University of Leicester Students' Union | Advice for Taught Courses

Taught Postgradaute Advice

Appeals

There are two main types of appeal that apply to Postgraduate Students: -

Appeal against the Termination of Course
Appeal against decision to award Diploma.

The process for appealing each decision is the same. You need to write a letter to the Secretary of the Board of Graduate Studies (Louise Masterman) explaining you reasons for your request. The reasons must be based either on mitigating circumstances such as illness or on a procedural irregularity within the examination process. The board will be looking for evidence that if the examiners had known about your situation at the time then they would have reached a different decision. In your letter you should aim to cover the following points: -

Explain in chronological order how the events happened.
Explain the affect each situation had on your academic performance and caused you to perform below your academic potential e.g. did it affect your concentration.
If you are appealing on mitigating circumstances give reasons why you didn't inform your department at the time.
Show that the problems will not hamper your progress if they let you back onto the course (particularly relevant if you are appealing against Course Termination).
Show that you are still enthusiastic about studying the course.

It is also important to include supplementary evidence such as doctor certificates/reports to support your case. The more detailed the evidence is the more use it will be to the panel. For example a simple Medical Certificate will not be as useful as a Medical Report explaining the affect the condition had on your ability to work affectively.

Once the Secretary has received your letter he will contact the Department asking for a report regarding your academic progress and any response to the issues raised in your letter. All of the information will be passed onto the Graduate Dean who will decide if there is sufficient evidence to warrant a hearing. If it is decided to set up an appeal hearing consisting of three members of the Graduate Faculty Board and will exclude the Sub Dean from your department. A member of the relevant department will also be requested to attend the hearing and the Sub Dean of the faculty involved may also be invited. You will be invited to attend and this gives you an opportunity to expand upon and answer questions on your submission. You are also allowed to bring one member of the University along with you who will get a chance is allowed to make a short supporting statement. We normally recommend a tutor that you have got to know well and who can comment favourably on your academic potential. If you prefer a member of the Students Union Education Unit will be more then happy to accompany you to your hearing.

At the hearing the panel will ask you questions based on your letter. They will also question the departmental representation present to clarify any issues they are unsure on. You will then be given a chance to make a final statement. The panel will retire to make their decision and you will be informed by the secretary of the decision in writing normally within a couple of days.

If you have any questions or need help putting together a case then please do not hesitate to contact us here at the Education Unit. You can either: -

Pop in, we're located directly above the travel shop and are open between 10.00 and 16.00 Monday to Friday.
Email educationunit@le.ac.uk
Call on 0116 223 1228

Suspension of Studies

If you are suffering from illness, having to spend a significant portion of your time looking after family members then it might be possible to temporary withdraw from your studies and return (up to a year later in the 1st instance) once the problems have been sorted out. It is vitally important that you talk to your supervisor regarding the problems that you are facing. If you decide to apply for temporary withdrawal then both you and your supervisor need to work together to submit a case to the University Senate. It is useful if you can include supplementary evidence e.g. a Medical Certificate/Report with your submission. The Senate will consider your case and will in general inform you of their decision in writing. It is important to realise that temporary withdrawal will, as stated in the Taught Postgraduate Regulations only be given in exceptional circumstances. If you need any help putting together your case then please do contact us at the Education Unit and we will be able to help you through the process.

How do I withdraw from the University?

If you are considering withdrawing from your course then there are lots of sources of advice that are available if you wish to talk through the situation you are in:-

Supervisor
Other tutors
Friends
Family
Welfare
Careers Centre
Education Unit (Ourselves)
Counselling Service

If you do decide for whatever reason to withdraw you need to inform in writing the graduate office, your head of department and your supervisor.

I've been unwell what do I do?

If you are ill for less then 5 days

If the illness leads you to miss any compulsory lectures or may cause you not to meet course deadlines or it means that you perform below your academic potential then you need to inform your department. To do this you will need to fill in a standard self certification form that is available from departmental office. It is also important that you do not delay in telling your department that you are/have been ill. If you are absent from more then 3 days then you must also inform the Graduate Office.

If you are ill for more then 5 days

You should seek medical advice and submit a medical certificate to your department and the Graduate office. If you are a member of the Freemans Common Health Centre then they will normally supply the Medical Certificate and a short report free of charge. If you are registered with a different practice then your doctor may ask you to pay a fee fror providing the evidence.

What if I am ill during the Examinations ?

If you are ill during the examinations then you must make every effort to obtain a medical certificate and this must be submitted to your department and Graduate Office as soon as possible. The Freeman Common Health Centre suspends the 5 day ruling during the examination period and will be available for emergency appointments. It is vitally important that if you are ill around the examination period that you do seek medical advice immediately.

Important Note

We would also recommend that you write a letter to supplement any medical evidence you submit to outline the affect your illness had on your academic performance. However it is very important that that you submit the medical evidence first since you can always submit a letter a little bit later.

What if I have other Mitigating Circumstances?

