Global Online at Manchester Metropolitan Welcome Pack

Ensuring that you have the support you need to successfully complete your postgraduate degree is one of our key priorities. The Student Success team is here to make sure you get the most out of your time with Manchester Metropolitan. The Student Success Information Team can assist with any non-academic queries you may have during your time with us and direct you to other support services at the university. You will also be assigned a personal Student Success Progression Advisor who will support you to navigate your studies and help you complete the course within your desired timeframe.  

 

Contacting the Student Success Team

Student Success Information Team  

The Student Success Information team will be your first point of contact throughout your programme and will assist you getting started with your studies and provide support navigating the online learning platform. You can contact the team with any non-academic queries and they will answer your queries or direct you to a service in the University that can help. The team is contactable via phone or email but can also arrange Zoom calls to support with technological issues or provide tutorials on the University systems at any point during your studies.  

Student Success Progression Advisors 

Your dedicated Student Success Progression advisor will be reaching out to you during your first module to support with areas such as time management, contingency and planning for assessments and to reflect on your experiences so far. After your first module, they will be reaching out each module to check-in and offer any support you may need. We appreciate that our students are based all over the world and work in different time zones so we will always try to schedule calls at a time that is most convenient for you.  

 

Hours of service

Our Student Success team is contactable by telephone Monday – Friday, 08:00am – 17:00pm (BMT) on:

+44 (0)161 880 4722
OR
+44 (0)800 085 7132

Our office is not open at weekends or public holidays, but we do operate an email service if you need us during these times. Simply send an email to your Advisor, who will endeavour to respond within 24 hours of receipt.

Each unit of your programme will be led by an Academic Tutor with expertise in that subject area. This means that, unlike your Student Success Progression Advisor who will remain the same throughout your Global Online course, your tutors will change from unit to unit.

At the start of each unit, you will be told who your unit Academic Tutor will be. You can contact them via Moodle if you have any questions about the assigned work or assessments.

Academic Tutor or Student Success Advisor?

If you do have a problem and you are not sure who to ask, your Student Success Team would always be happy to point you in the right direction. However, the table below may help you decide who to contact in the first instance:

Student Success Information Advisor	Student Success Progression Advisor	Unit Tutor
Getting started with their studies	Regular check-ins to provide support and guidance	Your subject content and programme materials
Administration support regarding their online studies	Support with completing their studies and keeping students on track	Queries regarding marking and grades
Timely assessment reminders	Ongoing support during required breaks	Assessment support and information
Connecting students with specialist services within the University	Helping students settle into their first module and online learning journey	Suggestions and guidance for further reading
Information regarding unit tutors and how to connect with them	Specific support regarding the final stage of the course	Any academic concerns or queries

Below is a table of key academic dates for your programme, which you may wish to add to your diary:

	Unit Start Date	Payment Deadline for Next Unit	Teaching Period End Date
Teaching Period 6	Monday 7th November 2022	Friday 30th December 2022	Monday 16th January 2023
Teaching Period 1	Monday 16th January 2023	Friday 24th February 2023	Monday 6th March 2023
Teaching Period 2	Monday 13th March 2023	Friday 28th April 2023	Monday 1st May 2023
Teaching Period 3	Monday 15th May 2023	Friday 23rd June 2023	Monday 3rd  July 2023
Teaching Period 4	Monday 10th July 2023	Friday 25th August 2023	Monday 28th August 2023
Teaching Period 5	Monday 11th September 2023	Friday 20th October 2023	Monday 30th October 2023

 

Please note dates are subject to change.

Our virtual learning environment does not require an advanced PC to run. However, in order to avoid any disruption to your studies, we highly recommend checking the system specifications on the computer or laptop you plan to use.

The minimum requirements are as follows:

PC

• Processor: Intel processor
• Memory: 4GB RAM and 6GB available disk space
• Screen resolution: 1280 x 800
• Sound card: Native
• Operating system: OS X 10.10 or later

You will also need:

• Headphones
• Microphone
• Webcam
• An internet Connection – a broadband/high speed connection of 2.5 Mbps minimum 4 Mbps is needed for group video web conferencing
• The Latest versions of Google Chrome, Firefox, Apple Safari 6, Internet Explorer 11, Edge. Must be Javascript enabled. Other browsers may work but are not tested

Please note:

• Much of our course content will be accessible by mobile and tablet. Mobile access requires either Windows OS 8+, Android OS 5.1+, or iOS: iOS8+.
• A PC or Mac is required for assessment.
• Any live webinars that are included in your programme will be run using Adobe Connect.
• Your Student Success Services team will use Zoom to conduct webinars and online meetings. There are no costs associated with any of these platforms

Moodle and Microsoft Outlook will be the main tools you will be using throughout your online learning experience. You’ll be using Moodle, our online platform, to access your learning resources and Microsoft Outlook, via our cloud, for your email communications. It’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with both systems before starting the course.

