SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES Undergraduate Handbook 2011–2012
1 Undergraduate Handbook 2011-2012
1 Welcome from the Pro-Director (Learning and Teaching)
Congratulations on having decided to take up a place at SOAS in the University of London. You are joining a unique institution. I hope you will be challenged by the experience and enjoy and benefit your time with us.
SOAS degrees encourage both in-depth and comparative study. Every degree programme has a systematic structure, designed to provide knowledge and training in a specific field. We try to ensure that students have as much opportunity as possible to develop their own interests, drawing upon the rich variety of courses on offer.
Ahead of you lie encounters and interactions with many different cultures, languages, ideas and perspectives. Take full advantage, not only in the classrooms and library, but among your fellow students. Those who study here are themselves a great educational resource. Among a total student body of well over 4,000, including more than 1,800 undergraduates, you will make new friends from many different backgrounds. Everyone's experience is of value in this setting, whether they come from Britain or from any of over 100 countries around the world.
Take advantage too of the fact that SOAS is in the centre of one of the world's greatest and most cosmopolitan cities, with dozens of museums, theatres and other cultural activities nearby. There are also many activities provided specifically for students. Do consult the Students' Union handbook, given to you when you register, and check the additional facilities of the University of London Union (ULU) located close to SOAS's Russell Square campus.
SOAS is an important international venue for a wide range of activities - lectures, conferences, concerts, and exhibitions. Many of these are open to students. Though you will frequently feel pressed for time, as deadlines crowd upon you (and of course those deadlines must be met), never forget that life at SOAS is not limited to the courses you have chosen. SOAS is a friendly as well as a stimulating environment, but if you are new to London and to university life you may well meet some difficulties. Do not hesitate to seek advice early, should you need it. SOAS has many services designed to help you.
If you work steadily, value your subjects of study, build on your interests, and manage your time sensibly, your time here will be very rewarding. We aim to do everything we can to make it so. We hope you will then become a lifelong member of the SOAS community.
Professor Nirmala Rao – Pro-Director (Learning and Teaching) September 2011
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About this Handbook
The purpose of this Handbook is to bring together in a single place the information you will need during the course of your study at SOAS. Some of it is in the form of rules and regulations. These may seem rather dry and long-winded, but they have been drawn up to cover every eventuality and to ensure that everyone is treated equally and fairly. The School also has a series of procedures to cover such matters as sexual and racial harassment. The Handbook also includes information about library and IT facilities, study skills programmes, and other matters, which will contribute to your successful completion of your work here.
If you need further information or need to have something explained, there are a number of sources open to you. Your department will give you a handbook, which covers your specific degree, and your personal tutor may also be able to help. The Registry located at Vernon Square is open Monday to Friday and can deal with many queries over the counter. Where the matter is confidential or complicated, you can ask to see an appropriate member of the Registry staff or the appropriate Associate Dean in your Faculty. The Students' Union also has advice services available. For personal matters you can ask to see a student counsellor.
There may be changes to the detail of the regulations from year to year. You can always consult the current handbook in your Faculty Office or at the Registry counter. You can also obtain copies of the current regulations for undergraduate degrees and degree classification from the Registry.
"! ! ! 3 Contents Part 1 Part 2 General Information Academic Regulations and A Brief History of SOAS 6 Related Documents The Registry 10 Degree Regulations for BA and Term Dates 11 BSc Students 76 Undergraduate Degrees at SOAS 12 Guide to Classification: BA and BSc Degree Students 112 Data Protection 20 Degree Regulations for LLB Students 127 Using Personal Data in Research: Code of Practice for SOAS Staff and Students 28 Guide to Classification for LLB Students 149 SOAS Research Ethics Policy 47 Code of Practice for Independent Study Projects 154 The SOAS Library 52 Regulations for Certificates and Information technology 57 Diplomas 164 Academic Development Directorate 59 Regulations for Students of SOAS 167 Student Services 60 Regulations in Respect of Assessment Accommodation advice 66 and Examination Offences 176 The SOAS Students' Union 69 Procedure for Considering 0 Student Representation 69 Representations 18 Student Members of SOAS Committees 71 Part 3 SOAS Careers Service 72 Students and SOAS Development and Alumni Relations 73 Making a complaint 183 Student Disciplinary Procedures 186 Equality and Diversity Statement 188 Whistleblowing Policy 190 Freedom of Expression at SOAS 193 School Policy on Student Occupations 195 Code of Practice: SOAS Students' Union 196 Other School Policies and Procedures 199
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PART 1 GENERAL INFORMATION
#! ! ! 5 A Brief History of SOAS
The School of Oriental Studies was founded on 5 July 1916 when it received its Royal Charter as a college of the University of London. It opened its doors to students at the beginning of 1917. The Royal Charter gave the School a unique mission and a dual obligation - to advance academic knowledge of Asia and to impart instruction of a practical nature. Therefore, despite rumours that its main purpose was to train colonial officials and spies, the School was a centre of scholarship from the first. Though it did and still does provide training courses, it undertook teaching and research into modern and ancient languages, and into the history, geography, customs, laws and literatures of the peoples of Asia. SOAS was a very small operation in the years of the first Director, Professor Sir Denison Ross (1916- 37). It operated in a handsome building in Finsbury Circus, on annual budgets that by the 1930s had barely doubled from an initial £14,000. The academic staff was small, though distinguished, and the teaching programmes modest. In these years it was largely students from India who enrolled for PhD research. Under the second Director, Professor Sir Ralph Turner (1937-57), the School began to expand, adding ‘African’ to its name in 1938, and moving to its building at Russell Square between 1941 and 1946. The School responded to the Second World War by developing crash programmes for translators and interpreters. In 1946, the Scarbrough Commission recommended a vigorous programme to expand Asian and African studies, by developing strong university departments independently of undergraduate student demand. It identified SOAS as the major centre for such studies. The next impetus to the School’s growth came during the Directorship of Professor Sir Cyril Philips (1957-76). The Hayter Committee of 1961 recommended an expansion of studies in SOAS subjects, and around the same time higher education in Britain expanded generally, following the report of the Robbins Committee (1963). Recognising the need to increase its commitment to ‘home’ students, the School revised and widened its undergraduate programmes, especially in the social sciences, while keeping the focus on the study of Asia and Africa. Another new departure was the creation of area centres, which provided an interdisciplinary regional approach to teaching and research, to complement the departments. The area studies MA’s were part of this initiative. By the 1970s the School had outgrown its premises and was becoming scattered over several sites. In 1973, the opening of the library building (now the Philips Building) brought most activities back to Russell Square. These new spaces provided the facilities appropriate to the international importance of the collection and to growing student numbers. During the 1970s and early 1980s the undergraduate programmes were reviewed, and further two-subject degrees and a course unit system introduced, in parallel with developments elsewhere in the University of London. This period of vigorous expansion came to an end in the early 1980s when the government began to cut university funding, and demanded greatly enhanced fees from overseas students. The School lost more than a third of its recurrent income from the state. While Professor C.D. Cowan was Director (1976-89), the School fought back by seeking alternative funding sources and by cutting expenditure. It also lobbied hard for the establishment of a national inquiry into the need for Asian and African studies. Persistence was rewarded when Sir Peter Parker, in a report published in 1986,
6 pointed to the severe losses suffered by Asian and African studies throughout the university system and to the increasing demand from government and business for teaching and expertise relating to those regions. Implementation of some of the report’s recommendations led to several new appointments at the School and to the strengthening of its library holdings. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, continuing changes in national policy toward universities presented new challenges to the School. Further growth in student numbers was encouraged while protecting special scholarship. The Raisman committee advised the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) on the future funding of the School, concluding that the School should receive an exceptional grant in respect of subjects in low demand from students but of national importance; for the School’s Library (now designated by HEFCE as National Research Library and for managing a worldclass collection of porcelain in the Percival David Foundation.
The School continued to expand during the Directorships of Sir Michael McWilliam (1989-96), Sir Tim Lankester (1996-2000), Professor Colin Bundy (2001-6) and Professor Paul Webley, the current director who joined SOAS in 2006. Currently, the School is having to repeat the old arguments about the special importance of its studies in order to ensure adequate public funding, but its fee and other income has increased markedly, and its finances broadly-speaking, are sound. Large expansion in activities has more or less been matched by expansion of facilities. In 1995 the Brunei Gallery building opened, made possible through a gift from HM the Sultan of Brunei: a site of teaching, meeting and office space but also for a visiting exhibitions, including in 2007 a magnificent celebration of the treasures of SOAS: Objects of Instruction.
Since 1996 many SOAS students have been accommodated in new student residences; another named after the former Vice Principal, Elisabeth Croll (1944- 2007), opened in 2009. In 2001 a second campus opened near the residences, at Vernon Square, Islington. Its teaching and other rooms were expanded in 2005.
At Russell Square, a five-storey Research Centre was opened by the Chancellor (2004), the Library was greatly enhanced by enclosing the terraces (2006), and the fourth floor of the original building was given a much-needed refurbishment (2008). As space remains scarce (a measure of SOAS’s success), further expansion is inevitable; a new Master Plan has been developed, some funding is in place, and a campaign for donations will follow under an enlarged Development Office, assisted by an International Advisory Board.
In 2002, the School consolidated its departments into three Faculties - Languages and Cultures, Arts and Humanities, and Law and Social Sciences. These now form units of academic and financial administration and planning. New degree programmes continue to be introduced, with an expansion of student numbers that is particularly noticeable in Law and Social Sciences, and in postgraduate education generally. SOAS has grown and professionalised its support for students and for teaching and learning, which has been supported and aided by an engaged and effective Students’ Union. With record intakes in successive sessions, student numbers have increased three-fold in fifteen years. The current strategic plan envisages further expansion. Through all this, SOAS has maintained its exceptional atmosphere, its vigour, and its wonderfully diverse mix of students.
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The Library Transformation Project
The SOAS Library houses the world's greatest concentration of scholarly works on Asia, Africa and the Middle East. It contains more than 1.5 million volumes, many of them rare, written in hundreds of languages. Library treasures include a 9th century Tibetan prayer book, priceless Japanese scrolls, original maps of Africa drawn by the 19th century explorer David Livingstone and the first known writings in the Aboriginal language.
One of only five designated National Research Libraries in England, the SOAS Library receives more than a million visits from researchers and students each year, nearly half of whom travel from around London, the country and the world specifically to conduct research there. It truly is a global resource.
But with more than 25,000 new books being added each year, the Library is running out of room. The collections are spilling over into researcher and reader spaces. With a growing SOAS student body and increasing demand from researchers both within and beyond the School, there is an urgent need to modernise the Library.
That is why the School of Oriental and African Studies has embarked on an ambitious plan to transform the Library. A major refurbishment will result in a bright, welcoming and more accessible space with new language laboratories, music studios, discussion and research rooms and other facilities. A state-of-the-art storage and retrieval system will allow the collections to continue to expand rapidly. And a sweeping digitisation effort across the collections, already begun, will make valuable works more widely available to users around the globe.
SOAS continues to enjoy a good reputation which is evident in its continuing and growing attraction of international students. In addition, the School continues to develop its programmes in distance learning, augmented in 2007 by the addition of the Centre for Development, Environment and Policy at Wye, formerly attached to Imperial College. SOAS has had record enrolments in some of its non-degree language teaching programmes, especially Chinese, and growing numbers in its pre- enrolment International Certificate and related programmes. Especially in recent years, it has been strengthening its international partnerships.
Research The School is ‘research-intensive’. Its strengths were confirmed by the recognition accorded in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise. Its academic staff publish extremely widely. Many also participate in national and international consultancy. In 2002 the School became the base for a major international scholarly and documentation initiative, the Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project, funded by one of the largest grants ever made to a humanities project in the UK. SOAS has marked its strong involvement in current issues also through the Sir Joseph Hotung Research Project in Law, Human Rights and Peace Building in the Middle East. The School has also done well in securing funding for other major research projects. In 2009/10 The total amount of new external research grants announced was approximately £2.7 million, with funding coming from a variety of organisations such as the British Council, The British Academy, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Leverhulme Trust to name a few.
8 SOAS’s teaching and research have changed considerably since its early years, when the principal focus was on uncovering the structure of languages and some aspects of the cultures of Asian and later African societies. Earlier specialisms flourish, as in a renaissance in Sanskrit and Indic studies, but the development of new fields of interest, ranging very widely across the humanities and social sciences, indicates a growing diversity of scholarship and an impressive appetite for innovation. Translation studies, Islam in the modern world, film and media, gender, human rights, poverty, globalisation, HIV/Aids: an ever-growing list of subjects marks SOAS’s importance and the excitement of its studies. Its uniqueness rests in fundamental strength in language-based research and a regional focus, but it is also a major player in all its disciplines. With scholarship and more vocational needs both affected by the ways the world is changing, SOAS and its fields of study have universal and not only specialist importance. A second volume on its history, SOAS since the Sixties, appeared in 2003. A key theme was that the School not only survived some tough years, but that it did so with ‘imagination and a renewed sense of SOAS’s distinctive place’ in the academic world. Today, it can do what no other institution in the UK can, as a whole: ‘speak with real academic authority ... about the societies, cultures and polities of two-thirds of the world’. The aptly-named SOAS: A Celebration in Many Voices appeared in 2007. One article said: SOAS is ‘still remarkable’ and ‘still has a special place in the affections of many people in the regions it studies’; it ‘does not regard itself as “peculiar” anymore’, but as ‘the mainstream’ of the present century. In 2009, in recognition of its excellence in the teaching of the languages of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, SOAS was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher Education. These prizes go only to institutions doing world-class work of exceptional importance and SOAS’s award is a testament.
9 The Registry
The Registry, located on the first floor of Vernon Square buildings, is responsible for matters relating to registration, regulations, fees and scholarships. In addition to queries relating to registration and fees, staff in the Registry can provide general advice for postgraduate students and, where appropriate, supply forms. In other cases they will direct students to the individual member of Registry staff responsible (this may require an appointment to be made in advance). If you wish to contact the Registry from outside SOAS, you can telephone the main SOAS switchboard (020 7637 2388) and ask to be put through to the Registry, or you can send email to [email protected]
Director of Student and Registry Services David Christmas
Head of Registry Mr Nicholas Page
Fees and Scholarships Manager Ms Pippa Smith
Although the Registry and programme convenors are the main routes through which enquiries from students should be directed, some matters may also require consultation with the appropriate Associate Dean in the relevant Faculty.
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Academic Board is asked to note the following term dates for 2011/12 and 2012/13 as approved by LTQC.
TERM DATES FOR 2011/2012
Term 1 Monday 26 September - Friday 16 December 2011 (Registration week + 11 teaching weeks. Teaching begins on Monday 3 October)
(Christmas break - 3 weeks)
Term 2 Monday 9 January - Friday 23 March 2012 (11 weeks)
(Easter break - 3 weeks - Easter Sunday = 8 April)
Term 3 Monday 16 April - Friday 8 June 2012 (8 weeks)
Reading Weeks are 7-11 November 2011 and 13-17 February 2012 (both Teaching Week 6).
TERM DATES FOR 2012/2013
Term 1 Monday 24 September - Friday 14 December 2012 (Registration week + 11 teaching weeks. Teaching begins on Monday 1 October)
(Christmas break - 3 weeks)
Term 2 Monday 7 January - Friday 22 March 2013 (11 weeks)
(Easter break - 3 weeks - Easter Sunday = 31 March)
Term 3 Monday 15 April - Friday 7 June 2013 (8 weeks)
Reading Weeks are 5-9 November 2012 and 11-15 February 2013 (both Teaching Week 6).
11 Undergraduate degrees at SOAS
What is a Degree? SOAS offers three undergraduate degrees: the BA or Bachelor of Arts, which covers most of the subjects taught here, the BSc or Bachelor of Science, which covers the single subject degrees in Economics and International Management, and the LLB or Bachelor of Laws, which is available in the Law Department. In the British education system a bachelor’s degree is normally awarded after the successful completion of a three- or sometimes four-year programme of full-time study.
The degree course is meant to mark a substantial advance on the level of work done at school and /or college; more generally it is meant to bring you to a level where you have a basic mastery of the subject and can use it independently either for a profession or for postgraduate study and research. Whatever your subject of study, you are being trained to think logically and rigorously and to express yourself clearly. You are also expected to take increasing responsibility for your own study. These are transferable skills which potential employers will look for as much as the specific content of your degree. SOAS, in common with most other colleges of the University of London, organises its degrees through the course unit system (the exception is the LLB degree, although most of what follows applies equally to it). You will find in Part 2 two of the key documents, which govern your degree. One sets out the regulations for the course unit scheme, the other tells you how your class of degree will be awarded once you have successfully completed your course of study.
The third document you need is the syllabus for your particular degree. There are too many of these to be included here, but more detailed information will be supplied by your Faculty office. The SOAS intranet will increasingly make all these documents available electronically. If you cannot find the answer to any queries you may have in these three documents or in this Handbook, then you should speak in the first instance to the staff in your Faculty Office, your personal tutor or to your department’s undergraduate tutor. The Registry may also be able to help.
A Few Key Points about Degrees at SOAS
1. Number of Units Per Year All students have to do work to the value of four course units per year (equivalent to 120 CATS points or 60 ECTS points). Each unit is intended to imply a similar work load, although the number of contact hours in lectures, classes etc. will vary with the nature of the subject –basic language units for example require more contact hours than a final-year social science unit.
2. Core and Compulsory Units Every syllabus contains units that have to be completed to ensure overall coherence and progression from elementary to more advanced work. Core units have to be passed in order for you to proceed to the next year of the degree, while compulsory units need to be taken but not necessarily passed (but see below for the effect of failures on class of degree). The pattern varies from syllabus to syllabus, but it would be common for you to have to pass two core units in your first year and one in the second. You must pass all core courses and courses to the minimum value of three course units to be eligible to progress from one year to the next.
12 3. The Teaching Year This is based on a 24-week cycle. At present, terms one and two are regarded as the main teaching terms, while the third, shorter term is used mainly for examinations (although you should expect to have lectures or classes in the first couple of weeks). One week of each of the first two terms is designated as a reading week when no lectures take place. Dates for this year and next can be found on the inside front cover of this Handbook.
4. Transfer Between Degrees You are admitted to SOAS to study for a particular degree, and no guarantee can be given that after admission you can transfer to a different degree. However, where a good case can be made applications to transfer will be considered. It is vital that you discuss this with your tutors. For an application to be considered, the undergraduate tutor or Head of department in the department(s) to which you are transferring must indicate to the Registry how you will meet the requirements of the new syllabus. In some cases this may require an extra year’s study. The department from which you are transferring must also give its permission. You must apply for transfer by means of the degree application form, obtainable from your Faculty Office.
5. Open options The system of open option courses enables BA/BSc students to take a SOAS course or courses in subjects other than those named in their degree title. These may be in a closely related subject or in a language. Courses at other Colleges are not available as open options.
6. Independent Study Projects Many degree syllabuses allow final-year students or students taking a language year abroad to carry out an independent piece of work (under the supervision of a member of staff) on a topic within their general field of study. In some cases it is possible to incorporate original research into the project. Independent Study Projects (ISPs) are valued at one course-unit, and are expected to be about 10,000 words in length. A code of practice exists for ISPs and can be found in Part 2. Departments which offer ISPs normally produce additional documentation for their students.
7. Language Years Abroad A compulsory year abroad in the area where the language of study is spoken is now a feature of almost all language degrees at SOAS. Arrangements are made by the staff concerned on the basis of their own extensive contacts in the countries concerned. Each programme is unique but all offer invaluable opportunities to be immersed in the language and to understand the cultural context. Where available, the language years are compulsory parts of the syllabus, although in some cases there is scope for shifting to another degree. Students benefit most from the experience when they integrate as far as possible into the host institution, and SOAS expects its students abroad to respect the conventions of the institutions they attend. The School arranges briefings in advance on all aspects of the programme and has put in place a series of procedures to cope with any emergencies that may arise.
13 8. Exchange Schemes There are opportunities at SOAS to study abroad as part of your degree programme. SOAS is part of a number of Erasmus networks which allow mobility within Europe. These normally require fluency in the appropriate European language, and you will also need to consider the financial implications. Speak to your undergraduate tutor in the first instance.
9. Intercollegiate Courses You may be able to take a course at another College if it forms part of the published syllabus for your degree, or if you are registered for a degree taught jointly by two Colleges, such as BA Arabic and French (taught jointly with UCL). More details are provided in the BA/BSc regulations (regulation 23).
10. Student Assessment of Courses Feedback from students is important for lecturers to be able to improve their courses and teaching methods. At the end of each course, you will be asked to complete a form, which asks for your assessment of different aspects of the course. The forms are filled in anonymously and are only passed on to the teacher after the examinations are over.
11. Study Materials Most of your work will be done on the basis of material to be found in the Library or on the Internet, but for some large courses you will be offered the opportunity to buy a study pack, which brings together many of the relevant readings for the course. The Copyright Licensing Agency imposes strict conditions on the reproduction of material for class use, so that this is the only way in which you can legally be supplied with photocopies of journal articles and similar materials.
How Do You Study At SOAS? You will get most out of your study at SOAS by seeing it as a partnership – between you and your teachers but also between you and your fellow students. Depending on the degree programme you are doing, there are a number of different ways in which you will be taught: The Lecture This is the classic format for university teaching, and still has many advantages, although it will always be supplemented with other activities. The lecture is usually 50 minutes or so in length, will be part of a series of lectures, and will be supported by a reading list and perhaps other course material. You will be given a course outline at the beginning of a series of lectures.
Tutorials, Classes and Seminars In a sense these all describe the same thing, a small group in which you discuss work with your colleagues and with a teacher. A large lecture-focused course will almost always have a parallel series of tutorials, often led by teaching assistants, in which the themes of the lectures can be taken up and discussed, uncertainties removed, controversies thrashed out and so on. Where the number of students is smaller, all the teaching may be done in classes, where presentations of topics by teachers are made in order to provoke immediate discussion and debate. The
14 essence of a seminar is that it is focused on student presentations. Small groups work best if everyone is willing to take part.
Written Work and Presentations Many courses require students to submit written work. This work is intended both as a means of assessment (see overleaf) but also as part of the learning experience. Writing an essay or paper allows you to organise your ideas and information and stimulates you to think about the material you have gathered from lectures and from your own reading. You can expect written feedback on essays from your teachers, usually within three weeks. (This may also apply where an essay is scheduled to be handed in right at the very end of the course.)
Language Teaching Basic language teaching is carried out through classroom work of various types. Considerable time will be devoted to the basic structure of the language (its grammar), but there will also be plenty of opportunity to practice the spoken language, in most cases with native speakers. You will also use the language laboratories for further practice.
How is Your Work Monitored? In your own interests as much as anyone else’s, the School has to ensure that you are attending lectures and classes on a regular basis and submitting written work etc. as required. For each course that you take you will be given an outline, which will include all the necessary information, including essay deadlines. Apart from departmental deadlines, there is also a School deadline for submission of course work. Failure to observe either of these requirements can have serious consequences. Of course, if you are ill or have some other good reason for not attending or not submitting work, penalties would not be imposed. You will usually be expected to produce a doctor’s certificate or other evidence where you are asking for a waiver of the attendance requirement or an extension of a deadline.
How is Your Work Assessed? Although it is not the be all and end all of a university course (nor is it the only thing potential employers look for), everyone wants a result at the end that gives full recognition to their academic achievements. The School takes great care to ensure that the examination system is fair and gives everyone equal opportunity. The general principle is that course units are examined in the year in which they have been taken. The methods of assessment vary, but fall into two general categories: 1. A written ‘unseen’ examination at the end of the session. This generally lasts three hours, or two hours if it is for a half course unit. Some or all of the written work that you do during the year will usually be marked and included as part of the total assessment. The percentage assessed in this way is often 20 per cent. For language units there will be an oral examination, which may account for a substantial portion ofthe marks. 2. Essay based course units. These are mostly available in the second and third years and require you to produce a specified number of essays. A special type is the Independent Study Project, usually taken in the final year, where you produce a research based piece of work under the guidance of a supervisor.
15 essence of a seminar is that it is focused on student presentations. Small groups After the first year, all assessed work, whether in the form of examination scripts or work best if everyone is willing to take part. course work, is looked at by more than one member of staff. Examination scripts will be double mmarked internally and are then made available to an external examiner. Written Work and Presentations Coursework may only be marked in detail by one teacher, but samples on each Many courses require students to submit written work. This work is intended both as course are checked for standard and consistency of marking and are available for a means of assessment (see overleaf) but also as part of the learning experience. inspection by the external examiner. Writing an essay or paper allows you to organise your ideas and information and Some people do suffer from anxiety about examinations and there are a number of stimulates you to think about the material you have gathered from lectures and from ways in which this can be reduced. The School organises general sessions on your own reading. You can expect written feedback on essays from your teachers, examination techniques in which outside specialists give advice. It is also possible to usually within three weeks. (This may also apply where an essay is scheduled to be take part in group meetings organised by the School or the Gower Street Health handed in right at the very end of the course.) Centre. Finally, if medical circumstances warrant, it is possible for students to take examinations away from the main mexamination hall or to be allowed extra time. Language Teaching
Basic language teaching is carried out through classroom work of various types. Considerable time will be devoted to the basic structure of the language (its Medical Evidence grammar), but there will also be plenty of opportunity to practice the spoken Where there are medical reasons why you are unable to take an examination or language, in most cases with native speakers. You will also use the language where you feel that your performance has been materially affected, you may put laboratories for further practice. these forward for the consideration of the examiners. Cases must be supported by medical certificates. Where possible, you should bring such evidence to the notice of
the chair of the appropriate sub board before the examination in question is held, or How is Your Work Monitored? within seven days. In your own interests as much as anyone else’s, the School has to ensure that you are attending lectures and classes on a regular basis and submitting written work etc. as required. For each course that you take you will be given an outline, which will Representations include all the necessary information, including essay deadlines. Apart from All work that counts for final classification is very carefully marked, but if you feel that departmental deadlines, there is also a School deadline for submission of course for some reason there has been a problem with the way your work has been work. Failure to observe either of these requirements can have serious assessed you may make representations to the School. These cannot relate to the consequences. Of course, if you are ill or have some other good reason for not mark allocated to an individual script or essay but only to matters of procedure. For attending or not submitting work, penalties would not be imposed. You will usually be example, there may be medical evidence that you were not, for good reason, able to expected to produce a doctor’s certificate or other evidence where you are asking for make available before the examination. The representations procedure is set out in a waiver of the attendance requirement or an extension of a deadline. Part 2. In most cases problems can be resolved informally, but there is provision for an independent panel chaired by an Associate Dean unconnected with your How is Your Work Assessed? programme of study. Although it is not the be all and end all of a university course (nor is it the only thing potential employers look for), everyone wants a result at the end that gives full Assessment Guidelines for all Undergraduate BA/BSc Students recognition to their academic achievements. The School takes great care to ensure The marking criteria (competence standards) for all SOAS under-graduate that the examination system is fair and gives everyone equal opportunity. programmes draw upon the following minimum “core” criteria, which are applicable to The general principle is that course units are examined in the year in which they the assessment of most or all assignments: have been taken. The methods of assessment vary, but fall into two general • understanding of the subject; categories: • utilisation of proper academic [or other] style (e.g. citation of references, or use of 1. A written ‘unseen’ examination at the end of the session. This generally proper legal style for court reports, etc.); lasts three hours, or two hours if it is for a half course unit. Some or all of the • relevance of material selected and of the arguments proposed; written work that you do during the year will usually be marked and included • planning and organisation; • logical coherence; as part of the total assessment. The percentage assessed in this way is often • critical evaluation; 20 per cent. For language units there will be an oral examination, which may • comprehensiveness of research; account for a substantial portion ofthe marks. • evidence of synthesis; 2. Essay based course units. These are mostly available in the second and • innovation / creativity / originality. third years and require you to produce a specified number of essays. A The language used must be of a sufficient standard to permit assessment of the special type is the Independent Study Project, usually taken in the final year, above criteria. where you produce a research based piece of work under the guidance of a supervisor. These minimum core criteria form a part of the School’s core academic standards, applied to all coursework and as such they would not usually be subject to any
16 modification, even as a “reasonable adjustment” to the needs of a specific disabled person. The minimum core criteria intentionally do not include standards concerning the presentational aspects of the work, such as spelling and punctuation in written assignments; nor do they include the criteria for certain specialist assignments (e.g. musical performance). Departments select additional criteria for certain assignments, as appropriate to the learning outcomes being assessed on that occasion. Such additional criteria are not standard to all courses, but they are part of the “competence standards” for the specific course and assignment to which they apply. The additional criteria could include: • appropriate spelling / grammar / punctuation; • other skills as appropriate to the form of assessment (e.g. quality of accent, pronunciation, diction and other vocal qualities for an assessment involving speech); • The demonstration of specific knowledge or abilities relevant to the assignment/ examination (e.g. practical skills in archaeology or playing a musical instrument). Your department will provide you with information, on request, about any additional criteria, which may be used to mark a particular assignment.
Approved by LTQC 14 May 2008
The guidelines below reflect the standards of work expected at undergraduate level. All assessed essays are marked by a Teaching Assistant (TA) or a full-time member of staff, and a sample is then moderated by another member of staff. Any essay may be made available to the external examiner(s). Please feel free to discuss your essay and how your grade was arrived at with the appropriate member of staff.
70%+ (First Class Honours) A First Class mark fulfils all the criteria needed to secure an Upper Second mark (60- 69%), as shown below. But it will meet additional criteria, as follows: • shows clear evidence of wide and relevant reading and an engagement with the conceptual issues; • develops a sophisticated and intelligent argument; • shows a rigorous use and a good understanding of relevant source materials, achieving an appropriate balance between factual detail and key theoretical issues; • may provide evidence of original thinking.
60-69% (Upper Second Class: 2.I) An Upper Second Class marks fulfils all the criteria needed to secure a Lower Second mark (50-59%), as shown below. But it will meet additional criteria, as follows: • offers critical insights and shows evidence of critical thinking; • shows a good understanding of the major factual and/or theoretical issues, and addresses the relevant literature on the topic; • develops a focused and clear argument and articulates a sustained train of logical thought;
17 • gives a clear exposition of models/diagrams, with derivation, where appropriate; • shows clear evidence of planning in the formulation of the
50-59% (Lower Second Class: 2.II) A Lower Second Class mark will fulfill the following criteria: • shows some understanding of relevant major theoretical and/or factual issues; • shows evidence of planning in the formulation of the written answer, makes selective use of appropriate sources, and demonstrates some knowledge of the literature; • shows, at various points if not throughout the entire text, examples of a clear train of thought or argument; • presents basic models / diagrams, where appropriate; • provides an appropriate conclusion to the textual argument(s).
40-49% (Third Class: III) A Third Class mark will fulfill the following criteria: • shows some awareness and understanding of the factual and/or theoretical issues, but demonstrates limited ability to develop these; • provides clear evidence of misunderstandings; • shows some, albeit limited, evidence of planning in the formulation of the written answer, but also includes material or arguments which are irrelevant or unrelated to the question. • fails to develop a clear or coherent response to the question, but shows occasional knowledge or insight.
39% or less (Fail) A Fail will be awarded in cases which: • fail to answer the question or develop an argument; • fail to demonstrate knowledge of the key issues or arguments; • contain clear conceptual or factual errors or misunderstandings; • are poorly organised and/or poorly written.
What Happens if You Fail an Examination? This depends on whether you are in the first or subsequent year of your degree, and on whether the failure is in a core course. The full details will be found in the course unit regulations in Part 2. Broadly, if you are a Year 1 student and you fail an examination but have scored a specified minimum percentage, you have the right to take a resit examination in September. You also have the right to retake an examination in a failed unit in May/June of the following year whatever your fail mark in the original examination. Permission to proceed from one year to the next depends on passing all units designated as ‘core’ for the syllabus.
18 Cheating and Unfair Practices Any form of cheating, whether during the course or in an examination, is taken very seriously and is dealt with under a standard procedure. The most common offence is plagiarism. This is copying work by someone else, whether an author you have read or a fellow student, and passing it off as your own. At the beginning of a degree course some students do rely too heavily on a very limited range of material and may start to reproduce this word for word. Your tutors will point this out if it seems to be happening. The way to avoid the temptation of plagiarism is to read as widely as possible, and then to be careful to indicate where you are deriving your ideas from, either by footnoting or by use of phrases like, ‘as x says’. It is not sufficient to make a general acknowledgement at the beginning of a piece of work or in the bibliography of the main sources you have used.
Study Skills One of the most valuable things that you will learn during your degree is ‘how to learn’; this is something that you take with you when you leave and embark on your chosen career. You should already have learnt some of the skills at an earlier stage, and continued practice will allow you to hone your capacities in the areas of note taking and essay writing. (See the Academic Development Directorate section on page 59.)
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SOAS Student Data Protection Statement
1. What is Data Protection?
While you are a student at SOAS and after you cease to be a student, SOAS needs to collect, store, use and disclose certain data about you. We require this information for our normal business purposes, such as services to applicants, current students and alumni (see How will my data be used?).
When we process data about you, we have to observe the requirements of the Data Protection Act. The Act establishes a framework within which information about living individuals can be legally gathered, stored, used and disseminated. At its core are eight Data Protection Principles, which SOAS and other organizations must abide by. These specify that personal information must be:
• Processed fairly and lawfully, and only if certain conditions are met. • Obtained for specified and lawful purposes, and not used for purposes other than those for which it was gathered. • Adequate, relevant and not excessive. • Accurate and where necessary kept up to date. • Kept for no longer than necessary. • Processed in accordance with individuals' rights (see What are my rights?). • Kept secure. • Not transferred outside the European Economic Area unless certain conditions are met.
These protections apply to information in electronic form, and to many types of data in paper form. Further information about the Data Protection Act is available from the Information Commissioner's Office, a government agency which monitors compliance with the Act.
SOAS is committed to meeting its responsibilities to current and former students under the Data Protection Act and related legislation such as the Human Rights Act. SOAS's Data Protection Policy specifies the steps, which SOAS is taking to meet its Data Protection obligations, and is binding on all members of the School. This statement is designed to highlight the areas of Data Protection, which are of particular concern to students, and to help students understand how information about them will be used. It applies to all students regardless of age, so if you are under 18, you will be treated in the same way as students who are over 18 for Data Protection purposes.
2. What information does SOAS hold about me?
SOAS will collect data about you in the course of our dealings with you as a current or former student (see How will my data be used?): for example, when you apply, when you enrol, and as you progress through your course. We may also receive data about you from outside SOAS, such as information from UCAS relating to undergraduates' UCAS applications, and information supplied by referees. If you are a current or former student, examples of the data, which SOAS may hold about you include:
• Your name. • Your contact details. • Details of your emergency contacts. • Your date of birth. • Your nationality. • Your ethnic origins. • Your academic background and qualifications. • Your academic record while at SOAS, including details of any degrees which you are awarded. • Any disabilities which you have disclosed to us.
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• Medical information, such as information held by the counseling service. • Fee information and sponsorship details. • Your use of SOAS facilities such as the Library. • Any disciplinary action taken against you. • A digital photograph of you, which is used to produce your student ID, and for security and identification purposes.
Data about you will be gathered and held in both digital and paper form. Some of this information (such as your ethnic origins, medical information and information about disabilities) is classed as "sensitive" personal data under the Data Protection Act. This means that it is subject to extra legal protection, and we have to meet an additional set of conditions in order use the data fairly and lawfully. For further information about sensitive personal data, see the School's Data Protection Policy.
3. How will my data be used?
By commencing or enrolling as a SOAS student, you consent to SOAS collecting, storing, using and otherwise processing data about you for any purposes connected with your studies, your health and safety and for other legitimate reasons while you are a student. We will also use your data for certain purposes after you cease to be student (see What happens after I finish/graduate?).
SOAS will only use your data fairly and lawfully in accordance with our obligations under the Data Protection Act. This means that we will process your data in a way which respects the Data Protection Principles set down in the Act (see What is Data Protection?), and your rights under the Act (see What are my rights?). Any use by SOAS of your data must also be covered by our registration with the Information Commissioner. This is available on the Commissioner's website, and describes in a general way how we process personal data about students and other individuals.
The Data Protection Act requires us to keep your data secure. This means that your confidentiality will be respected, and all appropriate measures will be taken to prevent unauthorised disclosure. Only members of staff who need access to relevant parts or all of your data will be authorised to do so. Information about you in electronic form will be subject to password and other security restrictions, while paper files will be stored in secure areas with controlled access. For further information on data security, see SOAS's Data Protection Policy.
Although it is not possible to state every purpose for which your information will be used, the following are examples of how it is likely to be used while you are a student:
• To administer your studies and record academic achievements (e.g. your course choices, examinations and assessments, and the publication of pass lists and graduation programmes). • To assist in pastoral and welfare needs (e.g. the counselling service and services to students with disabilities). • To administer financial aspects of your registration as a student (e.g. payment of fees, debt collection). • To manage School facilities, such as computing facilities and the Library. • To produce management statistics and to conduct research into the effectiveness of our programmes of study. • To monitor our equal opportunities policies (e.g. compliance with the Race Relations Act). • To administer employment processes, if you choose to work for SOAS. • For security and disciplinary purposes. • For internal and external audits, and quality assurance exercises. • For marketing and alumni relations purposes.
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We may also disclose your data to certain outside organisations (see Who receives my data?).
We may use copies of the data (including sensitive personal data), which we hold about you for the purpose of testing our IT systems. If your data is used for system testing, it will be copied to a test environment, where it will be used with data on other students to test changes to our IT systems in a realistic way. This is done to ensure that changes will be effective and will not cause loss or damage to data. The data about you, which we hold in our live systems will not be affected. Your data will not be kept in the test environment for longer than is necessary for testing purposes, and data in that environment will not be used for purposes other than testing. We will also apply appropriate security precautions to the data.
4. Who receives my data?
SOAS will only disclose information about you with your consent, or where disclosure without your consent is required or permitted by law. This section outlines the major organisations and the most common circumstances in which we disclose data about students. Where this involves the transfer of your data outside the European Economic Area, data will only be transferred if one of the conditions set down in the Data Protection Act has been met (see SOAS's Data Protection Policy for further information). Your data may also be sent to different departments within SOAS where this is necessary for our day to day administration.
Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) SOAS is usually required to send some of the information, which we collect about students to HESA, where it forms part of the student's HESA record. This requirement applies to most categories of students, the major exception being Language Centre students who are not pursuing a diploma or certificate.
If your data is supplied to HESA, HESA may then pass all or some of the data to various government departments and agencies to enable them to carry out their statutory functions. These bodies and HESA will mainly use your data to produce anonymised statistics. Your contact details will not be passed to HESA, and recipients of HESA data will not be able to contact you. HESA and the recipients of HESA data will also take precautions to reduce the risk that you may be identified from information, which is published and released. Further information is available in HESA's Student Collection Notice on the SOAS website.
If you are an undergraduate or postgraduate student, about six months after you complete your programme, the SOAS Careers Service (part of The Careers Group, University of London) will send you HESA's "Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education" (DLHE) questionnaire. This is designed to gather data about your career or other activities at that time, and the relevance of the course, which you undertook. If there is no reply, somebody from the Careers Service may telephone the number which you gave the School in the hope of speaking to you, although they are authorised to accept information from a third party such as a near relative. Any data which is collected, but not your contact details, will be passed to HESA and will be linked to the record, which HESA already holds about you. The data will be treated with the same confidentiality as other data in your HESA record (see above and HESA's Student Collection Notice for information on how HESA uses your data). You may also be included in a sample of leavers who are surveyed again by HESA a few years after they graduate. If so, we will pass your contact details to the organisation contracted by HESA to carry out the follow- up survey. However, you will not be included in either survey if you indicate that you do not wish to participate. To opt out of the DLHE and the follow-up survey, please contact the Careers Service.
The Careers Group will receive data about you from SOAS for the purpose of carrying out the DLHE and for other purposes connected with operating the Careers Services. The Careers Group also receives certain data about you from HESA, if you have a HESA record.
National Students Survey (NSS) The NSS is an annual survey of undergraduate students who are in the final stages of their programmes of study. It is designed to gather students' views on the quality of the teaching,
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assessment and support, which they have experienced. This information is used to produce statistics and provide summary feedback to individual institutions and student unions. The survey has been commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in association with other funding councils.
If you are eligible for the NSS, SOAS will pass your contact details to HEFCE or the organisation, which has been contracted by HEFCE to carry out the survey, unless you tell us that you do not wish to participate. To opt out of the NSS, please contact SOAS's Information Compliance Manager (see Where can I get advice/further information?).
Linking London Lifelong Learning Network Linking London Lifelong Learning Network is a collaborative partnership of universities, further education colleges and adult focussed education institutions in the London area, which is part of a nation-wide initiative to improve progression for vocational learners into and through Higher Education. If you have entered SOAS through a progression agreement negotiated by Linking London, SOAS will transfer certain data about you to Birkbeck College (Linking London's host institution), so that the data for your HESA record can be returned to HESA by Birkbeck.
Sponsors and funding bodies SOAS will send data relating to you to sponsors and funding bodies where we are required to do so by law or where you have consented to the transfer of data, e.g. in the contract between you and the funding organisation. For example, we have a statutory duty to disclose data to the Student Loans Company, and to local education authorities for students eligible for fee and loan payments. Where students are in receipt of a US Federal loan, SOAS may be required to release personal data pertinent to the loan to relevant parties as required by the US Department of Education. Students receiving such loans have to sign a statement (on the Master Promissory Note) consenting to the release of such information.
In other cases, SOAS will not release data about you to bodies or individuals who have funded your education (such as your parents or employer), unless you tell us that we can do so.
Study abroad If your programme of study involves spending a period of time at an institution outside SOAS, or you have come to SOAS as a visiting, exchange or junior year abroad student, we may need to share information about you with the other institutions involved in the exchange (within or outside the European Economic Area). This will be done for the administration of the visit, exchange or study abroad, and so that the other institution can carry out its duties in regard to your studies. If you are involved in a visit, exchange or study abroad, you consent to SOAS transferring data about you as necessary for purposes connected with your studies.
Pass lists and graduation information Details of successful degree candidates are included in programmes and other information connected with graduation ceremonies. If you do not want your information to be made available in this way, please contact the SOAS Registry.
References and confirmation of qualifications SOAS may release data about you in response to a request for a reference or for confirmation of your qualifications (see What if I need a reference/confirmation of qualifications?).
The SOAS Students' Union All SOAS students are automatically members of the SOAS Students' Union. The Students' Union is separately responsible under the Data Protection Act for the processing of data relating to its members. The School has a legal obligation to support the operation of a fair and democratic Students' Union. As part of discharging this responsibility, we will pass certain basic data about students who are eligible to vote to the Students' Union in advance of Union elections, so that this information can be used as an electoral list.
