Course Handbook GDL (CPE LLB) 2015-16 Contents Section Sources of Additional Information 1. Welcome 2. Your course team 3. An introduction to your course – aims and intended learning outcomes 4. The structure of your course 5. The Staffordshire Graduate and Employability 6. Professional recognition 7. Learning, teaching and assessment on your course 7.1 Learning and Teaching 7.2 Assessment 7.3 Placements and work-based learning 7.4 How to submit assessments 7.5 Feedback on your work 7.6 External examiners appointed to your course 8. Extra Costs 9. Communication 10. Support and Guidance (Including Personal Tutoring) 11. The Student Voice 12. Rules and Regulations Appendices Page Sources of Additional Information This handbook provides useful information about your course, how it will be delivered and how you will be assessed. It does not try to give you all the information you will need during your time at the university. More information can be found in the following places: On-Line Student Guide The on-line student guide (http://www.staffs.ac.uk/student/guide) provides important information about the university and the services available to students, including: Welcome Week Student Cards e:VisionStaffs Portal Our Student Charter The Staffordshire Graduate Term Dates Timetabling Student accommodation Campus and travel information Finance, fees and support Disclosure and Barring Service applications Visas Course and module enrolment Changing your award or modules Withdrawing or intermitting from your course University rules and regulations Disciplinary matters including academic misconduct Appeals and complaints Referencing and study skills (including guidance on completing assessments) What to do if you can’t hand in work due to circumstances beyond your control Examinations Getting feedback on your work The student voice Employability and careers IT services and support Disability and dyslexia Counselling The Nursery The Multi-Faith Chaplaincy Graduation Certificates, Transcripts and Verification Letters Module Handbooks Your course is made up from a number of individual modules. Detailed information on each module is provided in separate module handbooks. Your module tutor will tell you how to access the handbook for their module. The Blackboard On-Line Learning Environment Information and learning materials for your modules will be provided on the Blackboard online Learning Environment. Blackboard will form an important part of your learning experience. Please let your module tutor know if you encounter any problems accessing this material. 1|Page 1. Welcome You join us at a really exciting time as we launch our new, innovative and contemporary programmes. We use ‘real’ projects and create challenging problems for you to investigate. I am sure you will enjoy working through these challenges and exercises which will prepare you for the world of work – a world which is fast changing, demanding and increasingly competitive. You will notice that enterprise and entrepreneurship are important to us at the University; they are integral to the design of all our programmes. This means we need to have close connections with employers, business practitioners and professional bodies that help us make our courses relevant, interesting and up to date. As Staffordshire students and through the “Staffordshire Graduate” programme, we focus on you. We help you to learn to be independent thinkers, to debate, question and discuss key issues in your chosen subject. You will be encouraged to be enterprising and entrepreneurial, to be an effective communicator and successful team worker. The people you meet in the faculty are friendly and approachable. They are all keen to help you succeed. Our aim is to nurture and inspire you, to help you grow, to build your potential through working in a vibrant, thriving, and sustainable international academic environment. You will enjoy working with academic staff who love their subjects and who are passionate about helping you to build your knowledge and expertise. They all come from different backgrounds and they will enjoy sharing their research, the work they do with businesses and in the local community and beyond with you. The Faculty of Business, Law and Education is international in its perspective and the people you meet will be able to talk to you about the strong partnerships we have with other Universities and Colleges both in this country and around the world. There are many opportunities for you to learn and gain a global perspective; from other students, the academic staff and by working on international projects. Our job is to help you see new possibilities and to bring new horizons into view. Above all, our strongest partnership is with you, our students. You are at the heart of everything we do and we are committed to giving you the best possible experience we can. We understand the importance of the commitment you have made to us and we value the time you spend with us and remember, we are always pleased to hear what you have to say. I hope you have a successful, exciting, and fulfilling time with us. Professor Susan K. Foreman, MSc, PhD Dean of the Faculty of Business, Law and Education Welcome to the Programme: The CPE (GDL/LLB) We are delighted that you have joined our Law School community. At SULS we have been teaching Law since 1965 and the CPE course since 1986. In 1995 we moved to our current building, which was opened by our Patron, Lord Slynn of Hadley, one of the UK’s Law Lords. As you will have seen, the building offers excellent facilities and resources which are 2|Page considered to be among the best in English legal education. In addition to the CPE (GDL/LLB), which can be studied full-time or part-time, the School offers a range of other Law programmes, including the Legal Practice Course and LLM. In 2008 the university approved a further award for students taking the CPE, the LLB (CPE) – a non-qualifying law degree which supplements the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), the nationally recognised award made at the end of the CPE programme. The LLB (CPE) is awarded on completing the course at the same time as students receive with the GDL. We trust that you will get the most out of the award programme and, more generally, from your wider experience at the university. Although the majority of Law students at Staffordshire University are based at the Law School in Stoke, students are also based at Heart of Worcestershire College and we would also like to extend a very warm welcome to all of you. This handbook is for you to use as a reference point during your time in the Law School at Staffordshire University. It tries to answer many of the questions you may have during your time here and tells you where you can get more information and further guidance and support. For each module that you study, you will be provided with a module handbook providing you with more specific information about that particular module. The Faculty uses Blackboard as an online learning environment. Ensure you refer to the relevant module handbook and Blackboard site on a regular basis. We hope that you enjoy your time as a Law student at Staffordshire University. The course team is committed to helping you achieve academic success and personal fulfilment, and we look forward to working with you! 2. Your Course Team Academic Contacts Award Leader Dr Jo Beswick Room LW019 Tel. 01782-29(4916) E-mail: j.l.beswick@staffs.ac.uk Module Leaders Criminal Law Lisa Mountford Room LW122 Tel. 01782-29(4727) E-mail : L.M.Mountford @staffs.ac.uk Equity & Trusts Gill Davenport Room LW 123 Tel.01782-29(4549) E-mail g.davenport@staffs.ac.uk 3|Page EU Law Dewi Williams Room LW018 Tel 01782-29(4458) E-mail d.williams@staffs.ac.uk Law of Contract Judith Tillson Room LW021 Tel.01782-29(4457) E-mail jat2@staffs.ac.uk Law of Tort Kris Lines Room LW Tel.01782-29(4801) E-mail k.l.nes@staffs.ac.uk Land Law Jo Beswick Room LW019 Tel.01782-29(4916) E-mail j.l.beswick@staffs.ac.uk Constitutional Law Angus McDonald Room LW003 Tel.01782-29(4464) E-mail a.h.mcdonald@staffs.ac.uk Administrative Law Dr Keith Puttick Room LW127 Tel.01782-29(4462) E-mail k.a.puttick@staffs.ac.uk Law Learning & Information Services Manager Alison Pope Tel. 01782-29(4317): E-mail a.j.pope@staffs.ac.uk Careers Susan Wigglesworth Tel 01782 294589 email s.j.wigglesworth@staffs.ac.uk The Management Team In addition to the award management team, there is a Dean of the Faculty of Business, Education and Law, Susan Foreman B315 s.foreman@staffs.ac.uk The Dean has responsibility for strategic development, operation and Faculty management. The PA to the Dean is Barbara Betts b.betts@staffs.ac.uk 4|Page Student Guidance Advisor Lisa Benson LW10 Tel. 01782-29(4684) E-mail l.j.benson@staffs.ac.uk 3. An Introduction to your Course Your award has a set of written learning outcomes that describe what you should be able to do by the end of the course. These statements are designed to help you understand what you need to do to pass your course and receive your award. The outcomes for your course can be found in appendix A of this handbook. Each module you study has separate learning outcomes which join together to enable you to demonstrate that you have achieved the overall learning outcomes for your award. The learning outcomes for your modules can be found in your module handbooks. The specific learning outcomes for your award and modules have been matched to eight university wide learning outcome statements (knowledge and understanding; learning; enquiry; analysis; problem