THE BASICS

Undergraduate Student Handbook 2005/2006
THE BASICS
THE BASICS
Admission with Credit
Communication
If you feel that you have achieved credit at an
appropriate level and in a subject relevant to your
studies at this University, it may be possible for
this to be incorporated into your APU programme
of study as academic credit. This process is
known as Admission with Credit (AWC) but is
often referred to as the Accreditation of Prior
Learning (APL). In order to ensure that all
students are treated fairly and consistently in this
process, there are quality assurance systems
common to all areas of the University.
It is really important that you know how to contact
Officers of the University with whom you need to
have dealings; just as important is our ability to
get in touch with you.
It is our policy wherever possible to deal with
claims for academic credit from prior learning at
the point of admission, before registering with the
University. As Admission with Credit often has a
direct impact on a student’s programme, the
University’s regulations require that all claims for
Credit from Prior Learning be identified before
week 5 of a student’s first semester of study
at APU. If you feel you may have a claim relating
to prior learning which has not yet been
addressed, you should raise this matter in the
first instance with your Programme Leader and
ensure that the matter is addressed before that
deadline.
Prior Learning most frequently originates from an
earlier certificated course of study; this is
referred to as Prior Certificated Learning (APL).
However, learning may also arise through the
experiences of life or work, and the formal
process to recognise this is the Accreditation of
Prior Experiential Learning (APEL). Your
Faculty’s Accreditation and Negotiation Adviser is
responsible for matters of academic credit based
on both Prior Certificated and Prior Experiential
Learning.
How do you communicate with us?
Make sure that you know the following:
1. The name, room number, extension number
and e-mail address of:
a) The Student Adviser for your Faculty;
b) Your Programme Leader;
c) How they receive internal mail i.e. how best
to leave a message for them;
d) Your Faculty’s Accreditation and Negotiation
Adviser if you are on a Negotiated
Programme.
2. The location and opening hours of the
Administrative Office which deals with your
award. It is likely that most formal business
such as obtaining and handing-in forms will go
through this office.
3. You should also know the name of the
Director of Studies for your Faculty’s Awards
Board.
4. The location and opening hours of relevant
Faculty Offices.
How do we communicate with you?
1. e-vision
What is e-vision?
e-vision is a website developed at APU to provide
our students with a quick and easy way to access
their records. Using e-vision students will be able
to view personal details and update addresses,
view their marks, progress, results and search for
modules. Most students will be able to access
their timetables and re-register online.
Who will be able to see e-vision?
e-vision will be enabled for ALL students at APU
and Partner Colleges.
Where can I access e-vision?
e-vision is available on the internet, so all you
need is an internet-enabled computer and a web
browser. Then type in the following address:
http://e-vision.apu.ac.uk
For more information visit the e-vision website.
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2. E-mail
4. Pigeon holes
If you regularly use e-mail and it is a convenient
way of contacting you then you need to visit the
e-vision website and pick up your APU e-mail
address. Once you have done this you are able to
forward it to your own e-mail account if you wish.
However APU can take no responsibility for the
secure onward delivery of any forwarded
messages and this may lead to the loss of
information which is important to you. Official
messages, notices and other communications will
be sent to this address as this is one of the main
methods of communication we have with our
students.
These are not found on all campuses. If you have
been allocated one you will need to find out
where it is located.
3. Addresses
5. Notice boards
All Universities have them and APU is no
exception. Find out where the relevant boards for
your pathway, and the boards for your Faculty’s
Awards Board are. Check these notice boards at
least twice a week. They will display information
which is essential for you to progress through
your programme of study.
For more information visit the e-vision website
or email: [email protected]
We will need to have your current permanent
address (often this means your parents’ address)
on the main University database. We will also
need your semester-time address if it differs from
the above.
If either of these change, it is vital that you visit
the appropriate e-vision screen and update the
information yourself or alternatively complete a
change of address form and hand it in to your
Administrative Office.
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Undergraduate Student Handbook 2005/2006
THE BASICS
Whilst every effort will be made to accommodate
your circumstances, nothing can be guaranteed,
and so you must be prepared to make any special
arrangements which might be necessary to
enable you to attend for the whole day (9.00am to
9.00pm) if necessary.
Key University Dates and
Deadlines
The University Day
The University day begins, for teaching purposes,
at 9.00am and runs until 9.00pm If you are a
full-time student, it is expected that you should
be available to attend any classes within this
time-span.
