[UPDATE] We have recently made some changes to the way in which Bachelor's degrees are calculated. Find these under the heading 'Bachelor degree calculations'.

It is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with these policies and procedures. Please take some time to read the updates below – they came into effect on Monday 21 September 2020.

Bachelor degree calculations

We’ve made some small but significant changes to the way in which our Bachelors' degrees are calculated. On a periodic basis it is important for us to review our award criteria and ensure that the degrees we award remain to a consistently high standard. Following a review in academic year 2019/20 it was approved for a change to be put in place for students joining us and for those moving onto Part II of their studies, in 2021. The changes are to the weightings of Part II and Part III of your degree and the borderline criteria. More information can be found in the Quality Manual.

Policy on Proofreading

Students will often ask someone to proofread work for them before submitting, but there’s a fine line between proofreading and committing academic misconduct. This policy is applicable to all students and researchers and sets out what is acceptable for a proofreader to do, and what is not. If you’re going to use a proofreader, you will need to refer to this policy first.

In some disciplines – and for particular assessments – it may not be appropriate for any proofreading to take place (e.g. where correct grammar is part of the assessment criteria). Where it is inappropriate for you to have your work reviewed, your school/department should make you aware of this in advance of you undertaking the assessment.

Read the policy

Examination Self-Certification Policy

Although we are not currently running in-person examinations, this policy will apply to future exams which meet the criteria set out in the policy.

Sometimes you are unable to get to an exam and, for the same reason, you can’t get to a doctor to obtain medical evidence in support of your Extenuating Circumstances claim. For this reason, the University is allowing self-certification of absence from examinations in some circumstances.

As this doesn’t apply to all assessments and because there are restrictions on its use, it’s important that you familiarise yourself with the policy. You’ll also need to understand any potential impact on your ability to progress to the next stage of your study or graduation. It’s applicable to any student taking the following type of examination:

• a timetabled written or online (e.g. ROGO) formal examination
• an oral language examination
• a practical skills-based (e.g. OSCE/OSPE) examination

Read the policy

Fitness to Study Policy

Your attendance at the University is on the basis that you are well enough to do so. It is assumed that you have capacity to make this decision and, that through your registration with the institution, you can be given full responsibility for your actions and decisions while studying with us.

The new Fitness to Study Policy clarifies how you will be supported in the event that there are serious concerns about your capacity to undertake your studies. We understand that there may be a time when continuing your studies is not in the best interest of your health and wellbeing. The policy outlines the steps that will be taken if there are serious concerns about your capacity to continue your studies, as well as the procedure for assessing your fitness to return after a period of absence or temporary withdrawal.

This policy will be implemented when the Code of Discipline or Fitness to Practice procedures are deemed to be inappropriate.

Read the policy

Changes to the Academic Misconduct Policy and Procedure

We’ve made some small but significant changes to this policy and procedure, which are applicable to all students. We’ve identified forms of academic misconduct which are likely to result in more severe penalties and we’ve also created some guidance on the application of penalties by schools and departments. While we hope that you won’t fall foul of misconduct of this nature, it’s important to understand how the University views these matters so that you are aware of the potential consequences.

If you’re struggling with your work and you don’t understand what’s expected of you, you can always ask your personal tutor or module convenor for advice. Support is also available from the Student Academic Skills Team. If there are circumstances affecting your study, you could contact a member of the Support and Wellbeing Team or submit an Extenuating Circumstances claim.

Read the Academic Misconduct policy and the Academic Misconduct procedure.