University of Greenwich

Department of Computing & Information

Systems

Essential Information for Students - UoG

2014/2015
Department of Computing & Information Systems
Maritime Greenwich Campus,
Old Royal Naval College, Park Row, London SE10 9LS

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Contents
NOTE TO STUDENTS ............................................................................................................................ 4
INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................... 5
ORGANISATION AND DELIVERY OF THE BSC (HONS) PROGRAMMES ........................................ 5
FULL THREE-YEAR DEGREES ................................................................................................................. 5
TOP-UP (STAGE 3 OR LEVEL 6) .............................................................................................................. 5
COHORTS AND ASSESSMENT POINTS ............................................................................................. 6
ACCESS/ENTRY REQUIREMENTS ...................................................................................................... 6
YEAR 1 ................................................................................................................................................. 6
YEAR 2 ................................................................................................................................................. 6
YEAR 3 ................................................................................................................................................. 6
STANDARD QUALIFICATIONS .................................................................................................................. 6
NON-STANDARD QUALIFICATIONS .......................................................................................................... 7
LEVEL OF ENGLISH ................................................................................................................................ 7
ADMISSIONS PROCEDURE ................................................................................................................. 7
DEPARTMENT ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAMME ............................................................... 8
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ............................................................................................................... 8
Director for Computing Collaborations .............................................................................. 8
Department Regional Link Tutor ....................................................................................... 8
Department Programme Leader ........................................................................................ 8
Collaborations Office ......................................................................................................... 8
RESPONSIBILITIES OF APPROVED CENTRES ................................................................................. 9
FRAMEWORK FOR HIGHER EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS .......................................................... 9
QAA BENCHMARK ................................................................................................................................ 9
EMPLOYABILITY ................................................................................................................................. 10
TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGY .......................................................................................... 11
PROGRAMME SUPPORT RESOURCES ................................................................................................... 11
FORUM ............................................................................................................................................... 12
DEALING WITH STUDENT QUERIES ................................................................................................ 12
QUERIES RELATED TO PROGRAMMES ................................................................................................... 12
QUERIES CONCERNING UNIVERSITY SERVICES ...................................................................................... 12
UNIVERSITY GRADING....................................................................................................................... 12
ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE ............................................................................................................. 13
EXAMINATION BOARDS ........................................................................................................................ 13
TAUGHT REGULATIONS AND APPEALS .................................................................................................. 14
PROJECTS .......................................................................................................................................... 14
FEEDBACK ON ASSESSMENT .......................................................................................................... 14
FEEDBACK TO TUTORS AT APPROVED CENTRES .................................................................................... 14
FEEDBACK TO STUDENTS AT APPROVED CENTRES ................................................................................ 14
EXTERNAL EXAMINERS .................................................................................................................... 15
EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES .................................................................................................... 15
ASSESSMENT OFFENCES CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM ......................................................... 15
GUIDELINES FOR TERMINATING YOUR STUDIES PART WAY THROUGH AN ACADEMIC YEAR
.............................................................................................................................................................. 16
TAUGHT REGULATIONS AND APPEALS ......................................................................................... 17
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DEPARTMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE VISITS TO APPROVED CENTRES .................................. 17

PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION ......................................................................................................... 17

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Note to Students
The Essential Information for Students (Local Version) document and the Essential Information for Students
(UoG Version) are both intended to provide you with the necessary information in terms of processes and
procedures for the programme you are registered on.
Essential Information for Students (Local Version) reflects information that is specific to the Centre you are
studying at as well as generic information concerning your rights as a student under University regulations.
Essential Information for Students (UoG Version) will include details such as where you might need to go and
what you might need to do depending on your circumstance. In addition, it provides study related information
such as where you can find your results, etc.
Please familiarise yourself with both documents as these provide all the information necessary for being a
student in the Collaborative partnership.
You will find the Programme Specification, Courses, Course Specifications and Assessments that you need to
attempt at https://cms1.gre.ac.uk/collaborativeprogrammes/students/. Please note that you will have access
to more courses than those you are attached to this does not mean you should attempt all the courses you
have access to only those that are part of your study plan submitted to the Collaborations Office by your
Centre.

