Contact ASK

Need support? Explore ASK's advice pages, book appointments or get help by email.

Contact ASK

MegaphoneYou can read our Service Charter to find out what support you can expect from ASK.

We're here to help! To get the fastest answer to your query, we encourage you to browse our online advice guides covering academic and university issues, money matters, housing, and general wellbeing. If you need some extra help and support after following this initial advice or you can’t find the answer to your question, please contact us using our contact form.

We aim to reply within 3 working days but we will usually get back to you sooner. Our response times can be longer during periods of high demand or short staffing.  We will try to prioritise enquiries by urgency and if you have a deadline we will try to get back to you within this timeframe but we cannot guarantee this.

*Our contact form cannot be used for questions about societies, memberships, event tickets and SU jobs. Please see the 'Is ASK The Best Place For My Query?' section below for contact details of other SU departments.*

 

Speaking to an Adviser

Due to limited resources ASK cannot accommodate drop ins and in periods of high demand we’re not always able to offer appointments to everyone. Our aim is to offer appointments where they’re most needed, so that everyone can access timely and effective support. Many queries can be quickly sorted over email or through reading our online guides, but if you request an appointment and an adviser feels it’s the best way to help, we will send you a link to book a slot.

 

Contact ASK

 

We want you to get the help you need in the fastest time, so we'd recommend you check this list before contacting us so you can make sure we're the team you need.

 

Admissions

We are not involved in the admissions process so we are not able to advise on course requirements. You can email the Admissions team at enquiries@keele.ac.uk (before applying) or admissions@keele.ac.uk (after applying), and you can also contact the relevant School.

 

Course Questions

We don't have an in-depth knowledge of every course and module so for questions about course content and assignments the best place to start is your School. 

 

Debt

We are not authorised to give debt advice, but there are several free organisations that specialise in supporting people who are in debt. Please visit our Debt page for more information.

 

Financial Hardship

If you are in need of some money urgently, for food, travel or other essentials, then the best place to go to is Student Services as they can give emergency loans. You can then come to us or to Financial Support within Student Services for advice on potential ways of increasing income and help with budgeting.

 

Jobs

We can provide advice about your employment rights but if you would like help with a job search or in preparing for the workplace, the Careers and Employability team would be more helpful to you. SU jobs are listed on the Jobs at Keele SU page.

 

Mental Health

We're not mental health professionals so we can't provide a counselling service. However, we can talk to you about the services that are available to you, advise you if your studies are being impacted, and support you if there are any practical issues affecting your mental health, such as housing or finances.

 

Student Status

If you need to prove your student status, for example for Council Tax reasons, you can download a copy of your Student Status Letter. You can find this by logging into eVision, clicking on the 'Common Actions' button on the home page, then selecting the 'My Status Letter' button. Student Services in the Claus Moser building can help you if you have any problems.

 

Students' Union

If you're not sure which SU department to contact, or you can't find the contact details, you can email the general su@keele.ac.uk email address or fill in the Contact form.

  • If you'd like to get involved in a club or society, you can visit the SU's Get Involved page. You can email su.activities@keele.ac.uk with any issues or questions.
  • If you have a question about an event, you can visit the Venue Info page or email su.tickets@keele.ac.uk
  • For mini bus bookings, you can contact su.transport@keele.ac.uk and information is available on the main Minibus Bookings page and in the Terms and Conditions.

 

Study Support

We can't help you with your assignments, but you can visit the university's Library Education Centre for support with study skills.

 

University Accommodation Questions and Issues

You can contact Accommodation Services at accommodation@keele.ac.uk if you have any questions about the university's accommodation. If you have any problems with your room, you should report problems through the accommodation portal and we can then support you if you're not making any progress or are unhappy with the response.

 

Visas

As this is a highly specialised area we cannot advise on visa queries or issues, unless you're appealing against or complaining about a university decision. You can contact Immigration Compliance for the university at visa@keele.ac.uk or you can speak to UKCISA for independent advice.

You can help us to improve our service by completing this survey. Your feedback is important to us and the survey should only take about 5 minutes of your time and your answers will be completely anonymous.

 

If you wish to make a complaint about our service, please visit the SU Feedback and Complaints page.

1. Choose a date/time. Please note bookings will always display appointments in the UK time zone. Appointments can be booked a maximum of 7 days in advance.

