undergraduate student handbook 2014-15
Transcription
undergraduate student handbook 2014-15
SCHOOL OF SLAVONIC & EAST EUROPEAN STUDIES UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT HANDBOOK 2014-15 This handbook is accurate at the time of publication. Minor amendments may be made during the academic year. Substantive amendments will be communicated to all students. 1|Page Contents 1. Welcome and Introduction 1.1. Welcome to SSEES 1.2. How to use the UG Student Handbook 1.3. Term Dates 1.4. Seminars, Conferences and Other Events Page 4 4 4 4 5 2. Key Contacts 2.1. Academic Contacts – Programme Coordinators 2.2. Additional Academic Contacts 2.3. Student Administration Office 2.4. Additional Contacts Outside SSEES Page 6 6 6 7 8 3. New Students 3.1. Enrolment & Registration 3.2. The SSEES Induction Programme Page 9 9 9 4. Resources, Facilities and Services 4.1. PORTICO: The UCL Student Information Service 4.2. Online Timetable 4.3. Moodle 4.4. UCL Email 4.5. UCL SSEES Library 4.6. Other UCL Libraries 4.7. UCL SSEES Computer Facilities 4.8. Printing and Copying 4.9. Audi-Visual Facilities 4.10. Disability Services 4.11. Careers 4.12. References Page 10 10 10 10 12 12 12 13 14 14 14 15 16 5. Teaching and Academic Support 5.1. SSEES Teaching Aims 5.2. Programme Documentation 5.3. Contact Hours and Private Study 5.4. Study Skills and Avoiding Plagiarism 5.5. English Language Support 5.6. Personal Tutors & Personal Development 5.7. Study Abroad 5.8. Office Hours 5.9. Attendance and Engagement 5.10. Barring & Warnings Page 17 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 20 21 2|Page 6. Assessment and Feedback 6.1. Forms of Assessment 6.2. Submission of Coursework 6.3. Penalties for Late Submission of Coursework 6.4. Penalties for Over-Length Coursework 6.5. Extension to Submission Deadline 6.6. Marking and Moderation 6.7. Feedback on Assessment 6.8. Collection of Work 6.9. Formal Examinations 6.10. Feedback on Examinations 6.11. Problems affecting your performance Page 23 23 23 24 25 26 26 27 27 27 29 29 7. Programme Regulations 7.1. SSEES Rules for Language Courses 7.2. Being “Complete” in Course Units 7.3. Progression 7.4. Progression from Year One 7.5. Progression from Year Two 7.6. Progression from Year Three (on four year programmes) 7.7. Failure to Progress 7.8. Failure in Course Units 7.9. Award of an Honours Degree Page 31 31 31 33 33 33 34 34 34 36 8. Student Voice 8.1. Student Evaluation Questionnaires (SEQS) 8.2. Student Academic Representatives (STARS) 8.3. Staff-Student Consultative Committee (SSCC) 8.4. Programme Evaluations 8.5. Grievances (Appeals) and Complaints Page 37 37 37 38 38 38 9. Student Code of Conduct & Non-Academic Regulations 9.1. Code of Conduct 9.2. Non-Academic Regulations 9.3. Data Protection Page 40 40 41 42 10. What to do when you have problems Page 43 3|Page 1. Welcome and Introduction 1.1 Welcome to SSEES Welcome to the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London (SSEES). SSEES is one of the world's leading specialist institutions, and the largest national centre in the UK, for the study of Central, Eastern and South-East Europe and Russia. More than 60 academic staff work at UCL SSEES, teaching and conducting research in the history, economics, politics, sociology, anthropology, culture, literature and languages of the countries of the region. We aim to provide you with stimulating, high quality, research-led courses within flexible and wide-ranging interdisciplinary degrees. Our Graduates have an enviable record in securing employment in both public and private sectors. SSEES is ideally located within the UCL campus in Bloomsbury and enjoys unrivalled resources for students and staff, especially our world-leading Library. We also have a rich programme of high-profile international speakers, conferences, seminars, and other events. You are now a member of a specialist institution with outstanding resources and expertise. You are also a member of UCL and will be able to enjoy the benefits of studying in a diverse, large-scale, highly rated university. You should make full use of the unique opportunities which lie before you. Professor Slavo Radošević Acting Director 1.2 How to use the UG Student Handbook The UG Student Handbook contains key information relating to operation of your programme within SSEES, including details about key dates, coursework submission, penalties that may be applied to your assessment, and contact details. It is intended to serve as your first point of reference for queries and contains links to relevant official documents and online resources. This document is updated annually and further updates may occur during the academic year to reflect changes in UCL or SSEES policy; it is therefore crucial regularly check the handbook for the appropriate academic year. Section 2 is designed specifically for new students. 1.3 Term Dates There are three terms in each Academic Year. Teaching usually takes place in Term 1 and Term 2, and Term 3 is primarily used for revision sessions and examinations. Term 1 is 12 weeks long. This includes an induction week at the start of term and a Reading Week in November. 4|Page Induction Week Term 1 Term 1 Reading Week Monday 22rd September 2014 Monday 29th September 2014 Monday 3rd November 2014 Friday 26th September 2014 Friday 12th December 2014 Friday 7th November 2014 Term 2 Term 2 Reading Week Monday 12th January 2015 Monday 16th February 2015 Friday 27th March 2015 Friday 20th February 2015 Term 3 Monday 27th April 2015 Friday 12th June 2015 Examination Period* Thursday 30th April 2015 Friday 29th May 2015 *Note that examinations for courses taken in other University of London Colleges could occur outside these dates. College Closures The College closes for set periods over Christmas and Easter, as well as Bank Holidays. 1.4 Christmas vacation closure: 5.30pm Tuesday 23rd December 2014 Re-Opens: Monday 5th January 2015 Easter vacation closure: 5.30pm Wednesday 1st April 2015 Re-Open: Wednesday 8th April 2015 Monday 4th May 2015 Bank Holiday closures: Monday 25th May 2015 Monday 31st August 2015 Seminars, Conferences and Other Events Regular seminars are held at SSEES covering a wide range of topics relating to Central, South-Eastern and Eastern Europe, Russia and the former Soviet Union. These events are usually held weekly and advertised on the SSEES website. From time to time, larger events such as Study Days and Conferences are also held at SSEES. Look out for the posters advertising these activities. You will be very welcome to attend them (free of charge). 5|Page 2. Key Contacts 2.1 Academic Contacts – Programme Coordinators Academic advice on your programme of study is available from your Programme Coordinator. Your Programme Administrator should be your first point of contact for any query related to the operation of your programme or your participation in your programme. Economics & Business Programme Coordinator Dr Eugene Nivorozhkin Room Tel: 020 7679 8811 Email: e.nivorozhkin@ucl.ac.uk Politics & Sociology Programme Coordinator Dr Sean Hanley Room 523 Tel: 020 7679 8818 Email: s.hanley@ucl.ac.uk History Programme Coordinator Dr Bojan Aleksov Room 423 Tel: 020 7679 8868 Email: b.aleksov@ucl.ac.uk Languages & Culture Programme Coordinator Dr Seth Graham Room 330 Tel: 020 7679 8735 Email: s.graham@ucl.ac.uk 2.2 Additional Academic Contacts In addition to your Programme Coordinator, a number of academic staff within SSEES can provide additional academic support to you during your studies. Undergraduate Departmental Tutor Head of Teaching Programmes & Chair of MA Examination Boards (except IMESS) Dr Egbert Klautke Tel: 020 7679 8816 Prof. Anne White Email: anne.white@ucl.ac.uk Head of Teaching Resources International Tutor Tel: 020 7679 8721 Email:e.klautke@ucl.ac.uk Dr Randolph Bruno Tel: 020 7679 8757 Email: randolph.bruno @ucl.ac.uk Dr Peter Zusi Tel: 020 7679 8817 Email: p.zusi@ucl.ac.uk Tel. 020 7679 8723 Affiliate Student Tutor Dr Rachel Morley (2015) Equal Opportunity Liaison Officer Careers Liaison Tutor Dr Kristin Roth-Ey Dr Peter Duncan Email: rachel.morley@ucl.ac.uk Tel: 020 7679 8823 Email: k.roth-ey@ucl.ac.uk Tel: 020 7679 8762 Email: p.duncan@ucl.ac.uk 6|Page 2.3 Student Administration Office The Student Administration Office is based in Room 341 on the third floor of the SSEES building and provides administrative support to both SSEES students and academics. This Office accommodates the Programme Administrator for your programme of study, and it is where you will come to submit paper copies of assignments, or other forms during your time at SSEES. Contacting the office Emailing your Programme Administrator is the preferred and most effective method of communication with the Student Administration Office. The SAO aims to provide a response or an update email to all student queries within 3 working days. When emailing the SAO, please provide the following information to enable the Programme Administrator to respond to your query as quickly as possible: Full Name Student Number Degree Programme Year of Study (e.g. First year student) If you are unsure who to contact, please email ssees-student@ucl.ac.uk Front Desk Opening Times If you need to visit the Student Administration Office in person, the front desk is open during the following times: 10:00am-16:00pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10:00am-13:00pm on Wednesday Outside of these times, students should contact the Student Administration Office by phone or email only. Apart from the college closure days, and bank holidays, the office is usually open both inside and outside of term time. Student Administration Office Staff The Student Enquiries Officer acts as the first point of contact for all enquiries when you visit the Student Administration Office. Ms Stephanie Dutton Email: ssees-student@ucl.ac.uk Tel: 0207 679 8770 Your Programme Administrator should be your first point of contact for any query related to the operation of your programme or your participation in your programme. 7|Page Economics & Business Programmes Administrator Mr Deepak Kalha Tel: 020 7679 8772 Email: d.kalha@ucl.ac.uk History, Politics & Sociology Programmes Administrator Ms Sasha Aleksic Tel: 020 7679 8773 Email: s.aleksic@ucl.ac.uk Languages & Culture Programmes Administrator Mr Ben Chatterley Tel: 020 7679 8771 Email: b.chatterley@ucl.ac.uk Miss Anastasia Barsukova Email: a.barsukova@ucl.ac.uk Postgraduate Administrators (IMESS, MRes, Postgraduate Research) Ms Marta Kotwas Timetabling & Student Administration Coordinator Email: m.kotwas@ucl.ac.uk Tel: 020 7679 8774 Mr Michael Kelly Email: michael.kelly@ucl.ac.uk Academic Administration Manager 2.4 Miss Charlotte Verney Email: c.verney@ucl.ac.uk Additional Contacts outside of SSEES Academic and welfare support is also available from outside the School. Joint Faculty Tutor Dr Arne Hofmann Andrew Huxley Building Student Support & Wellbeing South Wing, Main Campus UCL Student Mediator Dr Ruth Siddall Dean.of.Students@ucl.ac.uk Student Psychological Services Rights & Advice Centre 020 7679 1487 Advisors to Women students 3 Taviton Street, 1st Floor, Rm 101 15 Gordon Street, 1st Floor, Bloomsbury Theatre Building Dr Hilary Richards UCL Students Union 25 Gordon Street 020 7679 2934 h.richards@ucl.ac.uk 020 7387 3611 UCL Health Centre 3 Gower Place 020 7387 6306 Accommodation Offices University of London: Basement, Senate House, South Block UCL: 117 Gower St Careers Service Patrice Ware (for SSEES) Wednesdays in Room 503, 16 Taviton Street Marian Hingston Lamb Room G16, Registrar's Division An all-night service for students wanting help 020 7862 8880 ulao@accom.lon.ac.uk 020 7679 7077 residences@ucl.ac.uk 020 7554 4505 p.ware@ucl.ac.uk Disability Co-ordinator Registrar's Division Nightline (6pm-8am) 020 7679 2876 020 7679 2998 020 7679 1343 disability@ucl.ac.uk 020 7436 5561 8|Page 3. New Students 3.1 Enrolment and Registration It is extremely important that you follow any enrolment instructions you receive from UCL Registry prior to beginning your programme. The enrolment and registration process has three stages: Stage One Stage Two Initial Actions - Pre-enrolment, Enrolment and Paying Fees Next Steps – Get your ID, Get Connected, Log into Portico, Register with your Department, Selecting Modules Stage Three Additional Steps – Register with the Police, Register with a Doctor, Open a Bank Account, Disability Services, Travel Information and Library UCL provides a website (www.ucl.ac.uk/new-students) which will help guide you through the period up to enrolment, including details of the support networks available to new UCL students to help adapt to university life and living in London. 