London Metropolitan Polymer Centre (LMPC)

Transcription

1 NORTH CAMPUS Lonon Metropolitan Polymer Centre (LMPC) MSPlastis Prout Design MS Plastis Prout Design with Management MS Plastis Prout Design with Marketing Course Hanbook For amission in

2 The Postgrauate Aaemi Year AUTUMN SEMESTER Start - En Welome Programme 24 September Otober 2009 Teahing 5 Otober Deember 2009 Christmas Break 21 Deember January 2010 Teahing/revision 11 January January 2010 Examinations 18 January February 2010 Dissertation Dealine 22 January 2010 SPRING SEMESTER Welome Programme (new February entrants only) 2 February February 2010 Teahing 8 February Marh 2010 Easter Break 29 Marh April 2010 Teahing 12 April May 2010 Teahing/revision 10 May May 2010 Examinations 17 May June 2010 Dissertation Dealine 21 May 2010 SUMMER STUDY PERIOD Summer 7 June September 2010 Resit Examinations 19 July July 2010 Reassessment Coursework 30 July 2010 Dissertation Dealine 3 September 2010 In aition to these ates you nee to be aware of other important events an ealines throughout the year; suh as oursework submission ates, publiation of the exam timetable, publiation of results, mitigating irumstanes ealines, programme planning ealines. You an aess these at:

3 KEY CONTACTS Postgrauate Offie: Tower Builing, room T1-01 Tel: Departmental Offie: Course Leaer: Benwell Roa, room BPM-23 Tel: Prof Shah Hashemi Tel: Course Leaer s Offie: Benwell Roa, BR1-07 Main Campus teahing loation: Tower Builing/Benwell Roa

4 CONTENTS 1.0 WELCOME TO THE COURSE Using This Hanbook WELCOME TO THE LONDON METROPOLITAN POLYMER CENTRE Introution to the ourse Key Features of Postgrauate Courses Introution to the Department Loation an Department Failities supporting the ourse Learning an Teahing on the ourse Researh in the epartment BEING A POSTGRADUATE STUDENT Welome Programme Cheklist Your first semester Attenane, aaemi engagement an employment Stuying Enrolment an Re-enrolment Creit for previous learning Moule Registration an Programme Approval Your Timetable Publiation of Results an Transripts MANAGING YOUR ACADEMIC LIFE ON-LINE Your University IT Aount Communiation Your Contat Details Evision WebLearn Online moule resoures THE STUDENT VOICE StARs Course Committees Stuents views on moules an ourses SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ADVICE Postgrauate Offie The Grauate Shool Postgrauate Course Leaer Moule Leturers Stuent Suess through Learning Development Stuent Servies Disabilities an Dyslexia Servie (DDS) Plaements/stuy abroa DISSERTATION OR PROJECT Registration Supervision Arrangements Topi approval Planning an Timing...13

5 7.5 Submission MARKING AND ASSESSMENT Aaemi Regulations Marking an graes Your responsibilities onerning Assessment Assessment Feebak Submission of oursework Examination Timetable Past Examination Papers Mitigating irumstanes Assessment Boar Appeals Ation in the event of failure University Criteria for Awars WITHDRAWAL, INTERRUPTION OR TRANSFER Withrawal from a moule Intermission of Stuies Changing Your Moe of Stuy Course Transfers STUDY RESOURCES AND FACILITIES Libraries an Speial Colletions Subjet Librarians an Subjet Guies Stuent feebak Meia Resoures ICT Servies FURTHER LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES Open Language Programme COURSE SPECIFICATION USEFUL INFORMATION DIRECTORY OF MODULES FOR THE COURSE INDEX OF KEY SOURCES OF INFORMATION Relevant University Proeures: Useful online information:...47

6 1.0 WELCOME TO THE COURSE 1 This is the Course Hanbook for the MS Plasti Proue Design, MS Plasti Prout Design with Marketing an MS Plasti Prout Design with Management. The staff of the Lonon Metropolitan Polymer Centre wish you a warm welome to Lonon Metropolitan University North ampus an to the stuy of Plasti Prout Design. 1.1 Using This Hanbook This hanbook ontains a lot of information. Some of it will be of more relevane later in the ourse than at the start of your stuies. You an aess the ourse hanbook either by logging into your Evision aount or via the University s website at: We reommen that you rea this Course Hanbook thoroughly an arefully, as it overs many of the questions you will have about your ourse. Setions 4 an 6 in partiular, will help you loate the avie you will nee an Setion 15 ontains an Inex of key soures of information that you may nee to aess uring your ourse. For etaile information you will sometimes nee to onsult other soures, inluing: University Stuent Hanbook - for etails of important University regulations an proeures. It also provies information on university life an all the support servies available. The University Stuent Hanbook an be aesse at: PostGra-Line a omprehensive on-line soure of postgrauate ourse an moule information available at: Postgrauate stuents webpage a omprehensive on-line resoure for postgrauate stuents. Provies information about your Postgrauate Offie, timetables, etails of timeslots an room numbers for most taught moules. One you have omplete enrolment an registration, you an view an print your personal timetable Please see: The Course Speifiation (Setion 12 of this hanbook) efines the key features of your ourse, its aims, struture an learning outomes, an inlues all the moules you must stuy for the awar. All postgrauate ourses are governe by the University s Aaemi Regulations ( It is your responsibility to be fully aware of the regulations whih govern your stuies as a postgrauate stuent of the University. Your ourse may in aition have some ourse speifi regulations or may be governe by a Professional Boy. Where relevant these are inlue in paragraph 32 of the Course Speifiation, ontaine within Setion 12 of this hanbook. You shoul note that oasionally, the etails in this hanbook may be amene or revise in orer to improve the Course. We hope that some of you will feel suffiiently ommitte to your ourse to partiipate as a Stuent Representative (see Setion 5). Equally, we woul at any time, welome your omments about the ourse or any suggestions for improvements. We wish you every suess with your stuies.

