DBA in Strategic Focus Handbook 1: The Study Element

Transcription

1 DBA in Strategic Focus Handbook 1: The Study Element

2 Contents 1. Introduction to the DBA and the study element Programme structure Nature of a DBA The research field The study element Core courses in strategic focus Core courses introducing business research The elective courses Assessment of study courses Next steps MSc. in Strategic Focus Development of research proposal and mentoring Guidance Notes Registration (Matriculation) Credit transfers Examination for study element courses Examination applications Examination payment Examination deferral Absence Absence on medical grounds Re-sits Results Appeals Appeals on Medical Grounds Transcripts and Certificates Graduation Data protection policy Change of contact details Transferring on-campus Changes to Fees and Programme Structures Appendix 1: University Regulations... 13

3 1. Introduction to the DBA and the study element This booklet covers the structure and nature of the DBA. It considers in some detail the study element of the programme, credit transfers of courses, and assessment. Information on the research element of the programme will be provided in subsequent publications. The critical information on the research element is covered in the three Introduction to Business Research courses. 2. Programme structure The structure of the DBA is different from that of a traditional doctoral programme. A traditional PhD from a British university takes around three years to complete and consists almost entirely of pure research. While the student spends a considerable amount of time communicating with the supervisor, there is no formal taught element. The DBA comprises a combination of formal courses and research, the study element and the research element. The study element requires you to complete 5 core strategic courses, 3 research-based courses and 3 elective courses. The research element requires you to work under the supervision of an EBSappointed expert to review literature, design a research method, collect data, and analyse results. A mentor will assist you in the initial phase, which leads up to the appointment of a supervisor. At key stages, you submit work to the School for approval or acceptance. Just as in a traditional PhD, student and supervisor will work together to produce a thesis for the award of the DBA, which is of equivalent standard to the PhD. 3. Nature of a DBA You should appreciate from the outset that the EBS DBA should only be undertaken after careful consideration. The time demands are likely to be considerable and there will be constant and changing pressures as you progress through the programme. In the later stages, the structure of the programme means that you will be simultaneously working on a series of demanding courses from the study element and on the research proposal from the research element. The research element is not to be taken lightly because it requires skills, which you may not have had to exercise before. This may be the first time you have faced such a combination of demands. It may also be the longest time that you have worked on a single project alone and without the support of a team and other resources. 3.1 The research field The DBA programme is based on the Strategic Focus Wheel concept which provides the underlying coherence for research undertaken on the programme. This concept expresses the way organisations focus their efforts and resources on delivering their intended strategic objectives by using four core elements.

4 Strategic Planning is the capstone course of the MBA; it examines issues related to identifying the strategic options available to an organisation and selecting the most appropriate. Making Strategies Work is concerned with the processes, which connect the high-level strategic plan to the day-to-day activities critical to its delivery. Project Management identifies the various means of ensuring completeness and control over physical realisation of the chosen strategy. Strategic Risk Management deals with issues related to identifying, monitoring and managing the risk profile of the organisation. Major changes in the organisation s profile will result in the need to revise risk strategies. Four main risk areas are covered: strategic risk, change risk, operational risk and unforeseeable risk. 3.2 The study element The study element provides the theory, knowledge, tools and techniques that underpin the subsequent applied research element. There are five compulsory courses in Strategic Focus, and three compulsory courses in the introduction to business research. There are several electives in subjects related to the application of Strategic Focus. The Strategic Focus courses with the three additional research courses provide the skills necessary to apply the tools and techniques of the discipline in a rigorous manner and in a wide range of settings. You are strongly advised to complete all five core strategic courses before attempting the first of the business research courses. Experience has shown that the core strategic courses enable you to frame a suitably integrated and coherent research focus. The three business research courses must be completed in numerical order. The courses are summarised below. For more detailed information about the courses, you should consult Core courses in strategic focus Strategic Planning The major problem facing chief executives is to make sense of a spectrum of information and apply appropriate tools and techniques in driving an organisation through a complex and continually changing competitive environment. The complexity of real life can be structured as a process involving objective setting, analysing competitive positioning, choosing a strategy, implementing it and adapting to feedback over time.

