Regulations for Peninsula Allied Health Collaboration
| REGULATIONS FOR PROGRAMMES OF STUDY | ||
| CONTENTS | ||
| 1 | PREAMBLE | |
| 1.1 | Introduction | |
| 1.2 | Precedence of Regulations | |
| 1.3 | Awards | |
| 1.4 | Use of Degrees and Other Awards | |
| 1.5 | Institutional Programme Responsibility | |
| 2 | PROGRAMME APPROVAL AND REVIEW | |
| 2.1 | Programme Approval | |
| 2.2 | Programme Review | |
| 3 | GENERAL REGULATIONS | |
| 3.1 | Student Responsibilities | |
| 3.2 | Student Complaints | |
| 3.3 | Fitness to practise and Occupational Health | |
| 3.4 | Data Protection | |
| 4 | GENERAL REGULATIONS: ASSESSMENTS AND AWARDS | |
| 4.1 | Conduct of Assessments | |
| 4.2 | Cheating including Plagiarism | |
| 4.3 | Academic Appeals | |
| 4.4 | Post Obitum Awards | |
| 4.5 | Aegrotat Awards | |
| 5 | REGULATIONS FOR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMMES | |
| 5.1 | Admission and Registration | |
| 5.2 | Award Credit Requirements | |
| 5.3 | Award and Assessment Governance | |
| 1 | PREAMBLE | |
| 1.1 | Introduction | |
| The Peninsula Health Collaboration ("PHC") has been established through a Memorandum of Agreement by the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth and the University College Plymouth St Mark & St John. The degrees, diplomas and certificates under the Collaboration will be awarded jointly by the University of Exeter and the University of Plymouth on the recommendation of the Collaboration's Award Boards. These Regulations form an Annexe to that Memorandum of Agreement. | ||
| 1.2 | Precedence of Regulations | |
| The Regulations for the joint awards under the PHC are subject to the approval of the Senate of the University of Exeter and the Academic Board of the University of Plymouth and carry precedence over those of the members of the PHC except where indicated. | ||
| 1.3 | Awards | |
| The following qualifications may be awarded: | ||
| Undergraduate: Certificate of Higher Education Diploma of Higher Education Bachelor of Science (BSc) |
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| 1.4 | Use of Degrees and Other Awards | |
| No candidate shall be entitled to the use of a degree or other award or to any of the privileges of a graduate until s/he has been awarded the degree or other qualification. No student may receive an award for which they have qualified whilst owing monies to the providers of the programmes leading to the award. | ||
| 1.5 | Institutional Programme Responsibility | |
| Each discipline taught through the PHC will be assigned to one of the partner institutions for managing programmes, student progression and awards within that discipline. Definitive allocations of programmes are given in an Annexe to the Memorandum of Agreement. They include: | ||
| BSc Adult Nursing BSc Child Health BSc Dietetics BSc Medical Imaging (Diagnostic Radiography) BSc Mental Health BSc Occupational Therapy BSc Pre-Registration Midwifery BSc Physiotherapy BSc Podiatry BSc Speech and Language Therapy |
University of Plymouth University of Plymouth University of Plymouth University of Exeter University of Plymouth University of Plymouth University of Plymouth University of Plymouth University of Plymouth University College Plymouth St Mark & St John |
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| In the case of the University College Plymouth St Mark & St John, the management of programmes, student progression and awards shall be subject to their validation and accreditation arrangements with one of the awarding Universities. | ||
| 2 | PROGRAMME APPROVAL AND REVIEW | |
| 2.1 | Programme Approval | |
| 2.1.1 | As the awarding bodies, the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth shall approve procedures for the joint approval of programmes leading to awards under the PHC. The basis for these procedures will be mutual recognition of each institution's approval mechanisms. | |
| 2.1.2 | Each University shall be represented at any approval event for a programme to be delivered under the PHC. | |
| 2.3 | Approved documentation for each programme leading to a joint award shall be held by each University. | |
| 2.2 | Programme Review | |
| 2.2.1 | The partner institutions shall establish a Collaboration Programme Review Board (CPRB), which shall meet annually to act on behalf of the two Universities: | |
| (a) to review the PHC programmes; | ||
| (b) to receive the membership of Assessment Boards and Boards of Examiners (or equivalent) | ||
| (c) to receive details of external examiners; | ||
| (d) to receive external examiners' reports; | ||
| (e) to receive an overview of results and progression data for students studying on PHC programmes | ||
| (f) to receive reports of external academic reviews; | ||
| (g) to approve an annual report for submission to the Advisory Board of the PHC and to the collaborating Institutions. | ||
| 2.2.2 | The membership of the Board shall comprise: | |
