ROYAL HOLLOWAY INTERNATIONAL

Background to Modern Britain

Student Handbook 2010/11

Disclaimer

This document was published in September 2011 and was correct at that time. The Department reserves the right to modify any statement if necessary, make variations to the content or methods of delivery of programmes of study, to discontinue programmes, or merge or combine programmes if such actions are reasonably considered to be necessary by the College. Every effort will be made to keep disruption to a minimum, and to give as much notice as possible.

Contents

Section 1: Information Regarding Royal Holloway International and Royal Holloway – University of London

1 Introduction to the Department 1-2

1.1Welcome

1.2How to find us: the Department

1.3How to find us: the staff

2Communication 2-4

2.1E-mail

2.2Post

2.3Your telephone number and postal address

2.4Noticeboards

3Teaching 4-5

3.1Dates of terms

3.2Reading weeks

3.3Attendance requirements

4Language-Learning Resources and Facilities 5-6

4.1Computer-based language-learning resources

4.2Language-learning facilities in the InternationalBuilding

4.3Language-learning facilities in Founder’s Library

5General Assessment Information 6-14

5.1Illness or other extenuating circumstances

5.2Submission of written work

5.3Extensions to deadlines

5.4Penalties for late submission of work

5.5Anonymous marking and cover sheets

5.6Penalties for over-length work

5.7Return of written coursework

5.8Plagiarism

5.9Other assessment offences

5.10Marking of illegible scripts

5.11Academic discipline and monitoring of progress, including the formal warning procedure

5.12Progression and award requirements

5.13 Examination results

6Student Support 14-15

6.1Students in need of support, including students with special needs

6.2Student-staff committee

6.3Students’ Union

6.4Careers information

6.5Non-academic policies

6.6Complaints and academic appeals procedure

7Health and Safety Information 15-16

7.1Code of practice on personal harassment for students

7.2Lone working policy and procedures

8Equal Opportunities Statement 16-17

8.1Equal opportunities statement

Section 2: Information Regarding Background to Modern Britain Courses

9Background to Modern Britain 18-27

9.1Overview

9.2Aims, learning outcomes, teaching and learning

methods, course outlines and key bibliography

9.3Assessment

9.4Course Calendar

9.5Independent Learning

9.6Appeals procedure

9.7 Feedback

9.8Making a complaint

9.9In-sessional English Language Programme

10Appendices 28-37

1Profile of written Assessment

2Profile of Oral Assessment

3Staff/Student Committee Information

4Independent Learning: Self-Access Guide for Students

5 RHI student resources

RHI student resources membership form

6 Assessed work submission form

7 Assessed work extension form

1

1Introduction to the Department

1.1Welcome

Welcome to Royal Holloway International! We are pleased you have decided to study with us, and look forward to helping you develop your potential as a student in the UK over the coming months.

Royal Holloway International (RHI) is a recently established department which unites a number of activities aimed at supporting international students. As part of this role, RHI is responsible for promoting the College in overseas markets, developing partnerships worldwide, and enhancing study abroad and student exchange activity whilst offering a range of taught courses and programmes to international students enrolled at Royal Holloway. Specifically, this includes:

  • the teaching of a pre-sessional English language programme for international students who have been offered a place to study at either undergraduate or postgraduate level at Royal Holloway,
  • the management and teaching of a pre-Masters programme for graduate students,
  • the management of a foundation programme for students wishing to apply for undergraduate study on completion,
  • the teaching of English language support courses for international students,
  • the teaching of tailor-made courses for visiting overseas students who need substantial English language support.

Some of you have joined us shortly after arriving in the UK for the first time, while others may have previous experience of studying in this country. The Background to Modern Britain programme provides students with an opportunity to learn and to develop the necessary language and study skills for success as a student in the UK.

This Student Handbook tells you about the Background to Modern Britain programme and contains comprehensive information, both about the Department and the College. Please make sure you keep this handbook safely, for future reference.

We look forward to working with you and hope that you have an enjoyable and productive time whilst in RHI.