3.2 The SSEES Induction Programme The SSEES Induction Programme for 2014 takes place Monday 22nd – Friday 26th September. It is important that you participate in the programme of meetings and introductory session which include: Director’s Welcome This welcome talk from the School’s Director introduces you to many of the academic and administrative staff who will support your studies. Introductory Programme Meetings Each undergraduate programme has its own Introductory Programme Meeting, led by the Programme Co-ordinator and Programme Administrator to provide you with important information about your programme of study, study skills, syllabus, course choices and some general guidelines on administration within the School. Transition Programme All first-year SSEES students will take part in a dedicated session as part of the UCL Transition and Mentoring programme which has been established to support new students and help them manage the transition to university and university studies. New students are introduced and assigned to student mentors from other years of degree programmes at SSEES. The programme includes a series of social events and studyworkshops organized by the programmes at SSEES. Personal Tutor Meeting Your first meeting with your Personal Tutor will take place during Induction Week. Further information on the personal tutor role is included in section 5.6. 9|Page 4. Resources, Facilities and Services 4.1 PORTICO: The UCL Student Information Service UCL uses a Student System which is known as Portico: The UCL Student Information Service. As a student you can take ownership of your own personal data by logging on to PORTICO. You will be expected to: edit your own personal data - e.g. update your home and term addresses, contact numbers and other elements of your personal details; view data about courses/modules - i.e. information on courses/modules available either in your home department or elsewhere to help you choose your optional modules / electives complete online module registration - i.e. select the modules you would like to study, in accordance with the rules for your programme of study (subject to formal approval and sign off by the relevant teaching department and your parent department and subject to timetable restrictions); new students will carry out module registration at the beginning of term; records from module registration are used to enter you for the right examinations, so correct module registration is extremely important view examination timetable and regulations view your own examination results online Access to Portico is available to students and staff of UCL via the web portal: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/Portico. You will need to logon using your UCL user id and password, which are issued to you once you have enrolled. These will allow you to access UCL restricted web pages, UCL email and the Windows Terminal Service (WTS). If you do not know your user id and password, you should contact the IS Helpdesk as soon as possible (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/is/helpdesk). Please remember that your password will automatically expire after 150 days, unless it has been changed. Warnings are sent to your UCL email address during a 30 day period. It is vitally important that you ensure that your contact details are kept up to date at all times during your time at SSEES. Failure to do so may mean that you miss out on important information which may be sent to you. It is your responsibility to ensure that you keep your record updated. 4.2 Online Timetable The UCL Online Timetable is available at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/timetable. You can see your personal timetable week by week and find out when things are being taught across UCL. You should use it to select course units which will fit in your timetable. Your personal timetable will display all the course units you are registered to attend including lectures, seminars, tutorials, labs, film screenings, computer training and more. Login with your standard UCL username and password to display your personal timetable, or select a department or subject area, a degree programme, or individual modules and create a custom timetable, to find out when things are scheduled to be taught. 10 | P a g e Checking Your Personal Timetable At the start of the academic year you must carefully check your online timetable to ensure that there are no clashes between classes. If you do find that some of your classes clash, you should contact your Programme Administrator at the earliest opportunity. However, please note that it may not be possible to avoid clashes with courses that are not compulsory, and you may be asked to choose a different course unit. During the academic year you must remember to check your online timetable regularly for changes to dates, times or locations. At the beginning of Term 2 you must carefully check your timetable as changes to room locations do occur between the start of the academic year and the beginning of Term 2. Subscribe to your online timetable The Online Timetable offers a calendar subscription service, allowing you to get a feed of your personal timetable directly to your live@UCL account, or to your smartphone or personal calendaring service (e.g. Google Calendar, Apple iCal). Online Timetable Quick Guide Step 1 Enter your options in Portico. Click on 'view provisional timetable' and you will be taken to the timetable website to check that your options fit in your timetable. Once you are happy that your timetable is clash-free confirm your options in Portico. Step 2 Once you confirm your options in Portico, they will (provisionally) appear in your timetable the next day. If a module selection is not approved by the teaching department or you delete it in Portico, it will be removed from your timetable the following day. Once approved, your options will continue to be displayed on your personal timetable. Step 3 Your personal timetable displays the modules you are registered to attend in Portico. Students are automatically registered for compulsory modules so they immediately appear in your timetable. Step 4 Groups such as tutorials, labs and seminars are added to your timetable when you are assigned to a group by the teaching department. You can choose to display all groups for your modules. Step 5 Timetables are subject to change. Any change to the timetable from any department at UCL is reflected immediately in the online timetable and your personal timetable will be updated automatically. Remember to check your timetable regularly and report clashes to your Programme Administrator as soon as you can. 4.3 Moodle Moodle is UCL's online teaching and learning environment where you can take part in activities and read resources as part of your studies. This is an excellent way to keep in touch with your department and other students on your course, and to get help with academic work. Moodle is used extensively within SSEES and is an essential resource used to accommodate and disseminate key information specific to your individual courses and is where you will submit electronic copies of your assessments. 11 | P a g e Moodle is also used to facilitate communication among students and staff. Moodle pages can feature a variety of materials, such as downloadable course materials for download, a blog, discussion boards, a wiki, training in the use of Moodle and other resources To access Moodle, please visit https://moodle.ucl.ac.uk/login/index.php. You will need to enter your UCL username and password, and then select "UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies". 4.4 UCL Email All students are issued with an email account when they register at UCL and it is UCL Policy that all communications are sent to you @ucl.ac.uk email address. You will receive important information from SSEES via email, including email attachments, so you must check your UCL email inbox regularly. You are also required to use your UCL email account for any communication with staff at UCL during your studies. Further details of how to manage your UCL email account and other IT matters (including information about moodle, mobile devices, printing etc) can be found at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/isd User ID and Password To use the central IT services at UCL you need a UCL userid and password. Your userid is assigned to you when you enrol as a student. You cannot choose your userid. You are also allocated an initial password which you should change the first time you log onto a central IT service. You will be required to change your password every150 days. You must never give your password to anyone else as you are held responsible for anything carried out under your account. 4.5 UCL SSEES Library UCL SSEES Library is one of the UK’s largest specialist collections on Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, Russia and the former Soviet Union. The Library offers historical research materials, contemporary publications relevant to the area, periodicals, newspapers and other materials in support of courses. It also provides IT and audio-visual facilities for the School. There is wireless access throughout the UCL SSEES building, and there are facilities in the Library for viewing DVDs and videos, for general computing, internet access and computer-assisted learning. See below for further details. The Library is open 24 hours on weekdays during term: Monday 09:00 – Saturday 17:00, and from 10:00 to 17:00 on Sundays. Staffed services are available from 09:00 to 21:00, Monday to Friday, and from 10:00 to 17:00 on Saturdays. The Library has a team of Area Specialists who can help you to locate resources for your subject. 12 | P a g e If you need assistance of any sort, please speak to a member of staff in the Enquiries Office in the first instance, or email the Library at ssees-library@ssees.ucl.ac.uk. To keep up-todate with the latest news and developments, follow @UCLSSEESLibrary on Twitter or visit the Library’s Facebook page. Your UCL student ID card is also your Library card; as soon as you have it, you can visit all the UCL Libraries. However, you will not be able to borrow until the day after you obtain your UCL student ID card as your record needs to be updated overnight. Ensure you have your UCL ID with you at all times as it is not possible to use the UCL Libraries without it. Library Induction Tours of the UCL SSEES Library are held in the first week of term as part of the Induction programme. You will meet library staff and receive further details of the collections and the facilities, including the layout of the library and basic features of the online catalogue, Explore. Subject-specific induction sessions also take place in other UCL libraries. Please ask a member of SSEES library staff for more information. We suggest you familiarise yourself with the Library before the busy study period starts in order to be able to take full advantage of all the available facilities. Start by reading the sections on Library and Computing later in this handbook, and also take a look at the Library’s website. 4.6 Other UCL Libraries UCL SSEES Library is your first point of call for the books, periodicals and electronic resources you will need for your studies. You will find additional facilities and relevant collections in the UCL Main Library, which is located in the centre of the Wilkins Building on the main campus off Gower Street (under the dome), and the Science Library in the DMS Watson building, also located on the main campus. Maps showing the locations of all UCL libraries are available in SSEES Library or here. As a UCL SSEES student, you can borrow books from any of the UCL Libraries and you can also register for borrowing at Senate House Library. When applying for membership of Senate House Library and reference access to other University of London libraries you will need to show your UCL ID card as proof of your student status. 4.7 UCL SSEES Computer Facilities UCL SSEES Library provides computer and printing facilities for SSEES students. The computers run a number of standard Windows-based Office applications, and also provide access to the Internet. They are supplied with a range of language facilities, so it is easy to type in Russian or another East European language. Some computer-assisted learning packages are also available. Access to the SSEES Student Cluster is by security code. To get the code you must present your UCL ID at the SSEES Library Issue Desk. If you are using the CALL facilities, you also need to request a set of headphones to use with the learning programmes. This room is reserved for SSEES students. 13 | P a g e At certain points in each year, the SSEES Student Cluster gets extremely busy (particularly when dissertations are due to be submitted in May and September). Please be aware that SSEES students also have access to many centrally-managed computer clusters within UCL. A full list of the clusters can be found at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/isd/students/workrooms/locations. The nearest ones are in the Main Library, the Science Library and the Institute of Archaeology. UCL cluster rooms are open for individual use, when not booked for teaching. 