Literature Student Handbook

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Table of Contents

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 4

LITERATURE STAFF ....................................................................................................................... 5

DEGREE AIMS .............................................................................................................................. 7

DEGREE STRUCTURE ..................................................................................................................... 8

SINGLE-HONOURS DEGREES: ............................................................................................................... 8 JOINT-HONOURS DEGREES:................................................................................................................. 9 LITERATURE MODULES IN 2020-21 ................................................................................................... 10 SEMESTER 1 ............................................................................................................................................. 10 SEMESTER 2 ............................................................................................................................................. 11

TEACHING AND LEARNING APPROACHES .................................................................................... 12

ATTENDANCE ............................................................................................................................. 13

STUDENT SUPPORT AND PERSONAL ACADEMIC TUTORS (PATS) .................................................. 14

PROGRAMME LEADER (PL) ............................................................................................................... 14 MODULE LEADER (ML) ................................................................................................................... 14 PERSONAL ACADEMIC TUTOR (PAT) ................................................................................................... 14 RED BUTTON ................................................................................................................................ 15 STUDENT SUPPORT AT UHI .............................................................................................................. 15

ESSENTIAL IT .............................................................................................................................. 16

MYDAY STUDENT PORTAL................................................................................................................ 16 BLACKBOARD VLE .......................................................................................................................... 16 OFFICE 365 OUTLOOK EMAIL ............................................................................................................ 17 STUDENT JOURNEY – UHI RECORDS ................................................................................................... 17 FREE MICROSOFT OFFICE FOR STUDENTS .............................................................................................. 17

ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................. 18

PRESENTATION OF WORK FOR ASSESSMENT .......................................................................................... 18 WORD LIMIT PROTOCOL................................................................................................................... 19 MARKING CRITERIA: COURSEWORK .................................................................................................... 20 HOW TO SUBMIT AN ASSIGNMENT THROUGH TURNITIN ON BLACKBOARD .................................................... 21 LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSESSMENTS .................................................................................................... 22 ASSESSMENT REGULATIONS .............................................................................................................. 22 MODULE RESULTS AND RESITS ........................................................................................................... 23 EXAM BOARDS AND EXTERNAL EXAMINERS .................................................................................................... 23 CHECK YOUR MODULE RESULTS ONLINE ......................................................................................................... 23

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MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES ........................................................................................................... 24 APPEALS ...................................................................................................................................... 25 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY AND PLAGIARISM ........................................................................................... 26 UHI REGULATIONS .................................................................................................................................... 26 DEFINITION OF PLAGIARISM......................................................................................................................... 26 ADVICE ON HOW TO AVOID PLAGIARISM ........................................................................................................ 27 TURNITIN ..................................................................................................................................... 29

REFERENCING ............................................................................................................................ 30

COURSE LEARNING RESOURCES .................................................................................................. 31

INTER UHI LIBRARY BOOK LOANS ....................................................................................................... 31 ELECTRONIC DATABASES .................................................................................................................. 31 YORK NOTES, SPARK NOTES AND SIMILAR TEXTBOOKS ............................................................................ 31 THE INTERNET AS A RESOURCE: WHAT ARE GOOD QUALITY RESOURCES? ...................................................... 32 USER INDUCTION SESSIONS ............................................................................................................... 32 ACCESS TO COMPUTERS ................................................................................................................... 32 OTHER SERVICES/FACILITIES .............................................................................................................. 32

ACADEMIC PROGRESSION .......................................................................................................... 33

FINAL AWARDS .............................................................................................................................. 34 CERTIFICATE OF HIGHER EDUCATION ............................................................................................................ 34 DIPLOMA OF HIGHER EDUCATION ................................................................................................................ 34 DEGREE ................................................................................................................................................... 34 HONOURS DEGREE .................................................................................................................................... 34

ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND QUALITY REGULATIONS (ASQR) ..................................................... 35

BEFORE YOU JOIN US: ...................................................................................................................... 35 WHILE YOU ARE A STUDENT WITH US WE AIM TO PROVIDE YOU WITH: ......................................................... 36 BEFORE YOU LEAVE UHI, YOU CAN EXPECT US TO: .................................................................................. 37

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES ............................................................................................................. 37

GET INVOLVED ........................................................................................................................... 38

HIGHLANDS & ISLANDS STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION .................................................................................. 38 STUDENT REPRESENTATION............................................................................................................... 38 STUDENT EVALUATION .................................................................................................................... 38 RED BUTTON ................................................................................................................................ 38 SURVEYS ...................................................................................................................................... 38

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Welcome and Introduction

Welcome to Literature at the University of the Highlands and Islands.

The single and joint-Honours Literature degrees at UHI offer you the opportunity to study a wide range of literary texts, theories and movements across all periods. On our degrees you will study texts and authors from Scotland and the UK, as well as from other English- and non-English-speaking countries (in translation). Your Literature modules are taught by members of the Literature team based at Inverness College UHI, Perth College UHI and Lews Castle College UHI. We are all enthusiastic about our subjects, and many of our modules are based on the research we conduct. For information about the other modules and teaching staff on joint-Honours degrees (e.g. BA (Hons) Literature and Criminology, BA (Hons) History and Literature, BA (Hons) Literature and Sociology, etc), please see the relevant Student Handbooks from these other programmes.

Our degrees offer you the chance to study subjects from other disciplines to enrich and enhance your learning experience, and to provide you with the greatest degree of choice as you progress through your studies. Although you are likely based in a partner college with a smaller or larger group of students, remember that your classes will involve interaction with many other students from across the Highlands and Islands region. In this way, although unlike different from other universities in Scotland, the University of the Highlands and Islands aims to provide all of you with a university experience like that which you would receive anywhere else.

The basic nature of the Literature degree courses is outlined in detail in this handbook, and you can find this the latest version of this handbook and other useful information on Blackboard through the UQ320 – Literature Student Information Centre VLE, on which you will all be enrolled. Read this and your other documents carefully prior to starting your modules. Very often, these will answer many of the questions you may have wanted to ask.

Any further queries you have about the course, or a particular module, should be referred to your Personal Academic Tutor (PAT), Module Leader or Programme Leader. Details for all of these people are contained in this handbook.

We all would like to take this opportunity to wish you good luck with your studies and hope that you find your chosen degree course informative, challenging and enjoyable.

Dr Ian Blyth

Programme Leader, BA (Hons) Literature and related degrees

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Literature Staff

Our Literature team is based at Inverness College UHI, Lews Castle College UHI, and Perth College UHI. In addition, your option modules will be taught from all across the Highlands and Islands.

Dr Ian Blyth (Inverness College UHI) – email: ian.blyth.ic@uhi.ac.uk

Ian is the Programme Leader (PL) for: BA (Hons) Literature; BA (Hons) History and Literature; BA (Hons) Literature and Criminology; BA (Hons) Literature and Politics; BA (Hons) Literature and Sociology; and BA (Hons) Literature and Theology.

Ian is the Module Leader for: Reading Poetry: An Introduction (Level 7); Theories of Literature: An Introduction (Level 7); Romantic Genius: Scottish and European Literature, 1750–1830 (Level 9); Union and Discord: 1707–1815 (Level 9); Nature Writing and Ecology (Level 9); Psychogeography and the City (Level 9); Avant-garde Literature (Level 10); Science Fiction and Fantasy (Level 10); Metafiction: Self-Referential Texts (Level 10); and Dissertation [Literature] (Level 10). Ian is also the Module Leader for Continental Philosophy (Level 9) on the BA (Hons) Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) degree.