solving; communication; application; and reflection). These standard statements describe the abilities and skills all Staffordshire University students should demonstrate in order to pass their course. The statements have been designed to meet national expectations contained within the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications. This ensures that the learning outcomes for your course are equivalent to similar courses at other UK universities and colleges. A table showing how your module learning outcomes have been aligned with the eight university learning outcome statements can be found in appendix B. The design of your course has been guided by the national subject benchmark for Law. Written by national experts, the benchmark describes the defining characteristics of the subject area and the abilities and skills you should be able to demonstrate by the end of the course. On completion of the CPE course means you will have met the requirements of the Law professional bodies for completing the Academic Stage of Legal Education. It will also entitle you to receive two Law awards: The standard national award, which is the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL). The university’s LLB (CPE). This is a non-qualifying law degree awarded on the basis of acquisition of 120 credits at entry, and then accruing the equivalent of 240 credits (30 credits for each of the 8 modules), ie a total of 360 credits. The LLB (CPE) is awarded at the same time as the award of the GDL. If you complete four of the eight subjects you are eligible for the Graduate Certificate in Legal Studies, and can then return to complete the remaining for modules in order to gain the GDL and LLB (CPE). Award Values & General Aims The awards are designed to achieve the following aims, namely to: 5|Page meet the requirements of the Law professional bodies for the CPE/GDL graduate ‘conversion’ course, and of other external agencies, including the Quality Assurance Agency, and requirements of the Law Benchmark statement help you develop as an independent, autonomous, reflective learner provide a rigorous academic programme of study as a foundation for a successful career in the legal profession/occupations and non-legal employment contexts. provide a creative and imaginative range of student-centred learning opportunities which will stimulate your interest in, and commitment to, reflective individual and collaborative study provide you with personal and academic support and guidance in order to facilitate your academic, personal and professional development develop your intellectual skills in understanding, analysis, interpretation and application of legal rules develop the transferable skills that will enhance your employability, problem-solving and communication skills, and ability to apply information technology and work as part of a team develop an appreciation of the value of life-long learning in society and acquire the skills needed to become a life-long learner Award-Specific/Joint Academic Stage Board Aims The award has the following award-specific aims which the aims set by the Law professional bodies. The course aims are to: provide an academically rigorous programme of legal education designed to prepare you for entry onto the Vocational Stage of Training; provide a sound foundation upon which you can develop the legal knowledge and competencies necessary for a career in legal practice; enable the acquisition of a sound knowledge of those areas of law which are generally considered to be fundamental to any study of law (ie the seven Foundations of Legal Knowledge Subjects), and of one additional area (the 8th Subject); ensure that you acquire knowledge and understanding of the English Legal System and process; ensure an appreciation of the relationship between UK national and EU Law; enable you to become information literate, and analyse legal problems and provide a range of solutions to them using primary materials; This award is delivered at the university’s Leek Road campus and at the Heart of Worcestershire College Course Outcomes On completion you will be able to: demonstrate an awareness and understanding of the areas of law studied, of the legal process and the inter-relationship between different areas of law in a national and European context; identify, find and use a range of sources of legal information, including IT, to assist in legal study and to extract the essential points from that information; analyse legal information and apply it to the solution of problems; communicate legal information efficiently and effectively both orally and in writing; 6|Page assume responsibility for the continuing development of your own legal education and competence. Modules’ Contribution to Learning Outcomes Module handbooks for each Foundation Subject module and the Individual Research Project module describe how each of the eight CPE modules contributes to achievement of the course's aims and outcomes, including skills development. Careers & Vocational Stage of Legal Training All LPC students are automatically members of the Law Society's Trainee Solicitors Group. Information is provided about this from time to time. If you intend to become a Solicitor you may, on completion of the course, elect to enrol on the Legal Practice Course, This is the first stage of ‘vocational’ training for the Solicitors’ profession. You are responsible for completing necessary application forms and satisfying admission procedures, including progression to, and enrolment on, the Staffordshire University Law School's LPC if you elect to do this after the CPE course is completed. Personal Tutors can assist with references. As part of our careers advice programme we will advise you about other careers options, including progression to the Bar. To benefit from such support we suggest you make an appointment with the Law staff member responsible for careers, who is: Susan Wigglesworth(ground floor, Law School), Tel.01782-29(4)589 E-mail s.j.wigglesworth@staffs.ac.uk 4. The Structure of your Course Unless you have received a formal exemption you are expected to enrol on, and complete all seven Foundation subjects, namely: Tort Law and Civil Remedies Contract and Problem Solving Constitutional & Administrative Law Law of Trusts and Equitable Remedies Property law and Application EU Law Criminal Law and the CPE eighth subject, which is the Individual Research Project (as authorised by Jo Beswick) or a pre-approved taught subject (again this must be authorised by Jo Beswick). In addition, it is a course requirement that you attend a workshop in the module Use of Legal Sources and Research Skills and complete and pass two assignments prior to completion of the Individual Research Project. Learning outcomes are set out in module descriptors. Exemption Applications. Please note that it is your responsibility (not the Law School’s) to formally apply for and obtain any appropriate exemptions, and to notify the Course Administrator of these (with the appropriate formal letter of confirmation) before the course begins. 7|Page 5. Employability Being employable involves the development of a set of skills, knowledge and personal attributes that makes graduates more likely to gain employment, have the capability of being effective in the workplace and be successful in their chosen occupation to the benefit of themselves, the workforce, the community and the economy. Being enterprising involves a set of skills and attitudes that can enable a culture of identifying opportunities, creativity, risk taking and innovation. It can involve many activities – for instance organising an event, planning an overseas trip or involvement in a social enterprise. Equally it can be about finding new solutions to old problems in your workplace, conducting a piece of research in a resourceful way, starting a new society or being involved in a community project. Employers value enterprising people! Being entrepreneurial very often involves using enterprise skills to create new businesses and bring them to market. There is considerable support for those wishing to do so while at University. However, being entrepreneurial is not just about business skills or starting new ventures; it is a way of thinking and behaving relevant to all parts of society and the economy in terms of mindsets, behaviours, skills and capabilities to come up with new ways of doing things well and the flexibility to change career direction. 