Courses and activities that Courses are should already have been aimed at undertaken

A B

Understanding International – immigration module (online)

Foundation

None

Tier 4 basics

Foundation

Preparing for enrolment: key immigration issues

Foundation

A A+

Assigning CASs: all you need to know

Sponsor compliance

Tier 4 and sponsor compliance

Sponsor compliance

Compliance: problem areas

Sponsor compliance

Advising on Tier 4 applications - I

Immigration for advisers

Advising on Tier 4 applications - II

Immigration for advisers

Tier 4 refusals

Immigration for advisers

A +B A +B A +B + C A +B A +B + D A +B + D +

Work options after study

Immigration for advisers

A

May also be of relevance to careers advisers

Challenging credibility refusals

Immigration for advisers

A +B + D A +B + D or C

Experienced immigration advisers

C D

Stop Press: recent changes and issues

4

Have read UKCISA’s overview of the student immigration rules: www.ukcisa.org.uk/ immigration-overview

Delegates will be expected to have had a look at the online administrative review form prior to attending the course: www.ukcisa.org.uk/adminreview-form

Compliance staff (not advisers) Compliance staff (not advisers) Compliance staff (not advisers) Advisers (not compliance staff) Advisers (not compliance staff) Advisers (not compliance staff): For experienced advisers familiar with the Tier 4 Immigration Rules, the associated guidance and section 3C leave.

For experienced staff familiar with Tier 4 Immigration Rules and associated guidance.

Immigration Courses: foundations 1. Foundations

—— Friday, 31 March 2017, Manchester (P829) —— Friday, 23 June 2017, Birmingham (P843)

Understanding International – immigration module

Fees: £215 members, £145 students’ union members, £420 non-members

If you are new to immigration, want an overview of the basic principles, or are revisiting the foundations of immigration law, this module is for you. If booking on to any of our Immigration courses, it is crucial that you undertake this online module before attending any such course.

Please see the advert on page 3 for details and how to access this online package.

Understanding International

“The session was really comprehensive, got you thinking, and allowed you to apply knowledge. The trainers really knew what they were talking about.”

A toolkit for staff

Tier 4 basics (formerly Basic Tier 4) This course is for immigration advisers and compliance staff working with Tier 4 students. It aims to give a foundation for Tier 4 (General) and for the other immigration courses that we offer. The course doesn’t deal with anything that is specific to Tier 4 (Child) but much of what is covered – for Tier 4 (General) – is of relevance to Tier 4 (Child)

Having attended this course, you will: —— be able to locate relevant resources and use them effectively —— know to what extent your work is regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) —— know the elements of Tier 4 This course is suitable for: anyone who works with international students directly or who is involved in developing and implementing institutional processes which affect international students. Tutors will assume that all participants have worked through the immigration module of Understanding International before attending this course - in particular using the URLs in that module to find where the Immigration Rules, Tier 4 Policy Guidance and Tier 4 sponsor materials are located.

Those who advise international students directly on immigration applications should also plan to attend UKCISA’s ‘Advising on Tier 4 applications I’ course after completing this course. We will not deal with how to make applications or compliance matters on this course.

Dates, venues and course codes: —— Thursday, 20 October 2016, London (P806) —— Tuesday, 7 February 2017, London (P816)

Preparing for enrolment: key immigration issues This course will enable staff members to deal with the key immigration issues that arise during enrolment periods.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to: —— recognise endorsements/stamps in students’ passports —— understand the implications for international students who enter the UK via the Republic of Ireland —— identify the main immigration categories that permit study in the UK —— check students’ immigration permission and know how errors can be corrected —— understand which documents need to be copied and retained in order to meet Home Office requirements —— assist students who have leave to study at a different institution —— know when it is appropriate to refer students for further advice This course is suitable for: anyone who is involved with enrolling international students. This course acts both as a ‘refresher’ and as an introduction to the basic immigration knowledge needed to enrol students; it may also be of particular interest to you if you oversee enrolment processes at your institution and/or train staff prior to enrolment.

Delegates will not be expected to have attended any other UKCISA training courses, but will be expected to be familiar with the basic concepts of Tier 4 and have read UKCISA’s overview of the student immigration rules before the course (www.ukcisa.org.uk/publications/ overview).

