Dear Student,
For the Attention of all returning students enrolling at Coventry University in September 2014
I hope that you have settled in to this new year of study at the University. Engaging fully with your course and life in the University is the very best way that you can ensure that you will give yourself the best chances of success. We have a very strong reputation as the best modern University in the country and this is based on your involvement in your study and the design of your degree. We welcome your views and we will seek them often; along with you, we have a real desire to make your degree the very best, so please engage with the student rep system in the Students’ Union and have a clear voice.
Iam writing to draw your attention to some of the key information that you were provided with during your first year of study. I feel that it is important to remind you about some of the University’s main policies and procedures and of any significant changes, so that you continue to make the most ofyour studies at Coventry University.
Essential information that you should refer to:
As is the case for your current academic year, essential information related to either Undergraduate or Postgraduate programmes is available within student handbooks. These can be located on the University’s website and are updated annually. The link for each Faculty handbook can be locatedhere.
An iPhone/Android app, CU Connect,is also available which has quick reference information about a variety of University procedures.The app alsocontains other useful information, including your library loan status and an A-Z of student life.
iOS- university/id410343491?mt=8
Android -
Blackberry -
Academic Engagement Attendance Monitoring:
You are expected to attend the classes for all modules on which they are enrolled. Please remember that you must meet all attendance requirements asspecified for individual modules or as specified for your course overall. If you need to be absent from the University for any reason, you should follow the procedures outlined within the ‘Student Attendance and Absence Policy’ which can be located HERE.
International students who have a Tier 4 visa are required to meet the requirements of their Tier 4 sponsorship with the University as their sponsor. As such youhave specific and required responsibilities as outlined by the Home Office. The University is using the Academic Engagement Attendance Monitoring AND the ‘Check-In’ procedures outlined below to demonstrate our commitment to you and to ensuring that your visa status is protected throughout your studies with us. With the exception of University vacation periods,international students MUST NOT go home without securing authorisation in advance.
Please visit the Student Portal for more information or visit the Tier 4 Compliance Team in the Student centre.
Check-In Monitoring for ALL students with a Tier 4 Visa:
The University is committed to helping you to meet yourHome Office responsibilities. Therefore, the University’s‘Check-In’ monitoring system will continue this year to enable you to demonstrate that you are meeting these visa responsibilities. Tier 4 students must undertake Check-In monitoring AND Academic Engagement Attendance Monitoring. All Tier 4 students have been provided with a pocket-guide at enrolment and can refer to more information via the Student Portal.
University Student Email Addresses:
You need to use your Coventry University email address () and check it regularly. The University will only use this email address for communication with you. It is your responsibility to check your University email account frequently; this is where we will send all important communications, some of which might require a quick response from you.
Important financial information for students:
Enrolment on to a course has immediate cost implications. If for any reason you need to temporarily or completely withdraw from your studies then you should discuss this with your Course Director and your Faculty Registry team. There is also a helpful withdrawal guide available on the Student Portal here, which explains the financial implications of any decision and has contact details for the Debt Officers who will be able to answer any queries you may have. Any cancellation of study must be verified via the formal University withdrawal process and you will be charged a proportion of course fees.
If you are experiencing any financial difficulties, then you should contact the Senior Debt Officers in Finance as soon as possible, who will be able to talk you through any options available. Outstanding tuition fees will be chased via the University’s debt collecting procedures by the issuing of regular warning, blocking and exclusion letters. Students who have not spoken to a member of Finance and who still have outstanding tuition fees by the end of their first semester/term may be excluded and subsequently withdrawn.
Please refer to the finance page of the student portal for the Terms and Conditions, Refund Withdrawal Policy.
Attending Examinations and Submitting Coursework:
It is vital that you submit your coursework on time and attend all your examinations.
If you have a problem (due to ill health, for example) then there are procedures designed to help you, and these are explained in the Frequently Asked Questions below.
Even if you miss a coursework deadline you must submit your work in order to be able to be allowed to resit. Handing work in late means that you will get zero for that assessment but you will have registered your commitment to the subject and will be able to resit.
If you fail to submit any work, then you will be recorded as ‘absent’ and the assessment board will normally require you to completely withdraw from the University.
The University’s Student Coursework Submission System:
Most of your tutors will ask you to submit your coursework electronically through Moodle. If you are asked to hand in a physical piece of work the personalised coursework coversheets are available for download to make handing in your coursework simple and easy. You can do this by accessing the ‘My Assessments’ page via the following this link. These cover sheets are bar coded and will help ensure that an accurate record is retained of your submission.