6. Learning, Teaching and Assessment on your Course 6.1 Learning and Teaching There are three key stages to the course: (1) Induction/English Legal System (ELS) Course (2) The Main Programme (3) Exams & Individual Research Project and Assignment Completion (1) Induction/ELS. After an introductory welcome, a session in which students meet key staff and the CPE Course Administrator, and a session in which representatives from the University's Employability & Student Support service, the Induction/ELS commences. ELS Course. This comprises, in particular, lecture/whole group and small-group sessions on English Legal System (including European aspects) The Courts System Sources of Law – Legislation, Case-law, Precedent etc Legal Method and Accessing the Law The Role of Judges Important skills development sessions are held with the Law Tutor Librarian, including a session 'Introduction to Legal Sources'. Linked to that, after the ELS Course, there will be a further skills workshop: 'Use of Legal Sources & Research Skills’. NB It is a requirement that all students must attend the Induction & ELS Course, as required by the award regulations. English Legal System Assessment It is a formal course requirement that you must attend and pass the Induction/ELS Course assessment after completion of the course, and before the 8|Page Main Programme commences. In the unlikely event that the ELS assessment is failed, you will normally have one further opportunity to pass. If it is not passed you must leave the course. What is Required? The ELS assessment involves completion of a mandatory assignment that is completed independently. This will assess your knowledge and understanding of the system of ‘judicial precedent’ and at least two other key areas of the English Legal System. Results are notified to students on a Pass/Fail basis, accompanied by ‘feedback’ in the form of any necessary commentary on scripts. In addition, there are notes providing general guidance, and group feedback on the cohort's general performance.This includes suggestions on approaches to the completion of law essays and ‘problem questions’, including discussion of a ‘critical’ approach in legal studies. If you have difficulties in relation to written and oral English you will be counselled, and assisted as far as is reasonably practicable. The first Personal Tutorial provides a further opportunity in which to discuss your script. Note: You should note that your overall performance in this assessment does not count towards your formal assessment. You must, however, pass the assessment in order to progress on to the Main Programme. This is unlikely, but if you are unsuccessful in the ELS assessment, there will be one further opportunity provided which will enable him or her to successfully complete this stage of the course. Feedback and guidance will be provided prior to any required ‘re-sit’. (2) The Main Programme Following the Induction Course, the Main Programme starts. This consists of: module lecture/whole group session each week, and Foundation subject tutorials or small group sessions (fortnightly but please check with individual module teams) In each of the seven “Foundation” subjects, i.e. Criminal Law, Law of Trusts and Equitable Remedies; EU Law; Contract law and Problem Solving; Tort Law and Civil Remedies; Property Law and application; and Constitutional and Administrative Law. Module teams make use of directed study, collaborative learning, and other alternative approaches as well as the more conventional ‘lecture’ and tutorial. This is, in part, recognition of the evidence that adult learners in Higher Education learn, and develop a better critical understanding of key topics, through a mix of lectures and such approaches. Study Guides Each module’s lecture programme, and the specific topics/themes dealt with in the fortnightly tutorials/small group sessions (with dates details of tasks, and guidance on preparatory work), aims, objectives, and learning outcomes, syllabus, assignment titles and criteria, and the assessment regime, are detailed in their Study Guide. These are provided at the start of the Main Programme. In addition to the seven Foundation subjects, students complete work the GDL/CPE "Eighth Subject", which is the Individual Research Project As with the Foundation subjects, a Study Guide is provided at the start of the Main Programme. This part of the course is more “studentcentred”, relying to a greater extent on directed study and self-managed study. However, 9|Page contact with the Module Tutor maintained during the programme. A period in which to complete the 8th Subject is provided following completion of the Foundation examinations. Assessment of Individual Research Project Assessment is by assignment (5000 words). However, preparation for the assignment starts in Semester 1, and you will be required to submit a Research Skills assignment (2000 words) and then a Project Outline (1000 words) by a published date, usually January. Please check the noticeboard and Blackboard for details. Lecture & Tutorial Programme This commences (in accordance with the course calendar) after the Induction/ELS Course, and continues until the Christmas vacation. It resumes again after that vacation. In addition to attending lectures and tutorials/small group sessions, participants engage in directed and self-managed study. Skills In addition to the development of substantive knowledge that features in the CPE programme, the course develops the skills which you will already have at entry to the programme as a result of your studies and experience. In addition to developing the specific skills developed in the Foundation subjects, you are also encouraged to focus on more general skills. A resource to help you with this is the University’s ‘Key Skills’ Website: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/uniservices/infoservices/studyskills/ The Full-time GDL (CPE/LLB) Introduction to English Legal Week Welcome System 10 | P a g e EU Law Semester 2 Semester 1 Contract Criminal Law (30 credits) Law and Problem Solving (30 Tort Law and Civil Law of Constitutional Trusts and and Equitable Administrative Remedies Law (30 credits) (30 credits) Property Law (15 and credits) Remedies Application (30 credits) (30 credits) credits) Blended Learning and Self Directed Study Use of Legal Sources and Research Skills (15 credits) & Individual Research Project (30 Credits) The Part-Time GDL (CPE/LLB) Course There are two Part-Time modes, the Day course and the Evening course, and the following notes provide guidance about the two modes. Part-Time Day Mode If you are a Part-time student, you will attend a two-year programme. Subject to any approved exemptions. You take four Foundation subjects in the first year, and three Foundation subjects and the 8th subject in the second year. If you are a Part-Time (Day) student you will attend the same Induction/ELS Course, and follow the same lecture and tutorial/small group programme, as Full-Time students. The only difference is that you will take four subjects each year. In all other respects the course is similar to that taken by Full-Time students in every respect. Welcome Week Part- Time Day Introduction to English Legal System YEAR 1 11 | P a g e Semester 1 EU Law (15 credits) Criminal Law (30 credits) Contract Law and Problem Solving (30 credits) Tort Law and Civil Remedies (30 credits) Semester 2 YEAR 2 Semester 1 Law of Trusts and Equitable Remedies (30 credits) Constitutional and Administrative Law (30 credits) Property Law And Application (30 credits) Semester 2 Blended Learning and Self Directed Study Use of Legal Sources and Research Skills (15 credits) & Individual Research Project (30 credits) 12 | P a g e Part-time Evening System Week Welcome Introduction to English Legal YEAR 1 Semester 1 EU Law Criminal Law Contract Law and Tort Law and Problem Civil Remedies (30 credits) Solving (15 credits) (30 credits) (30 credits) Semester 2 13 | P a g e YEAR 2 Semester 1 Law of Trusts and Constitutional Administrative Law Equitable Remedies (30 credits) (30 credits) and Property Law And Application (30 credits) Semester 2 Use of Legal Sources Blended Learning and Self Directed and Research Skills (15 credits) Study & Individual Research Project (30 credits) Final Exams - All Exams are in the Day! Please note that the final exams will be in the day, when you attend with full-time and part-time day students. NB It is not possible to hold separate exams or assessments to accommodate part-time students’ daytime commitments. NOTE: It will be necessary to obtain any required leave of absence from employers, or make any other necessary arrangements to facilitate this. Teaching & Learning, Skills & ‘Study Time’ In the development of the course, the course team has taken careful account of a range of factors such as students’ previous experience and skills as graduates, and the role of the course as a Law conversion course. Entrants to the programme will in most cases usually already have well developed study skills, and these will provide an important basis for the work undertaken during the course. The main thrust of the programme, initially, is to introduce you to 14 | P a g e legal study skills, and to provide an overview of legal institutions and procedures as the context for substantive law studies. Research Skills In all the CPE modules tutorial/small group work will require you to deploy legal research skills both to find and to effectively use primary materials and sources to inform your work. The skills introduced in the Induction/ELS Course and throughout the Main Programme are important from the start. Effective use of such skills will assist you in completing assignments, and undertaking the necessary research work for the 8th subject assignment. The skills will also help you to achieve the aims of the ‘Staffordshire Graduate’ initiative (described below in Section 7). Contact Sessions: Lectures & Tutorials Lecture/Whole-Group Sessions. These have the principal aim of introducing you to new topics, and materials and sources which illustrate the operation of key principles. Tutorials. The tutorial programme will supplement work done in lectures/whole-group sessions, and will usually entail preliminary reading of text books, primary sources and learned journals. It is designed also to enhance awareness of the wider context of legal studies. Tutorials provide an important forum in which you will be involved in discussing prepared work and substantive legal issues, and developing important skills, including analysis, communication, and presentation (including the results of enquiry, and potential solutions to legal problems). In general, there is an increasing emphasis on our