OPTOMETRY UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMME HANDBOOK

2022-2023

Division of Pharmacy and Optometry

School of Health Sciences

Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

A. GENERAL INFORMATION

 

Welcome to the University of Manchester and the Division of Pharmacy and Optometry in the School of Health Sciences

We hope that you will have an interesting and exciting year.

The aims of this handbook are to:

• tell you who does what, and where you can find people and places
• give you details of the coming years of your programme
• give you general information about the Division, School and Faculty

The information provided herein is of great importance to you, so please do READ IT.

1. Important Dates in 2022/2023

These dates can be seen ‘at a glance’ in the table below.

Welcome Week: Monday 19 September – Friday 23 September 2022

First Semester:

Monday 26 September 2022 – Friday 27 January 2023

Christmas Break: Saturday 17 December 2022 – Sunday 15 January 2022

Sem 1 Exam period: Monday 16 January 2023 – Friday 27 January 2023

Second Semester:

Monday 30 January 2023 – Friday 12 June 2023

Non-teaching week: Monday 27 March – Friday 31 March 2023

Easter Break: Monday 3 April to Sunday 16 April

Examination Periods:

Sem 1 Exam period: Monday 16 January 2023 – Friday 27 January 2023

Sem 2 Exam period: Monday 15 May 2023 – Friday 9 June 2023

Resit Exam period: Monday 21 August 2023 – Friday 1st September 2023 (please bear this in mind when planning holidays).

*See specific Unit Blackboard areas and published timetables on Blackboard for practical/clinical assessments scheduled within learning weeks.

Examination Result publication dates (provisional):

Third Year students are required to submit their clinical logbooks periodically for audit.

Assessment dates for MSci Exams will be made available in due course.

 

	Week Commencing	Week Number	Activities
Semester 1	19th September	Welcome Week
	26th September	Week 1	Teaching
	3rd October	Week 2	Teaching
	10th October	Week 3	Teaching
	17th October	Week 4	Teaching
	24th October	Week 5	Teaching
	31st October	Reading Week
	7th November	Week 7	Teaching
	14th November	Week 8	Teaching
	21st November	Week 9	Teaching
	28th November	Week 10	Teaching
	5th December	Week 11	Teaching
	12th December	Week 12	Teaching
	19th December	Christmas Break
	26th December
	2nd January
	9th January
	16th January	Semester 1 Exams
	23rd January
Semester 2	30th January	Week 1	Teaching
	6th Feb	Week 2	Teaching
	13th Feb	Week 3	Teaching
	20th Feb	Week 4	Teaching
	27th Feb	Week 5	Teaching
	6th March	Week 6	Teaching
	13th March	Week 7	Teaching
	20th March	Week 8	Teaching
	27th March	Easter Break
	3rd April
	10th April
	17th April	Week 9	Teaching
	24th April	Week 10	Teaching
	1st May	Week 11	Teaching
	8th May	Week 12	Teaching
	15th May	Semester 2 Exams
	22nd May
	29th May
	5th June

 

 

2. Assessment Times

Assessment details for each unit of study can be found on Blackboard. It is your responsibility to ensure that you know when and how a particular assessment will take place.

Misreading of information on Blackboard or failure to locate information is not a valid excuse for absence from/failing to submit an assessment. Assessments may be held in a variety of ways and you are urged to check very carefully so that you know exactly where and when each assessment will be.

Closely spaced assessments (e.g. 2 per day on consecutive days) may occur for many students and would not be considered grounds for applying for mitigation against poor performance.

If you have any queries regarding assessments, please seek advice from the appropriate unit coordinator.

If you are required to take August/September resit assessments, a copy of your
assessment timetable will be provided shortly before the assessment period (see
provisional dates at front of handbook). It will not be possible to find out the exact date
of the exam before this.

Referred examinations (resits) for failed Semester 1 AND 2 Units will be held exclusively in the August/September referral assessment period for all year groups. For Final Year students this will result in ineligibility to graduate at the Summer graduation ceremonies and a potential for delay in commencement of your pre-registration placement. It is your responsibility to inform and make any resulting re-arrangements with your pre-registration provider.

 

3. Examinations and religious observance

The University will make every effort to avoid timetabling assessments on religious days
or festivals for those students whose commitment to the observance of their faith would
otherwise cause them to miss the assessment. If religious observance may affect you in one of the timetabled assessment weeks please contact the Programmes Support Office as soon as possible (optometry.students@manchester.ac.uk)

The university Policy on Religious Observance for students is available here.

4. Student Charter

One of the University’s three core goals is “To provide a superb higher education and learning experience to outstanding students, irrespective of their backgrounds, and to produce graduates distinguished by their intellectual capabilities, employability, leadership qualities, and their ability and ambition to contribute to society” http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=25548

The University’s Strategic Plan (2021-2025) can be found at:
https://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=62335

Our Student Charter, developed jointly by the University and the Students’ Union, is an important part of how we establish and maintain clear mutual expectations for the experience of all students: undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research. It sets out what we can expect from each other as partners in a learning community.
To access the Charter please go to: http://www.yoursay.manchester.ac.uk/student-charter/

 

5. Programme Support Office

The Programmes Support Office for Pharmacy and Optometry is located on the ground floor of the Stopford Building (G.121).  The Programmes Support Team can offer advice and information regarding the programme and student support and can be contacted by emailing: optometry.students@manchester.ac.uk

In addition, the details of individual team members are:

Sandra Humphries (Teaching & Learning Officer)

Sandra.Humphries@manchester.ac.uk, 0161 275 2425

Nicola Drinkwater 

Nicola.drinkwater@manchester.ac.uk, 0161 306 4294

Sarah Tarling

sarah.izett@manchester.ac.uk, 0161 306 4293

Joanne Cohen

joanne.cohen@manchester.ac.uk, 0161 306 4292

Victoria Hindle 

victoria.hindle@manchester.ac.uk, 0161 306 0628

 

6. Communication

When fully staffed the aim will be to:

• Respond to all emails within 2 working days. Where this will not be possible, for example, Welcome Week, students and staff will be notified by an automatic reply.
• Activate auto-replies when staff are out of the office providing an alternative contact for any urgent queries (this includes staff who work part-time)
• Pick up colleagues phones when they are away from their desk including when they are out of the office/on annual leave
• Set up voicemail messages only when colleagues cannot answer telephones.

7. Aims of Manchester Undergraduate Education

As part of the University’s Review of Undergraduate Teaching, Learning and the Student Experience, the Manchester Matrix was produced, which sets out the eight purposes of a Manchester Undergraduate Education, which are:

1.To develop critical thinking and higher order conceptual reasoning and analytical skills

2.To promote mastery of a discipline

3.To broaden intellectual and cultural interests

4.To prepare graduates for professional and vocational work

5.To challenge and equip students to confront personal values and make ethical judgements

6.To prepare graduates for citizenship and leadership

in diverse, global environments

7.To develop advanced skills of written and verbal communication

8.To promote equality and diversity.

8. Intended Learning Outcomes

(Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, Benchmark Statement for Optometry)

On successful completion of their programmes undergraduate students should have:

i) an ability to communicate effectively with patients and professional colleagues

through the application of a range of skills using English as the primary language of communication

ii) a systematic understanding of key aspects of optometry and vision science leading to the achievement of core competencies as defined by the GOC at Stage 1 or

Stages 1 and 2 as appropriate

iii) an ability to apply the principles of evidence-based practice

iv) a detailed understanding of specific components of optometry or vision science which are at the forefront of knowledge and reflect the expertise of academic staff

v) an ability to learn autonomously using scholarly reviews and primary sources to support the requirement for continuing professional development and lifelong

learning.

vi) an ability to apply established analysis and enquiry techniques to optometry

vii) a conceptual understanding to enable an evaluation of current research in optometry and vision science

viii) an appreciation of the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of knowledge.

Bachelor’s programmes ensure that the graduate optometrist is able to:

i) achieve all the GOC Stage 1 core competencies for optometry

ii) satisfy the minimum clinical experience requirements as stipulated by the GOC in

order to be awarded a Certificate of Clinical Competence (required for entry into

pre-registration clinical practice at Stage 2)

iii) demonstrate appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes required for entry into pre-registered clinical practice

iv) conduct appropriate tests and investigations of visual status in a safe and effective manner

v) make appropriate decisions about the ocular health of patients

vi) show an appropriate professional attitude towards patients and colleagues

vii) demonstrate an understanding of the expectations and responsibilities of entering a regulated clinical profession.

viii) demonstrate awareness of the primary and secondary healthcare function offered by optometry

ix) demonstrate an investigative approach to academic subjects and clinical practice which integrates theory and practice to identify and solve problems

x) demonstrate an ability to apply research findings to practice

xi) understand his/her role within a multidisciplinary team

xii) analyse, and evaluate critically, diagnostic and therapeutic interventions

xiii) demonstrate critical skills for the evaluation of new concepts, procedures, techniques and products relevant to optometric practice

xiv) acquire a wide range of transferable, lifelong and independent learning skills.

In addition to the above, integrated master’s degree programmes ensure that the graduate is able to:

i) achieve all the GOC Stage 2 core competencies for optometry

ii) satisfy clinical experience requirements through periods of supervised practice in community optometry and hospital settings

iii) demonstrate higher level skills and competencies in relation to ophthalmic investigation and ocular therapeutics

iv) demonstrate sufficient experience, knowledge and understanding of optometry to register with the GOC as a qualified optometrist without further assessment.

9. Staff in the Division of Pharmacy & Optometry (School of Health Sciences)

 

Head of School of Health Sciences
Professor Andrew Brass	Andy.brass@manchester.ac.uk
Head of Division of Pharmacy and Optometry
Professor Jayne Lawrence	Jayne.lawrence@manchester.ac.uk
Head of Optometry
Professor Philip Morgan	Philip.morgan@manchester.ac.uk
Director of Undergraduate Teaching & Learning (Programme Director)
Dr Fiona Cruickshank	Fiona.cruickshank@manchester.ac.uk
Professors
Professor Tariq Aslam	Tariq.aslam@manchester.ac.uk
Professor Christine Dickinson	Chris.dickinson@manchester.ac.uk
Professor Curtis Dobson	Curtis.dobson@manchester.ac.uk
Professor Ian Murray	Ian.j.murray@manchester.ac.uk
Readers
Dr Richard Baker	Richard.baker@manchester.ac.uk
Dr Hema Radhakrishnan	Hema.radhakrishnan@manchester.ac.uk
Senior Lecturers
Dr Bipasha Choudhury	Bipasha.choudhury@manchester.ac.uk
Dr Emma Gowen	Emma.gowen@manchester.ac.uk
Mr Andrew Gridley	Andrew.gridley@manchester.ac.uk
Dr Karen Hampson	Karen.hampson-2@manchester.ac.uk
Dr Ana Hernandez-Trillo	Ana.hernandeztrillo@manchester.ac.uk
Mr William Holmes	w.holmes@manchester.ac.uk
Dr Amit Jinabhai	Amit.jinabhai@manchester.ac.uk
Dr Carole Maldonado-Codina	Carole.m-codina@manchester.ac.uk
Ms Claire Mallon	Claire.mallon@manchester.ac.uk
Dr Catherine Porter	Catherine.porter@manchester.ac.uk
Dr Elizabeth Sheader	Elizabeth.a.sheader@manchester.ac.uk
Dr Caroline Thompson	Caroline.m.thompson@manchester.ac.uk
Lecturers
Miss Fiona Cook	Fi.cook@manchester .ac.uk
Dr Susan Cochran	Susan.cochran@manchester.ac.uk
Dr Samuel Couth	Samuel.couth@manchester.ac.uk
Dr Stefan Gabriel	Stefan.gabriel@manchester.ac.uk
Dr Christopher Howell-Duffy	Christopher.howell-duffy@manchester.ac.uk
Dr Ayse Latif	Ayse.latif@manchester.ac.uk
Dr Caroline Lea Carnall	Caroline.lea-carnall@manchester.ac.uk
Mr Paul Rogers	p.rogers@manchester.ac.uk
Dr Jake Taylor	j.j.Taylor@manchester.ac.uk
Senior Clinical Teachers
Ms Jyoti Paul	Jyoti.paul@manchester.ac.uk

 

Additional contact details and office location can be found for all staff at:

http://directory.manchester.ac.uk

There are maps showing room numbers posted in various corridors around the buildings you are likely to use. Most staff may have offices in the Michael Smith Building, the Core Technology Facility, the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, the Stopford Building, AV Hill Building, Carys Bannister Building or Simon Building.

To gain access to these buildings, you must first report to the Reception desk in that building.  You will need your student card to gain access to most of these buildings.

10. Communication – email/mail/announcements/texts

The Programmes Support Office is normally open 9.00 – 17.00 Monday to Friday and
should be your first stop for queries relating to your programme and general student
support. See page 4 of this handbook for contact details. Effective communication between you, the staff of the Division and the central administration of the University is vital. There will be many important official notices (including those on timetables, examinations and course assessment marks) for you to read and act upon during the year. There are three important channels of communication: electronic (email via your University email account, announcements, the intranet, text messages and Blackboard); paper (e.g. letters to your postal address); verbal (e.g. announcements in lectures and practicals).

Electronic communication: as part of registration you will be provided with a University email address and will be given a username and password. You must not pass on your username or password to anyone else and must not divulge email addresses of fellow students or staff to anyone else without their permission.