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Introduction
The Department of Computing & Information Systems is organised into four departments:

Department of Computing Information Systems

Department of Mathematical Sciences
Department of Creative Digital Technology
Department of Smart Systems Technology

Each department has responsibility for developing their own portfolio of undergraduate and postgraduate
programmes.
The Department of Computing & Information Systems has been offering 3+0 Programmes since 1993. In 1998,
in response to the demand from holders of Higher and Advanced Diplomas in Computing and IT, it was decided
to extend the delivery of the final year to both on-campus and off-campus students. Additional level 3 courses
have been validated and incorporated into the final year of the BSc (Hons) programmes to allow students with
a wide variety of external qualifications to top-up their qualification to an honours degree. More recently a
number of full three-year degrees have commenced delivery at a number of approved centres
Our Programmes aim to be in-line with recent developments in computing, Information Technology,
Networking and Multimedia with a focus towards delivering on market requirements for new technologies,
web-based applications, etc.

Organisation and Delivery of the BSc (Hons) Programmes

Full Three-year degrees
The normal duration of the BSc (Hons) Programme is three years for full-time mode and up to six years for
part-time mode. The degree is organised around a total of 360 credits with 120 credits studied in each year in
full-time mode. Each academic year is referred to as a stage and students must pass one stage in order to
progress to the next stage. In full-time mode of study the terms stage and year are used interchangeably.
Each stage of the degree maps onto the National Qualifications Framework and thus Stage One maps onto
Level 4, Stage 2 onto Level 5 and Stage 3 onto Level 6.
To add in here about Top-Up organisation and Delivery and where students might enter the 3+0 programme
The organisation and structure of the academic year may vary from one country to another. Modes of study
will also differ from one country to another, and in countries in the Far East for example, academic
programmes are often studied in a more compressed time frame than might be the case in the UK. It can also
be more difficult to clearly distinguish between full-time and part-time study, with some full-time students
attending in the evenings and at weekends.
The Department will agree an appropriate delivery structure with each Centre, as well as the number of
student intakes allowed each year. As a norm, it is expected that Centres will run a balanced number of
courses over the semesters in which the programme runs, and that students will be introduced to the project
course at a point in the programme early enough to allow them sufficient time to prepare for their project.

Top-up (Stage 3 or Level 6)

The normal duration of the BSc (Hons) Programme (top-up or Stage 3) is one year for full-time mode and up to
two years for part-time mode. The degree is organised around a total of 120 credits, with 60 credits studied in
each term in full-time mode.
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The organisation and structure of the academic year may vary from one country to another. Modes of study
will also differ from one country to another, and in countries in the Far East for example, academic
programmes are often studied in a more compressed time frame than might be the case in the UK. It can also
be more difficult to clearly distinguish between full-time and part-time study, with some full-time students
attending in the evenings and at weekends.
The Department will agree an appropriate delivery structure with each Centre, as well as the number of
student intakes allowed each year. As a norm, it is expected that Centres will run a balanced number of
courses over the terms one and two in which the programme runs, and that students will be introduced to the
project course at a point in the programme early enough to allow them sufficient time to prepare for their
project.

Cohorts and Assessment Points

Courses are either 30 credits or 15 credits in length. There are normally two Progression and Awards Boards in
the year, one in July and one in February. Centres would normally have one or two intakes per year which
would be around Aug/Sep and Jan/Feb. Exceptionally and with the approval of the Department, some centres
may have additional intakes.

Access/Entry Requirements
Year 1
The standard entry requirement for undergraduate programmes, for entry to year 1, run by the Department of
Computing & Information Systems is a minimum of 260 UCAS tariff points from subjects studied to A level or
equivalent. Candidates are also normally expected to have GCSE English and Mathematics at a minimum of
grade C (or equivalent).

Year 2
The standard entry requirement for undergraduate programmes, for entry to year 2, run by the Department of
Computing & Information Systems is the successful completion of the equivalent of the year 1 courses or an
appropriate Diploma with an overall minimum of 60. Candidates are also normally expected to have GCSE
English and Mathematics at a minimum of grade C (or equivalent).

Year 3
The department has operated a policy of open access to its programmes for a considerable number of years
and has a great deal of experience in assessing non-A level entry and equivalencies. There is a formal
procedure for APL/APEL within the Department and across the University, whereby students may apply for
exemptions for individual programme courses.
Access to our programmes is also subject to the University of Greenwichs equal opportunity policy and other
University and/or Department rules and regulations coming into force from time to time.

Standard Qualifications
The following qualifications are offered by recognised Professional Bodies and are accepted as entry
qualifications for direct entry to the final year of the BSc (Hons) programmes which are run at approved
centres around the world.