students, as graduates, undertaking directed study and independent learning to supplement traditional "lectures" and other contact sessions. ‘Study Time’: All CPE Modes A question which is commonly asked by CPE students embarking on the course is “how much time do I need to allocate to my studies - in particular, before and after lectures and tutorials/small group sessions?” In formal terms a CPE course requires you to engage in at least 1620 student study hours for the full-time course, and 810 student study hours in each of the two years of the part-time course. Several observations can be made. First, it is important to engage with topics by completing directed reading (and, in some cases, independent study) before and after contact sessions in order to enhance your understanding of the topic. Second, before tutorials and small group sessions you will be involved in preparatory study and other preparatory tasks, whether in the library, at home reading, accessing electronic data sources, or working with other students. In addition to pre-session work, subjects may need to undertake ‘reflective study’ after sessions. In some cases you may be asked to complete a record of such reflective work - for example to complete an exercise, or to chart your progress. Independent Research & Self-Managed Study: Study Time You will need to engage in independent research throughout the programme and when completing work on the Individual Research Project . In each Foundation subject and the Individual Research Project Subject you will undertake a total of ‘study hours’ made up of a mix of ‘contact time’ and directed or self-managed study time. 15 | P a g e . (3) Examinations & Individual Research Project completion. This is the final stage of the programme. Apart from EU Law, which is assessed and finishes in January, the other Foundation modules are assessed by summative examination in May: and then your completed Individual Research Project assignment is submitted within a fortnight of the exams finishing. See also the section ‘Assessment, Assignments, Submission, etc’ (below). 6.2 Assessment In the CPE (GDL/LLB) programme, your first formal programme assessment is EU Law. This is assessed by a 3-hour examination in January, and other six Foundation modules are formally (and summatively) assessed by exam in May. Opportunities for ‘dry run’ assessments, with feedback, are generally provided by each module. Pre-exam guidance on the examination is provided by module teams. The Individual Research Project assignment is completed independently, and submitted after the exams, giving you a brief period in which to complete work on the assignment undertaken earlier in the year. This is designed, primarily, to give you an opportunity to make final adjustments to your work before you submit. What follows is information about the assessment regime, and practical guidance on matters like submission procedures and feedback. Assessment Type and Guidance You will encounter two kinds of assessment during your period of study. Formative Assessment is used in some modules to assist your progress, and to enable you to prepare for later, formal assessments like the CPE Foundation module examinations at the end of the programme. The marks from such assessments do not count towards your results, but they can provide you with valuable feedback on your knowledge and understanding of the relevant topics – so it is important that you take the opportunity to complete them. Formal/Summative Assessment is assessment that does count towards your final mark for the module. You must generally achieve a mark of at least 40% in all CPE assessments, ie in the Foundation examinations and in the 8th Subject assignment. Further information, for example on classification of the GDL and the LLB (CPE) awards, is in the Regulations themselves (below). Other Required Assessments. Although the results in these assessments do not ‘count’ towards your final award, you are required as a course requirement to complete the assignments in the Use of Legal Sources & Research Skills module that precedes completion of the 8th Subject assignment. Guidance on Assessment Module teams follow these principles of assessment-setting: 1. The module study guide will include assessment criteria for assessments, including 16 | P a g e examinations. 2. The module study guide will state the duration of any examination and the format of the examination (e.g. answer three from six questions). 3. Regular attendance at lectures will enable you to gain implicit and/or explicit guidance on how you should approach legal questions. 4. General guidance is provided during the Induction/ELS Course, and in the workshop on Use of Legal Sources & Research Skills. 5. You cannot expect to be given guidance as to the detailed content of examinations and examination questions. 6. Only exceptionally will it be appropriate for a tutor to tell you what topics will be assessed in the examination, for example if there is a pre-seen element (although this is not generally a feature of CPE assessments). Use of Legal Sources & Research Skills & Individual Research Project Assignments Start your preparatory work and initial research. In this way you can identify any difficulties you may encounter with the assignment, and enable you to consult your lecturer or tutor. Some students will defer this area of assessment until the last possible moment, which is not advisable. Help on planning and structuring your assignments is available via the Assignment Survival Kit (ASK). This can be accessed at www.staffs.ac.uk/ask Once you enter your assignment deadline date, a detailed schedule mapping out key dates in the completion of this work is returned. This schedule gives a suggested timescale for activities including planning the essay or report, finding and evaluating materials, citing references and writing up and presentation. One of your workshops in Legal Skills will be designed to help you to work through Law School’s Guidance on Presentation Referencing and Style and ensure that you understand it. You should read this carefully before starting to work on your first assignment and should comply with it for all Law assignments that you submit during the course of your degree unless you are instructed otherwise. You must submit all pieces of assessment required for each module on or before the submission date for each piece of assessment. Failure to do so is likely to result in failure of the module overall. There may be occasions when you are unable to submit or undertake a piece of assessment due to circumstances beyond your control. The University has put in place a procedure for dealing with such extenuating circumstances. You can find more information on the university’s extenuating circumstances procedure at: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/extenuating/ ELS assignments are submitted by emailing them to the relevant tutor by the designated time/date. NB A copy must be retained. Use of Legal Sources & Research Skills assignment requirements will be advised – but, again, there must be compliance with procedures and the submission deadline. Individual Research Project assignment submission will be on a date, after the examinations, to be advised. Please remember to check dates carefully, and any amendments to the dates that may be made during the academic session. It is your responsibility to ensure coursework is handed in on the correct date. 6.3 Feedback on your Work 17 | P a g e Principles of good feedback have been adopted by the University and are being progressively implemented: 1. 2. 3. 4. Good feedback should Be an interactive process involving student-tutor and student-student dialogue Facilitate the development of self assessment and reflection Clarify for students and staff, through dialogue, what good/bad performance is in the assignment or task Be developmental, progressive and transferable to new learning contexts Be ongoing and embedded in the learning process Motivate, and build esteem and confidence to sustain lifelong learning Support the development of learning groups and communities 5. 6. 7. 8. Feedback Module study guides will set out the types of assessment guidance and feedback that will be available. This may include the following: Verbal feedback in tutorials on the contributions that you make. Clearly, the more preparation you do the more benefit you will receive from this. Assessment criteria for particular pieces of assessment. Individual written feedback on your assignment. Group feedback, identifying common themes and areas of weakness. The opportunity to seek individual feedback from a member of the team if, having read the individual and group feedback, there is still something that you do not understand. Past exam papers, available via the module Blackboard site. Guidance on what to expect on the exam paper. Written group feedback on the exam paper. The opportunity to see a member of the team for individual verbal feedback on your exam paper or the 8th Subject assignment. Individual modules may provide further guidance and feedback, for example in the form of formative assessment or tutorial feedback sheets. Guidance does not mean advance disclosure of questions, or provision of model answers. Likewise, feedback does not mean a model answer. Coursework and Other Assessments, Excluding Examinations You will normally receive feedback on assessments other than examinations, or the 8th Subject assignment, within 20 working days following the date of submission of your assessment or actual date of the assessment (in the case of some modules’ assessed exercises). In some cases, the marks for your work will be provisional and will be subject to final ratification after second marking, moderation, and External Examiner approval – and then confirmation by the relevant Assessment Board. 