ANNEX 1: POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

These policies and procedures are published, in detail, on the Registrars Office website. They
cover the following aspects:

Note: Policies/procedures indicated with * are not applicable to BTech students

1. Responsibility for Notices/Circulars and Update of Personal Particulars

As registered students of NUS, you have an email account through NUS. All
communications from the University administration to students will be via this official email
account. As such, you are expected to check this account regularly. You are also
expected to be aware of the latest notices/circulars that may be posted on
myPortal@NUS.

Throughout your candidature, you are responsible for keeping your personal particulars
(including citizenship, official* name, identity card/passport details, permanent and
correspondence contact details and next-of-kin details) updated in the Universitys records
in a timely manner. This means that you must notify the University within 5 working days
of the effective date of change of the affected personal particulars. The University will not
be accountable for delayed or lost mail due to incorrect or obsolete students addresses
and contacts. Students may check their particulars or amend their contact details via the
Universitys student information system.

*Official Name - Your name captured in the University's record as your Official Name will
be printed on the various official documents issued by the University, in particular your
degree scroll and academic transcript. If you have officially/legally changed your name
during your course of study, you should inform the University of the change at your first
opportunity. Please click here for more details.

2. NUS Student Card

As registered students of NUS, you are issued with a student card encoded with a
Personal Identification Number (PIN). The student card identifies you as a student of NUS
and enables you to perform a wide range of functions in the University, e.g., accessing
library services, booking of sports and recreation facilities and gaining access to major
facilities including computer clusters, research laboratories and resource centres. You are
required to keep the student card in good condition and not disclose the PIN to anyone.
In the event that you have lost the student card, a report should be made to the University
immediately. Information on matters relating to the student card, e.g., PIN re-set, reporting
loss of student card and application for replacement is published here.

3. Acceptance Record

As a condition of admission, you were required to sign an Acceptance Record in which

you expressly declared having read, understood, and agreed to abide by various NUS
policies, as well as signed to various authorisation requirements. Please refer to the
relevant webpages for information on the following key ones:

NUS Student Data Protection Policy (click here)

NUS Code of Student Conduct (click here)
NUS Acceptable Use Policy for IT Resources (click here)

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NUS Student Confidentiality Agreement (click here)

4. Academic and Professional Integrity

It is important to note that all students share the responsibility for upholding the academic
standards and reputation of the University. Academic honesty is a necessary condition in
the pursuit and acquisition of knowledge, and the University expects each student to
uphold academic honesty.

There are various forms of academic dishonesty and plagiarism is one of them. The
University takes a strict view of plagiarism and any student who is found to have engaged
in such misconduct will be subject to disciplinary action by the University. Any student
found to have committed or aided and abetted the offence of plagiarism may also be
subject to disciplinary action. The University has recently updated the NUS Plagiarism
Policy and some of the important points to note are:

Plagiarism committed by graduate students will be subject to a higher level of scrutiny

because graduate students have had ample or prior experience of academic practice
compared to undergraduate students. Any complaint or allegation of plagiarism
offence committed by a graduate student with regard to work submitted for
assessment or any publications will be viewed as a possible Serious offence that
should be appropriately determined by the Board of Discipline after the relevant fact-
finding has been rigorously performed.

In respect of a student who has been awarded a scholarship by the University and
found to be guilty of a plagiarism offence, the University may exercise the contractual
rights and reliefs that it is entitled to, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the
Scholarship Agreement.

You should seek clarification from your instructors or supervisors if you are unsure
whether or not you are plagiarising the work of another person. You are also encouraged
to:
consult the resources compiled by the Centre for Development of Teaching
and Learning (CDTL) on how to avoid plagiarism;
use the service provided by the Centre for Instructional Technology (CIT) to
help detect and prevent web-based plagiarism; and
access the Academic Culture module online.

5. Residency Requirement and Period of Candidature

The University has established a minimum residency requirement, normal candidature and
maximum candidature for all NUS degrees, including joint and double degrees with foreign
universities.

A. Residency Requirement
A student registered for a Bachelors degree must complete at least 50% of required MCs for
the degree programme with NUS modules which are defined as all modules taught, co-taught,
supervised or co-supervised by one or more NUS faculty members. These MCs must be
earned from graded modules with assigned grade points or modules with an S or CS grade.

