Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 1
BUSINESS SCHOOL ENGLAND
Manual of General Regulations
2021
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 2
Table of Contents
• Regulatory Framework and Governance
• Introduction - Degree Awarding Powers
• Part 1 - Descriptions of our Awards
• Part 2 - Admission of Students
• Part 3 - Academic Regulations
• Part 4 - Programmes of study: aims, structure and other information for students
• Part 5 - Assessment of students
• Part 6 - Extenuating Circumstances for Undergraduate programmes
• Part 6a - Extenuating Circumstances for Postgraduate programmes
• Part 7 -Appeals against Assessment Board decisions
• Part 8 - Academic Misconduct
• Part 9 - Research Degrees
• Part 10 - Conferment of Awards
• Part 11 - Responsibilities of students
• Part 12 - Student Disciplinary Regulations and Procedures (student code of conduct)
• Part 13 - Suitability Procedure
• Part 14 - Complaints Procedure
• Part 15 - Freedom of Speech
• Part 16 – Assuring Higher Education Quality During and Proceeding Covid-19
Appendices
• Appendix 1 – Awards
• Appendix 2 – Undergraduate assessment board terms of reference
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 3
Regulatory Framework and Governance
Regulatory Framework
The regulatory framework is intended to ensure that:
The aims set out in our mission statement are pursued effectively
There is public confidence in the quality of our programmes and scholarship, and in the
standards of our academic awards
Students and staff have a robust framework for the management of academic award
programmes
The framework is also flexible in design. This means that we can respond to the changes in
OfS guidance and society while safeguarding Business School England.
school Governance
The school’s Board of Directors (The Council), Academic Board and the Leadership Team
oversee the education character, organisation and function of Business School of England.
(1) The school’s Board of Directors are legally responsible for determining the educational
character and mission of the school and for overseeing its activities.
(2) The school’s Academic Board is the primary academic authority within Business School
England. In particular, it considers and advises the Council on matters relating to
validated degrees, research degree articulations and awarding taught degrees.
(3) The school Leadership Team, under the leadership of the Principal, is the school’s
senior management team with responsibility for organising, directing and managing the
academic and academic-related functions of school.
Council/Board of
Directors
Academic Board
Audit
Committee
Remuneration &
General
Committee
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The following key documents guide the governance of Business School of England:
1. The school’s Articles of Association
This establish the key facets of school governance of the Academic Board. View document
2. Constitution and Governance Framework
3. Code of Governance
4. Regulations of the Academic Board
These set out the structure adopted by the school and the powers and responsibilities
delegated to the Academic Board by the Board of Directors as the academic authority of
the school. The Academic Board is responsible for implementing the Manual of General
Regulations.
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1 Degree Awarding Powers
1.1 - A UK degree can be awarded only by an authorised degree awarding body (typically a
university) which has overall responsibility for the standard and quality of the
qualification. This applies even if all or part of the course is provided by a separate
college or organisation. The Privy Council (a formal body of advisers to the Queen) is
responsible for decisions about Degree Awarding Powers for UK institutions, with the
exception of institutions in England that applied after 1 April 2018, for whom this
responsibility rests with the Office for Students.
1.2 - The power to grant awards extends to the authorising of institutions to do so on
behalf of a university. The school may deliver awards when authorised by a partnering
university. The regulations that apply will be those of the school or the partner, by
agreement with the partner. As stated in Part 10, section 1.1 of these Regulations, no
award can be conferred without the authority of the school’s Academic Board and
university partner.
1.3 - The Higher Education and Research Act 2017 gave the OfS the power to authorise the
use of the word ‘university’ in, or by reference to, an English registered higher education
provider’s name from 1 April 2019.
1.4 - The Business School of England offers its programmes through a validating University
with degree awarding powers until the school is granted Taught Degree Awarding Powers.
2 - Quality Assurance
2.1 - Our school has in place a quality assurance system designed to assure the quality and
standards of its programmes of study.
2.2 - The quality assurance procedures governing the validation, review and monitoring of
programmes of study, and the maintenance of academic standards, are set out in the
Quality Manual.
2.3 - Our school may enter into a range of collaborative partnerships for the delivery of
programmes of study. The range and nature of these partnerships are defined in the
Quality Manual.
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Part 1 Descriptions of our school’s Awards
1 General
1.1 Our school's awards are defined in terms of the knowledge and skills that a typical
holder of the award can be expected to possess. The school has also adopted a
credit framework which defines programmes in terms of the number of credits
achieved at a given level. These definitions are intended to ensure that standards
are comparable with those in other UK institutions and the EU. Please see Part 3
Academic Regulations.
1.2 In addition to programme-specific aims (as defined in programme specifications), all
programmes must incorporate general educational aims. These are defined in the
Quality Criteria in the Quality Manual and are subject to review.
2 Modes of study and duration
2.1 Programmes of study may be offered in full-time, sandwich, block-release, or part-
time modes of attendance, as appropriate, or through distance and open learning.
2.2 Full-time programmes
Full-time programmes, and the school-based stages of sandwich programmes, are designed
in the expectation that students are available for attendance, at our school or
elsewhere according to the requirements of the programme, at any time within the
duration of the programme. Alternatively, in modular programmes, attendance
may be defined as full-time in terms of enrolment on a number of modules
exceeding a specified minimum.
2.3 Sandwich programmes
(a) A programme of study approved as leading to an award in the sandwich mode must
include not less than 36 weeks of supervised work experience in addition to the period for
the full-time award, except that for the award of BA in the field of art and design the
period must be not less than three months and not more than twelve months in a four-year
programme.
(b) The period of supervised work experience must form a compulsory element of
the programme of study; its objectives must be specified and related to the
objectives of the whole programme; the performance of students must be
assessed; and satisfactory completion of and performance in the period of
supervised work experience must be a requirement for the award.
(c) The fact that a programme was pursued in the sandwich mode will be recorded
on the award certificate.
(d) Our school will normally make available an alternative full-time award on
sandwich programmes, to be awarded to students who are unable, for valid
reasons, to undertake the sandwich element.
2.4 Block-release
Block-release programmes are normally intended for students in employment and require
a number of short periods of full-time attendance (typically 1-2 weeks).
2.5 Part-time programmes
Part-time programmes are normally structured so as to require attendance at our school
on not more than two days per week. Alternatively, in modular programmes, part-
time attendance may be defined in terms of enrolment on a number of modules not
exceeding a specified maximum.
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2.6 Distance and open learning
Distance and open learning: open learning is the provision of all or some of a programme
or module by means of supported study using a variety of instructional media which
facilitate independent learning undertaken either at our school or at a distance
from it.
3 Academic framework
3.1 In order to ensure comparability of its awards both within school and with other
institutions, and to facilitate transfer between programmes, our school has
adopted an academic framework for its taught programmes which enables them to
be defined in terms of the amount of study successfully completed at a given level.
The regulations are set out in Part 3 of this Manual.
3.2 The Academic Framework provides the award classification for unclassified degrees
and honours degrees at undergraduate level, for all level 7 awards and for D level or level
8 awards including taught elements (see Part 3 of this Manual).
4 Title and scope of introductory awards at level 3
4.1 The following learning outcomes apply to all awards at level 3. A student who gains an
award at level 3 will normally be expected to be able to:
• demonstrate a basic knowledge of the underlying concepts and principles
associated with their area(s) of study
• interpret underlying concepts and principles within the context of their area(s) of
study
• present and interpret basic qualitative and quantitative data in simple and
familiar settings
• develop basic lines of argument in accordance with the theories and concepts of
their subject(s) of study;
• apply given approaches to solving problems related to their area(s) of study
and/or work
• demonstrate a basic ability to evaluate the appropriateness of different
approaches to problem solving
• develop key skills within a structured and managed environment and with
external evaluation;
• demonstrate the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment
requiring the exercise of some personal responsibility.
4.2 Undergraduate Associate Certificate
A student who is awarded an Undergraduate Associate Certificate will be expected to
achieve learning outcomes that match some or all of those listed in 4.1 above. The
minimum requirement for the award will be 20 credits at level 3 or above. The
school Undergraduate Associate Certificate will be an unnamed award.
4.3 Undergraduate Certificate
A student who is awarded an Undergraduate Certificate will be expected to achieve
learning outcomes that match all of those listed in 4.1 above. The minimum requirement
for the award will be 40 credits at level 3 or above. The Undergraduate Certificate will be
an unnamed award.
4.4 school Certificate (Cert)
A student who is awarded an school Certificate will be expected to achieve learning
outcomes that match all of those listed in 4.1 above. The minimum requirement for the
award will be 40 credits at level 3 or above. The programme is offered as an introduction
at higher education level to an academic field. An school Certificate may be awarded with
distinction if appropriate and if the programme specification so provides.
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5 Title and scope of undergraduate awards at level 4
5.1 The following learning outcomes apply to all awards at level 4. A student who gains an
award at level 4 will normally be expected to be able to:
• demonstrate knowledge of the underlying concepts and principles associated with
their area(s) of study
• evaluate and interpret underlying concepts and principles within the context of
their area(s) of study;
• present, evaluate and interpret qualitative and quantitative data;
• develop lines of argument and make sound judgements in accordance with basic
theories and concepts of their subject(s) of study;
• evaluate the appropriateness of different approaches to solving problems related
to their area(s) of study and/or work;
• undertake further training and develop new skills within a structured and
managed environment;
• demonstrate the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment
requiring the exercise of some personal responsibility.
5.2 Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE)
A student who is awarded a Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE) will be
expected to achieve learning outcomes that match all of those listed in 5.1 above.
The minimum requirement for the award will be 120 credits at level 4 or above. A
Certificate of Higher Education may be awarded with distinction if the programme
specification so provides.
5.3 Certificate in Education (CertEd)
A student who is awarded a Certificate in Education will be expected to achieve
learning outcomes that match all of those listed in 5.1 above and to have
demonstrated a practical competence in teaching. The minimum requirement for
the award will be 120 credits at level 4 or above. A Certificate in Education may be
awarded with distinction if the programme specification so provides.
6 Title and scope of undergraduate awards at level 5
6.1 The following learning outcomes apply to all awards at Level 5. A student who gains an
award at level 5 will normally be expected to be able to
• demonstrate a critical understanding of the well-established principles of their
area(s) of study, and of the way in which those principles have been
developed;
• apply underlying concepts and principles outside the context in which they were
first studied including, where appropriate, the application of those
principles in an employment context;
• demonstrate knowledge of the main methods of enquiry in their subject(s)
• evaluate critically the appropriateness of different approaches to solving
problems in their field of study;
• demonstrate an understanding of the limits of their knowledge and how this
influences analyses and interpretations based on that knowledge;
• use a range of established techniques to initiate and undertake critical analysis of
information, and to propose solutions to problems arising from that analysis;
• communicate information, arguments, and analysis in a variety of forms to
specialist and non-specialist audiences, and deploy key techniques of the
discipline effectively;
• undertake further training, develop existing skills, and acquire new competences
that enable them to assume significant responsibility with organisations
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• demonstrate the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment
requiring the exercise of personal responsibility and decision making.
6.2 school Diploma (Dip)
A student who is awarded an school Diploma will be expected to achieve learning
outcomes that match some or all of those listed in 6.1 above. The minimum
requirement for the award will be 80 credits at level 5 or above. A Diploma may be
awarded with distinction if the programme specification so provides.
6.3 Diploma in Higher Education (DipHE)
A student who is awarded a Diploma in Higher Education will be expected to
achieve all the learning outcomes listed in 6.1 above. The minimum requirement
for the award will be 240 credits of which 120 must be at level 4 or higher and 120
must be at level 5 or higher. A Diploma of Higher Education may be awarded with
distinction if the programme specification so provides.
7 Title and scope of undergraduate awards at level 6
7.1 The following learning outcomes relate to all awards at level 6. A student who gains an
award at level 6 will normally be expected to be able to:
• demonstrate a systematic understanding of key aspects of their field of study,
including acquisition of coherent and detailed knowledge, at least some of
which is at, or informed by, the forefront of defined aspects of a discipline;
• deploy accurately established techniques of analysis and enquiry within a
discipline;
• demonstrate a conceptual understanding that enables the student to devise and
sustain arguments, and/or solve problems, using ideas and techniques,
some of which are at the forefront of a discipline;
• describe and comment upon particular aspects of current research, or equivalent
advanced scholarship, in the discipline;
• demonstrate an appreciation of the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of
knowledge;
• manage their own learning, and make use of scholarly reviews and primary
sources;
• apply the methods and techniques that they have learned to review, consolidate,
extend and apply their knowledge and understanding, and to initiate and
carry out projects;
• critically evaluate arguments, assumptions, abstract concepts and data (that may
be incomplete); to formulate judgements, and to frame appropriate
questions to achieve a solution, or identify a range of solutions, to a
problem;
• communicate information, ideas, problems, and solutions to both specialist and
non-specialist audiences;
• demonstrate the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment
requiring the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility, decision
making in complex and unpredictable contexts and the learning ability
needed to undertake appropriate further training of a professional or
equivalent nature.
7.2 Graduate Certificate or Diploma (Grad Cert or Grad Dip)
A student who is awarded a Graduate Certificate or Diploma will be expected to achieve
learning outcomes that match some or all of those listed in 7.1 above. The
minimum requirement for the award of a Graduate Certificate will be 40 credits at
level 6 or above. The minimum requirement for a Graduate Diploma will be 80
credits at level 6 or above. A Graduate Certificate or Diploma may be awarded
with merit or distinction.
7.2.1 Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)
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A student who is awarded a Graduate Diploma in Law will be expected to
achieve learning outcomes which match some or all of those listed in 7.1
above. The minimum requirements for the award of a Graduate Diploma in
Law will be 180 credits, at least 80 credits of which will be at level 6 or
above. A student must have passed the Diploma in accordance with the
rules of the Joint Academic Stage Board of the Law Society and Bar Council
and will be awarded a distinction, commendation or a pass in accordance
with these rules.
7.3 Ordinary Bachelor's Degree
A student who is awarded an Ordinary Bachelor's Degree will be expected to
achieve learning outcomes that match all of those listed in 7.1 above. The
minimum requirement for the award will be 300 credits including a minimum of 120
credits at level 4 or higher; a minimum of 120 credits at level 5 or higher; and a
minimum of 60 credits at level 6 or higher. An Ordinary Bachelor's Degree may be
awarded with merit or distinction.
(* The word "unclassified" does not appear on the degree certificate)
7.4 Bachelor’s Degree with Honours
7.4.1 The Bachelor's Degree with Honours shall be awarded to a student who has
achieved all the learning outcomes listed in 7.1 above.
7.4.2 The minimum requirement for the award of a Bachelor’s Degree with Honours will be
360 credits of which 120 shall be at level 4 or higher, 120 shall be at level 5 or higher and
120 shall be at level 6 or higher.
7.4.3 Degrees with Honours will be classified as First Class, Upper Second Class,
Lower Second Class, and Third Class.
7.4.4 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science (BA or BSc)
The award of BA is traditionally used in art and design, the arts and
humanities, combined studies in the arts and social studies, and in areas of
social or business studies where it is appropriate. The award of BSc is
traditionally used where studies are substantially based on science,
mathematics or technology and their applications.
Programmes of study leading to BA or BSc will normally have a title which gives a
more specific indication of the subjects studied.
7.4.5 Bachelor of Engineering (BEng)
The award of BEng is reserved for programmes which provide a
technologically broad education with an emphasis on engineering
applications, primarily those programmes that may lead to registration with
the Engineering Council.
7.4.6 Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
The title LLB is reserved for programmes of specialised study in law.
Programmes where legal and other studies are combined will lead to the BA
or, where appropriate, BSc.
7.4.8 The award of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Laws and
Bachelor of Science are available as Bachelor's Degrees with Honours or as Unclassified
Bachelor’s Degrees.
7.5 Professional Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)
A student who is awarded a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education will be
expected to achieve learning outcomes that match some or all of the those listed in
7.1 above and the standard is that expected of a graduate who has successfully
completed the study of the theory and practice of teaching on a programme
suitable for the fulfilment of the school’s general educational aims and who has
demonstrated practical competence in teaching. The minimum requirement for the
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award of a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education will be 100 credits at
level 6 or above.
8 Title and scope of postgraduate awards at level 7
8.1 The following learning outcomes relate to all awards at level 7. A student who gains a
postgraduate award at level 7 will normally be expected to be able to:
• demonstrate a systematic awareness of knowledge, and a critical awareness of
current problems and/or new insights, much of which is at, or informed by,
the forefront of their academic discipline, field of study, or area of
professional practice;
• demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to their
own research or advanced scholarship;
• demonstrate an originality in the application of knowledge, together with a
practical understanding of how established techniques of research and
enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in the discipline;
• demonstrate a conceptual understanding that enables the student to critically
evaluate current research and advanced scholarship in the discipline and to
evaluate new methodologies and develop critiques of them and, where
appropriate, to propose new hypotheses;
• deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make informed
judgements in the absence of complete data, and communicate their
conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences;
• demonstrate self direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and
act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional or
equivalent level;
• continue to advance their knowledge and understanding, and to develop new
skills to a high level;
• demonstrate the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment
requiring: the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility; decision
making in complex and unpredictable situations; and the independent
learning required for continuing professional development.
8.2 Postgraduate Associate Certificate
A student who is awarded a Postgraduate Associate Certificate will be expected to achieve
learning outcomes that match some or all of those listed in 8.1 above. The
minimum requirement for the award will be 30 credits at level 7 or higher. The
Postgraduate Associate Certificate will be an unnamed award.
8.3 Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert)
A student who is awarded a Postgraduate Certificate will be expected to achieve
learning outcomes that match some or all of those listed in 8.1 above. The
minimum requirement for the award will be 60 credits at level 7 or higher.
8.4 Certificate in Management (CIM)
The Certificate in Management is a post-experience Postgraduate Certificate. A
student who is awarded a Certificate in Management will be expected to achieve
learning outcomes that match some or all of those listed in 8.1 above and who has
demonstrated competence in aspects of management. The minimum requirement
for an award will be 60 credits at level 7.
8.5 Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)
A student who is awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Education will be expected
to achieve learning outcomes that match some or all of those listed in 8.1 above
and the standard is that expected of a graduate who has successfully completed
the study of the theory and practice of teaching on a programme suitable for the
fulfilment of the school’s general educational aims and who has demonstrated
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practical competence in teaching. The minimum requirement for the award of
Postgraduate Certificate in Education will be 120 credits at level 6 or above of
which at least 60 must be level 7.
8.6 International Postgraduate Certificate in Education (iPGCE)
The iPGCE programme comprises two 30 credit modules at L7 focusing on teacher
education. It will also address the professional standards for Qualified Teacher Status at
L7 and is for students in teaching positions overseas.
8.7 Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip)
A student who is awarded a Postgraduate Diploma will be expected to achieve
learning outcomes that match some or all of those listed in 8.1 above. The
minimum requirement for an award will be 120 credits at level 7 or higher.
8.8 Diploma in Management Studies (DMS)
8.8.1 A student who is awarded a DMS will be expected to achieve learning
outcomes that match some or all of those listed in 8.1 above. The DMS is a
post-experience Postgraduate Diploma award, designed to meet the needs
of those individuals who wish to achieve a range of general management
knowledge, skills and competencies.
8.8.2 The DMS is suitable for a variety of candidates with the potential to meet the
learning demands of Diploma programmes, including graduates from a
variety of disciplines and mature and experienced managers. Entrants would
normally be expected to have at least two years of management
experience. A DMS may be awarded with merit or distinction.
8.9 Taught Masters Degrees
8.9.1 A student who is awarded a Masters degree will be expected to achieve learning
outcomes that match all of those listed in 8.1 above
and which includes a compulsory element of advanced independent work. The
minimum requirement for the award will be 180 credits at level 7. Taught
Master's degrees may be awarded with merit or distinction. A range of
Masters awards is available.
8.9.2 Master of Arts and Master of Science (MA or MSc)
Programmes of study at Master's level may lead either to the MA or MSc, or to a
more closely defined award restricted to certain specific areas of study.
The title Master of Arts (MA) is generally used in art and design, the arts
and humanities and in other areas of study where a more specialised title
is not appropriate. The title Master of Science (MSc) is generally used
where studies are substantially based on science, mathematics or
technology and their applications. Programmes of study leading to the MA
or MSc will normally have a title which gives a more specific indication of
the subject(s) studied.
8.9.3 Master of Business Administration (MBA)
The award of MBA is reserved for programmes which focus on the general principles
and functions of management and the development of management skills.
Students entering MBA programmes must have appropriate practical
experience and should normally be at least 23 years old on admission.
8.9.4 Master of Education (MEd)
The award of MEd is reserved for programmes focused on education and
professional practice in teaching. Entry requirements are a BEd Honours
degree or equivalent qualification. Other qualifications which may be
deemed acceptable include: an Honours degree together with a PGCE or
CertEd; an appropriate DPSE; a BEd degree gained in circumstances where
the award of Honours was not available; the Licentiateship of the College
of Preceptors; or the achievement at a sufficiently high level of the
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Diploma in Advanced Studies in Education of the College of Preceptors in a
field cognate with that of the programme to which admission is sought. All
entrants should have at least three years' teaching experience.
8.9.5 Master of Laws (LLM))
The award of Master of Laws is reserved for programmes of specialised study in
law. The entry requirement is an Honours degree, or equivalent.
8.9.6 Master of Research (MRes)
The award of Master of Research is reserved for programmes designed to prepare
candidates to undertake more extensive research in academia, industry or
other professional settings, and to provide an adequate foundation for
doctoral study. The programme must include a significant component of
advanced, independent research or creative work constituting 60% or more
of the programme’s duration and assessment requirement. Taught
elements of the programme will provide an appropriate theoretical
grounding in research techniques for a range of related disciplines,
develop specialist knowledge relevant to the broad disciplinary area,
broaden students’ experience and equip them with transferable skills and
knowledge likely to be needed in a research career in academia or
industry.
8.10 Research Masters Degrees
8.10.1 Master of Philosophy (MPhil)
•techniques for research and advanced academic enquiry;
• an ability to make informed judgements on complex issues in specialist fields,
often in the absence of complete data, and be able to communicate their
ideas and conclusions clearly and effectively to specialist and non-specialist
audiences;
• an ability to continue to undertake pure and/or applied research and
development at an advanced level, contributing substantially to the
development of new techniques, ideas, or approaches;
• the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring the
exercise of personal responsibility and largely autonomous initiative in
complex and unpredictable situations, in professional or equivalent
environments.
9.1 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
A student who is awarded a PhD will be expected to achieve learning outcomes
that match all of those listed in 9.1 above. Students must have satisfactorily
completed a research training, investigated and evaluated or critically studied an
appropriate topic over not less than 24 (if registered for PhD direct) or 33 months
(if registered for PhD following transfer from MPhil status) of full-time study
resulting in a significant contribution to knowledge, and presented a satisfactory
thesis.
9.2 Higher Doctorates (Doctor of Engineering, Doctor of Laws, Doctor of Letters, Doctor
of Science, Doctor of Technology)
A Higher Doctorate is awarded in recognition of professional and academic
accomplishment over a sustained period of time. A candidate who is awarded a
Higher Doctorate will be expected to have achieved and demonstrated learning
outcomes that match all of those listed in 9.1 above. In addition, they will be a
holder of at least seven years' standing of a first degree or a holder of at least four
years' standing of a higher degree, who is a leading authority in the field of study
concerned and has made an original and significant contribution in the
advancement or application of knowledge in that field.
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9.3 Practitioner Doctorate
A student who is awarded a Practitioner Doctorate will be expected to achieve
learning outcomes that match all of those listed in 9.1 above. Students must have
satisfactorily completed a programme of at least 33 months of full-time study
incorporating a taught element, advanced professional practice and appropriate
work in practice leading to the preparation of a thesis and, where relevant,
artefacts or other products; the outcome shall represent an original contribution to
the professional field. The taught element of the doctorate should be credit-rated
at level 7. The professional practice included in the specified period may be paid
employment, provided it is approved as appropriate. A Practitioner Doctorate may
be described as an Advanced Practitioner Doctorate if aimed at professionals who
are already qualified and experienced practitioners, who are in practice, but who
wish to further their qualifications and professional skills.
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Part 2
Admission of students
Important note for prospective students:
If the offer of a place at the school and the acceptance of that offer are both made
entirely at distance by means of post, fax or electronic communication and without a face
to face meeting with a member of the school staff the Student may cancel the agreement
with the school at any time within 14 days of the date of acceptance.
When accepting the offer of a place at the school the Student expressly consents to the
school providing educational services to the Student during the 14 day cancellation period
where applicable.
1 Principles of admission
1.1 The admission of applicants to programmes of study is solely at the discretion of our
school.
1.2 There will be a reasonable expectation that the applicant will be able to fulfil the
objectives of the programme and to achieve the standard required for the award.
1.3 There will be a reasonable expectation that the applicant will be able to fulfil our
school's requirements in terms of knowledge and skills for the award to which a
programme leads.
1.4 The school will apply the principle of equality of opportunity to its admission activities
and will encourage the recruitment of local and regional students and those with
additional needs.
1.5 In considering individual applicants for admission to a programme of study our school
will seek evidence of personal, professional and educational experiences that
provide indications of ability to meet the demands of the programme.
1.6 No student may be admitted concurrently for more than one full-time programme of
our school (or any combination of awards) except with the approval of the
Academic Board.
2 Specific admission requirements for each programme of study
2.1 Each approved programme of study will specify the requirements for admission to that
programme by:
(a) identifying the knowledge and skills required at admission and relating these to
the length, content, and objectives of the programme;
(b) describing the way in which these arrangements will accord with the standard
of the award;
(c) setting out the criteria and means by which the suitability of the student for
admission will be judged;
(d) setting out, where appropriate, the procedures to be used in assessing any
previous work of students admitted to points other than the beginning of
the programme.
3 General admission requirements for each level of award
3.1 Our school bases its admission requirements on nationally recognised, formal minimum
attainment levels. The normal entry requirements are set out below. These should
be regarded as indicative and individual applicants may be admitted on the basis of
a wide range of qualifications and/or experience provided the principles of
admission outlined above are met.
3.2 Professional Programmes
Entry to these programmes is based on the published entrance requirements of the
relevant professional body.
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3.3 First Degree Level
(a) The minimum level of attainment required for entry to the start of programmes
of minimum length leading to awards at first degree level is equivalent to
passes in two subjects at A2 level supported by passes in subjects at GCSE
or equivalent.
(b) In some programmes it will be necessary for entrants to have reached the equivalent
of A2 level in at least one specific subject; in others the emphasis will be on the general
intellectual skills developed by previous study.
3.4 Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma Programmes
The normal entrance requirement is a degree or other qualification at equivalent
level. A lower level qualification together with appropriate experience or,
exceptionally, substantial related experience alone may be acceptable.
3.5 Master's Programmes
The normal entrance requirement for a Master's programme is an Honours degree
or postgraduate diploma or professional qualification recognised as equivalent to
an Honours degree. Other qualifications or experience which demonstrate that a
candidate possesses appropriate knowledge and skills at Honours degree standard
may be acceptable.
3.6 MPhil and PhD
The normal entrance requirement for registration for the degree of MPhil is a first
or second class degree or a qualification which is regarded as equivalent. Direct
registration for the degree of PhD may be permitted to candidates holding a
recognised Master's degree in an appropriate discipline.
3.7 Individually Designed Programmes
Where an applicant seeks admission to an individually designed programme of
study, the programme itself must first be validated and entrance requirements
established in accordance with our school's published principles.
3.8 New Qualifications
Our school may from time to time develop new qualifications. As part of the
validation process appropriate admission qualifications, based on the criteria
outlined above, will be approved.
3.9 Other Programmes
Entrance requirements for programmes leading to qualifications not listed above
will be governed by the aims and content of the programmes, subject to the
criteria outlined in para 1 above.
4 Admission with advanced standing
4.1 Subject to the requirements of the relevant programme regulations, our school has
discretion to admit a student with exemption from certain elements of a programme. This
will occur when it is clear that an applicant has fulfilled some of the progression and
assessment requirements of the programme of study by means other than attendance on
the planned programme, and will be able by completing the remaining requirements to
fulfil the objectives of the programme and to attain the standard required for the award.
4.2 A student admitted with exemption from certain elements of a programme is not
required to take those elements but may, as appropriate, be required to take
alternatives; or may be admitted with specific credit, which means that the
student is considered to have passed certain elements.
4.3 Our school reserves the right to assess applicants' prior learning by requiring them to
take the normal progression assessments of the programme or some other
appropriate form of assessment.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 17
4.4 An applicant may be judged to have satisfied, wholly or in part, the aims of supervised
work experience on a programme. In considering such applications our school will
assess:
(a) the quality of the training or supervised work experience previously
undertaken;
(b) the relevance of the training or supervised work experience to the programme
to which the student is to be admitted;
(c) the quality of the supervision and assessment of the training or supervised work
experience;
(d) whether the granting of such specific credit would still enable the student to
meet professional or other requirements which the supervised work
experience within the programme is intended to satisfy.
4.5 In some cases it may be more appropriate for an applicant to be advised to follow a
programme which does not normally contain an element of supervised work
experience.
4.6 A student will not be admitted to a point more than two-thirds through the taught
element of a programme.
4.7 In cases of sandwich awards specific credit will normally be limited to half the
placement requirements of the programme. Where the sandwich award leads to the award
of the BEng degree with Honours, specific credit may not be granted for supervised work
experience undertaken outside the programme except in the case of transfer between
equivalent programmes.
4.8 Admission with academic credit is otherwise subject to the same principles as
admission to the beginning of the programme.
5 Assessment of accredited certificated learning
5.1 In assessing claims for admission to a programme of study with advanced standing in
respect of accredited certificated learning our school will give consideration to,
inter alia, the following:
(a) Credit Transfer
Applicants who have successfully completed the whole or part of a comparable
programme at our school or another institution may be admitted to an
appropriate point on an approved programme.
(b) Vocational and Professional Qualifications
Applicants holding vocational or professional qualifications may be admitted with
specific credit to an appropriate point on a programme.
(c) BTEC/EdExcel and SCOTVEC Higher Awards
Applicants holding a Higher National Certificate or Diploma of BTEC/EdExcel or
SCOTVEC may be considered for admission with specific credit.
(d) Overseas Awards
An award gained overseas may be judged acceptable for entry with specific credit.
6 Assessment of accredited experiential learning
6.1 Where applicants' prior uncertificated learning includes experience and/or
industrial training which can be assessed with sufficient accuracy, it may be used
to give entry with either specific or general credit.
6.2 In assessing for admission to a programme of study with advanced standing in
respect of accredited experiential learning, our school will have regard inter alia
to the following.
a) Responsibility rests with the applicant for making a claim to have acquired
knowledge and skills and for supporting the claim with appropriate evidence.
b) The learning derived from experience must be identified in order to be assessed.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 18
c) The identification of prior learning comes through systematic reflection on
experience, the writing of clear statements about what was actually learned
and the collection and collation of evidence to support those statements.
d) The methods of assessment must be such that the judgement made can be
considered by external examiners and Assessment Boards.
6.3 Further details and procedures for AEL are included in our AEL Policy and
supporting documentation. The maximum importation of credit onto a programme
of study at school is defined in our modular regulations (see Part 3 of this Manual).
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 19
Part 3
Academic Regulations
Sections 7 to 11 of these regulations apply to Postgraduate Taught programmes only.
The regulations for Postgraduate Research degrees are provided in Part 9 of this
Manual and the regulations for D level modules in programmes and Practitioner
Doctorates are provided in Part 3c.
1. Definitions and Explanations
1.1 school is organised into a number of academic Schools. Within each School are
one or more Subject Areas, which comprise programmes and modules
forming a coherent academic grouping. All single honours programmes
belong to one and only one Subject Area. Each module also belongs to a
Subject Area, although may form part of programmes in other Subject
Areas.
1.2 A programme is an approved combination of modules which, if successfully
completed, leads to a school award. A programme may be a single module
or a combination of modules. Modules can be core or optional. At Level 4, it
is expected that most modules will be core, unless there is a sound
rationale presented at approval for the inclusion of optional modules. Each
programme has a programme specification. A programme specification
specifies (amongst other matters)
• the structure of the programme
• each module within a programme and whether it is a core or an option
module for that programme
• any particular conditions to be met for conferment of the relevant named
award (e.g. Professional and Statutory Regulatory Body requirements or
required periods of professional/industrial training or study/work
experience abroad)
• the School to which the programme belongs
1.3 A module is a separate identifiable block of learning which is credit-rated, with credit
allocated on the basis of 10 hours of study for each credit. Standard modules are 30
credits in size for both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes (indicating 300 hours
of student study). It is possible to approve modules with multiples of 15 credits, such as
15, 45 and 60 credits, if there a sound rationale for doing so, and this is agreed during the
approval process.
1.4 A unique module level is associated with each module. This is level 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8
(and P for placement modules), reflecting the level of achievement
expected in order to pass (i.e. be awarded credit) in the module.
1.5 A module is a prerequisite module for another module if a student must have
passed the prerequisite module (i.e. been awarded credit) in order to study
on the other module.
1.6 A module is a precursor module for another module if a student must register
on the precursor module (and remain registered for the duration of that
module) in order to study subsequently on the other module.
1.7 A module is a co-requisite module with another module if both modules must
be studied at the same time.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 20
1.8 A module has one or more delivery modes. These will be either ‘on-campus’ or
by ‘distance learning’ or both. The delivery mode(s) must be designated at
approval. Where a programme contains identical modules and learning
outcomes in both the on-campus and distance learning modes, it is possible
for a student on the programme to take the modules in either mode,
provided that they do not exceed the standard study load outlined in 4.1.3.
1.9 An on-campus module is predominantly delivered on campus. A distance
learning module is predominantly delivered by distance learning.
1.10 A component of a module is a separate part of a module, as identified in the
module specification.
1.11 A core module for a programme is a module which a student must have
passed (i.e. been awarded credit) in order to achieve the relevant named
award. Core modules are specified in the programme specification.
1.12 An option module for a programme is a module selected from a range of
modules specified in the programme specification.
1.13 A module specification specifies (amongst other matters)
• module name
• module unique identifying code
• module credit value
• the Subject Area to which the module belongs
• any prerequisites, precursors and co-requisites
• module learning outcomes
• outline module content
• details of the component assessments and their weightings (together with
the threshold mark for assessment if ,for Professional and Statutory
Regulatory Body requirements, this is set above the minimum standard
threshold)
1.14 In order to study, be assessed, or be reassessed on a module, a student must
be registered on the programme and/or its modules. Provided a student has
registered on a module (and not subsequently been formally withdrawn
from the module), the student will be assessed at the next assessment point
(for that mode of delivery) and (if the module is not passed) reassessed on
any outstanding assessment components at the next reassessment point (for
that mode of delivery). Assessment or reassessment cannot be deferred.
1.15 Reassessment for all modules (with the exception of the postgraduate taught
advanced independent research module) will occur in the summer
reassessment period.
1.16 A student will automatically be permitted to be assessed and reassessed on
any failed components only once. If the module has not been passed at the
reassessment opportunity, the decision as to the student’s status on the
programme will be agreed by the subject area progression board. Where a
student has extenuating circumstances accepted, an additional assessment
and/or reassessment opportunity may be granted. Further information on
the possible decisions which can be made by the subject areas progression
board are detailed in Section 6.2.3.
2. Undergraduate Awards
2.1 Honours Degree
A programme leading to an Honours degree consists of 360 credits at Level 4
and Higher including
120 credits at Level 4 or Higher
120 credits at Level 5 or Higher
120 credits at Level 6 or Higher
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 21
2.2 Ordinary Degree
A programme leading to an Ordinary degree consists of 300 credits at Level
4 and Higher including
120 credits at Level 4 or Higher
120 credits at Level 5 or Higher
60 credits at Level 6 or Higher
2.3 Diploma of Higher Education
A programme leading to a Diploma of Higher Education consists of 240
credits at Level 4 and Higher including
120 credits at Level 4 or Higher
120 credits at Level 5 or Higher
This will normally be an unnamed award, unless otherwise specified at
approval, and noted on the programme specification.
2.4 Certificate of Higher Education
A programme leading to a Certificate of Higher Education consists of
120 credits at Level 4 and Higher
This will normally be an unnamed award, unless otherwise specified at
approval, and noted on the programme specification.
2.5 Undergraduate Certificate
A programme leading to an Undergraduate Certificate consists of
40 credits at Level 3 and Higher
This will normally be an unnamed award, unless otherwise specified at
approval, and noted on the programme specification.
2.6 Undergraduate Associate Certificate
A programme leading to an Undergraduate Associate Certificate consists of
20 credits at Level 3 and Higher.
This will normally be an unnamed award, unless otherwise specified at
approval, and noted on the programme specification.
2.7 Up to half the credits for an award may be achieved through accredited
experiential learning, and up to two thirds of the credits for an award may
be achieved through accredited certificated learning. Further details are
available in 5.2.
2.8 Where exceptionally agreed by Academic Board for a partner institution, a
mark may be recorded for credit achieved at another institution as an
approved part of a school programme where all the following conditions
apply: the module is taken as an approved option on the programme and is
named as such on the programme specification; a formal partnership
between school and the partner is in place; and quality and standards
processes at the partner are subject to review by the Quality Assurance
Agency through Institutional Review. Such credit will be classed as school
credit for the purpose of calculating the degree classification.
3. The Structure of Undergraduate Programmes
3.1 The academic year is divided into three terms of a roughly equal number of weeks,
with the last period mainly consisting of preparation for assessment.
3.2 Undergraduate programmes consist of standard modules whose value is 30
credits (equivalent to 300 student study hours), or multiples thereof up to a
maximum of 60 credits. Modules of 30 or more credits will extend across 24
learning weeks. 15 credit modules will extend over 12 learning weeks.
Further detail of this is available in the Academic Calendar.
3.3 A module is allocated to a single level. No module may be a pre-requisite for another
module at the same level.
3.4 In addition, programmes may require a period of professional/industrial training or
study or work abroad in order for a student to achieve a relevant named
award. Such periods may be awarded 120 credits at level P for a 12 month
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 22
period or 60 credits at level P for a six month period (or pro rata in
multiples of 15 credits). Details of this would appear in the programme
specification.
4. Undergraduate Student Study
4.1 Student registration and study
4.1.1 A student must be registered on a programme and/or modules in
order to be assessed or reassessed.
4.1.2 Once a student has passed, or been awarded a compensated pass (see
6.8) on a module the student may not register, be assessed or
reassessed on the module, except where the Subject Area
Progression Board allows the student to repeat an entire year of
study under paragraph 4.2.1.
4.1.3 A standard study load for a full time student is 120 credits, in on-
campus mode in an academic year. However, in exceptional
circumstances, a student may study up to 150 credits in one
academic year.
4.2 Time limits for student study
4.2.1 A student cannot normally continue on a programme after four years
of study in full time mode. In exceptional circumstances, this time limit
may be extended. Students on Extended Degree/Foundation Year,
programmes with a sandwich or placement year, or Integrated Master’s
programmes may also exceptionally continue after four years in a full time
mode. This regulation should be read in conjunction with regulations in
section 6.2.
4.2.2 The time limit for completion of a programme in part time mode is
eight years after first enrolment on the programme.
4.2.3 Where a student changes mode of study, the time limit for
completion of a programme will be recalculated on a pro-rata basis.
4.3 Intermission
4.3.1 A student may intermit from a programme with the agreement of the
duly authorised school signatories. In exceptional circumstances
more than one intermission may be granted.
4.3.2 During the intermitted period, which may be up to two consecutive
academic years, no module study may be undertaken. The
intermitted period will not count as a period of study for the
purposes of regulation 4.2. However all outstanding reassessment
requirements should be undertaken or else the module will
automatically be regarded as not passed on reassessment (Note:
Standard regulations on extenuation apply).
4.3.3 An intermission extends the time limits for study on the programme
for the period of the intermission unless prohibited by Professional
and Statutory Regulatory Body requirements.
5. Undergraduate Admission
5.1 Students are admitted in accordance with the approved admission
requirements.