18 | P a g e Formal University Examinations The university is working towards improved feedback arrangements, including feedback after examinations, which will generally take the form of generic, group feedback. Following an assessment, including examinations, it is possible to meet members of the relevant module team to discuss your performance and obtain feedback in that way. It is essential that you attend at the times when staff members advise they are available. The University hopes that you will also play your part by ensuring that you obtain and act on feedback from the relevant sources as soon as it is available. 6.4 External Examiners Appointed to your Course More information on the role performed by external examiners can be found at: www.staffs.ac.uk/externalexaminers/ Like all universities in the UK, Staffordshire employs external examiners who are specialists in the areas you are studying. The majority are drawn from other universities or colleges in the country. External examiners look at the assessments set for you and the work you produce. Part of their role is to confirm that standards are appropriate for the level at which you are studying. External Examiners attend assessment and award boards as part of their task of monitoring the quality of assessment processes, and write an annual report for the University. This is used as part of the process of monitoring the quality and standards of your award. You are entitled to see these reports and if you wish to do so you should contact your Faculty office. Information about the award’s External Examiners is available from the CPE (GDL/LLB) Award Leader. External examiners responsible for your award include: Mr Simon Boyes Nottingham Trent University Mr Martin Burnett Birmingham City University Dr Catrin Fflur Huws Aberystwyth University Dr Pavel Repyeuski Leeds Metropolitan University Further external examiners may be appointed during the academic year. NB:It is not appropriate for you to make direct contact with external examiners, in particular regarding your individual performance in assessments. There are other mechanisms you can use if you are unhappy with your results or other aspects of your award, such as appeal and complaints procedures. If they are contacted directly by students, External Examiners will decline to comment and will refer the student back to the University. 7. Communication Staying in touch with the course, lecturing staff, and the award’s administration is important throughout your period of studies here. You should have entered your current home and term-time addresses and telephone numbers when you enrolled online. 19 | P a g e It is also very helpful for us to have your mobile number, as we may on occasions need to make contact with you urgently. This can be given to the award leader Jo Beswick Should any of these details change, please go to Jo Beswick and complete a change of personal details form. If you do not change your details, you may not receive important information! Staff may need to communicate important information to you. So please make sure that you: Check the student Portal regularly. The student Portal is available at https://myportal.staffs.ac.uk and allows you to access a wide range of important sources, such as your university e-mail account, Blackboard pages for the modules on which you are enrolled, announcements and many other helpful links. It is essential that you access it regularly. Check your student e-mail regularly and do not allow your inbox to become full. Check Blackboard for each module on which you are enrolled and the undergraduate Blackboard site. Module teams will often place important announcements on these pages. Check the post-tray, situated to the right of Reception, regularly. Check the “Urgent” noticeboard near the entrance on the ground floor. Each member of staff has an e-mail address, and should use this to get in touch with them. Staff will also list their office hours and “availability” on the noticeboards by their doors. These are times when staff can normally see students, subject to teaching or other commitments. Staff may be able to meet with you outside the specified times but it would be advisable to email to make an appointment. If for any reason you are unable to attend, cancel your appointment in advance. Most tutorials and meetings with students and other staff take place in the tutors’ office. Emails Please ensure you familiarise yourself with the University e-mail policy (http://www.staffs.ac.uk/current/regulations/it/email/index.php ) When arranging meetings and emailing staff it is important to be aware of staff members’ responsibilities. For example, module and teaching/learning matters will normally be the responsibility of module team staff, or the particular module leader, not the Personal Tutor. 8. Support and Guidance Information on university support services can be found in the on-line student guide (available at: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/student/guide/) The Student Advice Centre run by the Students’ Union provides independent, impartial and confidential advice to students free of charge. More information on the Students’ Union can be found at: https://www.staffsunion.com/) 20 | P a g e 9. The Student Voice During the course you will have the opportunity to share your views and opinions on your modules, course and the university. Your feedback is key to ensuring that we get an accurate picture of what it is like to be a student at Staffordshire University and enables us to enhance the learning experience for current and future students. Staff and student Liaison Committee meetings take place throughout the academic year. Any GDL student would be welcome to attend please check with the course leader Jo Beswick for the dates of these meetings. Each course within the University is entitled to a representative again please contact your award leader(in the first instance) if you are interested in becoming a representative. 10. Rules and Regulations Introductory Points CPE (GDL/LLB) students are subject to the requirements of the Law professional bodies at all times, and the award regulations which are based on the CPE Rules. Key requirements These are as follows. Students must note them carefully, and act on them: Only those entrants who satisfy the entry requirements laid down in the CPE Rules are eligible to start and remain on the programme. Students are required to attend all scheduled teaching and learning activities, including the Induction/ELS course, Main Programme lectures and tutorials, and must take assessments when these are required (for example, following a ‘fail’, or inability to take the assessment, this would be at the next available opportunity). It is the student's responsibility to ascertain the submission dates and requirements (including dates of ‘1st sits’ and re-sits), and then comply with them. It is generally necessary to take and pass all examinations and assignments on the programme, at the appointed times for those assessments. Students who fail to attend a scheduled examination or submit coursework will be given a ‘zero’ mark, and will fail that assessment unless an ‘extenuating circumstances’ claim has been made and granted A maximum of three attempts is permitted for any assessment, subject to the grant of ‘extenuating circumstances’ in the event of illness or other permitted circumstances that are supported by evidence as part of the extenuating circumstances process. If an assessment has been taken and failed three times the student will fail the particular module and also the award. The course must be completed within three years in the case of full-time students, and four years in the case of part-time students. After that, the course must normally be taken again if it is to be passed Non-submission of an assignment (including late submission), or non-attendance at an examination, will be treated as a ‘fail’, with a mark of ‘nil’ Assessment You are assessed in accordance with the Award Regulations set out below. The regulations are subject to amendment, and must be applied in order to accord with the regulations and any changes made by the Joint Academic Stage Board. Subject to any exemptions you have obtained, you must complete an assessment regime comprising 21 | P a g e a three hour examination in each of the seven Foundation modules a 5000 words assignment in the Individual Research project As a gateway to completing the individual research project, preliminary work on use of sources and research is undertaken before the submission of a Use of Legal Sources & Research Skills Assignment and 8th Subject Project Outline. Submission of both parts of this assignment is mandatory. You will be given feedback on your work, but your work does not count towards your marks. Late Submission & ‘Extenuating Circumstances’ As previously noted, late submission or no submission (or non-attendance at an examination) is penalised by an automatic ‘fail’ in the assessment unless an ‘extenuating circumstances’ application has been made, and has been accepted. Further information about the extenuating circumstances procedure and process to be followed, together with guidance notes, is available on the university’s web-site under ‘Extenuating Circumstances Form’, accessible under ‘E’ in the A-Z