Layout

For FULL DETAILS about formatting your written work, visit the CLAS Style Guide. In general you should:

• Include the completed COVER SHEET (see above)
• Page numbers on every page.
• Your name in the header or footer of every page (you can do this easily by double clicking in the upper margin of your document in Microsoft Word).
• Text printed in no less than 12 point font
• 1″ Margins sufficient for comments to be added
• Double-spaced text with sufficient space between lines of text for comments to be added
• Appropriate Grammar and Spelling (use your grammar/spell-checker!)

Referencing

References should conform either to Harvard or Turabian style, in other words, you may use either footnotes or in text citations, but not both.Consistency and accuracy are the most important part of referencing, so that your reader can easily see what you were looking at when you wrote your paper. For guidance on citation styles, please see the CLAS Style Guide.

Academic Integrity

Regulation V.3 of the University’s General Regulations for Students states that:

Students are required to act with honesty and integrity in fulfilling requirements in relation to assessment of their academic progress.

Any attempts to:

• cheat
• plagiarise
• improperly influence your lecturer’s view of your grades
• resubmit previously submitted work without acknowledgement or
• falsify research data

will be viewed as a breach of this regulation. Most students do not have any problems understanding the rules and expectations about acting honestly at university, but we have put together resources in order to help you understand academic integrity better, including top tips about how to avoid plagiarism.

• Work submitted through Turnitin is matched against a database of previously submitted work from every institution, which subscribes to Turnitin, (including international institutions); current and archived internet pages and databases of journals and periodicals. Each instance of matching is then examined individually by the seminar leader for full and correct referencing. If the seminar leader suspects that a piece of work has been plagiarised it will be sent to the Senior Tutor for consideration. Suspected plagiarism is dealt with in accordance with Annex 10 of the University’s Credit Framework.
• New regulations now mean that the University must keep records of plagiarism and include this information in employment or academic references.

Online Submission

All assignment submissions must be made electronically via Turnitin on the relevant Moodle page by 3pm on the day of the deadline.

Hard copies are not required.

Late submissions without an extension or a concession will result in a mark of zero.

Once uploaded, you will receive an on-screen receipt with a unique ID number. You are advised to print this receipt or keep a record of the ID number to act as proof of submission.

Top Tips for Smooth Submission

• Regularly back-up your computer files (use the cloud, a usb drive and your computer’s hard drive).
• Always keep copies of your submitted work.
• Don’t expect that you will be able to submit a paper at 3pm on the dot without technical problems.
• Be organised and don’t miss your deadlines. This is one of the life skills that will hold you in good stead after University.
• It is not a good idea to wait until a day or two before a deadline to begin looking for books in the library.
• Do not stay up all night to write the essay the day before it is due; this never produces your best work.

Concessions: Absences & Extensions

Only Student Support can grant concessions or extension requests.

While lecturers and seminar leaders do not handle extensions, it is polite to let them know you have requested an extension or will be absent.

Extensions are granted only in extreme circumstances and must be requested in advance of the deadline via student support on their online form.

Student Support asks that you submit extension requests at least 24hrs before the deadline.

Extension requests sent less than 24 hours before the deadline are unlikely to be dealt with prior to the deadline, so you should continue to work on your assignment and submit it as soon after the deadline as you can – within 7-days. Once we have confirmation from you that your work is submitted we will be able to consider your extension request.

The online form by far the best way to apply for an extension because student support is often inundated with email.

Request for Absence

Attendance: Attendance at all scheduled teaching events (lectures, seminars, workshops) is compulsory. We will be monitoring attendance at seminars in order to comply with government regulations, so it is important that you attend the group registered on your timetable.

If you are suddenly ill or unable to attend a lecture or seminar due to events outside of your control, you will need to request an absence via Student Support’s online form. As a courtesy, you should also let your lecturer your seminar leader know. These are for minor events or circumstances which cause limited interference with academic performance during teaching terms.

If you miss a class session, it is your responsibility to catch up on what you have missed so you are ready to re-join the next class. In the first instance, you should check moodle for any information or handouts, then contact someone in your study group or a fellow student to ask for notes, and finally, if you need clarification on any of that material, speak to your lecturer. Lecturers cannot provide 1-to-1 tutoring for lectures or seminars you have missed, but they are always happy to answer questions during office hours.

Request for Extension and Late Submission

If sudden illness or events outside your control cause a minor interference with your academic performance that require an extension to coursework deadlines or lead to late submission of work during teaching terms you can make an application to Student Support through the online form.

Students can submit coursework extension requests for a maximum period of 7 days. All students must submit evidence to support their requests (students with ILPs that allows access to extensions do not need to submit evidence but they would still need to submit an application).

Request for Major Concession

You may request a major concession in cases where exceptional events or circumstances have interfered with academic performance over and above the normal difficulties experienced in life. Examples include:

• Incident leading to hospitalisation
• Injury over a sustained period (e.g. broken arm)
• Close bereavement in the immediate family
• Long term diagnosed illness which occurs after the student registers

Students can submit a Major Mitigation application with Student Support via the online form where their performance has been impaired due to concessionary reasons. They can also can submit an application if they fail to submit formally assessed work as a result of concessionary reasons. Student are required to submit evidence with their applications.

These applications are reviewed by the Mitigation Committee and recommendations for adjustments are submitted to the Divisional Board of Education for ratification at the end of the academic year.

Note: The University does not normally consider medical certificates for longstanding controlled conditions, or self-limiting illnesses, as sufficient for claiming impaired performance. Affected students are expected to have had the benefit of experiences, medical knowledge, or help to control the condition and should have registered with the University Disability and Dyslexia Support Services and have in place measures to support their studies.

Students with an ILP (Inclusive Learning Plan) should sort out deadlines with Student Support at the start of the module. An ILP on its own is not sufficient justification to trigger an extension close to or on the deadline.

If you are struggling, and need some support, have a look at the links at the bottom of the Key Info page.