School of Computing, Science and Engineering Student Handbook - 2008/2009
Undergraduate
Student Handbook
2008-2009
School of Computing, Science & Engineering
Joule Physics Laboratory
1
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School of Computing, Science and Engineering Student Handbook - 2008/2009
Contents
PART ONE: GENERAL INFORMATION
MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF JOULE PHYSICS laboratory..
1. Introduction......
1.1 Organisation of Physics within the School
1.2 Academic and Support Staff
2. Studying for the degree
2.1 General degree information
Overview
Organisation of the programmes of study
Managing workloads
How to study
2.2 Lectures, tutorials and laboratories
Lectures
Personal Tutorials
Problem Tutorials
Laboratory Classes
Books
PDP – Personal Development Planning
Computer- and web- based teaching
2.3 Student responsibilities
Assessment
Examinations
Production and submission of assignments
Late submission of coursework
Attendance
Plagiarism
How to avoid plagiarism
Presentations
Illness and absence
Security
Change of address
Self Service
Safety
Evacuating the building
Sport and relaxation
2.4 Management of student programme input
Student feedback
Representation
The complete feedback loop
2.5 Behaviour within laboratories
2.6 Laboratory disciplinary procedures
3. Student Support and Welfare
3.1 Induction
Induction week
Timetables and groups for tutorials
3.2 Student Welfare
Personal Tutor
Who to approach if difficulties arise
Student Complaints
Communications
Help for disabled students
3.3 Complementary sources of help
Education Development Unit
Extra mathematics support
Peer Support
Past examination papers
Information & Learning Services
Financial assistance
Careers
4. Examination Regulations and Progression
4.1 Examinations and progression introduction
4.2 Credits, Progression and degree classification boundaries
4.3 Examination Regulations
Absence from Examination(s)
Late Arrival at an Examination
Examination Boards
Examination Results
Remedial work
4.4 Examination Paper Structure
4.5 Exam Technique
5. Academic Calendar
PART TWO: PROGRAMME SPECIFIC INFORMATION
6 Aims and Objectives of the degree programmes in the Joule Physics Laboratory
7. Degree information
7.1 Modularization and Organisation of the Academic Year
7.2 Credits versus Marks
7.3 Degrees
7.4 Structure of the Degrees
7.5 MPhys or BSc Degree (not Physics with studies in North America, Physics with Aviation Studies or Physics with Pilot Studies)
7.6 Transferral
8 Synopses of the Degree Programmes
8.1 Physics with a Foundation Year (BSc only)
8.2 Physics (BSc or MPhys)
8.3 Pure and Applied Physics (BSc or MPhys)
8.4 Physics with Studies in North America (MPhys only)
8.5 Physics with Space Technology (BSc or MPhys)
8.6 Physics with Aviation Studies (BSc only)
8.7 Physics with Pilot Studies (BSc only)
8.8 Physics with Acoustics (BSc or MPhys)
8.9 Physics with a Foreign Language (BSc or MPhys)...... 53
9. Industrial placements
10 Facilities……………………………………………………………...
10.1 Computing
10.2 Physics Work Area
10.3 Reading Room
11. Conclusion
APPENDIX A QUICK CHECK LIST
APPENDIX B: POLICY ON CONDUCT OF ASSESSED WORK
APPENDIX C: ACADEMIC APPEALS PROCEDURE
APPENDIX D: PERSONAL MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES...... 72
APPENDIX E: GUIDANCE FOR COMPLETING A PMC FORM
APPENDIX F STUDENT COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
APPENDIX G: SCHOOL COMMITTEE STRUCTURE
APPENDIX H: WHERE TO GO FOR HELP…………………………….87
APPENDIX I: CONTACTS
APPENDIX J: REFERENCING AND CITING
APPENDIX K Laboratory Organisation and Assessment
1
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School of Computing, Science and Engineering Student Handbook - 2008/2009
PART ONE: GENERAL INFORMATION
MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF JOULE PHYSICS LABORATORY
Welcome to the Joule Physics Laboratory in the School of Computing, Science and Engineering. I hope that you will enjoy your time here at the University of Salford and be successful in obtaining a good degree.