5 Making strategies work This course concentrates on the implementation phase of strategic management. The successful achievement of strategic objectives builds on successful strategic planning with implementation, and day-to-day activities that align the resources of the organisation with the strategic intent. The implementation phase requires a series of complex monitoring and control tools which act to align the resources of the organisation with the strategic intent. Project management This course considers project management as a tool for managing change. It considers risk management, people issues, organisational structures and several aspects of planning and control. Strategic risk management This course considers how to manage risk. Risk is necessary for innovation and opportunity and it can be a great source of competitive advantage. However, it can be dangerous depending on the degree of exposure of the organisation. The solution is to manage the risk. The course explores appropriate assessment and management systems and how to monitor and correct these systems as necessary until the process is complete. Competitive strategy. Competitive advantage is the basis for superior company performance. Organisations often have to nurture an evolving competitive advantage system in order to allow it to perform successfully against the competition over a period of time. The organisation has to be able to identify and analyse the advantages it has and use them to achieve superior performance. The course includes organisational structures, competitive advantage, value management and value engineering. 3.4 Core courses introducing business research The research courses are intended to provide sufficient guidance so that you can, with the assistance of the supervisor, develop the research to the standards and detail required at each stage. The core research courses are designed to instruct you through the consecutive stages of developing a thesis. They provide an all round basic grounding in research design and methods. These courses will bridge the gap between your existing research experience and the specialist research guidance provided by the research supervisor. Introduction to business research 1: the research proposal Most MBA graduates will have done no in-depth postgraduate research whatsoever. It is therefore necessary to establish a basic understanding of what research is and how it is done. This course examines significant elements such as empirical theory, research techniques, research management and planning, choosing a research focus, and writing a research proposal. It sets out the application to business research.

6 Introduction to business research 2: the literature review This course concentrates on developing an understanding of the concept of a methodology and literature review from a business perspective in order to produce a hypothesis or theory which is related to a direct business issue. The course explains the concept and execution of a literature review and how to progress from this to literature review synthesis and theory development. Introduction to business research 3: research methodology, data collection and analysis and results and conclusions This course concentrates on developing the statistical techniques that are necessary for data collection and analysis so that conclusions can be generated. It also provides insights into literature re-evaluation and theory refinement as well as formulation of results validation studies. 3.5 The elective courses The study element also contains a series of DBA elective courses. You can choose from a range of electives in order to assemble the prescribed final number of courses required for the DBA. You are required to complete 3 electives from the 5 that are currently available. At what stage and the order in which you study the elective courses is a matter of personal preference. The electives allow greater depth of study in areas related to the core elements. These courses have been designed to reflect and build on the core focus wheel and research courses. The electives build on the Strategic Focus model with its concentration on strategy, implementation and management processes. The subjects of the electives have been chosen to elaborate vital contemporary issues of concern to those who operate at the highest level. You are encouraged to use your choice wisely. This should primarily be dictated by what might be useful in the conduct of your research. Following personal interest is clearly desirable. You may wish to emphasise those electives of immediate interest to your work. A long term view rather than a short-term benefit should guide the choice. The elective courses include: Alliances and partnerships. Organisations are increasingly making use of alliances and partnerships. Organisations can provide individual resources and strength areas and work together to improve effectiveness. The course will consider such issues as the theory of alliances, how to form alliances, identify tensions, seek reconciliation of objectives and manage relationships. It also examines implementation processes. Corporate governance. Corporations have increased in status and power over the last 100 years and have achieved a level of development and power that to some extent rivals that of government. Corporate governance has numerous definitions. It is basically the systems by which corporations are directed and controlled. It has wide implications such as considerations by suppliers of finance as to how they can ensure a reasonable return on their investment and on the

7 distribution of rights and responsibilities within corporations. It is really a form of expressing how directors run corporations in relation to their obligations to stakeholders. The course will consider such topics as corporate governance, corporate power, organisational structure, stakeholder accountability and monitoring systems. Leadership. Organisations are about teams so leadership is an essential attribute in any management scenario. This course examines leadership theory from basic principles up to full models of current understanding. This course considers such topics as the theory, traits and characteristics of leadership. In addition, communication, team development and styles are part of the course. Mergers and acquisitions. Organisations often expand into new markets and customer bases by merging with or acquiring other organisations. Most organisations use their own planning techniques for the design and implementation of the merger or acquisition. This course aims to develop and apply a process model for successful mergers and acquisitions that will have generic applicability. This course considers such topics as merger planning, risk management, financial appraisal, strategy, implementation, monitoring, control and appraisal. Strategic negotiation. Negotiation competence is much more than a skills enhancement process, covered in the MBA Negotiation elective. It involves considerations of the strategic context and is dealt with fully in Strategic Negotiation. Starting from an organisation s business objectives, negotiation objectives are derived to produce a comprehensive Management Agenda, to be used to plan, conduct and execute high value, complex, multi-party and multi-level negotiations and manage difficult change agendas. 4. Assessment of study courses Each course element is assessed by formal examination. The assessment of each course is derived entirely from your performance in a single examination lasting 3 hours. To complete a course successfully you must obtain at least 50% in the examination. You are allowed to compensate for near-fail marks. Under the compensation system, an examination with a mark as low as 45% can be compensated by transferring marks from another examination where a higher score was obtained. A maximum of two compensatory passes may be awarded provided that the total shortfall is 5% or less and that you have successfully completed all remaining courses. The EBS Research Committee may require a student who fails an examination in a core course twice to withdraw from the programme.

