HLC Handbook for Undergraduate and Taught Postgraduate students

SCHOOL OF HISTORIES, LANGUAGES & CULTURES
STUDENT HANDBOOK
UNDERGRADUATE AND TAUGHT POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMMES
2012-2013
On request, information in this Handbook can be made
available in an alternative format. Please contact the HLC
Student Support Centre at hlcenq@liv.ac.uk
The School of Histories, Languages & Cultures brings together more than a dozen subject areas,
and we hope you will take every opportunity to benefit from the breadth and vitality that is
possible in a School of this size. Most of your time will be spent working in one or two academic
disciplines, and the School is committed to giving you world-class teaching and in-depth specialist
expertise at subject level. In addition, we will work very hard to make sure that all of you,
regardless of which programme you are studying, get the same high standard of support and
guidance from academic and professional services staff. This handbook will be your main source of
information about the School: you will find here answers to many of the questions you have, and it
also tells you how to contact us if you need further information and help.
With all best wishes for the coming year,
Professor Brigitte Resl
Head of School
School of Histories, Languages & Cultures
University of Liverpool
12 Abercromby Square
Liverpool
L69 7WZ
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/histories-languages-and-cultures/
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SECTION A: SCHOOL INFORMATION
A1 Programmes
The School of Histories, Languages & Cultures brings together the departments of Archaeology,
Classics and Egyptology; Cultures, Languages and Area Studies; History; Politics; and the Institute
of Irish Studies. At undergraduate level we offer single honours programmes as well as joint
honours programmes either across subjects within the School or in conjunction with other schools
in the Faculty and beyond. In addition, many combined honours students take modules within the
School as part of their degree.
At postgraduate level we also offer a wide range of Master’s programmes which can be studied
either on a full-time or part-time basis.
Full information on all degree programmes owned by the School can be found on the School
website at http://www.liv.ac.uk/histories-languages-and-cultures/Student_Support_Centre.htm.
The School aims to create an effective environment for your intellectual and personal
development and to encourage you to be demanding of yourselves in the pursuit of knowledge
and understanding. Successful study at degree level depends on self-motivation, an ability to
organise your time, initiative in using lectures, seminars and reading to develop a personal
understanding of an area of study, and development of confidence in writing and presenting
results to others.
A2 School buildings and facilities
HLC Student Support Centre
For administrative support and general information on your studies, the HLC Student Support Centre
can be found to the left of the main entrance hall in 12 Abercromby Square. (See Section A3 for
further details).
Teaching
Classes take place in lecture and seminar rooms, mainly on the South Campus. Sometimes classes
will be held in staff offices. Academic staff will mostly have offices in buildings on and around
Abercromby Square and in the Hartley Building.
Because so many meetings and classes are taking place in our buildings, we ask everyone to be
considerate of each other. The use of mobile phones is not permitted in the libraries or in
buildings where teaching is taking place and staff have offices, because the noise can be very
intrusive to staff and students when trying to teach or work. Ensure your mobile phone is
switched off during classes.
In most teaching rooms, food and drink are not permitted. Please ensure you dispose of all
rubbish in the recycling bins provided around the campus. Also, remember that it is against the
law to smoke in or near to any building or open window. Please ensure you dispose of cigarette
ends responsibly.
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Student Common Rooms
There are student common rooms around the School providing somewhere for students to relax and
socialise between classes. Students can also use the rooms to hold discussion groups or as a study
space.
Library and Audio-Visual Suite, Cypress Building (G11a and G11b)
For language and film studies, this library comprises a resources room and a purpose-built audiovideo
suite. A comprehensive resource list is available for French, German, Italian, Portuguese and
Spanish. Resources include reference works such as dictionaries and grammars, along with
printed, audio-visual and electronic study and exercise materials. Most are available for use on the
premises only. For more details and opening hours, see:
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/ulc
Garstang Museum of Archaeology
The Garstang Museum of Archaeology is named in honour of Professor John Garstang, whose
excavations in Egypt, Sudan and the Levant produced a rich resource of archaeological collections.
The Museum displays some of the key objects in our collection, which relate to areas of strength in
teaching and research in Egyptology, Classical Studies and Prehistoric and Near Eastern
Archaeology.
In 2012, the Museum moved into completely refurbished spaces in 14 Abercromby Square. For
more details and opening hours, see:
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/sace/garstang-museum/index.htm
A3 Advice and support
You must keep in regular communication with academic and professional services staff. Always ask
for help if you are struggling with a problem, no matter how trivial or serious it may be: we can’t help
if we don’t know.
For advice and support with your individual modules
If you have problems with work on a particular module—understanding lectures, finding appropriate
reading, completing an essay—ask advice from the member of academic staff who is teaching you on
the module. Each module has a module convenor (the person with overall responsibility for the
module), and some modules also have other staff who teach seminar/tutorial groups. You can raise
issues during seminar classes, or if you prefer to talk about the issue privately, after the class when
other students have departed, or during staff office contact hours. Staff will post their office hours on
the relevant module pages in VITAL, and on notice-boards outside their offices. Put these hours in
your timetable to remind you when staff are available.
Formal module descriptors, indicating topic, aims, objectives, syllabus, assessment details etc., can be
accessed via the School website, or through the individual module pages on VITAL.
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For administrative support and general information on your studies
The HLC Student Support Centre is the main student administrative area of the School. You can
find it in 12 Abercromby Square, to the left in the main entrance hall. Here you can obtain
information and advice on:
� Registration and module changes
� Programme transfers
� Suspension and withdrawal of studies
� Contacting academic staff
� Reference requests
� Timetabling
� Coursework submission
� Absence from classes, attendance and progression
� Examinations
� Module and assessment marks
� Mitigating circumstances (affecting assessments and performance)
� Prizes and scholarships
� Student representation
� Student societies
� Graduation
The HLC Student Support Centre is open Monday – Friday, 9.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m. throughout the
year. Emergency support is provided from 8.30 a.m. – 5.30 p.m. Please do not email if your
enquiry is urgent.
Full contact details are as follows:
HLC Student Support Centre
School of Histories, Languages & Cultures
University of Liverpool
12 Abercromby Square
Liverpool
L69 7WZ
Tel: 0151 794 2393 / 2413
Email: hlcenq@liv.ac.uk
Web: http://www.liv.ac.uk/histories-languages-and-cultures/Student_Support_Centre.htm
For advice and support if you are experiencing difficulties
The School Learning and Teaching Support Officer can help if you are experiencing serious difficulties
with any aspect of University life. The Learning and Teaching Support Officer is Alex Lancaster. She
will be able to provide advice and support with welfare and pastoral concerns, ensuring that you are
guided to the most appropriate specialised support for your needs.
You can contact Alex via the HLC Student Support Centre or directly at a.lancaster@liv.ac.uk.
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Drop in sessions are available at the following times:
� Tuesday, 10.00 a.m. – 12.00 p.m.
� Thursday, 2.00 p.m. – 4.00 p.m.
For general advice and support with your studies
When you enter the University, you will be allocated an academic advisor, an academic member of
staff responsible for providing appropriate support to help you to fulfil your academic potential in
your studies. You can find out the name of your academic advisor via the Spider Student Web (see
below). Incoming students will meet their academic advisor during Welcome Week. You can contact
your academic advisor to arrange a meeting at any time, and you will be invited to attend stock-take
meetings, usually in the mid-semester Tutorial Weeks.
A4 Keeping in touch
Throughout your time here, staff will need to contact you with often important information. It is
vital that you check the various means of communication regularly to ensure you are up-to-date.
VITAL
VITAL is the University’s virtual learning environment used to allow staff to post learning materials
online; communicate with students; track assignments and formative work and manage assessments.
Staff will post reading lists, class lists and assessment information on VITAL, so log into your
module sites regularly. Communications from staff come via VITAL to your University email
address, so you must check this account daily.
Spider Student Web
Spider is the University’s student database where you can access a wide range of information on
your modules, assessment marks, examinations, accommodation, fees and graduation (see
Section B4). It is your responsibility to ensure that the data in Spider is correct. As part of the
registration process in each year of study, you must update your personal details, including home
and vacation addresses and emergency contact details. An up-to-date mobile phone number will
also help us to reach you quickly where necessary.
Staff office contact hours
Academic staff have designated office contact hours in term time. This is time each week that is
specifically set aside to see students. You do not need to make an appointment to see a tutor
during their office contact hours; simply turn up. Your tutor may not be available outside of these
times, because they have to spend a lot of their time teaching, in meetings, or away from the
office doing research. If your query is urgent and your tutor does not have office contact hours
that day, please contact the HLC Student Support Centre.
Full contact details for all academic staff can be found on the School website at:
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/histories-languages-and-cultures/
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Using email
Incoming students are provided with a University email account and once your registration is
completed, all University communications will be sent to this account. It is very important that
you check this daily during term-time, and also regularly during vacation periods.
Email is usually not a good way to get an answer to an urgent query: you will generally get the
information you need more readily by visiting the HLC Student Support Centre or seeing your tutor
in class or during their office contact hours.
If you do email academic staff or professional services staff, please do so only from your University
email account. Write in a professional, polite style, and remember to use an appropriate greeting
and sign-off in all mails.
When contacting the HLC Student Support Centre, it is important to indicate your student ID
number, which degree programme you are on and your year of study in all communications. In a
School with over 2,000 students, this will help us to identify you more easily and respond to your
enquiry.
Academic and professional services staff will not normally reply to emails outside of normal office
hours—in other words you should not expect a reply to your email in the evenings or at the
weekend.
Please try to find information in this handbook or through the School or University web pages in
the first instance; if you cannot find what you are looking for, let us know so that we can post that
information for the benefit of other students. The HLC Student Support Centre will also be able to
answer many of your non-academic queries.
Phone
All staff have a direct telephone number and many have voicemail. Please note that when
telephoning staff on a University telephone, you only need to dial the last 5 digits (e.g. for 794
1234 you simply dial 41234). Calls made from outside the University or from a mobile require the
full number. If you are dialling from outside the UK, use the prefix +44 (151).
A5 Prizes and scholarships
The School offers a number of prizes for academic excellence across its various programmes and
subject areas. Some are approved by the Board of Examiners in June (undergraduate) and
November (postgraduate) and students notified by email. You do not need to apply for any of
these awards. For final year students, awards are made at the graduation receptions in July and
December. Some subject areas also offer other prizes which may require application. See the
School website for details at http://www.liv.ac.uk/histories-languages-and-cultures/.
A6 Research seminars
In addition to your scheduled classes, research seminars are often run across a range of subject
areas reflecting the research interests of staff or as part of an established research centre.
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Seminars normally consist of a visiting speaker, often a leading expert in their field, invited to
discuss their latest research with opportunities to ask questions, or may take the form of a
workshop providing a chance to engage with other students in similar subject areas. Most relate
to themes students may be studying in their modules and dissertations so will allow you to gain an
insight into your own areas of interest as well. Events are usually advertised on the School website
and via email but look out for posters around the School buildings and speak to academic staff.
As well as the above, MPhil and PhD students in the School organise their own series of seminars
to allow them to discuss their own research. Again, all students are welcome to attend.
