School of Psychology
(and School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences)
University of Central Lancashire
BSc (Hons) Neuroscience
Course Handbook 2010/11
Course Leader: Dr. Nikola Bridges Darwin 220
njbridges@uclan.ac.uk
Please take care not to lose this handbook, it will guide you
through your three years at the University and supply you with
all the relevant information you need to know about the course
UCLan Mission statement
WE PROMOTE ACCESS TO EXCELLENCE ENABLING YOU TO DEVELOP YOUR
POTENTIAL
We value and practise equality of opportunity, transparency and tolerance.
We strive for excellence in all we do: locally regionally, nationally and internationally.
We work in partnership with business, the community and other educators.
We encourage and promote research innovation and creativity.
The Card
This represents a clear statement of the University’s intentions to deliver agreed standards
for a range of academic and administrative services. It spells out what is expected of you as
a student and the contribution that can be made to gain the most benefit from your time at
UCLan.
You will get the best out of your time at UCLan if you are committed to:
 Preparing for classes and attending punctually
 Completing your work to the best of your ability and submitting it on time
 Not committing plagiarism
 Keeping up to date with course information through UCLan email or other channels
 Using the feedback you are given to improve subsequent work
 Making appropriate use of teaching staff’s time
 Taking responsibility for your personal development planning and skills development
 Treating staff, fellow students and neighbours in the local community with respect at
all times
We aim to:
 Start and end all classes on time
 Give you one week’s notice of changes to your classes
 Give you feedback on assessed work within 15 working days
 Give you clear, legible and informative feedback on your work
 Be available for timed appointments
 Treat you with respect at all times
 Support you in your preparation for the work place
Supporting Diversity at UCLan
UCLan recognises and values individual difference and has a public duty to promote equality
and remove discrimination in relation to race, gender, disability, religion or belief, sexual
orientation and age. During your time at UCLan we expect you to be able to
 experience "an integrated community based on mutual respect and tolerance where
all staff and students can feel safe, valued and supported."
 contribute to creating a positive environment where discriminatory practices and
discrimination no longer happen.
Please review the UCLan Equality and Diversity Policy for further information.
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CONTENTS
Introduction
Welcome to the School of Psychology
Scope of this Handbook
How and When to use this Course Handbook
What the Course Handbook does not tell you
JARGON-BUSTING!
Staff contacts
The Role of the Personal Tutor
Who to approach for advice
Main teaching methods
Attendance
Extenuating Circumstances
Examinations
Have I Passed? Assessment Board Decisions
Special Educational Needs and Disability
Personal Development Planning
Student support
Page
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5
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6
7
9
10
11
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12
13
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14
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Introduction to Neuroscience
Neuroscience Aims and Learning Outcomes
Types of Assessment – Examinations
Types of Assessment – Coursework
Learning Outcomes and how they relate to Assessment
YEAR 1 modules
YEAR 2 modules
YEAR 3 modules
Flexibility
Specific regulations for progression and awards
Progression
Awards
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18
19
21
21
23
23
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24
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Additional information
Data protection
Health and Safety
Conduct
Student’s Union
Student Voice
Course representatives
Student Staff Liaison Committee Meetings (SSLC)
Module Evaluation Questionnaires
Complaints
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INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the School of Psychology
We would like to offer you a warm welcome to the School of Psychology. We hope that you
will enjoy studying at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), and that you will find
your course both interesting and rewarding.
The School of Psychology is a large School, with over 50 academic staff, plus administrative
and technical staff and research students. We are based in Darwin Building, which was
purpose-built for Psychology and so has plenty of specialist resources, which students are
encouraged to use.
Scope of this Handbook
This Course Handbook outlines rules and regulations about course structure, progression,
and awards for the Single Honours Neuroscience programme. For each Level or Year, you
will find the following information:
1.
A list of the modules available at that Level.
2.
Rules about choices of modules from that list.
3.
Rules about progression from Year 1 (Level 4) to Year 2 (Level 5), and Year 2 to Year
3 (Level 6). The rules tell you which modules you need to take and pass to continue
your studies.
4.
Progression choices at the end of each year.
5.
At the end is a section detailing the specific regulations for the award.
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How and when to use this Course Handbook
The University operates a Modular Credit Accumulation & Transfer Scheme (MODCATS).
One of the main purposes of this handbook is to give you sufficient information to be able to
follow the rules and regulations for the Neuroscience programme. It contains advice and
some (although not exhaustive) coverage of the general regulations of MODCATS. (Full
Academic Regulations are published on the University website.) You should aim for a good
knowledge of the contents of this Course Handbook and consult it at the following times:
START OF YEAR 1: Look through the whole handbook to give
you an idea of what is available. Read carefully through to the end
of the information on Year 1.
MID YEAR 1: In Semester 2 during Progression time you will be
asked to register for the modules you intend to take in Year 2.
Read the section on progression rules and Year 2.
START OF YEAR 2: Read the Year 2 information again.
MID YEAR 2: In Semester 2 during Progression time you will be asked
to register for the modules you wish to take in Year 3. Read the section
on progression rules and Year 3. You will also be given up-to-date
information on what modules are available.
START OF YEAR 3: Read the Year 3 information again. Check
your registration, taking account of any fails you may have to
ensure that you have the necessary prerequisites for your choices, and
that your profile of modules fulfils the requirements of your target award.
You can see which modules you are registered for by looking at myUCLan on the University
website.
What this Course Handbook does not tell you
All students are subject to the general regulations of the University. Most of the important
ones and the ones most likely to be relevant to you have been included. Nevertheless,
please note that there could be aspects of the general regulations not included here that are
or become relevant to you. It is your responsibility to acquaint yourself with general
regulations contained in the central documentation if they become relevant (e.g. if you fail
modules).
The Psychology Assessment and Policy Handbook gives much more information on
assessment. You are given a copy of this at the start of the course. Make sure you read it
and keep it for future reference. An electronic copy is available on our website.
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JARGON-BUSTING!
Some definitions…….
Level 4, 5, 6 The depth of coverage of material. Essentially, Levels 4-6 represent the level
of teaching associated with Years 1-3 of a full-time honours degree. Usually,
students will take modules at a particular level in a particular year, although in
some cases students might take Level 5 modules in Year 3 or vice versa.
Stage 1
Year 1 or Level 4. Marks do not contribute to the degree, but you must pass
the year. ‘Stage 1 complete’ means you have passed all the modules and
can proceed to Stage 2.
Stage 2
Year 2 and Year 3, or Levels 5 and 6. Marks from both years contribute to the
final award, with Level 5 and 6 modules weighted 2:3 (typically giving a
greater weighting to your Year 3 performance).
Module
A unit of study with its own title, learning outcomes and assessment schedule,
for which one grade is awarded at the end. Students take 6 modules a year
(i.e. 6 at Stage 1 and 12 at Stage 2). However, the term "module" is used to
refer to separate units of study and also to their value. Some modules are
half modules (10 credits), others are double modules (40 credits). The six
module requirement refers to the total value. Over the three years, this will be
a mix of half, single and double modules. Much of this handbook is about
explaining which six modules (120 credits) you need to do each year!