5.2 Students may be admitted with advanced standing through the recognition of
credit, or the accreditation of experiential or certificated learning
according to the school Accreditation of (Experiential) Learning (A(E)L)
policy. A student may gain admission to a programme, with advanced
standing, with up to half of the credits associated with the award being
achieved through accredited experiential learning, or up to two thirds
through accredited certificated learning. Where a combination of
experiential and certificated learning is involved up to one half of the
credits for the award may be achieved through accredited experiential
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 23
learning with further credits being achieved through accredited certificated
learning up to a maximum of two thirds of the credits for the award.
In the case of an Honours Degree a minimum of 120 school credits should be
achieved at Level Five or Level Six including a minimum of 90 school credits
achieved at Level Six in order to ensure honours classification.
5.3 A student who has been awarded an ordinary degree may be readmitted to the
honours degree programme on which they were originally enrolled and re-
enrolled to complete an honours degree programme provided that there is
at least one year’s break between the award of the ordinary degree by the
Subject Area Award Board and re-enrolment on the honours degree
programme. The student will relinquish the ordinary degree upon the award
of the honours degree.
In determining the classification, please see 6.10.1.
6 Undergraduate Assessment
6.1 Types of assessment boards
6.1.1 There are two types of assessment boards at undergraduate level –
Subject Area Progression Boards, and Subject Area Award Boards.
These will normally take place during the third study period, with
additional boards normally being held in the summer for the
reassessment period. Exceptionally, additional assessment boards
may be held outside of these times where local factors necessitate.
Each Board will consider the student outcomes at both programme
and module level for all programmes and modules within the Subject
Area. Subject Area Progression Boards and Subject Area Award
Boards may be held on the same day where this is deemed practical.
6.2 Subject Area Progression Boards
6.2.1 Membership
6.2.1.1 The Subject Area Progression Board will be chaired by a
senior academic member of staff from another subject
area. The membership and terms of reference are
provided in Appendix 2.
6.2.2 Responsibility of Subject Area Progression Boards
Subject Area Progression Boards are responsible for reviewing the progress
of all students on their programme of study. The result will be a decision on
students’ academic standing. Subject Area Progression Boards are
responsible for:
• Assuring the appropriate standards on modules;
• Considering the performance of students on modules and programmes;
• Confirming the marks awarded to each student in respect of all modules
which comprise the Subject Area and its programmes;
• Awarding credit for the achievement of students on modules;
• Agreeing pass compensation, where applicable;
• Applying the decisions made by the school extenuating circumstances
panel;
• Making progression decisions for students;
• Awarding credit for certificated and experiential learning;
• Noting breaches of the academic misconduct regulations;
6.2.3 Progression decisions
6.2.3.1 In order to progress to the next level of a programme, a
student will be expected to have achieved a pass or pass
compensation in all the modules comprising that
particular level of study.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 24
6.2.3.2 If a student has not achieved a pass or pass compensation in
all modules, then the relevant Subject Area Progression
Board will be required to make a decision as to the
student’s status on the programme, as per the possible
outcomes outlined in 6.2.3.3 – 6.2.3.7
Additionally:
• The Subject Area Progression Board will take into account the student’s
academic record;
• A Subject Area Progression Board may allow an undergraduate student to
continue in the full-time mode of attendance in order to follow an
ordinary degree programme if the student can, by the end of the
normal length of their programme of study, achieve 300 credits at the
appropriate levels;
• A student may be permitted to proceed to the next level with a
requirement to change their modules or their target qualification;
• The Subject Area Progression Board will take into account any outcomes
from the Extenuation Panel when making decisions (for details of the
outcomes of the Extenuation Panel please refer to Part 6 of the
Academic Regulations);
• Modules which have been compensated shall be treated as passes, unless
to do so would contravene a specific Professional Statutory or
Regulatory Body requirement.
6.2.3.3 If a student has achieved 90 or 105 credits at a particular
level, the relevant Subject Area Progression Board may
allow a student to progress, and make appropriate
arrangements for the retrieval of any failed components
or credit deficit. If not all module components have been
failed, a student may be asked to re-sit the assessment
only, rather than the entire module
6.2.3.4 In the case of a part-time student who has not yet reached a
minimum of 90 credits at a particular level by the end of
a year of study, the Board will decide whether or not that
student should be allowed to proceed further with his or
her studies, based on the student’s academic progress to
date.
6.2.3.5 Students on Extended Degrees/Foundation Years progressing
from Level 3 to Level 4 will need to have successfully
completed 120 credits at Level 3 in order to be able to
progress, and cannot move to Level 4 with a credit
deficit.
6.2.3.6 A Subject Area Progression Board may require a student
achieving 90 credits or fewer at any level of study to:
• Transfer to part-time study in order to make good their failure to
complete sufficient credit, such as by repeating failed modules with full
payment. These would be capped.
• Repeat the year of the programme by full-time/sandwich study. These
would not be capped;
• Terminate their studies and withdraw from the school.
6.2.3.7 A student who has been withdrawn by the school from a
module may be allowed to resit that module on one further occasion
with the approval of the appropriate Progression Board.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 25
6.3 Subject Area Award Boards
6.3.1 Membership
6.3.1.1 The Subject Area Award Board will be chaired by a senior
academic member of staff from another subject area within
the School, or a member of school management. The
membership and terms of reference are provided in
Appendix 2.
6.3.2 Responsibility of Subject Area Award Boards
• Ensuring eligibility for awards on the basis of accumulated credit;
• Awarding qualifications to students for successful completion of
programmes of study;
• Reviewing withdrawn students and awarding the highest qualification to
which they are entitled ;
• Agreeing the award classification, where relevant;
• Ensuring any award-specific requirements have been met;
Additionally, the Subject Area Award Board has the following powers where not previously
completed by a Subject Area Progression Board:
• Agreeing compensation;
• Applying the decisions made by the school extenuating circumstances panel;
• Awarding credit for certificated and experiential learning;
• Noting breaches of academic misconduct regulations;
6.4 Programme and module assessment
6.4.1 In calculating the mark for a module on the basis of the component marks, the final
mark is calculated as a percentage with all decimals points rounded
up to the nearest whole number.
6.4.2 In order to pass a module, a student must both achieve an aggregate mark of 40%
and also meet the component threshold marks.
6.4.3 For the purposes of passing a module each component has a threshold mark of 30%.
The threshold may be higher where there are Professional and
Statutory Regulatory Body requirements; this will be specified in the
module specification.
6.5 Reassessment in a module in which all the components have not been passed
6.5.1 Where a student does not achieve an aggregate of 40%, or does not achieve the
component threshold marks, the student is reassessed in all the
failed components of the module at the next reassessment point, in
all and only those components achieving a mark of less than 40%.
Component marks of 40% or over are carried forward to
reassessment.
6.5.2 The reassessment point for all modules is in the summer reassessment period.
6.5.3 In determining whether a student has passed a module on reassessment, the
calculation is based on the highest component marks achieved,
whether in assessment or reassessment.
6.5.4 In order to pass a module on reassessment a student must both achieve an aggregate
mark of 40% and achieve the component threshold marks. Unless
extenuation has been granted, any reassessed component marks are
capped at 40% for the purposes of calculating the module mark and
therefore the degree classification, or at 40% at module level,
whichever is the higher,.
6.6 Procedure in the case of a student not passing a module on reassessment
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 26
6.6.1 A student who does not pass a module on reassessment is only entitled to repeat the
module where agreed by a Subject Area Progression Board or Subject
Area Award Board. Boards can agree that a student:
- can retake one assessment component, in which case this will be capped,
unless extenuation has been granted at both previous opportunities;
- can retake all of the assessment components on one module (or up to 30
credits), in which case these components will be capped;
- can repeat an entire level of study on their programme. Where this is
agreed, a student is required to retake all modules, none of the previous
marks on the module(s) will be carried forward, and none of the
component marks will be capped. This can only be agreed once during a
student’s programme.
6.6.2 Unless extenuation has been granted, any failed components at first repeat
assessment will be awarded a capped mark of 40% for the purposes
of calculating the module mark and therefore a degree award, or at
40% at module level, whichever is the higher
6.6.3 If a module which has not been passed on reassessment is an option module, the
student may choose to register on an alternative option module
subject to availability (rather than repeat the option module). In this
case, the regulations governing the first time study and assessment
of a module apply and the marks achieved are not capped at 40%.
The Subject Area Progression Board will decide on the most suitable
mode of study for the student to be able to undertake this study.
6.6.4 If an application for extenuating circumstances is accepted, a student may be able
to be reassessed on additional occasions on the module components
for which extenuation has been granted at the next assessment
point.
6.6.4.1 Procedure in the event of illness or other valid cause (extenuating
circumstances)
6.6.4.2 A student who believes that
• his/her performance in assessment or reassessment has
been impaired, or
• he/she was unable to attend for an assessment or
reassessment, or
• he/she was unable to submit assessed or reassessed work
by the scheduled date due to illness or other valid cause
(as defined in the Procedures Governing Extenuating
Circumstances), may submit an application for extenuation
for the relevant component(s) to the school Extenuation
Panel. Such applications will only be considered if the
applicant has followed prescribed procedures, which can
be found in the Procedures Governing Extenuating
Circumstances.
6.6.4.3 Please consult Part 6 of the Manual of General
Regulations: Extenuating Circumstances for a summary of
the possible outcomes of the Extenuation Panel.
http://www.bite.ac.uk/about/academic-registry/
6.6.5 Once a component has been capped extenuation does not uncap it.
6.6.6 If a student does not achieve enough credits to progress to the
following level of their programme, or does not achieve sufficient
credit to gain an award, an accepted claim for extenuation should be
taken into account when considering the student’s profile at the
relevant assessment board.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 27
6.6.7 A student must have passed all Level 4 modules before they are able to undertake
study at Level 6.
6.7 Late submission of coursework
6.7.1 There will be a stipulated deadline date for all pieces of coursework.
All coursework will need to be submitted by the set time on the
stipulated deadline date. Coursework submitted up to one working
day late will be accepted, but the component mark will be subject to
a deduction of 5% of the total marks available. The deadline for this
will be the set time on the next working day. Further details of this
are available in the Assessment Policy.
6.7.2 Should a student submit coursework by the assessment deadline, and
then resubmit coursework for the same assessment item after the
deadline but within 24 hours the first submission will be the one
which is accepted.
6.8 Compensation
6.8.1 A student is awarded a compensated pass in a module and awarded
credit provided that:
• the module is a 15 or 30 credit module
• the student has been awarded 90 school credits at the level (or higher)
of the compensated module for the compensation of a 30 credit
module. In order to compensate a 15 credit module, the student
should have been awarded 105 school credits at the level (or higher)
of the compensated module.
• the student has both attained at least 35% in the module to be
compensated and attained the threshold in all components
• the module is not specified as non-compensatable in the programme
specification as an award-specific requirement
• there is no assessment breach recorded against the module
6.8.2 If eligible, the student will be awarded a compensated pass for a maximum of 30
credits at each level on a programme and this will occur at the
earliest point at which the student is eligible for compensation.
Modules which have already been taken into account in deciding a
student’s eligibility for compensation cannot subsequently be taken
into account for the further compensation of another module.
6.9 Conferment of award for completion of a programme
6.9.1 The Subject Area Award Board will confer an award on a student for
completion of a programme at the first occasion on which the
student is eligible for the award.
6.9.2 Where a student has withdrawn from, or is being discontinued on, a programme and
has not transferred to another school programme, the Award Board
will confer the highest award for which the student is eligible.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 28
6.10 Honours degree – classification
6.10.1Where a student is eligible for an Honours degree by passing a valid combination of
modules to comprise an award and has gained a minimum of 240 school credits at level 5
or level 6 on the current enrolment for the programme, including a minimum of 120 school
credits at level 6, the award classification is determined by calculating:
and applying the mark obtained as a percentage, with all decimals points rounded up to
the nearest whole number, to the following classification
6.11 Honours degree – classification (A(E)L)
6.11.1Where a student is eligible for an Honours degree, and has non-school credit
(accredited learning, experiential learning or recognised credit), the
following calculation is used to determine their award:
If the student has entered with only Level 4 credit, or lower, then
the standard calculation will be used to determine the award
classification, as per 6.10.1
If the student has achieved fewer than 240 school credits at level5 or level 6, but with a
minimum of 120 school credits achieved at Level 5 or Level 6 including a minimum of 90
school credits achieved at Level 6 on the current enrolment for the programme, the award
classification is determined by working out the credit-weighted arithmetic mean
percentage module results for all credit attained at the particular level, which will be
multiplied by the appropriate weighting as per 6.10.1.
If the student has achieved only school credits at Level 6, the classification is determined
by working out the average mean percentage module results for all credit at Level 6 and
applying the mark obtained as a percentage, with all decimals points rounded up to the
nearest whole number, to the following classification
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 29
6.12 Ordinary degree – classification
6.12.1Where a student is eligible for an ordinary degree, the award classification is
determined by calculating the credit-weighted arithmetic mean of all marks at level 5 and
level 6 on the current enrolment for the programme and applying the mark obtained as a
percentage, with all decimals points rounded up to the nearest whole number, to the
following classification
70% - 100% Distinction
55% - 69% Merit
40% - 54% Pass
0% - 39% Not passed
6.13 Aegrotat and posthumous awards
6.14.1 These may be conferred in accordance with the Manual of General Regulations.
6.15 Award name
6.15.1 In order to qualify for a named award, the student must have been enrolled on the
programme and satisfied any award-specific requirements as
detailed in the relevant programme specification.
6.15.2 Students not satisfying any award-specific requirements for a named award, but
who are otherwise eligible for the award of an Honours degree or an
Ordinary degree, are eligible for the named award from the
following list most closely describing their programme of study. The
name will be confirmed by the Award Board on the basis of pattern
of study
7. Taught Postgraduate Awards
7.1 Postgraduate Associate Certificate
A programme leading to a Postgraduate Associate Certificate consists of 30
credits at Level 7
7.2 Postgraduate Certificate
A programme leading to a Postgraduate Certificate consists of
60 credits at Level 7
7.3 Postgraduate Diploma
A programme leading to a Postgraduate Diploma consists of
120 credits at Level 7
7.4 Masters
A programme leading to a Masters award consists of 180 credits at Level 7
and will include a 60 credit level 7 core module of advanced independent
research.
Exceptionally, through programme validation, the 60 credit level 7 core
module of advanced independent research required for a Masters award
may be replaced by a 30 credit level 7 core module of advanced
independent research, provided that it can be demonstrated that sufficient
advanced independent research is achieved in the remainder of the
programme amounting to a further 30 level 7 credits.
Up to half the credits for an award may be achieved through accredited
experiential learning, and up to two thirds of the credits for an award may
be achieved through accredited certificated learning. (Where a combination
of experiential and certificated learning is involved up to one half of the
credits for the award may be achieved through accredited experiential
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 30
learning with further credits being achieved through accredited certificated
learning up to a maximum of two thirds of the credits for the award)
8. The Structure of Modular Postgraduate Programmes
8.1 Modules
8.1.1 Postgraduate programmes consist of standard modules whose value is
30 credits (equivalent to 300 student study hours), extending over
one term. It is possible to approve modules with multiples of 15
credits, such as 15, 45 and 60 credits, if there a sound rationale for
doing so, and this is agreed during the approval process. Modules of
60 credits may extend over one or two terms. The advanced
independent research module may take place during the summer
period.
8.1.2 A module is allocated to a single level – level 7.
8.1.3 No module can be a pre-requisite for another taught module at the
same level. One or more modules may be specified as pre-requisites
for the advanced independent research module.
8.1.4 The programme specification will specify for each module within a
programme whether it is a core module or an option module for that
programme.
8.1.5 A standard 30 credit module may be composed of up to four
assessment components. Double and treble modules have a
maximum of eight and twelve components respectively.
8.2 Postgraduate Awards
8.2.1 A postgraduate award may be either a named single award or a
general postgraduate award at the Certificate or Diploma Level,
where award-specific requirements have not been met
9. Postgraduate Student Study
9.1 Student registration and study
9.1.1 A student must be registered on a module in order to be assessed or
reassessed on the module.
9.1.2 Once a student has passed (or been awarded a compensated pass (see
11.2.2)) on a module the student may not register, be assessed or
reassessed on the module.
9.1.3 A student may study up to 60 credits in any term or summer period as
specified in the programme specification.
9.2 Time limits for student study
9.2.1 A student may not continue study, or be assessed or reassessed, on a
module once three years have elapsed from first study on the
module. This time limit should be extended to reflect any authorised
breaks in study.
9.2.2 The time limit for completion of a programme is three years in full
time mode, and six years in part time mode after first enrolment on
the programme. These time limits should be extended to reflect any
authorised breaks in study.
9.3 Intermission
9.3.1 A student may intermit from a programme with the agreement of the
programme leader.
9.3.2 During the intermitted period, which must be one or more complete
terms and no more than two consecutive years, no module study
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 31
may be undertaken. However all outstanding reassessment
requirements should be undertaken or else the module will
automatically be regarded as not passed on reassessment (Note:
Standard regulations on extenuation apply).
9.3.3 An intermission extends the time limits for study on the module and
the programme for the period of the intermission (unless prohibited
by Professional and Statutory Regulatory Body requirements)
10. Postgraduate Admission
10.1 Students are admitted in accordance with the approved admission
requirements.
10.2 Students may be admitted with advanced standing through the recognition of
credit or the accreditation of experiential or certificated learning according
to the school Accreditation of (Experiential) Learning (A(E)L) policy.
A student may gain admission to a programme, with advanced standing, with up to half of
the credits associated with the award being achieved through accredited experiential
learning, or up two thirds through accredited certificated learning (Where a combination
of experiential and certificated learning is involved up to one half of the credits for the
award may be achieved through accredited experiential learning with further credits being
achieved through accredited certificated learning up to a maximum of two thirds of the
credits for the award).
11. Postgraduate Assessment
11.1 Subject Area Boards and Module Assessment
11.1.1 Subject Area Boards
11.1.1.1 Subject Area Boards are responsible for:
• assuring the appropriate standards for modules
• considering the performance of students on modules
and on programmes
• confirming the marks achieved by students on
modules
• awarding credit for the achievement of students on
modules
• awarding credit for certificated and experiential
learning
• noting Breaches of Regulations
11.1.1.2 The Subject Area Board considers all and only modules
within the Subject Area. The Subject Area Board
meets at the end of Term 1, at the end of Term 2 and
at the end of the summer reassessment period.
11.1.2Module assessment
11.1.2.1 In calculating the mark for a module on the basis of the
component marks, the final mark is calculated as a
percentage with all decimals points rounded up to the
nearest whole number.
11.1.2.2 In order to pass a module, a student must both achieve an
aggregate mark of 50% and also meet the component
threshold marks.
11.1.2.3 For the purposes of passing a module each component has
a threshold mark of 40%. (The threshold may be higher
where there are Professional and Statutory Regulatory
Body requirements; this will be specified in the
module specification)
11.1.3 Reassessment in a module not passed
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 32
11.1.3.1 Where a student does not achieve an aggregate of 50%, or does not achieve
component threshold marks, the student is reassessed
in the module at the next reassessment point in all
and only those components achieving a mark of less
than 50%. Component marks of 50% or over are carried
forward to reassessment.
11.1.3.2 The reassessment point for all on-campus modules is in the
summer reassessment period with the exception of
the advanced independent research module studied
over the summer period where reassessment will
occur at the next scheduled end of term assessment
or reassessment point.
11.1.3.3. In determining whether a student has passed a module on
reassessment the calculation is based on the highest
component marks achieved, whether in assessment or
reassessment.
11.1.3.4 In order to pass a module on reassessment a student must
both achieve an aggregate mark of 50% and achieve
the component threshold marks. If the module is
passed, the student will achieve the module mark but
any reassessed components will be capped at 50% for
the purposes of calculating the Masters award
classification. Modules that do not include
components will be capped at 50%. The actual mark
achieved will be recorded on the student transcript
11.1.3.5 If a student reregisters and undertakes study on the same
module prior to reassessment then the mark assigned
to the reassessment is 0%
11.1.4 Procedure in the case of not passing a module on reassessment
11.1.4.1 A student who does not pass a module on reassessment is
entitled to repeat the module once.
11.1.4.2 If a module which has not been passed on reassessment is an option module, the
student may choose to register on an alternative option module (rather than repeat the
option module). In this case, the regulations governing the first time
study and assessment of a module apply and the
marks achieved are not capped at 50%.
11.1.4.3 Where a student changes programmes and registers on a
module previously studied (repeated module), the
student will continue on the module at the point that
they had previously reached and modules previously
capped will remain capped (i.e. previous assessments
in the module will be carried over).
11.1.4.4 A repeated module must be undertaken after
reregistration. Marks achieved previously in the
module are ignored for the purposes of assessment of
the repeated module (i.e. no marks are carried
forward from the previous registration).
11.1.4.5 A repeated module is assessed at the end of the term of
study (or summer period in the case of the advanced
independent research module) and (if necessary)
reassessed at the subsequent reassessment point. If
passed, a repeated module is capped at 50% for the
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 33
purposes of calculating the Masters award
classification. The actual mark achieved will be
recorded on the student transcript
11.1.4.6 No further registration, study or assessment is possible for
a repeated module which has not been passed after
reassessment.
11.1.5 Procedure in the event of illness or other valid cause
(extenuating circumstances)
11.1.5.1 A student who believes that
• his/her performance in assessment or reassessment has been
impaired, or
• he/she was unable to attend for an assessment or reassessment,
or
• he/she was unable to submit assessed or reassessed work by the
scheduled date
• due to illness or other valid cause (as defined in the Procedures
Governing Extenuating Circumstances), may submit an
application for extenuation for the relevant component(s) to the
school Extenuation Panel.
Such applications will only be considered if the applicant has followed prescribed
procedures, which can be found in the Procedures Governing Extenuating Circumstances.
11.1.5.2 If the Extenuation Panel grants extenuation for a
component, the outcome is as follows:
• any mark achieved for the relevant component(s)
(including 0 for non-attendance at assessment or
non-submission of assessed work) is ignored
• the Subject Area Board will not consider the module
result until after reassessment
• the student will be reassessed, in the extenuated
component(s) only, in the summer reassessment
period (or in the case of a component in the
advanced independent research module, at the
next scheduled end of term assessment or
reassessment point)
• no other components will be reassessed
• the Subject Area board will consider the module
result after summer reassessment
• the mark achieved for the module will not be
capped (unless it is a repeated module: see
11.1.4.).
This has the effect of restoring the student, with
respect to uncapping, to the position that the student
would have been in, had the extenuating
circumstance not occurred
11.1.5.3 Once a module has been capped extenuation does not
uncap the module
11.1.5.4 Where
• a student submits an application for extenuation for
a component, and
• the student has failed to achieve the threshold mark
in a second component, and
• no extenuation applies to this second component
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 34
the effect of granting extenuation for the first component would be to ensure that the
(below threshold) mark for the second component was carried forward to reassessment,
(thus automatically preventing that student from passing the module at reassessment). In
such cases, the application for extenuation will formally be denied in order that the
student has the opportunity to pass the module at reassessment.
11.1.5.5 If
• a student is granted extenuation for a component at
reassessment, and
• that component has previously been granted
extenuation at assessment
then (unless the module has already been repeated)
the student will be allowed to repeat the module and
the module mark will not be capped at 50% on
assessment. The repeated module must be undertaken
with study (after reregistration). Marks achieved
previously in the module are ignored for the purposes
of assessment of the repeated module (i.e. no marks
are carried forward from the previous registration).
11.2 Award Boards
11.2.1 Award Boards
11.2.1.1 Award Boards are responsible for:
• awarding credit to students on modules passed by
compensation (see 11.2.2)
• confirming eligibility for awards on the basis of
accumulated credit
• ensuring any award-specific requirements have been
met
• conferring awards
• formally implementing the decisions of the
Extenuation Panel
• noting credits achieved on the basis of accredited
learning
• noting Breaches of Regulations
11.2.1.2 Each School will have one Award Board which meets
following Subject Area Boards at the end of Term A,
at the end of Term B and at the end of the summer
reassessment period.
11.2.1.3 Where a School has programmes which involve study on the advanced
independent research
module at level 7 during the summer period a joint
Award and Subject Area Board (involving those in
assessment of the advanced research modules) will
meet to award credit for the advanced independent
research module (only) and to confer the Masters
award.
11.2.2 Compensation
11.2.2.1 A student is awarded a compensated pass in a module by
an Award Board and awarded credit provided that:
• the module is either a 15 or 30 credit core or option
module
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 35
• the student has been awarded 90 school credits at
the level (or higher) of the compensated module
• the student has both attained at least 45% in the
module to be compensated and attained the
threshold in all components
• the module is not specified as non-compensatable in
the programme specification as an award-specific
requirement
11.2.2.2. If eligible the student will be awarded a compensated pass
on one module on a programme and this will occur at
the earliest point at which the student is eligible for
compensation.
11.2.3 Late submission of coursework
11.2.3.1 There will be a stipulated deadline date for all pieces of
coursework. All coursework will need to be submitted by the set time
on the stipulated deadline date. Coursework submitted after the
deadline may not be accepted. Further details of this are available in
the Assessment Policy.
11.2.3.2 Should a student submit coursework by the assessment deadline, and then
resubmit coursework for the same assessment item after the deadline but within 24 hours
the first submission will be the one which is accepted.
11.2.4 Conferment of award for completion of a programme
11.2.4.1 The Award Board will confer an award on a student for
completion of a programme at the first occasion on
which the student is eligible for the award.
11.2.4.2 Where a student has withdrawn from, or is being
discontinued on, a programme and has not transferred
to another school programme, the Award Board will
confer the highest award for which the student is
eligible.
11.2.5Masters award – classification
11.2.5.1 Where a student is eligible for an Masters award then the award classification is
determined by calculating the credit-weighted arithmetic mean of all marks on the
current enrolment for the programme and applying the mark obtained as a percentage,
with all decimals points rounded up to the nearest whole number, to the following
classification
70% - 100% Distinction
60%- 69% Merit
50% - 59% Pass
0% - 49% Not passed
11.2.5.2 Where a student is eligible for Post Graduate Certificate or Post Graduate
Diploma award then the award classification is determined by calculating the credit-
weighted arithmetic mean of all marks on the current enrolment for the programme and
applying the mark obtained as a percentage, with all decimals points rounded up to the
nearest whole number, to the following classification.
70% - 100% Distinction
60%- 69% Merit
50% - 59% Pass
0% - 49% Not passed
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 36
11.2.6 Aegrotat and Posthumous Awards
11.2.6.1 These may be conferred in accordance with the Manual of
General Regulations
11.2.7 Award Name
11.2.7.1 In order to qualify for a named award the student must
have been enrolled on the programme and satisfied
the programme specifications associated with that
named award.
11.2.8 Discontinuation of a student on a programme
11.2.8.1 A student cannot continue on a programme if the student
has not achieved a pass in the reassessment of a
repeated core module for the programme.
12. General
12.1 These regulations do not restrict penalties imposed for Breaches of Regulations.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 37
Part 4
Programmes of study: aims, structure and other information for students
1 Documentation requirements
1.1 Each programme of study approved or modified by our school will be governed by
written statements available to students and to other relevant bodies. These
statements will set out, as a minimum, the information listed below.
1.2 The title of the programme of study
The title of a programme of study leading to an award will be simple and accurate;
it will accord, as a description of programme content, with the normal
expectations of higher education bodies, relevant professional bodies, students and
employers about the level of knowledge and skills to be expected from a person
holding such a qualification.
1.3 The award(s) to which the programme leads
The award(s) to which the programme leads must be among the existing awards of
our school and the programme must conform to the requirements for the award(s).
1.4 The planned duration and mode of study of the programme
(a) General considerations
The planned length of the programme will be related to the minimum number of required
credits as specified in the description of the award (see Part 1 of this Manual) and to the
minimum and maximum periods within which a student must normally complete the
programme and the associated assessments ( see Part 3 of this Manual). For any mode of
study the level of knowledge and skills required at the entry point, the curriculum,
teaching arrangements, time available for students' private study and the length and
nature of any supervised work experience will be designed to satisfy the requirements of
the award.
(b) Part-time study
The duration of a programme of study designed for students who are not
studying full-time will in all cases be longer than the minimum duration of a
full-time programme for similarly qualified entrants.
1.5. Aims, objectives and learning outcomes of the programme
(a) A programme of study will have stated aims, objectives and learning outcomes
which the curriculum, structure, teaching methods and forms of assessment
are designed to fulfil.
(b) The aims will include the development, to the level required for the award, of
a body of knowledge and skills appropriate to the field of study and
reflecting academic developments in that field; these are programme-
specific aims.
(c) The aims will also include our school's general educational aims: which form
part of our school’s Quality Criteria outlined in the Quality Manual.
(d) The statement of objectives and learning outcomes will show how the
programme will fulfil the aims.
1.6 The curriculum and structure of the programme
The curriculum for the programme, like the title, will be appropriate to the aims of
the programme and to the level of the award. The structure will provide for the
progression of the student from the level of knowledge and skills required at
admission to the level required for the award.
1.7 Regulations on the admission of students to a programme
The admission regulations describe the basis on which a student will be admitted to
the beginning or to subsequent stages of the programme of study.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 38
1.8 Regulations on progression
Progression regulations set out the way(s) in which students progress through the
programme, and identify the elements that are compulsory, optional or alternative.
1.9 Regulations on assessment
The assessment regulations for a programme of study state the basis on which
students will be assessed for an award, relating the assessment requirements to
our school's general educational aims and objectives, to the aims, objectives and
learning outcomes of the programme, to the standard of the award and to any
special assessment requirements associated with the award.
2 Language of instruction
2.1 All programmes of study shall normally be conducted and undertaken, and work
submitted, in English, except where the assessment arrangements for the
programme specifically provide otherwise.
2.2 Exceptionally, and only where there is good reason, a programme offered in
collaboration with an overseas institution may be delivered and assessed in a foreign
language. In these circumstances a range of additional approval criteria, as specified in
our school’s Quality Manual, must be checked at validation.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 39
Part 5
Assessment of students
1 Principles
1.1 Assessment is a fundamental of the student learning experience and is the general
description for a set of processes which measures the success of a student’s
education. In order to maintain uniform standards, our school applies to all its
programmes of study a set of general principles governing the assessment of
students.
1.2 The term assessment means the process of making decisions or recommendations
as to a student’s suitability to receive an award, or a particular class of award, or
to be credited with achievements which may be used for this purpose on a later
occasion.
1.3 Assessment will be carried out by Assessment Boards set up for each programme of
study, and with a standard constitution as set out in Part 3 of this Manual. Any
variations exceptionally permitted to regulations must be specified in the
programme regulations.
1.4 Assessment Boards derive their powers from the Academic Board, function as
committees of that Board and are subject to such direction of the Board as may
from time to time be applied.
1.5 Our school will appoint an appropriate number of external examiners to each of its
designated programmes of study in order to ensure that justice is done to the
individual student and that the standard of our school’s awards is maintained in
accordance with national standards. A full description of the scheme is set out in
the Quality Manual.
1.6 Assessment regulations for programmes leading to school awards shall be
formulated in accordance with the Assessment Policy, the Assessment Regulations
in Part 3 of this Manual and the regulations specific to a particular programme. For
programmes which lead to awards of external bodies, regulations will be drafted
based on the principles of these Regulations but also conforming to the regulations
of the external body concerned.
2 Extenuating circumstances (see Part 6)
2.1 Unless otherwise stated in programme regulations, provision shall be made for
extenuating circumstances to be taken into account.
2.2 An egrotat award may be recommended, if the programme specification so
provides, when the Board does not have enough evidence of the student's
performance to recommend the award for which the student was a candidate, or a
lower award specified in the programme regulations, but is satisfied that, but for
illness or other valid cause, the student would have reached the standard required.
2.3 Before a recommendation is made to the Academic Board the student must have
signified that he or she is willing to accept the award and understands that this
implies waiving the right to be reassessed.
2.4 A candidate who, having been offered an Aegrotat award, elects instead to resit as
if for the first time and fails may not claim the Aegrotat but may be re-examined
for an award. Aegrotat awards do not carry any classification or distinction. The
Aegrotat degree is an unclassified degree.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 40
2.5 A Board shall only take account of such factors if a statement of the
circumstances, together with appropriate evidence, has been received before the
Board meets to consider the relevant assessment.
3 Examination arrangements
3.1 It is the responsibility of the dean of school to ensure that all students who might
be involved are given adequate formal notice of all relevant matters relating to
examination arrangements and conditions for a particular programme.
3.2 Entry to Internal Examinations
While students may, exceptionally and at the discretion of our school, be
permitted to take elements of the assessment programme prior to
completing enrolment, our school reserves the right not to assess, or to
withhold awards from, students who have not discharged all financial or
other obligations
3.3 Entry to External Examinations
a) Responsibility for effecting entry to external examinations rests with the student.
school staff will help and advise as far as possible.
b) In the case of examinations which are governed by external rules relating to late entry,
our school can only compromise on entry dates in very exceptional circumstances,
and only with the approval in each case of the examining body concerned.
4 Conduct in examinations and assessment
4.1 Candidates for assessment must conduct themselves in accordance with such
instructions as our school may issue from time to time.
4.2 Any actions taken to ensure unfair advantage by misrepresenting the individual's
personal, unaided attainments shall be deemed an assessment offence.
Investigation of an alleged assessment offence shall be conducted in the manner
prescribed in Part 8 of this Manual.
4.3 Arrangements for assessment, including the invigilation of examinations, are the
responsibility of the dean of the relevant academic school, and shall accord with
procedures which will be formulated from time to time.
5 Special assessment arrangements
5.1 The school shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that if a student is unable,
through disability, pregnancy or fluctuating long-term health conditions, to be
assessed by the normal methods, alternative methods of assessment of the learning
outcomes shall be made available. Where practicable this should also be allowed
for students who will be hospitalised during an assessment period so that such
students can remain with their cohort.
5.2 Where a Teaching and Learning Requirements Form or Maternity, Paternity and
Adoption Support Plan (MPASP) confirms that a student cannot be fairly assessed
even with the provision of extra time and/or a modified environment, Chairs of
Progression/Awards Boards shall approve, following a recommendation from
Student Support and in consultation with the School of Study, alternative
assessment instruments.
5.3 The Chair is responsible for ensuring that the modified instruments and tasks are
appropriate bearing in mind the aims and learning outcomes of the module and/or
course and the need to assess the student on equal terms with other students.
5.4 For a continuing student, with an approved programme of study, such alternative
instruments must normally be agreed no later than week 8 of teaching for long
modules or week 4 of the Semester for short modules.
5.5 For a student newly registered with Student Support, or in the case of a modified
Teaching and Learning Requirements Form or MPASP, such alternative instruments
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 41
shall be agreed as soon as practicable and where possible normally no later than 3
weeks prior to the due date for the assessment.
5.6 The Chair of the Progression/Awards Boards shall notify the Academic Registry and
for Intermediate, Honours and Masters levels, the External Examiner, of agreed
alternative assessment instruments. Clear guidance on the nature of the task and
associated times for (as appropriate) collection and completion or submission shall
be provided within the documentation provided to the student.
5.7 Where the alternative assessment replaces an examination, arrangements for
providing the alternative assessment to the student shall be confirmed by
Academic Registry and shall ensure that it is not provided before the scheduled
start of the standard examination. Dependent on the type of adjustment
recommended, adjustment to deadlines may be considered.
5.8 Where a student is being supported under the Fitness to Study Policy and
Procedure via a Return to Study Plan, the plan may include alternative
assessments. The recommendations of the Welfare Panel will be reported by means
of a Teaching and Learning Requirements Form.
5.9 If the additional need arises after the programme has started, the student should
contact the DDT as soon as possible so that an appropriate assessment of need can
be made.
5.10 Students who are new to school, or whose disability/ specific learning difficulty is
newly acquired/ assessed, will be required to register with the DDT and have their
disability/ specific learning difficulty endorsed by appropriate professional
evidence by the stated deadlines. These deadlines will be published at the
beginning of each academic year, and earlier if possible, on all relevant school
websites and on all appropriate publicity and information material for applicants,
students and staff.
5.11 Failure to meet the deadline will mean that school will not guarantee that the
required reasonable adjustment(s) will be made, and the adjustment(s) will only be
put in place where it is possible to do so effectively within the time allowed.
5.12 Claims for extenuating circumstances (see Part 6 of this Manual) will not normally
be granted for pre-existing disabilities or dyslexia. However, if a student with a
disability or dyslexia experiences a serious increase in their symptoms, which is
unpreventable and unpredictable, then extenuating circumstances may be
applicable.
5.13 The operational arrangements for the assessment arrangements for students with
additional need are set out in the Assessment Policy.
6 Information for students
6.1 Our school will ensure that the assessment requirements for programmes of study
are made known to students.
6.2 Our school will make available to students information about the grounds on which
they may request that Assessment Boards be asked to review their decisions and
about the arrangements for dealing with any such requests.
7 Student obligations in respect of assessment
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 42
7.1 It is the responsibility of students to attend examinations, to submit work for
assessment as required, to fulfil any other criteria relevant to the programme and
to follow prescribed procedures in applying for extenuation.
7.2 If a student fails, other than for reasons beyond his or her control, to follow
prescribed procedures in applying for extenuation our school body authorised to
consider requests for the review of an examiners' decision has authority to reject
the request on those grounds.
7.3 If a student is found to have cheated or otherwise attempted to gain an unfair
advantage, the matter will be investigated according to the procedures set out in
Part 8 of this Manual.
7.4 It shall be the student's responsibility to notify a request for any special assessment
arrangements made in the context of disability or special educational need (see
para 5 above).
8 Publication of assessment results
8.1 Except where the regulations of external awarding bodies preclude it the primary
method of informing candidates of Assessment Board decisions will be by
publication on school Moodle on a date previously announced. Such notification
shall have regard to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998.
8.2 In all cases of appeal where the Assessment Board is reconvened, students will
receive individual notifications of the outcome.
8.3 No communication of an assessment result shall be regarded as official until it
bears the signature of the Chair of the relevant Assessment Board.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 43
Part 6
Extenuating Circumstances for Undergraduate Programmes
The new academic framework refers to the provision of procedures governing
extenuating circumstances affecting student assessment. This policy should be read in
conjunction with the accompanying guidance notes.
1. What are Extenuating Circumstances?
Extenuating Circumstances are circumstances which
• impair the performance of a student in assessment or reassessment
• prevent a student from attending for assessment or reassessment
• prevent a student from submitting assessed or reassessed work by the
scheduled date
Such circumstances would normally be
• unforeseeable - in that the student could have no prior knowledge of the
event concerned
• unpreventable - in that the student could do nothing reasonably in their
power to prevent such an event
• expected to have a serious impact
Students are expected to make reasonable plans to take into account commonly
occurring circumstances, even those which, on occasion, may have been
unforeseeable and unpreventable.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 44
2. Procedures for the Submission of Claims for Extenuating Circumstances
For an extenuation claim to be considered, it is the student’s responsibility to
ensure that for each component affected
• they submit details of the circumstances via the relevant Student Hub on the
standard school proforma
• details are submitted by the designated date and time
• details are submitted with accompanying documents and evidence
• all relevant sections of the form have been completed
The designated date and time for submission of claims for extenuation are:
for assessment by examination: 5pm on the Tuesday after the final week
of examinations.
for assessment by submission of assessed work: no later than the Student
Hub closure time one calendar week after the scheduled date and time for
the submission of the assessed work.
Claims will not be considered unless submitted on the standard school proforma by
the designated date and time with accompanying evidence. All relevant sections of
the Extenuating Circumstances form must be complete in order for the claim to be
considered.
Any claim for extenuation which is found to be in any part fraudulent will be
considered as a matter of misconduct and dealt with under the disciplinary
procedure.
3. Procedures for Consideration of Extenuating Circumstances
Claims for extenuation will be considered by a panel consisting of a Chair
nominated by the Principal, one Senior Academic from each School and up to four
appropriate Student Services staff (to be nominated by the Chair).
In considering claims for extenuation, wherever possible, the identity of the
student will not be made available to the Panel.
Where extenuation for more than one component is sought by a student,
extenuation will be considered on a component by component basis.
The Extenuation Panel will normally meet once in each term and once during
reassessment, normally before the week of the Subject Area Progression Boards.
The decisions of the Extenuation Panel will be referred to the relevant Subject
Area Progression or Award Board for consideration.