Ian’s research interests are primarily in twentieth-century and contemporary literature, including science fiction and fantasy, nature writing and psychogeography. He is interested in the representations of AI and animal/corvid intelligence in SF and fantasy and, with Suzanne Raitt (College of William and Mary), was co-editor of the Cambridge edition of Virginia Woolf's Orlando (Cambridge University Press, 2018).

Dr Anne Frater (Lews Castle College UHI) – email: anne.frater@uhi.ac.uk

Anne is the Module Leader for: Introduction to Gaelic Prose (Level 7); Introduction to Gaelic Poetry (Level 8); and Gaoir nam ban: Gaelic women's poetry 1644–1746 (Level 9). Anne is also the Programme Leader for BA (Hons) Gaelic Scotland, and teaches on the BA (Hons) Cànan is cultar na Gàidhlig and BA (Hons) Gàidhlig is Leasachadh degrees.

Anne's research is mainly focused on Gaelic literature and social history. Her second poetry collection, Cridhe Creige (Rock Heart), was published by Acair in 2017.

Dr Mandy Haggith (Inverness College UHI) – email: mandy.haggith.ic@uhi.ac.uk

Mandy is a Module Lecturer on: Reading Poetry: An Introduction (Level 7); Heroic Literature: Epic from Classical to Contemporary (Level 8); and Romantic Genius: Scottish and European Literature, 1750–1830 (Level 9). Mandy also teaches on the BA (Hons) Creative Writing in the Highlands & Islands and MLitt Highlands & Islands Literature degrees.

Mandy’s research interests are primarily in nature writing. She writes poetry, mostly about the natural world, and novels, which are either historical or on environmental themes or both. She also writes non-fiction and journalism on environmental topics, particularly on forests and the sea.

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Dr Lesley Mickel (Inverness College UHI) – email: lesley.mickel.ic@uhi.ac.uk

Lesley is the Module Leader for: Literary Discoveries: an Introduction to Prose Fiction (Level 7); Heroic Literature: Epic from Classical to Contemporary (Level 8); Glorious Spangs: Material culture at the early modern court (Level 9); Imagining New Worlds: Renaissance Literature and Thought (Level 9); and Past and Present: Historiography (Level 10). Lesley is also the Programme Leader for BA (Hons) Drama and Performance.

Lesley’s research is currently focussed on the material aspects of Renaissance court culture and this has led to new and innovative work on the representation of Scots in court entertainments at home and abroad. She is working a monograph, and also a larger project incorporating a conference and online hub connecting scholars working on similar topics: Glorious Spangs: Renaissance Court Culture.

Dr Kyle Smith (Perth College UHI) – email: kyle.smith.perth@uhi.ac.uk

Kyle is the Module Leader for: Travellers in the Wilderness: Literature and Exile (Level 7); Risk Anything! The Modernist Short Story (Level 9); Modern Times: Popular Culture and Modernism (Level 9); Apocalyptic Fictions (Level 10); and Postmodernism and Total War (Level 10).

Kyle’s research interests are in twentieth-century and contemporary literature, and he has published articles on Thomas Pynchon, Genre Fiction, Science Fiction Cinema, and Popular Culture.

Stephanie Smart (Inverness College UHI) – email: Stephanie.Smart.ic@uhi.ac.uk

Steph is the module lecturer for: Theatrical Powerplay: Classical and Modern Tragedy (Level 8). Steph also teaches on the BA (Hons) Drama and Performance degree.

Steph is an experienced director and educator within the performing arts industry, who has a demonstrated history of working on a multitude of projects, locally and internationally, within theatre and film contexts. Her most recent credits include Processions with Artichoke UK and Avengers: Infinity War with Marvel Studios. Her specialties lie acting and performance theories and practice, with particular focus on directing and producing for theatre.

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Degree Aims The essential aim of all the Literature-related degrees is to produce highly motivated graduate literary scholars with the skills, knowledge and abilities to progress to a wide range of employment and further study opportunities. It will do this by offering you an opportunity to take a course which aims to:

• Ground you in the study of literature while also laying emphasis on the value of interdisciplinary approaches and comparative study of the literatures of Scotland, Britain, Europe and the wider world

• Provide an education relevant to the needs, characteristics and potential of the Highlands and Islands and its people and give you an opportunity to choose to study elements of the literature of this distinctive region

• Provide you with the ability to engage with the complexities of literary debate to address literary texts and theories in depth

• Instruct you in the research skills of literary scholars

• Embed transferable skills in the teaching and assessment.

You will explore literature in a global context, looking in depth at language and literary history within texts and on the international literary stage.

Studying literature at the University of the Highlands and Islands is not ‘English’, and nor is it ‘Scottish’. Our modules cover a wide range of authors, in English and translation, as well as theory from classic to contemporary. With a solid foundation in genres and periods in Years 1 and 2, and research-based modules in Years 3 and 4, our graduates are confident and enthusiastic writers, researchers and readers.

We teach a range of advanced specialist modules alongside more traditional content, and you are able to combine your studies with other disciplines. You will also study language, translation and the interrelation of Scots, Gaelic, English and other languages in Scotland.

You will benefit from close partnerships with local organisations such as High Life Highland, and you will learn from internationally-recognised experts in their fields, with interests reflected in our wide variety of modules.

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Degree Structure

Each module on the Literature degrees is worth 20 SCQF credits (except for the Dissertation, which counts double and is worth 40 SCQF credits):

• Full-time students take 6 modules (120 credits) per year.

• Structured part-time students take 3 (60 credits) modules a year.

• Unstructured part-time students take 1–5 modules (20–100 credits) a year.

There are four years of study, each with its own associated award:

Year 1 (Level 7) – Certificate in Higher Education (120 credits) Year 2 (Level 8) – Diploma in Higher Education (240 credits) Year 3 (Level 9 ) – BA (360 credits) Year 4 (Level 10) – BA (Hons) (480 credits)

Most students continue to Honours. Full-time students take 4 years to complete an Honours degree; part-time students must complete their degree within 10 years.

Note: the CertHE, DipHE and BA are only awarded if you have enough credits and leave at the end of year 1, 2 or 3. If you later wish to return to complete you degree, you must hand back the award that was presented for finishing prior to Honours.

Single-Honours degrees:

BA (Hons) Literature

In Year 1 (Level 7) single-Honours students take 4 ‘mandatory’ Literature modules (2 per semester), plus 2 ‘option’ modules from elsewhere in the Humanities scheme.

In Year 2 (Level 8) single-Honours students take 4 ‘mandatory’ Literature modules (2 per semester), plus 2 ‘option’ modules from elsewhere in the Humanities scheme.

Note: the semester 2 option in Year 2 can be a Level 9 Literature module.

In Year 3 (Level 9) single-Honours students take 5 ‘mandatory’ Literature modules (3 in semester 1, and 2 in semester 2), plus 1 ‘option’ module from elsewhere in the Humanities scheme in semester 2.

Note: this semester 2 option in Year 3 can be a Level 10 Literature module.

In Year 4 (Level 10) single-Honours students take 4 ‘mandatory’ Literature modules (2 per semester), plus the Dissertation (which runs across both semesters).

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Joint-Honours degrees:

BA (Hons) History and Literature; BA (Hons) Literature and Criminology; BA (Hons) Literature and Politics; BA (Hons) Literature and Sociology; and BA (Hons) Literature and Theology

In Year 1 (Level 7) joint-Honours students take at least 2 modules (40 credits) from each subject, plus a further 2 ‘option’ modules (40 credits in total) either from these subjects or from elsewhere in the Humanities scheme.

