FEATURING: New student advisor, Alison Webb

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As part of its ongoing commitment to improving the student experience, the University of Edinburgh recently hired dozens of new staff to support students in an advisory role. Schools and Deaneries have already adopted the new model of student support for the upcoming academic year. 

The new model aims to enhance our support for students, with dedicated support for everyone who chooses to study with us and interdisciplinary teams working together to meet their needs.     

Across the University, teams of academics, professional services staff and fellow students now work more closely together to give students guidance and advice on practical matters, their wellbeing and studies. Expanded teams of trained professional advisors in each School/Deanery provide daily support for students, providing a dedicated Student Advisor team that they can turn to for help when they need it.  

The new Student Advisor for the Deanery of Molecular, Genetic and Population Health Sciences is Alison Webb, a multi-talented member of the team with experience in teaching and significant multi-cultural experience that she can draw from in her interactions with our international students. 

Alison says about herself,

I completed a BA in English Literature and an MSc in Applied Linguistics. I have worked in Education for over 10 years and have always had a great love of learning. I have spent most of this time working in various educational institutes in South-East Asia. My previous roles have included working as an English teacher, a Student Support Advisor, and an Equitable Learning Liaison. In these roles I greatly enjoyed helping support students with a wide range of learning needs and backgrounds and getting to know students on an individual level. I feel strongly that all students should be given every chance to realise their full potential and to succeed. In my role as Student Advisor for the University of Edinburgh, I look forward to supporting you throughout your academic journey. In my free time, I enjoy walking around the city with my dog, going on road trips and trying to cook Vietnamese and Korean dishes with varying success.

In addition to other activities, Alison provides support for the students of our Master of Public Health (online and on-campus), Master of Family Medicine, MSc Clinical Trials, MSc Epidemiology, MSc Data Science for Health and Social Care, PG Cert Global Health Challenges.  If you are a current student of one of these programmes and wish to contact Alison for advice, please email her at Alison.Webb.SA@ed.ac.uk If you have yet to apply or have not yet received confirmation of an application, please continue to email the team at futurestudents@ed.ac.uk for support.

Aside from the new advisor role, academic staff and teaching teams continue to play an active and vital role in students’ induction, studies and academic progress. New senior academic roles called Cohort Leads will be focusing on helping students get the most out of their study and time at the University with a greater focus on belonging and identity. Alongside this, we’ve bolstered peer support networks, allowing students to engage with other students and benefit from a stronger sense of community. 

With the new model now in place, we’ve begun supporting our new students, and better supporting our existing ones. We look forward to getting to know you all better in the course of your time with us.