As Programme Director, you will be in contact with students in different ways: sometimes with a whole cohort, and in other situations with individual students. These direct contacts can provide valuable insights into how students experience your programme. However, you may not always have time to speak with many students. Being aware of when it is necessary to make contact with students, and when it is not, can help you to set the right priorities.
Below you will find an overview of the situations in which you are formally expected to be in contact with students. Of course, you are free to arrange additional opportunities to meet with students if you feel they would be helpful in your role.
Inform students via OSIRIS on courses
Officially, the Programme Director should inform the students via OSIRIS on topics such as the content, set up and assessment of each course in the programme (according to Ba EER art. 3.1.4). This should be done four weeks prior to the start of the course. The assessment schedule should be published, at the latest, two weeks prior to the start of the course (Ba EER art 3.6.4).
In practice, your Programme Coordinator will take care of this task and contact the responsible teachers of all the courses in due time. It does, however, help when you inform your teachers about this task in time (see Responsibility 3 – Supervise teachers), support the Programme Coordinator when needed and regularly check in with them.
Resources for Inform students via OSIRIS
Decide on course of action in special student-related situations
According to Ba EER art. 1.1.9, the Programme Director is allowed to deviate from certain rules in the EER for students in specific situations where strictly applying the rules would be unreasonably unfair for the student (see also Ba EER art 7.7, Hardship clause).
This is often done following an explicit request from a student, for example, if a student sends you an email with a formal request to deviate from a rule or a (formal) complaint about a situation in the programme.
One example of a rule you may deviate from concerns the BSA decision (see below). For other rules you may deviate from, please check the EER for a description of the decisions you are authorised to make.
When deciding on special cases, you can use the following guiding questions:
- what is the benefit for the student if granted, or negative effect when not granted? You could look at the effect on the study planning and possible study delay.
- are there any special circumstances that warrant a deviation from the rules?
- will the student still be able to achieve the PILOs - the Programme Intended Learning Outcomes - if granted (or not)?
- how much additional work will the exemption give for teachers or staff?
- is there any precedent? Are there any previous similar cases?
- will this be a precedent: if you grant the exemption, will many more students ask for the same exemption?
The study adviser should be able to inform you on any special circumstances of the student in the specific case and might give you advice as well.
Resources for individual student-related situations
Inform students on (preliminary) BSA
Inform students on (preliminary) BSA (Ba EER art. 6.2.1 & 6.2.4)
Most Bachelor programmes have a BSA, the Binding Study Advice. This is an advice given to students at the end of the first year of the Bachelor programme, including a recommendation about continuation with the programme.
As Programme Director, you should decide whether a negative BSA includes expulsion from the programme (Ba EER art. 6.2.3), what the threshold is (often 45 EC) and whether additional requirements are applied (eg. a specific course must be passed) (Ba EER art. 6.2.2). If a negative BSA means expulsion from the programme, then the student cannot continue in the programme and is not allowed to re-enrol for the coming 3 years.
This final BSA is sent at the end of the first year. In addition, you should send a few preliminary BSAs during the year to give students an indication of whether their study progress, up to that time, will allow them to achieve at least 45 EC and a positive BSA.
If a student has special circumstances, you as Programme Director are allowed to give the student an extension of the BSA, which means they have more than one year to achieve these 45 EC. Your study adviser often has the relevant information on possible special circumstances per student.
There are set procedures in your programme on the BSA procedure, so check BA EER art. 6.1 and 6.2 and discuss this with your BOZ contact person or Programme Coordinator.
Resources for inform students on BSA