Sheryl Simon

Director, Royal Holloway International

1.2How to find us: the Department

Royal Holloway International is located on the ground floor of the InternationalBuilding (no. 15 on campus map). Our departmental reception is based in IN008 and open from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm from Monday to Friday.

1.3How to find us: the staff

Name / Title / Ext / Room
Liz BURGER / Administrative Assistant / 3829 / IN009
Gerard CLOUGH / Academic Co-ordinator / 3756 / IN044
Vicky COLLINS / Language Tutor / 4324 / IN003
Norlene CONWAY / Academic Co-ordinator / 4111 / IN043
Gerald DAMPIER / Language Tutor / 4124 / IN003
Marion ENGRAND-O'HARA / Language Tutor / 3898 / IN037
Katie IDDOLS / Language Tutor / 3556 / IN035
Hannah LEGG / Admissions Assistant / 4037 / IN009
Stella LIN / Administrative Assistant / 6373 / IN008
Zohreh MOGHIMI / Language Tutor / 4319 / IN035
Heather MUSTARD / Assistant Director / 3841 / IN042
Silke PLACZECK / Assistant Director / 3110 / IN033
Marie SANDELL / Admissions Assistant (temporary) / 3368 / IN009
Sonya SAUNDERS / Language Tutor / 3367 / IN035
Rachel SCOTT / Executive Assistant to Director / 4112 / IN009
Katie SHAW / Language Tutor / 3812 / IN002
Sheryl SIMON / Director / 3335 / IN039
Sophia STAVRAKAKIS / Language Tutor / 4320 / IN002
Karin WHITESIDE / Language Tutor / 6263 / IN002
Katy WRIGHT / Language Tutor / 3556 / IN035
Stuart WRIGLEY / Language Tutor / 4033 / IN037
Kay ZHENG / Administrative Assistant / 3250 / IN008
Please Note:
If the telephone extension begins with '3'
the full telephone number will be 01784 44 plus the extension
If the telephone extension begins with '4'
the full telephone number will be 01784 41 plus the extension
If the telephone extension begins with '6'
the full telephone number will be 01784 27 plus the extension

2Communication

It is vitally important that you keep in touch with us and we are able to keep in touch with you. Members of staff will often need to be able to contact you to inform you about changes to teaching arrangements, homework tasks or meetings you might be required to attend. You will need to be able to contact members of the Department, for example, if you are unable to attend a class, or wish to arrange a meeting with a tutor or your Personal Tutor.

E-mail to your College e-mail address is routinely used and you should check regularly (at least daily) if any official communication has been sent to you. Do not ignore this as it will be assumed that it will have been received by you within 48 hours, excluding Saturdays and Sundays.

2.1E-mail

The College provides an e-mail address for all students free of charge and stores the address in a College e-mail directory. Your account is easily accessed, both on and off campus, via theStudent Portal (Campus Connect) or via Outlook webmail. E-mail communications from College staff should be treated as important and read carefully.

It is your responsibility to make sure your College e-mail account is kept in working order. If you have any problems contact the IT help desk.

The Department will only use the address in the College directory and does not use private or commercial e-mail addresses, such as hotmail or gmail. Students who prefer to use commercial e-mail services are responsible for making sure that their College e-mail is diverted to the appropriate commercial address. Detailed instructions on how to forward mail are available in the FAQsfrom the Computer Centre.

If you send an e-mail to a member of staff in the Department during term time you should normally receive a reply within 3-4 working days of its receipt. Please remember that there are times when members of staff are away from College.

2.2Post

All post addressed to students in the Department is delivered to the student pigeonholes (alphabetical by surname) which are located opposite IN009. At the end of each term student pigeonholes are cleared of accumulated mail which is then destroyed. Important information from Registry is often sent by internal post, and tutors sometimes return work to you via the pigeonholes so you are advised to check them regularly.

2.3Your telephone number and postal address

It is your responsibility to ensure that your telephone number (mobile and landline) and postal address (term-time and forwarding) are kept up-to-date on the Student Portal(Campus Connect). There are occasions when the Department needs to contact you urgently by telephone or send you a letter by post.