Verbal communication: staff may occasionally make verbal announcements in lectures and practicals that do not appear in any other fashion, so if you are late, or unable to attend something, be sure to check with a fellow student or the staff member concerned that you did not miss an important announcement. This is especially important for practical work; as if you are late you may miss health and safety announcements and may be denied entry to the practical.

Email is the standard method used to communicate with students so you must ensure that you check your University email messages (including “Announcements” emails) on a regular and frequent basis – at least once a day. If you do not regularly check your email, your inbox may become full and important messages will not then get through to you.

Failure to respond to notices and mail means that you may miss lectures, tutorials or meetings, or it may even cost you money (e.g. library fines).

Email will be the main medium for communication with academic staff, including your
Advisor. Remember that email is a formal method of correspondence and should be treated as such. Emails should be polite, clear and full. Emails should contain a formal greeting, message and sign off. You should refrain from using ‘text speak’, abbreviations and emojis/GIFs. It is useful to include your student number when corresponding with programme staff.

Make sure you retain and keep a record of important emails you have sent and received. These may be needed to provide proof of communications if there is a query later on (e.g. in the case of appeals based on sickness absence etc.).

You will find staff addresses at http://directory.manchester.ac.uk

PLEASE NOTE: email communication will only occur via your University email address and staff will not use or respond to any other email address except in very exceptional circumstances. Furthermore, you should not autoforward University email to a personal email address. Once personal email folders are full, new messages are deleted.

MyManchester: My Manchester is a personalised online space for current students, which provides easy access to learning resources, services, student support and information, all in one place.

If your personal details change (term-time or home postal addresses, phone numbers, etc.) you must update your student record promptly or notify the Programmes Support Office if you are unable to make the changes via MyManchester. It is also your responsibility to ensure that your programme and unit information are correct and to notify the Programmes Support Office if changes are required. Any difficulties obtaining emails should be reported to the IT helpdesk http://www.itservices.manchester.ac.uk/

11. Health and Safety

The work that you do will require knowledge of and conformity with health and safety rules. It is consequently important for you to gain a wide understanding of the legal and practical requirements for working safely.

The University of Manchester is subject to British and European Community law on health and safety. The University has therefore, a duty to formulate health and safety policies and to promote these. From time to time the University issues its updated “Health and Safety Policy Statement”, as well as Codes of Practice and Guidance Notes. Following the requirements stipulated in the latter, FBMH is required to devise regulations that are suited to its work. These regulations apply to staff, students and visitors to the Faculty. Similar obligations and procedures apply to all employers in the UK, so that preparation and familiarity gained now could stand you in good stead for future employment. Please see the Health and Safety pages on the Faculty intranet at https://app.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/hs/default.aspx

The principles of risk assessment cover all forms of activity in the place of work, and every activity should be assessed before you start work. A person in authority will normally have carried out this assessment on your behalf, and it is important to adhere to the protocol you have been given. You must be familiar with the contents of the relevant Risk Assessment before you start any form of work, and you must not make any changes to work procedures without the permission of your supervisor. Risk Assessments for most common procedures can be found at https://app.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/hs/riskdocuments.aspx

Finally, a decision has to be made by a person in authority, e.g. your supervisor, about who should do the work and in what circumstances should the work be done. You can expect to be informed about any particular hazards and methods that apply in a practical/clinic. Please note that if you are pregnant you should inform the relevant member of academic staff e.g. Practical Unit Coordinator, Supervisor, so that the appropriate risk assessments can be undertaken.

As part of your induction you will attend health and safety training and be required to
complete an online Blackboard course (Year 1, 2, or 3 “Welcome Week Checklist”) and self declaration. Failure to complete these activities will mean that you are unable to take part in the practical/clinical components of the course.

12. Dress Code

The way students dress sends messages to their patients, their fellow students and staff about their professionalism and their standards of care. This dress code policy is designed to assist in a high quality educational approach to professionalism in order to ultimately optimise the patient experience.

In the clinical educational environment, a dress code carries a symbolic meaning and serves to generate pride in the profession, protects personal clothing, and allows patients and staff to readily recognise student optometrists. As such, it is School policy for student optometrists to adhere to the dress code outlined in this document. Students not adhering to this policy will not be allowed to take part in practicals or clinics.

In general, the Dress Code is enforced during clinical sessions in which students will (or might reasonably expect to) meet patients from the general public, from the university community or fellow optometry students. Such sessions include:

• Year 1 Optometric Examination practical
• Year 2 Optometric Examination practicals
• Year 2 Binocular Vision practicals
• Year 2 Instrumentation practicals
• Year 2 Dispensing practicals
• Year 2 Contact Lens clinics
• All Year 3 clinics

The dress code for 2022/23 can be found here.  The most up-to-date version of the dress code can be found on the optometry community space in Blackboard. Please review this regularly as it may change in response to COVID-19 rules.

 

13. Data Protection/ Patient Information Confidentiality 

Optometry Students have access to patient information that is private and confidential. In order to maintain the confidentiality of our patients you will be asked to sign a data protection form when you begin the course and when you enter final year.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES may a patient record be:

1. Removed from reception without the permission of reception staff. If you require a patient record then you must fill in the book at reception with the patient’s name, date the record was taken and your name beside it.
2. You must sign the book to say the record has been returned. You will be held personally responsible for the record when it has been signed out under your name. This record MUST NOT be passed on to other students (either as the original or as a photocopy).
3. Removed from the building AT ALL.
4. Photographed or copied onto a mobile device, for example mobile phones, tablets or USB sticks.
5. Left anywhere where there is the possibility of staff, students or patients viewing it. Do not leave records unattended in the rooms.

Any records that are not formal eye examinations must be treated in the same way, for example if you examine the eyes of another student or any of the volunteer patients. This cannot leave the building with a name on it. You may wish to just write Mrs M.C. or Mr X. If you decide you do not want to keep a copy then DO NOT just throw it in the bin, it MUST be shredded to allow confidentiality to be maintained. Please ask at Carys Bannister reception if you would like anything to be shredded – staff will direct you to the bins for shredding.

Any student who breaches the above protocol will be held personally liable and will be subject to disciplinary action from the University. In the first instance this would normally be via a referral to the School Fitness to Practise Committee.

As part of your induction you will attend data protection training and be required to complete an online Blackboard course and self declaration. Failure to complete these activities will mean that you are unable to take part in the practical/clinical components of the course.

Any student who requires further information or clarification of this policy can contact the Lead for Clinical Teaching (Ms Claire Mallon).

Data Protection Principles

Personal data must be processed following these principles so that data is:

1. processed fairly and lawfully;
2. obtained for specified and lawful purposes;
3. adequate, relevant and not excessive;
4. accurate and, where necessary, kept up-to-date;
5. not kept for longer than necessary;
6. processed in accordance with the subject’s rights;
7. kept secure;
8. not transferred abroad without adequate protection.

Data Protection Policy

The full university data protection policy is available on the University website. It is advised that all students read this policy. (http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=14914)

14. Acting as patients for exams

All first and second year students are obliged to make themselves available as patients for third year practical examinations. Details of this commitment will be posted on the student noticeboard in the Carys Bannister Building. In the event of genuine difficulty in attending at the specified time(s) individuals should arrange for another student to deputise and provide the Examinations Officer (Dr Caroline Thompson) with written notification of the new arrangements as soon as possible. Failure to do this may result in the penalty of a fine for each infringement. This non-attendance will be treated in the same way as an absence from a practical session. A note will be made in your student record, and will be made available to anyone writing references for you.

Your responsibilities as a Health Sciences student

The Optometry degree programme opens the way for you to undertake training in, and hopefully to enter, a profession with high standards of conduct and behaviour. You are expected, as an undergraduate optometrist, to behave in an appropriate and responsible manner in preparation for this. It is important that all students should have the best possible learning experience throughout their course and that this should not be disrupted by fellow students. To ensure this happens,

We expect you to:

• Show consideration in your behaviour towards other students, and towards the University staff, including administrative, technical and academic staff and occasional lecturers.
• Participate fully in all timetabled practical teaching/examining sessions; taking part as patient, practitioner or active observer as appropriate.
• Ensure that you do not commit yourself to other activities (e.g. part-time work) which interfere with your ability to devote sufficient time to your studies. The maximum amount of part-time work recommended by the University is 15 hours per week, but you should consider carefully whether this will interfere with your studies. If possible try to obtain work which is flexible such that you can reduce your hours near to examination periods.
• Maintain good communications with the administration of your degree programme. This will be via the Programmes Support Office and your Academic Advisor. In addition, you should check your email account on a daily basis. You should make sure that any change of address is notified promptly.
• Attend all practicals, clinics and associated sessions; all are compulsory. Sessions where you are asked to sit as a patient for students on other years of the programme are also compulsory. If you are unable to attend, for instance because of illness, then you follow the appropriate notification procedures (See Section Guidelines on Ill Health).You should arrive on time and remain within each session until told that you can leave. If you are unable to attend a clinical session you must leave a telephone voicemail message with the Optometry Clinic Reception (optometry.clinics@manchester.ac.uk) as soon as possible.
• Engage with lectures and attend live online sessions: this is the best way for you to understand the unit content and the context of the material you are expected to cover. Lecture notes only show a small part of the material, and the background explanations, being presented by the lecturer. Make use of the supplementary material available via Blackboard.
• Behave in lectures, practicals, clinics, and in the learning support areas of the University in an appropriate manner. e.g. arriving on time, not talking in lectures, not using mobile phones or tablets to make calls, send texts/email, and use social media sites..
• Respect the general health and safety requirements that apply to all work in laboratories and clinics, and any additional advice given to you in relation to particular procedures. You should ensure that you wear clothing appropriate to the laboratory and/or clinic environment and maintain a high standard of personal hygiene and behaviour compatible with your future profession. When considering whether clothing is suitable for the clinic, it should be similar to that you would wear for a job interview.
• As an optometry student you must be registered, by law, with the General Optical Council and at all times you are bound by their standards: https://optical.org/en/standards/

15. Safeguarding your work

You must ensure that you back up your work on a regular basis to safeguard against loss, machine failure or theft. More information on Student IT services can be found here: https://www.itservices.manchester.ac.uk/students/

You should back up your work on an external hard drive, USB memory stick, etc. (which you are advised to keep secure and separate from your computer). Do not save your work on the hard disc of Stopford PC cluster or other networked computers. Loss of data (i.e. your work) will not be accepted as a valid reason for extension requests or for late submission of work as this is deemed to be a preventable occurrence.

Do you need more space to save your files?

As academic submission deadlines approach, you may find that you need additional space in your “My Documents” area. Should you find that this is the case then please contact the IT service desk http://www.itservices.manchester.ac.uk

NOTE: Access to your IT Account will cease in July of your graduation year.  More information can be found here: https://www.itservices.manchester.ac.uk/students/leaving/

17. Student Societies

A number of societies run by students and covering a range of interests are affiliated with the Students’ Union and several of these concern the Health sciences, in particular the Optometry Society.

A comprehensive list of societies can be found on the Students’ union website: https://manchesterstudentsunion.com/activities

18. The Optometry Society (OpSoc)

This is a society set up for optometry students. There is a main committee within the society comprised of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Year reps, Social reps and Sports reps. It is the job of the committee to organise events; sporting, social and educational, for the benefit of the rest of the students. To join the Society there is a fee which covers the whole three years of study as well as the pre-registration year. The society also facilitates the appointment of optometry students to represent the student body on various Divisional committees.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/manchesteropsoc?lang=en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uom_opsoc

B. YOUR DEGREE PROGRAMME

19. Registration

The University of Manchester has a student record system which allows you to complete most of the registration process online from home. We strongly recommend that you complete the 10-step registration process online before you arrive in Manchester. Please refer to the University’s Welcome website: https://www.welcome.manchester.ac.uk/

In Optometry, all of the units are mandatory “core” units so you should not enter/alter anything at the time of registration as you will be automatically enrolled on all of your units. Most units are provided by the School of Health Sciences.

The final stage of registration is conducted by members of staff from the Student Services Centre. You will be issued with a Student Card, which you need to access the Library and the Carys Bannister Building, and must also be taken to all examinations. It is very important that you look after this card and have it with you every day – without it you will not be able to enter the buildings where practicals and clinics take place.

20. Overview of the programme

The optometry programme is built on a unit-based (modular) system. You will take a total of 120 credits during the year. As the optometry degree is regulated by the General Optical Council, the content of the course is precisely defined. This means that all modules are compulsory and all students on the BSc programme study the same subjects.

In general, your timetable each week will consist of online or on campus lectures, online live sessions and face-to face practical/clinic sessions. You may be occupied from 8:00-18:00 on some days, please think carefully when planning part-time work or other responsibilities.

The University has a system of credit rating for all course units. It is intended to give an indication of the proportion of your time which all the work of a unit is expected to occupy, and is based on a full year’s work being 120 credits. This figure assumes 30 weeks’ work at 40 hours per week. Therefore, you are expected to spend about 100 hours on a typical 10-credit unit. This time includes reading, practising techniques on your own or with other students, eLearning, writing reports and revision as well as all direct contact hours.

21. Manchester Royal Eye Hospital Clinical Experience

Second year optometry students attend clinics at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital (MREH) for one week in the summer vacation between the Second and Third Year to gain experience of the hospital eye service. Attendance is compulsory and forms part of your mandatory General Optical Council (GOC) experience.

In the second semester of Second Year you will be asked to ‘sign up’ for a one week period (dates to be confirmed) when you will attend MREH on a full time basis. Overseas students will be given preference on the rota so that they do not have to return from home specifically to carry out the placement.