4. Extenuation Outcomes for assessed tasks (examinations or coursework)
Decisions regarding student progression are the responsibility of the relevant Subject
Area Progression and Award Boards. Boards ratify the decisions of the Extenuation
Panel as it relates to a student’s first opportunity. Where the extenuation decision
pertains to a resit, Assessment Boards will need to consider the overall student profile
when making decisions about students who have not achieved sufficient credit to
progress.
i) Outcomes for examinations and other tasks at which attendance is required
a) If extenuation is granted by the Extenuation Panel at the first assessment
opportunity (including those students repeating a full year of study), then the
relevant Subject Area Progression and/or Award Boards should make decisions as
follows:
• any mark achieved for the relevant extenuated component(s) is ignored (including 0
for non-attendance)
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 45
• the Subject Area Progression or Award Board will not consider the module result
until after reassessment
• the student will be reassessed, in the extenuated component(s) only, in the Summer
(any previous mark for the component being ignored)
• no other components in that module will be reassessed
• the Subject Area Progression or Award Board will consider the module result after
Summer reassessment.
b) If extenuation is granted at a reassessment opportunity, and the student profile
suggests that progress is feasible/manageable/satisfactory, then the following will
apply:
• If extenuation was granted at the previous attempt for the same component, and is
granted for the reassessed component, then, presuming the component is passed,
the mark achieved will be uncapped.
• If extenuation was not granted at a previous attempt for the same component, but is
for the reassessed component, then, presuming the component is passed, the mark
achieved will be capped.
• If extenuation was granted at the second attempt but the component was not
passed, then, presuming that the overall student profile allows it, the student may
be given another opportunity, and the mark for this third opportunity will be
uncapped.
• If a student has achieved fewer than 90 credits overall, but extenuation is granted,
the relevant assessment board should consider what options are available to the
student. It may be deemed appropriate for a student to be given an opportunity to
repeat the year.
c) If extenuation is not granted, the student will receive a mark of zero for that
piece of work.
ii) Outcomes for coursework
a) Work submitted by the published deadline:
No claim for extenuation may be submitted.
b) Work submitted up to one working day after the published deadline:
No claim for extenuation may be submitted. The work is assessed and the component
mark will be subject to a deduction of 5% of the total marks available.
c) Work submitted late, but within one calendar week of the published deadline:
A claim for extenuation may be submitted. If a student seeks extenuation, the
submitted work will be marked;
If the Extenuation Panel grants extenuation, then the mark achieved for the work
will be awarded; the mark achieved will not be notified to the student until the
relevant Subject Area Progression and Award Board results are published;
If the Extenuation Panel does not grant extenuation, then a mark of zero will be
recorded; the mark achieved will not be notified to the student.
d) Work submitted later than one calendar week after the published deadline, or
not submitted:
A claim for extenuation may be submitted. The submitted work will not be
assessed and the mark awarded will be zero;
If a student seeks extenuation and this is granted by the Extenuation Panel,
the outcome is as follows:
• any mark recorded for the relevant component(s) (including zero for non-
submission of assessed work) is ignored
• the relevant Subject Area Progression and Award Board will not consider the
module result until after reassessment
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 46
• the student will be reassessed, in the extenuated component(s) only, in the
Summer, by submission of the standard retrieval work (not by resubmission of
the original piece of work)
• no other components will be reassessed
• the relevant Subject Area Progression and Award Board will consider the module
result after Summer reassessment
• the mark achieved for the module will not be capped (unless it is a repeated
module for post graduate only: see Academic Regulations 11.1.5.2.).
There is no provision for giving extensions to coursework deadlines and therefore
extensions may never be given.
In summary the outcomes are:
• Submitted by the published deadline: No extenuation possible
• Submitted up to one working day of the published deadline: No extenuation
possible. The work is assessed and the component mark will be subject to a
deduction of 5% of the total marks available.
• Submitted within one calendar week of the published deadline: Extenuation
possible, and if granted, the mark achieved is recorded
• Submitted later than one calendar week after the published deadline: The
work is not assessed. Extenuation is possible and, if granted, the student
module decision is deferred until reassessment, the student is required to
retrieve the extenuated component only, and the module is not capped
5. Additional key information
a) Where a student submits an application for extenuation that application cannot
be withdrawn at a later date.
b) Where extenuation is sought, this will be recorded on the student record (so that
the student is aware that the extenuation claim was considered).
6. Late submission of claims for extenuating circumstances
Normally, late submission of a claim for extenuating circumstances is not accepted.
However, it is recognised that there may be cases where a student is unable to
submit a claim for extenuation within the time period (e.g. emergency in-patient
hospital treatment occurring during the examination period). In this case,
submission of the claim at the earliest opportunity, via the relevant Office, should
be made. This must be accompanied by evidence as to why the claim is being
submitted late. The Chair of the Panel will decide whether to accept the late
submission. The Chair’s decision will be final.
Note: Late submission through unwillingness earlier to disclose the grounds for claiming
extenuation will not be regarded as sufficient grounds for late submission.
7. Appeals against the decisions of the Extenuation Panel
There will be no appeal against the decision of the Extenuation Panel other than on
the grounds that an administrative or procedural error has occurred. Appeal will be
by the normal academic appeal procedures.
8. Distance learning programmes
Provision will be made for the submission of proformas and evidence electronically or by
fax, with confirmation hard copy submitted through the postal system.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 47
9. Collaborative programmes
Programmes run at collaborative partner institutions will be subject to equivalent
procedures, with the process being administered by, and the panel being held within, the
partner institution. Appeals against the decision of their extenuation panel will be handled
by the normal academic appeal procedures.
Part 6a
Extenuating Circumstances for Postgraduate Programmes
The new academic framework refers to the provision of procedures governing
extenuating circumstances affecting student assessment. It is intended that extenuating
circumstances procedures should be invoked by students infrequently and only for
circumstances which are serious in nature.
1. What are Extenuating Circumstances?
Extenuating Circumstances are circumstances which
• impair the performance of a student in assessment or reassessment
• prevent a student from attending for assessment or reassessment
• prevent a student from submitting assessed or reassessed work by the
scheduled date
Such circumstances would normally be
• unforeseeable - in that the student could have no prior knowledge of the
event concerned
• unpreventable - in that the student could do nothing reasonably in their
power to prevent such an event
• expected to have a serious impact
Students are expected to make reasonable plans to take into account commonly
occurring circumstances, even those which, on occasion, may have been
unforeseeable and unpreventable.
Further details, including examples of circumstances of what would or would not
normally constitute grounds for extenuation, can be found in the supplementary
guidance notes: http://www.bite.ac.uk/about/academic-registry/
2. Procedures for the Submission of Claims for Extenuating Circumstances
For an extenuation claim to be considered, it is the student’s responsibility to
ensure that for each component affected
• they submit details of the circumstances the Student Hub on the standard
school proforma
• details are submitted by the designated date and time
• details are submitted with accompanying documents and evidence
• all relevant sections of the form have been completed
The designated date and time for submission of claims for extenuation are:
for assessment by examination: 5pm on the Tuesday after the final week
of examinations.
for assessment by submission of assessed work: no later than the Student
moodle closure time one calendar week after the scheduled date and time
for the submission of the assessed work.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 48
Claims will not be considered unless submitted on the standard school proforma by
the designated date and time with accompanying evidence. All relevant sections of
the Extenuating Circumstances form must be complete in order for the claim to be
considered.
Any claim for extenuation which is found to be in any part fraudulent will be
considered as a matter of misconduct and dealt with under the disciplinary
procedure.
3. Procedures for Consideration of Extenuating Circumstances
Claims for extenuation will be considered by a panel consisting of a Chair
nominated by the Principal, one Senior Academic from each School and up to four
appropriate Student Services staff (to be nominated by the Chair).
In considering claims for extenuation, wherever possible, the identity of the
student will not be made available to the Panel.
Where extenuation for more than one component is sought by a student,
extenuation will be considered on a component by component basis.
The decision of the Extenuation Panel is binding on Subject Area and Award boards.
The Extenuation Panel will meet once in each semester, normally before the week
of the Subject Area Boards, and once during reassessment, normally before the
week of the Subject Area Boards.
Decisions will be implemented on the student records system after completion of
the Subject Area Boards and before commencement of the Award Boards.
4. Extenuation Outcomes for assessed tasks (examinations or coursework)
Assessed tasks (e.g. coursework) to be submitted by a scheduled date:
a) Work submitted by the published deadline:
No claim for extenuation may be submitted.
b) Work submitted up to one working day after the published deadline:
No claim for extenuation may be submitted. The work is assessed and the
component mark will be subject to a deduction of 5% of the total marks available.
c) Work submitted late, but within one calendar week of the published
deadline:
A claim for extenuation may be submitted. If a student seeks extenuation, the
submitted work will be marked;
If the Extenuation Panel grants extenuation, then the mark achieved for
the work will be awarded; the mark achieved will not be notified to the
student until the Subject Area Board results are published;
If the Extenuation Panel does not grant extenuation, then a mark of zero
will be recorded; the mark achieved will not be notified to the student.
d) Work submitted later than one calendar week after the published deadline,
or not submitted:
A claim for extenuation may be submitted. The submitted work will not be
assessed;
The mark awarded will be zero;
If a student seeks extenuation and this is granted by the Extenuation
Panel, the outcome is as follows
• any mark recorded for the relevant component(s) (including 0 for non-
submission of assessed work) is ignored
• the Subject Area Board will not consider the module result until after
reassessment
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 49
• the student will be reassessed, in the extenuated component(s) only, in
the Summer, by submission of the standard retrieval work (not by
resubmission of the original piece of work)
• no other components will be reassessed
• the Subject Area Board will consider the module result after Summer
reassessment
• the mark achieved for the module will not be capped (unless it is a repeated
module for post graduate only: see Academic Regulations 11.1.5.2.).
There is no provision for giving extensions to coursework deadlines and therefore
extensions may never be given.
In summary the outcomes are:
Submitted by the published deadline: No extenuation possible
Submitted within one calendar week of the published deadline: Extenuation
possible, and if granted, the mark achieved is recorded
Submitted later than one calendar week after the published deadline: The work
is not assessed. Extenuation is possible and, if granted, the student module
decision is deferred until reassessment, the student is required to retrieve the
extenuated component only, and the module is not capped
Assessed tasks (e.g. examinations) in which attendance is required
If extenuation is granted by the Extenuation Panel then:
• any mark achieved for the relevant extenuated component(s) is ignored
(including 0 for non-attendance at the assessment task)
• the Subject Area Board will not consider the module result until after
reassessment
• the student will be reassessed, in the extenuated component(s) only, in the
Summer (any previous mark for the component being ignored)
• no other components in that module will be reassessed
• the Subject Area Board will consider the module result after Summer
reassessment
• the mark achieved for the module will not be capped (unless it is a repeated
module for post graduate only: see Academic Regulations 11.1.5.2.).
If extenuation is not granted, the mark recorded will be the mark achieved.
5. Additional key information
a) Where a student submits an application for extenuation then that application
cannot be withdrawn at a later date.
b) The granting of extenuation has the effect of restoring the student, via uncapping of
reassessment, to the position that the student would have been in, with respect to
uncapping, had the extenuating circumstance not occurred. (see Academic
Framework Regulations 11.1.5.2)
c) Once a module has been capped, extenuation does not uncap the module (see
Academic Framework Regulations 11.1.5.3)
d) Where
• a student submits an application for extenuation for a component, and
• the student has failed to achieve the threshold mark in a second component,
and
• no extenuation has been granted to this second component
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 50
the effect of granting extenuation for the first component would be to ensure that
the (below threshold) mark for the second component was carried forward to
reassessment, thus automatically preventing that student from passing the module
at reassessment. In such cases, the application for extenuation will formally be
denied, as it is not in the student’s interest. As a result, the student will have the
opportunity to pass the module at reassessment. (see Academic Framework
Regulations 11.1.5.4)
e) Where a component consists of more than one element, and the circumstances of
extenuation apply to one element, the extenuation granted is for the whole
component in its entirety.
f) Where extenuation is sought, this will be recorded on the student record (so that
the student is aware that the extenuation claim was considered).
6. Late submission of claims for extenuating circumstances
Normally, late submission of a claim for extenuating circumstances is not accepted.
However, it is recognised that there may be cases where a student is unable to
submit a claim for extenuation within the time period (e.g. emergency in-patient
hospital treatment occurring during the examination period). In this case,
submission of the claim at the earliest opportunity, via the HUB, should be made.
This must be accompanied by evidence as to why the claim is being submitted late.
The Chair of the Panel will decide whether to accept the late submission. The
Chair’s decision will be final.
Note: Late submission through unwillingness earlier to disclose the grounds for
claiming extenuation will not be regarded as sufficient grounds for late submission.
7. Appeals against the decisions of the Extenuation Panel
There will be no appeal against the decision of the Extenuation Panel other than on
the grounds that an administrative or procedural error has occurred. Appeal will be
by the normal academic appeal procedures.
8. Distance learning programmes
Provision will be made for the submission of proformas and evidence electronically or by
fax, with confirmation hard copy submitted through the postal system.
9. Collaborative programmes
Programmes run at collaborative partner institutions will be subject to equivalent
procedures, with the process being administered by, and the panel being held within, the
partner institution. Appeals against the decision of their extenuation panel will be handled
by the normal academic appeal procedures.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 51
Part 7
Appeals against Assessment Board decisions
This section is concerned solely with the grounds and procedures for dealing with appeals
arising from a request from a student that an Assessment Board reconsider its decision.
Other areas of appeal, such as those against a decision that a student be excluded from
our school on other grounds are the subject of other regulations and procedures (see
Parts 12 and 13 of this Manual)
These regulations do not apply to the thesis / submittal component of Research Degrees
or those applying for Higher Doctorates (see Part 9 of this Manual for the relevant
regulations).
1 Grounds for appeal
1.1 An appeal may be made only on the following grounds.
(a) The assessment was not conducted in accordance with the current regulations
for the programme, or there has been a material administrative error or
some other material irregularity relevant to the assessments has occurred.
(b) For a student with a disability or additional need, the initial needs assessment
was not correctly carried out, or the support identified was not provided, or
the agreed assessment procedures for that student were not implemented.
1.2 Disagreement with the academic judgement of an Assessment Board in assessing the
merits of an individual piece of work, or in reaching any assessment decision based
on the marks, grades and other information relating to the candidate’s
performance, cannot in itself constitute grounds for a request for reconsideration
by a candidate. Such matters of academic judgement remain the exclusive
prerogative of the Assessment Board. Matters of academic judgement include:
(a) whether a student has reached the academic standard required for the
programme;
(b) whether a student would benefit academically from further study on the
programme.
1.3 Subject to the previous paragraphs, the appeal may be against a decision or
recommendation of an Assessment Board that:
(a) the student has failed a programme or part of a programme (and has not been
compensated);
(b) the student should not be permitted to proceed to the next stage of the
programme;
(c) the student should be excluded from continuation of studies on a programme;
(d) a particular grade should be awarded for a component of assessment;
(e) a particular class of award should be made.
or the appeal may be against:
(f) a decision of the extenuating circumstances panel.
1.4 Pending the outcome of the appeal the original decision of the Assessment Board will
stand.
1.5 The appeals procedure is an internal school process, and if the appellant should
instruct lawyers to act on their behalf during the appeal this will halt the
procedure.
1.6 In the event that a Formal Complaint is submitted at the same time as an Appeal
against an Assessment Board decision, the complaint will be placed on hold until
the investigation into the appeal has been completed.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 52
2 Procedure for notification of appeal
2.1 There are three stages in the Appeals Procedure:
STAGE 1: Conciliation
STAGE 2: Formal Investigation
STAGE 3: Academic Appeals Panel hearing
3 Conciliation
3.1 Any student wishing to appeal against a decision or recommendation of an Assessment
Board, other than under paragraph 1.3(f) (please refer to paragraph 3.5 below), should
first lodge her or his intention to appeal with
Institutional Compliance within ten working days of the publication of the results.
3.2 Where a group of students wish to submit a collective appeal, the group should
nominate a spokesperson to act as the channel of communication for the group.
3.3 The Chair of the Assessment Board or, in her or his absence, an appropriate substitute,
will convene a conciliation meeting to hear the appeal within 10 working days of
the appellant lodging her or his intention to appeal.
3.4 Following discussion with the appellant, the Chair of the Assessment Board shall
decide either:
(a) to refer the matter back to the Assessment Board for further consideration;
(b) to dismiss the appeal.
3.5 Any student wishing to appeal against a decision of the extenuating circumstances
panel must lodge her or his intention to appeal with Institutional Compliance
within ten working days of the publication of the decision. Institutional
Compliance will then consult the Chair of the Extenuating Circumstances Panel who
shall decide within 10 working days either:
(a) to refer the matter back to the Extenuating Circumstances Panel for further
consideration;
(b) to dismiss the appeal.
Note: appeals against the decision of the extenuating circumstances panel are permitted
only on the grounds that there was a material irregularity in process or some other
material administrative error, not on the grounds that the appellant simply
disagrees with the judgment of the extenuating circumstances panel)
4 Formal Investigation
4.1 Where the appellant does not accept the decision of the Chair of the Assessment Board
or the Chair of the Extenuating Circumstances Panel, the appellant must lodge her or his
notice of appeal with Institutional Compliance, within five working days of the
conciliation decision. The student should take into consideration the possibility that the
final outcome of their academic appeal may not be decided until after the reassessment
opportunity period. If this proves to be the case, the student may be asked to re-sit the
component in question whilst they await a decision on their case, and should therefore
prepare appropriately for this scenario.
4.2 To be deemed valid, such notice of appeal must:
(a) state the actual decision appealed against;
(b) contain a brief summary of the grounds of appeal, stating, as appropriate:
• any respects in which it is alleged that the assessment failed to accord
with the regulations pertaining to the programme (identifying the
regulation(s) which has/have allegedly been breached), or the nature
of the material administrative error or other material irregularity
relevant to assessment which has occurred;
• how it is alleged that, for a student with a disability or additional needs,
the needs assessment was flawed, the provisions recommended were
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 53
not implemented, or the agreed assessment procedures have failed
to be implemented.
(c) supply evidence, other than the personal testimony of the appellant, in
corroboration of the factual basis of the appeal, or indicate how such
corroboration will be provided;
(d) state the nature of the revised assessment sought from the Assessment Board,
or the nature of the decision sought from the extenuating circumstances
panel;
(e) demonstrate, except in the case of appeals under paragraph 1.3(f) that
conciliation has been attempted with the Chair of the relevant Assessment
Board or, in her or his absence, an appropriate substitute.
4.3 On receipt of a valid notice of appeal, Institutional Compliance, will investigate the
appeal, consulting such persons as necessary to determine the facts of the case.
4.4 Once all investigations are complete the Associate Head of Governance and Legal
Services, or an appropriate officer acting on her or his behalf, will then establish
whether there is a prima facie ground for appeal.
4.5 Where there is a prima facie ground for appeal, the Associate Head of Governance and
Legal Services, or an appropriate officer acting on her or his behalf, shall call a
meeting of the Academic Appeals Panel (described below) to hear the appeal,
preferably within 30 working days of the Associate Head of Governance and Legal
Services’s decision.
4.6 The Associate Head of Governance and Legal Services, or an appropriate officer acting
on her or his behalf, may dismiss an appeal in the following circumstances:
(a) when the appeal is lodged late, without an explanation which is satisfactory to
the Associate Head of Governance and Legal Services;
(b) when the Associate Head of Governance and Legal Services is able to
demonstrate that the appeal does not comply with these Regulations;
(c) when the Associate Head of Governance and Legal Services can show that the
appeal, although complying with these Regulations, could not lead to any
change in the assessment which is the subject of the appeal. (Such a
conclusion may follow from the assessment structure of the programme
concerned, but may not be based on qualitative judgements concerning the
assessment of the appellant’s case.)
5 Academic Appeals Panel constitution
5.1 The Academic Appeals Panel shall comprise a Chair (who shall be a senior member of
the academic staff with appropriate experience of assessment procedures) and
three other members, consisting of:
• a Chair of another Assessment Board;
• a member of teaching staff of our school;
• a trained representative of the Students’ Union.
5.2 Where possible we shall seek to ensure that the composition of the panel reflects the
character of our institution and/or at least one person has been trained in equality
and diversity issues.
5.3 No member of the Academic Appeals Panel shall be a member of the school
responsible for the programme concerned, or be involved in the teaching or
assessment of the programme.
5.4 No member of the Academic Appeals Panel shall be an interested party.
5.5 To the extent practicable, the same Chair should preside in hearings of appeals from a
particular Assessment Board in any one year.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 54
6 The appeal hearing
6.1 The appellant shall have the right to appear before the Appeals Panel and to be
accompanied and assisted by one friend who shall be a member of our school and
may or may not be an interested party. Such a friend may be a Students' Union
representative but not a paid legal representative.
6.2 The Chair of the Assessment Board (or his or her nominee) shall have the right to be
present at the hearing of the appeal.
6.3 The appellant and his or her adviser and the Assessment Board through its
representatives shall have the right to call and to question witnesses.
6.4 The Academic Appeals Panel shall be entitled to call witnesses on its own initiative
and to call for the production of relevant documents.
6.5 The appeal shall be heard only on the grounds stated in the notice unless the
Academic Appeals Panel decides otherwise. In the latter event, either the
appellant or the Assessment Board shall be entitled to demand an adjournment of
one week to prepare evidence.
6.6 Each party (i.e. the appellant and the Assessment Board) shall have the right to
receive a copy of any written submission that is made on the part of the other.
6.7 The appellant shall be invited to provide details of any reasonable adjustments that
may need to be made for the hearing in order to accommodate the appeal if they
have a declared disability.
6.8 The school will pay reasonable, standard class travel expenses incurred as a result of
the appellant’s attendance at the hearing.
6.9 Where there is a clear justification for doing so e.g. where travel costs are prohibitive
or the students mode of attendance makes attendance in person difficult, a
request to conduct the Panel via video link can be considered. The Chair of the
panel will have final say on whether the panel can be convened via video link. For
any panel via video-link the Chair and panel members would be located at an on-
campus location at our school. Guidance regarding conducting a panel via video
link will be shared with all parties prior to the panel by the Appeals Liaison Officer.
6.10 If the appellant does not appear at the date and time scheduled for the hearing the
Academic Appeals Panel shall consider whether any reasons advanced for non-
attendance are valid, and:
(a) if members so judge, adjourn proceedings to a later meeting;
(b) if no reasons are advanced, or if they are judged invalid, proceed in the
appellant's absence.
7 Effect of the appeal
7.1 The Academic Appeals Panel shall be empowered either:
(a) to refer the matter back to the Assessment Board ;
(b) to dismiss the appeal.
7.2 In making a reference back, the Academic Appeals Panel shall state the grounds on
which it has reached its decision and what matters it requires the
Assessment Board to consider further. The Academic Appeals Panel may make
recommendations provided these are not academic judgements and provided that
reasons for the recommendations are given.
7.3 Assessment Boards may set up sub-boards drawn from their own membership to review
the strength and possible effect of the Academic Appeals Panel's recommendations.
The full board shall then meet as promptly as possible to consider the reference
back in the light of the sub-board's findings, and shall submit a report of such a
meeting to the Academic Appeals Panel.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 55
7.4 Should the Academic Appeals Panel have made recommendations which the
Assessment Board is unable to accept, the Academic Appeals Panel may
recommend to the Academic Board that the assessment be annulled.
7.5 A decision to annul an assessment can be taken only by a meeting of the Academic
Board.
7.6 When a decision has been annulled it is the responsibility of Academic Board to take
action, including, if necessary, the appointment of new external examiners, to
ensure that the candidate(s) concerned are properly assessed.
7.7 Where the appeal is dismissed or where the Academic Board has declined to annul the
assessment, the most recent decision of the Assessment Board shall prevail.
7.8 In cases of procedural or other irregularity, or where it is not possible to reconvene an
Assessment Board, the Academic Board shall have power to annul a decision of the
Assessment Board without making a prior request for reconsideration. If an error or
irregularity is found to have affected more than one candidate, the Academic
Board may annul the whole assessment, or any part of it.
8 Authority of Academic Appeals Panels
8.1 There shall be no appeal against the finding of an Academic Appeals Panel. Allegations
of procedural irregularities in the conduct of an appeal may be heard by the
Principal who may, at his or her discretion, require the Academic Appeals Panel to
reconsider the case.
9 Independent Adjudication
9.1 Where an appeal is dismissed at any of the stages outlined above, the appellant will be
considered to have exhausted the internal procedures.
9.2 If the appellant has exhausted the internal procedures and is not satisfied with the
outcome he/she may request that the case is reviewed by the Office of the
Independent Adjudicator which is a body independent of our school.
9.3 The grounds and eligibility for review shall be determined by the Office of the
Independent Adjudicator.
9.4 The findings of any case considered by the Independent Adjudicator shall be
considered directly by the Academic Board. The Academic Board shall take the
recommendations of the Independent Adjudicator into account in reaching a final
decision about any action that should be taken in response to the Appeal.
9.5 The decision of the Academic Board is final and there shall be no further appeal
against this decision.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 56
Part 8
Academic Misconduct
These Regulations should be read in conjunction with the school’s Academic Integrity
Policy which is available at: http://www.bse.ltd
The school is committed to ensuring that everyone is made aware of their
responsibilities in maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and of the
steps taken to protect those standards.
1. Context
1.1 The school is committed to academic integrity and will take firm action against any
student who breaches these regulations. All students are responsible for ensuring that
every element of their studies is their own work and for following regulations for the
proper conduct of assessments. No credit will be awarded for work which is found to have
breached these Academic Misconduct Regulations.
2 Definition
2.1 For the purposes of these Regulations, academic misconduct is defined as any type of
cheating in an assessment for the purposes of achieving personal gain. Examples of such
misconduct are given below: the list is not exhaustive and the use of any form of unfair or
dishonest practice in assessment can be considered potential misconduct. A student
cannot initiate an academic misconduct action against another student; this can only be
done by an academic member of staff.
Coursework Submitted for Assessment
For coursework submissions, academic misconduct means:
(a) The presentation of another person’s work as one’s own with or without obtaining
permission to use it.
(b) The inclusion within one’s own work of material (written, visual or oral), originally
produced by another person, without suitable acknowledgment.
(c) The submission, as if it were one’s own work, of anything which has been offered to
you for your use, but which is actually not your own work.
(d) The inclusion within one’s work of concepts paraphrased from elsewhere without citing
your source.
(e) The inclusion in submitted work of sections of text, whether from electronic or hard
copy sources, without appropriate acknowledgement of the source.
(f) The submission of work that the student, as the author, has previously submitted,
without suitable acknowledgement of the source of their previous work; this should not
normally be more than a short quotation as the same work cannot be submitted for
different assignments.
(g) Including or quoting the work of other students in one’s work, with the exception of
published work, or outputs held in the library as a learning resource, which should be
cited and acknowledged appropriately.
(h) Being party to any arrangement whereby the work of one candidate is represented as
that of another.
(i) The submission, as your own work, of any work that has been purchased, or otherwise
obtained from others, whether this is from other students, online services, “cheat sites”,
or other agents or sources that sell or provide assignments.
(j) Practices such as ‘cutting and pasting’ segments of text into your work, without citing
the source of each.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 57
(k) For work not intended to be submitted as a collaborative assignment: producing work
with one or more other students, using study practices that mean the submitted work is
nearly identical, overall or in part, to that of other students.
(l) Offering an inducement to staff and/or other persons connected with assessment.
Examinations
For examinations, academic misconduct means:
(a) Importation into an examination room of materials or devices other than those which
are specifically permitted under the regulations applying to the examination in question.
(b) Reference to such materials (whether written or electronically recorded) during the
period of the examination, whether or not such reference is made within the examination
room.
(c) Refusing, when asked, to surrender any materials requested by an invigilator.
(d) The application of an electronic device, unless this has been expressly permitted for
that examination.
(e) Copying the work of another candidate.
(f) Disruptive behaviour during examination or assessment.
(g) Obtaining or seeking to obtain access to unseen examination questions prior to the
examination.
(h) Failure to observe the instructions of a person invigilating an examination, or seeking
to intimidate such a person.
(i) Offering an inducement to invigilators and/or staff and/or other persons connected
with assessment.
2.2 Where academic misconduct is suspected, the Subject Area Progression Board will not
come to a decision on the candidate's result until the facts have been established.
3 Roles and Responsibilities
3.1 Each Dean of School will appoint a Responsible Officer, to deal with cases of academic
misconduct within the School on his/her behalf. The Responsible Officer is a member of
the school’s academic staff who works closely with Module Leaders, the Academic
Misconduct Officer and the relevant administrator to manage incidents of reported
academic misconduct within his/her School. This includes meeting with individual students
to discuss cases and to outline the support available to prevent future incidents of
academic misconduct. The role of Responsible Officer may be shared between two people
and, in such cases, a minimum of one of the appointees must be a member of academic
staff.
4 Procedures to be followed in the event of a suspected case of academic misconduct
in undergraduate programmes, taught postgraduate programmes, taught elements of
postgraduate research programmes and undergraduate and postgraduate credit
bearing short courses.
4.1 If an assessor or invigilator suspects that academic misconduct has occurred, he or she
should inform the relevant Module Leader, Responsible Officer, and the relevant
administrator, by email, within 5 working days after detection.
4.2 The Module Leader, in consultation with the Responsible Officer, will determine
whether or not it appears that academic misconduct has occurred, by reviewing the
reported circumstances and any relevant materials, including suspected source materials
within a period of twenty working days.
4.3 Where the suspected academic misconduct relates to taught elements of postgraduate
research programmes, the Module Leader and Responsible Officer will ensure appropriate
liaison with the Graduate School occurs.
4.4 Academic Misconduct Regulations do not apply where the suspected breach has
occurred in students’ work which has been:
• submitted more than 24 hours after, but within 1 week of, the stipulated submission
deadline and
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 58
• where no extenuation claim is made, or if made, not granted.
4.5 If, at the end of the twenty working day period stipulated in 4.2 above, the Module
Leader and Responsible Officer have not found evidence that misconduct may have
occurred, the relevant administrator will be advised and no further action will be taken.
4.6 If, at the end of the twenty working day period stipulated in 4.2 above, the Module
Leader and Responsible Officer have evidence that misconduct may have occurred and:
(a) there is a record that the student has previously been issued with a Level A penalty
or
(b) the suspected academic misconduct is such that it might (according to the tariff at
section 10 below) incur a Level B, C or D penalty (regardless of whether it is a first
instance of academic misconduct)
the matter will be referred to the Academic Misconduct Officer within 5 working days (see
section 6 below).
4.7 If there is no record of the student having breached our Academic Misconduct
Regulations, the Module Leader, together with the School’s Responsible Officer, will hold
a School Meeting with the student. The student may be accompanied by a relative, friend,
colleague or preferably, a Students’ Union Case Worker. The accompanying person cannot
be a professional legal representative who has been employed to act on the student’s
behalf nor can they act in the capacity of a legal advisor. At that meeting, the student will
be reminded of our Academic Misconduct Regulations (including the tariff of penalties),
shown how s/he has breached the regulations and advised on how to adhere to them in
future. The Module Leader will present the evidence which must include appropriate
source material and ask the student whether s/he accepts that s/he has breached these
regulations. The student will then be invited to make any further comments.
4.7.1 Where acceptance occurs in relation to an undergraduate or taught postgraduate
programme, a Level A penalty will be issued by the Module Leader and the piece of work
concerned will be awarded a mark of 0.
4.7.2 Where acceptance occurs in relation to taught elements of postgraduate research
programmes, the student will be required to:
• amend the documentation submitted for annual review, addressing the affected
material before the annual review may be re-considered and/or
• amend the progress report documentation addressing the affected material, before the
request for transfer between MPhil and PhD status, in either direction, may be re-
considered.
Required amendments must be resubmitted within 40 working days from the date of the
School Meeting.
4.8 Students are required to confirm their acceptance that s/he has breached these
regulations by signing the School Meeting pro forma, that s/he understands how s/he has
breached these regulations, undertakes to take all necessary steps to ensure that s/he
does not do so again and understands that any further instance of academic misconduct is
likely to lead to a serious penalty. The Module Leader or Responsible Officer will inform
the relevant administrator, who will notify the Academic Misconduct Officer. The relevant
administrator will be responsible for notifying the student formally of the outcome and
retaining the record of the School Meeting.
4.9 Where the student denies academic misconduct the Module Leader and Responsible
Officer will refer the matter to the Academic Misconduct Officer and inform the relevant
administrator.
4.10 If academic misconduct has been alleged because an assessor suspects that the work
submitted is not entirely the student’s own work, and it is deemed appropriate (e.g. in
cases where it has not been possible to identify the sources from which the work (or parts
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 59
of it) has (or have) been taken), then a viva voce interview may be incorporated within
the School Meeting. The viva voce must be held in accordance with school’s Guidance for
Conducting viva voce in relation to academic misconduct.
4.10.1 A report of the meeting at which the viva voce is held will be produced and made
available to the Responsible Officer and the Academic Misconduct Officer.
4.11 At the discretion of the Responsible Officer and usually only to accommodate
distance learning students, the School meeting may take place via a video or telephone
conference.
4.12 If the student does not appear at the date and time scheduled for the School
Meeting, or refuses to take part in a viva voce interview, the Responsible Officer will
consider whether any reasons offered are valid, and if s/he so judges, adjourn proceedings
to a later date.
4.13 If no reasons are advanced, the reasons are judged invalid or the student refuses to
take part in the viva voce interview, the meeting will conclude that the student has
admitted academic misconduct and will issue a Level A penalty or where appropriate, a
referral to the Academic Misconduct Officer will be made. In these circumstances, there is
no right to appeal the decision of the School Meeting.
4.14 Where a Level A penalty has been issued in the student’s absence, the relevant
administrator will send the student a copy of the record of the School Meeting decision
4.15 Where the outcome of the viva voce interview is such that the suspected academic
misconduct might (according to the tariff at section 10 below) incur a penalty (regardless
of whether it is a first instance of academic misconduct) the matter will be referred to the
Academic Misconduct Officer (see section 6 below) within 5 working days.
5 Procedure to be followed in the event of a suspected research misconduct at all
levels of study
5.1 If a member of staff suspects research misconduct, the ‘Policy and Procedures for
dealing with allegations of research misconduct against students’ will apply.
6 Referrals to the Academic Misconduct Officer (alleged subsequent instances of
academic misconduct and alleged first instances of serious academic misconduct)
6.1 The Academic Misconduct Officer will write to the student setting out the allegation
and the proposed penalty and inviting the student to a meeting, within 20 working days.
The student may be accompanied by a relative, friend, colleague or preferably, a
Students’ Union Case Worker. The accompanying person cannot be a professional legal
representative who has been employed to act on the student’s behalf nor can they act in
the capacity of a legal advisor.
6.2 The student is required to respond, within a period of 20 working days, to the written
notification from the Academic Misconduct Officer. If s/he does not, s/he will be deemed
to have accepted the proposed penalty (and notified of this in writing).
6. 3 Where the student attends the meeting and admits to an instance (or instances) of
academic misconduct, s/he will be reminded of the proposed penalty and required to
confirm, in writing, that s/he understands how s/he has breached these regulations,
undertakes to take all necessary steps to ensure that s/he does not do so again and
understands that any further instance of academic misconduct will result in a significantly
more severe penalty.
6.4 Where a student attends the meeting and either:
(a) does not admit academic misconduct because s/he has suitable grounds to challenge
the decision; and /or
(b) feels that there are unique and particular circumstances
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 60
(c) admits academic misconduct but does not accept the proposed penalty
within 10 working days of the date of the meeting with the Academic Misconduct Officer,
the student must submit to the Academic Misconduct Officer an evidenced based proposal
for proceeding to an Academic Misconduct Panel. The Academic Misconduct Officer will
forward the proposal to two identified Responsible Officers (who must be from a different
School to the student). Should the submission from the student not be received within the
stipulated time period by the Academic Misconduct Officer, s/he will write to the student
informing him/her that the time allowed to submit a proposal to take the case to an
Academic Misconduct Panel has lapsed; will therefore not be considered and the proposed
penalty will be applied.
6.5 Where a proposal to proceed to an Academic Misconduct Panel is received within the
stipulated time period, the Responsible Officers will review the proposal and decide
whether there are sufficient grounds for the case to be considered by an Academic
Misconduct Panel. This decision must be made within 10 working days of receipt of the
proposal by the Responsible Officer. In the event of an unreconcilable difference of
opinion between the Responsible Officers the proposal shall proceed to an Academic
Misconduct Panel.
6.6 In reaching their decision as to whether there are sufficient grounds for the case to be
considered by an Academic Misconduct Panel, the Responsible Officer will consider the full
range of issues relating to the student's proposal and the details of the alleged breach.
Consideration will also be given to whether:
• There is new and material evidence which the student was, for exceptional reasons,
unable to present previously
•The procedures were not complied with to the extent that it was questionable whether
the outcome would have been different had the procedures been complied with
•There is documented evidence of bias
6.7 Where the proposal does not provide sufficient grounds to allow the student’s case to
proceed to an Academic Misconduct Panel, the reviewing Responsible Officer will, within
ten working days of receiving the proposal, complete a written report providing their
decision and explanation for their decision. This will be forwarded to the Academic
Misconduct Officer who will inform the student within three working days of receipt and
confirm that the proposed penalty will be applied. The decision of the reviewing
Responsible Officer will be final and there shall be no right of appeal.
6.8 If the proposal is deemed valid by the reviewing Responsible Officer, the matter will
be considered by an Academic Misconduct Panel. The student will be informed of this, in
writing, by the Academic Misconduct Officer within three working days.
6.9 This written notification will also warn the student that any case heard by an
Academic Misconduct Panel may result in the awarding of a more severe penalty than that
originally proposed.
7 Referrals to the Academic Misconduct Officer (where a student has denied academic
misconduct at a School Meeting)
7.1 The Academic Misconduct Officer will write to the student setting out the allegation
and inviting him/her to a meeting, within 20 working days. The student may be
accompanied by a relative, friend, colleague or preferably a Students’ Union Case Worker.
The accompanying person cannot be a professional legal representative who has been
employed to act on the student’s behalf nor can they act in the capacity of a legal
advisor.
7.2 The student is required to respond, within a period of 20 working days, to the
correspondence from the Academic Misconduct Officer. If s/he does not, s/he will be
deemed to have accepted the proposed penalty (and notified of this in writing).
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 61
7.3 Where the student attends the meeting and admits to an instance (or instances) of
academic misconduct, s/he will receive the proposed penalty and will be required to
confirm, in writing, that s/he understands how s/he has breached these regulations,
undertakes to take all necessary steps to ensure that s/he does not do so again and
understands that any further instance of academic misconduct will result in a significantly
more severe penalty.
7.4 Where a student attends the meeting and either:
(a) does not admit academic misconduct because s/he has suitable grounds to challenge
the decision; and/or
(b) feels that there are unique and particular circumstances,
within 10 working days of the date of the meeting with the Academic Misconduct Officer,
s/he must submit to the Academic Misconduct Officer an evidenced based proposal for
proceeding to an Academic Misconduct Panel. The Academic Misconduct Officer will
forward the proposal to an identified Responsible Officer (who must be from a different
School to the student). Student not be received within the stipulated time period by the
Academic Misconduct Officer, s/he will write to the student informing him/her that the
time allowed to submit a proposal to take the case to an Academic Misconduct Panel has
lapsed; will therefore not be considered and the proposed penalty will be applied.
7.5 Where a proposal to proceed to an Academic Misconduct Panel is received within the
stipulated time period, the Responsible Officer will review the proposal and decide
whether there are sufficient grounds for the case to be considered by an Academic
Misconduct Panel. This decision must be made within 10 working days of receipt of the
proposal by the Responsible Officer.
7.6 Where the proposal does not provide sufficient grounds to allow the student’s case to
proceed to an Academic Misconduct Panel, the reviewing Responsible Officer will, within
ten working days of receiving the proposal, complete a written report, providing their
decision and explanation for their decision. This will be forwarded to the Academic
Misconduct Officer who will inform the student within three working days of receipt and
confirm that the proposed penalty will be applied. The decision of the reviewing
Responsible Officer will be final and there shall be no right of appeal.