Note: Literature has 2 ‘mandatory’ modules in Year 1 (i.e. Theories of Literature in semester 1, and Travellers in the Wilderness in semester 2). Most other degree programmes also have 1 or 2 mandatory modules in Year 1 for joint-Honours students (please note that Criminology has 3 ‘mandatory’ modules in Year 1).

In Year 2 (Level 8) joint-Honours students take at least 2 modules (40 credits) from each subject, plus a further 2 ‘option’ modules (40 credits in total) either from these subjects or from elsewhere in the Humanities scheme.

Note: Literature does not have any ‘mandatory’ modules in Year 2, but some other degree programmes do (e.g. Criminology or History).

In Year 3 (Level 9) joint-Honours students take 3 modules (60 credits) from each subject.

Note: Literature does not have any ‘mandatory’ modules in Year 3, but some other degree programmes do (e.g. Criminology or History).

In Year 4 (Level 10) joint-Honours students take 3 modules (60 credits) from one subject, and the Dissertation plus one module (60 credits) from the other subject.

Note: You can only pick one Dissertation. It is not allowed to do both 40-credit Dissertation modules.

BA (Hons) Literature modules, 2020-21

Year 1 / Level 7 Semester 1 Semester 2

UQ307199 Reading Fiction: An Introduction

UQ307200 Reading Poetry: An Introduction

UQ307202 Theories of Literature UQ307198 Reading Drama: An Introduction

UQ307206 Travellers in the Wilderness: Literature & Exile (Taught from Perth, shown at IC via VC)

Year 2 / Level 8 Semester 1 Semester 2

UQ308004 Mediaeval Literature: Texts and Contexts (IC)

UQ308006 Theatrical Powerplay: Classical & Modern Tragedy (IC)

UQ508504 Introduction to Gaelic Poetry (Taught from LCC, shown at IC via VC)

UQ308007 Heroic Literature: Epic from Classical to Contemporary (IC)

Year 3 / Level 9 Semester 1 Semester 2

UQ209632 Romantic Genius: Scottish & European Literature, 1750-1830 (IC)

UQ309674 Imagining New Worlds: Renaissance Literature and Thought (IC)

UQ309679 Risk Anything! The Modernist Short Story (Taught from Perth, shown at IC via VC)

UQ309682 Nature Writing and Ecology (IC)

UQ309681 Literary Borrowings: Adaptation and Appropriation (IC)

UV509569 Continental Philosophy(IC)

Year 4 / Level 10 Semester 1 Semester 2

UQ310822 Avant-garde Literature (IC)

UQ310827 Metafiction: Self-referential Texts (IC)

UQ310819 Apocalyptic Fictions (Taught from Perth, shown at IC via VC)

UQ310814 Satire (IC)

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Teaching and Learning Approaches

The course will be taught through a ‘blended learning’ approach where a variety of methods are used. Literature modules consist of online materials and activities available through Blackboard, which is a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), and a two-hour video-conference (VC) seminar for each module every week. In addition, you’ll be spending your time reading, thinking and writing. Some of the option modules will be available in a solely online format. For these modules students will access all course material online and there will be no VC sessions.

The VC sessions on Literature modules will largely be made up discussion-based seminars. Please note that all VCs will be recorded are made available for student use through Blackboard.

In addition to the videoconference sessions and use of online material in the VLE, a large portion of your learning time will be taken up with a range of private study activities, directed and undirected, where you will have discretion over the time and place of study. Directed Private Study refers to work and study that is indicated by your lecturer as being essential to your understanding and competence with the module material. This mostly involves preparatory reading which you must complete before each class. Self-Directed Study is reading that you do yourself, based in part on ‘additional reading’ suggested on Blackboard, but also on works which you go and find for yourself. Remember that university study requires you to find a lot of information for yourself. Lectures and seminars give you some basic material, but you must add to this with your own reading.

Needless to say, Literature modules involve a lot of reading, and your essays will require you to read far beyond the primary texts. Although you are only in class for 6 hours a week, you are expected to spend at least 14 hours per week on each of your modules.

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Attendance

A full-time course requires a full-time commitment. Each module requires 200 hours of study over 14 weeks. You will have time-tabled classes for most of your modules of 2-hour videoconference (VC) sessions per week. You are expected to attend and participate in these classes as they are vital to your learning on this course. Those students who do not attend regularly are more likely to perform poorly in their assessments.

You should note the following:

In exceptional circumstances students can be given permission to attend VC seminars from home, or not to attend seminars at all. You must discuss this option with the Programme Leader if you wish to be considered for this. If you are given permission not to attend the VC seminars you are still expected to participate in the module by completing VC activities and by supplying your Module Leaders and/or Module Lecturers with responses to VC tasks.

All students are expected to engage fully with their modules – through VLE activities, through participation in the VC seminars, and through completing their assessments.

If you are unable to attend a VC seminar you should email your module leader/tutor before the seminar.

It is essential that you attend at certain times when you are involved in group work or assessments. Non-attendance at a class where you are due to provide an assessed presentation may result in a mark of ZERO (0) and automatic failure of the whole module.

If you have any problems with accessing online course materials alert your Module Leader (or Module Lecturer) immediately. If you are experiencing IT difficulties email the UHI IT helpdesk: servicedesk@uhi.ac.uk

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Student Support and Personal Academic Tutors (PATs)

Studying at UHI you will often be located in a different college from your module tutors. The following is an outline of who to contact if you have any queries or concerns about your studies:

Programme Leader (PL)

Programme Leaders deal with things like admissions and transfers, module choices, exam boards and results, academic progression, and general academic enquiries. I'm always happy to meet with or discuss questions with students over email, via telephone or VC, or in person (if the opportunity arises). Just send me an email: ian.blyth.ic@uhi.ac.uk

Module Leader (ML)

Each module will have one Module Leader, but in addition to this there may be a number of Module Tutors or Module Lecturers who contribute to the teaching of that module. The Module Leader will be your key contact for any module-specific questions.

If you have a problem or question relating to a particular module you can either discuss the issue with the Module Leader during class, or make an appointment to speak with them outside of class. Each Module Leader will provide you with information about how to contact them at the beginning of the module.

Personal Academic Tutor (PAT)

You will be allocated a Personal Academic Tutor (PAT) at your local college campus with whom you will have regular contact. Your PAT can provide you with advice about your studies in general i.e. nothing module specific. If you wish to claim mitigating circumstances for coursework, you need to speak to your PAT. If you have any concerns about your studies you should contact your PAT for guidance.

If you are experiencing problems with the course, speak to someone about it at the earliest possible stage. If you are experiencing any difficulties or problems due to class work, other students, college staff or facilities, or something outside college and you would like to talk to someone about it then ask to speak to your PAT. They can also put you in touch with other staff who can help you if you have any literacy, numeracy or other problems – please speak to your PAT and let them know as soon as possible that you may need help, so that action can be taken to help you.

Note that staff are NOT available to deal with queries every day. The easiest way to contact most members of staff is via email which they check on a regular basis during term time. Some staff will provide you with office hours during which they will answer queries by email and be contactable by telephone. All staff will endeavour to respond to an email within two working days.

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Red Button

If you would like to tell UHI something about your experience as a student, then please use the facility of the Red Button which can be found on MyDay Student Portal.

