APPENDIX 5

Programme Handbook 2012 - 2013

.......................................................................................................................................................

MSc Clinical
Optometry

.......................................................................................................................................................

Contents
Disclaimer ...................................................................................................................................... 7
Purpose of the handbook ............................................................................................................... 7
City University London and You ..................................................................................................... 8
Part 1 Programme-Specific Information.............................................................................................. 9
1.

2.

Welcome and Introductory Information ...................................................................................... 11

1.1

Introduction from the Programme Director ........................................................................ 11

1.2

Programme Staff .............................................................................................................. 12

1.3

Academic Year ................................................................................................................. 13

Information about the School of Health Sciences ...................................................................... 15

2.1

Welcome from the Dean of the School of Health Sciences ................................................ 15

2.2

Deanery ........................................................................................................................... 16

2.3

School Structure............................................................................................................... 16

2.4

Programme Management ................................................................................................. 17

2.5

Student Helpdesk ............................................................................................................. 17

2.6

Letter requests ................................................................................................................. 18

2.7

Change of personal details ............................................................................................... 18

2.8

ID cards ........................................................................................................................... 18

2.9

Sources of Information ..................................................................................................... 18

2.9.1

Moodle ......................................................................................................................... 19

2.9.2

Email ............................................................................................................................ 19

2.10
3.

4.

Reference Requests......................................................................................................... 19

Programme Overview ............................................................................................................... 21

3.1

Programme Specification.................................................................................................. 21

3.2

Credits ............................................................................................................................. 29

3.3

Student timetable for 2012-13........................................................................................... 29

3.4

Attendance and Participation ............................................................................................ 30

3.5

Conduct and Behaviour .................................................................................................... 30

Teaching, Learning and Assessment ........................................................................................ 31

4.1
4.1.1
4.2

Assessment and Feedback .............................................................................................. 31

Introduction .................................................................................................................. 31
Information about programme-specific assessment and feedback .................................... 31

4.2.1

General ........................................................................................................................ 31

4.2.2

Coursework-related ...................................................................................................... 31

4.2.3

Examination-related...................................................................................................... 34

4.2.4

Placement-related ........................................................................................................ 35

4.2.5

Dissertation/Project-related........................................................................................... 35

4.2.6

Breaking Confidentiality ................................................................................................ 40

4.2.7

Failure to Achieve a Pass Mark .................................................................................... 41

4.2.8

Marking and Moderation of Assessments...................................................................... 41

4.2.9

Results and Feedback .................................................................................................. 42

4.3

Module Specifications....................................................................................................... 43

4.4

Good Academic Practice and Referencing........................................................................ 44

4.4.1

Introduction .................................................................................................................. 44

4.4.2

Understanding Academic Misconduct, including plagiarism ........................................... 44

4.4.3

How to avoid Academic Misconduct, including plagiarism ............................................. 44

4.4.5

Citations ....................................................................................................................... 45

4.4.6

Correct and incorrect ways of referencing an example ............................................... 47

4.4.7

Consequences of poor academic practice or academic misconduct .............................. 48

4.5
4.5.1

Research Integrity ............................................................................................................ 48

Research Ethics ........................................................................................................... 48

4.6

Learning Resources ......................................................................................................... 49

4.7

School, Divisional and Programme Prizes ........................................................................ 53

Part 2

Supporting Guidance and General School Information...................................................... 55

Introduction to Part 2 of the Programme Handbook ...................................................................... 57

5.

Supporting Guidance ................................................................................................................ 59

5.1

Quick guide to tackling issues and events which may impact on your time at City ............. 59

5.2

Student copyright and intellectual property rights .............................................................. 59

5.3

Extenuating Circumstances .............................................................................................. 59

5.3.1

What are Extenuating Circumstances? ......................................................................... 59

5.3.2

Submitting your claim ................................................................................................... 60

5.3.3

What sort of evidence do I need?.................................................................................. 60

5.3.4

What happens if I miss the deadline?............................................................................ 61

5.3.5

Contact for further information ...................................................................................... 61

5.4

Academic Misconduct....................................................................................................... 62

5.4.1

General ........................................................................................................................ 62

5.4.2

Investigation of cases of suspected academic misconduct ............................................ 62

5.4.3

Turnitin ......................................................................................................................... 63

5.4.4

Local procedures .......................................................................................................... 63

5.4.5

Academic Misconduct Panels ....................................................................................... 64

5.4.6

University Disciplinary Panels ....................................................................................... 66

5.4.7

Academic Misconduct and Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (PSRBs) ..... 67

5.4.8

Definitions of Academic Misconduct .............................................................................. 67

5.5

Fitness to Practise ............................................................................................................ 68

5.5.1

Introduction .................................................................................................................. 68

5.5.2

Grounds for Referrals ................................................................................................... 68

5.5.3

Cause for Concern Process .......................................................................................... 68

5.5.4

Further Information ....................................................................................................... 69

5.6

Clerical check of marks .................................................................................................... 69

5.7

Transcripts, certificates and Diploma supplements ........................................................... 69

5.8

Student Appeals ............................................................................................................... 70

5.8.1
5.9

The process ................................................................................................................. 71

Student Complaints .......................................................................................................... 72

5.9.1

General ........................................................................................................................ 72

5.9.2

Consideration of complaints.......................................................................................... 72

5.9.3

People involved in the Complaints Regulations ............................................................. 73

5.10

5.10.1

General .................................................................................................................... 74

5.10.2

Consideration of cases of alleged misconduct ........................................................... 75

5.10.3

Local level ................................................................................................................ 75

5.10.4

University-level consideration ................................................................................... 75

5.10.5

People involved in the Disciplinary Regulations......................................................... 75

5.11
6.