4.8 Printing and Copying UCL Libraries and computer clusters are equipped with devices which photocopy, print and scan. There are two machines in the Photocopying and Printing Room on the Lower Ground Floor of UCL SSEES Library, and one in the Student Cluster on the First Floor. The first time you use one of the devices you will need to register with your UCL user ID and password, but after that just swipe your UCL ID card on the card reader to access your account. You can print directly from laptops and other mobile devices by emailing your documents to mobileprint@ucl.ac.uk. Colour printing and copying are also available. You are given £12 of copying and printing credit at the beginning of each year which can be topped up online or in person at one of the cash loader machines. The cash loader in UCL SSEES Library is located in the Photocopying and Printing Room on the Lower Ground Floor. 4.9 Audio-Visual Facilities The SSEES Library holds a collection of over 5,500 DVDs and videos containing films and documentaries from and about the region. A searchable catalogue of this collection is available at http://www.ssees.ucl.ac.uk/videos/. The news in Polish and Russian is recorded each weekday. The Multimedia Room on the First Floor provides facilities for watching these materials. Headphones can be obtained from the Issue Desk on deposit of a current UCL ID card. 4.10 Disability Services Services for Students with Individual Needs A UCL Disability Co-ordinator is available to provide advice and practical support in the following ways: Assessments of support need, including diagnostic assessments for students with dyslexia Assistance to students with disabilities in applying for grants from LEAs and Trusts Up-to-date advice on special equipment that may assist with managing a disability Organising note-taking/interpreter/reader support Providing information on access to all UCL teaching space Administering the Hardship Fund for students with disabilities (EU and overseas students only) A UCL IT-trainer can provide advice on equipment purchase, setting-up and installing computer systems in students' homes, and some initial training. Special examination arrangements can be made for students with disabilities who need to take their examinations in a separate room designed for this purpose, or to use special equipment or other facilities. Please note that students with dyslexia who require additional 14 | P a g e examination time should contact the Academic Administration Manager in good time so that arrangements for a dyslexia assessment can be made. Copies of the UCL booklet Information for Students with Disabilities and the Disability Statement are available on request from the UCL Disability Coordinator in the Registrar's Division. UCL Student Disability Services also have a website here Disability: Examination and Assessment Procedures If you have a disability or specific learning difficulty, UCL recognises that the usual format of exams may not be suitable. A Sub-Committee of the College Board of Examiners considers all requests for special examination arrangements on grounds of disability, including dyslexia, to ensure a consistent and fair approach. How do I apply for special examination arrangements? Students are advised to contact the Disability Centre as early as possible in the academic year to discuss examination arrangements. What will my application involve? All applications must be accompanied by evidence of disability or medical condition provided by a competent authority. Such authority would usually be your consultant or GP. Students with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties will need a recent assessment by a qualified psychologist. Such an assessment can be provided by the UCL Dyslexia Centre. Even if you have a recent assessment carried out by outside body you must contact the Dyslexia Co-ordinator who will assess your needs and pass the necessary information to the Examinations Section. Application forms (for students with disabilities other than dyslexia / specific learning difficulties) can be obtained from the Disability Centre or the Examinations Section. Contact: exams@ucl.ac.uk Tel: 020 7679 7915 UCL will endeavour to ensure that appropriate arrangements are put in place. However, you should be aware that if arrangements need to be put in place well in advance. Applications should be submitted as early as possible and not later than six weeks before the start of your examinations. 4.11 Careers UCL subscribes to The Careers Group - University of London, which supports the dedicated UCL Careers Service located on the 4th floor of the University of London Union (ULU) building on Malet Street. You are entitled to use UCL Careers Service and its extensive careers library and career planning services at any time during your period of study. SSEES has a Careers Liaison Tutor who may be consulted. There is also a Careers Adviser provided by UCL Careers Service who has special responsibility for SSEES students. They can help you with your career planning and assist you in the development of valuable skills for job-hunting (e.g. CV presentation and interview technique). The Careers Adviser holds 15 | P a g e weekly drop-in sessions in the SSEES building on Wednesdays during term time, usually in Room 503. The Careers Adviser will also make a short presentation during Induction Week to tell you more about the services that they provide. Specialist careers talks for students of all years are held all year round. Collect or download your copy of the UCL Annual Careers Programme at the beginning of every academic year and do make time to attend. Details of these talks and other careers information will be found on the UCL Careers Service Website. 4.12 References Your Personal Tutor or an individual course tutor may also be able to provide you with job or academic references for your applications. In such cases, you should obtain their permission before naming them. Requests should be made at least 10 days in advance of the date required, by sending an email with the subject header: 'Reference Request + Surname' and attaching an up-to-date curriculum vitae as well as your latest transcript of marks and details of the job or course that you are applying for. 16 | P a g e 5. Teaching and Academic Support 5.1 SSEES Teaching Aims Studying at SSEES means learning to; think clearly use and evaluate theory and evidence critically articulate an argument manage resources (literature, data, online materials) effectively write lucidly acquire skills which can also be applied to many other spheres of activity. We seek to cultivate these skills by emphasizing learning as an active process, in which you, the student, are a fully involved participant. A great deal of your time will be spent reading articles and books on a particular subject, guided by your course tutor, but also directed by your own interests and motivation. Your independent study forms the basis of essays and class presentations, which allow you not only to explore a subject in a scholarly way but also to develop ease and fluency in written and oral expression. In studying for a degree in your chosen programme you will: gain a high level of understanding, knowledge and competence about the issues, processes, patterns and problems of the countries of Central, Eastern and SouthEastern Europe and Russia (according to options chosen) have the opportunity to acquire core competence and analytical skills through the study of one or more of the following: politics/sociology, economics, history or languages and culture In addition, you will be offered: practice in a wide range of transferable skills (interpreting and communicating information and data, construction and analysis of an argument, work organisation and presentation, research methods) regular and appropriate forms of assessment and feedback to provide supportive evidence of your progress All degree programmes involve the development of a wide range of intellectual, practical and transferable skills, as outlined in the Programme Specifications. SSEES and UCL provide varying ways of supporting your study and guidance on study skills is available in the relevant Study Skills Handbook and in Section 5.4. 5.2 Programme Documentation In addition to this handbook and the UCL Academic Regulations, important information relating to your programme and courses are contained in other documents. Programme Specifications A detailed outline of the aims and objectives of each degree programme and of the knowledge, understanding and skills that the programme develops is given in the Programme Specification. At UCL, programme specifications are not designed to be a primary source of information for students, but they do form part of our internal programme 17 | P a g e approval, quality monitoring and review processes. These are available from: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ras/acs/qme/qmea-z/ucl-prog-specs Syllabus Handbook and Scheme of Award Each programme area within SSEES has developed a Syllabus Handbook which includes the Scheme of Award for the programmes. This document contains programme-specific requirements for course registrations, progression and degree classifications and awards. Where programme requirements change for a new cohort, a new Syllabus Handbook and Scheme of Award is created, so it is important that you refer to the correct version. These are available on the Current Students page of the SSEES website: www.ucl.ac.uk/ssees/current-students. Course Outlines More detailed information on teaching, learning and assessment methods for individual courses is given in Course Outlines which are available on the SSEES website: www.ucl.ac.uk/ssees/current-students. Additional details or more specific assessment requirements are normally contained in a Course Handbook or on the course Moodle page. 5.3 Contact Hours and Private Study The workload for all degrees at SSEES is 4.0 course units per year (some courses count as full units, 1.0 cu, others are half-units, 0.5 cu). Courses are usually taught by a series of weekly lectures and weekly or fortnightly classes (seminars/tutorials). Contact time for each 1.0 course unit is normally two hours per week, but this may vary, and language courses typically involve more contact time. Studying for a degree involves much more than being taught in lectures and classes. You will do most of the work on your own, making use of the Library and other resources; you will prepare material for class discussion; consolidate what you have been taught; undertake wider reading of books and journal articles and newspapers; and write essays, or do language exercises, as required by your tutors. On average it is expected that you spend approximately 300 hours studying for each 1.0 course unit (including contact time, private study during the term, undertaking of coursework assignments, preparation for exams). You should make time in the vacations to prepare for the term (or year) ahead and it is important that you plan your study time throughout the academic year. 5.4 Study Skills and Avoiding Plagiarism Study Skills Handbook The SSEES Study Skills handbook provides detailed guidance on study, essay writing, referencing and revision methods and is available from the Current Students page of the SSEES website: www.ucl.ac.uk/current-students Plagiarism Plagiarism is defined as the presentation of another person's thoughts or words or artefacts or software as though they were a student's own. 18 | P a g e Plagiarism constitutes an examination offence under the University Regulations and it important that you understand what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it. UCL regulations governing plagiarism apply to all student work, including examinations, assessed coursework and non-assessed coursework. All UCL students are required to read the UCL guidance on plagiarism as well as the SSEES Study Skills Handbook which includes advice on presentation and referencing. All assessed coursework is required to be submitted to Turnitin®, a sophisticated detection system which scans student work for evidence of plagiarism by matching text from student assessments to billions of sources worldwide, including websites and journals, as well as work previously submitted to SSEES, UCL and other universities. Please refer to the UCL website for information on plagiarism (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/currentstudents/guidelines/plagiarism) What is plagiarism? (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/currentstudents/guidelines/plagiarism/#whatis) What is considered plagiarism (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/currentstudents/guidelines/plagiarism/#considered) Why do students plagiarise? (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/currentstudents/guidelines/plagiarism/#why ) What does this mean for you as a student at UCL? (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/currentstudents/guidelines/plagiarism/#mean) Tips on how to avoid plagiarism? (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/currentstudents/guidelines/plagiarism_tips) Guidelines