Student Support Services: Everything You Must Know

Student Support Services, or SSS, was an initiative taken in the 1960s to enable a wide range of services for students needing assistance. Back then, SSS was opted for by higher education institutions to assist with college funds and basic requirements in order to influence students to fulfilment of their postsecondary education. However, in the modern age, services have gone up to a new level. Customer experience is vital to any business, whether profit or non-profit. Student support is something that a university or college endeavours for student success and development to flourish in a learning atmosphere. This blog will guide you through the support and actions provided by the student services office.

What are Student Support Services?

Student Support Services include counselling, tutoring, mentorship, career planning assistance, financial aid programes, and scholarships. It also provides personalised counselling for personal, career, and academic guidance. They also participate in activities and instruction, introducing them to various career options and cultural events.

Role of Student Support Services

Although the purpose of that is pretty self-explanatory, student services are provided by universities and colleges to aid student growth and success. Now, let's dive deep into the main role and objectives of this department; 

1. Career Coaching 

One might have encountered a situation in a teen movie where the teenage girl/boy is asked to go to the counsellor's office to discuss their career options by reviewing their academics and other activities. Career coaches allocate aptitude and personality tests to advise informed career alternatives. Student services help students find the perfect universities and jobs. Further, they assist with finding the right networking platform, scoring the best job/internships and University for higher education.

2. Academic Support

Student support in universities helps students chart their academic path better by advising them to pursue workshops on time management, better study habits, tutoring, prioritising, note-taking tips, researching during assignments and stress counselling before exams. It's not always easy to adjust to student life, but the University has peer support and mentoring programs. Also, know the effective study habits to follow every day.

3. Accommodation Services

An aspect worth highlighting when discussing the student services department is that they exist solely for student betterment. There is no additional motive after it. Housing service bureau staff generally provide students with data regarding on-campus and off-campus housing options. They maintain a database or notice board that displays available rooms and properties. They can also offer guidance on tenant rights and support if you encounter any rental disputes. Regarding off-campus accommodation, you must check out amber and explore the various accommodation options furnished with multiple student amenities.

4. Student Clubs

Universities have a knack for organising multiple student activities throughout the year, such as creative competitions, sports, cultural events, cinema screenings and many more. This is a great way to meet new people who share your interests. Student services encourage students to join campus activities for networking, building friendships, discovering interests and nurturing them. Students have the opportunity to join a variety of clubs and organisations focused on academics, culture, politics, and religion. Being involved in campus activities is a great way to expand your social circle and step outside your comfort zone.

5. Financial Assistance

SSS also help students with financial assistance and amazing academic backgrounds who cannot fund their education. This student service advises students about budgeting, taxation, government allowance and student loans through the institution. Also, get tips for student loan management.

6. Counselling

Universities also indulge in the concept of mental health. Trained counsellors are hired to help students struggling with studies, relationships and other problems. Students have fragile minds and tend to feel trauma without knowing how to tolerate it, affecting their scores, studies and social lives. Such counselling sessions are conducted without a doctor's referral, and one can simply book an appointment with the university counsellor and have a chat.

Benefits of Student Support Services

1. Provide academic assistance like tutoring, study skill workshops and course selection guidance
2. Render financial aid and literacy
3. Personal counselling and mental health support
4. Career development workshops
5. Access to several resources like study spaces, textbooks, PDFs, etc
6. Improved retention and graduation rates
7. Sense of belonging and peer support

Cons of Student Support Services 

Customer experience levels have increased drastically during the past few years. Although the present generation expects the support system to do the same, the universities are lagging. Thousands of students enrol for various courses yearly, and with a handful of faculty for every department, students expect quick responses, greater convenience, personalised help and expectations to be understood. Although several problems arise towards the support service, universities recognise them and take the initiative to rectify them as quickly as possible. Yet, they fail as student expectations are way too high. In a survey by Academic Impressions, only 8% of higher education professionals at 79 colleges and universities rated their institution's support system as an 'A' grade.

How can Student Support Services be Improved?

Understanding Gen-Z problems will be a roller coaster ride, but universities must do it anyway. The support can start by going digital. Schools should consider the digital mode of communication to reach all students out there. 60% of Gen Z say they 'hate calling people', somewhat due to the desire for comfort. Let's discover some of the ways SSS can adapt for better support;

1. Social Media

Yes, you read that right: social media can also enhance support. Every student on campus has a social media profile. They spend half of their teenage years on it. Subsequently, 98% of the universities also have a social media profile promoting brand awareness, school image and awareness. Universities can make an effort by cultivating community, belonging and collaboration on different social media channels.

2. Quick Responses

Universities can initiate official discord or telegram groups where students can report their problems at any time of the day. In this way, the support system can be very responsive and provide personalised responses. Students with similar problems can group up and address the problem at once. Here, students can also help other students when in times of difficulty. Through this, SSS will foster a sense of oneness and community.

3. Chatbots

Chatbots will provide 24/7 service assisting students even during off-hours. Chatbots can easily answer queries about timings, schedules, dates, etc. Additionally, it can be made more intuitive by the information collected by the chatbot. Lastly, chatbots can handle multiple chats simultaneously and respond faster than humans.

Lastly, student support serves as a medium between the University and students. Student support is a vital part of a university, and the quality of higher education directly depends on it. Making students comfortable with such services is necessary to elucidate any hurdles interfering with their academic life.