Student Discipline............................................................................................................. 73

Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) ..................................... 76

Student Support........................................................................................................................ 77
6.1

Academic support............................................................................................................. 77

6.2

Student Contact with Teaching Staff Policy....................................................................... 77

6.2.1

Context ........................................................................................................................ 77

6.2.2

Meetings with Academic Staff ....................................................................................... 77

6.2.3

Responses to Student Queries ..................................................................................... 78

6.3

Personal Tutors ................................................................................................................ 79

6.3.1

What does a personal tutor do? .................................................................................... 79

6.3.2

Can I change my personal tutor? .................................................................................. 79

6.3.3

How does it work? ........................................................................................................ 79

6.3.4

What about confidentiality? ........................................................................................... 79

6.4

Central student support .................................................................................................... 79

6.4.1

The Learning Success Team ........................................................................................ 80

6.4.2

The Centre for Careers and Skills Development............................................................ 80

6.4.3

The Students Union ..................................................................................................... 80

6.5
Tier 4 Student Visa Responsibilities: important information for non-European Union
nationals in the UK on a Tier 4 student visa .................................................................................. 81
7.

Student Engagement ................................................................................................................ 83

7.1

8.

Student Feedback Questionnaires .................................................................................... 83

7.1.1

External Surveys .......................................................................................................... 83

7.1.2

Student Committees and Representation ...................................................................... 84

7.1.3

Keeping you informed................................................................................................... 85

Administration and Management............................................................................................... 87

8.1

Refreshment Facilities ...................................................................................................... 87

8.2

Students Union ................................................................................................................ 87

8.3

Health and Safety............................................................................................................. 87

8.3.1

Student Responsibility .................................................................................................. 87

8.3.2

Training ........................................................................................................................ 87

8.3.3

Safety inductions .......................................................................................................... 87

8.3.4

Fire .............................................................................................................................. 88

8.3.5

First Aid........................................................................................................................ 88

8.3.6

Electric Shocks............................................................................................................. 89

8.3.7

Spillages ...................................................................................................................... 89

8.3.8

Gas Leaks .................................................................................................................... 89

8.3.9

Laboratory Safety ......................................................................................................... 89

8.3.10

Long Hours ............................................................................................................... 89

8.3.11

Computers................................................................................................................ 89

8.3.12

Manual Handling and Lifting...................................................................................... 90

Appendix 1 Coursework Coversheet.......................................................................................... 91

Disclaimer
The information in this Handbook is correct at the time of going to press in August 2012. The
University reserves the right to make amendments to:
a) the contents of the Programme Handbook and in particular to the timetable, location and
methods of delivery or the content, syllabus and assessment of any of its programmes
as set out in the programme and module specifications in this Handbook and/or on the
University's website; and
b) its statutes, ordinances, regulations, policies, procedures and fee structures,
provided that such amendments are (i) as a result of student demand (or lack thereof), (ii) as
a result of unforeseen events or circumstances beyond the University's control or (iii) are
deemed reasonably necessary by the University.
In the event that amendments are made, the University shall take reasonable steps to notify
you as soon as is reasonably possible.

Purpose of the handbook

This Handbook is a companion to the Universitys Handbook Essentials: A student guide to
City University London, it provides an introduction to your programme and contains the key
information you need about:

organisational and administrative procedures;

planning your studies;
assessment;
teaching and learning;
extenuating circumstances; and
university regulations

We hope you find this handbook useful. It is revised every year to include new information
and to make it easier to use.
The Handbook is split into two parts:
Part 1:
Part 2:

Programme Specific Information

Supporting Guidance and General Information

If you have any comments you may wish to make on the handbook or suggestions for
improving the information provided, please forward your comments to Waheeda Dhansey
Quality and Planning Team Leader by email: w.dhansey@city.ac.uk

City University London and You

City University London is committed to providing you with an excellent educational
experience to help you realise your ambitions. Staff and students can work together to
achieve this aim and this document defines what you can expect from City, but also what
City expects from you.
You can find the full version of City University London and You at
https://uss.city.ac.uk/inau-vb/nc/sc/2008_09/238/sc238_item11part2.doc
City will treat you in a professional, courteous and helpful way.
It is our responsibility to:
-

deliver high quality, relevant courses

provide an environment which will help you to be successful
communicate effectively with you and listen to your views
respect the different needs of all our students and be fair, open and reasonable

You are an ambassador for the University and should behave with honesty and integrity.
It is your responsibility to:
-

behave in a professional and respectful way in your interactions with other students,
staff, visitors to the University and our neighbours
take your course seriously and seek advice and help if you have any problems
give us feedback on your experience at City
tell us if you have any specific learning needs or disabilities so that we can support
you

.......................................................................................................................................................

Part 1 Programme-Specific Information

.......................................................................................................................................................

10

1. Welcome and Introductory Information

1.1

Introduction from the Programme Director

I would like to extend a very warm welcome to the MSc in Clinical Optometry Handbook. Our
Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma and Masters Programme aim to produce practitioners who
can demonstrate the possession of new and up-dated scientific knowledge in the relevant
optometric field. As both an Optometrist and a postgraduate student, we look forward to
working with you. I do hope you enjoy the programme and your experience of studying with
us.
The Division of Optometry and Visual Science aim is to provide postgraduate education and
clinical/ professional training, which meet the requirements of the College of Optometrists
and the General Optical Council.
The Division has a thriving research community and has developed an international
reputation in fundamental vision research studies with both clinical and industrial
applications.
Members of academic staff are expected to participate in research both through their own
work and by the supervision of postgraduate students. The School furthermore aims to
provide the training and education needed to pursue successful and independent research
careers. The research is monitored by the Research and Ethical Committees of the
University. All studies conform to ARVO guidelines on research and to the ethical principles
for human research as detailed in the Declaration of Helsinki.
Our overall objective is to gain a greater understanding of fundamental vision mechanisms
and to translate this knowledge into useful clinical and industrial work. We trust that the
course as a whole will be informative, enjoyable and will extend your knowledge of, and skills
in Clinical Optometry.
Dr Michelle Hennelly
MSc Clinical Optometry Programme Director