2. Fill in your details. Make sure you put the correct email address, so you get the confirmation email!

3. Choose how you would like to talk to us.

4. Tell us about your issue. If you can give us details in advance, we can be more prepared for your appointment.

5. Click/tap on 'Book' to finalise the booking. A confirmation email will automatically be sent to the email address you have given us.

6. Email su.ask@keele.ac.uk with any documents relating to your query that you would like the adviser to read before your appointment.

If you are no longer available for your appointment, please re-arrange or cancel from the link in your booking confirmation. If you don't have the confirmation email or it's too late to change your appointment on the system, please email su.ask@keele.ac.uk.

  • Telephone: an adviser will call you at the appointment time. Please make sure you're using a UK phone number as we can't make international calls.
  • Teams: an adviser will call you at the appointment time, using your Keele email address. You will not be sent a link.
  • In person: please report to The Hub reception, next to the ASK office, and they will let us know you have arrived.

If you are more than 10 minutes late for an appointment you have booked, you will be asked to make another appointment.

I get an error message when I try to book

If you get an error message saying there's missing information but you've definitely filled in everything, try refreshing the page then fill in all the sections (even the optional ones). If you're still having problems booking, please email su.ask@keele.ac.uk.

 

Very rarely, the system will glitch and it's not possible to book a particular slot. We apologise if this happens, please try try a different time slot and email us if you're not having any success.

I can't see any free appointments

Booking slots are only released up to 7 days in advance, and during busy periods our appointments may fill up quickly. New appointments become available each day for the following week, so please keep checking back. You may also see availability if there are any cancellations.

 

If it's not possible to offer an appointment, we can still provide advice by email. In some cases, university deadlines can be extended, and lower-level meetings may be rescheduled to allow you time to speak to us.

I didn't get an email confirming my booking

Our booking system automatically sends a confirmation email to the email address you entered when making your appointment.

 

If you can’t find the email in your inbox or junk/spam folder, it’s likely there was a mistake when typing your email address - we see this happen often. If you’re unsure, please contact us at su.ask@keele.ac.uk and we can check your booking for you.

I booked a Teams appointment but haven't been sent a link

For most Teams appointments, we do not send a meeting link. An adviser will call you via at the time of your appointment, we just need you to be logged into your Keele account and ready to accept the call.

 

If you do not have a Keele account, please see the section below.

I want a Teams call but I don't have a Keele account

No problem, just email us at su.ask@keele.ac.uk and we will set up a link for you!

I booked a Teams or phone appointment but no one called

First, please check your booking confirmation to ensure you have the correct date and time. Occasionally, students may mix up the day or time, or there may be confusion with time zones.

 

If your appointment time has passed and you have not heard from us, it’s possible we attempted to contact you but were unable to get through. This could happen if:

 

  • You have poor phone signal or an unstable internet connection
  • You are not logged into your Keele account for a Teams appointment

We always aim to honour all appointments. Sometimes appointments may run over, which can cause a short delay. If we expect to be more than 5–10 minutes late, we will contact you by email to let you know.

 

On rare occasions (for example, due to staff sickness), we may need to cancel an appointment. If this happens, we will contact you by email as soon as possible and do our best to provide alternative support, either through email advice or by offering a new appointment at the earliest opportunity.

Can I book more than one appointment?

You should only book one appointment at a time. If you book a second appointment without cancelling your first appointment, ASK will cancel your first appointment to ensure it is free for other students to book.

Can I change my appointment type?

Yes, in most cases we can change your appointment type. Please follow the link in your appointment confirmation to update your booking. If you don't have an email, or if it's too late to change it online, please email su.ask@keele.ac.uk as soon as possible to let us know what you’d like to change.

 

If you want to switch to an in‑person appointment, there may be rare occasions when an adviser is working from home and an in‑person appointment is not possible.

Why do you cancel the appointment if a student is more than 10 minutes late?

As a small and busy service, we need to use our time to support as many students as possible. To make sure all students receive a fair and effective service, we need to cancel late appointments and offer a new booking instead.

 

Additionally, if you arrive late, it reduces the time available in your appointment. After 10 minutes, there may not be enough time left for us to fully understand your situation and give you appropriate advice.