Reasonable travel expenses will be awarded to return to Manchester and for local transport to and from MREH each day. If you are allocated the placement during the first week of the vacation no expenses will be paid for the trip from your home address to Manchester as we expect you to already be in Manchester. A small daily subsistence allowance may also be paid.

22.Outside Clinical Experience

In year 3 of your degree programme, you may need to spend time in optometric practice where you will gain experience relevant to the course.

23. MSci Optometry programme

The present system of training for Optometrists is a three-year BSc (Hons) course and a pre-registration training year followed by the College of Optometrists’ final assessment examinations. Successful completion of the training year (the “Scheme for Registration”) allows registration with the General Optical Council to practice in the UK.

The University of Manchester received approval from the General Optical Council (GOC) for a four-year course that includes clinical placements and leads to the award of a Master of Science (MSci) in Optometry degree. MSci Optometry students do not take the College of Optometrists’ final assessment examinations.

On the basis of excellence in Year 2 examinations, the top students who wish to be considered for the MSci Optometry degree programme will be invited to apply for one of the available places. A condition of involvement is that students are willing to go to any of the placements. Students should also be aware that working on Saturdays will be expected in the general practice placements.

For the first three years, the MSci and BSc courses are identical (with the addition of some extra modules in third year). MSci students will then follow a 4th year including undertaking two clinical placement periods. During the placement periods, students will be employed by their relevant practice or hospital, and will be paid at a pre-registration rate. In addition to their clinical work, students will also undertake a research project and an online Personal and Professional Development D unit. Clinical exams will then be conducted at the end of year 4 at the university.

24.MSci Application Process

You will be informed of the deadline for application to the programme by Dr Caroline Thomspon. Applicants must meet the criteria (1^st year average of 60% or more with no carried fails). A shortlist of applicants will be drawn up based on the following criteria: CV, cover letter, good clinical performance on OEA, OEB, Slit Lamp and Dispensing (based on assessment results). In January, all applicants will be checked to ensure they still meet the entrance criteria. These criteria will be an average of 60% or more with no fails. Information about the shortlisted candidates’ (CV and cover letter) will then be sent to the placement supervisors. The MSci interview day will then be scheduled. Usually 10 candidates will be interviewed and shortlist of 6 drawn up; 4 will be offered a place on the MSci and 2 will be in the reserve (in case of drop-outs or failure to meet the requirements for an integrated Masters).

25. Optometry Practical Procedures – Informed Consent

As part of your induction you will be briefed on the risks of the various clinical activities you will be taking part in. You will be required to complete an online Blackboard course (Year 1, 2, 3 or 4 Welcome Week checklist) and self declaration. Failure to complete these activities will mean that you are unable to take part in the practical/clinical components of the course.

26. Course unit outlines

The programme specification and outlines of the course units for the Optometry degree programme for the current academic year can be found on the Optometry Community Space in Blackboard.

Course unit outlines include aims, intended learning outcomes, lecture and/or practical content, along with details of the assessments, recommended texts and prerequisites. The Unit Coordinator and principal lecturers teaching on the unit are also listed. A list of the employability skills that the course unit will allow you to develop is also given; employers often ask for examples of these skills when applying for a job, either within your CV, on their job application form or during interviews.

If you have any questions about a unit once it has started you should approach the lecturer directly, or consult the Unit Coordinator. Students wishing to contact a Unit Coordinator directly should do so by email.

All Optometry units are mandatory and students will be automatically enrolled on the units. There are no optional units.

 

C. TEACHING, LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT

27. Coursework

Deadlines, penalties and document limits

Items of coursework will normally have strict deadlines. It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that you know both when the deadline for each submission is, and how the work has to be submitted (e.g. on paper to a particular office; electronically to a particular person or site).

As your programme is preparing you for the world of graduate employment, where deadlines are often very strict indeed, you should treat deadlines like train departure times (just a few seconds after the time has passed, it is very likely you will have missed the train!). Unless specifically exempted or mitigated, late submission of any piece of assessed coursework will result in a deduction of 10% per calendar day.  http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=29825

Coursework will normally have a specified content limit. This will normally be a number of pages, but in some cases may be a number of words – it is YOUR responsibility to ensure that you understand exactly what the limits are and how they are to be achieved. The standard instructions for coursework including essays, reports and write-ups are below, but it is YOUR responsibility to ensure that you are aware of any alternative requirements for a particular piece of work:

The [submission] must not exceed [x] pages of text excluding the list of references. Text must be in Arial, 10 point, one and a half line spacing, with margins of at least 2.5 cm all around the text. ALL supporting material, such as figures, tables, text boxes etc. must be included in the page limit, and you are advised to ensure that any such items are sufficiently large enough to be read and understood with ease.

If you prefer to prepare your work in a different font, font size or format you are advised to check frequently that the material will convert to the above for submission, as penalties will normally be imposed for exceeding the limits (e.g. a percentage of marks lost for each page over the limit or part thereof). If the work needs to be converted to a PDF for submission you should check very carefully that the conversion is accurate and conforms to the guidelines well in advance of the submission deadline.

28. Time Management

Some deadlines may be shortly after the delivery of the material, some quite a way off, and this may well differ for different cohorts of students. This mixture mirrors the graduate world of work, and the requirements of your final year programme, so you are advised to plan ahead.  Anticipate a few days of ill-health that might impact on your ability to complete assignments on time, and start work early on items with far-off deadlines. Mastering time management is one of the most essential goals you should set yourself. Please note that it is possible that some dates may be adjusted throughout the semester at the Unit Coordinator’s discretion, therefore you should check your deadlines for each course regularly and complete work as early as possible.

 

29. Plagiarism, collusion and other forms of academic malpractice

Plagiarism is a serious offence – it is treated as seriously as cheating in exams.

As a student, you are expected to cooperate in the learning process throughout your programme of study by completing assignments of various kinds that are the product of your own study or research. Coursework, dissertations, essays and other work submitted for assessment must be your own work, unless in the case of group projects a joint effort is expected and this has been indicated by the Unit Coordinator. For most students this does not present a problem, but occasionally, whether unwittingly or otherwise, a student may commit what is known as plagiarism, or some other form of academic malpractice, when carrying out an assignment. This may come about because students have been used to different conventions in their prior educational experience or through general ignorance of what is expected of them or of what constitutes plagiarism.

This guidance is designed to help you understand what we regard as academic malpractice and hence to help you to avoid committing it. You should read it carefully, because academic malpractice is regarded as a serious offence and students found to have committed it will be penalized, e.g. you could be awarded zero (with or without loss of credits), fail the whole unit, be demoted to a lower class of degree, or be excluded from the programme, depending on the severity of the case.

Academic malpractice includes plagiarism, collusion, fabrication or falsification of results and anything else intended by those committing it to achieve credit that they do not properly deserve. You will be given exercises and guidance on plagiarism/academic malpractice in your PPD (Personal and Professional Development) units and if you are unsure about any aspect of this you should ask your Academic Advisor for advice.

The full policy and procedure is available at: http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/academic/academic-malpractice/

Student guidance can be found here: http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/guidance-to-students-on-plagiarism-and-other-forms-of-academic-malpractice/

It is well worth visiting these sites in your spare time to ensure that you fully understand.

All students are required to confirm that they have read and agree to the University’s declaration on Academic Malpractice as part of the online registration process.

The University uses electronic systems for the purposes of detecting plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice and for marking. Such systems include TurnitinUK, the plagiarism detection service used by the University.

The use of online tools such as paraphrasing software is strictly forbidden and will be considered as a deliberate attempt to plagiarise and dealt with accordingly.

As part of the formative and/or summative assessment process, you may be asked to submit electronic versions of your work to TurnitinUK and/or other electronic systems used by the University (this requirement may be in addition to a requirement to submit a paper copy of your work). If you are asked to do this, you must do so within the required timescales.

The Division also reserves the right to submit work handed in by you for formative or summative assessment to TurnitinUK and/or other electronic systems used by the University.

Please note that when work is submitted to the relevant electronic systems, it may be copied and then stored in a database to allow appropriate checks to be made.

You will be given an opportunity within the Personal and Professional Development (PPD) module to submit a draft essay through this system, and it is very much in your best interests to do this so that you understand how it works.

30. eLearning (Blackboard)

As a student at the University of Manchester, you will find that many of your units contain sections of work that you have to complete online (known as electronic (e)Learning). The University uses a website-like environment for this called Blackboard.

Online eLearning support for your course means that it is easy to fit your learning into your everyday life, as you can complete the work from almost any computer in the world with an internet connection. We are encouraging the use of students’ own mobile devices to support teaching and learning in lectures and tutorials. However, if the session requires a mobile device and you do not have one, one will be supplied.

Here is a simple guide to suggested mobile devices that work well with University teaching and learning software: http://www.mediaservices.manchester.ac.uk/ourservices/byod/

Your eLearning work will often have strict deadlines and marks will be awarded for successful completion of assessments. Every Blackboard course is different, so read the rules regarding the course before you start, to ensure that you don’t miss any work.

Technical support from the eLearning team is available between 9:00 and 17:00 on all working days. This is accessible by selecting ‘eLearning Support’ and then ‘eLearning enquiries’ from the menu bar on the left of your online courses; the eLearning team will reply to your University email address.

31. Practicals and Clinics

Most of the practicals/clinics will require you to do some background reading before the session, so please come prepared. If you do not come adequately prepared you risk being recorded as ‘absent’ by your supervisor. Being recorded as absent may have consequences for your progression (see Section E ‘Work and Attendance’).

Lateness
Lateness to practical sessions is considered unprofessional behaviour and disrupts your learning, other students’ learning and patient care. You are expected to arrive 5-10 minutes in advance of the scheduled session start. Lateness will be monitored in all practical and clinical sessions and will be dealt with by the same procedure as unauthorised absence. More information can be found in Section E of this handbook (Work and Attendance).

For Yr 1 and 2 students If you are more than 10 minutes late to a practical session you will usually be denied entry. In 3rd year, if a student is more than 5 minutes late (after the start of a clinic) they may be denied entry. This will result in missed learning time and could impact your patient numbers and exam performance. It will be your responsibility to catch up on this: staff are not responsible for putting on additional sessions or practice time if you miss content or patient episodes due to lateness.

If you are late due to unforeseen circumstances you must:
• Contact the relevant unit/clinic lead by email as soon as possible
• For final year clinics or any patient-facing clinics you should also call the Optometry Clinic Reception team on 0161 306 3860. You should leave a message if this falls outside clinic opening hours (08.00 – 18:00)
• Submit an online absence form via the Optometry area on BlackBoard

For Third-Year Clinical Practical Sessions (OPTO30200) a mark penalty will be applied for unprofessional behaviour. The professionalism mark is normally (0). A reduction of up to 5% will be applied to the overall unit mark in relation to professionalism according to the criteria described in the document Professional Assessment Criteria which can be found in the OPTO30200 area in Blackboard.

Practical Assessment

Practical work is assessed either as written work that you hand in during or at the end of a unit, your ability to perform a task during a practical session, and/or as an online assessment or examination at the end of the unit. Details of assessment will be given to you at the start of each unit.

If you fail to attend a practical class you may not submit a report for that practical without the prior written agreement of the Unit Coordinator (which should be recorded in the report). Also, if you fail to submit an assessment by the due date and time, it will not normally be possible for it to be marked. If ill-health prevents you attending a practical session or meeting a submission deadline, see the Section Guidelines on ill health.

NB: In many practical classes you will work as one of a pair or larger group of students. Be careful that you feel confident with all the procedures yourself and do not leave it to others to do tasks for you: remember, in the exam you will be on your own.

Furthermore, although you will most likely obtain results as part of a group, it is essential that any practical work that you submit for assessment is written in your own words, unless you have been specifically instructed to submit a group report (see Section Plagiarism, collusion and other forms of academic malpractice).

The compensation rules for examinations (see Section Pass marks and compensation rules) will only be applied if you fulfil the attendance requirement for practical units.

32. Personal and Professional Development

“Personal and Professional Development (PPD)” is a sequence of units (PPD A, B and C) which run through the 3 years of the Optometry degree course. The “personal” development is based on transferable skills which support the academic curriculum (such as time-management, team working, effective communication, giving and receiving feedback, and problem solving), enhance your CV and increase employability. “Professional” development is based on an understanding of the history and practice of the profession of optometry in the UK and worldwide. These will combine to give you the opportunity to become a well-developed practitioner with excellent communication skills who delivers exemplary patient care and is sought after by the best employers. Bridging and linking these themes is a “medical ethics” thread which discusses issues which are particularly relevant to optometry students and optometric practice.

You are required to attend all scheduled PPD meetings, participate fully in all the timetabled and online activities, and submit the regular tasks and assignments on schedule.

Work submitted for the PPD units are assessed. You must obtain a pass mark for each component to be able to pass your examinations in year 1 and year 2. Please note that PPD results are recorded as a pass or fail, the overall mark gained does not count towards the year average/degree classification. If you obtain a mark of <40% for your PPD work, you will fail the PPD unit and will

• be required to re-write and pass the failed PPD assessment.
• lose ‘compensation’

The compensation rules for examinations will only be applied if you pass the personal and professional development unit.

33. Examinations

Details of the methods of assessment for each unit can be found on Blackboard. Any questions about exams, coursework or other assessment should be directed to the unit coordinator.

Final exams/assessments will be sat during either the Semester 1 or Semester 2 Examination Period depending on the Unit undertaken. See Section A1 for further details. OSCE/practical exams may be held in term-time teaching weeks.