7.7 If the proposal is deemed valid by the reviewing Responsible Officer, the matter will
be considered by an Academic Misconduct Panel. The student will be informed of this, in
writing, by the Academic Misconduct Officer within five working days.
7.8 This written notification will also warn the student that any case heard by an
Academic Misconduct Panel may result in the awarding of a more severe penalty than that
originally proposed.
8 Academic Misconduct Panels
8.1 Academic Misconduct Panels shall be convened on a regular basis by the Academic
Misconduct Officer on behalf of the Academic Board, to investigate the facts of a case
and/or to determine the appropriate penalty.
8.2 The constitution of the Academic Misconduct Panel shall be:
• three members of our school's academic staff, at least one of whom should be a Senior
Lecturer or above, with appropriate expertise of academic misconduct procedures, who
will act as the Chair
• a student representative, nominated by the Students' Union.
8.3 Where possible we will seek to ensure that the composition of the panel reflects the
character of our institution.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 62
8.4 Proceedings of an Academic Misconduct Panel shall be as follows:
(a) The Academic Misconduct Panel shall, as far as is practicable, be constituted of
persons who have no knowledge of the student concerned.
(b) All relevant documentation and written submissions, including statements from
witnesses unable to attend the Panel, such as examination invigilators, to be considered
by Academic Misconduct Panels must be sent to the Academic Misconduct Officer 10
working days prior to the Panel date.
(c) All relevant records of a School Meeting shall be made available to the Academic
Misconduct Panel, together with all relevant correspondence from the Academic
Misconduct Officer.
(d) Normally, at least five working days prior to the Panel date the Servicing Officer will
circulate the case papers to: members of the Academic Misconduct Panel; the student; the
relevant Responsible Officer and any other colleague(s) from the relevant School who will
present the case at the Academic Misconduct Panel.
(e) The student shall have the right to be accompanied by a relative, friend, colleague or
preferably, a Students’ Union Case Worker. The accompanying person cannot be a
professional legal representative who has been employed to act on the student’s behalf
nor can they act in the capacity of a legal advisor.
(f) At least five working days prior to the Panel, the student must inform the Academic
Misconduct Officer of any person accompanying them. The Academic Misconduct Officer
will ensure that the case papers are circulated to him/her. If details of the accompanying
person are not provided at least five working days prior to the Panel date, the Panel can
reserve the right to refuse admission to the accompanying person. If the accompanying
person’s behaviour within the Panel is deemed inappropriate, the Chair has the right to
demand that s/he be removed from the Panel.
(g) The student shall have the right to call and to question witnesses.
(h) The Academic Misconduct Panel shall have the right to call and to question witnesses
in the presence of the student (and relative, friend, colleague or a Students’ Union Case
Worker if present).
(i) If the student does not appear at the date and time scheduled for the hearing, the
Academic Misconduct Panel shall consider whether any reasons provided for non-
attendance are valid, and:
• if no reasons are provided, or if they are judged invalid, proceed in the respondent's
absence, regarding him or her (subject to any written account) as having admitted none of
the allegations.
•if members so judge, adjourn proceedings to a later meeting;
(j) If the Responsible Officer delegated to present the case on behalf of the School does
not appear at the date and time scheduled for the Academic Misconduct Panel, the case
will be permanently withdrawn, with no grounds for appeal by the School.
(k) At the discretion of the Chair, and usually only to accommodate distance learning
students, an Academic Misconduct Panel may take place via a video or telephone
conference.
(l) The Academic Misconduct Panel shall consider its findings in private and shall submit a
written report to the Responsible Officer and the student. The outcome is presented to
the relevant Subject Area Progression Board, as soon as is practicable following its
deliberations.
(m) In determining whether the allegation(s) has/have been proven, the Panel must be
satisfied that the allegation(s) is/are proven on the balance of probability.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 63
(n) In reaching its conclusions on whether the allegation(s) has/have been proven, the
Academic Misconduct Panel shall consider fully any relevant input from staff familiar with
the student's circumstances and/or previous performance.
(o) Should an Academic Misconduct Panel be unable to reach an agreed decision, the Chair
will determine a final decision.
(p) If the student is found to have breached these regulations, the Panel will impose a
penalty in accordance with the tariff at section 10 below and a record of the outcome
shall be kept on the student's file.
(q) An annual report on such cases will be made to the Academic Board or other school
body consistency across the institution. Such reports will identify any matters of principle
or general significance.
9 Criteria for determining the penalty for academic misconduct
9.1 In determining the sanction to be imposed, an Academic Misconduct Panel will assess
the seriousness of the academic misconduct using the following criteria
9.2 Pre-meditation
Deliberate or intended misconduct will normally be considered more serious than that
which has arisen inadvertently.
9.3 Previous history
A previous history of academic misconduct will normally be considered as being more
serious than a first instance of academic misconduct.
9.4 Theft, falsification and work purchased from third parties
Academic misconduct involving theft (e.g. stealing a piece of coursework from another
student), the falsification of another person's work or ideas, the purchase of work from a
third party, or the use of a “cheat site”, will normally be considered more serious than
that involving the authorised, but unattributed, use of another person's work.
9.5 Effect on other students
Academic misconduct that has an adverse effect on the standing or well being of a fellow
student will normally be considered to be more serious than an act that only affects the
offender.
9.6 Miscellaneous
Any other relevant factors pertinent to individual cases may be taken into account in
penalty.
10 Tariff of penalties for academic misconduct
10.1 The following tariff shows the range of penalties.
10.2 In determining the penalty, the Academic Misconduct Panel shall have due regard to:
school Manual of General Regulations.
(a) maintain the academic standards of the school
(b) deal equitably with the students of the school and
(c) apply proportional penalties in all circumstance.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 64
Academic Misconduct Penalties – Undergraduate Programmes
Level A: First instance of non serious offence
A student who plagiarises or colludes for the first time will be issued with a Level A
Penalty if there is a prima facie case, provided that there is no evidence that s/he has
behaved in a pre-meditated dishonest way. The work concerned will be awarded a mark of
0.
Where a Level A Penalty is issued at the first assessment opportunity, the relevant
component at reassessment will be capped at the minimum pass mark.
Where a Level A Penalty is issued at a reassessment opportunity, the Subject Area
Progression Board will determine the appropriate consequence.
A Level A Penalty is a penalty but is neither recorded on a transcript, nor reported to a
professional body.
Level B: First instance of serious academic misconduct and/or any academic
misconduct following a Level A Penalty
Penalty Outcome
A student will fail the module with a mark of 0.
Where a level B penalty is issued at the first assessment point, the student will be
required to retake the entire module at the next assessment point. All components of the
relevant module will be capped at the minimum pass mark.
Where a level B penalty is issued at the reassessment point, the Subject Area Progression
Board will determine the appropriate consequence.
Indicative Misconduct
Attempting to copy from another student in an examination.
Importing prohibited materials of any type into an examination room
Any instance of academic misconduct that has been preceded by a Level A penalty
Level C: First instance of serious academic misconduct involving pre-meditated
dishonesty and/or any academic misconduct following a Level B Penalty)
Penalty Outcome
The student will be suspended from his/her studies for the following academic year
The student will fail the module and a mark of 0 will be recorded for all components of
assessment in the relevant module.
Where a level C penalty is issued at the first assessment point the suspension will be
applied from Term 1 of the following academic year.
Where a level C penalty is issued at the reassessment point, the Subject Area Progression
Board will determine the appropriate consequence
Indicative Misconduct
Any instance of academic misconduct that has been preceded by a Level B penalty.
A serious first instance:
of plagiarism or collusion, where the student has acted in a grossly dishonest way (this
might apply to academic misconduct involving theft, falsification, or purchase, or having a
directly adverse effect on other students ); or
involving impersonation, bribery, reference to prohibited materials in an examination
and/or the attempted intimidation of an invigilator
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 65
Level D: Any academic misconduct
Expulsion :
Any instance of academic misconduct that has been preceded by a Level C penalty, or any
instance of academic misconduct deemed to merit this penalty.
Additional Key Academic Misconduct Penalty Issues - Undergraduate Programmes
A student whose mobile telephone or electronic device sounds during an examination will
be issued with a Level A Penalty if there is a prima facie case, provided that there is no
evidence that s/he has behaved in a pre-meditated dishonest way. The work concerned
will be awarded a mark of 0.
The same level of penalty will be issued regardless of the number of occasions this same
offence is repeated.
Where a Subject Area Progression Board permits a student to resit a year of study,
previous academic misconduct penalties will be carried forward. The following will apply:
Where a Level A Penalty has been applied – the equivalent repeated component will be
capped.
Where a Level B Penalty has been applied – the equivalent repeated module will be
capped.
Where a Level C Penalty has been applied – all modules will be capped.
Where a student takes any module in place of a module failed as a result of academic
misconduct, the mark for that module will be capped at the minimum pass mark.
Where a student has previously received a Level A Penalty for an instance of academic
misconduct of a type significantly different from that currently alleged, the decision as to
whether it remains appropriate to impose the next most severe penalty in the tariff,
should be considered.
Where a student is found to have breached Academic Misconduct Regulations more than
once over a short period of time, the level of penalty to be imposed should be fully
considered in light of the circumstances, types of misconduct and timings of misconduct.
Academic Misconduct Penalties will not be carried forward where there is a change in
qualification level from undergraduate to postgraduate study.
For the purposes of these regulations, Integrated Masters Programmes will be treated as a
single qualification level.
Any module with a recorded breach cannot be pass compensated
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 66
Academic Misconduct Penalties – Postgraduate Programmes
Level A: First instance of non serious offence
A student who plagiarises or colludes for the first time will be issued with a Level A
Penalty if there is a prima facie case, provided that there is no evidence that s/he has
behaved in a pre-meditated dishonest way. The work concerned will be awarded a mark of
0.
Where a Level A Penalty is issued at the first assessment opportunity, the relevant
component at reassessment will be capped at the minimum pass mark.
Where a Level A Penalty is issued at a reassessment opportunity, the Subject Area
Progression Board will determine the appropriate consequence.
NB: A Level A Penalty is a penalty but is neither recorded on a transcript, nor reported to
a professional body.
Level B: First instance of serious academic misconduct and/or any academic
misconduct following a Level A Penalty
Penalty Outcome
The student will fail the module and a mark of 0 will be recorded for all components of
assessment in it and:
• if the misconduct occurs at First or Second opportunity in the module - retrieve all
components of assessment at the next assessment with attendance. Cap the repeat
assessment of the module at the minimum pass mark; or
•if the misconduct occurs at Third or Fourth opportunity in the module - do not allow
further registration, assessment or reassessment on the module.
Indicative Misconduct
Attempting to copy from another student in an examination.
Importing prohibited materials of any type into an examination room
Any instance of academic misconduct that has been preceded by a level A penalty
Level C: First instance of serious academic misconduct involving pre-meditated
dishonesty and/or any academic misconduct following a Level B Penalty)
Penalty Outcome
The student will be suspended from his/her studies for one semester
The student will fail the module and a mark of 0 will be recorded for all components of
assessment in it and:
•if the misconduct occurs at First or Second opportunity in the module - retrieve all
components of assessment at the next assessment (following the
student’s return from suspension) with attendance. Cap the repeat assessment of the
module at the minimum pass mark; or
if the misconduct occurs at Third or Fourth opportunity in the module - do not allow
further registration, assessment or reassessment on the module.
Indicative Misconduct
Any instance of academic misconduct that has been preceded by a Level B penalty.
A serious first instance:
of plagiarism or collusion, where the student has acted in a grossly dishonest way (this
might apply to academic misconduct involving theft, falsification, or purchase, or having a
directly adverse effect on other students ); or involving impersonation, bribery, reference
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 67
to prohibited materials in an examination and/or the attempted intimidation of an
invigilator .
Level D: Any academic misconduct following a Level C Penalty
Expulsion : Any instance of academic misconduct that has been preceded by a Level C
penalty, or any instance of academic misconduct deemed to merit this penalty.
Additional Key Academic Misconduct Penalty Issues - Postgraduate Programmes
A student whose mobile telephone or electronic device sounds during an examination will
be issued with a Level A Penalty if there is a prima facie case, provided that there is no
evidence that s/he has behaved in a pre-meditated dishonest way. The work concerned
will be awarded a mark of 0.
The same level of penalty will be issued regardless of the number of occasions this same
offence is repeated.
Where a student takes any module in place of a module failed as a result of academic
misconduct, the mark for that module will be capped at the minimum pass mark.
Where a student has previously received a Level A Penalty for an instance of academic
misconduct of a type significantly different from that currently alleged, the decision as to
whether it remains appropriate to impose the next most severe penalty in the tariff,
should be considered.
Where a student is found to have breached Academic Misconduct Regulations more than
once over a short period of time, the level of penalty to be imposed should be fully
considered in light of the circumstances, types of misconduct and timings of misconduct.
Academic Misconduct Penalties will not be carried forward where there is a change in
qualification level from undergraduate to postgraduate study.
For the purposes of these regulations, Integrated Masters Programmes will be treated as a
single qualification level.
Any module with a recorded breach cannot be pass compensated
10.3 Where a Panel decides that a student should be expelled, a full report on the matter
should be submitted to the Principal by the Academic Misconduct Officer, with the
recommendation that any student concerned be expelled under the general disciplinary
powers of the Principal.
11 Appeal against the decision of an Academic Misconduct Panel
11.1 An appeal is not a re-hearing of the case previously presented under the relevant
procedure. It is solely a review of that process, or procedure, which is intended to
establish whether the conduct of that process under the relevant procedure, prior to the
appeal, was fair and had been conducted properly, and that the decisions made were not
the result of perversity of judgement in the face of the evidence presented.
11.2 There shall be no appeal against the decision of the Academic Misconduct Panel
except on the grounds that:
•There is new and material evidence which the student was for exceptional reasons
unable to present to the Academic Misconduct Panel. This may include evidence for
extenuation.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 68
• The procedures were not complied with to the extent that it was questionable whether
the outcome would have been different had the procedures been complied with.
•There is documented evidence of bias on the part of the members of the Academic
Misconduct Panel or its Clerk.
• The penalty imposed exceeded that available to the Academic Misconduct Panel.
11.3 No new evidence may be given at an appeal hearing, except where it can be shown
that there were justifiable reasons why it had not been presented previously and, if it had
been presented previously, would have been likely to have been material to the
decision(s) made. Such justification is to be provided as part of the application to appeal.
11.3 Any student wishing to appeal must submit to the Head of Governance and Legal
Services, a written notice stating the ground(s) of appeal within 20 working days of the
date upon which s/he was informed of the Academic Misconduct Panel’s decision.
11.4 There shall be an Appeal Panel which shall be convened by the Head of Governance
and Legal Services and shall be constituted of:
(a) two academic staff members one of whom will be a Dean, or Associate Dean, of
School;
(b) the President of the Students’ Union or his/her nominee.
11.5 The Chair of the Appeal Panel shall normally be the Dean, or Associate Dean, of
School.
11.6 Where possible our school shall seek to ensure that the composition of the panel
reflects the character of the institution.
11.7 The panel shall, where practicable, be composed of members who are unlikely to
know personally any student whose case it may consider.
11.8 The Panel shall appoint a Secretary, who will be responsible for keeping a written
record of the decisions made.
12 Powers of the Appeal Panel
12.1 The Appeal Panel shall have power to:
(a) adjourn the hearing to a future date.;
(b) confirm the penalty imposed;
(c) moderate the penalty imposed to a lesser penalty as stipulated in 6.5 above. The
Committee may not impose a greater penalty;
(d) uphold the appeal and overturn a decision to impose a penalty.
13 Procedure to be followed by the Appeal Panel
13.1 The Secretary will invite both parties to attend the appeal hearing, informing them of
the date, time and venue. The two parties will be the appellant and the Chair of the
Academic Misconduct Panel that is the subject of the appeal. There shall be no other
persons invited to attend the hearing, save that the appellant may be accompanied (see
regulation 13.2 below).
13.2 The appellant will be entitled to be accompanied to the hearing by a relative, friend,
colleague or a Students’ Union Case Worker. The accompanying person cannot be a
professional legal representative who has been employed to act on the student’s behalf
nor can they act in the capacity of a legal advisor. The person accompanying the appellant
may assist with the appeal and present evidence on the appellant's behalf, but may not
answer questions on their behalf.
13.3 Normally at least ten working days prior to the hearing, the Secretary will circulate
the case papers to the members of the Appeal Panel, the appellant and the Chair of the
relevant Academic Panel.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 69
13.4 The Chair of the relevant Academic Misconduct Panel shall be invited to submit a
response to the appeal, which should be received at least five working days prior to the
hearing. The Secretary shall circulate the response to the members of the Appeal Panel
and the appellant (and friend, relative or representative) at least three working days prior
to the hearing.
13.5 In the event of late papers being received by the Secretary, or previously
uncirculated papers being presented by either side at the hearing, the Chair of the Appeal
Panel shall decide whether they should be admitted, taking into account that, should such
admission be permitted, it should not be to the disadvantage of either party.
13.6 The appellant may elect not to appear in person before the Appeal Panel. In such
cases the Appeal Panel will decide the appeal on the basis of written submissions. If,
however, a written submission is not clear, the Panel will arrive at a decision on the basis
of the evidence available to it.
13.7 Should the appellant fail to appear at the hearing without reasonable cause or
explanation, the Appeal Panel will hear the appeal in absentia and arrive at a decision on
the basis of the evidence available to it.
13.8 The Appeal Panel, having regard to all of the written and oral evidence provided, will
decide whether the decision being appealed was fair, reasonable and proportionate.
13.9 In the event of the Appeal Panel not being able to reach a unanimous decision, there
will be a majority conclusion.
13.10 The decision of the Panel will be final and there shall be no further right of appeal.
Within ten working days of the appeal hearing the Panel shall issue to the appellant and
the Chair of the relevant Academic Misconduct Panel, a Completion of Procedures letter
which will set out its reasons for either dismissing, or upholding the appeal. No further
correspondence shall be entered into.
14 Independent Review
14.1 If a student has exhausted the appeal procedure set out in sections 11 to 13 above
and is not satisfied with the outcome, he/she may request that the case is reviewed by
the Office of the Independent Adjudicator which is a body independent of our school.
14.2 The grounds and eligibility for review shall be determined by the Office of the
Independent Adjudicator.
14.3 The findings of any case considered by the Independent Adjudicator shall be
considered directly by the Academic Board. The Academic Board shall take the
recommendations of the Independent Adjudicator into account in reaching a final decision
about any action that should be taken in response to the Appeal.
14.4 The decision of the Academic Board is final and there shall be no further appeal
against this decision.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 70
Appendix I
Procedures to be followed in the event of suspected academic misconduct at or prior
to an oral examination for a postgraduate research award
All references to: the Head of Governance’; the ‘Dean’; the ‘Academic Registrar’; ‘or the
‘School Responsible Officer’ in these procedures should be taken respectively to mean
‘Head of Governance and Legal Services or designate’; ‘Dean or designate’; ‘Academic
Registrar or designate or academic misconduct officer’ or ‘School Responsible Officer or
designate’.
1 Any work (including any document for consideration for an annual review and/or
transfer of status between MPhil and PhD status in either direction, a thesis, artefacts,
musical scores, recording of performances etc.) submitted by a postgraduate research
student for formal assessment on the research part of his/her programme is referred to
below as a submittal.
2 Suspected academic misconduct prior to an oral examination
2.1 Where, prior to an oral examination for a postgraduate research award, an examiner
suspects a student of making a submittal containing academic misconduct, s/he will
inform the Chair of Examiners and the Dean within 5 working days of reaching this
conclusion. Within a further 5 working days, the Chair of Examiners will supply the Dean,
with a report on the suspected academic misconduct.
2.2 The Dean will, within 5 working days of receipt, determine whether it appears that
academic misconduct has occurred.
2.3 Where the Dean determines that academic misconduct has not occurred, the Chair of
Examiners will be informed.
2.4 Where the Dean determines that it appears that academic misconduct has occurred,
the oral examination will be postponed, s/he will inform the Academic Registrar and the
procedures detailed in Section 4 below will apply.
2.5 In the case of professional doctorates, the Dean will establish if the programme has
professional body recognition and where this is the case, will inform the Programme
Leader that action is being initiated under the Academic Misconduct Regulations.
3 Suspected academic misconduct at oral examination
3.1 Where an examiner suspects at the oral examination that the submittal is not the work
of the student under examination, s/he will bring this to the attention of the Chair of
Examiners at the conclusion of the examination and after the student and any supervisors
have left the room.
3.2 The Chair of Examiners will ensure that the examining team prepare the normal report
on the submittal and viva which will be provided to the student in accordance with usual
procedure.
3.3 The Chair of Examiners will prepare a report on the suspected academic misconduct
on behalf of the examining team for the Dean within 10 working days of the oral
examination.
3.4 The Dean will, within 5 working days of receipt, determine whether or not it appears
that academic misconduct has occurred
3.5 Where the Dean determines that academic misconduct has not occurred, the Chair of
Examiners will be informed.
3.6 Where the Dean determines that it appears that academic misconduct has occurred,
s/he will inform the Academic Registrar and procedures detailed in Section 4 below will
apply.
3.7 In the case of professional doctorates, the Dean will establish if the programme has
professional body recognition and where this is the case, will inform the Programme
Leader that action is being initiated under the Academic Misconduct Regulations.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 71
4 Procedure to be followed where suspected academic misconduct has been referred
to the Academic Misconduct Officer
4.1 The Academic Misconduct Officer will, within 10 working days of receipt of a report
from the Dean, arrange a meeting with the student and the Dean. The student will be
invited to the meeting, in writing, and will be sent a copy of the report. The student will
be advised that the purpose of the meeting is to put the suspected academic misconduct
to the student and to allow the student to respond. The student will be advised that s/he
has the right to be accompanied at the meeting by a relative, friend, colleague or a
Students’ Union Case Worker. The accompanying person cannot be a professional legal
representative who has been employed to act on the student’s behalf nor can they act in
the capacity of a legal advisor.
4.2 Should the student fail to appear at the hearing without reasonable cause or
explanation, the meeting will take place in the student’s absence and the Dean of the
Graduate School will arrive at a decision on the basis of the evidence available to
her/him.
4.3 At the meeting, the student will be reminded of our Academic Misconduct Regulations
(including the tariff of penalties), and shown how s/he has breached them. The Dean will
present the evidence and ask the student to respond.
4.4 Following the student’s response s/he will be asked to leave the room, while the Dean
of the Graduate School determines whether it appears that academic misconduct has
occurred. If it is concluded that this is probable, the Dean:
either:
a) Propose one of the following penalties:
(i) That the submittal be re-submitted within six months of the date of the meeting with
the inappropriate material removed and appropriate editing undertaken. The student will
not be allowed to add additional material to the submittal but will be supplied with the
normal feedback from the examiners on identified deficiencies with the submittal. This
penalty may also include the consequence that the re-submittal is no longer sufficiently
substantial for the original degree and can only be submitted for a lesser degree.
(ii) Fail the submittal. In this case the student will have come to the end of their studies
and will be withdrawn. S/he will be given the highest award possible from any modular
credit s/he has accumulated on his/her programme.
Or
b) Decide that the matter be referred to an Academic Misconduct Panel, with the
suggestion that the Panel recommend to the Principal that the student be expelled under
the Principal’s general disciplinary powers.
4.4 The student will then be invited to return to the meeting and will be informed of the
conclusions referred to above.
4.5 Where the student accepts a penalty proposed in accordance with the above, s/he will
do so in writing (by signing the School Meeting pro forma). The penalty will be imposed
and the student will be advised that any further instance of academic misconduct may
lead to her/his expulsion.
4.6 Where the student rejects the proposed penalty, within 10 working days of the date of
the meeting, the student must submit to the Academic Misconduct Officer an evidenced
based proposal for proceeding to an Academic Misconduct Panel. The Academic
Misconduct Officer will forward the proposal to an identified Responsible Officer (who
must be from a different School to the student). Should the submission from the student
not be received within the stipulated time period by the Academic Misconduct Officer,
s/he will write to the student informing him/her that the time allowed to submit a
proposal to take the case to an Academic Misconduct Panel has lapsed; will therefore not
be considered and the proposed penalty will be applied.
4.7 Where a proposal to proceed to an Academic Misconduct Panel is received within the
stipulated time period, the Responsible Officer will review the proposal and decide
whether there are sufficient grounds for the case to be considered by an Academic
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 72
Misconduct Panel. This decision must be made within 10 working days of receipt of the
proposal by the Responsible Officer.
4.8 Where the proposal does not provide sufficient grounds to allow the student’s case to
proceed to an Academic Misconduct Panel, the reviewing Responsible Officer will, within
ten working days of receiving the proposal, complete a written report, providing their
decision and explanation for their decision. This will be forwarded to the Academic
Misconduct Officer who will inform the student within three working days of receipt and
confirm that the proposed penalty will be applied. The decision of the reviewing
Responsible Officer will be final and there shall be no right of appeal.
4.9 If the proposal is deemed valid by the reviewing Responsible Officer, the matter will
be considered by an Academic Misconduct Panel. The student will be informed of this, in
writing, by the Academic Misconduct Officer within three working days.
4.10 This written notification will also warn the student that any case heard by an
Academic Misconduct Panel may result in the awarding of a more severe penalty than that
originally proposed.
4.11 Where the Dean concludes that the student has not committed academic misconduct,
the student will be informed when s/he returns to the meeting that the suspicion(s) have
not been substantiated and no further action will be taken.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 73
Part 9
Research Degrees
1 General Principles
1.1 A copy of these Regulations (Part 9) shall be supplied to all research degree
students, supervisors, examiners and administrators. In the event of any
contradiction or inconsistency between these Regulations and any other published
material relating to the research degrees of our school, these Regulations prevail.
1.2 These Regulations, as per the Quality Assurance Agency’s Code of Practice, Section
1: Postgraduate Research Programmes, apply to MPhil, PhD (including MPhils and
PhDs awarded on the basis of published work), all forms of taught or Professional
Doctorate, and research Master's degrees where the research component (including
a requirement to produce original work), is larger than the taught component when
measured by student effort.
1.3 The research degrees are awarded primarily on the basis of a substantial thesis or
body of published work or equivalent research output in a form other than the
written word submitted by a student resulting from the student’s original research
and defended by oral examination to the satisfaction of individually appointed
examiners (see Section 12 of these Regulations).
1.4 Our collaborative university awards the following research degrees:
• A Master’s award that contains a research component which is larger than any
accompanying taught component when measured by student effort;
• Master of Philosophy (MPhil) to students who successfully complete an
approved programme of research skills development and supervised
research culminating in the submission of a thesis of a requisite standard;
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) to students who successfully complete an
approved programme of research skills development and supervised
research culminating in the submission of a thesis of a requisite standard;
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Master of Philosophy (MPhil) by published
work to members of our school and associated institutions who submit a
substantial body of published or creative/non-textual works of a requisite
standard; (see Appendix B for related Regulations)
• Higher Doctorate to members of our school and associated institutions in
recognition of the professional and academic accomplishment of a leading
authority in the applicable field of study over a sustained period of time
who has made an original and significant contribution to the advancement
or application of knowledge in that field (see Appendix C for related
Regulations)
See the Manual of General Regulations, Part 1: Descriptions of the school’s
collaborative Awards for further information on the scope and descriptions of
research degrees awarded by our school.
1.5 Our school is committed to ensuring that the research degrees it awards and
confers are consistent in standard with research degrees awarded and conferred
throughout United Kingdom Higher Education Institutions.
1.6 Our school will develop, implement and regularly review a Code of Practice and
make this readily available to students and staff involved in postgraduate research
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 74
degree programmes. The Code of Practice is available for download from our
Graduate School web pages.
1.7 Programmes of research may be proposed in any field of study subject to the
requirement that the proposed programme is capable of leading to scholarly
research and to its presentation for assessment by appropriate examiners. The
thesis or theses may be in other than written form depending on the norms of the
discipline but, in such cases, will include a substantial written commentary
contextualising the nature of the research component. All proposed postgraduate
research programmes will be considered for enrolment on their academic merits
and on the ability of our school to provide an appropriate research environment,
without reference to the concerns or interests of any associated funding body.
1.8 Programme Leaders for Professional Doctorate programmes may apply to Academic
Board for permission to operate in whole, or in part, outside of the provisions of
Part 9 of the Manual of General Regulations but only where this is required by a
Professional Body and where Academic Board is assured that the requested change
in practice produces an outcome that aligns with relevant QAA precepts.
1.9 Where a candidate for a postgraduate research award has a disability or other form
of specific learning need that may require reasonable adjustment to any of the
regulatory requirements set out in Part 9 they should seek advice from the
Disability, Dyslexia & Access at school Administration Office.
2 Admissions requirements for the degrees of Research Master’s, Master of Philosophy, Doctor
of Philosophy and Professional Doctorate
2.1 The minimum entry requirement for the degree of Research Master’s or MPhil is a
second class Honours degree, or above, of a United Kingdom Higher Education
Institution, or a qualification which is regarded by Research Degrees Subcommittee
as equivalent to such (e.g. a verifiable overseas qualification).
2.2 The normal entry requirement for the degree of PhD via MPhil or Professional
Doctorate is a first or upper second class Honours degree of a United Kingdom
Higher Education Institution, or a qualification which is regarded by Research
Degrees Subcommittee as equivalent to such (e.g. a verifiable overseas
qualification).
2.3 Applications from candidates holding qualifications and/or experience other than
those set out in 2.1 & 2.2 will be considered by Research Degrees Subcommittee on
their merits and in relation to the nature and scope of the programme of work
proposed.
2.4 In considering applicants our school will look for evidence of a candidate's ability
and background knowledge in relation to the proposed field of study. Professional
experience or publications, written reports or other appropriate evidence of
accomplishment will be taken into consideration. Research Degrees Subcommittee
may require an applicant to pass an externally assessed qualifying examination at
final year Honours degree level, arranged by our school, before admission is
approved.
2.5 Direct enrolment for the degree of PhD may be permitted for candidates who hold
a research Master's degree (MPhil or equivalent) awarded by our school, by the
Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) or by a United Kingdom or
international Higher Education Institution.
2.6 Where English is not the applicant’s first language, a minimum IELTS Academic
English, or as our school deems equivalent, score of 7.0 overall, with a minimum of
6.5 in all components, is required at entry for MPhil, MPhil/PhD, PhD Direct and
Professional Doctorate students. For a research masters, the requirement is a
minimum IELTS Academic English, or as our school deems equivalent, score of 6.5
overall, with a minimum of 6.0 in all components. Such assessment of English
language competence must normally have been undertaken no more than two years
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 75
prior to application, though relevant and more recent study in a United Kingdom
Higher Education Institution may be accepted as sufficient proof of ability.
2.7 No research degree student may be employed by our school or any relevant
collaborative institution to assess any taught or professional element(s) that
constitute part of the programme for which they are about to enrol or are
enrolled.
2.8 Admissions decisions will involve at least two members of staff, at least one of
whom is an academic of our school, who have received staff development in the
selection and admission of research degree students.
3 Minimum and maximum periods for the degrees of Masters (acquired primarily by
research), Master of Philosophy, Doctor of Philosophy and Practitioner Doctorate
3.1 The normal minimum and maximum periods of study for research degrees are:
MPhil Minimum Maximum
Full-time 24 months 36 months
Part-time 48 months 60 months
PhD (direct)
Full-time 36 months 48 months
Part-time 60 months 84 months
3.2 Normally a student may not submit their thesis for examination until they have been
enrolled for the minimum period stipulated in 3.3. Exceptionally, Research Degrees
Subcommittee may agree a shorter enrolment period (see 3.11).
Write up status
3.3 The stage between the end of the minimum period and the end of the maximum
period is known as the write up status. The application for write-up “status” can
only be made, via PhD Manager once the minimum study period has elapsed and is
tenable for twelve months only for full time students and twenty-four months for
part-time students.
3.4 During the relevant Annual Monitoring Review, the panel will assess the evidence
presented by the student and may recommend to the School Research Degrees
Subcommittee (SRDSC) that the student proceeds to write up status based on the
quantity and quality of the work submitted at the end of the minimum period.
. The Panel will be responsible for providing the necessary confirmation to SRDSC
that the following conditions for transfer to write-up status have been met:
• confirmation that the minimum study period has elapsed;
• confirmation that a significant number of draft chapters of the thesis are
complete or nearing completion;
• confirmation that the student no longer requires access to our school’s research
facilities, laboratories, resources and equipment beyond that required for the
writing-up of their research findings;
• confirmation that primary data gathering and data analysis activities are
complete.
3.5 Where the student is not ready to proceed to write up status because there is no
expectation that the student will submit the final version of the thesis for
examination during the maximum period, Research Degree Sub-committee may
extend the minimum period for up to one academic year on the recommendation
from the SRDSC only on exceptional circumstances. The student will continue to
pay the full tuition fee.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 76
3.6 A student shall normally submit his/her thesis for examination when holding the write
up status. A further extension will only be agreed in exceptional circumstances and only
by RDSC on the recommendation from SRDSC.
3.7 If submission is still not achieved by the end of this additional period, their enrolment
with our school will be withdrawn.
3.8 Professional Doctorate programmes may make provision for a write-up period though
this will depend on the particular programme.
3.9 Where there is evidence that the research is proceeding exceptionally well, Research
Degrees Subcommittee may approve a shorter study period than normal. The
application for a shorter study period will be made via PhD Manager.
3.10 Where students change from full to part-time study or vice versa, via PhD Manager,
their minimum and maximum period is calculated on a pro rata basis.
3.11 Students may (unless prohibited by Professional and Statutory Regulatory Body
requirements) suspend their period of enrolment for an initial period of twelve
months, over the duration of their postgraduate research programme, with the
agreement of the Director of Studies and SRDSC.
3.12 Any request for the approval of a period of suspension must be submitted on PhD
Manager and be accompanied by suitable and sufficient documentary evidence and
should be submitted in advance of the proposed period of suspension. Students and
members of the supervisory team should note that requests for periods of
suspension submitted retrospectively will only normally be considered in the most
exceptional circumstances.
3.13 All international students (i.e. not Home / EU) on a student visa may only request a
suspension of enrolment, via PhD Manager, following prior consultation and
approval from the International Office.
3.14 Students may (unless prohibited by Professional and Statutory Regulatory Body
requirements) be granted a further suspension of their enrolment for one or two
complete semesters up to a maximum of a further twelve months. Such requests
will only normally be considered in exceptional circumstances and must be agreed
by the Director of Studies via PhD Manager. Suspensions beyond the initial period of
twelve months are at the discretion of Research Degrees Subcommittee.
3.15 The scenarios which follow are typical of what may normally be considered
exceptional circumstances:
a) The student has suffered from a serious physical or mental illness;
b) The student has experienced the death or serious illness of a partner/spouse,
close family member or friend;
c) The student has been the victim of a criminal act;
d) The student has suffered distress due to a natural disaster or catastrophe, such
as flood, fire or tornado;
e) General unforeseen or unpreventable circumstances or events that have caused
distress or injury as a result of a serious accident;
f) The student has experienced significant personal problems relating to a close
family member or a close personal relationship;
g) The source of funding for the programme of research or postgraduate research
degree tuition fee has changed;
h) The student has experienced a delay in obtaining ethical approval for the
programme of research due to external factors and where the application was
submitted in a timely fashion;
i) Failure of essential specialist equipment where delays have been the result of
identifying alternative equipment or where this has not been possible;
j) The student was selected for jury service;
k) The programme of research has been subject to delays caused by a change in
members of the supervisory team;
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 77
l) Any period of internship or vocational placement essential to the degree
programme.
3.16 The scenarios which follow are typical of what would not normally be considered
exceptional circumstances:
a) The student and/or Director of Studies were unaware of the policy and process
relating to requests for suspension of enrolment for a postgraduate research
degree.
b) The programme of research requires further primary research, fieldwork or
laboratory work;
c) The student was engaged in voluntary service overseas;
d) The student was enrolled on another programme of study;
e) The student was engaged in a temporary teaching position or lectureship;
f) Insufficient or inadequate time management, planning and preparation;
g) Circumstances relating to normal pregnancy, excluding standard maternity leave
entitlement;
h) The student was involved in a long-term holiday or vacation;
i) Failure of non-school computer systems or media storage devices;
j) Failure of school equipment or storage media, where failure is less than a
continuous 24 hour period;
k) The student has moved home or place of employment;
l) The student has experienced difficulties with the English language;
m) Delays have occurred due to proof-reading of the thesis.
3.17 For the duration of the approved period of suspension, enrolment will be put on hold
and no tuition fees will be payable. The degree is suspended and the period of study and
submission date for the thesis will be adjusted by a corresponding period.
3.18 Throughout the period of suspension, student access rights to on-campus resources,
the Library, school Direct and PhD Manager will be held in abeyance. The student
should have no access to supervisory support other than occasional contact.
3.19 If a student is unable to recommence study at the school after a maximum period of
twenty-four months suspension, their enrolment with our school will be withdrawn.
3.20 An approved period of suspension must commence on the first day of the relevant
term.
4 Registration process for Masters (acquired primarily by research), MPhil, PhD, and
Professional Doctorate programmes
4.1 Registration of the research component can only take place following approval by
Research Degrees Subcommittee that the requirements in 4.3 have been met. This
approval requires appropriate academic judgement to be brought to bear on the
viability of each research proposal. For this purpose, our school ensures that School
Research Degrees Sub-Committees are composed of persons who are, or who have
engaged in, research and who have appropriate experience of successful research
degree supervision.
4.2 In the case of Professional Doctorates, Schools may, if they deem it necessary to
exercise appropriate academic judgement, constitute programme specific sub-
groups to make recommendations to School Research Degrees Sub-Committees
concerning registration. The constitution of such groups will be as specified in the
terms of reference of School Research Degrees Sub-Committees as agreed by
Academic Board.
4.3 In considering applications for registration, Research Degrees Subcommittee shall
satisfy itself that the following requirements are met:
(a) that students are suitably qualified;
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 78
(b) that students are embarking on viable research programmes;
(c) that supervision is adequate and likely to be sustained;
(d) that the research environment is suitable.
4.4 Registration, via PhD Manager, for full-time students must occur within six calendar
months of the date of enrolment and may be backdated to that date. Registration
for part-time students must occur within twelve calendar months of the date of
enrolment and may be backdated to that date.
4.5 Research Degrees Subcommittee may consider applications from students domiciled in
the United Kingdom proposing to conduct research outside of the United Kingdom,
provided the following conditions are met:
(a) Satisfactory evidence is provided as to the suitability of the proposed research
environment;
(b) That the arrangements proposed for supervision enable frequent and
substantial contact between the student and supervisor(s) based in the
United Kingdom, including adequate face-to-face contact with the
supervisor(s) and that such contact is documented. The student should not
normally spend less than an average of six calendar weeks per academic
year at our school.
4.6 A policy is in place regarding arrangements for MPhil or PhD students domiciled outside
of the United Kingdom (‘split-site’ students) and Schools must follow this when
considering applications and putting in place supervision arrangements.
4.7 Where a research degree project is part of a piece of funded research, Research
Degrees Subcommittee must establish to its satisfaction that the terms on which
the research is funded do not detract from the fulfilment of the objectives and
requirements of the student's research degree.
4.8 Where a student has previously undertaken research as an enrolled student for a
research degree at another higher education institution, Research Degrees
Subcommittee may approve a shorter than usual study period which takes account
of all or part of the time already spent by the student on said research. As a
minimum, a student who transfers in this fashion must be registered as a research
degree student with our school for 12 months on a full-time basis.
4.9 Research Degrees Subcommittee may permit a student to enrol for another programme
of study concurrently with their research degree enrolment, provided that either
their research degree enrolment or the other course of study is undertaken on a
part-time basis. A research degree student of our school may not be concurrently
enrolled for a research degree at another institution without the permission of
Research Degrees Subcommittee.
4.10 Where a student and our school wishes the thesis to remain confidential for a period
of time after completion of the work, application for approval should normally be
made to Research Degrees Subcommittee at the time of registration. In cases
where the need for confidentiality emerges after registration, a special application
for the thesis to remain confidential after submission must be made immediately to
Research Degrees Subcommittee. The period approved shall not normally exceed
two years.