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B. Normal Candidature*
The normal candidature period refers to the normal duration that students are expected to take
to complete a programme of study. The normal candidature periods for the various types of
degree programmes are indicated in the table below:
Degree Type Normal Candidature Period*

Single Degree/Joint Degree Programme (120 MC) 6 consecutive semesters

Single Degree/Joint Degree Programme (160 MC),

8 consecutive semesters
Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Dental Surgery

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery 10 consecutive semesters

Double Degree Programme (DDP):

a. graduating with single honours 9 consecutive semesters
b. graduating with double honours 10 consecutive semesters

* The normal candidature period is defined here to include all approved Leave of Absence (LOA) periods,
except those given for medical reasons.

C. Maximum Candidature*
The maximum candidature period refers to the maximum duration that students can be given
to complete a programme of study, failing which a students candidature will be terminated.
The maximum candidature periods for the various types of degree programmes are indicated
in the table below:
Degree Type Maximum Candidature Period*

Single Degree/Joint Degree Programme (120 MC) 8 consecutive semesters

Single Degree/Joint Degree Programme (160 MC) 10 consecutive semesters

Double Degree Programme (DDP) which may involve

12 consecutive semesters
between 180 MC and 200 MC

* The maximum candidature period is defined here to exclude all approved Leave of Absence (LOA) periods

6. Minimum Workload Per Semester*

Students are to note that with effect from AY2015/2016, the minimum number of modular
credits per semester to be read by students* is 18 MCs, except for the following semesters
where students could read fewer modular credits:

final semester; and

semester in which students are undergoing industrial attachment or doing the final
year project.

* Except students from the Faculty of Law and the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music

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7. Undergraduate Tuition Fee Policy*

The Undergraduate Tuition Fee Policy is instituted to encourage undergraduates to graduate on

time within the normal candidature period and have a head start in achieving career success.
While the University seeks to give its graduates an edge in the workforce through impactful
curriculum and programmes, students are encouraged to exercise personal responsibility on
their part in planning their studies/modules well to reap the competitive advantage by graduating
on time.

The Undergraduate Tuition Fee Policy comprises the following:

(1) Tuition Fee Rebate Policy

This applies to students admitted to an undergraduate degree programme under the modular
system in NUS with effect from AY2014/15. Under this policy, students who complete their
undergraduate degree programmes within the normal candidature period, and have taken
NUS modules prior to, and/or Special Term modules during, their undergraduate
candidature, are likely to have paid tuition fees in excess of the fees commensurate with the
normal candidature period. Under this policy, such students will be eligible for a rebate on
the excess tuition fees paid. For more information, please refer to the published FAQs.

(2) Tuition Fee beyond Normal Candidature

Students admitted to an undergraduate degree programme under the modular system in

NUS with effect from AY2016/2017; and who take longer than the normal candidature
period to complete their degree requirements will have to pay partial non-subsidized fees,
culminating in full non-subsidized fees, during the extended semesters. For more information,
please refer to the published FAQs.

8. Leave of Absence

Students may be granted leave for periods of absence from the University for the following
reasons:

Medical Reasons - Students who are on medical leave of absence for one semester
or more, must be certified fit to resume studies by the University's Health Physician
before he/she can start attending classes. If a student has been consulting a medical
practitioner other than one from the University Health Centre during the period of
leave, a medical report from that medical practitioner must be submitted to the
University's Health Physician. Students will not be able to register for modules until
they have been certified fit. Should they still be unwell, the medical leave of absence
may be extended. Such applications for leave extension will be evaluated based on
medical recommendations and the student's academic records. Normally, a student
who is granted leave of absence on medical grounds during a semester will be given
"Incomplete (IC)" grades for all modules taken in that semester.

Academic Reasons - Leave may be granted for students to participate in other

external academic activities.

Personal Reasons - This allows students to participate in activities such as

competitions, sports, seminars, and community services, to start-up a company or to

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attend to personal matters.

For undergraduates (except BTech students), such leave of absence is normally not
counted against the maximum candidature of the programme. However, for students
admitted in AY2016/17 and after under the modular system, leave of absence taken for
other than medical reasons will be counted against the normal candidature with the
corresponding fee implications if as a result, the student has to extend beyond the normal
candidature.

