SPIR handbook

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The Academic Skills Enhancement (ASE) service works in a number of ways with taught students at any level, undergraduate or postgraduate, from any subject discipline, to develop the skills and practices needed to become more effective in their academic work and excel at university.

Areas covered include: writing for academic purposes, effective reading and note-making, presentation skills, time-management, critical thinking, understanding marking criteria, using feedback, revision and exam preparation and avoiding plagiarism.  We also support the work of student mentors through providing resources and training to support peer and social learning

Academic Skills Tutors offer support and developmental opportunities in the form of one-to-one tutorials, workshops, drop-ins, and self-access resources. In addition, we host  Royal Literary Fund (RLF) Fellows who offer writing advice to both taught and research students.

 Adviser

An academic appeal is a request to review a decision about progression, assessment or award.

Before you submit an appeal, speak to us about the decision you wish to appeal as many issues can be resolved without the need for an appeal.

We will be able to provide you with feedback on your marks, or degree classification, and to answer any queries. Please note that an appeal cannot provide feedback on academic work.

Appeals against academic judgment are not permitted, this means you cannot appeal simply because you think the mark you have received is too low.

 There are two grounds for appeal:

• procedural error: Where the process leading to the decision being appealed against was not conducted in accordance with Queen Mary’s procedure, such that there is reasonable doubt as to whether the outcome might have been different had the error not occurred. Procedural error shall include alleged administrative or clerical error, and bias in the operation of the procedure.

   

• that exceptional circumstances, illness, or other relevant factors were not made known at the time for good reason, or were not properly taken into account.

An appeal must be received within 14 days of the notification of the decision you want to appeal and should be submitted from your Queen Mary email to appeals@qmul.ac.uk.

 Further information about how to appeal and the appeal form can be found on the Queen Mary website: http://www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk/students/student-appeals/appeals/index.html

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your appeal you may submit a Final Review for consideration by the Principal’s nominee. Once a Final Review is complete you will be sent a Completion of Procedures letter which outlines the final decision of Queen Mary and the reasons for the decision.

To be eligible for a Queen Mary degree you must complete an approved programme of study. Your programme of study is comprised of a selection of modules, and it is the final mark achieved in these modules that is used to calculate your overall college mark/final classification.

Your electronic copy must be submitted via Queen Mary’s Virtual Learning Environment (QMPlus). The School has a policy of anonymous marking. Your name must NOT appear anywhere on your work, only your student number.

Your electronic copy must be submitted by 11.55 pm on the deadline date, and will be retained and screened by anti-plagiarism software (Turnitin)

You must ensure that you include the coursework feedback and cover sheet as the first page of your assignment. Coversheets are available alongside assignment links on  QMPlus.

 REMEMBER:

• Save your assignment with coversheet and bibliography as a single document ( as a PDF or Word) before uploading to QMPlus.

• Assignments in formats other than PDF or Word are not supported on QMPlus and cannot be uploaded.
  

• Your assignments must be submitted by 11.55 pm on the deadline date, late penalties apply immediately after the deadline.

• If the coursework is submitted 7 days (168 hours) or more after the deadline, without an approved extension due to extenuating circumstances, the work will not be assessed and will automatically receive a mark of zero (0FL) to denote late submission.

• Save back-up copies of all your work in case of computer failure.

Coursework submitted late, will be penalised at the rate of 5 marks for each 24 hour period, or part thereof, after the set submission date.   An assignment handed in 7 days or more late will not be marked and awarded a mark of zero (0FL) to indicate it was received too late unless there is an approved extension due to extenuating circumstances.

College academic regulations state that students must complete all components of a module i.e. coursework and examination to pass that module.  If you do not submit an item of coursework and do not have extenuating circumstances you may fail the module.

Final year dissertation are due 24 April 2022. You must submit your project as a single file upload to QMPlus, remembering to include all appendices and bibliography in the single file. You are not required to use a coursework coversheet, but you MUST follow the template within the POL318 Research Project module outline for the layout of the first pages of your Project.

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning. It does not contribute to your final module mark, but it is an integral part of the learning process.

You are expected to participate in these assessments which can be subject related quizzes, or exercises linked to module materials on QMPlus.

Your seminar tutor is available to give assistance and guidance on what is expected with regards to module assessment and they are a vital source of feedback. Although they can recommend specific reading and discuss essay plans they cannot read and comment on complete rough drafts of essays.

Summative Assessment

Summative assessment contributes to the final module mark and is used to gauge your knowledge of the subject. Exams, essays and reports are just a few examples of summative assessment used in the School.

*THIS IS SUBJECT TO REVISION*

Attendance: All undergraduate students are expected to attend scheduled taught sessions including lectures, practical classes, group work, workshops, tutorials, seminars, field work, computer lab sessions, problem-solving classes, exercise classes, lab sessions, project meetings, and other events which are associated with the modules for which they are registered as part of their programme of study.

Registers are taken for each seminar, and persistent non-attendance at seminars and failure to submit coursework may lead to de-registration from your programme and termination of your enrolment with Queen Mary. You are expected to be available to attend classes 9am - 6pm Monday to Friday.

It is your responsibility to regularly check your email and QMPlus announcements for notifications concerning changes to the timetable, so that you are always aware of when and where your seminars are scheduled.  Persistent non-attendance – whether for good reason or not – may affect your ability to pass a module successfully. If you do not pass sufficient modules to progress you will be required to take late summer resits and should you still not pass sufficient modules after these resits and if you have further attempts remaining, you will be registered to resit ‘out of attendance’ the following academic year. This means that you do not return to full time study until you have re-sat and passed sufficient modules to progress.

If the School notes that you are achieving low marks on your modules you may be asked to meet with your adviser to discuss your studies. However, you are always welcome to discuss all aspects of you studies with your adviser.  If you have any concerns it is better to seek advice from your adviser sooner than later.

Deregistration may occur for:

• Persistent non-attendance in seminars

• Non submission of assessment

If you miss 3 seminars in the same semester on a single module, you will be sent a warning email and asked to meet with your Personal Adviser to explain the reason for your absences. It is essential that you do so, as we will only be able to support/advise you when we know more about any problems you are experiencing which may be affecting your attendance and engagement.

We can only help if you are forthcoming and willing to put in the effort to improve your engagement. We recommend all students take advantage of the support and services available to them within the School and the College. If your absences persist and you miss 5 seminars in one semester, on a single module you will be sent a final warning and given one last chance to make a case to your Personal Adviser. You may be required to submit evidence of your circumstances in order to support your claim.

De-registration may lead to termination of your enrolment with Queen Mary.