4.11 Students whose work forms part of a larger group project may enrol for a research
degree. In such cases, each individually registered project must in itself be
distinguishable for the purposes of assessment and be appropriate
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for the award being sought. The application must indicate clearly each individual
contribution and its relationship to the group project.
5 Award titles and intermediate awards for Professional Doctorates
5.1 Each approved Professional Doctorate programme shall lead to a named doctorate,
the title of which shall refer to the discipline or professional area involved, and
which shall be agreed at (re)approval.
5.2 In the case of some named Professional Doctorates, provision may by made for an
intermediate award of Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert), Postgraduate Diploma
(PGDip), MA, MRes, MProf or MSc. An intermediate award shall only be conferred if
the requirements for the award given in the programme specification have been
met.
5.3 Where a Professional Doctorate offers intermediate awards and/or modules that
are also components of a school Master’s Degree, the taught components will be
approved at level 7, will be modularised, and will conform in all respects to the
agreed school Modular Regulations. All other taught components of a Professional
Doctorate will be approved at D level or level 8 and will conform in all respects to
the agreed school regulations for D level or level 8 modules.
6 Research skills development for MPhil, PhD, and Professional Doctorate programmes
6.1 Students for MPhil and PhD are required to follow an institutionally defined generic
programme of research skills development in year one of their programme on
which their performance is assessed. This programme shall have the following
objectives:
(a) To provide students with an understanding of the nature of research processes
and contexts, debates about the nature of research, and theories of
knowledge production;
(b) To provide students with opportunities to develop a range of personal and
professional skills necessary for the preparation, planning, organisation and
management of research projects;
(c) To provide students with opportunities for the development of co-operative
networks and working relationships within our school and the wider
research community.
6.2 Students for a Professional Doctorate shall be required to undertake an integrated
programme of work which includes a programme of taught postgraduate study on
which their performance is formally assessed and which incorporates the objectives
in 6.1 above. Exemption from the integrated programme may be sought as per 6.3
below.
6.3 Students for MPhil and PhD can apply to the school through the agreed procedures
for exemption from the specified generic programme of research skills
development through the accreditation of experiential learning (AEL) or prior
certified learning.
6.4 All students for MPhil, PhD and Professional Doctorate are also encouraged to
engage with disciplinary specific research skills development provided by their
academic School(s).
6.5 Schools will provide all students for MPhil, PhD and Professional Doctorates with
appropriate opportunities for personal, professional and research skills
development throughout the enrolment period. All students are required to
develop a personal development plan.
6.6 Research Degrees Subcommittee will regularly review the development of research
and generic skills provided to students for MPhil, PhD and Professional Doctorate.
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7 Supervision for Masters (acquired primarily by research), MPhil, Practitioner Doctorate, and
PhD programmes
7.1 All Masters (acquired primarily by research), MPhil, PhD and Practitioner Doctorate
students at the research stage shall have at least two, and not more than three,
supervisors who together demonstrate an appropriate range of academic and/or
professional experience, engagement in research activity and has relevant
publications
7.2 One member of the supervisory team shall be appointed as the Director of Studies
and will ensure that the student is supervised on a regular, frequent and recorded
basis via PhD Manager. A nominated member of the supervisory team will be the
main point of contact between the student and the supervisory team and shall be
responsible for agreeing the allocation of academic responsibilities within the
supervisory team.
7.3 At least one supervisor shall have experience of successful supervision to
completion of a research degree comparable to that for which the student is
enrolled. In the case of an application to enrol for PhD or PhD via transfer from
MPhil, one of the supervisors must have successfully supervised to PhD level.
7.4 A supervisory team is normally expected to have a combined experience of
research degree supervision to successful completion of no fewer than two
students.
7.5 Where only one member of the supervisory team has previously supervised a
student to successful completion the school recommends that they serve as the
Director of Studies. Normally, the proposed Director of Studies will have previously
supervised at least one postgraduate research student to successful completion.
Where this is not the case the rationale for the exception will be recorded in the
relevant minutes of the School Research Degrees Subcommittee.
7.6 Research Degrees Subcommittee may permit the use of supervisors external to our
school or collaborative partners provided suitable expertise cannot be provided by
current staff. Any external supervisor appointed must have completed any relevant
staff development equivalent to that expected of members of staff at school or a
collaborative partner. External supervisors are not however permitted to be
Directors of Study.
7.7 People holding emeritus positions at school may continue as a supervisor only on
the nomination of the relevant School and where Research Degrees Subcommittee
agrees it is in the best interests of the student and the school.
7.8 Where the use of external expertise is needed but the individual(s) cannot act as a
supervisor, they may hold the status of advisor.
7.9 No person who is receiving supervision for a research degree at any Higher
Education Institution may act as a supervisor.
7.10 Proposals for a change in supervision arrangements should be made, via PhD
Manager, to Research Degrees Subcommittee. Arrangements must be made for the
provision of an interim supervisor if a member of the supervisory team is unable to
fulfil their responsibilities for a prolonged period of time due to illness or other
unforeseeable circumstances. In the event of a member of a supervisory team
being granted a sabbatical or similar, arrangement must be made in advance of the
period of sabbatical for regular contact to be maintained with the student or for an
interim supervisor to be assigned, via PhD Manager, with the approval of Research
Degrees Subcommittee.
7.11 Our school will ensure that the quality of supervision is not put at risk as a result of
an excessive volume and range of responsibilities being assigned to individual
supervisors. School Research Degrees Sub-Committees will routinely monitor
supervisory allocations and should notify the relevant Dean of School. School
Research Degrees Sub-Committees will report on this matter in their annual PGR
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 81
report. Research Degrees Subcommittee will periodically review institutional policy
on the maximum number of students a supervisor can be responsible for. Research
Degrees Subcommittee will be guided by the overall workload of the individual.
7.12 All newly appointed supervisors who do not have previous experience of research
degree supervision to successful completion must attend an appropriate
programme of staff development within six months of appointment and this should
be recorded by both the relevant School and the Graduate School.
7.13 Our school will ensure that regular and relevant staff development for supervisors
is made available through our Researcher Development Programme and Research
Degrees Subcommittee will periodically review such provision and will
communicate attendance to the relevant School.
7.14 Our school expects experienced supervisors to avail themselves of opportunities to
attend relevant staff development activity and to share their good-practice with
colleagues new to the activity. Experienced supervisors should expect to attend a
relevant staff development activity at least once every five years. Research
Degrees Subcommittee will periodically receive reports on attendance from the
Graduate School and will communicate attendance to the relevant School.
8 Annual monitoring review of student progress for MPhil, PhD, and Practitioner
Doctorate
8.1 The progression of all MPhil, PhD or Professional Doctorate students throughout
their enrolment period will be formally reviewed annually by a panel consisting of
a minimum of two members of staff from the relevant School(s) with experience of
research degree supervision and who are independent of the student’s supervisory
team. Students must be present at the review and may request that their
supervisory team is also present. The continuation of enrolled status as a student is
dependent on the successful completion of an annual review.
8.2 Research Degrees Subcommittee will monitor, through annual reports made by
Schools, the progress of all MPhil, PhD and Professional Doctorate students.
8.3 Each School will publicise in the relevant programme webpages and on the
programme handbook their own requirements to be expected from a student to
progress on the programme.
8.4 The Progress Review panel will make the decision/recommendation to the SRDSC
on one of the following outcomes:
• that the student should progress to the next year of enrolment,
• if the Annual Review is not satisfactory: o To defer the decision to a
second Annual review meeting to be convened within two months. The
Chair of the panel must provide guidance in writing to the student on
the matters that need to be addressed,
o That the student be withdrawn.
8.5 The Candidate will be eligible for no more than one more attempt after an initial
deferral decision. If the panel is not satisfied after the second meeting, the panel
will recommend to SRDSC the withdrawal of the student.
8.6 All decisions should be communicated formally in writing to the student.
8.7 Once the student has submitted the thesis for assessment the Progress Review
process will cease.
8.8 Students may only appeal the outcome of their annual monitoring review in the
circumstances set out in Section 18 of these Regulations. The request should take
the form of a letter to the Appeals Liaison Officer of our school setting out the
student’s case.
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9 Transfer of enrolment
9.1 Students who enrolled initially for PhD via MPhil must apply to Research Degrees
Subcommittee, via PhD Manager, to transfer to PhD status on the appropriate form
when they have made sufficient progress. This should normally be after nine to
fifteen months of full-time study (or the part-time equivalent) and on the basis of a
relevant portfolio of evidence.
9.2 The request for transfer will be heard by a panel consisting of a minimum of two
and a maximum of six research active members of staff from the relevant School(s)
with appropriate academic and professional expertise and who are independent of
the student’s supervisory team. The student must be present at the meeting of the
panel. The student may request that their supervisory team is also present.
9.3 In support of the application to transfer their enrolment, the student shall prepare
for Research Degrees Subcommittee a full progress report on the work undertaken.
The progress report should be uploaded to PhD Manager and typically be 3,000 to
6,000 words in length and include:
(a) A brief review and discussion of the work already undertaken;
(b) A statement of the intended further work, including details of the
original contribution to knowledge that is anticipated.
9.4 Each School will publicise in the relevant programme webpages and on the programme
handbook the requirements to be expected from a student to transfer their
enrolment to PhD status.
9.5 The transfer panel will make the decision/recommendation, via PhD Manager, to the
SRDSC on one of the following outcomes:
• to transfer the student enrolment to PhD status,
• if the transfer review is not satisfactory: o to defer the decision to a
second transfer meeting to be convened within two months. The Chair
of the panel must provide guidance in writing to the student on the
matters that need to be addressed,
or to continue in MPhil status, or
or to withdraw the student.
9.6 The Candidate will be eligible for no more than two attempts at transferring from
MPhil to PhD status.
9.7 In turn SRDSC will recommend, via PhD Manager, to RDSC the decision.
9.8 Before approving the transfer from MPhil to PhD status, via PhD Manager, Research
Degrees Subcommittee must be satisfied that the student has made sufficient
progress, that the proposed programme provides a suitable basis for work at PhD
standard and that the student is capable of pursuing the research project to
completion.
9.9 A student enrolled on the degree of MPhil only, may also apply to transfer their
enrolment to PhD.
9.10 All decisions should be communicated formally in writing to the student via PhD
Manager.
9.11 A student who is enrolled on the degree of PhD and who is unable to complete the
approved programme of work may, at any time prior to the submission of the thesis
for examination, apply to Research Degrees Subcommittee, via PhD Manager, for
the enrolment to be changed to that of MPhil.
9.12 Students may only request an appeal of the outcome of their transfer panel in the
circumstances set out in Section 18 of these Regulations. The request should take
the form of a letter to the Appeals Liaison Officer of our school setting out the
student's case.
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10 Examination of research degrees
10.1 Masters (acquired primarily by research), MPhil, PhD and Professional Doctorate
students must successfully complete all assessed elements of their programme
before award of the degree can be made.
10.2 The examination of the research component of all research degrees has two stages:
firstly the preliminary assessment of the submission (thesis alone, or thesis and
creative/non-textual work), and secondly, its defence by oral examination.
10.3 Theses should be submitted for examination in a temporary bound form such as
perfect-binding (perfect-binding is a method of binding single pages by gluing them
together on the spine of the document), which is sufficiently secure to ensure that
pages cannot be added or removed. A thesis submitted for examination in a
perfect-binding must be in its final form. Once the examination procedure has
been satisfactorily concluded, the thesis must be presented as a PDF file before
the degree can be awarded. In such cases the internal examiner (or an external
examiner where there is no internal examiner) must confirm to Research Degrees
Subcommittee that the PDF version is identical to the version submitted for
examination, other than where appropriate amendments have been made to meet
the requirements of the examiners.
10.4 Students are normally examined orally. The examination is on the programme of
research and on the field of study in which the programme lies.
10.5 Where, for reasons of sickness, disability or comparable valid cause, Research
Degrees Subcommittee is satisfied that a student would be at serious disadvantage
if required to undergo an oral examination, an alternative form of examination
may exceptionally be approved. Any alternative arrangements requested on the
grounds of disability can only be agreed in discussion with the Disability and
Dyslexia Access Service and after appropriate evidence has been validated. Such
approval shall not be given on the grounds that the student has inadequate
knowledge of the language in which the thesis is presented.
10.6 The oral examination should normally take place within three months of the
student handing in the submission.
10.7 A research degree student is examined by at least two and not more than three
examiners, of whom at least one must be an external examiner.
10.8 A student's supervisor, be it presently or at any point in the student’s current
research programme, may not be an examiner.
10.9 Supervisors may, with the consent of the student, attend the oral examination but
may not participate in the discussion and must withdraw before the deliberations
of the examiners on the outcome of the examination.
10.10 Where the student is a member of staff of our school or a collaborating
establishment (or is deemed by Research Degrees Subcommittee to be closely
related to our school in a comparable manner), the examining team shall include
two external examiners.
10.11 Prior to the oral examination, each examiner shall independently complete a
preliminary report on the thesis (see Regulations 12.10 - 12.13).
10.12 In the event that Research Degrees Subcommittee is made aware of a failure to
comply with the procedures of the examination process, it may declare the
examination null and void and appoint new examiners.
10.13 Oral examinations are normally held in the United Kingdom. However, in
exceptional cases, Research Degrees Subcommittee may give approval for the
examination to take place abroad.
The duties of our school
10.14 The Director of Studies, in consultation with the Research Degrees Leader, or
relevant research director, will propose to Research Degrees Subcommittee, via
PhD Manager, the intended date for submission of the thesis.
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10.15 The proposed examination arrangements must be approved by Research Degrees
Subcommittee, via PhD Manager, at least three months before the intended date of
submission of the thesis.
10.16 Where Research Degrees Subcommittee approves the proposed arrangements,
examination conditions will be in effect. As such, no form of contact (thesis and
thesis content) should occur between the candidate or their supervisors and the
approved examiners. Where such contact occurs, the Head of the Graduate School
will be responsible for taking appropriate action on behalf of the school.
10.17 The oral examination may not take place until the examination arrangements have
been approved by Research Degrees Subcommittee. Once approved, examination
arrangements are in effect for a period of no longer than six months.
10.18 Where the oral examination is delayed for a period of six months, or more, beyond
the date where arrangements were approved, the Director of Studies will resubmit
the arrangements, via PhD Manager, to Research Degrees Subcommittee for re-
approval.
10.19 In exceptional circumstances, the Chair of Research Degrees Subcommittee may act
directly to appoint examiners and make arrangements for the examination of the
student. Where Chair’s action is taken in such circumstances, it must be reported
to the subsequent meeting of Research Degrees Subcommittee.
10.20 The Director of Studies and the candidate are advised against making any firm
commitments to a proposed oral examination prior to formal approval from
Research Degrees Subcommittee (e.g. payment of travel costs or booking
accommodation).
10.21 Research Degrees Subcommittee shall ensure that external examiners are
independent of our school, and any collaborating establishment (see 12.7).
10.22 Our school shall make known to all its students the procedure to be followed for the
submission (including the number of copies to be submitted for examination) and
any conditions to be satisfied before students are eligible for examination. The
student shall normally be required to submit one copy of the submission for each
examiner and a further copy for the Chair of Examiners.
10.23 Our school shall ensure, through the remit of the Chair of Examiners (see Section
13), that all examinations are conducted, and the recommendations of the
examiners are presented, in accordance with its Regulations.
10.24 Our school shall notify the student, all supervisors and the examiners of the date of
the oral examination.
10.25 Our school shall send a copy of the submission to each examiner, together with the
examiners’ preliminary report form, the notes for examiners and our school's
Regulations, and shall ensure that the examiners are properly briefed as to their
duties.
10.26 Our school shall determine and pay the fees and expenses of external examiners.
10.27 Our school shall ensure that all examiners have completed and submitted their
preliminary reports at least seven days before the oral examination takes place.
Should any preliminary report not be returned in time, our school shall notify the
student, the supervisory team and examiners that the examination must be
postponed.
10.28 Without delay following the oral examination, the Chair of Examiners shall forward
the examiners’ recommendations to the relevant officer of our school.
10.29 Decisions on the reports and recommendations of the examiners in respect of
research degree students are taken by Research Degrees Subcommittee. The power
to confer the degree rests with Academic Board.
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10.30 Examiners’ preliminary and final reports will be sent on request to the student and
supervisory team once an award has been made or the final determination of the
examiners is that the student should fail.
The student's responsibilities
10.31 It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that the submission is received by
the appropriate officer of our school before the expiry of the study period.
10.32 The submission of work for examination is at the discretion of the student. (While a
student would be unwise to submit work for examination against the advice of their
Director of Studies, it is his or her right to do so. Equally, students must not assume
that a Director of Studies’ agreement to a submission guarantees an award will be
made. In the event of a student submitting work for examination without the
consent of the Director of Studies, the examination team will be notified of this
after the examination so as to protect the academic standards of our school
without prejudicing the examiners’ deliberations or judgment).
10.33 Students must satisfy any conditions of eligibility for examination required by our
school.
10.34 Students must take no part in the arrangement of their examination and have no
contact with the examiners between their appointment and the oral examination.
10.35 Students must ensure that the format of any thesis is in accordance with the
requirements of our school's Regulations (see Section 19).
10.36 The student must confirm, through the submission of a declaration form, that the
work has not been submitted for an academic award at the same level. However,
the student is not precluded from incorporating in the submission material which
has already been submitted for a degree or comparable award, provided such work
is identified on the declaration form and also in the submission.
10.37 Students must confirm that the material submitted is their own work. The school
takes plagiarism and collusion extremely seriously and will apply the relevant
penalties in any proven case.
10.38 The thesis title submitted on the ‘Approval of Examination Arrangements’ form can
only be changed with the agreement of Research Degrees Subcommittee following
an agreed recommendation from the examiners.
10.39 Students may only appeal the outcome of their research degree examination in the
circumstances set out in Section 18 of these Regulations. The request should take
the form of a letter to the Appeals Liaison Officer of our school setting out the
student's case.
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11 Examiners for research degrees
Criteria for appointment
11.1 Examiners must be experienced in research or, where appropriate, professional
practice, within the general area of the student's submission and, wherever
practicable, have experience as a specialist in the topic(s) to be examined.
11.2 Examiners shall not have had direct involvement in the student’s research.
11.3 Examiners’ own work shall not have been the focus of the student’s research.
11.4 The members of the examining team shall normally and collectively have examined
at least three students at or above the level of the relevant award. An external
examiner shall normally have examined at least one student at the requisite level.
Exceptionally (e.g. in developing areas of research), Research Degrees
Subcommittee shall have discretion to modify the latter requirement, subject to
demonstration that the integrity of examination arrangements will otherwise be
maintained.
11.5 At least one examiner for a doctoral award shall normally hold a PhD or
Professional Doctorate as appropriate to the examination.
11.6 An external examiner shall be independent of our school and any collaborating
institution, and shall not have acted previously as the student's supervisor. An
external examiner shall not be a supervisor of another student for a research award
of our school.
11.7 Former staff members of our school or a collaborating institution should not be
proposed as external examiners until at least three years after the termination of
their employment.
11.8 No person who is enrolled for a research degree may act as an examiner.
11.9 The appointment of external examiners for any taught element of the programme
shall be made according to the procedures approved from time to time by
Academic Board.
Duties of examiners
11.10 Each examiner shall examine the submission and present on it an independent
preliminary report to the relevant officer of our school on the appropriate form,
before any oral or alternative form of examination is held. In completing the
preliminary report, each examiner must consider whether the submission
provisionally satisfies the requirements of the degree and where possible make an
appropriate provisional recommendation subject to the outcome of the oral
examination.
11.11 Where an examiner is of the opinion that the submission is so unsatisfactory that
no useful purpose would be served by conducting an oral examination, they may
recommend in their preliminary report that Research Degrees Subcommittee
dispense with it and refer the thesis for further work. In such cases the examiner
must provide written guidance for the student on the deficiencies of the thesis. An
examiner may not at this point recommend that a student fail outright without
holding an oral examination or alternative form of examination.
11.12 Following the oral examination, the examiners shall, where they are in agreement,
present a joint report and recommendation relating to the award of the degree to
Research Degrees Subcommittee. The preliminary reports and joint
recommendation of the examiners must together provide sufficiently detailed
commentary on the scope and quality of the work to enable Research Degrees
Subcommittee to satisfy itself that the criteria for the award of the degree have
been met.
11.13 Where the examiners are not in agreement, separate reports and recommendations
shall be submitted to Research Degrees Subcommittee on the appropriate forms.
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12 Chair of Examiners for research degrees
21 Research Degrees Subcommittee shall approve the appointment of a Chair of
Examiners. The Chair of Examiners shall be an employee of our school, or a
collaborative or partner institution, who has undertaken a programme of relevant
staff development.
12.2 No supervisor of the student being examined may be nominated as the Chair of
Examiners.
12.3 The Chair of Examiners shall be present at the oral examination and shall ensure
that the examination is conducted in accordance with these Regulations. Following
the conclusion of the oral examination and the examiners' deliberations, the Chair
of Examiners shall ensure that the examiners submit their report(s) and
recommendation(s) to Research Degrees Subcommittee without delay.
12.4 The Chair of Examiners is not an examiner and shall not take part in the oral
examination of the thesis or in the examiners’ deliberations, or otherwise seek to
influence the examiners in the exercise of academic judgement on the thesis and
the outcome of the oral examination. The examiners may, at any time during the
examination process, seek clarification from the Chair of Examiners upon matters
of process, but not on matters of academic judgement.
12.5 The Chair of Examiners shall not be required to adjudicate upon differences of
opinion between examiners or seek to resolve such differences, other than those
that result from a misunderstanding of the examination Regulations and
procedures. Differences of opinion between examiners emanating from the
exercise of academic judgement shall be dealt with in accordance with Regulation.
13 Outcomes of examinations for Research Degrees
13.1 Following the completion of the examination the examiners may recommend:
(a) That the student be awarded the degree;
(b) That, in the case of Masters (acquired primarily by research), MPhil, PhD, and
Professional Doctorates, the student is awarded the degree subject to minor
amendments being made to the submission, which in the judgement of the
examiners can reasonably be completed by the student within a period of
three months from the date of notification in writing. These will be
typographical, spelling or grammatical amendments, or adjustments or
additions that do not substantively alter the argument or structure of the
thesis. In such circumstances, the examiners must indicate to the student in
writing what amendments and corrections are required;
(c) That, in the case of Masters (acquired primarily by research), MPhil, PhD, and
Professional Doctorates, the student is permitted to re-submit for the
degree following more substantial amendments being made to the
submission within a period of twelve months from the date of notification in
writing. The subsequent re-examination, may be with or without an oral
examination. In such circumstances, the examiners must indicate to the
student in writing what amendments and corrections are required and if a
subsequent oral examination is needed;
(d) In the case of a PhD examination, that the student be awarded the degree of
MPhil, duly amended to the satisfaction of the examiners if necessary;
(e) In the case of a Professional Doctorate examination, that the student is offered
a Master’s degree or a postgraduate certificate or diploma where provision
for such awards is made in the programme specification and the student has
passed the relevant modules;
(f) In the case of Masters (acquired primarily by research), that the student is
offered a postgraduate certificate where provision for such awards is made
in the programme specification and the student has passed the relevant
modules;
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(g) That the student not be awarded the degree and not be permitted to be re-
examined;
N.B. In the case of a recommendation that adjustments be made, the examiners
must make it clear whether they deem such alterations to be minor or major,
though it will be for Research Degrees Subcommittee to agree to any such
recommendation.
13.2 The examiners may indicate informally their recommendation on the result of the
examination to the student at the time, but they must make it clear that the
decision rests with our school.
13.3 If the examiners decide that a subsequent oral examination is not required, they
must indicate in their joint report who (the internal and/or the external
examiner(s)) is responsible for confirming to Research Degrees Subcommittee that
the necessary amendments and corrections have been made.
13.4 Where there is a suspected breach of academic integrity (e.g. plagiarism or collusion)
in the preparation of the thesis, be it raised by the examiners or the supervisory
team, the agreed procedure to be followed is that contained in the Manual of
General Regulations, Part 8: Assessment Offences.
13.5 Where our school decides, on the recommendation of the examiners, that the degree
not be awarded and no re-examination be permitted, the examiners must prepare
an agreed statement on the deficiencies of the thesis or published works and the
reason for their decision, which will be forwarded to the student by our school.
13.6 A student who is required by the examiners to undertake amendments to the
submission must do so within the periods given in 14.1. Where the student is for
good reason unable to complete the required amendments to the submission within
these periods, they must inform Research Degrees Subcommittee in writing prior to
the expiry of the relevant period. Research Degrees Subcommittee may approve an
extension for a maximum period of six months.
13.7 Where a student is required to undertake major amendments with a subsequent oral
examination, as per case c) above, the examiners shall prepare preliminary reports
as outlined in 12.10. The examiners should normally submit their independent
preliminary reports on an amended submission within six calendar weeks of it being
sent to them.
14 Re-examination of Masters (acquired primarily by research), MPhil, PhD, and Practitioner
Doctorate
14.1 Normally, only one re-examination is permitted.
14.2 Where it is necessary to appoint new and/or additional examiners for the re-
examination, this will occur through the agreed school procedures.
14.3 There are four forms of re-examination:
(a) Where the student's performance in the first oral examination is satisfactory,
but the thesis unsatisfactory. Re-examination may occur with or without an oral
examination;
(b) Where on the first examination the student's thesis is so unsatisfactory that
Research Degrees Subcommittee dispensed with the oral examination. Any
re-examination must include a re-examination of the thesis and an oral or
approved alternative form of examination;
(c) Where on the first examination a student's thesis is considered satisfactory but
the performance in the oral does not satisfy the examiners. The student
may, on the recommendation of the examiners and with the approval of
Research Degrees Subcommittee, be re-examined in the oral and/or
alternative form of examination, without being requested to revise and re-
submit the thesis;
(d) Where on the first examination both the thesis and the oral examination were
considered unsatisfactory by the examiners. Re-examination will occur with
an oral examination.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 89
N.B. For situations (b), (c) and (d) an oral examination must take place. The
examiners have no power to set this requirement aside.
14.4 In the case of a re-examination, the options available to the examiners are to
recommend:
(a) That the student be awarded the degree;
(b) That the student be awarded the degree subject to minor amendments to the
thesis to be completed within a period of three months from the date of
notification in writing and to the satisfaction of the examiners;
(c) In the case of a PhD examination, that the student be awarded the degree of
MPhil subject to the presentation of the thesis (duly amended, if necessary)
to the satisfaction of the examiners;
(d) In the case of a Professional Doctorate examination, that the student is
awarded a Master’s degree or a postgraduate certificate or diploma where
provision for such awards is made in the programme specification and the
student has passed the relevant modules;
(e) In the case of Masters (acquired primarily by research), that the student is
offered a postgraduate certificate where provision for such awards is made
in the programme specification and the student has passed the relevant
modules;
(f) That the student not be awarded the degree (see 14.5 on the preparation of an
agreed statement).
15 Posthumous awards
15.1 Our collaborative partner may award research degrees posthumously as per 2.3 in the
Manual of General Regulations, Part 10: Conferment of Awards
16 Disagreement between examiners following the oral examination
16.1 Where the examiners' recommendations are not unanimous they will be referred to
Research Degrees Subcommittee, which may:
(a) Accept the recommendation of the external examiner(s);
or
(b) Appoint an external adjudicator with appropriate disciplinary and
professional expertise and extensive experience of the supervision and
examination of research degrees.
16.2 In the event of an external adjudicator being appointed, they will be expected to:
(a) Read the thesis or published work and/or review the work in a form other
than the written word;
(b) Receive the individual preliminary reports and the reports following the
oral examination;
(c) Prepare a report to Research Degrees Subcommittee which will inform its
decision.
17 Appeals against annual monitoring review, transfer of research degree enrolment or oral
examination decision for postgraduate research degrees (including both ‘taught’ and
‘research’ Professional Doctorates)
17.1 Students may, in the circumstances set out below, appeal against an annual
monitoring review, transfer of research degree enrolment or the outcome of the
oral examination of the thesis or other submittal on a postgraduate research
programme (whether at the first examination or re-examination).
Grounds for an appeal
17.2 An appeal may only be made in relation to the decision of our school based on the
recommendation of an annual monitoring review panel, a panel hearing the case
for transfer of a research degree enrolment or an oral examination of the thesis or
other submittal on a postgraduate research programme. Given the existence of
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 90
procedures for complaint and grievance during the study period (see Section 21),
alleged inadequacy of supervisory or other arrangements during the period of study
do not constitute grounds for an appeal.
17.3 Appeals are permitted only on the following grounds:
(a) That there are circumstances affecting the student's performance of which the
review/transfer panel or the examiners were unaware and which the
student, for reasons beyond their own control, was unable to bring to the
panel or examiners’ attention at the time;
(b) That there is evidence of procedural irregularity, including administrative error, in the
conduct of the review/transfer panel or examination of such a nature as to
cause doubt as to whether the result might have been different had there
not been such irregularity;
(c) That there is evidence of unfair or improper assessment on the part of one or
more of the monitoring review/transfer panel members or examiners.
Students may not challenge the academic judgement of the school.
Procedure for dealing with an appeal
17.4 A student must give notice to the Appeals Liaison Officer of the school that they wish
to appeal a decision within three months of the date of notification of the decision
and must submit their case within a further three months from the date of giving
notice.
17.5 In the event that a Formal Complaint is submitted at the same time as an Appeal
against an Assessment Board decision, the complaint will be placed on hold until
the investigation into the appeal has been completed.
17.6 The appeals procedure is an internal school process, and if the appellant should
instruct lawyers to act on their behalf during the appeal this will halt the
procedure.
17.7 The appeal will be considered as soon as possible, and in any event within two
months of receipt of the case for review, by three persons drawn from the
Professoriate of our school having experience of supervising and examining
research degrees and who have had no previous involvement in the case, including
membership of such committees as have considered it. At least one panel member
will have received staff development in equality and diversity issues and will be
expected to ensure that the appeal is conducted in accordance with the relevant
school policy. No research degree student may be a member of a Research Degree
Appeal Panel.
17.8 The Appeals Liaison Officer will act as Secretary to the Research Degree Appeal
Panel.
17.9 The appellant may be accompanied by one friend (who may not be a paid legal
representative).
17.10 If the appellant does not appear at the date and time scheduled for the Panel’s
hearing, the Research Degree Appeal Panel shall consider whether any reasons
advanced for non-attendance are valid, and:
(a) if members so judge, adjourn proceedings to a later meeting;
or
(b) if no reasons are advanced, or if they are judged invalid, proceed in the appellant’s
absence.
17.11 The members of the Research Degree Appeal Panel and the appellant will have the
right to call and question relevant witnesses. All witnesses, the appellant and their
friend shall withdraw before the Research Degree Appeal Panel considers its
decision.
17.12 Where there is a clear justification for doing so e.g. where travel costs are
prohibitive or the students mode of attendance makes attendance in person
difficult, a request to conduct the Panel via video link can be considered. The
Chair of the panel will have final say on whether the panel can be convened via
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 91
video link. For any panel via video-link the Chair and panel members would be
located at an on-campus location at our school. Guidance regarding conducting a
panel via video link will be shared with all parties prior to the panel by the Appeals
Liaison Officer.
17.13 If a Research Degree Appeal Panel agrees that a student has valid grounds for an
appeal, it must either:
(a) Recommend that Research Degrees Subcommittee invite the review/transfer
panel or examiners to reconsider their decision;
or
(b) Recommend that Research Degrees Subcommittee appoint a new
transfer/review panel or examiners.
17.14 A Research Degree Appeal Panel is not constituted as an Examination Board and has
no authority to set aside the decision of a review/transfer panel or the examiners.
17.15 The secretary to the Research Degree Appeal Panel shall communicate the decision
to the Chair of Research Degrees Subcommittee, the appellant and the Chair of the
review/transfer panel or Chair of Examiners within five working days of the last
meeting of the Research Degree Appeal Panel.
17.16 There shall be no appeal against the finding of a Research Degree Appeal Panel.
Allegations of procedural irregularities in the conduct of an appeal may be heard
by the Principal who may, at his or her discretion, require the Research Degree
Appeal Panel to reconsider the case.
17.17 If the appellant has exhausted the internal procedures and is not satisfied with the
outcome, they may request that the case is reviewed by the Office of the
Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIAHE) which is a body independent
of our school
17.18 The grounds and eligibility for review shall be determined by the Office of the
Independent Adjudicator.
17.19 The findings of any case considered by the Independent Adjudicator shall be
considered directly by Academic Board. Academic Board shall take into account the
recommendations of the Independent Adjudicator in reaching a final decision on
any action to be taken in response to the Appeal.
17.20 The decision of Academic Board is final and there shall be no further appeal against
this decision.
18 Presentation of the thesis for Masters (acquired primarily by research), MPhil, Practitioner
Doctorate, and PhD
18.1 For the purposes of an examination, one copy of the thesis is normally required for
each examiner and a further copy for the Chair of Examiners.
18.2 Except with the specific permission of Research Degrees Subcommittee, the thesis
must be presented in English. Permission to present a thesis in another language
must normally be sought through the application for registration. Given that the
medium of instruction in our school is English, permission to present a thesis in a
language other than English is likely to be given only if the subject matter of the
thesis involves language and related studies.
18.3 Our school will only permit a student to present a thesis in a language other than
English if it is satisfied that adequate supervision in the alternate language can be
arranged and that examiners capable of examining the thesis in said language are
likely to be available. In such cases, a summary in English of approximately 1000
words must be included with the thesis.
18.4 The thesis must include a statement of the student's objectives and must
acknowledge published or other sources of material consulted (including an
appropriate bibliography) and any assistance received.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 92
18.5 There shall be an abstract of approximately 300 words provided with the thesis which
provides a synopsis of the thesis, stating the nature and scope of the work
undertaken and of the contribution made to the knowledge of the subject treated.
18.6 Where a student's research programme is part of a collaborative group project, the
thesis must clearly indicate the student's individual contribution and the extent of
the collaboration. This statement on the extent of the collaboration must be
supported by all the collaborators concerned.
18.7 The copyright of the thesis is vested in the student, but the treatment of other forms
of intellectual property must be specifically agreed with our school prior to the
submission of the thesis.
18.8 The student is free to publish material in advance of the thesis submission, but
reference must be made to any such publication in the thesis. Copies of published
material should be submitted with the thesis.
18.9 While theses are normally in A4 format, our school may give permission for a thesis to
be submitted in another format where it is satisfied that the contents can be
better expressed accordingly. However, students using a format larger than A4
should note that the production of microfiche copies and full-size enlargements
may not be feasible.
18.10 The text of the thesis should not normally exceed the following length (excluding
ancillary data - see 19.11):
(a) Masters (acquired primarily by research) – 12,000 words;
(b) MPhil - 40,000 words;
(c) Practitioner Doctorate - 60,000 words;
(d) PhD – 80,000 words.
18.11 Appendices, referential footnotes and/or endnotes are not included in the indicative
word counts given in 19.10. Footnotes and/or endnotes that are discursive in
nature must be included in the word count.
18.12 An electronic copy of each Masters (acquired primarily by research), MPhil, PhD or
Practitioner Doctorate thesis will be retained by our school.
18.13 Where our school has agreed that the confidential nature of the student's work is
such as to preclude the thesis being made freely available in our school library, or
that of any collaborating establishment, and, in the case of a PhD or Professional
Doctorate, the British Library, the thesis shall be held by the school only and made
available only to those who were directly involved in the project for a time not
exceeding the approved period.
18.14 Our school is only likely to approve an application for confidentiality in order to
enable a patent application to be lodged or to protect commercially or politically
sensitive material. Theses may not be restricted in this way in order to protect
research leads. While the normal maximum period of confidentiality is two years,
our school may approve a longer period in exceptional circumstances.
18.15 An electronic copy of the thesis must be submitted to the Graduate School. The
school File Transfer Portal may be used for submission. The electronic copy of the
thesis will be subject to verification by the examiners as a true copy and then
lodged in the library of our school before the award of the degree can be made.
Any collaborating establishment may require a copy in electronic or paper form.
The electronic copy must be otherwise identical to the thesis after any necessary
post-viva revisions.
Presentation of final thesis
18.16 The final version of the thesis (i.e. that which is submitted after successful oral
examination and any amendments) must observe the following conventions:
(a) The thesis should be presented in English, unless you have special
permission to present in another language.
(b) Double or one-and-a-half spacing must be used in typescript except for
indented quotations or footnotes where single spacing may be used;
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 93
(c) Pages shall be numbered consecutively through the main text including
photographs and/or diagrams which are included as whole pages and any
lists of tables, prefaces etc. Page numbers shall be located centrally at the
bottom of each page, approximately 10mm above the edge. The preliminary
sections should be numbered in lower case Roman numerals (starting at i),
and the text of the thesis itself in Arabic numerals (starting at 1). (For more
detailed issues relating to numbering refer to the relevant Section of the
International Organisation for Standardisation specification No. ISO
7144:1986);
(d) Margins shall be 40mm on the left hand side and 20mm on the right hand
side and the top and bottom margins.
(e) The page size shall normally be set to A4.
(f) The page format should normally be set to portrait
(g) The font should be set to Times New Roman or Arial, in 12pt font size.
(h) The title page* of the thesis shall give the following information:
• the full title of the thesis;
• the full name of the author;
• the full title of the award for which the degree is submitted in partial
fulfilment of our school's requirements;
• that the degree is awarded by our school;
• the month and year of submission for the viva examination.
* See specimen in Appendix A
(i) Must be submitted in PDF/A format.
18.17 Material must be arranged in the following sequence:
Preliminaries:
• Title page (see specimen title page)
• Abstract (no more than 300 words)
• Declaration (optional)
• Table of contents, including subsections
• List of tables, figures, illustrations etc. (if any)
• List of accompanying material (if any)
• Definitions (if any, being a list of definitions of any terms specific to
the work)
• Abbreviations (if any)
• Acknowledgements
• Dedication (optional)
Main thesis text:
• Introduction and main text, divided into chapters, sections and
subsections
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 94
• References and bibliography
• Appendices (if any)
• Glossary (if any)
• Index (if any)
19 Presentation of work in a form other than the written word for a Masters (acquired
primarily by research), MPhil or PhD
19.1 Students may undertake a programme of research in which their creative work forms,
as a point of origin or reference, a significant part of the intellectual inquiry. Such
creative work may be in any field, but must have been undertaken as part of the
registered research programme. In such cases, the presentation and submission
may be partly in other than written form.
19.2 The creative work must be clearly presented in relation to the argument of a written
thesis and set in its relevant theoretical, historical, critical or design context. The
thesis must itself conform to the usual scholarly requirements and be of an
appropriate length taking into account the balance between various research
components (see 19.10).
19.3 The final submission must be accompanied by some permanent record of the creative
work bound, where practicable, with the thesis.
19.4 The application for registration must set out the form of the student's intended
submission if not written and of the proposed methods of assessment.
19.5 Students may undertake a programme of research of which the principal focus is the
preparation of a scholarly edition of a text(s) or other original artefacts.
19.6 In such cases the completed submission must include a copy of the edited text(s) or
collection of artefact(s), appropriate textual and explanatory annotations and a
substantial introduction and critical commentary which sets the text in the
relevant historical, theoretical or critical context (see 19.10 regarding the required
length of the thesis).
20 Complaints Procedure
20.1 Research Degree students are subject to the Regulations governing all students of our
school as detailed in the Manual of General Regulations, Part 14: Complaints
Procedure.
21 Feedback Mechanisms
21.1 Our school will implement mechanisms to collect, review and, where appropriate,
respond to feedback from all concerned with postgraduate research programmes.
Research Degrees Subcommittee will consider all feedback, act upon it and
communicate the results appropriately.
22 Ethical approval and Code of Practice for Research Ethics
22.1 All research degrees that propose research which involves human participants,
sensitive human data (personal or otherwise) and human material (including human
tissue, embryos, foetuses and bodily fluids, from living or deceased participants) ,
must receive ethical clearance from our school Research Ethics Committee prior to
the commencement of the research or the relevant part thereof. If the research is
being carried out, in whole or in part, at another institution or institutions, ethical
clearance must also be obtained from each participating institution.
