Undergraduate Student Handbook 2014-­‐2015 School of PPLS Undergraduate Student Handbook – Contents
Semester dates (2014-2015 academic year)
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Important links
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MyEd
Virtual Learning Environment (Learn)
DRPS (Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study
Student support and academic guidance
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Personal Tutors
Student Support Officer
Degree Transfers
Undergraduate Teaching Office
Tier 4 Students
Illness, personal problems and disabilities
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Submission and return of coursework
Feedback
Late coursework and extensions
Plagiarism
Exams and marks
University assessment regulations
University Extended Common Marking Scheme
Guide to Honours degree classification
Additional PPLS support
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Students with illness or personal problems (special circumstances)
Students with disabilities
Coursework and Assessment
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14
Speaking up group
Staff-Student Liaison Committees
Study Abroad
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Useful sources of advice
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The Advice Place
Making the most of your studies
Main Library
Information Services
International Office
Academic Registry
Careers Service
Page | 2 THE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT HANDBOOK
This handbook will provide you with general information to assist you through your time at
Edinburgh University. If you are looking for course specific information such as deadline
dates, staff contact details etc. please refer to your individual course guides. The course
guides are available through Learn or available to download here http://www.ppls.ed.ac.uk/
and then clicking on the relevant degree programme.
SEMESTER DATES
Semester 1
Semester 2
08 Sept – 12 Sept 2014
Freshers Week
12 Jan – 03 April 2015
Semester 2 Teaching Weeks
15 Sept –28 Nov 2014
Semester 1 Teaching Weeks
16 Feb – 20 Feb 2015
Innovative Learning Week
08 Dec – 19 Dec 2014
Winter Exam Block
06 Apr – 17 Apr 2015
Spring Vacation
22 Dec 2013 – 09 Jan 2015
Winter Vacation
27 Apr – 22 May 2015
Spring Exam Block
25 May 2015
Summer Vacation Starts
IMPORTANT LINKS
MyEd is the University of Edinburgh student portal. Here you have access to your university
email account, Learn, your grades, Library Resources and many more things www.myed.ed.ac.uk
Your university email address is your matriculation number with the letter ‘s’ in front and
‘@sms.ed.ac.uk’ at the end. It is the method that the University will use to contact you so it
is vital that you check it regularly. Failure to do so is not an acceptable excuse for missing
something nor is it grounds for appeal against any penalties incurred. Instructions on how to
set up automatic forwarding on your sms account can be found at: http://edin.ac/16aIMQo
Virtual Learning Environment (Learn): All PPLS courses, and most others, use Learn, an
online tool designed to support teaching and learning. Staff use Learn as the primary form of
communication about courses. We strongly urge you to check Learn on a regular basis.
Module information, tutorial lists, hand outs, reading lists, contacts, handbooks and so on will
be made available on Learn.
To log into Learn:
• log into MyEd
• locate the ‘myLearn’ channel which is normally on the ‘Studies’ tab
• click on the ‘Launch my Learn page’ button
Please watch out for information on School and Subject Area noticeboards also.
Students have been given functionality to maintain their own personal details in EUCLID,
accessed via their MyEd ‘Student Personal Details’ channel. They can now maintain:
Page | 3 •
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Personal email address and mobile phone number
Preferred first name (the name they like to be known as)
Current and future home and semester addresses
Details of who the University should contact in the event of an emergency
Students now also have access in EUCLID to basic Programme information and details of
the Additional Achievements that will appear on their Higher Education Achievement Report
(HEAR).
The user guide for student self-service is available at:
http://www.euclid.ed.ac.uk/student/Student_Self_Service.htm
Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/14-­‐15/index.php – these contain authoritative descriptions of all courses, including class times, and degree
structures.
STUDENT SUPPORT AND ACADEMIC GUIDANCE
Personal Tutor - PPLS runs a Personal Tutor system to support all of its undergraduate
students. More details can be found on the PPLS website:
http://www.ppls.ed.ac.uk/students/undergraduate/student_support.php
Student Support Officer (SSO) - The Student Support Officers are located on the ground
floor of the Dugald Stewart Building:
Sarah Nicol
Room G.03
Tel: 0131-651 5505
Email: Sarah.Nicol@ed.ac.uk
Mhari Davidson
Room G.03
Tel: 0131-651 3737
Email: Mhari.Davidson@ed.ac.uk
Drop-in times: Monday – Friday
9.30am – 1pm and 2pm – 4.30pm.