| Two members nominated by the Senate of the University of Exeter Two members nominated by the Academic Board of the University of Plymouth One member nominated by the University College Plymouth St Mark & St John One representative of each discipline within the portfolio of PHC programmes that is subject to professional accreditation |
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| The Chair of the Board, drawn from the members nominated by the two Universities and the University College, shall be appointed by the Board to serve for a maximum of two years, alternating between the Universities. | ||
| 2.2.3 | The Chair shall be empowered to take action on behalf of the Board during the time between meetings, having taken advice as necessary from appropriate members. | |
| 3 | GENERAL REGULATIONS | |
| 3.1 | Student Reponsibilities | |
| 3.1.1 | Registration and Payment of Fees | |
| 3.1.1 | Students are required to register with one of the partner institutions at the time of their admission to a programme of study and annually thereafter. Only students who have registered and paid any tuition fee required (or for whom fees have been paid) are entitled to tuition and access to and use of the facilities of the PHC partners and NHS facilities. | |
| Where continuing students have a debt to one of the PHC partners they must clear the debt or reach an agreement for payment with the partner before they will be allowed to re-register and continue their studies.1 | ||
| 3.1.2 | Attendance, Absences and Extenuating Circumstances | |
| All students are expected to be in attendance as required by their programme of study and to attend all of the teaching events required by their programme. Where students are absent because of illness, they must notify the institution with which they are registered as a student in compliance with the rules in force and published by that institution from time to time. Likewise, where students believe that their performance in an assessment has been adversely affected by extenuating circumstances they must notify the institution as set out in that institution's procedures. | ||
| 3.1.3 | Suspension of Studies | |
| In exceptional circumstances, for example as a result of a serious illness or other difficult personal circumstance, students may be permitted to suspend their studies and temporarily withdraw from a programme. The period of suspension shall not normally exceed one academic year. Permission to suspend studies temporarily shall require approval as required under the procedures of the institution with which a student is registered. | ||
| 3.1.4 | Withdrawal from a Programme of Study | |
| Students who wish to withdraw from their programmes of study must notify the institution with which they are registered in writing of their intention to do so as soon as the decision is made. Failure to notify promptly may mean a liability for tuition fees, residence fees or repayment of a student loan. Students considering withdrawal should seek advice and support from their academic mentor or student support service.2 | ||
| 3.1.5 | Transfer between Programmes of Study | |
| Students may be permitted to transfer between programmes of study within the PHC subject to the consent of the releasing and receiving partner institutions and to workforce development requirements and contractual arrangements, and to the satisfaction of academic credit and other programme requirements. | ||
| 3.1.6 | Identity Cards | |
| Students must always be able to produce their institution's ID card to obtain access to PHC teaching environments and NHS facilities and assessment venues. | ||
| 3.1.7 | Safety | |
| All students are required to comply with the safety rules of the PHC partners and NHS facilities applicable to the sites and in the premises in which they undertake their learning. | ||
| 3.1.8 | Conduct and Discipline | |
| Students within the Collaboration are expected to act in a way appropriate to the professional requirements of their studies and that meets the procedures for conduct and discipline of the partner institution with which they are registered. Student conduct may be subject to assessment as detailed in programme specifications. Conduct deemed unsatisfactory may be treated as a disciplinary matter under the relevant NHS or partner's procedures. | ||
| 3.1.9 | Criminal Convictions | |
| It shall be a requirement for admission to PHC programmes that applicants declare if they have criminal convictions and/or cautions. The partners reserve the right to refuse admission to programmes under the PHC of anyone with a criminal conviction or caution. Procedures by which disclosure is to be made are set out in partners' procedures relevant to the programmes. | ||
| 3.1.10 | Residence | |
| Where students of the PHC are accommodated in property owned and/or managed by one of the partners, they shall adhere to the regulations and rules prescribed by the partner for its accommodation. Failure to comply may be treated as a disciplinary offence. | ||