22.2 It is the joint responsibility of both the student and the Director of Studies to ensure
that ethical clearance is obtained. Approval must be sought in accordance with such
arrangements for ethical review and approval as may from time to time be specified
by our school Research Ethics Committee.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 95
22.3 Students and Directors of Studies must be familiar with the school’s Code of Practice
for Research Ethics. Copies of the code and policy may be found on the Graduate
School’s website.
23 Code of Practice for Research and Research Misconduct Policy
24.1 Our school’s Code of Practice for Research and our Research Misconduct Policy apply
to all students for research degrees and to staff conducting research within, or on
behalf of, the institution. Copies of the code and policy may be found on the
Graduate School’s website.
23.2 Our school expects all students for research degrees and staff involved in their
supervision to observe the standards of research practice set out in the guidelines
published by scientific and learned societies and any other relevant professional
bodies.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 96
Appendix A
Specimen title page wording
LIFE CHANGES AFTER DEMENTIA
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the
requirements of the school
for the degree of ...... of Philosophy
OR
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the
requirements of the school
for the degree of practitioner doctorate in ……….
School of ………….
DATE
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 97
Appendix B
Regulations for the awards of MPhil and PhD by Published Work
Definition of published work
1.1 For the purposes of these Regulations, ‘published work’ and ‘publications’ includes,
but is not limited to, books, refereed articles, authored chapters, creative work, non-
textual work and artefacts. Where it is not possible for such work to be submitted for
examination (e.g. in the case of installations or exhibitions), there should be a
permanent and submittable record of it (e.g. videographic, photographic).
1.2 Published work as per the above definition must be freely available within the public
domain at the point of examination and have been subject to peer review. Work which
is, either in part or whole, in progress, submitted or accepted for publication or ‘in
press’ may not be submitted for examination under these Regulations. Work previously
presented by the student for another degree may not normally be included in the
submission. If such work is intended to constitute part of the submission, it must be
identified as such and the degree will not be awarded unless substantial new work of
distinction is presented.
1.3 Exceptionally, work of a confidential nature which is subject to restrictions on its
circulation so as to enable a patent application to be lodged or to protect
commercially or politically sensitive material, may, at the discretion of Research
Degrees Subcommittee, be accepted for examination providing such restrictions do not
impede our school’s ability to conduct a proper assessment and examination of the
submission.
Critical Appraisal
1.4 The submission for examination of the degrees of MPhil and PhD by published work will
consist of the published work and a critical appraisal of said work not normally
exceeding 10,000 words, The appraisal must summarise each publication submitted,
synthesise the publications as a coherent study, provide a critical review of the current
state of knowledge in the respective field or discipline and show how the published
work has contributed to the field or discipline. It should also comment on the standing
of any journals or similar and the reception of the publications as indicated by
citations and/or reviews.
Eligibility
1.5 Any member of the staff of our school of at least three years' standing may apply to
Research Degrees Subcommittee for permission to submit for an MPhil or PhD of our
school by published work. A former member of staff of at least three years' standing on
the effective date of their resignation or retirement may also apply to Research
Degrees Subcommittee for permission to submit for an MPhil or PhD of our school by
published work.
1.6 Members of academic staff, of at least three years' standing, of a collaborating
institution, members of staff of another establishment who have taught for at least
three years on programmes validated by our school, or members of staff of other
institutions who have taught for at least three years on a programme at our school,
may also apply to submit. In assessing such applicants' eligibility to apply to be
examined for an MPhil or PhD by publication, Research Degrees Subcommittee will
take into account the extent of the applicants’ contribution to the scholarship of our
school.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 98
1.7 Any Bachelor’s degree graduate of our school of at least eight years’ standing or
Master’s graduates of at least four years’ standing may apply to Research Degrees
Subcommittee for permission to submit for an MPhil or PhD by published work of our
school.
1.8 Graduates of programmes now validated as school programmes at collaborative or
partner institutions but which were not school programmes at the point of graduation,
may be eligible for an MPhil or PhD by publication of our school provided the criteria
given in 1.7 have been met and at the discretion of Research Degrees Subcommittee.
1.9 Successful applicants must enrol as students of our school and pay the appropriate
part-time research degree fee.
Application
1.10The application (as per standard research degree applications) should be accompanied
by a list of the publications to be submitted and an outline of the critical appraisal
(see 1.4 above).
Registration
1.11Registration will be as detailed in Section 4 of these Regulations and will include a list
of publications to be submitted and an outline of the critical appraisal described
above. The list of publications should be comprehensive but it is understood that
pending publications may be forthcoming subsequent to registration. In such cases,
and at the discretion of Research Degrees Subcommittee, it may be permissible for
such publications to be included in the body of work entered for examination.
1.12Following registration, there is no possibility of transfer from MPhil by published work
to PhD by published work.
1.13The minimum and maximum periods for a research degree by publication are:
Minimum Maximum
MPhil 9 months 24 months
PhD 12 months 24 months
Examinations
1.14 The examination team will consist of one internal examiner and two external
examiners.
1.15 The examination team may only recommend:
(a) that the student be awarded the degree
(b) that the student not be awarded the degree
(c) in the case of a PhD by published work examination, that the student be
awarded the degree of MPhil by published work
1.16 The examination team’s recommendation that an award be made subject to
amendment, or amendment and re-examination, can refer only to the critical
appraisal element of the submission.
Extent of these Regulations (Appendix B)
1.17Except where such Regulations in this appendix explicitly state other than, or in their
remit preclude the application of, the Regulations for research degrees contained in
the main body of Part 9, said Regulations as they relate to admissions, registration,
supervision, examinations, annual monitoring review, appeals and complaints shall
apply.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 99
Appendix C
Regulations for the award of Higher Doctorate
Standard and Eligibility
1.1 Applications can be made for the following Higher Doctorates:
• Doctor of Science (DSc)
• Doctor of Technology (DTech)
• Doctor of Engineering (DEng)
• Doctor of Laws (LLD)
1.2 A Higher Doctorate is awarded in recognition of a sustained and distinguished original
contribution to, or advancement of, knowledge and/or professional
accomplishment in the respective field.
1.3 Applicants will be a holder of at least seven years’ standing of a first degree or a
holder of four years’ standing of a higher degree, as awarded by our school, the
CNAA or a United Kingdom Higher Education Institution of equivalent standing, or a
qualification which is regarded by Research Degrees Subcommittee as equivalent to
the such (e.g. a verifiable overseas qualification).
1.4 Applications may be made by members of our school as defined in Appendix B, 1.5 to
1.9 above.
Application
1.5 Applicants must submit three copies of the works upon which their application is
based. The submission may take the form of, but is not limited to, books, journal
contributions, patent specifications, reports, specifications and design studies and
may also include other relevant evidence of original or distinguished work. All
material, other than books or output in a form other than the written word, must
be secured in hard-backed folders, each containing a title and contents page.
1.6 An applicant must, where appropriate, state which part or part of the work has been
submitted for another academic award.
1.7 The contents of the submission must be in English unless permission to the contrary
has been given by Research Degrees Subcommittee.
1.8 Along with the submission, applicants must submit one copy of each of the following:
(a) a completed application form, stating for which Higher Doctorate the
student wishes to be considered
(b) a summary of not more than 1,000 words on the relevance of the works
to the advancement of knowledge
(c) a list of the works comprising the submission
(d) where appropriate, a statement of the extent of the applicant’s
contribution to co-authored or collaborative work submitted
(e) the appropriate initial fee
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 100
Higher Doctorate Committee
1.9 On receipt of an application, an ad hoc school Higher Doctorate Committee will be
convened to consider whether a prima facie case for proceeding to examination
has been established. The Committee will, at a minimum, consist of the Pro-
Principal for Research, the Head of the Graduate School and 3 members of
Research Degrees Subcommittee with expertise appropriate to considering the
application. The Committee shall seek such advice and consultation as it deems
necessary to consideration of the application.
1.10 An applicant may not be a member of the Committee.
1.11 No member of the Committee may serve as examiner to the applicant should a prima
facie case be established.
1.12 The establishment of a prima facie case does not imply the eventual awarding of the
Higher Doctorate.
Examination and Conferment
1.13 If satisfied that a prima facie case has been established, the Committee shall, on
payment of a further fee by the student, submit the application to three
examiners, one of whom shall be a Professor or Reader of our school, and the
remaining two shall be external individuals of recognised eminence in the
respective field, who have not co-authored or collaborated on any of the works
submitted where relevant.
1.14 Each examiner shall submit an independent recommendation to Research Degrees
Subcommittee for consideration and the award of Higher Doctorate will be made if,
in the opinion of Research Degrees Subcommittee and
subject to ratification by Research Degrees Subcommittee, an outstanding contribution to
the respective field has been made.
1.15 In the event of disagreement between examiners, the Committee may appoint a third
external examiner or reject the submission.
1.16 One copy of the work submitted in support of a successful application shall be
retained on open access by our school.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 101
Part 10
Conferment of Awards
1 Conferment of substantive awards
1.1 No award or distinction of our school will be conferred without the authority of the
Academic Board and university partner.
1.2 A substantive award of our school will be conferred in accordance with para 2 below
only when the following conditions are satisfied:
(a) the candidate is a student or associate student of our school at the time of his
or her assessment for an award and has discharged all financial and other
obligations to our school;
(b) the candidate has completed a programme of study approved by our school as
leading to the award being recommended;
(c) the award has been recommended by an Assessment Board (or, for research
awards, the Academic Board Research Committee), constituted and acting
under regulations approved by the school.
1.3 The award recommended by an Assessment Board will be the award for which the
student is a candidate, or a lower award as specified in the approved programme
regulations for which the student has fulfilled the requirements.
1.4 Where programme regulations make provision for students to progress from one stage
to another and qualify for an award at each stage, the assessments for each
intermediate stage will be assessments for eligibility to receive the relevant
award: conferment of that award will not occur where the student is proceeding to
the next stage.
2 Conferment of particular awards
2.1 An award will be conferred with merit or distinction or with an Honours classification
where programme regulations make such provision and where the student has
satisfied the requirements of the programme regulations for such an award.
2.2 An aegrotat award of our school (undergraduate level only) may be conferred when
the conditions in Part 5 of this Manual are met.
2.3 A posthumous award of our school may be conferred and accepted on the student's
behalf by a parent, spouse or other appropriate individual. Any award offered by
our school may be conferred posthumously. The level of the award will be at the
discretion of the Principal.
2.4 An honorary award of our school may be conferred upon persons of distinction who
have either made major contributions to the work of our school or who have
earned distinction for activities associated more widely with education, business,
culture, creative work or public service.
2.5 A fellowship of our school may be conferred upon persons of distinction who are
deemed to have made a significant contribution to the work of our school.
3 Revocation of award
3.1 If, subsequent to conferment of a substantive award, a breach of regulations shall
have been established, the Academic Board shall have power to revoke the award.
3.2 The Academic Board shall have similar powers in respect of an honorary award in
cases where the conduct of the recipient is subsequently deemed to reflect
adversely upon our school.
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4 Collaboration with other awarding bodies and with other institutions
4.1 Our school may act jointly with professional bodies and with other awarding bodies to
make available programmes of study leading to recognised awards of such
associations and bodies.
4.2 Our school may permit other institutions to offer programmes of study leading to an
award of our school. Such programmes of study will be validated and approved by
our school in accordance with the provisions of the Quality Manual.
5 Documentation given to students
5.1 Award Certificate
5.1.1 The certificate for every award offered by our school will bear the signature
of the Principal or Vice Chancellor or as per the validating university and
will record:
(a) the name of our school;
(b) the recipient's name;
(c) the award;
(d) the title of the programme;
(e) an approved endorsement where appropriate;
5.1.2 Where a programme is delivered in collaboration with another institution the
name of the institution may, where previously agreed with the collaborating
partner, appear on the award certificate. Where the partner is not named,
the award certificate shall make clear that there is a diploma supplement
which provides further information.
5.2 Diploma Supplement
5.2.1 A diploma supplement may be issued to a student who has successfully
completed any approved elements of study.
5.2.2 The diploma supplement may record inter alia:
(a) the name of our school together with the name of any other institution
sharing responsibility for the student's programme of study or
research;
(b) for programmes delivered overseas, the place of registration;
(b) the full name of the student;
(c) the dates of the student's enrolment with our school;
(d) the elements of study successfully completed, with details of their
length and level, grade achieved (where appropriate) and date of
completion;
(e) details of any periods of supervised work experience or placement in the
UK or abroad, with grades where appropriate and dates;
(f) the language of instruction where this is not English. If the language of
assessment was not the same as that used for the instruction this
should also be clearly recorded.
g) other approved information requested by the student or required to meet the needs of
an external agency.
5.3 Record of Credit
5.3.1 A Record of Credit may be issued to a student who has successfully
completed a credit-rated non-award-bearing programme validated by our
school.
5.3.2 The Record of Credit shall indicate that the individual named on the Record
has satisfactorily achieved general credit points for assessed learning.
5.3.2 The Record shall give details of the individual's assessed learning (both
experiential and certified) together with the credit points and levels
achieved for each, with dates.
5.3.3 The Record may be used to negotiate admission with credit to an approved
programme of study leading to an award.
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Part 11
Responsibilities of students and fitness to study
1 Definitions
1.1 Student means any person admitted or enrolled by our school to follow a programme
of studies, or any sabbatical officer of the Students’ Union.
1.2 All students remain subject to the general law, and any rights or constraints conferred
or imposed by these regulations are in addition to, and do not alter in any way,
their rights and duties as citizens.
2 Enrolment
2.1 All students must produce at or before enrolment evidence of having satisfied the
relevant entrance requirements.
2.2 Students, other than sabbatical officers of the Students’ Union, are required to enrol
or re-enrol for each successive year or other relevant part of a programme.
2.3 At the time of initial enrolment with our school, and at such times thereafter as shall
be required for renewal of enrolment, students must:
(a) provide in full the information requested;
(b) pay fees due in accordance with prevailing fees policy.
2.4 On completion of enrolment, or re-enrolment, students will receive a student card
which is valid for their entire programme, production of which may be required by
members of school staff for the purpose of identification.
2.5 Once enrolment is completed, a person is deemed to continue as a student until the
end of the programme or until re-enrolment is required, whichever is the earlier,
provided that a person shall cease to be a student:
(a) if excluded from the programme following a recognised assessment procedure;
(b) if excluded from the programme for non-compliance with prevailing fees policy;
(c) if excluded on medical grounds in accordance with 9.4(c) below;
(d) if expelled from our school following a recognised disciplinary procedure;
(e) in the event of withdrawal from the programme;
(f) if excluded for non attendance in accordance with section 4 below.
2.6 It is a student's responsibility, in order to maintain enrolled status, to amend in school
Direct any changes to the information (especially local address) provided at
enrolment and re-enrolment, and/or to make good on request any omissions
subsequently identified in that information. Our school is required under the terms
of the Data Protection Act 1998 to maintain up-to-date data on its students but
cannot accept responsibility for inaccuracies in data held on individuals where the
source is outside its control.
2.7 Persons who are neither enrolled as students nor are sabbatical officers of the
Students’ Union shall have no right of access to school facilities as students.
3 Terms of admission and fees payment policy
3.1 Persons who accept the offer of a place at our school are additionally bound by the
Terms of Admission.
3.2 Of particular note is the Fees Policy made and amended throughout a student's period
at our school. Annual revisions will, so far as possible, be published and the
definitive document(s) for each session can be obtained from Financial Services or
our school website.
3.3 All students are expected to abide by the fees policy and to pay their tuition fees in a
timely manner. Students who consider themselves at risk of being unable to pay, or
who have become debtors, must discuss their situation with the student advisors at
the earliest possible opportunity and, where necessary, agree and abide by a
payment plan.
3.4 Our school reserves the right to withhold the issue of a degree certificate to any
student who has a tuition fee related debt at the time of completing their
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 104
programme until such time as the debt, and, where relevant, any accrued recovery
costs, have been cleared.
4 Attendance
4.1 Students will be regarded as in attendance at our school whether they are present
within our school buildings or engaged elsewhere on some legitimate activity pursuant to
the programme (e.g. attending a field trip, or a programme by distance learning), always
provided that they maintain regular academic contact with Tutors and adhere
satisfactorily to the programme and the Student Attendance Policy.
4.2 Students who are unable to attend classes or other prescribed activities for any reason
should inform their lecturer/teaching staff member as a professional courtesy.
Students whose overall attendance rate falls below 75% across all compulsory
events of their module/programme may face withdrawal from their
module/programme with the agreement of their School of Study. Students who are
withdrawn from modules/programmes have the right of appeal against that
decision. This appeal will be put to a panel chaired by the Attendance Manager (or
nominee) and will normally comprise three members of Academic staff and one
student representative.
4.3 Medical certificates must be produced promptly to the school office in the event of
absence due to illness, if this absence is prolonged beyond seven working days, or
if our school so requests.
5 Assessment
5.1 It is the student's responsibility to be familiar with our school’s general regulations
regarding assessment and with the particular assessment regulations currently
applicable to his or her programme.
5.2 For students on all programmes, our school’s general regulations regarding assessment
can be found in this Manual (please refer to: Part 5 – Assessment of Students, and;
Part 9 – Research Degrees).
5.3 Specific programme regulations can be found in the student handbook for the
programme.
5.4 Students who dispute a decision of an Assessment Board may, under certain
circumstances, appeal against that decision. For all relevant information, please
see Part 7 of this Manual – Appeals against Assessment Board decisions.
5.6 Our school regards with particular severity any use of unfair means in an attempt to
enhance performance (cheating). Part 8 of this Manual – Assessment Offences
describe how suspected cases of cheating will be investigated and the penalties
that shall apply.
6 Health and safety
6.1 Students shall behave in such a way that their health and safety, and that of others, is
not put at risk. Where children are concerned this duty extends to whoever has
brought them into our school.
6.2 Students shall not endanger themselves or others by intentionally or carelessly
interfering with, or misusing, any article, substance or material provided by our
school or on its premises.
6.3 Students shall use any protective equipment provided, and ensure, so far as is
reasonably practicable, that they understand and abide by safe systems of work.
and any safety procedures required by our school, or general health and safety legislation,
in connection with any of our school's activities.
7 Damage to equipment and premises
7.1 Any individual student or group of students found to be responsible, through any wilful
act or negligence, for any loss or damage to school premises, equipment or
property shall be liable for the cost of such restoration or repair as is necessary.
The full cost will be payable on demand to the appropriate school officer.
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7.2 Any individual student or group of students whose actions are found to have wilfully
compromised the security, integrity or educational purposes of computer systems
provided within our school will be considered potentially to have contravened the
disciplinary regulations and will be subject to the relevant procedures. The sending
of unsolicited bulk email is not permitted; this includes but is not limited to
advertisements and political and religious materials.
8 Exclusion, suspension and expulsion of students
8.1 Our school reserves the right to exclude, suspend or expel any student who
contravenes school regulations.
8.2 Under such exclusion, suspension or expulsion, all school activities and premises shall
be prohibited to the student.
8.3 Acting in breach of such exclusion, suspension or expulsion shall constitute a
disciplinary, or further disciplinary, offence and shall be referred by the Principal
for consideration by an Investigating Panel.
8.4 Exclusion shall apply where the contravention of regulations does not involve a
disciplinary component. Exclusion may follow where a student:
(a) fails to comply with prescribed assessment regulations or those laid down by a
professional body;
(b) fails to comply with prevailing fees policy;
(c) fails to comply with the regulations on attendance;
(d) is identified by our school as having failed to comply with the terms of
admittance;
(e) is considered by our school to be unfit to continue his or her studies and/or fails to
produce a satisfactory medical certificate of fitness when asked to do so by the Principal
or his or her nominee. Fitness to study shall be determined by application, where
necessary, of the procedure set out in section * below.
Students excluded under (a), (b) and (e) may be re-admitted to our school subject to their
subsequent compliance with the relevant regulation(s) and to the permission of the
Principal, which may be delegated. Students excluded under (c) shall have the
right of appeal as set out in the Student Attendance Policy. Students excluded
under (d) shall have the right of appeal.
8.5 Suspension shall apply in cases of alleged breaches of the disciplinary regulations (see
Part 13 of this Manual) where the incident is under investigation according to
prescribed procedures (see. Part 13 para 2) or where the Principal, in the exercise
of his summary powers (see. Part 13 para 5), or a Committee of the Disciplinary
and Grievance Panel, at the conclusion of its hearing (see. Part 13 para 7),
determines this to be the appropriate action. Suspended students shall be re-
admitted to our school subject to satisfactory completion of their period of
suspension, or to the case against them not being found.
8.6 Expulsion shall apply where a breach of disciplinary regulations has been found by a
Committee of the Disciplinary and Grievance Panel, which deems this to be the
appropriate penalty. Expelled students shall not be re-admitted to our school
except by special dispensation of the Governors.
9. Fitness to Study
9.1 Purpose
9.1.1 The purpose of the fitness to study policy is to:
a) provide a framework for responding to issues relating to health or disability-
related concerns that are affecting a student’s ability to study and/or ability
to function as an effective member of the school community. This may include:
• emerging concerns relating to inappropriate behaviour, health, safety or
mental wellbeing identifying support for Personal Tutoring procedures;
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• long-standing issues which have reached a stage where our school feels that
it needs to intervene to protect the Student Health and Wellbeing of (a)
student(s);
• responding to crisis situations relating to the Student Health and Wellbeing
of (a) student(s), including those relating to mental health issues;
• responding to referrals from the disciplinary procedure or suitability
procedure where it is felt that a student’s actions or behaviours could be
the result of health-related concerns, and;
•responding to appeals for review of disability-related institutional support
provided by the school.
b) set out the principles underpinning the policy and procedure;
c) ensure that the response to an event is appropriate, timely and effective;
d) ensure that the school communicates effectively with any relevant parties or
professional services;
e) ensure that the school acts in a holistic and supportive way.
f) define the procedure for deciding whether an incident should be dealt with
under the Personal Tutoring policy; student disciplinary regulations and
procedures/ procedures, student suitability procedure or fitness to study
policy.
9.2 Scope
9.2.1 This policy and procedure applies to students directly enrolled and on programmes
and receiving tuition from our school’s staff. Students studying at collaborative
partner institutions will be subject to that partner institution’s own local policies
and procedures.
9.2.2 This policy does not address our school’s response to major incidents or
emergencies, which are dealt with under the incident management procedures.
9.2.3 This policy is complimentary to, but does not replace the student disciplinary
regulations and procedures, suitability procedure, or the student code of conduct.
9.3 Equality Analysis
9.3.1 This policy seeks to ensure that students with health or disability (including mental
health) related issues that impact negatively on their own (or that of others) ability
to study are dealt with in the most appropriate way. The Policy seeks to ensure
that issues arising are handled in a manner that ensures that students are not
unreasonably disadvantaged and that, where possible, we will seek to act in a
manner that is advantageous to the student.
9.4 Application of the fitness to study policy
9.4.1 Our school is committed to ensuring that students are fully supported
with regard to their Student Health and Wellbeing while they are on their
course of study. This includes ensuring that students are well enough to
access their course effectively and without detriment to their own health
or the wellbeing of others. In rare circumstances, where students are not
in a position to identify
their own deterioration in health or behaviour, and, therefore, may not be able to
make an informed decision regarding their best interests, our school is duty bound
to providing a safeguarding response for those individuals. Similarly, where the
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behaviour of an individual is impacting negatively on others, our school must act to
address this.
9.4.2 Our school will be guided by the following principles when responding to such
incidents:
a. to act in a fair and proportionate manner when dealing with vulnerable
individuals;
b. to consider relevant professional advice and guidance where appropriate;
c. to comply with our legal duties and responsibilities;
d. to safeguard the needs of staff and students affected by inappropriate
behaviours;
e. to consider the impact of any breaks in study holistically and provide
appropriate advice, information and guidance to those concerned, and;
f. to provide a clear framework for staff and students.
9.4.3 The administrative response to any incident under this policy will be conducted in
accordance with the procedure below.
9.5 When is this policy applied?
9.5.1 This policy complements our school’s personal tutoring, student code of conduct,
suitability procedure and student disciplinary regulations and procedure.
9.5.2 It is expected that, where possible, any emerging concerns will be addressed by
means of standard staff interactions with students as part of the Personal Tutoring
role. This policy will be invoked only in situations where it is felt that the
behaviour/health, or wellbeing of the student concerned requires the input of
specialist services to reaffirm boundaries/consider support, or where the impact of
this behaviour on others is unacceptable.
9.5.3 Where a student has been subject to disciplinary action (for example, exclusion
from class, or suspension) due to inappropriate behaviour and they have been
referred to this procedure to ascertain whether their difficulties relate to a health
(including Mental Health) or wellbeing issue; the school reserves the right to refer
that student back to the disciplinary procedures should it not be possible to
establish an acceptable welfare-based reason for their actions.
9.5.4 Where a student has been subject to investigation under the suitability procedure
due to inappropriate behaviour and they have been referred to this procedure to
ascertain whether their difficulties relate to a health (including Mental Health) or
wellbeing issue; the school reserves the right to refer that student back to the
suitability procedures should it not be possible to establish an acceptable welfare-
based reason for their actions.
9.6 Student responsibilities under this policy
9.6.1 A student whose fitness to study is being assessed under this policy is required to:
• work with our school to obtain updates to medical/specialist evidence as
required;
• attend all appointments/meetings as required unless there is a justifiable
reason for absence;
• act on the advice, guidance or instructions provided, and;
• keep our school updated regarding any alteration in condition or support
provision that could affect their ability to study or function as an effective
member of our school community.
9.7 Procedure
9.7.1 Stage 1a: Threatening or dangerous behaviour (Crisis Situations)
9.7.1.1 Any student displaying behaviour that is threatening, or which puts themselves, or
any other person in danger should be removed from class immediately and initially
dealt with via the student disciplinary regulations and procedures and procedures
(see section 12 of this Manual).
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9.7.1.2 All staff have the right to have a student removed for threatening or dangerous
behaviour. Dependant on the situation the staff member should where possible ask
the student to leave the area.
9.7.1.3If the student refuses to leave when requested to do so, or the situation is such
that the member of staff does not feel that they can ask the student to leave without
Security staff being present, they should either:
• send another person to the security desk to ask for a member of security to
come to the classroom immediately, or;
• call Security staff by dialling 0 on an internal telephone, or;
• call the main switchboard 020 8223 3000 and ask to be put through to the
relevant Security desk;
9.7.1.4Security should document the incident and send a report sent to the relevant Dean
of School of School immediately, so that s/he can make the necessary decision regarding
how the behaviour should be dealt with, including, if necessary, formal suspension from
study.
9.7.1.5If there are other people who have been affected by the behaviour, the member of
staff should ask Security to interview them while it is fresh in their memory and include
this in their report to the Dean of School.
9.7.1.6 If the member of staff knows (because they have a teaching and learning
requirements form from the Disability and Dyslexia Team) that the student under
consideration has a mental health, or other disability, which should be taken into
consideration by the Dean of School of School, a copy of this form should be annexed to
the report.
9.7.1.7The Dean of School of School may consult with the Head of Welfare and Pastoral
Support or the Manager of the Disability and Dyslexia Team regarding any additional
information required due to disability-related needs before making a decision on
suspension.
9.7.2Non-suspension
9.7.2.1A student may be disciplined without a formal suspension from studies. However,
consideration can be given for the student to have a behavioural contract put in place
pending the outcome of the disciplinary process. A behavioural contract will, in such
situations, be considered as an action under the student disciplinary regulations and
procedures.
9.7.2.2If the Dean of School feels that the circumstances of the case are such that they
wish to refer the case for consideration under the fitness to study policy and procedure,
the student should be referred to the Welfare Panel at this point.
9.7.3Suspension:
9.7.3.1 If the Dean of School feels that the behaviour is such that a formal suspension is
required they may suspend for one week (seven consecutive days) in the first
instance. The suspension would be considered as an action under the student
disciplinary regulations and procedures.
9.7.3.2If the Dean of School feels that the circumstances of the case are such that they
wish to refer the student for consideration under the fitness to study policy and
procedure, the student should be referred to the Welfare Panel at this point.
9.7.3.3Stage 1b: Inappropriate/disruptive behaviour (Non Crisis)
9.7.3.4If a student is displaying behaviour which is disruptive, offensive, or otherwise
inappropriate (but not threatening or dangerous), staff may remove the student from the
class for the rest of that session.
9.7.3.5 Dependant on the situation in the class the member of staff should where possible
ask the student to leave the classroom.
9.7.3.6If the student refuses, or the situation is such that the member of staff does not
feel that they can ask the student to leave without security being present, they should:
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• send another person to the security desk to ask for a member of security to
come to the classroom immediately, or;
• call Security staff by dialling 0 on an internal telephone, or;
• call the main switchboard 020 8223 3000 and ask to be put through to the
relevant Security Desk;
9.7.3.7The student’s behaviour should be documented and the report sent to the Dean of
School immediately.
9.7.3.8The Dean of School should issue a letter notifying the student that they are
receiving an official warning under the student disciplinary regulations and procedures.
9.7.3.9The Dean of School should inform the Academic Registry as this offence should be
recorded on the student record. Any subsequent offence will immediately invoke the
Student disciplinary regulations and procedures.
9.7.3.10If the Dean of School feels that the circumstances of the case are such that they
wish to refer the student for consideration under the Fitness to Study policy and
procedure, the student should be referred to the Welfare Panel at this point.
9.7 Stage 2: Emerging concerns about an individual students’ health, safety, behaviour
or mental wellbeing.
9.8.1 Where a student is demonstrating behaviour which is giving cause for concern (see
guidance notes), it is expected that this will initially be dealt with under the
Personal Tutoring policy.
9.8.2 The Personal Tutor should arrange an appointment with the student as soon as
possible. Where Tutors feel uncomfortable about meeting alone with a student,
they should ask a colleague to co-facilitate the meeting.
9.8.3 The meeting should be held in a private space and the confidentiality of the
proceedings should be respected.
9.8.4 If the Tutor is aware that that student has a disability or mental health condition
through having received a teaching and learning requirements form from the
Disability and Dyslexia Team, then they should contact the Manager of the
Disability and Dyslexia Team for advice and guidance prior to meeting the student.
If the concern relates to mental health issues it may be appropriate to bring in the
experience of the Manager of the Student Health and Wellbeing Team. A member
of the Disability and Dyslexia Team, or the Student Health and Wellbeing Team can
be asked to attend the meeting, but the student should be advised of this in
advance of the meeting.
9.8.5 Where the Tutor feels that the behaviour relates to a mental health issue and the
student has not disclosed a disability, or mental health issue, to our school, the
Tutor should contact the Manager of the Student Health and Wellbeing Team to
discuss how to approach the issue before conducting the meeting.
9.8.6 If the Manager of the Student Health and Wellbeing Team feels that it would be
appropriate for a member of the Team to attend the meeting, it would be
expected that the Team member would come shortly after its commencing, so that
they could be introduced in a supportive manner by the Personal Tutor(s) present.
9.8.7 The meeting should seek to address the concerns in a direct and clear manner and
to achieve the following outcomes:
• that all areas of concern have been addressed;
• that any existing areas of support, treatment or care have been identified;
• that an agreement has been reached regarding future behaviour;
• that any additional support required to facilitate the student’s future
behaviour has been identified and responsibilities for putting this in place
have been assigned (for example, state specifically what the Tutor will do
and what the student is responsible for), and;
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• that timelines have put in place together with a mechanism for submitting
work and monitoring progress.
9.8.8 The Chair of the meeting should document the full response and keep records.
9.8.9 The student should be provided with written confirmation of the agreed actions,
including timescales for completing them and the agreed monitoring process
(where possible within two working days of the meeting).
9.8.10Where a student meets all of the agreed criteria within the set time limit, they
should be released from the plan and monitored as normal as part of the personal
tutoring policy. If a student does not meet the agreed criteria the case should be
escalated to Stage 3of the fitness to study policy.
9.9 Stage 3 Continuing or Significant concerns about an individual student’s health,
safety, behaviour or mental wellbeing.
9.9.1 This stage can be invoked where:
• a student has been referred by the Dean of School (or nominee) for
consideration;
• a student has failed to meet their conditions or behavioural contract;
• there are significant immediate issues that have not previously been
addressed, but raise serious concerns for the health, safety or well-being of
the individual;
• the behaviours of an individual are adversely affecting others, or; • the
behaviours of the student are such that it is impacting on their ability to live
independently in the halls of residence or their ability to act as a member of
the school community.
9.9.2 Under these regulation the Dean of School may suspend a student for up to five
working days to enable a Welfare Panel to be convened.
9.9.3 Where it is not practicable for a Welfare Panel to be convened during this timescale,
a Member of the Principal’s Group can decide whether an extension of the
suspension for a specified period should be approved. The student will be notified
of the extension and its duration before the five day suspension has expired.
9.9.4 The Welfare Panel will be constituted in accordance with the terms of reference.
9.9.5 The Welfare Panel will consider the case(s) brought before it and will:
• work with professional service departments and students to obtain updates to
medical/specialist evidence as required;
• liaise with relevant professional service departments and Schools to find all
available options available to support the student;
• consider all options available to ensure that there is no reasonable
disadvantage to the student(s) concerned and, where possible, that the
student is treated advantageously;
• ensure that the student’s views are heard and taken account of;
• meet when required to consider new developments in student cases;
• decide what actions should be taken, and under which policy and procedure
they will be taken forward.
• make final binding decisions on behalf of our school regarding the fitness to
study and requests for return to study, such recommendations and decisions
being considered on an individual case by case basis;
• where a leave of absence has been agreed under the policy, the relevant
evidence that will be required for a return to study will be detailed (it will
be the student’s responsibility to provide this evidence);
•approve behavioural contracts and/or return to study plans.
9.9.6 In accordance with clause 8.4 (e) above, a Welfare Panel is empowered to act on
behalf of the Principal and to exclude indefinitely any student who is considered to
be unfit to continue his or her studies and/or fails to produce a satisfactory
medical certificate of fitness when asked to do so. A Welfare Panel is also
empowered under this same regulation to consider and decide whether a student
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 111
excluded under regulation 8.4 (e) is fit to be readmitted. In considering
readmission the Panel may take whatever professional advice and guidance it
deems necessary in order to enable it to make an informed decision.
9.9.7 In ongoing cases, the Welfare Panel may delegate authority to the Head of Welfare
and Pastoral Support to monitor progress and report back on any students being
supported by teams within that area.
9.10 Return to study
9.10.1 Students requesting a return to study after a leave of absence under the fitness to
study policy and procedure will be required to provide acceptable updated medical
evidence and attend a return to study meeting where a return to study plan will be
drawn up. This will set out the responsibilities of the student and our school in
supporting the return.
9.10.2 The decision to permit a student to return to study will be made by the Welfare
Panel. The timing of such a return to study will take into account our school’s
rules, regulations and procedures and the need to ensure that the student’s
reintegration into study harmonises with the need of the academic timetable.
9.10.3 Students will be expected to meet the requirements of their return to study plan.
The plan will include any ongoing arrangements to support and review the progress
of the student in order to minimise the potential of a relapse or recurrence of the
individual student’s health, safety, behavioural or mental wellbeing difficulties.
9.11 Appeals
9.11.1 A student may appeal against a Fitness to Study decision reached at either
Stage 2 or Stage 3 of the procedures. An appeal will only be considered if there is
proposed evidence of:
a) material procedural irregularity;
b) perversity of judgement in the face of the evidence presented;
c) demonstrable bias or prejudice on the part of any person forming the
judgement;
d) failure to reach a ‘reasonable’ decision in handling the process;
e) further new and material evidence that has not been submitted for exceptional
reasons but would have aided the decision making process.
9.11.2 Students can lodge an appeal to review the Fitness to Study decision by
submitting a written statement to the Head of Governance and Legal Services
detailing the reasons for the appeal (see 9.11.1) within 10 working days of being
notified of the decision made at stage 2 or 3 of the procedures.
9.11.3 The Head of Governance and Legal Services (or nominee), in consultation with the
Dean of School, will review the original decision made under the Fitness to Study
procedures to consider whether there is a case for an appeal. If no grounds for an
appeal are found, then the Head of Governance and Legal Services (or nominee)
can dismiss the appeal and will write to the student to inform them of the reasons.
If it is decided that there is a case for a review of the original decision, the Head of
Governance and Legal Services can then decide whether:
a) To refer the case back to the original Welfare Panel for consideration;
b) To appoint a new Welfare Panel to consider the case afresh.
The final decision will be sent to the student within 5 working days after the
convening of the relevant Welfare Panel.
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Part 12
Student disciplinary regulations and procedures (incorporating the student code of
conduct)
1. Preamble
1.1 These regulations and procedures are made under the Articles of Government of our
school.
1.2 The Articles of Government state that ‘Subject to the responsibilities of the Council,
the Principal shall be the chief executive of the school and shall be responsible for
… the maintenance of student discipline and, within the rules and procedures
provided for within these Articles, for the suspension or expulsion of students on
disciplinary grounds …’ (Article 3.2 and 3.2 (f)).
Words used in these regulations and procedures shall have the meanings assigned
to them in the Articles of Government. In the case of conflict between these
regulations and procedures and the Articles of Government, the Articles of
Government shall take precedence.
1.2 All student disciplinary regulations and procedures approved by the Council before 19
April 2021 are hereby rescinded.
1.3 The names of committees and titles of posts may change from time to time. This shall
not invalidate the powers of the equivalent successor committees or post holders.
1.4 In the case of doubt, the Head of Governance and Legal Services shall have authority
over the interpretation of the text of these regulations and procedures, on behalf
of the Council.
1.5 This document should not be read in isolation as other school policies and
regulations and procedures could be relevant. A full listing of all formal
documents is available on our website
http://www.bite.ac.uk/about/academic-registry/
Student code of conduct
‘make education work.’
3. Student code of conduct
3.1 Context
3.1.1 We are proud of our learning community and value the rich experiences gained
through working and learning with colleagues and students from more than 120
countries. We are here to learn with, and from each other, to collaborate and to
share ideas and perspectives. We value difference, respect the views of others,
and uphold the right of expression of those views, even when they differ from our
own.
3.1.2 Our Equality and Diversity Policy confirms our belief that:
‘… we are committed to working together to build a learning community founded
on equality of opportunity - a learning community which celebrates the rich
diversity of our student and staff populations. Discriminatory behaviour has no
place in our community and will not be tolerated…’
‘Within a spirit of respecting difference, our equality and diversity policies promise equal
treatment and opportunity for all regardless of gender, sexuality, race, colour, disability,
religion, age, and ethnicity or nationality…” (http://www.bite.ac.uk/about/academic-
registry/)
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 113
3.1.3 We recognise that equality and freedom are precious, and will not tolerate any
behaviour or activity that is disrespectful, or may intimidate, provoke or harass
others, or impede their learning and participation.
3.1.4 Our Personal Dignity Policy identifies our firm belief that:
‘All members of staff and students should be able to work and study in a safe
environment founded on mutual respect without feeling threatened or demeaned
by other members of staff, students or anyone else.’
http://www.bite.ac.uk/about/academic-registry/
3.1.5 In addition to the policies quoted above, we have adopted a range of policies and
procedures to help promote good behaviour, and to identify the standards of
behaviour that we are required to observe. These include these regulations and
procedures, and descriptors of the responsibilities of students. We also have
regulations which apply to our student residences, and an academic integrity policy
(se paragraph 4.2.3).
3.2 Code of conduct
3.2.1 Codes of conduct apply:
• to all students;
• at all sites throughout our estate, and;
• when we represent our school on business beyond our campus, both in real
(face-to-face) and virtual environments.
3.2.2 This code is more than a list of things that we should and should not do: it reminds
us that we should always consider how our behaviour affects others.
3.2.3 Where these standards are breached, disciplinary action can be taken.
3.3 Behaviour in all learning and social areas
3.3.1 Verbal and physical behaviour should always be polite and respectful.
3.3.2 Behaviour should not impair the engagement, learning or participation of others.
3.3.3 Antisocial behaviour by individuals and groups will not be tolerated. This includes,
for example:
• discriminatory, demeaning, abusive, indecent or offensive language or
comments;
•threatening, aggressive behaviour or inappropriate gestures;
• verbal or physical harassment or bullying;
• possession of firearms, or other offensive weapons and illegal substances
(ceremonial knives, which are a recognised part of religious observance, are
not considered to be offensive weapons and may be worn discreetly);
• the misuse and abuse of drugs, alcohol and illegal substances, trading in
drugs and illegal substances, and encouraging, or assisting, others to engage
in such activities;
• wilful damage to our school’s premises or property, and;
• wilful disregard for our health and safety policies.