Prerequisite A module you need to have passed in order to take a particular module e.g.,
all the Level 5 Psychology modules have Level 4 prerequisites.
Semester
The academic year is split into two semesters. Semester 1 starts in
September with induction week. Examinations (if any) are held at the end of
the semester. Semester 2 starts in January. Examinations are held at the end
of the semester. Almost all Level 5 and Level 6 Psychology and Biology
modules, except for BL2201 and the final year project, run for one semester.
Most of the Level 4 modules run across both semesters, and are referred to
as 'year long’, with examination at the end of Semester 2. Semester dates and
examination weeks are included on the University Academic Calendar,
which is on the web.
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Staff Contacts
Acting Head of School:
Christine Anderson
Psychology Programmes Co-ordinator:
Andrew Churchill
The Psychology Programmes Co-ordinator, can advise any student on their programme of
study, module choices, progression etc. However, if you want more detailed information on
one of the routes, please contact the Course Leader.
Student Experience Co-ordinator:
Lynda Holyoak
Business Development Co-ordinator:
Andy Morley
Personal Tutor:
Member of staff responsible for academic advice and help.
Neuroscience students have Nikola Bridges as their personal tutor.
Course Leader:
Member of staff responsible for a particular Single Honours course.
The course leader for Neuroscience is Nikola Bridges
Year Tutor:
Member of staff responsible for the operation of a particular year.
Year 1:
Barry McCarthy
Year 2:
Val Service
Year 3:
Paul Seager
Year Tutors deal with all students irrespective of which course they are on. The Year Tutor is
your 'first point of call' for many queries. Please note that any requests for extensions to
coursework deadlines must be made to the relevant Year Tutor. Neither the Module Leader
nor whoever set the work can authorise extensions.
Special Needs Tutor
& Extenuating Circumstances:
Careers Advice:
Noreen Caswell
Nikola Bridges (Neuroscience)
Amanda Heath (Psych)
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Module Leader Member of staff responsible for a module. MLs are:
Module Code and Title
C = compulsory
O = optional
PS1000
Introduction to Psychological Enquiry
(C)
PS1200
Psychobiology and Cognition (C)
BL1203
Control of Human Life Systems:
Introduction
to
Physiology
and
Pharmacology (C)
BL1204
Designs for Life: Intro. to Biochemistry
(C)
BL1206
Developing Skills (C)
BL1207
Further Developing Skills (C)
PS2400
Cognitive Psychology (O)
PS2500
Physiological Psychology (C)
PS2700
Methods in Psychology (C)
PS2850
Techniques in Biopsychology (C)
XS2203
Physiology: Organisms and their
Environment (C)
BL2201
Practical Skills for Life Sciences (O)
BL2203
Molecular and Cellular Biology (O)
BL2210
Cell Culture Approaches to Drug
Testing and Toxicology (C)
BL3204
Immunology (C)
BL3212
Drug
Therapies
2:
Pathophysiology and Treatment of
CNS, cancer and pain (O)
PS3980
Neuroscience project (C)
PS3800
Frontiers in Biopsychology (C)
PS3301
Clinical Neuropsychology (O)
PS3311
Eating Behaviour and Disorders (O)
PS3407
Control, Action and Sport (O)
Semester
Year
Module leader Email
address
@uclan.ac.uk
VJ Willan
vjwillan1
Year
Amanda Heath
ajheath
Year
Chris Smith
cgssmith
Year
Carole Rolph
cerolph
Sem 1
Steve Beeton
sbeeton
Sem 2
Lisa Shaw
lshaw1
Sem 2
Amanda Heath
ajheath
Sem 2
Andy Wickens
awickens
Sem 1
VJ Willan
vjwillan1
Sem 2
Nikola Bridges
njbridges
Sem 1
Nikola Bridges
njbridges
Year
lashervington
Sem 1
Leroy
Shervington
Carole Rolph
Sem 2
Niall Woods
nmwoods
Sem 1
Lisa Shaw
lshaw1
Year
Minyan Wang
mwang4
Year
Sem 1
See
project
supervisor
Nikola Bridges njbridges
Sem 2
Andy Wickens
awickens
Sem 2
Noreen
Caswell
Paul Taylor
ncaswell1
Sem 2
cerolph
pjtaylor
8
PS3408
Memory Disorders (O)
PS3501
Drugs and Behaviour (O)
PS3506
Biological Treatments in Psychiatry (O)
PS3509
Motor Disorders and Rehabilitation (O)
PS3702
Psychology Placement Module (O)
Sem 2
Chris Atherton
cjatherton
Sem 1
Andy Wickens
awickens
Sem 2
Nikola Bridges
njbridges
Sem 1
Andrew
Churchill
Lynda Holyoak
achurchill
Summer/
Sem 1
lholyoak
Administrative Staff:
A team led by Julie Orritt operates from the School Office in
Darwin Building Room 120. The staff are friendly and helpful.
They will be able to advise you on many aspects of how the
School and the University operates.
Technical Staff:
A team led by Kit Jordan operates from the Technicians’
Workshop on the third floor of Darwin Building Room 338.
Amongst other things, they are responsible for maintaining the
equipment and overseeing the laboratory and computing
facilities. So, for example, if you wanted to book a lab room or
borrow some equipment, you would do this through one of the
technicians. They are also usually willing to offer technical help
and advice.
The Role of the Personal Tutor
At the beginning of Year 1 you will be assigned to a Seminar Group. Each group has a
member of staff who helps run seminars and is the Personal Tutor to students in the group.
You should meet your Personal Tutor during Year 1 as follows:
Shortly after you arrive, there will be an introductory meeting. The main purpose of this
meeting is to check a number of things with you:
 Are you aware of our commitments to you (as described on the card)?
 Are you aware of the commitments we and the Student Union expect you to make?
 Are you in possession of all the necessary documentation?
 Are there any problems with your accommodation or financial arrangements?
 Are you clear which modules you are registered for and that they are appropriate?
 Have you chosen an elective module?
 Have you undertaken the key skills self-assessment test?
 Are you planning any remedial action the test might have recommended?
Asking your tutor at the end of a seminar or emailing them are both good ways to arrange
one-to-one meetings. You should meet one-to-one during Year 1 as follows:
 To discuss feedback and what you need to do in order to improve on:
each of your essays (marked by your Personal Tutor)
each of your laboratory reports (marked by a team of markers)
 Early in Semester 2 to review your progress
 At Progression (the middle of Semester 2) to discuss which modules you intend to
take in Year 2. However, you have the ultimate responsibility for ensuring you are
correctly registered for the right modules for your programme.
Your Personal Tutor also has a pastoral role. So, if you have any personal difficulties that
you would like to tell someone about, feel free to approach your Personal Tutor. (The
relationship between Personal Tutor and Student is strictly confidential.) However, Personal
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Tutors are not trained counsellors, and they may suggest that you see somebody who is.