11

1.2

Programme Staff

Your programme is housed within the Division of Optometry and Visual Sciences. The
Head of this Division is Professor Chris Hull.
Your Programme Director is Dr Michelle Hennelly. They are responsible for the
daytoday management and for quality management, enhancement and academic
standards of the programme.
Your key administrative contact for this programme is Ms Rita Kaur. Rita manages the
academic administration of your programme and will be the point of contact for any
questions you have about the administration of your assessments.
Each module is overseen by at least one Module Leader. They are responsible for the
setting and delivery of the module syllabus, setting and marking assessments, producing the
Assessment Guidelines, updating the module content on Moodle and for the overall learning
experience of students enrolled on the module
More information about the roles of key staff can be found below in section 2.5 Programme
Management.
Contact details for key members of staff for your programme are listed below1.
Academic staff
Dr
Byki
Huntjens

Module
Leader
Diabetes
OVM005

Room
number

Extension

C265

8333
Extension

Prof
David
Crabb/Prof
David Edgar

Module
Leader

Glaucoma
OVM006

Room
Number

Prof
Douglas

Module
Leader

Vision in the
Aged
OVM012
Module
Leader

Visual
Impairment
OVM013

Room
Number

Module
Leader
Research
project
OVM015
Module
Leader
Refractive
surgery
OVM022

Room
number

C268

Room
Number

C275

Ron

Dr
Ahalya
Subramanian

Prof
Ron
Douglas/Dr
Michelle
L
Hennelly
Prof
Hull

Chris

C274

Byki.Huntjens.1@city.ac.uk

David.Crabb.1@city.ac.uk/D.F.Edgar@city.ac.uk

0191
Extension

R.H.Douglas@city.ac.uk

8334
C268
Room
Number

Extension

Ahalya.Subramanian.1@city.ac.uk

4326
C263

Extension

R.H.Douglas@city.ac.uk/M.Hennelly@city.ac.uk

8334/8352

Extension

C.C.Hull@city.ac.uk

4317

Each member of staff has their own direct line which is their extension number preceded by 020 7040 e.g.
extension 5753 becomes direct line 020 7040 5753. It is much quicker to contact staff by calling their direct line.
If they are not there you can leave a message on their voicemail, and they will return your call as soon as
possible.

12

Prof
Ron
Douglas/Dr
Michelle
L
Hennelly
Ms
Judith
Morris

Dr
Miriam
Conway

Ms
Lynne
Weddell/Dr
Miriam
Conway
Prof
John
Lawrenson/Dr
Michelle
L
Hennelly
Prof
John
Lawrenson/Dr
Michelle
L
Hennelly
Prof
John
Lawrenson/Dr
Michelle
L
Hennelly

Module
Leader

Research
project

OVM015
Module
Leader

Contact Lens
Practice

OVM032
Module
LeaderBinocular
Vision

OVM033
Module
Leader

Paediatric
Optometry
OVM034
Module
Leader

Principles of
Therapeutics
OVM050
Module
Leader

Principles of
Prescribing
OVM051
Module
Leader

Independent
Prescribing
OVM053

Room
number

Programmes
Officer

Room
Number

Extension

R.H.Douglas@city.ac.uk/M.Hennelly@city.ac.uk

8334
C268
Room
number
C259
Room
number
C264
Room
number
C266
Room
number
C260
Room
number
C260
Room
number
C260

Extension

J.A.Morris@city.ac.uk

4327
Extension

8392
Extension

L.A.Weddell@city.ac.uk

8345
Extension

J.G.Lawrenson@city.ac.uk/M.Hennelly@city.ac.uk

4310/8352
Extension

J.G.Lawrenson@city.ac.uk/M.Hennelly@city.ac.uk

4310/8352
Extension

J.G.Lawrenson@city.ac.uk/M.Hennelly@city.ac.uk

4310/8352

Support staff
Ms Rita Kaur

Extension

Rita.Kaur.1@city.ac.uk

3934

1.3

Academic Year

An application to take a module can be made at any time throughout the academic year.
Please refer to the MSc website for information on forthcoming module and examination dates.
http://www.city.ac.uk/health/about-the-school/academic-departments/optometry-and-visual-science
You need to click on the CPD button on the right hand side of the web page to access
the list of modules. Details of individual modules can then be accessed.
Please also see below:
Modules

Dates in the academic year 2012/13

Principles of Prescribing
Vision in the Aged
Diabetic Eye Disease

(City & Guilds Certificate in

Diabetic Retinopathy Unit 302)

13

5th 7th November 2012

th/
th
th
Examination: 18 19 December 2012 and 10
th
/11 April 2013
25th - 26th February 2013
th
Examination: 10 April 2013
th
th
15 16 April 2013
th
Examination: 12 June 2013

Research Methods and Medical Statistics

Visual Impairment
Independent Prescribing
Glaucoma

(College

of

Optometrists

th

th

th

th

18 19 April 2013

Professional

Certificate)

27 28 May 2013
th
Examination:10 July 2013
th
th
17 18 June 2013
Examination: 31st July 2013
1st 3rd July 2013
Examination: 4th September 2013

Graduation ceremonies are held several times each year. The exact dates will be confirmed during
the year, please check www.city.ac.uk/graduation for updates.

14

2.

Information about the School of Health Sciences

2.1

Welcome from the Dean of the School of Health Sciences

Welcome to City University London and to the School of Health Sciences. Our School
focuses on teaching, research and professional practice in the areas of:

Nursing
Midwifery
Language and communication science
Radiography
Optometry
Health service research and delivery
Management and policy
Health policy
Hospital and community health
Professional and inter-professional practice.

