TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION INSTITUTE OF PIRAEUS

MSc / Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Industrial and Manufacturing Systems

Student Handbook 2010

CONTENTS 1. 2. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 1 GENERAL INFORMATION ............................................................................................................ 3 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 3. Change of address ........................................................................................................... 3 Attendance and Progress ................................................................................................. 3 Messages for Staff ............................................................................................................ 3 Field Office ..................................................................................................................... 3 Equal Opportunities ........................................................................................................ 3

THE STUDENT AT TEI PIRAEUS .................................................................................................... 3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Welfare ........................................................................................................................... 3 3.1.1 Student Responsibility........................................................................... 3 3.1.2 TEI Responsibility ................................................................................. 3 Organising Your Work and Your Time ............................................................................. 4 The Library ..................................................................................................................... 4 Blackboard ..................................................................................................................... 4 Calculators to be Used in Examinations ............................................................................ 4

4. 5.

LABORATORY PRACTICE AND SAFETY ....................................................................................... 4 COURSE STRUCTURE AND ARRANGEMENTS .............................................................................. 4 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Course Structure and Curriculum .................................................................................... 4 Examinations .................................................................................................................. 5 Course Team ................................................................................................................... 5 Coursework .................................................................................................................... 6 5.4.1 Submission Dates................................................................................... 6 5.4.2 Penalty for Late Submission ................................................................... 6 5.4.3 Scale of Marking ................................................................................... 6 5.4.4 Plagiarism (Copying) and Cheating ....................................................... 7 Withdrawing from a Course ............................................................................................. 7 Course Management ....................................................................................................... 7

5.5 5.6 6.

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................. 8 6.1 6.2 Examination Regulations ................................................................................................. 8 Assessment and Awards ................................................................................................... 8 6.2.1 Award of Postgraduate Certificate in Engineering ................................... 9 6.2.2 Award of Postgraduate Certificate in a Named Field ............................... 9 6.2.3 Award of Postgraduate Diploma ............................................................ 9 6.2.4 Award of MSc ..................................................................................... 10 6.2.5 Failure or Reassessment ....................................................................... 11

7.

THE PROJECT ........................................................................................................................... 12

APPENDICES Appendix A ..................................................................................................................................... 15 MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES ................................................................................... 15 A B Absence ....................................................................................................................... 15 Mitigating Circumstances and Assessment ...................................................................... 15 B1 Personal Problems and Counselling ........................................................................... 15

B2 B3 B4 C

Personal and Family Circumstances ........................................................................... 16 Serious Illness ...................................................................................................... 16 Consideration of Mitigating Circumstances by an Examination Board and Review of an Examination Board Decision .................................................................. 16 Notes on Certification of Sickness Absence For Students ................................................. 16 C1 Absence Caused by Sickness .................................................................................... 16 C2 Medical Mitigating Circumstances and Assessment ........................................................ 17 C3 Minor Illness, Self Certification and Assessment ........................................................... 17 C4 Requests for a Review of an Assessment Board Decision (An Appeal) ................................... Based on Medical Evidence ..................................................................................... 18 EXAMINATION REGULATIONS .................................................................................... 19 A1 A2 Preamble.......................................................................................................... 19 Information for Candidates............................................................................... 19

Appendix B Appendix C

Support for Students with Disabilities and Dyslexia ........................................................ 23 Academic Misconduct ................................................................................................... 25

WELCOME
------------------------------------------------------

Welcome to TEI Piraeus we run this course in collaboration with Kingston University. Keep this handbook throughout your stay at TEI piraeus. It contains all the administrative and academic information that you will need and the current assessment regulations. We will not change these without informing you. The staff at TEI Piraeus, academic, technical and administrative hope that you will find your time with us a stimulating and rewarding experience. The course has been designed as a programme of studies that gives you the opportunity for career and professional development and we are keen that you derive maximum benefit from your efforts.

Dr. Constantinos Stergiou Associate Field Leader, TEI Piraeus Dr. Andy Lung - Field Leader, Kingston University Cathy Adams Manager, PG Courses, Kingston University March, 2010

1.

INTRODUCTION This Course and Study Guide has been compiled by the Course Team to provide you with a reference document about the Courses. This Course and Study Guide contains important information. Please read it and familiarise yourself with its contents The Associate Course Leader is responsible for the overall management of the course and is your first point of contact for most queries.

2. 2.1

GENERAL INFORMATION Change of Address You must report any change of address, temporary or permanent, to the Field Office.

2.2

Attendance and Progress If you are absent from the TEI for any reason during term-time, you must notify the Field Office, in writing, of the reason as soon as possible. If you are ill for more than one week you must supply a medical certificate when you return. Poor attendance will be noted on your file and will be considered, if relevant, at the Assessment Board.

2.3

Messages for Staff. You can leave written messages for staff with the secretaries in the Field Office.

2.4

Field Office The course office will be hosted by the Secretariat of the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the TEI Piraeus. Standard office hours are 1200 to 1700. In addition, members of the academic staff may hold office hours for consultation.

2.5

Equal Opportunities Full details are available from Kingston University.

3. 3.1

THE STUDENT AT TEI PIRAEUS Welfare The welfare of students on the course is the responsibility of both the student population and the TEI staff. Students may develop medical or other problems and as a consequence find starting or continuing the course difficult in this case you must contact the Associate Field Leader immediately.