8 5. Next steps 5.1 MSc. in Strategic Focus After successfully completing nine courses including all core strategic courses you are eligible for the award of MSc. in Strategic Focus. In this context successfully complete means pass all the examinations. This award is also subject to the conditions that you pay all due fees and comply with all other EBS and University requirements. This stage is referred to in the formal literature as Gateway Development of research proposal and mentoring At this stage you may start developing the research idea. You may wish to return to the idea included in your application, or you may find that you wish to refashion this idea to take account of what you learned during the study element. In effect, you start to prepare a research proposal which sets out your research ideas in a coherent form. An appointed Edinburgh Business School mentor will guide you to select a research field, set research aims and objectives and develop the necessary research background. The format of the research proposal is described in detail in Introduction to Business Research 1. The research proposal must be submitted to the EBS Research Committee for approval. Approval is the end point of this part of the research and is referred to in the formal literature as Gateway 3. In order to satisfy the conditions of Gateway 3, as well as developing the research proposal to a level where it is accepted by the EBS Research Committee, you have to complete the remaining two courses of the study element, pay all due fees and comply with all other EBS and University requirements. The EBS Research Committee may reject a research proposal on a maximum of 3 occasions before recommending that you withdraw from the programme.

9 6. Guidance Notes The following is a brief guide to the regulations of the DBA programme. Full details of the programme regulations are included in Appendix 1. The Regulations and Ordinances of the University are updated on a regular basis. The Internet editions, available at replace all previous editions. 6.1 Registration (Matriculation) You should register as a matriculated student of Heriot-Watt as soon as you are eligible to do so. To matriculate, you must sign and return the Registration Form which accompanied your offer letter and successfully complete any pre-requisite courses that are specified in the offer. If you are not eligible for immediate matriculation, your Registration Form will be held on file and you will be enrolled upon successfully fulfilling all preconditions. 6.2 Credit transfers Heriot-Watt MBA Alumni are permitted a maximum of four credit transfers for courses completed in the MBA and which form part of the DBA programme. Holders of other approved qualifications providing evidence of comparability of course content may be offered the opportunity of sitting exemption examinations in a maximum of two compulsory courses. 6.3 Examination for study element courses All examinations are subject to rigorous scrutiny by both Heriot-Watt University examiners and by external examiners from other leading UK universities. The University holds examinations for all DBA courses in June and December at more than 350 examination centres, located in over 140 countries, worldwide. Centres are not fixed in advance but are arranged in response to students requests at the time of application. Whilst some travel may be required, the University endeavours to arrange examinations as near to the locations requested by students as is practical, on a worldwide basis. In March and August, minor diets of examinations are offered in selected subjects in a small number of examination centres. The full examination timetable is available from the Student Services web site at Examination applications The deadline dates for examination applications are 1 st March & 1 st September for the June and December major diets respectively. The deadline date for the minor diets in March and August are 7 th February and 24 th July respectively.

10 If you have purchased the e-version of a course the home page of the Student Services website will offer you the option 'Apply to sit an Exam'. Clicking on this option will open an electronic form you complete and submit electronically. The exam fee of 100 per course will be collected from your credit card, using the information you provide. If you have purchased the text-based version of a course or have upgraded to the e-version, having first purchased the text-based course, you must apply to sit exams using the form which accompanies the course. This form is proof that you have purchased the course and bears a unique serial number; you must submit the original form. Photocopies and faxed copies of the form will not be accepted under any circumstances. If you have purchased a course through an Approved Support Centre you should contact them as they may have special arrangements for exam applications. If you do not wish to use the online exam application facility you can request an Examination Application Form from DBA Administration. Please ensure that you send the forms in good time and by a secure method of posting. The School cannot be held responsible for applications going astray in the postal services. The School can accept forms only if they are accompanied by the required fee. Incomplete/incorrectly completed application forms will be returned to you and cannot be accepted unless they are correctly completed and returned to the School by the closing date. The School will acknowledge receipt of your examination request within 3 weeks of receiving it. Please check the accuracy of the information contained in the acknowledgement letter and contact Edinburgh Business School if the information is incorrect. You can also check if your exam request has been processed in the Exam Service section of the Student Services website. Approximately one month before the examinations you will receive confirmation of the location and time of your examinations. This letter, which will include your scanned photograph, is proof of your entry and must be taken with you to the examination centre on the day of examination. Failure to produce this letter could result in the centre refusing to allow you to sit the examination. If for any reason you do not receive this letter, please ensure that you have alternative proof of identification which includes a recent photograph such as your passport. 6.5 Examination payment The School can only accept payment for examinations in Sterling ( ). Payment may be in the form of a cheque drawn on a UK bank, a sterling bank draft, or a credit or debit card. If you are paying by cheque, it should be made