IMIS Higher Diploma

NCC International Advanced Diploma

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ACP Advanced Diploma (with an average grade of credit across all modules)
Edexcel HND in a Computing or I.T. related subject
ABE Advanced Diploma in Business Information Systems
BCS Diploma

Applicants with qualifications that are considered to be of an equivalent standard and appropriate for entry to
the final year of the BSc (Hons) programme will be considered. Where the entry qualification was not taught in
English, an IELTS score of 6.0 is also required. Applicants should apply directly to the local approved centre and
not to the University.

Non-Standard Qualifications
The School has operated a policy of open access to its programmes for a considerable number of years and has
a great deal of experience in assessing non-A level entry and equivalencies. There is a formal procedure for
APL/APEL within the School and across the University, whereby students may apply for exemptions for
individual programme courses. Access to our programmes is also subject to the University of Greenwichs
equal opportunity policy and other University and/or Department rules and regulations coming into force from
time to time.
Students with qualifications that are considered to be of an appropriate standard and suitable for entry to
programme will also be considered. If accepted, the performance of these students will be monitored. Centres
will be asked to provide an analysis of the performance of students accepted with non-standard qualifications
in their Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) which is submitted to the University each year. Additional
qualifications may be added to the list of standard ones as a result of the analysis provided in the AMRs.
APPLICATIONS FROM STUDENTS WITH NON-STANDARD ENTRY QUALIFICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED VIA
THE EAS SYSTEM FOR A DECISION.

Level of English
Students who have not studied their entry qualification in English must have an appropriate English
qualification such as IELTS 6.0, TOEFL (550) or equivalent, or be able to demonstrate an equivalent level of
English. A useful guide would be for example, whether an applicant had studied their previous qualifications
completely in English, and if so, for how long. A minimum of two years is expected.
With approval from the Department, centres may carry out English tests locally.

Admissions Procedure
Students will complete an online application via the Electronic Admissions System (EAS) system, with help
from the centre. The Link Tutor at a centre will check the qualifications and attach scanned copies of these to
the on-line application. Once the application has been completed and approved by the centre, they will be
passed to over to the Universitys Recruitment and Marketing Department where qualifications deemed to be
standard will be accepted and those that are non-standard will be considered at a Collaborations
Admissions Panel (CAP).
A Collaborations Admissions Panel (CAP) chaired by the Director for International Collaborations (or his
nominee) and consisting of one or more Link Tutors and/or Collaborations Administrators, meets regularly to
consider all non-standard applications and any applications which may require further consideration.
Centres will be permitted to make offers to students who meet the standard entry qualifications.

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Department Administration of the Programme

The Department has an established Collaborations Office (email: ach-collab@gre.ac.uk) which deals with all
the department-based administration needs of collaborative programmes. Academic staff members manage
the academic side of Collaborations and carry out the roles of Regional Link Tutor, Programme Leader, and
Director for Computing Collaborations.
Each approved centre is required to nominate a Link Tutor. This person is responsible for managing the
programme locally and is the first point of contact for all queries and communications regarding the
management and day-to-day running of the scheme.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Department has identified a number of roles within the collaborations process: Director for Computing
Collaborations, Link Tutor, Programme Leader, Course Co-ordinator and Administrator. Indicative
responsibilities for these roles, and for approved centres, are set out below.
Director for Computing Collaborations
Liaise with the Universitys Educational Partnership Unit regarding the Memorandum of Agreement
and the Financial Memorandum
Be responsible for instigating new collaborative proposals
Oversee the task of keeping Programme Documents up-to-date.
Oversee the approval of new centres
Oversee all activities within the Collaborations Office
Oversee the activities of all Regional Link Tutors and Programme Leaders for collaborative
programmes
Act as the Departments representative on matters relating to computing collaborations
Review the AMRs submitted by centres
Department Regional Link Tutor
Be responsible for collaborations at designated approved centres
Attend Department Admissions Panels
Liaise with Link Tutors at centres
Carry out QA visits to centres
Department Programme Leader
Carry out the responsibilities of a Programme Leader where they apply to collaborative programmes
(the role of a Programme Leader is defined by the Department)
Be responsible for the overall assessment process for collaborative programmes which involves the
timetabling, setting, marking and moderation of courseworks, examinations and projects and liaising
with the Collaborations Office in ensuring that these activities are carried out effectively
Review the academic content of programmes and ensure that the learner resource materials are kept
up-to-date and available on the Collaborations web site
Collaborations Office
Be responsible for the administration of the overall assessment process for collaborative programmes
which involves the exam timetabling, setting and moderation of courseworks, examinations and
projects
Liaise with Student Records and Student Finance in the Office of Student Affairs as needed in order to
keep students records accurate and up-to-date
Manage the admissions process and liaise with Recruitment and Admissions and the Office of Student
affairs to ensure that students are properly registered
Provide administrative support to all aspects of collaborations managed by the Department