You may prefer to discuss personal matters with someone unconnected with your Course, in
which case you should contact the Foster ‘i’ or the University's Counselling Service.
We aim for you to keep the same Personal Tutor throughout your Course. However, if you
feel you do not get on with your Personal Tutor, you can ask the Psychology Programmes
Co-ordinator to reassign you.
Who to approach for advice
Queries about………
 one of your classes: The person who taught that class.
 a module: (e.g., request for a Module Handbook) The Module Leader (see pages 8- 9).
 attendance or absence: The Student Experience Co-ordinator (Lynda Holyoak).
 your Profile of Studies: Your Personal Tutor, or Course/ Subject Leader (see page 7).
 Regulations and Procedures: Course Leader, Nikola Bridges or The Psychology
Programmes Co-ordinator, will see any student with urgent or particularly difficult
problems (e.g. those who have failed modules, those who wish to suspend their studies,
those who wish to change course or withdraw from the course).
A request……….
 for a Coursework Extension: The Year Tutor (see page 7).
 to be put in a different lab or seminar group: The Year Tutor.
 to change Personal Tutor: The Psychology Programmes Co-ordinator.
Complaints or Constructive Criticism: One of your Student Representatives, or a member
of staff (the Module Leader if it is about a particular module). Or you can talk to the Year
Tutor or Programmes Co-ordinator or Head of School (see page 7).
General or Personal Problems: Your Personal Tutor, or the ‘i’ in Foster, or the University
Counselling Service. If you have serious problems, you should talk to someone as soon as
possible. The Psychology Programmes Co-ordinator, or the Student Experience Coordinator, Lynda Holyoak, will be happy to discuss your options.
Extenuating Circumstances (ECs): If you have serious personal problems that you feel
have had an impact on your performance then you may ask for these to be taken into
consideration. The ECs Officer, or staff in the Psychology Office can advise you on the
procedure for submitting ECs, though full details are given on the University website. ECs
should be submitted electronically with corroborative evidence as soon as possible.
Deadlines for submission will be strictly enforced.
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Main teaching methods
The Lecture is the most formal teaching method and serves primarily to define the syllabus.
It should not be regarded as providing all you need to know, but rather as giving you
a framework of information, which you develop through private study. Be prepared to
write your own notes to go with each lecture. These should supplement any lecture
outlines available on the module eLearn site.
Practical or ‘lab’ classes are a very important part of the course. They are intended to train
you in the principles and methods of empirical enquiry, and in the conventions of
report writing. Guidelines on report writing are in the Assessment and policy
Handbook, and on the eLearn lab website.
Seminars are aimed at helping you to develop the skills of communication (verbal and
written), criticism, and problem solving through encouraging you to discuss various
topics and issues. Generally, seminars place more demand on you from year to year.
SPSS Workshops are usually held in one of the computer rooms so you get practice at
using the statistics package, while the tutor talks you through it.
Workshops are usually aimed at giving you some practical demonstration of key areas.
Attendance
You are required to attend all timetabled learning activities for each module. Notification of
illness or exceptional requests for leave of absence must be made to Lynda Holyoak
(Student Experience Co-ordinator)
Student attendance at timetabled learning activities is required, and will be monitored e.g.
through attendance registers, where you have to sign your name or use your Corporate Card
to electronically log attendance. If you are unable to attend for any reason, you should
inform staff in the School Office, who will notify the Student Experience Co-ordinator (who
monitors attendance). If you know you are going to be absent, you must apply for
authorisation for leave of absence from the Student Experience Co-ordinator. If you are
absent due to illness for seven days or more, a medical certificate must be produced. A
medical certificate/ letter will not be required for shorter absences, unless one is requested
e.g. by the Student Experience Co-ordinator or Year Tutor.
Unauthorised absence is not acceptable. We will contact you about absence and failure
to submit coursework and expect you to respond promptly. If you do not respond to UCLan
email and other communications from the University by the date specified in the
communication, then you will be deemed to have withdrawn from your course and the date
of withdrawal will be recorded as the last day of attendance.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - under the UK Border Agency (UKBA), Points Based
System (PBS) - you MUST attend your course of study regularly; under PBS, UCLan is
obliged to tell UKBA if you withdraw from a course, defer or suspend your studies, or
if you fail to attend the course regularly.
If you have not gained the required authorisation for leave of absence, do not respond to
communications from the University and if you are absent for four weeks or more, you may
be deemed to have withdrawn from the course. If this is the case, then the date of
withdrawal will be recorded as the last day of attendance.
Each time you are asked to enter your details on SAM you must remember that the
University has a responsibility to keep information up to date and that you must only enter
your own details on the system. To enter any other names would result in inaccurate records
and be dishonest. Any student who is found to make false entries can be disciplined under
the student guide to regulations.
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Extenuating Circumstances
"Extenuating Circumstances" is a phrase which refers to exceptional factors outside of your
control which have adversely affected your performance within your course. These factors
may prevent you from attending examinations or other timed assessments or cause you to
miss assessment submission dates. Examples are illness, accidents or serious family
problems.
Normally extenuating circumstances will relate to a change in your circumstances since you
commenced your course, which have had a significant, adverse effect on your studies.
Everyday occurrences such as colds or known conditions such as hay-fever will not qualify
unless the effects are unusually severe and this is corroborated by a medical note. The
University does not look sympathetically on absences or delays caused by holiday
commitments or by work commitments in the case of full-time students. The normal work
commitments of part-time students would not constitute an extenuating circumstance. A
disability or learning difficulty does not constitute an extenuating circumstance (Academic
Regulations: G8.1 - G8.3).
You can apply for extenuating circumstances online via myUCLan (this can be accessed as
a Useful Tool link on the Student Portal home page of the UCLan website). You must
submit claims within specified deadlines and submit corroborating evidence either
online or to the School office. More information about deadlines is available from the
‘i’ website. Please note: these deadlines are the final deadline for each Semester (but
see below).
You should submit separate claims for extenuating circumstances for each piece of
assessment that is affected. Here are some examples:
Example 1: You become ill around the time of a coursework submission deadline. You apply
for an extension to the deadline and this is given to you. However, your illness is more
severe than you thought and you are still too ill to meet the agreed extension and cannot
have any further extension. At this point you should submit ECs stating which module the
work is for, which piece of work and the date of the agreed deadline, and explaining why you
were not able to submit the work, with your evidence (e.g. a doctor’s letter).
Example 2: If your illness goes on for a couple of weeks (perhaps it involves a stay in
hospital and time to recover) you could miss a couple of coursework deadlines. You would
then submit separate ECs for each piece of work you missed, stating which module the work
is for, which piece of work and the deadline date, and explaining why you were not able to
submit the work, with your evidence (e.g. a doctor’s letter).
Example 3: It is examination time. You have three exams to sit. You sit one of them but then
become ill and are too ill to attend the exams. You should submit separate ECs for each
exam you have missed stating which module, which exam and the date of the exam, and
why you missed it with your supporting medical evidence.