Action Following Identification of Students Who May Require Support

If you are identified as approaching or falling below the minimum requirements of engagement set by the School, you will be contacted alerting you to this, outlining support mechanisms to deal with the issues that may be contributing to this.

If you are identified as in need of support in order to re-engage with your studies, you will be invited to a meeting with your Personal Adviser to discuss issues that might be affecting your studies, and for the provision of encouragement/advice (with possible referral to QM support services if necessary). The first port of call is the Personal Adviser, who in turn may liaise with the Senior Tutor and the School’s Student Support Officers. In exceptional circumstances, a senior member of the School team, such as the Head of School, may be involved in this process.

The School will always try to help students who are experiencing problems, but we cannot do so if we are not kept informed of issue affecting your studies. If there are factors making your engagement with your programme difficult, it is essential that you discuss these with your Personal Adviser, Senior Tutor or the Student Support Officers at an early stage. This will enable us to assist you and, where possible, provide the necessary support.

Student Loans

If you have applied for funds from Student Finance then you will receive the first instalment once you have enrolled fully for the academic year. If your payments do not arrive and you cannot remedy the problem with Student Finance yourself,please contact the Student Enquiry Centre,  http://www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk/students/sec/. They will be able to assess for any actions needed by QMUL and advise you of the next steps..

Bursaries

Queen Mary Bursaries are assessed using the household income information provided to us from Student Finance.

If you do not wish to take out student funding, such as loans, but still wish to be assessed for a Queen Mary Bursary you will still need to apply for a household income assessment, full details on how to do this are on the Advice and Counselling Service website.

QMUL Financial Assistance Fund

If you have exceptional or unforeseen costs or you are in financial hardship you could be eligible for help from the Financial Assistance Fund.  The fund is there to help any eligible student who has a particular financial need but we cannot meet every application we receive and we cannot always meet all of the costs that you might apply for. Full details, guidance and an application form can be found on our website - arcs.qmul.ac.uk/QMFinancialAssistanceFund

Contact

Telephone: 020 7882 5079

Email: bursaries@qmul.ac.uk

http://www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk/students/finances/bursaries-grants-scholarships/

Looking for part-time work or an internship? Need help with your CV or a job interview? Want to find out about your options when you graduate?  Thinking about starting a business?

The QM Careers & Enterprise Team provides a range of services that enable you to develop your employability skills, access work experience and graduate job opportunities, network with employers and decide on your next steps after graduation.

careers information online. 

There are over 100 employer-led events on campus a year, from fairs to skills workshops. These offer you the chance to network with recruiters and get training on self-presentation skills for the recruitment process. We also provide a range of paid work experience opportunities, from real life consulting projects via QConsult to part-time or full-time internships via  QInterns, as well as insight and taster programmes that give you understanding about different sectors and employers.  

 For those who are aspiring entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs, our enterprise programme supports students in setting up their own businesses via seed funding, QAccelerate workshops, events, bootcamps and 1-to-1 careers guidance.

 Get the latest news on social media, search jobs on our online jobs board, read our jobs blog or website for advice and insights and use our practice interviews and psychometric test software.

You can

• Book an appointment for one-to-one careers guidance. Book by phone (020 7 882 8533) or in person up to a week in advance, or drop by on the day – we may have appointments free. We are also able to offer all our appointments to run remotely.
• Find out more about the world of work from employers and former students at our careers events http://www.careers.qmul.ac.uk/events/
• Attend workshops on job applications, interviews, assessment centre techniques and a range of graduate skills – from leadership to commercial awareness.
• Find a range of part-time, and full time job vacancies on our website www.careers.qmul.ac.uk/jobs
• Use our work experience hub to find out about internships, temporary work or local work experience placements https://www.qmul.ac.uk/careers/jobs-and-experience/

QMUL will communicate with you in a variety of ways. Formal correspondence will be sent to you by electronic letter, and it is important that you keep Queen Mary up to date with your personal details and address. You can do this online via the MySIS record system: http://www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk/students/mysis-record/index.html

It is most common for the School of Politics and International Relations, QMUL and the Students’ Union to contact you by your QMUL email. You are assigned a university email address when you enrol, and you are responsible for checking this account on a daily basis. All major notifications and updates will be sent to you at your QMUL email first.

You can access your email account by logging on to a QMUL computer, or, if you are not on campus, at: http://mail.qmul.ac.uk. 

You are also advised to check the plasma screen and notice boards in the School foyer for information on undergraduate news and events, postgraduate news and events, careers, and Staff-Student Liaison Committee minutes.

Detailed information on the following can be found on the Undergraduate area of QMPlus:

We are also active on Social Media: the School of Politics and International Relations has a Facebook and Twitter page.

Connect with us to receive all the latest news, upcoming events and important announcements immediately!

Follow us: https://twitter.com/qmpoliticsir?lang=en

We hope that you will enjoy your time with the School. However, if you do experience a problem, we aim to solve this quickly and simply.

Full details on the Schools Student Complaints Policy and the more formal process of Queen Mary, can be found below.

In essence, if you have a complaint you should raise this with the member of staff concerned. If you do not feel able to approach the member of staff concerned you should talk with your Personal Adviser or the Senior Tutor.

You can make an appointment to see the School Manager or the Head of School to discuss the matter further, if you feel the above approach did not resolve your issue.

You are reminded that issues which affect a whole group of students should be brought to the attention of the School’s Student Staff Liaison Committee. Equally, each School has Course Reps who are elected through the Student Union. Details of Course Reps for the School can be found on the Student Union website - http://www.qmsu.org/coursereps/

If your issue is not resolved through the informal process then you will need to complete the Stage 1 complaint form and submit this for investigation under the Student Complaints Policy:

http://www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk/students/student-appeals/complaints/index.html

Most complaints are resolved at Stage 1 but if your matter is still not resolved then there are two further stages to the policy, which are the institutional level and review stage.

 When the complaint process is finished you will be issued with a Completion of Procedures letter explaining the final decision and the reasons for it.

 Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA)

If you are unhappy with the outcome of an appeal or complaint then you may submit a complaint to the OIA within 12 months of receiving your Completion of Procedures letter. The OIA is the independent body set up to review student complaints and is free to students. For further information regarding the OIA please visit their website: http://www.oiahe.org.uk/

Compulsory Year Abroad

SPIR offers four year programmes that involve spending the full third-year studying at a carefully selected overseas institution.

If you are taking a degree which involves a full-year studying abroad, whilst the year abroad does not count towards your overall degree classification, you must pass this third-year to remain registered on your degree.  To pass the year abroad you must pass the equivalent of 105 credits and maintain an average of 40.0.  If you fail the year abroad, when you return to Queen Mary you will be changed to the relevant three year programme.