index) – or go directly to this link: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/assets/M3212%20Extenuating%20Circumstances%20Form%202011 -2012_tcm44-25749.pdf NB It is the student's responsibility to ascertain the submission dates and requirements (including dates of 1st sits and re-sits), and then comply with them – see the preceding section ‘Assessment, Assignments, Submission, etc’ Learning Outcomes & Assessment Criteria Both the CPE (GDL/LLB) award itself and the 8 subjects that you take have ‘learning outcomes’ setting out what you must achieve to gain the award or pass the subject. Module learning outcomes are set out in each subject's module descriptor. This summarises the subject content of the module, how it will be taught, and how it will be assessed. You will find it in the study guide or on the ‘Module Descriptors’ section of the university’s web-site, at: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/current/student/modules/ The descriptor tells you which learning outcomes are assessed, and by which form of assessment. Introduction and General Requirements Subject to any exemptions granted, students on the programme are required to take the Induction and ELS Course and pass the ELS Course assessment before proceeding to the Main Programme - a course consisting of the seven Foundation subjects and the Eighth Subject-The Individual Research Project. Assessment: Students’ Responsibilities It is the responsibility of every student to check the dates, times, and venues of all examinations (including ‘re-sit’ and ‘1st sit’ examinations) and responsibilities and dates for submitting coursework assignments by reference to information provided to them, and by consulting notice boards and Blackboard (and other modes of communication in use), if necessary, contacting the Law School Office to ascertain these details. Part-time students are required to attend the same examinations and assessments as full-time students in the day, and are responsible for arranging the necessary time off, leave from work, etc, to facilitate this. Students are responsible for ensuring that they submit assignments in accordance with hand-in deadlines and procedures. In the event of any extenuating circumstances affecting the ability of a student to submit an assignment or sit an exam in accordance with published deadlines and 22 | P a g e procedures, it is the responsibility of that student to make a timely application in accordance with the published ‘extenuating circumstances’ procedure. Subject to that, and the exam board’s discretion, a student is required to take any required ‘re-sit’ or ‘first sit’ assessment at the next available opportunity. Pre-Course Requirements, Eligibility & Competence at English Students must have a good command of the English language before being admitted on the course. For students who have obtained their degree/qualifications in a country where English is not the official first language, entrants will be asked to provide evidence of sufficient competence in the English language as a condition of admission. English Legal System (ELS)/Induction Course & Assessment There will be an Induction and ELS Course at the start of the course. After an introduction to the course and to the University, there will be introductory lectures, and teaching/learning activities relating to the English Legal System (including European Union and ECHR aspects), legal method, legal institutions, and other induction topics prescribed by the Course Committee. Students enrolled on the course, including both full and part-time students, are required to participate in this programme, and attend on designated days prior to the Main Programme. All students are also required to take and pass an assessment of two and a half hours duration (or such other approved mode of completing the assessment that may be set) to assess students’ knowledge and understanding of ELS. It is a condition of eligibility to remain on the course that the assessment is passed. Performance in the assessment does not count towards a student's final course assessment. In the event of a student failing this assessment, one further attempt may be undertaken. In the event of failure in that further attempt the student will be required to withdraw from the course following discussion and counselling of that student. Only in exceptional circumstances, for example illness or other extenuating circumstances, will a third and final attempt be permitted. Competence & Assessment of English Students are required to have a good command of written and spoken English in order to be admitted on to the course, and in order to remain on it following completion of the ELS assessment (at which point an assessment of all students’ command of written English, and ability to meet the standards of the course, is made). In determining what is a ‘good command’ for this purpose, a sufficient level of competence will be presumed where the student has been awarded a degree from a country in which English is the official first language. For students who have obtained their first degree or qualifications in countries where English is not the official first language the institution must satisfy itself that the student is sufficiently competent in the English language. Regard will be paid to the TOEFEL standard, and the need for a minimum score/standard of 550 (or other appropriate ‘benchmark’ standard). For entrants to the course from September 2005 onwards, they must satisfy a minimum IELTS ‘score’ (which in the case of CPE is 6.5). After consultation with the External Examiner, if a determination is made after the Induction Course/ELS assessment has been marked that a student’s performance in the Induction Course/ELS assessment that he or she is not able to satisfy the requirement of this regulation, then he or she may be required to withdraw from the course. Before requiring a student to withdraw from the course under this regulation, the ELS Course assessment script of the student, and any other relevant evidence of the student’s work to 23 | P a g e that point, must be submitted to the External Examiner for comment. A decision requiring the student to withdraw will only be made after consultation with that student. (iii) Assignment Work. All students are required to complete a coursework assignment, the ‘Use of Legal Sources & Research Skills' Assignment of 3000 words in length. The assignment consists of the following two components: Use of Legal Sources Assignment (2000 words) Research Skills & Project Outline Assignment (1000 words) Marks for Examinations & Assignments (i) A mark for each Foundation subject will be awarded based on the student's performance in the examination. (ii) A mark for the student’s 8th Subject Assignment will be awarded. Every student is required to submit the 8th Subject assignment on a submission date after the end of the exam period which will have been notified after the start of the Main Programme (and by the time designated for the purposes of submission). (iii) Submission of the coursework assignments must be made in accordance with the Law School’s published procedures on submitting coursework assignments. If work is received after the prescribed date the position will be governed by the rules operating under the University’s extenuating circumstances procedure Extenuating Circumstances: Procedures for Making a Claim (accessible on the university’s web-site). It is the student’s responsibility, in the event of illness or other potential extenuating circumstances to obtain the prescribed extenuating circumstances application form, complete it, and then submit it with supporting evidence in accordance with the published procedure. Fails & Re-Sitting/1st Sitting Assignments A student who fails assignment work, ie either the 8th Subject Assignment or the Use of Legal Sources & Research Skills Assignment, may retrieve such failure by presenting new coursework, but subject to the limitations imposed by the CPE Rules, namely a maximum of three attempts at any assessment; and there must be compliance with the time limits within which the award must be completed. The maximum mark that may be awarded for a re-sit assignment shall be 40%. In the event that the student fails the Individual Research Project Assignment they will be required to complete that assignment, there will be a further opportunity to submit an assignment in August of the same year. If a student fails the Use of Legal Sources & Research Skills Assignment or is otherwise required to complete that assignment, he or she must normally submit further assignment work within two weeks of notification of the notification of the ‘fail’ (or the non-submission), and will be provided with instructions and guidance on the completion and submission of that work. In the event of a further failure, the student will have one further opportunity to submit that assignment work. A fail, including a non-submission of assignment work that should have been submitted (but has not been submitted when required) will otherwise be dealt with by the Exam Board in accordance with procedures laid down in the regulations, including the requirements referred to, and this includes the restrictions in reg.27 on the number of permissible ‘attempts’. 