The University Year
APU’s Academic Year for most undergraduate
students is 36 weeks long; the year is divided into
two semesters, each semester lasts 18 weeks,
but teaching is only (normally) delivered in 12
weeks.
Wherever possible, major lectures are scheduled
before 6.00pm, but classes can, and do, run up to
9.00pm.
If you need any further information, please
contact your Faculty Office for details. For
students in the Faculty of Education there is also
a different pattern of teaching - for further details
please see the course booklets.
All timetabled sessions should begin promptly on
the hour, and finish promptly no later than ten
minutes before the hour. This arrangement is to
ensure, as far as possible, that classes are not
disrupted by late arrivals.
Semester Dates 2005/2006
Official Academic Year: Monday 19th September 2005 – Friday 7th July 2006
Semester One
Semester Two (04/05) Resit Examinations
Week beginning Tuesday 30th August 2005
Semester One starts
Monday 5th September 2005
Semester One teaching starts
Monday 26th September 2005
Semester One teaching finishes
Friday 16th December 2005
Christmas Vacation
From Monday 19th December 2005
– Friday 6th January 2006
Semester resumes following Vacation
Monday 9th January 2006
Semester One examinations
Week beginning Monday 9th January 2006
& Monday 16th January 2006
Resit Examinations (04/05)
Fortnight beginning Monday 9th January 2006
Semester One finishes
Friday 27th January 2006
Semester Two
Semester Two starts
Monday 30th January 2006
Semester Two teaching starts
Monday 6th February 2006
Easter Vacation
From Monday 3rd April 2006
– Friday 21st April 2006
Semester resumes following Vacation
Monday 24th April 2006
Semester Two teaching finishes
Friday 19th May 2006
Semester Two examinations
Week beginning Tuesday 30th May 2006
& Monday 5th June 2006
Semester One (04/05) Resit Examinations
Fortnight beginning Tuesday 30th May 2006
Semester Two finishes
Friday 23rd June 2006
Academic Year finishes
Friday 7th July 2006
NB: There may be some variation in the above semester dates for some student intakes in the Faculties of
AIHSC and Education, depending on your start date, please consult your Faculty Office for more information.
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Undergraduate Student Handbook 2005/2006
THE BASICS
Dates for your calender 2005/2006
Annual holiday dates on which the University will be closed
Christmas Day
25th December 2005
Boxing Day
26th December 2005
Holiday in Lieu
27th December 2005
New Year’s Day
1st January 2006
Holiday in Lieu
2nd January 2006
Good Friday
14th April 2006
Easter Monday
16th April 2006
Early May Bank Holiday
1st May 2006
Spring Bank Holiday
29th May 2006
Summer Bank Holiday
28th August 2006
Modular System
Being a student at APU means that you will be
following a modular programme of study and that
you will be registered for an Award e.g. BSc
(Hons) Multimedia Systems, or BA (Hons)
Business with French. Your programme will be
divided up into discrete units of study, known as
modules. Each module is credit rated and will
usually be worth 10 or 20 credits. One 10 credit
module is usually equivalent to 100 hours of
student learning. There is a level of study
associated with each module, namely 0 (Access),
1 (Basic), 2 (Diploma), 3 (Higher), P (Placement)
and KVS (Key Vocational Skills). If you are
entering the first year of a programme you will
initially be studying modules at Level 1.
Following a modular programme has many
advantages, perhaps the most important of which
are:
• you are able to determine at least part of the
content of your programme;
• you can select modules (units of study) with
different forms of assessment;
• you can follow modules from subject areas
outside your normal area of study;
• you can develop a particular skill –
e.g. a language or IT competence;
• on successful completion of each module you
will have accumulated credit which will count
towards your final award.
Please note: The modular system is being
re-shaped for September 2005 and some of
the changes are mentioned at the end of this
handbook. However, for 2005–06 there are no
significant changes to the way we organise our
programmes.
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Undergraduate Student Handbook 2005/2006
THE BASICS
Other Useful University
Publications/Sources of
Information
There are plenty of sources of information in any
institution. The trick is to know where they are.
1. This Handbook describes how APU’s
undergraduate programmes operate, who runs
them and the University’s policies on key
issues.
2. Assessment Regulations. This booklet will be
given to you during Welcome Week. It contains
all the important regulations which affect
assessment and is drawn from other bulkier
university documents.