for proper citation (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/currentstudents/guidelines/plagiarism_citation) 5.5 English Language Support The UCL Language Centre offers an 'In-session English for Academic Purposes Course' which provides on-going language support for overseas students who are studying as undergraduates or graduates at UCL or other colleges of the University of London. For further information see their http://www.ucl.ac.uk/clie/english-for-academic-purposes 5.6 Personal Tutors & Personal Development At the start of your time at SSEES, you will be allocated a Personal Tutor. Your first meeting with them will take place during Induction Week. You should make sure that you attend all the meetings which are arranged during your time at SSEES. These meetings are there to ensure that, alongside the academic teaching, UCL SSEES also provides you with pastoral support and guidance. We want you to take full advantage of your time here and this includes not just working on your course, but also making the most of student life and preparing for when you leave. These sessions, therefore, are designed to help you reflect on your learning and personal development and to discuss any activities which complement your course and meet your goals. Giving and receiving feedback can be useful in this process, even when you feel things are going well, and structured meetings can help you to tackle any small problems before they get out of hand. 19 | P a g e 5.7 Study Abroad Studying abroad is a rewarding experience, which UCL SSEES students frequently refer to as 'life-changing'. All undergraduate programmes (and the postgraduate IMESS programme) offer exciting, year long opportunities for students to study abroad in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Russia. If your programme includes studying abroad for a year, you will attend a planning meeting in your second year of study and will be supported by SSEES and the UCL International Office in making appropriate arrangements. Specific details are included in the Year Abroad Handbook. Queries about the Year Abroad can be directed to the International Tutor or the Timetabling & Student Administration Coordinator. 5.8 Office Hours Students can meet members of staff to discuss academic matters without appointments during their specified office hours. Each member of staff will post a notice of these hours outside his/her office at the start of each term. They are available on the Current Students page of the SSEES website: www.ucl.ac.uk/ssees/current-students If consultation is required at other times, please make appointments or email the tutor first. 5.9 Attendance and Engagement You need to participate fully in the learning process in order to get the most from your study. This means attending classes, writing the essays or completing other tasks which are required, giving class presentations when it is your turn, joining in with discussions and participating actively in the class. It is therefore essential that you prepare carefully for your tutorials. The Departmental Tutor reports to the Faculty Tutor periodically throughout the academic year on the attendance and academic progress of each student. Poor attendance may result in being barred from completing a course unit. This may prevent you from progressing to the next stage of your degree, or from obtaining an honours award. Attendance Requirements Attendance at all lectures and classes is compulsory. SSEES maintains records of attendance at all timetabled classes and is required to report regularly on attendance to UCL and externally to the UK Border Agency. You can be at a serious disadvantage if you miss lectures and classes and fail to obtain any reading lists or other materials which may be handed out by the tutor. Absence from lectures can impair your ability to participate effectively in class discussions and to perform successfully in the examinations. Failure to attend your classes may result in you being barred from sitting your examinations or from further assessments contributing to the overall mark for the course, and ultimately to de-registration. 20 | P a g e Absence Notification If you are ill and cannot attend a scheduled class, you must email or telephone your Programme Administrator and email all the tutors for the classes you are missing. If you are emailing or leaving a telephone message, please state the following details: Your name Your programme of study and year of study The name and time of the class you will miss The reason for your absence You must contact SSEES every day that you are absent. If illness prevents you from attending for more than a week, you must get a doctor's sickness certificate explaining the absence. This should be submitted to the Student Administration Office for the attention of your Programme Administrator. Planned Absences If you need to be away for a special reason, you must get permission in advance from the Departmental Tutor. If your request is for longer than one week of leave, additional permission will be needed from the Faculty Tutor. Please note that you should not undertake paid employment that will interfere with your attendance at classes or with the production of written work and class presentations. UCL normally forbids any employment of more than 15 hours per week. 5.10 Barring & Warnings Barring If your attendance falls below 70% attendance for a course, you will barred from the course and become ineligible for summative assessment in that course. This means that, if the bar is not lifted, coursework submitted after barring will not contribute to the final course mark, and you will not be able to sit any end of course examination. If you are barred from a course, you will be notified of this in writing and you will be required to sign a learning agreement. If you fulfil the conditions set out in the learning agreement, the bar will be lifted. If a bar is imposed on a course, you should continue to submit coursework, which will be marked and given feedback as normal, but the marks will only contribute to the overall mark for the course if the bar is subsequently lifted. If a bar is not lifted, marks for the course will not be considered by the Board of Examiners. The UCL Policy and Procures for Learning-Agreements and Barring Students from Assessment are available here: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/academic-manual/part-3/barringstudents-examinations 21 | P a g e Warning Process SSEES operates a warning process to identify potential attendance issues, and to enable student performance to improve, before they reach the stage of barring. First Warning from Course Tutor If you are absent from two classes on a SSEES course, without good reason, you will receive a warning letter from the Course Tutor, which you must to respond to. If you respond to the letter and attend all future classes, no further action will normally be taken. If the first warning was issued for a 1.0 course unit over two terms, and you respond to the warning letter and improve your attendance but subsequently miss a further class, you will receive a further warning letter from the Course Tutor. The Course Tutor will inform the Departmental Tutor if: you fail to respond to the first warning letter or fail to improve your attendance; or you respond to the first warning letter but fail to improve your attendance; or you respond to the first warning letter and improve your attendance initially but subsequently miss another class for a 0.5 course unit; or you fail to respond to the second warning letter sent by the Course Tutor and fail to improve your attendance on a 1.0 course unit taught over two terms. Departmental Tutor The Departmental Tutor will require you to attend an interview and may require you to sign a learning agreement and/or bar you from the course if your attendance has already fallen below the UCL threshold of 70%. You should take any warning letter you receive very seriously, as a failure to respond to improve your attendance could have serious implications on your course registration. 22 | P a g e 6. Assessment and Feedback Regulations require that to be awarded academic credit, students must satisfactory complete all assessment and attend satisfactorily. 6.1 Forms of Assessment During your studies, you will find that there is significant variation in the types and style of assessment you are required to undertake. Alongside the traditional written essay or coursework and written examinations, you will find Multiple Choice Questionnaires (MCQs), online tests, oral presentations, book reviews, group projects and many other styles. In the following section you will find helpful hints on how to approach these which will help you maximise your performance. The forms of assessment for individual courses are detailed in their Course Outline and on Moodle. Coursework assessment is sometimes ‘formally assessed’, which means that it contributes a percentage to the final mark of the course. Not all coursework assessment contributes to the final percentage of a course mark; however, all coursework assessments are compulsory and must be completed. Failure to complete set coursework may result in your being barred from examinations or in being deemed ‘incomplete’ (see section 7.2). Further details on completing assessments are contained in the Study Skills Handbook which is available on the SSEES website: www.ucl.ac.uk/ssees/current-students 6.2 Submission of Coursework You are expected to hand work in on time as required and in return you can expect to receive your work back promptly. You are required to submit all formally assessed coursework electronically and in hard-copy. All work submitted for assessment should be anonymous. DO NOT write your name anywhere on your work (either on the cover, or in footer or the header). Use only your student number and examination candidate number if you have this at the time of submission. Deadlines The dates for coursework assessment deadlines are determined by individual Course Tutors and are clearly set out in the course materials made available at the start of the course. Deadlines will normally only be set for Mondays and Thursdays. Electronic Submission An electronic copy of each assessment must be submitted via the Course Moodle page by midnight on the day of the deadline. (No Coursework Submission Form is required for the electronic copy). Submission through Moodle also submits the assessment to Turnitin. 23 | P a g e If you encounter difficulties submitting your assessment electronically, you should contact your Programme Administrator or ssees-student@ucl.ac.uk. Hard-Copy Submission One copy of your work must be submitted to the Student Administration Office by 4pm on the date of the deadline. Under no circumstances should formally assessed coursework be submitted to individual members of academic staff. The Student Administration Office closes at 4pm on deadline days, after which time work will not be accepted and will need to be submitted the following day when the office reopens at 10:00am. The Student Administration Office will determine when the 4pm deadline has passed, and will not accept any work after this point. You must ensure that you leave ample time to submit your work and that you make all adequate preparations to be able to submit your work on, or before, the deadline where possible. One Undergraduate Coursework Submission Form should be submitted to the Student Administration Office for each piece of assessment: The form is available from the Current Students area of the SSEES website and paper copies are also available from outside the Student Administration Office; You will need to complete Section 1 and Section 3 and attach the form to the front of your work - you are advised to complete the form prior to arrival at the office to prevent delays in the submission process; The form requires you to agree to the UCL Plagiarism statement. It is your responsibility to ensure that the Undergraduate Coursework Submission Form is completed accurately and in full. Routine computer problems such as viruses, disk corruption, printer problems or printer queues, and short term network problems are not acceptable grounds for lateness or for requesting an extension to the submission deadline. You are expected to take proper precautions and make back-up copies of your data or ensure adequate time for the production of a hard copy of your work and its electronic submission. 