Date, venue and course code: Wednesday, 8 February 2017, London (P817)

5

Immigration courses Courses: sponsor compliance Fees: £215 members, £145 students’ union members, £420 non-members

“Who can enrol, what documents to keep – the activities were brilliant and really helped with understanding.”

2. Sponsor compliance Assigning CASs: all you need to know This course is for Level 1 and 2 users of the SMS who are or will be involved with assigning CASs.

By the end of the course, participants will: —— know the checks that should be undertaken before a CAS is assigned —— know when not to assign a CAS including common pitfalls and implications —— know how to complete each field on the CAS —— know when to use a sponsor note and what information can be changed after a CAS is assigned —— be able to check the guidance and the rules to ensure that the correct information is included This course is suitable for: —— level 1 & 2 users who are involved in assigning CASs —— anyone new to Tier 4 and looking to step into this role Dates, venues and course codes: —— Tuesday, 29 November 2016, London (P810) —— Wednesday, 5 April 2017, Birmingham (P830) Fees: £215 members, £145 students’ union members, £420 non-members

“Good oversight of all aspects of CAS and Tier 4 visas, delivered by very knowledgeable staff.”

Tier 4 and sponsor compliance Since the introduction in April 2009 of Tier 4 of the Points Based System, issues around the system have become central to the work of all parts of any institution with a Tier 4 sponsor licence.

This seminar will clarify the compliance duties that institutions must undertake to avoid losing their Tier 4 licence. It will cover:

6

—— —— —— —— —— ——

sponsor responsibilities recruitment and use of agents monitoring, reporting and record keeping Home Office assessments dealing with negative decisions other protective measures and best practice

The presentation will be followed by a question and answer session.

Dates, venues and course codes: —— Wednesday, 18 January 2017, London (P813) —— Friday, 17 February 2017, Manchester (P821) Fees: £215 members, £145 students’ union members, £420 non-members

“Reinforced and added to my compliance knowledge” Compliance: problem areas (short day) This course (running from 10.00-3.00) will cover common problems faced by compliance staff in the education sector and how to resolve them such as: —— attendance monitoring of students undertaking research degrees/PhD (including periods of time outside the UK) and re-sits —— authorised absence considerations when forming policies on long term illness, pregnancy and other compassionate reasons —— work placements – what must be set up to ensure compliance —— sponsoring students to study at a partner institution —— monitoring visa expiry dates, in-time applications and section 3C leave —— overstayers – submitting applications within 28 days versus applying out of country —— appeals and administrative reviews This course will allow time for a question and answer session to discuss problems that delegates face and how to resolve them.

This course is suitable for: —— those who have undertaken the UKCISA Tier 4 compliance course (or similar) —— those with a good understanding of Tier 4 compliance Dates, venues and course codes: —— Thursday, 20 April 2017, London (P834) —— Friday, 9 June 2017, Manchester (P840)

Immigration Courses: immigration for advisers Fees: £215 members, £145 students’ unions, £420 non-members

“Clear information given, lots of topics covered – but comprehensively. Thank you – extremely useful day.”

3. Immigration for advisers Advising on Tier 4 applications - I This course is for immigration advisers (not compliance staff) who support students who need to make a Tier 4 application sponsored by your institution. The course covers helping students to make a successful Tier 4 visa application in their home country or a Tier 4 extension in the UK and the evidence needed to support an application.

Having attended this course, you will: —— be aware of the OISC regulations and the implications for competence and boundaries for your immigration advice work —— be able to help students make Tier 4 entry clearance and leave to remain applications —— understand the evidential requirements This course is suitable for: international student advisers who give students one-toone immigration advice on completing and submitting Tier 4 applications. It is of particular relevance to new advisers.

However, before attending this course, delegates will be expected to have attended the ‘Tier 4 basics’ course (see page 5) or already understand the principles of Tier 4 of the Points Based System. Please check the objectives of this course and feel free to contact the Training Administrator to discuss. If your role in a student’s application is more administrative (eg issuing a CAS, monitoring the outcome of applications, ensuring institutional Home Office compliance) rather than advising on making Tier 4 applications then we do not advise attending this course. You may wish to attend the UKCISA training course ‘Tier 4 and Sponsor Compliance’ (see page 7) instead.