The SSO acts as the primary point of contact and can:
! provide advice on curricula, regulations, procedures;
! process degree transfers;
! provide advice and support to students studying abroad and ensure that overseas
students are referred to the University International Office for advice on immigration
issues;
! provide standard letters for references, letting agencies and banks;
! help and advise students who have or may have special circumstances;
! help with other general enquiries relating to undergraduate study.
Degree Transfers
Students wishing to request a degree transfer should apply to the Student Support Officer for
the school that ‘owns’ the degree programme into which you want to transfer.
Please note that transfer procedures and deadlines for receiving transfer applications
vary from school to school and it is therefore critical that you check the information
available on schools’ websites and investigate the possibility of transfer with the
relevant school at an early stage.
For PPLS-owned degrees, this is done using the 'PPLS Degree Transfer' form downloaded
from here:
Page | 4 http://www.ppls.ed.ac.uk/students/undergraduate/student_support.php
Transfer applications will be considered after the June exam boards and up until Friday of
week 2, semester 1. Decisions are made by the PPLS UG Director and are based on:
!
Academic achievement at University
!
Academic achievement prior to entry and/or entry qualifications
!
Relevant special circumstances
It is important to note that transfers are NOT automatic and not always straightforward, even
for transfers between a combined honours degree and a related single honours degree
programme (e.g. MA Business Studies requires some compulsory courses to be taken at
first year). Again, early investigation of the possibility of transferring is advised.
The PPLS Undergraduate Teaching Office is located on the ground floor, room G.06 of
the Dugald Stewart Building. It is open for student enquiries from 9.30am to 1pm and 2pm
to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday. We are not open at weekends. For questions involving the
administration of the PPLS courses that you are taking, please contact the relevant course
secretary:
Philosophy (Y1/Y2):
Stephanie Fong
Tel: 0131-650 3628
Email: S.Fong@ed.ac.uk
Psychology (Y1/Y4) :
Fiona Graham
Tel: 0131-650 3440
Email: fgraham@ed.ac.uk
LEL (Y1/Y2):
Paula Phillip
Tel : 0131 650 3602
Email : p.philip@ed.ac.uk
Philosophy Honours (Y3/Y4):
Sue Richards
Tel: 0131-651 3733
Email:sue.richards@ed.ac.uk
Psychology (Y2/Y3):
Simon Cann
Tel: 0131-650 9870
Email:
simon.cann@ed.ac.uk
LEL Honours (Y3/Y4):
Frankie Kerr-Dineen
Tel: 0131-650 3961
Email: F.Kerr-Dineen@ed.ac.uk
The Teaching Office is managed by the School UG Administrator, Mrs Moira Avraam who is
responsible for the provision of support and guidance for all Undergraduate Teaching
Administration.
The School UG Administrator also acts as Senior Student Support Officer in matters of
relative complexity.
Mrs Moira Avraam
Room 1.05
Dugald Stewart Building
Tel: 0131 650 3661
Email: moira.avraam@ed.ac.uk
Many academic staff keep regular office hours, and are available during these periods to
provide extra support for students. You may use these periods to consult staff about issues
arising from their lectures or for tips for further study in their specialist field. Other staff may
offer a variety of alternative ways to support student learning. These may include post
lecture sessions, ad hoc meetings, and scheduled learning consolidation time.
Page | 5 Attendance by ALL students at University classes, lectures and tutorials etc
The University expects all students to attend all their University classes, lectures and
tutorials etc, whether or not these are described as “compulsory” by the School. This
includes participating fully in the requirements of all courses, including submitting
assignments, contributing to tutorials and workshops or laboratories, attending meetings with
Personal Tutors and sitting examinations.
Your attendance will be monitored by the School, so that staff can help you to manage your
progress through the courses. We will do this so we can be quickly alerted to any additional
pastoral or academic support needs any student might require, and so that the School can
provide advice, guidance or support in a timely and useful manner. If you are ill or have to
miss a lecture or more importantly a tutorial for any reason, please contact the teaching
office or relevant course secretary as soon as possible.