3.1.1

Student Responsibility If you are absent from the TEI for any reason during term-time, you must notify the Associate Field Leader, in writing. If you are ill for more than one week you must supply a medical certificate when you return. Poor attendance will be noted on your file and will be considered, if relevant, at the Assessment Board meeting. You may be working for part of the course in groups. If a member of your group misses two sessions in a row, please let the Associate Field Leader/Module Leader know of the absence. It is important that such occurrences are followed up quickly before a problem develops or a disaster occurs. For full details about Mitigating Circumstance see the appendices.

3.1.2

TEI Responsibility The TEI has well-established Welfare provisions if you are experiencing problems then you must see the Associate Field Leader in the first instance so that details can be recorded and passed to the Assessment Board if necessary.

3.2

Organising Your Work and Your Time You will need to spend a considerable amount of time working on your own doing coursework, or studying for the examinations. The course is not the only activity in life, however, and it is important to balance your study with work and other commitments. Please remember however that it is up to you to plan and organise your work. Finally, if you find problems are developing, take action to remedy them earlier rather than later, and if you need help - ask.

3.3

The Library Students have access to the central Library of the TEI Piraeus and will also have access to Kingston University Library on-line resources.

3.4

Blackboard This is a Kingston University student centred system which can be accessed by all students on the courses. Handouts, timetables and other course materials and information will be placed on the system so that you can access it at any time.

3.5

Calculators to be used in examinations There has been concern that some students have been gaining unfair advantage in examinations (both open and closed book) by storing information illegally in advanced calculators/organisers. It is your responsibility to consult the Associate Field Leader to determine if your calculator is suitable to use in an examination.

4.

LABORATORY PRACTICE Some of the timetabled activities take place in the laboratories of the TEI and not in a classroom or lecture theatre. The laboratories selected for the programme all belong to the TERMINAL and COMPUTING type, where students and all staff may work alone with free or limited access (via a security system).

5. 5.1

COURSE STRUCTURE AND ARRANGEMENTS Course Structure and Curriculum All MSc / Postgraduate Diploma students must complete the following four core modules plus three field specific modules plus one option module, which can be selected from the other field or from a free standing module. Each module is worth 150 hours of student time, the taught part of the module is normally (30 hours) duration. MSc students are also required to complete an individual project which is equivalent to 4 modules (600 hours). MODULE NUMBER MNM101 MNM102 MNM103 MNM104 CORE MODULE TITLES

Industrial Systems and Management Finance Resources Management Information Systems Total Quality

MODULE NUMBER MNM201 MNM202 MNM311

CORE MODULE TITLES Advanced Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Integrated CAD/CAM Systems Industrial Project Management Robotics and Flexible Automation

MODULE NUMBER MNM 331 MNM412

OPTION MODULE TITLES Advanced CAD/CAM Systems Industrial Mechatronics Systems

Each module is assessed by coursework or by open note examination or a combination of the two. The project is assessed by an interim report, a seminar and a final report. 5.2 Examinations The examinations will be normally held during the 2nd Semester. 5.3 Course Team Field Leader (Kingston University) Associate Field Leader Project Co-ordinator Field Liaison Co-ordinator Module Leaders: MNM101 MNM102 MNM103 MNM104 MNM201 MNM202 MNM311 MNM331 MNM412 Project Supervisor: Dr. E. Kondili Dr. V. Filios Dr. G. Papadakis Dr. G. Besseris Dr. C. Stergiou Dr. G. Besseris Dr. G. Chamilothoris Dr. C. Stergiou Dr. G. Chamilothoris Dr. C. Stergiou andreas.papadakis@gmail.com besseris@teipir.gr csterg@teipir.gr besseris@teipir.gr thor@teipir.gr csterg@teipir.gr thor@teipir.gr csterg@teipir.gr ekondili@teipir.gr Dr. A. Lung Dr. C. Stergiou Dr. C. Stergiou Dr. A. Lung

5.4

Coursework Coursework is an essential part of the course.

5.4.1

Submission Dates All coursework will have a submission deadline and should be submitted on time. Coursework must be submitted in accordance with the recommended procedures specified by TEI. If there are good reasons for late submission, you should discuss them with the Associate Field Leader and confirm them in writing.

5.4.2

Penalty for Late Submission It has been agreed that the School will now adopt a standard policy for late coursework submission - all work submitted after the agreed due date will not be marked. This is very serious if the module is assessed by 100% assignment. Failure to submit coursework on time will normally mean failure of the module. PLEASE TAKE THIS WARNING VERY SERIOUSLY.