A7 Student societies
No matter what programme of study you are on, there will be a student society for you. Look out
for information and events during Welcome Week. Societies are often a good way to make new
friends and share common interests. As well as social events, many help new students adjust to
university and organise study groups, film showings and field trips. They are run solely by students
for students and depend therefore on your input. You can get involved simply by turning up to
events, or be more active by holding a position on the committee. It doesn’t take up much time, is
good fun and enhances your CV.
Societies advertise their activities on Facebook and in posters around the buildings.
A8 Student representation
The School tries to be as open as possible in the way it runs, and students are encouraged to make
their views heard. This is not to say every opinion will be acted upon because ultimately academic
staff are responsible for using their judgement about how their subject should be taught and
assessed. But student opinion will always be listened to and seriously considered.
To facilitate this, staff/student liaison committees are run across the School usually once per
semester. All students (undergraduate and postgraduate, including joint and combined honours
students, both full- and part-time taking modules in the School) are invited to stand for election on
the appropriate committee and are provided with training and support from the Guild of Students
(see Section D4.1). Staff/student liaison committees are formal but friendly forums for students to
raise issues of general concern about their studies; they cannot deal with matters of an individual
or personal nature. They may also be used to consult with students on policy changes, curriculum
development, assessment, feedback, etc.
If you are interested in becoming a student representative please contact the HLC Student Support
Centre. Elections (where required) are normally held at the start of the academic session and
students may serve as representatives for one year or throughout their studies if they wish.
A9 Evaluation of teaching and support
We actively seek your opinion on the effectiveness of our modules through Module Evaluation
Questionnaires (MEQs). You will be asked to complete the questionnaire anonymously in Week 10 or
11 of each semester and the module tutor will respond to your comments in a digest posted on
VITAL. The questionnaires are reviewed by the School, as part of the School’s attempt to ensure that
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the standard of teaching is of high quality. Information generated in this way can lead to
improvements in teaching and helps to ensure effective communication between staff and students.
A suggestion box is located outside the HLC Student Support Centre for students to contribute ideas
for improvements in any area of the School.
All students have the opportunity to complete a national survey about teaching quality. For
undergraduates, this is the National Student Survey (NSS) in the spring of their final year. Taught
postgraduates have the chance to complete the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES). The
surveys ask a range of questions about your experience of studying for your degree, and the
University uses the results to identify improvements to be made in the future. Information about the
surveys is widely advertised across the campus each year.
A10 Our learning, teaching and assessment approach
The University aims to provide a high quality learning experience, fully meeting students’ needs
and underpinned by a framework of policies covering all aspects of the student experience. This
chapter will cover the structure of your studies, expectations, teaching and learning strategies and
assessment and examinations. Fuller information on individual module requirements can be
obtained from module handbooks and from VITAL.
A10.1 Expectations
To complete your degree programme at Liverpool successfully you need to reflect on the
commitment needed. Success is not measured only by the class of degree you obtain, but by the
effort you put in, and the personal improvement in understanding, skills and attitude you can
achieve as a student. These qualities, as well as your marks, are commented on in references
when you apply for work. It might help to set out some basic expectations staff have of students,
and some expectations we feel you should have of us.
A more detailed discussion of these issues is contained in the University of Liverpool Student
Charter, available at http://www.liv.ac.uk/tqsd/pol_strat_cop/studchart_bkgrd.htm.
We expect you to show commitment to study by:
� treating all staff and students with professional respect
� attending all your classes
� submitting assessed work on time
� producing your own work and not copying that of others
� submitting the highest quality work that you can
� reflecting on feedback given on your work in order to improve your performance
� attempting to take an active and positive part in classes
� reading and reflecting on all the guidance materials that you are given
� taking care of the resources of the University in the School, in the library, and other buildings.
We think you should expect of staff that we:
� give classes as timetabled
� be available to students during office contact hours and respond to requests for advice
� listen to students as well as talk to them
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� provide advice on reading and study
� give prompt and specific feedback on assessments
� be fair and impartial in assessing student performance.
A10.2 Programmes and modules
All students are registered on a programme of study which is divided up into modules each with a
given credit value (usually 15 or 30 credits).
Full-time undergraduate students take 120 credits in each year of study, normally 60 credits in
each semester.
Full-time postgraduate students take 180 credits, normally 60 credits in each semester and a 60credit
dissertation over the summer vacation period. Part-time postgraduate students normally
complete their programme in two years, taking 60 credits in Year 1 and 120 in Year 2 (including
the dissertation).
It is ultimately your responsibility to make sure that you are registered correctly, so if you have
any doubt, please check with the HLC Student Support Centre.
All programmes have a programme specification containing the following information:
� Aims of the programme
� Learning outcomes
� Entrance requirements
� Programme structure (including required and optional modules)
� Teaching, learning and assessment strategies
� Ordinances and regulations.
A10.3 Teaching
Classes are timetabled between 9.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Fridays, and between 9.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m. on Wednesdays. Once you have registered for your
modules, you will be able to view your personalised timetable via the Spider Student Web. You can
then add the office contact hours of academic staff to your timetable as a reminder of when they are
available to deal with any queries you have. It is also a good idea to use your timetable to allocate
yourself library and study time in between your scheduled classes.
Classes begin either on the hour or the half-hour, and should last no more than fifty or eighty minutes
in a 1-hour or 1.5 hour slot to give you time to get to your next class. Check your timetable carefully
so you know when and where your classes are scheduled.
You should attend all your timetabled classes, because the mix of learning and teaching styles is vital
to covering the material and developing your skills and understanding. Lectures, seminars, lab classes
and other more specialised sessions are all equally important, and build on each other as the
semester progresses.
On most undergraduate programmes, your total hours in class will be fewer than you had when you
studied in school or college. This is because university-level learning is much more about being
supervised and guided than about being taught in a narrow sense. Class time is used intensively to
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convey ideas, to challenge and test arguments and theories, and to debate issues. For the most part,
we do not use class time to give you basic information and data that you would be better finding for
yourself in the library. This is probably the key difference between A-level and university-level study:
your own research and reading underpins the success of the class time to a much greater extent.
Postgraduate-level learning takes this a stage further, and you will find that your success is very
largely dependent on your ability to function as an independent—although guided—learner.
A10.4 Personal Study
Personal study takes a variety of forms. It includes, for example, preparing for classes by reading the
material set by your tutor, and exploring any references flagged up in lectures. It also includes reading
for essays and researching around your subject to gain a wider perspective of your work. Module
specifications contain preliminary reading lists, and much more detailed reading assignments are
provided to accompany each module.
Take advantage of library tours and skills sessions early on so that you become a capable user of
information systems and know your way round the library. A major university library like the Sydney
Jones Library is an extraordinary asset to your research as a student (see also Section C1), and you
should make yourself comfortable using it from the beginning of your first term. Spend some time
just wandering about, taking mental notes of the range of materials on the shelves; this will be
especially important when you come to study modules that take sources from more than one
academic discipline.
Try to adopt a regular pattern of private study that suits your individual needs. This requires
considerable personal discipline, but once you have it, you will find that you can adapt to the
increasing demand we make of you from one year to the next. Regular, sustained study not only
helps you to plan your work and gauge your progress more efficiently but also prevents panic revision
for examinations.
In accordance with University policy, one credit equates to ten hours of learning time, including
private study, attendance at classes, revision and assessment. As you are required to take 60 credits
of study each semester (undergraduate level), this comes to 600 hours per fifteen-week semester—
or, put another way, an average of 40 hours per week during the twelve weeks of teaching, revision
week, and the two examination weeks. Full time study is therefore very much like having a full-time
job, except that you are responsible for setting most of your working hours.
A10.5 Study Abroad
Many of the School’s modern language degree programmes include compulsory study abroad, and
students on these programmes will be briefed on the requirements and arrangements of the Year
Abroad in the course of your second year of study.
It is also possible to study abroad for a year or a semester on other programmes, normally in the
second year. This can be a valuable opportunity to widen your horizons while also extending your
studies in new directions. We advertise information about the exchange programmes that we work
with early in each academic year, so please look out for this. It is important to let us know in your
first year that you are interested so that we have time to set up arrangements if you do decide to
pursue this in your second year.
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On some postgraduate programmes it is possible to study a module abroad. Check with your module
convenor for details.
A10.6 Assessment
Module handbooks are your most important source of information on assessment. Staff will give you
all the information you need about your assignments in the handbook, which will usually be posted
on the module’s VITAL pages. This will include word-limits, any particular requirements about the use
of sources or materials, and any specific instructions.
Please read the instructions relating to each assignment carefully, and ask your module tutor if
you have any queries. Please remember that an essay in one module may require a very different
approach from an essay in another, because of differences in the learning outcomes of the module
and the sources and methods being used.
Guides to referencing for essay writing (bibliographies, footnotes, citations, etc.) can be found at
http://libguides.liv.ac.uk/home. Within each subject LibGuide, click on the ‘Referencing’ tab and
find the list of reference styles. Each module handbook will tell you whether to use the
‘Footnotes’ style or the ‘Harvard’ style. Ask your module tutor if you are in any doubt.
The LibGuides are a useful source of information more generally, and you should make yourself
familiar with them.
A10.7 Submission procedures for assessed coursework
You need to submit two paper copies of all assessed coursework, and also submit an electronic
copy via TURNITIN on the module’s VITAL pages. The paper copies and the electronic copy must be
identical.
i/ paper copies
You must submit TWO paper copies of all assessed coursework.
You need to attach an anonymity cover sheet to both copies of the coursework. You should print
the cover sheet in advance and attach it to your coursework before submission. The form is
available at http://www.liv.ac.uk/histories-languages-and-cultures/Forms/index.htm
Do not put your name on the coursework itself, but do put your student ID number on the top
right-hand corner of every page so that we can identify it if pages become detached.
You must submit all work to HLC Student Support Centre staff in person. Do not submit
coursework to your module convenor, academic advisor or anyone else. This is for your own
protection so that we have a central record that you submitted the work. The only exception to
this is ‘formative’ coursework that does not form part of the final mark, and which can be
submitted directly to the staff teaching the module. If you are in any doubt what kind of
coursework you have to submit, check with your module convenor or the HLC Student Support
Centre.
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The deadline for all assessed coursework submission is 4.00 p.m. on the day specified in your
module handbook. Work submitted after 4.00 p.m. will attract the standard penalty (see Section
E1). Give yourself plenty of time. You can submit your coursework at any time in advance of the
deadline. Many students submit in the morning to avoid the stress of watching the clock all day -
and avoid the queues!
ii/ electronic copy
You must also submit an electronic copy via TURNITIN on the module’s VITAL pages. This has the
same deadline as the paper copies. You will find the submission page in the ‘Assessment’ section
of each module’s VITAL pages. If you have any trouble submitting the electronic version, you must
contact your module convenor as soon as possible so that they can investigate.
A10.8 Examinations
The University has two assessment periods in January and May and a re-sit assessment period in
August/September. An examination timetable will be made available via the Spider Student Web in
advance of each assessment period. Please check this carefully and make sure you know the date,
time and exact location of your examinations.
Notes for Guidance of Examination Candidates may be found at:
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/students/exams/guidelines-behaviour.htm
A10.9 Problems with coursework and examinations: mitigating circumstances
This section sets out what you need to do in a number of different situations. We hope that you will
only rarely (if ever) be in these situations, but we feel it is important to set out what we need you to
do, and what you can expect from us. There is more information in the University’s Code of Practice
on Assessment (links from the Spider Student Web).