3.3.4 Action will be taken against those who violate the Code of Conduct.
3.3.5 Students will be:
• required to show their student identification card, so their name may be
recorded;
• informed that their behaviour is unacceptable and that it is required to stop;
3.3.6 Disruptive individuals will be required to leave an area or session and/or the campus
and referred under the student disciplinary regulations for investigation (penalties
include suspension and expulsion). Action may also include civil or criminal
proceedings.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 114
3.4 Responsibilities of students bringing children onto our estate
3.4.1 Children should not normally be brought onto campus. If it is essential to do so, they
must never be left unsupervised and their behaviour is the responsibility of the
carer.
3.4.2 Children may not be taken into learning areas such as classrooms, libraries or IT
learning areas without the prior agreement of the staff responsible for those areas.
3.5 Litter and waste
All members of our community are expected to:
• recycle waste materials wherever possible, and;
• dispose of litter and chewing gum in designated bins.
3.6 Behaviour in libraries, IT learning areas, classrooms and lecture theatres
3.6.1 The libraries, IT learning areas, classrooms and lecture theatres are intended as
quiet spaces for learning and working, not as social spaces for meeting friends and
chatting. Please respect other users at all times.
3.6.2 Food and drink should not be consumed in any of these areas except where expressly
permitted.
3.6.3 While using the library, or other designated quiet study areas, mobile telephones
must be either switched to silent mode, or be switched off. Mobile telephones
should not be answered, or telephone conversations conducted, in the library, or in
other designated quiet study areas
3.6.4 Headphones must be used in the library areas for study that involves listening to
music, or for viewing audio-visual material, such as video clips or DVDs. Personal
stereos and other personal audio-visual equipment that is not used for study
purposes should not be used in the library and in designated quiet study areas.
3.6.5 Log out if leaving a personal computer unattended for more than a few minutes, so
others may use them
3.6.6 Children must not be left unsupervised in the libraries at any time
3.6.7 Individuals whose behaviour prevents others from studying quietly, or from using
library and IT facilities will be required to leave the premises, and action will be
taken using these regulations and procedures.
3.7 Behaviour in lectures, seminars, laboratories and workshops
3.7.1 Preparation
• prepare work in advance, and;
• arrive early and sit away from entrances /exits
3.7.2 Punctuality
• late arrivals disrupt the experience of others;
o If permitted entry, enter quietly without disruption
o If refused entry, leave immediately and without argument, and; • It is not
usually permissible to leave before the end of the session; if it is necessary
to do so you must tell the lecturer/teaching staff member before the
session begins, and leave quietly.
3.7.3 Participation:
• do nothing to impair others’ engagement or learning;
• observe specialist guidance (e.g. in laboratory/clinical/studio sessions), and;
• disruptive individuals will be required to leave immediately and without
argument.
3.7.4 Mobile telephones:
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 115
• these must be switched off during lectures and seminars and may not be used
for any purpose during teaching.
4. Introduction to the student disciplinary regulations and procedures
4.1 These student disciplinary regulations and procedures are for the guidance of students
and employees of our school and they are addressed to both groups. Their prime
purpose is to identify, confirm and, if appropriate, penalise student misconduct, so
as to ensure that our school remains a safe place conducive to the educational,
professional and social activities that students and employees expect to enjoy.
4.2 The regulations and procedures are intended to be operated fairly, consistently and
sensitively, using principles of natural justice.
4.3 It is the responsibility of the Head of Governance and Legal Services to monitor and
review these regulations and procedures to ensure that they are fully effective and
consistently applied across our school.
4 Scope and definitions (see also section 6: Jurisdiction – when does our school take
action?)
4.1 Who is involved?
4.1.1 These regulations and procedures apply to all students on our school’s programmes
(including distance and e-learning programmes). However special considerations
apply to students on programmes at partner institutions (please see regulation 6.4
below). If a student withdraws from our school with an outstanding allegation
against them, should they subsequently apply for re-admission the allegation may
be investigated prior to their return to study.
4.2 Are these the right regulations and procedures to use?
4.2.1 These regulations and procedures concern student misconduct, which is defined in
section 5 below. Where students have a complaint about our school’s educational
provision, facilities or services, the complaints procedure should be used (see the Manual
of General Regulations, part 14).
4.2.2 Where students consider that any student’s or staff member’s behaviour may
constitute bullying, harassment or other forms of discrimination, then the personal
dignity policy should be used (http://www.school.ac.uk/hrservices/
documents/emhandbook/personal_dignity.pdf).
4.2.3 Where the alleged misconduct concerns cheating, collusion or plagiarism the
academic integrity policy should be used (see the Manual of General Regulations,
part 8).
4.2.4 Where students who are alleged to be guilty of misconduct have a physical or mental
health problem, or disturbed state of mind, which affects their behaviour and is
evident in the incident of alleged misconduct, consideration should be given to
whether the relevant sections of Part 11 of the Manual of General Regulations,
responsibilities of students, should be used in the first instance (see section19
below).
4.2.5 Where students who are alleged to be guilty of misconduct are studying on a
programme leading to professional registration these regulations and procedures
should be used if the misconduct fits the definitions in section 6.1 or 6.2 below. At
the conclusion of its proceedings the disciplinary panel will send a report to the
Dean of School, who may take further appropriate action under the suitability
procedure (see the Manual of General Regulations, part 13: suitability procedure)
4.2.6 Advice on the application of these regulations and procedures can be obtained in the
first instance from the Deputy Head of Governance and Legal Services and/or the
Advice and Information Service (AIS) of the Students’ Union. The Head of the
Mentor and Equalities Unit should also be consulted in the case of any allegation of
discrimination.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 116
4.3 Expressions used in these regulations and procedures (please see also section 6
below)
‘Allegation’ means a written statement about an instance of misconduct made to a
disciplinary manager normally on an incident report form and copied to the Head
of Security and/or the Occupational Health and Safety Manager.
‘Days,’ for the purpose of computing timescales and deadlines, means working days,
which, for the purposes of these regulations and procedures are Monday to Friday
other than bank holidays and days when our school is closed to all students and
employees.
‘Disciplinary hearing’ means the meeting held to establish whether the allegation is
substantially true, on the balance of probabilities, and to give the student a fair hearing.
It takes place after the investigation.
‘Disciplinary manager’ means the person who appoints the investigating officer and who
chairs the disciplinary hearing. This is normally the Dean of School, or Director of
Service, who manages the area in which the alleged misconduct took place.
‘Evidence’ means the allegation/s, reports, written witness statements and information
collected during the investigation and provided to a disciplinary meeting, or appeal
hearing, which form the basis on which decisions are reached.
‘Exclusion’ (also sometimes referred to as ‘expulsion’) means the termination of a
student’s enrolment at our school. It should not be confused with ‘suspension (see
the definition of ‘suspension’ below). ‘Exclusion,’ unlike ‘suspension, ‘is a penalty
and is administered after a disciplinary hearing.
‘Finding’ means the decision of a disciplinary meeting as to whether an allegation is
substantially true on the balance of probabilities.
‘Investigating officer/s’ means the person/s appointed by the disciplinary manager to
carry out the investigation.
‘Investigation’ means an enquiry carried out by the investigating officer/s to
establish the facts and to gather witness statements.
‘Member of the Principal’s Group’ means any senior employee so designated by the
Council and appointed to our senior management team (the Principal’s Group
(VCG)).
‘Person making the allegation’ means the individual who reports the alleged misconduct.
They may either be affected by it or merely witness it but they are the person who
draws the matter to our school’s attention.
‘Penalty’ means the punishment for misconduct substantiated on the balance of
probabilities.
‘Personal file’ means the individual, confidential student file maintained for each
student and held by the School.
‘Representative’ means a person accompanying the student, or advising, or representing
them, who is normally another student, a friend, or an officer or employee of the
Students’ Union, and who may not be a practising member of the legal profession
acting on behalf of the alleged offender in a professional legal capacity.
‘Suspension’ means the temporary prohibition of a student from our school premises, or
part of them, other than for the purpose of attending meetings in connection with
these regulations and procedures. ‘Suspension’ unlike ‘exclusion’ (see above), can
be imposed as a precautionary measure while a disciplinary investigation is being
conducted. In such circumstances ‘suspension’ is not a penalty, but is a
precautionary measure taken pending investigation and a disciplinary hearing.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 117
4.4 Principles
4.4.1 No disciplinary penalty may be applied to a student unless the allegation has been
fully investigated and the action is reasonable in the circumstances.
4.4.2 No disciplinary hearing may take place unless there is a written allegation which is
signed by the person making the allegation. If there is a good reason for the
absence of a written allegation this clause may be waived by the Assistant Head of
Governance and Legal Services.
4.4.3 The student has the right to be advised in writing of the allegation against them and
is given the opportunity to respond in writing to the allegation and state their case
at a disciplinary hearing before any decision is made. No prior assumptions or
judgements are made about the outcome of the hearing.
4.4.4 No student may be excluded for a first disciplinary offence except in the case of
either gross misconduct, or under our suitability procedure. Repeated instances of
misconduct will lead to increasingly severe penalties.
4.4.5 The student has the right to be accompanied at a disciplinary hearing by a friend, or
representative, but who may not be a person acting in a legal capacity.
4.4.6 The student may also be accompanied by an appropriate person to provide disability
or language support and has a right to reasonable adjustments under the Equality
Act 2010.
4.4.7 The student has the right of appeal against suspension, the finding of a disciplinary
hearing and the level of penalty administered.
4.4.8 If the student fails to attend a disciplinary hearing without notifying the officer
responsible for the administration of the hearing, or without a good reason, the
hearing will be held in absentia and a decision may be taken in the student’s
absence.
4.4.9 Our school provides training to investigating officers and disciplinary managers in
the appropriate handling of disciplinary issues under these regulations and
procedures.
4.4.10 These regulations and procedures operate within the context of our school’s
equality and diversity policies and schemes.
4.4.11 All aspects of disciplinary proceedings are confidential to the participants and
those to whom correspondence is copied. Correspondence is handled confidentially
and in accordance with the Data Protection Act and our school’s records retention
policy.
4.4.12 It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that our school holds a valid, accurate
and up to date address for correspondence and to collect any correspondence sent
to that address.
4.4.13 Timescales in this document will be adhered to, so far as is reasonably possible,
other than in exceptional circumstances, in which case an explanation will be given
to those involved.
4.4.14 If a suspended, excluded or expelled student is in school accommodation, relevant
provisions of the Housing Act 1988 (as subsequently amended) apply.
5 Definitions of misconduct and jurisdiction
5.1 Offences
5.1.1 Misconduct means any behaviour that contravenes the student charter, our code of
conduct (see section 3 above), or which is dangerous, or is against the law. The
following are examples only:
a) irresponsibly causing disruption to the education of others;
b) irresponsible, denigrating, threatening or dangerous behaviour towards any
other student or school employee, in person, by telephone, electronic (for
example e-mail), or other indirect means, including via public internet sites
and social networking sites;
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 118
c) irresponsible behaviour towards our school’s property, including
independently managed property, such as damage and/or theft;
d) behaving anywhere in public in such a way as to bring our school, or its
employees, into disrepute, in person, by telephone, electronic (for example
e-mail) or other indirect means, including via public internet sites and
social networking sites;
e) failing to obey any of our school’s policies, regulations and procedures (see
formal documents index on our school’s website);
f) failing to obey a reasonable instruction from a school employee;
g) acts or words of discrimination against others;
h) dishonesty and fraud, relating to false identity, qualifications, financial
transactions or the like supplied at initial enrolment or at a later stage;
i) unauthorised entry into any part of school premises including student
accommodation;
j) possession and/or abuse of drugs and/or abuse of alcohol;
k) dangerous or unsafe behaviour in relation to health and safety, including
compliance with fire regulations, driving a vehicle and cycling;
l) making a false or malicious allegation under these regulations and procedures
(see regulation 9.4 below), and;
m) carrying a firearm or other offensive weapon on our premises (ceremonial
knives, which are a recognised part of religious observance, are not
considered to be offensive weapons and may be worn discreetly).
5.1.2 Gross misconduct means any behaviour from the list above, or similar behaviour,
which:
a) could have serious physical or mental consequences for another person;
b) could have serious effects on our school’s property, reputation or ability to
run its services;
c) could be classed as a criminal offence potentially attracting a prison
sentence (see section 18 below);
d) could be interpreted as a fundamental breach of the student’s contract with
our school;
e) may lead to expulsion from our school.
6 Jurisdiction – when does our school take action?
6.1 These regulations and procedures normally apply to misconduct which takes place on
our school’s premises, including student residences owned by our school, including
any independently managed residences, or residences operated under head
tenancy agreements. They also apply to misconduct which may take place on sites
temporarily used by our school for teaching, examinations, or recreational
purposes, and to any misconduct on school sponsored or arranged placements,
visits, recreational activities such as sporting events, or study trips.
6.2 Our school normally takes no disciplinary action towards students acting in their
personal capacity in their own homes, or in public places away from our school’s premises.
However, where students are accessing our school’s computer network from home, or
elsewhere, or representing our school in any way, or are otherwise identifiable and
potentially able to bring our school into disrepute, our school may take action if it
receives an allegation.
6.3 Where the alleged misconduct takes place in the Students’ Union, or at a Students’
Union event or activity, the Students’ Union’s own disciplinary regulations and
procedures should be used.
6.4 Where the student is enrolled on a programme based at a partner institution, the
partner institution’s own disciplinary regulations and procedures should be used,
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 119
unless the partner institution has reached an agreement that this is not the case.
The Head of Quality Assurance and Enhancement will advise on this.
6.5 Our school’s policies, regulations and procedures, including health and safety and
emergency regulations and procedures, are published on our school’s website and
are issued to students at the time of their admission and during the programme of
their studies. Taken together these documents provide a guide to what constitutes
good conduct under the contract that students have formed with our school.
7 Allegations
7.1 How do you make an allegation?
7.1.1 In a teaching setting, or any other environment covered under section 6 above, any
person who experiences or witnesses misconduct by a student is asked to record
briefly in writing, normally on an incident report form (see appendix 1), exactly
what has happened, noting the time of day and date. This will form the
‘allegation’. They, or security employees, should ask other witnesses to do the
same on a witness statement form (see appendix 2). This task should be completed
as soon as possible after the event and in any case within ten days of it. This is in
order to establish the facts and to be fair to the student in question. If in doubt the
Advice and Information Service of the Students’ Union will be able to advise a
student on this step.
7.1.2 If the student is causing danger to anyone, the witness is asked to call our school’s
security employees (via Switchboard or Reception on 0208 552 3071, or by visiting
the security point, who will, after brief investigation, telephone the emergency
services and ask for the police, fire brigade or ambulance. If necessary, the witness
should contact the emergency services directly by dialling ‘999’ (if the emergency
services are involved, see section 18 below). The witness is asked not to approach
the student in a case of violent, dangerous or very disturbed behaviour. A formal
disciplinary allegation (as in paragraph 7.1.1 above) or complaint may then follow.
7.1.3 If the student is not causing any danger to anyone, but appears to have a mental
health problem, or a disturbed state of mind, which is affecting their behaviour,
the person who experiences or witnesses this conduct should act in accordance
with paragraph 7.1.1 above, but normally the relevant sections of regulations
relating to the responsibilities of students, will then be followed (see section 19
below). The Student Health and Well-being Team can advise further on how
discretion can be exercised in this regard.
7.2 Where do you send an allegation?
7.2.1 Taking advice from a school employee as appropriate, the person making the
allegation should add the name(s) of any other witness(es), sign their allegation
(the incident report form) and send it and the witness statement form(s) to one of
the following disciplinary managers:
• Deans of School in the case of misconduct during teaching sessions, or if the
incident took place in an area directly under the jurisdiction of a School, or;
• Directors of Services relevant to the area in which the misconduct took place
(including student residential accommodation).
Disciplinary managers may delegate their responsibilities to a senior colleague.
7.2.2 In the case of an off-campus incident, the person making their allegation should
send their allegation to the Head of Governance and Legal Services at the school
252-262 Romford Road, London E7 9HZ. The Head of Governance and Legal Services
will nominate a disciplinary manager (see regulation 7.2.1 above) and will refer the
allegation to them.
7.2.3 If in doubt about where to send the allegation, the person making the allegation
should seek advice from The Head of Governance and Legal Services.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 120
7.2.4 Anonymous allegations will normally be ignored and will only exceptionally be
actioned if sent through an intermediary, such as the Students’ Union. Unsigned
allegations will be returned to the sender with a request for resubmission.
7.2.5 The person making the allegation will normally be an important witness at the
disciplinary hearing and is able to gain school and Students’ Union support in the case of
any intimidation.
7.2.6 The disciplinary manager should copy the allegation to the Head of Governance and
Legal Services and, where relevant, to the Dean of the School in which the student
is studying.
8 Suspension
8.1 Suspension is not a penalty (see section 4.3 above).
8.2 On the basis of an allegation, if the disciplinary manager or their nominee considers
that there is a risk of immediate, or continuing, danger to others, or a threat of
disruption of our school’s normal operations because of the nature of the student’s
alleged behaviour, they may suspend the student from all or part of our school’s
premises, including residential accommodation, for one week in the first instance,
and then notify Head of Governance and Legal Services, who is duly authorised
under these regulations and procedures to act on behalf of the Principal in relation
to matters of student discipline
8.3 The procedure as outlined in paragraph 8.2 above also applies to practice placements
and other off-campus learning locations, in which case the student may be
suspended from the placement setting and all, or part ,of our school’s premises,
including residential accommodation.
8.4 The disciplinary manager, or nominee, should take into account any examination
attendance, or assignment deadline that may apply to the student before taking
the decision to suspend.
8.5 The Principal, or another member of the Principal’s Group, may, at the request of the
disciplinary manager, extend this suspension to the conclusion of the disciplinary
hearing and any appeal hearing.
8.6 The student may appeal in writing to the Principal against the extension of their
suspension. The Principal, or another member of the Principal’s Group, will review
the grounds for the suspension and the statement made by the student. Their
decision is final and will be conveyed in writing to the student.
9 Investigation
9.1 Our school considers it to be of great importance that a thorough and unbiased
investigation is carried out to establish the facts of the matter before a disciplinary
hearing takes place.
9.2 Normally within five days of receiving the initial allegation, the disciplinary manager
shall send the allegation, and any accompanying witness statements, to the
student. The student will be informed in writing that an investigation will be
carried out and that they may be interviewed. A copy of these regulations and
procedures will be sent to the student at the same time. The student will be
invited to prepare a written response to the allegation and also to identify any
appropriate support or adjustments in the case of a disability.
9.3 Normally within five days of receiving the allegation, the disciplinary manager will
appoint an investigating officer, who must not have been previously involved in the
case. The investigating officer will call in any further witness statements in
writing, and may interview the student and any witnesses and, if appropriate, will
compile any other documentary evidence.
9.4 As soon as possible, and in any case within ten days of being appointed, the
investigating officers will make a report to the disciplinary manager, which may
recommend:
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 121
• that the allegation does not appear true on the balance of probabilities, or does
not constitute misconduct under section 5 above. Thus, there is no case to
answer and the matter will not be pursued; or
• that the allegation is malicious, or frivolous, or vexatious, in which case it will
not be pursued and the person making the allegation may be subject to
disciplinary action under these regulations and procedures; or
• that the allegation appears to be true, but is a minor offence which, if admitted
by the student, may be dealt with by an oral, or first written warning, or
written apology; or
• that the allegation appears to be true and, in the view of the investigating
officer, is serious enough to be the subject of a disciplinary hearing; or
• that the allegation appears to be true and constitutes gross misconduct under
section 5, thus exclusion from our school may be an outcome of the hearing.
10 Correspondence
10.1 If the disciplinary manager accepts the recommendation that the matter should not
be pursued, within five days of receiving the report they will write to the student
to notify them of the outcome and copy the letter to the Head of Governance and
Legal Services and the person who made the allegation.
10.2 If the disciplinary manager accepts the recommendation that the matter may be
dealt with by an oral, or first written warning, or written apology (see section 13
below), within five days of receiving the report they will decide on the appropriate
penalty and write to the student to ask them if they admit the misconduct and
accept the penalty.
10.3 The student will be invited to reply to the disciplinary manager within ten days. The
student may admit the misconduct and accept the penalty. In the case of a written
penalty this will be placed on the student’s personal file.
10.4 Alternatively the student may deny the misconduct. In this case, or if the student
fails to reply, a disciplinary hearing must take place. The disciplinary manager will
notify the student of this.
10.5 If the disciplinary manager accepts the recommendation that the matter is too
serious to be dealt with under paragraph 10.2, or constitutes gross misconduct, a
disciplinary hearing must take place. The disciplinary manager will notify the
student of this and of the disciplinary charge against them.
10.6 In the event of the disciplinary manager declining to accept the investigating
officer’s recommendation, the view of the disciplinary manager takes precedence.
11 Disciplinary hearing
11.1 The disciplinary manager will be the Chair of the disciplinary hearing and will appoint
a secretary, who will establish the time and date of the hearing, arrange an
appropriate venue, and any necessary adjustments or support in the case of
disability. The hearing will normally take place within fifteen days of the
investigating officer’s report having been received by the disciplinary manager
(which means that provisional arrangements should be put in place for a hearing
even if following the route described in paragraphs 10.1 and 10.2 above).
11.2 In the case of misconduct short of gross misconduct, the disciplinary manager (Chair)
may conduct the case alone. The investigating officer and Chair may, however,
consider the allegation to be a case of gross misconduct (see regulation 5.2 above
and section 13 below). In this case, at the request of the Chair, the secretary shall
invite a member of our school’s Management Team, another manager at the level
of Dean or Academic Registrar, and a student member nominated by the Students’
Union, not previously involved in the case, to hear the evidence with the Chair and
to form a disciplinary panel.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 122
11.3 The secretary will ask the investigating officer to submit their report and supporting
evidence and to call any witnesses to attend the hearing in person on behalf of our
school. The role of the investigating officer at this stage is to put the facts to the
disciplinary hearing.
11.4 Ten days before the hearing, the secretary will write to the student, notifying them
of the time, date and venue of the hearing, and the fact that they may be
accompanied by a representative, and will send them the investigating officer’s
report and supporting evidence. They will also notify the student of the name of
the disciplinary manager and, in the case of gross misconduct, other members of
the panel. They will invite the student and investigating officer to make a further
written statement and to call witnesses in support of their case to attend the
hearing. The student may seek support or adjustments in the case of a disability
but otherwise must reply within five days of receipt of this request. If the student
fails to reply the hearing may still proceed.
11.5 Five days before the hearing, the secretary will send any further statement received
from the student and/or the investigating officer, and any additional supporting
evidence to the Chair and, in the case of gross misconduct, other members of the
panel, and to the student and investigating officer.
11.6 The student, the investigating officer, the secretary, the Chair and, in the case of
gross misconduct, the other members of the panel, will see written material
associated with the case. Normally witnesses will see only their own statement,
subject to paragraph 17.1 below.
11.7 If the student is unable to attend at the time notified, they must advise the secretary
following which one further opportunity will be provided for the hearing. If without
good reason the student is unable to attend a second time the hearing will take
place in the absence of the student and a decision will be made.
12 Proceedings of the disciplinary hearing
12.1 The Chair will conduct the proceedings in an efficient way, while safeguarding the
fairness of them. Subject to allowing a full airing of views, the Chair may guide the
participants in minimising repetitious, irrelevant or frivolous evidence.
12.2 The proceedings of the hearing will not invalidated by the absence of the student,
their representative, or any witnesses if they have been given a reasonable
opportunity to attend.
12.3 The normal order for the disciplinary hearing, which may be varied by agreement of
all the parties, or at the discretion of the Chair, is set out at the end of these regulations
and procedures in appendix 3.
12.4 At the reasonable request of the student, their representative, or the investigating
officer, or by decision of the Chair, the hearing may be adjourned by the Chair for
a limited period of time agreed by all parties. If no agreement is reached the Chair
shall decide on the length of adjournment.
12.5 Whether, or not, the Chair has relayed the decision of the hearing to the student in
person, they must send a decision letter (see appendix 4) to the student in writing
within five days of the hearing, notifying the student of the finding, the reasons for
it, the penalty and of the student’s right of appeal. The decision letter shall copied
to the Head of Governance and Legal Services.
12.6 The secretary shall make a formal record of the proceedings, to be confirmed by the
Chair, taking into account comments on factual accuracy by the student and their
representative. Within ten days of the hearing, a copy of the record will sent to all
participants other than witnesses (subject to section 17.1 below). In the case of
actions to be taken the secretary shall issue the confirmed decision before
completing the full record of the proceedings.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 123
13 Penalties
13.1 The penalties shall be decided by the Chair and, in the case of gross misconduct,
other members of the panel. The following is a guide only. One of these penalties or a
combination may be used:
• Oral warning )
• Apology in writing )
• First written warning ) for first/minor offences
• Withdrawal of privileges, such as use )
of a facility after certain hours )
• Second/final written warning for a first serious offence or second offences
• Financial compensation for damage to property or theft
• Community service or reparation for damage to property or theft
• Exclusion for serious offences which caused others to feel threatened or
frightened or which risked or
caused danger to others
• Exclusion for a first act of gross misconduct or, if there is repeated
misconduct of a serious nature,
a third offence after two written
warnings
13.2 A student on a professional programme may also be subject to further proceedings
under our suitability procedure after a report has been made to the Dean of the
relevant School.
13.3 Suspended penalties may be administered, to take effect at a later date. Penalties
which have unintended consequences, such as exclusion from examinations, shall
be avoided.
13.4 The decision letter shall be kept on the student’s personal file and treated in
accordance with the Data Protection Act and for a duration that is in accordance
with our school’s records retention policy.
13.5 If an appeal (see section 14 below) is not received within ten days of the issue of the
decision letter, the decision letter shall constitute the final stage of these
regulations and procedures.
14 Appeal
14.1 A student may appeal to the Council against the finding and/or the penalty of a
disciplinary hearing if the penalty is expulsion (see section 16 below). In all other
cases the student may appeal to a member of the school Management Team (UMT)
(who shall be a person not previously involved in the case), against the outcome of
a disciplinary hearing and/or a penalty short of expulsion (see section 15 below).
14.2 An appeal, which must be made on a student disciplinary appeal form (see appendix
5), shall only be valid for consideration if:
•it is made in writing to the Head of Governance and Legal Services and received
within ten days of the student receiving the decision letter after the
disciplinary hearing;
•it specifies the grounds of appeal as set out in paragraph 14.3 below;
•it is accompanied by supporting evidence, if any, and;
•it is signed by the student.
14.3 The valid grounds for appeal are:
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 124
•material procedural irregularity;
•disregard of material evidence;
•perversity of judgement in the face of the evidence presented;
•demonstrable bias or prejudice on the part of any person forming the judgement;
•the penalty is not proportionate to the student’s misconduct;
•the penalty exceeds the authority of the person/s forming the judgement;
•there is new and material evidence which the student was for exceptional reasons
unable to present to the disciplinary hearing, and;
•other similar grounds specified by the student.
14.4 The submission of an appeal shall delay the administering of a penalty until the
appeal has been heard, but shall not result in the removal of a suspension
previously imposed under regulation 8.2 above.
15 Appeal to a member of the school Management Team
15.1 If the appeal is based on valid grounds the Head of Governance and Legal Services
shall arrange for a single member of the UMT, who must not have been previously
involved in the case, to hear an appeal against the findings of disciplinary hearings
and all penalties other than expulsion. Within twenty days the UMT member will
review all the written evidence and, accompanied by a note taker, interview the
student and the Chair of the disciplinary hearing. The UMT member’s decision shall
be based on whether the appeal is upheld on the balance of probabilities. The UMT
member’s decision shall be final.
15.2 The UMT member shall decide on one of the following outcomes: either to:
• arrange a rehearing in the case of procedural defects which may have a
bearing on the original decision; or
• uphold the appeal, with or without further conditions; or
• uphold the appeal in part and modify the penalty, with or without further
conditions; or
• dismiss the appeal and confirm the penalty.
15.3 The UMT member shall record their decision, and the reasons for it, and shall notify
the student in writing. The student shall also be informed in writing of their right
to take the matter to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator. This letter shall
constitute the completion letter, which supersedes the decision letter, and shall be
prepared in a manner compliant with the requirements of the Office of the
Independent Adjudicator. A copy of the completion letter shall also be sent to the
Head of Governance and Legal Services and to the Dean of School. A copy of the
letter shall be placed on the student’s file.
16 Appeal to the Principal
16.1 There shall be a Student Disciplinary Appeals Panel to hear appeals against expulsion,
that shall comprise the Principal, or a lay Governor, who shall be the Chair of the
Panel, a member of the school Management Team, who must not have been
previously involved in the case, and the President of the Students’ Union, or their
nominee. The Head of Governance and Legal Services shall nominate a secretary to
the Panel.
16.2 The secretary to the Panel shall arrange for the Panel to meet as soon as possible,
normally within twenty days of receiving the statement of appeal.
16.3 The secretary shall establish the Student Disciplinary Appeals Panel in the same
manner that the disciplinary hearing is established (see section 11 above), save
that unless the Chair of the Student Disciplinary Appeals Panel specifies otherwise,
only the Chair of the disciplinary hearing and the student and their representative
will be invited to attend.
16.4 The Chair shall conduct the Student Disciplinary Appeals Panel hearing in the same
manner that the disciplinary hearing was conducted (see section 11 above and
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 125
appendix 3, omitting the contribution of the investigating officer and witnesses,
but including statements from the student and the Chair of the disciplinary
hearing. The full papers relating to the case shall be reviewed.
16.5 The Student Disciplinary Appeals Panel shall have delegated authority from the
Council to decide on one of the following outcomes: either to:
• arrange a rehearing in the case of procedural defects which may have a
bearing on the original decision; or
• uphold the appeal and rescind the decision to exclude, in which case the
student shall be exonerated; or
• uphold the appeal in part and rescind the decision to exclude subject to a
lesser penalty, or such other conditions as the Panel may determine; or
• dismiss the appeal and confirm the decision to exclude the student subject to
such conditions as the Panel may determine; or
• dismiss the appeal and confirm the decision to exclude the student.
Having reached its judgement on the facts, the Panel shall take the student’s
statement of mitigation and any supporting evidence into account and confirm, or
modify the decision.
16.6 The Student Disciplinary Appeals Panel shall reach its final decision by a simple
majority. The decision shall be based on whether the grounds of appeal are
substantiated on the balance of probabilities and it is final.
16.7 At the discretion of the Chair a brief summary of the decision can be relayed orally to
the student, their representative and the Chair of the disciplinary hearing as soon
as the decision has been made. In any case the Panel will normally reach a decision
within five days of the meeting of the Panel.
16.8 The secretary shall arrange for a formal record of the proceedings to be made, to be
confirmed by the Panel, taking into account comments on factual accuracy by the
student, their representative, and the Chair of the disciplinary hearing. Normally
within ten days of the meeting of the Panel, a copy of the record shall be sent to
all participants. In the case of actions to be taken the secretary shall issue the
confirmed decision before completing the full record of the proceedings.
16.9 Whether, or not, the Chair has relayed the decision to the student in person, the
Panel shall record its decision and the reasons for it and notify the student in
writing. The student shall also be informed in writing of their right to take the
matter to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator. This letter shall constitute
the completion letter, which supersedes the decision letter, and shall be prepared
in a manner compliant with the requirements of the Office of the Independent
Adjudicator. A copy of the completion letter shall also be sent to the Head of
Governance and Legal Services and to the Dean of School. A copy of the letter shall
be placed on the student’s file.
17 Rights of persons affected by misconduct
17.1 A person, who may be the person making the original allegation, who has experienced
the misconduct of the student and has been affected by it, may be a witness at the
disciplinary hearing and, at the discretion of the Chair, see some or all the written
material associated with the case.
17.2 At the discretion of the Chair, the person described in regulation 17.1 above may be
invited to make a statement about the impact of the misconduct on them.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 126
17.3 the person described in regulation 17.1 above shall have the right to be sent a note
by the secretary of the decision of the disciplinary hearing, the penalty and any
appeal. If they are not satisfied with the way in which the allegation has been
handled, or with the outcome, they have recourse to the complaints procedure, or
to the staff grievance procedures.
17.4 Other witnesses to the misconduct who contribute to the hearing shall have the right
to receive a letter informing them of the outcome of the disciplinary hearing and
any appeal.
18 Criminal offences, police and emergency services
18.1 Where an allegation of misconduct may, if found to be substantially true, constitute
criminal behaviour, the police shall be informed. Should police proceedings be
implemented, our school reserves the right to hold its own disciplinary hearing, or
to choose to wait until the outcome of the police proceedings are known.
18.2 Where emergency services other than the police have been called, disciplinary
proceedings shall normally be undertaken immediately afterwards, if appropriate,
on behalf of our school (see regulation 7.1.2 above).
19 Mental health or disturbed behaviour
19.1 The case of a student who has a declared, or suspected, health (including Mental
Health) or wellbeing issue, which may have led to misconduct, may be referred by
the Dean of School for consideration under the relevant sections of the Manual of
General Regulations, Part 11. 9, Fitness to Study.
19.2 Where a student has been subject to investigation under the Fitness to Study
Procedure due to inappropriate behaviour to ascertain whether their difficulties
relate to a health (including Mental Health) or wellbeing issue; the school reserves
the right to refer that student back to the disciplinary procedures should it not be
possible to establish an acceptable welfare-based reason for their actions.
20 Fitness to practise (suitability)
20.1 A student on a programme that leads to professional registration and who has
received a penalty, including expulsion, under these regulations and procedures,
will be the subject of a report to the relevant Dean of School and may be subject
to proceedings implemented under our suitability procedure. This may affect their
good character reference in future, or may lead to a further decision being taken
under suitability procedure.
21 The Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIAHE)
21.1 If a student has exhausted the internal procedures and is not satisfied with the
outcome he/she may request that the case is reviewed by the Office of the
Independent Adjudicator which is a body independent of our school.
Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education
Third Floor
Kings Reach
38-50 Kings Road
READING
RG1 3AA
Tel: 0118 959 9813
E-mail: enquiries@oiahe.org
Web: www.oiahe.org.uk
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 127
21.2 Any complaint to the OIAHE must be submitted within three months of the
completion letter being received by the student (see regulation 15.3 above) (The
OIAHE will not normally consider complaints that have not followed our school’s
regulations and procedures through all stages including appeal).
22 Monitoring and reporting
22.1 A tracking process will be established, so that administrative contacts in Schools and
Services can learn if a student is involved in more than one disciplinary process at
any one time and see earlier penalties administered. A case conference will
normally be established by the relevant disciplinary manager or administrative
contact to consider how to handle the parallel processes.
22.2 The application of these regulations and procedures will be monitored by the Head of
Governance and Legal Services, including details of ethnic origin, gender, disability
and age, to ensure consistency of approach and compliance with relevant
legislation.
22.3 All disciplinary cases will be reported to our Council in anonymised form.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 128
APPENDIX 1
Incident report form (Section 7: disciplinary allegation)
Incident reported
by:
Date: Time: Location:
Brief details of incident and name of person responsible for this (if known):
Damage to property if any (please specify):
Personal injuries if any (please specify) and name of person injured (if known):
Emergency services called (please specify):
Name/s of any witness/es:
Signature: Date: Time:
This form (with any attached witness statements) is sent to the relevant Disciplinary
Manager (Dean /Academic Registrar (see regulation 7.1.1) who should send a copy to the
Student Welfare Officer and (as necessary). The investigating officer is required to inform
the student of the allegation.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 129
APPENDIX 2
Witness statement form (Section 7: disciplinary allegation)
Brief details of incident (please use (a) continuation page(s) if necessary)
Please ensure you include the following information where possible:
Site; Location; Day, date, time; Damage to property if any; Injuries sustained if any;
Emergency Services called if any; Name of person responsible – if known.
Signature Name (please print): Date:
Address:
Telephone:
E-mail:
(this information will be redacted from any copies of the form that are circulated in
connection with the application of the student disciplinary regulations and procedures)
This statement form must be signed and dated. No unsigned forms will be
considered. This witness statement form may be used to support a disciplinary
allegation against a student and will be copied to the student alleged to be
responsible. It will, however, be kept strictly confidential to those taking part in
any disciplinary hearing. Sensitive personal data relating to the witness (for
example, the contact address, telephone number and e-mail address) will be
redacted.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 130
APPENDIX 3
A: DISCIPLINARY HEARING (for the procedure to be followed by a student disciplinary
appeals panel, please see B below)
Strictly confidential
Agenda for a disciplinary hearing to be held on (date) at (time) in (place)
Panel to convene at (time) in the (place) to consider an allegation of misconduct/ gross
misconduct
Disciplinary manager
(or panel membership in case of gross misconduct)
Name (Chair) Position
Name Position
Name Position
Name (Secretary) Position
Student and representative
Name School
Name Position
Investigating officer
Name Position
Written evidence
1 Allegation and witness statements
2 Response from the student
3 Investigating officer’s report and evidence
4 Further statement from student and evidence
5 Any further witness statements
Procedural papers
In accordance to student disciplinary procedures.
Purpose of hearing
The purpose of the hearing is to determine whether the allegation against (name) can be
substantiated on the balance of probabilities and to determine a penalty if any.
It is for the Chair/Panel to determine the issues that are directly relevant to this matter
and whether any further statements are needed from the student or the school or if a
further hearing may be necessary.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 131
APPENDIX 3
Conduct of the disciplinary hearing
The disciplinary hearing will be conducted in line with the following order of business:
Order of business
1. [time] Briefing of the panel by the secretary (if required).
Present: the panel, and; the secretary.
2. [time] Commencement of the hearing.
Present: the disciplinary manager/panel;
the secretary;
the investigating officer
the student, and;
the person accompanying the student (if the student has decided to be accompanied)
The alleged student and the person accompanying the student have the right to remain
while witnesses are called to give evidence, and to ask questions via the Chair.
3. [time] The investigating officer will put the facts to the disciplinary hearing.
The investigating officer will call witnesses (if required) to give evidence about the facts
of the case.
Witnesses shall be called individually to give evidence and to be questioned and shall be
present at the hearing for only that purpose. Having given evidence and answered
questions the witness must withdraw.
Witnesses may be questioned by the investigating officer, by the Chair and the panel. The
student (and the person accompanying the student) may raise points of clarification
and/or ask questions via the Chair.
4. [time] The student (or the person accompanying the student) will present their case.
The student will call witnesses (if required) to give evidence in their defence.
Witnesses shall be called individually to give evidence and to be questioned and shall be
present at the hearing for only that purpose. Having given evidence and answered
questions the witness must withdraw.
5. All parties shall withdraw so that the Chair/panel can consider the decision.
B: STUDENT DISCIPLINARY APPEALS PANEL
Strictly confidential
Agenda for a disciplinary appeals panel hearing to be held on
(date) at (time) in (place)
Panel to convene at (time) in the (place) to consider an appeal
against the decision of a disciplinary hearing
Panel membership
Name (Chair) Position
Name Position
Name Position
Name (Secretary) Position
Student and representative
Name School
Name Position
Chair of the disciplinary hearing
Name Position
Written evidence
1 Allegation and witness statements
2 Response from the student
3 Investigating officer’s report and evidence
4 Further statement from student and evidence
5 Any further witness statements
6 Report and decision of the disciplinary hearing Procedural papers
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 132
APPENDIX 3
Purpose of hearing
The purpose of the appeal hearing is not to re-hear the case presented to the disciplinary
hearing, but to assess the appeal on the basis of the grounds set out in regulation 14.3 and
to decide upon one of the outcomes set out in regulation 15.2.
It is for the Chair/Panel to determine the issues that are directly relevant to this matter
and whether any further statements are needed from the student or the school or if a
further hearing may be necessary.
Conduct of the disciplinary appeals panel hearing
The disciplinary appeals panel hearing will be conducted in line with the following order of
business:
Order of business
1. [time] Briefing of the appeal panel by the secretary (if required).