5.4.3

Scale of Marking Assessment of Modules The assessment of an individual module will be based on course work, examinations or a combination. In computing the final mark, students must attain a minimum of 30% of the marks available for each section. The assessment of a candidate's performance by the Assessment Board will be graded as in Table 6:

GRADES AND PERCENTAGE BANDS Letter grade A+ A A% Equivalent >84 75 - 84 70 - 74 Distinction level: if at least two thirds of the credit for the award is at this level B+ B B67 - 69 63-66 60 - 62 Commendation level: if at least two thirds of the credit for the award is at this level C+ C CF1 F F0 57 - 59 53 - 56 50 - 52 45 - 49 0 - 44 0 Pass Marginal Failure Failure Non submission / non attendance

Table 6
5.4.4 Plagiarism (copying) and Cheating The University takes a serious view of plagiarism - copying the work of others - whatever the form. Whilst studying on this course you will be encouraged to work with other students to discuss ideas and problems both in class and when undertaking your coursework/project. You must be careful however to distinguish between, copying and discussing ideas, all work submitted by you must be the result of your own efforts. If using quotations then you should be careful to incorporate them in quotation marks and in all cases you must give the reference either in the text or in footnotes. In any case a Bibliography must be included for all submitted coursework/project. Plagiarism is cheating and where it is detected all the work submitted will receive zero marks, since there is no way of distinguishing originals from copies. The student(s) involved will also be subject to University Procedures for the identification of Academic Misconduct and where proven the matter will be considered by the Assessment Board. This normally results in student(s) failing piece(s) of work(s) and in serious cases may result in exclusion from the University. For further information see Appendices 5.5 Withdrawing from a Course On withdrawing from the course the student should immediately notify the Associate Field Leader in writing. 5.6 Course Management The Field Leader (Kingston) reports to the Field Board and to the Head of School, Engineering, Kingston University and is responsible for the academic management of the course; including partner institutions, and course integration. The Associate Field Leader (TEI Piraeus) reports to the Associate Field Board and to the Field Board (Kingston University) and is responsible for the academic management of the course in association with the Field Leader Kingston University. The Associate Field Board (TEI Piraeus) reports to the Field Board (Kingston University) and acts as a forum for discussion of matters relating to the field(s); including the academic development and resources of the field(s). The Field Board is chaired by the Field Leader (Kingston University) and includes the Dean of Faculty (ex-officio), the Head of School or nominee, the Field Liaison Co-ordinator all Module Leaders, all staff associated with teaching on the course and all Project Supervisors. The Field Board meets at least once each semester. The Staff Student Consultative Committee (TEI Piraeus) reports to the Associate Field Board and acts as a forum for staff/student discussion on academic matters relating to the course. The Staff Student Consultative Committee is chaired by the Associate Field Leader and includes staff and students. The staff are nominated annually by the Associate Field Board. The students are elected annually by their peers and include part-time students and full-time students. The Staff Student Consultative Committee meets once each semester. Module Leader (TEI Piraeus) is appointed for each module. The Module Leader is responsible, in liaison with the Module Leader, (Kingston) and the Associate Field Leader, (TEI) for the management and academic standards of the module; including marking of coursework and/or examinations. Project Co-ordinator (TEI Piraeus) is appointed to overview all projects. The Co-ordinator will ensure that each student project has a project supervisor. Project Supervisor (TEI Piraeus) is appointed for each MSc Degree student. The Project Supervisor is responsible, in liaison with the Project Co-ordinator, for supervising the project, including the definition and marking of the project. The Project Supervisor acts as Personal Tutor.

Postgraduate Administrator (TEI Piraeus) is appointed for the course and liaises with the Associate Field Leader (TEI Piraeus) to arrange the administrative support for the course. The Assessment Boards are responsible to the Academic Boards since their responsibility is to judge the performance of students on the course and make recommendations to the Academic Board. The Assessment Boards consist of the Module Assessment Board which will be held at TEI Piraeus and the Programme Assessment Board which will be held at Kingston University. The Head of School (Kingston) or nominee is Chairman of the Boards and includes the Dean of Faculty (ex officio) or his nominee, the Field Leader, (Kingston), Associate Field Leader, (TEI Piraeus) all Module Leaders, (TEI Piraeus) all staff associated with teaching on the course (TEI Piraeus), all Project Supervisors (TEI Piraeus) and the External Examiners. The Manager PG Office (Kingston) is responsible for the overall administration for the courses at TEI Piraeus and Kingston and for liaising with TEI Piraeus on all matters concerning the courses. 6. 6.1 EXAMINATIONS AND ASSESSMENT Examination Regulations The examination regulations throughout the course will be in accordance with the prevailing Kingston University regulations. A copy of the relevant parts of the current regulations is given in Appendix A. Your attention is drawn to the beginning of the appendix. 6.2 Assessment and Awards For the courses, you should note that considerably more than half of the marks are derived from coursework.

The total credits for an MSc degree are:8 modules 1 project x 15 x 60 = = = 6.2.1 120 credits 60 credits 180 credits

Award of Postgraduate Certificate in Engineering Areas of Work The Postgraduate Certificate is assessed on the basis of the coursework and/or examinations: 1 A Postgraduate Certificate may be awarded when a student has a) passed or b) both passed and gained exemption from 4 taught modules which must be at Level M. The minimum grade required for a module to be passed is 'C'. For an individual module, that assessment requirements may include the need to pass specified elements within the overall assessment e.g. for presentation. 3 The Assessment Boards may exceptionally allow evidence of performance in other modules to compensate for failure. Compensation may only be applied to one marginal failure. Normally there can be no compensation for marginal failure in any module whose credit value is greater than 15 CATS. The Assessment Board may allow up to two failed modules (a maximum of 30 credits) to be reassessed on one occasion only.