If none of the following situations seems to apply, but you still have concerns about your assessment
or examination performance, please speak to the staff in the HLC Student Support Centre. If you do
not wish to talk at the counter, just ask to talk with a member of the team privately. It is crucial that
you let us know of anything that is affecting your studies as soon as you become aware of the
problem. You must let us know before you reach coursework submission deadlines or exam dates if
at all possible.
i. You were affected by something you feel was beyond your control, and as a result submitted
coursework up to five working days late.
If you hand in coursework within five working days of the deadline, it will still be marked, but it will be
given the University’s standard penalty of 5 percentage marks per day.
You can apply to have that penalty lifted. You must submit a ‘Removal of Penalties’ form giving the
reason why you think the late submission was beyond your control, along with appropriate evidence
(see below). We will assess your form and normally notify you of our decision within four weeks of
the date when you submitted the coursework.
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You must submit a form for each piece of coursework, and you must submit the form at the same
time as the coursework. Medical and other documentation may follow, but we cannot process your
application until we receive this documentation.
Please see below for the University’s guidelines on normally-acceptable reasons for late submission.
ii. You were affected by something you feel was beyond your control, and as a result you could not
submit coursework within five days of the deadline.
Normally, we do not accept coursework more than five working days late, even if this was for reasons
beyond your control. This is because you will usually have other deadlines to meet, classes to
prepare for, and exams to revise for, and it is not in your interests to be accumulating coursework as
the semester goes on.
You should submit a ‘Mitigating Circumstances’ form, explaining why you think the non-submission
was beyond your control, along with appropriate evidence (see below).
We need this information so that the School Mitigating Circumstances Committee can decide how
best to handle your case in the interests of fairness to you and to other students. If your mitigating
circumstances claim is accepted, the Committee may recommend that you be given the chance to
submit the coursework during the next re-sit period, or (in the case of final year and postgraduate
students) another means may be found of assessing your overall performance on the basis of your
other marks.
You must submit your ‘Mitigating Circumstances’ form as soon as possible after the coursework
deadline in question and provide full supporting evidence.
iii. You missed an exam for a reason you feel was beyond your control.
Obviously, the University cannot reschedule exams, so you need to fill in a ‘Mitigating Circumstances’
form explaining why you think you missed the exam for reasons beyond your control. You must
inform us in advance of the exam if at all possible.
You must itemise on the form each exam that you missed.
We need this information so that the School Mitigating Circumstances Committee can decide how
best to handle your case in the interests of fairness to you and to other students. If your mitigating
circumstances are accepted, the Committee may recommend that you be given the chance to sit the
exam during the next re-sit period, or (in the case of final year undergraduates and postgraduate
students) another means may be found of assessing your overall performance on the basis of your
other marks.
You must submit your ‘Mitigating Circumstances’ form as soon as possible and provide full supporting
evidence.
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iv. You feel that your performance has been affected, even though you managed to submit
coursework and sit exams.
You need to fill in a Mitigating Circumstances’ form giving the reason why you think you underperformed
for reasons beyond your control, along with appropriate evidence (see below).
You must itemise on the form each piece of work in each module that you feel was affected.
We need this information so that the School Mitigating Circumstances Committee can decide how
best to handle your case in the interests of fairness to you and to other students. If your mitigating
circumstances are accepted and it is agreed the circumstances did impact on your performance, the
Committee may recommend that you be given the chance to submit coursework and/or sit exams at
the next re-sit period, or (in the case of final year undergraduate and postgraduate students) another
means may be found of assessing your overall performance on the basis of your other marks. The
Committee may also recommend that your degree classification or award be raised to take account
of the circumstances that affected your performance.
You must submit your ‘Mitigating Circumstances’ form as soon as possible and provide full supporting
evidence.
v. You have become aware of something that you think will affect your performance and/or disrupt
your ability to submit coursework or sit exams.
If you learn of something that will have an impact on your studies, such as a forthcoming stay in
hospital, an illness that is likely to affect you for some time, or the serious illness of a close relative,
you must let us know as soon as possible. We will discuss the implications with you. Please consult
the staff in the HLC Student Support Centre. If you do not wish to talk at the counter, just ask to talk
with a member of the team privately.
Guidelines for assessing applications for mitigating circumstances
Applications for the lifting of penalties and for mitigating circumstances to be taken into account will
normally be accepted in the following situations:
� Illness affecting the student (please submit specific, dated medical evidence that clearly
relates to the condition you have been suffering from)
� Bereavement (please discuss this with staff in the HLC Student Support Centre)
� Serious illness affecting a close family member (please discuss this with staff in the HLC
Student Support Centre).
It is important to be specific with your evidence. A general claim of illness in Semester 1 will not be
accepted as evidence for under-performance in Semester 2 exams, for example. Make sure that your
form itemises the assessments and exams affected on each module, and the particular issues that
you are claiming as the cause of this. We can only help you if provide us with strong evidence
supporting your claim.
The following will not be regarded as mitigating circumstances or as good reasons for the removal of
penalties:
14

� Computer and IT issues. Students are responsible for backing-up their work and allowing
enough time for printing in advance of deadlines, including allowing time to find alternative
computers and printers if needed. (Extended failure of the University’s central computer
networks might be a rare exception to this rule)
� Failure to attend an examination due to misreading the examination timetable
� Events such as holidays and weddings
� Inadequate planning and time management
� Having more than one examination on the same day
� Examination clashes arising from incorrect registration by the student, i.e. examinations
scheduled to take place at the same time. (Students are responsible for reporting any
examination clashes which occur in their examination timetable to the HLC Student Support
Centre)
� Pressures from paid employment, internships or volunteering activities
� Any event that could reasonably have been expected or anticipated, such as sporting events
� Any problem with module registration. (Students are responsible for ensuring that they are
registered for the correct modules at the beginning of each semester and must report any
problems to the HLC Student Support Centre)
� Financial or disciplinary suspension from the University.
A10.10 Failing coursework assessments or examinations
Coursework assessments that contribute to the overall module mark are treated like a written
examination. If you fail to submit a coursework assignment within five working days of the deadline,
the mark awarded will be zero and this will inevitably deflate the overall module mark and make it
much more difficult to pass the module.
In all modules the consequences of failing to submit any assessed coursework or sit an examination
are therefore extremely serious.
The Board of Examiners will determine whether you are permitted the opportunity to re-sit failed
assessments (coursework, examination or oral assessment) during the re-sit period of late
August/early September (excluding final year undergraduates). For undergraduate students, the
marks gained will be capped at 40% for classification purposes except where the re-sit is a
consequence of approved mitigating circumstances – often referred to as a ‘first-sit’. For
postgraduate students, except where the re-sit is a consequence of approved mitigating
circumstances, the mark will not be capped but your transcript will indicate that the mark was
achieved at a second or subsequent attempt and you will not be able to receive a merit or distinction
on your award.
If you are given the opportunity to re-sit or first-sit an examination during the August/September resit
period please check the examination dates carefully before entering into employment or holiday
commitments during the summer vacation.
Information on re-sits and first-sits will be sent to you in mid-July. Please ensure your home address
and contact details are up-to-date on the Spider Student Web.
A student who fails to pass a re-sit or first-sit and thus fails to meet the requirements for
progression may be permitted to repeat the relevant year of study and re-take the assessments
15

for the failed module(s) the following year, either with or without attendance, at the Board’s
discretion. However, it is important to remember that retaking failed modules is an opportunity,
not a right. It is intended to give students who are otherwise in good standing another chance to
progress and will depend on staff assessment of the student’s overall record. Retaking a year of
study or repeating failed modules also has financial and other implications.
The opportunity exists for undergraduate final year examinations and assessments to be retaken
at the next ordinary sitting of the examination or assessment for students who fail modules under
certain circumstances specified by the University Code of Practice on Assessment. The marks for
the modules in which examinations or assessments have been retaken will be capped at 40% for
the purposes of degree classification except where the retake is a consequence of approved
mitigating circumstances. Full details can be found at:
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/tqsd/pol_strat_cop/cop_assess/Code_of_Practice_on_Assessment1.htm
A10.11 Attendance and progression
Attendance at classes is crucial to the successful completion of coursework and examinations, and
those are in turn central to your progress from one year to the next. The great majority of our
students play a full part in their degree study and gain enormously from it. Unfortunately, we need
to have procedures in place for the small minority who choose not to engage with their work here.
Attendance at all classes and the punctual submission of coursework are key factors in determining
whether your progress is satisfactory. Absences are monitored closely by the School. Academic staff
will inform the Academic Lead for Student Progress if you are negligent in attendance or submission
of work and you may receive a written warning. A student who ignores such a warning and continues
to be negligent may be referred to a School Progress Panel which acts on behalf of the Board of
Examiners and can recommend that your studies be terminated.
When, in your final year or after graduation, you apply for employment or further study, you will
need a reference. Employers and educational bodies invariably request details of attendance and
timekeeping. Consistent commitment to work and conscientious attendance throughout your degree
studies will therefore have an impact on your future career, quite apart from making your time at the
University a great deal more enjoyable and worthwhile.
A11 Provision of feedback to students
This section explains the School’s policy on feedback and the return of marks. It is divided into
sections relating to particular kinds of assessment, followed by a more general statement about
the University’s procedures for ensuring that marking is fair and consistent.
As a general rule we do not discuss feedback or marks via email. If you have a query about the
written feedback that you receive, it is always best to discuss your work in person with the
member of staff who marked it.
i. Feedback on drafts
We will not comment on drafts of student coursework, except in modules where such feedback is
built into the module design and stated in the module handbook (for example, dissertations). Such
16

modules will have a clear policy on the amount of draft material that can be read, and any
deadlines involved; this will be stated in module handbooks, and all staff teaching that module will
adhere to this in the interests of equity for staff and students.
You should check your module handbook carefully for instructions about the reading of draft
material. If you are still not sure, ask your module convenor. Dissertations in particular will have
clear statements about the quantity of work that can be submitted in draft form, and you will
need to agree with your supervisor a timescale for reading draft work well in advance of
deadlines.
ii. Feedback on coursework (except dissertations)
We provide individual written feedback on each piece of coursework, usually in the form of a
comment sheet and sometimes also via comments written on the work itself. Students may seek
further feedback during office contact hours or by appointment. We will work to the following
timescales:
� For coursework that is not the final assessment on the module, we will normally provide
feedback within three working weeks of the submission deadline.
� For coursework that is the final assessment on the module, feedback will be available after
the module marks are released in Spider.
We believe that it is essential that you get written feedback on all coursework, and we also want
you to have the opportunity to consult us about that feedback. This is especially the case when
feedback will help you with further assessment on the same module. Where possible, we design
modules so that work submitted during the semester can be returned and discussed before the
final assessment, but please note that in some subjects the nature of the material does not allow
for this.
If you do not collect your coursework from your module tutor, it will be available for collection
from a central store at the start of the following semester. If it is still uncollected by a date that we
will advertise, we will have to dispose of it.
iii. Feedback on dissertations
We provide individual written feedback on dissertations in the form of a comment sheet.
Feedback is available from your supervisor when module marks are released in Spider. Students
can collect a copy of their dissertation when they graduate, and comment sheets will also be
attached to the dissertation.