In each of these examples, you should submit ECs as soon as possible so it is very
clear to us that you do have good reason for not attending these exams.
In determining assessment recommendations, Assessment Boards will consider properly
submitted claims from students who believe their performance has been adversely affected
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by extenuating circumstances. N.B. Assessment Boards are not permitted to alter individual
assessment marks to take account of extenuating circumstances (Academic Regulations:
G12 and Appendix 8).
Examinations
Examinations are held in examination weeks (see the Academic Calendar on the web). It is
your responsibility to make sure you are available during examination weeks. Examinations
for Semester 1 modules are held at the end of Semester 1. Examinations for Semester 2
and year-long modules are at the end of Semester 2, and include reassessment of Semester
1 modules. Students who have such reassessment should see the Programmes Coordinator, to discuss their workload. Reassessment of Semester 2 and year-long modules
and other outstanding modules is in an examination week in August. Examination timetables
are published on the web a few weeks before the exam’ period.
Communication
The University expects you to use your UCLan e.mail address and check regularly for
messages from staff. If you send us e.mail messages from other addresses they risk being
filtered out as potential spam and discarded unread.
Together with this Student Handbook you will receive the School of Psychology Assessment
Handbook and relevant Module Handbooks during Induction Week. Module Handbooks are
also available on eLearn.
The School maintains notice boards for student information and results, and staff indicate
their availability for individual meetings through timetables and appointment sheets on their
doors. Email sent to individuals or groups is commonly used to facilitate meetings
The School website (http://www.uclan.ac.uk/psychology) is kept current with details of
courses, modules and other student information.
Notice boards
There are various notice boards providing information about room changes etc. The
locations of relevant notice boards are as follows
Neuroscience - Darwin 3rd floor (opposite lift)
Year 1 Psychology – Darwin 1st floor (‘west-wing’ corridor)
Year 2 Psychology – Darwin 1st floor (‘west-wing corridor)
Year 3 Psychology – Darwin 1st floor (opposite office DB120)
Pharmacy and Biomedical sciences – Maudland building
All of these notice boards will contain information relevant to your course/modules etc.
Please familiarise yourself with the location of these notice boards.
It is important you check these notice boards regularly!
Have I passed? Assessment Board decisions
Assessment Board decisions are displayed on notice boards at the end of June. These will
show whether you can Proceed, or whether you have further work that needs to be done
(defer or refer) or whether you have failed. If your recommendation is anything other than
Proceed, you should contact the Course-Leader for Neuroscience or the Psychology
Programme Co-ordinator immediately.
The University mails results and details of reassessment work to students’ home addresses
somewhat later (so please make sure your address is correct on See Your Data). University
Policy states that results will not be given out over the ‘phone. Students may access their
results for individual modules via the University on-line See Your Data (SYD) software. If you
cannot access the SYD database and do not want to wait for the post, you should come into
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the University to consult the notice board. Further details of assessment rules and
procedures are in the Psychology Assessment Handbook. Please note: the University
regulation states that an appeal against an Assessment Board decision must be made within
seven days of the results being displayed on the notice board so it is important you check
your results.
Special Educational Needs and Disability
If you have a disability that may affect your studies, please either contact the Disability
Advisory Service - disability@uclan.ac.uk - or let one of the course team know as soon as
possible. With your agreement information will be passed on to the Disability Advisory
Service. The University will make reasonable adjustments to accommodate your needs and
to provide appropriate support for you to complete your study successfully. Where
necessary, you will be asked for evidence to help identify appropriate adjustments.
If you have a special educational need or disability that may affect your studies, please make
sure you contact the Psychology Special Needs Co-ordinator, Noreen Caswell, Darwin
Building Room 201, Tel. 01772 894457, email: ncaswell1@uclan.ac.uk. We will make
reasonable adjustments to accommodate your needs and to provide appropriate support for
you to complete your study successfully. Where necessary, you will be asked for evidence to
help identify appropriate adjustments. For example, you may have a special need of a kind
where you would like special consideration in relation to taking examinations. Even if this is
something straightforward like having severe arthritis in your writing hand and needing extra
examination time, you should contact the Special Needs Section of Student Services well in
advance (i.e. months, not days) of the dates of examinations. Noreen Caswell will help with
advice on this.
Personal Development Planning
Some of the learning outcomes of the Psychology Programmes are to do with transferable
or key skills. The University of Central Lancashire has fully embraced Government
recommendations that all programmes of Higher Education should promote the development
of these skills. For some years Psychology has been encouraging students to build-up a
portfolio documenting their development of these skills along with any supporting evidence.
Since 2004/5 this exercise has been undertaken within a framework known as ‘Personal
Development Planning’. The Government characterises this as “a structured and supported
process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performance and/or
achievement and to plan for their personal, educational, and career development”.
Your PDP portfolio will not be formally assessed, though you may discuss it with your
Personal Tutor, and at the end of each year you will be required to submit a review of how
you have progressed in your personal development to Lynda Holyoak.
All students have access to the Neuroscience Careers webCT site which is found under
the main Psychology Careers webCT site (managed by Amanda Heath). This gives links
to many useful websites including the British Neuroscience Association (www.bna.org.uk),
and information about careers and further training. Amanda Heath also organises the ‘What
Next?’ programme. This is a series of talks and workshops for Psychology students. The
aim is to help you develop your employability skills and inform your career choices. They
usually happen in semester 2, are open to all students, and are advertised on posters
around Darwin Building.
Any student may attend Staff-Student Research Seminars. These are talks by invited
speakers (staff or researchers here or at another university). The topic is usually some
aspect of the speaker’s own research e.g., a particular study or series of experiments,
written for a general psychology audience. They can be useful to students in expanding their
understanding of research issues. They are advertised on posters around Darwin Building.
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Student Support
There is a centralised Student and Academic Support Service which has The 'i' Student
Information Centre as its first point of contact. You can obtain information on a wide range of
topics including student administration such as Council Tax and letters to verify your status
plus Scholarships, Counselling, Student Finance, Mentoring, Studying Abroad, Disability
Advice, Independent Academic Advice, International Advice, Multi Faith Centre, Pre School
Centre, Medical Centre and general life in Preston/Burnley.
The ‘i’ also produces a Student Organiser and ‘i book’ which contain useful guidance for you.
These are distributed by your School.
Student Liaison Officers have recent experience of what it is like to be a student and can
advise you of the support systems available. They work towards improving your student
experience here at UCLan, more information about their role can be found by clicking on this
link to their web site - Student Liaison Officer.
15
Introduction to Neuroscience
Until very recently scientists in the field of neuroscience still identified themselves exclusively
as neurophysiologists, neurochemists, neuropharmacologists, neuroanatomists or
physiological psychologists - definitions which were tied to their training or approach to
studying the nervous systems. It is now common that the questions asked and the methods
applied extend beyond the boundaries of the traditional subdisciplines. Conceptual and
experimental problems are much less frequently defined exclusively within one particular
area, and the pursuit of answers has carried many investigators across traditional
disciplinary boundaries, so that there is now a coherent discipline or field of Neuroscience
which is defined by a common interest in the workings of the nervous system.