The School of Computing, Science and Engineering embraces four subject disciplines: Computer Science, Multimedia and Telecommunications; Physics & Materials (the Joule Physics Laboratory); Acoustics, Audio and Video; and Engineering. School activities permit students from all these disciplines to enjoy common activities, aims and benefits that come from a large community, whilst preserving the distinct character and content of the programme areas.
This handbook has been designed to help you during your time here at the University of Salford. It contains some general information as well as information that relates specifically to the course that you are studying. Please keep it somewhere safe as you will certainly need to refer to it at some point or other during your studies.
We aim to offer students a friendly and helpful atmosphere in which to study. Please do not hesitate to ask for help or advice from any member of staff who you think may be able to assist you.
I wish you all the very best with your studies.
Ian Morrison
Head of Joule Physics Laboratory
1.Introduction
This student handbook is divided into two complementary parts: the first dealing with general academic information describes what you can expect, and what is expected of you. It provides some guidance on studying for your degree, a broad outline of the facilities available to you, as well as the regulations and practices regarding computer use, illness and examinations. The second part of this document deals with information that is pertinent to your specific programme. It will provide details of the modules that you will undertake, outline the rules of progression from one year to the next as well as answering some questions about your next year.
This document aims to provide you with useful information. Please read it carefully. We therefore invite your comments for things that you think could be added, clarified or further elucidated. Please inform your Year Tutor of anything you think would improve this handbook.
If you need advice about money, health and welfare issues, work or study or any aspect of student life at Salford, iSite is your one-stop shop for advice and support. Friendly advisers can help with all sorts of enquiries, or will arrange for you to see a specialist if your issue is a bit more complex. You can visit in person on the ground floor of Humphrey Booth House, or use the iSite website/ to look for the help you need. iSite works in partnership with the Students’ Union, and all the support services around the university. iSite online provides welfare advice and student support as part of the University’s Student Channel, where you will also find academic, library and electronic (IT) resources. . When you sign your registration form, you are agreeing to abide by the University’s regulations so it is important that you have read and understood them. Please take time to read the Rules & Regulations documents when you visit iSite.
Inernational students have their own version of iSite which can be found at Information can be found here to help you settle into life at the University and in England.
Appendix A includes a quick check list, a kind of frequently asked questions that you can consult when you have specific questions or concerns.
Please understand that the information contained in this document is very important: make sure that you keep this information in a safe place and where it can be referred to throughout your time here.
1.1 Organisation of Physics within the School
Physics is an integral part of the School of Computing, Science and Engineering alongside Computer Science, Multimedia & Telecommunications, Acoustics and Aeronautical & Mechanical Engineering. Professor Tim Ritchings is the present Head of School whilst Professor Ian Morrison is Head of the Physics discipline.
Physics is responsible for all the Physics-based Honours degrees, comprising both BSc and MPhys degrees in Physics and degrees in Physics with a speciality.
The Joule Physics Laboratory is part of the School of CSE and is at present based mainly in the NewtonBuilding, although some research laboratories are on the first floor and in the basement of MaxwellBuilding. All the student teaching laboratories are situated on the first floor, and the building contains several classrooms and lecture theatres, although you may receive some of your lectures elsewhere. The precise location of staff and details of the specific support they can offer are given below. Staff that you will come into contact with, or may want to know about, during your time in the Joule Physics Laboratory are:
PostName
Head of SchoolProf R T Ritchings
Associate Head (Teaching)Prof S Vadera
School AdministratorMr M Lovell
Head of Joule Physics LaboratoryProf I Morrison
Heads of Levels
Level 0Dr R D Pilkington
Level 1Dr G S McDonald
Level 2Dr D Tsiklauri
Level 3 (Final Year BSc/ Third Year MPhys)Dr G J Keeler
Level M (Final Year MPhys)Prof S H Kilcoyne
Members of Staff with Special Responsibility for Degree Programmes (Programme Leaders)
All core physics modulesDr G J Keeler
Physics with a Foundation YearDr R D Pilkington
PhysicsDr G J Keeler
Physics with Space TechnologyDr D Tsiklauri
Physics with AcousticsDr G J Keeler
Physics with Aviation StudiesDr G J Keeler
Physics with Pilot StudiesDr G J Keeler
Physics with a Foreign LanguageProf A E Hill
Physics with Studies in North AmericaProf S E Donnelly
Industrial Placement Tutor/Careers Liaison OfficerDr R D Pilkington
1.2 Academic and Support Staff
The full list of staff who support your programme of study, including members of academic staff and several support staff, are listed below.