3. Rules, Regulations and Procedures for
Students (the ‘Grey Book’) , which you should
receive during Welcome Week.
4. The Student Guide is prepared by the
Admissions Office and is normally sent out
as part of the pre-arrival pack. It has a broad
remit and is particularly strong on the practical
side of student life.
5. Individual Faculties may produce Handbooks
with information specific to their areas. You
may receive these during Welcome Week or
via Faculty Offices.
6. Module catalogues are published on the web
during the academic year, to help with module
choice. Because of our wide geographic
dispersal, there is little point in an all-APU
catalogue, so catalogues are organised on a
campus basis and then by module level (1 =
Basic, 2 = Diploma, 3 = Higher). The module
catalogues can be found on the web at:
http://web.apu.ac.uk/dso/catalogue/
7. All modules are fully described on Module
Definition Forms (MDFs). These are public
documents and can be consulted by you if you
wish to find out more about a module than is
provided in a catalogue entry. Ask at the
appropriate Faculty Office.
8. Wise Up! is a tabloid-size free newspaper
produced by the Office of Student Affairs four
times a year. Besides news about Students
and Staff, it also contains updates and
reminders about University matters.
Finally, don’t forget that if the written word doesn’t
help, there are people you can ask.
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Regional University
Partnership
The Regional University Partnership offers a wide
range of courses in many centres throughout the
East of England. The Partnership brings colleges
together to provide courses validated by or
franchised from the university and thus enables
students to study close to home, at a pace which
they choose, and gain credits towards a nationally
recognised Higher Education Award.
If you are interested in programmes offered
by the Regional University partnership please
contact the relevant APU Faculty Office.
Registration Services
Registration Services is divided into two sections
– one based on the Cambridge Campus in the
Rackham Building and one on the ground floor
of East Building, Chelmsford Central Campus.
What do we do?
We deal with all matters involved with
Registration, Tuition fees, Student ID cards,
Student Loans, Grants, Council Tax and a lot
more besides!
Registration/Financial Support
Your Local Education Authority will assess your
financial situation (and/or your family, if
appropriate) and then inform you how much you
will have to pay, if anything towards your fees.
This applies to both full-time students and, from
2004/05, part-time students under the part-time
funding scheme. If your assessment has been
done you must bring the LEA letter with you and
pay your contribution. You will be registering with
the University either on Campus during Welcome
Week or by post, or at an APU nominated venue
and you will be given a registration form as a
receipt. This is an important document and needs
to be kept safe as it is proof of your Registration.
If you lose it you will be charged for a reprint. You
will also be provided with a Student ID card which
will last you for your whole course and will cost £5
to replace, so DO NOT LOSE IT!
There is a range of financial assistance for
maintenance available, depending on the course
you are studying. The main one is a Student Loan
which is arranged through your LEA at the same
time that you apply for assistance with tuition fees.
Council Tax
Once you have registered on a full-time course
you may be eligible for either exemption from
Council Tax or a reduction in Council Tax. You will
need to request a certificate but please wait three
weeks before you do so. You only get one
certificate which lasts for your whole course, and
you will have to pay if we have to reprint it.
If you need official documentation for the Home
Office, banks etc. we can provide letters, but not
at a moments notice! We need at least 48 hours
warning so that we can provide exactly what you
need.
If you have any general queries on any of the
above areas, or any non-academic problem
please come in and see us. If we can’t help we
will tell you someone who can!
Faculty Offices
If an administrative matter isn’t dealt with by
Registration Services, it will probably be the
business of your Faculty Office. This is where you
will find the administrative staff who support your
Programme Leader(s) so it will be the first place
to visit for help in relation to the administration of
your programme.
Smoking
Smoking is prohibited in all buildings under the
control of the University.
Student Identification Card
Your Student Identification Card (SID) is
organised by the Registration Services and has
your photograph and your student number on the
front. This card, which is the same size as a
credit card, and number are personal to you.
Not only is it identification and proof that you are
registered for an award at APU, it is also required
for you to obtain access to the library, computer
services, to your examinations and if you want to
personally pick up your results. All your University
computer and manual records have to have your
SID number entered and if you want any
information that is held, you will have to produce
your card, which includes your results/transcripts.
Please note that you will be refused admission
to an examination if you do not have your SID
card with you.
It is therefore very important that you look after this
card. If you do lose it, a duplicate must be obtained
from Registration Services, for which you will have
to pay.
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