Students should note the requirement of taking and having available their student card in all in person/live examinations as proof of their identity. Attendance at all appropriate examinations is compulsory.

To prepare for examinations, you are encouraged to use any quizzes and practise exercises posted on Blackboard and to look at copies of past examination papers.  If the unit has no past papers the Unit Coordinator should make questions that are representative of the kind that will be set in the examination available before the exam which will be representative of the kind that will be set in the examination.

You will normally be expected to pass all the units you have taken before you can proceed to the next academic year. However, compensation may be possible if you fail a unit by a small amount, when the examiners may allow you an overall “compensated pass” (see Section Pass marks and compensation). Otherwise, all units failed must be re-taken during the August/September examination period (see Section August/September referrals).

Referred examinations (resits) for failed Semester 1 AND 2 Units will be held exclusively in the August/September referral assessment period for all year groups. For Final Year students this will result in ineligibility to graduate at the Summer graduation ceremonies and a potential for delay in commencement of your pre-registration placement. It is your responsibility to inform and make any resulting re-arrangements with your pre-registration provider.

Should a student fail a unit and a resit be required the resit mark will be based entirely on the resit paper and not from any practical assessments or coursework.  The style and format of a resit attempt can therefore differ from the original written exam to ensure that intended learning outcomes are still covered adequately. As a rule, practical assessments do not have a resit attempt.

Similarly, students who have accepted mitigating circumstances for a practical assessment may have the practical mark discounted from their overall unit grade if it is felt by the exam board to be i) representative of under-performance in the context of their usual performance and ii) beneficial to their overall grade. Students with mitigation who fail the unit will be required to undertake the resit with their mark based entirely on the resit paper and not from any practical assessments or coursework, as per usual procedure as stated above.

In the case of students who are unable to attend their first attempt of a practical assessment for legitimate reasons (e.g. illness) staff will endeavour to provide a rescheduled first attempt in or close to the exam period in which the original attempt was scheduled. However, this cannot be guaranteed.

You may not start the next academic year of your degree programme until you have passed the Examinations in your current academic year, so failure again in August/September may lead to you being excluded from the optometry course.

34. Multiple choice examinations

Some units will be examined wholly or partly by Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs).  These can be held online at home (via BlackBoard), online in-person (via BlackBoard or other software in a University computer cluster or exam room), or on-paper in-person (in an exam hall or room).
You are advised:
• that you must have your Student Card available during all in-person examinations and write or enter your Registration ID number and name on the answer sheet as required.
• to follow carefully all written instructions for filling out the answer sheet.
• to read the questions carefully.
• that answers must be indicated legibly on the answer sheet provided. If an answer is illegible, you will be given a score of zero for that question.

 

35. Guidelines on feedback to students

The purpose of this section is to define the activities associated with feedback mechanisms, as they relate to lecture-based OPTO units.

Lecturers are expected to provide general guidance to students on appropriate reading material and other learning resources for the unit in advance of the start of the unit on Blackboard.

We encourage you to ask questions both during online live sessions/in practicals or later during the year when, for example, you are revising for exams. However, if the lecture course has finished, then we suggest that you seek confirmation of the answer to your own question. What do we mean by this? Lecturers are unlikely to respond favourably to questions phrased along the lines of ‘Can you tell me the answer to this? Thus, if you want to ask a question, particularly by email, please make sure you include your own interpretation of the answer, including the literature sources that you used, and ask only for confirmation that you are correct. For example:

Wrong format: Can you tell me the best way to manage papillary conjunctivitis associated with contact lens wear?

Correct format: According to Efron’s Contact Lenses textbook, a good option for the management of papillary conjunctivitis is to fit the patient with daily disposable contact lenses. Is this correct?

NB: Model answers to exam questions are not available

In addition to providing the mandatory level of feedback, Unit Coordinators may provide more detailed feedback on your work. You should consult the feedback entry within the unit descriptions on Blackboard for further details on the additional feedback provided.

36. Examination feedback

Students have a right to receive feedback on their examination/assessment performance from Unit Coordinators. This may be done in a number of ways. A Unit Coordinator may

• publish a general feedback document outlining how questions were answered, addressing general strengths and weaknesses of students and giving a general indication of how well the questions were answered.
• hold a feedback session, to which students are invited.
• review an answer paper for a student and summarise his/her feedback via email.
• provide online feedback.

A student may seek individual feedback, in which the Unit Coordinator will obtain their exam scripts and report feedback on their answers including, where appropriate, any written comments recorded on the manuscript. A student does not, however, have the right to challenge any academic judgements on the quality of the answer. This means there is no opportunity for papers to be re-marked.

 

D. STUDENT PROGRESSION

37. Degree Regulations

The degree regulations for students registered on an undergraduate programme since 1 September 2012 can be found on the University website at:

Regulations | Academic-related regulations | Undergraduate Degree Regulations | The University of Manchester

 

Bachelors Degree Classification weighted to 120 credits	Classification thresholds: Weighted average (0 to 100 mark range)	Boundary zone weighted average
First class	70.0	68.0 to 69.9
Upper Second class	60.0	58.0 to 59.9
Lower Second class	50.0	48.0 to 49.9
Third class	40.0	37.0 to 39.9

First Year BSc Optometry

Marks from first-year examinations will contribute 10% of the total on which the overall degree performance is assessed.

Second Year BSc Optometry

Marks from second-year examinations will contribute 30% towards the total on which the final degree classification is assessed.

Students with an overall average greater than 60%, no fails and good passes in clinical subjects will be considered on merit for transfer to available places on the MSci course and, providing they prove acceptable to the placement supervisors in a preliminary meeting.

Third Year BSc Optometry

Marks from third-year examinations will contribute 60% towards the total on which final degree performance is assessed, the second-year total will contribute 30% and the first year total 10%.

Protected title of ‘Optometry’

The General Optical Council specify that a degree in ‘Optometry’ can only be granted provided:

i) Sufficient academic credits are accrued

ii) At least a 2:2 classification is achieved

iii) Registration with the GOC is maintained

iv) Minimum patient experience and core competencies are demonstrated.

Any student who does not satisfy these criteria will exit with a degree in ‘Vision Science’ because the protected title of ‘Optometry’ cannot be used. Please not that this is a GOC and not a University of Manchester requirement.

Progression Regulations for Third Year MSci Students

Students obtaining an overall average of at least 50% and no marks less than 40% in any subject and having completed the stage one core competencies and minimum episode requirements of the General Optical Council (see GOC website www.optical.org or Blackboard unit OPTO30200) satisfactorily will continue onto the MSci placement. Any student failing to meet these criteria will revert to the BSc (Hons) programme and their results will be considered as a BSc student.

During the placement year MSci students must complete the designated duration of experience, submit an appropriate number of case reports and perform adequately in the OSCE assessments as well as receive satisfactory reports from the placement supervisors. In the event of student performance in the placement year being unsatisfactory, the student failing to gain adequate skills and experience, the student will be awarded a BSc (Hons) degree as an exit award with a classification based on their marks obtained prior to commencing the placement year.

Fourth Year MSci

The final mark for the MSci will be calculated as follows: 37.5% from the fourth year assessments (37.5% from the third year examinations; 19% from the second year examinations; 6% from the first year examinations. The degree of MSci is awarded on achieving 40% or more in all subjects and an overall average of at least 50%.  A pass is required in all fourth year MSci units in order for final sign off on GOC stage 2 competencies.

38. Registration with the General Optical Council

Students will be eligible to register with the General Optical Council for inclusion on the register of qualified optometrists immediately after they have successfully completed the MSci Optometry course providing they have satisfied the basic clinical competence requirements for unsupervised practice and have submitted documentary evidence, endorsed by their placement supervisors, that the total numbers of patients examined during the training period at least satisfy the minimum numbers for registration stipulated by the General Optical Council.

39. Pass marks and Compensation rules

The pass mark for each unit examination is 40%, and ideally you should pass all the units for which you are registered. However, the examiners realise that not all students will achieve this ideal, and some students may pass most of their units, getting good marks in some but just failing others. The following compensation rules are therefore used, whereby good marks can compensate for some fail marks; the degree of compensation permitted will depend on the marks of all your units.

*Level 1 only*

To obtain a pass in the First Year Examination as a whole you must:

(i) Gain a mark of at least 40% in all components of the OPTO10100 Personal and Professional Development (PPD) A and have satisfactory attendance at practical classes.

(ii) Gain a mark of at least 40% in any designated non-compensatable units for your Degree Programme (Optometric Examination A – OPTO10190 and Dispensing A – OPTO10292).

(iii) Achieve marks of at least 40% in 80 credits and at least 30% in the remaining 40 credits. This means you will have to achieve a mark of 40% or greater in units worth 70 credits (plus PPD A) and a mark of at least 30% in all of the remaining 40 credits worth of units

NB – failure of OPTO10100-Personal and Professional Development will lead to loss of compensation and all unit assessments with marks less than 40% will have to be resat.

• For the First Year Optometry Degree Programme, Optometric Examination A – OPTO10190 and Dispensing A – OPTO10292 have been designated as non-compensatable units in which you must attain a mark of at least 40%. However, failure of these units may not necessarily result in overall loss of compensation.

*Level 2*

To obtain a pass in the Second Year Examination as a whole you must:

(i) Obtain a mark of at least 70% in OPTO22051 & OPTO22062 Clinical Methodology units.

(ii) Gain a mark of at least 40% in all components of the Personal and Professional Development B Unit (OPTO20200) and have satisfactory attendance at practical classes.

(iii) Gain a mark of at least 40% in any designated non-compensatable units for your degree programme (see below).

(iv) Achieve marks of at least 40% in 80 credits and at least 30% in the remaining 40 credits. This means you will have to achieve a mark of 40% or greater in units worth 70 credits (plus PPD B) and a mark of at least 30% in all of the remaining 40 credits worth of units.

NB – failure of any of the following – OPTO20200 Personal and Professional Development B OPTO22051 or OPTO22062 Clinical Methodology units will lead to loss of compensation and all unit assessments with marks less than 40% will have to be resat.

• For the Second Year Optometry Degree Programme the following have been designated as non-compensatable units in which you must attain a mark of at least 40%. However, failure of these units may not necessarily result in overall loss of compensation.

OPTO20080 – Dispensing B

OPTO20091 – Instrumentation

OPTO20102 – Optometric Examination B

OPTO20362 – Binocular Vision A

OPTO20372 – Contact Lenses A

OPTO20391 – Pharmacology A

OPTO20612 – Pharmacology B

OPTO21391 – Ocular Health and Disease Mechanisms

• The University gives the Board of Examiners the right to refuse a referral (permission to resit an examination) to a student whose Work and Attendance has been unsatisfactory and who has received an official warning letter.

If after the application of the above compensation rules you are found to have failed overall, then you will be required to take referral examinations in August/September. If you have passed 40 or more credits at the first attempt the Board of Examiners will specify which unit assessments you are required to refer in order to gain at least a compensated pass in the August/September examinations.

Note the Board of Examiners may choose to exclude you from further study, if you are absent without explanation from all exams in a given examination period or if you fail on first attempt more than 80 credits worth of assessments.

Absence from examinations/ assessments

You must inform the Programmes Support Office if you are absent for any examinations or assessments BEFORE THE START OF THE EXAM (see Section Absence from examinations due to ill health). If you are absent for all exams within a given examination period, without prior notice and documentation to mitigate this absence, the Board of Examiners will assume that you have withdrawn from your programme of study and will not permit you to progress to the subsequent year.

Personal and Professional Development Assessments: your PPD work is usually assessed by marking several pieces of work. If you miss part of this assessment through properly documented illness (see Section Absence affecting submission of written work), the examiners may base your overall mark for the unit on the marks for the remaining pieces of work that you did complete.

Unit Examinations: absence from any of your Examinations, for whatever reason, will score 0% for that examination. If, however, the absence is mitigated (see section Mitigating Circumstances Committee), your referral in August/September may be counted as your first attempt at the examination (and the fee may be waived). (See also Section Absence from examinations due to ill health.)

40. Pass marks and degree classification

Degree classification is based on the marks from the components weighted as outlined in section on Assessments and examinations. Classification is determined at a meeting of the Board of Examiners for a particular Degree Programme, with the External Examiner present to act as advisor and arbiter. The following numerical boundaries will be used as guidelines by the Board of Examiners in deciding your degree category:

• First class 70% and above

• Upper Second class 60% and above

• Lower Second class 50% and above

• Third class 40% and above

Please note, that there are additional criteria to be met in order to obtain a degree class commensurate with the final weighted average mark. In addition to obtaining a final mark within boundaries set out above:

(a) In order to obtain a lower second degree or above, 80 final year credits must have marks of at least 40%.

(b) In order obtain a third class degree, 60 final year credits must have marks of at least 40%.

See http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=13147 for more details.

 

A student is only entitled to receive a GOC approved award (BSc or MSci Optometry degree) if they meet both the academic and professional (competency and patient experience) requirements as follows:

• Pass all the GOC core competencies (stage 1 for BSc, stage 1 and stage 2 for MSci)
• Obtain at least a 2:2 classification
• BSc students must pass all 3^rd year units of study with a 40% average or above. In case of failure in any unit, students will need to undertake a resit (referral) assessment
• MSci students must also pass all fourth year units with 40% average or above. In the case of failure in any unit, students will need to undertake a resit (referral) assessment
• Obtain the required amount and type of patient experience
• Have maintained registration with the GOC for the duration of their study

Students who do not meet the criteria for a BSc in Optometry will exit with a BSc in Vision Sciences.

