Senate regulation 2: Regulations governing admission and registration for taught programmes

Downloadable version of Senate Regulation 2 (PDF, 510KB)

General

2.1

These regulations apply to all students registered at the University on a taught programme of study and to associate students, registered on one or more modules.

2.2

All students are required as a condition of their registration to abide by the Senate Regulations and all other regulations and procedures approved and amended from time to time by the University throughout the period of their registration as a student.

2.3

Senate Regulation 2 conforms with the requirements stipulated in Ordinances 14 and 15 relating to admission and registration as a student member of the University.

2.4

Except for the purposes of teaching foreign languages, the medium of instruction at the University is English. All forms of University examinations and assessment are conducted in English unless they are designed to test written or spoken aptitude in a foreign language.

Associate students

2.5

Students, including those on exchange programmes, may be permitted by the University to register as an associate student for individual modules offered as part of a degree programme or other course of study. Associate students will not be registered for a qualification of the University.

2.6

Students who successfully complete the assessment for individual modules may be granted exemptions from parts of a programme of study and assessment of a named award of the University in recognition of prior achievement while registered as an associate student. Such requests will be considered in accordance with the regulations relating to the accreditation of prior learning. A limit may be specified on the amount of credit which may be recognised in this way and this will be detailed in the relevant programme specification.

Admission to programmes of study and assessment

2.7

Students will be registered for a programme of study and assessment leading to an award approved by Senate.

2.8

Students will be registered to undertake a programme of study and assessment by one of the following modes of study: full-time or part-time either of which may be by distance learning.

2.9

The modes of study available for each programme will be stated in the relevant programme specification.

2.10

The entry qualifications required for a programme of study, as approved by Senate are detailed in Senate Regulation 1.

2.11

Students may normally only be recommended for one award for each period of registration for a programme of study and assessment completed under these regulations.

2.12

Students registered on a full-time programme of study at the University may not be registered on another full-time programme either at the University or another institution.

2.13

Students studying on a part-time basis may be registered for more than one programme with the permission of the University, providing there is no substantial overlap in content between programmes.

However, where such permission is granted academic pressure resulting from dual or multiple registration will not be accepted as mitigating circumstances for poor academic performance.

2.14

All students studying on courses that require ATAS approval are required to secure appropriate clearance and to provide a copy of their clearance certificate to the University both before their course commences and in the specific circumstances outlined by the UKVI in their sponsorship guidance. Failure to do so may result in their registration being terminated, as set out in Senate Regulations 4.13 – 4.19.

Registration procedures

2.15

Students are required to complete a registration process when they commence their studies with the University and will only be formally admitted to the University as registered students on satisfactory completion of this process.

2.16

At the time of first registration students receive a card of membership of the University. Students studying on campus should carry their student card with them at all times and produce it on request for inspection by any member of the University staff or official of the Students’ Union.

2.17

The use of a card of membership is personal to the individual to whom it is issued and students must not allow it to be used by another person, whether registered at the University or not. If the card is lost or stolen this should be reported to the Information Hub on the ground floor of the David Wilson Library in order that a replacement card can be issued.

2.18

Students undertaking any programme of study of more than one year’s duration including students who are in a period of suspense will be required to complete an annual re-registration process. Failure to complete the annual re-registration process by the specified deadline will result in students being withdrawn from their programme of study.

2.19

Each programme of study will have a normal and maximum period of registration. These periods of registration will be stated in the relevant programme specification.

2.20

The normal period of registration is the minimum period of time in which a programme of study and assessment has been designed to be completed and includes no additional periods of time.

2.21

The maximum period of registration is the period of time after first registration in which a student must complete the programme of study and assessment for the highest award to which their programme leads.

2.22

The maximum period of registration is inclusive of all periods of study, any additional periods of time permitted for reassessment or delayed assessment, and any periods of agreed suspension of study. This includes any periods of suspension due to accepted mitigating circumstances agreed before the maximum period of registration is reached.

2.23

The normal period of registration for a full-time bachelors degree is three years and the maximum period is five years.

2.24

The normal period of registration for a part-time bachelors degree is five years and the maximum period is seven years.

2.25

The normal period of registration for a campus-based masters degree programme is 12 months full-time or 24 months part-time and the maximum period is 24 months full-time and 48 months part-time.

2.26

The normal period of registration for the MBChB (5 year) programme is five years full-time and the maximum period of registration is seven years. The normal period of registration for the MBChB (4 year) is four years full-time and the maximum period of registration is six years.

2.27

The normal and maximum periods of registration for a distance learning programme is specified in programme specifications. In the case of masters programmes the normal period of registration will usually be specified as 24 months and the maximum as no more than 48 months. For full-time masters programmes the normal period of registration will usually be specified as 12 months, and the maximum as 24 months.

2.28

The maximum period of registration may only be exceeded where a student has experienced severe mitigating circumstances which are accepted by the University. An extension will only be granted where it is deemed to be reasonable and will not compromise the standard or integrity of any award achieved as a result.

2.29

Progression points apply in some programmes, which require students to have completed successfully a minimum number of credits within a specified period of time. Where such progression points apply they are stated in the relevant programme specification.

Transfers between programmes, changes to modes of study and individual variations to programmes

2.30

After registration students may only change or vary their programme of study with the permission of the University.

2.31

Full-time and part-time campus-based students may apply to change the programme, mode or type of study for which they are registered by completing a change of course request. The request should be made via the online form in MyStudentRecord. Requests must be submitted by the end of the second week of teaching in the first semester.