Moodle – Online Learning Platform	Microsoft Outlook – Student Emails
You can log into Moodle here. To log in, use your Student ID number and the same password as your Manchester Metropolitan email account. Once you are logged into Moodle, please complete the induction unit and familiarise yourself with the layout of the site.	You can log into your student email here. From now, all communications about your programme will be sent to your Manchester Met email address, so it is vital that you check this regularly.

When you enrol, you will be given a @stu.mmu.ac.uk email address, which we will use to communicate with you. We encourage that you check it at least once a week. We will not send any emails to your personal email account once you have registered.

Setting up your signature

We also ask that you set up a signature on your Manchester Met email, following the example below:

Andrea Smith | MMUID 12345678 | Tutorial
Group number: 1
Postgraduate Student | MBA
MMU Business School

Doing this will help us identify you and deal with your enquiry as efficiently as possible.

You will be sent an email during your first unit, which will further explain how to setup your email signature or you can find instructions on Moodle here.

If you have any IT problems, the best person to contact is the Student Success Team.

However, the University does offer a selection of IT support services all of which are easily accessible and provide around the clock service via a free toll number or email.

Phone: +44 (0) 800 085 7132 and select option 1.
Email: it.helpline@mmu.ac.uk

Visit the Information Systems and Digital Services website for more information.

Making a Payment

The University uses Flywire, a secure global payment portal, to process its payments. Flywire offers the following services:

• UK/EU students – pay via online bank transfers, credit or debit card payments
• Overseas students – pay in your home currency from a bank account in your own country

To make your deposit or unit payments, please visit the Flywire website.

You will automatically be enrolled onto the next unit unless you inform your Student Success Progression Advisor otherwise. It is your responsibility to let your advisor know of your intentions and they will be very happy to discuss these with you.

Late Payments

Before the start of each unit, you will be made aware of payment deadlines. However, it is ultimately your responsibility to ensure you pay on time, on or before the deadline.

If you fail to make a payment, your Manchester Metropolitan account will be suspended.

Need help or advice about available funding?

Our Students’ Union Advice Centre is available for financial help and advice. A funding package may be available to you depending on when you enrolled on your programme and whether you’re a home, EU or International student.

Ensuring you complete your postgraduate degree successfully is one of our key priorities. Here are our top tips for ensuring you get the most from your programme.

Choose the right study environment

To help you get the most out of your studies, we recommend undertaking your learning somewhere which is quiet, comfortable and has reliable internet access. It is key that you participate in the virtual classroom and online weekly discussions. However, if you are struggling to do so for any reason, please ask for help from the Student Success Team.

Attend your Welcome Webinar

As part of your orientation, you will receive an invite to attend a Welcome Webinar. Here you will meet with your academic leads, the Student Success Information and Progression Advisors, fellow students, and explore some of the services available to you. You’ll also have the opportunity to ask questions.

Complete your Induction

Shortly, we will give you access to an induction unit, which will help you familiarise yourself with our virtual learning platform. We really do encourage you to work through the unit as it will help you to prepare for the weeks ahead.

As a Global Online student, you will be invited to attend a graduation ceremony at Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, in the July of your final year. Your graduation ceremony and degree certificate will be identical to those our on-campus students receive.

Prior to the service, there will be an opportunity for you attend a reception where you will celebrate with fellow students and our team.

Your Advisor will be in touch nearer to the time with more details. However, if you are an international student and planning to attend your graduation ceremony, it is important to remember to check your visa requirements before scheduling your visit to the UK.

If you complete your programme without any break in your studies, you can graduate within two years and your fees will remain the same.

If you need to take a study break, you can opt out or ask for a suspension in your studies.

• Opt Out – this will allow you to take a break for one unit, re-joining the course when the next begins.
• Suspension – this will allow you to take a break for longer than one unit. The maximum period of suspension is 12 months. Should you suspend for 12 months, you will return to the same course, at the same point in the academic year. Please note, suspending your studies at any time will mean you will graduate later, and your fees may increase. Students in receipt of postgraduate funding will only receive funding for the first two years of their programme.

