School of Mathematical Sciences UG Student Handbook 2024/25

We will assess you by a mixture of exercises, coursework, in-term tests, project reports, presentations, quizzes and end-of-year exams/assessments; see module details for how we assess each module. For some of our modules, the assessment of exercises is summative, which means that it is intended to evaluate your performance and to measure your understanding of the set learning objectives of the module throughout the semester. Summative assessments will contribute marks directly to your final result for the module and will take different forms. Each module will be different so the relevant module organiser will explain this at the beginning of the module. This information will also be available on the relevant module QMplus module.

Certain modules will also use formative exercises, which means that it is intended to help you learn and does not contribute marks to your final result for the module. Formative exercises give you practice for the tests and exams and so are just as important as summative assessments that contribute marks directly to your final result for the module. If you work hard on all the formative exercises then you will do better in your tests and exams.

For the timely and effective administration of support, the School wishes to use the following markers of student engagement. This is to ensure that students are well supported and given every opportunity to progress with their studies and to achieve to their fullest potential whilst here.

MARKERS OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

ATTENDANCE

All undergraduate students are expected to attend all scheduled taught sessions including lectures, practical classes, group work, workshops, tutorials, computer lab sessions, problem-solving classes, exercise classes, project meetings, and other events associated with the modules for which you are registered as part of your programme of study. If you are absent from Queen Mary for more than a day or two then please always let your Advisor or Student Support Officer know (preferably by email) at the earliest opportunity. Attendance is important; failing to attend usually leads to failure in assessment. Reading lecture notes or watching QReviewed or recorded lectures is not a satisfactory substitute for attending lectures. 

In-person Timetabled Teaching Sessions (lectures, tutorials, seminars, IT labs etc):

This is monitored through the CampusM system.  To be recorded every week of Semesters A and B, with the exception of the non-teaching weeks in Week 7. 

Key Points:

The CampusM Attendance Recording solution is accessible through the QMUL mobile app, available on the Apple Store or Google Play. You can download the app here.

• "Record my attendance" will be displayed as a live tile on the mobile app for activities requiring check-in.
• The "Record my attendance" and "Attendance monitoring" tiles will be visible only to students involved in modules.

Access via Web:

• Campus M can also be accessed via the web using the following URL: CampusM. 

Clarification on Usage:

• This will be used for all your timetabled activity unless you are told otherwise.

Student Guidelines:

• Click on the "Record my attendance" or the live tile for the Student Check-in page.
• Enter the One Time Pass Code.
• Submit to check-in. Note: You can only check in during the activity.
• You will be able to see your own Engagement Score via the App for each of your individual modules.

Support and Assistance:

If you have any problems please contact IT (https://www.qmul.ac.uk/its/) or the Maths School Office (maths@qmul.ac.uk)

Online:

We will also monitor your activity via QMplus e.g. accessing QReviewed lectures, accessing lecture notes, completing quizzes etc.

International students on a student visa:

The UK Border Agency monitors overseas students attending UK Universities (international applicants). Since April 6th 2010 the licensing system for educations institutions has changed, currently Queen Mary is a Highly Trusted Sponsor. In order to maintain this status we have to ensure that we have acceptable systems in place for monitoring student attendance and reporting non-attendance. If we cannot demonstrate that our systems are satisfactory we may in future be required to monitor student attendance more closely.

For regulatory reasons all international students on a student visa, within the School of Mathematical Sciences are required to follow the School’s Student Engagement Framework.

Deregistration from programme of study

Should you not meet programme requirements for academic engagement outlined above, you may be de-registered from your programme of study. You will be given warnings before de-registration occurs, and you will have the right to represent your case to School of Mathematical Sciences.

Students undertaking industrial placements

 

The Placements Co-ordinator maintains records of students undertaking industrial placements and reports the location, start and end dates of placements for sponsored (formerly Tier 4) Students to the Immigration Compliance Team in Registry Services.

The standard contract between the university and the placement provider requires the provider to notify the Placements Co-ordinator immediately if a student is absent without authorisation.

Students on placements are required to maintain a log-book of their activities every week.

If a student fails to submit a log book entry or if their absence is reported by the placement provider the Placements Co-ordinator will issue a warning to the student. If a student fails to submit their log book entries for two weeks in a row or is absent for more the one week, then this will be reported to the Director of Student Engagement, who will contact the student to arrange an interview either in person or by phone to discuss the issues above. If the student fails to submit log book entries or attend their placement for a further two weeks, they will be de-registered.

The Placements Co-ordinator will visit each student’s placement location once to ensure that the student is undertaking the placement agreed in the contract with the provider. This is to make sure the work undertaken is as described and that the provider is discharging their responsibilities (ensuring health and safety, etc.).

PARTICIPATION IN OTHER FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS

You are expected to participate in a range of activities (with or without the allocation of marks) that help to inform teaching and learning during the learning process. Examples of such activities are subject related quizzes and exercises linked to module materials on QMplus.

MARKS FROM SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS

You are expected to participate in a range of activities assessing the outcomes of a learning process. Marks allocated from such summative assessments, e.g. week 7 tests, coursework, and examinations, contribute to your overall module grade and degree classification.

OTHER STUDENT ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

You are expected to participate in a range of formal or informal activities that signify continued engagement with your programme of study. Examples of such activities are scheduled meetings with your Advisor and group work.

ACTION FOLLOWING IDENTIFICATION OF STUDENTS WHO MAY REQUIRE SUPPORT AND POSSIBLE DEREGISTRATION FROM PROGRAMME OF STUDY

Actions taken by the School of Mathematical Sciences are designed to support students to engage or re-engage with their study programme. The underpinning principles are that the School, once it has admitted a student to a programme of study, has a duty of care to that student, whilst in turn the student has a responsibility to engage with the available support. In such cases, support will be designed by the School around the needs of the individual student.

There will be three main checkpoints each semester that are designed to check students level of engagement using a portfolio of engagement data, which includes lecture attendance, tutorial attendance, weekly/fotnightly coursework submission and participation in formative/summative assessments.

If you are identified as approaching or falling below the minimum requirements of engagement set by the School an email will be sent to your Queen Mary email account alerting you to this and outlining the support mechanisms available to you to deal with the issues that may be contributing to this. These include mandatory meetings with the Student Support Officer and your Advisor. 

Once you are identified as in need of support in order to re-engage with your studies, you will be invited to attend a mandatory meeting with your Student Support Officer, Education Services Manager, Director of Engagement and your Advisor to discuss any issues that might be affecting your studies, and for the provision of encouragement and advice (with possible referral to Queen Mary support services if necessary). This meeting is designed to help you put a study plan in place to re-engage with your programme of study. If you miss this meeting you will be required to attend a mandatory meeting with the Deputy Director of Education. The first port of call is your Advisor, who in turn may liaise with the Student Support Officer. In exceptional circumstances, a senior member of the School team, such as the Director of Education, may be involved in this process.

Tuition Fee deregistration

When you enrol or re-enrol at the start of each academic year you agree to Queen Mary’s Tuition Fee Regulations, https://www.qmul.ac.uk/tuition-fee-regulations/ , which set the deadlines for paying tuition fees. Failure to pay your tuition fees by these deadlines may lead to your deregistration from your programme of study, under College Ordinance C3

http://www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk/governance/council/charter/