7 1 2.0 WELCOME TO THE LONDON METROPOLITAN POLYMER CENTRE 2.1 Introution to the Course The role of Prout Designer is being inreasingly reognise as a vital fator in the suessful evelopment of all manufature prouts. The Plasti Prout Design ourse offers an avane stuy in plastis prout esign for siene an engineering grauates an aims to provie the aaemi, professional an personal skills neessary to help stuents lea projets in prout esign, evelopment an proution. Stuents will omplete the ourse with a soun knowlege of the priniples an proesses of prout esign an the ability to esign plasti prouts from a soun engineering base. The Plasti Prout Design with Management ourse provies a base in business management as well as the unerpinning Prout Design moules for siene an engineering grauates. Stuents shoul ome away from the ourse having aquire the isiplines an tehnial know-how neessary to suessfully manage an lea team an to inorporate soial, environmental, legal an ethial issues in their prout esign. The Plasti Prout Design with Marketing ourse provies a grouning in marketing in aition to the unerpinning Prout Design moules for siene an engineering grauates. Stuents shoul ome away from the ourse having aquire the isiplines an tehnial know-how neessary to suessfully esign an market a prout. The Plastis Prout Design ourses have been esigne to follow the University s postgrauate regulatory framework an are therefore moular an flexible. These ourses are esigne to aommoate those who are in full-time employment as well as international stuents. A high egree of flexibility is inorporate within eah ourse struture by offering both full-time an part-time moes of stuy as well as two entry points (September an February) to the ourse for eah moe, whih is partiularly onuive to international stuents. 2.2 Key Features of Postgrauate Courses The Course Speifiation (see Setion 12) etails your ourse urriulum an struture an you shoul stuy this losely. Many features are efine by the Postgrauate Regulatory Framework, part of the University s Aaemi Regulations (see Setion 15 of this hanbook for etails), whih sets out general features ommon to almost all Masters ourses. (i) Full-time stuents starting Masters programmes in the semester are taught over a 48-week year, requiring approximately 40 hours of stuy per week. For fulltime stuents starting ourses in February the workloa is similar but is istribute over a longer stuy perio an normally omplete at the en of the following semester. Part-time stuents unertake the equivalent overall workloa over a longer perio of stuy, normally at least two years. (ii) The stanar Masters awar requires 180 reits at level M: normally 120 reits for the taught elements an 60 reits for the Dissertation or Projet. There are some exeptions to the rule, suh as speifie Masters ourses in Human Resoure Management, whih require 200 reits, an the MBA at 220 reits. (iii) Most postgrauate moules are equivalent to 20 reits. Typially, a full-time stuent stuies moules equivalent to 60 reits per semester (normally 3 moules), with 15 weeks of teahing, revision an assessment ativities for eah moule. (iv) The taught elements of postgrauate ourses are mainly ompulsory ore moules an normally inlue one onerne with researh methoology an projet

8 2 evelopment an pratie, in preparation for the issertation or projet. Some ourses may inlue esignate moules, whih an be hosen from a speifie list for the ourse, or eletive moules, whih an be hosen from any available at postgrauate level. (v) All taught moules an the issertation or projet moule, are marke on a perentage sale, with a pass/fail threshol of 50%. (vi) Base on the final aggregate of average perentage results, Masters awars are grae as: Masters (50-59%), Masters with Merit (60 69%), or Masters with Distintion (70% plus) (vii) While most stuents will aim to ahieve the full Masters qualifiation, all Masters ourses offer the subsiiary awars of Postgrauate Certifiate or Postgrauate Diploma (both available with Merit or with Distintion) for stuents unable to omplete their full programme of stuy. The full list of awars an their requirements is as follows: Awar Creits at level M Moules Require Masters 180 reits 6 moules + issertation Postgrauate Diploma 120 reits 6 moules Postgrauate Certifiate 60 reits 3 moules 2.3 Introution to the Department LMPC is a small polymer epartment within Sir John Cass Art, Meia an Design epartment. LMPC arries out researh an ommerial work for ompanies as well as prouing grauates with the knowlege, skills an ompetenies to ahieve suessful areers in the worl-wie polymer an allie inustries. LMPC elivers a full range of unergrauate an post-grauate aaemi programmes in polymer stuies. Tables below summarises staff expertise an their ontat etails. (i) LMPC Staff an Expertise Name Position Main Subjet Area Professor Brian Falonbrige Hea of John Cass Art, Meia & Design (JCAMD) Mr Davi Butler Assoiate Hea (Aaemi) Dr Mike O Brien Assoiate Hea (Resoures) Materials Professor Shahriar Hashemi Subjet Leaer Strength of Materials Dr Mathew Philip Aaemi Leaer Mehanial Properties/Materials Dr Ahme Fari Senior Leturer Rubber Siene & Engineering Miss Elena Onyshhenko Senior Leturer Polymer Siene/Proessing Mr Ragesh.Brahmbhatt Tehniian Mr Anrew Murphy Tehniian Mr Aam Braley Centre Aministrative Offier Ms Alison Green Business Development Manager