When you fill out the online form, an email will be sent to Dr Iain Morrison, Dean of Students, who will liaise with appropriate colleagues across UHI and will keep you informed about the progress of your issue. It is often helpful to put you directly in contact with other colleagues at UHI who can help. However, if you would prefer to remain anonymous, please mention this, and your name will not be passed on to anyone while dealing with this issue.

Student Support at UHI

Getting help at UHI

Student life can present a number of challenges such as: finding your way around a campus, developing a schedule for yourself, settling in to University life, being away from home for the first time, caring for others or leaving care, work/study balance, health and wellbeing, financial issues or sorting out travel or childcare. The University is here to support you every step of the way.

Find out about the various types of support available to you on the Student Support webpage. You can also find out here about how to support others through Mentoring and Peer Support.

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Essential IT

MyDay Student Portal

MyDay is our university student portal. It is packed with fantastic features to keep you up to date with what’s going on in and around the university and local college campus, plus all the student information you require in one handy online portal. As well as your everyday essentials such as pass through access to the VLE, UHI Records and email (no need to login again!), you will also find links to many other useful things such as a software downloads, IT help, local support, news and more.

You can find MyDay at https://uhi.mydaycloud.com, login in with your full details, i.e. studentnumber@uhi.ac.uk, and your usual password. You can also download the app from the Apple or Android store (search for MyDay).

Blackboard VLE

The Blackboard VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) tile on MyDay takes you directly to Blackboard which is the online resource in which all materials for each of the modules you will study are hosted. You should access Blackboard all the time during your studies, in preparation for upcoming classes, to check on and submit assignments and to read supporting materials relating to your studies and to individual modules.

If a module you are enrolled on is missing from Blackboard, please contact the Module Leader.

If you are in a particular module VLE and you wish to get back to view all modules, click on ‘My Institution’ at top right.

N.B. To allow full functionality with Blackboard, it is recommended that you should open Blackboard using Firefox, but Chrome also works well, as does Safari (although Blackboard does sometime have problems with uploads in Safari you not always with you are trying to upload certain). Using other web browsers (e.g. Internet Explorer) may result in your inability to access certain resources.

For Frequently Asked Questions about Blackboard, go to: Blackboard FAQs

If you have a technical issue that cannot be resolved by the above, please contact UHI IT Help with your query: http://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/lis/helpdesk/

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Office 365 Outlook Email

All students enrolling with UHI will automatically receive an email account along with their computer network account. The email system used by UHI is called Microsoft Office 365 Outlook.

Email can be accessed both on campus and at home by clicking on the Mail tab on MyDay Student Portal.

If you have any problems accessing your email, please contact the UHI IT Helpdesk immediately at servicedesk@uhi.ac.uk

It is important that you check your university emails at least several times a week – and preferably several times a day – to pick up any updates or emails that are sent out by the teaching team and by the university. This is the main means we have of contacting you, so you need to ensure that you are accessing all the useful information we will provide you through this medium.

Please email staff using your university account as personal emails may end up in junk folders and we cannot discuss your studies with you via email if you write to us from a non-UHI email address.

Student Journey – UHI Records

Clicking on this tile on MyDay Student Portal will give you access to various elements that are key to your studies. You should try logging in and getting used to what is provided here. It is through your Student Journey that you are able to:

• enrol with the university at the beginning of each academic year;

• choose your modules for the next academic year;

• access your final results at the end of each academic session;

• fill in and submit the forms for Mitigating Circumstances, transfer or suspension of studies;

• update details such as your address so that the university has an up-to-date record of your important details.

UHI Records is a vital part of your student life at university, so please do make yourself aware of what is there and how everything works. Should you have any queries about any of this, or about the information contained within it, please speak to your PAT or PL.

Free Microsoft Office for students

All students with an @uhi.ac.uk email account can download Microsoft Office Professional for free. Details at:

https://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/lis/software-downloads/microsoft-office-home-use/

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Assessment

All work submitted for assessment will be graded as follows:

Excellent: 70–100% (A)

Good: 60–69% (B)

Satisfactory: 50–59% (C)

Pass: 40–49% (D)

Fail: 0–39% (F)

All Literature coursework is submitted and marked electronically.

There are no exams on Literature modules, but there may be exams on joint-Honours and option modules offered by other degree programmes.

Written feedback on your work will be returned to you within 3 weeks of the date of submission (note: this does not include periods of university holidays – e.g. Easter).

Feedback will detail the elements in which you have performed well, and those areas that could be improved for future assessments.

You should note that all grades notified to students prior to the meeting of the relevant Board of Examiners should be considered as interim or ‘provisional’ results until they are confirmed by the Board. All grades are subject to change until they are confirmed at the end of the semester exam Boards.

Presentation of work for assessment

All coursework submitted for Literature modules must:

• Have a completed Literature assesment feedback sheet as the front page

• Be submitted electronically to Turnitin [unless otherwise stated on the module VLE]

• Be double-line spaced and in a 12-point font such as Arial or Times New Roman

• Have the essay/coursework title and word count on the front page

• Provide footnote references

• Provide a bibliography at the end of the piece of work

Please refer to the Literature Formatting and Referencing Guide for further details. You can find a copy of this Guide and the Literature assessment feedback sheet on the Literature Student Information Centre VLE, and individual module VLEs.

Please note: It is your responsibility to keep a copy of all of your assessments – you may be asked to produce these at a later date.

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Word limit protocol

Coursework will have a word limit set unless otherwise stated. This is the expected number of words that should be used in the body of the text. This includes quotations but excludes words within tables, diagrams, references, bibliography and appendices unless otherwise stated in the assessment brief. The instructions on the assessment will include details of the expected word limit. If the word limit is not complied with, the following scale of penalties will be imposed:

• up to 10% above word limit – no marks will be deducted;

• 11–15% above word limit – 5% of final mark will be deducted;

• 16–20% above word limit – 10% of final mark will be deducted;

• 21-30% above word limit – 20% of final mark will be deducted;

• 31% or more above word limit – 50% of final mark will be deducted

With work of fairly short length (e.g. 1500 words), these percentages can come into play relatively easily and the punishments for such are quite severe. So, please ensure that you stick to the length of assignment required. Work that is too long is suggestive of student inability to edit their work down to the required limit.

Submitting coursework which is significantly under the word limit will not incur specific penalties. However, students risk receiving lower grades or failing the assignment, since it is unlikely to have developed an argument sufficiently and is indicative of students not having read enough.

Things that are INCLUDED in the word count:

• The main body of the text;

• Any quotations in the main body of the text

Things that are NOT INCLUDED in the word count

• The assessment feedback sheet

• Footnotes

• Bibliography

Please note: The word count function on your word processing software normally includes footnotes and the bibliography as a matter of course. You have to deselect this to ensure you are dealing with the word count of the bulk of the essay, as stated.

Please also note: Footnotes are for references. If you have things to say in an essay, say them in the main body of the essay. You will not be given any credit anything you say in discursive or narrative footnotes. If this text doesn’t belong in the main body of the essay, it doesn’t belong in the essay.

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Marking criteria: Coursework

Grade A (70–100%) Excellent work, which demonstrates evidence of insight and original, independent thought, particularly at the top end of the marks range. It will reflect critical thought and analytical ability. It will be well structured, maintaining a sharp focus on the question, and will be based on clearly constructed arguments, supported by a number of examples. It will be comprehensive, demonstrating engagement with a wide range of general and specialist texts, possibly including primary material, and will give balanced attention to all main aspects of the question. It will be fluently written and will follow correct referencing procedures, with accurate, properly formatted notes and a detailed, properly formatted bibliography.