Optional Semester Abroad

Students may spend semester A or semester B of their second-year studying at a carefully selected overseas institution.

The grades that you obtain from your semester abroad will be converted into equivalent credit values and grades at Queen Mary  according to approved conversions and these will be used to contribute to your overall second-year results. Overall the second-year contributes to 30% of the final degree classification.

The Code of Student Discipline applies to any action of misconduct whether it takes place on or off Queen Mary premises. The Code also applies to actions that are electronic and occur via electronic means such as (but not limited to) the internet, email, social media sites, chat rooms or text messages.

http://www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk/students/student-appeals/complaints/

Queen Mary is committed to creating an environment for work and study where staff and students are treated with dignity and respect.  We have no place for bullying, harassment and hate. We recognise that these behaviours can take many forms.  Any allegation of harassment, hate crime, bullying or victimisation will be treated seriously, regardless of the seniority of those involved, and anyone found to have behaved unacceptably may be the subject of disciplinary action subject to the processes detailed in the relevant Queen Mary policies.

Report + Support is our secure online platform for anyone at Queen Mary to report harassment, gender-based violence or hate crime, and find out about support options. If you have experienced or witnessed any form of bullying, harassment, violence or hate crime, please see reportandsupport.qmul.ac.uk. 

Dates to remember: 2021/22

Key QMUL dates are available on the ARCS homepage (www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk) and here: http://www.qmul.ac.uk/about/calendar/

Attendance

All undergraduate students are expected to attend scheduled taught sessions including lectures, practical classes, group work, workshops, tutorials, seminars, field work, computer lab sessions, problem-solving classes, exercise classes, lab sessions, project meetings, and other events which are associated with the modules for which they are registered as part of their programme of study.

Registers are taken for each seminar, and persistent non-attendance at seminars and failure to submit coursework may lead to de-registration from your programme and termination of your enrolment with Queen Mary. You are expected to be available to attend classes 9am - 6pm Monday to Friday.

It is a College requirement that you must supply a medical certificate for illness that lasts longer than five days.

It is your responsibility to regularly check your email and QMPlus announcements for notifications concerning changes to the timetable, so that you are always aware of when and where your seminars are scheduled.  Persistent non-attendance – whether for good reason or not – may affect your ability to pass a module successfully. If you do not pass sufficient modules to progress you will be required to take late summer resits and should you still not pass sufficient modules after these resits and if you have further attempts remaining, you will be registered to resit ‘out of attendance’ the following academic year. This means that you do not return to full time study until you have re-sat and passed sufficient modules to progress.

If the School notes that you are achieving low marks on your modules you may be asked to meet with your adviser to discuss your studies. However, you are always welcome to discuss all aspects of you studies with your adviser.  If you have any concerns it is better to seek advice from your adviser sooner than later.

• Persistent non-attendance in seminars

• Non submission of assessment

If you miss 3 seminars in the same semester on a single module, you will be sent a warning email and asked to meet with your Personal Adviser to explain the reason for your absences. It is essential that you do so, as we will only be able to support/advise you when we know more about any problems you are experiencing which may be affecting your attendance and engagement.

We can only help if you are forthcoming and willing to put in the effort to improve your engagement. We recommend all students take advantage of the support and services available to them within the School and the College. If your absences persist and you miss 5 seminars in one semester, on a single module you will be sent a final warning and given one last chance to make a case to your Personal Adviser before being deregistered from that module. You may be required to submit evidence of your circumstances in order to support your claim.

De-registration may lead to termination of your enrolment with Queen Mary.

NOTE

While absence from one or two seminars or lectures owing to illness or family emergency is understandable, you must have attended seminars in order to achieve the learning outcomes of a module – regardless of the circumstances

If you are unable to attend a seminar for a good reason, such as illness, you should let your seminar tutor and the School Office (politics@qmul.ac.uk) know in advance, so that the absence can be noted as authorised. When you return, you should see your seminar tutor to discuss how to catch up with missed work.

If you have had a series of absences, you may be required to produce a medical certificate to confirm that your absences have been due to medical problems. If such medical issues persist indefinitely you may be required to submit a medical note to confirm you are fit enough to attend university.

If ongoing circumstances are affecting your ability to attend seminars and you are therefore unable to successfully complete a module, you should contact either your Personal Adviser, Senior Tutor or Student Support officers.

Tuition Fee deregistration

When you enrol or re-enrol at the start of each academic year you agree to QMUL’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/

The School of Politics and International Relations supports the right of lecturers and seminar tutors who wish, for pedagogical reasons, to ask students to shut down/put away electronic devices during class.

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT POLICY FRAMEWORK – School of Politics and International Relations

INTRODUCTION

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.

1.         MARKERS OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

1.1       Attendance: All undergraduate students are expected to attend scheduled taught sessions including lectures, practical classes, group work, workshops, tutorials, seminars, field work, computer lab sessions, problem-solving classes, exercise classes, lab sessions, project meetings, and other events which are associated with the modules for which they are registered as part of their programme of study.  If you miss 3 seminars in the same semester on a single module, you will be sent a warning email and asked to meet with your Personal Adviser to explain the reasons for your absences.  If your absences persist and you miss 5 seminars in one semester, on a single module you will be sent a final warning and given one last chance to make a case to your Personal Adviser.  You may be required to submit evidence of your circumstances in order to support your claim.

1.2       Coursework Submission: All undergraduate students are expected to submit reports, exercises essays, and other pieces of coursework associated with each module for which they are registered as part of their programme of study, by the individually advertised deadlines and method of submission.

1.3       Participation in Formative Assessments: All undergraduate students 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, or exercises linked to module materials on QMPlus.

1.4       Marks from Summative Assessments: All undergraduate students are expected to participate in a range of activities assessing the outcomes of a learning process. Provisional and/or confirmed marks allocated from such summative assessments e.g weekly tests, coursework,and Examinations, often contribute to the overall module grade and programme degree classification.

1.5       Other Student Engagement Activities: All undergraduate students are expected to participate in a range of formal or informal activities that signify continued engagement with their programme of study. Examples of such activities are scheduled meetings with Personal Tutors/Academic Advisors, and group work

2          ACTION FOLLOWING IDENTIFICATION OF STUDENTS WHO MAY REQUIRE SUPPORT

2.1      Actions by Schools 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.

2.2       A student identified as approaching or falling below the minimum requirements of engagement set by their School will be contacted alerting them to this, outlining support mechanisms to deal with the issues that may be contributing to this.