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University of London Research Library Services (ULRLS) We will transfer certain basic data about you (such as your name and contact details) to ULRLS if you are entitled to use Senate House Library, so that the Library can generate a member record for you. This is done to streamline the registration of SOAS students who wish to use Senate House Library.
University of London Union (ULU) If you are a registered internal student of the University of London, you are automatically entitled to full membership of ULU. In order to assist ULU in providing services to students, we will transfer certain basic data about you (your name, student identifier, SOAS email address and course of study) to ULU. ULU will use this data to register students to vote in ULU elections, and to inform you about relevant services and activities. This only applies if you are an internal student on a course, which will lead to an award conferred by the University of London. Information on other categories of students is not transferred to ULU.
UK Border Agency This section applies to students who require a visa to enter the UK to study at SOAS. To assist in preventing immigration fraud, from 2009 SOAS will be required to report to the UK Border Agency details of students subject to immigration control who fail to enrol, who discontinue their studies or who fail to maintain contact with SOAS. We may also be required to provide the Border Agency with other information about students. From time to time, SOAS also receives enquires from UK immigration officials regarding the status of applicants or students, e.g. to check whether an offer of a place has been made or whether a student has enrolled. SOAS will normally provide information about applicants and students when requested to do so by UK immigration officials. Failure to do so, in some cases, could lead to the School's removal from the list of institutions approved to receive overseas students. We will maintain the records about students (e.g. attendance), which we are required to maintain to meet the Border Agency's requirements.
Other disclosures Examples of some of the other situations in which we may disclose information about you include: • Disclosure to law enforcement agencies, where necessary for crime prevention or detection. • Disclosure to local authorities, for purposes connected with electoral registration, council tax or the investigation of benefit fraud. • Disclosure to the Quality Assurance Agency, during institutional audits and other quality assessment exercises. • If you leave SOAS owing money to the School, we may at our discretion pass this information to a debt collection agency. • We may disclose information for the purpose of verifying the data about you held by SOAS, by another higher education institution or by government agencies.
5. What are my rights?
You have a number of rights under the Data Protection Act in respect of the information, which SOAS holds about you, and how we can use that information. These include:
• The right to prevent us from using your data for direct marketing purposes. • The right to prevent us from processing your data in a way which causes or is likely to cause you substantial damage or distress. You can do this by serving us with a notice under section 10 of the Data Protection Act. However, we may refuse to accept such a notice in certain circumstances: for example, if doing so would prevent us from processing data, which is necessary for our contract with you as a student. • The right to require us to correct, erase or destroy inaccurate data. • The right to get access to the data which we hold about you (see Can I get access to my data?).
For further information on how to exercise these rights, please contact SOAS's Information Compliance Manager (see Where can I get advice/further information?).
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6. What are my responsibilities?
SOAS will make every reasonable effort to keep your details up to date. However, it is your responsibility to provide us with accurate information about yourself when you apply and when you enrol, and to let us know of any subsequent changes to your details, such as changes to your name or address (see What if my details change?). Any information, which you supply to SOAS about your emergency contacts will only be used in an emergency, and will only be disclosed in your immediate health or safety interests. By enrolling, you agree to inform your emergency contacts that their data are being held by SOAS for these purposes. It is very important that you notify SOAS of any changes to your emergency contacts (see What if my details change?).
All members of SOAS, including students, must abide by SOAS's Data Protection Policy when handling personal data for which SOAS is responsible. This is most likely to happen if you choose to work for SOAS while studying here. However, very occasionally, students may use personal data for which SOAS is responsible in the course of their study or research. See the Data Protection Policy for further information.
7. What if I need a reference/confirmation of qualifications?
Academic institutions and employers may seek confirmation of the qualifications, which SOAS graduates claim to hold. If you have received a SOAS degree, SOAS will normally confirm your qualifications (but not the fact that you have failed an award) in response to a bona fide request from an employer or another academic institution, unless you have told us not to do so or we have reason to believe that the request is not legitimate. If you do not want us to provide confirmation of your qualifications, please contact the SOAS Registry.
Where you have provided the name of a member of staff as a referee, we will assume that this means that you have given your consent for the disclosure of personal information in the form of a reference. You should ensure that any SOAS staff whom you wish to cite as referees are aware that they may receive reference requests for you, and have agreed to provide you with a reference. Failure to do so could delay our response to a request, if we need to check that a request is legitimate.
8. What happens after I finish/graduate?
After you leave SOAS, we will continue to hold data about you in digital and paper form. Some information (such as your dates of attendance and your degree) will be retained permanently; other data will be disposed of from time to time in accordance with the School's data retention policies. By enrolling as a SOAS student, you consent to SOAS processing data relating to you after you leave SOAS for any purposes connected with your studies and your status as a former student, and for other legitimate reasons.
Examples of how we may use your data after you finish or graduate include:
• To provide evidence of your academic achievements when requested to do so: e.g. transcripts, confirmation of qualifications and references. • To provide information to regulatory bodies and other agencies to whom we are legally required to supply data. • To produce management statistics. • To maintain contact with you as a SOAS alumnus/alumna. • For audit and quality assurance purposes.
We may contact you for a limited range of research purposes after you leave SOAS. If you are an undergraduate or postgraduate student, about six months after you graduate the Careers Service will send you the questionnaire for HESA's Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey (see Who receives my data?). We may contact you on other occasions to carry out surveys, which we are
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required to conduct by HESA, HEFCE or other official agencies. We may also contact you to carry out our own research into your experiences at SOAS and after leaving SOAS, in order to evaluate the effectiveness of our programmes and improve our services to students. If you do not want to be contacted for these purposes, please notify the Information Compliance Manager (see Where can I get advice/further information?).
SOAS graduates automatically become members of the SOAS Alumni Association. Your data will be passed to the Development and Alumni Relations Office, where it will be used to maintain the alumni database. You will also be sent the Association's newsletter and other alumni-related mailings, unless you tell us that you do not want to receive this material. To do so, please contact the Development and Alumni Relations Office. Alumni may choose to register with SOAS's Online Alumni Community, a password protected site for SOAS alumni.
Some SOAS departments (e.g. CISD) maintain their own alumni networks, and will process data for alumni-related purposes in a similar manner to the Development and Alumni Relations Office. If you receive alumni-related mailings and no longer wish to do so, please contact the relevant department or the School's Information Compliance Manager (see Where can I get advice/further information?).
9. What if my details change?
If you are a current student, please contact SOAS as indicated below:
• CeFiMS distance learning students: contact CeFiMS. • CISD students: contact CISD. • IFCELS students: contact IFCELS • Language Centre students: contact the Language Centre • All other categories of students: contact the SOAS Registry.
If you are an alumnus/alumna, you can register changes of address and other details by contacting the Development and Alumni Relations Office.
10. Can I get access to my data?
Current or former undergraduate or postgraduate students can get a transcript of their academic results by contacting the SOAS Registry (an online ordering form is available). To get access to other data, which SOAS holds about you, you should submit a subject access request under the Data Protection Act. This involves completing our subject access request form, and sending it to the Information Compliance Manager with a £10 fee and proof of ID. For further information on how to submit a request and the form, which you need to use, see Requesting Access to Personal Data.
11. Where can I get advice/further information?
The Information Compliance Manager is responsible for SOAS's compliance with the Data Protection Act, and can provide general advice on Data Protection issues. The Information Compliance Manager can be contacted by email to [email protected], telephone +44 (0)20 7898 4150, or by writing to: Information Compliance Manager, SOAS, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG, United Kingdom. For assistance on more specific issues, please contact the departments below:
Your student record or your academic record:
• CeFiMS distance learning students: contact CeFiMS. • CISD students: contact CISD. • IFCELS students: contact IFCELS • Language Centre students: contact the Language Centre • All other categories of students: contact the SOAS Registry.
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Alumni Association enquiries (including changes of address for alumni): please contact the Development and Alumni Relations Office.
Computing accounts/usage of facilities: please contact the IT Helpdesk.
Library usage/membership: please contact the Library's membership desk.
12. Status of this statement
This Statement was approved by the School's Information Strategy Committee on 21 February 2006. It will be reviewed from time to time as necessary.
Last updated June 2009
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Using Personal Data in Research: Code of Practice for SOAS Staff and Students
1. Purpose of this code
This code of practice is concerned with the gathering and use of information about living individuals (“personal data”) as part of research undertaken by members of SOAS. Following it will help researchers to ensure that their projects meet:
• The legal requirements of the UK’s Data Protection Act. • The ethical requirements of SOAS’s Research Ethics Policy, as they relate to the handling of data about living individuals.
Consideration is also given to the intellectual property issues relating to information supplied by research participants.
This code should be read in conjunction with SOAS’s Research Ethics Policy, and any professional standards or codes of practice which may be specific to a researcher’s discipline: for example, the ethical guidelines issued by the Association of Social Anthropologists of the UK and Commonwealth, the British Association for Applied Linguistics and the British Sociological Association. In the unlikely event that such standards conflict with SOAS’s Research Ethics Policy or this code of practice, SOAS’s policies and procedures should be followed.
This code applies equally to SOAS staff and SOAS students conducting research at any level, where the research involves gathering or using personal data. It was approved by SOAS’s Research Committee on 11 February 2009, and noted by Academic Board on 27 May 2009.
Appendix A provides a checklist which summarises the main issues covered in this code. Further guidance on Data Protection and intellectual property issues is available on SOAS’s Information Compliance web pages.
2. Personal data and ethical review
Research proposals which involve gathering or using personal data will require ethical approval according to SOAS’s Procedure for the Ethical Review of SOAS Research Projects. See the Procedure for guidance on how to submit an ethical review application.
3. What is the Data Protection Act and why is it relevant to research?
The Data Protection Act 1998 regulates the gathering and use of personal data. The legal concept of “personal data” is complex, but for the purposes of this code, should be thought of as any information in any format which can be linked to an identifiable living individual. Information on the deceased is not protected by the Act, although in some situations there may be a common law duty of confidentiality to the estate of a deceased person (e.g. in regard to sensitive medical information). Statistics, and anonymised data where information which might identify an individual has been removed (see When is data anonymised?), are not considered personal data and are not covered by the Act.
The Act gives individuals rights over their personal data, and requires organisations and individuals to meet certain standards when gathering and using personal data. These standards are set out in eight Data Protection Principles, which any use of personal data must comply with:
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• First principle: personal data must be gathered and used fairly and lawfully. Individuals must be provided with information about how data on them will be used, unless doing so would involve disproportionate effort. In addition, certain specific “fair processing” conditions set down in the Act have to be met whenever personal data is gathered or used.
• Second principle: personal data must not be used for any purpose which is incompatible with that for which it was originally gathered.
• Third principle: personal data must be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose for which it was gathered.
• Fourth principle: personal data shall be accurate and, where necessary, kept up-to-date.
• Fifth principle: personal data must not be kept for longer than is necessary for the purpose for which it was gathered.
• Sixth principle: personal data must be processed in accordance with the rights of individuals. These include the right to gain access to the information held about them; the right to prevent their data being used in a way which causes them substantial damage or distress; and the right to have inaccurate data corrected.
• Seventh principle: appropriate security measures must be taken to prevent unauthorised access to personal data and accidental loss, destruction or damage to data.
• Eighth principle: personal data must not be transferred outside the European Economic Area unless it is transferred to a country which provides an adequate level of data protection. The European Economic Area consists of the EU member states plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
These requirements are ultimately designed to protect individuals’ right to privacy under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which has been incorporated into UK law as a result of the Human Rights Act.
The Data Protection Act recognizes that some types of personal data are more sensitive than others, and gives “sensitive personal data” additional protections. “Sensitive personal data” includes information on individuals’ ethnicity, race, political opinions, religious or similar beliefs, physical or mental health, sexual life, membership of a trade union, the commission or alleged commission of offences, and criminal proceedings against the individual. Particular care has to be taken when gathering and using data in these categories.
The Data Protection Act applies to the UK only. Personal data which is gathered and held overseas is not covered by the Act, but may be subject to equivalent local data protection or privacy laws. Once personal data is brought into the UK, it will be protected by the Act in the same way as data gathered in the UK. The Data Protection Principles will have to be met when importing the data into the UK and in any subsequent use of the data, including exporting the data from the UK if that is envisaged (see When can research data be transferred overseas?).
Any research by SOAS staff or students which involves gathering or using personal data must meet the requirements of the Data Protection Act and respect the rights which it confers on individuals, in accordance with SOAS’s Data Protection Policy. Failure to comply with the Act can have serious consequences. The Act gives individuals the right to sue for damages which they suffer as a result of violations, and the right to request an investigation by the Information Commissioner (the agency which regulates Data Protection). Research funders increasingly require projects to have adequate protocols in place to protect personal data, and may refuse to give funding to institutions which have poor data protection practices. As high profile cases involving the loss of personal data indicate, inadequate data security can lead to bad publicity and serious reputational damage.
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The remainder of this code is designed to help SOAS researchers to avoid these pitfalls.
4. What is the role of consent?
Perhaps the most straightforward way to meet the requirements of the first, second and eighth Data Protection Principles is to ensure that information is gathered with the consent of research participants. Consent requires that research participants should fully understand the purpose, methods and intended possible uses of the research, and its implications for them (including any risks). Conducting research in an open way which respects the rights of research participants and obtains their agreement is a crucial part of conducting research in an ethical manner, in accordance with SOAS’s Research Ethics Policy.
To be meaningful, consent must be informed and must be freely given.
“Informed” means that research participants should understand what they are consenting to. They should be provided with information about the project which is as comprehensive as possible, and in a language and vocabulary with which they are familiar. While this information will vary from project to project, and will have to be tailored to the culture or society in which the research is being conducted, it is recommended that it should include:
• The name of the project, its purpose and objectives. • The identities of the organisations or individuals who have funded the research, and any interests they may have in the research. • Why the information is being collected, and why it is necessary for the project. • The name and contact details of the person who will be responsible for the data gathered in the project (usually, the researcher). • Who will have access to the data, including any organisations or individuals outside SOAS who may be given access. • Any special security measures which will be taken to protect the data. • The countries to which the data may be transferred, including the fact that the data will be transferred to the UK (if the data is gathered outside the UK), and whether the data may be transferred outside the EEA. • How the data will be published or made available, including whether research participants will be identifiable in the published data, or whether the data will be published in anonymised form. • Steps which will be taken to archive the data, e.g. by depositing a dataset in SOAS Research Online or in another data archive (e.g. one specified by the research funder), and whether the archived data will be anonymised or non-anonymised. • How the data may be used in future research projects. • How the research participant can withdraw their consent to participate in the project if they subsequently decide to do so.
Consideration should also be given to the extent to which the research participant is capable of giving consent. Every effort should be made to secure the informed consent of children and other vulnerable groups (e.g. adults with learning difficulties), although it is recognised that informed consent may also require the involvement of a parent, guardian or other person with a duty of care. Parental consent should normally be sought for children under the age of 16.
“Freely given” means that the individual should not be under duress: there should be no adverse consequences for them from refusing to participate in the project, and no coercion (actual or implied) to participate in the project.
Researchers should recognise that informed and freely given consent requires an ongoing dialogue with the research participant, and is not a one-off event. Consent may need to be renegotiated, e.g. if the aims of the research or the methods of disseminating its results change. Research participants have the right to retrospectively withdraw their consent at any point in the process, including after the completion of the research.
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5. How should consent be recorded?
Recorded consent should be seen as a goal which researchers should always aim to achieve. Without a written record of the research participant’s consent, there is more likely to be uncertainty over whether a project has met the requirements of the Data Protection Act and SOAS’s Research Ethics Policy. It is also noteworthy that the Data Protection Act requires that consent to the handling of “sensitive” personal data should be explicit. This is usually interpreted to mean that an individual’s consent should be captured in some form of written record authorised by them.
The traditional and most straightforward way of recording consent is through a paper consent form signed by the research participant. The form should record the research participant's consent to their data being used in the manner and for the purposes described in the information given to them. It should also give the project copyright permission to use the research participant's contribution. A model consent form is included in Appendix B to this code of practice. Researchers may add or remove elements from the form to suit the circumstances of the research project, in situations where the use of a consent form is appropriate. Examples of consent forms are also available on the website of the UK Data Archive.
In some fieldwork situations, use of a written consent form may be impractical or even harmful to the relationship between the researcher and the research participant. Researchers should concentrate on the objective of ensuring the research participant's informed participation, and adopt a method of achieving that which is appropriate to the project and the society where the research is taking place. Sensitivity should be shown to cultural differences in areas such as the concept of consent and the relationship between the individual and the group. However, any decision not to use written consent forms should take the following factors into account:
• There may be other, more suitable ways of directly recording the research participant's consent than a written consent form. For example, if data is gathered through audiovisual recordings of interviews, the recording of the first interview could start with the researcher explaining the nature and purpose of the project and how the data will be used, and asking the interviewee to confirm that they agreed to participate in the project.
• A decision not to use a formalised method of recording consent does not remove the researcher's Data Protection and ethical obligations to provide research participants with enough information for them to make a truly informed decision whether to participate. This should be done by whatever method is most appropriate in the research context. However, if research participants are able to read, it would normally be expected that they should be provided with written information about the project so that they have a record of what they participated in. Where written consent forms are used, the research participant should be given a copy of the form to keep.
• The records of the project (e.g. project plan, field notes) should document the methods chosen by the researcher to obtain informed consent and how they were implemented. All documentation relating to the obtaining of consent (including consent forms and other written information provided to the research participant, where used) should be preserved for at least as long as the data is retained in non-anonymised form (see How long should data be kept?).
6. When is consent not necessary?
There is generally no need to seek consent if data is taken from sources which are already publicly available: for example, from published newspaper or magazine articles, public websites, books like “Who’s Who”, or documents which are available for public inspection without restriction in a library or archive. Care should be taken, though, in situations where it appears that the information was
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published without the consent or contrary to the wishes of the individual. In such cases, consent should be obtained from the individual before using the information.
In some cases, personal data may be gathered from “third party” sources (i.e. other than directly from the research participant), where the data is not publicly available. For example:
• Confidential data gathered in earlier research projects, where the data has not been anonymised and the research participants did not consent to subsequent use of their data in later projects.
• Confidential files or databases containing personal data held by a government department, NGO, etc, which the researcher is granted access to.
Provisions in the Data Protection Act allow personal data obtained from third parties to be used for research without the consent of the individual in accordance with the first, second and fifth Data Protection Principles, provided all of the following conditions are met:
• The data must not be used to “support measures or decisions with respect to particular individuals”. In other words, the information must be used solely for research purposes, and not in ways which directly affect research participants.
• Use of the data in the project must not cause or be likely to cause substantial damage or substantial distress to the research participant. If sensitive personal data is involved, this extends to substantial damage or distress to the research participant or any other person. These conditions are likely to be met by ensuring that the data is only published and disseminated in anonymised form; by following strict data security procedures (see How do I keep data secure?); and by preventing public access to the original data during research participants’ lifetimes.
• Contacting the individual to inform them about how their data will be used in the project would require disproportionate effort, and the individual has not sought information about how their data will be used in the project. “Disproportionate effort” is not defined in the legislation, but would probably apply to cases where no current address is held and it would be difficult or impossible to contact the person. The reasons for believing that the effort would be disproportionate must be documented (this is a legal requirement).
• If sensitive personal data is involved, the research must be in the substantial public interest. This is also not defined, but would probably cover research which aims to address an issue of significant public concern or which is designed to inform official policy making.
The Data Protection Act and ethical obligations require researchers to be open about how they handle personal data, and to provide this information to individuals as far as possible. As a general rule: if it is possible to contact the research participant to seek their consent (e.g. because recent addresses are available), the project should do so. Consent should then be captured in the same way as for projects which gather information directly from the individual. Individuals who refuse consent should be excluded from the project, and consent should not be inferred from the failure of an individual to respond to a communication. Where seeking consent would involve “disproportionate effort”, data obtained from third parties can be used without consent provided all the above conditions are met. However, it would still be advisable for the project to publish a statement (e.g. on the project’s website) outlining how it uses personal data and the sources from which the data is derived.
Remember that the provisions outlined above only apply in situations where the research participant did not consent to the use of their data in later research at the point when the data was gathered. The easiest way to ensure that data can be re-used in subsequent research projects is to obtain the research participant’s consent to this, as part of the consent process in the original project. The model consent form in the Appendix includes clauses which are designed to achieve this.
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Datasets provided by external data services (like the Office for National Statistics or the UK Data Archive) will usually be fully anonymised data. As there is no way of identifying the individuals involved, such datasets can be used without Data Protection issues (see When is data anonymised?). Non-anonymised datasets may also be available in some cases. Datasets will typically be supplied subject to confidentiality restrictions or terms and conditions of use which are intended to protect the interests of research participants. There is no need for the customer to independently seek the consent of data subjects. However, when using datasets from external suppliers, any licensing agreements or restrictions imposed by the data supplier must be followed.
7. What does consent mean for audio-visual material and photographs?
Films, sound recordings and images will be personal data if they capture an individual with sufficient clarity to allow them to be identified. All of the considerations relating to consent outlined in the previous sections apply equally to AV material and photographs. Covert or “hidden camera” recording or photography (in which individuals are not aware that the process is taking place) raises serious ethical and legal concerns, and should only be undertaken after full ethical review of the proposed research according to SOAS’s ethical review procedures (see Personal data and ethical review).
Consent for recording or photography may not always be necessary. In the UK, images of public spaces or public activities in which individuals are captured incidentally are not usually seen as raising privacy issues, or requiring consent. For example, a photograph of a high street showing shoppers walking up and down, or news footage of a public demonstration. However, there are many legal uncertainties in this area; the courts have held that in some cases, individuals have a right to privacy in images of their activities carried out in public. Typically, this occurs where the image focuses on an individual, intrudes into their private life, is used without their consent, and there is no overriding public interest justification. Researchers should also be wary of importing UK concepts of what is “private” and “non-private” into other cultural contexts. Activities performed by a group in its own group space may still be regarded as “hidden” or secret to the group, even if performed in the open.
Researchers should always be transparent with research participants about when recording or photography is taking place, and how the information will be used. When in doubt, following the recommendations for obtaining informed consent outlined above (see What is the role of consent? and How should consent be recorded?).
8. What does consent mean for surveys?
Surveys which are entirely anonymous (i.e. the researcher has no way of knowing the identity of the respondent) will not gather personal data in the sense of the Data Protection Act. Data Protection issues are not relevant, as there is no way of linking individuals to the data. However, it would still be good ethical research practice to provide respondents with information about the nature of the project and how their responses will be used.
Survey data is personal data if respondents are identifiable, e.g. from information which they provide on the form or through other information which is available to the researcher. Respondents’ informed consent must be obtained. This is usually done through a Data Protection “fair collection” notice, which can be part of the survey form itself or in a separate information sheet provided alongside the form.
The “fair collection” notice plays the same role as a consent form, and could be based on the model consent form in Appendix B (adapted to suit the circumstances of the survey). It should explain who is gathering the data (the title of the project, the identities of SOAS and other project partners and funders), the nature and purposes of the research, and how the respondent’s data will be used. The aim should be to cover, as far as possible, the points outlined in What is the role of consent? The notice should also state that by completing the form, it will be assumed that the respondent consents to the use of their data for the purposes described. If a respondent will be contacted again (e.g. for a
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follow-up survey or to update them on the progress of the project), this should be explained, and the respondent told how they can opt out from future contact (e.g. by checking a box). Signatures, while desirable as method of authentication, may be impractical in some situations (e.g. web based surveys).
Fair collection notices can be used to give respondents a range of choices about how their data will be used, e.g. through check boxes. However, researchers should be wary of presenting respondents with too many options, as this may make it more difficult to manage the data.
9. How much data should be gathered?
The answer to this question will obviously depend on the goals and objectives of the research project. However, researchers should remember that the third Data Protection Principle requires that personal data should be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose for which it was gathered. Avoid the temptation to collect more data about individuals than is necessary for the project: e.g. information which might possibly be of some use in the future, but for which no immediate use is envisaged.
10. How do I keep data secure?
Good data security is an essential part of ethical research practice, and is a requirement of the Data Protection Act. Unauthorised access to personal data or accidental loss of data can have serious consequences for research participants, and may damage the reputation of SOAS and the individual researcher.
Research that involves use of the School’s IT systems must conform to SOAS’s IT policies and procedures, which establish the conditions of use for the School’s systems. The remainder of this section outlines general principles of data security for SOAS research projects which involve the use of personal data. This advice should be read in conjunction with the IT policies and procedures and SOAS’s Data Protection Policy.
• Where a project team involves more than one individual, one team member (usually the team leader) should be assigned responsibility for data security. The project team should agree and document the procedures which they will follow to keep data secure.
• The data security procedures which are appropriate for a project will depend on the sensitivity of the information. Not all personal data is equally sensitive. Information about individuals which has already been published or is publicly available may need little or no protection. Similarly, information about individuals’ public lives (e.g. their job title, office or rank, the identity of their employer) will generally be less sensitive than information about their private lives, and may not require extensive protection. Conversely, strong security measures will be necessary for sensitive personal data, personal financial information, or information whose disclosure might cause individuals loss or harm. As a rule of thumb, it should be assumed that harm could result from any unauthorised disclosure of information which relates to private life: e.g. home contact details, income, personal relationships or beliefs.
• Anonymisation can play an important role in ensuring data security (see When is data anonymised?). As it is not personal data, an anonymised dataset can be used in a lower security environment than the version in which individuals are identifiable. For example, a copy of the anonymised dataset could be kept on the researcher’s laptop for use at home, with the data that identifies individuals kept solely at SOAS. Often, only the anonymised data is necessary for analysis purposes.
• As far as possible, non-anonymised personal data should only be stored on the School’s servers, where it will be backed up automatically and protected by SOAS’s security systems.
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Access should be restricted to those individuals who need access to the data for the purpose of the research project: for example, by restricting access to individual directories and/or password protecting individual files.
• Most data security breaches occur when data is “on the move”. As many high profile cases demonstrate, laptops and storage devices such as data keys/flash drives, CDs/DVDs and portable hard drives are particularly vulnerable to theft and accidental loss. These devices should only be used to transport non-anonymised personal data where absolutely necessary. Where they are used, individual files containing personal data on research participants should be password protected, and should be encrypted if the information includes sensitive personal data, financial information about individuals, or information whose disclosure could cause harm or loss to individuals. Contact the Information Compliance Manager if you require further advice on these issues (see Where can I get further information?).
• The transmission of personal data on research participants should also be avoided, unless absolutely necessary. Where transmission is necessary, email is preferable to the post as a method of sending personal data. Email attachments containing non-anonymised personal data should be password protected, and should be encrypted if the information includes sensitive personal data, financial information about individuals, or information whose dis closure could cause harm or loss to individuals. Passwords or pass phrases should be sent separately from the data (preferably by telephone). If the postal service has to be used to transfer personal data, the data should be sent by recorded delivery and the storage media should be protected as outlined above. Contact the Information Compliance Manager if you require further advice on these issues (see Where can I get further information?).
• Data is vulnerable when it is being used at home, because of the increased risk of theft and unauthorised access. SOAS provides staff with secure remote access to their directories: files can be downloaded to the user’s home PC, modified locally and then reloaded to the server (see the IT Department’s guidance on Remote access to your files). This method can be used to access non-anonymised research data from home or while out of the office, and is prefer able to transferring data to and from home using mobile devices. Once the file is modified and reloaded to the server, the copy on the home PC must be deleted.
• To prevent accidental loss of data, researchers should regularly back up personal data which is not stored on the School’s servers (which are backed up automatically): see the IT Department’s Code of Practice for Electronic Data Storage, Transmission and Backup for further guidance. The same level of security should be applied to backup copies as to the original data.
• To ensure the security of personal data, the Data Protection Act imposes specific requirements where data is processed by one organisation on behalf of another (e.g. where the gathering and analysis of survey data is outsourced). The processing must be done under a contract which imposes security obligations on the data processor, and the organisation which commissions the processing must ensure that the data processor has adequate security measures in place. Contact the Information Compliance Manager for advice if your research project is likely to use another organisation to process personal data.
• Personal data in paper format (e.g. consent forms signed by research participants) should be kept in a secure area or a locked filing cabinet when not in use. Where more than one person has access to the information, a booking system should be used to keep track of files.
• Personal data gathered in research projects should be disposed of securely when it is no longer needed (see How long should data be kept?). Data in paper format should be disposed of as confidential waste, or shredded on-site if highly sensitive. Electronic data should be deleted and emptied from the recycle bin. PCs and media used to store personal data should be wiped of data before disposal; this is done by the IT Department (see the IT
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Department’s Procedure for the Disposal of IT Equipment and Packaging).
For further guidance on data security, contact the Information Compliance Manager (see Where can I get further information?) or see the guidance on the IT Department’s website. The Information Compliance Manager may refer you to the IT Department for further assistance where necessary.
11. Publishing and disseminating data
Research participants should not be identified in published research results or in publicly available datasets, unless they have consented to being identified, or the information is already in the public domain (see When is consent not necessary?). This applies equally to data obtained directly from the individual, and confidential personal data obtained from third parties.
Anonymised data (see When is data anonymised?) can be published, disseminated and deposited in publicly available data repositories such as SOAS Research Online, subject to intellectual property considerations (see Intellectual property issues).
Providing research participants with a copy of the final research results or research publications, while not mandatory (or always practical), will support openness and transparency in research and should be seen as good practice. However, researchers should be cautious when entering into undertakings to allow research participants to view or edit their contributions prior to publication. This may delay the publication of results, and create an expectation that the research participant has a right of veto. It may also increase the risk that the research participant will retrospectively withdraw consent (see What is the role of consent?). In any such arrangement, deadlines for comments should be set, and it should be agreed that editorial control remains with the researcher.
12. When can research data be transferred overseas?
Anonymised research data (see When is data anonymised?) can be transferred outside the European Economic Area without contravening the eighth Data Protection Principle, as it has ceased to be personal data.
Research data in which individuals are identified can be transferred to countries outside the EEA if the research participant consented to this when the data was gathered, as part of the consent process. Otherwise, the transfer of non-anonymised data outside the EEA will be restricted to a small number of countries which have been approved by the EU as having an adequate level of data protection, and to certain other specific situations (e.g. US companies registered under the Safe Harbor scheme). Contact the Information Compliance Manager if you require further advice on this (see Where can I get further information?).
The eighth Data Protection Principal does not prevent the transfer of personal data to the UK, although this may be restricted by local laws in the country where the research has taken place. Once the data enters the UK, it will be subject to the Data Protection Act. To meet Data Protection and ethical requirements, research participants should be informed that their data will be transferred to the UK, and should consent to this (see What is the role of consent?).
13. When is data anonymised?
Anonymising research data involves removing information which might lead to an individual being identified, either from the data itself or by combining the data with other information which a recipient of the data could be expected to have access to. Once the information is anonymised, it ceases to be personal data, and can be disseminated and published without contravening the Data Protection Act. However, where a researcher produces an anonymised dataset but also retains the information which is necessary to identify an individual, the totality of the information held by the researcher (the anonymised dataset and the identifying information) will still be personal data, and will have to be
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managed in accordance with the Act. What the researcher holds will not cease to be personal data unless the researcher disposes of the identifying information and has no means of recovering it.
For quantitative data, anonymisation may be as simple as removing variables which directly identify a research participant, such as name and home address. However, it is often necessary to do more than that to render a dataset truly anonymous. Variables may have to be removed or the data manipulated to deal with situations where an individual could be identified through combinations of variables, or by combining the data with other publicly available information. For example: full UK postcodes typically cover only a small number of delivery addresses, and can easily lead to identification of an individual or household when combined with other information. To anonymise a dataset, it might be necessary to remove the postcode or to only include the element of the postcode which relates to a wider area.
Anonymising qualitative data may involve the use of pseudonyms and editing the data to remove identifying information. Anonymisation of qualitative data can be problematic because of the risk of individuals being identified through contextual information, and the risk of the data being distorted by the anonymisation process.
Anonymisation is a complex area. Further guidance for researchers is available on the website of the UK Data Archive.
14. How long should data be kept?
The Data Protection Act sets down the general principle (in the fifth Data Protection Principle) that personal data should not be kept for any longer than is necessary for the purposes for which the data was gathered. This means that once data has ceased to have value for the purpose for which it was obtained, it should usually be destroyed: it should not be kept because it might conceivably be useful for some other purpose. However, the Act contains an exemption which allows personal data to be retained indefinitely for research purposes, provided both of the following conditions are met:
• The data must not be used to “support measures or decisions with respect to particular individuals”. In other words, the information must be used solely for research purposes, and not in ways which directly affect individuals.
• Use of the data must not cause or be likely to cause substantial damage or substantial distress to any individual who is the subject of the data. This is likely to be met by ensuring that the data is only published and disseminated in anonymised form; by following strict data security procedures (see How do I keep data secure?); and by preventing public access to the original data during research participants’ lifetimes.
These provisions allow personal data gathered in a research project to be retained for use in future projects, without violating the second or fifth Data Protection Principles. However, they do not remove the need to comply with the remaining Data Protection Principles, such as the need to keep data secure or the need for processing to be “fair” and “lawful”. For example: a research project which uses personal data gathered in an earlier project will have to provide research participants with information about the new project and obtain their consent, unless they consented to the use of their data in future projects when the data was originally gathered -- or the conditions apply where the data can be used without consent (see When is consent not necessary?).
While the Data Protection Act means that research data should not be retained for any longer than it has research value, that value may persist for a considerable period of time after the completion of a project. SOAS's Research Ethics Policy and good research practice require that data should be kept for a reasonable period of time after the completion of research, to ensure that results can be verified and issues arising from the research addressed. The JISC has produced Guidance for Managing Research Records, and its model retention schedule for HE institutions recommends a retention period of 10 years from completion of the project for records relating to the conduct of research. SOAS researchers are advised to follow the JISC recommendations as a rule of thumb when deciding
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how long to keep personal data and other information relating to research projects. However, there are a number of factors which may require the retention of material for longer than 10 years, or indefinitely:
• Any retention or archiving requirements imposed by research funders must be met. For example, funders may require that research data (in anonymised or non-anonymised form) and other information should be deposited in a data archive, and that records of the project should be kept for a specified period. These requirements should be explained to research participants as part of the process of gaining informed consent.
• SOAS encourages researchers to deposit final versions of their data (as well as published and unpublished results) in SOAS’s open-access repository, SOAS Research Online, to facilitate use by other members of SOAS and the wider community. Data added to SOAS Research Online should be in anonymised form, unless research participants have given permission for their data to be published in a way which identifies them. Data added to SOAS Research Online will be subject to the repository’s retention and usage policies.
• It may be justifiable to keep non-anonymised research data indefinitely as a permanent archive if it relates to a project of major national or international significance. Non- anonymised data may also need to be kept for longer than 10 years if it is required as part of a longitudinal study.
• The information supplied to research participants, consent forms and other records which document the obtaining of consent must be kept for at least as long as the data is kept in non-anonymised form.
15. Ownership of research data after leaving SOAS
Primary legal responsibility under the Data Protection Act for the personal data which staff gather and use as part of the formal records of a research project rests with SOAS, as the employer and the “data controller”. Staff have no right to remove such data without SOAS’s permission. Doing so could also compromise the rights of research participants, e.g. by causing data to be moved to an environment with inadequate security.
Staff who wish to take non-anonymised research data with them at the end of their employment must seek permission from their head of department, who will contact the Information Compliance Manager for advice. Staff who are granted permission will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement requiring them to comply with the Data Protection Act, SOAS's Research Ethics Policy and any undertakings made to research participants. A copy of the data must be retained by SOAS, unless its appropriate retention period has passed.
Students are individually responsible under the Data Protection Act for personal data which they gather and use in their studies, although students are required in their research to abide by this code of practice and SOAS’s Research Ethics Policy. Students may take personal data gathered by them in their research with them when they leave the School, unless the research was conducted as part of a SOAS research project in which the student participated, or the agreement with the funder or sponsor of the research specifies otherwise. However, students are reminded that they must continue to meet the requirements of the Data Protection Act and other legal and ethical requirements when using the data.
16. Can research participants gain access to the data about them?
One of the most fundamental rights granted to individuals by the Data Protection Act is the right to gain access to the information which organisations hold about them. However, this right is limited in regard to research data. Organisations are not required to grant individuals access to research data about them if all of the following conditions are met:
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• The data must not be used to “support measures or decisions with respect to particular individuals”. In other words, the information must be used solely for research purposes, and not in ways which directly affect individuals.
• Statistics and research results must not be published in a way, which identifies any research participant.
• Use of the data must not cause or be likely to cause substantial damage or substantial distress to any individual who is a research participant. This is likely to be met by ensuring that the data is only published and disseminated in anonymised form; by following strict data security procedures (see How do I keep data secure?); and by preventing public access to the original data during research participants’ lifetimes.
However, as a matter of ethical research practice, SOAS will normally provide research participants on request with the information held about them which was gathered in research conducted by SOAS staff, subject to the need to protect personal data on other individuals and to meet confidentiality requirements. Requests by individuals for access to research data about them will be dealt with as Data Protection requests, and should be submitted to the Information Compliance Manager (see Requesting Access to Personal Data for procedures). Research data gathered and held by SOAS students in the course of their studies cannot be requested under the Data Protection Act.
17. Intellectual property issues
Researchers should note that research participants have intellectual property rights in the information which they contribute to a research project. For example, a research participant is likely to own copyright in:
• The words written by them on a questionnaire (but not the questionnaire itself).
• What they said in an interview which was recorded in some way, and their delivery of their words (treated under copyright law as a performance).
While it is held outside the UK, information gathered overseas will be covered by any intellectual property laws which apply in the country of origin. Once the research data is imported into the UK, it will be protected under UK copyright law (with very few exceptions) in the same way as information created in the UK.
Research participants’ intellectual property rights persist even if their identity is removed from their contribution: e.g. an individual will own copyright in their words recorded in an anonymised transcript of an interview. However, research participants do not own copyright in information produced by the researcher as a result of analysing the ‘raw’ research data: for example, statistics, abstracts or research conclusions.
SOAS's Research Ethics Policy requires that researchers should respect the intellectual property and other legal rights of research participants. Intellectual property issues must be dealt with at an early stage in a project to ensure that they do not subsequently become a barrier to the use of research data. This can be done as part of the consent process (see What is the role of consent?), by ensuring that research participants are provided with full information about how their contributions will be used and consent to that use. The model consent form in Appendix B includes clauses relating to copyright which are designed to achieve this.
For further advice on intellectual property issues, contact the Information Compliance Manager (see Where can I get further information?).
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18. Where can I get further information?
Further information about Data Protection, data security and intellectual property issues is available on SOAS’s Information Compliance web pages, and from the Information Compliance Manager (email to [email protected], telephone 020 7898 4150). Advice on IT issues is available from the IT helpdesk and on the IT Department’s web pages. As previously noted, this code should be read in conjunction with SOAS’s Research Ethics Policy and its associated procedures, Data Protection Policy and IT policies and procedures, all of which are binding on students and staff conducting research at SOAS.
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Appendix A: Checklist for Using Personal Data in Research
This checklist will help researchers to identify whether they have covered key issues relating to the use of personal data in their research project.
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Appendix B: SOAS Research Data Consent Form
This form is intended as a template, for researchers to use and modify according to the circumstances of a research project, in situations where a form is the most appropriate method of capturing informed consent. It should be used in conjunction with SOAS's code of practice on using personal data in research. Any sections which are irrelevant to the project should be deleted; additional sections may also be added if necessary for the process of securing informed consent. A copy should be left with the research participant for them to retain as a record of their participation in the project.
Project Description
This section provides you with information about the SOAS research project in which you are participating, and how the information which you provide to the project will be used.
Project title: [Researcher to complete]
Project funders: [Researcher to complete. Identify the funders of the project, and any interest which they may have in the research or control over use of the research.]
Project partners: [Researcher to complete. Identify any other organisations (e.g. other HE institutions) which are involved with SOAS in delivering the project, and what involvement they may have in the data.]
Project coordinator: [Researcher to complete. Give the name and work contact details of the person (usually the researcher) who is responsible for the project.]
Project objectives: [Researcher to complete. Describe the aims and objectives of the project.]
Reasons for data collection: [Researcher to complete. Describe why research participants’ data is being collected for the project and how the data will be used in the project.]
Data recipients: [Researcher to complete. Indicate any individuals or organisations outside SOAS who will receive or be given access to non-anonymised personal data gathered in the project.]
Countries to which the data may be a transferred: [Researcher to complete. Indicate any specific countries to which the data may be transferred, including the UK if the data is gathered outside the UK. The form also should include the following text:]
Data about you gathered in the course of your participation in this project may be transferred to countries or territories outside the European Economic Area for purposes connected with this project and similar future projects, subject to appropriate safeguards to protect the security and confidentiality of your data.
Security measures: [Researcher to complete. Describe in a general way any special security measures which will be put in place to protect research participants’ data during the life of the project.]
Methods of publication: [Researcher to complete. Describe how the data and the research results will be published, including whether research participants will be identified in the published information.]
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Methods of anonymisation: [Researcher to complete. If the data is to be published in anonymised form, describe the steps which will be taken to conceal the identity of research participants.]
Archiving: [Researcher to complete. Describe how the data will be archived, e.g. in SOAS Research Online, and whether research participants will be identifiable in the archived dataset]
Future use: Data about you gathered in the course of your participation in this project may be used in similar future research projects, by researchers at SOAS or elsewhere. We cannot predict all the ways in which your data may be used. However, any specific future projects where it is intended to use your data will be described below.
[Researcher to complete. Describe briefly any future projects where it is intended to the use the data, and how it may be used]
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Data Protection Statement
Information about you, which is gathered in the course of this research project, once held in the United Kingdom, will be protected by the UK Data Protection Act and will be subject to SOAS's Data Protection Policy. You have the right to request access under the Data Protection Act to the information, which SOAS holds about you. Further information about your rights under the Act and how SOAS handles personal data is available on the Data Protection pages of the SOAS website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/infocomp/dpa/index.html), and by contacting the Information Compliance Manager at the following address: Information Compliance Manager, SOAS, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG, United Kingdom (e-mail to: [email protected]).
Copyright Statement
By completing this form, you permit SOAS and the project coordinator to edit, copy, disseminate, publish (by whatever means) and archive your contribution to this research project in the manner and for the purposes described above. You waive any copyright and other intellectual property rights in your contribution to the project, and grant SOAS, the project coordinator and other researchers a non- exclusive, free, irrevocable, worldwide license to use your contribution for the purposes of this project and similar future research projects.
Research Participant Declaration
I confirm that I have read the above information relating to the research project. I consent to my information being used in the manner and for the purposes described, and I waive my copyright and other intellectual property rights as indicated. I understand that I may withdraw my consent to participate in the project, and that I should contact the project coordinator if I wish to do so.