Within the ‘My Assessments’ page you will also find a list of all of your assessment dates for the academic year which will support you in planning your workload, as well as a useful Help Guide on how to download the forms.
Plagiarism:
The University has always taken academic dishonesty very seriously. In order to help you understand plagiarism and learn how to avoid falling into traps that may cause you to be accused of cheating, the University has devised a quiz, which can be found via the Student Portal as follows (via your log in to Moodle):
The quiz will provide useful feedback and the score will indicate whether you need to seek further help to improve your writing and referencing techniques.
Students should be aware that buying or acquiring work/effort/programming code from another party (in full or in part) for the completion of an assessment is academically dishonest. A viva voce may be requested at any time for a student or students suspected of having sought to gain unfair advantage in an assignment to test their understanding of their work.
The maximum penalty for a proven case of academic dishonesty is expulsion from the University.
Further information about what is defined as cheating and the sanctions that may be applied are available via this link.
Phoenix Student ID Card Census Points:
You should scan yourPhoenix ID Card weekly to ensure that the Card is up-to-date. There are 32 Phoenix Registration Points across the campus, and they can be found in most buildings, normally on the ground floor near student common rooms and front entrances. Instructions on how to register are at each Registration Point (silver-coloured box). Tier 4 students please note, this process is NOT the same as the Check-in Monitoring – both Phoenix Student ID card Census scanning AND the Check-In scanning procedures need to be adhered to.
Time limits for the appeal procedure for Extensions and Deferrals:
You have the right to appeal decisions relating to all requests submitted for deferrals and/or extensions. However, there are strict time limits applied to the request for an appeal.
For deferrals, you must submit an appeal within 7 working days of the rejection of your original deferral request.
For extensions, you must submit an appeal within 5 working days of the rejection of your original extension request.
Please remember, all requests submitted for deferrals and/or extensions must be made in writing, before the due date of the assessed activity. Students who are still awaiting the outcome of their deferral and/or extension application on the due date of the assessed activity are advised of the implications of not handing in their assessment regardless of the outcome. If you have not met all of the criteria for a deferral and/or extension (outlined on the form) and do not get a deferral and/or extension granted, you will be marked as absent for your assessment if you do not hand in on the due date and will have deemed to have failed.
Further information is available via the Student Portal.
Charges under the Student Disciplinary Procedures:
Students who admit to misconduct, or who are found guilty of bad behaviour, may be liable for a fine. Further information is available within student handbooks or within the General regulations.
Changes to the Academic Regulations:
Please ensure that you familiarise yourself with the Academic Regulations that relate to you and your course for this academic year, as they are updated annually. These can be found on the Student Portal.
There have been changes to the maximum period that you are allowed to take to complete your course, see regulation 6.4.8 and 7.3.3. There have also been changes to when the Assessment Board will grant you a condonement, when you do not pass a module, principally that condonement, where allowed, will always be at the discretion of the Assessment Board, see regulation 6.7.9 and 7.5.8.
External Examiners Reports made available to students:
In meeting the Quality Assurance Agency’s indicators of sound practice, all reports received by the University’s External Examiners will be available to students via the Student Portal within your Faculty.
With best wishes,
Ian Dunn
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Student Empowerment)
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:Under the Academic Engagement Attendance Monitoring procedures, how will attendance be monitored?
A:For all Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught (PGT) courses this will be through registers that will be circulated in your timetabled sessions that you will be required to sign. For PGT students who are engaged in their dissertation/project and Postgraduate Research students, this will be via your face-to-face supervision/tutor sessions.
Q:What if I am unable come into the University to attend my teaching sessions?
A:
You should notify your Faculty Registry offices if you are unwell and unable to attend timetabled sessions, however you will be marked as absent and if your attendance reaches a level of concern you will be sent email communications. If your attendance levels persist to be unacceptable then you may be forcibly withdrawn from your course for non-engagement. If you are absent due to extenuating circumstances then you may apply for Authorised Absent as per the ‘Student Attendance and Absence Policy’. Third party evidence will be required and Authorised Absences are limited to a maximum of 10 days in an academic year. You should familiarise yourself with this new Policy by following this link.
Q:What will happen if I get one of my friends to sign a register on my behalf?
A:This is a very serious matter (for both students) and will be dealt with under the University’s disciplinary procedures.
Q:Do I need to be involved in the Academic Engagement Monitoring procedures if I am a part time student?