6.2.2

Award of Postgraduate Certificate in a Named Field Areas of Work The Postgraduate Certificate is assessed on the basis of the coursework and/or examinations: 1 A Postgraduate Certificate may be awarded when a student has a) passed or b) both passed and gained exemption from 4 taught modules two of which must be field specific and at Level M. The minimum grade required for a module to be passed is 'C'. For an individual module, that assessment requirements may include the need to pass specified elements within the overall assessment e.g. for presentation. 3 The Assessment Boards may exceptionally allow evidence of performance in other modules to compensate for failure. Compensation may only be applied to one marginal failure. Normally there can be no compensation for marginal failure in any module whose credit value is greater than 15 CATS. The Assessment Board may allow up to two failed modules (a maximum of 30 credits) to be reassessed on one occasion only.

4 6.2.3

Award of Postgraduate Diploma Areas of Work The Diploma is assessed on the basis of the coursework or examinations: 1 A Postgraduate Diploma may be awarded when a student has a) passed or b) both passed and gained exemption from 8 modules which must be at Level M. The minimum grade required for a module to be passed is 'C. For an individual module, that assessment requirements may include the need to pass specified elements within the overall assessment. 3 The Assessment Boards may exceptionally allow evidence of performance in other modules to compensate for failure. Compensation may only be applied to one marginal failure. Normally there can be no compensation for marginal failure in any module whose credit value is greater than 15 CATS. The Assessment Board may allow up to four failed modules (a maximum of 60 credits) to be reassessed on one occasion only. A student who achieves a good overall performance in assessment normally typified by achieving a minimum score of 60% in at least two-thirds of the total credit required for the award will be eligible for consideration for the award of Postgraduate Diploma with Commendation. Two-thirds of the overall performance is normally typified by achieving a minimum score of 60% for 5 out of 8 modules. Students offered exemption from any module(s) must normally achieve a minimum score of 60% in at least two-thirds of the total remaining credit in order to be eligible for consideration of the award with Commendation. 6 A student who achieves an exceptional performance in assessment, normally typified by achieving a minimum score of 70% in at least two-thirds of the total credit required for the award will be eligible for consideration for the award of Postgraduate Diploma with Distinction.

Two-thirds of the overall performance is normally typified by achieving a minimum score of 70% for 5 out of 8 modules. Students offered exemption from any module(s) must normally achieve a minimum score of 70% in at least two-thirds of the total remaining credit in order to be eligible for consideration of the award with Distinction. 7 A student who is registered for the award of a Postgraduate Diploma but who either fails to achieve the requirements for the award within the permitted period of registration, following any reassessment which has been permitted, or withdraws before completing the course leading to the award, may be recommended for the award of a Postgraduate Certificate if the requirements above are satisfied.

6.2.4

Award of MSc Areas of Work The MSc is assessed on the basis of : the Coursework, Examination or a combination of the two and a Project dissertation. 1 A Masters degree may be awarded when a student has passed or gained exemption from 8 taught modules which must be at Level M and passed the project. The minimum grade required for a module to be passed is 'C'. For an individual module, that assessment requirements may include the need to pass specified elements within the overall assessment e.g. presentations. 3 The Assessment Boards may exceptionally allow evidence of performance in other modules to compensate for failure. Compensation may only be applied to two marginal failures. Normally there can be no compensation for marginal failure in any module whose credit value is greater than 15 CATS. The Assessment Board may allow up to six failed modules (a maximum of 90 credits) to be reassessed on one occasion only. A student who achieves a good overall performance in assessment normally typified by achieving a minimum score of 60% in at least two-thirds of the total credit required for the award will be eligible for consideration for the award of Masters degree with Commendation. Two-thirds of the overall performance is normally typified by achieving a minimum score of 60% for 8 out of 12 modules The award of Commendation will not normally be considered where the grade achieved in the Project is below commendation (60%). Students offered exemption from any module(s) must normally achieve a minimum score of 60% in at least two-thirds of the total remaining credit in order to be eligible for consideration of the award with Commendation. 6 A student who achieves an exceptional performance in assessment, normally typified by achieving a minimum score of 70% in at least two-thirds of the total credit required for the award will be eligible for consideration for the award of Masters degree with Distinction. Two-thirds of the overall performance is normally typified by achieving a minimum score of 70% for 8 out of 12 modules. The award with Distinction will not normally be considered where the grade achieved in the Project is below distinction (70%)

10

Students offered exemption from any module(s) must normally achieve a minimum score of 70% in at least two-thirds of the total remaining credit in order to be eligible for consideration of the award with Distinction. 7 A student who is registered for the award of a Master's degree but who either fails to achieve the requirements for the award within the permitted period of registration, following any reassessment which has been permitted, or withdraws before completing the course leading to the award, may be recommended for the award of a Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Diploma with Distinction or for the award of a Postgraduate Certificate if the requirements above are satisfied.

6.2.5

Failure or Reassessment Forms of Reassessment Retake: re-assessment within the academic year with no requirement to re-register for the module Repeat: re-assessment where the student is required to re-register to study the same module again Replace: re-assessment where the student is allowed to re-register to study and be assessed on a different module 1 A student has no automatic right of reassessment. When an Assessment Board agrees to allow a reassessment, the nature and timing of the reassessment will be at the discretion of the Board. If reassessment is permitted, it is restricted to one further opportunity i.e. a maximum of two assessment attempts in total. The form of the reassessment will be determined by the Assessment Board. The highest mark which may normally be recorded for a module for which reassessment has been undertaken is a pass 50% (C). In exceptional circumstances where it has not been, for reasons judged good and sufficient by the Assessment Boards, possible for a student to complete the requirements for an award, but the Board considers that the student would otherwise have achieved the appropriate standard for that award, the Board may recommend an aegrotat award. For details on mitigating circumstances see Appendix 1.