| 3.1.11 | Library and Information Technology Resources | |
| Students are required to observe all rules made by the PHC's partners relating to their use of any IT Facilities or Library. The partners reserve the right to withdraw IT and Library facilities from students in debt to one or more of them. | ||
| 3.1.12 | Observance of Regulations and Other Rules | |
| Students shall observe the requirements of the PHC's Regulations and such other rules and codes of practice as may be approved from time to time by the PHC. | ||
| 3.2 | Student Complaints | |
| 3.2.1 | The PHC is committed to striving for the highest quality in all of its activities. Each partner has in place a complaints procedure for use by their respective registered students. Additionally, the PHC shall maintain a complaints procedure to address concerns that fall within its wider activities beyond those of the individual partners. The procedure shall be set out in a code of practice and all students informed of its existence at the time of their first registration for their programme of study under the PHC. | |
| 3.3 | Fitness to Practise and Occupational Health | |
| 3.3.1 | Students studying on a programme leading to an allied health profession qualification shall be subject to the procedures relating to fitness to practise and occupational health of the partner institution with which they are registered and to any profession-specific requirements and limitations. Decisions reached under such procedures shall apply in respect of a student's participation in any such programme of the PHC. | |
| 3.4 | Data Protection | |
| 3.4.1 | All students shall comply with the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998 in the course of their studies. Failure to comply with the Act may constitute a disciplinary offence. | |
| 4 | GENERAL REGULATIONS: ASSESSMENT AND AWARDS | |
| 4.1 | Conduct of Assessments | |
| 4.1.1 | Every examination or assessment for a degree, diploma, certificate of other award provided through the PHC shall be conducted by a duly constituted Assessment Board (or equivalent) and shall include, minimally, at least one member of the academic staff of the providing partner. | |
| 4.1.2 | The approval of joint awards of the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth within the PHC shall be managed through the appropriate Award Board or Board of Examiners (or equivalent) of the partner institution charged with oversight of a programme, as detailed in section 1 of these Regulations. Membership of the Boards shall be approved under the procedures of the relevant institution and reported to the annual meeting of the CPRB. | |
| 4.1.3 | Such Boards:
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| 4.1.4 | External examiners shall be appointed under the procedures of the relevant partner institution and their details reported to the annual meeting of the CPRB. Appointment shall normally be for four years. External examiners shall be required to make a report on the examination or assessment arrangements they have reviewed under the procedures relating to the host institution. | |
| 4.1.5 | The PHC may establish, from time to time, such rules for the conduct of assessments and examinations as it deems necessary and the partners shall be responsible for ensuring compliance. Where a student fails to comply with these Regulations or relevant code of practice this may be treated as a disciplinary matter. | |
| 4.2 | Cheating including Plagiarism3 | |
| 4.2.1 | Students must be aware that any assessment irregularity or cheating or plagiarism, intended or otherwise, occurring during or as part of an assessment, including the preparation of a thesis, may have serious consequences and could lead to a requirement to withdraw. | |
| 4.3 | Academic Appeals | |
| 4.3.1 | Students on programmes within the PHC may submit an academic appeal according to the criteria and procedures of the institution with which they are registered. | |
| 4.4 | Post Obitum Awards | |
| 4.4.1 | In the event of a candidate's decease, an Assessment Board or Board of Examiners (or equivalent) may recommend the award of a degree, diploma or certificate post obitum, provided that: | |
| (a) for research degrees, the thesis or dissertation has been submitted and a favourable report made by the Board; | ||
| (b) or degrees awarded after advanced study, the coursework and any required examinations have been completed, any required dissertation or project submitted, and a favourable report made by the Board; | ||
| (c) for first degrees in instances where the candidate has died before completion of the required examinations, the Board has consequently considered the candidate's academic record including coursework and performance in previous examinations in the institution and is satisfied that, had the student not been prevented from taking the examination or assessment, the student would have passed; | ||
