Student Handbook
2010-11
Contents
WELCOME TO KENT LAW SCHOOL.......................................................................................................... 2
IMPORTANT DATES ................................................................................................................................. 3
UNDERGRADUATE OFFICE ...................................................................................................................... 4
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF.......................................................................................................................... 5
ACADEMIC ROLES.................................................................................................................................... 6
USEFUL LINKS .......................................................................................................................................... 7
STUDENT DATA SYSTEM (SDS) ................................................................................................................ 9
MOODLE ................................................................................................................................................ 10
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR COURSEWORK ................................................................................................ 11
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA ......................................................................................................................... 13
DEADLINES for ASSESSMENTS and DISSERTATIONS ............................................................................. 16
ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE .......................................................................................................................... 16
EXTENSIONS & CONCESSIONS .............................................................................................................. 21
STUDENT ADVICE OFFICE ...................................................................................................................... 22
PASTORAL SYSTEM ................................................................................................................................ 23
PROGRESS SYSTEM ............................................................................................................................... 24
SKILLS .................................................................................................................................................... 25
MOOTING .............................................................................................................................................. 27
KENT LAW CLINIC .................................................................................................................................. 28
THE LAW LIBRARY ................................................................................................................................. 30
COMPLAINTS - ACADEMIC MATTERS .................................................................................................... 31
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING (PDP) ....................................................................................... 32
FAQ’S ..................................................................................................................................................... 34
1
WELCOME TO KENT LAW SCHOOL
Dear Student
This handbook has been designed to be an invaluable guide throughout your time at
Kent Law School, enabling you to find out more about the services available to you,
and what is expected of you as a student. It should help familiarise you with the Law
School and help you get settled in, as well as being a useful reference tool
throughout your time at Kent.
The guide contains information to help you understand the function of Kent Law
School, staff contacts, how you are assessed, the resources available to you, and
how we look after you both as a student and beyond. You should also be aware that
Kent Law School is part of the Faculty of Social Sciences and this guide should be
read in conjunction with the Social Sciences Handbook. Please also note that this
guide is not exhaustive and contains several links to our web pages where you can
find more information should you wish.
With best wishes for an enjoyable and academically rewarding time at Kent
The Kent Law School Staff
www.kent.ac.uk/law
2
IMPORTANT DATES
TERM DATES
2010 – 2011
Autumn Term
27 September –
17 December
University Terms
Spring Term
Summer Term
17 January – 8 April
9 May – 17 June
Reading and Writing Weeks
Autumn Term
Spring Term
Summer Term
Reading: 25 October
Reading: 21 February (week 17)
(week 5)
Writing: weeks 22, 23 or 24
Writing: 13 December
(See Individual Module information)
(week 12)
LAW FAIR - 13 OCTOBER 2010
3
KENT LAW SCHOOL
UNDERGRADUATE OFFICE
Most of your enquiries and requirements will be dealt with by the Kent Law School
Undergraduate Office (KLS UG), situated on the upper level of the Law School Building –
Eliot Extension.
The office is open Monday to Friday 09:30 – 12:00 and 13:30 – 16:30
(Closed public holidays and University Christmas/Winter closure)
The KLS Undergraduate Office is staffed by:
Maureen Wilson
UG Office Manager
General enquiries
Concessions
Sam Betts
(Weds pm, Thurs, Fri)
Clerical Assistant
General enquiries
Moodle admin
Coursework materials & handouts
Miles Coulling
E-learning Support
General enquiries
Moodle admin and issues
Marks
Sarah Edwards
(Mon - Thurs)
Clerical Assistant
General enquiries
Deadline dates & marks
Tina Grove
(Mon, Tues, Wed am)
Clerical Assistant
General enquiries
Moodle admin
Coursework materials & handouts
Amy Parkes
Clerical Assistant
General enquiries
Attendance
Dissertations
Julie Seymour
(Mon and Tues)
Clerical Assistant
General enquiries
Student Admissions
Stephanie Harris
(Weds, Thurs, Fri)
Clerical Assistant
General enquiries
Student Admissions
General Enquiries: klsoffice@kent.ac.uk
Telephone:
01227 827636
Moodle Queries:
kls-webadmin@kent.ac.uk
4
KENT LAW SCHOOL
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Lydia Burchett
Daniel Lee
Jo Dunlop
Sam Betts
School Administration Manager
Communications and Admissions Officer
Academic Discipline
Academic Discipline Assistant
STUDENT ADVICE OFFICE
Dr Paul Hubert
Hattie Peacocke
Joanne Harvey
Student Advisor
Student Advisor
Student Advice Office Support (part time)
Please email lawadvisor@kent.ac.uk if you wish to contact the student advisors, or
telephone 01227 824373
KENT LAW CLINIC
Lisa Appleyard
Penny Grinter
Telephone:
Kent Law Clinic Coordinator (part time)
Kent Law Clinic Coordinator (part time)
01227 823311
5
ACADEMIC ROLES
(See http://www.kent.ac.uk/law/currentug/kls.html)
Head of School
Professor Joanne Conaghan
Academic Discipline
Donald McGillivray
Chief Examiner & Examinations (Stage 3)
Examinations (Stage 2)
Examinations (Stage 1)
Dissertations
Prof Steve Uglow
Nick Jackson
Dr Kirsty Horsey
Prof Steve Uglow
Departmental Senior Tutor
Director of Learning & Teaching
Director of Studies
Director of Law at Medway
Director of Studies at Medway (Stage 2 & 3)
Director of Studies at Medway (Stage 1)
Director of Admissions at Medway
Computing Committee & IT
Donald McGillivray
Dr Helen Carr
Lisa Dickson
Prof Nick Grief
Prof Nick Grief
Dr Eleanor Curran
Dr Ruth Cain
Nick Jackson
Programme Directors for year abroad programmes
Martin Hedemann-Robinson
Dr Sophie Vigneron
Dr Anneli Albi
Lisa Dickson
European Legal Studies
English & French Law
English & German Law, English & Italian Law and English
& Spanish Law
Law with a year in China and Law with a year in Hong
Kong
Academic staff have offices in Eliot and in the Law School Building Eliot Extension.
All teaching staff have a pigeon hole in the Law School Office where messages can
be left. All academic staff are required to post office hours on their office door. Office
hours and office locations will also be posted on a notice board in the Kent Law
School reception.