Dates, venues and course codes: —— Tuesday, 6 December 2016, London (P811) —— Friday, 24 March 2017, London (P828) Fees: £215 members, £145 students’ union members, £420 non-members

“Although I’m reasonably familiar with the Tier 4 application process, I had many ‘eureka’ moments where bits and pieces click into place in my mind. Also the balance between listening, interacting and practical work was spot-on.”

Advising on Tier 4 applications - II Course aim: To enable advisers to consider how to deal with complex applications, and problems which may occur through the process of the application.

We will be dealing with a range of issues which may include: —— how and when to refer to an appropriate external organisation —— when an application will be rejected as invalid —— how to advise on certain complexities arising before or during a Tier 4 application —— understanding conditions of leave granted to students This course is suitable for: experienced immigration advisers. Therefore, advisers must: —— have attended our ‘Basic Tier 4’ course and followed by either ‘Advising on Tier 4 applications part I’ or —— have at least 2 years’ worth of experience of advising on, and helping students to make, immigration applications within the framework of the Office of Immigration Service Commissioner’s (OISC) requirements Dates, venues and course codes: —— Tuesday, 14 February 2017, London (P819) —— Wednesday, 21 June 2017, London (P842) Fees: £215 members, £145 students’ union members, £420 non-members

“I found the whole day very useful.

Challenging and informative.”

7

Immigration Courses: immigration for advisers Tier 4 refusals Course aim: To enable advisers to advise students on their options when Tier 4 applications have been refused and to help them apply for administrative review of refusals.

By the end of the session, attendees should : —— be able to recognise a general ground for refusal and its likely consequences —— know how to help students apply for administrative review —— understand when a student’s leave expires following a refused leave to remain application This course is suitable for: experienced advisers. Therefore, advisers must: —— have attended our ‘Tier 4 basics’ course and our applications courses, or otherwise be familiar with the matters covered on those courses, and —— have at least 2 years’ worth of experience of advising on, and helping students to make, immigration applications within the framework of the Office of Immigration Service Commissioner’s (OISC) requirements We will not be going over the Tier 4 Immigration Rules and guidance; detailed knowledge of them will be assumed and required for the refusals course.

Date, venue and course code: Tuesday, 14 March 2017, London (P825) Fees: £215 members, £145 students’ union members, £420 non-members

“All content was helpful and useful. Excellent trainers.”

success such challenges might have an awareness of the extent to which they can help students at their institution knowledge of some methods of attempting to balance the need to avoid credibility refusals with competing priorities within institutions

This course is suitable for: experienced immigration advisers. Therefore advisers must: —— have attended our ‘Tier 4 basics’ course and our applications courses, or otherwise be familiar with the matters covered on those courses, and —— have at least 2 years’ worth of experience of advising on, and helping students to make, immigration applications within the framework of the Office of Immigration Service Commissioner’s (OISC) requirements We will not be going over the Tier 4 Immigration Rules and guidance; detailed knowledge of them will be assumed and required for this course.

Dates, venues and course code:s Friday, 25 November 2016, London (P809) Thursday, 16 March 2017, Edinburgh (P826) Fees: £215 members, £145 students’ union members, £420 non-members

“The presenters were excellent at creating a relaxed atmosphere which allowed us to speak openly about a potentially touchy subject.”

Stop Press: recent changes and issues

Challenging credibility refusals This course will give experienced immigration advisers the practical skills they need in order to help international students challenge credibility refusals with confidence. This is an interactive course and participants are encouraged to share their experience of refusals on the ‘genuine student’ ground in a confidential setting.

By the end of the session, advisers should have: the tools required to analyse a decision notice in order to identify the points that can be challenged the knowledge gained from others’ experiences to enable them to assess realistically the chances of 8

This course is designed to provide participants with updated information on a range of international student issues and changes in regulations that have arisen in the last 12 months. The course is intended for advisers who already have a good understanding of existing regulations affecting international students. Over the last few years, changes to the immigration system have dominated the agenda for this course exclusively.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to: demonstrate familiarity with recent developments relevant to advising international students.