The dissertation is the final assessment on the module, so we cannot release marks or feedback
until all marks have been confirmed and are released in Spider.
iv. Feedback on examinations
We will publish overall feedback on each examination, in the form of a commentary on the
strengths and weaknesses of the answers given by the class as a whole (the University refers to
this as ‘generic feedback’). Module convenors will publish this feedback on each module’s VITAL
pages. Students may also consult staff individually by appointment for feedback after module
17

marks have been released in Spider. Students may see their marked examination script, but
cannot remove it from the room. Individual feedback will not be available by email.
We will use generic feedback to identify any patterns common across answers that scored high or
low marks, and we will not identify any individual student’s work in the feedback. If you want to
know more about your own performance in the examination, please contact the academic staff
teaching the module after marks have been released in Spider. You can make an appointment to
see them during their office contact hours or at another agreed time.
v. Feedback on overall performance in a semester
Advice on overall performance will be available from academic advisors. Students should seek
individual feedback from module convenors by the various means outlined above, and then
discuss their plans to improve their overall performance with their academic advisors. Academic
advisors will not have access to coursework and feedback across modules; it is the responsibility of
the student to gather this together in advance of the consultation.
We want to encourage you to think about your degree programme as a whole, and to consider
issues that arise across more than one module. It will often be the case that you get similar
comments from various markers, and that you want to talk these through in more general terms.
That is part of your academic advisor’s role. You can see them during their office contact hours or
make an appointment at any time in the term, but please note that we will also be inviting you to
stock-take meetings during the School’s Tutorial Weeks (Week 7 of Semester 1 and Week 5 of
Semester 2).
vi. General information about module marks
All marks are provisional until they have been confirmed by the Board of Examiners in June and
November (postgraduate only). Coursework returned during the term will therefore have a
provisional mark on the comment sheet. The mark remains indicative at that stage, and you
should pay more attention to the comments and advice contained in the feedback, which will give
you pointers about how to improve your work in the future.
It is sometimes necessary to change marks in order to be consistent and fair to all students. The
School’s staff and the Board of Examiners conduct a process of moderation, second marking and
statistical testing to determine whether the distribution of marks is different from one module to
another in a given year, and why that might be the case. In consultation with our external
examiners, we will sometimes change the marks for particular pieces of work or for modules as a
whole.
While no-one likes to find that one of their marks has been lowered, this will occasionally happen
in order to ensure consistency and fairness to all students. That consistency is ultimately the key
guarantee of the quality of a Liverpool degree, and is therefore in everyone’s interest.
We cannot return marks or feedback to you relating to the final assessment on a module until the
University formally releases marks in Spider. This happens at a publicised date following each
exam period - usually in mid-February, early July and late November (postgraduate only).
18

While we understand that you want to know your marks as soon as possible, we have to balance
other priorities also. We need time to ensure that all marks have been checked and recorded on
the University’s systems. It is also important that all students receive their marks at the same time
in the interests of fairness.
A.12 Health and safety
Your safety is very important to us. We are committed to providing you with a safe learning and
living environment but we can only achieve this if we have your full support.
In the same way we expect all our staff to work to high safety standards, we ask that you take
health and safety seriously by:
� Taking reasonable care for the health and safety of yourself and others;
� Acting in accordance with University safety rules.
As a minimum you should:
� Familiarise yourself with the fire procedures in buildings, including what to do if you
discover a fire, what to do if the alarm sounds and where to assemble should you
have to evacuate the building. The normal way into a building may not be available to
you in a fire situation so ensure you know what alternative routes exist.
� Know the number to use in an emergency – on the University telephone system this
is 2222
� Never wedge open fire doors or obstruct escape routes.
� Always report accidents, near misses or dangerous conditions to a responsible
member of the School.
� Always follow any health and safety instructions you are given.
There is a lot more information and this can be found at http://www.liv.ac.uk/safety/
For students undertaking field or lab work, additional health and safety requirements apply. You
may also be required to undertake a risk assessment. Further details will be provided as part of
your degree programme.
Within the School, the main contact for health and safety is Robyn Middleton, mshlc@liv.ac.uk.
19

SECTION B: YOUR UNIVERSITY
This handbook contains some general details about the University in addition to the School
information. Think of it as a practical reference booklet with information on and links to University
services, activities and procedures.
Undergraduate and Postgraduate editions are produced annually for all new students and are
included in pre-arrival mailings to new undergraduate students and made available on entry for
new postgraduate students.
B1 Student Charter
The University of Liverpool Student Charter is issued jointly by the Senate and Council of the
University and by the Liverpool Guild of Students. The Charter makes clear some of the reciprocal
responsibilities which members of the University, both staff and students, have to each other and
which should be reflected in policies and procedures in individual areas of the University. The
Charter is included as an appendix to the ‘Your University’ publication given to new students.
The Annex to the Student Charter is updated each year. For your information it contains the
names of all Academic Heads of Schools/Departments, Heads of Academic Services provided by
the University, Wardens of the Halls of Residence, and Heads of Professional Services
Departments.
In a number of areas the detailed working out of the commitments in the Charter are contained in
University-wide Codes of Practice or similar documents and the Annex contains a list of those
currently in force, together with information about how to obtain a copy of the relevant
document.
An electronic version of both the Student Charter and Annual Annex can be accessed at
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/tqsd/pol_strat_cop/studchart_bkgrd/
B2 Liverpool Life
The Liverpool Life Project has been designed to promote the full extent of the student experience,
including co- and extra-curricular activities, offered within or facilitated by the University. These
activities include volunteering, community engagement work, widening participation activities,
mentoring, being trained as a student representative, participation in Guild societies, disciplinespecific
or generic seminars, voluntary accredited modules e.g. Continuing Education languages
courses and IT training.
The first stage of the project starts in 2012-13 and will be a web portal that enables you to access
information about these co- and extra-curricular activities via links to existing web pages, where
you will be able to find out more and, in some cases, to book a place at relevant events or
opportunities.
20

The next stage of the project (in 2013-14) will develop the site further to include a facility which
will allow you to record your experiences and map your learning. It is anticipated that you will be
able to search for particular activities (e.g. volunteering opportunities) and locate where such
activities are offered and what skills you could be expected to achieve from engaging in this
activity. Conversely if you are able to identify a particular skill that you would wish to develop,
then you will be able to search for activities that can help you to achieve this.
The interim portal can be accessed at http://www.liv.ac.uk/liverpool-life/.
B3 Wednesday afternoons
In common with many universities, formal learning and teaching sessions are not normally
scheduled on Wednesday afternoons during term time to allow you to participate in sport and
other activities. However you are expected to attend any scheduled learning and teaching
activity up to 1pm on Wednesday afternoons.
B4 SPIDER – your online records
This is one of the most important facilities you will need to use. It provides a PIN protected access
to essential personal and academic information and you will need to use it to:
i. register (and re-register in the case of continuing students) for your studies online;
ii. check notes, guidance and regulations concerning examinations;
iii. check and update your term-time, permanent and ‘graduation correspondence’
addresses, and emergency contact details (the emergency contact is the person
that the University should contact in the unlikely event of you suffering a serious
illness or accident);
iv. register for modules, and to check modules and registration status;
v. access the online module catalogue;
vi. view assessment details;
vii. view examination timetables (programme, dates, times and venues);
viii. view provisional First Semester marks;
ix. view approved module marks, overall year results and degree classification;
x. view an ongoing transcript of studies (modules and marks);
xi. view your University financial account;
xii. apply for University accommodation;
xiii. request documentation such as Council Tax Student Certificates and Student Status
Letters.
In view of the importance of the Spider Student Web, you should familiarise yourself with the use
of the system as early as possible in the academic year. An upgrade to the Spider Student Web is
due to be launched in autumn 2012. Changes will be publicised widely, including on the student
Digital University (https://student.liv.ac.uk/) and the Student Administration website
(http://www.liv.ac.uk/students/student-administration-centre/index.htm).
You can also see your own personalised teaching timetables through the Spider Student Web; you
will need to be fully registered, and it can sometimes take 48 hours (occasionally more) for your
full timetable to appear once you have registered for all your modules.
21

The timetables published through the Spider Student Web are updated throughout the year to
take account of any changes, for example if a lecture has to be moved to another venue, or if you
change seminar group.
In addition, you can view timetables for programmes and individual modules.
Further information is available at http://www.liv.ac.uk/orbit/using-orbit/spider-timetables.htm.
All students on taught programmes can access provisional first-semester marks, approved module
marks, overall year results and final results (degree classifications) through the Spider Student
Web.
Full guidance is available from the SAS website:
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/students/exams/results/index.htm
There are a number of locations across the University where you may use either WiFi (wireless) or
a wired connection to connect your own laptop computer (or other mobile device) to the
University's network.
The main CSD Helpdesk is located in the Brownlow Hill Building (with satellites in the two main
libraries) and provides a full range of support services including problem solving, software sales
and registration queries.
Full details of the services provided by CSD are at http://www.liverpool.ac.uk/csd/
If you are having problems accessing the Spider Student Web you should email the Spider Enquiry
Service at spipin@liv.ac.uk.
B5 University Calendar (ordinances and regulations governing degrees)
The University Calendar is published online by the Committee Services Unit. It contains
information such as:
� Terms and semester dates
� The terms of reference, constitution and membership of central University
committees (information regarding School/Departmental Committees can be
obtained from your School or Department)
� The University Statutes, Ordinances and Regulations – these are the rules that
govern the running of the University
The Calendar is only available as an electronic document and may be accessed at:
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/commsec/calendar.htm
22

SECTION C: RESOURCES AND RULES RELATING TO YOUR ACADEMIC
WORK
C1 The University Library
The University Library contains an impressive collection of approximately 1.9 million books and
periodicals including extensive and important special collections of rare books and archives.
The Library provides access to around 520,000 electronic books, 40,000 electronic journals and
online access to most major databases. The Library is located on two main sites, the Sydney Jones
Library and the Harold Cohen Library. The libraries provide about 1,830 computer and study
spaces, zoned areas for group and quiet study and staffed helpdesks. The entire stock of the
Library is included in its online catalogue and all electronic resources can be accessed in the library
or via the web. The two main libraries are open 24 hours Monday to Friday throughout the
academic year and there is a 24/7 renewal line for loans.
The Sydney Jones currently has seating for 615 readers and approximately 400 PCs. Bookable
study rooms are available for your use. The Sydney Jones also has a ‘walk-in’ short loan collection
and a cafe. The Special Collections and Archives Department is located in the Sydney Jones Library
and includes rare books, manuscripts and the library of the Science Fiction Foundation.
The Harold Cohen Library, with 295 PCs and seating for 500 readers, contains the main collections
in Dentistry, Engineering, Science, Medicine, Veterinary Science and Mathematics. Facilities for
both group and quiet study are available. There is also a branch library at the Veterinary Teaching
Hospital on the Wirral.
Your University ID card will give you access to the libraries and enable you to self-issue and return
books. There are introductory talks and tours available for new students and staff will help you
find your way around and show you how to use the online catalogue.
Printed and web guides to the various libraries and services are available and staff at the
Information Support Desks or Computing Helpdesks will be happy to help if you have a problem or
a question. Further information on the Library can be found at www.liv.ac.uk/library.
C2 Computing Services
The Computing Services Department provides central computing and information technology
services to assist the University in carrying out its learning, teaching, research and administration.