This information is available via the KLS web pages at https://www.kent.ac.uk/lawlocal/general/officehours.doc
6
USEFUL LINKS
Accommodation Office
Ext 7660, Tanglewood, Giles Lane
Hospitality-enquiry@kent.ac.uk
www.kent.ac.uk/accommodation
Chaplaincy
Ext 7491, Keynes
chaplaincy@kent.ac.uk
www.kent.ac.uk/chaplaincy
English Language Unit
Ext 4401, Keynes
cewl@kent.ac.uk
www.kent.ac.uk/secl/elu
Counselling Service
Ext 3206, Keynes IG2
counselling@kent.ac.uk
www.kent.ac.uk/counselling
Disability & Dyslexia
Support Unit
Ext 3158, Keynes Hg7-9
accessibility@kent.ac.uk
www.kent.ac.uk/ddss
International Office
(non EU students)
Ext 4904, The Registry
International-office@kent.ac.uk
www.kent.ac.uk/international
Medical Centre
Ext 3583, Giles Lane
Sick bay term time only: Keynes EG3, Ext 3503
Out of hours and vacation time: 03000 242424
www.kent.ac.uk/medical
Kent Union Advice
Service
Ext 4824, SU Offices, Mandela Building
advice@kent.ac.uk
www.kentunion.co.uk/pages/support/advice
Advice Line: 01227 824216
Careers Advisory
Service
Ext 3299 or 3480, Keynes
careerhelp@kent.ac.uk
J.A.Keaveney@kent.ac.uk - Specialist Advisor in Law Careers
7
www.kent.ac.uk/careers
Student Learning
Advisory Service
Ext 4016, UELT Building
learning@kent.ac.uk
www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/learning
Equality & Diversity
Ext 7825, The Registry
equalityanddiversity@kent.ac.uk
www.kent.ac.uk/hr-equalityanddiversity
The Law Library
Templeman Library
Law Library Office – 01227 827866
www.kent.ac.uk/library/templeman
European Office
Ext 4921, Registry
european@kent.ac.uk
www.kent.ac.uk/european-office
8
STUDENT DATA SYSTEM (SDS)
This is the system which records information about students and any matters relating
to their programmes, including marks, attendance and results. Most of the
information held on the University’s Student Data System is available for individual
students to view. You can access the information held about you via the University
web site by clicking on the student portal for current students.
On the system you will find initially your own details such as name and address and
the programme you are registered for. You will be able to find the name of your tutor,
the programme and modules you are registered for and your lecture timetable. From
the beginning of the autumn term further information will become accessible on an
incremental basis. You will, over a period of time, receive such information as:





Your lecture and seminar timetable
Your assessment deadlines
Your record of attendance at seminars
Your assessment marks
And finally at the end of the year your examination results
You are encouraged to check the system at the earliest opportunity to make sure that
the personal details held on the system are correct. If you have a mobile telephone
please add the number your information on the system. You are required to check
this system to ensure that your seminar group is recorded correctly, also that the
assessment marks are recorded and accurately reflect those which show on your
returned work etc. By familiarising yourself with the Student Data System at the
earliest opportunity and checking it regularly, you can help to ensure that any
queries, particularly those involving marks and attendance are resolved early, before
they are used in calculating your results.
This is YOUR information, which you are entitled to receive and by which you can
raise any queries or concerns you have about the information recorded on an
immediate basis. Please ensure that you make full use of this facility.
9
MOODLE
Moodle is the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), it is where you can
find all the materials for your modules. All you need to access Moodle is the internet
so you can easily get to the module materials from home or on campus, just go to https://moodle.kent.ac.uk and login with your normal username and password.
Once in Moodle you will see that each of your modules have their own page within
Moodle, this is where all the handouts, lecture slides, lecture sound files and
assessment questions are kept. Teachers will upload the handouts and lecture slides
as the term goes by, so you will need to check Moodle on a regular basis for the
latest materials. The lecture sound files (if your module is recorded) will go up each
week shortly after the lecture has taken place. Lecture recordings are kept on
Moodle for students at our other campus in Medway and also for revision purposes
by all students on that particular module.
Around assessment time the essay questions will added to Moodle and an inbox will
be created for students to submit their work. All students MUST submit a copy of
their work to Moodle. This is so your work can be put through a program called
Turnitin which checks the originality of your work. This copy of your work must also
match the hard copy of work you hand into the KLS office. It is the online copy which
counts and is checked, so it is vital you remember to submit this before the deadline.
There is a practice inbox for you to use before trying the real thing to ensure you
make no mistakes. (see the how to submit your coursework page)
Moodle is very user friendly and set out in a clear and logical way. Each module
page will be similar in layout so you will get to grips with Moodle quickly and
navigating your way around. If you do come across any problems while using
Moodle, please email kls-webadmin@kent.ac.uk and a member of the admin staff
will help you out.
10
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR COURSEWORK
You are required to submit two copies of each assessment, one electronic copy and
one paper copy.
Electronic Copy
Electronic submission is done using the Turnitin software, accessed on the relevant
Moodle module page. KLS are using Turnitin to issue the receipt for your coursework,
to check it for plagiarism and to archive it. If you fail to submit electronically in the
right way, by the deadline, no assessment mark will be counted (whether or not
you have handed in a paper copy). You will have the chance to do a practice
submission before submitting an actual assessment for a module deadline. When
doing your practice submission it is IMPORTANT to NOT submit your actual piece of
work, please use a different word document to practice with.
Submitting your electronic copy
1. Log on to Moodle and go to the relevant module.
2. Go to the ‘Assessments and Examination’ section
3. Click on the hyperlink for the coursework you want to submit (e.g. LW315/10
Assessment 1)
4. Click on the ‘Submit’ link
5. Select ‘single file upload’ from the drop down
6. In the ‘Author’ drop down, your name should be automatically completed
7. Enter your ‘submission title’ title (e.g. LW315 Assessment 1)
8. Use the ‘Browse’ button to locate and select the correct file to be uploaded.
9. Click on the ‘upload’ button.
10. You will see a preview of your coursework. Ensure that you are submitting the
correct document and then select ‘Yes, Submit’. NOTE: Any formatting will not
show in this preview
11. Once you have submitted your coursework you will be presented with a digital
receipt with a unique ‘paper ID’ number for your work.
If you have any problems with submitting your coursework, you should email
kls-webadmin@kent.ac.uk as soon as possible.
Paper copy
A paper copy MUST also be handed in for staff to use in marking and giving
feedback. If you fail to put in the paper copy by the deadline, your feedback and your
mark are likely to be delayed. If you fail to put in a paper copy within a week of the
deadline, marking is likely to be severely delayed and feedback minimal.
11
Paper copies must be handed in personally to the KLS Office (Canterbury students)
or to Medway Building Reception (Medway students). They must be attached to a
fully completed coversheet available from KLS and Medway offices.
Your essay hand in checklist is –
Have you submitted an electronic copy via Moodle?
Do you know your module code and title?
Do you know your seminar leader’s name?
Do you know which seminar group you are in?
Have you checked out your word count?
Have you filled in the assessment number ? if this is your second
assessment for this module enter 2 in the appropriate box
TURNITIN
Each piece of coursework will be checked for originality by the Turnitin plagiarism
detection software. Use of Turnitin makes no difference at all to your obligation to
follow good academic practice and to avoid plagiarism, but you should be aware that
we are use Turitin, and that your assessments will be held on the database so that
other people’s work can be checked against it.