Students on a Tier 4 Visa
As a Tier 4 student, the University of Edinburgh is the sponsor of your UK visa. The
University has a number of legal duties to manage our sponsorship of your visa. These
include:
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monitoring your attendance on your programme and
reporting to the Home Office where you suspend or withdraw from your studies,
complete them early, fail to register or are repeatedly absent to the point of being
excluded from studies.
As a student with a Tier 4 visa sponsored by the University of Edinburgh, the terms of your
visa require you to, (amongst others):
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Ensure you have a correct and valid visa for studying at the University of Edinburgh,
which, if a Tier 4 visa, requires that it is a visa sponsored by the University of Edinburgh;
Attend all of your University classes, lectures, tutorials, etc where required. This includes
participating in the requirements of your course including submitting assignments,
attending meetings with tutors and attending examinations .If you cannot attend due to
illness, for example, you must inform your School. This includes attending Tier 4 Census
sessions when required throughout the academic session.
Please note that any email relating to your Tier 4 sponsorship, including census dates and
times will be sent to your University email address - you should therefore check this
regularly.
Further details on the terms and conditions of your Tier 4 visa can be found in the
“Downloads” section at www.ed.ac.uk/immigration
Information or advice about your Tier 4 immigration status can be obtained by contacting the
International Student Advisory Service, located at the International Office, 33 Buccleuch
Place, Edinburgh EH8 9JS
Email: immigration@ed.ac.uk
ILLNESS, PERSONAL PROBLEMS AND DISABILITIES
Students with illness or personal problems (special circumstances)
A student experiencing a serious disruption to their studies, which is affecting their
coursework or exams due to medical or other unforeseen circumstances, may submit a
Special Circumstances form with supporting medical evidence, completed in consultation
with their Personal Tutor and lodged with the SSO. The SC form can be downloaded here:
http://edin.ac/1wxkqgV Page | 6 Students with disabilities
If a student with a disability requires adjustments to be made to ensure access to lectures,
tutorials or exams, or assist with any other aspect of their studies, the student should discuss
this, in the first instance, with the Student Disability Service (SDS). Students can
contact/drop in to the SDS, 3rd floor, Main Library, George Square (tel 0131 650 6828) to
make an appointment with a SDS Advisor. Students should be advised to make an
appointment with the SDS as soon as possible as, for example; there are deadlines if a
student requires exam-related adjustments to be in place by the end of the relevant exam
block.
The SDS Advisor can discuss possible adjustments and specific examination arrangements
(if relevant), assist with an application for Disabled Students’ Allowance, give information
about available technology and personal assistance such as note takers, proof readers or
dyslexia tutors, and prepare a Learning Profile which outlines recommended adjustments.
The student will be expected to provide the SDS with evidence of disability – either a letter
from a GP or specialist – or evidence of specific learning difficulty. For dyslexia or dyspraxia,
this evidence must be a recent Chartered Educational Psychologist’s assessment using
Adult Tests (for further information, see the SDS website:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/student-disability-service
The SSO and PPLS Coordinator of Adjustments (ppls.coa@ed.ac.uk) are always willing to
discuss disability issues with a student prior to contact with the SDS, if required.
COURSEWORK AND ASSESSMENT
Submission and return of coursework
All PPLS courses follow different procedures for submitting coursework. Please follow the
specific instructions you have been given for your course in the individual course guides.
Further information is available on Learn or from the Course Secretary.
Essays will be returned after they have been marked and moderated, and feedback has
been provided for each of them. It is the School's policy that marked coursework is to be
returned to students within three working weeks of submission. Please remember that
University holidays and vacation periods do not count as working weeks. The submission
dates of coursework are available in the course guides and/or on Learn.
Feedback
Feedback to students is provided in a number of ways and can vary from course to course.
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Verbal feedback provided by lecturers in class discussions
Verbal feedback available through individual discussion of your work with your
lecturer, for example during consultation hours
Written feedback provided by the marker(s) of your work
The University's Common Marking Scheme can be used in conjunction with formal
feedback to identify further strengths and weaknesses
The University has agreed standards required of feedback and a framework of guiding
principles to underpin the effective provision and use of feedback by your teachers and by
yourself, as a student. For information: http://edin.ac/1eUI7xh
Late coursework and extensions
Late coursework submitted without an authorised extension will be recorded as late and the
following penalties will apply: 5% will be deducted for every working day it is late, up to a
maximum of 5 working days. After this time a mark of zero will be recorded. These penalties
follow the University’s Undergraduate Assessment Regulations:
http://edin.ac/14CNYQg
Page | 7 Late coursework will only be accepted without penalty if you have provided a good reason
and have been granted an extension.
