WELCOME to BIOSCIENCES Centre for Ecology and Conservation
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WELCOME TO BIOSCIENCES Centre for Ecology and Conservation Biosciences Undergraduate Handbook 2013/2014 This handbook is a quick reference to information about Biosciences at Penryn Campus. It is organized to answer frequently asked questions under five main headings: basic PENRYN CAMPUS survival, the social side to Biosciences, technical details, information about your degree, and exams and tests. Biosciences Undergraduate Handbook Penryn Campus Welcome Welcome to Biosciences! Biosciences is based in the Daphne de Maurier and Peter Lanyon buildings at the Penryn campus in Cornwall, and both the Hatherly Laboratories and the Geoffrey Pope building on the Streatham campus. Some procedures and practices will change during your stay at the University of Exeter, but we will endeavor to keep you informed of these as they occur. This handbook should be your first point of reference for any queries that you may have. Please note that the administrative centre for Biosciences in Cornwall is the college office, room A070 in the Peter Lanyon Building About this Handbook This handbook is a quick reference to information about Biosciences. It is organised to answer frequently asked questions under five main headings: basic survival, the social stuff, technical details, about the degree, exams and tests. The best way to find out what is in here is to scan the index of FAQs on the following pages. This booklet covers what we think you will need to know in your day-to-day life in Biosciences. There is more detailed information about specific issues that this booklet will refer you to (e.g. the Biosciences web pages or the Guild/FXU and University web pages). On behalf of Biosciences, and the College of Life and Environmental Sciences, I wish you every success during your time here at the University of Exeter. Prof Stuart Bearhop Professor in Animal Ecology and Director of Undergraduate Education Page 2 Basic survival Who can help me? Virtually everybody needs advice at some point. In Biosciences, your main point of contact will be your personal tutor. Your personal tutor will be an experienced member of the staff who is used to being asked questions large and small. In addition, many routine matters can often be dealt with by administrators in the College Offices - just ask. There is also a Student Help website: http://www.studenthelp.ex.ac.uk/studenthelp. Outside Biosciences, the Student Union FXU represents students of University Falmouth and the University of Exeter Cornwall Campus. The FXU offers student welfare advice on issues such as housing, finance, legal and academic issues. They also organise events for students, facilitate volunteer experience, and provide sporting opportunities. The FXU office is in the Annex opposite the refectory and is open year round from 9 am to 5 pm. You can contact them by phone at 01326 370447 or by email at [email protected]. See the FXU website http://www.fxu.org.uk for more information. Source Example topics Your personal Academic and personal issues. tutor Senior tutor Serious academic and personal issues affecting academic progress (only after first approaching your personal tutor), change of personal tutor. CLES Admin Change of module, timetables, exams and assessments, project Office allocation, availability of staff, routine academic matters, amendments to personal records, student absence records, college ambassador queries. Irene Christophers/Leigh Kitto. Directors of Serious academic issues affecting the programme, and Undergraduate complaints against staff (normally after first talking to your Education personal tutor). The table below details how to find key people with responsibilities in the College of Life and Environmental Science and Biosciences: College of Life and Environmental Sciences - Contacts Role Name Location Telephone* E-mail * College Dean Professor Dan Contact via the executive PA Rebecca Charman Bishop r.bishop Associate Dean Research Professor Michelle and Knowledge Transfer Ryan Associate Dean Education Professor Tim Quine College Manager Linda Peka Hatherly 01392 l.a.peka 725221 Assistant College Manager Gail Reeves PL A093 5822 g.reeves (CLES – Penryn Campus) Education Team Leader Caitlin Kight PL A068 n/a c.r.kight Programmes Administrator Irene Christophers PL A068 2794 i.christophers Assistant College Manager Barbara Powell Amory 01392 b.e.powell (Education) 724622 PA to College Dean Rebecca Bishop Hatherly B5 01392 r.bishop 725151 Page 3 Biosciences (Centre for Ecology and Conservation) - Contacts Head of Centre Professor David PL A092 1843 d.j.hosken Hosken Directors of Education Dr David Hodgson PL A085 1829 d.j.hodgson (Penryn Campus) Prof. Stuart Bearhop DDM 3048 1835 s.bearhop Assistant Director of Dr Andrew Pye PL A083 1446 a.j.pye Education Senior Tutor Dr Andrew Pye PL A083 1446 a.j.pye Student-Staff Liaison Dr Andrew Pye PL A083 1446 a.j.pye