The School of Health Sciences supports City University Londons Vision for 2016 of being a
leading global University committed to academic excellence and has the following aims:

To deliver top quality, multi-professional and discipline-specific education that is upto-date and appropriate to the healthcare demands of the 21st Century and meets
local and national healthcare needs
To develop students who are able to critically evaluate evidence to inform best
practice
To promote leadership in the healthcare sector through our undergraduate and
postgraduate courses
To conduct high quality applied research to positively influence the sector and
improve the way healthcare is delivered
To influence national and local health policy and practice
To develop educational programmes and recruitment strategies that attract excellent
students.

We look forward to working with you and supporting your academic and professional
development and are sure that you will have many interesting and exciting learning
opportunities at City University London.
Professor Stanton Newman
Dean
School of Health Sciences

15

2.2

Deanery

The Dean of the School, Professor Stanton Newman, has overall responsibility for the
management of the School of Health Sciences. He is assisted by a team of Associate
Deans. Their details can be found below:
Dean of School of Health Sciences
Dean

Professor Stanton Newman

0207 040 5829

Stanton.Newman.1@city.ac.uk

Associate Deans
Education Quality and Student Experience

Roberta Williams

020 7040 8295

Roberta.Williams.1@city.ac.uk

Education Innovation and Technology

Julie Attenborough

020 7040 5313

j.a.attenborough@city.ac..uk

Dean, Director of Undergraduate Studies

Dr Martin Steggall

020 7040 5420

m.j.steggall@city.ac.uk

Dr Victoria Joffe

020 7040 4629

V.Joffe@city.ac.uk

Professor Carol Cox

020 7040 5812

c.l.cox@city.ac.uk

Associate Dean,
Studies
Associate Dean
Enterprise

2.3

Taught
for

Postgraduate

Research

and

School Structure

The School of Health Sciences is organised into six divisions:

Applied Biological, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Sciences

Adult Years
Early Years
Health Services Research and Management
Language and Communication Science
Optometry and Visual Sciences

Each Division is managed by a Divisional Lead; you can find their details below:
Divisional Leads
Applied Biological, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Sciences

Peter Bentley

020 7040 5732

p.a.bentley@city.ac.uk

Adult Years

Dr Cheryl Holman

020 7040 5938

c.j.holman@city.ac.uk

Early Years

Marie Hill

020 7040 5803

M.Hill-1@city.ac.uk

Health Services Research and Management

Dr Lisa Reynolds

020 7040 5892

l.reynolds@city.ac.uk

Language and Communication Sciences

Prof Jane Marshall

020 7040 4668

J.Marshall@city.ac.uk

Optometry and Visual Sciences

Professor Chris Hull

020 7040 4317

C.C.Hull@city,ac,uk

16

2.4

Programme Management

Programme Managers Each programme is overseen by a Programme Manager or Director.

and Directors:
They are responsible to the Head of Division and the School Board of
Studies for the daytoday management and for quality management,
enhancement and academic standards of their programme.
Programme Managers and Directors are responsible for the
administration and organisation of the constituent Divisions, subject to
consultative processes involving both staff and students.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of the Programme, you can bring this
to the attention of the Programme Manager/Director or to your
StudentStaff Liaison Committee or your student representatives on
School Committees. (Information about your student representatives is
available from your Programme Officer).
The name of your Programme Manager/ Director can be found in part
1 of this handbook.
Module Leader:

Each module is overseen by at least one Module Leader who is

responsible to the Programme Manager. The Module Leader is
responsible for the setting and delivery of the module syllabus, setting
and marking assessments, producing the Assessment Guidelines,
updating the module content on Moodle and for the overall learning
experience of students enrolled on the module.

Programme Officers:

The Programme Officer or Senior Programme Officer manages the

academic administration of your programme. They will be the point of
contact for any questions you have about the administration of your
assessments. You can find their contact details in part 1 of this
handbook.

2.5

Student Helpdesk

The phone number for the helpdesk is 020 7040 5000.

The School has two Student Helpdesks, one in Northampton Square and one in West
Smithfield

West Smithfield 1st Floor, 20 Bartholomew Close, London, EC1A 7QN; open at
8.30 5.30pm every weekday
Northampton Square 1 Myddelton Street, London, EC1R 1UW; open 8.30
5.00pm every weekday.

17

The Student Helpdesk should be your first point of contact for a wide variety of issues
relating to your programme of study including change of personal details, timetabling issues
and collection of coursework. If you have any questions or problems you should go to the
Student Helpdesk in the first instance.

2.6

Letter requests

The Student Helpdesks can provide the following letters:

Council Tax exemption

Visa letters
Official transcripts

Please speak to a member of staff on one of the helpdesks if you require a letter.

2.7

Change of personal details

It is your responsibility to ensure that the University holds correct and up to date information
for you. If you change your contact details or your name, please email your programme
officer and include your full name and student number. If you are requesting a change of
name then you should submit documentary evidence such as a marriage certificate, divorce
decree absolute, change of name deed or statutory declaration.

2.8

ID cards

The majority of ID cards are issued during the student registration process at the beginning
of the year. Subsequent replacement or reissue of cards is conducted in the Student
Centre, where the following can be obtained:

Replacement cards which have been lost/stolen/broken.

ID cards for students who register late on their course.
Replacement cards for students who are granted an extension to study by their
School.

There is a charge of 10.00 to replace lost ID cards, which is payable to the Student Centre.
If your ID card has been stolen, a replacement will be provided free of charge on production
of a Police crime reference number.