2.3       Once a student is identified as in need of support in order to re-engage with their studies, they will be invited to a meeting with their Personal Tutor/Academic Advisor to discuss issues that might be affecting their studies, and for the provision of encouragement/advice (with possible referral to QMUL support services if necessary). The first port of call is the Personal Tutor/Academic Advisor, who in turn may liaise with the Senior Tutor and the School’s Student Support/Experience Manager. In exceptional circumstances, a senior member of the School team, such as the Head of Department or the Head of School, may be involved in this process.

2.4       The School will always try to help students who are experiencing problems, but we cannot do so if we are not kept informed of them. If there are factors making a student’s engagement with their programme difficult, it is essential that the student discusses these with their Personal Tutor/Academic Advisor, or an appropriate person in the School, at an early stage. This will give us the opportunity to intervene and provide the necessary support. 

You may request feedback on your examination performance.

In order to do this, please complete the attached form and email it to spir-assessments@qmul.ac.uk.

Your examination script will be passed to the module convenor and you will need meet with them during their offer hours, or if outside term time, make an appointment to meet them, in order to recieve the feedback.

At QMUL we have designed our courses, as well as many of the offerings provided to students through our Careers and Enterprise team, to broaden opportunities for you as a Queen Mary undergraduate, within and beyond higher education, so that you will be supported in planning and managing your ongoing professional development. Our approach is firmly grounded in the core Queen Mary values of respect for, and engagement with, the local area and communities, with a distinctive focus on enabling you to make a genuine societal impact through leadership in your chosen field. We have organised various modules and opportunities around the key themes of networking, multi- and inter-disciplinarity, international perspectives, and enterprising perspectives to assist you with fully realising your potential.

There will be a menu of such modules available for you to choose from, together with a range of extra opportunities available to you through Careers and Enterprise (normally offered on Wednesday afternoons).  All have been designed to offer you a wide range of experiences, and many can be included in the Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR). This allows you to demonstrate to employers the learning gained from your involvement in extra-curricular activities.  

Your academic adviser will work with you to support an individualised approach, to assist you realise your ambition and full potential.

Additionally,  within SPIR there is the Politics and International Relations Society:

https://www.qmsu.org/groups/politics/

Regular 'Coffee and Politics' events are organised; students will be notifed of these events in advance of the date.

Award: Undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate certificates, diplomas, bachelors degrees (with and without honours), and undergraduate and postgraduate masters degrees. The awards offered by QM are detailed in the Ordinances and the Academic Regulations.

Calendar year: A twelve month period. Many masters programmes run for a full calendar year, which may cross two academic years. See also academic year; developmental year.

Classification Mark: The weighted average of a student’s performance, calculated in accordance with the regulations for the award, on which the classification of the award is based.

Component of assessment: See Element of assessment.

Compulsory module: A module that must be taken to meet requirements for progression or award.

Core module: A module that must be taken and passed to meet requirements for progression or award. Core modules cannot be condoned.

Co-requisite module: A module that must be taken at the same time as another, specified, module.

Course, course unit: See Module. The terms course and course unit are no longer used.

Delegated authority:

Where the authority invested in an individual or body is  delegated to another individual or body for a specified purpose.

First sit: The repeat of all or part of a module’s assessment following a certified absence at the first attempt due to extenuating circumstances acceptable to the examination board. A first sit replaces the first attempt and does not count towards the value of academic credit for which a student must normally be registered in an academic or developmental year. First sit module marks are not capped.

First take: The repeat of a module following failure at a previous attempt. This involves attendance and completion of all elements of the module, and submission of all assignments, whether assessed or not. First takes count towards the value of academic credit for which a student must normally be registered in an academic or developmental year. Module marks for first takes are not capped. First takes incur pro rata tuition fees.

Intercollegiate examiner: An external examiner from within the University of London.

Invigilated examination: A timetabled summative examination that contributes in whole or in part to the module mark.

Level: See Academic level.

Module assessment: Assessment of the performance of a student on a module. This may include a variety of elements and forms, including coursework, dissertations, and practical assignments.

Module: An approved block of teaching and learning leading to the award of academic credit and forming part of a programme of study. ‘Module’ also refers to course, course unit, subject, or any equivalent approved unit of assessed teaching.

Module mark: The overall module result. This may be an aggregate of marks from several elements of assessment, which may be weighted. It is held to one decimal place.

Notional study hours: The number of hours required to complete an academic credit, module, or programme.

Pathway: A specific combination of modules within a programme leading to a named award.

Prerequisite module: A specified module that must be taken before a second specified module can be taken.

Programme regulations: The regulations for an individual programme of study, approved by Senate, or its delegated authority.

Programme of study (programme): A package of modules approved by Senate, or its delegated authority, and leading to an award of QM or the University of London.

Progression: The process of moving from one developmental year to the next, or from the taught element to the project element of a programme.

Project: See Dissertation

QMACF: Queen Mary Academic Credit Framework. The structure of academic credits and levels applied to all modules and programmes leading to awards of QM or the University of London (introduced in 2008).

Qualifying mark: A specified minimum mark that must be obtained in one or more elements of assessment in order to pass a module. This is in addition to, and distinct from, the requirement to achieve  a  pass in the  module mark to pass the module.  For  example:  ‘Students must obtain a minimum aggregated and weighted coursework average of 30.0, and a minimum module mark of 40.0, in order to pass the module.’

Registration: A process by which a student signs up for modules of a programme of study.

Required assessment: Assessment that students are required to complete to a prescribed standard and to submit, but which does not contribute to the module mark.

Research students: Students registered for a programme of study specifically designated as a research programme. Research programmes have separate Academic Regulations.

Resit: The repeat of all or part of a module’s assessments, following failure at a previous attempt. Resits do not involve the repeat of attendance for the module. They do not count towards the value of academic credit for which students must normally be registered in an academic or developmental year.

Retake: The repeat of a module following failure at a previous attempt. Retakes involve attendance and completion of all elements of the module, and the submission of all assessments (summative and formative). They count towards the value of academic credit for which students must normally be registered in an academic or developmental year. Retakes incur pro rata tuition fees.

Special regulations: Programme regulations that diverge from the general Academic Regulations for good reason, and which are approved by Senate or its delegated authority. The special regulations are detailed in Sections 6 and 7 of the Academic Regulations.

Students: Students of QM. Ordinance C1 describes ‘those persons who are students of QM and associate students of QM’. The Academic Regulations apply to all students undertaking undergraduate or postgraduate study at QM, and to any persons whom Senate declares to be students of QM.

Subject: The term by which modules (see Module) are known for the LLB and other programmes that operate under the LLB regulations. Where the term ‘module’ is used in these regulations it also refers to subjects, unless otherwise stated.