Core Modules: MODULE NUMBER EXAMINATIONS NO. MNM101 MNM102 MNM103 MNM104 MNM201 MNM202 MNM311 1 2 1 2 1 2 HRS. WEIGHTING % COURSE WORK 100% 50% 100% 50% 100% 100% 50% 50% 50% 50% EXAMS

11

Option Module MODULE NUMBER EXAMINATIONS NO. MNM331 MNM412 HRS. WEIGHTING % COURSE WORK 100% 100% EXAMS

7.

THE PROJECT A separate Project Guide will be issued. It should be noted that the title of the award is differentiated by the nature of the project which is undertaken.

12

APPENDICES

13

Appendix A Mitigating Circumstances ABSENCE AND MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES IN ASSESSMENT A ABSENCE The University tracks the attendance of students for a number of reasons, for example to meet the requirements of local education authorities and to monitor reasons for poor performance. The University expects you to attend all course related activities unless you have good reason for absence. The procedures to follow in case of absence caused by illness are detailed in section C below. If you are absent for other reasons (e.g.. personal circumstances, family responsibilities etc.) for more than one day you should inform your course office by means of a brief note. This note will be placed in your file. Such simple notification of absence will not under any circumstance be admissible as evidence of mitigating circumstances for allowance in assessment. As described in the next section (B), you are required to make a positive claim for allowance in assessment, normally supported by appropriate evidence. B MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES AND ASSESSMENT The University defines mitigating circumstances that will be taken into account by examination boards in considering your performance in assessment as follows: mitigating circumstances which will be considered by an assessment board are those of a serious nature, usually sudden or unforeseen, which occurred during or immediately before a specific item or period of assessment. In general mitigating circumstances are likely to fall into three broad categories: personal problems and counselling; personal and family circumstances, and serious illness. It is recognised that these three categories may overlap, but you should note that for whatever reason you are claiming mitigating circumstances in assessment the key parts of the definition above will be applied; serious, sudden or unforeseen and during or immediately before a specific item or period of assessment. Mitigating circumstances can only be considered if you are prepared to formally disclose them (see below). B1 PERSONAL PROBLEMS AND COUNSELLING B1.1 If you have evidence of personal problems, including those that require professional advice and counselling, that you believe fall within the definition of mitigating circumstances you should supply the evidence formally, in writing, to your course office*. You may submit the evidence via an academic tutor who is assigned to look after you (e.g. Course Leader, year tutor or personal tutor). It is, however, your responsibility to ensure that receipt of evidence of mitigating circumstances for the attention of the examination board has been recorded in your course office and date stamped. It is always likely to be helpful to discuss your problems with an academic tutor before submitting formal evidence in order to gain advice as to whether the problems are likely to be admissible as a mitigating circumstance. (An informal discussion with an academic tutor alone without a written case will not be considered by an examination board). You have the right to submit a case regardless of any advice received from an academic tutor. You should note that evidence can only be considered by an examination board if you are prepared to disclose it in writing and that evidence provided retrospectively cannot be considered except in exceptional circumstances (see also 4 below). It is, therefore, your responsibility to provide the necessary formal written evidence. However, every effort will be made to keep sensitive information as confidential as possible and you should discuss any concerns you may have with your designated academic tutor. If the information is of a highly confidential nature, you may ask the chair of the assessment board to restrict its disclosure. If he/she agrees, only the external examiner(s) and Course Leader and/or Associate Field Leader will be informed of the details. Normally you will be expected to provide evidence from a professional advisor or counsellor in support of your case. You should, however, note that advisors and counsellors will not normally provide evidence on demand. They will use their professional judgement in

B1.2

B1.3

14

determining whether your problems might affect performance in assessment. Information will only be provided to academic tutors with your permission. (*Note: Your submission must clearly indicate that it relates to mitigating circumstances for consideration by an assessment board and indicate your name, course, year and student ID number). B2 PERSONAL AND FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES B2.1 The University acknowledges that occasionally performance in assessment might be affected by serious events in your personal and family life (an example might be the death of a very close relative). If you believe that any personal or family circumstances fall within the definition of mitigating circumstances you should make a formal written submission to your course office*. You should note that the guidance given in B1.1 and B1.2 above concerning personal problems and counselling apply equally to personal and family circumstances. You are not required to supply independent evidence with your submission in the first instance, although in some circumstances this may be requested at a later stage. (*Note: Your submission must clearly indicate that it relates to mitigating circumstances for consideration by an examination board and indicate your name, course, year and student ID number). B3 SERIOUS ILLNESS B3.1 The procedures for claiming mitigating circumstances as a result of serious illness are detailed in C below. It is important that you read and understand the procedures and the distinction the University makes between minor and major illness. Only very exceptionally will minor illness result in allowance being given in assessment and this will be handled by your tutors and not referred to an examination board as a mitigating circumstance. Only evidence of serious illness will be considered by an examination board. This is explained fully in C.