2.9

Sources of Information

It is your responsibility to keep yourself informed about changes in teaching arrangements,

study requirements, examinations and so on. This handbook contains much of the
information you need, so please refer to it continuously. We do however expect all our
students to keep up to date with regulations, policies and procedures and frequent updates
will be posted on the University website and Moodle

18

2.9.1 Moodle
Moodle is the Universitys Virtual Learning Environment. It enables staff to provide students
with access to online course materials, resources, interactive activities, and assessment and
communication tools.
Moodle is accessed online from any computer with internet access and a City University
login. Each user has a differently tailored view of Moodle depending on which subjects they
study or teach and what their particular needs are. Moodle is designed to help educators
create online courses with a focus on interaction and collaborative construction of content.
Moodle is accessible from the following link: http://moodle.city.ac.uk/

2.9.2 Email
Email and internet are essential means of communicating with staff and students and you
will automatically be given an email address as soon as you have registered. Do check your
email regularly and empty your mail box.
You should read the Universitys Acceptable Use of Email Policy (AUP) for guidelines on
using the University email system. It is available at the following web link:
https://intranet.city.ac.uk/students/info_compliance/info_compliance/info_security/email_aup.
html

2.10 Reference Requests

Students often ask personal tutors or other academic staff to act as referees when they
apply to other courses or for jobs. Please observe the following points if you wish to do so:
References which merely attest to your dates of registration, degrees completed; lack of
debts; courses taken and marks obtained should be requested from the Student
Helpdesk, not from academic staff.
Academic references concerning your potential for further study or suitability for a
particular job are best written by staff members who have taught you firsthand and can
comment directly on your classroom behaviour, level of interest and diligence. If you
have not taken any modules from your tutor you should consider first asking staff
members who have taught you for these type of references.
Please check with your academic referees that they are willing to provide a reference for
you before nominating them.
Please supply your academic referee with an uptodate Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a
record of modules taken and marks achieved.
Please let your referee know if you withdraw your application or are rejected before a
reference is written.
Your academic referee will endeavour to write a reference and send it out as quickly as
possible. However, referees are sometimes asked to send a reference within a day or
two of receiving the written request and cannot always oblige due to other work
commitments. Furthermore, requests for references that arrive during vacation periods or
when your tutor is away will almost inevitably be delayed prospective employers should
be informed of this.
Finally, please let your referees know if you get the job or an offer of a place on a course.

19

20

3. Programme Overview
3.1

Programme Specification

KEY FACTS
Programme name
Award
School
Department or equivalent
Programme code
Type of study
Total UK credits
Total ECTS

Clinical Optometry
MSc
School of Health Sciences
Division of Optometry and Visual Science
PSCOPM
Part Time
180
90

PROGRAMME SUMMARY
The key purpose of the MSc in Clinical Optometry programme is to provide optometrists
with up-to-date research-based and theoretical knowledge of a wide range of fields,
particularly in primary care optometry. Emphasis is placed on 'shared-care' or 'comanagement' of patients with other medical disciplines and the expansion of the
optometrist's role in ocular therapeutics. The programme integrates clinical and theoretical
knowledge, making extensive use of expert practitioners.
The programme enables
optometrists to continue development and accumulation of knowledge and expertise
relating to ocular health care and vision science during their professional careers
The programme will provide you with an opportunity to enhance your career prospects in
this field through gaining both an academic qualification and a professional qualification with
either the General Optical Council or the College of Optometrists (where appropriate).
The programme provides a range of modules which include 15 and 60 credit modules at
Masters level. The programme provides you with a choice of exit routes but modules can
also be taken as stand-alone courses.
The following modules are 15 PG credits:
Anterior Segment Eye Disease OVM031
Binocular Vision OVM033
Contact Lens Practice OVM032
Diabetic Eye Disease OVM005
Glaucoma OVM006
Posterior Segment Eye disease OVM035
Principles of Therapeutics (via Moodle) OVM050
Principles of Prescribing OVM051
Independent Prescribing OVM053
Refractive Surgery OVM022
Visual Impairment OVM013
Vision in the Aged OVM012
These modules are offered on a cyclical basis (6-7 per year) and use a blended learning
approach which combines face-to face teaching with e-learning. Modules consist of two
taught days at the university, coupled with videos and web lectures delivered through
Moodle, the Universitys Virtual Learning Environment.

21

A three-hour examination is normally held some 8-10 weeks after the module. Distance
learning modules may be applied for at any time and students should spend at least 8 hours
per week over 17 weeks studying the material.
The following modules are worth 60 PG credits:
Dissertation OVM030
Research Project OVM015
Successful completion of 60 credits within three years leads to the award of PG Certificate
and 120 credits within six years leads to the PG Diploma. Therefore, you may exit the
programme with either one or more Certificate(s) of credit (15 credits), and either a PG
Certificate (60 credits), a PG Diploma (120 credits), or an MSc within 7 years (180 credits
plus attendance of the short course Research Methods and Medical Statistics).
You are required to pass at least two certificate modules before applying for the MSc. Only
following successful completion of at least four modules, and Research and Ethical
Committee approval of the project protocol, will MSc registration be allowed. Following MSc
registration, the research project or dissertation must be submitted within one year.

Aims
The overall educational aim of the MSc is to provide postgraduate education which:Is underpinned by clinical practice and research
Integrates the development of scientific/theoretical knowledge and clinical skills
Enables you to contribute to the development of your profession
Uses a variety of teaching and clinically appropriate assessment methods
Is enjoyable and intellectually challenging
Provides a supportive environment and uses appropriate learning resources
Further develops your analytical, critical and problem-solving faculties and your ability to
produce original work: and to foster your personal development
Develops reflective practitioners
Enables you to practice safely by affirming:
- an appropriate level of competence
- a level of self-awareness that encourages recognition of your own limits
- the knowledge to meet likely future developments in optometric practice

WHAT WILL I BE EXPECTED TO ACHIEVE?