Coursework Extensions
Students are expected to monitor their workload, be aware of all deadlines and be able to
organise themselves accordingly. Extension requests should be submitted before the
submission deadline. They must be submitted to the Teaching Office for approval, and must
include details of the assessment(s) affected and length of extension requested, together
with supporting evidence if required. Other than in exceptional circumstances, extensions
will only be granted in cases of illness or family emergency. If students are seeking
extensions for more than one week, they must provide medical evidence and/or discuss the
request with the SSO. Extension requests due to time mismanagement, personal
computing/printing problems or ignorance of deadline will not be accepted. The Teaching
Office will confirm whether the extension has been granted and this decision is final; if
students feel that they have been unfairly denied an extension they should make a case to
the special circumstances committee for the removal of late submission penalties at the
examination board. Retrospective extensions will not be granted. However, late submission
penalties may be waived if a student requests an extension on the day of the submission
deadline but cannot get medical evidence until some days later. Extensions include
weekends and University holidays. If an extended deadline falls on a weekend, you will have
until the next working day to submit. Submission should be by the original submission time
unless advised otherwise.
Dissertation Extensions
Requests for extensions for dissertations or long essays must be supported by evidence
where possible, and must be authorised by the Course Organiser, Exam Board Convenor, or
SSO.
Students with Adjustment Schedules
Extension requests from students with adjustment schedules that allow 'short notice
extensions' will be treated sympathetically where possible. Students should, however, be
prepared to give a reason for the extension request; simply citing an adjustment schedule is
not an adequate reason. If students are seeking extensions for more than one week, they
must provide medical evidence and/or discuss the request with the SSO.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of copying or including in one’s own work, without adequate
acknowledgement, intentionally or unintentionally, the work of another, for one’s own benefit.
Plagiarism is a serious disciplinary offence and even unintentional plagiarism can be a
disciplinary matter. Plagiarism is a form of cheating. Further information on this, including
advice on how to avoid plagiarism is included on the University website:
http://edin.ac/161lzRl
Use of Plagiarism Detection Software
Note that computers may be used to detect plagiarism, whether by using something as
simple as a search engine such as Google (it is as easy for a marker to find online sources
as it is for you) or something more complex for specialised comparisons of work. Some
courses will use the JISC plagiarism detection service.
The plagiarism detection service is an online service hosted at www.submit.ac.uk that
enables institutions and staff to carry out electronic comparison of students' work against
electronic sources including other students' work. The service is managed by The University
of Northumbria on behalf of the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) and is available
to all UK tertiary education institutions by subscription.
Page | 8 The plagiarism detection service works by executing searches of the World Wide Web and
extensive databases of reference material, as well as content previously submitted by other
users. Each new submission is compared with all the existing information. The software
makes no decisions as to whether a student has plagiarised, it simply highlights sections of
text that are duplicated in other sources. All work will continue to be reviewed by the course
tutor. As such, the software is simply used as a tool to highlight any instance where there is
a possibly case of plagiarism. Passages copied directly or very closely from existing sources
will be identified by the software, and both the original and the potential copy will be
displayed for the tutor to view. Where any direct quotations are relevant and appropriately
referenced, the course tutor will be able to see this and will continue to consider the next
highlighted case.
Once work has been submitted to the system it becomes part of the ever growing database
of material against which subsequent submissions are checked. The copyright in each work
submitted remains with the original author, but a non-exclusive, non-transferable, licence is
granted to permit use of the material for plagiarism detection purposes.
Plagiarism in student publications
The results from student coursework (projects, literature reviews, dissertations) can
sometimes be of high enough quality to be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed
journal and/or presentation at a conference. This is particularly true for 4th year
dissertations, but can apply to any work of sufficient quality, and especially where novel data
or ideas are generated. Most projects are conceived of (or have their principal methodology
designed) by the faculty staff-member supervisor. In such cases, students should not expect
to play an authorship role unless the student has been invited to contribute to the writing of
the manuscript. For projects that are conceived of (and/or are primarily designed) by the
student(s), a discussion between the supervisor and student(s) should take place to clarify
each person's level of contribution, and, if a paper is to be written, the order of authorship.