24 | P a g e Students are required to demonstrate competence in the research undertaken for the purpose of the Individual Research Project Assignment. If a student is considered by the examiners not to have attained the required level of research competence s/he may be failed in that assignment and will receive such mark as the subject examiners determine to be appropriate. The student will be required to complete a further 8th Subject Assignment. Examinations & Fails & Re-Sitting/1st Sitting Examinations The principal examination will be held each year in May. The examination of candidates who are required to take an assessment, or assessments, following a failure, or failures, shall be held at such time as the Board may determine being not less than 3 weeks after the principal examination. A student who fails the examination element of a subject’s assessment must re-sit the examination for a second attempt at the next re-sit opportunity, which after a May examination will be August of that year; or in the case of an August examination May of the following year; and thereafter may re-sit the examination on one further occasion only. The Exam Board may impose requirements regarding attendance on a student required to resit an examination, compliance with which will be a prerequisite of the permission to re-sit. The maximum mark which may be awarded on successful completion of a re-sit examination shall be 40%. Requirements for a Pass & Compensation The mark required for a pass in the Foundation subjects and 8th Subject is 40%. The marks obtained for the Foundation subjects, and for the 8th Subject, shall inform the student’s overall average mark for the purposes of classification. A student obtains a Pass in the Common Professional Examination if s/he passes the assessments referred to above, either at the first attempt or, in accordance with these regulations. Normally a student, in order to attain a Pass, must pass all assessments, namely every examination for each of the seven Foundation subjects and the assignment that assesses the 8th Subject. In accordance with the CPE Rules rr.28, 29 on ‘Compensation of Marginal Fails’ the Board may, but is not required to, compensate a maximum of one marginal fail in an assessment after considering the student’s performance in all the other assessments and the board is satisfied that there is strength elsewhere in the student’s performance to justify compensation of the marginal fail. Such compensation may be made in one subject at the end of the first year of the part-time course. Pass with Commendation A student must be awarded a Pass with Commendation where he/she has passed all assessments at the first attempt, without any subject being compensated; AND he/she has obtained an overall average of at least 60% in the assessments 25 | P a g e A student may be awarded a Pass with Commendation where He/she has passed all assessments at the first attempt, without any subject being compensated, AND He/she has obtained an overall average of at least 58%, AND He/she has obtained an average of at least 60% in at least 50% of the subjects counting towards the final award, AND The Exam Board considers it is not inappropriate to award a commendation. Pass with Distinction A student must be awarded a Pass with Distinction where He/she has passed all assessments at the first attempt, without any subject being compensated; AND He/she has obtained an overall average of at least 70% A student may be awarded a Pass with Distinction where He/she has passed all assessments at the first attempt, without any subject being compensated; AND He/she has obtained an overall average of at least 70% in at least 50% of the subjects counting towards the final award; AND He/she has obtained an average mark of at least 67%; AND The Exam Board considers that it is not inappropriate to award a distinction. Maximum Number of Attempts & Timing of Further Assessment Students are permitted three attempts at an exam assessment for the Foundation subjects and an assignment for the CPE 8th subject. Note: an ‘attempt’ will include a failure to attend a re-sit or first examination the student was required to attend; or a failure to submit a coursework assignment which s/he was required to submit, either as a ‘first sit’ or as a ‘resit’. A student who has a further assessment requirement must normally complete the assessment again at the next available opportunity. Subject to the board’s discretion, s/he may not be permitted to take the assessment again if the opportunity has been missed without an extenuating circumstances application being upheld. Time Limits for Completion Students are subject to the CPE Rules on time limits for completion of the course. When undertaken full-time, the course should normally be completed in one year, with a maximum time for completion of three years, from the date of enrolment. When undertaken part-time, the maximum period for completion should normally be two years, with a maximum period for completion of four years from the date of enrolment. Where there are exceptional mitigating circumstances of a sufficiently serious nature (within the meaning of the CPE Rules, r.10), a student may be granted a maximum of one additional year in which to complete the CPE, but subject to the procedure in the CPE Rules, r.11, including a formal written request made by the institution on behalf of the institution, on behalf of the student, and following a decision made by the Exam Board, and made at least two months in advance of the next re-sit opportunity. 26 | P a g e Illness, Incapacity, Deferral, etc A student who is prevented by sufficient cause from taking an examination, or any part thereof, or who is unable to submit coursework, or whose performance in an examination or coursework is substantially impaired by illness or other cause found acceptable by the Board, may be permitted by the Board to be re-examined and/or submit or re-submit coursework at such time(s) as the Board may determine. The Board will be guided in such cases by the result of any application made by student to the “extenuating circumstances” panel. A deferral of assessments may be granted where there are sufficient extenuating circumstances to justify a deferral which are supported by independent evidence from a relevant source (doctor, employer, etc). Students will only be permitted to defer a sitting of examinations if prevented from sitting within the normal period by any of the following circumstances: occupational or work-related problems; illness; family/domestic problems; financial hardship; other relevant circumstances which are sufficiently beyond the control of the student. A student may only intermit where this is justified by sufficient mitigating circumstances that justify this, and if this is supported by independent evidence from a relevant source. ELS Assessment A student’s enrolment on the CPE/GDL course is conditional on passing the Induction Course/ELS Assessment, and he or she is not eligible to remain on the course if that examination is not passed; and the provisions of reg.7 will apply. Attendance & Progress A student whose attendance, or record of work, or performance in tutorials/small group sessions (or other elements of the course programme) is deemed unsatisfactory by the CPE/GDL Award Manager after consultation with the External Examiner, may be deemed to be ineligible to take the principal examination, or any specified examination or coursework assignment. In this case the Board, having received a report from the CPE/GDL Award Manager and External Examiner, shall determine what examinations or assignments are to be taken, and when, and may impose such conditions relating to the taking of such assessments, including conditions as to attendance) as it thinks fit. Part-Time Students & Progression to Year 2 A part-time student may not normally proceed to the second year of the course until s/he has passed all subjects required to be taken in the first year of it, unless the Board determines that it is appropriate for that student to trail a failed subject into the second year of the course. A maximum of one assessment may be carried forward. Academic Dishonesty Procedures for dealing with alleged breaches of assessment regulations, including academic dishonesty, including sanctions, are in the university’s Academic Award Regulations and ‘Procedures for Dealing with Breaches of Assessment Regulations – Academic Misconduct’, published on the university’s web-site: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/assets/academic_misconduct_tcm44-26770.pdf 27 | P a g e A student who is shown to have breached the regulations in relation to any assessed work is subject to the provisions in those regulations. Appeals These regulations are subject to the University’s appeals procedure. General These regulations are published on the award’s Blackboard site, and entrants’ attention will be drawn to them when they join the university and during the Induction phase. A hard copy of the regulations may be requested by students and will thereupon be provided following the request. Amendments may be made from time to time, and will be published. If the Board determines that any of the above regulations operates unfairly in relation to any student it may take such decision as appears to it to be necessary to achieve a fair system of assessment for that student. Notice of any such decision, and of the exceptional circumstances of the case, will be given to the JASB. Award of Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) A student who sits and passes all CPE subjects, or all those subjects which s/he is required to sit and pass, and who otherwise satisfies the assessment requirements stipulated in these regulations and the requirements of the Law professional bodies, shall pass the course. On passing the course students receive the University Graduate Diploma in Law. A student who enrolled before September 2004 when the University award on completion of the course became a Graduate Diploma in Law, in line with requirements governing graduate conversion courses, and when the award was still a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Studies (PgDL) will continue (as a transitional arrangement) to be eligible for the PgDL when he or she graduates. Award of LLB (CPE) A student who enrols on the course for the first time in September 2008, or later, shall also, on passing the course, be entitled to the University’s LLB (CPE) (Hons). Award of Graduate Certificate in Legal Studies (GCL) A student who has passed in four out of eight subjects is entitled to, and shall be awarded, the award of University Graduate Certificate in Legal Studies (GCL). He or she may later elect to complete the remaining four subjects needed in order to be awarded the Graduate Diploma in Law and LLB (CPE). 