This course is suitable for: experienced advisers only.

Immigration Courses: immigration for advisers Dates, venues and course codes: —— Friday, 5 May 2017, Manchester (P836) —— Thursday, 11 May 2017, Edinburgh (P837) —— Thursday, 18 May 2017, Birmingham (P838) —— Wednesday, 24 May 2017, London (P839) Fees: £215 members, £145 students’ union members, £420 non-members

“Great event, providing up to date information on the most recent (and most vexatious) issues. I found it all useful, but I’m really glad you include the exercises because I think some of the complex rules can be very hard to understand in the abstract.”

Work options after study This will be of interest to anyone involved with advising international students about immigration and careers options, and to those involved in recruitment.

By the end of the day you will be able to advise students about: —— Working after study using the Tier 2 routes —— Sponsorship and applications as a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) —— The requirements for leave under the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) and (Investor) routes —— Applying for leave under the Tier 4 Doctorate Extension Scheme —— Working as a students’ union Sabbatical Officer under Tier 4 —— Other possible work routes including Tier 5 (Youth Mobility) and (Government Authorised Exchange) and UK Ancestry Date, venue and course code: —— Wednesday, 26 July 2017, London (P846) Fees: £215 members, £145 students’ union members, £420 non-members

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) UKCISA’s training courses are an ideal way of developing your skills and keeping up to date, for example, with changes in relevant areas of law, government guidance and administrative processes.

related) CPD hours each year. Instead, they will be introducing a scheme that would be more “outcomes focussed” in readiness for the year starting 1 April 2017.

If you are giving immigration advice, you are subject to regulation by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC). Among other things, this means that you must comply with the OISC Code of Standards. This is the case even if you are not required to register with the OISC because of certain Ministerial Orders.

OISC have, therefore, dropped their mandatory requirement that only CPD provided by its approved accreditors is acceptable. Some of UKCISA’s immigration courses are currently accredited by the CPD Standards Office, one of those approved accreditors. We plan to continue with this for the 201617 academic year. However, during the forthcoming year we will review whether to continue with this from autumn 2017 onwards.

The OISC Code of Standards requires that all those giving immigration advice are competent to do so. So you must have the skills and knowledge to give such advice and keep up to date with all relevant changes to the immigration system, not just the law itself. It also means that you are expected to have, and develop, your skills and knowledge beyond immigration so that you can provide accurate and safe advice – including, for example, relevant IT skills and communication skills.

Those who have to register with the OISC must comply with the OISC’s CPD requirements. As from April 2016, OISC have abandoned prescriptive requirements for advisers to achieve a minimum number for core (immigration-related) and non-core (non-immigration-

If you are covered by a Ministerial Order exempting you from OISC registration you are also exempt from meeting OISC’s CPD requirements. There has been no indication from OISC that this would change in the foreseeable future.

Whether or not you are exempt from OISC registration and OISC’s CPD requirements, your own CPD is still important for ensuring that you give safe and accurate advice that complies with the OISC Code of Standards.

There is comprehensive information for UKCISA members on OISC on our website at: www.ukcisa.org.uk/oisc

9

Fees, finance and student support Courses Choosing the right framework for fees courses for you There are different fee regulations for each country in the UK, and differences between further and higher education.

We run three different variants of our Framework for Fees course, and it is vital that you choose the right one for your situation. Please use the diagram below to determine which course is right for you.

You work in...

You assess fees... Which course?

Scafell Pike (978m)

See page 11 for courses

Ben Nevis (1,344m)

England

Yr Wyddfa/Snowdon (1,085m)

Scotland

Sliabh Dรณnairt (850m)

Wales

Northern Ireland

for HE courses

Framework for fees (HE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland)

for FE courses

Framework for fees (FE in England)

for HE courses

Framework for fees (HE in Scotland)

for FE courses

Contact our Training Administrator to discuss your needs

for HE courses

Framework for fees (HE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland)

for FE courses

Contact our Training Administrator to discuss your needs

in an HE institution

Framework for fees (HE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland)

in an FE institution

Contact our Training Administrator to discuss your needs

Contact our Training Administrator at training@ukcisa.org.uk or telephone 020 7288 4330 10

Fees, finance and student support Courses Framework for fees (higher education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) This course offers a structure for determining who should be charged ‘home’ fees and who can be charged ‘overseas’ fees. It sticks to the basics and there is no time allowed for exploration of the ‘grey areas’ such as those related to ‘ordinary residence’ (these are addressed in the ‘Residence requirements’ workshop).