Many students face a whole array of personal and family problems and these can have a negative affect on your academic performance. You should inform your supervisor as soon as possible of any problems that you are facing. If they are serious problems that you feel may affect your academic performance then it may well be worthwhile submitting a letter alongside supplementary evidence (if possible) to your supervisor.

Should I have a Personal Tutor?

Yes every student on a Masters Course should have a Personal Tutor - who will act as your first point of contact for any queries/concerns whether academic or personal. Personal tutors. Your intitial meeting between yourself and your personal tutor should take place during your induction. At this meeting your Personal Tutor should make it clear that s/he is available throughout your course.
NOTE : In some departments your Postgraduate Tutor will also be your Personal Tutor.

What is a Staff Student Committee?

Every department within the University should have in place a Staff Student Committee. This should have a significant proportion of students on them and will normally be separate from any undergraduate staff student committees. If you have a problem then approach someone who you know is on the committee and get them to raise the issue for you. This is the first port of call to raise any general concerns you have with the course, timetabling etc…. The Staff Student Committee is not a forum for personal grievances but for discussions regarding general academic issues.

What happens if I have a complaint that I want to raise

The complaints procedure assumes that you have made every effort to solve your problem informally. The first stage is to consult directly with the people involved, if this is not successful then there are a number of ways that you can consult with the University to pursue your case without making a formal complaint. These include:-

Personal Tutor System
Staff Student Committee and Staff Student Council
Students' Union
Hall JCR Officials

If you are not happy at this stage then you will need to write a letter to either your head of department or the head of the relevant part of the university e.g. Computer Centre, Library etc… This letter should outline your concerns, the steps you have taken to try and resolve the problem and the desired outcome you wish from the complaint. The list of senior officers are:-

Head or Dean of your Department
The Libraries
The Director of the Computer Centre
The Director of Residential and Conference Services
The Registrar and Secretary(University's administration)
The President of the Students Union

Obviously you should address your letter to the most relevant person so for example if it was a complaint about the Students Union you'd need to write to the President of the Students Union.

The senior officer will acknowledge receipt of your letter immediately and will respond within 28 days to the complaint. He/she will write to the head of the section involved asking for a report and then if you are not happy at this stage you can write a formal letter to Kathy Williams. She will then request a report from the head of department and will again inform you of the result within 28 days. If you are not happy with this decision then there are two further stages of the complaints procedure:-

Formal letter to the Pro Vice Chancellor - who will acknowledge the complaint immediately. He will then normally interview you, the people who you are complaining about and the senior officer who first considered the complaint. He will also review on the paper work and will usually respond to you in writing within 28 days of you lodging the complaint.

The vast majority of complaints are resolved at the first stage of the complaints procedure and the vast majority of the remaining ones are resolved by the Pro Vice Chancellor. However if you wish to pursue your complaint further you can request the setting up of a complaints committee. This committee will consist of the Vice Chancellor, the President of the Students Union and a lay member of University Council who will be the chair of the meeting.

The final stage once all these stages have been exhausted is that the you can complain through the visitor. This system is currently been replaced with the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education so if you reach this stage please contact either Kathy Williams (Academc Registrar) or a member of the Education Unit.

For full details of the complaints procedure please see pages 8 to 10 of the taught postgraduate regulations #link#(http://www.le.ac.uk/academic/Regs/2004-5/PGGeneral.pdf)#text#(http://www.le.ac.uk/academic/Regs/2004-5/PGGeneral.pdf)

What is Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty?

Plagiarism is used as a general term to describe taking and using another person's thoughts and writings as your own. Plagiarism can take place not only in essays and dissertations, but also in scientific experimentation, diagrams, maps, fieldwork, computer programmes, and all other forms of study where you are expected to work independently and produce original material.

It is important to make sure that your read and familiarise yourself with your departmental handbook. Pay special attention to the type of referencing scheme recommended by your department and follow it. For example just including all your sources in the bibliography alone is not adequate. If in doubt ask your personal tutor or the course lecturer.

It is your responsibility to make sure you follow the rules !

If you are notified that you had been guilty of plagiarism then contact your personal tutor straight away. It may also be helpful to find out from the person marking your assessment as to where you went wrong. This may help you to figure out how it happened.

As the University does not permit an appeal against being found guilty of plagiarism it is better to cooperate with your department and this may reduce the level of penalty.

What is Academic Dishonesty ?

Academic Dishonesty is basically any of the following cheating, copying, falsifying results etc etc.

Overview

The University takes all types of academic dishonesty very seriously and the consequences of being caught can be very serious. The range of penalties for such offences start from getting zero for the assessment in question to course termination.

Therefore it is in your best interest not only to make sure that you abide by the rules but also do not allow any of your friends to use your work either.

Penalties for Academic Dishonesty include:-

If the assessed work does not contribute to your degree then zero mark for the whole module and removing your right for a re sit.
If the assessed work goes towards your degree classification then one or more of the following:
o reducing your marks for the full module concerned
o removing your right to re-sit
o reducing your degree to Postgraduate Diploma (Masters Students)
o In addition for repeated offences or cheating in examinations, you will be dealt with under the disciplinary procedures and the outcome may included suspension for a short time or course termination.