Directors of Studies (DoS) and Subject Secretary Guidance SPS Supplement to
College Guidance, 2011-2012
I. GENERAL INFORMATION
Guidance for DoS and Subject Secretaries
The primary source of information and guidance is provided in the College’s most recent
DoS Guidance Sheet available at:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/humanities-soc-sci/undergraduate-academicadmin/direction-of-studies/guidance-documents
This document, and other College guidance on direction of studies can be accessed here:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/humanities-soc-sci/undergraduate-academicadmin/direction-of-studies/overview
Below we add some minimal supplementary information specific to SPS. At the end of the
document you will find the specification of responsibilities for staff in the Undergraduate
Teaching Office (UGTO), Subject Secretaries and DoSs (Appendix 1) and the FAQ
guidance for students concerning these responsibilities (Appendix 2). Please note that for
students in Social Work direction will for the moment continue to be divided
between the UGTO and DoSs, and will not normally include the Subject Secretary.
If you can’t find the answer to a DoS-related query in the College Guidance above or in
this SPS supplement, please in the first instance contact your subject area’s Senior DoS (if
such a person exists), then the School Senior DoS/Deputy of Undergraduate Teaching
(DDUT). In semester 1 DDUT will be Ross Bond (r.j.bond@ed.ac.uk 650 3919) and in
semester 2 Elizabeth Bomberg (e.bomberg@ed.ac.uk 650 4248). Exceptionally, the
Director of Undergraduate Teaching, Neil Thin (n.thin@ed.ac.uk) may also be consulted.
Euclid
All DoSs and Subject Secretaries need to be familiar with the basic functions of Euclid,
which can be launched under the ‘Teaching’ tab on MyEd. For those new to the system,
some training sessions are available (see ‘Event Booking’ under the ‘Today’ tab in MyEd).
Or you can access online guidance at:
http://www.euclid.ed.ac.uk/staff/Support/Web_Guides/index_new.html , then click on
online course enrolment (OCE). The OCE guidance is the most relevant information for
DoSs and others providing student support.
II. DoS GUIDANCE RELEVANT TO START OF YEAR
Identifying directees
To find out who your directees are, you will need to log into Euclid, select ‘Students’ from
the menu on the left side of screen and click on ‘List My Students’. All your directees
should appear and you can click on the hyperlinked name/number to confirm attendance
and edit course choices.
Meeting with your directees
The College guidance advises ‘1 hour’ initial meetings with directees on the assumption
that Directors of Studies will prefer to meet their directees in a group. In SPS, we
recognise that this is not always the most convenient or sensible procedure so we leave it
up to each DoS to communicate to directees how they want to arrange their initial meeting
in Induction week or week 1. As well as emailing directees, please post this information,
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and your routine office hours, on your door. Many of you will prefer to meet students
individually, in which case 15-minute meetings should be adequate.
If you want to book a room for a group meeting, you can do so at:
http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/admin/room_booking
If you meet your directees as a large group, you will need to check all their records in
advance, so you can hold any back for private meetings if there are any queries about
their courses or academic progress. For individual or small-group meetings it should be ok
to check each student’s record during the meeting. Either way, every DoS must have
access to and familiarity with Euclid so they can check and confirm directees’ course
choices during weeks 0-1.
It is also advisable to be as familiar as you can be with basic programme requirements for
relevant degrees, as listed here: https://www.star.euclid.ed.ac.uk/ipp/drps_sps.htm
Please encourage students to get into the habit of consulting these programme
requirements themselves.
Please also provide or direct students to the FAQ document (Appendix 2). These FAQs
will be posted on the School website.
Confirmation of attendance
We ask Directors of Studies themselves (not UGTO staff or Subject Secretaries) to
‘Confirm Attendance’ on Euclid when they meet with new and returning students in weeks
0-1. We do this to ensure that each student has a meeting with their DoS at the beginning
of the year, and that each DoS uses that opportunity to confirm that their directees’ course
choices are suitable. Note that most 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year students should have preregistered all or most of their courses via the UGTO from last May.
NB: Attendance must be confirmed online by the end of week 2 or students will be
deemed withdrawn (unless they have indicated that factors beyond their control have
delayed their return). If your directee has not made contact by week 2 please try to contact
them. Under some circumstances it might be appropriate to delegate confirmation of
attendance of late arriving directees to Subject Secretaries.
Please note that, counterintuitively, you must ‘confirm attendance’ even for students who
are overseas on approved academic exchanges (i.e. Erasmus, Junior Year Abroad etc.).
For these students you may also need to de-register them from any courses for which they
have been automatically pre-registered.
Special arrangements for meetings with Freshers
Informal subject area meetings with Freshers will take place in CMB on Tuesday 13th
September at 10.30. Following this at 11.30 in David Hume Tower Lecture Theatre B
School Director of UG Teaching Neil Thin will be explaining the enrolment process to
Freshers and providing a handout at his Introductory talk. Neil Thin and Ross Bond will
also be generally available for much of Freshers’ week to deal with registration questions.
In a meeting with Freshers DoSs will probably want to:

tell students about the DoS role. See:
http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/year_1_2/director_of_studies_role
[NB. THE MATERIAL IN THIS LINK NEEDS TO BE REVISED IN LIGHT OF
CHANGES TO DOS ROLE. THIS SHOULD BE DONE FOR START OF
INDUCTION WEEK]
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
advise them to make the most of: student handbooks; University and School web
pages; staff in the UGTO (CMB ground floor), when they have routine questions
about their studies (i.e. before coming to you or their Subject Secretary).

advise them to approach the Disability Office as soon as possible if they have any
disability issues (and haven’t done so already). Note that from this year the
Disability Office has moved into the main library (as have the Careers Service and
the Counselling Service).

impress upon them the importance of keeping their Subject Secretary informed of
any personal/health issues that may seriously affect their studies and performance
of assessment.

let them know that if they need to discuss any matters with you individually that
they can make an appointment to do so during your office hours or at another
mutually convenient time.

invite any questions.
Continuing Students: Progression issues
Each DoS should identify students who have failed to make adequate progress (i.e. failed
to complete 120 credits at end of year 1, 240 credits at end of year 2 etc.). As outlined in
the College DoS Guidance, students entering year 2 and 3 of their programme are allowed
to carry over 40 additional credits (i.e. to take a maximum of 160 credits in years 2 or 3).
However, you need to discuss with the student whether this is a wise course of action. (It
may not be if, say, problems causing lack of progression are likely to persist in the current
year). If you decide the extra credits should not be a problem you may sign up the student
for these credits and Ross Bond (as the School Senior DoS) need not be contacted. You
should, however, refer to Ross any student you feel will need to switch to part-time study
or take another course of action.
Students short more than 40 credits must in any case see Ross Bond for a Progression
Interview. Please give him any background material you know about the students (special
circumstances, etc) and any guidance. He, with guidance from you, will make a decision
as to whether this student should switch to part-time study to make up the deficit, or
whether some other course of action is more appropriate. In case of the latter College
approval is required.
III. DOS and SUBJECT SECRETARY GUIDANCE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
Go beyond ‘confirming enrolment’
Students often appreciate it when their DoS holds a meeting with all directees together (at
start of term or later). The bloc meeting gives them a good opportunity to get to know each
other and share views and queries on common issues. Most directees will also appreciate
a one-to-one meeting even if it is only brief. With the devolution of more student support
responsibilities to Subject Secretaries, DoSs are strongly encouraged to meet more often
with students (in groups and/or individually) to provide strictly academic guidance.
Student files
Undergraduate students’ files are held by the Undergraduate Teaching Office rather than
by individual DoSs or Subject Secretaries. The files can be retrieved for DoSs or Subject
Secretaries by staff in the UTO, who will keep a record of files signed out and returned.
From 2011-12 primary responsibility for maintaining student files will fall to the Subject
Secretaries on the 1st floor.
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Subject Secretaries may if they wish either use the main file only, or maintain a ‘working
file’ for each student. If the latter approach is taken, all the material in the working file
must be lodged in the UTO at the end of each semester. (Electronic records, i.e. emails
etc, should either be deleted at the end of each semester or printed and lodged in the
UTO).
Confidential information
There are times when directees may wish to discuss issues with their Subject Secretaries
or DoSs in strict confidence. They should be told that such strict confidence may be
observed but that the discussion must in that case be oral only, with no written record kept
by the Subject Secretary or DoS. Any written record will need to make its way into the
main file maintained by the UTO.
Data Protection Subject Access Requests
The approach outlined above means that when students (present or past) make subject
access requests under the Data Protection Act (i.e. when they ask to see their file) it will
be relatively straightforward to make this available. Under the previous system it was
sometimes difficult to be sure where the files might be found, particularly in the case of
past students whose Directors had retired or resigned.
Degree Transfer requests
Transfer applications within SPS may be submitted to Ross Bond (semester 1) or
Elizabeth Bomberg (semester 2) via email for approval. Any complicated transfer requests
(involving, say, a student who has not met all subject requirements or who has not met
honours entry requirements) must be accompanied by written approval from Head of the
Subject area (or delegated degree programme director) responsible for the degree into
which they propose to transfer. Students wishing to transfer to degree programmes
outside SPS should contact the relevant subject area head or director of undergraduate
teaching in that School. SPS does not adjudicate on these applications.
Special Circumstances