Grade B (60–69%) Work of a good quality which will be focused on the question with a sound structure and clear understanding of the topic. On the whole it will be well expressed with few grammatical or presentation problems and the answer will be based on coherent arguments. It will show breadth of knowledge and will engage with a wide number of relevant texts, providing a range of supporting examples. In general it will follow correct referencing procedures.

Grade C (50–59%) A satisfactory piece of work which will address the question, but may not answer it fully. It may contain some weaknesses in structure, presentation and have some problems with expression. The argument is likely to be poorly developed and it may be narrative and descriptive rather than analytical. Secondary reading may be limited in range, insufficient examples may be provided and referencing procedures may not be correctly followed. These points will be most evident at the bottom end of the range.

Grade D (40–49%) A bare pass, reflecting work which may fail to properly address the question, omit crucial information, or include irrelevant material. It will tend to be narrative and descriptive, superficial rather than analytical. It may contain some minor inaccuracies of inadequate specific historical detail. Evidence of reading will be limited although there may be significant omissions. It is likely to contain problems with style, presentation, weaknesses of structure, indicating insufficient planning, and poor expression. Referencing procedures may be inadequately followed.

Fail (0–39%) A fail grade, reflecting work which contains significant errors and inaccuracies. Crucial points will be omitted and much of the content will be irrelevant. It will demonstrate limited knowledge and will make only a limited attempt to address the question. There will likely be major weaknesses of style, presentation, weak structure and expression. It will demonstrate a lack of sufficient understanding of the topic. There will be no, or very limited, evidence of secondary reading, which will not be digested into the essay. Referencing procedures will be absent, or inadequately followed, and there may be significant presentational problems, with errors of grammar, spelling and punctuation. Work awarded a mark towards the lower end of this range will indicate major weakness in terms of both technique and understanding.

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How to submit an assignment through Turnitin on Blackboard

Students submit papers through the Turnitin assignment inbox for that particular assignment, accessible through Blackboard. To access the Turnitin assignment inbox the student will need to click on the Assignments link to view the assignments created for the course. The assignments page lists all the assignments created by the instructor for students to submit to.

Please note:

Files to be uploaded to Turnitin should be in either .doc or .docx formats.

DO NOT submit your coursework as a PDF. If you submit a PDF you will only receive general feedback on the cover sheet – your essay will not have any marginal annotations.

Instructions for uploading coursework:

Click on the View Assignment link for the Turnitin assignment. This action opens the assignment inbox showing assignment information, including whether the assignment’s due date has passed or not, as well as any other assignment information or special instructions.

To submit your assignment, click on the ‘Submit’ tab.

The default setting will be for a single file upload in ‘select a submission type’ menu (i.e. you will need to attach the assessment feedback sheet to your essay BEFORE you upload it).

Enter a ‘submission title’ into the box (NB. this is a required field, and thus must be completed).

Then click the ‘Browse’ button and select the file to upload, just as you would do if attaching a file to an email.

Click on the box next to the declaration that the work in your own (gain, this is required to complete the submission), then click 'Submit'.

You will then be returned to the previous screen. You should now be have a receipt message confirming submission (and you should also have the option to print this).

If you think you’ve made a mistake – e.g. uploaded the wrong document – or if you are not sure that the upload worked, email the Module Leader. Please attach a copy of your coursework to the email to confirm that you have indeed completed the work on time.

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Late submission of assessments

Students who do not submit assessments by the prescribed date will be penalised by a deduction of a percentage of the mark achieved as follows:

Up to 1 day late – 5% of final mark will be deducted (e.g. 60 – 3 = 57)

2–5 days late – 10% of final mark will be deducted (e.g. 60 – 6 = 54)

6–10 days late – 20% of final mark will be deducted (e.g. 60 – 12 = 48)

More than 10 days late – Work will not be accepted and will be marked as 0 (zero). This will also result in an automatic failure of the module.

Penalties for late submission apply equally to full-time and part-time students. ‘Days’ refers to actual days, not working days. Cases of persistent late submission shall be brought to the attention of the board of examiners, which shall exercise its discretion to determine the student's final results.

Please note that these penalties can be severely detrimental to grades, so submitting work on time is incredibly important.

Please also note that it is ALWAYS better to submit work than to submit nothing at all. Submitting nothing simply uses up one of your two attempts and means that, in effect, you only have one more free attempt at passing the module. Students can fail a piece of work and still pass the module, as long as they receive at least 30% for all pieces of assessment and an overall grade for the module of 40%.

Assessment regulations

Assessment regulations for the Programme are in accordance with the UHI Academic standards and quality regulations, Section 17b.

Assessment is the way in which you demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes associated with each module. There are different ways that you can demonstrate understanding – e.g. essays, reports, oral presentations and exams.

You will get information on your progress throughout the year and you will have the opportunity to have regular contact with your studies advisor. Each module tutor or lecturer will give guidance as to the criteria which will be applied to your work to determine your grade.

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Module results and resits

Exam boards and external examiners

In line with QAA guidance, UHI provides its degree students with information on the identity and current position of the external examiners appointed to your modules and award. This is to ensure that these arrangements are transparent, and to support student involvement in the quality assurance of your course.

External examiners are a key element within UHI’s quality assurance system, and provide essential feedback on the quality of our courses as well as a further level of oversight to ensure that marking is fair and equal across History modules. Further information on the external examining system is included in the Regulations.

You SHOULD NOT make direct contact with external examiners. If you have any comment on aspects of your course, you should use the normal feedback channels. If you wish to make a complaint, or appeal against an assessment decision, you should use the relevant procedure.

Literature external examiners:

Dr Timothy Baker (University of Aberdeen)

Dr Emma Major (University of York)

Check your module results online

An Exam Board will be held at the end of each session (in February and June). It is only after these events that you will receive your final confirmed grades for your modules. You must check your own module results online. Just log on to UHI Records at: http://www.studentjourney.uhi.ac.uk using your usual student id and password.

Your module results will be available 2 working days after the Exam Board has met. It is YOUR responsibility to check your results so that you know how your studies are progressing and to contact the module leader if you have any concerns.

You need to get an average of 40% overall for your work in a module in order to pass. You must also attain a minimum mark of 30% in each element of assessed work, otherwise you will fail the module. You are required to attempt all elements and sub-elements of assessment for each module or you will fail the module.

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Mitigating Circumstances

All coursework must be submitted by the due date. Work which is handed in later than the agreed due date will have penalties applied unless accompanied by a request for Mitigating Circumstances.

The UHI regulations state: If by reason of absence, failure to submit work or poor performance, students fail programme modules; and it is established, to the satisfaction of the Board of Examiners, that this was due to proven illness or other circumstances found valid on production of evidence; the board shall use its discretion to ensure that the students are not disadvantaged (nor advantaged) as a result.

It is important that as a student you make known to your student advisor any long term condition or any problems which may affect your study and assessment. This will allow the proper support to be put in place for you and give you the best chance of successfully completing the course. However, such long term conditions or problems cannot be automatically assumed to count for mitigating circumstances because mitigating circumstances usually refer to unexpected instances that occur during your course of study. There must be a direct correlation between any such conditions and the specifics of failure to submit work in any instance. Each application will be considered on its own merits.

