Chris McGlinchey & Jenny Brown
Undergraduate Services
Congratulations
!
Who are Undergraduate Services?
 Undergraduate Office (D20 MBS East)
 Email: undergraduate@mbs.ac.uk
 Assessment and Student Support Centre (D14 MBS
East)
 Email: studentsupport@mbs.ac.uk
Your Arrival Pack
 Teaching Timetables;
 Health & Safety course information;
 Undergraduate online handbook;
 Academic Advisor information.
Timetable
Your timetable will be different each
week.
You are responsible for
checking your personal
timetable on the Student
System and making
sure that you are in the
right place at the
right time.
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Where to find information
 My Manchester
 Student System
 Online Undergraduate Handbook
 Blackboard
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Undergraduate Online Handbook:
https://ughandbook.portals.mbs.ac.uk/Home.aspx
 Programme Structure/Learning outcomes
 Specialism requirements (BSc Management only)
 Timetables
 Assessment rules
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Role of Blackboard
 All courses have a space in the Virtual Learning
Environment (Blackboard)
 You must frequently consult the Blackboard space for all
of your courses
 The resources on Blackboard are not a substitute for
attending teaching sessions.
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IT Information
 IT Account
 Register via the Student System
 Note your University of Manchester email address
 Storage – p-drive 200mb of space
 Printing
 PC labs
 Student Group Study Room – C11
 Wifi – eduroam
 IT Support – itservices.manchester.ac.uk
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Communication from
Undergraduate Services
 e-Bulletin every fortnight
 emails
 Texts
 Online Undergraduate Student Handbook
 Blackboard
 Notice boards
 Plasma screens
 Twitter/Facebook
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Degree weightings
 First year – need to pass to proceed to second year
 Marks do not count towards degree classification, but do
appear on a transcript of marks.
 Marks may be important when applying for internships/
work experience
 Second year – worth one third of your degree mark
 Final year – worth two thirds of your degree mark
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Approaches to teaching and
learning
 University teaching is different from school/ college
 Some very large lectures
 Some small group seminars/ workshops
 A range of teaching styles
 Lecturers, senior lecturers, professors, graduate teaching
assistants (GTAs), seminar leaders
 You are expected to be an independent learner
 You are responsible for your own learning
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What to expect
Some courses are assessed by exam only, some by coursework and
exams and some by coursework only
 It is important that you attend all your classes – lectures, seminars and
tutorials
 Information on Blackboard is not a substitute for teaching in class
 Ask if you need help – seminar leaders and lecturers can help
 Don’t be tempted to copy work (plagiarism), buy essays from the
internet or cheat in exams – the penalties are severe, even for a first
offence…
 Last year two students found cheating in first year exams had to resit all
their exams and had zero marks on their transcripts
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JB
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Need extra help with maths?
There are extra drop in maths surgeries each
semester for students who want more help. Look
out for details in the e-Bulletin
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Attendance and Engagement
You are expected to attend all
scheduled teaching session (lectures,
seminars, workshops etc)
You are expected to engage in all
scheduled teaching session (lectures,
seminars, workshops etc)
You are expected to avoid any
behaviour that would interfere with the
learning and engagement of others.
Seminar attendance will be monitored, and spot checks
may be conducted in lectures.
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Feedback
 Academic staff aim to provide feedback which is:
 Prompt
 Individual
 Constructive
 Related to progression
 Related to the learning outcomes
of the course unit
 Various formats
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Academic Advisors
 Every student will be assigned an academic advisor
 An academic advisor is a member of staff who you will get to know
over your first year, and who will remain with you throughout your
time on the programme.
 You will meet your academic advisor every fortnight as part of the
Academic and Career Development course (BMAN10780)with the
exception of BSc Accounting students.
 Your academic advisor will provide you with:
 A point of contact regarding academic issues
 Support in developing a personal development plan (PDP)
 Feedback on your progress
 A reference should you need one for a job, internship or further study
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Office hours
 Office hours are times
when academic staff are
available to meet students
 Academic staff should
display their office hours
on their door.
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Examination Periods
 3 examination periods
 January
 May/June
 August/September
 Ensure you can be in Manchester during each of
these periods
 Don’t book flights/holidays etc.
 Resits are for progression only, not a second
chance to gain a better mark.
 Exam information in special e-bulletin
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Religious Observance
 University avoids timetabling formal assessment on religious days
or festivals.
 Casual, social or domestic religious events not accounted for. Every
effort made to accommodate legitimate requirements.
 Examination and Religious Observance Form
 Student Services Centre.
 Full policy online here
https://portalcms.manchester.ac.uk/crucial-guide/academic-life/exams/timetable/religious-observance/
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Assessment and
Student Support Centre
 Advice, guidance and support
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Mitigating circumstances
Coursework extensions
Absence from class
Assessment queries
Progression rules
 Referral
 MBS East room D14
 Opening hours: 9am – 4pm / plus out of office hours
appointments
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Assessment and
Student Support Centre
 Referral centre
 Academic Advisors
 Peer Mentors
 Student Handbook
 International society
 International Advice Team, visa queries
 Halls of Residence
 Accommodation Office
 Disability Support Office
 Counselling service
 Careers service
 Student Services Centre
administration, registration, swipe cards, tuition fees, loans
 Occupational Health

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Mitigating Circumstances
 Circumstances beyond your control which adversely
affect assessment
 Complete a form at the earliest opportunity and
submit to Assessment and Student Support Centre
 Provide documentary evidence
 Support is available
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Register with a Doctor
 In Manchester
 At earliest opportunity
 Signing up for a local GP is easy. The NHS
website can tell you where your nearest one
is and if they are taking on new patients.
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Register with the Police
 International Students
 Register within 7 days of arrival
 Carry your police registration certificate with you
at all times
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English Language Support for International
Students
 University Language Centre run classes: writing, speaking,
grammar, pronunciation.
 To qualify you must take an online English Language
Proficiency Test.
 Results and recommendations for language support available
at the end of the test.
 Classes start 6th October-12th December 2014 and run again
in semester 2
 Academic writing tutorial service
 All information available at ULC website:
www.ulc.manchester.ac.uk
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Disability Support Office (DSO)
Provides a confidential service to support disabled students
(approx. 4000 a year) with issues such as:
 specific learning difficulties,
 mental health difficulties,
 medical conditions,
 deaf and hard of hearing students,
 blind and partially sighted students,
 students with autism/Asperger syndrome.
Location: University Place
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Student Services Centre (SSC)
The Student Services Centre provides a wide range of services
related to:
 registration,
 fee payment,
 immigration,
 examinations,
 scholarships and bursaries,
 official documentation, certificates and transcripts.
Location: Burlington Street
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Prizes
MBS award prizes for the best performing
students on each programme.
More information available from the online
undergraduate handbook
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During Welcome week you can spot AskMe ambassadors around
campus wearing purple AskMe t-shirts and hoodies; they will be
able to help you with any questions you might have on a range of
topics.
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Good luck &
keep in touch
HM
JB