Students who do not meet the criteria for an MSci in Optometry may be permitted to exit with a MSci in Vision Sciences or a BSc in Optometry.

Please note that ‘Special Compensation’ is not available in the final years of the optometry programmes (BSc and MSci).

N.B. The Board of Examiners will take into account the following points when deciding degree classification:

1. Where there are factors that may have adversely affected a student’s performance OR where a student is within 2% below a boundary, cases will be considered individually to determine whether the higher degree classification should be awarded. In deciding these cases the examiners will take into account such relevant evidence as exists to the student’s advantage and may be influenced by factors such as: the spread of the marks; the performance in core components of the programme; advisors’ reports; performance in earlier years; performance in elements of assessment that have either particularly low or particularly high class averages; medical or personal circumstances. External examiners will participate in this process and may include in the discussion their judgement of the academic aspects having reviewed examination papers and looked at students’ assessed work.
2. The External Examiner plays an important role. He/she moderates examination question papers, reads student examination scripts and coursework/dissertations.
3. To decide degree classifications for candidates whose average overall mark falls within 2% below the borders between degree classifications and who have accrued the necessary credits, and those who have an overall mark within a degree class but have failed to obtain the correct number of credits, mark review will be carried out. This is a two stage process. If you have marks in the next higher degree class over 80 final year credits then you will automatically be awarded the next higher classification. If you do not fall into this category, then a mark review process will occur which may take into account the spread of the marks; the performance in core components of the     programme; advisors’ reports; performance in earlier years; performance in elements of assessment that have either particularly low or particularly high class averages and other relevant data.
4. In reaching their decision on academic results, Examination Boards may take account of certain circumstances brought to their attention (for the University’s policy on mitigating circumstances)

Absence from any final-level examination will normally result in a zero mark being returned for that examination. A candidate who is ill must follow the procedures indicated under ‘Guidelines on Ill Heath’ Section. However, students should make every effort to take the paper.

41. August/September resits (referrals)

If you do not achieve the minimum standards indicated in the Section on Pass marks and Compensation rules, you must pay a referral fee and take referrals (in August/September) in each individual failed unit examination, as directed by the Board of Examiners, in order to obtain a minimum compensated pass.

1. No more than 80 credits can be referred.
2. Please note that it will be the mark that you obtain in the referral examination that will determine whether you obtain a pass in a unit (we do NOT take the better of marks obtained on the first or second attempt). The mark will be derived solely from the referral examination and will not include any coursework/eLearning component carried over from the first sitting, unless the exam is being taken as a first attempt.
3. To give credit for passing referral examinations, any passed referral mark will be capped at 30% for the purposes of progression and will be recorded on academic transcripts.
4. Should you still not pass the Examination on this referral (when the compensation rules will again be applied) the following decisions by the Board of Examiners may be taken:-

You may be:

1. excluded from your Degree Programme
2. permitted to repeat the year on your current degree programme. This option is at the discretion of the Board of Examiners and can only be granted after the Board of Examiners meets in September to discuss the results of the referral examinations. It will normally only be available where you can demonstrate that your current academic performance is likely to improve in the following year and will be dependent on availability of places for the following year.
3. permitted to carry forward up to 20 failed credits to the next year. This decision is at the discretion of the Board of Examiners and will be based on your academic standing and any mitigating circumstances. Whole units must be repeated in attendance, with assessment taken in full. Marks are capped to the lowest compensatable mark. Failed non-compensatable units cannot be carried over to subsequent levels. It is not possible to carry forward failed credits between Year 2 and Final Year of BSc Optometry or Year 3 and Final Year of MSci Optometry.
4. given an alternative exit award.

 

Provisional dates for examination periods are printed at the front of this handbook. Please bear this in mind when making plans for the summer. Should you be ill and be unable to take an examination in the Semester 1 or 2 exam periods block you will need to be available for the referral opportunity. For in-person assessments it is NOT possible to take referral examinations at another location or to reschedule them.

Referred examinations (resits) for failed Semester 1 AND 2 Units will be held exclusively in the August/September referral (resit) assessment period for all year groups. For Final Year students this will result in ineligibility to graduate at the Summer graduation ceremonies and a potential for delay in commencement of your pre-registration placement. It is your responsibility to inform and make any resulting re-arrangements with your pre-registration provider.

Note: the referral examination is only provided to allow you to gain sufficient credits. The aggregate mark carried forward to your final degree mark is derived only from capped referral mark (see (c) above) or, if greater the original mark for that subject. However, it will be the mark that you obtain in the referral examination that will determine whether you obtain a pass in a referred unit (we do NOT take the better of marks obtained on the first or any subsequent attempt).

42. Disclosure of marks and record of academic performance

Marks for practical assessments and unit examinations will be made available to you via My Manchester Student Portal and are usually sent via email.

Practical assessment and other coursework marks may be published on an ongoing basis.

Decisions on progression to the next year will be communicated to you via email.  In some circumstances a letter will also be sent to you at your home address.

It is entirely your responsibility to ensure that you learn the contents of these important messages in a timely manner.

Any queries about your marks should be made to the Unit Coordinator in the first instance, not the Programmes Support Office.

43. Publication of examination results and degree classifications

Following the Board of Examiners meetings all degree classifications will be communicated via individual email and through the My Manchester Student Portal.

Exams | The University of Manchester

44. Academic transcripts

The University has implemented a secure online document service called Digitary Core. This system allows graduates to access their documents online and allows employers to verify the authenticity of these electronic documents via a secure website hosted at The University of Manchester. This allows you to manage the release of your documents to a third party, e.g. a prospective employer, electronically, effectively allowing them to verify the information via the University’s secure website. This removes the need to entrust your original documents to the post and speeds up the communication process considerably. See the link below for further information: https://my.manchester.ac.uk/d/crucial-guide/academic-life/award-confirmation/transcripts/

45. External Examiners

External Examiners are individuals from another institution or organisation who monitor the assessment processes of the University to ensure fairness and academic standards. They ensure that assessment and examination procedures have been fairly and properly implemented and that decisions have been made after appropriate deliberation. They also ensure that standards of awards and levels of student performance are at least comparable with those in equivalent higher education institutions.

External Examiners’ reports relating to programmes within the Division will be shared with student representatives at the Student/Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC), where details of any actions carried out by the School in response to the External Examiners’ comments will be discussed. Students should contact their student representatives if they require any further information about External Examiners’ reports or the process for considering them.

The External Examiners for each programme are as follows:

Programme	External Examiner	Institution
BSc Optometry	Dr Kirsten Hamilton-Maxwell	Cardiff University
BSc Optometry	Professor Peter Allen	Anglia Ruskin University
MSci Optometry	Dr Ahalya Subramanian	City University

Please note that it is inappropriate for students to make direct contact with External Examiners under any circumstances, and in particular with regards to a student’s individual performance in assessments. Other appropriate mechanisms are available for students, including the University’s appeals or complaints procedures and the UMSU Advice Centre. In cases where a student does contact an External Examiner directly, External Examiners have been requested not to respond to direct queries. Instead, External Examiners will report the matter to their School contact who will then contact the student to remind them of the other methods available for students. If students have any queries concerning this, they should contact the Programmes Support Office in the first instance.

E. WORK AND ATTENDANCE

 46. Work and attendance regulations

Your work and attendance is monitored throughout the course.  http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/regulation-xx/

This monitoring is for your own benefit (to make sure that you are coping with your programme and keeping up with any continuous assessment elements) as well as to confirm that you are actually attending the University. In practice, only a small number of students contravene these regulations and are called to account for their actions.  If you are struggling to attend scheduled learning activities for any reason please bring this to the attention of your academic adviser at the earliest opportunity so they can advise you on the best course of action.

You are expected to attend all the live online activities for the units for which you are registered, and to be familiar with their content. Your attendance at all practicals/clinics is compulsory and monitored.

Sessions where you are asked to sit as a patient for students on other years of the programme are also compulsory.

You must submit all associated work (e.g. data handling assessments, essays, coursework) by the dates stipulated. Attendance at all appropriate examinations is compulsory.

If your work or attendance gives cause for concern you will, in the first instance, be asked to explain your position to your Academic Advisor. Causes for concern include unauthorised absences, lateness to clinical/practical sessions, not doing the appropriate preparation for the clinical/practical sessions.

After referral to your Academic Advisor you will be required to attend a formal work and attendance meeting if you continue failing to meet the work and attendance requirements.

Failing to meet the requirements is defined as >3 of any of the below:

i) unauthorised absence

ii) lateness to clinical/practical sessions

iii) not doing the appropriate preparation for the clinical/practical sessions.

Following the work and attendance meeting you may be issued with a formal written warning.  Following a formal written warning any further instances of i) ii) or iii) (specified directly above) may result in a referral to the School Fitness to Practise Committee (see section 58).  The Division reserves the right to refer directly to the Work and Attendance/School Fitness to Practise Committee where attendance is particularly poor.

The Exam Board will take into account poor attendance and it may lead to:

a) Loss of compensation

b) Not being allowed to sit University examinations/assessments

If you are refused permission to sit an examination or lose compensation, you have the right to appeal. Information on Academic Appeals can be found here: http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/academic/regulation-xix-academic-appeals-procedure/

The receipt of any warnings about attendance may also impact on your ability to be considered for the MSci Optometry degree programme.

47. Permitted absences

If you need to be absent from a practical class or tutorial, for reasons other than ill health you must supply documentary evidence to your Unit Coordinator strongly supporting your reasons for absence well in advance of the occasion in question. If you are granted leave of absence your attendance will be recorded as a permitted absence. For practicals, the Unit Coordinator may be able to make arrangements for you to attend a replacement session. PLEASE DO NOT JUST TURN UP AT A SESSION FOR WHICH YOU ARE NOT TIMETABLED.

48. Attendance and religious observance

If religious observance affects your attendance at normal teaching and learning activities including any assessments in ways that will cause problems, you should discuss the issue with the Senior Advisor and Programme Director. We will give sympathetic consideration to your problems and will try to make reasonable adjustments. However, adjustments can only be made provided they maintain the standard of your degree (e.g. you will not simply be excused from parts of the programme affected by your religious observance or from satisfying overall attendance requirements). If religious observance means that you miss live online activities or other classes, supporting material may be provided via Blackboard. However, if you want further notes from the sessions you must make your own arrangements to copy them from another student.

Similar principles apply if religious observance affects your attendance at assessments (e.g. presentations or practical tests). Because online lives sessions, practicals and assessments for the semester are scheduled in advance, you must notify the  Programme Director (Dr Fiona Cruickshank) of your requests for allowances for religious observance at the earliest opportunity, we will try our best to reschedule the assessment to accommodate your needs (e.g. by changing your scheduled slot in a programme of assessed presentations).

Deadlines for handing in assessed work will not normally be extended to allow for religious observance, and you must therefore schedule your work accordingly.

For guidance on the University’s examinations and religious observance policy please see: http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/policy-on-religious-observance/where you can also download an Examinations & Religious Observance form.

The Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health has produced guidance for healthcare students surrounding fasting, called: Fasting and Caring – Looking after yourself and your patients during Ramadan.  This can be found at: display.aspx (manchester.ac.uk)

 

49. Guidelines on ill health

You should register with a local General Practitioner who is willing to provide evidence in the form of letters, or comments and a signature on a self-certification document. A list of GP practices can be found here:  https://www.welcome.manchester.ac.uk/get-ready/become-a-student/register-with-a-gp/

According to guidance issued by the General Medical Council it would not be regarded as good practice for a family member to be the registered GP or to offer treatment, except in the case of an emergency.

You should always consult your GP (or for emergencies the Accident and Emergency Department of a hospital) if your illness is severe, if it persists, or if you have any concerns about your health. Your Academic Advisor or the Senior Advisor will give you guidance on the effect of any absence from your studies and your options if you consider your illness has affected your studies. If you have repeated episodes of ill health that are affecting your attendance and/or studies, we may refer you to the Student Occupational Health Services you should also consider registering with the University Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS) for this condition.

50. Absence due to illness affecting attendance at compulsory practicals and clinics

If you are unwell and feel unable to attend the University to take a compulsory practical or clinic then you must inform the Programmes Support Office immediately by completing an absence form, which is available in the Optometry shared area on Blackboard. This also applies to sessions where you are asked to sit as a patient for students on other years of the programme which are also compulsory.

There are inherent risks in communicating sensitive personal data electronically such as the possibility of misdirection or interception by third parties.  Therefore if you do correspond with us in this way, we will take this to mean that you understand and accept this risk.

Keep a record of your correspondence with regard to absence, as there may be serious implications of being absent and consequences for your academic progress. You must fill in the form as soon as possible, so that all options can be considered, and certainly no later than the day and start time of your compulsory class.

If you do not do this then you will normally be considered to have been absent from the class without good reason in which case you will be recorded as having an unauthorised absence. Until your return to University you must also inform us of any further missed compulsory classes by using the same form.

If you are so unwell that a friend or family member has to contact the Programmes Support Office on your behalf it will only normally be possible for them to provide information for you – they will not be able to learn of the implications of your absence on your academic progress, which you must discover for yourself on your return to health. The staff will not engage in any dialogue with third parties regarding your studies without your explicit, written consent.

If illness keeps you away from the University for more than 7 days including weekends, you must consult your GP.