Our industry focused master’s programmes are designed to help you develop the knowledge and skills needed to take the next step in your career. However, our Careers and Employability Service is also on hand to help you achieve your goals.

As a Global Online student, you will have access to a range of services that will have a positive impact on your experience and graduate outcomes, including:

• Individual career advice and guidance
• An ‘Ask A Question’ service
• Support and preparation for job applications and work experience
• Access to industry networks
• Managing the Future Skills Award programme – helping you to present your skills to employers
• Realistic practice aptitude and personality tests
• Video interview support

Many services can be access online through My CareerHub, which contains a wealth of resources and advice.

For details about any of the above, please contact the Careers and Employability Support team at careers@mmu.ac.uk

Manchester Metropolitan Library

Manchester Metropolitan University Library provides a helpdesk to Global Online students. As well as face-to-face, you can contact them by email, live chat or telephone about:

• Library catalogue searches and how to find library items
• Account queries such as items on loan; renewals or reservations
• Viewing or managing your library account online via ‘My library account
• Finding print and electronic resources using our resource discovery tool, library search
• Referral to the specialist subject, Endnote and referencing support from Library colleagues.

All Saints Library is open 24/7 during term time and offers digital and phone support throughout the day, as well as during evenings and weekends.

Health and Wellbeing

Manchester Metropolitan has a team of professionally qualified counsellors, mental health and wellbeing mentors and a mental health advisor to help students with emotional and psychological problems. We offer one-to-one counselling, a psychotherapy group, psychiatric and mental health support, referral and liaison with other services. We also run a programme of workshops and courses on a variety of issues, such as developing assertiveness, overcoming low mood and procrastination.

Silvercloud

Silvercloud is an online CBT programme also provided by the Manchester Metropolitan Counselling, Health and Wellbeing Services (CHWS). It contains a variety of easy-to use tools and content to help students learn and deal with challenging situations, head on. Programmes include Space from Depression and Anxiety, Space from OCD, Space from Stress and more. MP3s in Mindfulness, managing sleep difficulties and anger management are also available.

Visit the CHWS website for more information about Silvercloud and other useful online resources. Or contact the Health and Wellbeing team on +44 (0) 161 247 3493 or at counselling@mmu.ac.uk.

Disability Service

The Disability Service provides advice, guidance and information to students with disabilities and who may need additional support throughout their studies. If you have a significant disability, long-term health condition, mental health difficulty or a specific learning difficulty as defined by the Equality Act 2010, we would encourage you to let us know on:

0161 247 3491.

Manchester Metropolitan University Students Union

Manchester Metropolitan University’s Student Union is an independent charity representing the needs and views of our students. It is led by a team of elected Student Officers who work closely with staff to provide services, activities and opportunities that support education and wellbeing. As a Global Online student, you will gain access to information on upcoming events, online clubs and societies, online student representatives plus complimentary phone/Skype interviews with the Advice Centre.

You can contact the Union by phone on 0161 247 1162 or email at theunion@mmu.ac.uk.

We are sure you have a lot of questions about your course, online learning and more. Below are some of the questions that our team get asked most by our students. Many others may be answered during your Welcome Call or Welcome Webinar but if you cannot find an answer to your query, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Do I need to apply for a Student ID card?

Your Enrolment Advisor should have already sent you information about how to apply for your Student ID Card. You should apply for a card at the start of your course if you intend to use any of our on-campus facilities, such as the library, at any point during your programme. You will need to show your ID card to gain access. You can apply for a card here.

Do I need to enrol myself onto any units?
You aren’t required to enrol on each unit. Instead, your Student Success Team will make sure you are signed up to the correct units, at the correct time.

How do I pay my fees?
All unit fees are paid through Flywire. Your Student Success Team will send you a link to make your payment every time one is due.

When do I need to pay for my units?
You are required to pay for each upcoming unit in Week 6 of the preceding one. We will send you a link to the payment portal in Week 5, well ahead of the deadline, and will follow up with payment reminders, if needed, too.

Am I expected to buy any textbooks?
All of your course materials can be accessed online via Moodle, so you are not required to purchase any textbooks.

What reading do I have to do for each unit?
You can find your reading on Moodle, within each week’s Prepare section. The reading can be found under ‘Essential Reading’.

How do I sign up for Live Seminars?
The seminars can be found on Moodle, within each week’s Share area. You can book onto one by clicking ‘Live Seminar’ in this section.

When do results come out?
Results are released three weeks after assessments are submitted.