Staff are based in the Newton, Maxwell and Cockcroft buildings (Newton unless otherwise stated) as follows.
Academic Staff
Mr S BennettDr N M Boag
Prof A D Boardman
Prof S E Donnelly
Prof A E Hill
Dr B W James
Dr G A Jones
Dr G J Keeler
Prof S H Kilcoyne
Dr G S McDonald
Prof I Morrison
Dr R D Pilkington
Prof D K Ross
Dr T Shen
Dr D Tsiklauri
Prof J A van den Berg / 269
Cockcroft 101
Maxwell 110
Cockcroft 105a
270
G1
Maxwell 108
163
268
165
161
166
Maxwell 108a
273
272
162 /
/ 53845
55239
55529
55392
54761
53627
53884
53121
53399
55079
55303
54176
55881
55132
54325
55052
School Support Staff
School Physics Support based in the NewtonBuilding are as follows.
Mrs L ClarkeMr M Clegg
Mr S Hurst
Mr B Lewis
Mr P Murphy
Mr J Smith / 164
G77
G24
178
178
173 /
/ 55670
55261
55261
53810
53810
53541
School Administration Staff
ROOM / SECTION / STAFF MEMBER / JOB TITLENewton 132 / Link Team / Daniel Wadsworth
Ext. 54802 / Senior Link Officer (Engineering)
Yang Huang
Ext. 54059 / Link Officer (CSMT)
Emel Barton
Ext. 56241 / Link Officer (AAV, Physics, MEnt)
Kath Siva
Ext. 54042 / Placements Administrator
Vanessa Beaumont
Ext. 53223 / Receptionist
Research Administration
Team / Keren Maloney
Ext. 55115 / Research Administration Officer
Nicola Dunne
Ext. 53336 / Research Administration Assistant
NEWTON ROOM 132
Newton Room 132 is the focal point for all student enquiries. When you enter the room you will notice a waiting area in front of you and, beyond that you will see four booths where your conversation with a member of staff will take place. Booths are assigned according to the nature of enquiries and are clearly labelled to this effect. If the appropriate booth is unoccupied when you enter the room then please take a seat in the booth. If the appropriate booth is occupied please take a seat in the waiting area and wait to be called.
Coursework, Final Year projects and dissertations should be submitted to Vanessa on Reception.
The Link Team
TheLinkTeamwillprovidesupportandassistancein most areas, for example:
Module option selection
PMCs (collect the PMC form from Reception but submit the completed form to the appropriate member of the Link Team)
Registration
Record enquiries
Transfers
Withdrawals
Suspensions
Interruptions
Placements
Daniel Wadsworthis responsible for queries relating to the Engineering discipline group.
Yang Huang is responsible for queries relating to the Computer Science, Multimedia & Telecommunications (CSMT) discipline group.
Emel Barton is responsible for queries relating to the Acoustics, Audio & Video (AAV) discipline group,the Physics & Materials discipline group and the Master of Enterprise(MEnt) programme.
Kath Sivais responsible for queries relating to UK and Overseas placements.
Vanessa Beaumontis responsible for the collection of coursework, Final Year Projects and dissertations.
If the Link Team is unable to help with a particular issue they will be able to refer youtoanotherappropriate sectionoftheUniversity.
The Research Administration Team
The Research Administration Team (Keren Maloneyand Nicola Dunne) is responsible for all Postgraduate Research queries.
OPENING TIMES
Newton Room 132
Monday 9.00am-4.30pm
Tuesday 9.00am-4.30pm
Wednesday 9.00am-1.00pm (or 4.30pm during examination periods)
Thursday 9.00am-4.30pm
Friday 9.00am-4.30pm
School Reception
Monday 8.45am-4.30pm
Tuesday 8.45am-4.30pm
Wednesday 8.45am-4.30pm
Thursday 8.45am-4.30pm
Friday 8.45am-4.30pm
2.Studying for the degree
2.1 General degree information
Overview
Most modules on every programme of study rely on lectures and tutorials as the basis for instruction. The lectures provide the core knowledge for each module whilst the tutorials provide you with an opportunity to test out your ideas, and to further utilize the knowledge and experience of the staff. If you rely upon lectures as your only source of information, do not attend tutorials and do not research each subject for yourself, then you are unlikely to do very well.
