Student Services
In pursuit of the educational objectives understood as the set of knowledge, skills, and competencies in terms of expected learning outcomes that characterize the cultural and professional profile of a course of study, the services offered to students at St. Thomas University are as follows:
Counseling and Guidance
St. Thomas University pays special attention to those who have to make such an important choice as a major. Wrong orientation is among the leading causes of dropouts among students in the stakeholders served by STU.
STU’s educational offerings were created to propose pathways to young people entering the university that meet specific needs for acquiring skills adherent to their cultural interests, but above all, once they graduate, expendable in the labor market. In addition, the offerings innovatively interpret the demand for specialized skills, considering the latest technical and scientific developments, the socioeconomic system, and the people working there.
The St. Thomas University faculty are available to provide the necessary information for an informed choice: assistance, courtesy, and professionalism are the requirements of faculty, staff, and administration.
Advising
The STU provides information to resolve students’ doubts and problems in university life, supporting them in organizational and educational difficulties. Provides assistance aimed at students throughout their university journey:
- Degree course orientation.
- Compilation of study plans.
- Assistance in studying.
- Bureaucratic assistance.
- Support in organizing a work plan.
- Dissertation advising.
- Creation of study groups.
- Creation of teaching workshops.
The STU not only provides informational and didactic support services for students but also brings to fruition that conscious accompaniment in progress that is part of the broader complex of services that invest the student from the time they manifest the desire to enroll at STU to when, after graduation, they begin to be productive in the world of work.
In an integrated and participatory vision, this new design perspective aims to increase academic achievement and student well-being. The email address of the assigned faculty member will be sent to the student upon registration.
Advising records will be kept strictly confidential and unavailable to third parties to our privacy policy.
The goal of stimulating students throughout their education, and creating a social context for learning, is also achieved by organizing students into working groups run by experienced tutors trained in the technical-communication aspects of online education.
Students in the same group (virtual class) collaborate in developing joint projects, discuss teaching content in forums, and support each other in understanding content and developing papers.
Tutoring modes are mainly carried out in four forms:
• Guidance/advice.
• Monitoring of overall performance.
• Monitoring of individual learning paths.
• Student group coordination.
Tutoring is carried out mainly in individual and personalized modes via e-mail and the collective through virtual spaces of synchronous and asynchronous interactivity.
Communication features allow students to exchange information with each other and with faculty members, facilitating learning consolidation and knowledge dissemination and creating a widespread space for collaborative learning.
Faculty members and students are provided with Forums, Interactive Classrooms, and 3D Virtual Classrooms.
Help Desk
The service provides information and clarification by institutional e-mail.
Special-Needs Students
In promoting the inclusiveness of its educational offerings, STU relies on technology platforms that adhere to international accessibility standards and refer to the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium). Visually impaired students can take the test on the computer using special text magnification tools.
For all students who certify that they have learning disabilities, STU grants an increased period of attendance to take the end-of-course exams at no additional cost.
Service Quality Assessment
STU ensures quality services and active student participation in university life. Questionnaires directly verify satisfaction with the services provided to students covering organizational, educational, and administrative aspects. In addition, information on any complaints and nonconformities that have arisen during service delivery is evaluated.
The evaluation functions are carried out by the Self-Evaluation Committee and are provided for participation as members of two students.
Active participation of students in university life is ensured by participation in the governing bodies of STU, namely:
- the presence of two students in the Academic Senate
- the presence of two students in the Academic Standards Committee
- the Student Government has as its primary objective the promotion of the common welfare of students by sponsoring programs and services and acting as the student body’s voice to the STU’s governing bodies.
Course Delivery and Use
Students and STU interaction through STU’s e-learning platforms. Upon admission to the university, students are given a personal STU email address that serves as their primary communication link with the university and their program of studies. Advisement, courses, tutorials, mentoring with faculty, library access, and course resources such as video and project assignment sharing are delivered online. The platforms allow asynchronous activities (lecture study, self-assessment tests, participation in forums, etc.) and synchronous activities (video conferencing, live seminars, etc.). Students enrolling in a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree program will be able to start within a maximum of five working days after receiving the acceptance of their application.