On successful completion of this programme, you will be expected to be able to:
Knowledge and understanding:

Provide enhanced clinical care to your patients

Demonstrate in-depth and systematic understanding of ocular and systemic disease

affecting the eye

Evaluate and critically appraise new and up-dated research-based knowledge in the
relevant optometric field

Enlarge your knowledge and experience of new diagnostic and therapeutic procedures

22

and equipment

Manage patients effectively with an awareness of ethical dilemmas

Skills:

Justify appropriate clinical decision making and evaluate and assess the undertaking of
appropriate clinical examinations

Synthesise information from a number of complex, incomplete or contradictory sources

in order to gain knowledge and understanding

Apply the independent skills required for academic study and enquiry

Interpret and critically review research and methodologies and argue alternative
approaches

Act appropriately given certain clinical data, implementing guidelines and deciding on
the most appropriate patient management strategy

Demonstrate the independent learning ability required for continuing professional study

Self evaluate in order to improve practice

Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of optometric topics and be critically aware of

research and theoretical issues surrounding clinical practice

Analyse with critical professional awareness in order to solve clinical issues

Exercise initiative and personal responsibility in professional practice, making use of

other professional disciplines where necessary

Competently undertake research tasks with minimum guidance

Communicate effectively with individuals, academics and
professionals

Develop new clinical skills and procedures

other

healthcare

Values and attitudes:

Use appropriate interpersonal and communication skills

Show an appropriate professional attitude towards patients and colleagues

Show an awareness of ethical practice

This programme has been developed in accordance with the QAA Subject Benchmark for
generic masters level programmes.

23

HOW WILL I LEARN?

Postgraduate taught and distance learning modules offered by the Division are designed to
satisfy the rapidly changing academic, clinical and professional development needs of
practising optometrists, complementing the demands of your clinical practice. Teaching and
assessment methods are tailored to the learning objectives of each module component.
The range of teaching methods is wide and includes lectures (face-to-face and on-line),
tutorials, advanced clinical training, clinical demonstrations, videos and discussion of clinical
scenarios. . Lectures are used to communicate core material and as a foundation for further
reading. Practical classes and clinical skills laboratories provide opportunities to develop
practical skills and to give demonstrations of techniques covered in lectures. Many lectures
are delivered by external specialists, giving access to current issues, research and methods
in the field. Module notes are provided, however, students are expected to take notes and
undertake thorough background reading. Reading lists are provided for this purpose
Distance-learning modules use web-based learning packages (i.e. Moodle) with academic
support via email/. Learning exercises are included at the end of each distance learning
chapter.
Six/seven modules run each year utilising a blended learning approach which combines
face-to face teaching with e-learning. All clinical modules are eligible for Continuing
Education and Training (CET) points approved by the General Optical Council.
There is a significant amount of independent study within each module and this time is for
you to read literature related to the modules you are studying and to reflect on your clinical
practice.
A three-hour examination is normally held some 8-10 weeks after the module. You have
two opportunities to sit the assessment. Distance learning modules may be applied for at
any time and students should spend at least 8 hours per week over 17 weeks studying the
material.
Any support required during the programme should be directed to the Programme Director.
A supervisor is allocated once a dissertation/project has been chosen. You will be allocated
a Personal Tutor.
The programme is undertaken part-time so that you can undertake some facilitation of
learning and teaching during the programme to support your growth on the programme. It
also enables students to continue with full-time work.

WHAT TYPES OF ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK CAN I EXPECT?

Methods of assessment vary between modules, to reflect their differences in structure and
content. The modular examinations may include any combination of the following:-

A multiple choice question (MCQ) paper (which will normally include questions from
each lecturer on the module)
A clinical station examination (which involves candidates rotating around a series of
patients)
Visual recognition and interpretation of clinical signs tests (VRICS) (involving
analysis of a series of slides/photographs)
Patient management case scenarios (a photograph and/or case history documenting

24

observations following the presentation of a patient)

An objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) examination

Most modules have more than one assessment component and the weighting for each
assessment component is outlined clearly within the module specification.
With reference to the MSc project/dissertation, activities which contribute to the teaching
and learning process include: attendance at the Research and Medical Statistics course,
submission of a research proposal, sending interim drafts to tutors for informal feedback,
correspondence with the tutor through meetings, email or through mail and a verbal
presentation.
A range of University support services will be available to you, such as Students Union,
Counselling Services etc. and the Postgraduate Programme Director and the Personal
Tutor may guide students to these services.
Assessment and Assessment Criteria
Assessment Criteria and Grade-Related Criteria will be made available to you to support
you in completing assessments. These may be provided in programme handbooks, module
specifications, on the virtual learning environment or attached to a specific assessment task.
Assessment Criteria are descriptions, based on the intended learning outcomes, of the
skills, knowledge or attitudes that you need to demonstrate in order to complete an
assessment successfully, providing a mechanism by which the quality of an assessment
can be measured. Grade- Related Criteria are descriptions of the level of skills, knowledge
or attributes that you need to demonstrate in order achieve a certain grade or mark in an
assessment, providing a mechanism by which the quality of an assessment can be
measured and placed within the overall set of marks.
Feedback on assessment
Feedback is usually provided in a verbal or written format for each module.
Feedback will be provided in line with our Assessment and Feedback Policy. In particular,
you will normally be provided with feedback within three weeks of the submission deadline
or assessment date. This would normally include a provisional grade or mark. For end of
module examinations or an equivalent significant task (e.g. an end of module project),
feedback will normally be provided within four weeks. The timescale for feedback on final
year projects or dissertations may be longer.
The full policy can be found at:
https://www.city.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/68921/assessment_and_feedback_polic
y.pdf .
Dissertation feedback is given following the Assessment Board meeting.
Assessment Regulations
In order to pass your Programme, you should complete successfully or be exempted from
the relevant modules and assessments and will therefore acquire the required number of
credits.
Each module of this programme is weighted in relation to the module credit for the purpose
of providing your final classification.
The Pass mark for each module is 50%. Where more than one assessment component is