2.32

A change to optional module registrations is permitted, provided that University approval has been granted by the department and that the change can be accommodated by the teaching timetable. Module change forms must be approved by the end of the second week of teaching in the semester in which the module is offered

2.33

Distance learning students should apply for any changes to their programme in accordance with guidance specified in their programme handbook.

2.34

Transfers between programmes will be approved by the University subject to the student meeting the entry requirement and there being available space on the programme. The receiving department shall determine what contribution previous achievement should make towards fulfilling the requirements of the new programme and shall determine and notify the student of the normal and maximum period of their remaining study on the new programme.

2.35

The University may approve a transfer between mode or type of study as specified in the programme specification for the relevant programme of study.

Suspension of studies

2.36

A student may be granted a period of suspension where it is accepted that s/he has personal mitigating circumstances.

2.37

A suspension of studies is an approved period of absence from the programme of study and assessment for an award. Suspension of study indicates that a student is not actively studying but remains registered with the University. This means that students will continue to have access to many services of the University and that the suspension time remains part of the student’s overall period of registration. Requests for suspension of study require the approval of the relevant department and Registry.

2.38

Students will be notified of the next or most appropriate point for return to the programme following a period of suspension. The University will not normally agree to period of suspension of more than one year in the first instance. The University will also not normally agree to a period of suspension which does not permit the completion of the programme within the maximum period of registration.

2.39

An applicant accepted for admission to a programme with a stated start date may not suspend studies before commencing the first module(s) of the programme but may request deferral of entry to a later start date. Deferral of entry may be allowed for a period of up to one calendar year, subject to availability of space on the programme. Applicants will receive a new offer letter detailing the new start date and will retain their applicant status. Applicants who defer the start of their programme in this way for more than one calendar year will be required to reapply for the programme.

2.40

Once a student has registered for a programme s/he may not request a deferral of studies. In such cases s/he must apply for a suspension of studies.

Withdrawal of students and eligibility of awards

2.41

A student wishing to withdraw from his or her programme before the end of the normal period of study should notify the University.

2.42

In cases where, due to non-attendance or non-engagement, the University considers that a student has withdrawn from a programme the student will be contacted at their registered University email address and asked to contact the University by a specified date. If a student fails to respond satisfactorily by the specified date it will be assumed that they have withdrawn from the University.

2.43

A student who has not yet reached the final year of his or her programme but who will be unable to complete all the requirements for the highest award to which their programme leads within the maximum registration period shall normally be required to withdraw from the University.

2.44

In all the above withdrawal circumstances, the relevant Board of Examiners will consider the student’s eligibility for an interim award at its next scheduled meeting.

2.45

If the maximum period of registration is reached before a student has fulfilled all the requirements for the highest named award to which the programme leads, the relevant Board of Examiners will consider their eligibility for an interim award and will end the student’s registration at the University.

Accreditation of prior learning

2.46

Accreditation of prior learning is the term used for the award of credits on the basis of demonstrated learning which has taken place prior to a student’s admission to a programme of study at the University.

2.47

A student is responsible for applying for recognition of prior learning and for providing all required evidence at the time of application to the University.

2.48

The University may recognise certificated or experiential learning for the purpose of exemption from the requirement of programmes of study and assessment, whether it has been undertaken at the University or elsewhere.

2.49

Exemptions from any assessment requirements of a programme will be made on the basis of evidence of prior achievement of the learning outcomes associated with the relevant module(s) and currency of the prior learning.

2.50

Departments may determine the currency of prior learning on a case by case basis within an overall requirement that, at the time of application, any prior learning which is more than five years old will not normally be considered current for this purpose.

2.51

Requirements for the evidence of prior learning to be submitted and other details regarding arrangements for the assessment of applications will be set out in a policy approved by the relevant department and University and made available to applicants.

2.52

Exemption for prior learning may be granted on either a ‘graded’ or ‘ungraded’ basis.

2.53

Where students are granted exemptions on a graded basis the relevant department will assign a mark to assessments within a module to which exemption has been granted and this will be used in profiles and calculations when determining progression and award decisions.

2.54

Exemptions may be applied to no more than half of the taught credits which lead to an award as specified in programme specifications. In no case may students be exempt from the dissertation or research project.

2.55

If a student is admitted to a programme with recognition for prior achievement undertaken at the University, any award previously made to the student on the basis of that prior achievement will be rescinded by the University prior to the commencement of the new period of study.

2.56

Where appropriate, the normal and maximum duration of their remaining study on the new programme may be reduced pro rata for students granted exemption from study and assessment in recognition of prior learning.

2.57

A formal record will be made of exemptions granted to students when they were admitted and any marks assigned for the purposes of determining progression or the outcome of awards. Students will be notified in writing of all decisions.

Readmission and resumption of studies

2.58

Where an overall programme has staged awards and a student exits before completing the highest award to which the overall programme leads due to any of the following circumstances, students may be readmitted to study for the remainder of the overall programme:

• a) A student originally registered to study for, and exited with, an interim award on a programme for which a higher award is available;
• b) A student registered to study for a higher award however for reasons other than academic failure, exited the programme with an interim award.

In such cases the overall maximum period of registration for the programme will remain as stated in the programme specification. The remaining period of registration available to the student to complete the programme will be calculated on the basis of the dates of previous registration, and registration will be subject to the interim awards being rescinded.

2.59

A student who has exited a programme with an interim award because s/he has not fulfilled the requirements of a higher award, or whose studies have been terminated on the grounds of academic failure of that programme, will not be readmitted to that programme and will not normally be admitted to another programme leading to an award of the University.

2.60

Any subsequent admission of a student to a different programme of study will be wholly at the discretion of the University and will take full account of a student’s previous performance at the University.