Present: the appeal panel, and;
the secretary.
2. [time] Commencement of the hearing.
Present: the appeal panel;
the secretary;
the Chair of the disciplinary hearing;
the student, and;
the person accompanying the student (if the student has decided to be accompanied)
3. [time] The student (or the person accompanying the student) will present the case for
appeal.
The student (or the person accompanying the student) may be questioned by the Chair and
the panel. The Chair of the disciplinary hearing may raise points of clarification and/or ask
questions via the Chair.
4. [time] The Chair of the disciplinary hearing will present their case.
The Chair of the disciplinary hearing may be questioned by the Chair and the panel. The
student (or the person accompanying the student) may raise points of clarification and/or
ask questions via the Chair.
5. [time] Both parties shall have the opportunity, if they wish, to make a brief closing
statement:
• firstly, the student (or the person accompanying the student), and;
• secondly, the Chair of the disciplinary hearing.
6. All parties shall withdraw so that the panel can consider its decision.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 133
APPENDIX 4
Decision letter
Confidential
Insert date, name and address
Insert date
Dear
Student disciplinary regulations and procedures: finding of disciplinary hearing
Date of incident: (insert date)
This letter confirms that a disciplinary hearing was held in
accordance with the Student disciplinary regulations and
procedures of the school on (insert date) and notifies the finding of
that hearing.
The alleged (gross) misconduct related to (insert detail as
referenced in notification of investigation letter)
The finding of the disciplinary hearing is as follows:
the misconduct/gross misconduct was substantiated
on the balance of the probabilities/not substantiated
(delete as appropriate).
(If substantiated)
The penalty is (insert as appropriate from penalties listed under
section 13.1)
A full report of the disciplinary hearing is attached/will be sent to you (delete as
appropriate). Please let me have any comments on
factual accuracy by (insert date)/You will have an
opportunity to comment on factual accuracy (delete
as appropriate).
Right of appeal
You have the right of appeal to a member of the school Management Team/ a Student
Disciplinary Appeals Panel (delete as appropriate) in accordance with section 14 of the
Student disciplinary regulations and procedures. Any appeal must be lodged within ten
days of the date of this letter on a Student disciplinary appeal form and be sent initially
to the Head of Governance and Legal Services. I would draw your attention to section 14.3
of the Student disciplinary procedures which lists the valid grounds for an appeal. Merely
being dissatisfied with the outcome of the procedure is not a valid ground for appeal.
If you are in any doubt about the appeal procedures they can be discussed with a
representative from the Advice and Information Service (AIS) in the Students’ Union.
If an appeal is not received by (insert date) the penalty will stand and the
proceedings under our Student disciplinary regulations and procedures will be
considered to have been completed.
Yours sincerely
Name
Position (Chair of disciplinary hearing)
Enclosure: Report of disciplinary hearing (if available)
cc: Head of Governance and Legal Services
Student file
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 134
APPENDIX 5
Student disciplinary appeal form (see regulation 14.2)
Your details Name:
Programme/Year:
School:
Contact address:
Postcode:
Contact telephone number: E-mail:
Details of appeal:
Date of disciplinary hearing: (please attach copy of the disciplinary hearing Decision
letter (see regulation 12.5)
Specific grounds for appeal (see regulation 14.3) (tick as appropriate)
• Material procedural irregularity ;
• Disregard of material evidence ;
• Perversity of judgement in the face of the evidence presented ;
• Demonstrable bias or prejudice on the part of any person forming the judgment ;
• The penalty is not proportionate to the student’s misconduct ;
• The penalty exceeds the authority of the person/s forming the judgement ;
• There is new and material evidence which the student was for exceptional reasons
;unable to present to the disciplinary hearing ;
• other similar grounds specified by the student.
New and material evidence (if appropriate): (please attach and enumerate below)
The disciplinary appeal panel will not admit any additional evidence other than that
submitted with this form.
The completed form and supporting evidence (if applicable) should be sent to the Head of
Governance and Legal Services within ten days of the student receiving the decision letter
after the disciplinary hearing (see regulation 14.2).
Signature: Date:
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 135
Part 13
Suitability Procedure
1 Definition
1.1 These procedures apply to those programmes leading directly or indirectly to a
professional qualification or the right to practise a particular profession or calling.
1.2 They shall be invoked where the behaviour or action of a student renders them not fit
to be admitted to and practise that profession or calling and thereby ineligible to
gain the award for which they are enrolled. This is most likely to occur in one of
the following circumstances:
• where the behaviour of a student puts at risk their own health and safety or that
of other students, staff or members of the public;
• where the behaviour of a student will debar them from receiving professional
body recognition and thus from receiving the award for which they are
enrolled.
1.3 These procedures should only be used in those circumstances where it would not be
appropriate to follow our school’s general student disciplinary regulations and
procedures (Part 12) or where it is not appropriate to deal with the matter through
the academic assessment process.
1.4 Each programme leading to professional recognition should make clear the grounds
which would render a student unsuitable for their chosen profession and which
would be subject to these procedures.
2 Referral procedure
2.1 Any person who is concerned that a student’s current or past actions renders them
unsuitable for professional practice should inform the course tutor/subject area
coordinator in writing as soon as practicable.
2.2 It shall be the responsibility of the course tutor/subject area coordinator to determine
whether there is a prima facie case that the student’s behaviour would render them
unsuitable for professional practice.
2.3 If a prima facie case is found to exist the dean of school should evaluate the
information and determine what action should be taken:
• proceed under these regulations;
• address the matter through assessment procedures;
• proceed under our school’s general student disciplinary regulations and
procedures.
• Proceed under our school’s fitness to study policy and procedure (Part 11 of
Manual of General Regulations)
2.4 Where a student has been subject to investigation under the Fitness to Study
Procedure due to inappropriate behaviour to ascertain whether their difficulties
relate to a health (including Mental Health) or wellbeing issue; the school reserves
the right to refer that student back to the suitability procedure should it not be
possible to establish an acceptable welfare-based reason for their actions.
2.5 The student should be notified of the outcome as soon as a decision is reached.
2.6 At this stage the dean of school may decide that it is necessary to exclude a student
temporarily from our school teaching and/or practice placement until further
investigations have taken place. This should only take place where it is considered
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 136
possible that if the student continues on the programme they could put the safety
of themselves and others at risk or in some other way adversely affect the
experience of a client group.
2.7 If this is the case the matter should be referred immediately to the Deputy Principal
(or designated nominee) who shall be responsible for notifying the student in
writing and stating the reasons for this decision.
3 Stage one – detailed investigation
3.1 The dean of school shall be responsible for ensuring that a detailed investigation is
carried out.
3.2 The investigation may involve meetings with staff, students or members of the public.
Where this is the case a formal record of the discussions shall be made.
3.3 Discussions may also take place with the student under investigation. Where this is the
case the student shall have the right to be accompanied by one friend (who may not be a
paid legal representative).
3.4 The report shall be completed within 15 working days. A copy of the report shall be
sent to the student. On the basis of the report the dean of school will determine
whether the case can be dismissed at this stage or whether there is evidence to
suggest that the student may be unsuitable for professional practice.
3.5 If there is evidence to suggest that the student may be unsuitable for professional
practice he or she should be asked whether they accept the findings of the report.
If the student accepts the findings at this stage then the dean of school should
notify the Deputy Principal immediately. The Deputy Principal (or designated
nominee will notify the student formally of the outcome.
3.6 There may be two possible outcomes at this stage:
• the student is unsuitable for professional practice and should be excluded from
the programme;
• the student is suspended until such time that evidence is produced that he or she
is mentally and physically fit to resume studies.
3.7 Exclusion from the programme under these procedures will not debar the student from
transferring or enrolling on an alternative programme that does not lead to
professional recognition. All students that are excluded from programmes on these
grounds shall receive counselling from the school about any alternative options
open to them.
3.8 If the student does not accept the findings of the detailed investigation a formal
hearing shall be conducted by an investigating panel.
4 Stage two – investigating panel
4.1 The investigating panel shall be chaired by a member of school staff at managerial
grade or above. In addition to the chair there shall be three other members of
school staff on the panel and a representative of the Students’ Union. Where
appropriate up to two further members of the panel may be drawn from partner
bodies in the delivery of the professional training. The panel membership must be
impartial. No member of staff involved in teaching the student or supervising
practise should be involved.
4.2 Where possible we shall seek to ensure that the composition of the panel reflects the
character of our institution and/or at least one person has been trained in equality
and diversity issues.
4.3 A Secretary to the Panel shall be appointed, who will be in attendance at the panel
hearing and shall be responsible for preparing a written record.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 137
4.4 The student shall have the right to call and to question witnesses and shall have the
right to be accompanied by a friend (who may not be a paid legal representative).
4.5 The investigating panel shall have the right to call and to question witnesses in the
presence of the student (and friend if present).
4.6 If the student does not appear at the date and time scheduled for the hearing the
investigating panel shall consider whether any reasons advanced for non-
attendance are valid and:
• if members so judge, adjourn proceedings to a later meeting;
• if no reasons are advanced, or if they are judged invalid, proceed in the
respondent’s absence, regarding him or her (subject to any written account)
as having admitted none of the allegations.
4.7 The investigating panel shall consider its findings in private and shall submit a written
report to the Dean of School and the Deputy Principal (or designated nominee) as
soon as is practicable following its deliberations.
4.8 In determining whether the case has been proven, the panel must be satisfied on the
balance of probabilities.
4.9 There are three possible outcomes:
• there are insufficient grounds to demonstrate that the student is unsuitable for
professional practice;
• there are sufficient grounds to conclude that the student is unsuitable for
professional practice and that the student should be excluded from the
programme;
• the student is suspended until such time that evidence is produced that he or she
is mentally and physically fit to resume studies.
4.10 Where there are insufficient grounds to demonstrate that the student is unsuitable
for professional practice, the student can continue on the programme and the
school must make arrangements to ensure that the student has an opportunity to
complete any learning that may have been missed.
4.11 Where there are sufficient grounds to exclude the student from the programme this
will not debar the student from transferring or enrolling on an alternative programme that
does not lead to professional recognition. The student shall be offered counselling by the
school about any alternative options open to them.
5 Stage three – appeals against the decision of the investigating panel
5.1 A student may only appeal against the decision of the investigating panel on two
grounds:
• that due process had not been followed;
• that there was supporting evidence of which the panel was unaware and which
the student was unable to bring to the attention of the investigating panel.
5.2 An appeal must be submitted in writing to the Deputy Principal (or designated
nominee) within 14 working days of the date of the letter notifying the student of
the outcome of the investigating panel. The appeal letter must explain the grounds
for appeal and/or include any new evidence.
5.3 Within 10 working days of receipt of the complaint, the Deputy Principal (or
designated nominee)will decide that there is a prima facie case to convene a
review panel comprising staff not previously involved in the case.
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5.4 The composition of the review panel and the procedures followed will be the same as
for an investigating panel.
5.5 The review panel shall review the case and any new evidence that has been presented
to determine whether or not this materially alters the finding of the original
investigating panel.
5.6 A Secretary to the Panel shall be appointed, who shall be in attendance at each
meeting of the panel and shall be responsible for preparing a written record.
6 Independent Review
6.1 If the appellant has exhausted the internal procedures set out above and is not
satisfied with the outcome he/she may request that the case is reviewed by the
Office of the Independent Adjudicator which is a body independent of our school.
6.2 The grounds and eligibility for review shall be determined by the Office of the
Independent Adjudicator.
6.3 The findings of any case considered by the Independent Adjudicator shall be
considered directly by the Council. The Council shall take the recommendations of the
Independent Adjudicator into account in reaching a final decision about any action that
should be taken in response to the appeal.
The decision of the Council is final and there shall be no further appeal against this
decision.
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Part 14
Complaints procedure
1 Scope of the Complaints Procedure
1.1 Our school describes a complaint as an expression of dissatisfaction with any
service or lack of service provided by our school. school believes it is important
that its students feel able to express dissatisfaction to which a response should
reasonably be expected. Through the Complaints Procedure, our school seeks to
provide an accessible, fair and straightforward system which enables students to
raise concerns and which ensures an effective, timely and appropriate response.
The Complaints Procedure is not restricted to students of our school: it may also be
initiated by potential students or members of the public. A complaint may also be
submitted collectively by a group of students who should nominate a spokesperson
who will be the channel of communication for the group, however, a complaint
may not be lodged by a third party on behalf of the complainant. The complaints
procedure is an internal school process, and if the complainant should instruct
lawyers to act on their behalf during the complaint this will halt the procedure.
1.2 Students are advised to consider whether there are more suitable ways for them to
express the concerns that they have before submitting a complaint. For example
this may be done through Student Representatives at Programme Committees, or
through other feedback mechanisms such as module evaluation questionnaires, or
students can discuss their concerns informally with the relevant person in the
School/Service such as the Programme Leader, Module Leader, School Office
Manager, Director of Studies or Research Degrees Leader.
1.3 The Complaints Procedure does not cover the following categories of complaint, for
which separate procedures exist:
• appeals against the decisions of Assessment Boards (see Part 7 of this Manual);
• appeals against annual monitoring reviews, transfer of research degree
registration or oral examination decision for postgraduate research students
(see Part 9 of this manual);
• appeals against the decisions of the Extenuation Panel (see Part 6 of this Manual);
• complaints against the Students' Union (see the Grievance and Complaints
Procedure in the Students' Union Bye-Laws);
• appeals against decisions taken under disciplinary proceedings (see Part 12 of this
Manual);
• complaints about businesses operating on school premises, but not owned by our
school (contact the Dean);
• complaints about the behaviour of other students (see Part 12 of this Manual );
• appeals against the decisions of Academic Misconduct Panels (see Part 8 of this
Manual).
• appeals against the decisions of Attendance Appeal Panels (see the school’s
Attendance Policy)
2 Procedure
2.1 There are four stages in the Complaints Procedure:
STAGE 1: Early Resolution
STAGE 2: Formal Conciliation
STAGE 3: Formal Review by the Principal’s Group
STAGE 4: Complaints Review Panel
3 Stage 1: Early Resolution
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3.1 Complainants are strongly advised to make every reasonable effort to resolve their
complaint informally through meeting with the member of our school staff most
directly concerned with the matter, such as the Programme or Module Leader,
before proceeding to Stage 2 and submitting a formal complaint. Complaints at
Stage 1 should not however be raised with the relevant manager who may
investigate the complaint should it proceed to Stage 2 of the Complaints
Procedure, such as the Dean or Director of Service. Normally, complaints
concerning the structure or organisation of a programme will most appropriately be
dealt with by the relevant Programme Committee. In these cases, the complainant
should raise the complaint with the student representatives on the Committee, the
Programme Leader or Subject Area Head, as appropriate.
3.2 Where it is not clear to the complainant which member of our school's staff is directly
concerned, or the complainant is studying at a partner institution and unclear on
the correct complaints procedure to follow, the complainant will be advised by the
Complaints Officer. Our school acknowledges that other methods may be more
suitable when attempting to resolve the complaint at Stage 1 than a meeting, in
particular for those students studying by distance learning.
3.3 All students at Stage 1 are strongly advised to seek advice and assistance from the
Students’ Union. The Students’ Union should be able to arrange for a case worker to
attend conciliation meetings that are arranged between the School/Service and the
student.
3.4 At Stage 1 the complaint should be raised as soon as possible and normally no more
than 10 working days after the failure in the service or the matter giving rise to
the complaint. The member of staff approached should try to resolve the complaint
through meeting with the complainant within 10 working days of receipt of the
complaint.
3.5 Our school recognises that the majority of complaints will be resolved satisfactorily at
this stage. However, where the procedure outlined in paragraphs 3.1 to 3.4 above
does not produce a satisfactory resolution of the matter giving rise to the concern,
the complaint may be formalised and dealt with as in section four below.
Complaints should normally be raised within 2 months of the matter giving rise to
dissatisfaction or within 10 working days of an unresolved Stage 1 complaint.
4 Stage 2: Formal Conciliation
4.1 If a complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome of Stage 1, he/she shall make a
written complaint on the complaints form (available from the Students' Union and
Institutional Compliance).
4.2 Any complainant who has not attempted to resolve their complaint through early
resolution (Stage 1) will be asked to explain on the complaints form why they have
not completed Stage 1 of the Complaints Procedure e.g. if there were exceptional
circumstances that prevented the early resolution attempt.
4.3 The complaints form should be completed in full and signed by the student before
being lodged with Institutional Compliance within 10 working days of the
unsatisfactory outcome of Stage 1 or within two calendar months of the
complainant becoming aware of the matter with which he/she is dissatisfied. An
extension of these time limits will only be possible in exceptional
circumstances, such as illness, an apparent risk of victimisation, personal
embarrassment or other hindrance beyond the student's control. In such a case, the
formal complaint should normally be made within 2 months and the complainant
will be asked to explain on the complaint form the reason for the complaint being
lodged outside of the time limits.
4.4 If the complaint is made by a research student about the quality of supervision, the
complaint form should be lodged with Institutional Compliance within six months after
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first perceiving that there is inadequate supervision or provision of materials or
equipment. As detailed in para 4.2, an extension of these time limits will only be
possible in exceptional circumstances, such as illness, an apparent risk of victimisation,
personal embarrassment or other hindrance beyond the student's control. In such a case,
the formal complaint should normally be made within 2 months and the complainant will
be asked to explain on the complaint form the reason for the complaint being lodged
outside of the time limits.
4.5 The complaints form will be acknowledged within 5 working days of being lodged with
Institutional Compliance.
4.6 Investigation of complaint
4.6.1 Following receipt of the completed complaints form, the Complaints Officer will
inform the student in writing when the investigation into the complaint has begun
by writing to them and informing them who is investigating their complaint. As part
of the investigation, the investigating officer will contact the complainant within 5
working days of receiving notification of the complaint. This may be by telephone,
email or meeting invite. The complainant will be permitted to bring a friend or
student union case worker to any arranged meeting. A written report with a
considered outcome from the School or service to the complaint, responding to all
points and making clear the grounds on which a decision or settlement has been
reached will normally be sent to the complainant within 20 working days of the
investigation beginning. During periods outside of the academic calendar this
timescale may be slightly longer.
4.6.2 If the issues raised on the complaint form are considered to be more appropriately
investigated through the Appeals Procedure then the Complaints Officer will pass
the complaint to the Appeals Liaison Officer. The complaint will cease to be
handled as a complaint at this point and will instead be processed as an appeal. If a
student has submitted both an appeal and a complaint then the appeal will usually
be dealt with prior to the complaint. The complaint will be placed on hold until the
investigation into the appeal has been completed.
4.6.3 When the investigation into the complaint has begun the Complaints Officer will
forward a copy of the complaint form, and any accompanying documentation, to
the responsible manager asking them to provide the complainant with a written
report responding to specific points raised on the complaints form within 20
working days.
4.6.4 The responsible manager is outlined below:
(a) Dean, Academic Registry School Office Manager/designated School Complaints
staff member, if the complaint is about an academic matter, or relates to a
matter arising in the context of a placement/practice placement;
(b) Director of a Service, or specifically named person, if the complaint is about a
non-academic matter.
(c) If the person cited above is him/herself personally involved in the matter of the
complaint, the complaint will be normally be dealt with by his/her
manager.
4.6.5 The manager responsible for dealing with the complaint will be asked to:
(a) make such investigations as he/she deems appropriate;
(b) ask any person being the subject of a complaint for a written statement
on the alleged failure/deficiency;
(c) contact the complainant, under most circumstances, as part of the
investigation process;
(d) where the complaint relates to a placement/practice placement, ensure
that consultation takes place with appropriate placement staff
before concluding any investigation. The placement organisation will
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be asked to nominate a member of staff to act as liaison in respect
of the complaint; this may be the practice placement supervisor;
(e) provide the Complaints Officer with copies of any documentation
referred to during the investigation;
(f) keep the Complaints Officer and all other people involved informed on
the progress of the investigation, in particular when and why the
time limit cannot be adhered to.
4.6.6 If the complaint concerns staffing and/or harassment matters, the investigating
manager should consult with HR Services regarding the appropriate procedure to
adopt before conducting an investigation. If the complaints form, or any
documentation submitted with the form, refer to a named member(s) of staff that
member of staff will be entitled to see the complaint and any other information
relating to them. If the complaint relates to a member of staff in a placement
organisation, the investigating manager should consult the manager in the
placement organisation regarding the appropriate procedure to adopt in this case.
4.6.7 If the investigating manager considers that there is a sufficient evidence for the case
to proceed under the staff disciplinary procedure, the case will cease to be
handled through the complaints procedure. Where harassment is involved, special
provisions apply at each stage of the disciplinary procedure (the anti-harassment
procedure refers). Where the member of staff is located in a placement
organisation the case will be handled through the arrangements of that
organisation. The complainant and the Complaints Officer will be notified of this
decision; the complainant will not be disadvantaged by this decision.
4.6.8 In concluding their investigation the responsible manager may make one of
the following decisions within the procedures laid down by our school and
under the rules of natural justice:
(a) to dismiss the complaint;
(b) to suggest an amicable settlement to the complainant and member of
staff if appropriate. Where the complaint relates to a placement
organisation the proposed settlement should also be communicated
to the nominated liaison. If this is not mutually accepted within five
working days, then the manager shall make a decision under (a) or
(c) of this section. If the settlement is accepted, the procedure
terminates at this stage;
(c) to find the complaint justified and make an offer of redress to the
complainant, e.g. an apology and/or appropriate recommendations
to the school School or Service or placement organisation.
4.6.9 The investigating manager shall, within 20 working days of receipt of the
complaint form, make a written statement responding to all complaint
points making clear the grounds on which a decision or settlement has been
reached. The statement shall be sent to the Complaints and Appeals
Officer. The Complaints Officer will then send the response to the
complainant.
5 Stage 3 – Appeal to the Principal’s Office
5.1 Following receipt of the response, if the complainant is still not satisfied with the
response, he/she should give written notice to the Complaints Officer within 10
working days, explaining why he/she is not satisfied with the outcome. If the
matter has been investigated under other school procedures, as provided for under
para 4.6.7 above, the complainant can equally request a review of this decision. In
each case, the complainant should indicate the matters which he/she considers to
be outstanding.
5.2 If a review is requested by the complainant the complaint file will be forwarded to the
Associate Head of Governance and Legal Services by the Complaints Officer. Within
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10 working days of receipt of the request for review, the Associate Head of
Governance and Legal Services will decide whether there is sufficient evidence for
the case to be further examined by a Complaints Review Panel, provided that:
(a) there is, at the time, still a complaint which comes under the scope of this
procedure;
(b) the student's desired outcome to the complaint is achievable;
(c) the complaint was lodged within the set time limit.
5.3 If there is insufficient evidence for the case to be referred to a Complaints Review
Panel, the complainant shall receive a written statement explaining the reasons for
this. The complainant at this stage has completed the internal procedures and may
request that the case is reviewed by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator
which is a body independent of our school.
5.4 If there is sufficient evidence for the case to be further examined by a Complaints
Review Panel, the Associate Head of Governance and Legal Services may consider
the possibility of a mediatory meeting with the parties involved at Stage 2 of the
procedure. If the meeting is successful, the complainant and other party will be
informed of the outcome in writing within 10 working days. When an attempt to
achieve a resolution through mediation is unsuccessful or would appear to be
inappropriate, the Complaints Officer will be advised to convene a Complaints
Review Panel.
5.5 The Complaints Officer shall normally convene a Complaints Review Panel within 25
working days of the notification, to consider and adjudicate on the complaint.
5.6 The Complaints Review Panel shall normally consist of the following members:
(a) a Chair, who shall be a member of the Principal Group, Dean, Director of
Service or other senior member of staff;
(b) one member of staff;
(c) a trained representative of the Students’ Union or nominated person.
5.7 In the event of a complaint against a Dean or Director of a School, Director of Service,
Member of the Principal's Group or the Principal, the Complaints Review Panel shall
consist of the following members:
(a) a Chair, nominated by the Council, who shall normally be a lay member of the
Council;
(b) two members of staff one of whom shall be at management grade;
(c) the President of the Students' Union or nominated member of the Executive
Committee.
5.8 Where possible our school shall seek to ensure that the composition of the panel
reflects the character of our institution and/or at least one person has been
trained in equality and diversity issues.
5.9 The Complaints Officer shall make available to the Complaints Review Panel the
complaint form, previous correspondence relating to the complaint and any other
relevant documentation.
5.10 The outcome and the reasons for the decision of the Complaints Review Panel will be
communicated to the complainant within 10 working days of the hearing. The
Complaints Review Panel will, at the same time, send a report summarising the
complaint, the action taken to resolve it, and the Panel's conclusions and
recommendations to the Principal and the relevant Dean of School/Director of
Service. The decision of the Review Panel will be binding.
5.11 If the complaint is upheld the Dean of School/Director of Service concerned will be
asked to respond to the Principal and to the Chair of the Complaints Review Panel within
15 working days of receipt of the report, stating what action has been taken or is proposed
in the light of the Panel's recommendations. The Complainant will also be notified of
action taken or action proposed in response to the Panel's recommendations.
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5.12 The procedure of the Complaints Review Panel hearing shall be as specified in
paragraph 6 below.
5.13 As far as is practicable, confidentiality shall be preserved in the investigation of the
complaint. However, information provided by the complainant may be used when a
complaint is investigated.
6 Procedural Rules for the Complaints Review Panel
6.1 The hearing shall take place in private, in our school, on a date fixed by the Chair in
consultation with members of the Panel. The role of this independent Panel will be
to review all the evidence provided by both parties and give impartial
consideration of the issues raised. The decision of the Panel is final and binding,
although if the complainant is dissatisfied with the decision, they have recourse to
refer their complaint to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator. The Complaints
Review Panel report will be circulated to all Panel members, respondents and
complainants within 10 working days of the conclusion of the hearing.
Where there is a clear justification for doing so e.g. where travel costs are
prohibitive of the students’ mode of attendance makes attendance in person
difficult, a request to conduct the Panel via video link can be considered. The
Chair of the panel will have final say on whether the panel can be convened via
video link. For any panel via video-link the Chair and internal panel members would
be located at an on-campus location at our school. Guidance regarding conducting
a panel via video link will be shared with all parties prior to the panel by the
Complaints Officer.
6.2 The complainant may be accompanied at the hearing by one friend (who may be a
Students’ Union Advice and Information Service Case Worker but not a paid legal
representative). Where several students are bringing the same complaint, they
shall appoint two of their number (each accompanied by one friend who cannot be
one of the complainants) to attend the hearing. Both the complainant and their
friend will have the opportunity to address the panel and ask questions. It is
recommended that students consult with the Students’ Union Advice and
Information Service as they may be able to represent complainants at the hearing
or accompany them. The school will pay reasonable, travel expenses incurred as a
result of the complainant’s attendance at the hearing.
6.3 After the date of the hearing has been fixed the Complaints Officer shall, at ten
working days before the hearing, write to the complainant(s) and the School /
Service:
(a) notifying the date of the hearing;
(b) requesting six copies of any written submissions from the complainant and / or
respondent, to be submitted at least six working days before the hearing
date;
(c) requesting the complainant(s) to provide the name(s) of any other friend(s) who
will accompany them at the hearing and the name(s) of any witness(es) they
would like to call (It is the responsibility of the complainant(s) to notify
such friend(s) or witness(es) of the hearing.);
(d) requesting the complainant(s) to provide details of any reasonable adjustments
that may need to be made for the hearing in order to accommodate the
complainant if they have a declared disability.
6.4 At all times following the lodging of a complaint under the formal complaints
procedure, a member of our school staff who is concerned or named in the
complaint or whose conduct is by implications called into question by the
complaint has the right to be represented by a friend, who shall normally be
another member of staff of our school. Such a friend may be a trade union
representative but not a paid legal representative. In addition to the complainant
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and respondent, the parties involved shall include the placement liaison in respect
of a placement/practice placement organisation, and the Dean of the school School
in respect of a collaborative partner acting as respondent.
6.5 The Complaints Officer will circulate all the information received to the Panel and to
the parties involved at least five working days before the date of the hearing.
Additional information received will usually be sent out to all parties by post. The
complainant and School / Service will also be notified by other means (email or
telephone) that additional evidence has been sent out. Please note that the school
will not accept any responsibility for documentation arriving late as a result of
postal delays.
6.6 Written information not received in advance shall not be considered by the Panel
unless the Panel decides, in exceptional circumstances, to receive such evidence. If
the Panel decides to receive such evidence the report of the hearing will detail the
Panel’s reasons for choosing to accept the information.
6.7 If the complainant does not appear at the date and time scheduled for the hearing,
the Complaints Review Panel shall consider whether any reasons advanced for non-
attendance are valid, and:
(a) if members so judge, adjourn proceedings to a later meeting;
(b) if no reasons are advanced, or if they are judged invalid, proceed in the
complainant's absence.
6.8 The Panel will decide whether or not any particular witness should be called.
6.9 The Complaints Officer shall be responsible for servicing the hearing, and for
producing the report on behalf of the panel.
6.10 The Chair has the power to regulate the procedure of the hearing within the spirit of
these rules, having regard to the need to maintain informality and reasonable
despatch of the proceedings.
6.11 Time limits may be departed from only at the discretion of the Chair. If a complaint
lapses as a result of failure to keep to a time limit, the complaint cannot be
recommenced. Time is calculated on working days throughout the year.
6.12 In exceptional circumstances the Panel may consider documents or hear evidence in
the absence of the parties.
6.13 The Panel shall endeavour to present to the Principal a unanimous report of the facts
found and the recommendations made on the basis of those facts. If the report is
not unanimous, the minority shall be entitled to record their views and submit
them to the Principal.
7 Independent Review
7.1 If the complainant has exhausted the internal procedures at Stage 4 and is not
satisfied with the outcome he/she may request that the case is reviewed by the
Office of the Independent Adjudicator which is a body independent of our school.
7.2 The grounds, eligibility for review and outcomes shall be determined by the Office of
the Independent Adjudicator.
7.3 A report on the findings of cases considered by the Independent Adjudicator shall be
received by Regulations Committee on a regular basis.
8 Reporting of Formal Complaints to the Council and the Academic Board
8.1 The Complaints Officer shall report annually to the Council and the Academic Board on
formal complaints received. The report will include: the number of formal complaints
lodged; the number satisfactorily addressed at Stage 2; the number of complaints that
proceed to Stage 4; the number of complaints that proceed to a Complaints Review Panel;
and number proceeding to independent review. Data concerning equal opportunities
monitoring shall also be provided. Any overall recommendation(s) arising from the reviews
will be drawn to the attention of the Council and the Academic Board.
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9 General Principles underlying the Complaints Procedure
9.1 Our school's Complaints Procedure recognises the importance of the protection of the
rights of those wrongly accused. Malicious or frivolous accusations will be viewed
as a serious matter by our school and could lead to disciplinary action, or legal
proceedings.
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Part 15
Freedom of speech
In accordance with the requirements of S.43 of the Education (no. 2) Act 1986 our school
makes the following Regulations, governing the conduct of staff and students, and
prescribing procedures to be followed in order to maintain freedom of speech within the
law on school premises. They are to be read in conjunction with other school Regulations,
including Disciplinary Regulations, which they supplement but do not supersede.
1 Preamble
1.1 Our school believes that the maintenance of freedom of thought and expression within
institutions of learning is essential to their claim to be such. To prevent the
articulation of certain viewpoints for no other reason than that they are not
accepted by some groups, or even by the majority, is to prevent equally the full
understanding, and due analysis and criticism, of those views; in consequence it
protects those who hold such views from having to defend them against the
arguments of those who do not.
1.2 It is nevertheless recognised that the articulation of certain views or the use of certain
expressions may also in themselves constitute incitement to riot, insurrection,
racial hatred, sexual harassment, discrimination on such grounds as race or sex, or
other criminal activities. Their mere utterance may itself be unlawful. On other
occasions, the articulation of such views may make probable a breach of the
peace. It is the clear duty of our school authorities to attempt to prevent any
breach of the law where it is in their judgement reasonable to assume that this
might occur.
1.3 There is an intermediate area where what those uttering them claim to be mere
expressions of opinion are seen by others as abusive, threatening, intimidating,
humiliating, degrading, or as 'verbal violence', even though their utterance is not itself a
breach of the law. It remains however, axiomatic that such expressions should be met not
by violence but by rational analysis and argument. The suppression of points of view by
violence or intimidation is contrary to the nature of institutions dedicated to learning, but
so too is excessive insistence on expressing publicly views which are certain to cause
offence or distress to others. Conflict of moral principles is never easy to resolve, even
where one such principle is the right to freedom of lawful expression; self-restraint and
consideration for the feelings of others are here the best guides.
1.4 The remainder of these Regulations addresses three types of event:
(a) events on school premises arranged by school staff outside the normal teaching
programme (which latter term shall be held to subsume Special Courses as
well as courses leading to awards of our school);
(b) events arranged by the Students' Union (schoolSU) or a society thereof, or on
school premises by an individual student;
(c) events outside the normal teaching programme arranged by any person or group
of persons not covered by (a) or (b) above, but held on school premises.
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2 Regulations
2.1 The Principal and staff, and the President of schoolSU and the Students' Union
collectively, shall at all times do whatever is reasonably practicable to ensure that
the use of school premises (including those occupied by schoolSU) is not denied to
any individual or body of persons on any ground connected with the beliefs or views
of that individual or of any member of that body, or the policy or objectives of that
body, subject only to the caveats in paragraphs 2.4 and 2.5 below.
2.2 Where, at any of the events listed in paragraph 1.4 above, views may be publicly
expressed, whether verbally or otherwise, adequate notice shall be given to the
Principal or his or her designated officer (normally the Head of Governance and
Legal Services); a period of less than 14 days' notice shall be regarded as
inadequate. Such notice shall include:
(a) the date, time and place of the event;
(b) in the case of staff and student-organised events, the name of the individual or
group responsible for them and, where it is a group, the name of the
individual who will act as correspondent to the group;
(c) in the case of other events, the name of the individual or group responsible
and, where it is a group, the name of the individual who will act as
correspondent to the group, plus where possible the name of at least one
member of staff or Students' Union officer connected with the group and
willing to act as co-sponsor of the event, who together with the
correspondent or organising individual shall sign an undertaking to comply
with all lawful instructions of our school authorities regarding the
organisation of the event;
(d) the arrangements proposed for security measures and for caretaking, if these are
necessary.
2.3 The Principal or designated officer shall within seven days of the receipt of such
notice, where no objection is made to the arrangements proposed, signify consent.
Changes required to the arrangements shall similarly be notified within seven days.
2.4 Where it seems to the individual or group organising the event that views may be
expressed which are unlawful, or that other unlawful actions may take place, this
must be notified to the Principal or designated officer at the same time as the
notice described in paragraph 2.2 above is delivered, or if suspicion that this may
occur arises thereafter, immediately. When for this reason or otherwise the
Principal or designated officer reasonably believes that an unlawful act may be
committed, he or she may refuse permission for the event to take place on school
premises.
2.5 In accordance with the same procedure specified in paragraph 2.4, the organiser(s) of
an event must notify the Principal or designated officer if he/she/they judge that a
breach of the peace may occur during/before/after the event. When for that
reason or otherwise the Principal or designated officer reasonably believes that
there may be a breach of the peace during/before/after the event, he or she shall
as soon as is practicable consult the Senior Police Officer (or his/her nominee) in
the Metropolitan Police Division within which the event is to take place. After such
consultation, permission for the event may be refused. Where it is not, the
Principal or designated officer shall act in concert with the Senior Police Officer
and the organiser(s) of the event to ensure that freedom of speech is maintained
and that no breach of the peace occurs.
2.6 Whenever an event falling within the provisions of Regulation 2.4 or 2.5 is proposed,
the Principal or designated officer shall inform of his or her actions and decision
the Chair and Deputy Chair of Governors.
2.7 Our school will not unreasonably refuse permission for events to be held on its
premises. To ensure this, the Principal or designated officer shall, before refusing
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 149
permission for an event to take place, inform themselves upon the following
questions:
(a) whether there is likely to be incitement of those attending the event to commit
a criminal act;
(b) the likelihood of the expression of views contrary to the criminal law;
(c) whether the event is in direct support of an organisation whose aims and
objectives are illegal;
(d) whether the event could give rise to any breach of the peace (bearing in mind the
advice of the Senior Police Officer of the appropriate Division of the Metropolitan Police);
(e) the safety of persons attending the event and of persons in the vicinity who
might foreseeably be put at risk;
(f) the security of our school premises;
(g) the good name of our school.
2.8 Any breach of these Regulations shall, in the case of a student or group of students,
fall to be handled under the Student Disciplinary Regulations. A breach by schoolSU
or one of its affiliated clubs or societies shall be considered by the Council (or by
the Chair or Deputy Chair acting on its behalf), which shall decide what action to
take. A breach by a member of staff shall be handled in accordance with the
disciplinary procedures agreed with the relevant trade(s) unions.
2.9 A student signing upon enrolment an undertaking to observe our school Regulations
shall be deemed formally to have accepted both the letter and the spirit of these
Regulations. Similarly, schoolSU and its affiliated clubs and societies shall in the
exercise of the functions given them in the constitution approved by the Council
have due regard to the rights of freedom of speech and lawful assembly.
3 Delegation
3.1 The Council delegates its powers in respect of the matters dealt with in these
Regulations to the Principal or his/her designated officers, except insofar as the latter
may deem it desirable to seek advice or a decision from the Governors, their Confidential
Policy Committee, or their Chair and Deputy Chair, where this is reasonably practicable.
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 150
Part 16 – Assuring Higher Education Quality During and Proceeding Covid-19
In response to coronavirus pandemic and its possible recurrence, school has moved
towards a sustainable blended learning methodology that will allow staff and students the
flexibility to move from physical classroom teaching to digital classroom teaching without
compromising quality in the delivery of teaching and learning. Measures are in place to
ensure participation and engagement of students on the digital platform with an emphasis
on peer interaction and lecturers delivering student centred learning. school has
considered the OfS
1
response and guidance for radical improvements in digital teaching.
school has reviewed QAA and UK Higher Education Institutions to apply best practice in
supporting the shift to digital delivery during the Covid-19 pandemic
2
.
Operational planning
school has a robust operational plan to support students and staff throughout the
pandemic and manage expectations with the understanding that coronavirus is here to
stay and we have to rise above it to live and learn. We will share data and information
made available by the government health organisations on any recurrence and variants.
We continue to adopt the following contingencies:
a. incorporating emergency actions taken immediately before or at the onset of
lockdown to implement business continuity plans, conduct risk analysis, close
campuses, ensure the safety of students and staff, and identify how teaching and
assessment could continue
b. incorporating a forward-looking strategy, to develop interactive digital blended
delivery, and coming out of lockdown commence space planning for an eventual
return to campus and resume some in-person teaching and learning in the context
of physical distancing guidelines. The importance of clear communication is
paramount in both contingences.
school has established a senior COVID steering committee chaired by the Principal;
members will include student president (deputy chair), the school Secretary, Chief
Operations Officer, Teachers and Student Welfare Officer. It will report to the Council,
sharing vital information with the Academic Board, Executive Committee, Student Welfare
Committee and Learning & Quality Committee. The COVID Steering committee will meet,
initially online, on a weekly basis and monitor the lockdown and the gradual easing of
restrictions.
Academic planning for 2021-22
Arrangements are in place for the academic year 2021-22. These includes a digital
platform ready to deliver blended teaching and learning, facilitating peer interaction, and
peer discussion forums that follow on from the digital lessons.
1
https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/news-blog-and-events/press-and-media/universities-response-to-
pandemic-could-see-radical-improvements-in-digital-teaching-says-ofs/
2
https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/guidance/how-uk-higher-education-providers-managed-the-shift-to-
digital-delivery-during-the-covid-19-pandemic.pdf
Manual of General Regulation 2021 Version 1.1 151
school has streamlined processes capable of processing the forecast student numbers
quickly without compromising institutional oversight of academic standards. This include
the ability to combine and move smoothly between face to face and virtual modalities as
the situation evolves, without disrupting the quality of teaching, learning and the whole
student experience. This approach is feasible because our learning resources are designed
to be suitable for either virtual or physical delivery by lecturers who are selected for their
skills in both modes.