9 3 (ii) LMPC Staff Aresses an Offies Staff Aress Builing Extension Offie Professor S. Hashemi TB 2267 BRI-07 Dr M. Philip (MP) TB 2264 BRI-04 Dr A. Fari TB 2484 BPM-24 Mrs E. Onyshhenko TB 2265 BRI-05 Mr R. Brahmbhatt r. TB 2257 BPG-20 Mr A. Murphy TB - BPG-21 Mr A. Braley a.braley@lononmet.a.uk TB 2248 BPM-23 Ms A. Green alison.green@lononmet.a.uk TB 2189 BPM Loation an Department Failities supporting the ourse Centre s Proessing & Testing Laboratories The Polymer Centre has laboratories an workshops ontaining a full range of small proution sale polymer proessing equipment together with haraterisation an testing laboratories. Stuents will have the opportunity to gain hans-on experiene using the equipment uring pratial lasses an uring your MS Projet/Dissertation. Centre s Computer Laboratory Polymer Centre has a laboratory with about twenty PCs. This laboratory is open to stuents uring aytime teahing hours uner the supervision of a tehniian. Classes are timetable in this laboratory an have priority over asual users. However, stuents are enourage to use the failities as a loal aition to the main University omputing failities. Stuents shoul ontat the tehniian before using this laboratory an shoul sign the register book in the laboratory. Centre s Learning Laboratory (PILL) This is situate in room BR106 lose to the Centre Reeption Area. Stuents may use this room to prepare work an to stuy the literature insie. This onsists of books, journals an some inustrial material. Its failities are a loal aition to the main library failities situate in the University Learning Centre. PILL has vieo equipment an a number of inustrial vieos of proesses, plant et. The opening times are poste on the oor of PILL. 2.5 Learning an Teahing on the Course The strategy aopte in the elivery of the ourse material aims to ensure that appropriate resoures an tehnology available both within an outsie the institution are use effetively in elivering the learning objetives as efine in the various syllabi as well as proviing variations in moes of stuy. Learning strategies an teahing methos use are generally aime at: 1. Proviing intelletural hallenge at a postgrauate level. 2. Stimulating the stuent s interest in the subjet matter through ase-stuies. 3. Atively involving stuents in their learning proess. 4. Further eveloping the stuent s problem solving skills. 5. Enhaning the stuent s managerial an marketing skills. 6. Enhaning the stuent s laboratory an workshop skills relevent to the fiel of stuy. 7. Enhaning the stuent s ommuniations an IT skills.

10 8. Promoting the stuent s self management with a view to future ontinue professional evelopment. 4 The stuent s unerstaning of subjet matter in the ourse is evelope through an integrate programme of letures, tutorials, pratial sessions, seminars an inustrial visits. 2.6 Researh in the epartment Researh an staff evelopment ativities in the Polymer Centre take four forms:- 1. Professional ativities of members of staff whih assist to upate staff an/or maintain inustrial ontats an thus ontribute to the quality, vitality an relevane of the subjet areas. 2. Staff evelopment ativities ientifie through the PADAS proess an also irete by the Centre s ativities. 3. Staff evelopment exerises esigne an organise by the University to help staff improve their teahing praties or to evelop new teahing materials. Aaemi an applie researh fune by the University or outsie boies. 3.0 BEING A POSTGRADUATE STUDENT Unertaking stuy at postgrauate level is likely to involve new an ifferent methos of working ompare to your previous experiene. You will stuy more speialise subjet matter at a more avane level, relatively quikly an over a shorter perio. You will be expete to pursue your stuies with a greater egree of inepenene than at unergrauate level an to set your own learning objetives within the framework of the ourse. The remainer of this setion highlights the general features an expetations assoiate with postgrauate stuy. 3.1 Welome Programme Cheklist Following the Welome Programme an Course Introutory Meeting, you shoul hek that you have reeive the following: an ID ar (inluing library number an omputer network username) an aress a ourse timetable the loation of your Postgrauate Offie the loation of your Department Offie the loation of you main learning entre an IT failities the name of your Course Leaer If you arrive late you will still nee to obtain the items above an there will be a late Welome session for you. Contat your esignate Postgrauate Offie to ensure you know what to o an where to go to get starte. Classes ommene from the Monay immeiately following the Welome Programme. 3.2 Your first semester After your welome, you will fin yourself in the first week of formal teahing, where you will meet the moule leturers, who will often be giving the main leture for the moule, an other teahing staff, who may be taking seminars or workshop groups. Your first semester usually involves mainly ompulsory (ore) moules overing essential subjet ontents an skills elements in your area of stuy. During this first semester you will meet with your Course Leaer who will isuss your stuy programme an avise you on how