6.3 Penalties for Late Submission of Coursework All assessed work must be submitted in both electronic and hard-copy form by the stated deadlines. Late penalties will apply where neither copy has been submitted by the relevant deadline. Penalties for Late Submission of Coursework (Regulation 3.1.6 in the Academic Regulations for Students on Undergraduate Programmes; Section 3: Academic Assessment) Where coursework is not submitted in either form by a published deadline, the following penalties will apply: 24 | P a g e The full allocated mark will be reduced by 5 percentage points if the work is submitted on calendar day one after the deadline. The full allocated mark will be reduced by 15 percentage points if the coursework is submitted on calendar day two until calendar day 7 after the deadline. A mark of zero will be recorded for coursework submitted on calendar day 8 after the deadline through to the end of the second week of the third term. Nevertheless the assessment will be considered to be complete provided the coursework contains material that can be assessed. Coursework submitted after the end of the second week of the third term will not be marked and the assessment will be incomplete. This may have implications for your academic progression. Coursework submitted after solutions have been published will receive a mark of zero, and may not be formally marked, even when the coursework was submitted within seven days of the deadline. In the case of dissertations and project reports submitted more than seven days late, the mark will be recorded as zero but the assessment would be considered to be complete. Worked Example: An essay is submitted late, but assessed as deserving a mark of 65%. If it was submitted the first calendar day after the deadline, the mark becomes 60%. If, however, it was submitted two to seven days late, the mark becomes 50%. If the essay was submitted after seven days but before the relevant final deadline as set out above, the mark will be 0% but the student will still be "complete". If not submitted at all, the student would be "incomplete", unless the coursework in question represented less then 20% of the overall module assessment. 6.4 Penalties for Over-Length Coursework Penalties for Over-Length Coursework, including Dissertations (Regulation 3.1.7 in the Academic Regulations for Students on Undergraduate Programmes; Section 3: Academic Assessment) For submitted coursework, where a maximum word count has been specified the following procedure will apply; Assessed work should not exceed the prescribed word count For work that exceeds the upper word limit by less than 10% the mark will be reduced by 10% marks; but the penalized mark will not be reduced below the pass mark, assuming that the work merited a pass. For work that exceeds the upper word limit by 10% or more, a mark of zero will be recorded. For discipline specific practices such as bibliographies, tables, pictures and graphs, departments/divisions should specify in writing to students whether these are recorded as part of the upper word limit and how this will be counted. In the case of coursework that is submitted late and is also over-length, the greater of the two penalties will apply. 25 | P a g e 6.5 Extension to Submission Deadline In the case of formally assessed coursework and dissertations, requests for extensions to deadlines will only be considered in cases of medical or personal problems. All requests must be submitted in advance of the submission deadline and supported by appropriate medical or other written evidence. Forms of appropriate evidence are set out in the SSEES Documentary Evidence Requirements available on the Current Students website. Please note that extensions cannot be requested after the deadline has passed. If you are submitting work after the deadline, and were subject to extenuating circumstances, you should use the Extenuating Circumstances procedure (see below). Extensions are given for a maximum of 7 days and should the new deadline fall on a weekend, you would be expected to submit your work at 10:00am on the following Monday. Please note that Requests for extension are not granted automatically and you should not assume an extension has been granted upon submission of this form. You will be advised of the outcome once a decision has been made. If you hand work in late and your request is not granted, the late penalties will apply. The same penalties will apply after the end of any extension that is granted. Students who wish to obtain an extension should get an Extension Request Form from the Current Students page on the SSEES Website or the Student Administration Office. This form should be completed and returned to the Student Administration Office or sseesstudent@ucl.ac.uk. Forms sent to any other email address will not be accepted. You will be contacted once a decision has been made about your request. Wherever possible such requests should be submitted well before the deadline. Please note that routine computer problems such as viruses, disk corruption, printer problems, and short term network problems are not acceptable grounds for an extension. You are expected to take proper precautions and make back-up copies of your work and allow enough time to produce your work in hard-copy. Possible causes and reasons for extenuating circumstances are given on the form. If you do not present evidence your claim it is likely to be rejected. Extensions cannot be granted retrospectively or by individual Course Tutors and must be submitted to the Student Administration Office or ssees-student@ucl.ac.uk. All requests require the authorization of the Departmental Tutor to be valid. 6.6 Marking and Moderation SSEES (like all other UCL Departments) follows a clear marking procedure for work to ensure that the marks awarded to are student are fair and appropriate. All work is marked in the first instance by the Course Tutor, and then by a moderator (or second marker). These markers assess the work in accordance with the marking criteria and use their academic 26 | P a g e judgement to determine an agreed mark for the piece of work. SSEES assessment criteria are available on the Current Students page of the SSEES website: www.ucl.ac.uk/ssees/current-students In addition to this, a selection of work is also sent to the External Examiner (an examiner who works outside of UCL) who acts as a check on the internal markers. This system is designed to ensure that all students receive an appropriate mark for their work and judged according to the marking criteria agreed by SSEES Teaching Committee. Marks communicated to students during the academic year remain provisional until they are confirmed by the Board of Examiners. If you receive a mark with which you are unhappy with, you should first review the feedback you have been given, as this should contextualise the mark for you. If you remain unsure of why you received this mark you should arrange to meet with either your Course Tutor or your Personal Tutor to discuss your concerns and to explain the feedback to you. UCL regulations do not allow for work to be remarked at the request of a student. 6.7 Feedback on Assessment Students can expect to receive written feedback on formally-assessed coursework, usually within a maximum of four weeks from the submission deadline. If there are delays in providing feedback for individual courses, students will be notified of this before the four weeks have passed. Individual assessments can be discussed with individual staff during office hours or by appointment. Additionally, students may receive verbal or written feedback in class or on non-assessed coursework. Feedback methods are described in the Course Outline. Questions or concerns about the timing of the return of coursework can be sent to sseesstudent@ucl.ac.uk in the first instance. 6.8 Collection of Work SSEES endeavours to return work to students within 4 weeks of the submission date. You will be emailed by the Student Administration Office once your work is ready for collection. Please note that work cannot be kept in the Student Administration Office and will be archived if it has not been collected within six weeks of its release back to you. Requesting it after this date may result in a significant delay to retrieve it later. 6.9 Formal Examinations During the first two weeks of each academic year you will register your courses on Portico. You must choose options permitted by your degree syllabus. The deadline for completion of course registration is Friday of the second week of term 1. The registration for the course is also the record of your intention to sit the examination and therefore it is essential that this record is correct or you may not be allowed to sit the examination. 27 | P a g e After submitting your choices on Portico, and once teaching has commenced, you will not normally be permitted to change courses. After teaching has commenced, in exceptional circumstances, you may apply to the Departmental Tutor for authorisation to change courses. If this is agreed by the Departmental Tutor you MUST obtain and complete a Change of Course Form (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/current-students/services/studyinformation/changecourse). If you have dyslexia or a similar condition and wish to apply for special arrangements for your examinations you are advised that a detailed report will be required for the application process in Term 2 (see section on Disability in section 4.10). Written examinations are held in Term 3, and are scheduled by the Examinations Office. Some oral and aural examinations may take place outside of these times but within term time. Your personal examination timetable will be released via Portico towards the end of the Term 2. Exam results and overall course-units results will be available to all undergraduate students using the online Student Information Service, Portico at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/Portico. To access the service you will need your UCL userid and password. It is your responsibility to ensure that: all forms are completed in time you are correctly entered for all the examinations for your courses your exam timetable is correct and that you are aware of all the times of your examinations (beware: there are often changes between the provisional timetable publicised on notice boards and final timetables which you receive personally) you have let all the relevant people know of any extenuating circumstance which may affect your examination performance you arrive in the examination at the right place at the right time well before the examination is due to start. Full details of examination regulations and guidelines can be found at: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/current-students/exams_and_awards. Conduct of Examinations Regulations concerning the conduct of examinations are found at: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/current-students/exams_and_awards/ .These are also available on Portico with your examination timetable. It is important that you read these carefully. Unexplained Absence from Examinations If you do not attend an examination as expected you will be marked absent by the invigilators and this will appear on the transcript of your results. If you do not explain your absence to the satisfaction of the College this will be treated as a failed attempt, and a re-sit will be required at the next available occasion (normally, this will be the examinations session of the following year) in order that the unit is completed. The course will also be deemed ‘incomplete’ which may have implications for your progression or award. Withdrawal from Examinations on Academic Grounds You may withdraw your entry to an examination on academic grounds only with the approval of Departmental and Faculty Tutors. This withdrawal must be made using the official form 28 | P a g e (Withdrawal from Examination on Academic Grounds) and Faculty approval must have been obtained by the end of the first week of the third term. If you should absent yourself without prior approval, then you will be marked absent and deemed to have made an attempt at the examination. If a withdrawal from an examination or assessment is approved, you will be expected to take the assessment in the next academic session. ‘Late Assessment’ (Not open to Final Year Students) If through illness, you are prevented from attending any course-unit examination (in any year other than the final year of your first-degree programme), you may apply to the UCL for late assessment. The application must be made within one week of the end of the examination period in question and should be made via your Departmental Tutor and approved by your Faculty Tutor before being submitted to the Examinations Section. Your application should be accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation (normally a medical certificate). Late Assessment will not be allowed in any circumstances where prior planning could have made it unnecessary. All applications for late assessment based on non-medical grounds will be referred by the Examinations Office, to the Dean of Students (Academic) for consideration. Late Assessment on non-medical grounds is only permissible on the following grounds:- Bereavement of a close relative (during or immediately preceding the relevant examination) e.g. parent, partner, sibling or grandparent; Illness of dependent (nature of dependency and medical certification must be provided). A maximum of 3.0 course units may be permissible for late assessment in any one year and a total of 4.0 course units may be permissible for late assessment for a 3 year programme and 6.0 course units for a 4 year programme. Students should submit a request, along with a medical certificate or statement, to their Departmental Tutor, for onward transmission to the Examinations Section, via the relevant Faculty Office. Further information is available at: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/academicmanual/part-3/deferred-assessment Under UCL Academic Regulations, late assessment is not possible for students who are in their final year of study. 