By the end of the course, participants will be able to: —— identify students entitled to pay ‘home’ fees This course is suitable for: those who are new to assessing or advising on fee status in higher education; it is ideal for those who are new to their job and who will be involved in fee status issues at or around enrolment time.

Dates, venues and course codes: —— Tuesday, 25 October 2016, London (P807) —— Tuesday, 13 December 2016, Manchester (P812) —— Thursday, 26 January 2017, London (P815) —— Thursday, 16 February 2017, Birmingham (P820) —— Friday, 3 March 2017, London (P823) —— Wednesday, 12 July 2017, London (P844) Fees: £215 members, £145 students’ union members, £420 non-members

“Clear explanations and examples for each of the different fee frameworks – I now feel more confident assessing more complicated cases.”

Framework for fees (further education in England) This course offers a structure for determining who should be charged ‘home’ fees and who can be charged ‘overseas’ fees. It sticks to the basics and there is no time allowed for exploration of the ‘grey areas’ such as those related to ‘ordinary residence’ (these are addressed in the ‘Residence requirements’ workshop).

The course will cover the provisions for FE courses in England only.

This course is suitable for: those who are new to assessing or advising on fee status in further education in England. It is ideal for those who are new to their job and who will be involved in fee status issues at or around enrolment time.

Date, venue and course code: —— Thursday, 20 July 2017, London (P845) Fees: £215 members, £145 students’ union members, £420 non-members

“Clear guidance and signposting towards relevant funding rules/ regulations.”

Framework for fees (higher education in Scotland) This course offers a structure for determining who should be charged ‘home’ fees and who can be charged either the ‘Rest of UK’ or ‘overseas’ fees for higher education courses in Scotland. It sticks to the basics and there is no time allowed for exploration of the ‘grey areas’ such as those related to ‘ordinary residence’ (these are addressed in the ‘Residence requirements’ workshop).

By the end of the course, participants will be able to: —— identify students entitled to pay ‘home’ fees —— identify where the ‘Rest of UK’ fee would apply This course is suitable for: those who are new to assessing or advising on fee status in higher education; it is ideal for those who are new to their job and who will be involved in fee status issues at or around enrolment time.

Date, venue and course code: —— Thursday, 9 February 2017, Edinburgh (P818) Fees: £215 members, £145 students’ union members, £420 non-members

“The step-by-step structure has been very helpful and helped to explain the criteria.”

By the end of the course, participants will be able to: —— identify students who are covered by the funding provisions for FE courses in England

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Fees, finance and student support Courses Residence requirements (for fees) Workshop When assessing fee status or advising on it, there are cases where issues around residence requirements need careful consideration. For many students there are two key residence requirements: ordinary residence in a particular area and the purpose of that residence in that area. While in the majority of cases these requirements can be decided upon quite easily, the minority of cases where judgements are more difficult (or appear to be) can cause much anxiety and end up being very time consuming for those working with students.

Participants on this workshop will work with the facilitators to identify processes that are fair and effective for dealing with these more difficult issues. This is a highly participative workshop.

If you are only doing fees work for further education (FE) courses in England, this workshop would be of limited value to you.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to: —— identify appropriate processes for deciding whether or not someone has been, or should be treated as having been, ordinarily resident in the relevant ‘residence area’ —— identify appropriate processes for deciding whether the main purpose for being ordinarily resident in the relevant ‘residence area’ has been for receiving fulltime education PLEASE NOTE: There will be no time on this workshop to cover the basic frameworks for assessing fee status. Only those who have already attended a UKCISA fees course, such as our framework courses, should consider booking on to this workshop.

This workshop does not deal with any issues concerning immigration status or nationality.