B2.2

B2.3

B4

CONSIDERATION OF MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES BY AN EXAMINATION BOARD AND REVIEW OF AN EXAMINATION BOARD DECISION B4.1 Examination boards will consider each case of mitigating circumstances on merit. Allowance will not be made automatically because a case has been received. An examination board will exercise its academic judgement as to whether or not the circumstances described by a student have affected performance in assessment and will act accordingly. Disagreement by a student with the academic judgement of an examination board does not constitute grounds for a subsequent request for a review of an examination board decision ('appeal')* You are required to provide any evidence of mitigating circumstances in advance of the examination board meeting. If you choose not to submit evidence you know of, you cannot subsequently, except under very exceptional circumstances, use the lack of submission as grounds to request a review of an examination board decision*. *Note: for further information you are referred to "Information for Candidates" which is issued to all students and contains information on the grounds and procedures for requesting a review.

B4.2

C C1

NOTES ON CERTIFICATION OF SICKNESS ABSENCE FOR STUDENTS ABSENCE CAUSED BY SICKNESS C1.1 If you are unable to attend because of illness you are required to notify your course office in the following ways:

15

full-time students should always use the "certification of sickness absence for students" form* regardless of whether the illness is "minor" (self-certification) or more serious (recurring, continuing or chronic illness including that which requires seven days absence or more); part-time students should always inform their course office of periods of absence caused by minor illness (see below) by telephone or post and should always submit the "certification of sickness absence for students" form* for more serious illnesses that might be considered as mitigating circumstances; all students are required to submit the "certification of sickness absence for students" form* to their course office if they are requesting medical evidence to be considered either for allowance in assessment by self-certification or as mitigating circumstances to be considered by an examination board.

Note: the University makes a clear distinction between "minor" illness which is only considered in its effect on assessment in exceptional circumstances and more serious illness which may constitute evidence of "mitigating circumstances". This is explained more fully below. C2 MEDICAL MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES AND ASSESSMENT C2.1 In the case of medical mitigating circumstances*, certificates and formal letters from a qualified medical practitioner will be considered only if one or more of the following conditions are met: you have consulted a qualified medical practitioner during the course of the illness for which you are claiming mitigating circumstances and requesting a certificate/letter; in the case of recurring, continuing and chronic illness, you must have sought advice or treatment prior to the request for a certificate/letter; in the professional opinion of the person issuing the certificate/letter, the illness/consequence of an accident has affected your ability to study to a considerable extent (including any recommendation that you should take leave from the University normally, for seven days or more, or less in the case of some serious illnesses).

C2.2

If the conditions at C2.1 are met, the practitioners in the University Health Centre will provide a certificate indicating the nature of your illness and a professional opinion of its effect on your ability to study/undertake assessment (the information provided is supplied "without prejudice" and if you decide to submit it to the University, you will be regarded as formally agreeing to the release of information under the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988). If the conditions in C2.1 are not met (including absence caused by minor illness of less than seven days), a certificate/letter will not be issued. If you are a registered patient with a medical practice other than the University Health Centre, it is your responsibility to request that any certificate/letter issued provides the information necessary to judge that the criteria 2(ii) are met. Some medical practices may be prepared to provide certificates for minor illnesses and periods of absence of less than seven days. These will not, however, be admissible as evidence of mitigating circumstances, neither are they required for self-certification of minor illness (see below).

C2.3

C3

MINOR ILLNESS, SELF CERTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT C3.1 It is impossible for a medical practitioner to judge, either at the time of illness or retrospectively, what effect minor illnesses such as colds, minor coughs, hayfever, headaches, minor stomach upsets (including short episodes of diarrhoea and vomiting) etc., may have had on your work. The University Health Centre does not, therefore, issue certificates for minor illnesses, including any that lead to an absence of up to seven days. The Health Centre would not normally expect to see you for a minor illness, but accepts that any patient with a serious concern about a health problem should seek an appointment/arrange for a visit. This may or 16

C3.2

may not result in the issuing of a certificate depending on whether the criteria in C2.1 are met. If you are registered with another medical practice, you are not required to obtain a certificate for minor illness and/or absence of less than seven days unless caused by serious illness and self-certificated evidence will be considered in the same way as it is for students registered within the University Health Service. Note: It is clear that medical practitioners cannot give any useful information in medical certificates issued retrospectively relating to minor illness nor make a judgement on the effect of such illnesses. Appointments made merely to obtain certificates in such cases divert resources from people who have a real medical need. C3.3 Under no circumstances will any evidence of minor illness notified by self-certification be admissible as mitigating circumstances to be considered by an examination board. Minor illnesses notified by self-certification will not be accepted as a reason for late submission of work by your academic tutors. Also, minor illness notified by self-certification will only exceptionally be considered by your academic tutors as affecting performance in assessment or as a reason for missing an assessment event such as a test or examination. If you believe that you have very convincing reasons for a minor illness having affected your performance in an assessment or having prevented attendance, you should complete section C5 of the form. However, you should note that a submission under C5 should be a very rare occurrence and that the form must be submitted within two working days of the end of the illness. Your academic tutors have the right to decide whether to make any allowance or arrangements resulting from any claim by self-certification. You should also note that if you make more than two claims relating to in-course assessments during an academic year you may be required to provide additional evidence, usually that you have consulted a medical practitioner. The University Health Centre will, under such circumstances, confirm attendance and date of attendance at the Centre and any other factual information that is relevant, but will not offer opinion. In a similar way, only factual information will be accepted from other medical practitioners. On the first occasion that you miss a formal University examination and selfcertificate, the University reserves the right to seek such evidence. As noted above, on the rare occasions that allowance in assessment is made as a result of selfcertification, this will be a matter for your academic tutors. Your only right of appeal is to the chairman of your examination board who will reach a decision based on his/her knowledge of consistent treatment of comparable cases. You should note that: allowance is not normally made in assessment for minor illness; it is normally impossible to rearrange in-course assessment events and even where self-certification evidence is accepted by academic tutors the outcome may disadvantage you in some way; the best that you can expect, if self-certificated evidence is accepted with respect to an examination, is to be allowed to take the examination on the next occasion that it is set as if for the first time (if your evidence is not accepted, the absence will be recorded as a fail). you are normally required to demonstrate that you can pass assessments and so there are limits to any allowance that can be made.

