BA ENGLISH AND LINGUISTICS COMBINATIONS ENGLISH LANGUAGE ENGLISH LITERATURE LINGUISTICS CREATIVE WRITING COURSE HANDBOOK 2015-2016 LEVEL 4 STUDENTS September 2015 Department of English, Linguistics and Cultural Studies Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities University of Westminster 309 Regent Street, London, W1B 2UW CONTENTS The Handbook is split into two parts. The first part is the programme specification which can be used as a stand-alone guide to the course. This is also published on the University’s web site as a guide to potential applicants and current students: WELCOME TO THE COURSE ................................................................................ 1 THE ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT........................................................................... 3 THE COURSE ........................................................................................................... 3 THE ORIENTATION PROGRAMME ....................................................................... 4 CHECKLIST OF WHAT TO KNOW AND BY WHEN ............................................. 5 Academic year structure and calendar ......................................................................... 5 PART ONE - PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION ...................................................... 7 Course Record Information .......................................................................................... 7 ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................. 7 General Entry Requirements ........................................................................................ 8 English Language Proficiency ...................................................................................... 9 Aims of the Course ................................................................................................. 9 What will you be expected to achieve? .............................................................. 10 Course Structure ................................................................................................... 14 English Language Level 4 .......................................................................................... 16 Linguistics Level 4 ...................................................................................................... 16 English Literature Level 4 ........................................................................................... 16 Creative Writing Level 4 ............................................................................................. 16 Academic Regulations .......................................................................................... 17 Award .......................................................................................................................... 17 How will you be supported in your studies? ..................................................... 17 Course Management ............................................................................................. 17 Academic Support ................................................................................................. 18 PART TWO – ABOUT YOUR COURSE ................................................................ 19 1 HOW TO CONTACT US .................................................................................. 20 1.1 Contact details of the course leader/course management arrangements ......... 20 1.2 Level Tutor Arrangements .................................................................................. 20 1.3 Who to contact about module queries ................................................................ 20 1.4 Faculty Registry role, location and opening hours ............................................. 20 1.5 Information about where course information/news/events is posted ................. 21 1.6 Students with Disabilities .................................................................................. 21 1.7 Support for international students ....................................................................... 22 1.8 Students' Union (UWSU) Contact Information ................................................. 22 1.9 Academic Learning Development Centre, Learning Support – Student Affairs 23 2 HOW YOU ARE TAUGHT ............................................................................... 23 2.1 Teaching and Learning Strategy for the Course ................................................ 23 2.2 The course skills strategy ................................................................................... 25 2.3 Blackboard .......................................................................................................... 26 2.4 Exchange opportunities....................................................................................... 27 2.5 Employability and work placement opportunities ............................................... 27 2.6 The Student Charter ............................................................................................ 28 2.7 Diversity and Dignity at Work/Equality Act 2010 . 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Bookmark not defined. 3 HOW YOU LEARN ........................................................................................... 30 3.1 Independent Study .............................................................................................. 30 3.2 Study guidance .................................................................................................... 31 3.3 The Library and IT Services ................................................................................ 31 3.4 Personal Development Planning (PDP) ............................................................. 33 3.5 Feedback on assessed work .............................................................................. 33 4 HOW YOU WILL BE ASSESSED ................................................................... 33 4.1 Assessment Strategy for the course ................................................................... 33 4.2 Cheating and plagiarism ..................................................................................... 37 4.2.1 Plagiarism/Academic Integrity ......................................................................... 37 4.2.2 Plagiarism Detection .................................................................................... 38 4.2.3 Double-counting ........................................................................................... 39 4.2.4 Working Together ........................................................................................ 39 4.2.5 Cheating in exams or in-class tests ............................................................. 39 4.3 Major project/dissertation guidance .................................................................... 40 4.4 Submission of coursework ............................................................................... 40 4.5 Assessment Boards and the Release of Results ........................................ 40 4.6 External Examiners for the Course .................................................................. 41 5. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD ......................................................................... 42 5.1 What is a course representative? ....................................................................... 42 5.2 How course representatives will be selected ..................................................... 43 5.3 The course committee ......................................................................................... 43 5.4 Student Module Evaluation (SME) ................................................................... 43 5.5 Student Experience Survey (SES) ...................................................................... 44 5.6 National Student Survey (NSS) .......................................................................... 44 6 WHAT TO DO IF THINGS GO WRONG ......................................................... 45 6.1 Mitigating Circumstances (MCs) ......................................................................... 45 6.2 Penalties for late submission of coursework ...................................................... 46 6.3 What to do if you fail ............................................................................................ 47 6.4 Suspending from the course ............................................................................... 47 6.5 Withdrawing from the Course ............................................................................. 48 6.6 Changing Course ................................................................................................ 48 6.7 Complaints procedure ......................................................................................... 49 7 COURSE REGULATIONS ............................................................................... 49 7.1 How your degree is classified ............................................................................. 49 7.2 Intermediate awards ............................................................................................ 50 7.2.1 BA English and Linguistics .......................................................................... 50 7.2.2 Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE) in English and Linguistics ............... 51 7.2.3 Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE) in English and Linguistics .......... 51 7.3 Maximum periods of registration ......................................................................... 52 7.4 Exclusion from the programme of