Dates, venues and course codes: —— Tuesday, 15 November 2016, London (P808) —— Wednesday, 22 February 2017, London (P822) —— Wednesday, 12 April 2017, Birmingham (P833) —— Tuesday, 20 June 2017, London (P841) Fees: £215 members, £145 students’ union members, £420 non-members

“Plenty of case studies – lot of help putting theory into practice.”

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The student experience Contents Courses

International student recruitment in a challenging environment: understanding and responding to the global context This introductory course examines the global and national context of international student recruitment enabling participants to gain an understanding of the principles of international marketing, an overview of the processes involved in the recruitment of international students and an appreciation of the challenges faced by institutions in a rapidly changing environment.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to: —— analyse the external environment and assess its impact on international recruitment and marketing —— appreciate the importance of understanding strategy, structures and their role within an institution —— access and evaluate information/evidence and undertake environmental scanning to underpin decision making —— develop marketing and recruitment plans and set and evaluate objectives which are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-limited (‘SMART’) —— understand the key role of digital/social media across different markets and its role in marketing, recruitment and conversion activities.

This course is suitable for: anyone working in the international student arena who wants a basic understanding of the issues involved.

This includes international student advisers or those new to international marketing and the recruitment of international students.

Date, venue and course code: —— Wednesday, 26 April 2017, London (P835)

Fees: £215 members, £145 students’ union members, £420 non-members

“Both trainers were engaging and well informed.”

Orientation for international students An international student’s first experiences of the UK and your institution are crucial. As well as offering a welcome, orientation offers a basis for successful adaptation to life as a student at your institution and is all the more effective if it reflects its true ethos. This course is highly participative.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to: —— clarify what their orientation programme is aiming to achieve —— identify resources needed and discuss ways of obtaining them —— experience the various stages involved in planning an event —— identify what needs to be included in a successful orientation programme This course is suitable for: those who have recently taken responsibility for, or a key role in, organising their institution’s orientation programme. The course might also be useful for more experienced staff who may wish to consolidate their experience and share their own ideas and strategies.

Date, venue and course code: —— Wednesday, 22 March 2017, London (P827) Fees: £215 members, £145 students’ union members, £420 non-members

“Definitely got very good ideas to implement on our orientation.”

Basic advisory skills Increasingly heavy work pressures for international student advisers may have led to a narrower (eg Tier 4) focus with client care becoming increasingly marginalised. This course helps to identify the benefits of holistic advice and to look at ways of achieving the balance between the needs for providing accurate advice and client care.

This course aims to help you: —— to identify and reflect on your advice and interviewing skills —— to be confident that you are dealing with international students holistically and thereby giving more effective advice and support Course objectives: to identify the main objectives of the advice process to identify the key stages of the advice process to define your role and boundaries (as an adviser) to locate useful resources and sources of support to revise and/or devise appropriate administrative processes to develop your interviewing skills This course is suitable for: anyone giving advice to international students.

Date, venue and course code: —— Thursday, 19 January 2017, London (P814) 13

Immigration

The student experience Courses Fees: £215 members, £145 students’ union members, £420 non-members

“A very well-structured and interesting course. I would recommend it!”

Enhanced skills for advisers This course aims to help you: enhance your personal skills for greater effectiveness at negotiating, communication and collaboration in order to achieve a better structure for advice-giving within an educational institution.

Course objectives: to enhance your communication skills at work to help you consider and build relationships with key staff and services to clarify your role and boundaries, both personal and professional to reflect on the tensions between personal values and institutional priorities to consider ethical issues surrounding student advice to develop self-management skills to help you manage expectations and priorities This course is suitable for: experienced advisers and managers of advisers of international students.

Date, venue and course code: —— Wednesday, 5 April 2017, London (P831) Fees: £215 members, £145 students’ union members, £420 non-members

“I liked the way the day was split between theory, case-study and discussions/exercises.”

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Frontline responses to the mental health needs of international students A hands-on training course in developing basic skills to respond to the mental health needs of international students especially at times of confusion and crisis.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to use case material and exercises to help develop: —— familiarity with the signs of, and ways of coping with, serious mental illness —— engagement with the link between stress, isolation and psychological difficulties which increase the risk of an episode of mental illness —— skills in linking with combined sources of help with minor, sudden or recurring and serious mental health problems —— reflection upon values and beliefs about the common and distinctive features of the international student experience which relate to mental illness and health This course is suitable for: international student advisers, counsellors, wardens, tutors, medical and welfare staff working with international students.