C3.4

C3.5

C3.6

C3.7

C4

REQUESTS FOR A REVIEW OF AN ASSESSMENT BOARD DECISION (AN "APPEAL") BASED ON MEDICAL EVIDENCE C4.1 As should be clear from the above evidence of minor illness and its effect, assessment must be submitted within two working days of the end of the illness. Under no circumstances will later submission of minor illness constitute grounds for the request of a review of an examination board, neither will dispute of the decision of academic tutors and the chairman of an examination on whether allowance for minor illness is given. Medical evidence of mitigating circumstances (formal evidence from a qualified medical practitioner of recurring, continuing or chronic illness and illness that necessitates seven days 17

C4.2

or more absence from the University) must be submitted prior to the meeting of the relevant examination board. Evidence presented after the date of an examination board meeting will only constitute grounds for the request of a review of an examination board decision if the University judges that there are valid reasons for previous non-disclosure. Note: full details of the "appeals" process are separately published for the information of all students in the leaflet "Information for Candidates". Examination Regulations A1 Preamble Sections E2 and E3 contains Procedure Note C - Information to Candidates and an extract from Appendix 1 to this note. These contain advice and information regarding examinations and assessments organised by Kingston University. You should read them with care. In particular, your attention is drawn to Section 8.1 (f) of the Appendix under Role and Responsibilities of Students : The Academic Board requires students who are candidates for assessment to provide the Examinations Board, through the Course Leader or Field Leader, in advance of the Assessment Board Meeting, with any relevant information on personal or documented medical circumstances which may have affected their performance and which they may wish the Examiners to take into account; this information may remain restricted information. Candidates choosing not to raise items they know of, cannot subsequently use the lack of that evidence as grounds to request a review of an Examination Board decision. If you suffer from an illness or any other difficulties you should make the School or Welfare aware of this as soon as possible in writing. A2 Information for Candidates INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES 1. INTRODUCTION This leaflet contains advice and information regarding the examinations and assessments organised by Kingston University. THESE NOTES SHOULD BE READ WITH CARE BY ALL CANDIDATES. Some students will not be assessed by examination. in which case Sections 3. 4 and 5 below will not apply to you. However your School will issue details of coursework, project or shows and crits, and you should follow any such instructions very carefully. 2. ASSESSMENT REGULATIONS The details of the assessment requirements for each course are shown in the Programme Specification and you should receive a copy of the assessment requirements which apply to you from your Module Leader. The regulations governing your assessment are those of the University. 3. 3.1 BEFORE THE EXAMINATION It is your own responsibility to ascertain the date(s) of examinations and to be available in the University to sit them on the scheduled date. 18

3.3

Details of the EXACT date. time and place for each examination will be announced well in advance of the actual time. You should NOT bring into the examination room rough paper. correcting fluids. mathematical tables (unless specifically required to do so). files. dictionaries or any unauthorised books. manuscripts or aids. Mathematical tables and other aids of this nature together with ALL necessary stationery will be provided by the TEI. Calculators (not requiring a main supply) unless specifically restricted or prohibited will be permitted according to current University regulations. Regulations for the use of calculators will be regularly reviewed and issued as an addendum to these regulations.

4. 4.1

DURING THE EXAMINATION You must observe the Regulations for the Conduct of Examinations which is attached at Appendix 1 of this document. The Invigilators in the examination room are there to help you. Ask them if you are not sure about any rule or aspect of exam conduct. The Chief Invigilator will make an announcement starting the examination. You should LISTEN TO ANY ANNOUNCEMENT the Chief Invigilator makes -it may be a correction to one of your questions. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND DATA PROTECTION REVIEW OF AN EXAMINATION BOARD DECISION Most discontent at assessments and their consequences appears to stem from disappointment, worry, misunderstanding or the incredulity of injured pride, without any real analysis of whether there is any true basis for the feeling of grievance. To the layman it appears legitimate to request a different opinion on the judgement made by a Assessment Board by applying to a higher authority to rectify a perceived injustice or to reverse a decision interpreted as incorrect; in medical terminology a request is made for a "second opinion'. In the educational world the checks and balances have already been built into the judgement process. Many candidates are not aware that decisions have been taken by consensus of a large group of examiners forming the Assessment Board including academics from within and outside the Institution. Many are unaware of the systems of double marking and external moderation, believing an arbitrary decision by one staff member has controlled their result. Some have not appreciated that the role of External Examiners as outside experts already deals with the request for an unbiased "second opinion'. If you are unhappy with decisions reached on you by a Course Assessment Board, you should, in the first instance discuss the matter with your Associate Field Leader. This may set your mind at rest. The University has specific Regulations covering a request for a review of a Course Assessment Board decision. The grounds for review are specific and relate SOLELY to procedural deficiencies in the examination or assessment process. Simply being disappointed and wanting a second opinion, or disbelieving the academic judgement made in your case, are not grounds for a review. If you have withheld information to retain your privacy before an Assessment Board meeting and then discover you have done worse than you expected, it is also not grounds for a review to then claim that relevant evidence was missing and expect the Examination Board to reconsider your case. 19