Name:
Signature: Date:
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! 44 SOAS Students and the Data Protection Act
Any organisation that collects, holds or processes your data is subject to the Data Protection Act. This includes SOAS as the School collects a range of information about students. Examples can include the following amongst others:
• Your name and contact details; • Date of birth; • Nationality and/or ethnic origins; • Academic record before and during your time at SOAS; • Disabilities and medical conditions; • Financial information; • Photograph.
You can find out how SOAS uses your data by visiting the SOAS website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/infocomp/dpa/student). There are also details there of some of the other organisations that the School may occasionally have to pass your information on to. This will only happen either with your consent, or where the law permits or requires SOAS to do so without your consent.
You can find out what information the School holds about you at any time by making a subject access request. Instructions can be found on the website at http://www.soas.ac.uk/infocomp/dpa/access/, but in summary, you should write to the Information Compliance Manager at the below address, providing:
• Details of the information that you want (please be as specific as possible); • A copy of a document that provides proof of your identity (eg passport, driving licence); • A cheque for £10 made payable to SOAS.
You can send these to:
The Information Compliance Manager The Directorate Office (Room 115) SOAS Thornhaugh Street Russell Square London WC1H 0XG
Please ensure that you let SOAS know if your personal details change. This will ensure that SOAS is in the best position to look after your data. For example, if you fail to let us know about a change in accommodation, we may send private correspondence to the wrong address.
Unless you have been told otherwise, updates of your details should be sent to Registry; but Distance Learning students should contact their Distance Learning administrator; IFCELS students, the IFCELS office; and Language Centre students should contact the Language Centre.
45 SOAS Students and the Data Protection Act Practical Information Compliance
Any organisation that collects, holds or processes your data is subject to the Data During the course of your studies, you will have to use information. You may Protection Act. This includes SOAS as the School collects a range of information want to photocopy or scan an article in a journal or a chapter from a book, but about students. Examples can include the following amongst others: you are worried about whether it will breach copyright laws. Perhaps you want to use personal details about individuals as part of your research. Maybe • Your name and contact details; you’ve heard about the Freedom of Information Act and want to know how to • Date of birth; use it responsibly to obtain information relevant to your thesis. If you are • Nationality and/or ethnic origins; submitting a thesis, you will want to know how online publication will affect • Academic record before and during your time at SOAS; you. • Disabilities and medical conditions; • Financial information; There is helpful guidance on all of these issues on the SOAS website at • Photograph. http://www.soas.ac.uk/infocomp/practical.
You can find out how SOAS uses your data by visiting the SOAS website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/infocomp/dpa/student). There are also details there of some of the other organisations that the School may occasionally have to pass your information on to. This will only happen either with your consent, or where the law permits or requires SOAS to do so without your consent.
You can find out what information the School holds about you at any time by making a subject access request. Instructions can be found on the website at http://www.soas.ac.uk/infocomp/dpa/access/, but in summary, you should write to the Information Compliance Manager at the below address, providing:
• Details of the information that you want (please be as specific as possible); • A copy of a document that provides proof of your identity (eg passport, driving licence); • A cheque for £10 made payable to SOAS.
You can send these to:
The Information Compliance Manager The Directorate Office (Room 115) SOAS Thornhaugh Street Russell Square London WC1H 0XG
Please ensure that you let SOAS know if your personal details change. This will ensure that SOAS is in the best position to look after your data. For example, if you fail to let us know about a change in accommodation, we may send private correspondence to the wrong address.
Unless you have been told otherwise, updates of your details should be sent to Registry; but Distance Learning students should contact their Distance Learning administrator; IFCELS students, the IFCELS office; and Language Centre students should contact the Language Centre.
46
SOAS Research Ethics Policy
1. Aim and scope
SOAS is, and aims to continue to be, a research-led institution. SOAS is committed by its Research Strategy to achieving international standards and world recognition in research and research-led teaching, in all of the School’s disciplines, and to achieving growth in research income.
Alongside this commitment to research is a commitment to ethical standards, as one of the core values in SOAS’s Vision and Strategy for the Centennial. SOAS and its members are expected to maintain the highest ethical standards, and to foster the values of openness, honesty, tolerance, fairness and responsibility.
The purpose of this policy is to translate SOAS’s ethical commitment into the field of research, and to provide a framework for research ethics at SOAS. This is done by:
• Setting out the general ethical principles which SOAS expects researchers to follow.
• Defining the concept of research misconduct, which will be used to determine whether research has failed to meet the School’s ethical standards.
• Defining the obligations of SOAS and SOAS researchers under this Policy, including SOAS’s obligation to implement this Policy by developing and maintaining research ethics procedures.
This policy is substantially based on, and intended to be consistent with, relevant standards issued by Research Councils UK, the UK Research Integrity Office and individual research councils. It will be updated as necessary to take account of developments in these standards.
This policy applies equally to SOAS staff and SOAS students conducting research at any level, and to any other person (regardless of their status) engaged in research under the auspices of SOAS or on behalf of or in association with SOAS (for example, independent contractors, consultants, visiting staff, staff from other institutions, emeritus staff, and staff on joint or honorary contracts). Research conducted collaboratively with other institutions or non-SOAS researchers is covered by this Policy, to the extent that it involves a contribution from a researcher acting under the auspices of the School. This Policy does not apply to research conducted by individuals in a private capacity, except for research conducted as part of consultancy or “third stream” activities approved by SOAS.
2. Status
This policy was approved Research Committee on 11 February 2009 (with subsequent amendments approved on 30 April 2009), and by Academic Board on 27 May 2009. It will be reviewed and revised by Research Committee from time to time.
3. Definitions
Research: any form of disciplined inquiry that aims to contribute to a body of knowledge or theory. This includes research carried out as part of consultancy or “third stream” activities approved by SOAS, but not other research carried out by researchers in a private capacity. Research conducted collaboratively with other institutions or non-SOAS researchers is covered by this Policy, to the extent that it involves a contribution from a researcher acting under the auspices of SOAS.
Research ethics: the moral principles guiding research, from its inception through to completion and publication of results and beyond. These principles are set out in section 5.
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Research misconduct: conduct or performance by a SOAS researcher which exhibits one or more of the characteristics set out in section 6. The existence of any of these characteristics is indicative of research which has failed to meet SOAS’s principles of ethical research.
Research participants: living individuals who are the focus of research.
Researcher: any member of SOAS conducting research at any level, including staff and students, and any other person (regardless of their status) engaged in research under the auspices of SOAS or on behalf of or in association with SOAS (for example, independent contractors, consultants, visiting staff, staff from other institutions, emeritus staff, and staff on joint or honorary contracts).
4. Relationship with discipline-specific codes and standards
SOAS researchers are expected to follow any ethical standards or codes of practice issued by relevant professional bodies which are specific to their area or discipline: for example, the standards issued by the Association of Social Anthropologists of the UK and Commonwealth, the British Association for Applied Linguistics and the British Sociological Association. In the unlikely event of conflict between such standards and this Policy or SOAS’s ethical procedures, SOAS’s Policy and procedures shall be followed.
5. Principles of ethical research
SOAS believes that ethical research will be guided by the following principles, which SOAS researchers are expected to follow. This list is not exhaustive: it defines a set of core values which should apply in any research, although additional values and principles may be relevant in specific contexts.
i. Integrity: research should be designed, executed and disseminated in a way which ensures its integrity and quality.
Researchers must ensure that their research has integrity and is of the highest quality. Integrity may be achieved by following the principles set out below. Quality requires that research should be planned so that its findings have demonstrable validity by the standards of the researcher’s discipline. In order that findings can be verified, primary data and research results should be preserved and accessible for a reasonable period of time after the completion of research.
ii. Honesty: researchers must be honest about their role, contribution and findings, must comply with legal and contractual obligations, and must respect the rights of research participants and other researchers (including non-SOAS researchers). Such rights include (but are not limited to) intellectual property rights, privacy and Data Protection rights, the right to be identified as the author of one’s own work, and rights under equality legislation. Plagiarism, misrepresentation of authorship or results, and other forms of academic dishonesty are fundamentally contrary to SOAS’s core values, and frequently involve an abuse of the rights of others.
Honesty includes, within the research team, ensuring that data is shared with other team members in accordance with employment obligations, supervisory or line management relationships and contractual requirements. Appropriate acknowledgement and credit should be given for all contributions to a research project, including recognition in publications and further grant applications.
Researchers should ensure that their research fulfils their obligations to research funders and any conditions imposed as part of the approval of research. Legal and regulatory obligations (including obligations specific to the country where the research is conducted) must be met. iii. Openness: research staff and research participants must be fully informed about the purpose, methods and intended possible uses of the research, what their participation in the research entails, and any risks to them which may be involved.
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documentation. The overriding principle is that research should be conducted openly and without deception. SOAS will develop procedures for gaining and recording the informed consent of research participants, iii. Misrepresentation: this may include: taking into account the practicalities of field research and the cultural contexts which may affect the • Misrepresentation of data: e.g. the undisclosed suppression of evidence or findings, or the understanding of the concept of consent. Covert research involving research participants should only deliberate or negligent presentation of a flawed interpretation of data. be undertaken in exceptional circumstances after formal ethical approval. • Misrepresentation of interests: e.g. the failure to disclose the interests of the researcher or of the funder of the research. Openness in research also includes the prompt publication and dissemination of research results by • Misrepresentation by the researcher of their qualifications or experience. the most appropriate means, subject to intellectual property, privacy, confidentiality and contractual • Misrepresentation of involvement: e.g. the inappropriate or unjustified claim by a considerations. Research by SOAS staff should normally be deposited in SOAS’s open-access researcher to authorship or attribution, or the denial of others' rights to authorship or repository, SOAS Research Online, in accordance with SOAS’s commitment to an open-access attribution. model for the archiving and dissemination of research, and the requirements of funding bodies. • Misrepresentation of publication: e.g. the undisclosed duplication of publication, or undisclosed duplicate submission of works for publication, where this involves deception or iv. Confidentiality: the confidentiality of information provided by research participants and their the deliberate circumvention of publishers’ or funders’ policies. anonymity should be respected, unless they have consented to the disclosure of information. iv. Plagiarism: the misappropriation or use of the ideas, intellectual property or work (written or v. Voluntary participation: research participants should participate in a voluntary way, free from otherwise) of others without acknowledgement or permission. coercion or intimidation. This is closely related to the principle of openness: as part of the process of gaining informed consent, research participants should be informed of their right to refuse to v. Mismanagement of research data or results: the failure to ensure that research data, evidence participate in research or to withdraw from research. and research results are preserved and accessible for a reasonable period after the completion of research, in accordance with SOAS’s retention and archiving policies and funders’ requirements. vi. Avoidance of harm: research should be conducted in a way which minimizes the harm or risk to groups or individuals, including research participants, research staff and fellow researchers. Harm vi. Breach of duty of care: this may occur where the researcher deliberately, recklessly or includes physical or mental harm, and harm to an individual’s organisation, business, livelihood, negligently: family, kin or community. Researchers should be aware of the impact which their actions could have on fellow researchers, e.g. by jeopardising access by other researchers to a research community or • Discloses improperly the identity of research participants, or information provided by country. research participants, without their consent or in breach of confidence. Particular care must be taken when conducting research involving human participants or privileged or personal vii. Independence and impartiality: researchers should ensure that there is no undeclared conflict data: see Using Personal Data in Research: Code of Practice for SOAS Staff and Students of interest (whether personal, academic or commercial) in their research. Sources of funding, and the for further guidance in this area. roles and requirements of research funders, should be made clear to research participants and • Places research participants, research staff or others involved in research at risk of harm, disclosed when research is published. without their prior consent and without appropriate safeguards. • Fails to take reasonable care to ensure the informed consent of research participants. viii. Cultural sensitivity: in the context of SOAS, it is particularly important that researchers should • Fails to observe legal, regulatory, contractual or ethical requirements, and obligations to be sensitive to the values and cultures of groups being studied, and how this may affect research research funders. participants’ understanding of the purpose and nature of research. Ethical and political issues relating • Conducts themselves improperly in the peer review of applications or publications: e.g. to personal and national disparities in wealth, power, the legal status of the researcher, political through the gross misrepresentation of the content of material, inadequate disclosure of interest and national political systems must be taken into account in planning research projects. limited competence, or the abuse of material provided in confidence for peer review. Researchers should be sensitive to the differences between the civil, legal and perhaps financial position of national and foreign researchers and scholars, and the inherent power position that may Conduct or performance by a researcher which falls into at least one of the above categories will be exist between the researcher and those being studied. The ethical principles outlined above are research misconduct if it involves deliberate intent, negligence or recklessness. Research misconduct particularly urgent when dealing with vulnerable populations, such as refugees or war victims. includes acts of omission as well as acts of commission. However, research misconduct does not include: 6. Research misconduct • Genuine academic disagreements, e.g. over research methodology. Conduct or performance by a researcher which exhibits one or more of the following characteristics • Honest errors or mistakes, where no negligence, recklessness or deliberate intention is shall be treated by SOAS as research misconduct. The presence of any of these characteristics in a involved. research project will indicate behaviour which falls significantly short of the principles of ethical research set out in section 5. Researchers who detect errors or mistakes in their research are expected to make all reasonable efforts to rectify them: e.g. by publication of a correction or retraction. Deliberate failure to rectify Interpretation of these categories will depend on the context of the research project, and will reflect research errors will be treated as misrepresentation. the judgement and experience of those charged with investigating whether research misconduct has occurred: SOAS will adopt procedures for investigating allegations of research misconduct, and for referring cases where appropriate to the School’s disciplinary procedures. i. Fabrication: e.g. the creation of fictitious data, evidence, documentation or results. ii. Falsification: e.g. the inappropriate manipulation or selection of data, evidence, imagery or
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documentation. iii. Misrepresentation: this may include: • Misrepresentation of data: e.g. the undisclosed suppression of evidence or findings, or the deliberate or negligent presentation of a flawed interpretation of data. • Misrepresentation of interests: e.g. the failure to disclose the interests of the researcher or of the funder of the research. • Misrepresentation by the researcher of their qualifications or experience. • Misrepresentation of involvement: e.g. the inappropriate or unjustified claim by a researcher to authorship or attribution, or the denial of others' rights to authorship or attribution. • Misrepresentation of publication: e.g. the undisclosed duplication of publication, or undisclosed duplicate submission of works for publication, where this involves deception or the deliberate circumvention of publishers’ or funders’ policies. iv. Plagiarism: the misappropriation or use of the ideas, intellectual property or work (written or otherwise) of others without acknowledgement or permission. v. Mismanagement of research data or results: the failure to ensure that research data, evidence and research results are preserved and accessible for a reasonable period after the completion of research, in accordance with SOAS’s retention and archiving policies and funders’ requirements. vi. Breach of duty of care: this may occur where the researcher deliberately, recklessly or negligently:
• Discloses improperly the identity of research participants, or information provided by research participants, without their consent or in breach of confidence. Particular care must be taken when conducting research involving human participants or privileged or personal data: see Using Personal Data in Research: Code of Practice for SOAS Staff and Students for further guidance in this area. • Places research participants, research staff or others involved in research at risk of harm, without their prior consent and without appropriate safeguards. • Fails to take reasonable care to ensure the informed consent of research participants. • Fails to observe legal, regulatory, contractual or ethical requirements, and obligations to research funders. • Conducts themselves improperly in the peer review of applications or publications: e.g. through the gross misrepresentation of the content of material, inadequate disclosure of limited competence, or the abuse of material provided in confidence for peer review.
Conduct or performance by a researcher which falls into at least one of the above categories will be research misconduct if it involves deliberate intent, negligence or recklessness. Research misconduct includes acts of omission as well as acts of commission. However, research misconduct does not include:
• Genuine academic disagreements, e.g. over research methodology. • Honest errors or mistakes, where no negligence, recklessness or deliberate intention is involved.
Researchers who detect errors or mistakes in their research are expected to make all reasonable efforts to rectify them: e.g. by publication of a correction or retraction. Deliberate failure to rectify research errors will be treated as misrepresentation.
SOAS will adopt procedures for investigating allegations of research misconduct, and for referring cases where appropriate to the School’s disciplinary procedures.
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7. Obligations of researchers and SOAS
The development of a culture of research ethics at SOAS requires a partnership between SOAS and its researchers. This section defines the obligations of both parties under this Policy.
Researchers must:
• Conduct research in accordance with the principles of research ethics outlined in section 5. • Avoid research misconduct as defined in section 6. • Following SOAS's procedures, report instances of behaviour by fellow SOAS researchers which they reasonably believe represents research misconduct. Researchers should recognize that research misconduct, if tolerated or ignored, undermines the entire SOAS research community.
SOAS must: • Develop, and periodically review, procedures for: • Ethical review and approval of research projects. • Reporting complaints relating to research projects. • Investigating and determining allegations of research misconduct. • Handling personal data relating to research participants. • Retention and archiving of research data and results. • Provide training and mentoring for researchers, and for those involved in investigating research misconduct, in research ethics and ethics procedures. • Adequately resource the implementation of this Policy and its associated procedures.
+'!
! 51 The SOAS Library and Other Library Resources
All students and staff at SOAS are members of the library. The library is the major European library for Asia, Africa and the Middle East. It attracts many outside readers from Britain and abroad who come to consult the rich research collections and the archives. At the same time, the library provides the books and articles needed by students.
All current information on the Library is available at: http://www.soas.ac.uk/library FAQs: http://www.soas.ac.uk/library/using/faqs/ The Library & Information Services guide, training sessions & tours will be available at the start of term.
Library Transformation Project 2010-11 The Library opened in 1973 in a landmark Modernist building designed by Sir Denis Lasdun which has recently achieved a Grade 2* listing by English Heritage. The Library is about half way through the process of being completely redesigned to transform it into a 21st Century learning environment. During 2010 Level E and some of Level F (Ground and Lower- Ground floors) were completely renovated to create a new Entrance and Reception area, the Wolfson Gallery, group study rooms, a new PC Lab, increased seating for users and integration of the Language Resources and Multi-Media rooms into the Library. Plans for the upper floors will see them renovated to the same standard as can be seen on Level E.
During the 2011/12 session there will be a pause in the Library building works whilst the School attends to other projects. We will be undertaking minor works on the upper four levels of the Library to restore the Research Collections and Silent Study spaces which were displaced by the works in 2010. We will strive to minimise disruption to the Library and ensure that any noisy work will be confined to the hours of 7-10am each day.
Short Loan Collection and Multiple Copies To cater for students’ needs, there is a collection of materials recommended by lecturers, which can be borrowed for up to 24 hours. Additional multiple copies of essential readings will be found shelved within the main library collections, including books which can be borrowed for one week.
Main Collections Books are arranged partly by geographical area and partly by subject. The library uses the Dewey decimal system, with the use of prefixes to denote region, country, and language. To find materials please use the online library catalogue at: http://lib.soas.ac.uk and the location list at: http://www.soas.ac.uk/library/using/finding/location/ Archives & manuscripts: http://www.soas.ac.uk/library/subjects/archives/
Electronic Resources The Library subscribes to over 30,000 electronic journals and hundreds of databases and electronic books to support students. Most of these resources are available from computers both on and off-site. Use your SOAS ID and password to login to e-resources when prompted.
For further information see: http://www.soas.ac.uk/library/electronic
52 Library Services For more information on borrowing, renewing and reserving materials please refer to the Library website: http://www.soas.ac.uk/library/using/services/
Rules and Regulations Like any library, there are rules to ensure that the collections are properly maintained and that access is fairly regulated. Most of these are common sense (no eating or drinking, no marks of any sort to be made in books, use of mobile phones in allocated areas only). All Library users are expected to abide by the Library rules which are available in full at: http://www.soas.ac.uk/library/using/charter/
Library Staff – Key Contacts Director of Library & Information Services John Robinson [email protected] Assistant Director (Acquisitions and Bibliographic Services): Peter McCormack [email protected] Assistant Director (Archives & Special Collections): Susannah Rayner [email protected] Assistant Director (Operations): Libby Homer [email protected] Assistant Director (Teaching and Research Support): Barbara Spina [email protected] Head of Electronic Services: Beth Clark [email protected]
Hours of Opening The library offers extended opening hours for most of the academic year. NB: full library services are not available during extended hours. For current information on opening times for the Library and the Special Collections Reading Room see: http://www.soas.ac.uk/library/using/openingtimes/
Outline of Arrangement of Collections*
Level A South Asia
Level B Middle East & Central Asia (including Ancient Near East, Semitics and Judaica) Large size periodicals
Level C China & Inner Asia Japan South East Asia
Level D Africa Art Main Reading Room (computer room) Law Korea Photocopying/printing
Level E Reception area Enquiry Desk, Issue Desk, Membership Desk IT Helpdesk Self-issue and returns machines
53 General Humanities and Social Sciences Short Loan Collection Group study rooms Language Laboratories Lee Periodical Reading Area Microform reader/printers & Audio-visual materials & equipment Photocopiers/printers & recharge stations
Level F Special Collections Reading Room Burma Collection Memorial Library Mobile stack collections Computer room
*NB: to enable the Library Transformation Project, approx. 160,000 volumes are stored off- site. Books and journals affected will be noted on the location list.
Further information about the collections and their arrangement is provided on the Library web-site http://www.soas.ac.uk/library and in the various leaflets produced by the Library. For help please contact the Enquiry Desk on Level E, ext 4163, E-mail: [email protected].
Access to Other Libraries All SOAS students are entitled to join Senate House Library. Membership allows borrowing of books and off-site access for many electronic journals & databases. Other libraries offer reference or borrowing access depending on student status. SOAS has reciprocal agreements with LSE, UCL, Institute of Education and Birkbeck and participates in the SCONUL Access scheme which provides access to over 170 academic libraries. Please ask at the SOAS Library Membership desk for more information on this scheme. More information on other libraries: http://www.soas.ac.uk/library/using/others/
Bookshops The SOAS Bookshop is situated in the Brunei Gallery opposite the SOAS main building. Opening hours are 9.30am–5.30pm Monday to Friday. The shop also opens on Saturday afternoon during exhibitions.
The bookshop stocks student textbooks for all subjects, course packs, SOAS publications, SOAS souvenirs and Brunei Gallery catalogues.
Contact: Mr Joe Burridge Our other Shop Email: [email protected] Arthur Probsthain Oriental and African Booksellers Telephone: 020 7898 4470 41 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3PL Telephone: 020 7636 1096
The main bookshop in the area is Waterstone’s, opposite the University of London Union on the corner of Malet Street and Torrington Place. It covers all subjects and can order books from Britain and abroad.
Not much further away is Charing Cross Road, which has a multitude of bookshops, large and small. Secondhand books can be bought there or at Waterstone’s and Probsthains. If you want to sell books, you will usually be able to do so if they are in reasonable condition, although you may be surprised at how little you are offered.
54 Photocopying Photocopiers are available for students in the library. The cost is 5p per A4 sheet for black and white copies. The copiers are operated through student network accounts. Students log in to the copiers using their SOAS ID and password. Credit can be added at one of the recharge machines in the Library, or in the Vernon Square foyer. Please note that all photocopying facilities are governed by the rules of copyright (see later). Posters explaining what can and cannot be copied and recommended limits are available near the photocopiers.
Copying and Copyright In the UK, material is normally protected by copyright within an author’s lifetime and for 70 years after the author’s death. Copyright law is currently based on the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended. SOAS Library users are required to comply with copyright law when using the Library’s collections and services.
Copyright is a complex area. The following points provide basic guidance for students when copying material held in the Library. For further guidance, see the Library’s website and the posters located next to the photocopiers in the Library.
1. Students may produce a single photocopy of an extract from a copyright-protected item for their own non-commercial private study or research, under the copyright exception of “fair dealing” for non-commercial private study or research. It is strongly recommended that you copy no more than one article from a journal, newspaper or magazine; one complete chapter from a book; or extracts up to 5% from a book. You should acknowledge the source of the copy, e.g. by writing the name of the author and the title on the photocopy if it is not already recorded.
2. Multiple photocopying of sets of material for class use is NOT permitted except under SOAS’s licence with the Copyright Licensing Agency. The licence applies to certain types of works published in the UK and some overseas countries. Information about what is covered by the licence is available in posters next to the Library’s photocopiers and on the Library’s website.
3. Extracts of copyright material may be incorporated into publications under the copyright exception of “fair dealing” for the purpose of criticism or review. For this to apply, the item copied must have been published or otherwise made available to the public; you must acknowledge the source of the material when reproducing it (e.g. by giving, at a minimum, the author and title); the purpose of copying the item must be to criticise it or review it (e.g. to discuss its importance or value); and you must not copy more from the item than is necessary for criticising or reviewing it. Long-standing guidance suggests that quotation of the following amounts from a written work for criticism or review will be seen as acceptable: a single extract of up to 400 words from a prose work; a series of extracts (each no more than 300 words) up to a total of 800 words from a prose work; or up to 40 lines or one- quarter of a poem (whichever is less). The reproduction of more substantial extracts would require the permission of the publisher and, if the publisher thinks appropriate, the payment of a fee.
4. Students may also copy extracts from copyright-protected items in order to incorporate them into their assessed coursework, theses and dissertations, under the copyright exception of “examination privilege”. You should acknowledge the source of the item, e.g. by giving the author and title (at a minimum). This exception does not allow any subsequent use of the material: e.g. if you want to publish your essay, thesis or dissertation, you must
55 get permission from the copyright owner, or ensure that the reproduction is covered by another copyright provision like “fair dealing” for criticism or review.
Further information and advice on copyright is available from the Information Compliance Manager, Paul Gibbons (email to [email protected]). http://www.soas.ac.uk/infocomp/copyright/library/
56 Information Technology at SOAS
1. Getting Started http://inet.soas.ac.uk is your starting point to computing in SOAS. From there, you can access your email and go to other useful links e.g. the library and the intranet.
2. Email and Network account Your student number (the 6-digit number on your student ID card) is also your computer account number. The temporary password for your account is your date of birth (format: dd- mm-yy e.g. 09-Aug-76; the first letter of the month is in uppercase). You should change your password as soon as possible. (There is a change password link at http://inet.soas.ac.uk).
3. Computing Facilities Open Access Labs Lab Location Opening Hours* RB01 Basement, East College Block Building/Library opening hours Library Library floor D & E Library opening and Reading Room hours Computer Basement, Main Outside teaching Lab/Teaching Building hours; check Room L62 timetable on the door V121 1st Floor, Vernon Vernon Square Square Building opening hours
Research and other labs Lab Location Access Research lab First Floor, East Research students R301 Block Research lab 4th floor, 21, Russell Research students Square (access via 22 Russell Square) Research lab 4430 Room 4430, College CISD students Building Music post- Room 511, College Music Research graduate lab Building students IFCEL student lab Room FB17, Faber IFCEL students Building Multi-media Room L54, College Students taking computer lab Building. media related courses. Contact your dept/tutor.
Assistive Technology Computer Lab Assisted Contact Reader Services: technology room Room D15, [email protected] for students Library Assisted Room 482; VG21 Contact Student Services,: technology room [email protected] for students
57 4. Support Desk The IT Support Desk is located on E floor, Library. The Desk opens from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.
The Support Desk provides computer support and answers general queries. However the Desk does not provide extensive training nor support personal computer equipment. Contacts: Tel: x4950 (020 7898 4950) Email: [email protected]
5. Internet Access Internet access is available in all the computer labs. There are sockets are available in the Library Reading Room and Library North Terrace for laptops. You can also connect your laptop or mobile devices to the wireless network in many locations in the school. Details on how to connect to the network can be found at: http://www.soas.ac.uk/itsupport/ .
6. Computer Orientation and Training IT offers training courses on basic computing and MS Office software in the autumn term. There are also online training courses available through the Intranet. Details of these courses are available at: http://mercury.soas.ac.uk/it/training/ittraining.htm. You can make suggestions about IT training courses by contacting: [email protected] .
7. Documentations On-line documentations can be viewed http://www.soas.ac.uk/itsupport/ .
8. Printing Students may print work via the School network from School computers. There are printers located in all of the main open-access computer rooms. These cost 5p per A4 sheet.
If you use your own computer for work, you can copy your documents to a USB memory stick and use this in a School computer to print your work.
Undergraduate students are given an annual credit of 150 sheets at 5p. Top-up machines are available in the Library and at the foyer in Vernon Square.
9. Computer Viruses The School uses MacAfee VirusScan for virus protection. Your home/personal computer must also have adequate virus too. Current students can obtain a copy of MacAfee VirusScan free from the IT Support Desk. For PC users, we also recommend Microsoft Security Essentials (free): http://www.microsoft.com/security/products/mse.aspx
10. Specialist Services Scanning and colour laser printing is available E-floor, Library. All copying, scanning and printing is governed by the rules on copyrights.
11. Comments and Suggestions If you have any comments or suggestions on the School’s IT services, don’t hesitate to contact us at: [email protected].
58 Updated: 31/10/2011 The Academic Development Directorate (ADD)
The ADD provides a central focus for developments in learning and teaching at SOAS. Working with departments across the School the ADD is involved with a wide range of activities and projects to help support you during your time at SOAS.
The aims of the ADD are:
• To provide guidance and support in the form of workshops, lectures and one-to-one sessions on academic skills for undergraduates and postgraduates (including research) in collaboration with faculties and departments;
• To co-ordinate activities both within and outside the School which encourage wider participation in higher education from under-represented groups, and to support such students during their time at SOAS;
• To provide learning support for students with specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, and ADHD through one-to-one tutorials, advice sessions and workshops, working closely with the School's Student Disability Advisor.
• To support both staff and students in their use of the School's virtual learning environment (the BLE) and the development of multimedia in support of learning;
• To support staff in the dissemination of good practice in learning and teaching through training programmes, workshops and advice;
• To co-ordinate policy, procedures and processes relating to quality assurance across the School. Quality Assurance ('QA') refers to the systems and procedures the School uses to assure itself of the standards of its awards, and the quality of its teaching and other provision for students.
Please have a look at our website to get an idea of the range of activities and support on offer, or drop in and see us in RG01 on the ground floor of the main College building.
The Academic Development Directorate www.soas.ac.uk/add
59 Student Services at SOAS
Student Services at SOAS consist of:
International Student and Welfare Advice Student Counselling Student Disability Advice Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Advice [email protected]
All four services are based at Vernon Square in V302, on the third floor. For appointments, you can email [email protected], call 0207 074 5015 or use our on line appointment request form on our webpages. All services offer a mixture of appointments and drop in times, for maximum flexibility.
The webpages have detailed information about the services as well as extensive information including self help links.
The Services can work closely together to support students’ overall wellbeing but as services are confidential, no personal information is exchanged without a student’s prior consent.
International Student and Welfare Advice John Hitchman www.soas.ac.uk/welfare
The International Student & Welfare Advisor is available to provide students with information and advice on non-academic problems or issues that might be affecting or disturbing their studies. These may include financial matters, immigration, accommodation, childcare and welfare benefits. The information and advice is provided impartially and confidentially in a private quiet room.
Students are seen either by appointment or at one of the drop-in sessions. There is a drop-in service at the Russell Square campus during the first term.
Leaflets, application forms and general information can also be picked up in the Student Services waiting area in Room V308.
Finance The International Student & Welfare Advisor advises students on the Higher Education Access to Learning Fund and the School’s Hardship Funds and can help students to apply for assistance from these. Money advice is also available on sources of funding, entitlement to statutory student support for fees and living costs, student loans and on budgeting.
Immigration A visa renewal service is offered to international students who need to extend their leave to remain in the UK. Advice is available on any immigration matter.
60
Student Counselling Service Alison Barty Neil Farrelly Sheila Root www.soas.ac.uk/counselling
National Student Counselling website www.student.counselling.co.uk
What is Counselling? The counsellors at SOAS provide an easily accessible and confidential service to any student who is experiencing distress, anxiety or confusion, or who may simply need to speak to someone who is trained to listen. The service aims to assist students in the process of managing their studies when this process is interrupted or affected by emotional, personal or psychological pressures. Common concerns include anxiety about progress on the course, loneliness, low self-confidence, relationships, adjusting to a new environment. The nature of the counselling offered is flexible to students’ needs and sensitive to the diversity of the student population within SOAS.
Sometimes counselling may focus around making changes to your life. At other times when it may not seem immediately practical or possible to make changes, the focus may be on finding ways of dealing with a situation that are less costly to your physical or mental well-being.
International students, in particular, may find themselves exposed to a different academic, social and cultural environment that can be both challenging and, at times, daunting. It is not unusual for students to feel rather unsettled and isolated in the early weeks. There are a number of key staff members who will be available to assist and advise on any of the particular concerns or difficulties inherent in this process. These include your supervisor(s) on all academic and academic-related matters, International Student and Welfare Service on practical matters such as finance or immigration and the Counselling Service on any personal and emotional concerns.
During the year the service also offers groups on relevant topics. These will be publicised in advance.
If you do not want to see one of the SOAS counsellors, we can provide information about other options.
Complementary treatments Students interested in complementary treatments can get details of reduced cost treatments available at Vernon Square from Student Services Reception. Treatments provided have included acupuncture and Ayurvedic consultations, but this may vary from year to year.
Student Disability Service Angela Axon Zoe Davis Caroline Miller (Administrative Assistant)
61 www.soas.ac.uk/disability
The Disability Advisors work to assist the School in the implementation of the provisions of the Special Educational Needs (SEN), Disability Act (2001) DDA Part IV and the more recent Disability Equality Duty (2006) which are aimed at ensuring that the SOAS buildings, courses, services and facilities are accessible to all students
The term disability is much wider than many people imagine. The definition we use at SOAS is the same as that given in the Special Education Needs and Disability Act (2001): A physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. In recognition of evolving case law, this may include, but is not limited to: sensory impairments, learning difficulties (e.g. dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia), mental illness or mental health difficulties, severe disfigurements, cancer, HIV/Aids, epilepsy, diabetes, mobility difficulties, progressive conditions even at an early stage, conditions which are characterised by a number of cumulative effects such as pain or fatigue and a past history of disability. If you are not sure if you are covered by this definition but are experiencing difficulties with your studies here at SOAS, please contact the Disability Advisors for advice.
You are welcome to contact the Disability Advisors at any stage during your time at the School if they have any questions or concerns. However we encourage you to contact us as soon as you enrol; so that we can advise you on the facilities that are available, as well as helping you to ensure that reasonable adjustments are made for your individual needs. This can include: • Exam arrangements • Library Services and Assistive technology • Advice on disability related funding (Disabled Students Allowance) • Specialist support such as learning support, mentoring & mental health advisor. • Recommendations to academic & teaching staff. • Emergency evacuation plans and campus accessibility.
In line with the Data Protection Act 1998 we are not able to pass on any sensitive information to other parts of the school without your explicit approval. All students are asked to complete our confidentiality agreement prior to any disclosure of information.
Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Advisor Sachiko Kishi
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Advisor is available to see students on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Role of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Advisor The role of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Advisor is to help raise awareness of what individuals can do to support themselves in maintaining their wellbeing. One in four people experience mental health difficulties at some point in their lives. (World Health Organisation Report 2001). Students may struggle in managing their wellbeing for the first time or there may be ongoing mental health concerns that deserve attention and require well considered support.
62 Any student who has concerns about their emotional wellbeing or a colleague’s wellbeing can access confidential support from the Mental Health and Wellbeing Advisor. This could be a one off meeting, or it could be a regular arrangement throughout your studies at SOAS.
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Advisor can liaise with other departments or external services depending upon need. In some instances a mentor can be provided for structured support.
Health Provision
The School has links with the following local GP practices which have a particular interest in providing students with NHS health care. It is important that all students register with an NHS doctor as soon as they arrive in London. There will be opportunities to register during Welcome Week. The registration process will be followed by a short new patient health check. It is important that students do not wait until they are ill before finding a Doctor.
Local Practices
The Gower Street Practice is situated at 20 Gower Street, WC1E 6DP, and is open from 9.00am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday. Walk in clinic daily for quick or urgent problems 10-11am. Telephone (020) 7636 7628. Website: www.gowerstreetpractice.org.uk. There is wheelchair access to the ground floor, where there is a consulting room.
Gower Street Practice can register students of SOAS as NHS patients, providing they live in the catchment area. Please contact the surgery for details.
The Bloomsbury Surgery is situated at 1 Handel Street, WC1N 1PD Opening hours 8.30am-8pm Monday and Thursday, 8am-6.30pm Tuesday and Wednesday, 8.30am-6.30pm Friday Telephone (020) 7837 8559 www.handelstreet.com The surgery is fully accessible. Students from any postcode can use the surgery during opening hours.
The Bedford Square Practice is situated at 60 Bloomsbury Street, WC1B 3QU Opening hours 8am-6.30pm (8.15pm on Wednesdays) Telephone (020) 580 7128 www.bedfordsquaremedical.co.uk Disabled access by prior telephone arrangement and ground floor consulting room
The Bedford Square Practice can register students of SOAS as NHS patients, providing they live in one of the following London postal districts: E1, E2, E5, E8, E9, EC1, EC2, N1, N4, N5, N7, N16, NW1, NW2, NW3, NW5, NW8, W1, W2, WC1, SW1
Information about other GP practices can be found at www.nhs.uk.
What you can expect The practices offer an appointment system for consultations with a Doctor or a
63 Nurse for routine and non-urgent matters. A full range of travel and routine vaccinations is available by appointment with the Practice Nurse. There will be a charge for some vaccinations. The practices can also register any female patient for contraception, which remains free of charge.
In addition to normal GP services the practices can offer access to counselling services.
All consultations are confidential.
Health Care for International Students International students who are coming to the UK for a course lasting six months or longer are entitled to full NHS care including hospital treatment from the commencement of their stay.
For international students who are here for less than six months the situation is more complex. Hospital services will incur a charge, except emergency health care within an accident and emergency department. All other hospital treatment will incur full medical charges, except where there are reciprocal arrangements with the UK and the student’s country of origin. Students may wish to arrange appropriate health and accident insurance to cover such costs. For more information see the Department of Health website: www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/International/OverseasVisitors.
Meningitis Meningitis means inflammation of the meninges, the brain lining. It can be caused by viruses or bacteria.
Viral Meningitis This is the most common type. Symptoms are usually mild and most cases do not require admission to hospital. Recovery is normally complete without any specific treatment, but headaches, tiredness and depression may persist. No public action is usually needed.
Bacterial Meningitis Meningococcal – The most common bacterial form (responsible for more than half of the cases) is caused by the meningococcal bacteria which can be split into various groups – ‘Group B’ is responsible for the highest number of cases, followed by ‘Group C’. ‘Group A’ is very uncommon in the UK. The meningococcal bacterium causes two main types of illness – meningitis or septicaemia (blood poisoning) though both can occur at the same time. Meningococcal disease is fatal in about one in ten cases.
People of any age can carry the meningococcal bacteria in their noses and throats without becoming ill. The bacteria are spread between people by coughing, sneezing and intimate kissing and die very quickly when they leave the body – it is only occasionally that the bacteria overcome the body’s defences and cause illness.
The majority of cases of meningococcal illness are single and can be isolated. Public health action can be undertaken to identify any prolonged, close contacts of a case of meningococcal disease and offer them appropriate treatments aimed at reducing the risk of a second case occurring.
Pneumococcal – This type accounts for about 10% of bacterial meningitis cases and affects mainly infants and older people. However people with certain forms of chronic
64 disease or immune deficiencies are also at an increased risk. It does not normally spread from person to person and public health action is therefore not usually needed. There is a vaccine available to protect people at a higher risk.
The important thing to know is that the disease can develop very rapidly, sometimes within a matter of hours.
The biggest problem is that most of the early symptoms are mild and similar to those you can get with ’flu or hangover. The symptoms of this illness include
Not all these symptoms need to be present or appear in any particular order.
If you think someone may have meningitis and/or septicaemia get urgent medical help.
If you keep an eye out for your friends, and aren’t afraid to ask them how they are feeling, you could save their life.
If you have not yet received immunisation against ‘Group C’ meningococcal infection it is in your own best interests to do so as quickly as possible. N.B. This vaccine does not give protection against ‘Group B’, the most common strain.
The following organisations provide detailed information and advice about meningitis on their websites and through their 24 hour telephone helpdesks. www.meningitis.org 24 hour telephone helpdesk 080 8800 3344 www.meningitis-trust.org Telephone 0800 028 18 28 www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk Telephone 0845 46 47
Please be aware that there is no 100% protection against this illness and we must always be vigilant.
65 Accommodation Advice
SOAS Student Accommodation
There are two student residences for the sole use of SOAS students. The first, Dinwiddy House comprises 510 study bedrooms and the rooms are structured into cluster flats for 5 to 7 people. Dinwiddy House is situated on Pentonville Road between King’s Cross and Islington (see location map earlier) and houses mainly undergraduate students, although a small number of postgraduates also live in this hall. Dinwiddy House opened in September 1996.
The second student residence, Paul Robeson House, opened in September 1998 nearby on Penton Rise (further in the direction of Islington). This building comprises 252 study bedrooms. The rooms are structured into cluster flats for 5 or 6 people. In addition, there are 7 double rooms and a one- bedroom flat available on application to couples. Paul Robeson House is for postgraduate students only.
At both residences, all rooms are en-suite, with telephones and data points in each room. In addition there are common rooms and launderette facilities. There is a management team based at Dinwiddy House during normal office hours and out of hours security on both sites. A senior residents team is also accessible out-of-hours.
Rent for the 2011/2012 session is £130.83 per week, inclusive of all utility bills except telephone. Block insurance is provided by Endsleigh and is also included in the rent. If you have any items of particular value your are advised to arrange additional insurance. The rent for the double rooms is £154.98 per week, and £228.76 per week for the one bedroom flat.
The School also has 191 rooms in the University of London Intercollegiate Halls for the 2011/2012 academic year. This accommodation provides students with an opportunity to share with students from other University of London colleges. Facilities vary with respect to catering, bars, social facilities, etc.
More information on the SOAS and Intercollegiate Halls is available at www.smsstudent.co.uk. If your query is not answered on the site, please contact the Accommodation Services Office on 020 7841 0480, or e-mail student@sanctuary- housing.co.uk.
For information on accommodation in the private sector, please contact University of London Housing Services, which is located in the ULU Building on Malet Street.
Private Accommodation Guidelines – Obtaining a Tenancy • Get a statement from your landlord outlining exactly what the deposit covers. If you receive a verbal explanation, you should confirm this with a letter to your landlord and keep a copy. • Get a receipt for any money that you pay. • Ask your landlord for a complete inventory (list of fittings and furniture) in your house. • If he/she does not provide one, then write one yourselves. • Note the inventory with the condition of everything (stains on the carpet, cigarette burns, etc.). Sign and date the inventory, and send a copy to the landlord.
During the Tenancy • Report any repairs, which are needed in writing and keep a copy.
66 • Maintain the house properly during your stay. • If you break or damage anything, try to get it fixed or replaced as soon as possible.