6.10 Feedback on Examinations The SSEES Policy on Examination Feedback is currently being revised for 2014-15 implementation; however, all continuing students will be able to access markers comments on individual examination scripts, in line with the Joint Faculty Examinations Feedback Policy. Further information will be circulated to all students during Term 1. 6.11 Problems Affecting Your Performance in Assessed Coursework or Examinations If you have had any medical or other significant problems which may have affected your performance in the examination, or in a piece of assessed coursework, you may apply to have these extenuating circumstances taken into account. These extenuating circumstances are normally understood as medical or as the consequence of family bereavement. If you wish to be considered for extenuating circumstances, then you should obtain a SSEES Extenuating Circumstances Form from the 29 | P a g e Student Administration Office or the SSEES website. Forms of appropriate evidence are set out in the SSEES Documentary Evidence Requirements available on the Current Students website. The form can be submitted to the Student Administration Office or submitted electronically to ssees-student@ucl.ac.uk. All queries relating to extenuating circumstances requests should be directed to ssees-student@ucl.ac.uk in the first instance. Please note that the EC form must be submitted either at the time of, or as soon as possible after the assessment which has been affected. In any case the Extenuating Circumstances Form will not be accepted any later than seven days after the date of the assessment or examination affected. A Panel will meet prior to the final Examination Board at the end of the year to review all claims in the correct manner as described by UCL Academic Regulations. It will NOT be possible to consider claims after this meeting or the final Examination Board. Please be assured that all circumstances are treated in the strictest confidence. If you have been affected by circumstances, and choose not to make a claim at the time, you will not be able to make a claim for circumstances after the Examination Board has sat. You are therefore encouraged to submit a claim (with evidence) at the time you are affected. 30 | P a g e 7. Programme Regulations All Undergraduate Programmes in SSEES are governed by UCL Academic Regulations for Students Undergraduate Programmes which are available at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ras/acd_regs For regulations governing academic progression, degree classification and the award of honours, the UCL Academic Regulations set the minimum requirements and Departments may set additional requirements. For undergraduate programmes in SSEES, additional requirements will be set out below and/or in their individual Syllabus Handbook and Scheme of Award. 7.1 SSEES Rules for Language Courses All students in SSEES are permitted to study language courses as part of their degree programme. UK students who do not have a GCSE grade C or equivalent in a foreign language when starting their undergraduate degree are required to study a foreign language during their first year of undergraduate study to meet UCL’s modern foreign language requirement. Students following non-language degrees in SSEES (i.e. PEES/EBEES/HISTORY) are permitted to take languages courses as part of their undergraduate degree, subject to the rules set out below: Undergraduate students may choose to study one language as part of their programme, which could be a language taught within SSEES, or French or German; Undergraduate students may study a 0.5 course unit of language in each year of study; Undergraduate students cannot study a language course in Year 3 if they have not studied the language in Year 2; Undergraduate students cannot choose a different language in the next academic year. Further information on language permissions and restrictions are set out in the Syllabus Handbook and Scheme of Award. 7.2 Being “Complete” in Course Units A course unit is completed when a student has been academically assessed in all of the examined components relating to the course unit. This is not necessarily the same as passing a course unit, as a course unit is passed when a student has been academically assessed in all of the examined components relating to the course unit and achieved a mark of 40% for the course unit as a whole. For students on taught programmes at UCL, a course unit is complete when a student has been declared by a Board of Examiners to be complete on all components for that course taking into account the following: Coursework (less than 20% of course mark) Where the coursework component represents 20% or more of the overall module assessment a threshold for completion, such as a requirement to submit at least a 31 | P a g e specified fraction of the coursework, must be set by the department and clearly publicised to the candidates taking the module. In the event that any threshold set is not reached, the result for the component will be “incomplete” regardless of the mark obtained. Otherwise, the threshold criteria are met and the candidate is declared “complete” on the component. If the coursework component represents less than 20% of the overall module assessment, no coursework completion criteria need be set by the department. If no coursework threshold criteria are set then the mark obtained by the candidate, including zero, is returned for this component and the overall mark calculated in the usual way and the candidate declared “complete” on the component. Unseen Examinations An unseen examination component is deemed complete if a candidate has submitted an answer that can be academically assessed. The mark awarded, however, might be zero. If a candidate makes little or no attempt at the examination, this will be deemed “incomplete” and the module as a whole will also be deemed “incomplete”. Failing and being Incomplete At UCL there is an important difference between failing a course – even if a course has been irredeemably failed after both the first and the second attempts – and being ‘incomplete’ in the assessment for a course: it is possible to fail a course permanently, while nevertheless ‘completing’ it. The difference can be very significant. In order to be ‘complete’ in a course, students must have been academically assessed in all of the examined elements relating to the course on at least the first or the second attempt. In other words, the student must have seriously attempted all relevant assessment at least once, instead of being absent and/or failing to submit work. Merely attending an examination without making a credible attempt that can be academically assessed or submitting empty pages or negligible work that cannot be academically assessed does not complete the assessment. The Importance of Being ‘Complete’ Completing all modules, even if some modules may have been failed, is very important because: All Year One courses must be complete before a student can progress from Year Two; All Year Two courses must be complete before a student can progress from Year Three; All courses must be complete before a student can be awarded an honours degree; Students who do not complete a course at the first attempt will normally be offered an opportunity to complete the course at the next available opportunity, in line with the regulations for re-sitting and repeating course units. Students who do not complete a course at the second attempt are deemed to be permanently ‘incomplete’ in the course and will no longer be able to progress and will have to leave UCL. 32 | P a g e If students become permanently ‘incomplete’ in a module, they may therefore no longer be able to progress and will have to leave UCL. Final-year students who become ‘incomplete’ in a module by failing to attempt a re-sit after already having failed to complete all elements of assessment on the first attempt will no longer qualify for a classified honours degree and may only qualify for an unclassified ordinary degree. It is therefore particularly important not to miss assessment by failing to submit work or being absent from examination; and it is imperative not to do so on a second attempt if the assessment for the module has remained incomplete after the first attempt. Further details and the formal regulations can be found in paragraph 2.10.1 of UCL’s Academic Regulations for Students: Undergraduate Programmes, Section 2: General Regulations at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ras/acd_regs. 7.3 Progression Your degree course is carefully structured to ensure that you progress steadily through an integrated programme of study and assessment. Regulations concerning progression are given in the relevant Syllabus Handbook and Scheme of Award. Successful performance in the examinations and other forms of assessment shows that you have acquired the core skills and knowledge which are necessary for the next stage of study. Failure to demonstrate this may mean that you may not proceed until you have passed the examinations at the next sitting (normally in the next academic year). Progression can only take place when a full set of results is available including any referred or late assessment results and marks provided by other institutions. Section 2.9 of the UCL Academic Regulations for Students Undergraduate Programmes sets out the progression requirements for students on three and four year degree programmes. All Undergraduate Programmes in SSEES are in line with UCL’s Harmonised Scheme of Award. 7.4 Progression from Year One In order to progress from Year 1, students must have passed at least 3.0 course units. Students must also have satisfied UCL’s foreign language requirements in order to progress to Year 2. At the discretion of the Faculty Tutor, upon the recommendation of the relevant Board of Examiners, students may progress if they have failed to meet the progression threshold by 0.5 Course Units and, therefore, have passed 2.5 Course Units. In some programmes, there may be an additional requirement to pass specific course units to progress to the next year. Where such requirements exist, they will be set out in the Syllabus Handbook and Scheme of Award for you programme. 7.5 Progression from Year Two In order to progress from Year 2, students must be complete in the 4.0 course units from Year 1 and have passed at least 7.0 course units. Students must also have satisfied UCL’s foreign language requirements in order to progress to Year 2. Students on a three year degree programme 33 | P a g e Students on a three year degree programme who have not completed 4.0 course units from Year 1 may ask their Departmental Tutor to obtain Faculty approval to seek a suspension of regulations from the Dean of Students (Academic) to allow a third attempt at a time other than the next normal occasion. Otherwise such students will never complete the number of course units required to graduate with a classified degree. At the discretion of the Faculty Tutor, upon the recommendation of the relevant Board of Examiners, students may progress if they have failed to meet the progression threshold by 0.5 Course Units and, therefore, have passed 6.5 Course Units, provided all Year 1 progression requirements have been met including passing at least 3.0 course units from Year1. In some programmes, there may be an additional requirement to pass specific course units to progress to the next year. Where such requirements exist, they will be set out in the Syllabus Handbook and Scheme of Award for you programme. Students on a four year degree programme with study abroad Students should have qualified for progression prior to their year abroad. If the student is eligible for referred assessment this must take place, and be passed, prior to the student leaving for the year abroad. If the student is to re-sit the assessment this must take place at the next opportunity i.e. during the year abroad. 7.6 Progression from Year Three (on Four Year Programmes) In order to progress from Year 3, students must be complete in 12.0 course units, have passed at least 11.0 course units, and have met all Year 2 progression requirements. All progression decisions at the end of Year 3 are provisional. Progression from Year 3 will not be confirmed until all the marks are available and have been ratified by a Board of Examiners. Progression may therefore be confirmed at the start of Year 4. When students fail a study abroad year, either owing to interruption, non-engagement or failure to achieve a pass mark, they will not be able to progress to Year 4 and must transfer to an equivalent degree where there is no study abroad requirement. 