Taught component: The parts of a programme delivered as taught modules, as opposed to dissertations or projects. The term is generally used in relation to postgraduate programmes.

Total credit value: The total amount of academic credit required for an award.

Threshold requirement: A progression requirement for MSci and MEng programmes. Students must achieve a year - or aggregate - average (threshold) to progress to the next developmental year. This is in addition to the credit requirements for progression.

Assessment types definitions

Interruption/withdrawal before Jan 2022 exams - 5 January 2022

Interruption/withdrawal before May 2021 exams - 4 May 2022

Library Services

Library Services at Queen Mary provide the study environments, resources and staff to support your learning during your time at the university.

For 2020 we are providing as many ebooks and other eresources as we can, so you can gain access to online readings from wherever you are. Also we have a team answering emails at library@qmul.ac.uk who we will help you use the eresources and answer any questions you may have.  For subject support please see the Library Subject Guides available from the Library Website. For support with finding, using and evaluating information and information about the academic skills services, please see our Find it! Use it! Reference it! module on QMPlus [https://test.qmplus.qmul.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=6819]

You will find more detailed information for new students on the library’s welcome page. 

Archives & Special Collections

Archives & Special Collections manage institutional and personal archives dating from the 18th Century to the present day, as well as collections of rare or special materials.

Digital Archives are accessible via our website.  To get started exploring the collections, try searching the  archives catalogue: http://archives-catalogue.library.qmul.ac.uk/CalmView/default.aspx.  

Visits to the Archives Reading Room on the 2nd floor, Mile End Library, are by appointment in advance; these  appointments are limited for the start of 2020/21 due to social distancing in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, but this will be reviewed and updated during the course of the year. The Archives Reading Room provides silent individual study space in which to access and research using these collections.  For more information, see the Archives website: http://www.library.qmul.ac.uk/archives.

Other libraries

As a college of the federal University of London, Queen Mary students have access and borrowing rights at Senate House Library: https://www.senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/

Contacts

General:

Telephone: 020 7882 8800

Email: library@qmul.ac.uk

Website: www.library.qmul.ac.uk

Twitter: QMUL Library (@QMLibrary)

Humanities and Social Sciences:

Email: library-hss@qmul.ac.uk

Twitter: QMUL Library HSS (@HssQmul)

Medicine and Dentistry

Email: library-smd@qmul.ac.uk

Science and Engineering

Email: library-sande@qmul.ac.uk

Twitter:

QMUL Lib Sci&Eng (@QMULLibSciEng)

Information about current research, developments and events within the disciplines of Science and Engineering.

S&E Library Update (@seqmullibupdate) 

Sister feed to @QMULLibSciEng. Provides the latest news about your favourite databases and search tools.

If you have lost something at Queen Mary, please contact the Security Control Room at your campus. If the item has not been handed in, the Security Service will assist you in completing a lost property report that can be referred to by your insurance company if you need to make a claim. We will keep your contact details and a description of the lost property on file in case the item is handed in later. Please see www.security.qmul.ac.uk  for more details

All assessed work within the School, both coursework and exams, is moderated or double marked by internal markers;

Music is central to cultural provision at QMUL. Music at QMUL can help if you are interested in applying for music scholarships, joining an ensemble, taking up tuition or simply attending one of the many musical events organised by Dr Paul Edlin, Director of Music. Please, visit Music at QMUL for further information.

There are no parking facilities available for students unless you have special circumstances. Please contact Security Services if you think you have circumstances which require a permit at: http://security.qmul.ac.uk/parking/ or at France House Reception.

The School of Politics and International Relations offers a 45 credit dissertation module, POL318 taken by all final year students on the following programmes:

BA Politics

BA Politics with a Year Abroad

BA International Relations

BA International Relations with a Year Abroad

BA Politics and International Relations

BA Politics and International Relations with a Year Abroad

BA Politics with Business Management

BA Politics with Business Management with a Year Abroad

If you are taking a joint programmes you should refer to the module directory (see attachment below) as to whether you can take the module.

SPIR will contact students in semester B of their second year regarding preparation which includes an initial proposal and summer preparatory work. 

Under QMUL academic regulations all final year students must pass at least 90 credits at level 6 (final year level), therefore if you are taking the dissertation, you pass this module in order to graduate.

Referencing and Plagiarism

Plagiarism is an instance of academic misconduct, which we take very seriously here at SPIR. QMUL defines plagiarism as “presenting someone else’s work as one’s own irrespective of intention. Any of the following might constitute a case of plagiarism or academic misconduct:

• Taking someone else’s words and/or ideas and copying them without attributing it to the proper source in order to pass them off as your own work
• Copying work from a journal, book or the internet without referencing it
• Copying another student’s essay but changing a few words
• Collaborating with someone else on the write-up of a report
• Submitting your own essay that you wrote for another module to a different module
• Making a patchwork text from many different sources by copying and pasting and slightly rephrasing
• Doing the research but barely rephrasing the original texts used, but failing to put the copied text in quotation marks
• Listing all the sources in the bibliography but neglecting to properly reference in the text with quotation marks and / or footnote or in-text references
• Making a patchwork text from many different sources by copying and pasting and slightly rephrasing
• Purchasing an essay and submitting it as your own

Note that you can therefore be guilty of plagiarism even if you do these things by mistake.

Essentially, all the words and ideas in your essays must either be:

• Your own;
• A direct quotation from another source, identified using quotation marks (“like this”), followed by a reference identifying the source of the quotation, whether in-text or in a footnote, including page numbers; or
• A paraphrase of a published source, which does not require quotation marks, but must still be referenced. Take care when paraphrasing: chopping and changing a few words and not including a citation is still plagiarism.

All coursework is submitted electronically and automatically screened through anti-plagiarism software, Turnitin. Academic staff also have a variety of other means to detect cheating. Queen Mary takes all assessment offences extremely seriously, with penalties including the award of zero marks for entire modules or entire years of study, suspension or permanent expulsion from the University, and the revocation of your degree if it has already been awarded. Offences will also be recorded in references written for your employers and future places of study. It is therefore crucial that you understand plagiarism and how to avoid it.

Please note that Extenuating Circumstances (ECs) are rarely considered to be a mitigating factor for assessment offences. Students with genuine ECs should always follow the procedure outlined in this handbook. The recognition of ECs does not in any way sanction or excuse engaging in Academic Misconduct. In short, do not consider cheating, no matter how desperate you may feel; the penalties will often be far worse than simply doing your best.

 Assessment Offences Procedures

Allegations of plagiarism and other assessment offences are dealt with under Queen Mary’s Academic Regulations. Please make sure that you familiarise yourself with the regulations and the procedures. This is your responsibility. Details about the QMUL Academic Misconduct regulations and processes at university and School level can be accessed here.