Towards the End of Your Tenancy • Write to your landlord at least a month before your tenancy ends, inviting him/her to come and inspect the property towards the end of your tenancy. • Before the inspection, clean the house thoroughly, making sure that carpets, windows, curtains and woodwork are properly cleaned. • Most landlords will check: the cooker, the fridge, work surfaces in the kitchen, cupboards, bathroom, that paintwork is washed down, curtains cleaned, and that the house has been thoroughly cleaned with a vacuum cleaner. • If your landlord is unhappy with any aspect of the house when he/she inspects it, try and sort out the problem then and there, thus avoiding any possible reasons for a deduction from the deposit. • Arrange for the meters to be read the day that you move out, and have the bills forwarded to you. • Ask your landlord when you might expect your deposit to be returned. Return all keys by hand or registered post (in a jiffy bag). If you have not received your deposit back after the agreed time, write to your landlord demanding the return of your deposit or a full explanation of why it has been withheld. Keep a copy. If you still hear nothing, seek advice on taking further steps.
(See also information on University of London Housing Services following.)
University of London Housing Services
4th Floor ULU Building Malet Street London WC1E 7HY http://housing.london.ac.uk
Private Housing Unit (PHU) Property Management Unit (PMU) Tel: 020 7862 8880 Tel: 020 7862 8881 E-mail: [email protected] Email: [email protected]
The ULHS is the main office for the provision of available private sector accommodation, advice and information for the University. Its full range of accommodation services is made available to all University of London students and staff from participating Colleges and Institutes. The ULHS is open Monday to Friday, from 11.00am to 5.30pm throughout the year (except for public holidays), and from 10.00am to 2.00pm on Saturday in September.
The ULHS has a large register of approximately 1,300 landlords who offer private sector accommodation to students and staff of the University. Information produced in the office includes: comprehensive lists of accommodation in self-catering flats/houses, rooms offered by resident landlords, flat/house shares with other students; information on tenancy agreements, deposits and rents, repairs, living in private housing; lists of University Halls of Residence offering accommodation during the University vacation; lists of hostels and inexpensive hotels, and accommodation agencies, etc. Through the Property Management Unit, the office also provides some centrally managed self- catering flats and houses for around 240 students.
In March and April the ULHS organises a series of housing talks at various University
67 sites to explain some of the extensive range of issues with which students must deal when moving into private sector housing. The staff of the ULHS are able to assist with problems on any aspect of housing, and if the situation is serious can refer students directly to its dedicated housing solicitors. The ULHS website also provides extensive housing information. For general housing information, a booklet ‘Finding Somewhere to Live in London’ will be sent to prospective students by SOAS.
Council Tax
Some students are exempt from paying Council Tax. A student (home/EU or overseas) is someone on a full-time course of education or on a qualifying course of education. To be counted as a full-time student you should be on a course which lasts for at least 24 weeks a year and involves at least 21 hours of study per week during term time. A research student on continuation status is not exempt. If a student lives in a house with only other full-time students, then that property is exempt. Students will, however, need to confirm their status by sending an exemption certificate (issued by the Registry) to the Council Tax Department of their local council. Halls of Residence also fall into this category. Student accommodation will also remain exempt during the vacation as long as it is normally occupied by students during term-time and they intend to return after the vacation. After this it becomes more complicated.
If students live in a property with one or more people who are not full-time students, then the property is not automatically exempt. For the purposes of calculating the bill the students will not be accounted for, and are considered as invisible. For example, five people are living in a house, four of them are students who will be considered as invisible when calculating the bill and the non-student resident will therefore receive a single person’s discount. However, these students will not be ignored when it comes to paying the bill and may be liable for a share. If an overseas student brings his/her spouse to this country, then that person is exempt if they live together.
Many students live in houses split into self-contained bedsit accommodation, let on separate agreements, usually with some shared facilities, such as the bathroom or toilet. This type of accommodation is known as a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO). If a student lives in an HMO, the property will not be exempt unless all the occupants are full-time students. If any of the occupants are not full-time students, then the property will be liable for Council Tax. The responsibility to pay however lies with the landlord and not the tenants. But it is likely that the landlord will include it in or add it on to the rent.
Part-time students cannot get discounts, as full-time students are the only ones who are disregarded. However, part-time students can apply for Council Tax benefit, if they are low earners. To qualify for a disability discount, there must be a person in the household who has a substantial and permanent disability, and special facilities must be provided in the dwelling to meet the needs of that person. Apart from these and single parents, students are not entitled to Council Tax benefit as they are not entitled to any state benefits.
If you are unhappy about your bill, ask a Student Welfare Officer for advice. Also find out what the Council Tax status of the property you want to move to is and find out how much you will have to pay.
ULHS also offers excellent advice on this complicated system.
68 The SOAS Students’ Union
The Students’ Union is an independent charity dedicated to improving the education and broadening the experience of students at SOAS. The Union plays a major role in the life of the institution. All students are members unless they choose to opt out of membership (contact the Union office if you want to opt out). It provides a focus for social activities in the common rooms and bar and provides a wide range of societies and sporting activities. It also, importantly represents student interests to the School to improve the curriculum and facilities in SOAS. There are three full time sabbatical officers elected by all students who have offices in the Students’ Union in Russell Square (rooms G7 and G8) and twelve part time officers whose role is to act as Trustees of the Students’ Union overseeing the Union’s policies, finances and commercial outlets.
The Union is responsible for nominating student representatives and observers to many of the School’s committees. It also runs a network of class representatives throughout the School, and is accountable to the student body via Union General Meetings and its constitution. For further details, see the Students' Union Code Of Practice in Part 3 of this handbook. For more details on the operation of the Students' Union and how you can get involved see the Students' Union Handbook, which is given out from the Union during enrollment. You can also visit the Union website on www.soasunion.org or e-mail the General Manager Peter Baran on [email protected].
Student Representation
Student Representatives ensure that students’ views influence decisions in their course, faculty, and across SOAS as a whole.
Representatives are elected from amongst and by students during the first weeks of each academic year. Each area of study has at least one representative for each year of study, both Undergraduate and Postgraduate.
Representatives gather the views of fellow students, on academic services, teaching standards and facilities at SOAS, and relate them in departmental meetings. Most importantly representatives actively intervene to improve the working of SOAS for students, through meetings including with academic or administrative staff, campaigning, and working with the Students’ Union who offer support and training. Typical issues having included library, IT and other study resources, teaching standards, as well as general course or faculty issues such as communication between students and staff. Therefore, whenever concerns about these things arise during your research at SOAS, contact your Student Representative!
Want to be a representative?
You may want to nominate yourself for the position of Student Representative. Representatives hone their skills in verbal and written communication, negotiating, team working and problem solving. They have a chance to feed into the direction of SOAS and the development of higher education in general, and they gain knowledge of the workings of educational organisations. Not only do you get a say in the running of your course, and therefore the School, but you gain key employability skills for your later career.
69 For more information please contact your faculty office, or the Students’ Union Representation Assistant Antonia Bright on [email protected]
70 Student Members of SOAS Committees
The role of Committees in the School is to develop School strategies and to monitor their delivery. The majority of committees have student members, and the contribution of students to these committees is greatly valued. It is an important way for students to play a part in the life of the School.
If you are interested in becoming a member of a committee please contact the Students' Union for further information.
Information about SOAS Committees can be found on the Committees page of the SOAS website. www.soas.ac.uk/committees
71 SOAS Careers Service 2011-2012 Your future is our business
What can I do with a degree from SOAS?
Our graduates go on to work in a wide range of fields across the world, including international development, diplomacy, banking and finance, the arts, world media, language services, the legal sector, education and policy research.
Career choice depends not only on your subject of study, but also on your work experience, your strengths and interests. The Careers team is trained to help you explore your options, to maximise your job-searching skills, and to support you through the recruitment process.
At SOAS, our employer events are carefully tailored to student interests and disciplines. Annual careers events include three graduate jobs fairs, a volunteering fair, themed-weeks with networking forums (last year, for example, we held a Language Careers Week and a Media & Arts Careers Week) and a Volunteer Awards Ceremony.
A number of employer presentations, skills workshops and student competitions take place throughout the year. We have two special schemes: Recruiter-in-Residence, which gives you the chance to have a one-to-one appointment with an employer, and Take an Alum for Coffee, which enables you to meet up with a SOAS alum. For more details see www.soas.ac.uk/careers/events
The team also collects and displays vacancies (for graduate jobs, internships, volunteering opportunities and part-time work) on our online jobs board at www.soas.ac.uk/careers/jobs.
The SOAS Volunteering Unit www.soas.ac.uk/volunteering, run by the Careers Service, is designed to help you with all aspects of volunteering.
The Careers Information Room is well-stocked with a vast range of information on occupations, employers, careers websites, postgraduate study and working abroad - and much more.
Careers advisers are available to give feedback on applications and interview technique, and to help with career decisions if you don't know what you want to do. We know - through the annual Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey - what students go on to do after they graduate and that can often be a good starting point for current students.
SOAS Careers Service is part of The Careers Group, University of London. This gives our students access to an exciting range of careers events and courses, such as Marketing, Advertising and PR, Getting into International Development, and The City Course. Every year, The Careers Group runs several recruitment Fairs including two major ones in the autumn and summer.
These are just some of the things we offer - drop in or contact us to find out more. We look forward to meeting you!
SOAS Careers Service is free to all current SOAS students. For details visit www.soas.ac.uk/careers
72 Development & Alumni Relations Office
Development SOAS is synonymous with intellectual excitement and achievement. In order to compete in today’s global academic marketplace, it is essential that the School continues to attract philanthropic income to help us attract and keep the best academics and the brightest students, provide key academic resources, create cutting-edge research and support students facing financial difficulties. The Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO) is working to build a network of supporters and donors to assist the School in realising these aims. The philanthropic support raised from alumni, individual (‘major’) donors, charitable trusts, foundations, and corporations, is spent on enhancing the teaching and research quality of the School, scholarships across all faculties and improving the overall student experience at SOAS. The SOAS Alumni & Friends Fund receives donations from SOAS alumni, friends and staff and provides a number of small annual grants for priority SOAS projects that enhance the experience of our students; from supporting the student hardship fund, new scholarships and the SOAS Library to rewarding the innovation of our students. Giving back to SOAS, at whatever level, allows you to make a tangible lifelong connection to the School. Every gift is an important step in strengthening affinity between SOAS and our alumni supporters. If you know of anyone interested in making a gift to SOAS or if you are interested to support the work of the School, please do let us know. You can reach us at +44 (0)20 7898 4042.
SOAS Alumni Relations The Alumni Relations team is your continuing link with the School, and we endeavour to make your connection with SOAS exciting, lifelong and one of mutual benefit. After completing your studies at SOAS, you will become part of a global network of 50000 SOAS alumni across 190 countries worldwide, and have access to a wide range of benefits, including: • www.soasalumni.org – your dedicated alumni website, including an online alumni and careers directory, life-long email forwarding service, job postings, and SOAS news and events. • Events – receive invitations to SOAS events taking place both on Campus and around the world, including lectures, exhibitions, social gatherings and guest presentations. • Discounts – you are entitled to exclusive alumni discounts on Library membership, Language Centre courses, books, travel packages and more. • Professional Networking – benefit from the professional knowledge and experience of other SOAS alumni, as well as continued access to careers services. • International Alumni – if you are returning home or on travels, you can get in touch with your regional alumni group, who are a valuable source of social and professional networking. • Alumni & Friends Fund - alumni provide valuable financial support to the next generation of SOAS students through the Alumni & Friends Fund, supporting scholarships, the SOAS Library, hardship grants and student projects at SOAS.
73 • Volunteer – Volunteer activity lies at the core of the alumni relations programme at SOAS, and our alumni volunteers offer a valuable contribution. Our range of initiatives includes speaking to current students about your work experience, becoming an alumni contact in your part of the world, and sharing your expertise with fellow alumni. • In the News - stay connected with the news from in and around SOAS, with ‘SOAS World’, the new-look and topical alumni magazine, monthly e-bulletins and event invitations.
For more information, contact the Alumni Relations team on [email protected], call +44 (0)20 7898 4041, or visit www.soasalumni.org. Whatever your plans and wherever life may take you after graduation, we look forward to helping you to stay connected with SOAS through your alumni network.
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PART 2 ACADEMIC REGULATIONS & RELATED DOCUMENTS
$)! ! ! 75 School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London)
Degree regulations for BA and BSc students at the School of Oriental and African Studies
Published by the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) July 2011
76 Degree regulations for BA and BSc students at the School of Oriental and African Studies
Contents
1 Annual course requirement
1.1 General 1.2 Requirement to undertake all elements of assessment and examination 1.3 Requirement to follow the approved syllabus 1.4 Definition of core and compulsory courses 1.5 Courses designated as introductory: availability to final year students 1.6 Repeat year students
2 Attendance and coursework requirements (for students admitted to the School before September 2010)
2.1 Normal expectation of attendance and coursework submission 2.2 Attendance and coursework requirements 2.3 Attendance and course requirements for students repeating a course 2.4 Attendance and course requirements for courses taken at other Colleges at the University of London.
3 Progress requirement (for students admitted to the School before September 2010)
3.1 Students who fail to meet the attendance and coursework requirements 3.2 Determination of good cause
4 Class attendance requirements (for students admitted to the School in and after September 2010)
4.1 Normal expectation of class attendance 4.2 Attendance requirements 4.3 Attendance and other requirements for students repeating a course 4.4 Attendance requirements for courses taken at other Colleges of the University of London 4.5 Students who fail to meet the attendance requirements 4.6 Determination of good cause
77 5 Annual progress requirement
5.1 Definition of completion of a course 5.2 General regulation governing annual progress 5.3 Regulations governing the annual progress of students 5.4 Regulations governing the annual progress of students who have undertaken an Erasmus year away from the School 5.5 Degree progression from Year 1 of BA Japanese and Year 1 of BA Japanese and another subject
6 Assessment
6.1 Definition of terms 6.2 Failure and re-assessment 6.3 Re-assessment not permitted if a course has been passed overall 6.4 Re-assessment not permitted in any element with a mark of 40% or more 6.5 Choice of elements to be re-assessed and the definition of an entry for re-assessment 6.6 Repeating a course not permitted if that course has been passed overall 6.7 Elements in which re-assessment is not permitted except by repeating the course 6.8 Coursework elements with a mark of 0% because of non-submission 6.9 Coursework elements with a mark of 39% or less because of late submission 6.10 Assessment re-entry form 6.11 Eligibility to be assessed 6.12 Timing and method of re-assessment 6.13 September re-assessment: only for Year 1 students in courses with an overall mark of 20% to 39% 6.14 Late submission of coursework with a submission deadline of 1 September 6.15 Capping of marks for courses passed following re-assessment 6.16 Re-assessment provisions for 80/20 courses 6.17 Crediting of marks for courses passed after re-assessment 6.18 Courses taken at other Colleges of the University of London 6.19 Marking of over-length coursework
7 Special Assessments Panel
7.1 General 7.2 Absence because of short-term illness, accident or short-term good cause 7.3 Students with long-term disabilities, long-term health problems or long-term good cause
8 Unseen written examinations: entry, withdrawal, absence and deferral
8.1 Entry to an unseen written examination and removal of permission to enter 8.2 Withdrawal from an unseen written examination 8.3 Absence from an unseen written examination 8.4 Deferral of unseen written examinations
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9 Oral examination
9.1 Oral examination covering a candidate’s entire field of study 9.2 Note to regulation 9.1
10 Marking scheme
11 Notification of results
12 Degree requirement
12.1 Three-year degrees 12.2 Four-year degrees 12.3 Requirements for single-subject and two-subject degrees 12.4 Definition of completion of a course 12.5 Notes to regulation 12.3 12.6 Time limit for completion of degree requirement
13 Degree classification
14 Postponement of degree classification
14.1 All candidates who are eligible for an Honours degree will be classified 14.2 Classification for Honours on one occasion only 14.3 Procedure in respect of candidates who are eligible for a Pass degree 14.4 Procedure for postponement of consideration for Honours
15 Aegrotat regulations
16 Representations in respect of examination results
17 Plagiarism
18 Coursework requirements
18.1 Coursework submission 18.2 Deadlines for submission of coursework
19 Course sign up
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20 Application for change of degree registration
21 Summer vacation courses
22 Open option courses
22.1 Definition 22.2 Total maximum number of open option courses 22.3 Maximum number of open option courses per year 22.4 Year 1 students taking an open option course in a language
23 Intercollegiate courses
23.1 Definition 23.2 General scope of the regulation 23.3 Degrees taught jointly at two Colleges 23.4 Limitations for Year 1 students 23.5 Maximum permitted number of intercollegiate courses 23.6 Limitation on open option courses 23.7 Intercollegiate courses and SOAS equivalent courses 23.8 Limitation on intercollegiate language courses 23.9 Approval procedure
24 Definition of registration
25 Other regulations
26 Suspension of regulations
Index
80 July 2011
Degree regulations for BA and BSc students at the School of Oriental and African Studies
1 ANNUAL COURSE REQUIREMENT
1.1 General
Students must take courses valued at 4 course units in each academic year.
1.2 Requirement to undertake all elements of assessment and examination (for students admitted to the School in and after September 2010)
Students following a course for a BA/BSc degree must undertake all elements of assessment and examination prescribed for that course. Therefore (unless prevented by illness or other adequate cause for which certification must be provided) students must undertake each element of assessment and examination prescribed for the course, and must submit sufficient work to enable them to be assessed or examined. (Note to the regulation: For the definition of ‘element’ see 6.1.)
1.3 Requirement to follow the approved syllabus
Students must follow the approved current and published syllabus for the degree for which they are registered. Syllabuses include core and compulsory courses as defined in 1.4. The requirement to follow the approved syllabus takes priority when necessary over the minimum course requirements set out in regulation 12. Students who are admitted to the School direct to years other than Year 1 of a degree may be exempted from specified parts of the syllabus by permission of the appropriate Associate Dean of the relevant Faculty or Faculties. The Associate Dean(s) will report to the Head of Registry any such exemptions granted.
1.4 Definition of core and compulsory courses
For the purposes of these regulations, a non-final year core course is a course which must be passed before a student is permitted to proceed to the next year of his or her degree. A final-year core course is a course which is specified in the syllabus for a particular named degree which must be passed in the final year for a student to be eligible for the award of a degree with that title (in addition to meeting the general conditions of eligibility for the award of a degree).
A compulsory course is a course in respect of which the attendance and course requirements of these regulations must be satisfied but which need not necessarily be passed before a student: is permitted to proceed to the next year of his or her degree, (provided that the other regulations governing annual progress have been satisfied); or becomes eligible for the award of a degree (provided that the other conditions for the award have been met).
1.5 Courses designated as introductory: their availability to final-year students
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81 Final-year students who wish to take a course designated as introductory may do so only with the prior permission of the appropriate Associate Dean of the relevant Faculty. The Associate Dean will report to the Head of Registry any such permission granted. . (Note to regulation 1.5: courses designated as introductory are shown in the School’s document Undergraduate course units.)
1.6 Repeat year students
Students who have been given permission to repeat the year of study having passed courses to the value of one unit or more in the academic year immediately preceding the repeat year may take courses valued at not less than three and not more than four units in the repeat year, subject to their satisfying the core and compulsory course requirements for that year. Students may not repeat courses they have already passed. (See also 2.3.)
2 ATTENDANCE AND COURSEWORK REQUIREMENTS (for students admitted to the School before September 2010)
2.1 Normal expectation of attendance and coursework submission
In order to benefit fully from their courses, students are expected to attend all relevant and/or required classes, which include, as appropriate to the course, lectures, tutorials, seminars, language classes, and practical sessions. They are also expected to submit fully and promptly all required coursework. (See also regulation 18.)
2.2 Attendance and coursework requirements
To satisfy the requirements of regulation 1, a student, unless absent for good cause (see regulation 3.2), must satisfy the attendance and coursework requirements specified for each course, which will be published.
2.3 Attendance and course requirements for students repeating a course
Students who have applied for and have been given permission to repeat a course must meet the normal class attendance requirements for the course, and must submit fully and promptly all required coursework, and must undertake all forms of assessment for the course, as if taking the course for the first time. This includes undertaking assessment in elements even if the mark previously obtained in that element was 40% or more. (See 6.4.)
2.4 Attendance and course requirements for courses taken at other Colleges of the University of London
Students taking courses at other Colleges of the University of London must comply with the attendance and course requirements of the course and College concerned.
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3 PROGRESS REQUIREMENT (for students admitted to the School before September 2010)
3.1 Students who fail to meet the attendance and coursework requirements
Heads of Departments will inform the Head of Registry of the names of students who fail to meet the attendance and coursework requirements of regulation 2.2. The appropriate Associate Dean of the relevant Faculty or Faculties will review each case, and will decide what further action should be taken. The School may withdraw permission to take examinations or terminate the degree courses of students who persistently fail to meet the attendance and coursework requirements.
3.2 Determination of good cause
For the purpose of regulations 2 and 3, a student's Head(s) of Department(s) will determine whether a student's failure to meet the attendance and coursework requirements of regulation 2.2 was for good cause. Certification will be required if the claim for good cause rests on medical grounds or other circumstances for which certification can appropriately be provided.
4 CLASS ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS (for students admitted to the School in and after September 2010)
4.1 Normal expectation of class attendance
In order to benefit fully from their courses, students are expected to attend all relevant and/or required classes, which include, as appropriate to the course, lectures, tutorials, seminars, language classes, and practical sessions.
4.2 Attendance requirements
To satisfy the requirements of 4.1, a student, unless absent for good cause (see 4.6), must satisfy the class attendance requirements specified for each course, which will be published.
4.3 Attendance and other requirements for students repeating a course
Students who have applied for and have been given permission to repeat (= re-attend) a course must meet the normal class attendance requirements for the course, and must submit fully and promptly all required coursework, and must undertake all forms of assessment for the course, as if taking the course for the first time. This includes undertaking assessment in elements even if the mark previously obtained in that element was 40% or more.
4.4 Attendance requirements for courses taken at other Colleges of the University of London
Students taking courses at other Colleges of the University of London must comply with the attendance requirements of the course and College concerned.
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4.5 Students who fail to meet the attendance requirements
Heads of Departments will inform the Head of Registry of the names of students who, after reasonable warning, fail to meet the attendance requirements of regulation 4.2. The appropriate Associate Dean of the relevant Faculty or Faculties will review each case, and will decide what further action should be taken. The School may withdraw permission to take examinations or terminate the programme of students who persistently fail to meet the attendance requirements.
4.6 Determination of good cause
A student's Head of Department will determine whether his or her failure to meet the class attendance requirements of regulation 4.2 was for good cause. Certification will be required if the claim for good cause rests on medical grounds or other circumstances for which certification can appropriately be provided.
5 ANNUAL PROGRESS REQUIREMENT
5.1 Definition of completion of a course
To complete - For the purpose of this regulation, to complete a course a student must satisfy the attendance and coursework requirements as set out in 2.2 and must pass the course. (Note to the regulation: Students admitted in and after September 2010 must meet the requirements of 1.2 and 4.2 and must pass the course.)
5.2 General regulation governing annual progress
Students must complete courses to a minimum value of three course units in each year to be eligible to proceed to the next normal year of their degree course. Students who are repeating the year of study and are following courses to the value of three or three and a half course units under regulation 1.6 must complete courses to the minimum value of three course units overall to be eligible to proceed to the next year of their degree. Students must also complete all core courses prescribed for the year of study before being permitted to proceed to the next year of their degree.
5.3 Regulations governing the annual progress of students
5.3.1 Students who have satisfied regulation 5.2 may proceed to the next year of their degree course.
5.3.2 Students who do not satisfy regulation 5.2 may apply for re- assessment under the assessment regulations.
5.3.3 Students who do not satisfy regulation 5.2 and do not wish or are not eligible to apply for re-assessment must apply to the School by the due date for either (a) leave of absence for the academic year, undertaking re-assessment without repeating any courses; or (b) permission to repeat the year of study for the degree (full- time study); or (c) leave of absence from degree registration and admission as an intermitting degree student to repeat the failed course(s) and re-assessment in the course(s) (part-time study). New courses taken while registered as an intermitting degree student do not count towards either the degree requirement or classification for
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84 Honours. Applications for options (a), (b) and (c) are considered on their merits and are not granted automatically.
5.3.4 The degree registration of a student will lapse if he/she has not taken the necessary action by the relevant due date in connection with any of the options (a) to (c) in regulation 5.3.3, or if he/she has no further right of entry for re- assessment.
5.4 Regulations governing the annual progress of students who have undertaken an Erasmus year away from the School
5.4.1 Students who have undertaken an Erasmus year away from the School must have passed courses taken at the Erasmus institution to the equivalent of a minimum of three course units to be permitted to proceed to the next year of their degree course. The equivalence between courses at the Erasmus institution and courses at the School will be determined by the Head(s) of the student's Department(s) at the School in consultation with the Head of Registry.
5.4.2 Students who do not satisfy the progress requirement in regulation 4.4.1 may be required to undertake re-assessment (if possible) at the Erasmus institution before being allowed to proceed, or may be required to register as an intermitting degree student at the School to undertake alternative courses in place of courses failed at the Erasmus institution, or may be required to satisfy the progress requirement in another manner approved by the student's Head(s) of Department(s) in consultation with the Head of Registry.
5.5 Degree progression from Year 1 of BA Japanese and Year 1 of BA Japanese and another subject
For students admitted to the School in and after September 2009
Students in Year 1 of BA Japanese or Year 1 of BA Japanese and another subject must meet all three of the following conditions to be eligible to progress to Year 2 of their degree:
1 They must pass in all core courses prescribed for Year 1 of their degree
2 They must pass in courses to the minimum value of three course units
3 In the core Japanese course (J1Elementary Japanese 15 590 1195 or J1 Accelerated elementary Japanese 15 590 1196) they must obtain a minimum mark of 50% at their first examination entry.
(Notes to regulation 5.5:
A These progression requirements do not apply to BA Japanese Studies or to BA Japanese Studies and another subject.
B Students who obtain 50% or more in J1Elementary Japanese or J1 Accelerated elementary Japanese following a September resit examination will not meet the progression requirement. Students who obtain 20% to 39% in J1 following the May/June examination may enter to take a September resit examination, but only with the aim of applying to transfer to another degree (see Note C below).
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85 C Students who meet conditions 1 and 2 above and either pass J1 with a mark of 40% to 49% following the May/June examination or who pass J1 with any mark from 40% upwards following a September resit examination may apply to transfer to another degree (such as Year 2 of BA Japanese Studies). Applications for transfer must be made by means of the degree transfer application form, obtainable from any Faculty Office.
D September resit examinations are available only in respect of courses failed with a mark in the range 20% to 39%. Students who have passed a course (40%+) may not attempt a September resit examination with the aim of improving their mark.)
6 ASSESSMENT
6.1 Definition of terms
The word course in this regulation means a course with a course unit value (and not a student’s overall degree course). A course may be assessed by one or more means, each contributing a defined percentage to the overall mark for the course. Each means of assessment with a defined percentage is called an element of assessment, or simply an element. An element of assessment may be: an unseen written examination or examinations; coursework in the form of essays or reports; an oral examination; a practical examination; a seminar presentation; a set of periodic class tests; or other specified methods. Where used without modification, the word examination refers to an unseen written examination (as in ‘the May/June examination period’). (Note to the regulation. Example: a course assessed by one written examination counting for 60% of the total mark, two essays together counting for 30%, and a set of five weekly in-class tests together counting for 10% has three elements of assessment.)
6.2 Failure and re-assessment
A student who has failed a course overall may enter to be re-assessed for that course on no more than two occasions. The definition of failure is obtaining a mark of 0% to 39% for the course overall. For the definition of a re-assessment entry, see 6.5.
6.3 Re-assessment not permitted if a course has been passed overall
Students may not enter to be re-assessed in any element (whatever its mark) if they have passed a course overall. The definition of passing is obtaining a mark of 40% or more for the course overall.
6.4 Re-assessment not permitted in any element with a mark of 40% or more
Students may not enter to be re-assessed in any element for which the mark is 40% or more.
There are two exceptions to this provision: one is for the unseen written examination in an 80/20 course – see 6.16; the other is for students repeating a course – see 2.3.
6.5 Choice of elements to be re-assessed and the definition of an entry for re-assessment
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Students may choose the elements with a mark of 39% or less in which they wish to undertake re-assessment. They may enter to be re-assessed in any or all of those elements with a mark of 39% or less (unless that element has been determined to be non-repeatable – see 6.7). They do not have to enter for re- assessment in all elements on one occasion. Entry to be assessed for any one or more such elements on one occasion constitutes an assessment entry as a whole, and thus uses up one of the two rights of assessment re-entry (see 6.2). Students must specify on their assessment re-entry form the elements in which they wish to be re- assessed.
6.6 Repeating a course not permitted if that course has been passed overall
Students may not repeat a course if they have passed the course overall, nor may follow a course (either in the School or in another college of the University of London) which the School deems to overlap significantly with the course which has been passed.
6.7 Elements in which re-assessment is not permitted except by repeating the course
Faculties may determine elements in some courses to be non- repeatable. Students may not enter for re-assessment in these non-repeatable elements unless they have also applied for and have been granted permission to repeat the relevant course. These elements may include periodic class tests, seminar presentations, practical examinations and others. Details of non-repeatable elements will be published in the relevant Departmental Handbook. (Note to the regulation: students who are absent with good cause from the assessment for a non-repeatable element are not eligible to re-enter for assessment in that element, without re- attending the course.)
6.8 Coursework elements with a mark of 0% because of non- submission
6.8.1 This regulation applies to coursework elements with a mark of 0% because of non-submission. Students may not include in any entry for re- assessment an application to submit coursework which was not submitted by the previous relevant School deadline. The coursework mark originally obtained (0%) will be carried forward and will be added to any other marks subsequently obtained in any re-assessment of other elements.
The provisions of this regulation do not apply in three instances: non-submission for good cause; students repeating the course; and courses assessed solely by one essay.
6.8.2 The provisions of 6.8.1 do not apply to coursework which has not been submitted, if the relevant Sub-Board of Examiners has determined that there was good cause for non-submission. Certification will be required if the claim for good cause rests on medical grounds or other circumstances for which certification can appropriately be provided. Non-submission for good cause does not use up one of the two rights of assessment re-entry. The deadline for submission of coursework which has not been submitted for good cause is either 1 September immediately following (for Year 1 students only) or the normal deadline(s) for the course in the next academic year.
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87 6.8.3 The provisions of 6.8.1 do not apply during the repeat study period to students who have applied for and have been granted permission to repeat the course. Such students will submit coursework as normally required during the repeat period of study. The provisions of 6.8.1 will apply again if the coursework in respect of the repeat period of study obtains a mark of 0% because of late submission.
6.8.4 The provisions of 6.8.1 do not apply to courses assessed solely by one essay. Examples of courses in which the submission of one essay counts for 100% of the total available mark are Independent study projects and Extended essays. Students who, without good cause, do not submit the essay for such courses by the School deadline may enter to submit the essay by the relevant course deadline in the following academic year. Non-submission with good cause is covered by 6.8.2.
The provisions of 6.8.4 do not apply to courses assessed by submission of several essays. These courses are covered by the provisions of 6.8.1.
6.9 Coursework elements with a mark of 39% or less because of late submission
6.9.1 This regulation applies to coursework elements which, had they been submitted on time, would have obtained a mark of 40% or more, but obtained a mark of 39% or less because of deduction of marks for late submission of coursework. Students may include in an entry for re-assessment an application to be re-assessed for coursework that obtained a mark of 39% or less because of the deduction of marks for late submission (see 18.2.6). However, the coursework submitted for re- assessment must be on a new and different topic from that chosen for the original submission. The new topic will be specified by the course convenor.
6.9.2 The provisions of 6.9.1 do not apply to courses assessed solely by one essay. Examples of courses in which the submission of one essay counts for 100% of the total available mark are Independent study projects and Extended essays. Students who obtain a mark of 39% or less for such courses because of the deduction of marks for late submission may enter to submit an essay on the same topic (either the same essay or a revised essay) by the relevant course deadline in the following academic year.
The provisions of 6.9.2 do not apply to courses assessed by submission of several essays. These courses are covered by the provisions of 6.9.1.
6.10 Assessment re-entry form
Students must submit to the Head of Registry by the due date a completed assessment re-entry form in respect of any assessment or re-assessment which they wish to undertake. If applying for re-assessment, they must specify on this form the elements in which they wish to be re-assessed.
6.11 Eligibility to be assessed
To be eligible to be assessed or re-assessed in a course, students must have satisfied the attendance requirements for the course to be assessed, as stipulated in regulation 2. (Note to the regulation: students admitted in and after September 2010 must satisfy the requirements of regulations 1.2, 4, 8.1 and 18.1.)
6.12 Timing and method of re-assessment
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88 Re-assessment will be at the same time of year and will be by the same method as the original assessment. Thus, for example, the re-assessment for an unseen written examination in May/June will be by an unseen written examination in May/June of the following year. The topics for coursework will normally be the same as for the coursework as previously submitted, except where coursework has received a mark of 39% or less because of the deduction of marks for late submission (see 6.9.1). With this exception, students may therefore submit revised versions of essays previously submitted, or they may, if they wish, choose to submit new coursework, or a combination of the two. [Note to the regulation. Students who repeat (=re-attend) a course must complete coursework on the topics for the course as they are re-attending it. Coursework for the course as previously attended may not be relevant. Students must complete the requirements for the course ‘as if taking the course for the first time’ (reg. 2.3).]
There is an exception to this regulation, concerning timing: see the provision for September re-assessment (6.13).
6.13 September re-assessment: only for Year 1 students in courses with an overall mark of 20% to 39%
6.13.1 Year 1 students who have obtained an overall mark of 20% to 39% for a course may enter to be re-assessed for the failed course in the September immediately following, unless 6.13.4 or 6.13.5 is applicable. Year 1 students who obtain an overall mark of 0% to 19% for a course may enter to be re-assessed for that course during the following academic year, not in the September immediately following.
6.13.2 If the failed course has an unseen written examination and if the mark for that examination was 39% or less, Year 1 students may apply to re-enter for that examination in the examination period in the September immediately following (normally the first week in September). Year 1 students may also apply to enter for an examination in September if they were absent from the corresponding May/June examination, and if the relevant Sub-Board of Examiners determined that there was good cause for the absence. Certification will be required if the claim for good cause rests on medical grounds or other circumstances for which certification can appropriately be provided. Students who were absent without good cause from the corresponding May/June examination are not eligible to enter to take the examination in September, but may apply to enter to take it in the May/June examination period in the following year.
6.13.3 If the failed course has a coursework element or elements and if the coursework was submitted and if the mark for the coursework element was 39% or less, Year 1 students may apply to resubmit that coursework by 1 September immediately following (unless 6.9 applies).
6.13.4 Courses taken at other Colleges of the University of London are subject to the regulations of the relevant College, and September re-assessment may not be permitted (see 6.18).
6.13.5 Students who spend Year 2 of their degree as a compulsory language year abroad are not eligible to enter for September re-assessment of their Year 1 courses. They may enter to be re-assessed during the following academic year (if possible) or the academic year following that. If they are ineligible to proceed to Year 2 of their degree course, they must apply for one of the options available under 5.3.3.
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6.14 Late submission of coursework with a submission deadline of 1 September under 6.13.3
No marks will be awarded for any coursework submitted after the 1 September deadline, unless the relevant Sub-Board of Examiners determines that there is good cause for late submission. Certification will be required if the claim for good cause rests on medical grounds or other circumstances for which certification can appropriately be provided. No extension for submission may be granted beyond the last day of the September examination period at the School.
6.15 Capping of marks for courses passed following re-assessment
The overall mark for a course passed following re-assessment will be capped at 40%. This regulation applies to all courses, including 80/20 courses. (Note to the regulation: the elements of assessment are marked as normal. Capping is applied to the overall mark for the course as a whole, after the marks for the elements have been totalled.)
This capping will not apply to the overall mark for a course taken by a student who has repeated that course and has passed that course in the assessment in the academic year in which the course is repeated (or in that assessment when taken, if permission is given to defer that assessment). The mark will be capped if that repeated course is passed in a later re-assessment (including a September re-assessment).
This capping will not apply if the overall fail resulted from the student’s absence with good cause from an examination and/or the student’s failing to submit coursework with good cause. In both cases, the relevant Sub-Board of Examiners must have determined that there was good cause for the examination absence and/or non- submission. Certification will be required if the claim for good cause rests on medical grounds or other circumstances for which certification can appropriately be provided.
6.16 Re-assessment provisions for 80/20 courses
This regulation sets out the separate re-assessment provisions for courses in which an unseen written examination (or examinations) constitutes 80% or more of the total marks available, and in which coursework consequently constitutes 20% or less of the total marks available. Such courses are referred to as 80/20 courses.
Students who obtain an overall mark of 40% or more for an 80/20 course are not eligible to enter to be re-assessed in any element of that course.
Students who obtain an overall mark of 0% to 39% for an 80/20 course may enter to be re-assessed in the unseen written examination element of that course, whatever the original mark for the examination element (even if it was 40% or more).
Year 1 students who obtain an overall mark of 20% to 39% for an 80/20 course may enter to be re-assessed in the unseen written examination element of that course in the September immediately following, whatever the original mark for the examination element (even if it was 40% or better). Year 1 students who obtain an overall mark of 0% to 19% for an 80/20 course may enter to be re-assessed in the unseen written examination element of that course in the May/June of the following
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90 year, whatever the original mark for the examination element (even if it was 40% or better).
Students who obtain an overall mark of 0% to 39% for an 80/20 course are not eligible to resubmit coursework, whatever its mark (whether over or under 40%). The original mark obtained for the coursework is carried forward and is added to the mark for the repeated unseen written examination.
The provisions of this regulation relating to coursework for 80/20 courses do not apply in two instances: non-submission for good cause; and students repeating the course.
The provisions of this regulation do not apply to coursework which has not been submitted, if the relevant Sub-Board of Examiners has determined that there was good cause for non-submission. Certification will be required if the claim for good cause rests on medical grounds or other circumstances for which certification can appropriately be provided. Non-submission for good cause does not use up one of the two rights of assessment re-entry. The deadline for submission of coursework which has not been submitted for good cause is either 1 September immediately following or the normal deadline(s) for the course in the next academic year.
Coursework which, without good cause, has not been submitted by the School deadline may not be submitted at all, except by students repeating the course.
The provisions of this regulation do not apply during the period of repeat study to students who have applied for and have been granted permission to repeat the course. Such students will submit coursework as normally required during the repeat period of study and will take the examination at the end of the course. The regulation will apply again if the assessment of the course in respect of the repeat period of study yields a mark of 39% or less.
The capping of marks applies to 80/20 courses as set out in 6.15.
6.17 Crediting of marks for courses passed after re-assessment
For the purposes of progress requirements and degree classification, marks for courses passed after re-assessment will be credited to the year of study in which the course was followed and not the year in which the re-assessment was undertaken, unless the student has undertaken re-assessment in conjunction with repeating the course, in which case the mark will be credited to the year in which the course was repeated.
6.18 Courses taken at other Colleges of the University of London
Courses taken at other Colleges of the University of London are subject to the regulations of the relevant College. The provisions for assessment and re- assessment may differ from those applicable to SOAS courses. September re- assessment may not be permitted. It is the responsibility of students undertaking intercollegiate courses to make themselves familiar with the regulations relating to those courses.
6.19 Marking of over-length coursework
6.19.1 Scope of the policy. The policy set out in this regulation covers courses assessed wholly or partly by coursework. It covers coursework of all sorts, including
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91 essays, extended essays, reports, independent study projects and undergraduate dissertations.
6.19.2 Word limits. The word limit prescribed for each piece of assessed coursework is a maximum. Assessments are designed to enable students to achieve excellent marks without writing to the limit. There is consequently no specific penalty for work that is under-length. Under-length work is dealt with by the normal provisions of the marking scheme.
6.19.3 Provision of a word count. Students must provide an accurate word count on the cover sheet for all coursework submitted for assessment. Examiners will normally give students the benefit of the doubt and will regard small undeclared over- runs as genuine errors of calculation, but significant inaccuracies in declared word counts will be treated as an offence under the regulation governing examination and assessment offences.
6.19.4 Definition of word count. Word count is defined as the number of words contained in the submitted work including quotations, footnotes, titles, summaries and tables of contents. Appendices and bibliographies are not included in the word count. Appendices will not normally be marked and they must not include material essential to the argument developed in the main body of the work. 6.19.5 Word count: special provisions. Where work is expected to include significant amounts of non-textual content (e.g. musical or mathematical notation or linguistic structure diagrams), specific word count guidance will be provided for each assignment. Where work is expected to include the presentation of foreign language material with significant use of interlinear glosses and idiomatic translations, specific word count guidance will be provided for each assignment. 6.19.6 Penalty scale for over-length coursework Marks will be deducted for work that exceeds the prescribed word limit on a sliding scale:
Excess Length Mark Deduction (Percentage points)
Up to and including10% 5 percentage points More than 10% up to and including 20% 10 percentage points More than 20% up to and including 30% 15 percentage points More than 30% The work may be submitted and will be accepted. It will not be marked but will be assigned a grade of 0.
6.19.7 Revision and resubmission of coursework that has been subject to a penalty for being over-length. Over-length coursework for which the mark after penalty is 40 or more may not be revised and resubmitted. Over-length coursework for which the mark after penalty is 39 or less may not be revised and resubmitted if the course of which it forms a part has been passed. Over-length coursework for which the mark after penalty is 39 or less may be revised and resubmitted if the course of which it forms a part has been failed (unless the course is an 80/20 course – see regulation 6.16). If resubmission is permitted it will be on the normal submission date in the academic year following, unless the regulations for Year 1 September reassessment apply. Resubmission will be subject to the coursework being a repeatable element of assessment. Capping of the overall mark for the course will apply as appropriate.
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92 6.19.8 Coursework subject to a penalty for late submission and to a penalty for over-length. If coursework is submitted late and is over-length, the penalty for late submission will be applied first. If, as a result, the coursework mark is 39 or less then if resubmission is permitted (see 6.19.7 above) the coursework must be on a new topic (see regulation 6.9.1).
7 SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS PANEL
7.1 General
Students may apply to the Special Assessments Panel (SAP). Applications must be made in writing via the Examinations and Assessments Manager. The deadlines for submissions are set out in this regulation and in the document Procedure for the consideration of special assessment arrangements, copies of which may be obtained from the Examinations and Assessments Manager. If the application is made on medical grounds, it must be supported by a medical certificate and/or statement(s) from suitably qualified practitioner(s).
7.2 Absence because of short-term illness, accident or short-term good cause
Students may apply to the SAP if they are prevented from attending any examination or from submitting coursework for a course assessed solely by coursework, if the cause is short-term illness, accident, or other short-term good cause acceptable to the SAP. All applications must state the course for which a candidate is applying for special assessment arrangements and be accompanied by supporting documentation such as a medical certificate. The deadline for applications to be received is the Friday immediately following the last examination held in the relevant examination period (May/June or September).