7.7 Failure to Progress Students who fail to meet the criteria for progression from one year to the next year normally have the following options. It should be noted that option i) is most preferable on academic grounds. i) To register as a part-time revision student and retake the Course Units failed. ii) To re-sit as an unregistered student. iii) To apply for exceptional permission to progress. iv) To leave UCL. 7.8 Failure in Course Units Failure in courses may affect your ability to progress to the next stage of your degree programme (see Sections 7.3-7.7). 34 | P a g e Re-entry to a formal written examination, part of an examination or any other form of academic assessment, must be made at the next assessment period for which the student is eligible – this is normally in the following academic session. A student who, at their first entry, does not successfully complete an academic assessment and who is not eligible for referred assessment (see below), may re-enter for assessment on one more occasion, unless they have been awarded a degree, are eligible for the award of a degree or have been excluded from UCL on the grounds of academic insufficiency, or as a result of misconduct. If a course unit is not passed after the second attempt, you will be deemed to have irretrievably failed the course and this may mean that you will not be able accumulate to minimum required passes to be awarded a classified degree. In such cases, your registration on the programme will be terminated by the Examination Board. Registering for Re-sits, Revision, or Substituting Courses Re-sits involve retaking the failed examination or assessment element only, and re-sit students do not attend classes. If you are taking a resit, you will automatically registered for this on Portico. The higher of the marks achieved at the first attempt and the re-sit attempt will apply. Revision students will register as a part-time student to retake failed course units in full, including attending all classes and completing all assessments. Substitution of a failed course(s) may be permissible for revision students in up to 1.0 course unit, subject to Faculty approval. Substituted courses will be treated as a second attempt and no further entry will be permitted if it is subsequently failed. Marks of re-taken or substitute course units will be included in the calculation for the average weighted mark for the year in which the course units were originally taken rather than in the year that they were re-taken. 7.9 Award of an Honours Degree Completing Course Units (See section 7.2 for more information on being ‘complete’ in a course unit) To be awarded an Honours Degree, a student on a three-year programme must be complete in Twelve Course Units. To be awarded an Honours Degree, a student on a four-year programme must be complete in Sixteen Course Units. Passing Course Units For the consideration of an award of an honours degree, a student on a three year programme must also pass minimum of 11 Course Units of which 3 Course Units must be passed at Advanced Level. For the consideration of an award of an honours degree on a four-year programme, a minimum of 14.5 Course Units should be passed with three Course Units passed at Advanced Level. In some programmes, there may be an additional requirement to pass specific course units to gain the award. Where such requirements exist, they will be set out in the Syllabus Handbook and Scheme of Award for you programme. 35 | P a g e Not achieving sufficient credits, or not passing compulsory or core units, may mean that you may only be eligible for an award in a different field of study (i.e your degree title will be different to your programme title) or that it is not possible for you to be awarded an honours degree but only an ordinary degree (i.e a degree without honours) in your or a different field of study. The UCL regulations pertaining to the award of an honours degree can be found here. Full details of all UCL’s academic regulations can be viewed here. 36 | P a g e 8. Student Voice 8.1 Student Evaluation Questionnaires (SEQS) Towards the end of each course, all students are invited to complete questionnaires so that SSEES can obtain their opinion (anonymously) on course content and the tuition that has been provided. The results are collated and monitored by the Programme Co-ordinator. These are then discussed by the SSEES Teaching Committee and the Staff-Student Consultative Committee. This helps us to constantly review the academic provision at SSEES and to ensure that we maintain our high standards. For this reason, these questionnaires are taken very seriously and are an integral part of the teaching/learning process for both staff and students. Your co-operation in completing evaluation questionnaires is appreciated. Students who spend time on study abroad will also have the opportunity to complete an evaluation questionnaire on aspects of the teaching, living arrangements and other practical matters. 8.2 Student Academic Representatives (STARS) Student Academic Representatives StARs (Student Academic Representatives) are elected to represent students’ views to UCL. StARs sit on various committees at a course, faculty and University level, at which they act as the voice of students, ensuring that UCL takes into account the needs of students in its decision making processes. StARs achieve this through liaising with UCLU and UCL staff to resolve issues. During February StARs (Student Academic Representatives) are appointed for the following groups: First- and second- year undergraduates (18 month term) Third-year undergraduates Subsequent year undergraduates Early years postgraduate researchers (18 month term) Later years postgraduate researchers (in post until completion of course) Details of what the role of a StAR involves and the support offered are set out below. For more information on how StARs will be appointed in your department, please contact the SSEES Academic Administration Manager. Why should you become a StAR? Because you… …believe that students should have a say in the decisions that affect their experiences at UCL. …believe that you should take an active part in your own education. 37 | P a g e …believe that you could be a leader and empower others. …want to take part in University life to the full. …enjoy talking to fellow students and helping them. …are determined to leave UCL with more than just a degree. Being a StAR is an opportunity not to be missed. You can also gain a Certificate of Experience in recognition of your contribution to students and UCL. You can download the StAR Opportunity Profile here to see what the responsibilties are and what opportunities there are for you to develop the role. 8.3 Staff-Student Consultative Committee (SSCC) UCL requires each academic department to convene Staff-Student Consultative Committees which meets at least twice in each academic year and report to the UCL Joint Staff-Student Committee. Appointed StARS sit on the SSEES SSCC, and their contact details are available here: http://uclu.org/school-of-slavonic-and-eastern-european-studies The terms of reference for the SSCC are available in the UCL Academic Manual here: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/academic-manual/part-7/sscc Other SSEES and UCL Committees Student Representatives also sit on the SSEES Teaching Committee which meets once or twice a term, the Library and Information Resources Committee and other UCL Committees including Council (UCL’s governing body) and the Academic Board. The nomination/election of student members to committees is mostly the responsibility of the UCL Students' Union. You can get further information from the Education and Welfare Officer of the Union. Details of which UCL committees include student members (and in what capacity) are available through Union representatives. 8.4 Programme Evaluations In addition to providing feedback on individual courses, you will also be invited to provide your feedback on your whole programme through end of year programme evaluations and the National Student Survey at the end of your final year. The results of these surveys are closely monitored by the SSEES Teaching Committee and used to improve the student learning experience. 8.5 Grievances (Appeals) and Complaints UCL has an established grievance procedure for dealing with formal representations from students and a centralised complaints procedure. Details of these are available online at: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/academic-manual/part-5/student-grievance-procedure and http://www.ucl.ac.uk/academic-manual/part-8/ccp Please note that there are time limits within which formal representation can be made. Any student who feels aggrieved and considers making a representation is required to discuss the matter informally in the first instance with your Personal Tutor, the Programme Coordinator, the Departmental Tutor, your Faculty Tutor, or, in some cases, the Academic Administration Manager. You should not contact the Chair of the Board of Examiners. 38 | P a g e Students may also seek advice from the UCL Union Rights and Advice Office (tel: 020 7679 2533/2507 or http://www.uclunion.org/get-advice/). UCL regulations will normally apply if you are undertaking studies elsewhere, or you are studying for a joint programme and your primary registration is at UCL. 39 | P a g e 9. Student Code of Conduct & NonAcademic Regulations 9.1 Code of Conduct UCL enjoys a reputation as a world-class university. It was founded on the basis of equal opportunity, being the first English university to admit students irrespective of their faith and cultural background. It was the first university in England to admit women. UCL expects its members to conduct themselves at all times in a manner that does not bring UCL into disrepute, this includes conduct whilst not on UCL premises. Good conduct means: In general Realising that you are an ambassador for UCL and behaving accordingly. This applies anywhere and at anytime but is particularly important in the local community around UCL, whilst on fieldwork, whilst on other study away from UCL, on the sports field and whilst engaged in any other UCL-related activity; Recognising the diversity of the UCL community and not discriminating against others on the basis of their: age, ethnic origin, race, nationality, membership of a national minority, culture, language, religious faith or affiliation or lack thereof, political affiliation or opinions or lack thereof, sex, gender, gender identity, sexuality, sexual orientation, marital status, caring or parental responsibilities, illness, ability or disability, mental health status, medical condition, physical appearance, genetic features, parentage, descent, full or part-time student status, socio-economic background, employment status, trade union affiliation, spent or irrelevant criminal convictions or any other irrelevant distinction; Acting responsibly; Being honest; Being considerate, respectful and courteous towards others; Behaving in a respectful manner towards others so that they do not feel that they are being harassed or bullied; Abiding by the law. Whilst learning Following the rules laid down by UCL for academic activity, the use of the Library, Information Services and other services; Being punctual for classes and other appointments; Informing the relevant person if you are going to be absent or delayed for an activity where you are expected to attend; Being aware of the advice and assistance available on academic and other matters from sources such as personal, programme and departmental tutors; Seeking help for yourself when you need it. Around UCL Showing respect for UCL property; Informing yourself of UCL health and safety policies and following them; Playing your part in maintaining security and being prepared to produce your identity card when requested; Caring for the environment at UCL by: 40 | P a g e o o o o respecting buildings, spaces and facilities; recycling and disposing of litter responsibly; being aware of UCL's advice for saving energy; showing consideration for others regarding noise (e.g. switching mobile phones off in classes). Social and sporting behaviour Showing good sportsmanship whilst taking part in sporting activities; Refraining from exhibiting displays of drunken or loutish behaviour; Ensuring that any activity you engage in using the internet, including virtual learning environments (e.g. Moodle), social networking sites (e.g. My Space, Faceboook, Twitter etc ), blogs or other web resources, refrains from causing offence and could not be regarded as bullying or harassment; Respecting the right of freedom of speech provided it is within the law . Awareness and caring for others Being aware of the help and support available