Students who require leave of one semester or more should obtain approval in advance
of the semester. If a student applies for leave of absence after the relevant fee payment
deadline (i.e. Instructional Week 2), s/he is liable to pay fees for the entire semester.

Medical or health insurance benefits shall no longer be applicable during the period
students are on leave of absence. More information on this is available on the website
published by the University Health Centre.

If you are contemplating applying for leave of absence, you are strongly advised to consult
your Department or Faculty advisor/supervisor on the possible impact to your course of
study.

The deadline for the application of semester (term) leave of absence is the last day of
Recess Week. In the event that your absence beyond Recess Week is inevitable due to
unforeseen circumstances, please approach your Home Faculty/School Deans Office for
advice.

9. Full-time Students and Employment*

University education at NUS is demanding, intensive, and rigorous, and thus requires a
high degree of commitment. Full-time students are expected to commit themselves to at
least 40 hours of study per week. The University strongly discourages full-time students
from taking up employment during term time that might interfere with their studies.
Students should note that commitments from employment will not be accepted as valid
reasons for absence, uncompleted work, late submission of work, or poor performance,
and may lead to exclusion from certain full-time programmes.

10. Safety Considerations for Students on Internships/Attachments*

From 1 September 2011, all workplaces are covered under the Workplace Safety & Health
(WSH) Act. Companies and employees covered under the Act are required to take
reasonably practicable measures to ensure their workplaces are safe. These would not
only affect people working in the offices, in the laboratories or in the construction sites,
but also students going on internships/attachments.

NUS has put in place a series of safety measures and ensured that our staff and students
have the necessary safety briefings or access to the safety guidelines. Students going on
internships/attachments should refer to the safety guidelines available here before
embarking on their internships/attachments.

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11. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory option

The Grade-Free Scheme under the modular system, in the form of Satisfactory /
Unsatisfactory (S/U) option, aims to provide a supportive and enabling environment for
NUS undergraduates to make a successful transition into the academic and social culture
of university life. It serves to facilitate a transformation in students' mindsets towards
grades and learning in the university setting, as well as enable students to leverage
opportunities for a holistic education. The Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory (S/U) option is also
intended to encourage students to pursue their intellectual interests, without undue
concern that exploring a new subject area may adversely affect their CAP. For more
details, please visit the NUS Bulletin and S/U option home page in the Student Portal.

12. Grading Policy and Examination Processes

The University has in place standard operating procedures to ensure that examination
processes are conducted with utmost care and attention. Multiple levels of checks are
built into the handling of examination answer scripts, marking and processing of marks
and grades.

Where necessary, a final grade which a student receives may be subject to moderation.
Grade moderation seeks to prevent grade inflation or deflation that could potentially arise
due to examiners coming from diverse academic backgrounds with different marking
regimes. However, grade distribution is applied flexibly and depends on the judgment of
the examiner(s). In addition, to ensure consistency of assessments across
Faculties/Schools, all grades are submitted to the Board of Undergraduate Studies and
the Board of Graduate Studies for approval after they have been carefully scrutinised by
Department and Faculty Boards of Examiners.

After the release of examination results, if you, with good reason and within the stipulated
period, request for a review of your final grade, do note that the review will only verify
whether the examination script has been marked completely and that all marks have been
correctly transmitted to the Board of Examiners. The review will not involve marking an
examination script a second time. To do so at this juncture would be out of context with
no relative comparison with the rest of the class. In order to maintain consistency of
assessment for all students, the University therefore does not allow re-marking unless
certain parts of the answer were not taken into account in the original assessment.

In addition, the University reserves the right to review current students' results at any time
and make revisions to these results in accordance with NUS' guidelines and policies.
These reviews may arise from audit on past semesters' results or routine checks and
reviews conducted by faculties during the semester. There will, however, be no
adjustment of results once a degree has been conferred.

13. Examination Rules

Students are expected to be familiar with the Examination Rules, a breach of any of which
may render a student liable to disciplinary action. Detailed information is published in the
Examination Directory for Students.