Students are not eligible to apply to the SAP if they are absent from an examination without good cause, or if they fail without good cause to submit coursework for a course assessed solely by coursework.
Students are not eligible to apply to the SAP if they attended an examination or submitted coursework for a course assessed solely by coursework, but are dissatisfied with their performance. If there were extenuating circumstances which students consider affected their performance, they should supply details to the Examinations and Assessments Manager by the appropriate deadline.
7.3 Students with long-term disabilities, long-term health problems or long-term good cause
Students may apply to the SAP for special assessment arrangements on grounds of long-term disabilities, long-term health problems, or long-term good cause acceptable to the SAP. The application must be made in writing to the Examinations and Assessments Manager at least three months before the beginning of the relevant examination period. All applications must be accompanied by supporting evidence such as a medical certificate or up to date statement(s) from suitably qualified practitioners. Application must be made each year.
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8 UNSEEN WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS: ENTRY, WITHDRAWAL, ABSENCE, AND DEFERRAL
8.1 Entry to an unseen written examination and removal of permission to enter
For students admitted to the School before September 2010. To be eligible to enter for and take an unseen written examination for a course, students must have satisfied the attendance and coursework requirements of regulation 2. Students who fail to meet the requirements of regulation 2 may have their permission to enter for the examination withdrawn under the provisions of regulation 3.
For students admitted to the School in and after September 2010. To be eligible to enter for and take an unseen written examination for a course, students must have satisfied the attendance requirements of regulation 4. Students who fail to meet the attendance requirements of regulation 4 may have their permission to enter for the examination withdrawn. To be eligible to enter for and take an unseen written examination for a course, students must also have undertaken each element of assessment and submitted all coursework prescribed for the course, and must have submitted sufficient work to enable them to be assessed (see regulation 1.2). Students who have failed to comply with the requirement of regulation 1.2 may have their permission to enter for the examination withdrawn (see 18.1).
8.2 Withdrawal from an unseen written examination
Candidates who have entered for an unseen written examination may apply to withdraw from the examination by means of an examination withdrawal form. The form must be submitted to the Examinations and Assessments Manager at least seven days before the start of the relevant examination period for the School (i.e. seven days before the first scheduled examination session to be held in the School in May/June or September). The relevant Sub-Board of Examiners will determine whether the withdrawal is for good cause. In determining such good cause the Sub-Board will consider all the circumstances, including certification by an appropriately qualified person if the claim for good cause rests on medical grounds or other circumstances for which certification can appropriately be provided. A withdrawal approved in accordance with this procedure is recorded as an authorised withdrawal, and does not use up a right of entry for assessment or re-assessment. A withdrawal which is not in accordance with this procedure (e.g. not approved by the Sub-Board, or submitted after the due date) is recorded as an unauthorised withdrawal and the examination result is ‘Absent without good cause - fail’. Such unauthorised withdrawal or non-submission uses up one right of entry for assessment or re-assessment.
8.3 Absence from unseen written examination
An examination result of ‘Absent without good cause - fail’ will be recorded for a candidate who has entered for an examination but is absent from the relevant examination, and the candidate will use up one right of entry for re-assessment. This provision will not apply if the candidate has been granted approved withdrawal under 8.1, approved deferral under 8.3, or if the relevant Sub-Board of Examiners determines that the absence was for good cause. In determining such good cause the Sub-Board will consider all the circumstances, including certification by an appropriately qualified person if the claim for good cause rests on medical grounds or other circumstances for which
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94 certification can appropriately be provided. A result of ‘Absent with good cause’ does not use up a right of entry for assessment or re-assessment.
8.4 Deferral of unseen written examinations
8.4.1 Deferral of examinations other than September resit examinations
Candidates who wish to apply for deferral of an unseen written examination must do so no later than 16.00 on day 1 of Term 3 of the year in which the examination is due to be taken, by submission of the appropriate form to the Examinations and Assessments Manager. Permission will be granted only in special circumstances and with the approval of the Chair of the School Board of Examiners.
If approved, deferral will be granted only until the next normal occasion of the examination, which will be in the year immediately following the deferred examination and at the same time of year as the deferred examination. For an examination held in May/June, the deferred examination will be in May/June of the year following. For an examination held in September (other than a September resit examination), the deferred examination will be in September of the year following.
Permission will not be granted to defer an examination from May/June to a September resit examination.
8.4.2 Deferral of a September resit of an unseen written examination
Candidates who wish to apply for deferral of a September resit examination must do so no later than 15 August of the year in which the examination is due to be taken, by submission of the appropriate form to the Examinations and Assessments Manager.
If approved, deferral will normally be granted until May/June of the year immediately following, unless the Sub Board of Examiners determines that deferral will be granted until September of the year immediately following.
Candidates who are granted deferral of a September resit examination must satisfy the relevant requirements of regulation 5 in order to progress to the next year of their degree course.
8.4.3 Authorised and unauthorised deferral
A deferral that is approved in accordance with this regulation is recorded as an authorised deferral, and does not use up a right of entry for assessment or re-assessment. A deferral that is not in accordance with this regulation (e.g. not approved by the Sub-Board, or application submitted after the due date) produces an examination result of ‘Absent without good cause - fail’. Such unauthorised deferral uses up one right of entry for assessment or re-assessment.
9 ORAL EXAMINATION
9.1 Oral examination covering a candidate’s entire field of study
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The examiners may test any candidate by means of an oral examination, which may cover the candidate's entire field of study.
9.2 Note to regulation 9.1
The oral examination provided for under regulation 9.1 is a viva voce examination in addition to any other prescribed form(s) of assessment, and is distinct from the oral examinations which form part of the assessment for some language courses.
10 MARKING SCHEME
The marks awarded for courses are as follows
Mark( %) Degree equivalent Pass/Fail
70 to 100 First Class Pass 60 to 69 Second Class (Upper Division) Pass 50 to 59 Second Class (Lower Division) Pass 40 to 49 Third Class Pass 0 to 39 Fail Fail.
11 NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS
The Examinations and Assessments Manager will notify students of their results after the end of each academic year.
12 DEGREE REQUIREMENT
12.1 Three-year degrees
To be eligible for the award of a Pass degree, a student must have completed courses to a minimum value of ten course units. To be eligible for the award of an Honours degree, a student must have completed courses to the minimum value of eleven course units.
12.2 Four-year degrees
To be eligible for the award of a Pass degree, a student must have completed courses to a minimum value of thirteen course units. To be eligible for the award of an Honours degree, a student must have completed courses to the minimum value of fourteen course units.
12.3 Requirements for single-subject and two-subject degrees
12.3.1 To be eligible for the award of a degree with a single-subject or two-subject degree title, a student must have satisfied the relevant regulations including the annual course requirement in regulation 1 and the general degree requirement in 12.1 or 12.2 as appropriate. The requirement of regulation 1.3 to follow the approved syllabus takes priority when necessary over the minimum course requirements set out in
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96 the remainder of this regulation. A student must also have satisfied the relevant requirement following:
12.3.2 Single-subject degree - students admitted to Year 1 of the degree: a student must have completed courses to the minimum value of nine course units (twelve in a four-year degree) from the relevant approved current syllabus.
12.3.3 Single-subject degree - students admitted to the School direct to Year 2 of a four-year degree: subject to the provisions of regulation 1.3, a student admitted to the School direct to Year 2 of 4 must have completed during his or her registration at the School courses to the minimum value of nine course units from the relevant approved current syllabus.
12.3.4 Single-subject degree - students admitted to the School direct to Year 2 of a three-year degree: subject to the provisions of regulation 1.3, a student admitted to the School direct to Year 2 of 3 must have completed during his or her registration at the School courses to the minimum value of six course units from the relevant approved current syllabus.
12.3.5 Single-subject degree - students admitted to the School direct to Year 3 of a four-year degree: subject to the provisions of regulation 1.3, a student admitted to the School direct to Year 3 of 4 must have completed during his or her registration at the School courses to the minimum value of six course units from the relevant approved current syllabus.
12.3.6 Two-subject three-year degree - students admitted to Year 1 of the degree: a student must have completed courses from the relevant approved current syllabus to the minimum value of five course units in the subject to be named first in the degree title and four course units in the subject to be named second.
12.3.7 Two-subject three-year degree - students admitted to the School direct to Year 2 of the degree: subject to the provisions of regulation 1.3, a student admitted to the School direct to Year 2 of 3 must have completed during his or her registration at the School courses to the minimum value of six units overall in the two subjects of the degree title, including courses to the value of at least three units in each subject in the degree title.
12.3.8 Two-subject four-year degree - students admitted to Year 1 of the degree: a student must have completed courses to the minimum value of thirteen units overall in the two subjects of the degree title, including courses to the value of at least eight units in the subject/language to be named first in the degree title, and courses to the value of at least five units in the subject/language to be named second in the degree title.
12.3.9 Two-subject four-year degree - students admitted to the School direct to Year 2 of the degree: subject to the provisions of regulation 1.3, a student admitted to the School direct to Year 2 of 4 must have completed during his or her registration at the School courses to the minimum value of ten units overall in the two subjects of the degree title, including courses to the value of at least five units in the subject/language to be named first in the degree title, and courses to the value of at least three units in the subject/language to be named second in the degree title.
12.3.10 Two-subject four-year degree - students admitted to the School direct to Year 3 of the degree: subject to the provisions of regulation 1.3, a student admitted to the School direct to Year 3 of 4 must have completed during his or
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97 her registration at the School courses to the minimum value of six units overall in the two subjects of the degree title, including courses to the value of at least three units in the subject/language to be named first in the degree title, and courses to the value of at least three units in the subject/language to be named second in the degree title.
12.4 Definition of completion of a course
To complete - For the purpose of this regulation, to complete a course a student must satisfy the attendance and coursework requirements as set out in 2.2 and must pass the course. (Note to the regulation: Students admitted in and after September 2010 must meet the requirements of 1.2 and 4.2 and must pass the course.)
12.5 Notes to regulation 12.3
12.5.1 In calculating the number of units required for regulation 12.3, courses taken in all years of degree registration are counted, including courses taken in Year 1 and those taken during a compulsory language year abroad. Courses not counted are: those taken before the start of a student’s degree registration at the School; new courses taken after the end of a student’s degree registration at the School; courses taken during periods of leave of absence; and new courses taken while registered as an intermitting degree student.
12.5.2 ‘Other subject’ in 12.3.8 to 12.3.10 includes the second language in a four-year two-subject degree in which the second subject is another language.
12.6 Time limit for completion of degree requirement
For students registering in and after September 2006:
12.6.1 Students admitted to the School to Year 1 of a three-year degree course must complete their degree requirement within no more than five academic years from the date of their first registration at the School for an undergraduate degree course. Students admitted to the School to Year 1 of a four- year degree course must complete their degree requirement within no more than six academic years from the date of their first registration at the School for an undergraduate degree course.
12.6.2 The time limits for students admitted to the School to a year other than Year 1 are as follows: Students admitted to the School direct to Year 2 of a three-year degree course: no more than four academic years Students admitted to the School direct to Year 2 of a four-year degree course: no more than five academic years Students admitted to the School direct to Year 3 of a four-year degree course: no more than four academic years.
12.6.3 Students who fail to complete their degree requirement within the relevant time limit will be ineligible for the award of their degree.
12.6.4 Note to regulation 12.6: the overall period of four, five or six years as appropriate dates from the student’s first entry to the School for an undergraduate degree course. The overall period includes periods of leave of absence, repeat periods of study, deferral of assessments (including deferral of final year assessments) and postponement of degree classification. It also includes internal
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98 transfers to a different degree at the School: in other words, the time limit is from the start of the original degree course, not the start of the degree course to which the student has transferred.
13 DEGREE CLASSIFICATION
The School Board of Examiners at the School of Oriental and African Studies will meet on one occasion each year to determine the degree classification of BA and BSc students, and will have regard to the document Guide to the scheme for the classification for Honours of BA and BSc students at the School of Oriental and African Studies.
14 POSTPONEMENT OF DEGREE CLASSIFICATION
14.1 All candidates who are eligible for an Honours degree will be classified
Candidates who meet the criteria of eligibility under regulation 12 for the award of an Honours degree will have their degrees classified by the School Board of Examiners and will have their degrees awarded in the year in which they complete their degree course, unless they have made application for postponement for consideration for Honours as provided for under regulation 14.4.
14.2 Classification for Honours on one occasion only
No student who has been awarded a degree may be reconsidered for the award of Honours in respect of the same period of study.
14.3 Procedure in respect of candidates who are eligible for a Pass degree
If the School Board of Examiners has determined that a candidate has satisfied the requirement of regulation 12.1 or 12.2 for the award of a Pass degree, the following procedure will be used. The Examinations and Assessments Manager will write to the candidate informing him/her that he/she is eligible for the award of a Pass degree and giving the candidate the choice of either accepting the award of a Pass degree, or of requesting reconsideration for an Honours degree in the following year. A candidate who applies for the award of a Pass degree will be informed that the Pass degree has been awarded, and will not be eligible thereafter to enter for re-assessment in courses for an Honours degree except by registering de novo for a degree under these regulations. A candidate who wishes to apply for reconsideration for an Honours degree must enter for re-assessment to be undertaken in the academic year immediately following, with a view to completing the requirements for an Honours degree. Candidates may not take new courses after the end of their degree registration to count towards their degree.
14.4 Procedure for postponement of consideration for Honours
14.4.1 Candidates entering for assessments by means of which they will, if successful, complete their degree requirements may apply to the Examinations and Assessments Manager for postponement for consideration for the award of Honours. Applications must be made not later than the first day of the relevant examination period for the School.
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14.4.2 Candidates who have been granted postponement of consideration for Honours must enter to undertake assessment or re-assessment during the academic year immediately following, after which they will be classified for Honours. Candidates may not take new courses after the end of their degree registration to count towards their degree.
14.4.3 Candidates who have postponed consideration for Honours and who have satisfied the requirements for the degree and who do not pursue their intention of undertaking assessment or re-assessment may cancel their postponement and apply to be classified for Honours on the basis of the results achieved when they satisfied the requirements for the award of the degree. Such classification will be made and the degree awarded at the next normal occasion when classification for Honours is undertaken.
15 AEGROTAT REGULATIONS
15.1 If a candidate has completed his/her full period of study and (a) is unable to undertake assessments during his/her final year through illness or other causes judged sufficient by the School Board of Examiners, such as death of a near relation, or (b) has undertaken assessments but considers that his/her performance has been adversely affected by any of the above reasons, the candidate may make an application to the Examinations and Assessments Manager for his/her case to be considered under the aegrotat regulation. The application must be accompanied by a medical certificate or other statement of the grounds on which it is made and must be submitted as soon as possible and within six weeks from the last day of the relevant examination period.
15.2 If a candidate has satisfied the requirements for the award of a degree, the School Board of Examiners shall recommend the award of a degree with a Pass or Honours classification, and shall not consider the candidate for the award of an aegrotat degree. The School Board of Examiners shall not recommend the award of a class of degree higher than the overall level that the candidate has achieved in the work actually presented.
15.3 A candidate who has applied under 15.1 will be considered for the award of an aegrotat degree only if the School Board of Examiners has been unable, under 15.2, to recommend the award of a degree with a Pass or Honours classification. In such a case the School Board of Examiners having considered: the results in assessments which the student has completed, if any; records of the candidate's performance during the course; and assessment provided by the candidate's teachers, will determine whether evidence has been shown to their satisfaction that, had he/she completed assessments in normal circumstances, the candidate would clearly have reached a standard (and completed the necessary courses) which would have qualified him/her for the award of a degree. Where the School Board of Examiners are so satisfied, the candidate will be informed that he/she is eligible to apply for the award of an aegrotat degree, and if so, that he/she may either: (a) apply for the award of the aegrotat degree; or (b) not apply but enter to undertake assessment or re- assessment in the academic year immediately following, with a view to completing the requirements for the award of a degree. Candidates may not take new courses after the end of their degree registration to count towards their degree.
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100 15.4 If an eligible candidate applies for an aegrotat degree he/she will be informed that the degree has been conferred.
15.5 A candidate who under 15.4 above has applied for the award of an aegrotat degree will not be eligible thereafter to enter to undertake assessment or re- assessment for a classified degree.
15.6 On re-entry for the classified degree a candidate who under 15.3 above has been informed that he/she is eligible to apply for the award of an aegrotat degree ceases to be eligible so to apply.
15.7 Aegrotat degrees will be awarded without distinction or class.
15.8 Holders of aegrotat degrees may not subsequently be considered for Honours, except that they may apply to register de novo for a degree under these regulations.
16 REPRESENTATIONS IN RESPECT OF EXAMINATION RESULTS
A student who wishes to make representations in respect of his/her examination results should as soon as possible contact the Examinations and Assessments Manager, from whom may be obtained a copy of the document Procedure for considering representations in respect of examination results.
17 PLAGIARISM
Students are reminded that all work submitted as part of the requirement for any assessment of the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) must be expressed in their own words and incorporate their own ideas and judgements. Plagiarism - that is, the presentation of another person's thoughts or words as though they were the student’s own – must be avoided. Direct quotations from the published or unpublished work of others must always be clearly identified as such by being placed inside quotation marks, and a full reference to their source must be provided in proper form. A series of short quotations from several different sources, if not clearly identified as such, constitutes plagiarism just as much as does a single unacknowledged long quotation from a single source. Equally if students summarise another persons' ideas and judgements, they must refer to that person in their text as the source of the ideas and judgements, and include the work referred to in their bibliography. Failure to observe these rules may result in an allegation of cheating. Students should therefore consult their tutor or supervisor if they are in any doubt about what is permissible.
Where students draw on their own previous written work, whether submitted as coursework for their current degree, or for a previous degree or qualification, this must be clearly stated. Coursework essays submitted for one course may not be used for another course without acknowledgement and prior approval.
Plagiarism is an examination and/or assessment offence, and is dealt with under the School’s Regulations for proceedings in respect of assessment and examination offences.
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18 COURSEWORK REQUIREMENTS
18.1 Coursework submission
For students admitted to the School before September 2010. In order to benefit fully from their courses, students are expected to submit on time all coursework required of them. (See also regulation 2.) Some coursework counts towards the overall mark for a course. Failure to submit such coursework in whole or in part will result in a proportionate reduction of the mark awarded for the course. There are penalties for the late submission of coursework, set out below.
For students admitted to the School in and after September 2010. Students must undertake all elements of assessment for a course, including submitting all coursework prescribed for the course (see regulation 1.2). Submission of coursework is a pre-condition for examination entry (see regulation 8.1). There are penalties for the late submission of coursework, set out below.
18.2 Deadlines for submission of coursework
18.2.1 The School deadline for the submission of any coursework is 16.00 on the Friday immediately before the beginning of the May/June examination period of the academic year in which the course is taken. No marks will be awarded for any coursework submitted after this deadline.
18.2.2 Individual deadlines for coursework submission may vary and may be earlier than the School deadline but may not be later. It is the responsibility of Heads of Departments to approve the policy for submission dates of coursework for courses within their Department, and the policy governing late submission. Members of staff should have regard to this policy when drawing up course unit proposals.
18.2.3 Heads of Departments will ensure that students are informed in writing at the beginning of the academic year of the deadlines for the submission of coursework for courses within their Department and of the policy governing late submission.
18.2.4 Heads of Departments may approve a policy governing late submission using either the provisions of the best n marks (18.2.5) or 2 percentage points a day penalty (18.2.6).
18.2.5 When coursework consists of multiple and consecutive exercises or essays, no coursework will be accepted for assessment after the deadline, provided that (a) assessment is based not on the average mark for all pieces of coursework set, but on the average of the best n marks, where the value of n is determined and is made known to students at the start of the course; and (b) where non submission of a particular piece of coursework is determined to have been for good cause, then assessment will be based on the average of the best n-1 marks etc.
18.2.6 Coursework which is submitted after Departmental coursework deadlines (but not after the School deadline - see regulation 18.2.1) will be marked, but the mark awarded will be reduced by the relevant Sub-Board of Examiners by 2 percentage points for each working day (i.e. Monday to Friday) that the work is late (i.e. submitted after 16.00 on the day in question). This reduction of marks will not apply if
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103 the relevant Sub-Board of Examiners determines that there is good cause for the late submission. Certification will be required if the claim for good cause rests on medical grounds or other circumstances for which certification can appropriately be provided. [Note: ‘Working day’ is any day Monday to Friday that the School is open, including such days in the vacations.]
18.2.7 Definition of submission of coursework
Submission of coursework is defined as delivery of two hard copies to the relevant Faculty Office by the School deadline and the issuing of a receipt, or, in respect of work that requires the candidate’s presence, attendance at a date, time and place determined by the course convenor.
19 COURSE SIGN UP
Returning students must sign up for their course choices for the following year online at the SOAS website no later than the end of the second week of Term 3 of the previous academic year.
There are four exceptions to this requirement. 1 Students who will be spending an approved Erasmus/Socrates year at another university. 2 Students who will be spending a year at another university for credit under an approved transfer scheme. 3 Students returning from a compulsory period of language study abroad (see below). 4 Some students (see below for details) who will be undertaking a compulsory period of language study abroad in the following year. Students returning from a compulsory period of language study abroad may follow the procedure as for new students (see below) if they wish for advice at the start of the academic year on their choice of courses, but may sign up online if they are certain of their choice. Students who will be undertaking a compulsory period of language study abroad in the following year do not need to sign up online if they are taking courses which are examined only at the institution abroad. If they are taking courses which are examined at SOAS on their return from abroad, then they must sign up online for those courses by the end of the second week of Term 3.
If the course choices are approved by the School, they will be pre-printed on the course sign up form which will be supplied to each student at enrolment. All students (both new and returning) must follow the instructions for completing their course sign up form and submit it to their Faculty Office no later than the last day of teaching week 1 of Term 1. (The requirement to submit the form to the Faculty Office does not apply to students undertaking a compulsory period of language study abroad.)
New students must insert their choice of courses on their course sign up form, have their course choices approved by obtaining the necessary signatures as instructed on that form, and submit the completed form to their Faculty Office no later than the last day of teaching week 1 of Term 1.
Changes of course after the end of teaching week 1 of Term 1 (except for changes of courses that start in Term 2) will be granted only in exceptional cases, and such late applications must be made by students via their Head(s) of Department(s) to the appropriate Associate Dean of the relevant Faculty or Faculties. The Associate Dean(s) will report any changes so approved to the Head of Registry.
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104 Students who wish to change their choice of courses that start in Term 2 must collect their course sign up form, which has already been submitted to the Registry, and must obtain authorisation for the change of course no later than the end of week 1 of Term 2. This authorisation must take the form of an amendment to the student’s course sign up form, which must be signed by the Undergraduate Tutor in the student’s home Department (or one of the student’s home Departments in the case of two-subject students). The amended course sign up form must then be returned to the Registry.
20 APPLICATION FOR CHANGE OF DEGREE REGISTRATION
Students who wish to apply for a change of degree registration relating to the current academic year must submit to the Registry a duly completed degree transfer application form no later than the last day of teaching week 1 of Term 1. Applications for a change of degree registration after this time will be considered only in exceptional cases, and such late applications must be made by students via their Head(s) of Department(s) to the appropriate Associate Dean of the relevant Faculty or Faculties. The Associate Dean(s) will report any changes so approved to the Head of Registry. (Degree transfer application forms are obtainable from Faculty Offices.)
21 SUMMER VACATION COURSES
Courses such as extended essays and Independent study projects that may be started or completed during the summer vacation will count towards the annual course requirement as stipulated in regulation 1 for the year immediately following the summer vacation in which the course is completed, and not the year preceding it.
22 OPEN OPTION COURSES
22.1 Definition
An open option course is a course in a subject or a language other than the subject(s) or language(s) named in a student's degree title, or other than prescribed in the syllabus of the degree for which a student is registered.
22.2 Total maximum number of open option courses
If the syllabus of the degree for which a student is registered permits, a student may take open option courses to the following maximum values:
Students registered for a single-subject three-year degree: three units Students registered for a two-subject three-year degree: two units Students registered for a single-subject four-year degree: three units Students registered for a two-subject four-year degree: three units.
22.3 Maximum number of open option courses per year
Students may not normally take open option courses to the value of more than one course unit in any one academic year.
22.4 Year 1 students taking an open option course in a language
24
105 A Year 1 student taking an open option course of one course unit value in a language may be permitted to discontinue that course from the end of Term 1 and substitute from the start of Term 2 a specified non-language ‘Studies’ course (e.g. Arabic studies, Swahili studies) valued at one course unit and relevant to the discontinued language course. Such substitution will be by permission of the appropriate Associate Dean of the Faculty of Languages and Cultures, who will require a statement from the teacher of the language course that the student has attended a minimum of 80% of language classes in Term 1 but is, in the opinion of the teacher concerned, likely to fail the examination. The Associate Dean will report to the Head of Registry any change of course approved under this regulation.
(Note to the regulation: see also regulation 23.6 – an open option course may not be taken at another College.)
23 INTERCOLLEGIATE COURSES
23.1 Definition
An intercollegiate course is a course taught at another College of the University of London or at New York University in London. This regulation does not apply to courses taken at universities outside the University of London, either under an Erasmus scheme or as a period of language study abroad.
23.2 General scope of the regulation
The regulation set outs the conditions under which a student may apply to take an intercollegiate course that does not form part of the published syllabus for his or her degree.
23.3 Degrees taught jointly at two Colleges
The provisions of this regulation do not apply to students taking a course at another College if that course forms part of the published syllabus for a degree jointly taught by two Colleges. Examples of such jointly taught degrees (partner College in brackets) are: BA African Studies (NYUL), BA Ancient Near Eastern Studies (UCL), BA French and an Asian or African language (UCL), BA Geography and another subject (KCL), BA Hebrew and Israeli Studies/BA Hebrew and another subject (UCL), BA History of Art (Asia, Africa, Europe) (UCL), BA Management and an Asian or African language (Birkbeck), BA Music (KCL), BA Turkish and Modern Greek Studies (KCL). The provisions do, however, apply to students taking such a jointly taught degree if the intercollegiate course they wish to take does not form part of the published syllabus, or if the intercollegiate course is to be taken at a College other than the named partner college specified for the degree.
23.4 Limitations for Year 1 students
No student may take an intercollegiate course in Year 1 unless it forms a part of the published syllabus for their degree.
23.5 Maximum permitted number of intercollegiate courses
No student may take intercollegiate courses totalling more than two course units overall, and no more than one course unit’s worth in any one academic year, unless the intercollegiate courses form part of the published syllabus for their degree.
25
106
23.6 Limitation on open option courses
No student may take an open option course at another College (except for courses at New York University in London). An open option course is a course in a subject other than those listed in a student’s degree title. Thus, the only intercollegiate courses that may be taken are in the subject or subjects of a student’s degree title. Thus, a student of BA Law and Study of Religions may apply to take a course at another College in either Law or Study of Religions, but not in any other subject.
23.7 Intercollegiate courses and SOAS equivalent courses
No student may take an intercollegiate course if a satisfactory equivalent course is available at SOAS. No student may take an intercollegiate course if the content overlaps significantly with a course the student has already taken or with a course which is required by the syllabus to be taken in a later year of the degree.
23.8 Limitation on intercollegiate language courses
No student may take a language course at another College, without having received approval in advance, based on a statement setting out the academic rationale for wishing to take the course, demonstrating the relevance of the language to the degree subject(s). This case must be supported by the relevant SOAS Undergraduate Tutor and must be approved by the relevant Associate Dean. An acceptable example would be a BA History student who wishes to take a course in French in preparation for an ISP on Francophone Africa. The provisions of 23.8 do not apply to students on jointly taught language degrees (see 23.3).
23.9 Approval procedure
Each application to take an intercollegiate course must be approved on the appropriate SOAS intercollegiate course approval form before the start of the course. Unapproved intercollegiate courses will not count towards a degree. The provisions of 23.9 do not apply to students on jointly taught degrees taking courses that form part of the published syllabus for their degree (see 23.3).
24 DEFINITION OF REGISTRATION
In the context of these regulations, a student’s date of registration is the date of his or her first admission and enrolment at the School on his or her degree course i.e. the date on which his or her degree course at the School starts.
25 OTHER REGULATIONS
Students must comply with the regulations for students of the School of Oriental and African Studies, and with the relevant University of London regulations and ordinances.
26 SUSPENSION OF REGULATIONS
Applications for suspension of these regulations may be approved by the relevant Associate Dean. If suspension is approved, the case will be reported in
26
107 anonymous form to the next meeting of the relevant Faculty Learning and Teaching Committee.
Index to BA/BSc regulations
References are to section numbers, not pages.
80/20 courses 6.16 2006 entrants – regulation with phased application applying to students admitted in and after September 2006 – 12.6 2009 entrants – regulation with phased application applying to students admitted in and after September 2009 – 5.5 2010 entrants – regulations with phased application applying to students admitted in and after September 2010 – 1.2, 4, 8.1, 18.1
Absence for good cause and the aegrotat degree 15 Absence from classes for good cause and the attendance requirement 2-4 Absence from examinations with and without good cause 8.2-8.3 Absence from May/June examination and re-entry in September 6.13.2 Accident – see Illness Aegrotat regulations 15 Annual course requirement 1 Annual progress requirement 5 Appeals – see Representations Assessment : 80/20 courses 6.16 : capped marks following re-assessment 6.15 : crediting of marks following re-assessment 6.17 : definition 6.1 : definition of an entry for re-assessment 6.5 : eligibility to be assessed 6.11 : failure and re-assessment 6.2 : for coursework not submitted 6.8 : for coursework submitted late 6.9, 6.14 : intercollegiate courses 6.18 : method 6.12 : re-assessment – when not permitted 6.3-6.4 : re-entry form 6.10 : re-entry for Pass degree candidates 13.3 : September re-assessment 6.13 : timing 6.12 : Special Assessments Panel 7 Associate Deans of Faculties : action on students who fail to meet the attendance and coursework requirements 4.1 : approval of exemptions for non Year 1 entrants 1.3 : approval of final year students taking introductory courses 1.5 : approval of late course changes 19 : approval of late degree changes 20 : approval of substitution of Studies course for a Year 1 language open option 22.4
108 108 Attendance requirement 2-4, 6.11, 8.1 Authorised deferral of examinations 8.4 Authorised withdrawal from examinations 8.2 Capped marks 6.15 Change of degree registration: procedure for applying 20 Changing course units late 19 Cheating 17 Classes: attendance requirement 2-4, 6.11 Classes: re-attending and resubmitting coursework 2.3, 6.8.3, 6.16 Classification for Honours 13-14 Classification for Honours not available following aegrotat 15.5, 15.8 Classification for Honours: postponement 14 Completion of a course defined 1.2, 5.1, 12.4 Compulsory course defined 1.4 Compulsory language year abroad and September resits 6.13.5 Core course defined 1.4 Course completion defined 5.1, 12.4 Course sign up -online 19 Coursework: late submission of 6.9, 18.2 Coursework non submission – with and without good cause 6.8, 18.2 Coursework requirement 2, 18 Coursework: resubmission and re-attendance on the course 2.3, 6.8.3, 6.16 Coursework submission as a pre-condition for examination entry 1.2, 8.1, 18.1 Coursework: submission date 18 Coursework: submission – normal expectation 2.1, 18.1 Coursework topic and resubmission 6.9.1-2, 6.12, 6.19.8 Crediting of marks following re-assessment 6.17 Criteria of eligibility to enter September resit examinations 6.13
Deadline for applying for change of degree registration 20 Deadline for course changes 19 Deadlines for coursework submission 18.2 Deans, Associate – see Associate Deans Deferral of examinations 8.4, 14.4 Definitions: compulsory course 1.4 completion of a course 5.1, 12.4 core course 1.4 course 6.1 element of assessment 6.1 examination 6.1 intercollegiate course 23.1 plagiarism 17 registration 24 submission of coursework 18.2.7 word count 6.19.4
Degree registration: procedure for applying to change 20 Degree requirement: number of course units required 12 Degree title and open option courses 21.1 Degree title: applying to change 20 Degree titles: how determined 12.3
109
109 Degree titles: Year 1 courses count towards 12.5.1 Degree transfer – application 20 Disabilities - students with: see Special Assessments Panel
Element of assessment defined 6.1 Eligibility to enter for a September resit examination 6.13 Eligibility to enter for an examination: general 3.1, 4.5, 6.11, 8.1 Erasmus year abroad students: annual progress requirements 5.4 Essays : coursework requirement 18 : resubmission and re-attendance on the course 2.3, 6.8.3, 6.16 : submission date 18.2 : topic – see Coursework topic Examination – see also Assessment Examination entry – coursework submission a pre-condition for 1.2, 8.1 Examinations results: representations in respect of 16 Examinations: absence from 8.3 Examinations: deferral 8.4 Examinations: withdrawal 8.2 Exemption from part of the syllabus for non Year 1 entrants 1.3
Faculties – see Associate Deans Final-year students and availability of introductory courses 1.5 Final-year students: no September resits 6.13 Form for assessment re-entry 6.10 Four-year degrees: maximum permitted open option courses 22.2 Four-year degrees: number of course units required 12.2, 12.3
Good cause absence : aegrotat degree 15 : class attendance 2-4 : from assessment and examinations 7.2, 8.3 : completion of all elements of assessment 1.2 : progress requirement 3.2, 4.6 : Special Assessments Panel 7 Good cause determination : by Head of Department for attendance 3.2, 4.6 : by Special Assessments Panel 7 : by School Board for aegrotat 15.1 : by Sub Board for examination absence 8.2 : by Sub Board for late submission of coursework 18.2.6 Good cause: late submission of coursework 6.9, 6.14, 18.2.6 Good cause non submission of coursework 6.8, 18.2
Head of Department: responsibility for determining good cause absence 3.2, 4.6 Honours classification: postponement 14 Honours degree: classification 14.1 : classification once only 14.2 : not available after aegrotat 15.5, 15.8 : number of course units required for 12
Illness : absence and progress requirement 3.2, 4.6 : absence from classes 2-4 : aegrotat degree 15 : late submission of coursework 18.2.5-6
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110 : Special Assessments Panel 7 Intercollegiate courses: attendance requirement 2.4 : application to take 23.9 : assessment 6.18 : definition 23.1 : open option courses 23.6 : in a language 23.8 : limitations for Year 1 students 23.4 Intermitting degree student registration for students unable to proceed to the next year of degree 5.3.3, 5.4.2 Introductory courses and their availability to final-year students 1.5
Japanese BA progression Year 1 to Year 2 5.5
Language open option: arrangements for Year 1 students 22.4 Language year abroad (compulsory) and September resits 6.13 Late submission of coursework 6.9, 18 Leave of absence for students unable to proceed to the next year of their degree 5.3.3 Lecture attendance 2.1, 3.1, 4
Marking scheme 10 Medical certificates: see Illness
New courses taken after the end of degree registration 12.5.1, 14.3. 14.4.2, 15.3 Non-repeatable elements of assessment 6.7 Non-submission of coursework 1.2, 2, 6.8, 18.2 Notification of results 11
Online course sign up 19 Open option courses 22, 23.6 Open option course in a language for Year 1 students 22.4 Oral examinations (viva voce) 9 Over-length coursework 6.19
Pass degree candidates - opportunity to apply for Honours 14.3 Pass degree: number of course units required for 12.1 - 2, 14.3 Penalty scheme for late submission of coursework 18.2.6 Plagiarism 17 Postponement of award of Pass degree 14.3 Postponement of consideration for Honours 14 Progress requirement 2-4
Re-assessment – see Assessment Re-entry to examinations and aegrotat regulations 15 Registration defined 24 Regulations: other 25 Repeat course – not permitted if already passed 6.6 Repeat year students : annual course requirement 1.6 Repeatable and non-repeatable elements of assessment 5.7 Representations in respect of examination results 15
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111 Resubmission of coursework and re-attendance on the course 6.7 Results notification 11
School Board of Examiners 8.3.1, 13, 14.1, 14.3, 15 September re-assessment 6.13 September deadline coursework 6.14 Single-subject degree: maximum permitted open option courses 22.2 Single-subject degrees: number of course units required for 12.1.3 Special Assessments Panel 7 Sub Boards of Examiners: duties in determining good cause 18.2.6 Summer vacation courses 21 Suspension of regulations 26 Syllabus, requirement to follow 1.3
Three-year degree: maximum permitted open option courses 22.2 Three-year degrees: number of course units required 12.1-3 Time limit for completion of degree requirements 12.6 Title of degree and open option courses 22.1 Title of degree: see Degree title Topic for coursework and resubmission – see Coursework topic Transfer students: exemption from part of the syllabus 1.3 Two-subject degree: maximum permitted open option courses 22.2 Two-subject degrees: number of course units required for 12.1-3
Unauthorised deferral of examinations 8.4 Unauthorised withdrawal from examinations 8.2 Undertaking all elements of assessment 1.2
Vacation courses 21 Viva voce examinations 9
Withdrawal of permission to take examination 3.1, 4.5, 8.1 Withdrawal from examinations 9.2 Word count 6.19.3 Word limits 6.19.2
Year 1 courses: counted towards degree title 12.5.1 Year 1 students: annual progress requirement 5 : language open option 22.4 : September re-assessment 6.13 Year 2 and Year 3 of 4 entrants: exemption from part of the syllabus 1.3
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Guide to the scheme for the classification for Honours of BA and BSc students at the School of Oriental and African Studies
Published by the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) July 2011
113 112
CONTENTS
Section Page
1 Regulatory status of this guide 3
2 Classes of degrees 3
3 Marking scheme for course units 3
4 Number of course units required for a degree 4
4 5 Synopsis of the classification scheme 4
6 The primary rule 5 6.1 Three-year degrees 6.2 Four-year degrees 6.3 Candidates admitted to years other than Year 1 6.4 Results for candidates spending a compulsory period of language study abroad
7 The secondary rule 6 7.1 Definitions 7.2 Three-year degrees 7.3 Four-year degrees
8 Titles of degrees 7-8 8.1 Title of degree on application and registration, and title of degree awarded 8.2 Determination of the title of degree to be awarded 8.3 Criteria for determining the title of degree 8.4 Types of degree title 8.5 Naming of single-subject degrees 8.6 Naming of two-subject degrees 8.6.1 Order of the subjects 8.6.2 Number of units required in each subject 8.7 Degrees with no reference to field of study 8.8 Courses taken during a compulsory language year abroad
9 Miscellaneous regulations 8-9 9.1 Examination results -deferral, withdrawal and failure 9.2 Open option courses and degree classification 9.2.1 Definition of an open option course 9.2.2 Consideration of open option courses in classification 9.3 Two-subject degrees and degree classification 9.4 Courses passed following re-assessment 9.5 Candidates who have undertaken an Erasmus year away from the School
10 Sources of help additional to this guide 9
11 Worked examples of degree classification 10-15
114 113 Section 1 Regulatory status of this guide
Since this document serves several purposes, different sections have different regulatory status.
The following sections are descriptive, illustrative or narrative and have no regulatory status. They are provided for the guidance of students and staff, but do not commit the School or the School Board of Examiners to any particular decision or course of action: Sections 1, 5, 10 and 11.
The following sections are regulations of the School of Oriental and African Studies: Sections 2, 3, 4, and 9.
The following sections are guidelines adopted by the School Board of Examiners: Sections 6, 7 and 8. The School Board of Examiners will have regard to these guidelines when classifying for Honours and determining degree titles, but retains the discretion in exceptional circumstances to calculate degree classifications and determine degree titles on profiles and criteria other than those set out in this guide.
Definition of terms
When used without qualification, the following terms used in this guide have the meanings set out below:
The School: The School of Oriental and African Studies The School Board: The School Board of Examiners of the School for undergraduate degrees.
a) Honours degrees First class Second class (upper (I) (II i) (II ii) division) Second class (lower division) (III) Third class b) Pass degree Pass (Pass)
Section 2 Classes of degrees The School Board may award BA and BSc degrees with one of the following classes
Section 3 Marking scheme for courses Marks for courses are converted into degree class equivalents as follows:
70% to 100% First class 60% to 69% Second class (upper division) 50% to 59% Second class (lower division) 40% to 49% Third class 0% to 39% Fail
Section 4 Number of courses required for a degree
All BA and BSc students at the School register for an Honours degree. No candidate is
114 115 permitted to enrol on or transfer to Pass degree registration.
Three-year degrees
To be eligible for the award of a Pass degree, a student must have completed courses to a minimum value of ten course units. To be eligible for the award of an Honours degree, a student must have completed courses to the minimum value of eleven course units.
Four-year degrees
To be eligible for the award of a Pass degree, a student must have completed courses to a minimum value of thirteen course units. To be eligible for the award of an Honours degree, a student must have completed courses to the minimum value of fourteen course units.
Section 5 Synopsis of the classification scheme
The School Board of Examiners of the School of Oriental and African Studies determines the class of degree to be awarded to each BA and BSc student at the end of his or her degree. The classification scheme is based on a profile of degree classes of courses (see Section 3) obtained in years other than Year 1 of the degree. The Board does not use averages (except for the rare cases specified in Section 9.5).
The Board first checks that candidates have the minimum number of courses required for an Honours degree (see Section 4). If they have, the Board then examines the classes of their courses under the guidelines incorporated in two rules of classification, which are called the primary rule and the secondary rule.
The primary rule stipulates that to be awarded a degree of class x, candidates must have passed a certain minimum number of courses at class x or better, and that these courses must be distributed in one of a number of permitted ways between the final year and the pre-final year or years.
The secondary rule stipulates that to be awarded a degree of class x, candidates must not have more than a certain maximum number of courses that are in class x-2 (i.e. two or more classes below class x). It is possible to compensate for units in class x-2 by having units in class x+1 (except where x=First class). Class x+1 means one or more classes above class x.
Section 6 deals with the primary rule, and section 7 with the secondary rule.
The School Board determines the classification of each candidate by using both the primary and the secondary rule. No candidate is classified by the operation of one rule only.
The decisions of the School Board also take into account a number of other factors listed under section 9 Miscellaneous regulations.
The School Board of Examiners will have regard to the guidelines incorporated in the primary and secondary rules when classifying for Honours, but retains the discretion in exceptional circumstances to calculate degree classification on profiles other than those set out in this guide.
4
115 Section 6 The primary rule
6.1 Three-year degrees, and four-year degrees that include two years of classifiable courses (see 6.4 below)
To be awarded a degree of class x, a candidate must have courses of class x or above, falling into one of the following patterns. These courses must be in the final two years of the degree, or in Years 2 and 4 for students taking four-year degrees with a language year abroad in Year 3.