As you’ll see in the college DoS guidance, we are required to conform to College
procedures for dealing with students’ ‘Special Circumstances’ (factors beyond their control
which may adversely affect their performance), using the CHSS Special Circumstances
form which is considered by Special Circumstances Committees, Boards of Examiners
and, where necessary, in progression interviews.
This process can become both too common and too cumbersome. We must rely heavily
on Subject Secretaries to ensure that SC procedures are only put in play where there is a
strong likelihood that the student could not avoid letting factors beyond their control affect
their performance. The Subject Secretaries must at times remind students that SC
procedures carry a high cost and that in most cases they do not result in modification of
marks. Marks are only usually modified when there are serious medical or personal
circumstances and a significant impact in terms of progression or final degree
classification.
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Appendix 1: SSPS Guidance on responsibilities of Directors of
Studies (DoSs), Subject Secretaries, and the Undergraduate
Teaching Office (UGTO) , 2011-12
This document should be read in conjunction with the CHSS Guidance for Undergraduate
Direction of Studies and the SSPS supplement to College guidance [this guidance on the
respective roles of DoSs, Subject Secretaries and the UGTO will be integrated into the
SSPS supplement as an appendix].
The CHSS Guidance is available for download at:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/humanities-soc-sci/undergraduate-academicadmin/direction-of-studies/guidance-documents
It should be noted that substantial changes to the division of student support roles
between Directors of Studies, Subject Secretaries, and UGTO colleagues – in all areas of
the School excluding Social Work – are being introduced, with some comparatively
restricted changes this year but in the expectation that a broader set of changes will apply
as of 2012/13. Therefore even experienced DoSs and administrative colleagues should
read this document carefully.
The aim of these changes is to remove from DoSs some tasks that would be performed
more efficiently and consistently by administrative staff, thus bringing SSPS into line with
procedure in many other schools. This will free up more time for DoSs to provide truly
academic support and guidance to students and in turn provide students with enhanced
academic support and more consistent administrative support. As with any new system it
may be that there are initial difficulties while it beds in, which might entail some initial
flexibility in the performance of tasks and ultimately perhaps some changes to the division
of responsibilities based on early experience.
The rest of the document sets out the division of responsibilities. In terms of Student
Support services, a distinction is made between those employed in the UGTO on the
ground floor of CMB, and those employed as Subject Secretaries on the 1st floor. It is the
enhanced contribution of Subject Secretaries in the field of student support which
represents the most substantial change to previous practice. Subject Secretaries will take
on some of the tasks carried out by ‘Student Support Officers’ in other schools, but will
also continue to perform many of their previous duties.
Responsibilities of UG Teaching Office
1. Provide factual reference letters (e.g. confirmation of student status for local
authorities, landlords, banks etc.)
2. Deal with routine enrolment of student courses and course registration queries
from students, including requests for changes in enrolment for non-compulsory
courses. DoSs should be informed of any changes to course enrolments which are
made subsequent to DoS’s initial meeting with the student and confirmation of
his/her attendance. UGTO colleagues may also ask DoSs for guidance if they are
unsure that a requested change is appropriate. It would be useful if hard copies of
degree requirements for all SSPS programmes were kept in and/or outside the
UGTO for consultation by both colleagues and students. Students should be
encouraged to consult these before requesting course changes and should confirm
to the UGTO that the change is in compliance with requirements.
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Responsibilities of Subject Secretaries
3. First point of contact for queries from students regarding current and possible
alternative programmes of study; to liaise with subject-level Senior DoSs on the
information and advice to be provided, during the initial period of this arrangement.
4. To alert DoSs when any of their students are unable to progress normally following
publication of results at the end of the academic year in June (see also 11 below)
5. Provide pastoral support in the following respects:
a) General guidance: first point of contact for students wishing to report any health or
personal problems for the attention of the subject area (see also c) and d) below) and
to make students aware of appropriate services available to them, including the
Counselling Service, Student Disability Service, The Advice Place, etc. [as per
http://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/undergraduate/facilities/health]. Inform course organisers
of short term student absence for health or personal reasons (up to 3 weeks). Maintain
a file recording details of meetings, decisions etc. relating to students who report
problems. These details should be added to the student’s main file in the UGTO at the
end of each semester.
