February Update from the ENSA Advice Team 

February has been a busy month for the ENSA Advice team with Results Day taking place on 9 February and the first full month of study since November for students. As always, this can be a stressful time for students as they process their outcomes and consider their next steps. 

Trimester 1 Results and Appeals Deadlines 

Following the release of results, students had five working days (seven days in total) to submit any academic appeals. This created a busy period for the team and we worked closely with students to talk through their options, explain the grounds for appeal and support them in preparing and submitting their applications. We know how overwhelming this process can feel, particularly when timeframes are tight, so we aimed to provide clear, calm guidance at every stage. 

Results Stalls 

For the first time, we ran dedicated Results Day stalls on campus. These were designed to give students an immediate, informal opportunity to speak with us, ask questions and understand what support is available. Hopefully this made the process feel more accessible and helped increase the visibility of the Advice team. It was encouraging to have conversations with students who may not otherwise have reached out and to remind people that independent, confidential advice is always available. We will be reflecting on this initiative and looking at how we can build on it in future results periods. 

Accommodation Fair at Bainfield 

This month we also attended the accommodation fair at Bainfield, where we had the opportunity to meet students in their accommodation setting and talk about the advice available through ENSA. It was a great chance to answer questions, listen to concerns and make sure students know how to access advice if they need it. Being visible in different spaces across the university community is something we are keen to continue. 

Academic Integrity  

We are continuing to support a number of students who submitted assessments in December and were later flagged for academic integrity concerns, primarily relating to the use of Artificial Intelligence. In many cases, these processes are still ongoing and we recognise the uncertainty and stress this can cause. The Advice team has been working closely with affected students to explain procedures, attend meetings and ensure they understand the universities policies throughout the process and that they are adhered to. 

AI use within assessments campaign  

In response to this, we will be running a campaign focused on AI use within assessments. The aim is to inform students, provide information about university guidelines, reduce confusion and help students feel confident about how to use tools appropriately and ethically in their studies, ultimately reducing the number of academic misconduct cases. Our student survey is currently open and you can complete it here: ENSA Academic Integrity & Artificial Intelligence (AI) Survey

Campus rotations  

The ENSA advisers work on all three campuses and complete three months at each before rotating around. February was the final month of this rotation and as of next month Moray and Hannah will be based at Merchiston, Diane at Sighthill and Marianne at Craiglockhart.  

Ongoing Support 

Alongside these key areas of work, we have continued supporting students with a wide range of academic and welfare queries. Whether it is appeals, academic conduct concerns, funding issues or personal circumstances affecting your studies, we are here to offer confidential and non judgemental advice. 

If you would like to speak with an adviser, you can book an appointment using the link below: ENSA ADVICE | Scheduling and Booking Website