For any questions about this process at SPIR contact the current Academic Misconduct Officer – Dr Elke Schwarz (e.schwarz@qmul.ac.uk).

The general process for Academic Misconduct allegations is as follows:

• In the first instance, allegations are investigated by the module convenor where the alleged offence occurred.
• You are required to cooperate with this investigation by responding to emails and attending an interview within 5 days. The interview gives you an opportunity to learn more about the allegations and respond to them
• Once the interview has been held, the allegation will be processed either at School level or by the Academic Registry, depending on the weighting of the relevant assignment and a decision on the appropriate penalty (if any) will be made.
• Depending on the severity of the misconduct the penalty can range from a reduction in the assessment mark, to being expelled or having the degree withdrawn. Make sure you are aware of these penalties here.
• Provisional marks of assessments under investigation will not be released until the process is concluded.
• The Assessment Offences Officer will communicate the outcome of the process to you, via the Undergraduate Administrator. If you do not understand or disagree with the outcome, you should request to meet the Assessment Offences Officer to have it explained to you, though the decision will not be changed. You will also have 14 days to lodge a formal appeal against the decision to the Academic Registrar. The only legitimate grounds for appeal are the misapplication of procedures and any external circumstances relevant to the decision not known at the time for good reason (see ‘Appeal Regulations’ in Section 2 of QMUL’s Academic Regulations). Appeals will be heard by QMUL’s Appeals Panel, whose decisions are final and can only be appealed to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator.
• When the process is concluded, the result is communicated to your module convenor to apply the penalty. It is also communicated to the convenors of all your other modules, who will closely scrutinise work you have submitted there for possible plagiarism.
• All assessment offences are recorded in a database to which academic staff will refer when writing references for employment and/or admission to postgraduate programmes of study.

How to Avoid Plagiarism

Plagiarism can easily be avoided with some care and consideration. Most cases of plagiarism are accidental, due to poor scholarly practices. Remember: intention is irrelevant and an offence can still be committed unintentionally. Therefore, the best approach is a preventive one, and you can do a lot to prevent accidental plagiarism or misconduct: plan ahead, have a good note-taking system and develop your referencing practice as a key communications skill. 

Plan ahead

Most cases of plagiarism and other academic misconduct happen because students simply run out of time. Make sure that you make a schedule of when assignments are due and make a plan when and how you are going to work toward the deadlines. You might face multiple deadlines at the same time, so have a good plan to hand how you are going to handle it. You might, for example consider your deadlines two months in advance and start compiling and organising notes, think about what you need to read and organise these readings and your notes on the readings. One month in advance, make a rough plan or outline for your essay. Start  writing so that you are finished with your essay before the deadline. You should leave enough time to be able to properly format your essay, all your references and proof read one last time before submitting the essay. Planning is everything, don’t leave the essay to the last minute – it always takes longer than you think.

Note-taking

The second biggest problem for academic misconduct allegations is flawed note taking. When taking notes during your research for assessments, rather than copying and pasting chunks of text, reflect on what you read, write summaries of arguments in your own words, and your thoughts on their merits. This takes longer, but you will have engaged with texts more deeply (enabling you to write more intelligently), and avoided the risk of unattributed pasting of text. Only copy whole chunks of text if you think a direct quotation will be particularly useful or powerful in your essay.

Whether you are writing down your own thoughts, or paraphrasing (using your own words) or quoting directly, always ensure that these different sources are clearly identified, with the sources and page numbers where appropriate. You should aim to produce notes which, if you returned to them many weeks later when your mind has moved onto other things, would still clearly tell you which words/ideas are yours; which are someone else’s; which words are paraphrases and which are quotations; and where each set of ideas/ words came from.

For example, you could open your notes with the full citation of the work you are reading, using the style guide for your assessment . When summarising the author’s ideas, you could write in standard text, closing each section with page numbers in brackets. When quoting, you could ensure you use quotation marks, and/or use a different colour, followed by the page number. And if you want to comment on an argument with your own thoughts, you could put these in square brackets, and/or in a different colour.

Writing the essay

Plan your argument beforehand, and construct your essay from that plan. Try to avoid simply cutting and pasting parts of your notes – and even more so, from cutting and pasting from original sources. This approach risks making your essay a very choppy series of unrelated chunks of information, rather than a sustained argument based on your own response to the question. If your essay merely mirrors the structure of a source – whether academic books, lecture notes, or your own notes or previous work – this is extremely unlikely to be the more effective way of responding to an essay question and this approach heightens the risk of accidentally pasting someone else’s ideas or words and failing to cite them properly, resulting in plagiarism. Ensure that, whenever you rely on the ideas, information or words from an original source, you cite this source. Refer to the style guide (referencing section) of this handbook and carefully follow the style guide there. Providing references is essential to avoid plagiarism. Ensure that your bibliography also contains all of the sources cited in the essay. Again, consult  the style guide for guidance on the correct formatting of a bibliography and follow it carefully.

Learn how to reference – it’s a good skill to have!

A very good source and resource to help you with your referencing practice can be found here at citethemrightonline.com. The site helps you practice your referencing skills and offers a comprehensive guide for referencing a wide range of sources. Use this resource to practice your referencing skills and learn how to reference new media of all kinds. Once you get into the habit of proper referencing, you will find it makes writing an essay much easier. A good referencing practice shows you have read and understood the relevant academic literature, and that you can use a range of sources to support your own argument. This is a crucial element of the criteria against which your work is assessed.

For more advice on proper referencing and the avoidance of plagiarism, see http://www.citethemrightonline.com/. You can also visit https://www.umuc.edu/writingcenter/plagiarism/index.cfm. Students unfamiliar with academic essay writing may wish to enroll on the module “Structuring Arguments and Avoiding Plagiarism”, with the Language Centre. Students found guilty of an assessment offence should definitely enrol to avoid a repeat offence, with the more serious penalties involved.

 Other Assessment Offences

Plagiarism is not the only assessment offence, merely the most common one. The offences most applicable to undergraduate students are as follows. All of them are subject to the same process and serious penalties identified above, i.e. up to and including the failure of entire modules, whole years of study, and suspension or expulsion from QMUL.

Offences in an Invigilated Examination

This includes access to exam papers before the exam; forging exam timetables; removing exam materials from the hall; disturbing exams; failing to cooperate with invigilators; possessing unauthorised materials, whether in hard copy (including writing on your body) or via electronic devices, telephones, third parties, etc; communicating with other candidates; attempting to copy from others.