at UCL from sources such as the Student Counselling Service, Disabilities Advice, the Dean of Students (Welfare) and the UCL Union Rights and Advice Centre; Showing consideration for the welfare of your friends and peers and, if appropriate, providing advice on seeking help 9.2 Non-Academic Regulations Concerning these regulations on conduct, please refer to http://www.ucl.ac.uk/currentstudents/guidelines for information on the following; Computer Use (& Misuse) - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/isd/students/regulations Copyright, Design and Patents Act - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/copyright/ Plagiarism - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/current-students/guidelines/plagiarism Publishing - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/Library/scholarly-communication/ Registry Service Standards - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/currentstudents/guidelines/services_standards UCL – Student Relationship - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/current-students/guidelines/srs/srs UCL Data Protection - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/privacy/data-protection Intellectual Property Rights - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/currentstudents/guidelines/intel_prop_rights Monitoring of Engagement - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/currentstudents/guidelines/monitoring_engagement Links to other UCL policies that relate to conduct Discipline Code and Procedure - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/silva/academic-manual/part-g/g19 Race equality - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/docs/race_equality.php Harassment and Bullying - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/docs/harassment_bullying.php IS regulations - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/is/regulations.html Library regulations - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/Library/regs.shtml Student Accommodation General Regulations - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospectivestudents/accommodation/applications/conditions Academic regulations - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/registry/ucl-staff/academic-regulations-students/ Examinations and Awards - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/current-students/exams_and_awards Health and Safety - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/efd/safety_services_www/ Security - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/efd/security/ Guidelines for Good Practice on Fieldwork http://www.ucl.ac.uk/efd/safety_services_www/guidance/fieldwork/acop.pdf 41 | P a g e Freedom of Speech policy (tbc) - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/academic-manual/part-c/c20 Links to sources of advice and assistance Dean of Students' Office - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dean-of-students/ Student Counselling Service - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/student-counselling/ Student Disability Services - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/disability/ Student Support - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/current-students/support UCL Union - http://www.uclu.org/ UCL Union Rights and Advice Centre - http://www.uclunion.org/get-advice/ Energy saving information - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/youhavethepower/ 9.3 Data Protection University College London is required by law to comply with the Data Protection Act, 1998. It is the commitment of the College to ensure that every current employee and registered student complies with this Act to ensure the confidentiality of any personal data held by the College, in whatever medium. This Act came into force on 1 March 2000. In addition, SSEES needs to hold data about you in order to carry out its normal administration. That is, we collect, store, use and disclose the data for purposes connected with your studies, your health and safety and for other legitimate reasons. We are committed to maintaining your personal information in a manner which meets the requirements of the Data Protection Act and will take any reasonable steps to ensure that your personal data is kept secure against unauthorised access, loss, disclosure or destruction. SSEES will not pass on your personal data to any third party without your consent unless required to do so by law or regulation. You will be given information about the ways in which SSEES holds data about you and your rights in relation to that data. If you have any questions about Data Protection guidelines and procedures please contact the SSEES Data Protection Co-ordinator, Lesley Pitman by email at l.pitman@ssees.ucl.ac.uk. 42 | P a g e 10. What to do when you have problems 10.1 The Students Union The Students Union is run by students for the students (http://www.uclu.org/). As well as providing the focus of student social life in UCL, the Union offers a wide range of services and can provide guidance and practical assistance. At SSEES you have your own site Executive, including a student Welfare Officer. The SSEES Students' Union office is located on the fifth floor, 16 Taviton Street. 10.2 Academic Problems If you are experiencing problems keeping up with work or are unable to meet a deadline, or if you are having difficulties with a particular course, you should first speak to your Personal Tutor or to the relevant Course Tutor. The Departmental Tutor and the Programme Coordinator may also be able to help. 10.3 Personal Problems If you are experiencing personal problems, the person best equipped to help you is your Personal Tutor. S/he will liaise with your tutors or other members of staff on your behalf, if you want him/her to, and will endeavour to point you in the right direction to sort out any problems. If your personal problems are affecting your academic performance, then you should also speak with your tutors so that they can make allowances for these issues. They can only help you if they know what is going on! UCL also offers a counselling service for any student who feels that they would benefit from it. Appointments to see a counsellor can be made at the Counselling Service at 3-4 Taviton Street (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/studentcounselling/index_home). 10.4 Welfare Problems The SSEES Students Union has a Welfare Officer who can provide help, counselling and support. Further assistance is available through the UCL Students Union (http://www.uclu.org/) where officers can advise on legal, financial and contractual situations, and can intervene on your behalf with third parties. For issues affecting registration, such as financial hardship or residency problems, you should arrange to see the Faculty Tutor, who may also be consulted over major academic problems. Students should seek the advice of the Dean of Students if facing major financial problems. 10.5 Financial Problems UK students who have exhausted other sources of funding (loans etc.) may apply for assistance from the Access to Learning Fund (ALF), which can help with high private rents, child care facilities, or expenses connected with periods of study abroad (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/current-students/financial-support/alf/). Application forms for Access Funds can be obtained from the Rights and Advice Centre in the UCL Students Union. For UK students, Hardship Loans of up to a maximum of £500 are available from the Student 43 | P a g e Loans Company provided that you have already obtained a full Student Loan and received the first instalment of that full loan. Enquiries and applications for this loan should be made to the Student Finance Office in the Registry. For further details of this and other financial matters, please see http://www.ucl.ac.uk/current-students/money. 10.6 Health Problems You are advised to register with the UCL Health Centre at 3 Gower Place on arrival at SSEES. The Health Centre provides medical assistance and can also help in cases of stress or with psychological problems. 10.7 Health and Safety Matters The attention of all UCL employees is drawn to their legal responsibilities, under Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, to take reasonable care of themselves and all others who may be affected by their acts and omissions, and to co-operate with UCL in enabling UCL to discharge its legal duties with regard to health and safety by complying with this Policy. It shall be a condition of registration of students and the terms of attendance of academic visitors that they also co-operate with UCL by complying with this Policy. In particular, in the event of a fire alarm sounding in a UCL building, all staff, students and visitors must evacuate the building and only re-enter upon the instruction of the UCL Fire Officer, members of Security, or the senior Fire Brigade officer in attendance. SSEES Safety Policy The Statement of Safety Policy describes the organisational structure for health and safety management in SSEES. A copy is displayed on the Main Safety Notice Board (fourth floor auxiliary-lift foyer) or can be downloaded from http://www.ssees.ucl.ac.uk/SafetyPolicy.pdf. This Policy should be read in conjunction with the SSEES Safety Arrangements which can be viewed at http://www.ssees.ucl.ac.uk/safetyarrangements.htm. The documents are reviewed regularly in consultation with the UCL Area Safety Officer to conform with Policy and Arrangements issued by the UCL Health and Safety Management Team. SSEES Safety Arrangements The document provides information on the specific arrangements that are in place at SSEES for the management of health and safety. Any queries or concerns should be directed to the SSEES Safety Officer or Departmental Safety Representative who will take appropriate action and bring the concern to the attention of the SSEES Health and Safety Committee http://www.ssees.ucl.ac.uk/intranet/committees.htm. SSEES Safety Officer Maria Widdowson - fourth floor Room 410, Ext. 28804 10.8 Emergency Situations Fire All staff and students must familiarise themselves with exit routes and assembly areas to be used in the event of fire. Fire notices providing this information are prominently displayed throughout SSEES premises. Fire doors must not be wedged open at any time. Corridors should be kept clear and not used for storage of excess furniture or equipment. 44 | P a g e If you discover a fire: Phone 222 Evacuate the premises via fire escapes (do not use lifts) Proceed to the designated Assembly Point as indicated on Fire notices or directed by Fire Marshals In the event of the Fire Alarm Sounding: Ensure that any people under your supervision leave immediately via designated fire escape routes Lifts should not be used under any circumstance. Any person unable to leave the building by means of stairs, should be escorted to a designated fire refuge/call point as far away as possible from smoke and fire. A Fire Brigade officer or Fire Marshal in attendance must be informed immediately of their location. Accidents In the event of ill-health, accident or injury at work the following action should be taken: Major: Phone 222 State location and telephone number Give details of Accident Obtain assistance from nearest First Aider Minor: Obtain assistance from nearest First Aider, or Escort the person who needs medical attention to the UCL Hospital Accident & Emergency Department, Grafton Way, London WC1E 6AU Tel: 0207 388 7215 (A&E Direct Line) First Aid The following SSEES staff are competent to administer First Aid: First Aider Sue Cole Rm. 410, Ext 28800 First Aid appointed person Maria Widdowson Rm. 410 Ext 28804 First aid boxes are held at the following locations: SSEES Library Issue Desk Ext 28701 45 | P a g e SSEES Administration Room 341, Room 409 28770, 28800 Accident Reporting All accidents occurring within SSEES premises, or arising from SSEES activities, must be reported using the standard UCL Accident/Incident Report Form. It is also important to report incidents and near-miss accidents so that an investigation can be carried out and appropriate controls put in place at the earliest opportunity. Forms are available from Room 341, 409, or can be downloaded from: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/efd/safety_services_www/guidance/accidents/ Smoking, Eating and Drinking UCL operates a NO SMOKING policy and, accordingly, smoking is not permitted in any part of the SSEES premises. Eating and drinking is only allowed in the Junior Common Room. A manager may specify special areas where eating and drinking are not allowed. Please note, there are special rules that apply to SSEES Library areas and these must be observed. For some students, it may be appropriate to interrupt their studies (see section 2.1 of the UCL Academic Regulations for Student Undergraduate Programmes, 2013-2014 Academic Session at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ras/acd_regs) _________________________________________ 46 | P a g e