Students should note that it is essential that the supervisor's intellectual contribution to the
project and intellectual property rights are acknowledged, and that therefore, the output of a
supervised project or review must NOT be submitted to a journal or conference without the
supervisor being consulted. A staff member’s supervision of projects represents intellectual
property in its own right, and so must be recognised when authorship is discussed. For
similar reasons, where two or more students collaborate on a project, all potential student
authors must also be consulted. Some guidelines for authorship are provided at:
http://edin.ac/1vbXkBe
Referencing
Each subject area uses its own preferred referencing style. Information on this should be
available in your programme or course handbook or online guidance. Please check with a
relevant member of academic staff if you are still unsure what referencing style you should
be following.
General guidance on referencing is available from LearnHigher:
http://www.learnhigher.ac.uk/writing-for-university/referencing/
Exams and marks
There are two main examination diets at the University of Edinburgh, in December and
April/May. The examination timetable for all exam diets is produced by Academic Registry
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/student-administration/exams/overview.
Please
remember that it is your responsibility to check the precise times and venues of your
examinations. It is possible that some will be scheduled on Saturdays.
For those failing or missing the pre honours exam, a resit examination is held in August. It is
the student's responsibility to check the resit timetable on the Academic Registry website,
Page | 9 and ensure they are present for that resit. No formal registration is necessary and students
will not be individually notified of the resit date and location of resit exams.
As stated in the University's Degree Examination Regulations, "candidates for degree
examinations may not appear for examination at times other than those prescribed, or at a
place other than the designated one, except in cases of serious illness, injury or physical
handicap, or on grounds of religious scruples or unavoidable overlapping of examination
hours, or in other exceptional circumstances". Any students who think they will be affected
by exceptional circumstances of this type should notify the Course Organiser at the earliest
possible opportunity.
After the Exam Board meetings in early June, you will receive marks for your dissertation
(Honours only) and for each of your assessed courses. These will be issued by Academic
Registry via MyEd. Please do not telephone Academic Registry or departmental staff to ask
for your results. It is not University policy to divulge results over the phone, and phone calls
slow down the processing of results. In cases of exceptional difficulty, you should consult
your Personal Tutor.
Please refer to the below link for University Assessment Regulations:
http://edin.ac/11mqc9n
Past exam papers are available on the Library web page:
http://www.lib.ed.ac.uk/resources/collections/exams.shtml
External Examining
PPLS Undergraduate Programmes are examined by the following External Examiners
appointed by the University:
Language Science Programme Examiners:
Dr Willem Hollmann, University of Lancaster
Dr Bronwen Evans, University College London
Dr Geoffrey Poole, University of Newcastle
Philosophy Programme Examiners:
Professor Max de Gaynesford, University of Reading
Dr Michael Scott, University of Manchester
Dr Beth Lord, University of Aberdeen
Psychology Programme Examiners:
Dr Astrid Schloerscheidt, University of Dundee
Dr Cris Burgess, University of Exeter
New External to be appointed
University Extended Common Marking Scheme
http://edin.ac/1pq2CXg
Page | 10 Extended Common Marking Scheme
Letter Grade
A1
A2
A3
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
Range
90 – 100
80 – 89
70 – 79
60 – 69
50 – 59
40 – 49
30 – 39
20 – 29
10 – 19
0–9
Descriptor
Degree Class
Excellent
1st
Very Good
Good
Pass
Marginal Fail
Clear Fail
2:1
2:1
3rd
Bad Fail
These descriptors are guidelines for assessing work on similar criteria across the range of
marks, but they do not provide a formula for generating a mark. It is clear, for example, that
a piece of work may be excellent in one respect and substandard in another. Markers will
have to make decisions on aggregate. Note that some descriptors will be more appropriate
for essay or project assessment than for examination answers.
Notable changes from our old criteria include:
(1) More emphasis on scholarly apparatus – Failure to acknowledge sources properly via intext references and bibliography can fail an essay.
(2) A view on irrelevant material. - Students are not at liberty to answer exam questions
which were not set. Irrelevant answers should normally be assigned a failing mark.