11 payable to Edinburgh Business School. If you are paying by credit or debit card, please note that the following are acceptable: Visa, MasterCard, & Switch. Please provide your credit card number in full and the expiry date of your card, ensuring that the expiry date is at least two months after the examination entry deadline date. 6.6 Examination deferral If, having applied to sit an examination, you wish to defer your entry until a future diet; you may do so without financial penalty, provided that you advise the School before the appropriate deadline date. The deadline dates for deferring examinations, without incurring any cost, are 1 st May and 1 st November for the June and December diets and 7 th February and 24 th July for the March & August diets respectively. You may defer an entry in writing, by , fax or in the Exam Service section on the Student Services website. You will automatically be entered for the following major diet unless you specify an alternative diet. If you defer an entry after the deadline for deferral, you will not be entered automatically for the next main diet of examinations. To re-apply you must submit, by the relevant closing date, confirmation of the diet you wish to enter, your preferred examination centre and the relevant examination fee ( 100 per subject). This can be done in writing or via the Exam Service section of the Student Services website. 6.7 Absence Absence from an examination is not considered an attempt at the subject. However, your examination fee will not normally be credited and you will be required to pay the current exam fee at the time of re-applying to attempt the subject. To re-apply you must submit, by the relevant closing date, confirmation of the diet that you wish to enter, your preferred examination centre and the relevant examination fee ( 100 per subject). This can be done in writing or via the Exam Service section of the Student Services website. 6.8 Absence on medical grounds If you are absent due to illness you must confirm this by sending a certified true copy of your medical certificate to the University, within four weeks of the end of the diet of examinations. If the University accepts that you were unable to attempt the examination due to illness, your examination fee will be credited and you will automatically be entered for the following major diet, unless you specify an alternative diet. 6.9 Re-sits If you have failed an examination at the first sitting, you may re-attempt the subject at the diet of your choice. The Business School will send a re-sit application form to you if you are automatically eligible to re-sit a failed paper. To apply to re-sit, please complete and return this form with the relevant fee. It is also possible to register to re-sit an exam via Exam Service section of the Student Services website.

12 6.10 Results Examination results will be despatched directly to you, at the last mailing address notified, approximately eight weeks after the end of the diet of examinations. Thus December examination results will be despatched by the end of January June examination results will be despatched by the end of July You may also access your examination results and register for notification of their release in the Exam Service section of the Student Services web site. Please do not contact the University about your results prior to the above dates. Under no circumstances will we release examination results by phone or Appeals If you have failed an examination you will receive a fail report and solutions to the relevant case studies/essays. This will provide you with an indication of the standard required to pass the course and help you to prepare for a possible re-sit. After considering the fail report, if you wish to dispute the decision of the Board of Examiners you should write to Business School as soon as practicable after notification of the result, stating your reasons for disputing the decision. Your result will be reconsidered and you will be informed of the outcome. Please note that on a re-grade marks can be deducted as well as added. If you are still not satisfied you can request an analytical report on each case and essay question. You will be required to indicate this by correspondence and to include a fee of 100 for each course for which the report is requested. Under no circumstances will examination scripts be returned to you after the examination Appeals on Medical Grounds You should notify the Head of School, as soon as possible after the examination, of any illness or other circumstances which may have adversely affected your performance and which you would like the examiners to take into account in making their decision Transcripts and Certificates You will receive a Certificate of Achievement for each course you pass. A transcript can be obtained from ss@ebs.hw.ac.ukfor a charge of 5 Sterling. Transcripts contain the date and grade of each successful examination but not