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Specifically, you are reminded that copyright infringement is a violation of the law and
infringers will be subject to criminal and civil penalties. This applies also in the NUS
examinations. In an open book examination, you must not bring into the examination hall
any unauthorised reproductions, as defined under the Copyright Act (Cap.63), of any
copyrighted works.

Under this Act, the extent to which reproductions are permitted are:

in a periodical publication, not more than the whole or part of one Article, unless the
Articles relate to the same subject matter; or

in any other work, a reasonable portion of the work. In the case of a published work of
10 pages or more, 10% of the total number of pages or one chapter, is considered a
reasonable portion.

Invigilators will conduct checks during the examinations. Should any student be found to
be in possession of any unauthorised reproductions, such material shall be confiscated
immediately. The student may also be subject to disciplinary action by the University,
including possibly being barred from sitting for subsequent examinations.

14. Graduation

Undergraduate students in modular Faculties/Schools who expect to graduate at the end

of a particular semester must file for graduation at the start of that semester during the
period stipulated by the Faculty/School.

Generally, degrees are conferred by the Chancellor at the end of Semester 1, Semester
2, and the Special Term. Students will be informed of their degree conferment date in an
official letter from the Registrar which is sent out electronically. This same date will also
be recorded in the official academic transcript. Degree scrolls are printed following degree
conferment. Details on collection procedures are available on the degree scroll website.

Commencement is an annual University-wide event celebrated in early/mid-July. All

prospective graduates eligible for Commencement in 2018 (i.e., undergraduate students
who successfully fulfill graduation requirements in Special Term of AY2016/17, and
Semester 1 & 2 of AY2017/18 and are conferred their degrees in the period of 31 August
2017 to 30 June 2018) will be invited to register their attendance online via the Student
Information System by early June 2018. For more information on Commencement 2018,
please visit the Commencement website from March 2018 onwards.

15. Transcripts and Records

The academic transcript is a students complete and permanent academic record. It

reflects all undergraduate and/or graduate work completed at NUS. As the transcript
contains personal and confidential information, in line with the NUS Student Data
Protection Policy, it is issued only to the person named in it or sent to another institution
upon the request of the same person.

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Students who successfully complete their degree requirements will receive a

complimentary copy of their academic transcript together with their degree scroll. For
non-graduating students, a complimentary copy of the transcript will be sent either directly
to the relevant offices of the home university responsible for student exchange
programmes, or directly to the student at the mailing address as updated in our records,
approximately two months after the completion of the semester.

16. Smoking on Campus

The University believes in providing a healthy environment for everyone on campus. NUS
has been a smokefree campus since 1998. Campus security staff have over the years
stepped up enforcement efforts, especially in areas where smokers tend to congregate.
The University will issue penalties for noncompliance with our smoke-free policy and
some of the penalties may include warning/reprimand letters, fines and/or termination of
housing privileges.

17. Discipline

Discipline with respect to students is governed by the University's Statutes and

Regulations. Any student who is alleged to have committed or attempted to commit
offences listed in Clause 3 of Statute 6 may be subject to disciplinary proceedings.

Heads of academic and non-academic units are empowered to adjudicate any offences
in relation to existing students of the University. In such cases, appeals can be brought
before the Dean of the Faculty if the disciplinary action was initiated by the Head of a
Faculty-based academic unit, or before the Dean of Students if it was initiated by the Head
of a non-Faculty-based academic unit or the Head of a non-academic unit.

The Board of Discipline is empowered to adjudicate any offences in relation to any student
of the University, whether existing or for whom the candidature has ceased, as long as
the circumstances giving rise to the disciplinary proceedings arose while the person was
a student of the University or in connection with the person's admission into the University.
The Board of Discipline is chaired by the Dean of Students or a Vice Provost and
comprises two other members of the Senate and two members of the Student Union.
Appeals against the decisions of this Board are heard by the Disciplinary Appeals Board.

Students of the National University of Singapore should familarise themselves with the
NUS Code of Student Conduct which is intended to guide students conduct in both the
academic and non-academic aspects of their University life by providing an overview of
the behaviour generally expected of them as members of the University community.

Students may also access the Discipline with Respect to Students - Guidance Note for
Students on the NUS Student Portal for better understanding factors relevant to the
classification of offences by the University.

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