Date, venue and course code —— Thursday, 6 April 2017, London (P832) Fees: £215 members, £145 students’ union members, £420 non-members

“I feel more confident about asking appropriate questions and formulating a practical response.”

Training for trainers (two-day course) Institutions may often look to international student advisers for training because of their expertise in dealing with international students. This requires effective communication and training skills whether for a presentation to a finance committee to seek resources for certain work areas or projects, or for a training event for colleagues or a group of student helpers. This interactive course will help to build both skills and confidence in the delivery of training events or presentations.

The student experience Courses This course aims to help you: gain more confidence about the whole training process to develop your knowledge about the training process to reflect on you as a trainer somewhat independent of what you might be training on to articulate the needs to be met for any training event Course objective: to offer a structure for designing, developing, delivering and evaluating training events Date, venue and course code —— Tuesday and Wednesday, 7 and 8 March 2017, London (P824) Fees: £430 members, £290 students’ union members, £840 non-members Please note that the deadline for booking on this course is Friday 17 February 2016. Once you have booked onto the course, you will be asked to complete a short questionnaire about any experiences you may have had of training (attending or delivering).

“Really well delivered and good balance of group work and teaching.”

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PG Cert International Student Support and Advice (ISA) The Postgraduate Certificate International Student Advice and Support addresses the needs of a range of professionals whose roles involve the recruitment and personal, academic and professional support of international students.

This programme will address the central issues facing international student advisers in their day-to-day working lives and will enable them to interpret changing political, social and legal frameworks. It will also develop their understanding of the cultural and psycho-social aspects involved in offering advice and support to international students.

Course content and structure

The aims of the programme are to: • provide a challenging and professionally worthwhile academic course in international student advice and support for postgraduate students from a range of educational contexts • provide an experiential learning environment that supports students in developing an understanding of theory and practice in international student advice and support, and key issues involved in managing a complex, dynamic educational, legal and political framework • promote learning and self-awareness through reflection on direct experience of roles, relationships and responsibilities in an experiential laboratory setting • provide an environment which encourages an appreciation of professional issues in working with international students, colleagues and external agencies, such as ethics, boundaries, confidentiality, referral and legal issues The PG Cert International Student Support and Advice starts in November and can be completed over one year part-time.

Each module is delivered in a 2.5 day intensive block (generally from Friday afternoon to Sunday: 4 hours on Friday; 7 hours on Saturday and 4 hours on Sunday = 15 hours).

The course comprises four 15-credit modules totalling 60 credits. Typical modules include: • Cross-Cultural Aspects of Advice and Support • Advice-Giving and Client Care • Ethical and Legal Frameworks and the Role of the International Student Adviser • Managing Complexity: Enhancing Student Adviser’s Influence and Impact

Progression can be made to a School of Education Masters programme by transferring the 60 credits gained from this award upon successful completion.

Assessment

Each 15-credit module is assessed by a written assignment of 3,000 words or equivalent.

Entry Requirements

You would normally be expected to hold an honours degree at 2:2 or above, or its international equivalent. Applicants with qualifications other than a first degree who have an approved professional qualification, or those with nonstandard applications, will be considered on an individual basis.

If English is not your first language, you must achieve an overall score on the IELTS test of at least 6.5, with no less than 6.0 in each element.

Fees and funding

Up-to-date fees information and advice on funding opportunities can be found at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/fees/ tuitionfees International applicants can find out about a range of funding opportunities at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/ internationalstudents

How to apply

You can apply online at: portal.nottingham.ac.uk/pgstudy/ apply

Find out more

For further information, please contact: Academic enquiries Dr Max Biddulph - Course Leader t: +44 (0)115 951 4457 e: max.biddulph@nottingham.ac.uk Administrative enquiries t: +44 (0)115 951 4543 e: educationenquiries@nottingham.ac.uk

UKCISA Annual Conference University of Exeter 28-30 June 2017 The UKCISA Annual Conference is a key event in the training calendar where members come together to hear from high profile speakers in the field of international education and reflect on ‘the big picture’, and attend a broad range of sessions delivered by peers and professionals alike. Sessions cover topics such as immigration, compliance, student experience, students and working, recruitment, social media and much more. This is also a fantastic opportunity to network during evening social events.

