Support and guidance

The Biology Section develops each year the Guidance and Tutorial Action Plan (POAT)This programme is aimed at first-year students of the Degree in Biology and aims to respond to the needs and challenges that new university students must face in their process of adaptation to the university environment and which covers the following aspects:

• Improve the organization and development of guidance and tutoring actions in the center, clarifying objectives, structuring the various actions, specifying functions and responsibilities, and optimizing the coordination and evaluation mechanisms of the actions implemented.
• To facilitate student integration and adaptation to the environment of the Biology Department and the University of La Laguna.
• Stimulate in students the habits of reflection, dialogue and autonomous learning
• Guide students throughout their educational process and in making academic and professional decisions.
• Help students to resolve difficulties that arise during their training and motivate them to achieve their training goals.
• Minimize the risk of academic failure and/or dropout.
• Teach students to plan their learning process.
• Help students with their professional training through guided internships.
• Inform students about the demands and characteristics of the labour market.

The specific objectives to be achieved are:

• To improve student adaptation to the University and the Faculty, encouraging their integration into university life and into participation and management bodies.
• Provide guidance to students regarding the Faculty's resources and facilities, facilitating the channels and regulations that guarantee their availability and proper use.
• Provide training and support to students to acquire strategies that contribute to improving access, information management and autonomous learning.
• Promote students' skills for proper planning and taking advantage of their dedication to study.
• To help students acquire skills, abilities and capabilities for making academic and professional decisions.
• Provide guidance to students on job placement and continuing education options.

In the development of the POAT of the Biology Section Three large groups of activities are established: Career Tutoring, Mentoring and Guidance Activities.

The Career Tutoring This is carried out at the degree level. At the beginning of each course, each student is assigned a Tutor, who will be responsible for providing information about the different services and possibilities offered by the Centre, as well as the processes and regulations that affect it. In addition, the Tutor will promote the responsibility and personal commitment of the students towards their academic training, will guide the students to improve their academic performance and will supervise the academic results achieved by the students.

The Mentoring It is run by peer tutors, students in the final years of the degree, who advise first-year students and help them adapt to the university environment. The peer tutor will carry out his/her work through a series of scheduled meetings to assist with day-to-day issues and provide advice, based on his/her accumulated experience, in a coordinated manner with the Degree Tutors.

The Orientation Activities They are organised by the Faculty. In this dimension, the needs of students related to information (Information Guide, queries on validations, courses, grants) and complementary training (courses, workshops for students) are addressed. These activities must be connected to those carried out by the ULL services that fulfil guidance functions.

• The commitment of the students to the Guidance and Tutorial Action Program is:
  • Attend scheduled meetings with the course tutor and fellow tutor.
  • Attend Orientation activities.

Taken together this will amount to a total 30 hours (talks, mentoring and tutoring). At the end of the academic year, POAT participants will be asked to evaluate the program.

• Participation in the POAT will be recognized with 3 ECTS.
• Participation as a peer tutor will be recognized with up to 1 ECTS.
• To participate, contact the POAT Coordinator, Professor Guido Santos (gsantos@ull.edu.es)

For any questions you can contact the POAT Coordinator or any member of the dean's team.

Activities to be developed