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Responsibilities of Approved Centres

The main responsibilities are normally set out in brief in the Memorandum of Agreement. Responsibilities
typically include:

Mark courseworks and examination scripts using the marking guides provided and send samples of
marked examination scripts to the Collaborations Office;
Mark projects using the project assessment forms provided;
Upload the marks using the Collaborations coursework upload site for each course;
Provide copies of minutes from all programme committee meetings;
Seek approval from the Department for new staff to teach on the programme and provide CVs for
these staff
Submit an Annual Monitoring Report in accordance with University of Greenwich guidelines;
Provide an initial Study Programme with each student application, showing which courses a student
will take in each semester;
Advise students regarding extenuating circumstances and requests for assessments to be deferred;
check all extenuating circumstances forms before submission to the Collaborations Office;
Advise students on what is meant by Withdrawal and Interruption of Studies and whether and when
they should apply for these.

Framework for Higher Education Qualifications

Graduates from the proposed courses will meet the FHEQ specification for an Honours graduate. They will
have developed an understanding of a complex body of knowledge through a systematic grounding at Levels
One and Two and through studying their choice of advanced options at Level Three. Analytical techniques and
problem-solving skills are developed throughout the programmes, often taking a case study based approach to
developing and applying a wide range of abilities as in exemplified in the System Building and Organisation and
Project development courses. Students will have opportunities throughout each programme to demonstrate
their abilities to evaluate evidence, arguments and assumptions, to reach sound judgments, and to
communicate effectively.
The success of our current programmes in producing graduates capable of finding positions in institutions such
as CERN and IBM and a broad range computing related industries, attests to their possession of the qualities
needed for employment in situations regarding the exercise of personal responsibility and decision-making in
complex and unpredictable circumstances.

QAA Benchmark
The QAA Subject Benchmark Statement for Computing Research specifies benchmark and modal standards for
graduates. It specifies that students should meet these standards in an overall sense, not necessarily in
respect of each and every one of the statements listed. According to the QAA, programme designers, students
and employers will need to be aware of this spectrum of programme identities, but behind such variation
there are three key ideas which constitute a certain ethos that can be expected to characterise any honours
degree in computing:

the computing system and the process of developing or analysing it is important; understanding of
the system and its operation will go deeper than a mere external appreciation of what the system
does or the way(s) in which it is used;
the complementary but equally important natures of broad and specialist degree programmes will be
respected;
there is a balance of practice and theory, appropriate to the aims of the particular degree
programme, such that practical activity can be supported by an understanding of underlying
principles.

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The QAA statement furthermore identifies the abilities and skills students are expected to develop. These may
be divided into three broad categories:

Computing-related cognitive abilities and skills, i.e. abilities and skills relating to intellectual tasks;
Computing-related practical skills;
Additional transferable skills that may be developed in the context of Computing but which are of a
general nature and applicable in many other contexts.
[QAA Benchmark Statement, 2007]

The skills listed for threshold level will have been developed throughout the curriculum. The courses taken by
all students at Levels One and Two will have covered the basic body of knowledge in the areas of computing
such as programming and system building skills. Courses such as System Building, Programming and Computer
and Communication Systems will deliver computing-related cognitive abilities and skills. Course such Logical
Foundations, System Building, the Personal Development Programme and Work Based Learning specifically
deliver transferable skills. As many of these skills are also embedded and delivered, in other courses we
expect all graduates from all programmes to achieve the threshold level in each of the skills listed.
Projects in level 3 and Organisation and Project Management at level 2 require students to demonstrate and
develop the general abilities listed. It requires students to work independently, abstract the essentials of a
problem, obtain solutions by appropriate methods, develop and build a proof deliverable and present their
arguments and conclusions in a formal report. Consequently all skills listed above will have been delivered and
assessed within our programmes, and graduates will have demonstrated their achievement in these areas.