There are a number of PC Teaching Centres which are primarily used for teaching but, when not
booked for classes, they are available for individual student use. These are located in centres
across the campus and at the Leahurst Veterinary Centre. There are also a number of Learning
Centres on the campus and in some Halls of Residence that are not bookable by tutors for classes
and therefore available for individual student use. The Teaching and Learning Centres each contain
PCs linked together by a network. To use the PCs, you first need to self-register by following the
information on the screen of a PC Teaching or Learning Centre, or at http://www.liv.ac.uk/register
on any computer connected to the Internet.
23

The PC Teaching Service is based on Microsoft Windows and provides access to a wide range of
services, including electronic mail, the Internet, VITAL (the Virtual Learning Environment), word
processing, spreadsheets and databases.
There are a number of locations within the precinct where students may use either WiFi (wireless)
or a wired connection to connect their own laptop computer (or other mobile device) to the
University's network.
The main CSD Helpdesk is located in the Brownlow Hill Building (with satellites in the two main
libraries) and provides a full range of support services including problem solving, software sales
and registration queries.
Full details of the services provided by CSD are at http://www.liverpool.ac.uk/csd/.
C3 The Code of Practice on Assessment
The University has formulated a Code of Practice on Assessment which brings together in a single
document the main institutional policies and rules on assessment. The Code is an authoritative
statement of the philosophy and principles underlying all assessment activities and of the
University's expectations in relation to how academic subjects design, implement and review
assessment strategies for all taught programmes of study. It is intended to inform staff and
students, as well as individuals from outside the University such as external examiners and
external reviewers (see C4 below). The Code is an important document and applies institutionwide.
It also reflects the external reference points that the University has to be in accordance with
such as the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education's UK Quality Code for Higher Education,
the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and
individual subject benchmark statements.
The Code and its appendices can be accessed at:
Http://cms.liv.ac.uk/tqsd/pol_strat_cop/code_of_practice_on_assessment1/.
C4 External examiners
External examiners are appointed for all programmes of study offered by the University. These
examiners, senior academics or persons with professional expertise, are independent of the
University. They help the University to ensure that the standards of its awards are comparable
with similar subjects and awards in other UK Universities. They ensure that the assessment
processes in Departments and Schools are appropriate, fair and fairly operated and are in line with
institutional regulations and guidelines. Where relevant they ensure that any professional or
statutory body requirements are met. External examiners have the right to see all assessed work
from the modules they examine, but where there are large numbers of students on a module they
would normally see samples of work. Information on the examiners appointed by your School will
be available from the HLC Student Support Centre and from November on the Student
Administration and Support site at: http://www.liv.ac.uk/students/exams.
24

ON NO ACCOUNT SHOULD YOU ATTEMPT TO MAKE CONTACT directly with the external
examiners. If you have any queries about their involvement in your degree programme or
assessment you must seek advice from your tutor.
C5 Student progress
How you progress from one year of study to the next is governed by the regulations for the
particular award for which you are registered and will depend on how well you do in your
assessments. Most students progress successfully from one year to the next without any problem.
Further details on progression can be found at:
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/students/exams/results/progression.htm.
If your progress within a year of study is giving your tutors cause for concern, for example due to
non-attendance or failure to submit coursework, your academic tutor may contact you. Ultimately
if the situation gets serious you could be asked to attend a Progress Panel, acting on behalf of the
Board of Examiners for your degree programme, and this panel may decide, either in mid-session
or at the end of each session that you are required to terminate your studies. You would have a
right of appeal against such a decision (details at http://www.liv.ac.uk/students/studentadministration-centre/policies-procedures/appeals.htm).
If you are experiencing difficulties that are affecting your studies you should let us know. You can
contact the central University Student Support services (see section D3 below), details at
http://www.liv.ac.uk/studentsupport/index.htm, or the HLC Student Support Centre at
hlcenq@liv.ac.uk.
C6 Examination behaviour
The Regulations for the Conduct of Examinations are available at the following website and you
should ensure that you have read these before undertaking any assessment in the University:
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/media/livacuk/tqsd/polstratcop/copassess/appendix_D_cop_assess.pdf.
A couple of reminders...
When doing examinations you should note that it is forbidden to take into the examination room
any unauthorised material (Examination Regulation 3). All unauthorised materials such as notes,
papers (including blank paper), bags and devices for storing or receiving alpha-numeric data
(mobile phones, PDAs, pagers, etc.) must be left in the area designated by the Invigilators. Being in
possession of unauthorised material is a serious breach of examination regulations and may lead
to disciplinary action. Using unauthorised material is a serious breach of examination regulations
and may lead to disciplinary action. (see also E9 below)
Students are forbidden to communicate with each other in the examination room. All enquiries
must be addressed to the Invigilator.
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/students/exams/guidelines-behaviour.htm
C7 The University Calculator
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Except when otherwise stated, the only calculators allowed for use in an examination room will be
the models adopted and specified by the University. These are the Casio FX83-SB-UH, Sharp EL-
531WH and Sharp EL-W531B which are only available from the shop in the Guild of Students,
stamped with the University crest.
You should not purchase the same models of calculators without the University crest from other
retailers as these will not be allowed into the examination room. It is not possible to stamp the
University crest on a calculator you have bought elsewhere.
Further information on the use of calculators in examinations can be accessed via the following
link: http://www.liv.ac.uk/students/exams/index.htm.
C8 The Degree Classification System
The definitive University degree classification system is contained within the appendices of the
Code of Practice on Assessment, which is available at the following link:
Http://cms.liv.ac.uk/tqsd/pol_strat_cop/code_of_practice_on_assessment1/.
Please note that different frameworks apply to different groups of students, depending on when
they commenced their studies; you should consult the relevant appendix of the Code of Practice
on Assessment which corresponds to the academic session in which you commenced your studies.
For three-year, non-clinical, undergraduate degrees: see Appendix I of the Code of Practice
For four-year and five-year, non-clinical, undergraduate degrees: see Appendix J of the Code of
Practice
For taught, modular, postgraduate degrees: see Appendix C of the Code of Practice
If, having checked the relevant Appendix of the Code of Practice, you are confused about the way
your degree will be classified contact your academic adviser.
26

SECTION D: SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS
D1 Learning and study skills support
Throughout your University career, you will have opportunities to build and develop your skills for
learning, such as study skills, time management and information literacy, as well as a range of
employability skills. Your tutors may identify areas that you need to develop and also highlight a
range of resources for you to use.
You should also visit iLearn (http://www.liv.ac.uk/ilearn), the University’s interactive learning
website which provides coaching in the development of academic, digital learning and study skills.
On entry to the University you can complete iLearn’s online skills diagnostic which will identify
your individual skills profile and link to further self-study resources. iLearn’s bank of resources is
continually being extended and you will see an increase in subject specific materials over the
coming year. Through iLearn you can also book on a range of learning skills workshops that are
delivered across the academic year.
Another useful resource is the LearnHigher website (http://www.learnhigher.ac.uk), particularly
its pages designed especially for higher education students. The University of Liverpool has been a
partner in building this resource bank. You can also visit the Library (http://www.liv.ac.uk/library/)
where you will find help available from Library staff and access to their extensive resources and
expertise.
Many of our programmes contain a module or modules intended to develop particular skills that
are necessary for studying your subject. These will often give you a quick and effective
introduction to professional methods and practices in the field. It is important to remember,
though, that all the teaching on a programme is there to develop your skills and professional
attributes. Just because a module does not have ‘skills’ in its title does not mean that you will not
be acquiring crucial knowledge and awareness. If you see all your learning as a mixture of content
and practice you will get the most from your programme. In addition, your Academic Advisor is a
working practitioner in your subject, and will always be happy to advise you.
D2 Support and advice within the School
All students on programmes at Liverpool are allocated an academic advisor who is responsible for
providing appropriate support to help you to fulfil your academic potential in your studies. S/he
will usually meet with you at the beginning of your studies and normally at the start of each
academic year. S/he can also meet with you following exam results to discuss academic
performance and provide advice on improving your performance. Your academic advisor is the
first port of call if you are having problems with your academic studies.
Please also see Section A3 above for full details of HLC student support arrangements.
D3 Central Student Support Services
The University has a well established network of advice, guidance and support services for all
students. Specialist teams and experienced advisers are available to support students on a whole
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ange of issues. Information is available on the web at www.liv.ac.uk/studentservices and in the
publication ‘Your University’.
The Student Support Services are located in the Student Services Centre. Their role is to provide
students with advice, support and information. They have very experienced specialist advisors
who are available for you to come and talk through any issues you may have. They provide a
confidential and quiet space for you to come and talk to them about any issues affecting your well
being. They can also offer a range of practical advice or will be able to direct you to the
appropriate source of the information you may need.
Specialist services within the Student Support Services include:
D3.1 The Disability Support Team
The University encourages a supportive and accessible environment for students with a wide
range of disabilities, health conditions, mental health issues or specific learning difficulties (e.g.
dyslexia, dyspraxia). Disabled students are advised to discuss their individual needs with their
academic School/Department and with the Disability Support Team in the Student Services Centre
in order that appropriate support arrangements can be made.
The University actively encourages students to contact the Disability Support Team as soon as
possible, to discuss their support needs in a friendly and confidential environment. Working to a
person-centred approach, the Team, with your consent, can create an individual support plan.
This details specific support requirements and recommends reasonable adjustments where
appropriate, and is used to inform University Academic Departments, services and contacts of
your support needs. With consent, the Team can assist students in all areas of disability-related
support needs within their academic environment, including:
� Liaising with your academic School /Department to plan support;
� Liaising with the Professional Services Departments e.g. in relation to support for
examinations, library support, accessibility software installation, physical
accessibility
� Guidance in applying for appropriate funding e.g. Disabled Student Allowance,
Charitable Trusts, Blue Badge scheme
� Support in arranging and accessing specialist equipment or assessments including
those for specific learning difficulties i.e. Educational Psychologist’s assessment and
Study Needs assessment
� Referral to a wide range of internal and external contacts for specialist advice
including the University’s Mental Health Advisory Service, Action for Blind People
� Support in arranging and managing non-medical study assistance e.g. note taker,
study mentor, personal assistant.
The “Guide to Support and Services for Disabled Students” sets out further information about the
Team and its work. The booklet can be obtained from the Student Support Services, Student
Services Centre. It is also available at www.liv.ac.uk/studentsupport/disability/index.htm.
The Team also facilitates the Disabled Student Network (DSN). The DSN is an informal group,
comprising a number of disabled students and members of the Disability Support Team which
meets several times a year to discuss issues which may be relevant to disabled students. This
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provides an opportunity for you to give direct input into the service offered to disabled students at
the University of Liverpool.
Disability Support Team 0151 794 5117
Email: disteam@liv.ac.uk
Website: http://www.liv.ac.uk/studentsupport/disability
D3.2 Financial Support Team
The Financial Support Team (FST) is available to offer you help and guidance on a range of financial
matters. The team can advise you on your entitlement to statutory funding and liaise with funding
bodies if you experience problems receiving your funding; students considering withdrawing,
suspending or transferring their studies are encouraged to contact the team for advice on their
current and future funding.
FST is part of the national Money Doctors programme, which provides advice to students on how
to improve financial capability. Throughout the year, the team organises a variety of interactive
workshops and one to one sessions aimed at improving budgeting and money management.
