Counselling - who does what?

"Counselling" is advice and assistance about course and module selection, your eligibility for modules, how academic performance impacts your academic path, how to deal with academic difficulties, etc.

There are different types of counselling and different types of counsellors. See below for a breakdown so that you know who does what, when it comes to counselling.

  • Academic Counselling

  • Departmental Advising

  • IMS Advising


Academic Counsellors in North Campus Building, room 280 help Science, BMSc and Neuroscience students, as well as students in MedSci 1 and 2, when they have questions and concerns about:

  • struggling with university adjustment
  • advising about the impact of course selection and academic performance on eligibility for modules and degrees
  • accommondation for missed course work
  • requests for increased or irregular course loads
  • advising transfer students
  • requests for Letter of Permission (taking courses at another university)
  • Change of Status, including withdrawal from Western or transferring from another faculty
  • general questions


Departmental Advisors who answer questions about courses and modules offered by their department. Contact a departmental counsellor for:

  • general questions about the courses and modules offered by that department
  • requests for special permission to take a course offered by that department:
    • without the prerequisite
    • despite a timetable conflict
    • despite the course being full
    • (see Special Permission for general information)


The IMS Advisors are Dr. Nicole Campbell (Dr. C) and Jen Chambers, BMSUE Coordinator (Interdisiciplinary Studies) and they answer questions specific to the IMS modules. Contact Dr. C. or Jen if you have questions about:

  • the courses required for the IMS modules
  • taking a MedSci course (e.g. MedSci 4930F):
    • despite a timetable conflict
    • despite the course being full
    • (see Special Permission for general information)