Message from the Principal, Milton Keynes College.
Welcome to Milton Keynes College!
You have joined a College where students from a diverse range of backgrounds share one common goal – to be successful.
Our job is to help you do just that, by providing excellent teaching and resources, backed-up by support when you need it.
We also want your experience here to be enjoyable and this handbook will give you an early flavour of College life in its broadest sense.
On behalf of the staff and the Board of Governors, I wish you every success and look forward to meeting you.
Julie Mills
Principal and Chief Executive
Message from the Team
Welcome to our Foundation Degree which is organised in conjunction with the
University of Bedfordshire. You have been selected for the programme because we believe you can be successful. Our aim is to support students in achieving the very best that they can and are proud of the number who have progressed to a successful 3 rd year with the
University of Bedfordshire.
For many of you it will be a return to education after a number of years and you may be feeling nervous as well as enthusiastic about getting started. We aim to help you with adapting and with developing the skills you will need. There is a personal Development unit embedded into tutorial which involves working on skills development as well as strengths and weaknesses within the group, including individuals. There will be opportunity for one to one meetings to discuss any difficulties you may have. We like to think we are approachable and wanting to help as much as possible.
For all of you it will be a new experience and will involve a journey towards becoming an independent learner with a critical approach to the subject matter. You will be developing and evaluative approach to the resources and research available and you will be developing the skills for structured and logical argument.
Some of you may have ideas of what you would like to do long term while some of you may be very unsure. There is an emphasis on employability in the programme and apart from the work experience or volunteering that you will be involved in, there is opportunity to spend time exploring different career options over the two years.
Whatever your starting point it will involve hard work and reading as it is a full time course which means a considerable amount of private study. We hope you enjoy the academic experience and the interaction with a range of students. Above all we wish you every success for the two years you are with us.
Judy Mudge
Karen Brasher
Tom Lynds

Tutors on your programme.
Judy Mudge Course Leader/Personal Tutor
Tel. 01908 688254 judy.mudge@mkcollege.ac.uk
Karen Brasher Karen.brasher@mkcollege.ac.uk
Tom Lynds Tom.lynds@mkcollege.ac.uk
Term Dates
Term 1
Teaching Oct. 1 st . - Oct. 24 th
Reading week Oct. 27 th - Oct. 31 st
Teaching Nov. 3 rd – Dec. 19 th
Christmas Holiday Dec. 22 nd - Jan. 2 nd
Term 2
Teaching Jan. 6th - Feb 13 th
Reading Week Feb. 16 th - Feb. 20 th
Teaching Feb. 23 rd - March 26 th
Easter Holiday March 30 th - April 13 th
Term 3
Teaching April 14 th – May 22 nd Course End

Year/
Semester
Year 1,
Semester 1
Year 1,
Semester 2
Introduction to
Psychology
PSY016-1
30Credits
Modules
Personal and
Professional
Development
15 credits
Psychology and
Criminology in
Practice (WBL module 1)
PSY014-1
15 credits
Questions of
Diversity and
Difference
PSY012-1 15 credits
Introduction o social Research
PSY010-1
15 credits
Introduction to
Criminal justice
Code
30 credits
Year 2,
Semester 1
Year 2,
Semester 2
Social and
Developmental
Psychology
PSY015-2
30 credits
Work-based learning module 2
PSY010-2
45 credits
Applied
Psychology and
Criminology.
PSY013-2
15 credits
Advanced Criminological
Theory 1. Causes an correlates of Crime and
Criminality.
PSY011-2
15 credits.
Total of 240 credits.
To pass the first year, a student needs to have attempted all assignments and to achieve a minimum of 90 credits.
To achieve the Foundation Degree you need to pass all 2 nd year units. It is possible to gain a distinction if you have an average score in the A band for 2 units.
You will also receive a handbook for each unit which summarises the teaching content and the assignments. You will also be given an assignment schedule with submission dates for the year.
Occasionally dates need to be changed but normally they are fixed and there are only extensions if there is evidence of mitigating circumstances. (See below)
Each 15 credit unit will involve 2 assignments while 30 credit units involve 3 assignments. You need to pay careful attention to submission dates as it is very important they are adhered to. Extensions are only given under exceptional circumstances. Typical acceptable reasons are listed below. To request an extension the relevant form needs to be completed and evidence must be provided. The subject tutor and personal tutor will then decide whether the request can be accepted and a new date agreed. Request forms are kept on file.
Assignments are submitted through BREO, the University of Bedfordshire learning environment.
Copies of handbooks, assignment briefs and the extension request form are also on BREO. All assignments go through the Turnitin system which identifies levels of plagiarism. (content that has been taken directly from a source and is not referenced). Plagiarism is discussed further below. It is our aim to return work to you graded and with feedback within three weeks. This process also takes place through BREO.
If an assignment is not handed in by the deadline and there is no extension or extension pending, it will be regarded as a non-submission and can be subject to a summer referral.
This means a new assignment is set in the summer which the student can submit by a
Researching
Psychology
PSY012-2 15 credits

