Academic consultants are members of the University’s Teaching and Research Staff and Special Teaching Staff who voluntarily provide guidance on the development and achievement of students’ educational, professional, and personal goals.

At the end of the winter semester, when the registration of first-year students from all possible admission cases is completed, the Department Assembly assigns the duties of academic consultants for each newly admitted student on a rotating basis among the Department’s Professors. The number of first-year students is distributed equally among the members of the academic staff. A student’s academic consultant remains the same until the completion of their studies. In the event of the absence of the academic consultant for a long period of time (e.g., sabbatical, health problem), the Assembly assigns the students to another faculty member.

Academic consultants choose how to approach and support the students assigned to them. They inform and advise students on all of the following:

a) support to facilitate the transition of first-year students from secondary to tertiary education

 

b) course content, participation in workshops, use of departmental laboratory facilities, difficulties, course assessment methods, encouraging students to participate in progress tests, series of exercises, remedial teaching with additional tutorials, etc. that help students understand and successfully complete courses in which they encounter difficulties

 

c) discussion with the student so that he/she can choose the appropriate elective courses according to his/her personal interests, skills, and abilities

 

d) discussion of exam results

 

e) selection of topics for dissertations or other assignments

 

f) postgraduate studies (at the Department, in Greece, and abroad)

 

g) career prospects (opportunities in the public and private sectors, freelance work, jobs abroad)

 

h) discussing any family, personal, or other issues that create obstacles to studying

 

i) information about the services offered by Democritus University of Thrace to its students (e.g., Studentwelfare,Advocateof thestudent,Officeof Practicum).

Academic consultants inform the Department Assembly in writing about the progress of the institution and convey to it any problems raised by students concerning the functioning of the Department. In their report, they may point out malfunctions or shortcomings that create problems for students and propose measures to address them.

Academic consultants create a list of the email addresses of the students assigned to them and communicate with them regarding their studies. In addition, they announce a specific time for discussion with the students they advise. In order for the meetings to be effective, individual meetings are held with each student and group meetings are held on matters of common interest.

The first meeting (welcome meeting) should be scheduled within the first month of the start of the spring semester. Subsequent meetings will be scheduled on mutually agreed dates.

All academic staff are required to cooperate with and support the academic consultants in their workand to take into account their comments, suggestions, recommendations, and requests.