4.5 4.6

6. 7. 7.1

7.2

7.3

7.4

For further details and advice on the formal procedure to be followed in requesting a review of an Examination Board decision, contact the Academic Registrar at the University's Penrhyn Road Centre. It is important that you do this soon after your results are known as a request must be lodged within 3 months of the date of the Examination Board, otherwise it is too late for action to be taken. 7.5 Students who have a serious complaint about the standard of their course or its conduct, should raise the matter initially through their Staff Student Consultative Committee and the Field Board of Study. Where this process does not resolve the issue, the University has a procedure for the consideration of student grievance. A copy of the procedure is available from the Dean of Students at Kingston University.

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Appendix B
Support for Students with Disabilities and Dyslexia If you have a disability and require support while you are at TEI Piraeus, please contact the Associate Field Leader in the first instance who can refer you for the appropriate support. Full details of the support services and facilities available are also given in the University Disability Statement which is available from the Disability Advisor or online at www.kingston.ac.uk/disability

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Appendix C
ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT ANNEX 2 Extract taken from the Regulations and Procedures Governing the Awards of Kingston University, E6 Policy on Academic Misconduct At its meeting on 7 December 1994, the Academic Board approved the following policy statement: 1. 2. The University views academic misconduct very seriously. Cases are investigated under the Procedures for the Identification of Academic Misconduct. Advice on precedence and procedures is obtained from the Clerk to the Academic Board. 3. Pieces of work submitted for assessment which are the subject of proven academic misconduct will be considered by the Examination Board, the marks achieved discounted and a fail mark recorded automatically, unless there are very exceptional circumstances where the Board may be permitted to use discretion. 4. The Examination Board will then use its normal discretion in the light of the seriousness of the offence to decide the consequences for the students, e.g. allow resit of specific assessment, allow resit of whole diet, not allow resit and exclude the student on grounds of academic misconduct. The discretion of the Examination Board is absolute in this matter and overrides rights of students to resit within respective course assessment regulations. 5. Exclusion will normally be under the powers of Examination Boards provided within the General and Academic University Regulations and the Assessment Procedures and not under the Student Disciplinary arrangements. The Student Disciplinary arrangements will be used in special circumstances, e.g. if the process has brought the good name of the University into disrepute, or criminal proceedings are involved.

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ANNEX 3 Procedures for the Identification of Academic Misconduct 1. Definition Academic misconduct is defined as any attempt to gain an unfair advantage in examinations and assessments, or to gain a higher grade by fraudulent means. Examples of academic misconduct are cheating, falsifying data, plagiarism, collusion, bribery or attempted bribery. a) Plagiarism is, for example, when a student represents another person's work as his/her own without acknowledgement of its sources. b) Falsifying Data is, for example, the presentation of data in laboratory reports, projects etc., based on experimental work purported to have been carried out by the student but which was incomplete or has not taken place. c) Collusion is, for example, the representation of a piece of unauthorised group work as the work of a single candidate. d) Cheating including taking "crib" notes or any unauthorised materials into examinations, obtaining an advanced copy of an "unseen" examination paper, communication or trying to communicate in any way with another candidate during an examination and copying from another candidate in an examination or course work. e) Personatation is where another person sits the examination in place of the actual candidate. f) Bribery is, for example, paying or offering inducements to someone to give a candidate an advance copy of an "unseen" examination paper or attempting to do so. A student who aids and abets a fellow candidate to commit academic misconduct e.g. by allowing his/her work to be plagiarised or by taking an examination for a fellow candidate, is also committing academic misconduct and may jeopardise their own position, and will also be in breach of the Code of Conduct for Students.

Citing Acknowledgements In general, the three most usual cases where one needs to acknowledge a source are: 1) 2) When quoting word for word from the source, in which case the quotation must be included in inverted commas When you are paraphrasing something that you have read i.e. you are expressing it in your own words 3) When you are utilising a piece of code written by someone else

In the third case, you should state clearly in the header the source of the sections of code that you have utilised and by the used of comments within the body of the code indicate the relevant sections. Cases 1 & 2 see illustration below:

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Somerville [1], in discussing problem specifications, identifies the following as on the reasons why it is almost impossible to be definitive: 'Large software systems are usually required to improve upon the status quo where either no system or an inadequate system is in place. Although difficulties with the current system may be known, it is hard to anticipate what effects the 'improved' system is likely to have on an organisation'. Other reasons he identifies for the problems are the fact that large systems tend to have many users who have conflicting system requirements, and also that the people who pay for the system are rarely themselves users of it so are likely to conform more with budgetary restrictions and will have little interest if this conflicts with the actual user requirements. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] Somerville I. (1992): Software Engineering (4th edition); pp 48-49: Addison-Wesley. You will see that the above example contains both a verbatim quote and also some paraphrasing. Often your piece of work will contain more than one acknowledgement in which case ascending numbers are used to identify the different sources.

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