Employability
All courses are designed with employability in mind. The personal and professional skills taught during the first
two years of the programme help prepare students for their professional career. To support this, students, are
offered advice and support in job selection, application and interviewing skills. In addition, students are invited
to attend specially arranged talks given by prospective employers at the University. Students are guided
through the process of constructing CVs and given the opportunity to undertake practice interviews for a
variety of real job positions. Help and advice are also available for students in cases where companies request
students to contact them directly, by letter, email or through their web site.
Students are actively encouraged to join professional bodies and we seek professional accreditation. The
Department delivers industry standard professional certification courses at preferential rates to students,
which helps to increase their employment potential.
The Department has an active Employers Advisory Panel (detailed later in this document) which is used to
assist and guide the Department on issues of employability and course relevance. The tools and techniques
used in courses are constantly reviewed and updated to keep pace with industrial trends thus imparting up-todate and relevant skills to graduates.
The integration of general personal development activities into the mainstream programme courses is
expected to increase the relevance of the activities to the students, and consequently to increase the students
motivation and achievement in this area which is considered vital to the well rounded educational experience
required by industry.

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Teaching and Learning Strategy

The University regulations state the belief that assessment methods should be varied, and should `measure
appropriately the learning outcomes specified. When new programmes or courses are validated, this strategy
is tested and the teaching methods are discussed to explore their compatibility with the learning outcomes.
Teaching and learning is generally structured as lecture, tutorial and laboratory sessions. The actual learning is
conducted through lectures, practical classes and activities in the computing laboratories, seminars,
workshops, tutorials, exercises, presentations, role-play, on-line distance learning materials and guided
independent study. These in turn will be supported by: academic counselling, study skills tuition, and pastoral
guidance.
1.

2.

3.

4.
5.

6.
7.

8.

9.

Lectures are mainly formal tutor-led presentations, designed to convey important theories.
Permissible interaction will tend to vary inversely with the size of student group. Special lectures,
presented by visiting speakers, are also encouraged to highlight practical applications of the
theoretical aspects of study.
Academic tutorials are student-centred learning situations. They operate largely within a predetermined framework, associated, for example, with projects and other assignments (during
preparation or by way of feedback); with follow-up by tutor-led activities; and with general
monitoring and discussion of individual students progress.
Seminars are mainly interactive learning situations, which may be student or tutor-led. A wide
variety of formats are possible, including formal student presentations, discussion groups, simulation
and role-play. This will support students in learning how to pitch their projects and their designs for
moving image to a varied audience: both to tutors and their peers.
Workshops and Laboratory sessions are student-centred learning situations, which, with the aid of
appropriate resources, together with staff and peer support, will permit students to fulfil their
individual learning needs in a supportive environment
Guided independent study includes preparatory research for, and completion of, individual as well as
group assignments; and preparation/follow up work associated with lectures, seminars, integrative
assignments and laboratory classes. The importance of this mode of learning is clearly substantial,
given the emphasis placed on effective independent learning.
Projects further develop practical, analytical and presentational skills, and are specifically designed to
encourage students to initiate, plan and execute research programmes. Smaller group projects are
also used to develop teamwork in addition to these skills.
Academic counselling, provided on a collective and individual basis, will inform students of the
rationale, aims and objectives associated with the degree programme as a whole and with its
component parts; will advise students of the specific learning opportunities available to them (for
example, in relation to the availability of optional courses); will provide information relating to
timetables, learning activities and assessment; and will facilitate discussion of expectations and
anxieties, especially in the early stages of the course.
A professional development portfolio is now a requisite for all students at all levels of learning and
will be supported by lectures, class-based, role-play and independent modes of study. The
development of personal and professional skills will feature throughout all programmes at all levels.
The portfolio content is expected to be developed by the addition of personal as well as course
Pastoral tuition, provided on an individual basis, will cater in a general way (that is, to the exclusion of
areas for which specialist provision is available) for students who experience difficulties which bear
directly or indirectly on their studies; also provided collectively (in small groups), it will serve to
promote inter-student and staff-student relations, together with the corporate health of the course
and the Department.

Programme Support Resources

The Department maintains a Collaborations Web site for the staff and students at approved centres. The Web
site is used to provide general information such as examination dates, links to University-wide information and
programme-specific information. There are separate staff and student intranets requiring different login IDs
and passwords.