A1
90-100 Excellent
Outstanding in every respect, the work is well beyond the level expected of a
competent student at their level of study. It
• Shows creative, subtle, and/or original independent thinking
• Demonstrates breadth of knowledge and deep understanding of the subject
matter
• Draws on a wide, relevant literature base
• Demonstrates an excellent standard of synthesis and evaluation and a critical
and insightful analysis of the literature
• Is well focused, with concentration on the main issues to be addressed
• Presents a compelling case by means of clear logically structured argument or
debate, well supported with evidence
• Is written with flair
• Has, where appropriate, complete and correct referencing
• Is flawless in grammar and spelling
A2
80-89 Excellent
Outstanding in some respects, the work is often beyond what is expected of a
competent student at their level of study. It
• Shows original, sophisticated independent thinking
• Demonstrates a thorough understanding of the subject matter
• Draws on a wide, relevant literature base
• Demonstrates critical and insightful analysis of the literature
• Is well focused, with concentration on the main issues to be addressed
• Presents a strong case by means of clear, logically structured argument or
debate, supported with evidence
• Shows a good standard of academic writing
• Has, where appropriate, complete and correct referencing
Page | 11 • Shows a high standard of grammar and spelling
A3
70-79 Excellent
Very good or excellent in most respects, the work is what might be expected of a very
competent student. It
• Explores the topic under discussion fully
• Shows some complex and/or sensitive independent thinking Complexity and or
sensitivity is reflected in the argument
• Demonstrates a sound understanding of the subject matter
• Draws in a wide relevant literature base
• Demonstrates critical analysis of the literature
• Is well focused, with concentration on the main issues to be addressed
• Presents a good case by means of clear logically structured argument or
debate, supported by evidence
• Shows a competent standard of fluent academic writing
• Has, where appropriate, complete and correct referencing
• Shows a good standard of grammar and spelling
B
60-69 Very Good
Good or very good in most respects, the work displays thorough mastery of the
relevant learning outcomes. It
• Demonstrates a good understanding of the area in question
• Draws on adequate references
• Demonstrates good synthesis, analysis, reflection and evaluation of the
literature
• Concentrates on the main issues to be addressed
• Presents an adequate case by means of clear, well structured, logical
argument supported with evidence.
• Has, where appropriate, complete and correct referencing of sources
• Shows a good standard of grammar and spelling
C
50-59 Good
The work clearly meets requirements for demonstrating the relevant learning
outcomes. It
• Shows evidence of sufficient knowledge and understanding of the material
• Uses references appropriately to support the argument, though they may be
limited in number or reflect restricted reading.
• Demonstrates limited critical analysis and evaluation of sources of evidence.
• Addresses the area in question clearly and coherently
• Has satisfactory structure, presentation, and expression
• Has, where appropriate, complete referencing of sources, though there may be
minor flaws in referencing technique
D
40-49 Pass
The work meets minimum requirements for demonstrating the relevant learning
outcomes. It
• Demonstrates a sufficient level of knowledge and understanding but at a basic
level, and there may be minor inaccuracies
• Lacks detail, elaboration or explanation of concepts and ideas.
• Displays limited synthesis and analysis of the literature
• Presents a highly descriptive account of the topic with no real critical analysis
• Presents a weak argument which is not logically structured or which lacks
clarity or is based on unsubstantiated statements
• Has, where appropriate, complete referencing of sources, though there may be
flaws in referencing technique.
Page | 12 • Has largely satisfactory expression, though there may be minor spelling or
grammatical errors
E
30-39 Marginal fail
The work fails to meet minimum requirements for demonstrating the relevant learning
outcomes. It
• Does not demonstrate a sufficient level of knowledge and understanding
• Utilises only limited reference sources and offers poor analysis of them
• May not adequately address the area in question, because its content is too
limited or because there are some inaccuracies
• Presents a poorly structured, poorly developed, or incoherent argument, or no
argument at all
• Has an awkward writing style or poor expression of concepts
• Has incomplete or inadequately presented references
• Shows a lack of attention to spelling and grammar.
F
20-29 Clear fail
The work is very weak or shows a decided lack of effort. It
• Displays very poor or confused knowledge and understanding
• Does not address the area in question.
• Presents no argument or one based on irrelevant and erroneous content
• Displays an unacceptable academic writing style and /or presentation
• Has incomplete or inadequately presented references, if any
G
10-19 Bad fail
The work is extremely weak. It
• Displays no knowledge or understanding of the area in question
• Presents incomplete, muddled, and/or irrelevant material
• Provides no coherent discussion of the area in question
• Has incomplete or inadequately presented references, if any
H
0-9
Bad fail
The work is of very little consequence, if any, to the area in question. It
• Is incomplete in every respect.