A short while after electronic submission the Turnitin ‘originality report’ will be
available to you. The report is NOT a direct indication of whether there has been
plagiarism. It is entirely normal to have some matching text and (unless you have
plagiarised!) there is no need to worry as long as your work is fully and correctly
referenced. If you are really concerned about your originality report, contact your
teacher.
MAKING UP FOR A BAD ASSESSMENT MARK
In every module where two or more pieces of written work are required to obtain a
coursework assessment, a student has the right to submit an additional piece of
written work and to have the mark for that additional piece substituted for the lowest
of his/her lower earlier marks, if any.
The above right only applies where the student has submitted real and genuine
written work to fulfil the module requirements but, in the judgement of the teacher,
has substantially under-performed. Thus, it does not apply where a student has
failed without good cause, as determined by the module convenor, to submit an
assessment by the appropriate deadline.
Note 1 - The above does NOT apply to the final piece of coursework, nor does it
apply to class tests.
12
Note 2 - Additional assessments can only be taken from lists, titles or questions,
approved for that purpose by the teacher to whom the additional assessment is to be
submitted.
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
STAGE 1
PERCENTAGE
STAGE II & III
PERCENTAGE
Merit
80+
70+
60 – 69
First
First
Upper Second
80+
70+
60 – 69.9
Pass
40 – 59
Lower Second
50 – 59.9
Fail
Below 40
Third
Fail
40 – 49.9
Below 40
Distinction
What follows is a table of marking criteria for
a)
b)
80+
70+
Legal Essays
Legal Problems
Reading &
Knowledge
Extensive
reading and
exceptionally
comprehensive
knowledge
Understanding &
Analysis
Very full and perceptive
awareness of issues, with
original critical and
analytical assessment of
the issues and excellent
grasp of their wider
significance
Argument
Wide reading
and
comprehensive
knowledge
Full and perceptive
awareness of issues and
clear grasp of their wider
significance
Clear evidence of
independent
thought, ability to
defend a position
logically and
convincingly
Clear evidence of
independent and
original thought,
ability to defend a
position logically
and convincingly,
with arguments
presented that are
sophisticated and
highly challenging
Organisation &
Presentation
Excellent
arrangement &
development of
material and
argument.
Excellent English
and meticulous
presentation, with
immaculate
footnotes and
extensive
bibliography
Careful thought
given to
arrangement and
development of
material and
argument.
Excellent English
with appropriate
footnotes and
13
comprehensive
bibliography
60-69 Good range of
reading and
adequate
knowledge
Adequate awareness of
issues and a serious
understanding of their
wider significance
Evidence of
thought with a well
developed
argument
50-59 Fair range of
reading and
reasonable
knowledge
Some awareness of
issues and of wider
significance
Evidence of
thought with
serious attempt at
argument
40-49 Very limited
reading and
incomplete
knowledge
Limited awareness of
issues and of their wider
significance
Limited thought
and argument
30-39 Very limited
reading and
knowledge
Very limited awareness of
issues and of their wider
significance
Very limited
thought and very
meagre argument
-30
Very poor awareness of
issues and of their wider
significance, fails to
demonstrate competent
understanding
Lack of thought or
irrelevant
argumentation
Very poor level
of reading and
fails to
demonstrate
competent
knowledge
Adequate
arrangement and
development of
material and
argument. Good
English with
appropriate
footnotes and
bibliography
Indicate effort to
organise the
material and
argument.
Adequate English
with reasonable
footnoting and a
bibliography
Limited effort to
organise material
and argument.
Satisfactory
English but with
limited footnoting
and bibliography
Very little effort at
organising
material.
Significant errors
in English and
poor footnoting
and bibliography
Lack of
organisation of
material.
Substantial errors
in English and
very poor/lack of
footnoting and
bibliography
Legal Problems
For legal problems we consider that the three main criteria for assessing answers are:
1) Have the legal issues been correctly identified? Every problem has core issues which
a good answer needs to spot and there is usually a penumbra of issues - perhaps
marginal or speculative (but not irrelevant) - which are not essential for good marks,
but may gain additional credit.
14
2) Once identified, have the issues been analysed effectively? For an issue to be
analysed effectively, the relevant legal principles, case law and legislation must be
applied and the outcome stated. Frequently, this will involve analysis of inconsistent
or otherwise open ended legal sources, and require a range of possible outcomes to
be identified.
3) Have the issues been identified and analysed within a coherent structure and with a
clear written style? The structure and style of a problem answer should ensure that
the issues are introduced, dealt with and disposed of in a coherent manner, and that
the overall effect of applying the law to these facts made clear.
On this basis KLS has adopted for legal problems the following scheme:
Identification of issues Analysis of Issues
Structure
80+
All core issues and
Issue analysis excellent,
Very sophisticated
almost all marginal
exceptional understanding of
structure, lucid and
issues identified
legal principles, highly
highly fluent style which
sophisticated use of cases and
facilitates an in-depth
legislation, going beyond main
analysis of the issues
authorities
70+
All core issues and at
Issue analysis very good, very
Very clear structure,
least most marginal
good understanding of legal
concise and fluent style
issues identified
principles, sophisticated use of
which facilitates the
cases and legislation, going
analysis of the issues
beyond the main authorities
60-69 All (or nearly all) core
Issue analysis good, good
Clear structure and a
issues correctly
understanding of legal
style which is clear and
identified
principles, effective use of main concise
cases and legislation
50-59 At least half core issues Issue analysis is fair, more than Either clear structure
correctly identified
mere description, some
with a style which is less
understanding of relevant legal
than clear and concise;
principles, some use of main
or a clear and concise
cases and legislation
style with a structure
which is less than clear
40-49 Some relevant issues
Issue analysis is all (or nearly
Structure is virtually
are correctly identified
all) descriptive, with no (or
non-existent, but style is
hardly any) application of legal
such that meaning is
principles, cases or legislation
adequately conveyed or
that structure is
adequate but style is
such that meaning is not
adequately conveyed
30-39 Very few issues are
Presentation of the law is
Structure is virtually
correctly identified
incoherent, application of the
non-existent and style is
law to the facts is badly muddled such that meaning is not
adequately conveyed
-30
Virtually no issues are
Lack of coherency in
Lack of structure and
correctly identified
presentation of the law and/or
style fails to convey any
fails to demonstrate the ability to coherent meaning
apply the law
15
DEADLINES for
ASSESSMENTS and DISSERTATIONS
It is important that students are aware of the rules which apply to essay deadlines
and extensions. In particular Annex 9 of the Credit Framework says:
All students have a responsibility to manage their learning, revision and
assessment activities throughout the duration of each term or assessment
period. They are expected to plan carefully and manage their workload and
should not leave coursework, learning, revision or similar activities until too
late.
Your deadlines for each assessment can be found on –
1. The module page in moodle
2. The module outline
3. Your SDS record
ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE
‘Academic discipline’ is a term which is about making sure that the academic ‘rules
of the game’ are adhered to. This means that previous work (i.e. from work that you
read) is given proper credit, and not passed off as your own, and that what is
presented as your work is in fact your work (and not, e.g., the work of your friend, or
the work of someone you have bought the work from). It also includes things like
cheating in exams.
