Undergraduate GSD Welcome Email 2023
Subject: Welcome to Warwick Global Sustainable Development
Hello,
Congratulations on receiving your offer to study Global Sustainable Development (GSD) at the School for Cross-faculty Studies. We are very much looking forward to welcoming you to the School.
I am the Director of Undergraduate Admissions for GSD and I am responsible for coordinating and overseeing your course. As you know, we are passionate about investigating the most pressing issues facing our world today and eager to engage in intellectual discussions with you. You will be part of an international group of enthusiastic, critical and committed students.
Starting university is a busy and exciting time. Our University Welcome pages will provide information to help you prepare for your first few weeks at Warwick. In GSD we have worked with current students to put together some information to help you prepare for study here which you should look at before you arrive. On these pages we will be posting our Welcome Week 2023 programme and a checklist for new students.
Welcome Week (commencing 25 September 2023)
During Welcome Week, we run events and activities in partnership with the Students' Union, designed to help you settle in, make friends and adapt to life at Warwick.
You will be able to view the timetable of events from mid-September. This includes welcome sessions for the department, as well as many other events and activities to suit a variety of interests. All the core activities for your course will be automatically populated in your bespoke Welcome Week timetable, so you will know where you need to be and when.
We would strongly encourage you to attend all of our academic induction activities taking place during Welcome Week as they are designed to help you:
1. Learn about the structure of your course and opportunities available to you
2. Get to know other students on your course
3. Get to know key members of staff in the department
Transitions and Learning at Warwick
Transitioning from school or college to University can feel both exciting and daunting. Styles of teaching are different and there will be more opportunities for you to make your own decisions and study independently.
You will be taught through a blended combination of small group classes, larger lectures, and independent study. You will use a system called Tabula to view your personalised course timetable, and will find out more about this after you have enrolled.
To help you prepare for university life, a group of students have created an online resource especially for the Faculty of Arts students, hosted on our online platform, Moodle. There is lots of great advice on what to expect from your time at Warwick and the support services available to you.
We have also co-created some helpful webpages with current students that will guide you through the transition to Warwick. Each section includes a variety of resources including student discussion panels, advice and top tips from students, plus links to websites with further information. We hope you will find these pages useful not only during your first few weeks, but throughout your university journey.
Support with your studies
Together with colleagues across the University, we are committed to supporting your academic success and professional development. We have a range of support available for you to use both within the department and the wider University.
In the GSD Department, we run a skills programme called Principles and Praxis to support your development in areas such as academic writing, data analysis and giving presentations - this starts in Week 1. We also offer academic and personal support through group seminar teaching.
In Week 1 (commencing Monday 2 October 2023) you will be assigned a personal tutor. Your personal tutor usually stays with you throughout your degree and is your point of call for academic or welfare support. Should you encounter any issues that need further advice and guidance, your personal tutor will also be able to signpost and refer you to Warwick’s professional support services.
The Warwick Award
It is never too early to start thinking about what you might do after graduation, and what skills you need to do it. The Warwick Award with Student Opportunity can help you do just that. The Award is free for all undergraduate students, and will recognise and showcase the employability skills you are building from everything you do here at Warwick. The School for Cross-faculty Studies has designed bespoke co-curricular certificates to support you with working towards the Warwick Award.
The Library
The Library offers a range of study spaces as well as subject specific resources. You can find out more on the Get Started pages and during the Library Induction in your first week.
Disability support
If you have a disability or specific learning difficulty, it is important that you contact the Disability Services team within Wellbeing Support Services before starting your studies with us, even if you have already declared this on your UCAS application. Additional support can take time to arrange, so please contact them as early as possible to ensure you get the support you are entitled to.
Hear from our students on OurWarwick
Our bloggers have lots of helpful hints and tips about starting university. You can read their blogs, watch their vlogs and ask them any questions you may have about University life! Read content from our GSD student bloggers to hear more about the department ahead of arriving in September.
What's next?
- You will receive emails from the University about services, opportunities, and support available to you as a student.
- You'll soon receive an email inviting you to enrol (if you have not already), please follow these instructions carefully.
- You can keep up to date with the department on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
- You might also want to have a look at the Warwick GSD Society, GLOBUS Warwick, and Warwick SEED.
We look forward to seeing you soon. If you have any questions in the meantime please contact us at: UGGSD@warwick.ac.uk.
Kind regards,
Romain Chenet
Director of Undergraduate Admissions | Global Sustainable Development