Pre-final year Final year Total units in class x or above 0 4 4 0.5 3.5 4 1 3 4 1.5 2.5 4 2 2 4 2.5 2 4.5 3 1.5 4.5 3.5 1.5 5 4 1 5
6.2 Four-year degrees that include three years of classifiable courses (see 6.4 below)
The majority of four-year degrees do not come into this category, as the language year abroad is Pass/Fail only and does not count towards classification (see 6.4). A small number of students are classified under 6.2, most of whom are students who undertook the year of study at Beijing Normal University in or before 2009/10.
To be awarded a degree of class x, a candidate must have courses of class x or above, falling into one of the following patterns. These courses must be in the final three years of the degree.
Years 2 and 3 Final year Total units in class x or above 0 4 4 1 3.5 4.5 2 3 5 3 2.5 5.5 4 2 6 5 1.5 6.5 6 1 7
6.3 Candidates admitted to years other than Year 1
Candidates are classified for Honours solely on the basis of courses taken during their degree registration at SOAS.
6.4 Results for candidates spending a compulsory period of language study abroad 5
116
Examinations taken at universities or elsewhere abroad are not counted for classification for Honours unless under a credit-bearing scheme approved by the School (e.g. for students of BA Chinese spending the year at Beijing Normal University up to and including 2009/10). Unless in this category of exemption, a language year abroad is a Pass/Fail year. Candidates are classified according to the scheme for students taking three-year degrees (6.1). Students who successfully complete a compulsory language year abroad (other than under a credit-bearing scheme approved by the School) are awarded four course units towards the numbers of courses required for a degree, but no marks. The courses count as courses in the relevant language for the purpose of calculating the degree title (see 8.8 below).
Section 7 The secondary rule
7.1 Definitions
Qualifying years: the years that count towards classification for Honours i.e. years other than Year 1. Class x-2: two or more classes below class x. Class x+1:one or more classes above class x.
(Note: for the purpose of this rule, the classes are I, IIi, IIii, III, and Fail.)
7.2 Three-year degrees
To be awarded a degree of class x, a candidate must not have in the qualifying years courses to the value of more than 1.5 units that are in class x-2. If a candidate has courses in class x-2 to the value of 2 units or more, the second and subsequent such units may be compensated one for one by courses in the qualifying years in class x+1 (except where x=First class). If there are no compensating units in class x+1, then the units in class x are deemed to be reduced by one class to class x-1, one for one according to the units above 1.5 in number in class x-2 in the qualifying years. This deemed reduction will be carried out in the way least disadvantageous to the candidate.
The profile of classes, adjusted by the deemed reduction, will then be classified under the primary rule.
7.3 Four-year degrees
To be awarded a degree of class x, a candidate must not have in the qualifying years courses to the value of more than 2.5 units that are in class x-2. If a candidate has courses in class x-2 to the value of 3 units or more, the third and subsequent such units may be compensated one for one by courses in the qualifying years in class x+1 (except where x=First class). If there are no compensating units in class x+1, then the units in class x are deemed to be reduced by one class to class x-1, one for one according to the units above 2.5 in number in class x-2 in the qualifying years. This deemed reduction will be carried out in the way least disadvantageous to the candidate.
The profile of classes, adjusted by the deemed reduction, will then be classified under the primary rule.
6
117 (Note: The term ‘deemed reduction’ is used to indicate that the classes are regarded as being reduced for this exercise of classification only. The actual examination results remain unaffected and will be shown on the transcript.)
Section 8 Titles of degrees
8.1 Title of degree on application and registration, and title of degree awarded
In the case of students registered for two-subject degrees, the title of the degree applied for (as listed in the UCAS handbook and the prospectus) and the title of degree during the course of study are arranged in alphabetical order of the subjects in the degree title. Degrees in which a language is part of the degree title have the language first in the degree title. These orders are conventional and do not attempt to reflect the balance between the two subjects either overall or in any particular year. These forms of degree titles will not necessarily be the same as the titles of the degrees as awarded on completion of the course.
8.2 Determination of the title of degree to be awarded
The School Board of Examiners determines the title of degree for each candidate when classifying that candidate for Honours or determining the award of a Pass degree. The School Board will have regard to the guidelines set out below, but reserves the right in exceptional circumstances to determine degree titles according to other criteria.
8.3 Criteria for determining the title of degree
When determining the title of degree to be awarded, the School Board will have regard to the whole curriculum of each candidate. Curriculum in this context means all courses passed by the candidate during his or her degree registration at the School, including those taken in Year 1. The level of pass is not taken into account in determining the title of the degree. For candidates admitted to years other than Year 1, the curriculum does not include courses taken before the start of degree registration at the School.
8.4 Types of degree title
The School Board may award a degree with a title having reference to one field of study (a single-subject degree), to two fields of study (a two-subject degree), or with no reference to a field of study. The two subjects in the title of a two-subject degree will be joined by the conjunction ‘and’.
8.5 Naming of single-subject degrees
To be eligible for the award of a single-subject degree, a candidate must have passed in courses to the minimum value of nine course units (twelve in a four-year degree) from the relevant approved current syllabus.
8.6 Naming of two-subject degrees
8.6.1 Order of the subjects
That subject will appear first in the degree title in which the greater number of courses has been passed. If there is overall equality, the order will be determined by the majority 7
118 of courses in the final year. If there is overall equality and equality in the final year, the subjects will normally be listed in alphabetical order.
8.6.2 Number of courses required in each subject
See BA/BSc regulation 12.
8.7 Degrees with no reference to a field of study
If the curriculum of a student does not satisfy the requirements of 8.5 or 8.6, the School Board may in exceptional circumstances award a degree with no reference to a field of study.
8.8 Courses taken during a compulsory language year abroad
Students who successfully complete a compulsory language year abroad are credited with four course units towards their degree requirement (see 6.4 above). These count as courses in the relevant language for the purpose of calculating the degree title.
Section 9 Miscellaneous regulations
9.1 Examination results - failure, deferral, withdrawal and absence
For the purpose of the operation of the secondary rule for classification for Honours (see section 8), the School Board will deem a candidate to have failed an examination if the candidate:
•has achieved a mark of 39% or less and has not subsequently retaken and passed the examination •has deferred entry to the examination (whether authorised or not - see regulation 8.3) and has not taken the examination by the time that the School Board classifies the candidate for Honours •has withdrawn from the examination without authorisation (see regulation 8.1) •has, without good cause, failed to submit course work for a course examined solely by course work (= Non-submission without good cause - fail) •has been absent without good cause from the examination (= Absent without good cause - fail) and has not subsequently retaken and passed the examination •has had his/her permission to enter the examination withdrawn because of failure to meet the attendance and course work requirements of the course.
9.2 Open option courses and degree classification
9.2.1 Definition of an open option course
An open option course is a course in a subject or language other than the subject(s) or language(s) named in the degree title, or other than prescribed in the syllabus for the degree for which the student is registered (see regulation 22).
8
119 9.2.2 Consideration of open option courses in classification for Honours
The School Board will give equal weight to open option courses when classifying for Honours.
9.3 Two-subject degrees and degree classification
The School Board will give equal weight to courses in each of the two subjects of a two- subject degree.
9.4 Marks for courses passed after re-assessment
Marks for courses passed after re-assessment will be credited to the year of study in which the course was followed and not the year of study in which the examination was retaken, unless the student has repeated the course, in which case the mark will be credited to the year in which the course is repeated and the examination retaken. See regulation 6.15 for the capping of marks for courses passed after re-assessment.
9.5 Candidates who have undertaken an Erasmus year away from the School
Candidates will receive credit for a successfully completed Erasmus year spent away from the School. This credit will take the form of course units graded at Pass, which will count towards the degree requirement. The School Board will not consider the actual marks awarded by the Erasmus institution when classifying for Honours. The School Board may take into account the content of the courses studied at the Erasmus institution when determining the title of degree to be awarded.
Candidates who have undertaken an Erasmus year as Year 2 of a three-year degree will be classified for Honours solely on the basis of their results in Year 3: the School Board will have regard to both the profile and the average of marks in this year.
Section 10 Sources of help additional to this guide
The School Board of Examiners is the body that determines the classification of degrees at its annual meeting in June/July. It will have regard to the guidelines set out in this guide, but retains the discretion in exceptional circumstances to calculate degree classification on profiles other than those set out in this guide. It follows that no individual member of staff can promise that any particular class of degree will be awarded, or predict the outcome of the meeting of the School Board with any greater certainty than is provided by these published guidelines.
There are, however, several members of staff who are ready to give advice in understanding this guide, and help in working out how its provisions might apply in individual cases. These include the Undergraduate Tutors in each Department, Faculty Office staff, Heads of Departments or sections, the relevant Associate Dean in the Faculty, and the examinations staff in the Registry.
Section 11 Worked examples of degree classification
Note: course titles are for illustrative purposes only and do not necessarily represent courses actually available. 9
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EXAMPLE A
Student registered for the degree of BA Law and Social Anthropology (3 years)
SUMMARY: A First is indicated by the primary rule. Some reduction by the secondary rule because of Third class units still leaves enough units for a First overall.
Mark Degree equivalent Year 1
Introduction to European law 59% P Legal systems of Asia and Africa 46% P Introduction to social anthropology 64% P Voice and place 70% P
Year 2
Ethnic minorities and the law 68% IIi Theory in anthropology 70% I Ethnography of a selected region: South Asia 72% I Urdu language 1 49% III
Year 3
Law and society in South Asia 70% I Family law 74% I The anthropology of African and Asian communities in British society (half unit) 72% I The anthropology of gender (half unit) 70% I Urdu language 2 47% III
The total of units for all three years is 12, which comfortably meets the requirements of section 4 Number of course units required for an Honours degree. Note the two open option units (see section 10.2) in Urdu. These are included in the total and carry the same weight when classifying for Honours as units that form part of the degree title.
The Year 1 results are disregarded. (Note that they do not have a degree equivalent for the mark, but are Pass or Fail.) Taking the marks in the highest class, the pattern of Firsts in Year 2 and 3 is:
Pre-final year Final year Total 2 3 5
Note the adding together of the two half units in Year 3.
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Turning to Section 7 The primary rule, the pattern there that is closest to this example is:
Pre-final year Final year Total 2 2 4.
The total in the example exceeds this pattern, and the degree class indicated by the primary rule is a First.
Turning now to the secondary rule, there are two units in class x-2, namely the two Urdu units.
The first unit in class x-2 is disregarded. Because of the subsequent unit in class x-2, one of the First class units must be deemed to be reduced to Upper Second. The unit chosen to be reduced should be the one least disadvantageous to the candidate. In this example, it will not make any difference if the unit chosen is in Year 2 or Year 3.
If a unit in Year 2 is reduced, the profile comes out as
Pre-final year Final year Total 1 3 4.
If a unit in Year 3 is reduced, the profile comes out as
Pre-final year Final year Total 2 2 4.
Running either of the two amended profiles through the primary rule matches a pattern in Section 7, indicating a First.
EXAMPLE B
Student registered for the degree of BA Chinese (4 years)
SUMMARY: A very mixed profile of marks results in an indicated Upper Second by the primary rule. However, marks in class x-2 and two fails reduce the classification under the secondary rule and the final likely outcome is IIii.
Mark Degree equivalent
Year 1
Elementary Chinese I 53% P Elementary Chinese II 57% P Elementary Chinese oral (half unit) 42% P First course in classical Chinese (half unit) 61% P History and culture of China 47% P
11
122 Year 2 (spent at Beijing Normal University)
Baokan (Newspaper Chinese) 49% III Modern Chinese language 62% IIi Classical Chinese (half unit) 67% IIi Chinese oral (half unit) 64% IIi Modern literary texts (half unit) 60% IIi Special project in Sinology (half unit) 68% IIi
Year 3
Early historical writing (half unit) 41% III Early philosophical writing (half unit) 63% IIi Classical poetry and belles lettres (half unit) 68% IIi Ming literature (half unit) 47% III Translation into Chinese III (half unit) 40% III Composition in Chinese (half unit) 44% III Music of East Asia Examination deferred
Year 4
Classical philosophy (half unit) Absent without good cause - fail Classical fiction (half unit) 62% IIi Classical prose (half unit) 47% III Qing literature (half unit) 44% III Elementary Cantonese (half unit) 60% IIi Essay on an approved topic in Sinology (half unit) Non-submission without good cause - fail History of Chinese religion in Imperial times 70% I
The total of units passed is 14. For one unit in Year 3 the examination was deferred but not taken by the end of the degree registration. In Year 4, the candidate was absent without good cause from one examination, and, again without good cause, failed to submit the course work for a course examined solely by essay. These results count as fails for classification purposes (section 10.1). The resulting total still satisfies the requirement of section 4 Number of course units required for an Honours degree. Note that the units taken in Beijing and the open option units (in music and in study of religion) count equally towards the degree.
The total of units passed in years other than Year 1 is: First 1 IIi 5 IIii 0 III 4.
12
123 The total of units at IIi or better is 6. These are divided in the example:
Years 2 and 3 Final year Total 4 2 6.
This matches a profile under the primary rule, and the indicated degree class by the primary rule is IIi.
Turning now to the secondary rule, there are courses totalling six units in the qualifying years at class x-2 (courses totalling two units that are Fails under 10.1, and courses totalling four units at III). The first two units at class x-2 are disregarded under the secondary rule. A third unit at class x-2 is compensated for by the unit at I in Year 4. This leaves three units worth at class x-2. These reduce the total at IIi to three units. There is no profile under the primary rule based on a total of three units in a class. The amended profile must therefore be run through the primary rule again.
After the deemed reduction, the profile is First 1 IIi 2 IIii 3 III 4.
Taking the units at IIii or better, they are divided
Years 2 and 3 Final year Total
4 2 6.
This matches a profile under the primary rule and the likely degree class is IIii.
EXAMPLE C
Student registered for the degree of BA History of Art/Archaeology and Study of Religions (3 years)
SUMMARY: The total units passed do not reach the minimum required for an Honours degree and a Pass degree is offered to the candidate.
Mark Degree equivalent
Year 1
Introduction to the art and archaeology of Africa (half unit) 40% P Introduction to the art and archaeology of East Asia (half unit) 41% P Theory and method in the study of Asian and African art 42% P Approaches to the study of religion 44% P Introduction to Buddhism 39% F
13
124 Year 2
Architecture of the Himalayas and Tibet Examination deferred Buddhist scriptures 52% IIii East Asian religions 44% III Tibetan studies I 54% IIii
Year 3
History of Chinese art 61% IIi Selected sites in Asian and African art 47% III Independent study project in the study of religions 50% IIii Tibetan studies II Examination entry denied: failed Fail to meet class attendance and course work requirement
The total number of units passed is 9. A course was failed in Year 1 with 39%, and the candidate did not retake the examination, although this could have been done in either September or May/June following the failure. In Year 2, an examination was deferred but was not taken by the end of the degree course. This counts as a fail, as does the course in Year 3 for which the candidate’s permission to take the examination was withdrawn because of failure to meet the class attendance and course work requirements of the course.
This profile does not meet the minimum requirement of section 4 for an Honours degree. Under the provisions of section 5, a Pass degree will be offered to the candidate. Note that under this regulation the classes of the courses passed are not considered, and cannot provide compensation.
Under regulation 13.3, the candidate may either accept the Pass degree which is offered, or apply for postponement of classification, taking the deferred examination in Architecture of the Himalayas and Tibet in the May/June of the year following the end of the degree course, to try for an Honours degree. The examination for Tibetan studies II may not be taken without re-attending the course satisfactorily.
EXAMPLE D
Student registered for the degree of BSc Economics - direct entry to Year 2.
SUMMARY: A candidate who transferred from another university is classified on the basis of the units passed while registered at SOAS. A consistent performance results in a very good Upper Second, which just misses being a First.
14
125 Mark Degree equivalent
Year 1 There are no Year 1 marks. On admission to the School, the candidate receives exemption from courses and examinations to the value of four course units and enters direct into Year 2 (see section 4).
Year 2
Ec B1 Intermediate economic analysis 68% IIi Ec B2 Econometrics 64% IIi Ec B3 Economics of developing countries I 72% I Ec B7 History of economic ideas 70% I
Year 3
Ec C1 Advanced economic analysis 62% IIi Ec C3 Economic development of Africa 65% IIi Ec C11 Economics of developing countries II 72% I Ec B5 Agriculture and economic development 67% IIi
The candidate has passed all eight units and meets the requirement of the part of section 4 dealing with second year entrants.
All eight units are passed at IIi or above, and the primary rule indicates a IIi overall. The candidate has three units at First Class, which is one short of a possible First overall.
There are no units with a marks in the range 0% to 49% to be considered under the secondary rule. The result reached by the primary rule is therefore confirmed and the indicated result is IIi.
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School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London)
Degree regulations for LLB students at the School of Oriental and African Studies
Published by the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London)
July 2011
i 127 Degree regulations for LLB students at the School of Oriental and African Studies
Contents
1 Entrance requirements
1.1 General entrance requirements 1.2 Year 2 entry
2 Course of study
2.1 General requirements 2.2 Requirement to undertake all elements of assessment and examination
3 Time limit for completion of degree requirement
4 Attendance and course work requirements (for students admitted to the School before September 2010)
4.1 Normal expectation of attendance and course work submission 4.2 Attendance and course work requirements 4.3 Attendance requirement for courses taken at other Colleges of the University of London 4.4 Students who fail to meet the attendance and course work requirements 4.5 Determination of good cause
5 Class attendance requirements (for students admitted to the School in and after September 2010)
5.1 Normal expectation of class attendance 5.2 Attendance requirements 5.3 Attendance and other requirements for students repeating a course 5.4 Attendance requirement for courses taken at other Colleges of the University of London 5.5 Students who fail to meet the attendance requirements 5.6 Determination of good cause
6 Deadlines for submission of coursework
6.1 School deadline 6.2 Penalty scheme for late submission
7 Examinations and assessments - general
7.1 Nature of examination 7.2 Dates of examination 7.3 Examination entry 7.4 Examination withdrawal 7.5 Examination deferral 7.6 Examination absence 7.7 Number of permitted examination re-entries 7.8 Eligibility to enter for an examination
ii 128 7.9 Examination marking scheme 7.10 Marking of over-length course work
8 The Intermediate examination
8.1 General 8.2 Subjects for the Intermediate examination 8.3 Exemption from the Intermediate examination 8.4 Deferral of the Intermediate examination from May/June to September 8.5 Requirement to pass in all four subjects 8.6 Progression to Part I 8.7 Students who are ineligible to progress to Part I
9 Final Part I examination
9.1 General 9.2 Subjects for students admitted to Year 1 of the LLB 9.3 Subjects for students admitted direct to Year 2 of the LLB 9.4 Deferral of the Part I examination from May/June to September 9.5 Requirement to pass in all four subjects 9.6 Progression to Part II 9.7 Students who are ineligible to progress to Part II
10 Final Part II examination
10.1 General 10.2 Subjects for Part II 10.3 Requirement to pass in all four subjects; candidates who are ineligible for the award of a degree 10.4 Special requirements for Part II
11 Degree classification
12 Aegrotat regulation
13 Plagiarism
14 Course sign up
15 Application for change of degree registration
16 Special Assessments Panel
16.1 General 16.2 Absence through short-term illness, accident or short-term good cause 16.3 Students with long-term disabilities, long-term health problems or long-term good cause
17 Suspension of regulations
iii 129
Appendix 1: Options which may be available to candidates who fail some or all of their examinations
1 Candidates who enter for the Intermediate or Part I examination for the first time in May/June
1.1 Candidates who fail in one subject 1.2 Candidates who fail in more than one subject
2 Candidates who enter for the Intermediate or Part I examination for the first time in September under regulation 8.4 or 9.4
2.1 Candidates who fail in one subject 2.2 Candidates who fail in more than one subject
3 Candidates who re-enter for the Intermediate or Part I examination in May/June
3.1 Candidates who fail in one subject 3.2 Candidates who fail in more than one subject
4 Candidates who re-enter for the Intermediate or Part I examination in September
4.1 Candidates who fail in one subject 4.2 Candidates who fail in more than one subject
5 Candidates who enter or re-enter for the Part II examination in May/June
5.1 Candidates who fail in one subject 5.2 Candidates who fail in more than one subject
List of options
iv 130 July 2011
Degree regulations for LLB students at the School of Oriental and African Studies
1 ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS
1.1 General entrance requirements
Before admission to the course of study for the LLB as internal students of the School of Oriental and African Studies, students must satisfy the requirements of the Regulations for students of the School of Oriental and African Studies.
1.2 Year 2 entry
Students may be admitted to the second year of study, and may be exempted from specified parts of the syllabus by permission of the relevant Associate Dean, who will report to the Head of Registry any such exemptions granted.
2 COURSE OF STUDY
2.1 General requirements
Subject to regulation 1.2, the degree course normally extends over three consecutive academic years of full-time study. Students must follow the prescribed courses of study in each year of the degree.
2.2 Requirement to undertake all elements of assessment and examination (for students admitted to the School in and after September 2010)
Students following a course for an LLB degree must undertake all elements of assessment and examination prescribed for that course. Therefore (unless prevented by illness or other adequate cause for which certification must be provided) students must undertake each element of assessment and examination prescribed for the course, and must submit sufficient work to enable them to be assessed or examined.
3 TIME LIMIT FOR COMPLETION OF DEGREE REQUIREMENT
For students admitted to the School in and after September 2006:
3.1 Students admitted to Year 1 of the LLB degree course must complete their degree requirement within no more than five academic years from the date of their first registration at the School for an undergraduate degree course. Students admitted to Year 2 of the LLB degree course must complete their degree requirement within no more than four academic years from the date of their first registration at the School for an undergraduate degree course.
3.2 Students who fail to complete their degree requirement within the relevant time limit will be ineligible for the award of their degree.
1 131
3.3 Note to the regulation: the overall period of four or five years as appropriate dates from the student’s first entry to the School for an undergraduate degree course. The overall period includes periods of leave of absence, repeat periods of study, deferral of assessments (including deferral of final year assessments) and postponement of degree classification. It also includes internal transfers to the LLB from a different degree at the School: in other words, the time limit is from the start of the original degree course, not the start of the LLB degree course to which the student has transferred.
4 ATTENDANCE AND COURSE WORK REQUIREMENTS – for students admitted to the School before September 2010
4.1 Normal expectation of attendance and course work submission
In order to benefit fully from their courses, students are expected to attend all relevant and/or required classes, which include, as appropriate to the course, lectures, tutorials, seminars, and practical sessions. They are also expected to submit fully and promptly all required course work.
4.2 Attendance and course work requirements
To satisfy the requirements of regulation 4.1, a student, unless absent for good cause (see regulation 4.5), must satisfy the attendance and course work requirements specified for each course, which will be published.
4.3 Attendance requirement for courses taken at other Colleges of the University of London
Students taking courses at other Colleges of the University of London must comply with the attendance requirement of the College concerned.
4.4 Students who fail to meet the attendance and course work requirements
The Head of Department of Law will inform the Head of Registry of the names of students who fail to meet the attendance and course work requirements of regulation 4.2. The relevant Associate Dean will review each case, and will decide what further action should be taken. The School may withdraw permission to take examinations or terminate the degree courses of students who persistently fail to meet the attendance and course work requirements. 4.5 Determination of good cause
For the purpose of regulations 4.1, 4.2 and 4.4, the Head of Department of Law will determine whether a student's failure to meet the attendance and course work requirements was for good cause. Certification will be required if the claim for good cause rests on medical grounds or other circumstances for which certification can appropriately be provided.
2 132 5 CLASS ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS - for students admitted to the School in and after September 2010
5.1 Normal expectation of class attendance
In order to benefit fully from their courses, students are expected to attend all relevant and/or required classes, which include, as appropriate to the course, lectures, tutorials, seminars, and practical sessions.
5.2 Attendance requirements
To satisfy the requirements of 5.1, a student, unless absent for good cause (see 5.5), must satisfy the class attendance requirements specified for each course, which will be published.
5.3 Attendance and other requirements for students repeating a course
Students who have applied for and have been given permission to repeat (= re-attend) a course must meet the normal class attendance requirements for the course, and must submit fully and promptly all required coursework, and must undertake all forms of assessment for the course, as if taking the course for the first time. This includes undertaking assessment in elements even if the mark previously obtained in that element was 40% or more.
5.4 Attendance requirements for courses taken at other Colleges of the University of London
Students taking courses at other Colleges of the University of London must comply with the attendance requirements of the course and College concerned.
5.5 Students who fail to meet the attendance requirements
The Head of the Department of Law will inform the Head of Registry of the names of students who, after reasonable warning, fail to meet the attendance requirements of regulation 5.2. The Associate Dean will review each case, and will decide what further action should be taken. The School may withdraw permission to take examinations or terminate the programme of students who persistently fail to meet the attendance requirements.
5.6 Determination of good cause
The Head of the Department of Law will determine whether a student’s failure to meet the class attendance requirements of regulation 5.2 was for good cause. Certification will be required if the claim for good cause rests on medical grounds or other circumstances for which certification can appropriately be provided.
3 133 6 DEADLINES FOR SUBMISSION OF COURSEWORK
6.1 School deadline
The School deadline for the submission of any coursework is 16.00 on the Friday immediately before the beginning of the May/June examination period of the academic year in which the course is taken. No marks will be awarded for any coursework submitted after this deadline.
6.2 Penalty scheme for late submission
Coursework which is submitted after the coursework deadline (but not after the School deadline – see regulation 6.1) will be marked, but the mark awarded will be reduced by the LLB Sub-Board of Examiners by 2 percentage points for each working day (i.e. Monday to Friday) that the work is late (i.e. submitted after 16.00 on the day in question). This reduction of marks will not apply if the LLB Sub-Board of Examiners determines that there is good cause for the late submission. Certification will be required if the claim for good cause rests on medical grounds or other circumstances for which certification can appropriately be provided. [Note: ‘Working day’ is any day Monday to Friday that the School is open, including such days in the vacations.]
7 EXAMINATIONS AND ASSESSMENTS - GENERAL
7.1 Nature of examination
Subject to regulation 1.2, the examination for the degree of LLB consists of an Intermediate examination taken at the end of the first year, and a Final examination in two parts, Part I taken at the end of the second year, and Part II at the end of the third year.
7.2 Dates of examinations
The Intermediate and Final Part I examinations are held twice in each year, in May/June and in September. Candidates entering for the first time for the Intermediate or Part I examination must enter for the May/June examination, unless they are given permission under regulation 6.4 or 7.4 to enter for the September examination instead. The Part II examination is held once in each year in May/June.
7.3 Examination entry
Candidates for examinations are required to enter for the examinations by application to the Head of Registry of the School in accordance with the regulations for students of the School of Oriental and African Studies.
7.4 Examination withdrawal
Candidates who have entered for an examination in accordance with regulation 7.3 may apply to withdraw from the examination by means of an examination withdrawal form. The application to withdraw must be approved by the Sub-Board of Examiners in Law, and the form must be submitted to the Head of Registry at least seven days before the start of the relevant examination period for the School (i.e. seven
4 134 days before the first scheduled examination session to be held in the School in May/June or September). A withdrawal in accordance with this procedure is recorded as an authorised withdrawal, and does not use up a right of examination entry or re- entry under regulation 7.7. A withdrawal which is not in accordance with this procedure (e.g. not approved by the Sub-Board, or submitted after the due date) is recorded as an unauthorised withdrawal and the examination result is ‘Absent without good cause - fail’. Such unauthorised withdrawal uses up one right of examination entry or re-entry under regulation 7.7.
7.5 Examination deferral
Candidates who have entered for an examination in accordance with regulation 7.3 may apply to defer their examination by means of an examination deferral form. The application to defer must be approved by the Sub-Board of Examiners in Law, and the form must be submitted to the Head of Registry at least seven days before the start of the relevant examination period for the School (i.e. seven days before the first scheduled examination session to be held in the School in May/June or September). This procedure applies to candidates who wish to defer their May/June examination until May/June of the following year, or to defer their September examination until May/June of the following year. Candidates in both categories will be ineligible to proceed to the next year of their degree, and must also apply for leave of absence for the intervening academic year.
The procedure for deferral of an Intermediate or Part I examination from May/June to September is set out in regulations 6.4 and 7.4.
A deferral that is approved in accordance with regulation 7.5, 8.4 or 9.4 is recorded as an authorised deferral, and does not use up a right of examination entry or re-entry under regulation 7.7. A deferral that is not in accordance with these regulations produces an examination result of ‘Absent without good cause - fail’. Such unauthorised deferral uses up one right of examination entry or re-entry under regulation 7.7.
The Sub-Board of Examiners in Law will not normally grant deferral of examinations more than once in a student’s degree course.
7.6 Examination absence
An examination result of ‘Absent without good cause - fail’ will be recorded for a candidate who has entered for an examination under regulation 7.3 but is absent from the relevant examination (for a course examined solely by course work the result will be ‘Not submitted - fail’ if the work is not submitted by the due date), and the candidate will use up one right of examination entry or re-entry under regulation 7.7. This provision will not apply if the candidate has been granted approved withdrawal under 7.4, approved deferral under 7.5, 8.4 or 9.4, or if the Sub-Board of Examiners in Law determines that the absence (or non-submission) was for good cause. In determining such good cause the Sub-Board will consider all the circumstances, including certification by an appropriately qualified person if the claim for good cause rests on medical grounds or other circumstances for which certification can appropriately be provided. A result of ‘Absent with good cause’ does not use up a right of entry or re-entry under regulation 7.7.
7.7 Number of permitted examination re-entries
5 135 Candidates who fail an examination at first entry may re-enter for that examination on not more than two occasions, subject to the provisions of regulations 3, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of these regulations.
7.8 Eligibility to enter for an examination
For students admitted to the School before September 2010. To be eligible to enter for an examination, candidates must have satisfied the attendance and coursework requirements for the course to be examined as stipulated in regulation 4. Students who fail to meet the requirements of regulation 4 may have their permission to enter for the examination withdrawn.
For students admitted to the School in and after September 2010. To be eligible to enter for and take an unseen written examination for a course, students must have satisfied the attendance requirements of regulation 5. Students who fail to meet the attendance requirements of regulation 5 may have their permission to enter for the examination withdrawn. To be eligible to enter for and take an unseen written examination for a course, students must also have undertaken each element of assessment and submitted all coursework prescribed for the course, and must have submitted sufficient work to enable them to be assessed (see regulation 2.2). Students who have failed to comply with the requirement of regulation 2.2 may have their permission to enter for the examination withdrawn.
7.9 Examination marking scheme
The marks awarded for courses are as follows
Mark (%) Degree equivalent Pass/Fail
70 to 100 First Class Honours Pass 60 to 69 Second Class Honours (Upper Division) Pass 50 to 59 Second Class Honours (Lower Division) Pass 45 to 49 Third Class Honours Pass 40 to 44 Pass below Honours Pass 0 to 39 Fail Fail
7.10 Marking of over-length coursework
The marking of over-length coursework for LLB courses is subject to the relevant provisions of BA/BSc regulation 6.19.
8 THE INTERMEDIATE EXAMINATION
8.1 General
The course of study for the Intermediate examination extends over one academic year and one three-hour paper will be set in each of the subjects of the examination. In all examinations examiners may take course work into account.
8.2 Subjects for the Intermediate examination
The subjects and courses of study for the Intermediate examination are:
Introduction to law and legal processes
6 136 Legal systems of Asia and Africa Law of obligations I Criminal law.
8.3 Exemption from the Intermediate examination
Students who have been admitted to Year 2 of the LLB under regulation 1.2 may be exempted from the Intermediate examination if they have passed the Intermediate examination for the degree of LLB for external students of the University of London.
8.4 Deferral of the Intermediate examination from May/June to September
Candidates who have entered to take the Intermediate examination in May/June will not normally be allowed to defer entry to the examination to September. However, in exceptional circumstances candidates who have entered for the Intermediate examination in May/June may be granted special permission by the Sub- Board of Examiners in Law to withdraw their entry to the examinations for all four subjects and to enter for the whole examination in the September immediately following if the Sub-Board determines that such postponement should be granted for good cause. In determining such good cause the Sub-Board will consider all the circumstances, including certification by an appropriately qualified person if the claim for good cause rests on medical grounds or other circumstances for which certification can appropriately be provided.
The Sub-Board of Examiners in Law will not normally grant deferral of examinations more than once in a student’s degree course.
For other examination deferral, see regulation 7.5.
8.5 Requirement to pass in all four subjects
Candidates who enter for the Intermediate examination must pass in all four subjects in order to pass the examination.
8.6 Progression to Part I
Students will not be permitted to commence the course for Part I of the Final LLB examination until they have completed the whole of the Intermediate examination including passing any examination for which they have re-entered.
8.7 Students who are ineligible to progress to Part I
Students who are ineligible to progress to Part I must apply to the Head of Registry on the appropriate form by the due date for one of the options for which they are eligible as set out in Appendix 1 to these regulations. Students will be deemed to have withdrawn permanently from the School if they are ineligible to proceed to Part I and have not applied to the Head of Registry on the appropriate form by the due date for one of the options for which they are eligible.
7 137 9 FINAL PART I EXAMINATION
9.1 General
The course of study for the Final Part I examination extends over one academic year and will normally be followed in the academic year after that in which the candidate completes the Intermediate examination. One three-hour paper will be set in each of the subjects of the examination. In all examinations examiners may take course work into account.
9.2 Subjects for students admitted to Year 1 of the LLB
The subjects and courses of study for the Part I examination for students who had been admitted to Year 1 of the LLB are:
Public law Law of obligations II and two subjects selected with the permission of the School from the list set out in Regulation 8.2 below, other than those restricted to Part II students.
9.3 Subjects for students admitted direct to Year 2 of the LLB
For students who are admitted direct to Year 2 of the LLB under Regulation 1.2, the subjects and courses of study for the Part I examination are:
Legal systems of Asia and Africa Public law Law of obligations II and one other subject selected with the permission of the School from the list set out in Regulation 8.2 below, other than those restricted to Part II students.
9.4 Deferral of the Part I examination from May/June to September
Candidates who have entered to take the Part I examination in May/June will not normally be allowed to defer entry to the examination to September. However, in exceptional circumstances candidates who have entered for the Part I examination in May/June may be granted special permission by the Sub-Board of Examiners in Law to withdraw their entry to the examinations for all four subjects and to enter for the whole examination in the September immediately following if the Sub- Board determines that such postponement should be granted for good cause. In determining such good cause the Sub-Board will consider all the circumstances, including certification by an appropriately qualified person if the claim for good cause rests on medical grounds or other circumstances for which certification can appropriately be provided.
The Sub-Board of Examiners in Law will not normally grant deferral of examinations more than once in a student’s degree course.
For other examination deferral, see regulation 7.5.
9.5 Requirement to pass in all four subjects
8 138 Candidates who enter for the Part I examination must pass in all four subjects in order to pass the examination.
9.6 Progression to Part II
Students will not be permitted to commence the course for Part II of the Final LLB examination until they have completed the whole of the Part I examination including passing any examination for which they have re-entered.
9.7 Students who are ineligible to progress to Part II
Students who are ineligible to progress to Part II must apply to the Head of Registry on the appropriate form by the due date for one of the options for which they are eligible as set out in Appendix 1 to these regulations. Students will be deemed to have withdrawn permanently from the School if they are ineligible to proceed to Part II and have not applied to the Head of Registry on the appropriate form by the due date for one of the options for which they are eligible.
10 FINAL PART II EXAMINATION
10.1 General
The course of study for the Final Part II examination extends over one academic year and will normally be followed in the academic year after that in which candidates complete the Part I examination. One three-hour paper will be set in each of the subjects of the examination except in An independent study project on a selected legal topic, which is examinable by essay and oral examination. In all LLB subjects examined by one three-hour paper, examiners may take course work into account. Some non-Law course units are examined by other means.
10.2 Subjects for Part II
The subjects and courses of study for the Part II examination are four approved SOAS Law courses which may include the following (but exclude those already taken for the Part I examination):
Law of property Family law Comparative commercial law Comparative company law * Equity * Conflict of laws * Public international law with special reference to Asia and Africa * Law and development * Comparative legal theory with special reference to Asia and Africa * Ethnic minorities and the law * Law and society in Africa Law and society in South Asia Law and society in South East Asia Chinese law Hindu law Islamic law Human rights
9 139 An independent study project on a selected legal topic approved by the Head of Department *
Any other Part II LLB subject offered at another College of the University of London, at the discretion of the Head of Department and with the permission of the other College, provided that arrangements for attendance at the course and for examination can be made, and provided that a subject taken at any School of the University which is deemed by the Head of Department to overlap with a subject taken in an examination under these regulations, whether the former is taken before or after the latter, will not be counted as fulfilling the requirements of these LLB regulations. *
A non-law course (or courses) of one course unit value at the School, normally of equivalent level to the subjects listed above, and subject to the approval of the Head of Department *
* Courses marked with an asterisk are available only to Part II (final year) students.
10.3 Requirement to pass in all four subjects; candidates who are ineligible for the award of a degree
Candidates entering for the Part II examination must pass on one occasion in all subjects selected in order to pass the examination. Candidates who fail in one or more subjects in the Part II examination will therefore be ineligible for the award of the LLB degree. If they wish to complete their degree requirement, they must apply to the Head of Registry on the appropriate form by the due date for one of the options for which they are eligible as set out in Appendix 1 to these regulations.
10.4 Special requirements for Part II
10.4.1 A candidate may not take in the Part II examination a subject that he has previously taken in the Part I examination.
10.4.2 A candidate offering An independent study project on a selected legal topic will be required to take an oral examination after submission of the independent study project; questions put in the oral examination may extend to the wider background aspects of the topic.
10.4.3 A candidate offering An independent study project on a selected legal topic may be permitted by the Sub Board of Examiners for Law to offer the same Independent study project at a subsequent LLB examination.
11 DEGREE CLASSIFICATION
The Sub-Board of Examiners for Law will meet on one occasion each year to recommend the degree classification of LLB candidates, and will have regard to the document entitled Guide to the scheme for the classification for Honours of LLB students at the School of Oriental and African Studies. Candidates will be classified according to the edition of the Guide approved at the time they started their degree course at the School. Classification for Honours will be based upon the
10 140 candidate's performance at Part I and Part II of the Final examination; the Intermediate examination is a Pass examination only. In all examinations examiners may take course work into account.
Successful candidates at the Final examination are awarded either (a) First Class Honours, or (b) Second Class Honours, or (c) Third Class Honours, or (d) a Pass Degree. The Second Class Honours List will be divided into an Upper and Lower Division.
12 AEGROTAT REGULATION
The aegrotat regulations for BA and BSc students also apply to LLB students as set out in the relevant regulation for BA and BSc students registering at the School of Oriental and African Studies.
13 PLAGIARISM
Students are reminded that all work submitted as part of the requirement for any examination of the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) must be expressed in their own words and incorporate their own ideas and judgements. Plagiarism - that is, the presentation of another person's thoughts or words as though they were the student’s own – must be avoided. Direct quotations from the published or unpublished work of others must always be clearly identified as such by being placed inside quotation marks, and a full reference to their source must be provided in proper form. A series of short quotations from several different sources, if not clearly identified as such, constitutes plagiarism just as much as does a single unacknowledged long quotation from a single source. Equally if students summarise another persons' ideas and judgements, they must refer to that person in their text as the source of the ideas and judgements, and include the work referred to in their bibliography. Failure to observe these rules may result in an allegation of cheating. Students should therefore consult their tutor or supervisor if they are in any doubt about what is permissible.
Where students draw on their own previous written work, whether submitted as coursework for their current degree, or for a previous degree or qualification, this must be clearly stated. Coursework essays submitted for one course may not be used for another course without acknowledgement and prior approval.
Plagiarism is an examination offence.
14 COURSE SIGN UP
Returning students must sign up for their course choices for the following year online at the SOAS website no later than the end of the second week of Term 3 of the previous academic year.
If the course choices are approved by the School, they will be pre-printed on the course sign up form which will be supplied to each student at enrolment. All students (both new and returning) must follow the instructions for completing their course sign up form and submit the completed form to their Faculty Office no later than the last day of teaching week 1 of Term 1.
11 141
Changes of course after the end of teaching week 1 of Term 1 (except for changes of courses that start in Term 2) will be granted only in exceptional cases, and such late applications must be made by students via the Head of the Department of Law to the Associate Dean of their Faculty. The Associate Dean will report any changes so approved to the Head of Registry.
Students who wish to change their choice of courses that start in Term 2 must collect their course sign up form, which has already been submitted to the Registry, and must obtain authorisation for the change of course no later than the end of week 1 of Term 2. This authorisation must take the form of an amendment to the student’s course sign up form, which must be signed by the Undergraduate Tutor in Department of Law. The amended course sign up form must then be returned to the Registry.
15 APPLICATION FOR CHANGE OF DEGREE REGISTRATION
Students who wish to apply for a change of degree registration relating to the current academic year must submit to the Registry a duly completed degree transfer application form no later than the last day of teaching week 1 of Term 1. Applications for a change of degree registration after this time will be considered only in exceptional cases, and such late applications must be made by students via the Head of the Department of Law to the Associate Deans of the relevant Faculties. The Associate Deans will report any changes so approved to the Head of Registry.
16 SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS PANEL
16.1 General
Students may apply to the Special Assessments Panel (SAP). Applications must be made in writing via the Examinations and Assessments Manager. The deadlines for submissions are set out in this regulation and in the document Procedure for the consideration of special assessment arrangements, copies of which may be obtained from the Examinations and Assessments Manager. If the application is made on medical grounds, it must be supported by a medical certificate and/or statement(s) from suitably qualified practitioner(s).
16.2 Absence because of short-term illness, accident or short-term good cause
Students may apply to the SAP if they are prevented from attending any examination or from submitting coursework for a course assessed solely by coursework, if the cause is short-term illness, accident, or other short-term good cause acceptable to the SAP. All applications must state the course for which a candidate is applying for special assessment arrangements and be accompanied by supporting documentation such as a medical certificate. The deadline for applications to be received is the Friday immediately following the last examination held in the relevant examination period (May/June or September).
12 142 Students are not eligible to apply to the SAP if they are absent from an examination without good cause, or if they fail without good cause to submit coursework for a course assessed solely by coursework.
Students are not eligible to apply to the SAP if they attended an examination or submitted coursework for a course assessed solely by coursework, but are dissatisfied with their performance. If there were extenuating circumstances which students consider affected their performance, they should supply details to the Examinations and Assessments Manager by the appropriate deadline.
16.3 Students with long-term disabilities, long-term health problems or long-term good cause
Students may apply to the SAP for special assessment arrangements on grounds of long-term disabilities, long-term health problems, or long-term good cause acceptable to the SAP. The application must be made in writing to the Examinations and Assessments Manager at least three months before the beginning of the relevant examination period. All applications must be accompanied by supporting evidence such as a medical certificate or up to date statement(s) from suitably qualified practitioners. Application must be made each year.