25

required to pass and how this contributes to your final module mark is outlined in the
module specification.
If you fail an assessment component or a module you will normally be offered one resit
attempt. However, if you did not participate in the first/second assessment and have no
extenuating circumstances, you may not be offered a resit.
If you are successful in the resit, you shall be awarded the credit for that module. The mark
used for the purpose of calculation towards your Award shall be calculated from the original
marks for the component(s) that you passed at first attempt and the minimum pass mark for
the component(s) for which you took a resit.
If you do not satisfy your resit by the date specified you will not progress and the
Assessment Board shall require that you withdraw from the Programme.
If you fail to meet the requirements for the Programme, but satisfy the requirements for a
lower-level Award, then a lower qualification may be awarded as per the table below. If you
fail to meet the requirements for the Programme and are not eligible for the award of a lower
level qualification, the Assessment Board shall require that you withdraw from the
Programme.
If you would like to know more about the way in which assessment works at City, please
see
the
full
version
of
the
Assessment
Regulations
at:
http://www.city.ac.uk/__data/assets/word_doc/0003/69249/s19.doc
WHAT AWARD CAN I GET?
Masters Degree:
Part
Taught
Dissertation

HE
Level
7
7

Credits
120
60

Weighting
(%)
67%
33%

Class

% required

With Distinction
With Merit
With Pass

70
60
50

Postgraduate Diploma:
Part
Taught

HE
Level
7

Credits
120

Weighting
(%)
100

Class

% required

With Distinction
With Merit
With Pass

70
60
50

Postgraduate Certificate:
Part
Taught

HE
Level
7

Credits
60

Weighting
(%)
100

26

Class

% required

With Distinction
With Merit
With Pass

70
60
50

WHAT WILL I STUDY?

Taught component
Programme Structure summary
The MSc in Clinical Optometry is a Masters programme (of 180 credits). In order to gain the
award of MSc in Clinical Optometry, students must complete 8 MSc modules (15 PG credits
each) totalling 120 PG credits and a research project or dissertation (60 credits). All taught
MSc
modules
are
elective.
There are exit points leading to the award of a Certificate of credit (15 PG credits), Post
Graduate Certificate (60 PG credits) and Post Graduate Diploma (120 PG credits).
You will be advised to undertake the Research Methods and Medical Statistics module
OVS001 if you plan to proceed to the research project/dissertation module.
Module Title

SITS
Code
Segment OVM031

Module
Credits
15

Anterior
Eye Disease
Binocular Vision
OVM033
15
Contact
Lens OVM032
15
Practice
Diabetic Eye Disease OVM005
15
Glaucoma
OVM006
15
Posterior
Segment OVM035
15
Eye Disease
Principles
of OVM050
15
Therapeutics
(via
Moodle)
Principles
of OVM051
15
Prescribing
Independent
OVM053
15
Prescribing
Refractive Surgery
OVM022
15
Visual Impairment
OVM013
15
Vision in the Aged
OVM012
15
Research Project/Dissertation component

Core/
Elective
Elective

Compensation
Yes/No
No

Level

Elective
Elective

No
No

7
7

Elective
Elective
Elective

No
No
No

7
7
7

Elective

No

Elective

No

Elective

No

Elective
Elective
Elective

No
No
No

7
7
7

You are required to complete either the research project or the dissertation module to
complete the MSc.
Module Title
SITS Code Module
Core/
Compensation
Level
Credits
Elective
Yes/No
Research Project
OVM015
60
Elective
No
7
Dissertation
OVM030
60
Elective
No
7
TO WHAT KIND OF CAREER MIGHT I GO ON?

This programme is aimed at optometrists who work in community or hospital optometric

practice. The programme will provide you with an opportunity to enhance your career
prospects in the field of clinical optometry through gaining both an academic qualification
and a professional qualification with either the General Optical Council or the College of
Optometrists (where appropriate).

27

If you would like more information on the Careers support available at City, please go to:
http://www.city.ac.uk/careers/for-students-and-recent-graduates.
WHAT STUDY ABROAD OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE?
- N/A
WHAT PLACEMENT OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE?
- N/A
WILL I GET ANY PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION?
1. The General Optical Council
The General Optical Council accredits the following modules which make up the prescribing
programme:
- Principles of Therapeutics
- Principles of Prescribing (exit for Additional Supply)
- Independent Prescribing
Students completing the final examination must be qualified for at least two years.
Following successful completion of the theoretical component of the prescribing
programme, trainees are eligible to undertake a 5 day (Additional Supply) or a 12 day
(Independent Prescribing) clinical placement. The Learning in Practice Component of the
training is examined by the College of Optometrists during the Common Final Assessment
(CFA) for specialist qualifications in therapeutics (Additional Supply/Independent
Prescribing).
Completing all parts of the prescribing programme including the College of Optometrists
Final Assessment enables you to be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Therapeutic
Prescribing.
Further information can be found at: http://www.college-optometrists.org/
1. The College of Optometrists
The glaucoma module is accredited by the College of Optometrists as providing The
Professional Certificate in Glaucoma.
Further information can be found at: http://www.college-optometrists.org/
2. City and Guilds
The Diabetic eye disease module is accredited by City and Guilds Unit 302.
Further information can be found at http://www.city.ac.uk/optometry

HOW DO I ENTER THE PROGRAMME?

The MSc is a flexible, taught postgraduate modular programme based on an intensive
three-day modular programme design, thus allowing maximum flexibility in terms of entry
and exit to the programme. Candidates are usually UK-registered optometrists who must
satisfy all legal requirements to be eligible to practise as optometrists in the UK, and should
be registered with the General Optical Council. Overseas candidates will be accepted on
an ad hoc basis providing the individual's undergraduate syllabus and clinical
responsibilities are similar to those of a UK Optometrist.

28

Assessment of Prior Learning and Prior Experiential Learning (APL and APEL)
Students may be able to use APL/APEL to transfer PG credits gained at other Institutions
onto the MSc programme. A maximum of 25% of 180 PG credits only may be transferred
and transfer is subject to approval from the APL and APEL committee.