What delegates said about last year’s conference at the University of Sheffield: Great to get together with people from all around the country who are passionate about international students.

I had a eureka moment in a session that made the whole conference worth every penny!

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Call for proposals: opens October 2016. Deadline 16 January 2017.

Programme available and booking open online: April 2017 For all currently available details, see www.ukcisa.org.uk/conference

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Dates for your diary

Plenary speakers were excellent – impassioned, informed and engaging

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Fantastically useful conference as always – they are essential source of information and forum to share best practice.

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Highly motivating and enjoyable – great balance between learning and fun.

Training events calendar Date event title

venue

page

London

5

London

11

15 Nov Residence requirements (for fees)

London

12

25 Nov Challenging credibility refusals

London

8

29 Nov Assigning CASs: all you need to know

London

6

6 Dec

London

7

2016 20 Oct Tier 4 basics 25 Oct Framework for fees

(HE in England, Wales & Northern Ireland)

Advising on Tier 4 applications - I

13 Dec Framework for fees (HE in England, Wales & Northern Ireland)

Manchester

18 Jan

Tier 4 and sponsor compliance

London

6

19 Jan

Basic advisory skills

London

13

11

2017

26 Jan Framework for fees

(HE in England, Wales & Northern Ireland)

London

11

7 Feb

Tier 4 basics

London

5

8 Feb

Preparing for enrolment: key immigration issues

London

5

9 Feb

Framework for fees (HE in Scotland)

Edinburgh

14 Feb Advising on Tier 4 applications - II

London

11 7

16 Feb

Framework for fees

(HE in England, Wales & Northern Ireland)

Birmingham

11

17 Feb

Tier 4 and sponsor compliance

Manchester

6

22 Feb

Residence requirements (for fees)

London

12

3 Mar

Framework for fees

(HE in England, Wales & Northern Ireland)

London

11

7-8 Mar Training for trainers (two-day course)

London

14

14 Mar

Tier 4 refusals

London

8

16 Mar

Challenging credibility refusals

Edinburgh

8

22 Mar

Orientation for international students

London

13

24 Mar Advising on Tier 4 applications - I

London

7

31 Mar

Tier 4 basics

Manchester

5

5 Apr

Assigning CASs: all you need to know

Birmingham

6

5 Apr

Enhanced skills for advisers

London

18

14

6 Apr

Frontline responses to the mental health needs

of international students

London

14

12 Apr

Residence requirements (for fees)

Birmingham

12

20 Apr

Compliance: common problems

London

26 Apr

International student recruitment

London

5 May

Stop press: recent changes & issues

Manchester

8

11 May Stop press: recent changes & Issues

Edinburgh

8

18 May Stop press: recent changes & issues

Birmingham

8

24 May Stop press: recent changes & issues

London

8 6

6 13

9 Jun

Compliance: common problems

Manchester

20 Jun

Residence requirements (for fees)

London

12

21 Jun

Advising on Tier applications - II

London

7

23 Jun

Tier 4 basics

Birmingham

5

Univ Exeter

17

28-30 Jun UKCISA Annual Conference 12 Jul

Framework for fees

(HE in England, Wales & Northern Ireland)

London

11

20 Jul

Framework for fees (FE in England)

London

11

26 Jul

Work options after study

London

9

Book online at www.ukcisa.org.uk/training

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The UK Council for International Student Affairs is the UK’s national advisory body serving the interests of international students and those who work with them.

UKCISA 9–17 St Albans Place London N1 0NX T +44 (0)20 7288 4330 F +44 (0)20 7288 4360 www.ukcisa.org.uk @ukcisa UKCISA is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (Company Number: 4507287) and a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (Charity Number: 1095294). Its registered office is at 9–17 St Albans Place London N1 0NX.

UKCISA gratefully acknowledges the financial support it receives from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and from the Scottish Government.