13 the mark obtained. Certificates and transcripts make no reference to the mode of delivery or language of instruction Graduation When you have passed all the courses required for the MSc or DBA degree, you will be sent information regarding the appropriate congregation for the conferment of degrees ceremony. You are not considered to be a MSc or DBA graduate until the degree has been conferred at this ceremony. Ceremonies are held every July and November in Edinburgh Data protection policy Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University and its publisher Pearson Education work in partnership to deliver the Courses and Programmes. To ensure this Programme is managed efficiently and students supported effectively, some information recorded as you progress in your studies will be shared between your Approved Support Centre, Edinburgh Business School and Pearson Education. Your Approved Support Centre will use this information for academic programme support, for administration and for the provision of information to students; Edinburgh Business School will use this information for academic programme management; Pearson Education will use this information for operational and administration purposes only Change of contact details You are responsible for notifying us of any changes to your contact details. You can do this directly through the Student Services site. Changes in name should be notified to us in writing together with a copy of the legal documentation that confirms this change (marriage certificate, deed poll certificate) Transferring on-campus Classes for some DBA courses are taught at the Heriot-Watt campus on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Courses are taught on a modular basis over four terms which gives students the opportunity to supplement their study with oncampus tuition. Further details are available from DBA Administration Changes to Fees and Programme Structures EBS reserves the right to make changes to its fees and the structure of the programme at any time. Students will be given advanced notice of any changes and steps will be taken to ensure that existing students are not disadvantaged.

14 7. Appendix 1: University Regulations Regulation 9 (New) Assessments and Examinations 1. This regulation is made in pursuance of Ordinance Applicability 2.1 Paragraphs 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 shall apply to examinations in a course of study leading to a first degree. 2.2 Paragraphs 6, 7, 8 and 11 shall apply to examinations in a course of study leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy or a higher degree of Master or a postgraduate diploma. 3. Methods of Assessment and Examination 3.1 The different methods permitted for assessment and examination are designed to determine the successful completion of a course. They shall be mutually exclusive. 3.2 The particular method adopted for each course will be recorded in the Schedules to Regulation Modular Written Examination A modular written examination shall be a written examination of at least two hours duration and shall be the sole method of assessment of a course A modular written examination shall not form part of a synoptic assessment A modular written examination shall be held in the term in which the course has been studied A modular written examination shall be held during a scheduled diet of examinations (see paragraph 4). 3.4 Continuous Assessment Continuous assessment is the assessment of assignments set during the period of a course Continuous assessment may include written, oral or practical examination Where a written examination forms part of continuous assessment it shall be of at least one hour's duration and shall be held in a scheduled diet of examinations. The proportion of the overall mark allocated to the written examination shall be specified in the course structure and approved by the Senate. 3.5 Synoptic Assessment Synoptic assessment is the assessment of material covered either in a set of two or three linked courses or in a course and its corequisites other than by modular written examination or continuous assessment Synoptic assessment shall contain written examination of at least two hours but may additionally include written, oral, or practical assignments set during the period of the course.

15 3.5.3 Written examination shall take place at the end of the last course in a linked set or at the end of the term containing a course and its corequisites When a written examination is the sole method of assessment it shall be of at least three hours duration When a written examination forms only part of synoptic assessment the proportion of the overall assessment allocated to it shall be specified in the course structure and approved by the Senate All written examinations in terms of paragraphs 3.5.3, and shall be held during a scheduled diet of examinations (See paragraph 4). 3.6 Project/Dissertation This is assessment of a submitted project (which could be studio work) or an extended dissertation Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph of Regulation 9, the assessment may be of a single course, a set of linked courses, or of a course and its co-requisites (which may be increased to 3 for this purpose alone) The assessment may include oral, written or practical examination. 4. Diets of Examinations 4.1 There shall be four diets of examinations in each academic year. 4.2 The diets of examinations shall be called the December Diet, the March Diet, the Summer Diet and the Autumn Diet. 4.3 The December Diet and the March Diet shall be held in the tenth week of the first and second terms respectively. 4.4 The Summer Diet will be held in the ninth and tenth week of the third term except that in the fourth and fifth years of study a written examination may be held at other times with the prior approval of the Senate. 4.5 The Autumn Diet will normally be held in August/September. 5. Enrolment 5.1 A candidate is not required to enroll for an examination of the December, March or Summer Diet if he or she is attending the course and has paid the tuition fee. 5.2 Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 5.1 a candidate for an examination of the December, March or Summer Diet who has been permitted to proceed to a subsequent year of his or her course of study carrying up to three courses is required to enroll for the examinations and to pay the prescribed examination fee by the prescribed date. 5.3 A candidate for an examination which is due to be held in the December, March or Summer Diet of examinations and who is not attending the relevant courses is required to enroll and to pay the prescribed examination fee by the prescribed date.