Breaching these rules often comes about because you are in a rush and / or
have other pressures when submitting your work.
If you are genuinely struggling with your work don’t breach these rules. The
consequences can be severe and you should always seek a concessionary
extension or otherwise discuss the matter with your seminar leader, personal
tutor or the Student Advisors.
1 University rules
The rules relating to academic discipline can be found at
www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/quality/credit/creditinfoannex10.html. Please take a few minutes
to study them. You can also access via the KLS student study pages a short (15
16
minute) video presentation on academic discipline, which hopefully covers all the
points made here.
2 What is a Breach of Academic Discipline?
In summary, the following are prohibited
• Cheating in exams / influencing examiners
This includes things like bringing in unauthorised materials into the exam room,
having someone else take the exam for you, or taking your exam paper out at the
end of an exam
•
Plagiarism
This is defined as ‘reproducing in any work submitted for assessment or review (for
example, examination answers, essays, project reports, dissertations or theses) any
material derived from work authored by another without clearly acknowledging the
source’.
It is essential that ideas or arguments that you have taken from another source (e.g.
a textbook or article) are acknowledged. This applies not just to direct quotes but
also other more general ideas. Doing so correctly is a skill that we will help you to
understand, and in Stage 1 in particular we recognise that it is something that might
not always come easily, and we can make certain allowances for this (see the
section on penalties, below).
Plagiarism is a strict liability breach, so it is in principle irrelevant if you say ‘I did not
intend to plagiarise’, though intention can be taken into account in deciding what
penalty to impose.
•
Duplication of material
This is defined as ‘reproducing in any submitted work any substantial amount of
material used by that student in other work for assessment, either at this University
or elsewhere, without acknowledging that such work has been so submitted’.
You might breach this rule, e.g., by submitting the same work, or significantly similar
work, either in the same module, or in different modules in the same year, or from
one year to the next. (Note that our anti-plagiarism software detects work submitted
both at the same time but also work copied from previous years.) Obviously you
cannot get credit twice for the same work.
•
Conspiring to reproduce the work of others (improper collaboration)
Students, understandably, collaborate when writing coursework, and revising for
exams. This is fine, so long as the end product is your own work. We have KLS
Guidance on this which stresses ‘talk and think together but write separately’:
www.kent.ac.uk/law/currentug/documents/groupwork.rtf. Be especially careful if draft
work is passed electronically between students.
17
•
Falsification of data / evidence
This is unlikely to be an issue in undergraduate law studies, unless you are doing
empirical work in a dissertation module.
3 Warnings and penalties
If you breach these rules there is a range of penalties that can be applied. At the
lowest end of the scale are formal warnings: these are not mentioned in references /
official transcripts but are taken into account if you breach the rules again, and
normally you will be credited for the unplagiarised part of the work you submitted.
You may be given a resubmission opportunity if this is possible.
For more serious breaches, penalties may range from mark reductions through to
your registration being terminated. Sadly, KLS has in the past had to seek
termination of registration in very serious cases.
4 Solicitors’ Regulation Authority rules
If you intend to qualify as a solicitor or barrister, then it is especially important that
you do not commit a significant breach of academic discipline. The rules for solicitors
are at www.sra.org.uk/documents/students/student-enrolment/student-enrolment.pdf
These state that ‘When you enrol as a student, you must declare any information
that might affect your suitability to be a solicitor. This includes any instance of
cheating in examinations or plagiarism during a course of study ... Every case is
considered on its own merits. You will be asked to supply written confirmation of the
relevant issues and you may be asked to appear before an SRA adjudicator to
explain your situation’. If you have a breach against you will have to apply to the
SRA much earlier in the process.
In terms of the SRA and KLS practice, we will write to the SRA explaining the
breach and penalty but setting any offence in context, e.g. ‘a single offence in an
otherwise unblemished record’. We will mention the penalty imposed in the context
of the available range of penalties. We will mention if there were mitigating
circumstances (but of reasons of confidentiality we will not provide any details
regarding this), you may be asked by the SRA for details. The decision whether to
accept this evidence, in relation to your SRA application, is the SRA’s not ours (or
yours).
5 University Guidance
What amounts to a breach of academic discipline, especially plagiarism, can take a
while to sink in. There is guidance which is intended to help you understand better:
www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/ai/students/index.html . This links to Guidance for students on
what plagiarism etc is, and How to Avoid It (Study Tips). Please note that there is
18
also Guidance for Staff at www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/ai/staff/index.html . This gives case
studies and other guidance – see www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/ai/staff/plaghand.pdf
(although this is directed to staff it is also likely to be very helpful to students
because it goes through ‘worked examples’)
6 KLS Guidance
KLS has published guidance for undergraduate students at
www.kent.ac.uk/law/currentug/discipline/index.html
7 Turnitin
Turnitin is the software that the University has adopted, and which KLS uses, to help
us spot plagiarism or duplication. Turnitin find exact, or similar, matches to a vast
number of sources (including work submitted at other universities). All coursework
must be submitted via Turnitin.
You cannot access your Turnitin score before submitting your work, and we will not
allow resubmissions once you have initially submitted.
A high Turnitin score will of course raise concerns. But note that in some cases so
will a very low score. It is hard to be that original.
Turnitin is a tool and not a rule: the issue is whether you have submitted your work
written in your voice and properly referenced.
8 Mosaic plagiarism (‘patchwriting’)
This is where your writing combines fragments of your language with
unacknowledged fragments from other source materials. The ensuing text is a
mosaic of acceptable paraphrase and argument plus unacceptable plagiarism. This
may arise from poor note taking (so take special care to note all your sources, and
take care to note if you are paraphrasing someone else’s work – when you write up
this may look like your own work but will be identified by Turnitin); rushing to
complete an assignment; or unfamiliarity with language and need for support (i.e. if
you are unsure of how to put something properly into your own words)
9 FAQ
Does a bibliography cure a lack of referencing in the text?
 NO – a bibliography is just a list of references you have used, It is not a
reference in itself. (Don’t confuse a bibliography with a reference list used in
connection with the Harvard method of citation.) You will still need to give specific
references to phrases / ideas when they are used in the text.
Do I have to put quotation marks around everything I cite?
19
 Within reason, NO. But even a single word might need to be put in quotation
marks if eg it is a term coined by another writer and not doing so would infer the
term was yours.
Finally, when setting out what the relevant legal rules are (e.g. in answering a
problem question), you should show where you have taken these rules from; it might
be that writers or judges differ in what they think the ‘right’ legal rule is. You will get
credit for showing that you have seen this issue. So, citing properly so that you
don’t plagiarise is often just part of the same process of writing to a high
standard.