The Department does not disclose students’ addresses and telephone numbers to anybody else (including relatives and fellow students) without the student’s specific permission to do so.

2.4Noticeboards

The official student noticeboards are on the walls in the lobby opposite IN009.Every effort is made to post notices relating to teaching-related matters well in advance, but occasionally changes have to be made at short notice and in that case e-mail will be used.

It is your responsibility to check the times and venues of all classes and to make a note of any requirements relating to your courses (e.g. essay deadlines), so, if in doubt, please ask!

3Teaching

3.1Dates of terms

Autumn Term / Spring Term / Summer Term
20 September 2010 –
10 December 2010 / 10 January 2011 –
25 March 2011 / 26 April 2011 –
10 June 2011

3.2Reading weeks

Autumn Term / Spring Term
1 November – 5 November 2010 / 14 February – 18 February 2011

3.3Attendance requirements

Students should be aware of the following College regulations:

  • It is a requirement of enrolment with the College that a student attends as far as reasonably possible all parts of a course/programme for which s/he is registered and presents all set work for assessment within specified deadlines.
  • Where in the absence of a satisfactory and adequately documented reason a student has failed to satisfy the requirements for attendance or submission of work specified for a course/programme, the Head of Department responsible may terminate that student's registration for the course/programme.
  • A student who is not registered in the department, or whose registration has been terminated, may not attend classes, submit work or access facilities for that course/programme.

Students enrolled on courses in the Department are normally required to attend a minimum of 80% of all classes.

In line with immigration regulations laid down by the Home Office, all student attendance will be monitored. For those of you who entered the UK on a General Student Visa non-attendance can result in you being required to leave the UK by the UK Border Agency (UKBA). Attendance is therefore essential.

4Language-Learning Resources and Facilities

4.1Computer-based language-learning resources

Royal Hollowaystudents have access to a range of language-learning resources, including the following:

Writing Insight

Road to IELTS

Study Skills Success

Tensebuster

Through Metalib students can access a range of electronic resources, including academic journals, newspapers and dictionaries (both monolingual and bilingual).

Moodleis the College’sVirtual Learning Environment, in which students can access course materials and information about their programmes, engage in discussions in online forums and take advantage of a variety of other resources. All RHI programmes have resources on Moodle, which you will be informed about in class.

You may like to access the “Royal Holloway International” area, which, along with other resources, features the EAP Toolkit suite, which includes:

  • Academic Communication Skills
  • Academic Listening and Note-taking
  • Academic Reading and Critical Thinking
  • Academic Writing
  • Learning to Study
  • Subject-specific Needs
  • Grammar for Academic Purposes
  • Vocabulary for Academic Purposes

4.2 Language-learning facilities in the InternationalBuilding

RHI Student Resourcesis the Department’s library of self-study materials which is located opposite IN032 in the InternationalBuilding. It is normally open weekday lunchtimes from 13.00 to 14.00 and offers a range of language-learning materials for loan to students. These include books, worksheets, CD-ROMS and audio and video cassettes. Portable cassette recorders may be borrowed for project work linked to classes. Details of how to join are in the RHI Student Resources Conditions of Membership form.

Computer laboratories are situated in IN005 and IN006. Computers are connected to the campus network and equipped with a soundcard. Students will need to supply their own headphones.

Access to the computer labs is subject to timetabling constraints and timetables will be posted outside the labs in question. Outside of normal working hours (approximately 08.00 to 19.00 p.m.), students will need a swipe card to enter and leave the building. These are the same cards used to enter and exit the Computer Centre and can be obtained from the Computer Centre reception.

For any technical problems (e.g. the printer is out of paper), contact Computer Centre reception.

4.3 Language-learning facilities in Founder’s Library

Founder’s Library offers a range of language-learning resources for loan to students. These include books, worksheets, CD-ROMS, CDs, DVDs, audio and video cassettes. Items are subject to the usual lending conditions (see Library and Information Services leaflets on display in the Libraries or via their website). Multi-media items (audio and video tapes, DVDs, CD-ROMS) are normally shelved in the Short Loansections, with accompanying books where relevant. These can only be borrowed for short periods (up to one week), but some material is restricted to use within the Library. Students may consult the Library catalogue for further information.