Guide to Honours degree classification
For an overview of the rules for degree classification, see:
http://edin.ac/1wxOFEk
Page | 13 ADDITIONAL PPLS SUPPORT
Speaking Up Group
A small, informal group meets every Wednesday during semester time (commencing Week
3) at 3.30pm, location to be confirmed. The goal of the group is to help undergraduates with
making verbal contributions in tutorials and other discussion forums. The group's activities
are informed by a lot of background theory and practice regarding this issue. Speaking up in
discussions is a complex issue involving all sorts of cultural and subcultural norms, gender
issues, shyness, social phobias, speech impairments, and so on. Edinburgh undergraduates
come from a wide variety of social and educational backgrounds in which they have had
varying access to practice at speaking for different purposes in small and large groups of
different kinds. Many undergraduate courses give a mark for tutorial contributions. If you are
a student in any year, in any degree, and are concerned about your own readiness or skills
concerning speaking up in different university contexts, then you are encouraged to go along
to the group, perhaps just to listen initially. You will get more out of your undergraduate time
at Edinburgh, and develop a key skill for later life. (The group only meets if there is a
demand, but meetings can be readily started up anytime in semester time; contact Dr
Richard Shillcock r.shillcock@ed.ac.uk for any issues related to this group.)
Staff-Student Liaison Committee
Students have the opportunity to volunteer to be a class representative; information on this
will be emailed via the Teaching Office. Representatives must attend at least two meetings
a year with the course organiser or his/her delegate – these meetings form the Staff Student
Liaison Committee (SSLC). Ideally, these meetings occur in the middle and at the end of the
course and are an opportunity for the class to communicate both positive and negative
comments to staff about the running of the course, for the present year and for future years.
Minute of these meetings are posted on the PPLS website. All students are encouraged to
raise any issues through their class rep.
Psychology and Philosophy Library
Psychology is extremely fortunate in having its own library, in part, supported by the StirlingBoyd bequest and the Drever Fund and staffed during semester-time, by a full-time librarian,
Mrs Karen Fleet. The collection is used extensively by third and fourth year students and by
postgraduate and academic staff. All students must register with the librarian before using
this facility. Access is by matriculation card. This library space is now shared with
Philosophy, as after formation of the School of PPLS, the Haldane and Psychology libraries
amalgamated.
STUDY ABROAD
It is possible to study abroad under two different arrangements:
• the Erasmus Exchange Programme for study within Europe
• the International Exchange Programme for study beyond Europe
Students on non-compulsory years abroad will transfer credit only; you will proceed to your
4th year of study but your degree will normally be classified only on the basis of the work you
complete in your 4th year at Edinburgh. Please find further information here:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/international-office/go-abroad
USEFUL SOURCES OF ADVICE
The Advice Place
The University guidance services in Counselling, Health, Welfare, Accommodation,
Employment, Money and Funding, and Spiritual Affairs may be approached directly, or via
Personal Tutors. Further information can be found at http://www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/advice/.
Page | 14 Making the most of your studies
The Institute for Academic Development runs a programme of workshops designed to help
students make the most of their studies. There are workshops at various points in the year
on such topics as time management, oral presentations, exam revision, exams with essays.
Details of these workshops and of effective learning resource materials can be found at:
http://edin.ac/16xSwJ0
Main Library
First year students are provided for in the Reading Room of the Main Library in George
Square. There you should find copies of many of the references suggested in lectures, most
of them in multiple copies. Ask at the Library Information desk if you cannot see what you
want. Some copies at least will be kept in reserve so that they may always be consulted in
the Reading Room; others may be borrowed on short-term loan.
The main (borrowing) stock of psychology books and periodicals is housed on the third and
fourth floor; the books are available for loan; the main journals are confined to the Library,
but there is now access to electronic copies of psychology journals via the library website at
http://www.lib.ed.ac.uk/resources/collections/serials/ejintro.shtml
There is also study space on the third and fourth floors; on the same floors will be found the
biology and physiology collections which may be of interest. If you cannot get hold of a
reference, try to find out why not (e.g. on loan, temporarily missing, not known by Library
staff etc); if you do not, it is very difficult for Psychology staff to be of any help.
