.. _SSG:
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Student Support and Guidance
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Department & Postgraduate Support Staff
============================================
**Head of Department:** |hos|_, |hos-a|.
**Head of PGR :** |pgrd|_, |pgra|.
**Deputy Head of PGR:** |dpgrd|_, |dpgra|.
**Student Support Office:** |sso|_, |sso-a|
**Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS)**:
The DASS provides support for disabled staff and students in the
University and also offers support and advice to prospective
students and employees. They provide a *confidential* service and
enable management of the level of disclosure within the University
in order to provide agreed support. They work with a wide range of
students, including students with specific learning difficulties
(such as dyslexia), mental health difficulties (such as anxiety),
medical conditions (such as epilepsy and arthritis), deaf and hard
of hearing students, blind and partially sighted students, and
students with autism/Asperger syndrome. |dass|_ (|dasse|_) |dassa|.
**Student Guidance Service (formerly known as the Academic Advisory Service)**:
This offers confidential advice on any matter relating to your
studies or any issue affecting you and your academic progress. It is
independent from Faculties and Departments, completely confidential, and
is run by a small team of part-time advisors, some of whom are
members of academic
staff.
**Housing & Accommodation Issues**:
The Accommodation Office deals with student accommodation in the
University Halls of Residence. Separate halls are available for
undergraduates and postgraduates, but the University also has halls
comprising a mix of
both.
**Manchester Student Homes**:
is a service for students, owned and run by the
University, along with Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU). The
services are free to students. They list a large number of
privately-rented accredited houses, flats and rooms and are also
there to give you housing advice if you need it.
**Students Union**:
The University of Manchester Students’ Union (UMSU) is an
organisation, independent of the University, to which all students
automatically belong. The Student Union building houses a wide range
of services for students, including welfare and legal
advice.
**Health & Health Care**:
Upon arrival in Manchester, all students should register with a
local General Practitioner (GP). In order to receive National Health
Service (NHS) treatment whilst you are in Manchester, you must be
registered with a **local** doctor .
Registering with the doctor will enable international students,
their spouse and children (but not visiting relatives) to receive
free medical care, provided that they are in the UK for six months
or longer.
A list of GPs can be obtained from the staff in University
Accommodation. Alternatively, a complete list of GPs, dentists, and
pharmacies in Manchester can be obtained online from the NHS
Services
Directory.Further advice on health issues and health services for students can be found on StudentNet and on the University pages for international students.
**Student Counselling Service**:
This is a team of professional counsellors and psychotherapists
offering confidential help with any personal issues affecting work,
self-esteem, relationships, mental health or general well-being.
They are available to all University of Manchester students.
**Careers Advice**:
The University Careers Service provides careers information, advice,
and guidance to all Manchester students:
**Immigration Advice**:
Advice on UK immigration legislation is offered by the International
Advice Team based at the Student Services Centre:
**International Students**:
International students at the University are especially fortunate to
have the support of a dedicated International Advice Team based in
the Student Services Centre and the
International Society based on the Oxford
Road. With over 4,000 members from over 130 countries, the International Society is the best place for you to make new friends from all over the world including the UK. Among the things we do are trips around the UK during the weekend, language classes, cultural evenings, social events, cultural awareness project (Rocketworld), hospitality scheme and families group. Our Families Group offers a warm and supportive atmosphere for the partners and children of students. The group meets every Thursday and is a great way for people in a similar situation to meet and make friends. They regularly celebrate children’s birthdays, go on trips and have visiting guest speakers to share information and give advice. For those still learning English it’s a great place to practice in a supportive environment. For more information, check out `International Society`_ . Finally, the Students Union
provides the services of an International Students Officer as well as a large
number of international societies.
**University Language Centre**:
The Manchester University Language Centre offers courses in some 18
languages for personal, professional and academic purposes at
various levels to prospective and current students. In particular,
it provides programmes for students wishing to improve their English
language skills for academic or professional
reasons.
University Learning Resources
=============================
The University Library
------------------------
The University of Manchester Library is both the University’s library
and information service and supports all subject areas taught by the
University. It provides its members with a large number of services and
resources, including the most extensive range of electronic resources of
any UK Higher Education library, including on-line subscriptions to
journals and data sources.
The University Library consists of the Main Library and several site
libraries. Locations, and full details of the services provided and how
to access them can be found on their website.
**How to access Library electronic resources**
Search on Library Search to access e-journals, e-books and databases
provided by the Library.
- `Library Search `__
If you are working off campus regularly, it is recommended that you
download the Library browser extensions: Library Access and LibKey Nomad
to make it easier to access electronic content provided by the Library.
- `Library
Access `__
- `LibKey
Nomad `__
You may also choose to download Browzine, which enables you to browse,
read and monitor current scholarly journal content on your mobile device
or browser.
- `Browzine `__
Lots of useful information on relevant databases and journals for your
discipline area can be found in our `Subject
Guides `__
Central Authentication Service
------------------------------------------------
One advantage of this central system is that when accessing online
journals, rather than having to remember a whole list of different
passwords and usernames, you instead just use the CAS. The journal
website typically directs you to the Manchester CAS page, where you
login, and are then returned to the journal, where you can then access
the journal content to which we have a subscription.
The login can also be accessed directly by going to the University
Portal: and then pressing the **login** button.
Notes
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