The following quotation which is taken from a 1985 SERC report illustrates the maturation
and acceptance of neuroscience as a coherent discipline in the U.K. and it serves further to
introduce 'Neuroscience':'Neuroscientists share overlapping interests, concepts, hypotheses, and methods of
analysis, the field transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries and now includes many
scientists who have moved out of their original scientific niches and into studies for
which an inter-disciplinary approach allows for more rapid technical and conceptual
discoveries. Given the pace of discoveries in this field, neuroscience has been
recognised as one of the most exciting fields of fundamental investigation.
Studies in Neuroscience range from molecular to cellular to behavioural and
psychological; they involve disciplines ranging across biology and chemistry, physics,
medicine and psychology and pharmacology. Near one end of the spectrum one asks
questions about the chemistry and physics of how cells interact at synapses; while at
the other end the understanding of computational aspects of information processing is
invaluable for an analysis of the ways in which the human brain can handle information.
The mechanisms involved in human information processes are too complex for an
understanding of their specific neural processes to suffice, and hence the disciplines of
ethology and of psychology have to combine with the methodologies of biochemistry
and biophysics.
Each methodology or discipline is insufficient to grasp an
understanding of the total subject; they merely represent different levels at which
analysis is possible for a given problem. As a result there is now a sustained pressure
amongst neurobiologists and psychologists for an interdisciplinary approach to
neuroscience.'
There are two broad approaches to studying neuroscience. The first, prevalent amongst
ethologists, psychologists and those studying artificial intelligence, is that behaviour must be
explained in terms of systems modelling; it represents an emergent property of the hardware
of the brain, but understanding the hardware will tell us little or nothing about the system. By
contrast, many molecular biologists, biochemists and physiologists believe that higher order
phenomena such as behaviour are caused by lower order events; the task of this
reductionist neurobiology is to collapse the higher orders into the lower ones, to explain them
as 'nothing but' the consequences of molecular events driven by the genes. 'The brain
produces mind like the kidneys urine'. It can be argued that there are limitations to both
approaches, for the development of neuroscience it is important that these limitations are
perceived and that graduates do not have a conceptual or philosophical approach which is
too engrained in the traditional training of biologists and psychologists.
Recent advances in technology have enlarged the study of brain-behaviour relationships.
The scope of training in the use of new methods at the undergraduate level is restricted in
terms of time, resources and equipment and the recognition of these issues has driven the
development of MSc courses in Neuroscience.
The increasing interest in and growth of neuroscience outlined above is propelled not only by
the intellectual satisfaction of approaching an understanding of the brain and nervous
system but also by the economic benefits to be reaped from developments in neuroscience.
16
At one end of the spectrum of contributions the medical importance of neuroscience for
mankind manifests itself in problems such as mental illness, mental subnormality,
neurological and behavioural disorders and the relief of pain. Advances in each of these
areas have been made by the development of neuroactive drugs and by an increasing
understanding of the workings of the human brain which has led, for example, to human
neural transplants being conducted. Despite these developments half of the beds in the
hospital service are occupied by the mentally ill. Improvement of this situation means that
more basic knowledge is needed on the operation of the nervous system and that new drugs
need to be developed. At the other end of the spectrum, and of at least equal social and
economic importance, is the pesticide and insecticide industry. Their products generally
target the nervous system, and developments and improvements would have enormous
implications for human welfare.
Therefore demand from industry for neuroscience graduates certainly exists, and together
with the significant increase in basic and applied research referred to above there is also a
market for graduates to pursue higher degrees as students or research assistants.
17
Neuroscience Aims and Learning Outcomes
Aims of B.Sc. Neuroscience programme
1. To present Neuroscience as a coherent integrated subject and to emphasise the
importance of a multi disciplinary approach to this subject
2. To introduce techniques of experimental biochemistry, physiology, psychology,
computing and experimental design in relation to Neuroscience
3. To foster the development of skills which will be a help in further academic and
vocational training and subsequent employment
Assessment and Learning Outcomes
Each course (programme) has a set of objectives, referred to as Learning Outcomes (LOs).
These LOs define the knowledge and skills we expect you to be able to demonstrate by the
end of the course. The Neuroscience degree employs a number of examination and
coursework methods to assess LOs. Module Handbooks include details of how the module is
assessed, and what each assessment contributes to the overall mark, so you should read
these carefully. You will be given a Module Handbook at the start of a module and copies are
available on eLearn (webCT) to students enrolled on the module.
Types of Assessment – Examinations
Examinations across the Neuroscience course can be divided into two groups:
 Multiple Choice Question (MCQ)/Short answer examinations
 Conventional essay-type examinations
Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) Examinations
In a Multiple Choice Question examination, typically, you are presented with a question (or a
statement to complete), and asked to select what you think is the correct answer from a
choice of four options. MCQ examinations test the breadth of your knowledge as questions
are usually taken from the content of the whole module. They are predominantly used in
Year 1 (e.g. PS1000 and PS1200). Tutors will usually offer you some practice in answering
this type of question but you will not have access to ‘past papers’.
At Level 5, some modules use some MCQs as part of the examination (e.g. PS2400), along
with a conventional essay-type examination. MCQ examinations are not used at Level 6.
Some BL modules also employ the use of short-answer questions examinations.
Conventional Essay-type Examinations
Conventional essay-type examinations feature in most Year 2 and Year 3 modules. Copies
of past papers are on the web, so students can practice their examination technique.
Generally, questions test depth of knowledge. They can be divided into ‘seen’, ‘unseen’ and
‘mixed’.
Unseen essay-type examinations feature in most Year 2 modules. Typically, candidates
answer two/three questions from a selection, and have no prior knowledge of the questions.
The question paper may be divided into sections, where you must answer one question from
each section.
18
Seen essay-type examinations involve students being given the questions well in advance,
but answer them under normal examination conditions. Wholly seen examinations do not
currently feature on any of the psychology or biological science modules.
Mixed unseen and seen essay-type examinations feature in many of the Year 3 module
examinations. Papers are typically divided into two sections: A and B. with one section being
a compulsory ‘seen’ question, and the other as ‘unseen’ questions from a choice of
questions.
Please be sure to consult your module handbook, so that you are clear on the format of the
exams for each module. IMPORTANT – for successful completion of some Biological
Science modules (e.g. BL2203 and BL3204), students must achieve a pass in both exam
and coursework components.
Types of Assessment - Coursework
When you are asked to produce a piece of coursework, you will be given written instructions
of what is required and a coursework coversheet that you should complete when you submit
the work. The coversheet includes the assessment criteria and space for written feedback. In
the case of the Year 3 Project, you will receive a Project Module Handbook at Year 2
progression. You are expected to word-process all coursework and to follow instructions on
format.
Reports of Empirical Investigations/Laboratory workbooks
A substantial majority of assessed coursework is made up of reports of empirical
investigations (often referred to in Years 1 and 2 as ‘lab reports’). With regard to the
investigations themselves, you will find that there is a progression from Year 1 class
exercises, through Year 2 group exercises, to the Year 3 Project which is a substantial piece
of independent research carried out under the supervision of a member of staff. In all cases,
whether done as a class, group or independent exercise, the report itself is an individual
piece of work.
You will write up to four Psychology lab reports in Year 1 (two reports each for PS1000, and
PS1200). The content for the reports is delivered in class and you have one week to write
the report and submit it. In many Year 2 modules, you will work in a small group to design
and undertake an investigation under the supervision of a member of staff. The report
submission deadline takes into account the time needed to organize and carry out the group
investigation. For Biological Science modules, you will also produce laboratory reports
throughout the three years of your course. Many Biological Science modules also use
laboratory logs/workbooks which you will use during practical sessions and submit as part of
your coursework requirements.
The Year 3 Project is the most important single piece of coursework undertaken during the
Degree Course. As a rule, students begin their Final Year with a topic or topic area and a
supervisor already decided. The Project is a double module (40 credits): this means it is
worth of 33% of Year 3 marks and about 20% of the total on which the Degree classification
is based.
Essays
You will be asked to write a ‘practice’ essay at the start of Year 1. This allows us to give you
early feedback on your essay-writing skills using Year 1 essay assessment criteria. PS1200
includes an essay as part of the coursework component. Essays may be used in other
modules, but they are not common, whereas essay-type examinations are common, so it is
important you take every opportunity to develop good essay-writing skills.
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Information Technology (IT) and Statistical Exercises
Most reports of empirical investigations, including the Year 3 Project, require you to do some
IT-based statistical analysis. In Year 1, PS1000 also has an in-class IT-based statistical test.
In Year 2, PS2700 Methods in Psychology includes IT-based in-class statistical tests. Some
modules also use assessments that require you to submit information online or to produce a
presentation using computer packages, such as Powerpoint.
Presentations
Assessed presentations are a feature of some modules in Psychology and Biological
Sciences. These presentations can be in various forms, including posters and individual or
group presentations. Non-assessed seminar presentations occur in all years.
Learning Outcomes and how they relate to Assessment
As you move through the Levels of your programme, you will encounter changes in the
nature and emphasis of what you are learning. At Level 4 (Year 1), you will be exposed to
fairly straightforward, uncontroversial, material, and you will not be expected to engage in
sustained critical analysis or argument. At Level 5 (Year 2), you will be developing the
capacity for criticism and argument as well as a more sophisticated understanding of
methods and theories. By the end of Level 6 (Year 3), we expect these skills to be welldeveloped.
There will also be a change in the manner of learning as you move through the levels: this
can be characterised as a shift from dependence to independence. This is most clearly
shown in the empirical investigations and reports that you have to complete at each level of
study (moving from Year 1 lab classes, through to Year 2 small group investigations, ending
with the Year 3 independent Project). Independence at Level 6 is also seen in the type of
material you are expected to rely on in developing your arguments (that is, research journal
articles rather than textbooks).
The changing manner, nature, and emphasis of the sorts of thing we are expecting you to
learn over the three Levels is reflected in corresponding changes to the manner, nature and
emphasis of assessment. For example, you will be expected to demonstrate LO A1 at all
Levels: what changes from one Level to the next is the expected degree and depth of
knowledge and understanding, and the ways of assessing them.
Learning Outcomes are divided into four groups:
A. Knowledge and understanding
B. Subject-specific skills
C. Thinking skills
D. Other skills relevant to employability and personal development
There are two LOs to do with knowledge and understanding:
A1.
Demonstrate an understanding of the basic principles of biochemistry,
physiology, psychology and how these relate to neuroscience.
A2. Appreciate a variety of approaches to studying neuroscience and assess the
utility of different techniques in relation to solving particular problems.
These learning outcomes will be strongly reflected in all types of examination, in coursework
essays, and in reports of empirical investigations i.e. lab reports (especially in the
Introduction and Discussion sections) and laboratory workbooks. The type of problems and
issues will depend on which modules you study.
20
Our primary aim at Level 4 is to teach you the basic facts, concepts, terminology, and
methods of used in Neuroscience. As the MCQ examination allows a wide range of material
to be assessed efficiently and effectively, it is our Level 4 method of choice. At Level 5 you
will be developing the capacity for criticism and argument as well as a more sophisticated
understanding of methods and theories, and so essay-type examinations are introduced. By
the end of Level 6, we expect these skills to be well-developed. In order to demonstrate
these you need a degree of freedom of expression that MCQs do not usually allow. This is
why MCQs are used sparingly at Level 5 and not at all at Level 6.
There are two LOs to do with subject-specific skills:
B1. Generate testable hypotheses; devise investigations to test such hypotheses;
analyse and interpret the results; write coherent reports for the investigations.
B2. Write about and present on a range of topics relevant to neuroscience and inform
of the issues involved, drawing on relevant empirical research.
It is in the reports of empirical investigations, culminating in the Level 6 Project, that B1 is
primarily assessed. Your ability to analyse and interpret data will also be assessed in
PS2700 in-class statistical tests. B2 is assessed in all types of examination (except MCQ)
and coursework, and is a very important LO.
There are two LOs to do with thinking skills:
C1. The ability to distinguish what is important, what is relevant and what is logically
coherent from what is not.
C2. Develop coherent arguments and express them clearly and concisely.
As for A1 and A2, there is a progression from Level 4 MCQ assessment through to Level 6
essay-type examination that allows you to demonstrate C1 and C2. These LOs are also
demonstrated in more independent empirical exercises and more reflective coursework.
There are two LOs to do with other skills relevant to employability and personal
development:
D1. IT literacy – being able to make effective use of software packages, including
Office packages and SPSS.
D2. Communication skills, presentation skills, group interaction and teamwork skills,
time management.
A variety of IT skills are explicitly assessed in some modules, but all coursework should be
word-processed, and Level 4 and 5 modules that involve statistical analysis will require the
use of SPSS (the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences).
All the assessment methods (with the exception of MCQ examinations and perhaps some IT
and statistical exercises), will be measuring your ability to communicate in one way or
another. Group interaction and teamwork is needed for the Year 2 small group empirical
investigations, and are a feature of Level 6 half-modules through group seminar
presentations, or some other group exercise. Time management is necessary for things like
effective private study and revision, meeting coursework deadlines, and managing the Year
3 Project.
21
YEAR 1 MODULES
LEVEL 1: At level 1, all students will normally take the following six compulsory modules:
Semester 1:
BL1206
Developing skills
1 module
Semester 2:
BL1207
Further developing skills
1 module
Introduction to Psychological
Enquiry
Psychobiology & Cognition
Control of human life systems:
Intro. to physiology and pharmacology
Designs for life: Intro. to Biochemistry
1 module
Semesters 1 & 2:
PS1000
PS1200
BL1203
BL1204
1 module
1 module
1 module
Course Structure
Each of the biology courses (BL1203 & BL1204) are comprised of a 2hr lectures and 1 hour
tutorial each week throughout the year. Associated practicals, workshops and tutorials are
run in the Developing Skills modules (BL1206 & BL1207). Each week you will have a 3 hr
practical session or workshop. Drop-in support sessions are also provided for these
modules.
The psychology courses comprise 1 hr (PS1000) or 2hrs (PS1200) of lectures each week. In
addition you will attend either a seminar (2hr), workshop (2hrs) or practical (3hrs) associated
with these courses each week. Further details will be supplied with your timetable and
module handbooks.
YEAR 2 MODULES
LEVEL 2: At level 2, all students will normally take the following modules:
Semester 1:
PS2700
XS2203
Semester 2:
PS2500
PS2850
BL2210
Methods in Psychology
Physiology: Organisms and Their
Environment
1 module
1
/2 module
Physiological Psychology
Techniques in Biopsychology
Cell culture approaches to drug
testing and toxicology
1 module
1 module
½ module
In addition you need to choose two modules from the following three:
BL2201
PS2400
BL2203
Practical skills for Life Sciences
(year long)
Cognitive Psychology (sem 2)
Molecular and Cellular Biology (sem 1)
1 module
1 module
1 module
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Course Structure
In Year 2, the structure of some of the courses is slightly different: BL2201 and BL2210 do
not have a separate practical slot. Hence, the slot for these courses may be used either for
lectures, practicals, workshops or tutorials. BL2203 has a 2 hr lecture and a 2 hr workshop
session each week.
The psychology courses PS2500 and PS2400 (if chosen as an option) consist of a 2 hour
lecture (weekly) a 3 hour practical and a 1hr seminar. Practicals and seminars may not take
place every week but you will be given further details from the module leader. Techniques in
Biopsychology (PS2850) is slightly different. The course is timetabled for 3 hours a week but
depending on the topic being covered, these hours may vary. XS2203 consists of a 2 hour
lecture class each week.
Psychology Work Placement (PS3720)
Between second and third year, you can if you wish, and can secure your own placement,
undertake a brief spell of work experience. The setting in which you work should be such
that you can relate your experience to your degree. Students on all single honours
psychology routes, those majoring in psychology and neuroscience students can do this
module (PS3720).
Although the module is a level 3 module, and, as such, you would expect to do it in your third
year, you must start work on it now if you are going to find a placement, get any necessary
security clearance and get health and safety clearance before undertaking the placement in
the summer between second and third year. The assessment itself will be early on in third
year and will consist of a presentation (worth 40% of the marks) and an essay (worth 60%).
Please be warned that it will take time to go through all the necessary processes leading up
to the stage of actually doing the placement. The main steps are:1. Deciding what area of psychology you are interested in, and identifying potential
sources of placements.
2. Contacting possible placement providers and (if they are keen) establishing whether
they can provide you with opportunities to meet the learning outcomes of the module.
3. If they can, they might require you to go through criminal background checking,
depending on the nature of their work.
4. If this is successful and they accept you, then the psychology department needs to
be satisfied that Health and Safety practices are sufficient in the place that you wish
to go. If this cannot be done then you will not be allowed to go on the placement.
The process can get stuck at many stages which is why you have to start on the
preparations early. All those who are interested in doing a placement should collect a
module handbook which will guide you through the processes. If you have any queries get in
touch with the module leader, Lynda Holyoak.
23
YEAR 3 MODULES
LEVEL 3: At level 3, all students will take the following modules:
Semester 1:
PS3800
BL3204
Frontiers in Biopsychology
Immunology
1 module
1 module
Semesters 1 & 2:
PS3980
Neuroscience Project
Double module
In addition, students must take 40 credits (2 modules worth) from the following:
BL3212
PS3301
PS3311
PS3407
PS3408
PS3501
PS3506
PS3509
PS3702
Drug Therapies 2: Pathophysiology and
Treatment of CNS, cancer and pain (O)
Clinical Neuropsychology
Eating Behaviour and Disorders
Control, Action & Sport
Memory Disorders
Drugs and Behaviour
Biological Treatments in Psychiatry
Motor Disorders & Rehabilitation
Psychology Placement Module
1 module
½ module
½ module
½ module
½ module
½ module
½ module
½ module
½ module
Students should check on the availability of PS modules in March as not all relevant modules
will run each year. This will depend on staff availability.
Course Structure
BL3204 is run in a similar way to those in previous years i.e. a 2hr lecture (weekly) and 3hr
practical session. The psychology courses offered in your final year do not have a practical
component as much of your time will be taken up with your final year project. Frontiers in
Biopsychology (PS3800) will be structured in a similar way to Techniques in Biopsychology
in the second year - some sessions will be lectures and some practicals, and the hours
involved will depend on the topic being covered.
Flexibility
Year 1
Students not wishing to proceed with Neuroscience after Year 1 and who have completed
BL1203, BL1204, BL1206 and BL1207 may be able to transfer to a route such as Physiology
and Pharmacology or Molecular or Cellular Biology. You will need to discuss the possible
options with the course leader. There may also be the possibility of transferring to a
combined route (e.g. Psychology and Molecular Biology). Again, this will need to be
discussed with the course leader. These will be considered on an individual basis.
SPECIFIC REGULATIONS FOR PROGRESSION AND AWARDS
Under the General University Regulations students need to have passed 12 modules
during Stage 2 to obtain an honours award, although a fail in one module may be
condoned at the discretion of an Assessment Board. Rules for Psychology awards
operate within the framework of this general regulation. Full details of Academic
Regulations can be found on the University website, e.g. the maximum number of
modules that may be taken (at G16.1-G16.4).
24
Progression
Year 1 to Year 2
NOTE: 'Passed' means 'passed, or passed after any permitted reassessment'.
The general regulations require six modules to be passed for progression to Stage 2. At the
discretion of the Course Assessment Board, a student who has not passed 120 credits may
be allowed to proceed because: a fail in up to two modules may be condoned; or they may
retake one failed module in Year 2. Normally, students will be permitted to proceed to year 2
of the course only if they have passed PS1000, PS1200, BL1203, BL1204, BL1206, BL1207.
Year 2 to Year 3
Subject to the general regulations for progression to the third year of an honours degree,
students will be permitted to proceed to year 3 if they have passed PS2850, PS2500,
PS2700 and at least three from XS2203, BL2210, BL2201, BL2203, and PS2400.
Students who have passed only five modules will usually be allowed to proceed to Year 3 on
the condition that they retake the failed module with their other modules. However, note:
1. Failure in PS2700 usually results in progression to degree without honours, as PS2700 is
a prerequisite for the Project, which in turn is a prerequisite for an Honours Degree.
(Students may prefer to retake PS2700 and progress to Year 3 when this is passed.)
2. Students must have passed the prerequisite for Level 6 modules
Students who have passed only four modules will usually be eligible to proceed to Year 3
degree without honours. However, a student may attempt a maximum of 16 modules (320
credits) at Stage 2, and so could transfer to part-time to retake for a maximum of 40% up to
four failed modules (a failed module may be retaken more than once and each attempt
counts as one module). They could return to full-time honours when eligible to proceed. Parttime students who have not taken/passed all their Level 5 modules may take Level 6
modules for which they have prerequisites (see the Programmes Co-ordinator to discuss).
