#GoSeePuja
"Puja and colleagues promote the launch of the #GoSeePuja campaign"
Students are being encouraged to #GoSeePuja as part of a new campaign aimed at promoting the learning support services at SRUC’s campus in Edinburgh.
The campaign was inspired by former student Ewan Glendinning, who found the learning support services invaluable to his overall experience at SRUC.
In a video interview about his experiences, he spontaneously said “Go See Puja” several times, which inspired Study Support Tutor Kath Pierce to produce the campaign, with her colleague Puja Parbhaker as the face and focus of it.
“Puja is such a champion for the students, it made sense to use her name to recognise this and provide a way for the students to get a feel for what we do,” she said.
The main objectives of the campaign are to raise awareness of learning support, both with students and staff, and to encourage new students to engage with the team.
“We know that settling into college for the first time can be a really stressful experience for many, so it’s important that students know about us and where to find us,” said Kath. “Our new students may already have diagnosed conditions or learning difficulties for which they had adjustments at school, or they may have suspected an issue while at school but not had a chance to explore or discuss it.
“We can check their eligibility and if they wish, help them apply for Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) which can provide funding for support needs, including personal support such as a study skills tutor.
“There may also be other factors which have the potential to affect their time at SRUC, such as mental health, so we are here as their first port of call. We are very aware of the growing numbers of students experiencing poor mental health and it is vital that they know there is a safe and supportive space to come to if they need it. We also have a mental health officer on campus every other week and can arrange appointments.
“The campaign already seems to have made a real impact and we hope it will make a difference to many more students who might otherwise have been reluctant to approach us.”
Puja added: “It’s great to see how positive the feedback has been from both students and staff. Lots of students have contacted us via email or dropped in to see us in room 241 because of the warm welcome offered.
“It’s great that people know who I am and it’s been lovely to receive lots of smiles and greetings around campus.
“The support from staff has also been fantastic and it’s wonderful to know that they value the work of the Learning Support Office.”
#GoSeePuja can be seen on staff t-shirts, plasma screens, noticeboards, staff doors, postcards around campus, and online.
Check out the promotional video on Facebook!
Posted by SRUC on 18/09/2019