28 | P a g e Classification of the LLB (CPE) For the purpose of classifying the degree of a student who is eligible for the LLB (CPE) under reg. 40 above, the examination board shall make the classification on the basis of the student’s performance at the end of the CPE programme; and a student shall be entitled, as of rights to a classification based on the following table. The exam board shall not have discretion to award a different classification. LLB (CPE) Classification Table GDL Pass with Distinction Pass with Commendation Pass LLB (CPE) (Hons) 1st Class Class 2:1 Class 2:2 (Overall Average 50 or above) Pass 3rd Class (Overall Average 40 to 49) The Exam Board shall be responsible for managing and awarding the degree of LLB (CPE) and classifying the award in accordance with reg. 40. Quality Assurance & ‘Oversight’ The operation of the course, including awards, shall be the subject of reports by the External Examiners for the course Mentoring Scheme Placements Staffordshire University Law School offers the opportunity to LPC and CPE students to join the mentoring scheme. The purpose of the scheme is to assist you to: Gain a feel for what it is like to be a Solicitor in practice on a day to day basis Understand the issues that practitioners face Attend meetings and/or court with your mentor Ask questions on aspects of substantive law and conduct in law practice Undertake some work experience during your time with your mentor 29 | P a g e Every mentor is a solicitor or trainee, and many are former students. They give up some of their valuable fee earning time to spend time with you when you attend for meetings or speak over the telephone. It is therefore essential that you only agree to participate in this scheme if you are prepared to follow through with the scheme with your mentor. If you are interested in the mentoring scheme than please complete the necessary application form and send it by email to the Law administrator responsible, namely Sue Dawidczuk. Further information, form, etc, is provided in the GDL section of the Law School’s ‘Student Information’ site. Please Note: late applications cannot be considered. Academic Misconduct, Plagiarism & Procedures The University and Faculty take the issues of academic dishonesty, plagiarism or cheating very seriously. If you are caught breaking the University’s rules, you can expect to be punished – this might mean failing an assignment, failing a module, or even failing your award and being asked to leave the University. It is vitally important that you understand the rules regarding plagiarism. These can be found at: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/assets/academic_misconduct_tcm44-26770.pdf Procedures for dealing with allegations of plagiarism or other kinds of academic dishonesty, for example taking unauthorised material into examinations are dealt with by regulations that you can see at this link: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/assets/academic_misconduct_tcm44-26770.pdf There are several resources available to help you in writing and preparing assignments so that you do not break the rules. You might want to look at the resources at www.staffs.ac.uk/ask/ If in doubt, make sure you ask the relevant module tutor before you submit work, or arrange to see someone in the Study Skills Centre (located in the library). 30 | P a g e Appendix A – Award Learning Outcomes At the end of your studies you should be able to: Knowledge & Understanding Demonstrate a critical knowledge and understanding of key aspects of law, including coherent knowledge of some areas of current development and change. Learning Carry out inquiry based learning, critical analysis and creative thinking and demonstrate an understanding of the uncertainty and ambiguity inherent in the study of law. Enquiry Demonstrate the ability to conduct independent research and critical enquiry. Analysis Critically analyse arguments, concepts and data in order to make appropriate judgments Problem Solving Demonstrate a range of approaches to the analysis of law related problems, and identify possible solutions to more abstract problems. Communication Communicate complex ideas, problems and solutions clearly and succinctly through a variety of media. Application Use problem-solving skills developed at earlier levels of study to address more complex issues and problems Reflection Demonstrate a high level of competence as independent learners by selecting appropriate strategies for study and assessments, and taking full responsibility for determining and achieving personal goals. Engage in informed critical reflections of your own practice throughout the course. Appendix B – Curriculum Maps Assessment Matrix per Level of Study: GDL LLB(CPE) Full-Time and Part-Time Day Assessment Profile Year One Part-time Module: Tort Law and Civil Remedies Teaching Block 1 Teaching Block 2 Unseen examination 3 hours (100%) Overall Assessment Profile 4 x Examinations 1 x Portfolio 31 | P a g e (30 credits) Contract and ProblemSolving(30 credits) English Legal System (Nonweight bearing module) Criminal Law (30 credits) EU (15 credits) Unseen examination (100%) Total Assessments = 5 A portfolio comprising a number of tasks Unseen examination (100%) Unseen examination (100%) Assessment Profile Year Two Part-time Module: Property Law and Application Law of Trusts and Equitable Remedies Constitutional and Administrative Law (30 Credits) Use of Legal Sources and Research Skills (15 credits) Individual Research Project Teaching Block 1 Teaching Block 2 Unseen 3 hour examination (100%) Unseen 3 hour examination (100%) Unseen 3 hour examination (100%) Portfolio (100%) Project 100% Overall Assessment Profile 4 x Examinations 1 x Portfolio 1 x Project Total Assessments = 6 5000 word NB: Full-time students will complete the whole award (the modules as detailed above) in one year. With assessments as indicated above. Appendix C The Staffordshire Graduate 32 | P a g e AWARD TITLE: GDL LLB(CPE Hons) Staffordshire Graduate Attribute Award Module(s) including level and number of credits Method of Assessment Work-ready and employable ELS and Use of Legal Sources and Study Skills (15 credits) A portfolio including a short written piece and reflection on work-related experience and employability skills. This is supplemented by the non-credit bearing mentoring scheme. Independent Research Project (30 credits) Extended research assignment showing the ability to act under own initiative a Discipline Expertise All Modules at all Levels Variety of assessment methods including portfolios, extended research and unseen examinations. Global Citizenship EU Law (15 Credits) Examination Contract and Problem solving (30 Credits) Examination Communication skills Presentation skills The ability to interact confidently with colleagues English Legal System and Use of Legal Sources and Research Skills (15 Credits) A portfolio involving a number of employability skills. This is supplemented by the non-credit bearing mentoring scheme. All modules at all levels include team working and group based exercises and discussion All modules at all levels include team working and group based exercises and discussion Variety of assessment methods including portfolios, extended research, and unseen examinations. Individual Research Project Extended research assignment. All modules include team working and group based exercises and discussion Use of Legal Sources and Research Skills (15 credits) Individual Research Project (30 credits) Torts Law and Civil Remedies (30 Credit) Various Independence of thought Skills of team working Ability to carry out inquiry based learning and critical analysis Skills of problem solving and creation of opportunities Technologically, digitally and information literate Able to apply Staffordshire Graduate attributes to a range of life experiences to facilitate life-long learning Development of sophisticated research skills Opportunity to critically and reflectively examine a focussed area of law Reflection and Problem-Based Assessments Contract and Problem Solving (30 Credit) Property Law & Application (30 Credit) All modules at all levels English Legal System and Use of Legal Sources and Research Skills (15 Credits) Independent Research Project (30 credit) Variety of assessment methods including portfolios, extended research, and unseen examinations. A portfolio involving a number of employability skills. This is supplemented by the non-credit bearing mentoring scheme. The opportunity to critically examine an area of law which might either be relevant to their past life experiences or future career intentions. 33 | P a g e