deadline although the maximum grade will be a D-. Summer referrals are not automatic and if a student has more than two of these across units then they may not be offered more and they may fail the year.
Presentations and exams. If a student fails to attend a presentation or an exam, there needs to be evidence of special circumstances for an extension so an alternative date can be arranged. If this is not the case then the student may be offered a summer referral with a maximum grade of D-. As stated above, however, if you have more than two of these across the units then you may not be offered this opportunity and you may fail the year.
Referrals. If any assignment does not meet the criteria to pass you will be given one opportunity to resubmit. Again, in this instance, the maximum grade will be a D-.
Mitigating Circumstances are any serious or exceptional factors outside a student’s control that may prevent them from carrying out their academic work. For example, they may have been ill or suffered the death of a close relative. The team aim to support students in these circumstances and can negotiate alternative submission dates. It is important to let us know as quickly as possible of any serious reason why you may not be able to meet deadlines. You will need to complete an extension request form, (available on BREO), so the request can be considered. Any application made for
Mitigating Circumstances must be supported by official and independent evidence.
• being the victim of a serious crime, such as robbery, burglary or a violent assault during the period immediately preceding the assessment
• an acute illness such that a reasonable person would have been unable to carry out the assessment task as required
• birth of a baby and/or unforeseen pregnancy complications
• serious personal injury, such as a broken limb, or a medical condition requiring hospital attention or one with an incapacitating effect
` • the serious illness or death of a close relative: normally a partner, parent, child or sibling
Occasionally there are other serious personal circumstances which can be considered but there still needs to be available evidence.
Plagiarism is taken very seriously by the university and by Milton Keynes College. Plagiarism occurs when work is copied or a student closely paraphrases a portion of material without acknowledging the source. The copied work may be from a book, an article or material downloaded from the Internet. This includes diagrams or other visual material that may be copy pasted from the web without re-wording and without attributing them to the original authors. (Attribution is crediting the source.) It could also be copied from another student, past or present, with or without their knowledge or permission.
It is therefore very important that you develop the referencing skills required on the programme and the skill of putting information into your own words. Even the latter will need referencing. We use APA (American Psychological Association) referencing on our programme, in line with University of Bedfordshire and most university psychology departments. You will be given help and advice on referencing at the start of the programme and we have a librarian, Sarah, who can also advise.
Plagiarism is taken very seriously and can lead to an assignment receiving a fail.

At the start of the programme the group will agree ground rules which ensure that we work together in an environment where everyone is respected and can learn effectively. This includes listening to one another, keeping mobile phones off or on silent and arriving on time so the rest of the group are not disturbed.
The college and the university place an emphasis on equality of opportunities and the recognition of diversity, for example gender, age and culture. We value all our students and expect our students to value one another’s different needs and opinions.
Attendance on this programme is very important to achievement. A variety of teaching methods are used by the staff including individual or group activities to enhance learning.
Some assignments require group/team work, eg. developing an experiment as a group or preparing a presentation. While the staff will help students to catch up if there has been a serious reason why a student has missed sessions, the onus is on the student to make sure they catch up by using information on BREO or from other students. Assignments are explained and discussed in the sessions so again it is important to be there for the advice that is given.
You may be given reading to do in preparation for sessions and you will increasingly need to be doing independent research for assignments or to prepare for discussion or activities in the classroom. So while you are in college two days a week this is a full time course.
During tutorial there will be specific study advice and support with the skills you need for success. This will include research skills. Sarah Evans in the learning Resource centre is also very willing to help students with research.
Some students bring their own lap tops or tablets into the sessions and this can be very useful for notes, referring to work they have done, finding research or for group activities.
There are also computers available in the Silbury campus which can be used during sessions or for personal use outside of session hours. As a college student you also have access to the computers at Bletchley and Chaffron Way LRC IT Centres – opening times are displayed at each campus.
You will be provided with a computer network account automatically, which is activated by swiping your ID card through the wall boxes that can be found at Reception and in the LRCs.
You use your account by supplying your user name and a password, which only you will know, each time you start a computer session.
The College provides a helpdesk facility for all computer resources. If you have difficulty with your account, or with IT equipment, the problem should be reported either to a tutor or a member of LRC staff who will ensure that it is resolved.