A:Yes.
Q:I am a student at Coventry University London Campus (CULC), does the information in this letter apply to me?
A:No, you need to refer to the CULC student portal for the procedures that CULC students need to adhere to.
Q:I do not have timetabled teaching sessions, so what do I need to do under the Academic Engagement Monitoring procedures?
A:If you are a PG Research student you will be advised by your Director of Studies, if you are a PG Taught student engaged in dissertation/project studies, you should attend all of the requests to meet with your Tutor/Supervisor – your attendance at these will be recorded and monitored and your are expected to meet on a fortnightly basis as a minimum expectation
Q:I am repeating a few modules with attendance, do I need to be involved in the Academic Engagement Monitoring procedures and Check-In (if I hold a Tier 4 visa)?
A:Yes. You will still need to sign registers within timetabled classes and if you are a Tier 4 student, check-in as required.
Q:I am a Tier 4 student and I live outside of Coventry and commute in to the University, am I still required to Check-In?
A:Yes.
Q:What if I need to go home urgently?
A:You must follow the procedures outlined withinthe ‘Student Attendance and Absence Policy’,You must requestandbe granted authorisation before you leave Coventry.Click Here for the policy.
Q:What if I am on a Placement/Study abroad?
A:Placements must be formally authorised University placements. The University will contact your placement provider for weekly attendance reports and you will be visited/contacted by Skype by your academic Supervisor/Tutor to monitor your academic engagement.
Q:What if I am on a reading week within my course?
A:This will be built into the system for Academic Engagement Monitoring. However, if you are a Tier 4 student, you will still be required to Check-In.
Q:What if I am on a field-trip?
A:All approved University Field Trips; including those organised on the Global Leaders Programme, are communicated to Faculty Registry offices and your attendance records will be updated accordingly.
Q:What if there is a system failure with the Check-In system?
A:You should still continue to Check-In as required, a manual system of recording will be implemented in the unlikely event of a system failure.
Q:What if I can’t attend ‘Check-In’?
A:If there is a genuine reason for you not to be able to attend, you must contact your Faculty as soon as possible and use the procedures notified within the ‘Student Attendance and Absence Policy’.
Q:I am not sure whether I hold a Tier 4 visa, should I still Check-In?
A:Yes, you should still Check-In. You will be told by the Check-In reception staff if you are not a Tier 4 student.
Q:What will happen if I do not Check-In (Tier 4 students only) and attend my timetabled sessions (all Coventry University students)?
A:You will be called in to see a member of staff within the Faculty and/or the University’s Tier 4Compliance team. This may ultimately lead to the University withdrawing you from your course of study.
Q:I am a student but also a member of University staff, do I still need to adhere to the procedures highlighted in this letter?
A:Yes, this applies to ALL students, even if you are also a member of University staff.
Q: How do I print off a bar-coded cover sheet?
A:In order to print off a bar-coded cover sheet you need to go into the NOVA system, Click Here for the link.
You will be asked to login using your normal login codes. Once in the system you will see ‘My Assessments’ screen, see below, and from this you can view a complete list of all the submission dates for all assessments (excluding formal examinations) for the academic year.
When you know which assessment you have due click on the download cover sheet and print this off.
Q:When do I print off my coursework cover sheet?
A:Your sheets will be available two weeks in advance of submitting your coursework for you to print. If any changes are made to the assessment after this date, you will receive an email informing you of this and you must re-print your coversheet.
Q:Where and how do I submit my course work?
A:If you have a piece of work which has to be submitted manually, you do this by going to the appropriate Assessment Handling Office and submitting your work with this bar-coded form. Each Faculty hand-in point will be open between 8:30am and 4pm, Monday-Friday. You will be told by your module leader which Faculty his/her module belongs to and you must submit your coursework to the correct Faculty hand-in point. Your module leader will not be able to accept work from you directly as it must be correctly recorded. You must submit your work by 4pm on the day of the deadline. All work received after 4pm on the deadline date will receive a mark of ‘0%’. Do not leave your hand-in until the last minute. Plan your time and submit your work well before the deadline.
Some modules will be by electronic submission. In such cases your module leader will explain how to submit your work electronically and the deadline for E-submission is 11:55pm on the date of submission.
If your assessment is a presentation, poster or piece of art work, you will be informed by the tutor how the submission process for that piece of work will be carried out.
If you are unsure of anything then please ask as staff will be more than happy to assist you. The Faculty Office contact numbers are:
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences:024 7679 5800