Committee Special Needs Officer Dr Andrew Pye PL A083 1446 a.j.pye Academic Misconduct and Professor David PL A083 1446 a.j.pye Examinations Officer Hosken Employability Officer Dr Sarah Hodge DDM 3064 1724 s.j.hodge CLES Admin Office Irene Christophers PL A0 2794 I.Christophers Leigh Kitto 4229 Undergraduate Programme Directors Conservation Biology & Dr Sarah Hodge DDM 3064 1724 s.j.hodge Ecology Zoology Dr Andy McGowan DDM 3038 4190 a.mcgowan Evolutionary Biology Dr Andy McGowan DDM 3038 4190 a.mcgowan Animal Behaviour Dr Sarah Hodge DDM 3064 1724 s.j.hodge Study Abroad/Erasmus Dr Nick Royle DDM 3048 1835 n.j.royle MSc Programme Directors Conservation & Biodiversity Dr Brendan Godley DDM 3060 1861 b.j.godley Evolutionary and Professor Nina Wedell DDM 3058 1863 n.wedell Behavioural Ecology Applied Ecology Dr Andy McGowan DDM 3038 4190 a.mcgowan DDM = Daphne Du Maurier building, Penryn Campus PL – Peter Lanyon Building, Penryn Campus EX – Exchange Building, Penryn Campus *NB to dial a Penryn Campus line from off-campus, dial '01326 37' before the number. All email addresses have the suffix @exeter.ac.uk How can I communicate with the Department? The postal address is: Centre for Ecology and Conservation University of Exeter Penryn Campus Treliever Road Penryn Cornwall TR10 9EZ Tel: 01326 253794/254229 Page 4 What can I expect from my Personal Tutor? You will be assigned a Personal Tutor for the duration of your studies. Your personal tutor will be an experienced member of the staff who can listen to just about any concern you have, large or small. They will be the obvious person to answer your questions and to help sort out academic and, if necessary, personal problems. Your connection with your personal tutor will continue until you graduate, and you will maintain contact by meeting them several times a term. After graduating, you can ask them to act as a referee when applying for jobs or a further degree. Your personal tutor will normally be prepared to see you to discuss problems at any time during working hours and certainly by appointment within 24 hours. Your personal tutor will tell you if they are going to be absent for a significant period and an arrangement will then be made, via the Senior Tutor, to provide a stand-in tutor for you. If your personal tutor is unable to help you please make an appointment to see the Senior Tutor. Your personal tutor will record your attendance at scheduled meetings, and will report frequent absences to the Senior Tutor. He/she will also help you with your Personal Development Plan (PDP). What is Personal Development Planning? We are committed to supporting your personal, academic and career development during your time at Exeter. Personal Development Planning (PDP) is well established in Biosciences, and is embedded into the personal tutoring system. PDP is defined as: ‘a structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect on their own learning, performance and/or achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and career development’ (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, 2000). Why is it important? If you engage seriously in PDP, you should be better equipped: • To become a more effective, independent and confident learner; • To understand how you are learning and to ‘transfer’ your learning to new situations; • To manage your general skills for study and for career management; • To express your personal goals, and work towards them, and • To demonstrate a proactive approach to learning in a range of different contexts. Learning to identify and evidence skills you’re developing, and setting action plans to build on these through PDP can help to prepare you for job interviews and other professional situations, such as Professional Development Reviews (PDR). How does Biosciences provide opportunities for PDP? An important feature of the ‘structure and support’ we provide for PDP is through the opportunities you have to talk about your progress with tutors/supervisors throughout your programme of study. At appropriate stages of your programme, you will be invited to a meeting or tutorial with your personal tutor to focus on your progress. The aim of these sessions is to provide a supportive environment in which to discuss your development rather than to judge performance, so you should feel free to be completely frank about your progress and achievements. Where appropriate, your tutor/supervisor may refer you to other sources of help and guidance. You will also be introduced to PDP in the BIO1417 Key Skills module when you start your degree. The information given here will link to the personal tutoring system. Page 5 Employability talks and other events will also be advertised to all students for you to take advantage of as they occur and the student society ECOSOC also put on a large number of events and activities that can help with your personal development. Many of these activities are officially recognised through the ‘Exeter Award’.