11 5 to plan your stuies for the seon semester if you i not o this at the start of the ourse. 3.3 Attenane, aaemi engagement an employment Your suess epens upon full an regular attenane at all lasses, seminars, letures, workshops, tutorials an the ompletion of all of your moule assessment(s), inluing your issertation. Our reors show that stuents who o not atten all their lasses are at very high risk of failure. The University s Aaemi Regulations make it lear that attenane an full aaemi engagement are requirements of your registration on your ourse. The ontent of moules is progressive, so if you miss a session you will nee to ath up. However, we o reognise that for some postgrauate stuents there may be oasions where your absene is unavoiable; in suh irumstanes, we strongly reommen that you ontat your Course Leaer or Moule Tutor/Leturer. If you are having ongoing iffiulties with attenane or ommitting fully to your postgrauate stuies please ontat your Postgrauate Offie for avie on what to o. Please note - for international stuents, the University is require by the UK government to onfirm that you are in regular attenane. The University looks arefully at the eviene of your attenane an aaemi engagement an full-time stuents who fall below these requirements an fin themselves being move to a part-time programme. This an have serious impliations for you an your ourse. In the ase of part-time stuents, if you fail to meet attenane an aaemi engagement requirements the University may withraw you from some of your moules. In some irumstanes this an also lea to you being require to leave your ourse. We reognise that you may nee to unertake part-time work, but strongly avise you not to take employment of more than 15 hours a week if you are a full time stuent (shoul you nee to take employment of more than 15 hours per week we reommen you register as a part-time stuent). The University s Employment Servie, in Stuent Servies, an help you fin a suitable part-time job that an enhane your employability an omplement your stuies. ( 3.4 Stuying As a postgrauate stuent, you will be seeking to evelop your learning at more avane level an your ourse will provie many opportunities to aquire new knowlege an skills. To make the most of these you will nee to evelop a strategy for your stuies, planning ahea, managing your time effetively an refleting on your learning. Assessment is an important feature of stuy at postgrauate level. Eah moule booklet sets out etaile assessment requirements an learning outomes, proviing a fous for your stuies. There are various forms of assessment an moules often involve a ombination of examination an oursework or presentation. It is important that you unerstan learly the expetations an ealines for eah item of assessment. You shoul be aware that all the various oursework assessments an examinations have to be omplete for the ahievement of your final awar. In aition to attening the timetable sessions, you will nee to stuy in your own time. You shoul expet to spen hours per week on eah moule, making a 40 hour per week ommitment for a full-time stuent. Parttime stuents nee to plan a similar time ommitment for eah moule, but will generally be taking fewer moules at any one time. Inepenent stuy is partiularly important when planning work for your issertation or projet. This is a substantial piee of work, to be evelope an omplete over a relatively lengthy perio, with muh of the writing onentrate in the final stages. Working losely with your assigne supervisor, you will nee to plan your work arefully, with initial isussion to efine

12 6 the topi, preparatory researh an reaing, planning the struture of the researh an final report, writing an re-writing partiular setions an rafts. Please be respetful of the learning environment an remember to swith off your mobile phone before entering all lasses an stuy areas. In summary: plan your learning strategy; alloate enough time; atten all of your moule letures, tutorials an other sessions; start assignments well in avane; seek avie an help; use the learning resoures offere; an, enjoy the learning experiene! 3.5 Enrolment an Re-enrolment Enrolment is an annual proess. The first time you enrol you will nee to provie eviene of your ientity an the qualifiations whih forme the basis of your offer from the University. You will also nee to pay your tuition fees or emonstrate how these will be pai. The University ID ar you reeive at enrolment ontains your library number an omputer network username an allows entry to the University s builings. Provie you fully omplete your enrolment your ar shoul work throughout the year. If it stops working then please seek avie from your Postgrauate Offie. By signing the enrolment form you onfirm that you aept an will follow the University s regulations If you are stuying on a part-time basis over more than one aaemi year or nee to return to omplete your stuies, you will nee to re-enrol online usually from aroun mi-august. Reenrolment is neessary for your ID ar to be reativate for the new aaemi year. There will be a ealine for this so it is important that you omplete this before the start of the next aaemi year. 3.6 Creit for previous learning If you alreay hol a qualifiation (for example from another ollege) that may exempt you from part of your ourse, you may apply for Areitation of Prior Certifiate Learning (APCL). Similarly, if you have unertaken work, pai or voluntary, that has resulte in learning skills or knowlege equivalent to a moule you will be stuying you may apply for Areitation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL). Colletively these are known as Areitation of Prior Learning (APL). It is important to be aware that any appliation for APL reit in respet of postgrauate stuies must be base on prior learning or experiene at a suitably avane level. This means that it is not normally possible to areit prior learning at unergrauate level, even if the ontent may appear similar. The University operates the European Creit Transfer System (ECTS), where 1 European reit (ECTS) is equivalent to 2 UK reits (CATS). Thus, eah taught moule of 20 reits is normally equivalent to 10 ECTS reits, an a full Masters of 180 UK reits is equivalent to 90 ECTS. If you wish to laim for APL please ontat your Postgrauate Offie or refer to the Inex (Setion 15) of this hanbook for further information. 3.7 Moule Registration an Programme Approval Your Course Leaer shoul provie the information you will require in orer to hoose your moules. Core Moules are ompulsory for your ourse, but your ourse may also offer Designate Moules, whih an be hosen from a speifie list. Aitionally, you may be allowe to take Eletive Moules, whih an be hosen from any available at postgrauate level.