Viewing facilities are also available in Founder’s Library:

  • A group viewing room, which needs to be booked. The room houses a wide-screen TV, video, PC and DVD player, and can seat 12 people.
  • 9 individual viewing booths comprising monitor, DVD and video player, headphones. This facility does not need to be booked.

5General Assessment Information

5.1Illness or other extenuating circumstances

These should be read in conjunction with the “Instructions to Candidates” issued by the Examinations Office.

If you are taken ill or there are other extenuating circumstances that you believe have adversely affected your performance at any point during the academic year, you must inform your department(s) in writing, and provide the appropriate evidence. Additionally, if you feel you need to make a further statement on how you consider your circumstances have had an impact on your work, you should submit this to the Chair of the Sub-board of Examiners in your department(s). The Sub-board of Examiners will review all evidence of extenuating circumstances submitted during the year, however, it is at the Sub-board’s discretion whether to take any circumstances into account. There is no guarantee that any allowance will be made. The main points to note are:

(a) It is your responsibility to notify your department(s) and Chair of the Sub-board of Examiners, if appropriate, in writing of any extenuating circumstances. Do not assume that if you have discussed your circumstances with the College Health Centre or Counselling Service, or informally with a member of staff in your department, that the information will be passed on to the Sub-board of Examiners on your behalf. Members of staff are not permitted to divulge personal information about students in this way; you must inform your department(s) in writing if you wish your circumstances to be considered.

(b) It is your responsibility to submit the supporting evidence of your circumstances (see below). For medical or psychological circumstances, this will need to be a note from a suitably qualified medical practitioner (normally a GP or hospital specialist), psychologist or educational psychiatrist as appropriate, who has seen you during the period of the condition and is not a close friend or relative and can attest to the impact of your circumstances on your studies. For other personal circumstances (eg. divorce, or the death of a family member), a written statement of the circumstances from you should be sufficient.

(c) As an undergraduate student, you must submit your written statement and supporting evidence, where appropriate, before 12pm on Wednesday 1 June 2011 (but should also check with your department regarding specific assessment/exam-related submissions).

(d) It is recommended that you submit your request and evidence as soon as possible, even if you are unsure whether your circumstances have affected your performance, or you feel that your circumstances are very private or confidential (see below). Do not wait until you receive your marks.Requests for special consideration will not be considered retrospectively and the private or confidential nature of circumstances will not later be accepted as grounds for appeal.

You should submit your statement and relevant supporting evidence to the Departmental Supervisor in the Department, in a sealed envelope marked ‘Confidential’ and addressed to the Chair of the Sub-board of Examiners. The request must state clearly how you consider your circumstances have affected your academic performance whether this relates to absence from classes, non-submission of work, and/or the impact on your ability to study and on the quality of your work.

If you have circumstances with long-term implications you should register with the Educational Support Office so that they can assess any needs you might have and arrange for appropriate support to be provided for you. If you have circumstances which continue to affect you in subsequent years and for which it would not be appropriate to register with the ESO you should notify your Sub-Board of Examiners each year.

Please note that it is not possible for Sub-boards of Examiners to make accurate and consistent assumptions about the standard of work which a student may have achieved and therefore examiners will not raise individual marks on the grounds of extenuating circumstances. Furthermore, please note the statement that it is at the academic judgment of the examiners whether to take any circumstances into account.

All evidence must be written in English, or as an official translation obtained by you. Blank forms for completion by medical practitioners can be obtained from the Examinations Office.

All evidence must include the following information:

(i) your name;

(ii) the name, position and official stamp of the person providing the evidence;

(iii) the date on which the document is produced;

(iv) a description of the nature and severity of the circumstances [NB Please note that if you have a condition which is under investigation, it is not necessary to have this diagnosed before submitting details. The supporting evidence should stipulate the effect of the condition on your work and performance and the relevant information must be submitted before the deadline];

(v) an exact indication of the period during which you were affected by the circumstances;

(vi) an assessment of the effect, if any, which the condition may have had on your work and performance.