However, you may unexpectedly suffer illness or other problems during the course which might prevent you from obtaining the mark of which you think you are capable. You must complete the MC claim form online via UHI Records > Student Hub and attach supporting evidence. When you have completed the form, press ‘submit the form’, and an email notification with a link to the claim will be sent to your PAT to check the details. The PAT completes their section online and submits it. The claim is automatically sent to the chair of the MC Panel, and you will be emailed notification that your PAT has completed their section. The chair of the MC panel will review the claim and make a decision, and an outcome email will be sent to both you and your PAT. This decision will be automatically be recorded on all relevant module assessments ahead of the Tier 1 Exam Boards. All discussions will be confidential and all letters and independent evidence will be kept securely.

To help you with this there is a list of things below which would normally be considered and a list of circumstances which will not be considered.

Circumstances which WILL be considered:

• Illness or serious accident at the time of an assessment or in the period leadingup to formal assessment.

• Death of a family member or close friend.

• Severe unforeseen personal or psychological problems.

• Unanticipated difficulties in child or adult care arrangements during a semester(where you are the named carer).

In addition, for part time students:

• Unforeseen and essential work commitments.

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Circumstances which WILL NOT normally be considered valid:

• Any ongoing situation known to you but which have not adversely affected you at the time of submission.

• Inadequate time management.

• Moving house or holidays.

• Misreading the assessment or exam timetable.

• Computer/IT problems with students own equipment.

• Normal work commitments on behalf of an employer.

You must include with your claim for mitigation independent evidence to support your claim. You might have a medical certificate or letter from a specialist or professional counsellor. If it is difficult for you to get evidence, your student advisor or student counsellor may be able to provide a statement to support your claim. Whatever evidence you provide it must be from an independent source (you must fill in the claim form but someone else needs to provide the evidence to support the letter).

You need to submit claims for mitigation with the evidence within 7 days of the submission date of the assessment.

If you wish to claim mitigating circumstances for non-attendance at an exam then the claim should normally be made before the exam has taken place. If you think that you did less well than you could have, due to mitigating circumstances, or were unable to sit an exam due to unforeseen circumstances, then you need to submit a form with the appropriate relevant evidence within 7 days of the exam.

Appeals

A student may wish to appeal against a result notified to them arising from a decision of a Board of Examiners. However, before a student becomes eligible to do this, they must have reasonable grounds on which to base such an appeal.

Without prejudice to the outcome of the appeal, a student may continue to attend classes and to make use of the facilities of the relevant Academic Partner whilst their appeal is being heard.

A “complaint” is defined as any specific concern you have about the provision of your programme of study or related service. It basically covers any service failure including assessment process except where the complaint is simply a disagreement with an academic judgement itself. Academic appeals are dealt with by the Academic Standards and Quality Regulations.

Full information about the appeals procedure is provided here. [Grounds for appeal, Section 18.10.]

If you require guidance about this you can contact the Programme Leader, your Student Advisor, or another member of staff at the college, if appropriate.

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Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism

UHI Regulations

UHI does not tolerate academic dishonesty of any kind but we do believe that the vast majority of students are honest and we therefore concentrate on preventing academic dishonesty in the first place and hence these guidance notes are intended to help students understand the various aspects of academic dishonesty and how they can be prevented. Sometimes students unintentionally break the rules, especially regarding plagiarism, because they have not fully understood what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. However even if it is unintentional, plagiarism is still academic dishonesty and can still be a disciplinary matter.

Definition of plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of copying or including in one’s own work, without adequate acknowledgement, intentionally or unintentionally, the work of another, for one’s own benefit. It also includes self-plagiarism (which occurs where, for example you submit work that you have presented for assessment on a previous occasion), and the submission of material from essay banks (even if the authors of such material appear to be giving you permission to use it in this way). The most blatant example of plagiarism would be to copy another student’s work.

Academic misconduct will be taken to include plagiarism, cheating, collusion, falsification or fabrication, personation, or bribery as defined below:

i. Plagiarism: unacknowledged incorporation in a student’s work either in anexamination or assessment of material derived from the work (published orunpublished) of another. Plagiarism may therefore include:

a) the use of another person’s material without reference or acknowledgement;b) the summarising of another person’s work by simply changing a few words or

altering the order of presentation without acknowledgement;c) the use of the ideas of another person without acknowledgement of the

source;d) copying of the work of another student with or without that student’s knowledge

or agreement;e) use of commissioned material presented as the student’s own.

For some specific modules/units, information and guidance relating to what may or may not constitute plagiarism will need to be made explicit to students in student handbooks or specific module/unit information, for example, use of mathematical formulas, principles or theories.

ii. Cheating: a student will be deemed to be cheating as a result of any of thefollowing:

a) deliberately acquiring advanced knowledge of the detailed content of anexamination or obtaining a copy of an ‘unseen’ written examination paper inadvance of the date and time for its authorised release;

b) communicating with or copying from another candidate during an examination;c) permitting another candidate to copy from his/her examination script;

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d) being found in possession of any printed, written or electronic material orunauthorised material during an examination which may contain informationrelevant to the subjects of the examination;

e) communicating during an examination with any person other than a properlyauthorised invigilator or another authorised member of staff;

f) impersonating another examination candidate or permitting himself/herself tobe impersonated;

g) undertaking any other action with the intention of gaining an unfair advantageover other candidates.

iii. Collusion: collusion may exist where a student:

a) is in complicity with another student in the completion of work which is intendedto be submitted as either that student’s or the other student’s own work;

b) knowingly permits another student to copy all or part of his/her own work andto submit it as that student’s own work.

iv. Falsification or fabrication of data: the presentation of data in laboratory reports,projects etc. based on work falsely presented as to have been carried out by thestudent; obtained by unfair means; or to present fictitious results.

v. Personation: the assumption of one student of the identity of another person withthe intent to deceive or gain unfair advantage.

vi. Bribery: the paying, offering or attempted exchange of an inducement forinformation or material intended to advantage the recipient in an assessment.

Advice on how to avoid plagiarism

Academic work is based on a synthesis of sources and ideas. It is perfectly acceptable to make use of another person’s ideas or opinions in formulating your own. In fact, building your knowledge and using it to inform and enhance your work is encouraged in all disciplines.

It is essential to make clear in your assignments the distinction between:

• The ideas and work of other people that you have quite legitimately exploitedand developed, and,

• The ideas or material that you have personally contributed.

As a student you should always:

• Complete your assignments by yourself, in your own words and using your ownnotes, figures or rough workings (except where group work specifically formspart of the assignment).

• Acknowledge fully any sources you use in the referencing style you have beenasked to use. Check with your lecturers or student advisor if you are ever in anydoubt about the proper form of referencing to use.

• Try to make sure that no other student can copy your work – you are not allowedto let another student use your work even if they plead with you.

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Plagiarism – or copying other people’s words and ideas without proper acknowledgement – is one of the most serious forms of academic cheating. It is theft. There are several things you can do which would be referred to as plagiarism. They apply to written, oral and electronic materials and are:

• Copying the exact words of another source without using quotation marks and without referencing the source.

• Using the ideas of another without referencing the source (even when you do not directly quote their words).

• Copying another student’s work (current or previous) in written, word-processed or electronic form.

PLEASE NOTE:

This guidance is intended to clear up any misunderstandings you may have about plagiarism. If you are still unsure about how to avoid plagiarism, having read these guidance notes, then you should approach your Programme Leader for further advice.

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Turnitin

To help you improve your knowledge of academic citation and referencing and to educate you to avoid plagiarism, UHI uses an originality checker, Turnitin. Turnitin is an online service that helps checks your work for material that may have been included from other sources. It checks your work against content (both current and archived) on the Internet (several billion URLS), purchased essays, a database of other students’ work previously submitted to Turnitin (from thousands of institutions in over 80 countries), millions of articles from over 500 publishers and copyright free material such as material from Project Gutenburg.