17 SUSPENSION OF REGULATIONS
Applications for suspension of these regulations may be approved by the Associate Dean (Law and Social Sciences). If suspension is approved, the case will be reported in anonymous form to the next meeting of the Faculty Learning and Teaching Committee (Law and Social Sciences).
13 143 Published July 2011
Appendix 1 to LLB regulations
Options which may be available to candidates who fail some or all of their examinations
Note: This appendix has regulatory force, and forms part of the Degree regulations for LLB students. On the availability of options, see the note to the list of options on p.4.
1 Candidates who enter for the Intermediate or Part I examination for the first time in May/June
1.1 Candidates who fail in one subject
1.1.1 Candidates who are eligible to re-enter for one subject
Candidates may re-enter for the examination in one subject if either:
(a) their overall mark for that subject is in the range of 35% to 39%; or
(b) they did not attend the May/June examination for that subject and the Sub- Board of Examiners determines that the absence from the examination was for good cause, and in determining such good cause the Sub-Board will consider all the circumstances, including certification by an appropriately qualified person if the claim for good cause rests on medical grounds or other circumstances for which certification can appropriately be provided.
Options available: a, b, c
Notes: Options b and c - the School will not normally grant periods of leave of absence exceeding two years in total . See also LLB regulation 3. For details of the options, see p.4 of this Appendix.
1.1.2 Candidates who are not eligible to re-enter for one subject
Options available: d, e, f, g
Notes: Options d and g - the School will not normally grant periods of leave of absence exceeding two years in total . See also LLB regulation 3. For details of the options, see p.4 of this Appendix.
1.2 Candidates who fail in more than one subject
Options available: d, e, f, g
Notes: Options d and g - the School will not normally grant periods of leave of absence exceeding two years in total. See also LLB regulation 3. Option f - this option is not available to candidates who were absent without good cause from some or all of the corresponding May/June examinations. For details of the options, see p.4 of this Appendix.
Appendix 1 p. 1 144
Appendix 1 to LLB regulations (continued
2 Candidates who enter for the Intermediate or Part I examination for the first time in September under regulation 8.4 or 9.4
2.1 Candidates who fail in one subject
2.1.1 Candidates who are eligible to re-enter for one subject
Candidates may re-enter for the examination in one subject if either :
(a) their overall mark for that subject is in the range of 35% to 39%; or
(b) they did not attend the September examination for that subject and the Sub- Board of Examiners determines that the absence from the examination was for good cause, and in determining such good cause the Sub-Board will consider all the circumstances, including certification by an appropriately qualified person if the claim for good cause rests on medical grounds or other circumstances for which certification can appropriately be provided.
Options available: b, c
Notes: Options b and c - the School will not normally grant periods of leave of absence exceeding two years in total. See also LLB regulation 3.
For details of the options, see p.4 of this Appendix.
2.1.2 Candidates who are not eligible to re-enter for one subject
Options available: d, e, g
Notes: Options d and g - the School will not normally grant periods of leave of absence exceeding two years in total. See also LLB regulation 3. For details of the options, see p.4 of this Appendix.
2.2 Candidates who fail in more than one subject
Options available: d, e, g
Notes: Options d and g - the School will not normally grant periods of leave of absence exceeding two years in total. See also LLB regulation 3. For details of the options, see p.4 of this Appendix.
Appendix 1 p. 2 145 Appendix 1 to LLB regulations (continued
3 Candidates who re-enter for the Intermediate or Part I examination in May/June
3.1 Candidates who fail in one subject
Options available: d, e, f, g
Notes: Options d and g - the School will not normally grant periods of leave of absence exceeding two years in total. See also LLB regulation 3. Options d, e, f, or g may be chosen only if the candidate has a right of examination re-entry available under regulation 7.7.
For details of the options, see p.4 of this Appendix.
3.2 Candidates who fail in more than one subject
Options available: d, e, f, g
Notes: Options d and g - the School will not normally grant periods of leave of absence exceeding two years in total. See also LLB regulation 3. Options d, e, f, or g may be chosen only if the candidate has a right of examination re-entry available under regulation 7.7. Option f is not available to candidates who were absent without good cause from some or all of the corresponding May/June examinations. See regulations 7.4 and 7.6.
For details of the options, see p.4 of this Appendix.
4 Candidates who re-enter for the Intermediate or Part I examination in September
4.1 Candidates who fail in one subject
Options available: d, e, g
Notes: Options d and g - the School will not normally grant periods of leave of absence exceeding two years in total. See also LLB regulation 3. Options d, e or g may be chosen only if the candidate has a right of examination re-entry available under regulation 7.7. For details of the options, see p.4 of this Appendix.
4.2 Candidates who fail in more than one subject
Options available: d, e, g
Appendix 1 p. 3 146 Appendix 1 to LLB regulations (continued
Notes: Options d and g - the School will not normally grant periods of leave of absence exceeding two years in total. See also LLB regulation 3. Options d, e or g may be chosen only if the candidate has a right of examination re-entry available under regulation 7.7.
For details of the options, see p.4 of this Appendix.
5 Candidates who enter or re-enter for the Part II examination in May/June
5.1 Candidates who fail in one subject
Options available: e, h
Notes: Options e or h may be chosen only if the candidate has a right of examination re-entry available under regulation 7.7. See also LLB regulation 3. For details of the options, see below.
5.2 Candidates who fail in more than one subject
Options available: e, h
Notes: Options e or h may be chosen only if the candidate has a right of examination re-entry available under regulation 7.7. See also LLB regulation 3. For details of the options, see below.
************************************* List of options
(NOTE: The availability of some of these options may be subject to the provisions of LLB regulation 3: Time limit for completion of degree requirement.) a To repeat the examination in the one failed subject in the September immediately following. b To repeat the examination in the one failed subject in the May/June immediately following without re-attending classes, taking the intervening academic year as leave of absence. c To apply for enrolment as a part-time intermitting degree student to repeat the course for the one failed subject, followed by repeating the examination in the one failed subject in the May/June immediately following. d To apply for enrolment as a part time intermitting degree student to repeat one or two courses, followed by repeating the examination in all four subjects in the May/June immediately following.
Appendix 1 p. 4 147 e To apply to repeat the year of study as a full time student, followed by repeating the examination in all four subjects in the May/June immediately following. f To repeat the examination in all four subjects in the September immediately following. g To repeat the examination in all four subjects in the May/June immediately following without re-attending classes, taking the intervening academic year as leave of absence. h To repeat the examination in all four subjects in the May/June immediately following without re-attending classes.
Appendix 1 p. 5 148
Published by the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London)
July 2011
Guide to the scheme for the classification for Honours of LLB students at the School of Oriental and African Studies
1
149 CONTENTS
Section Page
1 Status of this guide 3 2 Definition of terms 3 3 Status of the LLB degree 3 4 Classes of degrees 3 5 Marking scheme for LLB courses 4 6 Number of LLB courses required for an LLB degree 4 7 Synopsis of the classification scheme 4 8 The aggregate of marks 5 9 The profile of marks 5
150 2. Guide to the scheme for the classification for Honours of LLB students at the School of Oriental and African Studies
Section 1 Status of this guide
The document sets out guidelines adopted by the School Board of Examiners and the Sub Board of Examiners for Law. These Boards will have regard to these guidelines when classifying for Honours, but retain the discretion in exceptional circumstances to calculate degree classifications on criteria other than those set out in this guide.
It follows that no individual member of staff can promise or undertake that any particular class of degree will be awarded, or predict the outcome of the meeting of the School Board with any greater certainty than is provided by these published guidelines. Any such purported promise or undertaking has no validity.
Section 2 Definition of terms
When used without qualification, the following terms used in this guide have the meanings set out below:
The School: The School of Oriental and African Studies The Board or the School Board: The School Board of Examiners of the School The Sub Board: The Sub Board of Examiners for Law LLB degree: The degree of LLB as taught and examined at the School of Oriental and African Studies.
Section 3 Status of the LLB degree
The LLB degree as taught and examined at the School of Oriental and African Studies is an Honours degree, and no student may enrol on or transfer to Pass degree registration. In certain circumstances set out in this Guide, however, the School Board may award a Pass degree.
Section 4 Classes of degrees
The School Board may award LLB degrees with one of the following classes
a) Honours degrees First class (I) Second class (upper division) (II i)
151
Second class (lower division) (II ii) Third class (III)
b) Pass degree Pass (Pass)
Section 5 Marking scheme for LLB courses
Marks for LLB courses are converted into degree class equivalents as follows:
70% to 100% First class Honours 60% to 69% Second class Honours (upper division) 50% to 59% Second class Honours (lower division) 45% to 49% Third class Honours 40% to 44% Pass below Honours 0 to 39% Fail.
Section 6 Number of LLB courses required for an LLB degree
To be eligible for the award of an LLB degree, a candidate must have passed in courses to the following value:
Candidates admitted to Year 1 of the LLB degree must pass in twelve courses as prescribed by the LLB regulations for the Intermediate, Part I and Part II examinations.
Candidates admitted direct to Year 2 of the LLB degree must pass in eight courses as prescribed by the LLB regulations for the Part I and Part II examinations.
Section 7 Synopsis of the classification scheme
The School Board of Examiners determines the class of degree to be awarded to each LLB student at the end of his or her degree, on the recommendation of the Sub Board of Examiners for Law.
The classification scheme is based on the aggregate of marks obtained in Part I and Part II courses (Years 2 and 3 of the degree). The marks for Intermediate courses (Year 1 of the degree) are not included when calculating the aggregate. In certain circumstances, the profile of marks is also considered.
Section 8 The aggregate of marks
A candidate will normally be awarded the class of degree which corresponds to the aggregate of his or her marks as follows:
Aggregate of marks Degree class in Part 1 and Part II
4
152
courses
560 to 800 First class 480 to 559 Second class (upper division) 400 to 479 Second class (lower division) 360 to 399 Third class 320 to 359 Pass.
Section 9 The profile of marks
In certain circumstances the Board may consider the profile of marks obtained in courses taken in Parts 1 and II (Years 2 and 3). Marks obtained in Intermediate courses (Year 1) will not be considered for this purpose. This section does not apply to candidates with 319 marks or less.
A candidate who does not achieve the aggregate for the award of a degree of class X, but is within 20 marks of the aggregate for class X, may nevertheless be recommended for the award of a degree of class X if
• he or she has passed at least four Part I or II courses at class X or better; and
• in the light of the overall performance the award of a degree of class X is merited.
In determining overall performance, the Board will give particular weight to performance in Part II (Year 3), and will also take into account the number of courses passed at class X - 2 or worse.
5
153 July 2011 School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London)
Code of practice: Undergraduate Independent study projects
CONTENTS
1 The code of practice itself: status; scope and definition; distribution and dissemination
1.1 Status 1.2 Scope and definition 1.3 Distribution and dissemination
2 Departmental arrangements for the administration of ISPs
2.1 The Undergraduate Tutor 2.2 Timetable and procedure for approval of ISP topic and title, and appointment of supervisor 2.3 Statement on ethics 2.4 Topic and scope of the ISP 2.5 Change to topic or scope
3 The ISP: definition and requirements
3.1 Definition 3.2 Length 3.3 Contact hours 3.4 Attendance at other classes 3.5 Drafts 3.6 Method of preparation and number of copies 3.7 Scholarly apparatus
4 Regulatory and syllabus requirements
4.1 Prerequisites 4.2 Year of study 4.3 Compulsory, recommended and optional ISPs 4.4 Entitlement to do an ISP 4.5 Permitted maximum number of ISPs 4.6 ISPs and two-subject degrees 4.7 ISPs as open option courses
5 ISPs which are part of the syllabus for a compulsory language year abroad
1
154 5.1 Timetable and procedure for approval of ISP topic and title, and appointment of supervisor - for ISPs supervised by a member of SOAS staff 5.2 Method of supervision for ISPs supervised by a member of SOAS staff 5.3 Procedure for ISPs supervised by a member of staff of a university abroad 5.4 Date and method of submission 5.5 ISPs and two-subject degrees
6 Submission of the ISP
6.1 Date of submission 6.2 Late submission 6.2.1 Submission after the Departmental ISP deadline but before the School deadline 6.2.2 Submission after the School deadline 6.3 Number of copies to be submitted, and plagiarism declaration 6.4 Member of staff to whom the ISP must be submitted
7 Examination
7.1 Drafts 7.2 Method of examination 7.3 Oral examination 7.4 Over-length ISPs 7.5 Notification of result 7.6 Return of ISP after examination 7.7 Feedback to students 7.8 Plagiarism and incorporation of earlier work (‘self plagiarism’)
Candidate’s declaration on plagiarism
****************************************
1 The code of practice itself: status; scope and definition; distribution and dissemination
1.1 Status
The School recommends that this code of practice be adopted by Heads of Departments and Chairs of Sub-Boards of Examiners. The code does not have the force of regulation (except where it quotes regulations), but it incorporates those features which the School has identified as best practice.
1.2 Scope and definition
This code sets out the minimum provisions. There may be departmental requirements in addition. An Independent study project (ISP) is defined as a one course unit value undergraduate course which is examined by one essay of
2
155 10,000 words. Some sections of the code also apply to half unit Extended essay courses, and to one course unit value courses assessed by several essays, such as Selected sites in Asian and African art and archaeology, and Literatures of the Near and Middle East.
1.3 Distribution and dissemination
This code of practice will be reproduced in the Undergraduate Handbook. Departmental variations from it and particular Departmental or subject requirements should be included in the Departmental handbook. The Undergraduate Tutor should ensure that students doing an ISP, their supervisor, and the visiting examiner are all made aware of the provisions of the code and Departmental variations from it.
2 Departmental arrangements for the administration of ISPs
2.1 The Undergraduate Tutor
The administration of ISPs within Departments is the responsibility of the Undergraduate Tutor, except for Departments in which there is a member of staff designated as ISP convenor. In the text of this code, ‘ISP convenor’ should be substituted for ‘Undergraduate Tutor’ where appropriate to the Department concerned.
2.2 Timetable and procedure for approval of ISP topic and title, and appointment of supervisor
Students are strongly advised to start their planning for an ISP in Term 2 of the preceding year, and should discuss their ideas at an early stage with their Undergraduate Tutor. There is very little time at the start of Term 1 for the necessary steps in the approval procedure to be carried out.
Students wishing to do an ISP must submit to the Undergraduate Tutor in the Department of the ISP a working title and a synopsis of 300 to 500 words of the proposed topic of the ISP. It must not be assumed that all proposals will be automatically approved. The Tutor should check that any necessary pre-requisite requirements have been met (see section 4.1). Where an ISP forms an optional part of the syllabus, there is no right for a student to do an ISP (see section 4.4).
If, after appropriate consultation, the Tutor approves the topic in outline, the Tutor will nominate a supervisor for the ISP. The supervisor will normally be from the Tutor’s own Department, although occasionally a supervisor from another Department may be more appropriate, subject to the agreement of the member of staff concerned and his or her Head of Department and Undergraduate Tutor.
The supervisor will then consider the title and synopsis in detail (see also section 2.3) and, if acceptable, approve them no later than the deadline for the submission of the course unit registration form (the last day of teaching week 2 of Term 1).
2.3 Statement on ethics
The supervisor must certify by signing the appropriate Faculty form that the ethical aspects of the research for the ISP have been considered, and that the
3
156 proposed research meets the requirements of the School’s Statement on Ethics, the latest version of which may be found on the SOAS website.
2.4 Topic and scope of the ISP
Supervisors should bear in mind that ISP topics should be chosen so as to enable students to complete them within the normal time, and submit them by the deadline for submission. Complex topics which need extra time for completion should not be approved.
Topics should not be approved which require a student to undertake fieldwork, unless fieldwork is already due to be undertaken as part of the degree course.
2.5 Change of topic or scope
Students who wish to change the topic or scope of the ISP must consult their supervisor, with whom approval of such a change rests. In approving such changes, supervisors should be satisfied that students will still be able to complete the ISP within the normal time and submit it by the deadline for submission. The supervisor should inform the Undergraduate Tutor of any substantial change of topic or scope.
3 The ISP: definition and requirements
3.1 Definition
An ISP is a one unit value course assessed by the submission of one essay of 10,000 words. The essay is on an approved topic of the student’s choice, and may be based on original field work, the critical analysis of documents and/or statistical materials, or may be an original synthesis of material derived from secondary sources.
3.2 Length
The length of an ISP should be 10,000 words or equivalent, including footnotes, but excluding captions, bibliography, and appendices of original source materials not written by the candidate. Supervisors should give advice to students at an early stage on word length equivalence where the subject matter demands it (if necessary after consultation with the Chair of the relevant Sub-Board of Examiners). Examples are ISPs including large amounts of mathematical or musical notation.
3.3 Contact hours
Students are normally allowed a maximum of 10 contact hours of individual supervision for an ISP, spread over the academic year. The actual number of contact hours for each ISP should be set out in the Departmental Handbook. In addition to individual supervision, there may be a requirement to attend other classes.
3.4 Attendance at other classes
The requirements for ISPs in some subjects may include attendance at classes to provide training in the design, preparation and writing of a research project. Failure to attend required classes without good cause may result in withdrawal of
4
157 permission to proceed further with the ISP. Supervisors may in addition require or advise their ISP students to participate in relevant courses.
3.5 Drafts
Supervisors may require submission of drafts in whole or part, and may stipulate a timetable for submission. Failure to submit drafts according to the timetable and without good cause may result in withdrawal of permission to proceed further with the ISP. Supervisors should not mark draft ISPs, either in part or in whole (see 7.1).
3.6 Method of preparation and number of copies
ISPs should normally be word-processed or typewritten. Two copies must be submitted.
3.7 Scholarly apparatus
ISPs should include a bibliography of works cited. They should follow the conventions of the appropriate discipline with respect to citations and style.
4 Regulatory and syllabus requirements
4.1 Prerequisites
Students who wish to undertake an ISP should check in good time with the Undergraduate Tutor in the relevant Department whether there are any prerequisite requirements. These may take the form of specified courses which must have been passed (sometimes with not less than a minimum mark), or may be a requirement that a certain number of courses should have already been passed in the subject of the ISP. Any such prerequisite requirements should be published in the relevant Departmental handbook. Undergraduate Tutors should check that any prerequisite requirements have been met before permitting a student to do an ISP (see section 2.2).
Prerequisite courses have no status in the regulations, and enforcement of prerequisites and exemption from them are matters which lie within Departmental jurisdiction. In cases of difficulty, the Undergraduate Tutor should be consulted and, if necessary, the Chair of the Sub-Board of Examiners.
4.2 Year of study
ISPs may be taken in a student’s penultimate or final year. Some ISPs are specific to a particular year of study (e.g. a compulsory language year abroad), and others are restricted to the final year. The Departmental Handbook should be consulted for details of such restrictions.
4.3 Compulsory, recommended and optional ISPs
In some degrees an ISP is compulsory (e.g. in BA History of Art and Archaeology (Asia, Africa) an ISP or Selected sites - an ISP type course - is compulsory in the final year, and an ISP is compulsory in some language years
5
158 abroad). In other degrees an ISP is recommended. In most degrees, an ISP is optional.
4.4 Entitlement to do an ISP
Students do not have a right to do an ISP, unless the ISP forms a compulsory part of the syllabus for their degree. The granting of permission to do an ISP is covered in the approval process (section 2.2), and is subject to the general requirement that a student’s choice of courses for each year must be approved by the Undergraduate Tutor(s) in the student’s Department(s).
4.5 Permitted maximum number of ISPs
Students may take more than one ISP, subject to the following considerations
• ISPs may be taken only in the penultimate or final year
• No ISP may be taken twice
• In approving a student’s choice of courses each year, the Undergraduate Tutor is required to certify that the courses will be examined by methods which include a reasonable proportion of unseen written papers and, where appropriate to the main field of study, a variety of examining methods.
4.6 ISPs and two-subject degrees
Students taking a two-subject degree may do an ISP in each of their two subjects, if they satisfy the approval procedure of section 2.2 and the constraints of section 4.5.
4.7 ISPs as open option courses
ISPs are not normally available as open option courses, but may be taken as such, subject to the agreement of the Undergraduate Tutor(s) in a student’s home Department(s), and the Undergraduate Tutor in the Department in which the ISP is to be taken. The latter must be satisfied that any prerequisite requirements have been met, and that the normal approval procedure (section 2.2) is completed.
5 ISPs which are part of the syllabus for a compulsory language year abroad
5.1 Timetable and procedure for approval of ISP topic and title, and appointment of supervisor - for ISPs supervised by a member of SOAS staff
The procedure for approval of ISP topic and title, and appointment of supervisor must be completed well before the student goes abroad, preferably no later than the early part of Term 3, before examinations start.
5.2 Method of supervision for ISPs supervised by a member of SOAS staff
6
159 Students must keep in touch with the supervisor at regular (e.g. monthly) intervals, and report on progress made and difficulties encountered. Email is best if available, fax or letter if not. Vital materials (e.g. the only draft) should not be trusted to the post from remote regions.
5.3 Procedure for ISPs supervised by a member of staff of a university abroad
Some ISPs are supervised by a member of staff in a university overseas (e.g. for students of Arabic at the University of Damascus). The arrangements for these ISPs are set out in the scheme for the particular language year abroad.
5.4 Date and method of submission
The normal date for submission is 1 September. Students should bring back their ISPs (if completed while abroad) and not send them by post. Section 6.3 and 6.4 apply.
5.5 ISPs and two-subject degrees
Students registered for a two-subject degree in a language and a discipline may do a language ISP during their compulsory language year abroad, but not an ISP in the discipline subject. They may, however, do research and gather materials for an ISP in the discipline, which they may then offer as one of their four units for the year after their language year abroad.
6 Submission of the ISP
6.1 Date of submission
The submission dates for ISPs vary, and will be set out in the relevant Departmental handbook or on the Faculty website. The School deadline (as opposed to the Departmental deadline) is 16.00 on the Friday immediately before the School May/June examination period starts (the end of week 2 of Term 3).
6.2 Late submission
Late submission is covered by BA/BSc regulation 18.
6.3 Number of copies to be submitted, and plagiarism declaration
Two copies of the ISP must be submitted. Candidates must attach the plagiarism declaration on page 9 to the front of one of the copies. No ISP will be accepted unless this declaration is attached to one of the copies.
6.4 Member of staff to whom the ISP must be submitted
Students must submit the completed ISP to the relevant Faculty Office, not direct to an individual member of academic staff. They should obtain a receipt, which they should keep safely.
7 Examination
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160 7.1 Drafts
Supervisors should not mark draft ISPs, either in part or in whole. (See also section 3.5.)
7.2 Method of examination
ISPs should be double marked internally and should always be referred to the Visiting Examiner. The Chair of the Sub-Board of Examiners should send a copy of this code of practice to the Visiting Examiner.
7.3 Oral examination
The specifications for an ISP may include an oral examination. The oral examination may be compulsory for all candidates or may be at the discretion of the examiners. If the requirements for the ISP do not specify an oral examination, examiners should be aware of regulation 8, which is as follows:
‘Oral examination covering a candidate’s entire field of study
The examiners may test any candidate by means of an oral examination which may cover the candidate's entire field of study.
Note to regulation: The oral examination provided for under this regulation is a viva voce examination in addition to any other prescribed form(s) of examination, and is distinct from the oral examinations which form part of the examination for language courses.’
7.4 Over-length ISPs
ISPs that exceed the word limit will be subject to the penalties set out in BA/BSc regulation 6.19.
7.5 Notification of result
Students will be informed by the Registry of the result of the ISP as a percentage mark. Marks must not be disclosed by supervisors or others involved in the marking process.
7.6 Return of ISP after examination
One copy of the ISP, if unmarked, may be returned to the candidate after the examination, at the discretion of the Chair of the relevant Sub-Board of Examiners. One copy will be retained by the Registry under the normal arrangements for the storage of examination scripts. This Registry copy will not be returned to the candidate in whole or in part, nor may the candidate be supplied with a photocopy of it.
7.7 Feedback to students
Students will not be supplied with comments on their performance in the ISP after submission and marking, except as provided for in the following paragraph. Supervisors should refer to the Registrar any such requests from candidates.
Candidates who have done an ISP in their penultimate year: The Undergraduate Tutor in the relevant Department may, at his or her discretion, and in
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161 consultation with the Chair of the Sub-Board of Examiners, discuss with a candidate who did an ISP in his or her penultimate year aspects of the candidate's performance which require attention. Examples could include a candidate who has failed an ISP, or who has passed but in whose ISP there are serious flaws (e.g. of methodology). The discussion, which should take place after the Undergraduate Tutor has consulted the ISP Supervisor, would form part of the Undergraduate Tutor’s function of providing academic advice, and is separate from the examining procedure. If a candidate wishes to make a representation about the mark awarded, the Registrar should be consulted about the procedures in respect of representations about examination marks.
7.8 Plagiarism and incorporation of earlier work (‘self plagiarism’)
Students are reminded that all work submitted as part of the requirement for any examination of the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) must be expressed in their own words and incorporate their own ideas and judgements. Plagiarism - that is, the presentation of another person's thoughts or words as though they were the student’s own – must be avoided. Direct quotations from the published or unpublished work of others must always be clearly identified as such by being placed inside quotation marks, and a full reference to their source must be provided in proper form. A series of short quotations from several different sources, if not clearly identified as such, constitutes plagiarism just as much as does a single unacknowledged long quotation from a single source. Equally if students summarise another persons' ideas and judgements, they must refer to that person in their text as the source of the ideas and judgements, and include the work referred to in their bibliography. Failure to observe these rules may result in an allegation of cheating. Students should therefore consult their tutor or supervisor if they are in any doubt about what is permissible.
Where students draw on their own previous written work, whether submitted as coursework for their current degree, or for a previous degree or qualification, this must be clearly stated. Coursework essays submitted for one course may not be used for another course without acknowledgement and prior approval.
Plagiarism is an examination offence.
Each student submitting an ISP must attach the declaration on page 9 to the front of one copy of the ISP before it is submitted. ISPs without this declaration will not be accepted.
The declaration on the following page may be detached and used by candidates.
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Declaration by candidate
I have read and understood the School regulation concerning plagiarism and I undertake:
• that all material presented for examination is my own work and has not been written for me, in whole or in part, by any other person(s);
• that any quotation or paraphrase from the published or unpublished work of another person has been duly acknowledged in this ISP;
• that I have not incorporated in this ISP without acknowledgement any work previously submitted by me for any other course forming part of this or any other degree.
Signed...... (student)
Date......
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163 July 2011 SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES (University of London)
REGULATIONS FOR CERTIFICATES AND DIPLOMAS BASED ON UNDERGRADUATE COURSES
These Regulations must be read in conjunction with individual programme requirements and with the School’s Regulations for Students.
1. Programmes of Study
1.1 The School offers programmes of study leading to the award of a School Certificate or Diploma based on undergraduate courses.
1.2 These Certificate/Diploma programmes consist of undergraduate courses to the value of four course units.
1.3 Programme requirements may specify which particular courses or what level of courses must be followed.
1.4 Exceptionally, a programme syllabus may permit the study of one postgraduate level course.
1.5 A list of approved programmes of study is available from the Registry.
2. Duration of Programmes
2.1 Programmes of study and the examinations associated with them will be organised into one or more of the following categories:
a) a programme of full-time study followed over a period of one academic year;
b) a programme of part-time study followed over a period of two academic years arranged with two of the four courses in each year;
c) a programme of part-time study followed over a period of three academic years.
2.2 Students must register at the beginning of their programme of study in the category of programme for which they have been accepted by the School.
3. Qualifications for Entry
3.1 The minimum entry qualification is the ability to demonstrate the potential to study at an undergraduate level.
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164 3.2 In addition to 3.1, programme requirements may specify additional entry conditions.
3.3 Applicants for a School Diploma must possess a first degree or equivalent qualification, or have successfully completed a School Certificate based on undergraduate courses.
4. Examinations and assessments
4.1 Examinations and assessments will be conducted in accordance with the General Instructions for the Appointment of Examiners and the Conduct of Examinations for First Degrees.
4.2 A candidate shall enter for examinations and assessments in accordance with the provisions of the Regulations for Student.
4.3 To be eligible for the award of a Certificate or Diploma a candidate must satisfy the examiners in the examinations and assessments prescribed for the programme within a period of two years from the satisfactory completion of the prescribed period of study.
4.4 The unseen written examinations will take place on one occasion each year in May/June after completion of teaching. September examinations are not available to Certificate and Diploma students.
4.5 Examinations will be taken in the year in which the relevant courses have been followed. Deferral of any part of the examination may exceptionally be granted for reasons found acceptable in the particular case at the discretion of the School. Deferral will be to the following May/June. Applications for deferral should be make in writing to the Registry.
4.6 A candidate who does not at her/his first entry successfully complete the examination for which she/he has entered may, subject to the agreement of the School, re-enter the failed examination(s) normally on two further occasions. Such re-entry will be at the examination in the following May/June except where the School has granted permission for a candidate to defer re-entry until the examination in the subsequent year (but see also Regulation 4.3).
4.7 In respect of Regulation 4.6, any mark for coursework submitted as part of an examination which is the subject of re-entry will be carried forward and amalgamated with the examination mark achieved in the resit examination. New coursework will only be admissible if the candidate re- attends the course to be re-examined.
4.8 A student on a part-time programme of study must pass in courses to the value of at least one unit each year in order to be eligible to proceed to the next year of her/his programme. Programme requirements may specify whether a particular course must be passed.
4.9 Examiners shall have the discretion to award a grade of distinction to a candidate who has show exceptional merit in the examination.
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165 Candidates awarded a distinction will normally have achieved an average overall mark of at least 65%, with at least two courses marked at 70% or above.
5. Notification of Results
5.1 After the examiners have reached a decision, each candidate will be notified by the Registry of the result(s) of her/his examination.
5.2 A Certificate or Diploma under the seal of the School shall subsequently be delivered to each candidate to whom an award has been made. The date of the award will be the 1 August immediately following the satisfactory completion of the programme.
6. Suspension of regulations
Applications for suspension of these regulations may be approved by the appropriate Associate Dean. If suspension is approved, the case will be reported in anonymous form to the next meeting of the relevant Faculty Learning and Teaching Committee.
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166 July 2011
SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES (University of London)
REGULATIONS FOR STUDENTS OF THE SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES (subsequently referred to as the School)
Scope of these Regulations
These Regulations apply to students of the School registered for degrees of the University of London at the School and for qualifications of the School. In addition, they apply in whole or in part to students of the School not registered for a degree or other qualification and to students of other Colleges of the University of London admitted to follow courses at the School. Students are subject to the Regulations in force for the relevant session.
1 University of London Degrees
Under University of London Ordinance 13 the School is authorised to award University of London degrees, subject to compliance with Ordinances 12, 14 and 15. 2 Awards of the School
The School may award qualifications, other than degrees, in its own name under the provisions of its Charter of Incorporation. 3 University and School Qualifications Awarded by the School
The School may award only those degrees and other qualifications as approved from time to time by the School.
4 Admission to the School
4.1 Applications to study at the School must be submitted by the specified deadlines on the appropriate application forms, together with requested supporting documentation. Applicants for first degrees, including those for entry to other than the first year, must apply through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
4.2 All offers of admission to pursue a programme of study as a student of the School are made by the Director of Student and Registry Services or an authorised deputy. No promise or purported offer made otherwise than in accordance with this Regulation has any validity.
4.3 An applicant will not be enrolled as a student of the School unless he/she has received an offer of admission to pursue the programme of study for which he/she seeks enrolment and has accepted that offer in writing.
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167 4.4 Admission to the School is conditional upon an applicant signing a declaration and undertaking that he/she will abide by the regulations of the School laid down by, or with the authority of, the School’s Governing Body, as from time to time varied or modified by that Body.
4.5 Offers of admission are made for a specific entry date. An applicant who is unable to enrol by the specified date, and has not been given permission to enrol late, may apply to the Director of Student and Registry Services to have his/her offer of a place deferred to the next normal entry date. Approval to defer is not given automatically and is subject to approval by the School. Applications for deferral beyond the next normal entry date, including those for a second deferral, will not normally be granted and, in these circumstances, applicants are required to submit a fresh application.
4.6 The School reserves the right to reject applications to study at the School on academic grounds or if places are no longer available and to give no reasons to such applicants save at its own discretion.
4.7 Rejections will be communicated to the applicant only by the Director of Student and Registry Services or an authorised deputy.
5 Entrance Requirements
5.1 In order to be admitted to the School, a candidate must be at least 17 years of age.
5.2 An applicant cannot be admitted to the School unless he/she has satisfied any general entry requirements applicable to his/her application, any additional entry requirements for the programme of study applied for and any further conditions set in the individual offer of the place.
5.3 Candidates for admission may be called for interview and may be required to take an entrance test.
5.4 Admission to the School is conditional upon the possession of a sound knowledge of written and spoken English. Applicants may, therefore, be required to provide evidence of their competence in written and spoken English. The School’s requirements in respect of English language competence are laid down from time to time by, or with the authority of, the Academic Board. Applicants for admission may be required, as a condition of their registration, to attend pre- sessional and/or in-sessional English language classes at the School.
6 Registration, Enrolment and Re-enrolment
6.1 Before beginning their programme of study at the School successful applicants must complete enrolment procedures. In respect of programmes of study leading to the award of a qualification, initial enrolment will include registration for the qualification being sought. Registration for a qualification remains valid until the qualification sought has been obtained or registration is terminated or lapses, whichever is the sooner. Students following programmes of study of
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168 more than one year duration must re-enrol at the beginning of each subsequent academic session as determined by the structure of their programme of study.
6.2 Registration, enrolment and re-enrolment procedures will be laid down by the Director of Student and Registry Services of the School from time to time and all successful applicants or students must register, enrol or re-enrol, as appropriate, in accordance with these procedures.
6.3 Applicants or students may not attend classes or use School facilities until they have completed enrolment or re-enrolment procedures.
6.4 Taught course students must return their duly completed course registration forms no later than the last day of teaching week 1 of Term 1. Students who fail to comply with this requirement may be deemed by the Head of Registry to have withdrawn from their studies at the School. Returning students must register their course choices for the following year online at the SOAS website no later than the end of the second week of Term 3 of the previous academic year.
6.5 Students may be registered for only one qualification at the School at any one time, except where a joint qualification is offered. In addition, degree students cannot be registered concurrently for another degree of the University of London.
6.6 A student who has been awarded a qualification by the School may not subsequently be registered for the same qualification in the same subject or branch of study.
6.7 It is the responsibility of applicants and students to ensure that information which they provide to the School is accurate and complete. This requirement applies inter alia to application forms, forms for checking of qualifications, and forms for registration, enrolment and re-enrolment. The School reserves the right to withdraw the offer of a place or to terminate or suspend a student's registration or to prevent enrolment or re-enrolment if fraudulent information has been supplied or if information has been fraudulently withheld.
6.8 Students may be required at the discretion of the School to provide proof of identity, academic qualifications and other information which they have submitted. The School reserves the right to withdraw the offer of a place or to terminate or suspend a student's registration or to prevent enrolment or re-enrolment if proof is not produced within the time limit specified by the School. The School also reserves the right to make such enquiries as it thinks fit to ascertain the accuracy of information submitted to it.
7 Payment of Tuition Fees
7.1 No applicant or student will have completed registration, enrolment or re-enrolment procedures until the appropriate tuition fees have been paid or there is written assurance acceptable to the Director of
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169 Student and Registry Services that the tuition fees will be forthcoming from a reliable source such as a local education authority or other formal sponsor found acceptable to the Director of Student and Registry Services. Termly and other instalment payments are not normally permitted.
7.2 Tuition fee rates are published for specific academic sessions and are fixed for the duration of that session. Students are required to pay the tuition fees relevant to their year of study.
7.3 Applicants or students may not register, enrol or re-enrol after the specified period unless they have been given permission to do so by the Director of Student and Registry Services. Those so permitted will incur a late enrolment fee unless they have produced evidence of good cause for lateness found acceptable by the Director of Student and Registry Services.
8 Academic Progress
8.1 Students are required to attend regularly and punctually all lectures, classes, tutorials and seminars which form the programme of study for which they are enrolled and any prescribed English language classes. Students are required to comply with instructions concerning attendance which may be issued from time to time by, or with the authority of, the Chair(s) of Department(s) in which they are studying. In addition, students must comply with any programme or award attendance requirements. Failure to attend regularly and punctually without good cause may result in the Director of Student and Registry Services deeming a student to have withdrawn from the programme of study. Students must inform the Director of Student and Registry Services if they are absent from their classes for more than two weeks and must supply a medical certificate or other documentary evidence explaining the reason(s) for their absence.
8.2 For a student on a programme of study of longer than one year duration, progress from one year to the next will be subject to the student satisfying the board of examiners in respect of such progression or, in the case of a research student, subject to a satisfactory report from the student’s Research Committee. Progress in taught programmes of study is governed by programme examination regulations which specify the decisions available to the relevant board(s) of examiners. Students who fail to satisfy the relevant board(s) of examiners will not be permitted, at that time, to proceed to the next year of their programme of study. Such students, if their programme of study has not been terminated, must apply for leave of absence to interrupt their studies for the following academic session if they do not intend or they are not permitted to re-enrol and repeat the failed year of study. Application must be made in writing to the Director of Student and Registry Services who will deem registration to have lapsed if no application is made.
8.3 For programmes of study which are of longer than one year duration, students are required, where eligible, to re-enrol and follow their programme in consecutive years of study.
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170 8.4 The School may, at its discretion, grant an interruption of study to a candidate on grounds of illness or other cause found adequate, for a period of up to one year. Applications for leave of absence must be made in writing to the Head of Registry, together with a supporting statement from the student’s Head(s) of Department(s). An application for an interruption of study of more than one year or a re- application for interruption of study which, if successful, would lead to a cumulative period of interruption of more than one year, will be subject to the approval of the relevant Associate Dean. Applications will not normally be approved for periods of interruption of study exceeding two years in total.
8.5 Students who interrupt their studies without approval or otherwise fail to re-enrol at the designated time may be deemed by the Director of Student and Registry Services to have withdrawn from their studies and their registration will lapse. In such cases an application for re- registration will be considered at the discretion of the School and, if granted, may be subject to conditions imposed by the School. 9 Student Discipline
9.1 No student of the School shall engage in activity likely to interfere, in the broadest sense, with the proper functioning or activities of the School or those who work or study in the School or undertake action which otherwise damages the School.
9.2 Students are required to comply with the School’s Statement of Principles concerning freedom of expression and Code of Practice on the booking and conduct of meetings held on School premises.
9.3 Students are required to comply with all codes of practice, regulations and procedures from time to time laid down by, or with the authority of, the Governing Body or Academic Board and with all relevant legislation.
9.4 In their use of the Library, students are required to abide by the rules for its use as laid down from time to time by the appropriate School committee.
9.5 In their use of the School’s computers, students are required to abide by the rules for the use of School computer systems as laid down from time to time by the Information Strategy Committee. Users must comply with the Data Protection Act insofar as it is relevant to their activities. They must report the existence of any files which are under their control and which fall under the terms of the Act to the School’s Data Management Officer. Conduct by a user in contravention of the Act or which may involve the School in a contravention of the Act is an offence.
9.6 Contravention of Regulation 9 renders a student liable to penalties, which in serious cases may extend to suspension or termination of membership of the School. Such penalties shall be imposed in accordance with the disciplinary or other procedures from time to time laid down by, or with the authority of, the Governing Body or Academic Board.
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10 Debt or Liability Outstanding to the School or University or another College of the University
Where a student has a debt or other liability outstanding to the School or to the University or to another College of the University the School reserves the right to take action to obtain settlement. A debt or liability may include inter alia an accommodation or library debt or unreturned library items or outstanding tuition fees or loans. Action may include: the withholding of end-of-session results or award documents; the withdrawal of library privileges; refusing re-enrolment in the following academic session; cancellation of registration or enrolment and exclusion from the School. Where other measures prove unsuccessful the School may institute legal proceedings.
11 Communications with Individual Students
11.1 Students are required to keep the Director of Student and Registry Services informed of their current address.
11.2 Communications sent from the School to an individual student must be regarded as applying to that student only. 12 Applications for Exemption from or Suspension of Regulations
Applications by students for exemption from or suspension of the Regulations for Students shall be made through the Director of Student and Registry Services. 13 Compliance with Regulations and Procedures
Students are personally responsible for complying with School regulations and procedures. The School will accept no responsibility in the case of non- compliance with School regulations and procedures, but the Director of Student and Registry Services may always be consulted.
14 Approved Programmes of Study
14.1 The regulations for first degrees and postgraduate taught degrees and general regulations for other programmes of study which may be followed at the School stipulate inter alia the normal attendance modes and duration for approved programmes of study.
14.2 The School reserves the right to withdraw programmes of study or courses.
14.3 A student registered for a taught degree which requires the acquisition of fluency in a foreign language may be required or permitted by the School to spend part of the programme of study abroad for this purpose. The length of the period spent in study abroad shall be determined by the School but will not exceed a maximum of one term for students following a full-time programme of study of three years duration.
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172 15 Conditions of Award of a Degree, Diploma or Certificate
15.1 To be awarded a degree, diploma or certificate a candidate must:
(a) have completed to the satisfaction of the School the programme of study prescribed in the regulations for the particular award for which the student registered;
(b) within the period prescribed, have been examined in all parts of the examination for that degree, diploma or certificate and have shown a competent knowledge in the examination as a whole.
15.2 In addition, the candidate must have settled, or agreed to settle to the satisfaction of the School, any debt or outstanding liability to the School or to the University or to another College of the University (see Regulation 10).
16 Teaching Location
All teaching for School courses will take place in property owned or leased by the School for that purpose, except where the School specifically authorises teaching to take place elsewhere.
17 Assessment and Examination
17.1 For the purposes of this Regulation the term assessment includes assessment of a course by unseen written examination, coursework, project, dissertation, oral examination, performance or any combination of these. Where used without modification, the word examination refers to an unseen written examination (as in ‘the relevant examination period’).
17.2 No student will be admitted to an assessment unless he/she has submitted to the School’s Examinations and Assessments Manager the appropriate assessment entry form duly completed in accordance with the instructions and in the time period laid down from time to time by the Director of Student and Registry Services.
17.3 No student will be admitted to an assessment unless he/she has attended the appropriate course(s) of study in preparation for the assessment.
17.4 Candidates may have their entry to an assessment or assessments cancelled if they have not attended the appropriate course(s) to the satisfaction of the School or in accordance with attendance requirements prescribed for the relevant course(s).
17.5 Candidates who re-enter for any part of an assessment shall be examined in accordance with such regulations as were current when they first entered for assessment.
17.6 Absence from an assessment will result in a failure being recorded unless the School has given formal permission to defer or the relevant board of examiners has deemed the absence to be for good cause. Candidates who wish to defer their entry for assessment
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173 must apply to the Registry in writing before the commencement of the relevant examination period. Reasons for deferral must be stated and documentary evidence should be provided where appropriate (e.g. where the application is being made for reasons of ill-health).