b) Submit applications for students who wish to request an interruption of studies
(more than 3 weeks). DoSs should always be advised when such applications are
made and may, if necessary, be asked for advice about these requests.
c) Sign off any lateness penalty waiver (LPW) applications for Honours courses (NB.
Rather than the previous system whereby Subject Secretaries could sign LPWs for
periods of up to one week with appropriate accompanying evidence, but that otherwise
LPWs had to be signed by DoS, it is proposed that Subject Secretaries be able to sign
LPWs for any period. Note that, as previously, this does not represent a guarantee that
penalties will be waived: it is merely an acknowledgement of receipt of the application.
It is students’ responsibility to provide appropriate supporting evidence and to submit
work as promptly as is reasonable given their circumstances). There should be no
need to notify DoSs in cases of relatively minor, one-off LPW applications. But for more
serious and/or ongoing problems, or when there are repeated applications on different
occasions from the same student, Subject Secretaries should inform DoSs as these
circumstances are more likely to have academic implications.
d) In collaboration with students, complete special circumstances (SC) forms at the
end of each semester and submit these forms to the UGTO Administrative Assistant.
SC forms record medical or personal problems affecting students’ academic
performance. The forms are standard and some sections may be completed by the
student him/herself.
Responsibilities of DoSs
6. Advising UGTO and Subject Secretary colleagues where necessary
7. Meeting with students and confirming attendance at the beginning of each
academic year (including confirmation of ‘attendance’ of those absent on an
approved period of overseas study)
8. Recording and responding (if appropriate) to messages from course secretaries
etc. noting persistent student absence from tutorials, non-submission of
coursework etc. As these issues will sometimes be related to medical or personal
problems, it will often be appropriate to forward such messages to the appropriate
subject secretary for information.
9. General advice on course combinations, study skills, subject-specific academic
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difficulties (see also 13 below)
10. Advice on proposed degree transfers
11. Advising students unable to progress normally, including helping with concessions
and changes to method of study (e.g. full-time to part-time). It is often necessary or
advisable to consult the Deputy Director of Undergraduate Teaching (DDUT) in
these instances (see SPS supplementary guidance for DoSs for further details)
12. Assisting students with personal development planning and providing advice on
postgraduate study, academic references, internships, authorised study abroad
and extra curricular projects.
13. Meeting students. One of the key aims of the new division of responsibilities is to
encourage DoSs to enhance the student experience by taking on more of an
academic advisory role and thus to meet students more often outside of routine
enrolment or meetings to deal with problems. DoSs should meet with their
directees as a group at least once (and ideally twice) a year so that:
a) directees can meet one another;
b) DoS can give broad academic advice or notice of, e.g., upcoming TLA sessions
(writing workshops, exam techniques, study skills drop-in, etc.);
c) DoS can discuss with directees common themes from student comments (e.g.
challenge of first year courses, honours progression).
Further advice and support
Where necessary, the UGTO, Subject Secretaries and DoSs should seek further advice in
the first instance from the senior DoS in their own subject area. If this does not resolve the
issue, then the senior DoS for the School (the DDUT) should be consulted. It may also
sometimes be necessary or appropriate for administrative colleagues to consult the
student’s DoS or vice versa, or for a student to consult the DoS if the Subject Secretary is
absent for an extended period. Senior DoSs may also provide a source of alternative
advice for students when Subject Secretaries and/or DoSs are absent.
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Appendix 2: Student Guidance on Subject Secretaries and
Directors of Studies (DoSs) in the School of Social and Political
Science (SSPS), 2011-12
Subject Secretaries and DoSs provide students with personal and academic advice
and guidance. In SSPS Subject Secretaries provide some of the support given by
‘Student Support Officers’ in some other parts of the university, but also have many
other duties. Depending on the specific issue, you will need to visit the
undergraduate teaching office (UTO) on the ground floor of the Chrystal Macmillan
Building (CMB), or consult either your Subject Secretary or your DoS. Subject
Secretaries are located in the offices on the 1st floor of CMB. Your Subject
Secretary will be the one responsible for the first-named subject of your degree
(e.g. if your degree is Sociology and Social Anthropology you should consult the
Sociology Subject Secretary for all matters but if you are studying Social Policy and
Sociology then you should go to the Social Policy Subject Secretary). Please note
that for students in Social Work a rather different system applies. If you are a
Social Work student your DoS will be able to advise you about this. For the other
subject areas in SPS this document, through a series of FAQs, provides guidance
on who you should speak to for a range of issues and problems.
A basic summary of responsibilities is:



Minor administrative support such as course enrolment and letters to
confirm student status: staff in the UTO on the ground floor
Degree programme queries and pastoral support related to health and
personal problems: Subject Secretaries on the first floor
Academic advice relating to course choice, study problems, degree
transfers and periods of study abroad. Advice and references related to
postgraduate study and employment: DoSs
FAQs:

I want to enrol for courses for the coming year. How do I do that?
New and continuing students should normally receive advance instructions about
how to enrol. Course enrolment is normally done by staff in the ground floor UTO,
either during the summer or when you arrive for the start of the academic year.
They can also take care of routine changes to course options (see below). But
please note that at the beginning of each academic year (either in
freshers’/induction week or the first week of teaching) you must meet with your
DoS. S/he will make a final check of your course choices and confirm your
attendance in your online record. If you do not obtain this confirmation you will be
withdrawn from your studies. Your DoS will usually contact you to let you know
how and when to make an appointment or will place instructions on her/his office
door.

I want to change one or more of my course options. Who do I ask?
The staff in the ground floor UTO can make routine changes to course
registrations. These can normally only be requested before the end of week 2 in
the semester in which the course is taking place. Before requesting any course
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changes, you should check that these are consistent with the requirements of your
degree programme. The best way to do this is to consult the online degree
regulations (DRPS). See: http://www.star.euclid.ed.ac.uk/ipp/drps_sps.htm
The key principles to bear in mind are that in each year you must:
a) take the compulsory courses for your degree programme;
b) normally take courses amounting to 120 credits (this might vary if you are,
e.g. studying part-time or making up credits from a previous year of study);
c) divide your courses evenly between semesters (i.e. normally 60 credits in
each semester);
d) not take any courses that have a timetable clash. Again you can use the
DRPS to find out when course lectures take place.

I’ve looked at the regulations for my degree programme but there are
things I don’t understand about what courses I should take and when.
Who do I ask about this?
Your Subject Secretary on the 1st floor will be able to provide general advice on
your programme. If you feel you need academic advice, e.g. on which courses
might be a good combination for you, then you should speak to your DoS.

I want to change my degree programme (e.g. from Sociology to
Sociology & Politics). Can I do this and who do I ask?
For transfers within the School of Social and Political Science you should always
seek initial advice from your DoS. For transfers to degree programmes outside the
School you may still wish to consult your DoS but it is also important that you
contact the relevant person in the subject or school to which you wish to transfer,
as they will decide whether or not transfers are possible. For further information
see:
http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/year_1_2/changing_degree_programme

I’ve failed some courses and I’m worried that I might not be able to
progress to my next year of study. Who should I speak to?
Your DoS will be able to advise you of your options and, if necessary, refer you on
for further advice. Progression issues are often resolved through resits or carrying
extra credits into the next year of study.