It generates an originality score and report, highlighting text in your assignment that matches text in other sources. There is no right or wrong score - your tutors will let you know what they expect prior to using Turnitin. When assignments are submitted to Turnitin, a copy of the submitted work remains in the Turnitin database for the sole purpose of originality checking in future submitted assignments.

If Turnitin is used in your modules:

• Your first and last name and UHI email address may be stored in the Turnitin database. Turnitin is part of iParadigms Europe. iParadigms Europe is a member of the ‘safe harbour regime’ which means the European Union is satisfied that the data is appropriately protected.

• Your tutor may upload your work or may ask you to upload your work. Your tutor will inform you of the procedure.

• While you are still a registered student and after you have left the University, your work will be retained under the University’s name in the Turnitin database and may be further reproduced and used for disciplinary investigations concerning other students.

• When you log in to Turnitin you will be asked to accept their terms and conditions. Please read them before proceeding.

You may only log into Turnitin if:

• You are enrolled in a unit/module for which you have been given an identification number and password and the password with which you are entering the Turnitin site is your own which has been specifically issued to you by UHI.

• You maintain the confidentiality of your password.

• You may not share your password with any other person.

• You must notify iParadigms immediately by sending an email to legal@iparadigms.com if you suspect any unauthorized use of your account or access to your password or Turnitin identification number.

• You should use only your student number in submitting work through Turnitin – please avoid providing any details that will compromise your privacy.

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Referencing

The key to avoiding plagiarism is to make sure that you give correct references for anything that you have used from other sources to include in your own work. You must always use quotation marks and a footnote reference whenever you quote something directly from a source, but you must also provide a reference when you use, for example, somebody else’s ideas, theories, data, or findings in your work.

Referencing for Literature:

Literature uses a style of referencing known as the Humanities style, based on the MHRA Style Guide, which employs footnotes and a bibliography. You are expected to use this style of referencing as set out below for all of your Literature modules.

However, please note that other degree programmes may use other referencing styles such as the Harvard style of referencing. If you are studying a module from another degree programme you should check with the module leader and use the relevant referencing style. Details of the Harvard style of referencing can be found in the UHI Referencing Guide.

You should use these referencing systems to signal, within the text of your work, the origins of any material taken from another source, even if you have put it into your own words.

It is important, therefore, that when taking notes from books, articles, or any other sources of information, you note down carefully details about what the item is, including author, publication details, relevant page numbers, etc. Check your notes carefully against the details required below. If you take these details down when you read the source, this will save you time when you come to reference the work in your essay.

Please refer to the Literature Formatting and Referencing Guide for further details. You can find a copy of this Guide and the Literature assessment feedback sheet on the Literature Student Information Centre VLE, and individual module VLEs.

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Course Learning Resources

Learning Resource Centres are located at each of the UHI colleges. Each Centre provides effective and efficient access to information, learning resources and supported learning services to assist all students in their studies. Some core texts may be only available on a short loan basis – ranging from 1 to 7 days. You can for search these in a number of ways, including via the UHI Library Catalogue and Multisearch.

Inter UHI Library book loans

Students wishing to borrow texts NOT held in the library attached to their place of study may do so by asking for an Inter-UHI site loan. Ask the librarian in your college to request the book(s) from whichever library they are held in. Note reference-only books cannot be transferred as inter UHI site loans. If you are studying at a learning centre you should ask the librarian of the college to which the learning centre is associated for this service. If you are unsure who to contact, speak to the Programme Leader.

If you are studying at a UHI location which does not have its own library you should contact the librarian in the college to which your learning centre belongs in order to request copies of books. The library catalogue and information about other library services can be found at: http://libcat.uhi.ac.uk/

Electronic databases

UHI subscribes to a number of electronic databases containing the full text of journals. You will make most use of the following:

• JSTOR

• EBSCOhost

• UHI's online journals

In addition to these databases UHI subscribes to a large number of electronic resources, including ebooks and online primary sources such as the Statistical Accounts of Scotland which you will make use of throughout your degree programme. Look at the Library webpages for more information about electronic resources.

York Notes, Spark Notes and similar textbooks

These are textbooks for school-level study (Highers, A-levels etc). They are NOT suitable resources for the study of Literature at university.

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The Internet as a resource: What are good quality resources?

When you undertake academic writing, you are required to draw evidence from a range of different sources to show you have read beyond the reading list. Books are an obvious source of information but electronic resources and the internet provide you with ready access to so much more – and you are encouraged to use such resources to extend your learning. The problem with the internet is that it also contains a great deal of information that is not based on sound academic evidence – and the challenge for you is to decide which is good information and which is not.

In the early stages of your academic studies, however, it is perhaps most sensible to concentrate your research on the resources outlined above. These are all peer-reviewed academic sources and so you know that they should be of good quality. Obviously, there are other things to bear in mind when using even these sources, such as when it was written and what relevance it has to what you are researching.

Please be aware that Wikipedia is not peer reviewed. It is an open access site where anyone can post any information, which can be incorrect or even deliberately misleading. As such, it is not an accepted source for academic writing and should NEVER be used as a source of information for study at this level.

User induction sessions

Students and new users to the UHI Library Service will receive induction sessions on the use of library facilities, including the use of the libraries’ computerised catalogue system for finding resources and wider research; introduction to using the Internet; accessing other electronic data; accessing reference sources and introduction to classification systems.

See also: Using UHI libraries

Access to computers

Students will be able to gain access to computers for personal study – booking arrangements and possible administrative charges may differ slightly across the members institutions. Machines are well specified and are currently available at a ratio of students to PCs at up to 5:1. Students will have access to email facilities and will be able to access their email from any of the library campuses.

Other services/facilities

Study places are available at all the UHI Library campuses.

There is access provision for disabled users in all the UHI Library premises.

All services are open to part-time students.

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Academic Progression

In order to progress from one level of the programme to the next the following rules apply:

• You normally need a minimum of 40% in each of the six modules that make upeach level;

• If you do not pass all six modules you may be allowed to resit the module(s) inquestion but that decision is taken by the Examination Board who will lookcarefully at what you have completed and decide the best way forward for you;

• If you have failed a number of modules you may be given the opportunity toresit the level, with or without attendance. If you do have to repeat a module,the maximum mark that you can get for the module will be 40%. Sometimes theExamination Board will allow you to carry up to two modules forward to the nextlevel of the programme;

• You must achieve at least 30% for all elements of course assessment in amodule as well as achieving an overall minimum grade of 40% in order to passthe module.

Please note that:

• It is not possible to move to the next level unless you have met all the pre-requisites for the core modules of the next level;

• You must complete any outstanding modules carried over within the timeframeset by the Examination Board, and the Examination Board must be satisfiedthat you are capable of completing the study within the required timescale;

• You may carry a maximum of two incomplete modules into the next year, withthe expectation of completing resits for those modules in that year.

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Final awards

You can exit your studies at the end of each academic year with an award, depending on what you aim to get out of your studies. These awards are as follows:

Certificate of Higher Education

In order to be awarded a Certificate of Higher Education you must normally achieve a minimum of 40% in each of six modules, with 120 SCQF points of which a minimum of 100 must be at SCQF level 7. You may be awarded a Cert HE with distinction if you achieve an average of 70% over the year.