Collusion in the Preparation or Production of Submitted Work

Where assessments require you to work in groups, e.g. for a group presentation or written assignment, this cooperation is obviously legitimate. In all other cases, it is not. Students are allowed and encouraged to discuss their ideas with each other. But they must prepare their own coursework in isolation. Planning essays together, or copying essays from previous students, for example, are prohibited. Allowing another student access to your work to facilitate their cheating is also an assessment offence.

Use or Attempted Use of Ghost-Writing Services

Although very few QMUL students ever resort to them, an increasing number of websites now offer essays for sale, even offering to write essays to your specifications. They often issue disclaimers that their essays are meant as study aids, not for cheating. But students who either crib from purchased essays or submit them as their own work are nonetheless committing a serious assessment offence. It is far easier for academics to detect than students imagine, and the offence is so clearly deliberate and egregious that the harshest penalties are typically applied. A final-year student who used a ghost writer in 2014/15 was expelled from QMUL and failed her entire degree. Never even consider doing this, no matter how desperate you may be!

Help with Study Skills and Essay Writing

Queen Mary offers various workshops for all students to help with essay writing, study skills and examination preparation.

These workshops are delivered by Queen Mary’s Language Centre. Details of their workshops will be posted in the department foyer, but you should familiarise yourself with their website for full details - http://www.sllf.qmul.ac.uk/languagecentre/

 Based in the Mile End Library, this includes:

• bookable one-to-one tutorials to discuss your approaches to study, a written assignment, a spoken presentation or a knotty area of grammar
• bookable one-to-one tutorials with one of our Royal Literary Fund Fellows to talk about your writing
• advice on Maths, Statistics and Science - on a drop-in basis in the first floor study centre
• brief consultations on writing and study skills, such as researching an assignment, referencing or using your time effectively on a drop-in basis in the ground floor Help Zone
• retreats and protected reading and writing spaces to help you focus, manage your time, develop better practices for reading and writing

To find out more details, go to: www.learningdevelopment.qmul.ac.uk

QMUL is a diverse community of over 25,000 students and staff. With a variety of faiths and beliefs represented on campus, we are committed to tolerance, understanding and co-operation, as well as to ensuring as far as possible that our policies are consistent across all needs. Many religions and beliefs require their members to pray at specific times during the day, or have special festivals or spiritual observance days. We recognise therefore that students at QMUL often strike a balance between their educational and religious commitments.

One of QMUL’s fundamental aims is to provide an education that is judged internationally to be of the highest quality. It would be both impractical and inconsistent with our aims as a university to suspend teaching for reasons of religious observance, but we will accommodate students’ religious commitments where we reasonably can do so. This may include providing learning materials (potentially including QReview recordings) online and permitting students to attend classes at different times where there is availability.

Students are expected to stay engaged and up-to-date with their studies throughout their time at QMUL. Schools and institutes should make their expectations for attendance and submission of coursework clear to students at the beginning of their studies, and students should inform themselves beforehand about the potential implications of missing learning and teaching activities. Students must also inform their school or institute beforehand if they intend to miss any teaching. We will take religious commitments into reasonable account when reviewing students’ attendance, but we expect students to plan their studies so that they can submit coursework on time.

The following procedures apply in the event that a special festival or spiritual observance day would result in absence from a scheduled assessment.

•  In the case of an in-class test, students may request permission in advance from their Head of School or Institute to be absent on that occasion. The Head of School or Institute will consider whether reasonable adjustments can be made, for example by permitting late submission or rearranging the test. It is important to submit requests well in advance, in case reasonable adjustments cannot be made.
• Students may notify QMUL of any special festivals or spiritual observance days that fall during formal examination periods by submitting the relevant form by the deadline specified in the Academic Calendar. We will accommodate such requests where we reasonably can do so. We are not able to make allowances for routine religious observance during formal examination periods.

The School takes very seriously the representation of students’ views.  Hearing from students help us respond to your needs and improve the student experience, we use a variety of ways to achieve this:

Staff and Student Liaison Committee

Module evaluation - this takes place for all modules

Course representatives

Personal feedback to tutors

Student Ambassadors (for open days, etc)

Regular meeting with groups of students about particular issues, dates of these meetings are circulated in advance

Surveys (see below)

https://www.qmul.ac.uk/tell-us/

Surveys

National Student Survey

All final-year undergraduate students at UK institutions take part in the National Student Survey (NSS). The NSS is a nationally recognised annual survey of mostly final-year undergraduates in the UK. The survey gives you an opportunity to give your opinions on what you liked about your time at Queen Mary as well as things that you feel could have been improved.

If you are a finalist, you will usually be contacted by email early in the spring term. Please do complete the NSS, and fill it in honestly.

 The NSS results are made publicly available to help prospective students make informed decisions of where and what to study. Queen Mary and the Students’ Union will also use the data to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses to help effect change and bring about enhancements to improve the student experience for future generations of students. Data from previous surveys are available on Unistats. http://my.qmul.ac.uk/your-voice/feedback/national-student-survey/

UK Engagement Survey (UKES)

The UK Engagement Survey (UKES) is a national survey which gives you the opportunity to tell us about your learning experience at Queen Mary. It is open to all undergraduate students who are not eligible to complete the National Student Survey.

 The UKES is facilitated by Advance HE, the national body that champions teaching excellence. The survey asks you about things like how you engage with the learning on your course, how you work with others, and what kind of activities help you to learn. It is a chance to reflect on how you study and what might help your studies in the future.
http://my.qmul.ac.uk/your-voice/feedback/ukes/

All students are automatically opted in to their resits.  These resits will take place at the next available opportunity usually in the late summer period. Resits are free of charge.

Further details can be found here: http://www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk/students/exams/late-summer-resits/

Where a student fails a module as a consequence of late penalties in an assessment, the original mark prior to the deduction of penalties for late submission will be automatically used for the resit attempt.  Please refer to further information on late submission penalties

The School of Politics and International Relations is situated in Arts One, second floor.  The main reception is 2.37.  The office is open to answer queries Monday - Friday, 10am - 12.30pm and 1.30 - 5pm.

A full list of staff is available at:

http://www.politics.qmul.ac.uk/staff/

A list of staff office/feedback hours is available at the main reception.

We aim to provide a stimulating undergraduate programme of study, designed to offer a broadly based range of modules in political theory, international relations, government and comparative politics. We seek to combine excellence in teaching with a commitment to research of national and international standing.

 These objectives also apply to joint honours students whose second area is outside of SPIR, whose exploration of the discipline in less breadth (but equal depth) will be balanced by their knowledge of a complementary discipline.