The aim of the university and the school is to encourage independent thinking as well as the team-working skills that industry appreciates. However, you will not be thrown straight in at the deep end, but remember that staff expect you to use them to clarify your thoughts and approach: they are not the source of all knowledge and truth.
Organisation of the programmes of study
All Honours undergraduate degree programmes are organised on a modular pattern based upon 120 credits per year, where a credit is a measure of the volume of material that you have taken.
The subject matter of each programme of study is divided into modules and each module is assigned a credit rating. Most undergraduate modules are either rated 10 or 20 credits and assessment is usually carried out during and/or at the end of each module.
The academic year is divided into three semesters of 14 weeks each with a one week gap between each semester. Most of the undergraduate programmes in the School are taught over two semesters only. The precise format of a module will vary depending on whether it is taught over one or two semesters. For modules which are taught over one semester and assessed by examination, revision will take place in week 12 of the semester and the examinations in week 13 and 14. For modules taught over two semesters and assessed by examination, revision should take place in weeks 10 and 11 of Semester 2 and the examination(s) in weeks 12, 13 and 14 of Semester 2. Section 5 provides further details.
Part Two of this handbook provides details of the specific modules and structure of your programme.
Managing workloads
Many students at University wonder how hard they should be working, particularly as the ethos of the staff-student relationship puts the onus on the student, not the member of staff, to take the initiative when problems arise. The answer varies from module to module, but as a rough guide, you should expect to spend at least four to five hours on each module per week, in addition to the time you spend in tutorials and lectures. Part of this time should be spent going over your lecture notes, usually with the help of background reading of books that you have obtained from the library, or that you have purchased; the remainder on doing any exercises or practical work that the lecturers have set or that you have obtained from other sources.
How to study
Generally students who do well in their studies have the following characteristics:
- regular study habits
- a high attendance record
- they revise their lecture notes on the same day as the lecture
- work harder on the weaker subjects
- are better disciplined in dealing with urgent tasks
- are familiar with library facilities.
You should note, however, that most students believe their powers of concentration to be poor, and mistakenly assume they are below average. Almost everyone has problems concentrating and our advice is not to try to concentrate for long periods, as it rarely works. Many people find that, for tasks requiring in-depth thought, one of the best times is early in the morning.
You may feel that you have already covered some of the work in a previous module. It may be that this is so but not to the depth necessary in your new environment. Or it may be that you have covered it in an inappropriate manner. Whatever the case, talk to your lecturer about it: do not decide unilaterally that there is no need for you to attend that module at all. Even if you have covered the material to an appropriate depth, you must complete all the work that is set. If you do not then you will very probably find that there are significant gaps in your knowledge that will be exposed at a later time.
2.2 Lectures, tutorials and laboratories
A variety of teaching and learning materials are used to deliver the curriculum including lectures, tutorials, workshops, individual projects and team-based projects as well as computer- and web- based teaching material. Details of which mode of delivery and teaching strategy are used for particular modules are given in Part Two of this document.
Lectures
The central feature of formal teaching in universities is a fifty minute lecture. This is the main way in which you accumulate information about a topic. Lectures should be a two-way process, where the lecturer provides information that students can then ask questions about and discuss. In your time at university you will encounter and have to learn how to deal with a variety of lecturing styles.
An important point is that learning from lectures requires effort on your part. It is vital that you take notes during the lectures. You cannot expect to understand and assimilate every detail whilst simultaneously making notes and so your notes should be reviewed as soon as possible after the lecture. Even if you are provided with a set of printed notes you should add your own or annotate the printed set.Another area of effort is remaining alert throughout the lecture. People who speak professionally are aware of this and so break up their presentation with aids such as demonstrations, visual aids and questions to the audience. In a lecture you may have to provide some of these natural breaks for yourself. One obvious way is by asking questions, but you might find that something as simple as underlining important information helps. It is important to try to find something that keeps your attention, so that you are actively using the time you spend in lectures. In summary you should: