Policy Statement on Visiting Students
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Claire Postill
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Contents
1. Policy Statement on Visiting Students
2. ANNEX I: Guidelines for the Visiting Student Programme
3. ANNEX II: Responsibilities of the various parties involved in Study Abroad programmes
4. ANNEX III: Categories of Students
5: ANNEX IV: Module Choice form
6: ANNEX V: Fee chart
7. ANNEX VI: Centre for Lifelong Learning
Policy Statement on Visiting Students
This policy statement refers to students who come to York for one, two or three terms to take modules for which they gain York credit and grades which are then (normally) recognised by the student’s home institution for credit towards the home qualification. In all circumstances Visiting Students should be considered equitably with traditionally registered University of York students.
The majority of visiting students are undergraduates but there are a few registered postgraduate students each year. (For definitions see ANNEX I)
Visiting students in a strategic context
2. The University Strategy aims to “give our students opportunities to gain experience that will prepare them better for employment or further study” (Key objective 2.5). A significant way to achieve this objective is to develop opportunities for students to study abroad. To facilitate this reciprocal agreements are put in place either for Erasmus+ or World Wide Exchange, and many visiting students come to York as a result of these reciprocal agreements.
Study abroad provides students with valuable opportunities to develop global perspectives and awareness, enhances employability, and assists students in developing a range of qualities and skills, including cross-cultural communication.
In addition, the University seeks to diversify the student population at York and visiting students help achieve this by bringing an international dimension to campus life and a different perspective to academic subject matter. They contribute to the internationalisation of the University, through Visiting Students agreements, directly with overseas partner universities, through Study Abroad Agents and as direct enrol students. These students also bring in revenue to the university, and can contribute to Postgraduate recruitment targets, where the student is paying a fee.
Formal partnerships, by way of exchange, visiting student and overseas governmental mobility funding programmes can reinforce existing teaching and research collaborations and assist in building strategic and sustainable research relationships whilst strengthening the University’s global profile.
The role of the Centre for Global Programmes
3. The Centre for Global Programmes is the hub for managing all mobility programmes including:-
Visiting student related processes, to include that of Undergraduate, Postgraduate Taught and Research Students, and Erasmus+ interns.
The Centre is committed to supporting Faculties and Departments, by providing a robust process to inform and support the application process of all Visiting Students and providing a specialist resourceto Faculties to advise and support the Visiting Student process within individual Departments.
4. Whilst this policy statement sets out a common framework for the development and implementation of visiting student activities, and whilst it is understood that visiting students are
subject to the University of York’s rules and regulations, there are some considerations which need to be taken into account, depending on the individual students study needs and the type of scheme or project involved. Types of agreements are:-
a)Institution –wide i.e. between the University of York and another university.
b)Faculty or departmental level i.e. between a particular department or Faculty and a department or group of departments at a partner university).
c)ERASMUS+ scheme through a bi-lateral agreement between a Faculty or department at York and a Faculty or department at another Erasmus+ charter university.
d)Individually brokered agreement with a partner university overseas.
e)Visiting student agreement i.e. a non-exchange fee-paying agreement.
f)Direct enrol students, an individual student coming from a European or overseas University with no direct link to the University of York, these students are fee-paying.
These considerations could be, but are not limited to the following:-
- Length of stay - if a student is not attending York for the full academic year there may be a restricted range of single term modules that the student can follow. Those available should be signposted to the Centre for Global Programmes and the student, and if applicable alternate shortened visiting student versions of existing modules made available. “Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback, 2015/16” Section 4.13.b Assessment of visiting students”.
- Number of credits required – increasingly visiting students need to cover a semester’s study whilst at York, this can mean taking 60 credits over one term (rather than the usual 40 credits) or alternatively, 60 credits over two terms.
- Required modules – some programmes require their students to take specific modules or range of modules to replace core modules at their home university. Providing that the student is suitably qualified every effort should be made to accommodate these requests.
- The degree profile of most institutions in the U.K. is much narrower than those of most overseas institutions, where the degree profile can be much more varied and coverage of a wide range of disciplines can be mandatory. Consideration should be taken of this when assessing the students’ application.
- To cover the requirements of their home university, students on Departmental and Erasmus+ exchanges may be required to take modules in more than one department at York. These students should take the majority of their credits in their ‘home’ department i.e. the department which ‘holds’ the agreement, they may then be allowed to take modules in up to two other departments, depending on those departments approval.
- Examination and assessment - if a student is not registered at York, during the stated examination periods the department(s) may have to provide alternative assessments for the modules taken by these students. “Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback, 2015/16” Section 4.13.b Assessment of visiting students”.
- Liaise with the relevant governing structures of the University e.g. UTC, Graduate School Board etc.
This document provides information for staff involved in visiting student activities on policy and procedures, and on the requirements of each party involved, although it is advisable to direct all enquiries regarding the development of new visiting student and study abroad programmes, in the first instance, to the Centre for Global Programmes.
Academic Standards: General Policy for all Visiting Student programmes
5. This policy statement has been developed in the context of the expectations set out in
QAA’s UK Quality Code for Higher Education, and particularly Chapter B10 (Managing Higher Education Provision with Others), which encompasses study abroad.
6. All exchange and visiting student partnerships with other institutions for the purposes of reciprocal exchange or for the admittance of direct enrol students should be developed through the Centre for Global Programmes, and approved prior to any exchange of students taking place. For further information on exchange partnerships please see Policy Statement on Study Abroad.
Student Information and Support
7. The University (through the Centre for Global Programmes, other professional services and academic departments) will work to ensure that visiting students are prepared and supplied with relevant and timely information, support and guidance prior to, during and after study abroad. To include:
- information on students’ rights and responsibilities during study at York including the complaints process
- information on student support services at York
- assistance with completing learning agreement and other necessary paperwork
- information on processes of assessment and credit transfer
More specific information on responsibilities in respect of visiting students is available in Guidelines for the Visiting Student Programme (Annex 1).
8. Particular consideration should be given to equality and diversity issues and to students with particular needs. These students are encouraged to enter into dialogue with the appropriate support service at an early stage in their application to York.
Additional Information:
9. In addition to the advice available from the Centre for Global Programmes, the following sources of information are available:-
- International Student Support – offers support to all international students at the University of York, this includes immigration advice, pre-arrival advice and orientation programme, advice on living and studying at York.
- Disability Support – offers support, advice and guidance for students with a disability, to enable their stay at the University to be as enjoyable as possible.
- Immigration Advice team – give advice and answer questions on the immigration process.
- Registry Services -is the central focus within the University for the Administrative Processes relating to current students.