Finally, A Note on Essay Writing Services
Using an essay writing service is highly objectionable. It will be taken as evidence of
intent to deceive. We have terminated registrations for their use, and we will seek to
impose the maximum penalties against you if you use them.
If we consider – if necessary after discussing your work in detail with you - that work
is not in your voice but we cannot identify the source(s) we are entitled to reach the
conclusion that you have obtained the work in breach of these rules. We are fully
aware of the various tips that essay providers give students to help avoid detection.
Numerous providers claim that they will produce essays to order, of a particular
standard. This is obviously a bogus claim, and we have seen work purchased for
considerable sums which has not reached a pass standard at Kent. They also claim
that these have not been submitted elsewhere and are therefore Turnitin-proof - our
experience is different: there is recycling of work.
Wouldn’t you just be better writing it yourself?
For further help
•
For academic matters contact Donald McGillivray, Chair of the School
Discipline Committee, (d.mcgillivray@kent.ac.uk) x 4293. Donald will be
running a session to Stage 1 students on Thursday 2 December.
•
Your module convenor should also be able to field general questions
•
For procedural matters contact Jo Dunlop (j.l.dunlop@kent.ac.uk) x 3774.
20
EXTENSIONS & CONCESSIONS
EXTENSIONS
Sometimes students need more time in which to complete coursework because of
external circumstances disrupting study. A request for an extension should be made
on the correct form. This should be submitted to the KLS undergraduate office FIVE
working days prior to the essay deadline, unless there are exceptional circumstances
which justify the delay in submitting the request. The KLS office will let the student
know when a decision has been made. Students should provide evidence of the
difficulties they are experiencing, eg if you are unwell you will need to provide a note
from a doctor confirming your illness.
CONCESSIONS
Sometimes circumstances can have a significant impact on a student’s studies. In
this case students can submit a concessions form for consideration by the Board of
Examiners. This process covers failure to submit coursework, missing exams,
periods of ill-health, poor performance. Applications should be supported by
independent evidence.
Extensions and concessions will NOT be granted in the following circumstances:
 Losing work not backed up on computer disk
 Completing coursework too late and missing deadlines because of computer or
transport difficulties
 Failure to make alternative travel plans in the face of known disruptions
 Normal employment commitments
 Failing to read an examination timetable correctly
We strongly recommend that you seek advice on any of the above, you may do so by
contacting your personal tutor or the Student Advice Office lawadvisor@kent.ac.uk
For official forms and faculty guidance please see:
http://www.kent.ac.uk/socsci/studying/undergrad/concessions.html
21
STUDENT ADVICE OFFICE
If you need advice or experience difficulties you can drop in to see one of the
Advisors or you can make an appointment for another time. You can contact the
Advisors by email lawadvisor@kent.ac.uk or by telephone 01227 824373.
The Student Advice Office is located in Eliot Extension, Upper Floor, room L24B.
The Student Advice Office provides a confidential service and any personal
information you disclose will not be discussed with other members of teaching staff in
KLS without your consent. Please talk to us if you have any concerns about
confidentiality.
The sort of issues that you may wish to see your tutor or a Student Advisor about
could include:
Medical or other personal problems that may be affecting your work (‘Concessions’)
Choice of courses and modules
Accommodation issues
Study advice
General careers advice (including entry into the Legal profession) and Personal
Development Planning
Finance issues
References (please see the separate guide)
Academic Appeals
Disciplinary issues
Sometimes your tutor or Student Advisor may be unable to help and, if you agree,
may refer you to another agency on campus that may be better equipped to help you.
22
PASTORAL SYSTEM
Kent Law School aims to provide a comprehensive pastoral care system where
students feel comfortable about accessing information and support whilst studying
with us. We all aim to be approachable and friendly and, in particular, the Student
Advisor is available to assist with any queries you have or difficulties you may
experience during your time studying law at Kent. The Student Advisor role is shared
by Paul Hubert and Hattie Peacocke, assisted by Joanne Harvey.
First year students (also direct entrants and Erasmus students)
You will be allocated a member of KLS staff as your personal tutor. You will be told
who your tutor is during welcome week, prior to the start of term. You will also have
an opportunity to meet with your tutor informally during that week.
During term time tutors will have regular office hours when students can drop in and
see them. Should there be an emergency, tutors and the Student Advisors will make
themselves available for all students at other times.
First year students are also required to see their tutor at least twice during their first
year. These meetings are to discuss your personal academic development and to
ensure that you have somewhere to talk about any issues that may have arisen since
you began your programme of study. Your tutor will contact you about these
meetings by email (so do read your email and don’t let your mailbox get full) - it is
important that you do not ignore any message from them as these meetings are
compulsory.
Your tutor should be your first point of contact if you have a problem or need
guidance and you can seek advice at any time. It is usually easiest to contact your
tutor by e-mail first. If your tutor is unavailable you are welcome to approach the
Student Advisors.
Continuing students
You come under the care of the Student Advisor – the Student Data System will
show one name, but you can see either Paul or Hattie, depending on your preference
and who’s available. Generally you will not be asked to come in but you can use the
service whenever you want to.
Opening times and contact details
The Office is normally open Monday to Friday. Our reception is open 9am -12.30pm
and 1.30 – 4pm. We have drop-in sessions as follows:
Monday
Tuesday
Thursday
Friday
10.30am – 12.30pm (Paul)
1.00pm – 3.00pm (Hattie)
10.30am – 12.30pm (Paul)
12.00pm – 2.00pm (Hattie)
You can also make an appointment to see us at other times.
Telephone extension 4373
Direct line 01227 824373
Office email: lawadvisor@kent.ac.uk
23
PROGRESS SYSTEM
University students are expected to take primary responsibility for their own learning
and for developing habits of independent study. The most important staff
contributions to students’ academic development come in the teaching process and,
where you have any difficulties with the particular content of the module, it’s normally
best to raise them with the seminar leader (or sometimes the lecturer). The Law
School progress system is there as back-up to your own role and to the input of the
staff teaching you. It is intended to look at your progress across all the modules you
are studying and to draw to your attention to any problems which your teachers
indicate you may be having.
Normally, the process is supportive and relatively informal, even when a teacher has
expressed concern about your work or attendance. It involves talking to your Tutor or
to the Student Advisor about your academic progress, and perhaps being referred on
to another source of help or advice in the University (e.g. for help with language or
with study skills).
However, it does have a hard edge too: attendance and participation at seminars are
compulsory, as is submission of coursework. There is no reason at all why this
should be a source of anxiety for the vast majority of students. Occasional lapses in
attendance and performance may have some effect on your learning or your marks,
but persistent failures to attend or to work properly can result in sanctions.
If you are not working effectively you may eventually be required to see the Senior
Tutor, who has disciplinary powers. If you ignore these requests, or you cannot
provide a satisfactory explanation for your lack of engagement, ultimately this may
lead to a requirement that you withdraw from the University.
It is compulsory to go and see your Tutor or a Student Advisor when you are required
to. A summons to see the Senior Tutor can result from repeatedly ignoring calls for
an informal chat with your Tutor or with a Student Advisor.