The team also offers a specialist debt advice service for students experiencing problems with debt.
The team’s Money Adviser can discuss any options you may have and negotiate with creditors a
repayment plan that you can afford.
The team also offers:
� Discretionary financial help through the access to learning fund for students experiencing
financial hardship
� Calculation of student support funding
� Calculation of welfare benefits and help with appeals if necessary
� Alternative sources of funding.
Financial Support Team 0151 794 6673
Email: fst@liv.ac.uk
D3.3 International Support Team
The International Support Team (IST) is a specialist advisory service for international students. The
IST is there to support and advise international students both on arrival and throughout their
studies. The IST provides specialist advice on student immigration matters (including advice on
visa extensions) and other topics including personal and cultural issues. If the IST cannot help
directly, they have a wide range of contacts and can refer you to another service that can assist.
The IST website contains lots of useful information on living and studying in Liverpool. This
includes information on safety, health, finance and advice specifically aimed at those international
students who have their family with them in the UK while they study here.
The IST produces a newsletter and bulletins, both of which are automatically sent to international
students’ University email accounts. These often include important notes and changes to
immigration rules and procedures so it is essential that international students read this
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information to keep up-to-date. The newsletter also contains features on interesting events taking
place and information about UK life.
If the required information cannot be found on the IST website, then please email for advice or
contact the IST for an appointment.
Website: www.liv.ac.uk/studentsupport/ist
Tel: 0151 794 5863
Email: ist@liv.ac.uk
D3.4 Support for Care Leavers
There is individual support for any students who have come to the University from a care
background or have been looked after by their local authority.
Students who feel they would benefit from this type of support should contact Student Support
Services for advice.
Website: www.liv.ac.uk/studentsupport/Care_Leavers.htm
Tel: 0151 794 5863
Email sscrec@liv.ac.uk
D3.5 Student Counselling
The University Counselling Service helps students deal with a wide range of personal and
emotional problems that may be affecting their capacity to study effectively. The counsellors are
professionally qualified and experienced and enable students to talk over their difficulties in
confidence.
You can contact the Counselling Service for support with a variety of issues such as personal, home
and family relationships, depression, anxiety and loneliness. Support is available either through
Drop-In sessions, one-to-one counselling sessions or through a programme of themed workshops
and groups on topics including building confidence and self-esteem, making presentations, stress
management, assertiveness, as well as a PhD support group.
The Drop-In service runs each weekday, Monday to Friday, all year round between 1.00pm and
2.30pm and on Monday mornings between 8.30 and 9.30 (no pre-booking necessary). This walk-in
service gives you the opportunity to meet for up to twenty minutes with a counsellor to talk over
any difficulties you are having. Drop-In is the main point of access to one-to-one counselling and
you can register for individual counselling after attending a Drop-In session. There is also a weekly
Men’s Space Drop-In run by the male counsellors for male students.
The permanent counselling staff also offer a telephone consultation service Monday to Friday
which offers members of the University an opportunity to discuss concerns, receive information
and advice about managing difficult situations e.g. when supporting a colleague or student in
distress. Please contact Reception to arrange a consultation with the Duty Counsellor.
Full details of all the services are posted on our website at: http://www.liv.ac.uk/counserv
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University Counselling Service 0151 794 3304
Fax 0151 794 3300
Email counserv@liv.ac.uk
D3.6 Mental Health Adviser
The main function of the University Mental Health Adviser (MHA) is to provide support to students
with any mental health difficulties by facilitating their access to study successfully in the
University.
The MHA works with individual students who have declared mental health needs during their
application process to the University, or who develop mental health problems whilst at University.
The role of the MHA is to offer support, advice and liaison between the student and the
appropriate University Departments to ensure that the students’ mental health needs are
adequately and appropriately responded to. Additionally, the MHA is able to offer consultation to
students and staff regarding concerns about themselves or their concerns for others.
The MHA works closely with the Disability Support Team and other Student Services, including the
Student Health Service, Counselling Service, University Residences and Academic Departments.
University Mental Health Adviser 0151 794 2320
Fax 0151 7944718
Email mentalhealthadviser@liv.ac.uk
Web www.liv.ac.uk/mhealth
D4 Liverpool Guild of Students
LGoS is a student-led charity and every student at the University of Liverpool is a member. It
actively listens to its members and students’ contributions guide and shape its policies. The Guild
lobbies and encourages students to take a lead in their University experience. The main duty of
LGoS is to ensure that the University delivers an excellent student experience. Keeping in contact
with its members is one of the Guild’s top priorities, and it does this in a variety of different ways –
face to face, on Facebook and twitter, within lecture theatres and online at www.lgos.org. LGoS
exists to support and represent you, as well as ensuring that you make the most of your time in
Liverpool. In short, the Guild supports student life at Liverpool through representation,
encouraging participation and ensuring a positive experience.
D4.1 Representation
LGoS is student-led and student-focused and there are many opportunities for you to take an
active role in its leadership and development. Four students are elected each year to take on the
full-time roles of Student Representative Officer; these are student representatives to the
University. They plan and implement lobbying activity, attend and chair meetings, develop policy,
encourage engagement and ensure that they are accountable to students. The Guild also has a
staff team to support the elected students, including those elected onto Student Council. They
also facilitate the forums that give you the opportunity to put your ideas forward and enhance
your University experience.
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The Guild supports the system of course reps - students elected by their peers to attend staffstudent
liaison meetings and work with staff to improve students’ academic experience. So if
there are insufficient books in the library, deadlines are too close to exams, there are not enough
resources on VITAL, or anything else is adversely affecting your academic experience, you should
talk to your course rep. If you are interested in becoming a course rep then you should ask a
member of staff in your Department or contact the Representation and Democracy Co-ordinator
Emily Spurrell, at Spurrell@liv.ac.uk within the first few weeks of term.
D4.2 Advice
We hope that your time at the University of Liverpool will be completely positive and trouble free,
but when things do go wrong the Guild is available to help. They offer free, confidential, nonjudgemental
advice or representation regarding academic issues, University procedures such as
discipline, and University accommodation. For more information visit www.lgos.org/advice
You can book an appointment with the Guild’s Academic Advisor by calling 0151 794 6868 or by
going to the reception in the Guild Building. The Advisor is able to offer guidance and support in
the event that you:
� wish to submit an academic appeal to challenge a grade or mark;
� have been accused of a breach of academic integrity, such as plagiarism, collusion
or fabrication of data;
� have been withdrawn from your course and wish to know your options;
� wish to complain about some aspect of University life, such as halls of residence,
teaching, or the level of support offered by your Department; or
� have been affected by illness, unexpected circumstances in your personal life or
other mitigation which you feel has affected your studies.
D4.3 Activity Groups
There are lots of opportunities for you to get involved in through LGoS, whether to volunteer time
to work on a community-based project or to join one of the many activity groups. The Guild has
over 160 groups representing a range of interests and activities, from darts to theatre. If your
interests are not met you can start up your own activity group. More details can be found on the
website www.lgos.org/activities.
Remember, many graduate employers will ask about the extra-curricular activities you were
involved in at University, so apart from being a fantastic opportunity to make friends with people
with shared interests, becoming involved in an activity group is also a chance to gain valuable
experience.
D5 The English Language Centre
The English Language Centre (ELC) is a Department within the Academic Secretary’s Office
specialising in language teaching and learning. It offers language support for registered
international students, visiting fellows and international staff members. It also supports the
School of English in teaching MA programmes in TESOL and Applied Linguistics. The Director is Dr
Susan Thompson.
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Key services provided are:
� Summer courses in English for Academic Purposes (EAP)
� Year-round courses in EAP
� English language classes for international students/staff members
� English language classes for Erasmus exchange students
� Discipline-specific English language support programmes for University
Departments
� IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Testing
� IELTS Practice & Preparation Courses
� Cambridge ESOL CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to
Adults)
� Bespoke English language programmes for external organisations
English Language Centre, University of Liverpool, Cypress Building, Chatham Street, Liverpool L69
7ZR, UK
For EAP enquiries
Tel: +44 (0)151-794-2722
Email: elc@liv.ac.uk
For IELTS enquiries and testing
Tel: +44 (0)151-794-2722
Email: ielts@liv.ac.uk
For CELTA enquiries
Tel: +44 (0)151 794 2722
Email: celta@liv.ac.uk
Fax: +44 (0)151-794-2739
D6 Student representation
The University recognises the importance of appropriate student representation at all levels in the
institution. Student representation on School/Departmental and Faculty Committees and the
University Senate is governed by a Code of Practice on Student Representation which provides an
institutional framework for student representation and sets out the minimum requirements for
student representation at School/Department and Faculty level. This is supplemented by an
Annual Annex which offers guidance on the principles and implementation of the Code. These
documents can be found at:
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/media/livacuk/tqsd/polstratcop/cop_on_student_representation.pdf
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/tqsd/media/livacuk/polstratcop/annual_annex.pdf.
All students are encouraged to stand for election to the School/Department Staff/Student Liaison
Committees. Please look out for emails announcing nomination and election dates.
All Student Representatives on Staff/Student Liaison Committees are offered training and support
by the Guild of Students and may have an opportunity to represent the School/Department on
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Faculty Committees, or at the University Senate. You can find out more information about what
being a student representative entails on the Guild website at http://www.lgos.org/.
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D7 Diversity and Equality
The University of Liverpool is committed to providing a positive learning and working environment
where all members of the University community are treated with dignity and respect. The
University will address direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation on the
grounds of:
� Age � Sex and sexual orientation
� Disability � Socio-economic background
� Gender reassignment
� Marriage and Civil partnership
� Pregnancy and maternity
� Race or ethnicity
35
� Spent criminal convictions
(where there is no exemption
from the legal provisions in
place) or
� Religion and belief � Any other irrelevant factor
The University’s Diversity and Equality of Opportunity Policy provides the overarching framework
for translating this commitment into actions and has supporting Disability, Gender and Race
Equality Schemes and Age, Religion and Belief and Sexual Orientation Action Plans. The Dignity at
Work and Study Policy further outlines the University’s commitment to eliminating bullying and
harassment. These documents and further information can be found at:
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/hr/diversity_equality.

SECTION E: WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU GET INTO DIFFICULTIES
E1 Penalties for late submission of assessed work
The University’s standard penalties for the late submission of assessed work are:
� 5% of the total marks available for the assessment shall be deducted from the
assessment mark for each working day after the submission date, up to a maximum of
five working days (e.g. for work marked out of 100, five marks per day will be deducted;
for work marked out of 20, one mark per day will be deducted); however, the mark will
not be reduced below the pass mark for the assessment. Work assessed below the pass
mark will not be penalised for late submission of up to five days.
� Work received more than five working days after the submission deadline will receive a
mark of zero. In such circumstances, where a student is required to re-take the
assessment, the re-assessment task must be different from the original assessment.
Re-submission of the original piece of work is not permissible, except in the case of
project work or dissertations.
(A working day is defined as a day when the University is open and staff would normally
be available for work and thus also be available for contact by students).
Full information about the penalties for late submission of assessed work, including information
about special circumstances and School/Departmental responsibilities, are available in section 6 of
the University’s Code of Practice on Assessment:
Http://cms.liv.ac.uk/tqsd/pol_strat_cop/code_of_practice_on_assessment1/.