If you do consult a GP and he/she considers that you are not fit for attendance at the University, then you should obtain a note from the doctor to that effect or ask him/her to complete Part III of the University form ‘Certification of Student Ill health’ copies of which are available at local GP surgeries. You should hand this certificate in/email a scanned copy to the Programmes Support Office (Stopford, G.121/ email: optometry.students@manchester.ac.uk) as soon as you return to University and no later than 7 days after your return. The use of the “Certification of Student Ill Health” form by GPs, as described above, has been agreed by the Manchester Local Medical Committee. A GP may make a charge for completing the form.

If missing a practical is unavoidable (and you know in advance), you must contact the Unit Coordinator to see whether alternative arrangements can be made for you to attend a replacement session. PLEASE DO NOT JUST TURN UP AT A SESSION FOR WHICH YOU ARE NOT TIMETABLED.

51. Additional important information for Final Year Students

You are required by the General Optical Council to see a certain number of patients during your final year, and you will keep a logbook to record these sessions. This means that if you miss any sessions (even if you had a good reason for doing so) it can affect your ability to graduate. You must make every effort not to schedule other appointments/interviews to coincide with clinics. If missing a clinic is unavoidable (and you know in advance), you must contact the Lead for Clinical Teaching as far in advance as possible, to discuss an appropriate course of action.

If you are ill and unable to attend, you MUST

1. a) Leave a telephone voicemail message with the Clinic Reception (0161 306 3860) AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

AND

1. b) Email the appropriate Clinic Lead and the Teaching Clinics Coordinator (Helen Osisami: H.Osisami@manchester.ac.uk)

AND

1. c) Report your absence to the Programmes Support Office by filling in the online absence form, which is available in the Optometry shared area on Blackboard.

The above procedure is especially important if the session is a clinical practical where you would have patients booked. If you are not able to phone yourself, ask friends or relatives to do it for you, BUT DO NOT ASK FRIENDS TO PASS ON THE MESSAGE WHEN THEY ATTEND FOR THEIR OWN PRACTICALS – this will be too late to make other arrangements for your patients.

If illness keeps you away from the University for more than 7 days including weekends, you must consult your GP. If you do consult a GP and he/she considers that you are not fit for attendance at the University, then you should obtain a note from the doctor to that effect or ask him/her to complete Part III of the University form ‘Certification of Student Ill health’ copies of which are available at local GP surgeries. You should hand this certificate in/email a scanned copy to the Programmes Support Office (Stopford, G.121/ email: optometry.students@manchester.ac.uk) as soon as you return to University and no later than 7 days after your return. The use of the “Certification of Student Ill Health” form by GPs, as described above, has been agreed by the Manchester Local Medical Committee. A GP may make a charge for completing the form.

Attendance will be monitored in each clinic session. It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to make sure that your attendance is logged. If you have unauthorised absence from any clinic/practical session you may be asked to see the Lead for Undergraduate Teaching (Dr Fiona Cruickshank) and/or the Head of Optometry (Professor Philip Morgan) to explain why. Staff writing references for you will have full information about your attendance to pass on to employers, who are understandably keen to know about reliability and punctuality of their future employees.

 

52. Absence affecting submission of written work

All assessed work must be handed in by the deadline given. In the majority of cases you will be asked to submit work via Blackboard. However, if you are required to hand in a hard copy you will be informed of the location to take it. You are strongly advised not to leave submission until the last few minutes before the deadline in case uploading times are slowed. Material submitted at 12.01 for a 12.00 deadline will be classed as late.

53. Extending deadlines

Where approved mitigating circumstances apply, deadlines may be extended in accordance with the Policy on Mitigating Circumstances.

If you need to request an extension you must do so before the deadline and provide full details of why the extension is required and where possible provide evidence (e.g. medical note).

The link to the extension request form can be found on the Optometry Community Blackboard space.

Any application for an extension submitted after the deadline will not be considered without a credible and compelling explanation as to why it could not have been submitted beforehand.

You must not assume you have been granted an extension until you receive official confirmation of this.

Penalty for late submission

Work submitted after the deadline will be marked and dealt with in accordance with University Policy.

54. Absence affecting eLearning assessments

Please pay careful attention to the deadlines for any eLearning. Students should anticipate a possible period of illness during this time and complete the assessments as soon as they open. Students failing to submit by the deadline will receive a mark of zero for that assignment. Only in exceptional circumstances, such as prolonged illness, will a request for mitigation be considered; note it is sometimes difficult to grant extensions for individual students for these assessments as the deadlines are set within Blackboard for all students taking the unit. To request mitigation for an eLearning assessment, you must submit an Extension Request form with appropriate supporting evidence to the Programmes Support Office. The application for mitigation must be made BY 10:00am ON THE DAY BEFORE THE DAY OF THE DEADLINE and not retrospectively

 

55. Absence from examinations due to ill health

You should make every effort to complete all examinations/assessments; it is often surprising how well candidates who are ill can perform in written examinations, and a mark of just 40% will avoid the automatic referral in August/September. If necessary special arrangements can be made to take the exam in an alternative location; if you cannot write (e.g. due to a
broken arm), it may be possible for someone to write for you. If you feel you might experience any examination difficulties, you must inform the staff in the Programmes Support Office at the earliest opportunity.

If you are so ill you are unable to take an exam/assessment you must contact the Programmes Support Office as soon as possible, and certainly no later than the day and start time of your examination. You should complete a Mitigating Circumstances Form which must be accompanied by appropriate independent third-party supporting or collaborative documentation such as a Doctor’s note or letter signed by your GP or a letter from your health care professional. If this evidence is not available immediately you should still fill in the mitigation form and indicate when it will be available. If the information is of a highly confidential nature, you may submit your evidence in a sealed envelope, marked for the attention of the Chair of the Mitigating Circumstances Committee.

Students who attend a hospital Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department must obtain written confirmation of attendance either from the hospital or subsequently from their GP confirming their attendance and stating the nature of the emergency. A hospital attendance card alone will not be accepted as appropriate evidence of illness.

Submission of a mitigating circumstances application must be made to the Programmes Support Office by the relevant deadline. These are published on the Optometry Community Blackboard space.

Requests for mitigation submitted after the deadline cannot be considered without a credible and compelling explanation as to why the circumstances were not known or could not have been shown beforehand (and in no circumstances after results have been released).

If your mitigation is accepted and you miss a unit examination through illness, you will be required to take the examination again in the August/September examination period. Provided that you have followed the procedures described above, this re-examination will normally be counted as your first attempt and the referral fee will be waived.

Mitigating Circumstances Forms and Guidance are available on the shared optometry area on Blackboard.

 

56. Illness not resulting in absence from examinations/assessments

You may be unwell but able to proceed with an examination, but feel that your performance will have been impaired. If you wish this to be taken into account you must follow the same procedures as in Section 55: Absence from examinations due to illness (complete a mitigating circumstances form that can be found in the Optometry shared area in Blackboard). If you suffer from stress, anxiety or feelings of panic or experience any of these, you are strongly encouraged to contact the Counselling and Mental Health Service and you should consider registering with the Disability Advisory and Support Service.

 

57. Mitigating Circumstances Panel and Interruptions

Mitigating Circumstances

The Division has a Mitigating Circumstances Panel, which meets to consider the effect of mitigating circumstances (e.g. medical/personal/family problems) on exam/assessment performance. Evidence can only be considered if presented in time for the Panel meeting and in any event no later than the publication of the examination/assessment results.

If you wish to submit an application you can do so by completing a Mitigating Circumstances Form (this can be found on the Optometry Community Blackboard Space) and submit strong third party evidence by the deadline given. All information will be treated with strict confidence.

NB: In accordance with General Medical Council guidance the School does NOT accept GP certification where the GP is a relative of the student concerned.

Late submissions will not be considered without a credible and compelling explanation as to why the notification was not made at the appropriate time.

The Mitigating Circumstances Panel will determine:

a. Whether a student has presented substantiated evidence of circumstances eligible for mitigation;

b. Whether the circumstances could have had an effect on the student’s performance;

c. How significant the effect of any mitigating circumstances would likely have been.

Mitigating Circumstances Panels should make a recommendation to the Examination Board for proposed mitigation for an accepted request.

Interruptions

You will not be allowed to interrupt full-time study except with permission from the Division.   Applications to interrupt study must be made in writing and where possible in advance of the period of interruption.  Application forms can be found in the Optometry Community Space on Blackboard.   Supporting evidence may be required if the interruption is on medical grounds.

You are advised to discuss the implications on an interruption with a member of staff (academic advisor, year tutor, programme lead or programmes support office staff) before you submit an application. If you are an international student and are here on a visa, you are also advised to contact Student Immigration Team at: visa@manchester.ac.uk

http://www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk/immigration-and-visas/changes-during-your-studies/changes-to-your-studies/

Your application will be considered by a panel of relevant staff and you will be notified in writing of the outcome.   Applications should be submitted to the Programmes Support Office (G.121) or via email: optometry.students@manchester.ac.uk

Further guidance for students on interruptions can be found at the following link:

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=4780%20%20

The University’s Policy on Interruptions can be found at the following link:

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=26092

Restarting the year

During an academic year you may apply to restart the year if your ability to study has been adversely affected (e.g. medical/personal/family/financial problems). Application forms can be found in the Optometry Community Space on Blackboard. Supporting evidence will be required.

You are advised to discuss the implications of a restart with a member of staff (academic advisor, year tutor, programme lead or programmes support office staff) before you submit an application. Please note that repeat years will incur full tuition fees so you are also advised to contact whoever provides your funding.  If you are an international student and you are on a visa, you are also advised to contact Student Immigration Team at: visa@manchester.ac.uk

http://www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk/immigration-and-visas/changes-during-your-studies/changes-to-your-studies/

Your application will be considered by a panel of relevant staff and you will be notified in writing of the outcome.   Applications should be submitted to the Programmes Support Office (G.121) or via email: optometry.students@manchester.ac.uk

Please note that you cannot submit an application to restart the year after the June Examination Board or the September Examination Board has published the examination results. If you wish to restart the year after publication of the June or September exam results you must submit an academic appeal to Faculty.

 

58. Progress Committee, School Fitness to Practise Committee and Faculty Fitness to Practise Committee

The Division has a Progress Committee which considers the progression of all students. Students that are in danger of not satisfying the assessment regulations, may be called up for interview following assessment periods. The student may choose to be accompanied by a current member of the University or by someone from the relevant professional association. A current member of the university includes staff, fellow students or a member of the students union. The purpose of the Committee is to provide a fair and transparent mechanism for considering such matters, and to reach a decision based upon evidence presented to it.

The Faculty and School Fitness to Practise Committees (FTP) consider matters of health and conduct for students registered on undergraduate programmes in the Division of Pharmacy and Optometry. The purpose of the Committee is to provide a fair and transparent mechanism for considering such matters, and to reach a decision based upon evidence presented to it.  The membership of the Committee will be drawn from the Faculty /School academic staff. Full procedures, including how referrals are made to these committees can be found at: http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=50549

Students referred to a Fitness to Practise Committee are advised to seek support from the Students Union: University of Manchester Students’ Union (manchesterstudentsunion.com)

 

Please note that the General Optical Council (GOC) may be informed of the outcome of FTP cases and are at liberty to take further action as their powers allow. Students facing GOC disciplinary action are able to seek help from the Association of Optometrists (AOP) provided they are a member. It is possible to join for free: https://www.aop.org.uk/membership/membership-rates

Policies on drugs, alcohol and social media can be found here:

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=29039 (Drugs and Alcohol)

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=29040 (Social Networking

 

Sharing Information

The University may share appropriate information relating to your health and/or conduct with external organisations such as your professional employer(s) (for example, relevant NHS Trust, Professional and Statutory Regulatory Bodies (PSRB)), placement and training providers and/or regulator (General Optical Council).

This may occur where concerns in relation to your health and/or conduct arise and the University considers it necessary for them to be disclosed to one or more of the above organisations.

The University’s Privacy Notice for Registered Students (which is accessible via this link: www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/data-collection-notice/)

This includes further information about how the University may use and process your personal data, including the legal basis and conditions which may be relevant to such processing (see section 6 of the Privacy Notice).

The University will only disclose special category data (such as data relating to your health) to a third party organisation where one of the additional conditions are satisfied (see section 9 of the Privacy Notice), including where processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest.

 

59. Pastoral Support

To ensure that students are progressing well throughout each semester, attendance at clinics/practicals and academic advisor meetings are recorded.  A summary of this information will be available to academic  advisors. Students with repeat non-attendance or who have not completed e-learning assignments will be asked to meet with their academic advisor to ensure that there are no underlying problems that the Division needs to be aware of.

60. Academic Appeals

Students have a right of appeal against a final decision of an Examination Board, or a progress committee, or a graduate committee or equivalent body which affects their academic status or progress in the University

Students thinking of appealing should first discuss the matter informally with an appropriate member of staff, in order to better understand the reason for the result or decision.

The University Regulation XIX – Academic Appeals can be found at: –

Regulations | Academic-related regulations | Regulation XIX: Academic Appeals Procedure | The University of Manchester

The purpose of this Regulation is to safeguard the interests of all students. It may be used only when there are adequate grounds for doing so (see below) and may not be used simply because you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your assessment or other decision concerning your academic position or progress.

An appeal may be made only on grounds alleging:

a) that there exists or existed circumstances affecting the student’s performance of which, for a credible and compelling reason, the Examination Board or equivalent body may not have been made aware when the decision was taken and which might have had a material effect on the decision [Note: if students wish to appeal on such grounds, they must give credible and compelling reasons with supporting documentation explaining why this information was not made available prior to the decision being made.];

b) that there had been a material administrative error or procedural irregularity in the assessment process or in putting into effect the regulations for the programme of study of such a nature as to cause significant doubt whether the decision might have been different if the error or irregularity had not occurred;

c) that there is evidence of prejudice or bias or lack of proper assessment on the part of one or more of the examiners;

d) that the supervision or training of the student in respect of research for a dissertation or thesis or equivalent work was unsatisfactory to the point that his or her performance was seriously affected [Note: if students wish to appeal on such grounds but the supervisory concerns arose significantly before the assessment result against which they are appealing, and without it having been raised in writing with the School before the appeal, the student must provide credible and compelling reasons for only raising these concerns at appeal].

An appeal which questions the academic or professional judgement of those charged with the responsibility for assessing a student’s academic performance or professional competence shall not be permitted.

You may seek advice and guidance in preparing the appeal from the Students’ Union Advice Service University of Manchester Students’ Union (manchesterstudentsunion.com) or from your Academic Advisor or the Programmes Support Office.

A formal appeal may be initiated by completing an Appeals Form and submitting it to the Faculty Office within 20 working days of notification of the result or decision. You should submit with the Form a copy of the results or decision you are appealing against and any relevant supporting evidence, e.g., emails, doctor’s note and other correspondence that you wish to be considered in the appeal. Such evidence should normally be contemporaneous, and capable of verification. All evidence should be written in English or, if not, certifiably translated.

Student Appeals should be addressed:  FBMH, Teaching & Learning Advisor, Room 3.21, Simon Building. Email: FBMHappealsandcomplaints@manchester.ac.uk

61. Conduct and Discipline

The University defines misconduct as ‘the improper interference, in the broadest sense, with the proper functioning or activities of the University or of those who work or study in the University or action which otherwise damages the University or its reputation’.

The Conduct and Discipline of Students, Regulation XVII not only covers academic malpractice/plagiarism (see section Plagiarism, collusion and other forms of academic malpractice but also behaviour and actions: http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=6530.

If you find yourself the subject of a disciplinary procedure you are strongly advised to take advice from the Students Union.

If the allegation relates to an incidence which occurred in a Hall of Residence then you should consult the Code of Conduct for living in Halls of Residence which can be found in the Residences Guide.

Once you have been through the full process within the University, if you remain dissatisfied, you may be entitled to take your complaint to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator.

Policies on drugs, alcohol and social media can be found here:

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=29039 (Drugs and Alcohol)

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=29040 (Social Networking

 

62. The General Optical Council (GOC)

ALL OPTOMETRY STUDENTS MUST, BY LAW, BE REGISTERED WITH THE GOC

The registration fee will be reimbursed to students in line with the University’s policy on additional costs (http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=19217).

Make sure you read, understand and comply with the GOC standards for optical students.

Standards for optical students | GeneralOpticalCouncil

The GOC will apply these standards to you if someone raises a concern about your fitness to train. This may occur if the GOC wish to take further action against you having been informed about the outcome of a School or Faculty FTP case.

The following text is taken from the GOC website (www.optical.org) and the GOC standards for optical students:

‘We have a legal duty to register, and set the standards expected of optical students. Our Standards define the standards of behaviour and performance we expect of all registered student optometrists and student dispensing opticians.’

‘If someone raises concerns about your fitness to train, we will refer to these standards when deciding if we need to take any action. You will need to demonstrate that your behaviour was in line with these standards and that you have acted professionally and in the best interests of your patients. We will apply these standards in the context of the stage of training you have reached, taking into account the level of support and guidance you have received from those supervising your training. Failure to register or follow these standards as a student, may affect your ability to register and practise as an optical professional when you qualify. In serious cases you may also be removed from your training course.’

F. STUDENT SUPPORT

 63. My Manchester

The A-Z of Services can be found here.

https://www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk/

64. Academic Advisors

Your Academic Advisor (normally the same person throughout your course) offers you advice on academic matters, personal problems (if needed), and is your main link to the Division and the University. You must meet your Academic Advisor at regular intervals (at least twice per semester) during your programme and should prepare for each meeting by starting to fill in the appropriate meeting form on “My intranet”. When you are making applications for summer work, placements, jobs, or further degrees, your Academic Advisor should know you well enough to write an informed reference. There is a mechanism within the intranet meeting forms for you to provide your Academic Advisor with a CV, which you should update regularly, especially towards the end of your Degree Programme (Please see Section on Employability skills.)

You should speak to your Academic Advisor about any problems that you are having that are affecting your work (see also Section on Work and Attendance Regulations/Section on Guidelines on Ill Health).

65. Senior Advisor

There is also a Senior Advisor for the Division who is available (via the Programmes Support Office) to discuss any particularly serious problems, or anything you would rather not discuss with your Academic Advisor (including the situation where you may feel it necessary to request a change in Academic Advisor).

66. Personal and Professional Development (PPD Groups)

You will have regular small-group tuition in groups of about ten students with a PPD Advisor. Normally your Personal Advisor will also be your PPD Advisor. Attendance at all of the PPD sessions and the production of satisfactory work are a requirement of the Degree Programmes see also Section Work and Attendance Regulations.

 

66. Counselling

The University Counselling and Mental Health Service offers you help in understanding, dealing with, or overcoming the many sorts of difficulties that may prevent you getting the most out of your life and studies at university. These may include problems at home, pressures from personal relationships, and difficulties in coping with stressful events, now or in the past, such as examinations, separation, bereavement or forms of abuse. There are also some group sessions/workshops on specific issues, e.g. confidence and self-esteem, managing low mood, managing exam stress, coping better with academic pressure, speaking out in groups, etc.

Please see the counselling service website for more details and up-to-date information: https://www.counsellingservice.manchester.ac.uk/

They offer a wide range of support including workshops, groups and a host of mental health resources.  If you need to talk to someone, complete the online questionnaire and then call the appointment line 0161 275 2864 between 11.00-12.30 (Monday – Friday), stating the colour suggested on completing the questionnaire.

67. Students’ Union Advice Centre

The Students’ Union Advice Service offers free, impartial and confidential information and advice to students on academic, financial, housing and health and welfare issues.

The best way to contact them is via email 24/7 on: advice.su@manchester.ac.uk. Their mailbox is monitored regularly from Monday to Friday between 10am and 4pm. Please include your student ID, course information and a summary of your enquiry. 

 

69. Students with additional support needs

The staff in the Disability Advisory and Support Service are available to assist students with additional support needs arising from:

•An ‘unseen’ medical condition

•A physical or sensory disability

•A specific learning difficulty e.g. dyslexia / dyspraxia etc.

•Mental health difficulties

How can they help?

• arrange screening appointments for students who suspect that they might be dyslexic

• advise about the help and support available in the University and assist with applications for funding for support.

•advise staff who are working with students with a disability

Quick Query appointments are 20 minute appointments with a Disability Adviser, during which you can ask any questions or explore your options.

If you need to book an appointment – please call 0161 275 7512 and leave a voicemail request. A member of staff will call you back as soon as they can to make arrangements. If you are unable to use the phone for disability-related reasons, please just let them know by emailing: dass@manchester.ac.uk

The Division of Pharmacy and Optometry also has a Disability Co-ordinator, Mrs Sandra Humphries, to whom you can direct any queries Sandra.humphries@manchester.ac.uk

70. Health

The University recognises the importance of the health and wellbeing of all students. Occupational Health Services aim to promote the physical, mental and social well-being of students and to reduce the incidence of ill-health arising from exposure to work place hazards.

Students can access advice and guidance by visiting their website below. Some students will undergo regular health surveillance as required by their Faculty but you can also refer yourself for an appointment.

Where necessary the Service work closely with other support services at the University e.g. the Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS) to support students with health problems or disabilities.

The Occupational Health Service does not deal with medical or first aid emergencies and cannot diagnose or provide treatment. If there is a serious medical emergency you should phone (9)999 for an ambulance, remembering to call University Security (69966) immediately afterwards so that they can assist the ambulance in getting to you. See the Occupational Health Services website for further details.

The Occupational Health Service reception is open for enquiries from Monday to Friday between 09.00-16.00. You will need an appointment to see an Occupational Health Adviser or Physician as the Service does not have the capacity to see you as a ‘drop-in’. Their contact details are:

Tel: 0161 275 2858

Email: waterlooocchealth@manchester.ac.uk

 

71. Night-time email advice service

Nightmail is a confidential email listening and information service run by Nightline. It’s open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Our team of specially trained volunteers run Nightmail all year round – even outside of term time. We aim to respond to emails within 48 hours. The email address for Nightmail is: nightmail@manchester.nightline.ac.uk.

Further information is available at: http://manchester.nightline.ac.uk/

72. Discrimination and Harassment

Information, advice and University policies on discrimination and harassment can be found here: https://www.reportandsupport.manchester.ac.uk/

73. The Student Services Centre

The majority of the University’s administrative services for students (except Accommodation Services) are available from our centralised Student Services Centre, off Burlington Street.

Student Services Centre
Burlington Street
The University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PL

Telephone enquiries: 0161 275 5000

Email: ssc@manchester.ac.uk

Website: http://www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk/student-services/

74. Accommodation

The Accommodation Office provides information and guidance on a range of issues including ways to deal with any problems that students might encounter over accommodation choices, special needs, existing accommodation difficulties, accommodation for students with families and on temporary accommodation, including provision available outside semester time.

The Accommodation Office contact details are as follows:

Email: accommodation@manchester.ac.uk

Telephone: +44 (0) 161 275 2888

For private sector accommodation see the Manchester Student Homes website at www.manchesterstudenthomes.com. Manchester Student Homes (MSH) is owned, managed and funded by the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University and their respective Students’ Unions.

The Students’ Union Advice Centre is also an excellent source of help and advice on problems with private accommodation: https://manchesterstudentsunion.com/housing-advice

 

75. International students

The International Society, offers advice, information and a social base for students. Telephone: 0161 275 4959, email: info@internationalsociety.org.uk. Further information can be found on the International Society website at www.internationalsociety.org.uk.

 

The Student Immigration Team forms part of the Student Services Centre. Most questions can be answered by checking the website: http://www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk/immigration-and-visas/

If you have a complex query, please e-mail the Student Immigration Team: visa@manchester.ac.uk.

You must include in your e-mail your full name and your student ID number.  You should also provide enough detail that we are able to assess your situation.

If your situation is urgent, please telephone the Team on +44 (0)161 549 1182, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

 

76. Financial help

If you are a UK student for fees purposes, you can apply to Student Finance for a Student Loan for Maintenance and a Student Loan for Fees. Payments for the Student Loan for Maintenance are made directly into your bank account. If you choose to take one, the Student Loan for Fees is paid directly to the University. Some students may also be eligible for a non-repayable grant and your Student Finance will assess you for this. If you get into difficulties while you are a student, the Student Services Centre can help with money advice and budgeting.

 

77. Security on campus

The University Security Service (24hour) should be contacted if you have concerns about personal security or theft (0161 306 9966) or wish to speak to a member of the security staff.

You can also contact the Police Liaison Officers on 0161 275 7042 or police@manchester.ac.uk

G. EMPLOYABILITY

78. Employability skills

During the course of your Degree Programme, you should develop a range of transferable skills. These include skills in written and oral communication, organisation of information, presentation skills, teamwork and leadership. The unit descriptions outline the employability skills that have been identified for each unit. Please see http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/experience/skills/ for more information on transferable/employability skills.

Your PPD unit also aims to help you develop employability skills. These resources will become increasingly important as you progress on your Degree Programme and begin applying for pre- reg placements, summer schools and jobs.

79. The Careers Service

The Careers Service organise an extensive programme of events throughout the year for all Faculties, from lunchtime talks to large recruitment fairs. There are workshops and interactive training sessions where recruiters will help you practise skills for interviews, or find out about a job from the people who do them every day. Events like “Meet the Professionals” organised by the Alumni Relations team and your School are great opportunities to find out what graduates did after their degree.

Many employers target Manchester University students for recruitment: some host presentations or workshops, others attend School events and/or our large careers fairs in the autumn and summer. Many also support our Manchester Gold Mentoring Programme. These provide an excellent way for you to explore career opportunities and to meet employers.

https://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/

 

80. Career in Optometry

Entering a pre-registration year after obtaining your BSc degree

Students wishing to enter the pre-registration year must have maintained registration with the GOC, achieved all of the stage one core competencies/patient experience requirements of the General Optical Council and have at least a 2:2 classification. The core competencies are assessed mainly in the third year (details are available via the GOC website www.optical.org or blackboard unit OPTO30200). For students who do not meet these requirements the GOC have approved a one year additional course which is run by a small number of UK Optometry Schools (details of universities offering the scheme are available from the GOC). A fee is charged for this course and the course is not eligible for funding from Student Finance. Potential candidates should seek advice from participating universities about their suitability for this scheme.

Finding a pre-registration training placement

You will need to enrol on the scheme for registration within 2 years of graduating.  The pre registration scheme is administered by the College of Optometrists. Further info can be found at: Scheme for Registration – College of Optometrists (college-optometrists.org)

Whilst the College of Optometrists administer the scheme it will be your responsibility to find a placement. Possible sources of placement include:

•        Searching the Association of Optometrists (AOP) database on vacancies https://www.aop.org.uk/login?returnUrl=%2fyour-career%2fpre-reg-optometrists%2fpre-registration-optometrist-vacancies (Log-in required)

•        The AOP also produce a variety of other resources for pre reg which can be accessed by becoming a member (currently free to students) at: https://www.aop.org.uk/your-career

•        The College of Optometrists runs a pre-registration jobs board https://www.college-optometrists.org/bycategory/pre-registrationplacement

•        The Association of Independent Optometrists (AIO) also maintain a list of available pre reg places http://www.aiovision.org

•        Multiple/Corporate chains such as Boots, Vision Express, Specsavers, Asda and others also offer pre reg placements. Many of these companies will come into the university to give presentations and you will be notified by email. Their respective websites also contain information on how to apply for positions.