These objectives form part of Queen Mary’s wider goal of helping you to develop attributes that will prepare you for future employment. Full details of opportunities to develop your skills can be found at the following site:

http://www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk/media/arcs/docs/quality-assurance/QMUL-Graduate-Attributes.pdf

The school awards a number of prizes each year following the exam board:

David Black Prize

Awarded to the best overall performance on POL106 Introduction to International Relations.

The Gary Brisley Prize

Awarded for the best overall first year performance.

Awarded for the best undergraduate dissertation in the field of Labour History, East London or Migration.

The Professor Lord Smith of Clifton Prize

Awarded for the best undergraduate dissertation in the field of the Government or Public Policy.

Best Dissertation Prize

Awarded for the highest overall module mark for POL318 dissertation.

In addition to this the school has been allocated a number of college Prizes. These are to be awarded to 2nd and final year students. The sole criterion for the award of these prizes is academic excellence. For final year students this means First Class Honours; for those in the penultimate year, the student’s yearly average must not be less than 70%.

Jason Salucideen is the Student Support Manager (Timetabling and Student Engagement) and is responsible for the allocation of your adviser, management of your module registration and production of your personal timetable.  In addition Jason provides full student support for all first year students

Bronwyn Murphy is the Student Support Officer (Student Experience). Bronwyn is the member of the Professional Services Team responsible for providing pastoral care to all second and final year students as well being the link between students-the school-central college. Her role is to ensure that the student voice is represented appropriately in the school decision processes. Bronwyn assists the Senior Tutors with the management of extenuating circumstances (EC), and together with the Student Support Manager (Timetabling & Engagement Monitoring) is the point of contact should students require information on extensions and extenuating circumstances claims.

Both Jason and Bronwyn deal with EC applications. All EC applications should therefore first be submitted to them NOT directly to the Senior Tutor. Their contact details are here: http://www.politics.qmul.ac.uk/staff/

Only in designated areas, other than those areas which are clearly signed. QM is a smoke free campus. You cannot smoke in the QM halls of residence or any other QM building.

The Student Health Service (SHS) is a free National Health Service (NHS) providing a wide range of medical services. Registrations for the SHS can take place online, for all students living in inner London unless for clinical reasons. The SHS on campus is located in the Geography Building, Mile End (number 28 on map). If you cannot register with the SHS for clinical reasons or because you live outside inner London or if more convenient to register with a doctor close to where you live, you can find a list of local doctors through the NHS website. Queen Mary students who are not registered patients may be able to use the service in certain circumstances. Please, visit the Student Health website for further information.

Turnitin Statement for School of Politics and International Relations

Introduction

Turnitin is a web-based plagiarism prevention system used by most universities in the UK. This statement describes how Turnitin is used within the school and the data it creates about your work.

Personal information and data protection

During application and at (re-)enrolment you provide us with personal information about yourself such as relevant contact details and information about your background, which is held in systems such as MySIS. It’s important that you ensure this information is accurate and keep it up to date. Throughout your studies (or after you graduate) you may also provide, or we may collect, other personal information and you should be aware that this also includes any work you submit for assessment in the course of your studies. Tutors may occasionally use anonymised student essays (or portions from them) as part of the teaching process. We hope you will be willing to support your fellow students by allowing this, but you may opt out by contacting your school office. Other markers of engagement are monitored to help support students. If you engage with your Advisor or other support services, notes may be kept and shared with appropriate individuals.

We ensure that all personal data is held securely and not disclosed to third parties without your consent, unless we are obliged to do so by law - for example the annual student record that we submit to the Higher Education Statistics Agency - or other conditions allow.

HESA requires us to collect details of our students’ ethnicities and disabilities as a means of monitoring the success of equal opportunities policies at a national level. This information is kept confidential and helps us to provide you with support and information on facilities and services that may be useful. 

Westfield Nursery QMUL is based on the Mile End campus and provides full day care for up to 65 children per day aged three months to five years. The nursery prioritises students and staff at Queen Mary, but is also available to those outside Queen Mary. Practitioners are fully qualified and receive continuous professional training on early years practice.

 It is open 48 weeks of the year, from 8.30 - 17.30 on weekdays. Early application is advised as demand is high and waiting time is usually six to twelve months. Please visit the Nursery webpage for more information and an application form.

 Contact

Telephone: 020 7882 2782

Email: nursery@qmul.ac.uk 

Web: www.nursery.qmul.ac.uk

Requirements for individual assessment s will vary from module to module. However, a few general guidelines can be given to help you ensure that your coursework meets the School requirements;

Word Limit;

Length of essays is dependent upon the requirements of the particular module – see individual module outline for guidance.

The School does not operate a discretionary word count policy that permits, without penalty, an assignment to be up to 10 per cent longer than the specified word limit

Completing an assignment within the word limit is part of the assessment task and is therefore covered under the ‘task fulfilment’  If, having written your assignment, you are over the word limit, re-read and edit your work until you come within the limit. If your work is over-long or requires editing this will be reflected in the grade awarded.

Please note footnotes are included in the word count, but the bibliography and coversheet are not.

Presentation:

All written work must meet high standards of academic presentation. Essays must be word- processed, double-spaced with adequate margins to give room for your tutor’s comments. Spelling, punctuation and syntax are also important.

The essay question should be used as the title for your essay, and displayed as such at the beginning of your essay. Footnotes or endnotes should be clearly indicated and numbered in the body of your assignment. All references must be correctly cited in full, and essays must have a bibliography listing all sources consulted in alphabetical order by author.. We require students to use the ‘Harvard’ system of referencing, as outlined below.

Any work submitted without any citations may be deemed inadmissible as a piece of assessed work and may be awarded a mark of zero. Moreover, poor referencing may be seen as plagiarism, an assessment offence that may result in the failure of the whole module.

You will receive a Queen Mary photo-identity (ID) card upon enrolment. This card is very important, and must be carried at all times on campus. If you do not produce this card upon request and satisfy staff that it is your card through comparison of your face and the photograph, you may be removed from the building, or from campus. Misuse of your card will normally lead to an investigation under the Code of Student Discipline (http://www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk/students/student-appeals/misconduct/)

The card shows your student number. You must take your card into all examinations, and display it on your table for inspection. You will also need to copy the student number onto your paper.

The card also serves as your library card, and as an access card for certain buildings and equipment (such as printers and photocopiers). Many buildings have security points at which you must show your card, and others require you to scan your card to release the doors.

You may also be required to present your card to confirm your attendance (e.g you may need to touch your card on a reader in a lecture theatre).

It is vital that you keep your card safe and with you at all times on campus. If you lose your card, or if your card is stolen, you should contact the Student Enquiry Centre (http://www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk/students/sec/student-card/index.html), who will be able to help you. A fee is charged to replace lost ID Cards.