The progress system is designed to flag up probable indications of a significant
problem about your academic development, not to persue you the first time you miss
a seminar. Even when there are indications of a significant problem about your
academic development, it will not be assumed that you are to blame: such indications
often come from personal or health problems, financial difficulties, finding the work
hard or just bureaucratic error. In any of these events it is useful to discuss them with
someone.
If you are a new student you will be expected to see your tutor at least twice during
your first year of study to talk about how you’re getting on:



First sessions with your tutor will normally be in week 4 or 5
Second sessions with your tutor will normally be towards the end of the autumn
term.
Third sessions with your tutor (usually non-compulsory) will be in week 17/18.
24
SKILLS
Kent Law School takes the development of your legal and intellectual skills seriously.
You need these skills to succeed in your degree and – in the longer term – in
whatever career you choose to pursue. You will also need to demonstrate to
prospective employers that you have the skills that they are looking for.
You will find that during the first year of your degree your lecturers will place a great
deal of emphasis on the acquisition of skills. For instance, you will be encouraged to
communicate clearly, both orally and in writing, you will learn how to conduct legal
research using a variety of resources, including electronic resources, you will be
expected to engage constructively in arguments and discussions of complex matters
and to read critically and widely. You will also be encouraged to reflect upon the skills
you have and to consider how they can be improved. This means, for instance, that
you should read the feedback on your work and think about what it tells you about
how to tackle your next assignment.
We know that you have the primary responsibility for skills acquisition but you will find
that there are lots of ways we help. We start you off on the acquisition of skills in
your induction week. We are also running a series of skills based lectures entitled
“How to succeed in Law” which will run on a Thursday at 4.00pm, these will be
included in your timetable. These will provide you with lots of pointers and explain
how you can improve your grades and your career prospects. There will also be
advice and resources available on Moodle. Your skills will be assessed throughout
the first year of the programme. We think you will be pleasantly surprised at how
much you improve if you take skills seriously.
How to Succeed in Law
'How to Succeed in Law' is designed with you – first year law students and those
new to learning law in the UK – in mind. A range of lecturers will cover a variety of
topics ensuring that you learn how to manage your workload and your time, that you
participate effectively in seminars, that you avoid plagiarism and that you know
where to turn for help. We also have sessions dissecting cases and statutes,
enabling you to become familiar with handling these – essential tools for any good
lawyer! And we also have included sessions at appropriate times that will help you
prepare for upcoming assessments – in whatever form they arise. All-in-all we think
that there is enough in this programme to really help you understand 'how to
succeed in law'!
At Canterbury the lectures take place in Cinema on Thursdays at 4pm. More details
can be found on the KLS skills support web pages at
http://www.kent.ac.uk/law/currentug/skills/index.html
25
Programme of lectures 2010-11
Autumn term
Week Title
How to
1
Succeed in
Law
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Studying at
University
Level
Preparing for
assessment in
The English
Legal System
The anatomy
of a statute
The anatomy
of a case
Managing
workload,
reading and
seminars
How I
succeeded at
KLS!
Assessment
for
international
students
Referencing
and avoiding
plagiarism
11
Answering
legal problem
questions
12
-
Info
This runs in induction week and is designed to introduce the
lecture series and what students can expect to gain from it.
What is different about learning (law) at uni? And in the UK?
Who is here to help? What books to buy? Using the library and
online research.
Separate sessions will be delivered at Canterbury and Medway
This session will introduce students to the multiple choice
questions on the English Legal System which they will be taking
in two weeks time
Learn how to dissect, read & understand statutes
Reading week
Coinciding with the first case class in Intro to Obligations, this
session will help students learn how to dissect, read &
understand cases
This session will focus on, among other things, how to manage
the workload in law and getting the most out of seminars
Ex-students of KLS will give their tips on how to succeed in law
at Kent and beyond
This session is targeted specifically at international students
and will deal with the expectations that a UK university will have
of them in assessment as well as information on what
help/support is available
The view from the chair of KLS's academic discipline committee
– including advice on how to reference properly in your work and
information on what counts as plagiarism and what doesn't
Intro to Obligations students will be writing the answer to a legal
problem over the vacation – this session will help in preparation
for this and problem questions used in other subjects, such as
criminal law
Writing week
Spring term topics will include…
 The Critical Introduction portfolio: what are we looking for?
 Using feedback effectively
 How to read complex cases in public and private law
 Building your CV
 How to write a good essay
 How to get a first
Notification of the spring term timetable will be sent by email and also placed on the
KLS skills web pages.
26
MOOTING
Kent Law School has an active mooting programme and competes in a variety of
national and international mooting competitions. It also has an extensive internal
mooting programme with students competing in front of judging panels which include
members of the local judiciary.
Student involvement in mooting is voluntary but encouraged. Internal moots revolve
around core subjects such as Tort and Land Law but also include Medical Ethics,
Evidence and Euity & Trusts. Some modules in stages 2 & 3 offer the option of
Mooting as an assessment method. The module outlines will provide the information
about this.
What is Mooting?
The non-lawyer is likely to come across the word ‘moot’ in the context of the
expression “a moot point”. A point is ‘moot’ if it is undecided, open to argument or
debate. Sometimes, a point is moot if it is no longer practically applicable or relevant.
Those pointers provide clues as to what mooting is all about. The activity of mooting
involves arguing moot points of law in a simulated courtroom setting (‘the Moot
Court’) using hypothetical facts often based on a factual scenario that is a variant on
a leading case. The points of law arising are arguable and may not be of practical
relevance even if the activity of mooting has a very strong practical dimension quite
simply because it involves the practice of public speaking and advocacy. More often
than not, the Moot Court operates at appellate level (Court of Appeal or Supreme
Court). There are at least two reasons for this: first, it distinguishes a moot from a
mock trial (which relates to the establishing of facts); and second, it allows for a
sharper focus on the law and its interpretation and application to a set of facts.
Why become involved in Mooting?
Mooting at University can help develop your advocacy skills, but more importantly it
can deepen your knowledge and understanding of law. It is another way of learning
about law. Amidst the theatre and the fun of oral advocacy it is important not to lose
sight of that. In the first place, a moot gives students the opportunity to master the
case and statute law and also the procedure that applies in a particular case - that
must be mastered if you are to argue the case properly. It also strengthens your
ability to apply the law to situations of fact, or to put it another way, to analyse
situations of fact in legal terms. Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly of all,
through the process of working through in very close detail the resolution in legal
terms (although not perhaps in others) of one specific conflict it may also provide an
insight into how the law operates in society. At least, it may provide such an insight if
you don’t forget to think about it.
How to become involved?
Information about how to get involved in Mooting will be circulated in due course.