•        Many hospitals also offer pre reg placements:  https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/

81. Obtaining a reference for employment

Most applications require you to cite one or more referees, and you should normally seek permission from your Academic Advisor to cite him/her as your main/first referee. If you need another referee, this should be a staff member familiar with your relevant work

 

H. MAKING YOUR VIEWS KNOWN

82.  Day-to-day problem solving and other ways of making your views known

You are welcome to make comments about any aspect of your Degree Programme at any time. If you have difficulties or suggestions please be aware that they should be raised promptly, and that the resolution of problems is likely to be most effective via face-to-face interaction. You should feel free to comment on unit content, delivery or assessment direct to the lecturer or practical coordinator in the first instance. If you feel this is not appropriate, you are encouraged to discuss matters with the Unit Coordinator. If you are still not satisfied, you should seek advice from the Optometry Programme Director or your Academic Advisor.

83. Arrangements for feedback and student representation

Student representatives on Division/University committees

Student participation in University affairs is encouraged and in addition to involvement within the Division, there is student representation at Faculty and Senate level. From time to time during the programme, you will be asked to nominate students from your year of study to serve on committees within the Division. These include the School Staff Student Liaison Committee (SSLC) which acts as a forum for the exchange of ideas on any problems which relate to the programme or general arrangements in the Division; the Division Board which is concerned with all aspects of Division affairs; the UG Teaching Governance Committee and the Division Safety Committee. In the absence of nominations, a direct approach may be made to individual students to serve on these various committees.

Unit Surveys

During all years of the degree programme you will be asked to complete surveys designed to help us assess the quality of individual course units. The data obtained from the completed surveys is used by the academic staff to assess both course content and structure.  This enables us to make improvements, if and where required.  We would ask for your co-operation in completing these surveys, as the more data we receive, the more meaningful will be the conclusions.  You will not be asked to identify yourself when completing the questionnaire. Unit coordinators will respond to these questionnaires via Blackboard.

84. Complaints procedure

As part of its commitment to ensuring the standard and quality of its programmes of study, services, and facilities, the University has established a Complaints Procedure to deal with complaints from students. Complaints provide useful feedback information and, where appropriate, will be used to improve services and facilities.

Students thinking of submitting a formal complaint should, in most instances, attempt informal resolution first.  Formal complaints should be submitted on the relevant form to Faculty Appeals and Complaints Team, Room 3.21, Simon Building, University of Manchester, M13 9PL (e-mail: FBMHappealsandcomplaints@manchester.ac.uk).

 

The University has separate procedures to address complaints of bullying, harassment, discrimination and/or victimisation – see https://www.reportandsupport.manchester.ac.uk/

I. Learning resources

85. Computing facilities in the Stopford Building

A list of computer clusters available across campus can be found here: Cluster list (The University of Manchester)

You can now also connect to PC clusters remotely. Find out more: Remote PC service.

86. Intranet and IT Support

Guidance notes for students wishing to access their University email accounts outside the University can be found at http://www.itservices.manchester.ac.uk/students/internet/

If you need help with Blackboard or eLearning: https://www.itservices.manchester.ac.uk/students/blackboard/

The intranet is a service provided for staff and students in the Faculty. Like any other electronic medium there may be occasional outages caused by power surges beyond the control of the Faculty and/or malfunctions, so its operation cannot be guaranteed. Any material on the intranet, as well as that on any other platform, should be accessed well in advance of any deadlines. Non-availability of the service for 48 hours or less would not be considered a circumstance to mitigate against non-completion of an assignment.

87. The University of Manchester Library

The University of Manchester Library provides you with the resources and support you need throughout your Health Sciences programme. The Main Library and Stopford Library house all of the essential text books. The Library also has an extensive collection of eBooks, databases and journals available online.

The My Library tab in My Manchester has quick links to all of the Library’s resources and services available to students.

Getting Started

You will need your student card to access all library sites around campus. Many of our services and resources also require you to confirm that you are a registered student. This authentication can be your student card, the ID number on the card, your Library PIN, the central username and password you use to log on, or a combination of these.

There is a library guide for Life Sciences students giving all of the latest information on resources and learning and research services available. This is a good starting point if you are looking for any library resources or information related to your course.

The Library provides a reading list service called Link2Lists, which links either to the catalogue entry for items on your course reading lists or, where possible, to electronic full text versions of the list items – whether it is books, digitised readings, journal articles or websites.

The Main Library

The Main Library holds the principal collection of Optometry books and journals available.

The library search facility will let you know what items are available and where to find them including eBooks and online journals.

The Main Library offers group study rooms, individual study space options and computer clusters. WiFi is available throughout the building and a cafe lounge can be found on the ground floor. The Library has long opening hours and extends these during exam periods. Please check Locations and Opening Hours for full details.

The Stopford Library

The Stopford Library is a smaller site library for Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy and Life Sciences (some of these books may be useful for your optometric studies). Full details of what is available can be found using library search or asking a member of customer service staff. In addition to books, Stopford Library also has half skeletons, anatomical models and iPads available for loan.

The Stopford Library also has a computer suite, wifi and 6 group study rooms with a large table and 14 chairs, a 32 inch LCD monitor and a large “squiggle” board. Bookings can be made via My Manchester or at the customer service desk in the Stopford Library.

Please check Locations and Opening Hours for full details.

The Alan Gilbert Learning Commons

The Alan Gilbert Learning Commons is a state-of-the-art learning environment with 24/7 opening hours throughout term-time. The Learning Commons has flexible open learning spaces with multimedia facilities, computer clusters and 30 bookable group study rooms with whiteboards and media screens.

Please check Locations and Opening Hours for full details.

My Learning Essentials

My Learning Essentials is the Library’s comprehensive programme of online resources, workshops and drop-ins designed to support you in your personal and professional development.

Workshops and drop-ins are held throughout the year and include special sessions during exams and the summer. The online resources are available at all times, providing flexible support for your development from undergraduate to postgraduate level and beyond.

Full details of workshops and online resources can be viewed on the My Learning Essentials website.

The My Learning Essentials programme is run by The University of Manchester Library in collaboration with other services across campus.‌

88. Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS)

Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) are operated by second and final year students to assist first year students in the transition to University. Groups of first year students will be assigned two PASS leaders by PASS scheme student coordinators and the School Sabbatical Student Intern at the start of their programme and will be scheduled to meet with their PASS leaders at regular intervals during the year. Any queries about PASS should be addressed to the Student Intern responsible for the scheme

The aims of PASS are to:

• enable a clear view of course expectations
• promote a non-threatening environment
• provide an effective method to:
• assist learning
• develop interpersonal/transferable skills (communication, team working, problem solving)
• develop self confidence
• increase responsibility and motivation
• increase peer interaction
• obtain inside knowledge
• allow students to give real-time feedback
• generate real-time feedback for the teaching staff
• challenge the barrier between year groups

89. The Manchester Museum

The Manchester Museum is part of The University of Manchester. It has a distinctive role in engaging the public with the work of the University. The Museum has the third largest natural sciences collection in the UK, with four million specimens, from birds and plants collected by Charles Darwin to specimens of new species collected and classified by present curators. Many of the collections can be searched from the Museum’s website (www.museum.manchester.ac.uk). There are also numerous additional resources, such as library materials and associated archives. The Museum has around 420,000 visits per year and over 20,000 visits by schoolchildren.

Museum staff work to make the collection available for teaching, research and public engagement and are always keen to explore new opportunities to engage students with the collection. Many museum staff teach on lecture courses and field courses, practicals and research skills modules. They also offer a number of studying opportunities, including final year projects, industrial placements, use of the Museum resources in PhD and Post-Doctoral work and co-supervision of PhDs. These may involve the collections or the specialist interests of staff. Students are encouraged to contact museum staff to self-arrange projects.

The Museum is heavily involved in local biodiversity and sustainability work and helps to deliver the Biodiversity Action Plan for Manchester.

The Museum can help students develop employability through its many volunteering opportunities, particularly useful to those who wish to enter careers in public communication, education and, of course, museums.

Anyone—staff or student—can visit collections that are not on display. This is done by arranging a visit with the appropriate curator (details below) or by arranging to visit the Collections Study Centre. The collections are a wonderful source of inspiration and information for research on scientific subjects and the history of science.

Entry to the Museum is free. It has fantastic galleries and a busy programme of temporary exhibitions and public events. The museum café is a popular meeting place for both students and staff.

90. The University Language Centre

The University Language Centre provides courses and language learning resources for students from a wide variety of disciplines wishing to include a modern languages element within their studies. It also offers a wide range of courses and services for international students for whom English is not a first language.

Language courses

Offered as part of the University Language Centre’s institution-wide language programme (LEAP), these courses are available to students from across the University and may be studied on a credit or on a non-credit basis to complement your degree.

Currently there are 20 languages offered, ranging from the main international languages to a number of less-widely taught languages.

For more information on the full range of languages and levels that are available, please consult the University Language Centre website via the link given at the end of this section.

English Language Programmes and Advice

If English is not your native language, you may wish to enquire about the wide range of credit bearing and non-credit bearing English courses available through the University Language Centre.

International students who would like advice on how they can improve their academic writing are encouraged to make use of the one-to-one writing consultation service. Around 500 individual sessions are held per year and these are free of charge.

There are courses for international students, covering areas such as academic writing, academic speaking, pronunciation and grammar are also available at no cost to students. Writing is delivered on a broad disciplinary specific basis: Engineering and Physical Sciences, Life sciences, Medical and Human Sciences, Business-related disciplines and Humanities.

Please refer to the Academic Support Programmes section of the ULC webpage via the link given at the end of this section.

A full guide to the University Language Centre’s courses, services and its language learning resources is available at: http://www.ulc.manchester.ac.uk.

 

91. Textbooks and other requirements

Included in most of the unit descriptions and on the Blackboard sites for each unit are the text-book(s) recommended for the unit, and any other special requirements. You are advised not to purchase textbooks until the Unit Coordinator has had a chance to discuss these with you, and perhaps show you samples – sometimes there is a choice of recommended texts, depending on the other units that you are taking. Copies of all recommended texts are in The University of Manchester Library and multiple copies are available for overnight loan.

Where no ‘recommended reading’ list has been provided in the unit description or on Blackboard, it can be assumed that there are no set texts that cover the unit or that would be useful to read before the unit begins, and that reading material will be recommended once the course has started.

J. UNIT SPECIFICATIONS

(Full Course Unit Specifications can be found in a separate document on the Optometry Shared area on Blackboard)

Optometry Level 1 (First Year)

All units 10 credits unless otherwise stated. All units are mandatory.

CODE	TITLE	CREDIT
OPTO10000	Health & Safety	0
OPTO10100	Personal & Professional Development A	10
OPTO10151	Geometrical Optics	10
OPTO10171	Functional Anatomy of the Eye	10
OPTO10190	Optometric Examination A	30
OPTO10292	Dispensing A	10
OPTO10312	Physical Optics	10
OPTO10362	Visual Neurophys. & Fundamentals of Visual Perception	10
OPTO10391	Human Anatomy and Physiology I	10
OPTO10392	Human Anatomy and Physiology II	10
OPTO10911	Mathematics for Optometry	10

Optometry Level 2 (Second Year)

All units 10 credits unless otherwise stated. All units are mandatory.

CODE	TITLE	CREDIT
OPTO20080	Dispensing B	10
OPTO20091	Instrumentation	10
OPTO20100	Optometric Examination B	20
OPTO20200	Personal & Professional Development B	10
OPTO20292	Visual Optics	10
OPTO20361	Binocular Vision A	10
OPTO20372	Contact Lenses A	10
OPTO20391	Pharmacology A	10
OPTO20612	Pharmacology B	10
OPTO20621	Visual Psychophysics and Neurophysiology	10
OPTO21391	Ocular Health & Disease Mechanisms	10
OPTO22051	Clinical Methodology 1	0
OPTO22062	Clinical Methodology 2	0

 

Optometry Level 3 (Third Year)

All units 10 credits unless otherwise stated. All units are mandatory.

CODE	TITLE	CREDIT
OPTO30200	Clinical Practical Sessions	40
OPTO30221	Binocular Vision B	10
OPTO30612	Pharmacology B: Ocular Pharmacology	10
OPTO30362	IOVS Glaucoma **	10
OPTO30410	Low Vision	10
OPTO30651	Contact Lenses B	10
OPTO30891	Ocular Disease	10
OPTO31200	Personal & Professional Development C	10
OPTO31222	Emerging Optometry	10
OPTO31250	Evidence Based Optom. Practice *	10

* BSc students only

**MSci students only

 

Optometry Level 4 (MSci)

See unit specifications for credit rating

CODE	TITLE	CREDIT
OPTO40811	Clinical Placement 1	40
OPTO40812	Clinical Placement 2	40
OPTO40870	MSci Research Project	20
OPTO41100	MSci Evidence Based Clinical Case Management	10
OPTO41200	Personal & Professional Development D	10