16 5.4 A candidate for a degree examination of the Autumn Diet is required to enroll and to pay the prescribed examination fee by the prescribed date. 5.5 The prescribed dates for enrolment and payment of examination fees shall be as follows: 31st October for examinations of the December, March or Summer Diet 10th August for examinations of the Autumn Diet 5.6 Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs 5.5 a late application may be accepted on payment of an additional prescribed late fee up to and including the seventh day after the prescribed date. 5.7 A candidate who is required to be re-assessed in a course which was originally continuously assessed may be required to be reexamined by a written paper or may be required to submit work similar to that which was originally continuously assessed. 6. Timetables 6.1 The Examination Officer, in consultation with Heads of Schools or their nominees, shall prepare timetables of degree examinations. 6.2 The timetables shall be issued by the Examinations Officer not later than the following dates: 14 November for December examinations 28 February for March examinations 28 February for year four and year five examinations of the Summer Diet 30 April for the examinations of years one, two and three of the Summer Diet 10 August for examinations of the Autumn Diet. 6.3 For the December March and Summer Diets the timetable shall state the date, the time and the location of the examinations. For the Autumn Diet the timetable shall state the date and the time. 6.4 A statement of the locations of the examinations of the Autumn Diet shall be issued by the Examinations Officer not later than the seventeenth day of August. 6.5 The timetables shall be displayed in the University and the Examinations Officer shall send the relevant sections to each candidate who has enrolled in terms of paragraphs 5.2, 5.3 or It shall be the responsibility of a candidate to familiarise him or her self with the date, the time and the location of all relevant examinations. 7. Conduct 7.1 The provisions of paragraphs 7.2 to 7.22 shall apply to all written examinations and where appropriate to oral and practical examinations. 7.2 For each examination there shall be one or more invigilators and there may be one or more examination assistants. The method of appointment of invigilators and examination assistants and their duties other than those stated below shall be as prescribed in paragraph 9 of this Regulation.

17 7.3 A candidate shall act in accordance with any instructions issued by an invigilator. 7.4 A candidate shall not be permitted to introduce printed or other material into the examination room except such as may be authorised by the examiners. Mobile telephones and other electronic equipment shall be switched off and shall be deposited with other personal items in an area designated by an invigilator. Random checks may be made of any material or equipment brought into the examination room. A candidate found to be in possession of a mobile telephone or other unauthorised electronic equipment may be liable to a fine 7.5 The University provides a standard calculator for each candidate in examinations where they are essential to the completion of the examination. Heads of School may allow candidates to use other calculators in specifically designated examinations. A candidate shall not remove the University provided calculator from the examination room. 7.6 A candidate shall bring his or her matriculation card to an examination and shall display it on the desk for the duration of the examination. 7.7 A candidate shall be admitted to the examination room not earlier than fifteen minutes before the start of the examination. 7.8 A candidate shall not normally bring food into the examination room but may be allowed to bring in a non-alcoholic beverage. 7.9 A candidate shall not be admitted to the examination room later than half an hour after the start of the examination except with the permission of an invigilator A candidate shall not leave the examination room earlier than half an hour after the start of the examination except with the permission of the invigilator and shall not leave the examination room during the last fifteen minutes of an examination. A candidate shall remain in his or her seat at the end of an examination until the invigilator has collected all the examination scripts and, where appropriate, any equipment belonging to the University A candidate who has to leave the examination room temporarily shall be accompanied by an invigilator or an examination assistant A candidate shall normally remain in his or her place whilst in attendance at a written examination except in circumstances provided for in paragraphs 7.10 or All absences from the examination room during the examination or late arrivals at and early departures from the examination room shall be noted on a candidate's examination script by the invigilator A candidate may begin writing and shall stop writing on the instructions of an invigilator At the start of an examination a candidate shall receive an attendance card on which he or she shall immediately write his or her name, course and matriculation number, the subject of the examination and the date and which he or she shall sign.

