Student Support Services
Student Orientation and Commencement of Your Course
Student services staff will organize your orientation. On your first day at our college the team will welcome you, answer your questions and give you information about:
- Your stay in Australia
- Accommodation, finances and further study
- Requirements to receive a qualification
- Certificates issued on successful completion of the course
- How your skills, knowledge, and attitudes will be assessed
- Recognition of prior learning or recognition of current competency
- How you can appeal if you don’t agree with your assessment outcome
- How you can complain if you are not satisfied with any part of the course
- How you can get extra help with your learning
- Course timetable and attendance
- Course content
- Emergency evacuation procedures
- Your obligations as a student at our College including requirements for achieving satisfactory course progress.
- You must attend an orientation session and sign off on this activity.
Facilities and Equipment
Southern Academy is maintained with lecture rooms. Facilities and equipment’s are set-up, checked and maintained regularly to ensure effective and efficient operation. Students have access to necessary instructional and assessment facilities, materials and equipment. Training facilities include:
- Fully resourced lecture rooms
- Fully resourced tutorial rooms
- Suitable training equipment set up safely and securely
- Adequate acoustics, ventilation and lighting
- Amenities for meal breaks
- Toilet facilities
- Accessible references and resources
- Computers with access to the Internet
- Wi-Fi access
- Quite study and Consultation Room
- Separate library
- Compute-lab access
- Access to Online Learning
In the event of a planned relocation of the College we will notify both ASQA and our students at least three weeks prior to the relocation taking place. This notification will provide details of our new address, a map of how to get there and other details relevant to the relocation and student studies during this transition period.
Overseas Student Health Cover
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is a government requirement. Family includes the student, the spouse of the student and any dependent children of the student up to 18 years of age who have been authorized to enter and remain with the student and who are residing at the same place of residence as the student in Australia. Southern Academy has partnered with BUPA the services to international students as well. The Bupa Membership Card normally takes 6 weeks to be delivered to the College. Remember to request for the receipts when you pay for the doctor consultation. Bupa will reimburse some of your expenses in the conduct of doctor’s diagnoses and treatments. You can talk to our reception if you need any help in regards to arrangement of a Bupa card or for more detailed information on OHSC refer to http://oshc.bupa.com.au/ . Alternatively, there are more OHSC provider in Australia if you want to organize your cover by yourself. Some of the providers and their contact are Medibank Private by phone 1800 188 188 or Australian Health Management by phone on (+61) 134 246 or http://www.ahm.com.au/
Education support and Learner Support
The education support strategies used by trainers at Southern Academy include:
- Pre-teaching technical terminology.
- Demonstrating procedures.
- Providing opportunities for ‘hands-on’ experience and practice.
- Ensuring individual support and advice to students.
- Encouraging students to work at their own pace.
- We offer additional tutorial times for students to work in smaller groups with their trainer.
- We offer LLN services for student who want to improve their LLN skills
The academic year of Southern Academy is 40 weeks divided into 4 terms of 10 weeks for every term. Students have to study a minimum 14 hours On Campus and 6 hours Online per week. Students are only allowed to take breaks during the public holidays and nominated College holidays.
Timetables and room allocations are set in advance but may change each term. Timetables will be posted approximately 2 weeks prior to the commencement of the next term at the College noticeboard and on the website. New students will receive their timetable at orientation.
We aim at all times to provide a positive and rewarding learning experience for all students. Our enrolment form asks you to provide information regarding Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) requirements or any other special learning needs. In the event of LLN becoming an issue, you can contact the Student Services Officer to discuss your requirements.
The Tuition Protection Service (TPS) is a placement and refund service for international students, which is activated in the event that your provider is unable to teach your course. Visit the TPS website for more information, at www.tps.gov.au.
In order to obtain a student card, you are required to give reception a passport sized photograph. You will then be issued with a student card within a week. The student card can be used as a concession card at museums, theatres, cinemas etc. They are not valid on public transport in Sydney, as international students must pay adult fares. There is a charge for replacement of a lost card.