E2 Sickness Absence Policy
If you are registered on an undergraduate or taught postgraduate course you may certify your
absence through illness from lectures or other classes during a semester by the submission of a
self-certified Certificate of Illness. Such a certificate will be valid for absence of up to five
consecutive days. The Certificate of Illness does not need to be signed by a medical practitioner.
The Certificate of Illness will not be valid for:
� Absence through illness for more than five consecutive days;
� Absence from examinations;
� Absence from class tests of other forms of assessment which count for 10% or more of
the module mark.
Certificate of Illness forms can be obtained from the HLC Student Support Centre and should be
submitted by you through your tutor. The Certificate cannot be accepted if submitted more than
two weeks following the date of illness.
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Absence through illness for periods longer than five consecutive days must be supported by a
medical certificate authorised by a medical practitioner and should be submitted by you to your
Department or School Office.
Any mitigating circumstances, such as ill health, which may have affected your studies or
performance in assessments and examinations, would need to be submitted formally by you with
supporting evidence, e.g. a medical certificate, to your School/Department following the
procedures and in accordance with the deadlines laid down in the University’s Mitigating
Circumstances Policy. See also Section A10.9.
In the event that you are unable to attend an examination because of illness or other unforeseen
circumstances, you must immediately inform the HLC Student Support Centre (hlcenq@liv.ac.uk),
preferably before the start of the examination. If you are absent from the whole or part of an
examination because of illness, a Mitigating Circumstances claim form together with a valid
medical certificate or other appropriate independent documentary evidence must be forwarded
to the HLC Student Support Centre normally within five working days of the examination and no
later than one week before the meeting of the Board of Examiners at which the results of the
assessments concerned will be considered. The deadline for submission of applications will be
made available to students by email in advance of the Board of Examiners.
The University’s Mitigating Circumstances Policy and Mitigating Circumstances Guidelines for
Students are available at:
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/media/livacuk/tqsd/polstratcop/copassess/appendix_M_cop_assess.pdf
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/media/livacuk/tqsd/polstratcop/mit_circ_student.pdf.
E3 Mitigating circumstances
Students sometimes perform more poorly in assessments (whether examinations or other types of
assessments) than their previous performance or achievements would have predicted. Sometimes
this poor performance can be attributed, or partially attributed, to particular circumstances
beyond the control of the student. These circumstances are described as ‘mitigating
circumstances’ if they are accepted in mitigation of the poorer than expected performance. When
a Board of Examiners accepts that there have been mitigating circumstances, it will usually not
regard the student’s poorer than expected performance at its face value in making decisions
about the student’s progress in studies or final degree classification. Where circumstances are
accepted in mitigation of poorer than expected performance students may be allowed (where
practicable) to retake the assessment as if it were a first attempt.
Mitigating circumstances may, for example, include:
� Illness affecting the student
� Bereavement
� Serious illness affecting a close family member
� Unforeseeable or unpreventable events
Independent documentary evidence, such as medical certificates, must be provided in all cases to
verify mitigating circumstances.
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If mitigating circumstances affect your studies then it is your responsibility to report all
circumstances which you wish to be taken into consideration to the nominated person in your
School. You should report such mitigating circumstances as soon as possible (normally within five
working days) after the events under consideration occur, and no later than one week before the
meeting of the Board of Examiners at which the assessment concerned will be considered.
If you are unable to attend an examination or assessment which counts towards the final mark of
a module owing to illness or other unavoidable circumstances, you must inform your Department,
preferably in writing or by email, before the examination or assessment deadline, in order for the
absence to be regarded as authorised. Provided that acceptable evidence of ‘good cause’ for such
absence (e.g. a medical note) is presented for consideration by the Mitigating Circumstances
Committee in accordance with the procedures set out in the Mitigating Circumstances Policy, you
would be granted a right to re-sit as a first attempt (unless the examination missed was not a ‘first
attempt’ examination). Only in exceptional circumstances, where a Board of Examiners, on the
advice of the Mitigating Circumstances Committee, judges that it was not feasible for a student to
have provided prior notification, will a student who is absent from an examination or fails to
submit an assessment without informing the School in advance, be granted a ‘first attempt’ re-sit.
Boards of Examiners may determine that a student who is absent from an examination or fails to
submit an assessment without good cause (even when they have informed their School in
advance) should not be granted a re-sit attempt without repeating the year of study.
Mitigating circumstances should be reported using the form available at:
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/media/livacuk/tqsd/polstratcop/appl_for_cons_of_mitcirc.doc.
Full information on the Mitigating Circumstances Policy and the Mitigating Circumstances
Guidelines for Students is available at:
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/media/livacuk/tqsd/polstratcop/copassess/appendix_M_cop_assess.pdf
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/media/livacuk/tqsd/polstratcop/mit_circ_student.pdf.
See also Section A10.9.
E4 Plagiarism, collusion and fabrication of data
The following definitions are contained within the University’s Code of Practice on Assessment and
apply to all types of work submitted by students, including, for example, written work, diagrams,
designs, charts, musical compositions, computer programmes and pictures:
“Plagiarism occurs when a student misrepresents, as his/her own work, the work, written or
otherwise, of any other person (including another student) or of any institution. Examples of
forms of plagiarism include:
� the verbatim (word for word) copying of another’s work without appropriate and
correctly presented acknowledgement;
� the close paraphrasing of another’s work by simply changing a few words or altering
the order of presentation, without appropriate and correctly presented
acknowledgement;
� unacknowledged quotation of phrases from another’s work;
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� the deliberate and detailed presentation of another’s concept as one’s own.”
When Plagiarism is suspected it should fall into one of two categories:
Minor Plagiarism: defined as a small amount of paraphrasing, quotation or use of diagrams, charts
etc. without adequate citation. Minor plagiarism may result from poor scholarship (i.e. when a
student, through inexperience or carelessness, fails to reference appropriately or adequately
identify the source of the material which they use).
Major Plagiarism: defined as:
� extensive paraphrasing or quoting without proper citation of the source;
� lifting directly from a text or other academic source without reference; (Where
material is taken directly from a text or other source the cited material should be
demarcated with quotation marks or in some other accepted way and the source
should be cited.)
� the use of essays (or parts thereof) from essay banks, either downloaded from the
internet or obtained from other sources;
� presenting another’s designs or concepts as one’s own;
� continued instances of what was initially regarded as minor plagiarism despite
warnings having been given to the student concerned.
“Collusion occurs when, unless with official approval (e.g. in the case of group projects), two or
more students consciously collaborate in the preparation and production of work which is
ultimately submitted by each in an identical, or substantially similar, form and/or is represented by
each to be the product of his or her individual efforts. Collusion also occurs where there is
unauthorised co-operation between a student and another person in the preparation and
production of work which is presented as the student’s own.”
“Embellishment or Fabrication of data occurs when a student enhances or exaggerates legitimate
data or wholly fabricates a set of data in the absence of legitimate data.
Students found to have committed plagiarism or to have colluded or to have presented fabricated
data in an assessment are liable to be severely penalised. They may be given a mark of zero for the
assessment concerned or, in the most serious cases, may even be required to terminate their
studies. The University’s Policy for Dealing with Plagiarism, Collusion and the Fabrication of Data
and the Guidelines for Staff and Students can be found at:
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/media/livacuk/tqsd/polstratcop/copassess/appendix_L_cop_assess.pdf.
E5 Implications of non-attendance
Students who attend regularly are generally successful in their studies. You are permitted to
proceed with your approved programme of study if you maintain acceptable progress as
evidenced by your regular attendance, satisfactory results in relevant formative and summative
assessments and the proper completion of any other work given to you. Programme Directors, or
their nominated representatives, will review your attendance on a regular basis. If you fail to
maintain satisfactory levels of attendance you will be interviewed by the Head of
School/Department (or their designated representative) and warnings will be given if you do not
take appropriate action. In more serious cases students who fail to attend classes may be referred
to Progress Panels acting on behalf of Boards of Examiners. Further information about progress
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and attendance can be found in the ‘Guide on the Progress of Students on Taught Programmes of
Study’ which can be found at:
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/media/livacuk/tqsd/polstratcop/copassess/appendix_E_cop_assess.pdf.
International students (from outside the European Economic Area) who, under Tier 4 of the
points-based immigration system, require a visa to study in the UK should be aware that the
University is registered as a UK Border Agency Immigration Sponsor. In this regard the University
has statutory responsibilities to monitor and report to the UK Border Agency any international
student who fails to attend regularly and within normal expected attendance levels within the
University. Non-attendance or poor attendance is likely to lead to a decision of termination of
studies by a Board of Examiners. The consequence of this for a Tier 4 international student is that
the University would cease its immigration sponsorship of the student and this would mean that
they could no longer study in the UK.
Students should be aware that fee liability continues to accrue, even if they are not attending. If
students wish to stop attending for reasons of ill health or other personal reasons, they should
make arrangements to change their registration status (see E7 below on suspension of or
withdrawal from studies).
E6 Implications of the non-payment of fees
You may either pay your fees in full at the start of a session or agree to pay in instalments, by
direct debit or continuous credit card authority. Home and EU undergraduates may obtain a
tuition fee loan via the Student Finance companies. It is your responsibility to ensure that proper
arrangements are made with the University for the payment of fees and this must be done either
before or at the beginning of a new academic session. For self-funded students, arrangements to
pay fees should be made online. Any student who fails to make timely arrangements to pay their
fees will be denied access to library and some computing facilities until such time as a suitable
arrangement is in place. Also students who default on any payment will similarly be denied access
to library and some computing facilities. Any student who then fails to respond within 30 days of
the due date of any payment will have their IT and library access, including their University email
account suspended until the whole of any outstanding amount has been paid. Any student in debt
to the University at the time of sitting their examinations will not have those examinations marked
or where the examination is marked will not be provided with the marks for those examinations,
until the outstanding debt has been paid. Students will not be permitted to return to study in the
next academic year until previous outstanding debts have been paid in full.
Any student who has not paid outstanding fees or other charges to the University by one month
(at the latest) before the date on which the award of a degree, diploma or certificate is due to
be conferred, shall not be eligible to be presented for such an award.
Further details may be viewed on the web at: http://www.liv.ac.uk/students/money/.
Additional advice and guidance may be obtained by contacting the Student Administration Centre
in the Foundation Building where specialist advisors are available to discuss the payment of fees
(email: feesenq@liv.ac.uk).
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E7 Withdrawal or suspension of studies
Circumstances, often relating to ill-health, occasionally lead a student to consider withdrawing
from their studies or suspending their studies for a period of time. Such action may also be
appropriate if you have failed to make a fee payment or set up an arrangement for the payment of
fees, and where it is clear that you have insufficient financial means to complete the year of study.
Where students do suspend this is frequently with a view to returning in the next academic
session. In cases of withdrawal or suspension there are financial consequences arising from such
decisions and it is therefore essential that you ensure that the University receives formal notice of
such action. In the first instance you should discuss your circumstances with your academic
advisor or the School’s Learning and Teaching Support Officer. All requests for a suspension of
studies must be approved by your School/Department and will not normally be granted
retrospectively. Suspending studies on the grounds of ill health, financial difficulties or other
personal reasons suspends your fee liability and your requirement to undertake assessments. This
allows you to take time out of your studies in order that you can regain your health or sort out
other problems without financial or academic penalty before you return and re-start your studies.