Awards
B.Sc. (Honours) Neuroscience
To obtain an honours degree entitled 'BSc (Hons) Neuroscience' a student must
normally have passed 12 modules at Stage 2. These modules must include:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(c)
PS2500, PS2700, PS2850, XS2203 and BL2210
Two modules selected from BL2201, BL2203 and PS2400
PS3800 and BL3204 and forty credits of level 6 modules conforming to option
rules.
A double module project in Neuroscience PS3980.
B.Sc. Neuroscience degree without honours
To obtain a degree without honours entitled 'B.Sc. Neuroscience', a student must
have satisfied the general University regulations for such an award and must
normally have passed at least ten modules at Stage 2. These ten modules must
normally include at least nine Neuroscience modules and at least four Level 5
modules from the range in (a). (above).
Diploma in HE
To obtain a Diploma in Higher Education, a student must have normally passed
PS2700, at least three other Level 5 modules chosen from the compulsory module
list and sufficient other modules to fulfill the University requirements for the award.
25
Data Protection
All of the personal information obtained from you and other sources in connection with your
studies at the University will be held securely and will be used by the University both during
your course and after you leave the University for a variety of purposes. These are all
explained during the enrolment process at the commencement of your studies. If you would
like a more detailed explanation of the University’s policy on the use and disclosure of
personal information, please contact the Data Protection Liaison Officer, Strategic
Development Service, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, PR1 2HE.
Health and Safety
As a student of the University you are responsible for the safety of yourself and for that of
others around you. You must understand and follow all the regulations and safety codes
necessary for a safe campus environment. Please help to keep it safe by reporting any
incidents, accidents or potentially unsafe situations to a member of staff as soon as possible.
Safety assessments have been undertaken for each module of your course and you will be
advised of all applicable safety codes and any specific safety issues during the induction to
your course and modules. You must ensure that you understand and apply all necessary
safety codes. These form an essential element of your personal development and contribute
to the safety of others.
Conduct
You will be expected to abide by the Regulations for the Conduct of Students in the
University Student Guide to Regulations. UCLan expects you to behave in a respectful
manner demonstrated by using appropriate language in class, and switching mobile phones /
other devices off prior to attending classes.
If your behaviour is considered to be unacceptable, any member of academic staff is able to
issue an informal oral warning and the University will support staff by invoking formal
procedures where necessary. You can read more about UCLan expectations in the
regulations for the Conduct of Students.
Students’ Union
The Students’ Union is a student-led, democratic organisation and exists to make life better
for you and wants every UCLan student to have a great experience at University.
The Union is all about you taking the opportunities that are offered and making the most of
them. The SU offers you the chance to play the sport you love, share your passion or hobby
with like-minded people, report on the hot stories on campus or represent your peers as a
Course Representative.
We hope your time at UCLan is trouble free, but we know that sometimes you might come
up against problems ranging from academic situations or finding a job, to dealing with debt
and claiming the benefits you’re entitled to. Check SU Advice on-line for impartial advice on
a whole range of issues, or e.mail suadvice@uclan.ac.uk. Call in at the Student’s Union, or
visit the website at www.uclansu.co.uk for more information.
26
Student Voice
You can play an important part in the process of improving the quality of this course through
the feedback you give. In addition to the ongoing discussion with the course team throughout
the year, there are a range of mechanisms for you to feedback about your experience of
teaching and learning. We aim to respond to your feedback and let you know of our plans for
improvement.
The SLO and the Students Union can support you in voicing your opinion, provide ongoing
advice and support, and encourage your involvement in all feedback opportunities. They will
be requesting that you complete the National Student Survey (during semester 2 for
students in their final year of study) or the UCLan Student Survey (all other students).
We place a high value on student opinion. At the end of each module you will be asked to
complete a Module Evaluation Questionnaire. Your responses to these will help the module
team to see what they are doing right and what (if any) changes should be made. You will
also be asked to complete University Student Satisfaction Surveys. These too are very
useful to us. However, if you do have any problems, please do not wait for a questionnaire to
tell us, as we may be able to do something immediately to remedy the problem.
Each Course has student representatives, usually two per Year for the major courses.
Student reps attend the Staff-Student Liaison Committee meetings, which are devoted to
student matters, and the Psychology School Committee, which covers all aspects of
Psychology. There is a training programme for reps to help them understand what the role
involves and what is expected of them. Please be prepared to respond to emails from your
reps to let them know if you have any issues you wish them to raise at the next SSLC.
The Student Liaison Officer for Psychology is Lindsay Cottingham who is in CT229 and can
be contacted via email: lcottingham@uclan.ac.uk
Course Representatives
The course team will make arrangements for you to elect a course representative who can
represent any issues you may have to the course team within Student Staff Liaison
Committee meetings. If you are interested in becoming a course representative yourself and
wish to find out more about the role you can visit the Student Union and Student Liaison
Officer sites for more information and volunteer for the role when the opportunity arises.
Student Staff Liaison Committee Meetings (SSLC)
The purpose of a SSLC meeting is to provide the opportunity for course representatives to
feedback to staff about the course, the overall student experience and to inform
developments which will improve future courses. These meetings are normally scheduled
once per semester. Your Course Leader will facilitate the meetings using Guidelines for
SSLCs and provide a record of the meeting with any decisions and / or responses made and
/ or actions taken as a result of the discussions held. The meetings include discussion of
items forwarded by course representatives, normally related to the following agenda items
(dependent on time of year). Your Student Liaison Officer will be invited to attend and
support the resolution of any issues. The course team encourage student feedback in all
areas and recognise that additional items for discussion may also be raised at the meeting
 Update on actions completed since the last meeting

Feedback about the previous year – discussion of external examiner’s report; outcomes
of National /UCLan student surveys.

Review of enrolment / induction experience;
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
Course organisation and management (from each individual year group, and the course
overall);

Experience of modules - teaching, assessment, feedback;

Experience of academic support which may include e.g. Personal Development
Planning, personal tutoring arrangements and The Card;

Other aspects of University life relevant to student experience e.g. resources, IT, library;

Any other issues raised by students or staff.
Module Evaluation Questionnaires
Module evaluation questionnaires provide one of the most important means for you to
express your opinion about your teaching and learning experience. They capture feedback
on your experience within each module and inform staff about where improvements could be
made. Your module leaders will ensure that you receive the forms for completion either
paper based or on-line, please complete and return these to ensure your voice is heard - all
responses are anonymous. You are likely to see the module team responses to previous
student feedback in your module handbooks / information packs.
Complaints
The University recognises that there may be occasions when you have cause for complaint
about the service you have received, when this happens, the complaints procedure is
intended to provide an accessible, fair and straightforward system which ensures as
effective, prompt and appropriate response. Click on this link for more information
Complaints Procedure.
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