18 7.16 A candidate shall write answers in the answer-books or other examination stationery provided. At the end of an examination a candidate as instructed by an invigilator shall return all answer-books together with any other material with which he or she has been supplied, or on which he or she has written or drawn during the examination The answer books completed by a candidate during an examination shall thereafter become the property of the University and shall not be released except in accordance with the due process of law A candidate ready to leave the examination room shall remain in his or her place until the invigilator has collected his or her examination scripts and where appropriate, any equipment belonging to the University and has given any other relevant instructions. When he or she receives permission to leave the examination room a candidate shall do so expeditiously and quietly A candidate may not communicate with, receive assistance from or copy from the paper of another candidate or use any other unfair means during an examination A candidate may be required by an invigilator to withdraw from an examination for good cause. The invigilator shall as soon as possible report any such withdrawal to the appropriate Dean, the Head of the candidate's School or his or her Director of Studies and the Head of the School offering the course The answer-book of a candidate who is required to withdraw shall be sent by the invigilator to the Head of School offering the course together with a note explaining the circumstances of the withdrawal A candidate whose examination scripts are judged to be so illegible that assessment is impossible may be required to dictate them to a typist under supervision and at his or her own expense. A request from the examiners for such action shall require the approval of the Head of the School offering the course A candidate in any examination who for special reasons wishes to type or dictate his or her answers may apply for permission to the Head of the School offering the class. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 9.1 an amanuensis who is not a member of the academic staff may with the approval of the Head of School act as invigilator. The candidate may be required to bear the cost of any special arrangement A candidate who disregards the procedures in this regulation concerning the introduction of electronic equipment, mobile telephones and calculators (other than those authorised by a Head of School) into an examination room, may be liable to disciplinary action. 8. Attendance 8.1 A candidate shall attend all examinations prescribed for his or her course of study. 8.2 A candidate who is prevented through illness from taking an examination shall submit to the Head of School a certificate issued by a registered medical practitioner.

19 8.3 When a candidate for an examination is unable through illness or other good cause to take a written examination on the date and at the time and location specified, the Dean of the University may, on the recommendation of the Head of the appropriate School, and in the case of illness, of a registered medical practitioner, make other arrangements, provided that an invigilator nominated by the Head of the School and appointed by the Dean is present throughout the examination. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 9.1 the invigilator need not be a member of the academic staff. The candidate may be required to bear the cost of the invigilation and any other expenses incurred. 9. Invigilation 9.1 For each examination in a particular course the Head of the School offering a course, or responsible for the greater part of the course, shall appoint an invigilator from among the members of the academic staff of his or her School. He or she may also appoint from among the members of the academic staff one or more additional invigilators. Before an examination the Head of School shall provide the Examinations Officer with a list of the members of staff in the department who will act as invigilators. On the recommendation of the Examinations Officer, the Vice-Principal shall appoint a chief invigilator for each examination venue. 9.2 At least two invigilators shall be present if there are more than thirty candidates in an examination room. 9.3 For each examination the Head of School in consultation with the Examinations Officer shall ensure that there is available an adequate number of examination assistants who shall work under the direction of the invigilators. An examination assistant need not be a member of the academic staff of the University. 9.4 The Head of School or his or her nominee shall be responsible for the collection of examination papers from the Academic Registry. 9.5 The chief invigilator shall report to the examination room at least thirty minutes before the start of an examination and shall ensure that sufficient quantities of the examination paper, answer books and other materials necessary for the examination have been provided; such preparation shall be completed before any candidates are admitted to the examination room and at least five minutes before the advertised start of the examination. 9.6 At the beginning of each examination the chief invigilator shall draw the attention of candidates to the rubric printed on the back page of the answer book which gives information to candidates on the conduct expected of them during the examination and the penalties for cheating, and shall give any other necessary instructions. 9.7 Not later than half an hour after the start of an examination an invigilator shall collect the attendance cards and shall compare them with the list of students eligible to take the examination. He or she shall

20 record any discrepancies on the list and immediately report the matter to the Head of the School offering the course. 9.8 At the end of an examination an invigilator shall collect the answer books from each candidate together with any other material relevant to the examination on which a candidate has written or drawn during the examination. 9.9 For the duration of an examination an invigilator shall not be engaged in activities inconsistent with his or her duties At the end of an examination the chief invigilator shall ensure that the answer books and other material from each candidate are given to the Head of the School offering the course or to a member of the academic staff nominated by the Head of the School An invigilator shall not discuss an examination paper with a candidate individually but he or she may make a general announcement to all candidates in order to explain any typographical errors in or omissions from the examination paper or to convey other instructions from the examiners An invigilator shall ensure that all regulations relating to the conduct of examinations are observed An invigilator shall report any unusual incident or any apparent breach of the regulations on the prescribed form to the Head of the appropriate School as soon as possible. The invigilator shall also report what action was taken as a result of the incident. 10. Examinations Officer 10.1 There shall be an Examinations Officer who shall be appointed by the Secretary of the University from among the members of the University administrative staff The responsibilities of the Examinations Officer shall include the following: the preparation and issue of examination timetables as specified in paragraph 6 of this regulation the preparation and presentation of examination marks schedules the issue of examination results At least fourteen days before an examination the Examinations Officer shall send to the Head of the School responsible for the examination copies of the list of candidates eligible to take the examination The Head of the School shall give a copy of the list to the invigilator of the examination and shall return a copy to the Examinations Officer in due course showing the examination mark which the Examiners have agreed to award to each candidate. 11. Results 11.1 The procedure to be followed for the preparation, adjudication and announcement of the results of examinations taken by a candidate pursuing a course of study shall be as determined from time to time by

21 the Senate on the recommendation of the Undergraduate Studies Committee or Postgraduate Studies Committee as appropriate. 12. Special Circumstances 12.1 A candidate may notify the Head of his or her School of any illness or other circumstances which may have adversely affected his or her performance and which he or she would like the examiners to take into account in making their decision. 13. External Examination 13.1 A code of practice relating to the appointment and role of external examiners -contained in an Appendix to this regulation.