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Course specifications giving the aims and learning outcomes for courses, outline syllabus content, and learning
and assessment strategy are provided along with the following resources:
o

Detailed assessment information

Copies of Coursework
Past exam papers
Links to staff and student forum

Forum
A forum exists to ensure course coordinators, staff and students at approved centres have an efficient mode of
communication relating to courses delivered at individual centres. It is important that centres make use of the
forum to ensure that the teaching team is able to support any issues relating to course material, etc.
In addition, it is important that this resource is promoted as a hub for academic discussion.
The forum can be accessed at https://cms1.gre.ac.uk/collaborativeprogrammes/snitzbb

Dealing with student queries

The Department recognises the importance of making the learning experience of students at remote sites as
similar as possible to students attending at the University of Greenwich. Although off-campus students will
enjoy the same rights as on-campus students with regard to contacting University staff and University
Departments directly, it is desirable that students discuss any problems with their Link Tutor first.

Queries related to programmes

The Link Tutor may forward student queries to the Collaborations Office for advice. This will ensure that
student queries are dealt with effectively by staff familiar with collaborations in the Department. Further
facilities for staff and students to contact tutors in the department are provided through the collaborations
electronic forums for staff and students at approved centres.

Queries concerning University services

Students and staff should contact OSCARS directly. Alternatively, they may contact the Collaborations Office.

University Grading
Regulations and grading policies found in the Academic Regulations for taught awards will apply. Currently
these are:
Undergraduate:
Mark on a 0-100 scale

Comments

86-100
76-85
70-75
65-69
60-64
50-59
40-49
30-39
0-29

Work of exemplary quality

Work of outstanding quality
Work of excellent standard
Work of very good quality
Work of good quality
Work of sound quality
Work of an acceptable standard
Compensatable fail
Fail

Postgraduate:
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Mark on a 0-100 scale

70+
60-69
50-59
40-49
0-39
Postgraduate awards:

Comments
Work of exceptional quality
Work of good quality
Work of satisfactory standard
Compensatable fail
Fail

The pass mark is 50%, Merit 60%, and Distinction is 70%. To obtain a MSc with Merit, students must achieve an
average of at least 60% across the programme as a whole. To obtain an MSc with distinction, students must
achieve an average of at least 70% across the programme as a whole.
The aim of the programme emphasises acquisition of theoretical, conceptual and empirical knowledge; its
application within an industrial/commercial framework; the development of associated practical skills; and the
promotion of transferable skills. Hence, a multi-faceted assessment strategy is appropriate. The proposed
strategy is guided by six major principles:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

The assessment methods associated with each course should reflect the distinctive learning outcomes
to be fostered and tested.
There should be diversity and balance in the portfolio of assessment tasks at each level.
In the course of their preparation and by means of tutors comments, assignments should provide a
useful learning experience.
Where appropriate, assignments should be designed and timed to facilitate early diagnosis of
individual students needs. The scale of each assessment task should be broadly commensurate with
the marks available.
In so far as possible, the burden of assessment tasks should be spread evenly throughout the teaching
and learning period.

The type of assessment is linked to the type of work being studied. The use of exam, coursework, viva, peer
review, self, presentation and group work are all used in appropriate situations. The most common types of
summative assessment are Coursework, Examinations and Tests whereas for formative assessment; peer
review, presentations and demonstrations, tests and discussions are more commonly used. Because of the
innovative nature of our approach to assessment, the type of an assessment is not necessarily a good indicator
of what is actually happening. e.g. a written exam may in actual fact be a time constrained, complex,
practical, individual analysis and design of aspects of a system using an industry standard graphical notation.

Assessment Procedure

Examinations and courseworks are set by academic staff in the Department. Centres will mark courseworks
and examination scripts using the detailed marking guides provided, and under guidance from the
Department. Examination scripts will be sent to the Department for moderation together with a spread sheet
(or upload) of the marks.
Students will be required to submit their courseworks and projects in electronic format by uploading them to a
server hosted by the Department. Full instructions on how to do this, the deadlines for submission for each
assessment and the penalties for late submission will be provided in the Student Handbook and will also be
available from the Collaborations Web site. Without ECs late submission of courseworks will be subject

to a mark penalty of zero.