Occasionally, new references may not reach the Library by the time they are mentioned in
the course, due to delays in ordering from publishers overseas. Make a note of these and try
again in about a month’s time (they rarely require immediate attention) or ask the lecturer for
an alternative
reference.
Students who experience any difficulty with the Library’s provision in Psychology that the
Main Library staff cannot deal with, or who find a serious shortage of a particular book or
article, should get in touch as soon as possible with the Course Organiser.
Edinburgh University Information Services (IS)
IS provides a wide range of computer classes for undergraduates, as well as facilities for
self- teaching. In addition to running the open access labs, IS provides computing support
services for staff and students. IS produces an extensive range of documentation, ranging
from beginners guides to word-processing, through using equation editors, to advanced
guides to programming. The Learning and Resource Centre on the 2nd floor of the Main
Library provides a variety of facilities for
self-teaching computing and IT skills. The IS also runs a range of computing classes for
undergraduates covering both introductory and more advanced aspects of word-processing,
spreadsheets, email, and the internet. For further information on these classes you should
consult the IS website or visit the IS reception centre.
The website address is:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/information-services
International Office
The International Office offers advice to applicants, new students and current students who
are from outside the UK. They manage the University's exchange programmes, giving help
and advice to students who are considering study abroad in third year. They also advise
students who wish to come to Edinburgh on exchange or for a short period of study. They
can provide advice on visa extensions, on working in the UK during and after study and on
other matters.
Page | 15 The website address is: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/international-office. They
can be contacted by email at enquiries.international@ed.ac.uk or by telephone at +44 (0)131
650 4296.
Academic Registry
Academic Registry is responsible for student matriculation and fees. They administer
scholarships and financial aid, examinations, graduations, and maintenance of student
records - http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/student-administration/1.35314 Careers Service
Your University Careers Service is here to support you from Day 1, not just your final
year. They can assist you in finding semester-time, vacation and volunteering work to help
you finance and add value to your university experience, alongside your studies. They are
happy to help you explore your future direction, whatever year you’re in.
Whilst studying to gain the best degree you can is your priority, it’s also a good idea to take
advantage of the wide range of opportunities open to you as an undergraduate. These
include, volunteering, mentoring, taking on a role with a student society or club, study
abroad, group projects, part time work, summer jobs, delivering presentations, work
shadowing, to name but a few.
Getting involved with activities out with your studies has many advantages. You can:
• Develop and demonstrate skills and attributes, such as teamwork, communication,
time-management, customer service etc. Future employers will be looking for evidence
of relevant skills from all areas of your life, not just your studies.
• Broaden your horizons – new experiences can change your perspective, provide new
insights, alter your outlook, encourage you to consider different opportunities and
directions.
• Discover your strengths – what you’re good at, what you enjoy, how you can use
these strengths to your advantage in the workplace
Careers Service support includes:
• Semester and vacation job-opportunities
• Support with applications and interviews for part-time and vacation work
• Volunteering opportunities nationwide and abroad
• Talking through your immediate and future plans with a Careers Adviser.
• Edinburgh Award Programmes to help you get the most from your work, vacation and
volunteering and extra-curricular activities www.ed.ac.uk/careers/edinburgh-award .
• Information specifically for early-years students http://tinyurl.com/lrv7an9
For further information on all of the above, visit the Careers Service website,
www.ed.ac.uk/careers. The Careers Service is located on the 3rd floor of the Main Library
Building.
And specifically for PPLS students
• You can also browse the website for dedicated careers information and case studies for
PPLS students: http://www.ppls.ed.ac.uk/students/undergraduate/careers/index.php
• Your own careers blog http://pplscareersblog.wordpress.com/ - regular postings relevant
to PPLS students, to inform and inspire.
• Regular bookable appointments for PPLS students only, for quick career queries, in
DSB/7 George Sq, (in addition to those on offer at the Careers Service) - look out for the
emails advertising these sessions
Page | 16 What Next after University?
Honours years are an excellent time to start researching your future after graduation, if you
have not already done so.
The Careers Service can support you in your journey from university to your future after
graduation. They work with students and graduates from day one, to 2 years after
graduation.
They offer information, advice and guidance on:
• Career direction
• Gaining experience
• Job hunting
• CVs, applications and interviews
• Further study
• and more via their website, careers information centre, individual discussion with a
careers advisor, programme of talks and events, and other media.
Page | 17