2. ACADEMIC REGULATIONS 2016-17 INCLUDING UPDATES
Lynn Jones, Deputy Academic Registrar
Regulations, Assessment & Awards
15th February 2017

3. AWARDS 480 credits, including the following: Taught Masters
Part One: 120 Credits at level credits Post Grad Cert
Part Two: 60 credit dissertation at level credits Post Grad Dip
Integrated Masters
480 credits, including the following:
120 Level 4 credits or above (governed by UG regulations)
120 Level 5 credits or above (governed by UG regulations)
120 Level 6 credits or above (governed by UG regulations)
120 Level 7 credits (governed by integrated Masters regs)

4. AWARDS (cont.)
The following awards are approved by the University at Integrated Masters level:
Master of Computing (MComp)
Master of Engineering (MEng)
Master of Fine Art (MFA)
Master of Design (MDes)
Master of Business (MBus)
Master of Accounting and Finance (MAccFin)

5. AWARDS (cont.) Honours Degree 360 Credits
120 Credits at level 4 Cert HE
120 Credits at level 5 Dip HE
120 Credits at level 6
Ordinary Degree
300 Credits
Credits at level 5 Dip HE
60-80 Credits at level 6

6. AWARDS (cont.) Foundation Degree 240 Credits
120 Credits at level 4 Cert HE
120 Credits at level 5
HND
120 Credits at level 4 HNC
HNC
150 Credits
120 Credits at level 4
30 Credits at level 5

7. AWARDS (cont) PASS DEGREE
At the discretion of the Assessment Board, an honours degree candidate who has studied 360 credits but has failed to reach the required standard for a classified honours degree, may be eligible for the award of an honours degree at Pass level
320 credit points are required of which 120 must be at Level 4 or above, 120 must be at Level 5 or above and a minimum of a further 80 at Level 6

8. ASSESSMENT ATTEMPTS
Bachelor Degrees, Foundation Degrees, Diplomas, Certificates
Normally 3 attempts
Exceptions e.g. Social Work and Occupational Therapy only 2 attempts (Derogations apply)
Where the assessment board considers that a student has not made acceptable academic progress, it may determine that no further opportunities should be given and the student should be withdrawn from the programme
Taught Masters
Two attempts

9. ASSESSMENT ATTEMPTS (cont.)
Substituted Optional Modules
Provided all attempts have not been exhausted, a student may substitute an alternative optional module for one which has been failed, up to maximum of 20 credits per level (not applicable to students on the Two Year Undergraduate Degree programme & on Level 6 or 7 of Integrated Masters).
Student will have maximum number of attempts at the substituted module but the results for all attempts will be capped at the bare pass mark

10. COMPENSATION
Bachelor Degrees, Fd Degrees, Dips, Certs and Taught Masters
Normally allowed for 20 credits if mark of 35% to 39% achieved (derogations apply on some programmes)
All elements of assessment for a module must have been attempted for failure in a module to be compensated
Failure cannot be compensated when RPL/RP(E)L exceeding 60 credits has been granted
Grad Certs/Dips/Post-Graduate Certificate/Level 7 Integrated Masters
No compensation

11. PROGRESSION Bachelor and Foundation Degrees At the June Board
If a student is deficient in modules amounting to 80 credits (new for 2016/17) or less, they will be allowed to re-sit at the first available opportunity.
All failed or deferred assessment/examinations must be retaken at the first available opportunity.
The opportunity counts towards the total number of attempts permitted whether or not the student undertakes the assessment.

12. PROGRESSION (cont.) TRAILING (at re-sit board, normally September)
A student may commence study at the next level trailing 20 credits at the lower level provided that:
100 credits at that level have been passed
All assessment elements on the failed module have been attempted
All prerequisite modules have been passed
For Taught Masters degrees, the Research Methods module cannot be trailed

13. CLASSIFICATION Bachelor Honours Degrees & Integrated Masters 1st 70%+
30% level % level 6
or all of level 6
1st
70%+
2:1
60% - 69%
2:2
50% - 59% 3
40% - 49%
Pass
320 credits

14. CLASSIFICATION (cont.)
Foundation Degrees
Distinction
Merit
Pass
70% and higher
60% - 69%
40% - 59%
Taught Masters (including Mres)
Merit (introduced 2015/16)
Average of 60% and at least 55% in Part One and at least 60% in Part Two
Average of 70% and at least
65% in Part One and at least 70% in Part Two

15. BORDERLINE CLASSIFICATIONS
Fd Degrees, 3 and 4 year Bachelor Degrees & Integrated Masters
If student is within 2% of a grade boundary they can be considered for the higher classification (new for 2016/17)
All the following criteria must be met
At least 50% of the credits in the final level must be in higher classification
All final level modules must have been passed at first attempt
Dissertation/Project (or placement) in higher classification(n/a for foundation degrees)

16. SECTION 3 – AWARD REGULATIONS 2016/17 changes
60 credit rule for resit opportunities increased to 80 credits. Has impact on students claiming extenuating circumstances for multiple modules
Reference to students repeating the year without attendance removed for clarity. Default is that they will attend.

17. SECTION 4 ASSESSMENT & EXAMINATIONS
In class tests not to be scheduled in formal examination sessions
Deadline for late submission of coursework made clearer – week changed to five working days
Definitions section added
Added regulations for seen exams – not to be distributed to students more than 10 working days before scheduled exam

18. SECTION 4 ASSESSMENT & EXAMINATIONS (cont)
Addition of sections on missing exam scripts & coursework
Additional regulation in respect of treatment of excess word count (10% leeway before penalty is imposed)
Addition of policy statement in respect of submission of draft work

19. SECTION 5 ASSESSMENT BOARDS
Regulation added that permits alternative Chair to take executive action after board
Chair & Vice Chair of Academic Board able to consider cases where there is disagreement between assessment board members

20. SECTION 6 STUDENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Previous Section 6 - Student Conduct and Section 7 - Student Complaints removed
Replaced by section containing links to a number of student policies and procedures to improve access to these

21. EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES
Requests are normally considered by a Panel prior to Module Assessment Board
Decisions of the Panel are notified to the Module Board for implementation
If Extenuating Circumstances are agreed any mark awarded for that assessment is cancelled and the student is permitted another attempt as if the original attempt had not been made.

22. ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT Three levels of offence:
Minor Indiscretion, Minor Misconduct and Major Misconduct
Likely that only major cases will impact on assessment boards where the committee has not yet been convened to determine guilt and penalty
Where this is the situation mark will be shown as 0 H in assessment board paperwork with the mark being held until the outcome is known.

23. FURTHER INFORMATION
The complete Academic Regulations can be accessed from the external examiners’ section on the Glynfo site of the University’s web site.
Link provided below:

24. ANY QUESTIONS?