Examination Boards

The University holds a Subject Assessment Panel (SAP) and a Progression and Awards Board (PAB) for each
programme. The final marks for each course for a programme will be presented to a Subject Assessment Panel
for verification. Following the SAP, the full set of marks for each student on the programme will be presented
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to a Progression and Awards Board which will decide whether a student may proceed to the next stage of the
programme or in the case of a completing student, whether that student has met the requirements for an
award. The PAB will also determine whether a student may be deferred in one or more assessments, and
whether a student has failed one or more assessments and the manner of retrieval of the failed assessments.
SAPs and PABs will be held at the Maritime Greenwich Campus in July and February each year and staff at
approved centres will be invited to attend.

Taught Regulations and Appeals

The University of Greenwich Regulations for Taught Awards will apply in addition to any Department
Programme Regulations.
Information on regulations and appeals and where to find further details on the Universitys Web site is given
in the Student Handbook and on the Collaborations Web site.

Projects

Projects will be supervised by academic staff in each teaching institution. Each teaching institution will have a
nominated project coordinator who will have overall responsibility for the supervisory process. Projects will be
marked by the project supervisor and another member of staff at each approved centre, using the assessment
forms provided. Students will upload their projects as courseworks and the centre, after marking and
moderating, will upload the completed assessment forms to the coursework upload area. Students will
demonstrate their practical work e.g. software applications, to the project markers in each teaching
institution.
The normal Department guidelines and procedures for the assessment of final year projects in Computing will
apply.

Feedback on Assessment

Course co-ordinators will upload a Moderation Report to the collaborations web site which will include their
comments by course, and by centre, on the coursework and project marking carried out by tutors at centres as
well the student performance in examinations. The report will include reflective comment on student
performance and may give additional guidance such as highlighting exam topics that were clearly understood
and answered well and those where answers given were generally poor.

Feedback to tutors at approved centres

Copies of the relevant CMRs and SAP reports (and PAB reports upon request) will be sent to each centre
following an assessment point. The Link Tutor at each centre will also be able to view the marks for their
students using BannerWeb.
For example, student performance in a course may vary considerably across centres and it may be necessary
to report on centre-specific issues. Following each assessment point, a Course Monitoring Report is created for
each centre; this contains comments from the course moderators on the marking and moderation of student
work submitted by the centre.
Informal feedback may also be given by course co-ordinators or by the Link Tutor as and when the need or
opportunity arises and student performance at each assessment point will be discussed with centres during
the Departments QA visits each year.

Feedback to Students at approved centres

Feedback to students, in relation to assessments submitted, in various programme-related areas will also be
given by using the Collaborations Web site for posting information on a regular basis and also via the

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electronic forums available to staff and students on the Collaborations Website. In addition, the centre will
also provide feedback locally in various forms, e.g. in tutorials, laboratory sessions and in class.
At the end of the year a Progression and Award Board (PAB) decides your results. This is where decisions about
retakes, deferrals, fails and passes are made. No other body is authorised to make these decisions.
For completing students your results can be view on the Portal and a paper copy of the results and certificate
will be posted to your Centre. No results will be released over the phone so please dont telephone your tutor
or the Collaborations Office as they will be unable to provide this information. Course grades may be viewed
through the Portal during the year but these may be subject to change or ratification until confirmation by the
PAB; PAB decisions may also be viewed through the Portal.

External Examiners

The appointed External Examiners will scrutinise the moderation carried out by academic staff in the
Department and review samples of work from each teaching institution. The External Examiners will normally
attend all SAPs and PABs.
The External Examiners Reports should include specific commentary on:

the marking carried out at different teaching institutions

the performance of students across teaching institutions

External Examiners reports and the Departments responses are published on the Collaborations Website.

Extenuating Circumstances
Extenuating circumstances are normally defined as circumstances which are unexpected, significantly
disruptive and beyond a students control, and which may have affected his/her academic performance.
Please note that a long term or foreseeable condition or problems do not count as Extenuating
Circumstances and these will normally be rejected. If you have a good reason for poor performance in
coursework or examinations and you would like the Progression and Award Board to take the reasons into
account, then you need to fill in an extenuating circumstances form which is available from the Collaborations
Website and must be submitted within set deadlines. Please refer to the Collaborations website for deadline
submission dates. You are advised to talk to your Personal Tutor at the centre as well.
Please note that all extenuating circumstances forms should be submitted with documented supporting
evidence. Failure to provide the necessary documentation within two weeks of the claim being made may
result in the Extenuating Circumstances Panel rejecting the claim.
If your circumstances are accepted by the Progression and Award Board then you will be given a different
piece of work to do over the summer. Please refer to the University website for further detail regarding the
University Academic Regulations concerning Extenuation Circumstances claims.
All extenuating circumstances should be submitted on-line via the Collaborative Website

Assessment Offences Cheating and Plagiarism

The Universitys regulations governing suspected plagiarism and examination offences are outlined in the
Academic Regulations for Taught Awards (http://www2.gre.ac.uk/current-students/regs/?a=636810).