13 7 Further information about moules an their timeslots an be foun on PostGra-Line: When you arry out moule registration you may be able to hoose some time slots, subjet to apaity of the lass, if the moule(s) run more than one. You are more likely to get your first hoies if you register on time. Programme Planning Dealines: 2009/10 Moule Registration 24 September 2 Otober Otober November January February Feb 2010 Marh/April May 2010 Semester 2009/10 Starters Moule Choie Events uring Welome Programme 1 Semester 2009/10 Starters Dealine for onfirmation of Semester programmes 2. Confirmation of Semester Moules 3 Semester Dissertation Dealine 4 Moule hoie exerise for stuents ontinuing their stuies in 2010/11 Semester Dissertation Dealine 4 Moule Choie Events uring Welome Programme Dealine for onfirmation of Semester programmes Moule hoie exerise for stuents ontinuing their stuies in 2010/11 3 September 2010 Summer Dissertation Dealine Summer Dissertation Dealine 1 Stuents shoul ieally plan for the whole 2009/10 programme. 2 Stuents onfirm their programme for the semester an may not vary it after this point 3 Stuents plan for Semester if they i not o this when enrolling in Otober. 4 It is unlikely that stuents will be in a position to take their issertation at this stage, but it is just possible that they may have suffiient reit at entry to o so. 3.8 Your Timetable The University timetable operates from 9.00 am to 9.00 pm, Monay to Friay. You will be given a ourse timetable at the Course Introutory Session. This gives timeslots an rooms for all moules on your ourse. One you have registere your moules you an get a print out of your iniviual timetable for the urrent semester at: Your timetable will hange eah semester, an will be available on the web shortly before the start of eah semester. If you o not have a ourse timetable please ontat your Postgrauate Offie. 3.9 Publiation of Results an Transripts At the en of eah semester Assessment Boars onfirm marks an awars. The Postgrauate Offies are responsible for proviing these results to you via Evision. (refer 4.4 below)

14 8 An offiial transript will be poste to you at your home aress on the ompletion of your ourse. There is no harge for this en of ourse transript but a fee will be payable for any subsequent transripts. For reason of employment or to provie proof of stuy at the University uring your ourse, you may nee a formal transript, stampe by the Postgrauate Offie. There is a fee for these transripts, payable at the time of request. Requests shoul be mae to the Postgrauate Offie, who aim to proue transripts within 5 working ays of request. 4.0 MANAGING YOUR ACADEMIC LIFE ON-LINE 4.1 Your University IT Aount You use the same aount to aess all University IT systems. Your aount name is printe at the top of on the ID ar that you reeive at enrolment an is 7 haraters in length (e.g. ABC1234). Your passwor will be set initially to be your ate of birth (DD/MM/YY) so you shoul hange to something seure when you first log in. 4.2 Communiation We o our best to keep you informe of what you nee to know at all times. We use the Web to provie muh of the information you nee so it is essential to familiarise yourself with the University website. At other times we will use to ontat you so it is essential that you hek your University on a regular basis. 4.3 Your Contat Details The University will ontat you by letter, phone, or , perhaps to arrange a meeting, to provie you with information, or to respon to a query. It is therefore essential that you keep your ontat etails up to ate on your stuent Evision aount. Inreasingly, we use to ommuniate an keep you informe. You will also have been alloate a University aress, whih is your 7 harater aount name (see 4.1 above) e.g. ABC1234@lononmet.a.uk. Even if you alreay have an aount that you will ontinue to use you shoul regularly hek your Lonon Met aount or set up an auto forwar, as important messages will be sent to you by . You an hange the etails of the aress that the University hols for you though your Evision aount (see below) an the University s IT Helpesks an help you to make the best use of the University s extensive IT failities. 4.4 Evision Evision is the University s online faility that allows you to aess your personal stuent reor, to register your moules online for the next session an where you print your oursework oversheets an other forms that you may nee. You also re-enrol via Evision an view information showing your attenane at lasses. You an view your: Personal an ontat etails (an be upate online) Registere moules Enrolment an progression Tuition fee etails Reor of oursework ealines an submissions Mitigating Cirumstanes eisions Moule results (available from notifie ate of publiation) Details of final awar For more information please hek:

15 9 4.5 WebLearn Online moule resoures WebLearn provies online support for many of your moules, enabling you to ommuniate with your tutor an other stuents. Course materials, information, assessments an aministration are available on WebLearn as well as stuy programmes, suh as Writing an Communiating at University. WebLearn requires your user name an passwor an an be aesse at: THE STUDENT VOICE 5.1 StARs Feebak from stuents is vital to the University to fin out how well the teahing, guiane an other servies are working. This is obtaine in ifferent ways, inluing via Stuent Aaemi Representatives (StARs) who, supporte by the Stuents Union, provie iret feebak from stuents on the ourse an raise any issues on their behalf. You will have the opportunity to stan for eletion as a StAR or to elet a fellow stuent. 5.2 Course Committees A Course Committee is normally onvene eah semester to review a set of moules an ourses an provie quality assurane. Key staff, inluing moule an ourse leturers, atten these meetings an stuent input is reeive via the Stuent Aaemi Representatives (StARs). 5.3 Stuents views on moules an ourses Stuents views are obtaine by a variety of means suh as fous groups an web-base questionnaires. While staff welome informal feebak from stuents, Moule Leturers will proue formal monitoring reports whih over areas suh as teahing, stuent feebak an assessment. Reports an ation points agree are available from both moule an ourse reviews. 6.0 SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ADVICE 6.1 Postgrauate Offie The Postgrauate Offie is the key aministrative servie to support you in your stuies throughout your time at the University. You will be assigne to the Postgrauate Offie linke to your ourse, normally in the builing where the subjet teahing staff are loate. It will be here that you go with timetable queries, to plan your moules, to han in your oursework, to ollet letters you may nee, an to ask any questions about your stuies. You shoul also ontat your Postgrauate Offie in relation to the following issues: Queries about your enrolment status, the fees that you have been harge or if you have not reeive your stuent loan; Queries about your timetable or the moules that are registere for you; If your ID ar is not working; Submit a moule query, a laim for mitigating irumstanes, an appeal, or get avie about examination arrangements; Avie on laiming reit for previous stuy or experiene; Help you ontat your ourse leaer; Obtain stanar letters an ounil tax exemption ertifiates; Visa extension letters for international stuents; Avie on the onsequenes of withrawing.