Diploma of Higher Education

In order to be awarded a Diploma of Higher Education you must normally have successfully completed level 1 of a programme and in addition achieved a minimum of 40% in each of six modules at level 2, with 240 SCQF points of which a minimum of 100 must be at SCQF level 8. You may be awarded a Dip HE with distinction if you achieve an average of 70% over your Level 8 modules

Degree

The minimum requirements for the award of an Ordinary Degree are normally:

a) satisfactory completion of Levels 7 and 8 of the programme, or their equivalent b) a minimum of 40% in each of six modules or their equivalent at Level 9, and c) 360 SCQF points at SCQF Level 7 or higher, of which a minimum of 100 must

be at SCQF Level 9 or higher.

You may be recommended for the award of a Degree with Distinction if you achieve an average of 70% for your Level 9 modules.

Honours Degree

The minimum requirements for the award of a degree with honours are normally:

a) satisfactory completion of Levels 7, 8 and 9 of the programme, or their equivalent;

b) a minimum of 40% in each of six modules or their equivalent studied during Level 10; and

c) 480 SCQF points at SCQF Level 7 or higher, of which a minimum of 200 must be at SCQF Levels 9 and 10, including at least 100 at Level 10.

Further information about Honours Degree classifications can be found in the UHI Academic Regulations, Section 17B.

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Academic Standards and Quality Regulations (ASQR)

UHI’s mission is ‘to establish in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland a collegiate university which will reach the highest standards and play a pivotal role in the educational, economic, social and cultural development of the region’.

The UHI Student Charter will help students and staff to work together to meet their shared objectives and responsibilities. UHI is committed to equality of opportunity and non-discrimination in all aspects of its work and study, and values diversity. The Charter applies to all potential and enrolled students of UHI. Students also have responsibilities, and the Charter sets out UHI’s expectations of its students in respect of the part they should play as active and independent partners in their learning experience.

This Charter, along with the UHI policies for access and equal opportunities, has been developed to ensure that all students have the opportunity to maximise their educational potential at UHI. The following link has more detailed information relating to each aspect of the Student Charter.

Before you join us:

As a potential UHI Student you can expect us to provide you with:

• a prompt, efficient and fair response when dealing with your enquiry, application and selection;

• clear, impartial, comprehensive and up-to-date information to help you choose the most appropriate course for your particular needs and abilities;

• information about: o courses and awards on offer o entry requirements o how to apply o tuition fees o available support, if you notify us that you have a disability, health or

medical condition

• information on finance and funding, accommodation, childcare and information specific to international students;

• information in languages appropriate to the course and location and in alternative formats.

For your part we would expect you to:

• provide UHI with full and accurate information in relation to your application;

• notify us of any disability, health or medical condition that may affect your studies;

• plan how you will finance your time at UHI;

• consider all of the implications of taking up a course of study;

• discuss any support you feel is necessary to help you get the best from your study at UHI, e.g. childcare.

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While you are a student with us we aim to provide you with:

• education of a consistently high standard that is in line with good academic practice and course objectives;

• an induction programme to introduce you to UHI and your UHI College or research institution and provide information on its structures, policies and educational aims;

• an environment that facilitates your learning personal and social development, security and wellbeing;

• a Course Handbook that includes detailed information about the content, delivery, management, and assessment of your course;

• a Student Handbook that contains general information about your UHI College or research institution;

• a named member of staff/Student Adviser assigned to you who will be responsible for the oversight of your experience as a UHI student and will meet with you for at least one advisory session each Semester;

• information about how you as a student can become involved in the life of the UHI community through UHISA (UHI Student Association), committees or course teams;

• written feedback on each piece of assessed course work from the responsible academic within the published timescales;

• access to a computer connected to the UHI network, including an email account;

• access to appropriate learning resources for the study of your module/course;

• the right to have any formal complaint made by you thoroughly investigated within a stated timescale;

• the right to be treated with dignity and respect as part of the UHI community.

For your part we would expect you to:

• meet the attendance, study and assessment requirements of your course, including meeting deadlines for completion of work;

• act responsibly in the use of learning resources, respecting the needs of other users;

• comply fully with regulations concerning the use of library, computing and network facilities;

• contact your named member of staff/Student Adviser, a member of your course team or student services if you experience difficulties with any aspects of your studies or personal circumstances;

• contribute to the development of UHI, feeding back information through evaluations and other consultative opportunities;

• observe all appropriate Health and Safety regulations agree to abide by the current academic regulations published by UHI;

• treat other members of the UHI’s multicultural community with dignity and respect and behave responsibly;

• observe the Student Disciplinary Code of your UHI College or research institution.

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Before you leave UHI, you can expect us to:

• provide you with a transcript detailing your achievements on the course, in line with published timescales;

• provide access to guidance on career opportunities and the availability of further courses of study both within and out with UHI;

• offer advice and guidance as you prepare for employment;

• provide you with an opportunity to celebrate your achievements.

For your part we would expect you to:

• tell us about your experience as a student of UHI;

• respond to reasonable requests for information on your career plans or further studies.

Equal Opportunities

UHI is committed to equality of opportunity and non-discrimination in all aspects of its work and study. This requires the promotion of justice and equality in all UHI affairs and the prevention of both direct and indirect, overt and covert, discrimination in policy and practices. UHI will promote opportunity for all, particularly for study, employment and involvement in its community, without discrimination on grounds of gender, sex, age, disability, religion and socio-economic background, sexual orientation, ethnic origin or race. This requires the promotion of practices both to overcome existing educational barriers and geographical isolation, and to provide opportunities which reflect the linguistic and cultural diversity of UHI.

UHI requires its students, staff, clients and visitors to behave and communicate in non-discriminatory ways and to support, implement and develop institutional practices and procedures that promote and reinforce equality of opportunities and treatment for all.

Definitions

In the context of the UHI Equal Opportunities Policy, discrimination on the following grounds is recognised:

• age

• disability

• ethnic or national origin

• gender/sex/sexual orientation

• race

• religion

• socio-economic Background

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Get involved

There are lots of ways to get involved and to make the most of your student experience. See Get Involved on the UHI website for more information.

Highlands & Islands Students' Association Highlands and Islands Students' Association (HISA) represents all students throughout UHI. Details of what they do and how you can get involved can be found at www.hisa.uhi.ac.uk.

Student representation Student representation is an important way to ensure that students' views are heard and taken into account in relation to the quality of learning and teaching at UHI and the overall student experience. Serving on university committees and as a class representative are also great opportunities to develop skills which will be useful in your future career. Literature has 5 student reps, located across the UHI network:

• Inverness and Highland Theological Colleges

• Moray College

• North Highland, Orkney and Shetland Colleges

• Perth College

• West Highland, Lews Castle and Argyll Colleges

For more information, see student representation.

Student evaluation A key element of quality assurance is student evaluation. Your opinions and comments help us to improve the quality of our teaching and deliver a better learning environment for all, so please make sure you fill in your module evaluation sheets and utilise the Student Representation process to good effect. For more information on this, see You said, We Did.

Red Button As noted above, use the Red Button to let us know how we can improve our service, or to tell us what you like about the university.

Surveys The university takes student views seriously and uses your feedback to inform decision making processes and enhance the student experience. There are a number of surveys that take place over the academic year. Most are open to all students, but some are only available to specific student groups (e.g. final year degree students, postgraduate students), see UHI Surveys for further information.

End of module/unit surveys: These short surveys are issued at the end of each semester to everyone studying on an HN unit or degree module. They are an opportunity to give direct feedback to the teaching staff on your module or unit. These university-wide surveys are administered by the Learning and Teaching Academy and responses are anonymous. See End of module/unit surveys for further information.