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The university has a high expectation of academic and professional standards and will NOT TOLERATE cheating
or plagiarism. Where students are found blameworthy of an offence then penalties are severe. For example,
the normal penalty for a major offence in a project is a zero grade with no opportunity to repeat. This would
have significant ramifications e.g. you may fail your degree. It is your responsibility to make sure you
understand what constitutes an assessment offence.
Cheating includes: bringing unauthorised material into an examination, communicating with other students
during an exam, or seeking to gain an unfair advantage in any other way.
Plagiarism is presenting somebody elses work as your own. It includes: copying information directly from the
Web or books without referencing the material; working with one or more other people on an individual
coursework and submitting the joint coursework as your own individual effort; copying another students
coursework; paying someone else to do the work for you; stealing coursework from another student and
submitting it as your own work. The person you copy from could be another student, a lecturer or someone
outside the university.
As a student of the Department, you should also have received a copy of THE LITTLE BOOK OF PLAGIARISM What it is and how to avoid it. Copies are available electronically on the Collaborations website. Where
appropriate your Personal Tutor will also provide you with information and guidance about assessment
offences.

What happens if Im accused of plagiarism?

You will be asked by the Academic Conduct Officer to respond to the allegations via email. If the outcome of
the investigative is that you are found to be blameworthy of an assessment offence then a penalty may be
issued immediately. Alternatively, severe cases are referred to an Assessment Offences Panel. The regulations
governing Assessment Offences can be found on the university website.

Guidelines for terminating your studies part way through an academic

year
If you are unable to complete your studies in the current academic year, for whatever reason then you need to
inform the university and, in all cases, speak to your Personal Tutor to ensure that you receive the appropriate
advice. There are several possibilities such as the following:
Interrupted study
Interruption of study from a programme means that you wish to terminate your programme of study at the
university. The university will contact you prior to the start of the next session to confirm if you wish to reregister. There are procedures that you must follow and there is a deadline for doing this, beyond which, you
will be classified as failed instead of interrupted study. You will liable for fees in accordance with the
conditions of registration. Once you have interrupted study, access to university facilities/resources is
terminated.
Withdrawal
Withdrawal from a programme of study means that you wish to terminate your programme of study at the
university permanently i.e. you have no intention of returning at a later date. There are procedures that you
must follow and there is a deadline for doing this, beyond which, you will be classified as failed instead of
withdrawn. You will liable for fees in accordance with the conditions of registration. Once you have withdrawn,
access to university facilities/resources is terminated.

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Guidance Note
If you have extenuating circumstances and feel unable to complete the session, you should not interrupt study
or withdraw as this has financial implications. You should submit an extenuating circumstances claim, with the
relevant evidence requesting a deferral in all uncompleted items of assessment. If your circumstances are
accepted then you will be informed and allowed to complete your studies in the following academic year
without additional payment of fees. Please note that there are deadlines for the submission of extenuating
circumstances claims. If your claim is rejected then you should consider interrupting study; in this case the full
tuition fees will be payable when retaking your programme of study.

Taught Regulations and Appeals

The University of Greenwich Regulations for Taught Awards will apply in addition to any Department
Programme Regulations.
Information on regulations and appeals and where to find further details on the Universitys Web site is given
in the Essential Information for Students document and on the Collaborations Web site.

Department Quality Assurance Visits to Approved Centres

In normal circumstances, academic staff will visit centres twice a year. Visiting staff will talk to staff and
students at the centre and may contribute to the teaching or observe teaching taking place.
The visiting staff member will complete a report following each visit to a centre. The report will include an
action plan to be followed up. A copy of the report will be sent to the centre concerned.
The Department may hold a video-conferencing session in place of one of the annual visits.

Programme Specification
Links to the course specification for the programme you are studying at the centre can be accessed
from the Collaborations website at https://cms1.gre.ac.uk/collaborativeprogrammes/students/

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