22 Regulation 36 Student Appeals 1. This Regulation is in pursuance of clause (h) of paragraph 8 of Statute XII and clause (r) of paragraph 4 of Statute XIII and sets out the mechanism to be followed when dealing with student appeals. 2. A student may make an appeal under any of the categories detailed in this Regulation and the procedures prescribed shall be followed. 3. Appeals relating to progress 3.1 A student registered on a taught course or for a degree by research may appeal to the Undergraduate Studies Committee or the Postgraduate Studies Committee as appropriate against the application of the rules on student progress. 3.2 A student who wishes to appeal must lodge his or her appeal by writing to the Convener of the Undergraduate Studies Committee or of the Postgraduate Studies Committee care of the Academic Registry and send a copy to the Head of his or her School who shall send a statement relating to the case to the Convener of the Undergraduate Studies Committee or of the Postgraduate Studies Committee. 3.3 An appeal shall be accompanied by any documentary evidence upon which it is based and unless the Convener of the Undergraduate Studies Committee or of the Postgraduate Studies Committee considers that there are exceptional circumstances, all appeals shall be submitted by the following dates: For undergraduate courses, by 30 September in the year of study to which the appeal relates For postgraduate taught courses, within seven days of notification of the decision of the Examiners For research degrees, including degrees wholly or partly by research, within one month of notification of the decision of the Examiners. 3.4 Following consideration of the appeal the decision of the Undergraduate Studies Committee or of the Postgraduate Studies Committee shall be transmitted to the student and reported to the Senate. 4. Appeals relating to Examinations or Assessments 4.1 A student who wishes to dispute a decision of a Board of Examiners or, in the case of a degree being carried out wholly or partly by research, the decision of the Examiners, should write in the first instance to the Head of his or her School as soon as practicable after notification of the decision of the Board of Examiners or the Examiners, stating his or her reasons for disputing the decision and where appropriate should provide verification. Medical and other matters, which could have been brought to the attention of the Examiners or the

23 Board of Examiners prior to the disputed decision being taken, shall not normally be considered at this stage. 4.2 Taught courses In the case of taught courses the Head of School or his or her nominee shall invite the Board of Examiners and the External Examiner(s) to consider the student s stated reasons for disputing the decision and to reconsider their decision. The Head of School or his or her nominee shall inform the student of the outcome of the Examiners reconsideration. 4.3 Research degrees In the case of a degree carried out wholly or partly by research the Head of School or his or her nominee shall invite the Internal and External Examiners to consider the student s stated reasons for disputing the decision and to reconsider their decision. The Head of School or his or her nominee shall inform the student of the outcome of the Examiners reconsideration. 5. Appeals to the Senate Appeals about Performance 5.1 A student who is dissatisfied following reconsideration of his or her performance under paragraphs 3 or 4 above may appeal to the Senate. 5.2 An appellant wishing to appeal shall send to the Academic Registrar a full statement which sets out (a) the grounds of his or her appeal, (b) the reasons for dissatisfaction with the outcome of the previous stage and (c) details of and, where appropriate, copies of any supporting evidence. 5.3 The appellant shall be entitled on request to receive copies of Examiners reports and relevant extracts from Examination Board Minutes. 5.4 Appeals against decisions made in terms of paragraphs 3 and 4 of this Regulation shall be made within two months of the decision of the Examiners or of the Undergraduate Studies Committee or of the Postgraduate Studies Committee, except in the case of design-based courses, where an appeal shall be made within seven days of the decision of the Examiners. Other Appeals 5.5 A student may appeal to the Senate against any decision, which affects his or her academic work. A student wishing to appeal shall send to the Academic Registrar a full statement which sets out (a) the grounds of his or her appeal, and (b) details of and, where appropriate, copies of any supporting evidence. Appeals under this paragraph shall be made within two months of the information, which forms the basis of the appeal coming to the student s knowledge. Appeals Procedure 5.6 All appeals to the Senate shall be dealt with in the following way: