Information for Parents & Carers
Starting university is a big step in students’ lives, but we understand that it can mean many changes for the family too. This page will provide you with relevant information to help your son/daughter when they start at Richmond.
If you have any questions about moving in, orientation or just need to talk, please contact our Student Affairs team.
January 2022 – key dates in the University calendar which may be useful
Level |
Date |
Activity |
| Undergraduates | Tuesday 11 – Friday 14 January 2022 | Orientation, Registration for New Students |
| Monday 17 January 2022 | First day of classes | |
| Postgraduates | Friday 28 January 2022 | Orientation, Registration for New Students |
| Monday 31 January 2022 | First day of classes |
More detailed information on the University academic calendar can be found here.
Keeping students informed
Communications from the University will be sent to students, our primary contacts
University not only prepares students academically, but also it also helps them build confidence in important soft skills such as: organisation, time management, problem-solving, communications, resiliency, independence, and more. These are all important skills to future internship providers and employers!
With this in mind, we think students taking the lead with their Richmond journey is an important step.
The University’s primary contact from when the student is accepted, through Orientation and throughout their time at Richmond is the student. Given the points above as well as for other privacy policy reasons (many of our incoming students will be 18 years old+ and considered legally adults) the University encourages the student to take ownership over their educational journey.
Parental involvement and support
We do though, of course, welcome parent involvement and support. If you’re interested in knowing what is happening with Orientation, upcoming events and general university news, here are some ways you can stay in the loop:
- Speaking to the student in your life and encouraging them to check their email. We find many students are not used to checking their email regularly. Encouraging them to check their inbox and discussing any upcoming deadlines/events is a good way to stay looped in while also helping them develop this important skill. During term time, we also send students a weekly e-newsletter with important announcements, events information and more!
- If you are the parent of an incoming student, visit the Orientation pages of the website. Prior to Orientation week, we host Pre-Orientation Webinars and during Orientation week we also host a Parent’s Session. Information about these sessions will be posted on this page in the lead-up to the next Orientation.
- Our social media – follow our social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to find out the latest University news and events
How to contact the University
We welcome any parent questions or concerns!
For personal discussions regarding your son or daughter, please contact Student Affairs.
- Please note that we cannot talk to parents about the specifics of their children’s academic progress or anything else relating to their children unless the students sign the Permission to Release Confidential Information form
Who can help if I have a question?
Please see our information below on who to contact at the University about a specific question or topic.
Our Teams |
Subject area of your question |
Who to contact |
| Registry Services | Academic enquiries, questions about a student’s schedule, registering for courses, academic probations and grade appeals, transfer credits, transcript requests, etc | registryservices@richmond.ac.uk |
| Student Affairs | Orientation, student life and activities, visa questions (once a student is on campus), pastoral care issues, support with life in London, careers & internships service, additional needs enquiries and more | studentaffairs@richmond.ac.uk |
| Residence Life | Student accommodation | Oliver Brady, Residence Life Coordinator, bradyo@richmond.ac.uk |
| Finance | Payments, refunds, tuition and fee queries. Questions specifically about Financial Aid & Scholarships should go to Jason Elliot | studentfinance@richmond.ac.uk or jason.elliot@richmond.ac.uk |
| Admissions | Applying to Richmond, questions on visas, fees and funding (prior to your arrival to campus) | admissions@richmond.ac.uk |
| Recruitment | Tours of campus/visiting campus | enquiries@richmond.ac.uk |
| Catering | Meals, food allergies and dietary requirements | catering-hill@richmond.ac.uk |
Support for parents
Parents Facebook Group
Join the Richmond Parents Facebook group to meet other families, share tips, and ask questions.
Support for students – safety and general facilities on campus
What food is available on campus?
Our main campus building in Richmond offers fully catered options for students, including meal plans. In addition, hot and cold drinks and fresh snacks for every taste are available in our own coffee shop and ‘create your own baguette’ bar. A Starbucks coffee shop is also available at Richmond.
Our Kensington facility, which is situated on High Street Kensington, has a wide range of options available nearby for food, including supermarkets, retail stores, cafes, bars and restaurants.
Can you tell me more about the accommodation?
Situated in a quiet residential area, and close to the lecture theatre, the main building is the oldest on the Richmond campus. It’s a real hub of activity for the University, offering a lot of convenience. With something always happening, there’s a relaxed yet vibrant ‘buzz’ about its atmosphere. This is the place to be if your son or daughter would like to mingle with academics and all of the students from across the campus.
Around 200 students are housed on campus in the main Richmond building, Red House, Longley and the Cottage buildings, all close to the main lawn.
Many of the rooms have sink facilities while toilets and showers are shared, linen is provided.
What security is provided on campus?
Our campus in Richmond upon Thames is set in a five acre site in a quiet, residential area surrounded by beautiful parkland. Twenty-four hour security is provided at our Richmond campus, with CCTV throughout the site.
A reception facility is also provided at the main campus buildings during term-time, Monday to Friday, 9.00am-5.00pm. Each room at our Richmond campus benefits from having a personal safe.
Can you tell me how my son/daughter will get a key card?
New students are given a personalised key card on arrival at the Richmond campus.
Prior to arriving at Richmond, we encourage all new students to send a copy of a recent passport size photo in jpeg format to Admissions in order to process their ID cards. The photos must show a close-up of students’ full head and shoulders. It must be only of the student with no other objects or people, facing forwards and looking straight at the camera. The photo must meet our standards or the photo will be rejected and students will be required to resubmit a new image.
To speed things up on Orientation day, students can use the following web application to take a passport photo www.epassportphoto.com. Once the photos are ready, they should be saved as a jpeg file with the student’s full name and sent to admissions@richmond.ac.uk.
What free support/services are available at the University for my son/daughter?
At our campuses in Richmond and Kensington they will find:
- Free WiFi throughout the campus
- Unlimited printing
- IT labs
- Access to a small gym
- Campus events and activities
- Free, confidential counselling services
- Personal Academic Advisor
- Peer mentoring scheme
- Peer tutoring scheme
- Library and quiet zones for study
- Career services through personal development seminars, leadership opportunities, work experience, volunteering
These services are also available to postgraduates based at our Kensington facility
Who should I contact when things go wrong?
Our Student Affairs team should be contacted if you have any concerns about your son/daughter or would like to ask any questions on student life. They can be reached at: studentaffairs@richmond.ac.uk
Doctors’ & GP Surgeries
While your son or daughter is studying at Richmond as a full-time degree student, they may access the nation’s healthcare system (the NHS) free of charge.
You can find more information about healthcare in the UK on this video or in our NHS Medical Care handout.
Counselling Services
Richmond offers confidential counselling services to all students at both London sites.
Counselling sessions can be booked directly through our Counsellors in Richmond or Kensington.
For questions about their services, please contact Belinda Bains, our Student Health & Wellness Coordinator at: bainsb@richmond.ac.uk
Please see our website for more information on healthcare and counselling.
