4.1 Your Responsibilities as a Student
Successful progression through the distance learning course relies on self-directed learning. It is up to you to plan your time and we strongly suggest that you consider the course calendar in conjunction with the syllabus to help you with this. Your success is dependent on considerable commitment and self-discipline. In order to get the most out of the course you will also need to participate actively in seminars and tutorials – not only to complete the course but to benefit from the resulting exchanges of ideas. If you know in advance you cannot attend/participate in any teaching activity, please let us know as soon as possible. We recommend that you allow approximately 150 hours of study time per module. This should include activities such as studying the teaching material, participating in supporting activities, completing online activities, and revising for and sitting the examinations.
Please note that you will be responsible for any incidental costs of the course, e.g.
- Travel to and from residential face-to-face teaching or examinations;
- Board and lodging during residential teaching or examinations;
- Internet access charges.
IMPORTANT: we will be using your university email account as the main method of communication with you. You are advised to check any spam or other filtered folders regularly in case documents do not reach your inbox. You are responsible for ensuring that we have your most up to date contact information at all times.
4.2 University Policies
All members of the University are required to comply with the University’s Royal Charter, Statutes, Ordinances, Regulations and Policies. It is your responsibility as a student to familiarise yourself with the academic policies, procedures and guidelines governing the University of Manchester’s postgraduate taught programmes. You should note that changes to University and Faculty policy and guidance will apply to all students with immediate effect. Section 10 of this handbook provides links to these policies. In addition, Section 5 provides guidance on the regulations for Postgraduate Taught Degrees.
4.3 Academic Reporting Structure
This programme is managed and operated in accordance with the policies, principles, regulations and procedure of the University of Manchester. The programme committee reports and responds to the Community Based Medicine Consortium and the Occupational Medicine Programme Director is a member of the Community Based Medicine Consortium. The Consortium committee then feeds in to the School, Faculty and University committees. This academic reporting structure can be found in Appendix VIII
4.4 Academic Malpractice
Academic malpractice is any activity – intentional or otherwise – that is likely to undermine the integrity essential to scholarship and research. It includes plagiarism, collusion, fabrication or falsification of results, and anything else that could result in unearned or undeserved credit for those committing it. Academic malpractice can result from a deliberate act of cheating or may be committed unintentionally. Whether intended or not, all incidents of academic malpractice will be treated seriously by the University.
The procedures and penalties for dealing with academic malpractice are covered by the same regulation as apply to Conduct and Discipline of Students (Regulation XVII): http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=6530.
You are responsible for ensuring that you understand what academic malpractice is, and how to avoid committing it. If you are unsure, ask your lecturer or academic adviser.
As further support for students, the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health has developed a module entitled “Understanding Academic Malpractice”. (see Appendix VII for further details of the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health PGT Online Skills Training Resource). This unit should be completed by all postgraduate taught students and will allow you to test your understanding of what constitutes plagiarism and academic malpractice. You can access the resource via Blackboard. Log in to My Manchester and click on the Blackboard tab. The online skills training resource will be listed under the My Communities heading (below your course units). The module should be completed as soon as possible after you begin your programme, but must be completed before you submit your first piece of academic writing for assessment.
Guidance for students on plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice can be found here.
Other information on Academic Malpractice and how to avoid it can be found at:
www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/academicwww.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/academic
All typed summative assessment should be submitted online and subjected to plagiarism detection software. For this programme, this will only be relevant for the Dissertation (should you progress to the Masters Level), as all other assessments are exam based.
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.
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 School 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.