BREO is the university learning environment and will be very important to you. You will find that each unit has its own area where there will be copies of materials, power points, assignment briefs and other important information. You will also receive messages with information for the whole group. You will be submitting your assignments in through BREO which automatically puts them through Turnitin which identifies plagiarism. At the appropriate time you will be able to see your mark for assignments through your own log in.
Logging in requires you to use you university of Bedfordshire membership number which you will be given at enrolment.
BREO is also a source for general information on study skills, as well as resources through the ‘library’ and access to journals available on line. You will be given help and advice in how to use the system.
It is important to us to receive feedback from students. You will be asked to agree on student representatives near the start of the programme. The team will meet with them on a regular basis to discuss what is going well and any areas we need to change or improve. There will also be informal discussion during tutorial. Although there will be representatives, any student can approach us if they have any concerns or any ideas for improvement. If you have a complaint we would encourage you to approach the member of staff and/or personal tutor in the first place. If necessary, you can report your complaint to reception.
Assessment on the programme is subject to rigorous moderation procedures. Initially there is an internal moderation process for all assessments. The work is then second marked/moderated by a representative from the University of Bedfordshire. Finally the work is moderated by an external examiner from a university other than the University of
Bedfordshire.
If you feel that any of your assessed work has been unfairly or inconsistently marked you can appeal. Initially we would expect you to approach the member of staff. If this does not resolve the situation you can speak to the Personal tutor/Course leader. The course leader will arrange for a moderation/second marking by one of the internal team and then if necessary by the representative from University of Bedfordshire. While you will be able to see your marks as you progress on BREO, they are not final until after the moderation process and the external examiner’s report.
The College has a responsibility under the Health and Safety at Work Act (HASAWA) 1974 and associated legislation to ensure, as far as reasonably practical, the health, safety and welfare of students both on site and off site. HASAWA also identifies responsibility for both the individual and the employer.
A copy of the Health and Safety Policy is available on the student intranet . It is the duty of everyone to ensure that any activity or situation tha t could put a person’s health or safety at risk is reported to a member of staff immediately.
If you have an accident and injure yourself, please let a member of staff know immediately in order that first aid can be arranged. A College accident report form will be completed for all accidents and this information is collected centrally.

In the event of an emergency a continuous fire alarm will sound, please leave by the nearest and safest fire exit and go straight to your designated assembly point .
The lift must not be used under any circumstances.
If the alarm sounds, leave the building immediately. Once you have left the building, do not go back inside until a designated Fire Warden tells you it is safe to do so. Information on fire evacuation and assembly points is displayed in classrooms, workshops, corridors and refectories. It is your responsibility to read and understand this information so that you are aware of what to do if there is an emergency. Please ask a member of staff if you are unsure about anything.
If you have mobility difficulties, you will be issued with a personal emergency and evacuation plan. Please make sure that you have your plan with you at all times. In the case of an emergency please make your way to the nearest and safest refuge point and advise the Fire
Marshall who will make arrangements for you to get out of the building.
Learning Support can be provided to Higher Education students who have additional support needs, but you will need to apply for a Disabled Students’ Allowance. You will need to apply for this allowance through the Student Loans Company www.gov.uk
, but the college
Learning Support team can help with your application. Support can then be arranged through the College or independently, but if arranged independently it is important that you inform Tim Gallagher, the Programme Manager for Learning Support, so that any exam considerations at College can be accommodated.
It is important that you are sure you are in a position to take on a full time programme. You need to consider your personal circumstances in the light of this. There is a wide range of career paths but you do need to make sure this is really what you want to study. Most students have outside commitments and some paid work. Working too many hours, however, can result in underachievement or failure. We aim for our students to reach as high a level as possible. Assuming this is your aim, you need to make sure you are in a position where you can produce your best.
Tuition Fee Payments
Fees are due at the time of enrolment and can be paid by cheque (payable to Milton Keynes
College), standing order (if paying by instalments)or credit/debit card , company sponsor or from a funding agency such as The Student Loan Company. If you have applied for a Higher
Education Tuition Fee Loan, proof will be required at enrolment.
Students who withdraw early are still required to pay their tuition fee to the College even if their fee liability with the Student Loan Company ceases. The College has several sanctions in place for non-payment of tuition fee and these will be one or all of the following:
1.
Non-payment – you will be unable to attend campus based sessions
2.
Non-payment – your access to online support via BREO will be restricted
3.
Non-payment – you will not be able to progress onto year two of your programme
4.
Non-payment – your outstanding debt will transferred to a third part debt recovery agent or small claims court
Higher Education tuition fees are liable for each academic year of your programme so please bear this in mind if you are self-funding. The College will only consider

refunds or fee waivers in exceptional circumstances, which must be made in writing clearly stating the issues. This is the norm in all universities.