However failure to inform the University of your withdrawal or suspension of studies means that
your tuition fee liability continues to accrue.
If you do suspend your studies, it is important that you contact your academic department one
month prior to your intended return to confirm that you will be returning to study. This will enable
your department to ensure that your academic registration is updated.
For further advice on the financial implications of withdrawing from or suspending study you
should contact the Student Fees Office at feesenq@liverpool.ac.uk or visit
http://www.liv.ac.uk/students/money/.
Further details, including the form to be completed in such an event, can be found on the web at:
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/students/student-administration-centre/student-record/suspensions.htm.
For international students who require a visa to study in the UK, requested and authorised
suspensions of study for any reason will be reported to the UK Border Agency as part of the
University’s statutory reporting responsibilities. This will have consequences for the duration of
the visa and international students are strongly advised to obtain immigration advice from the
International Support Team in Student Support Services (see D3.3 above). For home/EU students
who are sponsored by Student Finance England, Student Finance NI, Student Finance Wales or the
Student Awards Agency for Scotland, the University will inform the SFE, SFNI, SFW or SAAS of
these changes.
E8 Jury Service
From time to time students are called for jury service. Jurors are selected at random by Her
Majesty’s Courts Service from the electoral register and everyone on the electoral register
between the ages of 18 to 70 may be selected.
Where jury service is likely to interfere with your study or assessment, you may seek deferral of
the service. The Jury Central Summoning Bureau evaluates any requests for deferral, which is
usually no more than for 12 months. A letter can be obtained from the Director of Student
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Administration and Support to assist you in any request for a deferral. To do this you should
complete the jury summons including Section 3 and take the completed form to the Student
Administration Centre on the ground floor in the Foundation Building. The Student Administration
Centre is open Mondays- Fridays between 09:00 and 17:00.
When a jury summons is received by the Student Administration Centre, the Director of Student
Administration and Support will write on your behalf to Her Majesty’s Courts Service enclosing the
summons and explaining that it would be detrimental to your studies to experience disruption due
to undertaking jury service. It should be noted that the University can only make a request for
deferral: the decision to allow a deferral rests with Her Majesty’s Courts Service.
Her Majesty’s Courts Service will reply directly to you. Where no reply is received in a reasonable
time you should contact Her Majesty’s Courts Service to enquire about the progress of your
application for deferral.
The University cannot request an excusal on behalf of a student. Excusal requests should be sent
directly by a student to the Summoning Bureau.
E9 Misconduct
The University has Rules Regulating the Conduct of Students. Breaches of these rules are regarded
as constituting misconduct and include:
1. Any breach of University Ordinances or Regulations or Codes of Practice, including
the Regulations for the Conduct of Examinations;
2. Substantial obstruction or interference with the functions, duties or legitimate
activities of any student or member of staff of the University, or any visitor to the
University;
3. Violent, indecent, disorderly, threatening, intimidating or offensive behaviour or
language (whether expressed orally, in writing or electronically, including blogs,
social networking websites and other electronic means);
4. Distribution or publication of a poster, notice, sign or any publication which is
offensive, intimidating, threatening, indecent or illegal, including the broadcasting
and electronic distribution of such material;
5. Harassment of any student or member of staff of the University or any visitor to the
University;
6. Fraud, deceit, deception or dishonesty in relation to the University or its staff,
students or visitors;
7. Theft, misappropriation or misuse of University property, or the property of its
students, staff or visitors;
8. Misuse or unauthorised use of University premises or items of property, including
the misuse of computers and the communications network or any breach of the
University’s policy on the use of its information systems;
9. Damage or defacement to University property or the property of other members of
the University caused intentionally or recklessly, including misappropriation of such
property;
10. Action which may cause injury or jeopardise safety on University premises,
including occupation of premises of which the University is owner or occupier after
being required to leave by an authorised member of the staff of the University;
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11. Failure to provide identity such as name and student ID number to a member of
staff of the University in circumstances where a request to do so is reasonable;
12. Any conduct, whether on or off campus, which results in a student receiving a
formal police caution, irrespective of whether or not such a caution leads to the
student being charged or convicted of an offence;
13. Any failure on behalf of the student to inform the University of any police caution,
charge or conviction. (Convictions for a motoring offence for which a fine and a
maximum penalty of three points are imposed are excluded. Offences which are
spent under the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 should also
be reported as they may affect the right to practise for students following
programmes leading to a professional qualification);
14. Any conduct which may be discreditable to the University or detrimental to the
discharge of its duties or which may more widely bring the University into
disrepute;
15. Failure to comply with any punishment imposed as a result of the University’s
disciplinary procedures or contempt of those procedures.
The consequences of being in breach of either the Regulations for the Conduct of Examinations or
the Rules Regulating the Conduct of Students are serious and will lead to referral to the
University’s Student Disciplinary Procedures.
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/students/student-administration-centre/policiesprocedures/studentdisciplinaryprocedures_sep2008.pdf.
In recent years, the Board of Discipline has considered a number of cases where students have
been caught in possession of unauthorised material in an examination and in many instances, the
Board determined that the student concerned be awarded a mark of zero for the examination in
question and suspended from studies for up to twelve months. The Board of Discipline also has
the power to terminate a student’s studies where a very serious breach of the Rules Regulating
the Conduct of Students has occurred.
E10 Criminal offences
The University has a duty of care to its staff and students and thus it needs to be informed of any
alleged criminal activity by its staff or students. If at any time during registration on a programme
of study at the University a student is arrested by the police and charged with a criminal offence,
they are required to report this immediately to the Director of Student Administration and
Support. If a student is sent for trial, the Director must also be kept informed at all stages either by
the student or their solicitor. If a student is convicted then this must also be reported along with
details of any sentence imposed. Students on some professional programmes may also be
required by their respective Departments to report annually on any current criminal records. This
requirement is in addition to the University’s requirement to report such matters to the Director
of Student Administration and Support. A conviction includes being put on probation, being given
absolute or conditional discharge, being bound over, or being given a formal caution. You do not
need to declare parking or speeding offences which are subject to fixed penalties.
You are advised that by declaring to the University that you have been charged or convicted of a
criminal offence does not necessarily mean that disciplinary action will be taken against you under
the University’s Disciplinary Procedures. However, any declaration of such offences is likely to
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lead to a risk assessment to be undertaken by a Risk Assessment Panel. You would be informed of
the outcome of any such assessment.
To declare a charge, formal caution or criminal record to the Director of Student Administration
and Support, a pro-forma which is available at http://www.liv.ac.uk/students/studentadministration-centre/policies-procedures/Criminal_Offences_Proforma.pdf
should be completed
and returned.
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SECTION F: YOUR RIGHTS TO APPEAL OR COMPLAIN
F1 Assessment Appeals Procedure (taught programmes)
The Assessment Appeals Procedure is available for use by students on undergraduate and taught
postgraduate programmes of study. Further details can be found in the document “Assessment
Appeals Procedure”, which can be viewed on the web at:
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/students/student-administration-centre/policies-procedures/appeals.htm.
The Assessment Appeals Procedure is divided into two sections:
Section 1 – Appeals against individual module marks, assessments in non-modular
programmes and decisions made by a Clinical Assessment Panel
An appeal can be made under this Section by students who have not yet completed their
programme of study and who wish to appeal against a module mark, an assessment mark
in non-modular programmes or a decision made by a Clinical Assessment Panel which has
been determined by a Board of Examiners. This includes an appeal against a mark of zero
awarded following a finding that major plagiarism, collusion or fabrication of data has
occurred. For campus-based programmes, marks are designated as ‘provisional’ following
the semester one examination period, until confirmed by the Board of Examiners at the
end of semester two.
Section 2 – Appeals against the decision of the Board of Examiners on completion of a
programme of study
An appeal can be submitted under this section under the following circumstances:
a) To appeal against the non-award of a degree, diploma or certificate, whether that
award was the final award for the course concerned or an intermediate award for
the stage of the course the student has just completed;
b) To appeal against the classification or other mark of differentiation of a degree,
diploma or certificate which has been awarded;
c) To appeal against a decision to make a different award from that which the student
was attempting to qualify for at that point of the course.
Students who wish to appeal against the decision of the Board of Examiners to terminate their
studies or to deem them withdrawn prior to the normal expected date of completion of their
programme, should refer to the ‘Guide on the Progress of Students on Taught Programmes of
Study’ (Appendix E of the Code of Practice on Assessment) which describe the University’s
Progress Procedures. This Guide can be accessed at:
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/media/livacuk/tqsd/polstratcop/copassess/appendix_E_cop_assess.pdf.
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Advice on all appeals procedures can be obtained from the Director of Student Administration and
Support (SAS) or the Academic Compliance Team, based in SAS.
Students cannot appeal on any grounds which:
� have already been considered by the Board of Examiners
� could have been considered had notice of the student’s wish to have them so
considered been given prior to the meeting of the Board of Examiners and the
student has no valid reason for having failed to give such notice
� dispute the academic judgement of the Board of Examiners.
F2 University Complaints Procedure
The University operates a Student Complaints Procedure to be used if you have a complaint
against the University. This procedure provides for complaints to be dealt with, as far as possible,
on an informal basis. It also sets out the formal route for the consideration of complaints should
informal procedures fail to resolve a complaint satisfactorily. The Student Complaints Procedure
can be accessed at:
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/media/livacuk/tqsd/polstratcop/stud_complnt_proc.pdf.
Where the complaint is about an academic decision regarding assessment, the Assessment
Appeals Procedure should be followed. Please see section F1.
Complaints relating to the conduct of students are dealt with through the University’s Disciplinary
Procedure which is administered by the Student Administration and Support Division. Further
information and guidance about student conduct and discipline can be found at:
Http://www.liv.ac.uk/students/student-administration-centre/policies-procedures/conductdiscipline.htm.
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SECTION G: CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY
G1 The Careers and Employability Service
The Careers and Employability Service (CES) provides information, advice and guidance on all you
need to know about planning your career - be it working for a big firm, supporting a community
organisation, studying for a higher degree, or taking time out to travel the world.
CES services are aimed at all students, regardless of what stage in the career planning process they
are at. Whether you are clued up or clue-less about your future, the Careers and Employability
Service can provide you with all you need to take the next step.
The Service can put you in touch with leading employers, introduce you to lots of new and exciting
career ideas, and even help you write winning CVs and applications. All you have to do is take the
first step and visit the team either in person or on-line.
The Careers and Employability Service offers you:
� Access to part time, term-time job vacancies
� Internships and work experience opportunities
� Graduate job vacancies with leading national and local employers
� Opportunities to meet organisations that want to recruit Liverpool graduates
� Volunteering opportunities in Liverpool, across the UK and overseas
� Specialist help with CVs, applications and interviews
� Information on further study options
� Advice and information on taking a year out
� Skills development opportunities
� Holiday jobs and work experience opportunities across the world (and in
Liverpool)
� Impartial advice about options with your degree.
The Careers and Employability Service is located on the first floor of the Student Services Centre,
next door to the Guild of Students on Mount Pleasant, opposite the Metropolitan Cathedral.
Details of all the Careers and Employability Services are on the University website at:
http://www.liv.ac.uk/careers. You can contact them by email: careers@liv.ac.uk, or telephone
0151 794 4647.
You can also follow them on Facebook: at:
Http://www.facebook.com/TheCareersandEmployabilityService.
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