16 10 Your Postgrauate Offie is responsible for proessing your results an ensuring that they are publishe on time. Eah group of ourses has a Course Aministrator an you will beome familiar with them throughout your time at the University. Your Postgrauate Offie will also ontat you if you are missing lasses or not submitting work on time. The offies are normally open throughout the aaemi year but an also be ontate by phone or see When ontating your Postgrauate Offie, please always quote your stuent number as it enables staff to aess your information quikly an so respon to your query. 6.2 The Grauate Shool The Grauate Shool provies a fous for postgrauate euation an researh ativity within the University. It works losely with aaemi epartments an Postgrauate Offies; the latter proviing information an avie to all stuents on taught Masters level ourses. The Researh Offie, whih is part of the Grauate Shool, eals with the aministration of postgrauate researh egrees (MPhil, PhD, Professional Dotorate, et), provies avie an support to researh egree stuents, an plays a entral role in failitating the University's Researh Poliy. It an also assist Masters stuents who may be planning to go on to stuy for a researh-base MPhil or PhD on ompletion of their masters programme. The Grauate Shool s website provies further information about its ativities an arrangements to support postgrauate stuy an researh, an inlues avie on researh ethis an resoures to support the evelopment of researh skills. You an view this at: Postgrauate Course Leaer Course Leaers are the main ontats for personal aaemi avie, inluing programme planning an approval, an are also responsible for the ay-to-ay organisation of their ourse an liaising with aaemi an aministrative staff. They an be a soure of valuable avie for other matters also an shoul be tour first port of all if problems arise. They are able to: provie you with aaemi avie on all aspets of your stuies an progress explain the impliations of assessment results an assoiate feebak on your aaemi performane avise you on managing an planning your stuies; refer you to Stuent Servies for support regaring personal problems, housing, health an finane Your Course Leaer an also write you a referene, for a job appliation for example. 6.4 Moule Leturers Moule leturers are members of aaemi staff who lea the moules ontributing to your programme of stuy an are key to your learning experiene. They shoul be your first port of all for avie on any topis you o not unerstan following a leture or seminar. All Moule leturers have offie hours these are set times uring the week when they are available for onsultation. For eah moule there will be a Moule Booklet. 6.5 Stuent Suess through Learning Development Some stuents may nee extra help with their stuies, sometimes for a partiular moule, or, more generally, aross their programme. This might inlue help with presentations, essay writing an ritial analysis. It is always best to seek help in goo time an to take avantage of the range of aitional lasses, ourses an resoures available. For the full range of stuy

17 11 an skills programmes an to fin out more about the Learning Development Unit, please visit: Stuent Servies The Department of Stuent Servies offers avie, information, support an guiane aross a range of areas inluing: finanes an funing personal an emotional issues areer hoies servies for isable an yslexi stuents employment an CV avie volunteering an mentoring opportunities visa renewals an immigration regulations faith an spirituality stuent opportunity ativities an projets For more information all into one of the main Stuent Servies reeptions or visit their website: Please take some time uring the first few weeks of your ourse to look at the website an familiarise yourself with the servies offere. 6.8 Disabilities an Dyslexia Servie (DDS) The Disabilities an Dyslexia Servies (DDS) offers a onfiential servie to any stuent with a isability, long term meial problem or Speifi Learning Diffiulty (e.g. yslexia). They an also assist in obtaining a iagnosis for stuents who feel that they may have a Speifi Learning Diffiulty. This servie an be aesse at any time uring your ourse. One you have registere with the DDS an provie the eviene require to establish your laim for support, the servie an assist you in obtaining ajustments to help you suessfully omplete your ourse. Suh ajustments are base on iniviual irumstanes an relate to the severity of impat of your isability on your ability to stuy. Depening on the level of nee ientifie, these may inlue: Pratial Assistane: speialist tutors (speifi learning iffiulties), note-takers, or ommuniation support Speifi Ajustments to Stuy-Relate Servies: extene library loans (week loans only) or aessibility relate rooming ajustments Teahing-Relate Ajustments: internal nees assessment report to ientify nees to Aaemi Staff Assessment Speifi Ajustments: exam ajustments, oursework ertifiates or alternative assessment arrangements. Important Note There are some aspets of ourse assessment that annot be hange. These are known as ompetene riteria. To be ientifie as ompetene riteria the assesse items must be essential to the ourse an all stuents must be able to fulfil these riteria. Although in suh situations it may not be possible to alter the format of the assessment, isable stuents may still be entitle to ajustments (e.g. extra time or an amanuensis). Plaement support If you are require, as part of your ourse, to go on plaement you an reeive assistane to ensure that your plaement is suitable for you an for any require ajustments to be isusse an organise as appropriate. Most isable stuents are entitle to government allowanes. You are strongly avise to ontat the Disabilities an Dyslexia Servies who will help you with funing appliations.

18 12 Please refer to the Stuent Hanbook for full information on the types of funing available or the Disabilities an Dyslexia Servies website at: Plaements/stuy abroa The ourse organisers reognise that it is a valuable experiene for stuents to unertake an inustrial plaement. This is atere for in the ourse by a short Inustrial Work Experiene moule. The work plaement perio is 10 weeks uring spring semester. However, the Centre exerises a ertain egree of flexibility by allowing stuents to take this moule subjet to availability of plaement. A part-time stuent alreay in employment within a polymer inustry may omplete the moule at workplae subjet to the Polymer Centre approving of the plaement experiene. Stuents who are intereste in Inustrial Work Experiene moule shoul ontat Dr A.S. Fari who is the entre work plaement tutor. 7.0 DISSERTATION OR PROJECT 7.1 Registration You register for your Masters Dissertation or Projet in the same way as for your other moules - see setion 3.8 Moule Registration an Programme Approval. One you are registere for your issertation/projet, you are expete to submit it in the perio for whih you are registere. The University s stanar assessment arrangements an mitigating irumstanes proeures apply (see below for information on withrawal an mitigating irumstanes). Formal requirements for your issertation are set out in etail in the Dissertation/Projet Moule Booklet for your ourse, an the main aspets are summarise below: 7.2 Supervision Arrangements Eah member of staff will provie the Course Leaer with several projet titles. The Course Leaer will then provie you with the list of projets uring the first week of spring semester. The list ontains the following information; Projet titles Brief summary of the projet work Projet supervisor One you have eie on the projet(s) that interest you, you shoul make an appointment with the projet supervisor(s) to attain further information about projet(s). You shoul then inform the ourse leaer within two weeks with the title of the projet you wish to unertake an the projet is then alloate to you. You shoul expet to reeive as a minimum at least 4 hours ontat with your supervisor. You are expete to atively engage with your supervisor, agreeing times an attening supervision sessions. A projet Log-book will be given to you to reor matters isusse uring the supervisory sessions. You shoul submit the log-book to the ourse leaer at the en of the projet. 7.3 Topi approval The projet will be hosen by you either from a range of suggeste topis as outline above or may be suggeste by you with the onsent an approval of the Course Leaer.

19 13 If you wish to work on a projet whih is not on the list, you shoul submit to ourse leaer a written proposal outlining learly the aim an the objetive of the projet that you wish to unertake. The ourse leaer will isuss your proposal with other members of staff to etermine if (i) the projet is at appropriate level (postgrauate) an (ii) the Centre has the expertise an the require failities to eliver the projet. One the eision is mae the ourse leaer will then inform you of the outome. A positive outome means you an work on your propose projet uner the supervision of a staff member (s) with the appropriate expertise. You shoul also onsult the University s Coe of Goo Researh Pratie whih an be aesse on the Grauate Shool s website at: to see whether these guielines raise any issues for your own researh, an isuss them with your supervisor. 7.4 Planning an Timing The planning an preparation stage of the projet is not only of major importane in terms of ontrolling the nature an organisation of the projet but is also signifiant in the evelopment an evaluation of ommon skills. The moule entitle Researh Methoology (PEP027N) will omprehensively evelop the framework within whih the projet is to be manage an exeute. You will start your preliminary work on the projet as part of the assessment for moule PEP027N. From weeks 5 to 11 of spring semester you will work on the projet an base on what you have proue within this time sale (7 weeks) you submit the following for the assessment of PEP027N; 1. Researh proposal 2. Conferene paper 3. Oral presentation of the onferene paper The above ativities will omprehensively evelop the framework within whih your projet is to be manage an exeute. One PEP027N moule is omplete, you will ontinue working on the projet towars PEPP32N. At the start of summer perio you will ontinue working on the projet. It is your responsibility to arrange appointments with your supervisor an reor your isussion in the Log-book. You shoul remember that your supervisor may go on voation uring the summer perio an it is your responsibility to make sure that in his/her absene you an ontinue working on the projet. 7.5 Submission You must submit two opies of your issertation/ projet. One opy will be available for you to ollet after marking an the other may be kept by the University, for referene. Both opies shoul be seurely boun so that pages annot easily be remove, lost or replae. It is helpful if at least one of the opies is boun with front an rear boars rigi enough to hol the issertation upright on a shelf, an has a navy blue over with gol lettering. (Your Postgrauate Offie an provie a list of thesis biners. You shoul expet to pay aroun per volume). There are three stanar ealine ates for submission in every aaemi year. The ates for 2009/10 are: Dealine Semester 22 January 2010 Semester 21 May 2010 Summer Perio 3 September 2010

20 14 Dissertations/Projets must be submitte at your Postgrauate Offie 8.0 MARKING AND ASSESSMENT 8.1 Aaemi Regulations The University s Aaemi Regulations govern all aspets of assessment an those onerning postgrauate assessment an be foun in Setion 4.2 ( 8.2 Marking an graes The University provies you with marks an graes for the work that you submit for assessment. The etaile requirements of assessment in eah moule are speifie in moule booklets, together with iniative assessment riteria assoiate with ifferent levels of performane an results. Eah omponent of assesse work is assigne a perentage mark with a pass/fail threshol at 50%. At postgrauate level, egrees are aware aoring to the overall average mark obtaine for all moules an the issertation, with lassifiation threshols for eah grae of awar as follows: 70% an above Masters egree with Distintion 60% % Masters egree with Merit 50% % Masters egree 0% % Fail At the en of eah semester, moule results an awars are onfirme by Assessment Boars (Subjet Stanars Boars an Awars Boars). Assessment Boars uphol the aaemi stanars of your ourse an ensure that eah stuent is treate fairly an equally through the assessment proess. 8.3 Your responsibilities onerning Assessment You have a responsibility to ensure that all oursework assessments are omplete in aorane with the publishe ealines an that all examinations are attene in aorane with the publishe timetable. While there are opportunities to be re-assesse in assignments an examinations (see 8.10 below) you shoul be aware that, uner the University s Aaemi Regulations, if you pass the moule on reassessment your overall moule mark will be appe at the bare pass mark level of 50%. You are also responsible for ensuring that all work submitte is your own an that it is appropriately referene. The University oes not tolerate heating of any kin. You are strongly avise to familiarise yourself with the Aaemi Misonut Proeures (refer to the Inex for etails of how these an be aesse). 8.4 Assessment Feebak Assessment feebak is a ritial part of your learning experiene an supports suessful ahievement on your ourse. Feebak an be: iagnosti it provies an iniator of your aptitue an prepareness for stuy an an ientify your strengths an weaknesses. formative it provies you with feebak on progress on your work. The work may or may not ontribute to the overall moule grae. summative it provies a measure of ahievement or failure in respet of your performane in relation to intene learning outomes for a piee of assessment.

21 15 During your ourse you will probably reeive feebak in a number of ifferent forms. in teahing sessions to the whole lass or to you iniviually; orally or in writing; written using a feebak sheet on your work; uring the moule as well as at the en. Your assessment tasks may be set for submission uring the semester or towars the en of the semester. You shoul note arefully the following etails For oursework submitte up to the en of teahing week 9 of a semester i) Your marke oursework an aompanying feebak shoul normally be returne to you uring moule sessions. Alternative arrangements may be mae, for example, where the assessment involves bulky piees of oursework. For oursework submitte after teahing week 9 of a semester i) Your tutor s feebak (without the oursework) will be available for olletion either from your moule leturer or from the Postgrauate Offie. ii) The marke work with your tutor s omments will be available for olletion two weeks after the formal publiation of the result. iii) Any unlaime work will be kept for a perio of 6 months following publiation of the result, after whih it will be estroye. All arrangements for oursework an feebak return will normally be state in moule booklets. This shoul inlue: ue ates for oursework submission; ates when oursework feebak will be istribute in lass (for work submitte up to the en of week 9); ates when oursework feebak an be ollete from the moule leturer or the Postgrauate Centre (for work submitte after week 9); the format by whih assessment feebak will be given; the proess by whih oursework an be ollete two weeks following the publiation of the result onerne. 8.5 Submission of oursework When haning in oursework you must ensure that you have unerstoo an followe all the instrutions provie by the moule leturer. Your oursework shoul be aompanie by a seurely attahe baroe oursework oversheet printe from Evision. Unless you are given formal guiane to o otherwise (e.g. for some esign work or work to be submitte via WebLearn), written oursework must be submitte only to the Postgrauate Offie in the builing that the moule is taught. Work hane in to tutors prior to, or on, the onfirme oursework ealine ate oes not onstitute a vali submission an will not be proesse. It is important that you retain both your submission reeipt (this is an eletroni reeipt sent to your University aress an also available to view on your Evision aount) an a opy of the oursework until the results are publishe on Evision. Full etails of the oursework submission proess, inluing how to obtain oursework over sheets, an be aesse at:

22 8.6 Examination Timetable 16 Examinations take plae uring Weeks 13,14 an 15 of eah semester an uring the Summer Reassessment perio in July. (See insie over of this hanbook for 2009/10 ates). The examination timetable is publishe three weeks prior to the start of eah examination perio at: Copies are also poste on Postgrauate Offie notieboars. 8.7 Past Examination Papers These are available online at: Mitigating irumstanes If a situation arises where, for goo reason, a stuent annot atten an examination or submit an assessment by the publishe ealine they are avise to make a laim uner the proeures for mitigating irumstanes. The University efines Mitigating Cirumstanes as irumstanes that are aute, severe, unforeseen an outsie a stuent s ontrol that our immeiately before or uring the assessment perio in question. Claims may be submitte in relation to the unavoiable late submission of oursework, nonsubmission of oursework, or non-attenane at an examination. Late oursework an be submitte up to 10 working ays later than the publishe ealine (NB where the late oursework ealine falls within the University s Christmas or Easter vaation perio, a single generi ealine is set by the University see Claims of mitigating irumstanes must be submitte to the Postgrauate Offie on the appropriate form, attahing inepenent supporting eviene of the partiular irumstanes that affete your stuies. Forms an be printe from: The ealines for the submission of laims are publishe on notie boars outsie the Postgrauate Offies an in the online Stuent Hanbook refer to the Inex (Setion 15) for further soures of information. If your laim for mitigating irumstanes is aepte: For oursework submitte within the late oursework perio; the mark for the omponent onerne will be onfirme. For non submission of oursework or non attenane at an examination, the stuent will be given the opportunity to be assesse at the next opportunity. This attempt shall replae the opportunity to whih the mitigating irumstanes pertaine. The University will also onsier a laim for poor performane in an exam or in an assesse piee of work that has been hane in by the publishe ealine, but this shoul be submitte via the Appeals proess. Prior to submitting a laim for Mitigating Cirumstanes you are strongly enourage to familiarise yourself with the Mitigating Cirumstanes Criteria (Setion 10.3 of the Aaemi Regulations), whih an be foun at: Assessment Boar Appeals There are only three grouns on whih stuents may appeal against the outome of an assessment boar eision. These are very speifi an an appeal may not be mae in respet of an aaemi jugment or in respet of a rejete laim of mitigating irumstanes.