| (d) for first degrees in instances where the candidate has completed the examination, a favourable report has been made by the Board. | ||
| 4.5 | Aegrotat Awards | |
| 4.5.1 | On the recommendation of the examiners concerned, an Assessment Board or Board of Examiners (or equivalent) may deem a candidate who has been prevented by illness or exceptional personal circumstances from attending the whole or part of a deferred assessment for a degree, diploma, certificate or other award to have been successful in that assessment and recommend an Aegrotat pass, provided that the Board concerned has submitted a written report certifying: | |
| (a) that it is satisfied that the candidate's absence from the deferred assessment was justified by reason of illness or exceptional personal circumstances, and that the evidence received had included a medical certificate or other appropriate documentation attesting to the absence submitted to the head of administration of the candidate's institution; | ||
| (b) that it had subsequently considered the candidate's academic record including coursework and performance in previous assessments in the programme, and was satisfied that the programme of study leading to the deferred assessment had been completed, and that the assessment would have been passed had the candidate not been prevented from taking it. | ||
| 4.5.2 | Notwithstanding the above, in order to ensure that the minimum standards set by the professional bodies are met, an Aegrotat pass will not normally be permitted in a programme that by its title carries with it recognition of fitness to practise. | |
| 5 | REGULATIONS FOR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMMES | |
| 5.1 | Admission and Registration | |
| 5.1.1 | Admission Processes | |
| Partners within the PHC shall consider each application on its individual merits and the process described in these Regulations and the codes of practice may be varied to ensure a fair consideration of individual applicants. Normally application must be made through the Universities and University Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). | ||
| 5.1.2 | Age at Entry | |
| The minimum age for admission to an undergraduate programme shall be at least 18 years at the predicted time for commencement of study. | ||
| 5.1.3 | Registration | |
| Students entering a programme of study under the PHC will be registered with one of the partners appropriate to the programme. However, they will be bound by these current Regulations as well as those of the institution with which they are registered, save the PHC's Regulations will carry precedence. | ||
| 5.1.4 | Disclosure of Health Related Problems and Immunization | |
| Applicants for entry to programmes of study will be asked to declare any relevant health related problems which might affect their ability to fulfil the requirements of a programme and may also be required to comply with an immunization policy appropriate to a specific programme as set out in the codes of practice. Non-disclosure of a significant mental or physical health problem that is later discovered may lead to a student being required to withdraw. | ||
| 5.1.5 | Language Requirements | |
| Applicants whose native language is not English will be required to provide evidence of competence in the English language sufficient for the programme. | ||
| 5.2 | Award Credit Requirements | |
| 5.2.1 | The credit requirements for the award of each qualification shall be as follows: | |
| Certificate of Higher Education Diploma of Higher Education Bachelor of Science Bachelor of Science (with additional placement year) |
120 credits 240 credits 360 credits 480 credits |
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| Credit awarded in respect of programmes under the PHC will be mutually recognised by the partners. | ||
| 5.3 | Award and Assessment Governance | |
| 5.3.1 | Award and assessment governance will be managed under the institution's own procedures but within the framework established elsewhere in these Regulations. | |
2 For undergraduates, compliance with the correct procedure on withdrawal, including notification where appropriate to a Local Education Authority, is very important if an individual is not to jeopardise their chance of further LEA or Student Loan Company support.
3 Plagiarism, one form of academic dishonesty, is the representation of another person's work (including another student's), without acknowledging the source, as one's own. It may include direct copying from texts, paraphrasing (rewording) other peoples' work and summarising their ideas, in all cases without acknowledging the source.; It is the failure to acknowledge which constitutes plagiarism as all study involves the consultation of relevant sources of information. An individual may be guilty of plagiarism even if they did not intend to imply that the work was their own. Advice on the correct way to cite another person's work will be provided to students when they commence their studies.