Further information can also be found on the law web pages at
http://www.kent.ac.uk/law/currentug/mooting/index.html
27
KENT LAW CLINIC
The Kent Law Clinic is a free legal advice and representation service run by students and
staff at Kent Law School and by volunteer lawyers from private practice. There are Clinic
offices at both the Canterbury and Medway sites of KLS. The objectives of the Clinic are
twofold:


to provide assistance to local people who need legal help
to enhance the legal education of KLS students
The first clinic at Kent opened in 1972. Students in the present Clinic have, for the past 18
years, helped local people with many different types of legal problems: from those seeking
compensation in employment or consumer matters to those needing help in housing,
benefits or immigration cases.
The Clinic exists, therefore, to provide a public service to those who cannot afford legal
advice and also to enrich the legal education of students through enabling them to work on
live cases and projects. The focus, in educational terms, is primarily on developing our
knowledge and understanding of law and on the development of our critical faculties. It is an
academic focus, but students also learn how to apply the law to new, real situations and can
develop many legal skills such as interviewing, negotiating and advocacy, which are very
useful to those who wish to pursue a legal career.
The Clinic is not simply about educational and vocational benefits. The satisfaction
students gain from helping clients and the exposure to the impact of law outside the
university are part of the educational process, through which we aspire truly to
broaden the minds of our students and all those who are involved in the Clinic. All
students are encouraged to remain alert, both to the wider implications of their
contribution to a public service for the community and to the full range of academic
benefits which they can derive from clinical work
Student involvement
Participation in the Clinic is entirely optional. The Clinic enables students to interview
clients and observe practising lawyers as they provide advice in real cases. Where
further work is required the students, under close supervision, carry out legal
research, correspondence, negotiation, drafting, briefing counsel and often appear
as advocates themselves. Students are encouraged to stretch themselves but are
never asked to undertake work they feel is beyond their current abilities.
Clinic students have appeared as advocates before Welfare Benefits Tribunals, the
County Court, and the Employment Tribunal. Students have also prepared for and
observed the conduct of cases before the Mental Health Review Tribunal, the
Employment Appeal Tribunal, the Magistrates’ Court, the Crown Court, the
Immigration Special Adjudicator, the Immigration Appeal Tribunal, the Coroner's
Court, the High Court, Queen's Bench Division and the Court of Appeal.
In addition to individual cases, students also undertake work for local groups, and on
projects and campaigns. This has included extensive legal research and the briefing
and lobbying of Councillors and Members of Parliament, including making
representations in person to a Home Secretary. The Clinic also organises debates
on matters of current interest.
28
Students can attend the weekly Clinic Meetings to discuss new cases and other
matters, and can act as a receptionist or co-ordinator in one of our offices.
Students participate in all the basic organisation of the Clinic, including the coordination of the evening advice sessions, the telephone reception and general
running of the Clinic offices and the chairing of the weekly Clinic Meetings. This
meeting decides, democratically, all day-to-day and policy matters subject to the
overall supervision of the Management Committee. The Committee consists of six
student representatives elected by students from each of the offices; six volunteer
lawyers, elected by the volunteers; and staff members of Kent Law School. There
are also student committees for each office, elected by students.
Clinical work is integrated into the curriculum
It is possible for students to have their clinical work assessed, if they wish, as part of
the formal assessment process on many of their degree modules at Kent Law
School. The marks awarded contribute to their overall marks for their degrees. For
example, stage II/III students may take the Clinical Option module (LW 543 – N.B.,
there is a quota on this module, decided by ballot) which is devoted to clinical work.
Students on other Stage II/III modules (eg Labour Law, Access to Land) may, with
the approval of their Convenor, have assessed clinical work substituted for one of
their assessments on those modules
How the Clinic works
The Clinic has offices at both the Canterbury and Medway sites. Every Monday
evening at community centres in Canterbury, Whitstable, Gillingham and Strood
clients seeking legal advice attend the Clinic Advice Sessions. They are interviewed
and advised by volunteer solicitors and barristers. Students observe and assist.
Where the case requires further work it is taken on in the Clinic offices which are
based in the Kent Law School in Canterbury and Medway. These offices are
supervised by practising solicitors. Every Tuesday lunchtime during the Autumn and
Spring terms, in Canterbury and in Medway, there is a Clinic Meeting, open to all
members of the Clinic, at which cases where advice was given at the Monday Advice
Sessions are discussed.
Membership
Membership of the Clinic is free and open to all KLS students, staff and volunteer
lawyers who subscribe to the objects of the Clinic, and agree to abide by its rules
including the observance of strict client confidentiality. Forms are available from the
Law Clinic Offices.
Getting involved
The best place to start is to come along and simply observe the lunchtime Clinic
Meetings on Tuesday (Canterbury office: Eliot College, 12.00pm, Eliot Kennedy
Room; Medway office: Tuesday lunchtime, in the Law Clinic Office in the Medway
building) during the Autumn and Spring terms.
29
THE LAW LIBRARY
The Law Library is on Level 3 West of the Templeman Library. It contains resources
for the study of law together with the British Government Publications Collection and
the European Documentation Centre. The Law Library staff are based in offices
adjacent to the Law Library. They maintain the collections and provide an expert
enquiry service assisting students and staff.
The Library building is open from 8.00 until 24.00 during term time weekdays. Hours
are shorter during the vacations and at weekends. Check the Templeman Library
website to see extended opening hours available at busy times. There are 270
public access PCs, loanable laptops and netbooks available for use in the library,
along with a café where you can take a break from your studies.
The Library enables access to all the law reports and legislation needed for your
studies. Printed copies are reference only but most are also available online via
Lawlinks from any computer using your Kent id and password.
Law books are found at classification K-KW (Law). Use the library catalogue to find
other material relevant to the study of law, such as economics and finance,
international business and trade, sociology, and criminology. The library catalogue
indicates if a book is on loan as well as its location on the shelves in the Law Library
or in the Core Text Collection. Undergraduates may borrow up to 12 books including
books from the Core Text Collection (books in high demand with short loan periods).
Many of the books recommended on your reading lists (which can be checked from
the Library website) are also available as e-books. Links can be accessed via the
Library Catalogue – look for the Link to book and use your Kent id and password to
access.
Most of the legal journals you will need to use are available online. Use the Journal
search tab from the library catalogue to find out if the reference you need to look up
is available online or in print.
All the highly recommended online sources are available via Lawlinks,
http://www.kent.ac.uk/lawlinks/ Training is available on suitable times to ensure you
become an expert user.
Phone Numbers:
Law Librarian
Law Library Office
01227 823111 or Ext 3111
01227 827866 or Ext 7866
30
COMPLAINTS - ACADEMIC MATTERS
If you have concerns regarding an academic matter, there are a number of ways in
which these can be further pursued. In the first instance most issues relating to
teaching and assessment can be resolved by informally approaching your seminar
leader. However should an occasion arise where you feel that an informal discussion
has not resolved your concerns you may wish to contact the module convenor and/or
your tutor. Student representatives can also be particularly effective where a number
of
students
are
affected
(contact
information
can
be
found
at
http://www.kent.ac.uk/law/studentgroups/index.html).