17.7 Candidates must abide by the instructions to candidates governing the assessments for which they have entered. Failure to observe the instructions to candidates may constitute an assessment offence.
17.8 Examination scripts, dissertations, independent study projects, or essays for courses assessed wholly by one piece of coursework, are the property of the School and will not be returned to candidates.
17.9 Students are reminded that all work submitted as part of the requirement for any assessment of the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) must be expressed in their own words and incorporate their own ideas and judgements. Plagiarism - that is, the presentation of another person's thoughts or words as though they were the student’s own – must be avoided. Direct quotations from the published or unpublished work of others must always be clearly identified as such by being placed inside quotation marks, and a full reference to their source must be provided in proper form. A series of short quotations from several different sources, if not clearly identified as such, constitutes plagiarism just as much as does a single unacknowledged long quotation from a single source. Equally, if students summarise another person's ideas and judgements, they must refer to that person in their text as the source of the ideas and judgements, and include the work referred to in their bibliography. Failure to observe these rules may result in an allegation of cheating. Students should therefore consult their tutor or supervisor if they are in any doubt about what is permissible.
Where students draw on their own previous written work, whether submitted as coursework for their current degree, or for a previous degree or qualification, this must be clearly stated. Coursework essays submitted for one course may not be used for another course without acknowledgement and prior approval.
Plagiarism is an assessment and/or examination offence. 17.10 Any case of alleged cheating or irregularities of a similar character, including conduct affecting the security of assessments, whether or not proscribed in the Regulations and Instructions governing the assessment at or in connection with which it occurs, will be governed by the School's Regulations for Proceedings in Respect of Assessment and Examination Offences.
17.11 Special assessment arrangements for individual candidates for reasons of disability, illness or other good cause shall be determined in accordance with the procedures laid down for the School’s Special Assessments Panel. Applications should be submitted to the Examinations and Assessments Manager in writing by the appropriate deadline. Full details of the Procedure for the Consideration of Special Assessment Arrangements are available from the Examinations and Assessments Manager.
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18 Examination Fees
18.1 Examination fees are payable by degree, certificate or diploma candidates no longer enrolled as such at the School and by all part- time students not registered for a degree or other qualification.
18.2 Fees are payable at the time of submission of the examination entry form. Forms will not be accepted without the appropriate remittance. A schedule of examination fees is available from the Examinations and Assessments Manager in the Registry. 19 Representations in Respect of Examination Failure
A taught course student who wishes to make a representation in respect of an examination result must do so in accordance with the procedures laid down from time to time by the Academic Board. There is no procedure for the consideration of appeals against the academic judgement of examiners. Research degree students who wish to appeal against a fail decision by their examiners should consult the University of London’s Procedure for Consideration of Appeals by Candidates for Research Degrees and associated guidelines, available from the University website.
20 Transcripts
The School provides without charge and on request one transcript of a student’s programme of study. Requests for further transcripts can be considered only if accompanied by the approved fee. Additional copies of a transcript requested at the same time can be provided at the approved fee.
21 Making and Publication of the Regulations for Students
21.1 The Regulations for Students are laid down by the School’s Governing Body and can only be suspended or amended by, or with the authority of, that body.
21.2 These Regulations will be published annually.
22 Suspension of regulations
Applications for suspension of these regulations may be approved by the relevant Dean. If suspension is approved, the case will be reported in anonymous form to the next meeting of the relevant Faculty Board.
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175 July 2011 School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London)
Regulations for proceedings in respect of assessment and examination offences
The following regulations apply to all assessments and examinations undertaken at the School of Oriental and African Studies (except for students registered for distance learning programmes operated under the auspices of the University of London External Programme).
Definition of terms.
A course may be assessed by one or more means. The means of assessment include: an unseen written examination or examinations; coursework in the form of essays or reports; an oral examination; a practical examination; a seminar presentation; periodic class tests; or other specified methods. When used without modification, the word examination refers to an unseen written examination.
Assessment and examination offences
1. Conduct which constitutes an assessment and examination offence includes but is not restricted to: a) introduction of non-permitted materials into an assessment or examination b) removal of an examination script or examination stationery from the examination room unless explicitly authorised c) any attempt to confer or gain access to the examination script of another candidate d) any attempt to tamper with an examination script after the completion of the examination e) impersonation or attempted impersonation of a candidate f) plagiarism in any assessed work as defined by the School regulations on plagiarism g) any conduct likely to give an unfair advantage to the candidate
In all proceedings in relation to assessment and examination offences, a student will be presumed innocent of the charge until the contrary is proved on the balance of probabilities or the candidate admits culpability.
The School will treat all correspondence and documentation relating to any proceedings as confidential.
Suspected Misconduct
2. Where a candidate is suspected of an assessment or examination offence, the Head of Registry will be informed and will be responsible for investigating the incident. Suspected offences should be reported to the Head of Registry as soon as possible after their detection.
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3. Where the Head of Registry deems on the evidence presented that the irregularity is of a minor or technical nature, s/he, after consultation with the Chair of the relevant Board or Sub Board of Examiners, may decide that the matter be dealt with by the Board or Sub Board of Examiners concerned and no further action shall be taken by the School.
4. Where the Head of Registry deems that prima facie evidence of a serious breach of the assessment and examination Regulations has been presented, s/he will make a decision, in consultation with the Chair(s) of the relevant Board(s) or Sub Boards of Examiners, regarding the course of action to be taken. This may include but is not restricted to: a) no mark be awarded for the individual piece of work in question b) the minimum pass mark be awarded for the individual piece of work in question c) no mark be awarded for the entire course d) withdrawal of the student’s right to re-enter for assessments, including resubmission of coursework e) the results for any or all of the assessments not to be considered by the relevant School Board of Examiners for a period of one calendar year f) that the incident(s) be referred to the SOAS Assessment and Examination Offences Panel
5. With the exception of f), the decision of the Head of Registry and Chair(s) of the Board(s) of Examiners will be reported to the student and the relevant School Board(s). The student will then have the right either to accept the decision of the Head of Registry and Chair(s) of the Board(s) of Examiners or to request a personal hearing with the SOAS Assessment and Examination Offences Panel.
SOAS Assessment and Examination Offences Panel
6. The School Assessment and Examination Offences Panel will consist of the Director of Student and Registry Services, an Associate Dean of the relevant Faculty, who shall act as chair of the meeting, and a senior member of academic staff of the School with no connection to the course of study of the student involved. The Examinations and Assessments Manager will act as secretary and ensure a full record is kept of all proceedings.
7. The date of the hearing is to be confirmed with the student. Written notice of the hearing, together with the documentary evidence to be considered, and the names of any witnesses to be called, will be sent to the student at least 14 working days prior to the hearing.
8. The student may present documentary material or call witnesses in his/her defence or in mitigation. However, documentary material for consideration by the Panel must be sent to the secretary of the Panel, to arrive at least 7 working days prior to the hearing.
9. The student will have the right to be present during the hearing (except as in 11 below) and may be accompanied by a friend.
10. The allegations will be presented by the Chair of the Panel and the student will be asked to reply to the allegations. Witnesses may then be called. The Panel may ask
177 questions of all those called before it and the student may raise questions through the Chair of the Panel.
11. The Panel shall retire to consider its findings. If necessary an adjournment may be called.
12. A decision will be reached by majority verdict of the Panel. Individual votes of the panel members shall remain confidential.
13. The Chair of the Panel shall announce the findings and the agreed course of action. This may include but is not restricted to: a) charge not substantiated. No action to be taken b) the student to be warned with regard to future action and this to be noted on the student’s record c) no mark to be awarded for the individual work in question d) the minimum pass mark to be awarded for the individual work in question e) no mark be awarded for the entire course f) withdrawal of the student’s right to re-enter for assessments, including resubmission of coursework g) the results for any or all of the assessments not to be considered by the relevant School Board of Examiners for a period of one calendar year h) a recommendation to the Academic Board that the student’s award be revoked i) expulsion from the School
Appeal
14. Following a hearing by the SOAS Assessment and Examination Offences Panel, an appeal may be lodged by the student with the School’s Director and Principal within 14 days of the hearing. An appeal may be considered only if a) there is new evidence that could not have been, or, for good reason was not, made available at the time of the hearing b) there is evidence of a significant procedural error made before or during the hearing.
Requests for appeal must be made in writing to the School’s Director and Principal within the stipulated deadline. The grounds of appeal must be clearly stated as part of the request and appropriate documentation supplied.
15. If the Director and Principal decides to allow an appeal s/he will appoint an Appeal Committee comprising of the Director and Principal (or nominee), who will act as Chair of the meeting, an Associate Dean with no involvement with the course of study of the student involved or the original hearing, and a member appointed by the Director and Principal from the full time sabbatical officers or part time elected officers of the Students’ Union. The Examinations and Assessments Manager will act as secretary and ensure a full record is kept of all proceedings. The procedures for the Appeal Committee will be as follows:
a) For the purposes of the hearing, a decision by the Appeal Committee on any point of procedure will be binding. b) The Director of Student and Registry Services will supply the members of the Appeal Committee and the appellant, in advance of the hearing, with the grounds for appeal with supporting
178 documentation, the papers presented at the hearing from which the appeal arises and a statement from a relevant member of academic staff (as appropriate) in response to the grounds for appeal. c) The appellant will have the right to be present for the appeal and may be accompanied by a friend. d) The student making the appeal will present her/his case against the decision or order made. e) The Appeal Committee will consider the documents presented and may call persons connected with the proceedings from which the appeal arises to address the Committee. f) The Appeal Committee may, at its discretion, at any time during the hearing of the appeal retire to private session. Only the Committee and the Committee secretary will be entitled to be present during private session. g) The Appeal Committee will normally reach its decision without adjournment, but may adjourn for a period not exceeding seven days for the purpose of deciding on the order to be made upon the appeal. h) The considerations of Committee members will be treated as confidential.
16. The Appeal Committee decision will be reached by majority verdict of the panel. Individual votes of the panel members shall remain confidential.
17. a) The Appeal Committee may reject the appeal or uphold the appeal. b) Where the Appeal Committee upholds the appeal, the Committee may modify or reverse the decision of the Assessment and Examination Offences Panel. c) The decision of the Appeal Committee will be announced by the Chair and will be sent in writing to the appellant. In communicating the findings of the Appeal Committee, the Chair will indicate the grounds upon which the findings are based d) A decision of the Appeal Committee will be final.
Office of the Independent Adjudicator
18. At the end of the internal appeal procedure the student has the right if s/he so wishes, to submit a request for the School’s decision to be reviewed by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator [OIA]. The OIA provides an independent scheme for the review of student grievances under the Higher Education Act 2004. Details of the procedure for appeals to the OIA are outlined in the Student Grievance Code of Practice. Further information on the OIA can be obtained from the Deputy Secretary’s Office and from the Students’ Union.
179 July 2011 SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES (University of London)
PROCEDURE FOR CONSIDERING REPRESENTATIONS IN RESPECT OF EXAMINATION AND ASSESSMENT RESULTS (for examinations and assessments administered by the School)
Introduction
1. The School will consider representations from candidates concerning examination/assessment results made on the grounds of irregularity or administrative error, where there is concern that the examination/assessment may not have been conducted in accordance with the relevant Instructions and/or Regulations, or where there is new evidence of circumstances which might have adversely affected a candidate’s performance.
2. Any representations should be addressed in the first instance to the Director of Student and Registry Services of the School.
3. Any representations must be referred to the Director of Student and Registry Services. Chairs of examination boards and examiners must not communicate with candidates about their performance in examinations/assessments.
4. Given the assessment arrangements in respect of work contributing to a final award, including moderation by visiting examiners, there is no procedure for the consideration of appeals against the academic judgement of examiners. There are separate appeals arrangements for postgraduate research degree students.
Procedure for making a representation
5. A candidate who wishes to make a representation concerning examination/assessment results should write to the Director of Student and Registry Services, giving full details and providing appropriate documentary evidence.
6. Any representation must be received within three weeks of the formal notification of results to the candidate. Representations received after this deadline must be accompanied by a statement explaining the reason(s) for lateness. Late representations will only be considered if the reasons given are found acceptable.
7. Representations must be made by the candidate and not by third parties. The School will not engage in correspondence with third parties concerning an individual’s examination/assessment performance without the written permission of the candidate.
Procedure for dealing with a representation
8. a) an allegation of irregularity in the conduct of the examination/assessment or of administrative berror.
1
180 The School will satisfy itself that the examination/assessment has been conducted in accordance with the relevant Instructions and/or Regulations for that particular examination/assessment. Such an allegation may be referred back to the appropriate Board of Examiners for consideration.
b) presentation of new evidence of circumstances which might have adversely affected a candidate’s performance.
The School will consider the adequacy of the evidence and whether there is good reason why the evidence now presented by the candidate was not made available to the Board of Examiners before it reached its decision in respect of the candidate. The School will also consider whether the new evidence is likely to have affected the decision of the Board of Examiners had it been available to the Board at the time the decision was taken. Generally, new cases of special circumstances will only be considered where a candidate’s performance was borderline or where it could have become borderline if the special circumstances had been known to the Board of Examiners at the time when the decision was taken. If good reason is shown for non-presentation of special circumstances, the Chair of the Board of Examiners will be invited to reconsider the case, in consultation with appropriate visiting examiners.
9. In considering a representation under 8(a) or 8(b) the Director of Student and Registry Services will consult appropriate staff members. This will include the relevant Associate Dean or the Chair of the School Board of Examiners (for undergraduate finalists).
Notification in respect of decisions
10. Candidates will be informed in writing by the Director of Student and Registry Services of the outcome of their representation as soon as is practicable.
Appeal against decisions
11. A candidate who wishes to appeal against the decision made in respect of her/his representation should write to the Director of Student and Registry Services within fourteen days of the date of the letter communicating the decision.
12. The Director of Student and Registry Services will refer the case to a School Representations Panel.
School Representations Panel
13. The Representations Panel will consist of three members. The convenor of the Panel will be an Associate Dean unconnected with the student. The candidate may nominate a member of the School’s academic staff to serve on the Panel. The third member of the Panel, nominated by the convenor, will be a School academic staff member who serves as Chair of a Board of Examiners unconnected with the student making the representation.
14. The Representations Panel will consider the available evidence and may interview the candidate and/or members of the School’s academic or administrative staff. The candidate has the right to address the Panel in person. S/he may be accompanied by a friend, who does not have the right to address the Panel. 2
181
15. The Representations Panel will decide either a) to dismiss the appeal or b) to require the relevant Board of Examiners to reconsider its original decision. In the case of b) the Board of Examiners will be informed in writing by the Panel’s convenor of the reason(s) for the Panel’s decision.
16. The Panel does not have authority to direct or overturn the decision of a Board of Examiners. Its authority only extends to requiring a Board of Examiners to reconsider its original decision.
Decisions of the School Representations Panel or a reconvened Board of Examiners
17. The Director of Student and Registry Services will inform the candidate in writing of the Panel’s decision. In cases where the Panel requires a Board of Examiners to reconsider its decision, the Director of Student and Registry Services will subsequently inform the candidate in writing of the outcome.
Independent Review
18. A candidate who is dissatisfied with the outcome of her/his representation may be able to complain to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) provided that the complaint is eligible under the OIA’s rules. Information about this is available from the OIA’s website at http://www.oia.org.uk or from the Director of Student and Registry Services.
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PART 3 STUDENTS & SOAS
)$+! ! ! 183 Making a Complaint
SOAS is committed to providing a positive experience for its students, and hopes and expects that most students will usually be satisfied with its provision. The School recognises, however, that there will be occasions when a student is not satisfied. On those occasions, you should consider making a complaint.
The School welcomes complaints as they help us to identify areas where improvements can be made. Here we summarise what you should do if you want to make a complaint about any aspect of your experience as a student at SOAS.
1. Can you resolve your complaint directly?
Have you spoken to the person, team or department that you want to complain about? Many complaints can best be resolved by simply raising them politely with the people concerned. All of the School’s procedures for considering complaints and appeals require you to have attempted this first where appropriate.
Some departments provide mechanisms for you to provide feedback, including complaints, and where these exist, you should use them. Otherwise you should speak to the person best placed to resolve your complaint (eg your tutor, supervisor, or course convenor). Try to avoid raising your complaint at a more senior level as who you speak to at this stage will affect who can hear your complaint if you pursue it further.
If you are unable to satisfactorily resolve your complaint directly, or you feel that you can’t approach the person or team that you think caused your complaint, you should then consider making a complaint or appeal through one of the School’s formal procedures.
2. Which formal complaints procedure should you follow?
It is important that your complaint or appeal is considered correctly, and the School has a range of procedures, each designed to consider complaints as fairly as possible. The below list summarises each of the procedures so that you can decide which one is the right one for your situation.
If you want to appeal an academic decision regarding your undergraduate or taught postgraduate degree, you should follow the Procedure for Considering Representations in respect of Examination and Assessment Results. This can be found elsewhere in the undergraduate and taught postgraduate Student Handbook or on the SOAS website on the Registry’s Degree Regulations and Applications page.
If you want to appeal against a decision not to allow you to transfer from an MPhil research degree to a PhD, you should follow the instructions in the Code of Practice for Research Degrees. This can be found elsewhere in the Postgraduate Research Student Handbook and on the Registry’s Current Research Students page of the website.
If you want to appeal against a decision to terminate your registration on a research degree, you should follow the instructions in the Code of Practice for Research Degrees. This can be found elsewhere in the Postgraduate Research
184 Student Handbook and on the Registry Current Research Students page of the website.
If you want to appeal against a decision to fail your MPhil or PhD, you should follow the instructions in the Procedure for Consideration of Appeals by Candidates for Research Degrees. This can be found on the Registry Current Research Students page of the website or obtained from Registry.
If you want to complain about harassment, whether sexual, racial, or of any other kind, you should consult the School’s Dignity at SOAS Policy. The policy is available from the School’s Diversity Advisor ([email protected]) or via the Equality & Diversity Office page on the SOAS website. Harassment can include assault, threatening behaviour, or abusive remarks.
If you want to complain about the Student Union, you should follow their complaints procedure, which is available via the Student Union website (http://soasunion.org/) or in the Student Union Constitution (also available via the Student Union website or the School’s website).
If you want to complain about the conduct of another student, you should follow the School’s Student Disciplinary Procedure (see below), which explains how to make a complaint.
If you want to complain about any other issue, you should follow the Student Complaint Procedure. You can view the procedure via the Directorate section of the School website at http://www.soas.ac.uk/directorate/services/. Examples of the sort of issue that you might use this procedure for would be if you were dissatisfied with teaching or supervision, or if you were unhappy about the service provided by a professional services department or faculty office.
3. What happens during these procedures?
Depending on which procedure you follow, this will vary. However, generally speaking there will be a series of stages. The aim is to resolve your complaint or appeal at the earliest possible stage to everybody’s satisfaction. Usually there will be some kind of initial investigation by somebody who has not been involved in your complaint before. This will result in the investigator deciding if your complaint is justified, and if so, recommending a resolution. If you disagree with the recommendations of the investigator, you may then ask for a review of the investigator’s decision by a more senior person or an appeal panel (depending on which procedure is being followed and what stage has been reached).
4. What happens if I remain dissatisfied after I have exhausted the School’s complaint procedures?
Once you have exhausted the relevant School procedure, you will be sent a Completion of Procedures letter. This letter sets out the School’s final position in respect of your complaint. It also explains what you should do if you remain dissatisfied with the outcome or handling of your complaint.
If you do wish to take your complaint further, you can appeal to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA), an independent ombudsman for students. You must do this within three months of receiving the Completion of Procedures letter. More information about the OIA can be found on their website at http://www.oiahe.org.uk/.
185
More information on the School’s complaints procedures can be found on the SOAS website at http://www.soas.ac.uk/directorate/services
Student Disciplinary Procedure
During your time at SOAS, you have the right to complain if you are dissatisfied with any aspect of your experience at SOAS. However, you also have a responsibility to follow the rules and regulations of the School whilst studying here.
The rules and regulations that are in force are made available via the School’s website and in many cases are highlighted elsewhere in this Handbook. You have an obligation to familiarise yourself with all the rules that affect you. If you fail to follow the School’s rules, or behave unjustifiably in a way that adversely affects other students, the School’s employees or contractors, or other individuals or organisations, or bring the School into disrepute through your actions, you can expect to be subject to the School’s Student Disciplinary Procedure.
In summary, the procedure is as follows. As with the School’s complaints procedures, the aim is to resolve disciplinary cases at the earliest possible stage, so not all of these stages will be necessary in every case.
• If you wish to report misconduct by a student, you should write to the Information Compliance Manager at the above address. • If a report is made about you, you will be told, and kept informed throughout the process. • The Director will appoint a senior member of staff to investigate the allegation. • There are then three stages to the School’s disciplinary procedure: o Stage 1 – informal investigation by a senior member of staff, usually the student’s Head of Department; o Stage 2 – formal disciplinary hearing chaired by the Dean of the student’s Faculty; o Stage 3 – Appeal Panel chaired by a senior member of staff nominated by the Director, a member nominated by Academic Board, and a representative of the Student Union. • Following the Appeal Panel, the student concerned will be issued with a Completion of Procedures letter. If they are dissatisfied with the outcome of the School’s procedures, they may appeal to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) within three months of receiving their Completion of Procedures letter.
At each stage, the School can choose to either dismiss the allegations or find that some or all of the allegations are justified and suggest a penalty. Penalties could include (this is not an exhaustive list):
• Exclusion temporarily, or in serious cases, permanently from the School; • Restricting access to specific facilities for a fixed period; • Making a financial charge for damage caused; • Imposing a fine; • Requiring a written apology; • Issuing a warning with conditions;
186 • Adding a note to a student’s academic record which may be made available to potential employers who request references for the student.
The full procedure is available from the SOAS website at http://www.soas.ac.uk/directorate/services/ or from the Information Compliance Manager in the Directorate Office ([email protected]).
187 Equality & Diversity Statement
SOAS welcomes a diverse population of both students and staff and this very diversity is one of the School’s greatest strengths. In order to consolidate and build upon this diversity, it is essential that equality of opportunity and the absence of unfair discrimination be at the core of all the School’s activities.
The School recognises the link between equality and quality and will not unfairly discriminate in the recruitment or general treatment of staff or students on the basis of:
• age • contractual status • disability • ethnic origin, colour or race • gender (including pregnancy and maternity) • gender identity or gender reassignment • language • marital or civil partnership status • national origin or nationality • political or other opinion • religion or other philosophical belief (or absence of such beliefs) • sexual orientation • social origin or socio-economic status • trade union membership or non-membership or any other factor which is not relevant to the selection and retention of the best talent.
The School is committed to promoting and developing equality of opportunity in all its functions and will seek to do this by: • communicating its commitment to equality and diversity to all members of the SOAS community • communicating where responsibility lies for equality issues providing training for decision-makers and briefing for staff and students • developing mechanisms for implementation, monitoring, evaluation and review taking appropriate action to redress any imbalances in the representation of various groups within the workforce and student body • treating any act of discrimination, harassment, bullying or victimisation as a disciplinary offence consulting with trades unions, the Students’ Union and interested groups and individuals, internal and external to SOAS
The Governing Body and Executive Board have the overall responsibility for ensuring that the School operates within the legal framework and for implementing the policy throughout the School. However, each member of the School community is responsible for preventing, challenging or at least reporting any unfair discrimination or other inappropriate behaviour of which they become aware.
The Diversity Advisor is responsible for keeping the Governing Body and Executive Board informed of all developments made in this area and for making appropriate staff aware of any specific responsibilities that relate to their work within the School.
The Diversity Advisor also manages any complaints under the Dignity at SOAS
188 procedures, which are available to anyone who may wish to make a complaint about inappropriate behaviour (e.g. harassment, discrimination or bullying) by another person.
Further information on our Dignity at SOAS procedures and the SOAS Equality and Diversity policies, guidelines, action plans and activities on the website at http://www.soas.ac.uk/equalitydiversity
The Diversity Advisor, Miss Deb Viney, can be contacted by email (diversity @soas.ac.uk) or by telephone (0207 898 4957) and is always happy to discuss any concerns in confidence.
Notes
1. The definition of disability in UK law is broad, protection is available to those who have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial, long-term and adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day to day activities. ‘Long term’ effects are those which have lasted at least 12 months OR are likely to last for at least 12 months OR are likely to last for the rest of the life of the person affected. ‘Substantial’ means more than minor or trivial. The above definition includes people who have conditions with intermittent effects (e.g. HIV infection, multiple sclerosis) from their point of diagnosis; it also includes those with a disfigurement.
2. The employment criteria / specification for some posts may include a legitimate requirement for a certain level of written and spoken English (or other language, in the case of language disciplines) and certain academic courses have a legitimate requirement for a certain level of written and spoken English (or another language, in the case of language disciplines).
3. Sexual orientation refers to attraction to others of the opposite gender (heterosexual, “straight”), attraction to others of the same gender (homosexual, gay or lesbian) and attraction to people of both genders (bi- sexual).
September 2011
189 Whistleblowing Policy (Approved 1998, amended August 2002)
1. Introduction The School is committed to the highest standards of openness, probity and accountability. It seeks to conduct it’s affairs in a responsible manner taking into account the requirements of the funding bodies and the standards in public life set out in the reports of the Nolan Committee. Normally any concern about a workplace situation should be raised with the employee’s immediate manager or Head of Department; in the case of students, concerns would normally be raised thought the complaints procedures. However, it is recognised that because of the seriousness and sensitivity of some issues, together with the knowledge of who the employee (or student) thinks may be involved in wrongdoing, this may be difficult or even impossible. The Public Interest Disclosure Act gives legal protection to employees again being dismissed or penalised by their employers as a result of publicly disclosing certain serious concerns provided that they are disclosed under procedures identified in the Act. It is a fundamental term of every contract of employment that an employee will faithfully serve his or her employer and not disclose confidential information about the employer’s affairs. However, where an individual discovers information which they believe shows malpractice/wrongdoing within the organisation then there should be identified procedures to enable the individual to disclose the information without fear or reprisal, and it may be necessary for the disclosures to be made independently of line management. This policy sets out arrangements for individuals to raise serious concerns about malpractice or serious wrongdoing in ways which will protect them from reprisal. This policy is intended to meet the requirements of the Act but it goes further in two aspects. Firstly, it extends the list of concerns where a protected disclosure may be made beyond those identified in the Act. Secondly, it extends protection for disclosure beyond employees to students and to other members of the School. It should be emphasised that this policy is intended to assist individuals who believe they have discovered malpractice or serious wrongdoing provided that they make the disclosure in accordance with the policy. it is not designed to question financial or business decisions taken by the University nor may it be used to reconsider any matters which have already been addressed under harassment, complaint or disciplinary procedures. Individuals who make disclosures outside the arrangements set out here will not be protected under this policy and may not be protected under the Act.
2. Scope of Policy This policy is designed to enable employees or other members of the School to raise concerns or disclose information at a higher level which the individual believes shows malpractice. A number of policies and procedures are already in place including grievance, discipline, complaints and guidelines for dealing with harassment. This policy is intended to cover concerns which are in the public interest and may (at least initially) be investigated separately but might then lead to the using of such procedures. These might include: • financial malpractice or impropriety or fraud • failure to comply with a legal obligation
190 • dangers to health and safety of the environment • criminal activity • miscarriage of justice • academic malpractice • improper conduct or unethical behavior • attempts to conceal any of the above. This is not intended to be a comprehensive list and any matters raised under this policy will be considered seriously.
3. Safeguards
Protection This policy is designed to offer protection to those employees or other members of the School who disclose such concerns provided the disclosure is made: i. in accordance with the procedures laid down ii. in good faith, and iii. in the reasonable belief of the individual making the disclosure that it tends to show malpractice. Confidentiality The School will treat all such disclosures in a confidential and sensitive manner. The identity of the individual making the allegation may be kept confidential so long as it does not hinder or frustrate any investigation. However, the investigation process may reveal the source of the information and the individual making the disclosure may need to provide a statement as part of the evidence required. Anonymous Allegations This policy encourages individuals to put their name to any disclosures they make. Concerns expressed anonymously are much less powerful, but they will be considered at the discretion of the School. In exercising this discretion, the factors to be taken into account will include: • the seriousness of the issues raised; • the credibility of the concern; and • the likelihood of confirming the allegation from alternative credible sources.
Untrue allegations If an individual makes an allegation in good faith, which is not confirmed by subsequent investigation, no action will be taken against that individual. If, however, the investigation shows that an individual has made malicious or vexatious allegations, and particularly if he or she persists with making them, disciplinary action may be taken against the individual concerned.
4. Procedures for Making a Disclosure
Initial Step The individual should make the disclosure to the Secretary & Registrar (the designated person). If, however, the disclosure is about the Secretary & Registrar then the disclosure may be made either to the Director & Principal or the Chair of Governing Body. If the individual does not wish to raise the matter with any of the above then they may raise with the Chair of the Audit Committee. The names of the
191 Chair of Governing Body and the Chair of Audit Committee are published in the Calendar and their addresses may be obtained from the Director & Principal’s office.
Initial Response In all cases, the person to whom the concern has been made should acknowledge its receipt in writing to the whistleblower at his/her home address, and record the subsequent action taken. The person to whom the concern has been made will make a preliminary investigation, normally by appointing someone who has not previously been involved in the case or is unlikely to subsequently be involved, and will report on the findings to the Chair of the Audit Committee. This process will normally be completed within a period of three working weeks.
Outcomes The probable outcomes of this process are as follows: i) if, on preliminary examination, the concern is judged to be wholly without substance or merit, it will be dismissed. ii) if it is judged that a prima facie case may exist, the matter will normally be dealt with in accordance with the School’s discipline procedure or as otherwise may be deemed appropriate according to the nature of the case. In all instances in which a concern leads to disciplinary proceedings, the person or persons in respect of whom it is made shall be informed of the concern and the evidence supporting it and be allowed to comment on it before proceedings are concluded. All concerns including those dismissed after preliminary examination and the outcome of their investigation shall be reported to the Audit Committee. The outcome shall also be reported to the whistleblower. 5. The following conditions shall apply: i) all reasonable steps should be taken to deal with the matter as expeditiously as possible ii) all reasonable steps will be taken to protect the confidentiality of whistleblowers unless they waive their rights to confidentiality or it is deemed that through the nature of the concern raised, such confidentiality is incompatible with the implementation of fair disciplinary proceedings. In such cases those who raise the concern should be informed that no further action can be taken without their agreement to waive their rights to confidentiality; iii) any reprisals against or victimisation of the whistleblower will be treated by the School as serious disciplinary matter
192 FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AT SOAS (March 1995)
The Statement of Principles The School of Oriental and African Studies is committed to the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge. This can only be conducted effectively in an atmosphere of open enquiry, mutual tolerance and intellectual freedom. In practice this means that we acknowledge the paramount importance of freedom of expression. Freedom of expression may not be exercised to threaten the safety or freedom of expression of others. In making this assertion, the School endorses the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international covenants. Furthermore, the School of Oriental and African Studies does not tolerate any form of discrimination or intimidation based upon race, religion, gender, ethnicity, nationality or intellectual conviction. Membership of the School is predicated upon acceptance of these principles. In accepting this Statement and the predication of membership of the School based upon acceptance of these principles, the School reserves the right to take action against individuals or groups who violate these principles.
Review Procedures The formal disciplinary procedures for the various categories of staff and students of the School are independent of the nature of the charges brought. Where a clear case of disciplinary action is necessary, it will be taken in accordance with the relevant disciplinary procedures. In respect of the School statement of principles of freedom of expression, it is recognised that there may be occasions when complaints will be brought forward whereby review procedures are necessary to determine whether or not formal disciplinary action or other measures are necessary. These review procedures should normally result in one of the following courses of action: a) disciplinary procedures against individuals or groups; b) recommendations to the Secretary of the School in his role of Responsible Officer under the terms of the 1986 (No. 2) Education Act; c) an informal caution about future action; d) the dismissal of the complaint.
Where a complaint is made to the School Secretary in respect of the infringement of the statement of principles of freedom of expression, s/he will review the circumstances and after consulting as necessary, including with members of the Review Panel list of nominees, will make a recommendation to the Pro-Director or Director as to whether or not referral to a Review Panel is necessary. In the event that such action is determined to be necessary, a Review Panel of three persons shall be convened. Members of the Panel shall be drawn from a list of six members of staff chosen by Academic Board and two students nominated by the Students’ Union. Where the case involves members of staff, the Panel shall consist of three members of staff. In the case of a student, the Panel shall consist of two members of staff and one student. Panels shall include both male and female members.
The Review Panel will investigate the complaint and will interview the person(s) lodging it. The Review Panel shall decide upon the extent to which it wishes to review documents and the need to interview other individuals. If the Review Panel
193 finds that there is a case to answer of an alleged violation of the principles of freedom of expression, it will recommend disciplinary action be taken through the relevant School procedures.
School Policy on Student Occupations The School of Oriental and African Studies is committed to the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge. This can only be conducted effectively in an atmosphere of open enquiry, mutual tolerance and intellectual freedom. Staff and student membership of the School is based on acceptance of this principle. Within its organisational structure, the School provides channels of communication for students to discuss issues of individual and collective concern with academic staff and with management: • Students may raise any issues with their tutor or Head of Department; • There is student representation on various School Committees, including both the Academic Board and the Governing Body; • The Students’ Union may raise any issues, in the first instance, with the Director of Student and Registry Services.
Where appropriate, these can be brought to the attention of the Director & Principal or the Registrar & Secretary on an ad hoc basis or at their regular meetings with the Students’ Union officers. While the School’s management is committed to the principle of discussion of student concerns, it does not accept that occupations of its premises are a legitimate form of protest or means of attempting to influence School policies. Occupations in the past have caused damage to the School community, the carrying out of normal learning, research and administration, the School’s external reputation and its physical infrastructure. The School, therefore, will not tolerate any occupation of its premises. In the event of an occupation, the School will take appropriate measures, including the use of all available legal means, to regain occupied premises and the subsequent employment of disciplinary action against individuals and parties involved. The Students’ Union will be liable for the costs of any occupation sanctioned by the Students’ Union. In the case of action not sanctioned by the Students’ Union, those identified as being involved will be liable for costs. The School will not hold discussions with students in occupation, but, in keeping with its commitment to the principles of discussion and dialogue, it will seek to resume such discussion at the earliest opportunity after any such occupation has ended. That discussion will be conducted via the agreed mechanisms for School-Students’ Union liaison, as detailed above.
October 2009
194 School Policy on Student Occupations Code of Practice: SOAS Students’ Union The School of Oriental and African Studies is committed to the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge. This can only be conducted effectively in an You and Your Students’ Union atmosphere of open enquiry, mutual tolerance and intellectual freedom. Staff and student membership of the School is based on acceptance of this principle. Within Section 1: Introduction its organisational structure, the School provides channels of communication for 1.1 The School of Oriental and African Studies Students’ Union (hereafter called students to discuss issues of individual and collective concern with academic staff ‘the Union’) is established for the promotion of the general interests of students and with management: and to afford a recognised channel of communication between students and • Students may raise any issues with their tutor or Head of Department; the School of Oriental and African Studies (hereafter called ‘the School’) • There is student representation on various School Committees, including both the authorities. The Constitution of the Union shall be consistent with the Charter, Academic Board and the Governing Body; rules and regulations of the School and the University of London. • The Students’ Union may raise any issues, in the first instance, with the Director of Student and Registry Services. 1.2 This Code of Practice has been ratified by the Governing Body of the School and details how the School and the Union have agreed to meet their Where appropriate, these can be brought to the attention of the Director & Principal responsibilities in respect of the 1986 and 1994 Education Acts and other or the Registrar & Secretary on an ad hoc basis or at their regular meetings with the relevant legislation. Students’ Union officers.
While the School’s management is committed to the principle of discussion of 1.3 The School has designated a senior administrative officer to act as the main student concerns, it does not accept that occupations of its premises are a legitimate contact between the School and the Union and vice versa. This person is form of protest or means of attempting to influence School policies. Occupations in referred to as ‘the designated senior officer’ throughout. the past have caused damage to the School community, the carrying out of normal learning, research and administration, the School’s external reputation and its Section 2: Students’ Union Constitution physical infrastructure. The School, therefore, will not tolerate any occupation of its 2.1 The Union’s Constitution has been approved by the Governing Body of the premises. School and is subject to review by that body at intervals of no more than five In the event of an occupation, the School will take appropriate measures, including years. the use of all available legal means, to regain occupied premises and the subsequent employment of disciplinary action against individuals and parties involved. The Students’ Union will be liable for the costs of any occupation sanctioned by the Section 3: Students’ Union Membership Students’ Union. In the case of action not sanctioned by the Students’ Union, those 3.1 All students who are enrolled on courses of study at the School may become identified as being involved will be liable for costs. members of the Union. This process will normally occur during registration but you are entitled to opt out of this membership at any time. Opting-out forms will The School will not hold discussions with students in occupation, but, in keeping with be available from the Union office. Opted-out students may rejoin the Union at its commitment to the principles of discussion and dialogue, it will seek to resume any time by informing, in writing, a Union Sabbatical Officer. Provision for other such discussion at the earliest opportunity after any such occupation has ended. forms of membership is defined in the Union’s Constitution. That discussion will be conducted via the agreed mechanisms for School-Students’ Union liaison, as detailed above. 3.2 The School and the Union have no wish for opted-out members to be unfairly October 2009 disadvantaged as a consequence of opting out of membership.
3.3 Those opting out will not be able to vote in Union elections, vote at Union meetings or stand for election for Union office.
3.4 Those electing to opt out also have the right to signify that they do not wish to be represented by any Union representative body. This should be done by written notification to a Sabbatical Officer.
Section 4: Complaints Procedure 4.1 Should at any time you feel that you have been unfairly disadvantaged by opting out or should you have any other complaint you may seek redress under the Complaints Procedure of the Union’s Constitution. Copies of the Constitution are available for inspection online on the Union Website www.soasunion.org.
195 Code of Practice: SOAS Students’ Union You and Your Students’ Union
Section 1: Introduction 1.1 The School of Oriental and African Studies Students’ Union (hereafter called ‘the Union’) is established for the promotion of the general interests of students and to afford a recognised channel of communication between students and the School of Oriental and African Studies (hereafter called ‘the School’) authorities. The Constitution of the Union shall be consistent with the Charter, rules and regulations of the School and the University of London.
1.2 This Code of Practice has been ratified by the Governing Body of the School and details how the School and the Union have agreed to meet their responsibilities in respect of the 1986 and 1994 Education Acts and other relevant legislation.
1.3 The School has designated a senior administrative officer to act as the main contact between the School and the Union and vice versa. This person is referred to as ‘the designated senior officer’ throughout.
Section 2: Students’ Union Constitution 2.1 The Union’s Constitution has been approved by the Governing Body of the School and is subject to review by that body at intervals of no more than five years.
Section 3: Students’ Union Membership 3.1 All students who are enrolled on courses of study at the School may become members of the Union. This process will normally occur during registration but you are entitled to opt out of this membership at any time. Opting-out forms will be available from the Union office. Opted-out students may rejoin the Union at any time by informing, in writing, a Union Sabbatical Officer. Provision for other forms of membership is defined in the Union’s Constitution.
3.2 The School and the Union have no wish for opted-out members to be unfairly disadvantaged as a consequence of opting out of membership.
3.3 Those opting out will not be able to vote in Union elections, vote at Union meetings or stand for election for Union office.
3.4 Those electing to opt out also have the right to signify that they do not wish to be represented by any Union representative body. This should be done by written notification to a Sabbatical Officer.
Section 4: Complaints Procedure 4.1 Should at any time you feel that you have been unfairly disadvantaged by opting out or should you have any other complaint you may seek redress under the Complaints Procedure of the Union’s Constitution. Copies of the Constitution are available for inspection online on the Union Website www.soasunion.org.
196 Section 5: Students’ Union Finances
5.1 The Governing Body is responsible for approving the Union’s budget, ratifying the Union accounts and for monitoring expenditure. In addition, the Governing Body is responsible for ensuring that no ultra vires payments are made by the Union and that there are regular reviews of affiliations to outside bodies. 5.2 The Union’s Constitution requires that the Union Trustees report termly to the student body on its financial position. The Union is responsible to its members and the Governing Body for the prudent application of its funds.
5.3 The Students’ Union is in the process of registering as an unincorporated charity and comes within the regulatory remit of the Charity Commission. As a charitable organisation, the Union may not make any donations to any external organisations other than as provided for in the applications lists. Copies of the restrictions on Union activities with respect to its charitable status are available from the Union or the School’s Finance Department. club or society may choose, with the approval of the Union Trustees, to affiliate to such external organisations as further the aims and objectives of the Union. The names of the external organisations to which the Union is affiliated are kept on a list along with details of any subscription or donation made or proposed to be made, and periods of affiliation. This list is maintained by the Sabbatical Officers, and is available for all members to inspect and shall be made available to the Governing Body annually. The Union is required by secret ballot held in accordance with Electoral Reform Society procedures to determine the wishes of its membership in the continuance of any or all affiliations of the Union. A formal report on the previous year’s affiliations shall be made available to the Governing Body. 5.5 Written procedures for the allocation of resources to groups or clubs are available on request from the Sabbatical Officers.
Section 6: Elections and Referenda 6.1 The Union is required to conduct all elections and referenda by a secret ballot of all its members except where specific franchises have been agreed by the Union Executive Committee. All ballots must be held in accordance with good practices set down by the Electoral Reform Society and are subject to the scrutiny of a Returning Officer who shall normally be nominated by the Union but whose appointment is ratified by the School. A person may not hold sabbatical union office, or other paid elected union office, for more than two years in total at the School, as laid down by the Education Act 1994 (section 22 [2] [F]).
Section 7: Freedom of Speech 7.1 The terms of the 1986 Education (No.2) Act, section 43, places a duty on the Governing Body of the School to ensure as far as is reasonably practicable that freedom of speech with in the law is secured for members, students and employees of the School and for visiting speakers. To this end, the School is required to issue a Code of Practice governing the organisation of meetings held on School premises. That Code is additional to the rights and obligations of members, students and employees as prescribed in the Charter and Rules of the School and operates within the requirements of statute and common law as regards freedom of speech, lawful assembly, keeping the peace and the provisions of the race relations and equal opportunities legislation.
197 Section 8: Publication 8.1 This Code of Practice is brought to all students’ attention once a year in the School’s Student Handbooks. The Code of Practice and the other documents referred to above are available for inspection in the Union, the Registry and from the School’s designated senior officer. A number of the policies and procedures outlined above are also available in the undergraduate, postgraduate taught masters and postgraduate research student handbooks and on the web. Other School Policies and Procedures
A comprehensive list of other School policies and procedures, which may be relevant to students, can be visited at: http://www.soas.ac.uk/admin/governance/policies
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