I’m ill and/or have personal problems and am unable to attend classes.
Who should I tell about this?
If your illness is likely to be short and you expect to miss, e.g. one or more classes
or tutorials in a particular week then it is usually sufficient simply to email your tutor
or the course organiser. If you are likely to be ill for a longer period and miss
classes up to a period of 3 weeks then you should inform your Subject Secretary
on the 1st floor. It is usually also helpful in these instances if you inform your course
organisers of your absence. If your absence is likely to be long-term (more than 3
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weeks) then you should consider submitting an application for an interruption of
study. Your Subject Secretary on the 1st floor can advise you and submit an
application on your behalf. In general, although it might not always be possible to
inform someone immediately when you fall ill or when other problems emerge, you
should do this as soon as you possibly can. Further information on interruptions of
study can be found here:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/humanities-soc-sci/undergraduateacademic-admin/current-undergraduate-students/interruption-of-studies

Because of illness and/or personal problems I will be (or was) unable
to hand in some assessed work by the deadline. What do I do?
Initially you should check the guidelines for the specific course(s) to which the work
relates (e.g. the course handbook). For courses in years 1 and 2, it is often
possible to obtain extensions to deadlines simply by emailing your tutor, or for
longer extensions the course organiser. In years 3 and 4 often a lateness penalty
waiver (LPW) needs to be completed and signed off. Your Subject Secretary on
the 1st floor will be able to provide and sign your form. Please note that this does
not guarantee that your work will not be penalised. Requests for extensions or
LPWs must always be justified by appropriate medical or other adverse personal
circumstances and supported by appropriate documentation (e.g. medical letters).
Minor illness or work pressure, for example, are not justified reasons for late
submission.

I am having or have had long-term problems with my health and/or
personal life which are having a negative effect on my academic
performance. Who should I speak to about this?
Where problems with your health or personal life are anything other than minor you
should always let your Subject Secretary on the 1st floor know about this. They are
able to listen to your problems in confidence, keep a note of them for future
reference if appropriate, and provide you with advice about other more specialised
services you may need to consult. They are also able to complete, in consultation
with you, a Special Circumstances (SC) form. These are submitted at the end of
each semester and allow exam boards to take into consideration any adverse
circumstances that might have affected your marks. SC forms should only be
submitted if illness or personal problems are or were serious enough to warrant
this. Your Subject Secretary can advise. You must give your permission before an
SC form may be submitted on your behalf. It is always important to obtain
appropriate documentation (e.g. medical letters) to support your case and this
should be forwarded to your Subject Secretary as soon as possible. Further
information on special circumstances can be found here:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/humanities-soc-sci/undergraduateacademic-admin/direction-of-studies/special-circumstances

I was/will be unable to sit an exam or do my best in an exam because
of health and/or personal problems. What do I do?
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You should inform your Subject Secretary on the 1st floor as soon as possible.
They will be able to submit a special circumstances form on your behalf. This must
be accompanied by appropriate documentation (e.g. a note from your GP) which
should be forwarded to your Subject Secretary as soon as possible.

I’m having academic difficulties with my studies. Who should I speak
to?
Your tutor or course organiser is often the best initial source of advice if you are
having difficulties with a specific course. But if you are having more general
difficulties with studying and completing work across all your courses then your
DoS is the appropriate source of advice on how you might address these
difficulties. Your DoS might also organise meetings where advice can be given to,
or shared between, students on a more collective basis.

I’m thinking about going on to do postgraduate study or looking for
employment when I graduate. Who can advise me about this and who
can provide references when I need them?
Your DoS can provide general advice about these issues. S/he should also be able
to supply references to support your applications for further study or employment.
You might also consider whether there are other members of academic staff who
would be appropriate people to provide references as well as or instead of your
DoS (e.g. the person who supervised your honours project or dissertation).

What do I do if I need a letter from the university to confirm my status
for a landlord/lady, bank, or to help with council tax?
The staff in the ground floor UTO can provide this.

I’m trying to get in touch with my DoS and/or Subject Secretary but
s/he doesn’t seem to be around or is not responding. What do I do
now?
Especially for non-urgent matters, you should normally give your DoS or Subject
Secretary a few days to respond before seeking alternative advice. However, if it is
obvious that they will be absent for some time, or have not responded after a
reasonable interlude, or the matter is very urgent, then you should seek an
alternative source of advice. If your Subject Secretary is unavailable then your DoS
should be able to deal with any matters normally handled by your Subject
Secretary. Equally, if your DoS is away then your Subject Secretary might be able
to offer guidance, but not on strictly academic matters. If neither are available, or
you want academic advice but your DoS is away, then each subject area usually
has a senior DoS who can help. Or, you might consider contacting your subject’s
director of undergraduate teaching (or ‘honours convener’), the deputy director or
director of undergraduate teaching for the School, or the head of your subject area.
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