If a matter about teaching and learning remains unresolved at the module level,
students should in the first instance consult Kent Law School’s Director of Learning
and Teaching (see list on page 5). If any non-teaching matter remains unresolved,
then recourse may be had to the Head of School, or to the Dean of the Faculty of
Social Sciences.
Non-academic issues should be raised initially with your personal tutor or the Student
Advisors.
The complaints procedure is covered in the Stage I and Stage II handbooks, and the
full versions can be found at:
http://www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/quality/guidance/appeals.html
http://www.kent.ac.uk/regulations/Regulations%20Booklet/Student-Charter-2008.pdf
This deals with both academic and non academic complaints.
31
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING (PDP)
What is PDP?
PDP is the process by which you can reflect on and evaluate the skills that you
already have, and the additional skills you want to develop, during your time at Kent
and beyond.
You may already have a Personal Development Plan you have begun before you
came to University, at school or in the workplace. If so, you can continue to update
this journal during your time at University or you can develop a new one using the
resources available here.
Your first year tutor will discuss your personal development plan with you during your
meeting with him or her in the first term. PDP involves keeping a record which you
regularly update as you progress through your university course and career. This
journal will be useful in planning your career choices, next steps after University, and
for reference purposes.
Why bother with PDP?




It saves time later: the process of evaluating and recording the skills that
you already have and those you need to develop is a necessary activity
when putting together a comprehensive CV.
It’s a competitive world: by identifying potential weaknesses early on you
can take time to address areas where you need further experience or
training. It is a means of planning ahead.
It is a reflective process: this is a means by which you can think through the
goals that you may wish to pursue in the future and plan how you can
achieve them. Critical self-reflection is a transferable skill in itself.
References: you may want to pass a copy of your PDP (or part of it) to your
tutor / Student Advisors to keep in your file for reference purposes.
Suggested web-pages
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sk/skillsmenu.htm This site is part of the university careers
service page. It includes a straightforward suggested format for a Personal
Development Statement for students to complete and save.
http://spider.kent.ac.uk/PDP/sitefiles/Keynote_PDP-sitefiles/index.htm
This is a
more detailed set of pages to produce a comprehensive PDP. It can be accessed
via the UELT site.
32
Examples of skills you may develop during your time at Kent
Communication
IT Skills

Publicity for a
 Using e-mail, forums and message boards to
student society
communicate
 Writing letters to
 Word processing reports and essays
raise
 Producing publicity for student societies
sponsorship
 Using online sources of information
 Member of the
staff/student
Learning to Learn / Academic
committee
 Oral
 Meeting academic deadlines on assessments
presentations
 Reading and digesting complex material
 Project reports
 Research skills for a project / dissertation
 Canvassing for
 Prioritizing workloads
elections
 Working as part of a team for assessment
 Public speaking/
 Mooting
debating
 Language courses
 Talking to visiting
 Study at another European University
6th form students
 Making presentations
 Working towards professional legal
Numeracy
qualifications

Treasurer of a
Working with Others
student society
 Work experience
 Membership of student committees &
involving money
positions of responsibility – chair, secretary,
 Negotiating
treasurer
prices for a
 Work in the Law Clinic
social function
 Student representatives at departmental /
 Statistical
faculty level
analysis in
 Mentoring
course work
 Team sports – positions of responsibility
 Membership of orchestra, choir or band,
Work
creative activities
 Sharing a flat successfully
 Taking part in a theatrical play or musical
 Part-time jobs
 Duke of Edinburgh award
 Voluntary work
 Work experience
and placements Other Skills
 Work abroad
 Driving Licence
 Leadership roles
 Linguistic skills
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FAQ’S
I want to change degree programme
You will need to contact the Director of Studies, Lisa Dickson, to discuss any possible
change. Information on programmes can be found on the web at
http://www.kent.ac.uk/law/undergraduate/index.html
(programme specifications may be found at http://www.kent.ac.uk/socsci/index.html)
My modules are not showing on Moodle
If your modules are not appearing in Moodle, you will first need to ensure you are
registered for the correct modules on the Student Data System. If you are NOT
registered for the correct modules, please contact Faculty of Social Sciences
(ss_ugo@kent.ac.uk). If you have recently registered for a module, please be aware
that it takes 24 hours for the relevant module to appear on Moodle.
If you are still missing modules on Moodle after this period, please contact klswebadmin@kent.ac.uk.
I cannot log on to Moodle
First, try logging on to Kentmail. If you are unable to do this, you will need to contact
IT Helpdesk (helpdesk@kent.ac.uk 01227 824999).
If you are able to log on to Kentmail, but not Moodle, please email klswebadmin@kent.ac.uk with your name and your login and we will look into the
problem.
Where do I find my marks?
Your marks can be found on the Student Data System, which can be found from the
Student Portal. From there, click on 'Details & Study' on the left-hand side and then
'My Marks'. For each module there will be a button to click which will show you any
marks that have been input.
How do I change my seminar group?
You will need to contact Kent Law School UG Office and complete a seminar change
form. You will need to provide a reason for the change and please be aware you can
only change into groups where spaces exist.
My programme includes a year abroad, how will I get information about this?
The convenor for your programme will arrange special sessions about your year
abroad; you will be sent e-mails inviting you to attend. If you have any questions
contact your programme convenor, their details can be found in the list at the front of
this handbook.
How do I add a year abroad?
In the first instance you will need to contact the Director of the Programme you wish
to change into and finally a change will need to be approved by the relevant
Programme Director.
How do I Intermit/Withdraw?
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You will need to contact your Personal Tutor to discuss intermission/withdrawal and
complete the relevant paperwork. Please be aware that for intermissions there is a
deadline of the end of week 15, by which the process must be completed. This
means if you are thinking of intermitting you will need to contact your personal tutor
well before this date.
What happens if I am ill?
You should email the seminar leader of the class you are missing to let them know
that you will not be there.
It is your responsibility to ensure you catch up on any work you missed.
I am unhappy with my coursework mark
Marks for coursework are a matter of academic judgement and are, therefore, not
subject to appeal for re-marking.
However, you should contact your seminar leader to discuss your assessment and
obtain feedback as to how you can improve in the next assessment.
How do I contact academic staff?
Telephone and email contact details for all academic staff are available on the KLS
web pages. In addition, academic staff have regular office hours where students can
just turn up. Please see the following web link for staff office hours
https://www.kent.ac.uk/law-local/general/officehours.doc
Will I get an opportunity to tell you what I think of my programme and
modules?
You will have various opportunities to tell us your opinions. You will be given an
opportunity at the end of each module to anonymously evaluate all aspects of the
module. In addition, as you progress through your programme various surveys are
undertaken to obtain your views on your programme and other aspects of university
life.
Every year student representatives are elected by the student body, student
representatives contribute to committees at all levels of the University and are
another route by which the views of students are communicated at School, Faculty
and University level.
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