3.2

Credits

Credit is gained for the successful completion of the specified learning outcomes of a
module of study (which are listed in the what will I be expected to achieve? sections in this
handbook and in your module specifications). Normally, ten notional study hours are
associated with one credit. Those notional study hours incorporate all the time you have
dedicated to the achievement of the specified learning outcomes, including contact time,
private study time and time spent preparing for and undertaking assessments.
The MSc Clinical Optometry contains 180 credits. This means that you should be completing
around 1800 hours of study over the course of the programme.
In addition to the UKs system of credit, there is also a European system of credit called the
European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). This works on similar
principles of notional learning hours and learning outcomes. The number of notional
learning hours spent achieving one ECTS is equal to the number of notional learning hours
spent achieving two UK credits.
The MSc Clinical Optometry contains 90 ECTS credits.

3.3

Student timetable for 2012-13

You
can
find
the
timetable
for
2012/13
using
the
following
link:
http://www.city.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/116433/Copy-of-Mailshot-september2012.pdf
The University is committed to acting in accordance with its Equal Opportunities and Equality
and Diversity Policies. It is intended that all students should receive equal treatment
irrespective of political belief, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, race,
nationality, ethnic origin, religion or social background.
Requests for a teaching timetable change in order to accommodate religious observance will
be considered sympathetically and, where possible, will be accommodated. However, this
may not prove possible. If you wish to request a change for this reason you should contact
the Programme Director in the first instance.

29

3.4

Attendance and Participation

City and You states the following:

3.5

You must maintain a professional attitude in relation to your attendance, preparation

and conduct in respect of all aspects of your education and training.
You should participate actively in your educational experience at the University,
which involves substantial engagement in classes, assessments and any other
learning activities.
You are encouraged to participate fully in all learning activities on your programme,
as many of these will assist you in developing patterns of work for when you enter
the world of employment and professional practice.
You should place the highest priority on your academic and professional work and to
take responsibility for evaluating your progress: attending assessments as required;
consulting your tutors if you are having difficulties, and taking proper account of
tutorial or pastoral advice.

Conduct and Behaviour

City and You states the following:

You should conduct yourself in a professional way at all times and to follow reasonable
instructions from University staff. This includes, for example: turning off telephones in
lectures or tutorials; notifying your tutor(s) as soon as possible of reasons for any
absences or mitigating circumstances and taking responsibility for catching up on any
work or tasks unavoidably missed.
You should treat fellow students, staff and visitors to the institution with respect and as
equal and valued members of the University community, recognising the diversity and
range of views and backgrounds it contains.
You should communicate courteously and professionally at all times. This includes, for
example: in email, online debates and discussion forums, with other students, staff,
employees of the university and external people (such as, employers).
You should ensure that you understand the definition of and scrupulously avoid
plagiarism. Honesty and integrity are vital to good academic and professional practice.
You are jointly responsible for the reputation of City University London and as such
should act as an ambassador for your University at all times, both on campus and in any
public forum.

Professional conduct also involves behaving well in shared spaces, for example the Library
and computer rooms. These spaces will have Codes of Conduct that should be followed.

30

4. Teaching, Learning and Assessment

4.1

Assessment and Feedback

4.1.1 Introduction
The University places a lot of importance on high quality assessment and feedback. These
are integral to the provision of high quality learning and teaching and successful student
achievement. Assessment and feedback are managed in accordance with the Assessment
Regulations and Assessment and Feedback Policy (see the Academic Policies and
Regulations website: (http://www.city.ac.uk/about/education/adu/academic-policies-andregulation/assessment/assessment-and-feedback).
We hope that assessment and feedback support your ongoing learning and development
and enable you to achieve your programme or module learning outcomes.
You will normally be provided with feedback within three weeks of the submission deadline
or assessment date. This will include a provisional grade or mark. For end of module
examinations or an equivalent significant task (e.g. an end of module project) feedback will
normally be provided within four weeks; again, this will include a provisional grade or mark.
Feed-forward may also be used. This comprises information which is similar to feedback but
is provided in advance of an assessment task to support student learning and development
prior to completion of the assessment. Feed-forward is considered to be an important
mechanism for supporting student learning.

4.2

Information about programme-specific assessment and feedback

4.2.1 General
Your Programme and Module Specifications include information on the types of assessment
you will complete and the feedback you will be given in your programme. They also include
information on resit opportunities.
Detailed information about assessments for each module can be found in your modules
Assessment Guidelines; these are available from Moodle or from the module leader.

4.2.2 Coursework-related
The following is an extract from the Assessment Guidelines for your programme. Please
ensure you read these carefully and adhere to them when submitting coursework to avoid
sanctions being applied to your marks.
Hardcopy Submission
When submitting coursework, you must include the following2:
1. Coversheet: You must complete this sheet and attach it as the FRONT PAGE of
your submission. A sanction of five marks will be applied if you do not submit the
2

The documents referred to in the following section are available either as an appendix at the end of this
handbook or at the end of your Assessment Guidelines which you will find on Moodle.

31

coversheet with your assignment. You will be provided with the receipt on
submission.
Dyslexia/Disability: Students who have particular needs in relation to Disability or
Dyslexia, and have agreed special arrangements with the Disability Services Staff
and Dyslexia Support Unit, are encouraged to fix their yellow sticker on the Cover
Sheet so that their needs can be taken into account.
2. Coursework Declaration Sheet: You are also required to submit a Coursework
Declaration Sheet with every piece of coursework you submit. You need to read the
section on good academic practice
http://www.city.ac.uk/about/education/ldc/studywell before reading and signing the
declaration sheet. A sanction of five marks will be applied if you do not submit the
coursework declaration sheet with your assignment.
The programme officer will remove the Coursework Declaration Sheet that contains
your name prior to passing your work on to the marker.
3. Feedback and Result Form: This is the feedback which will be returned to you after
marking. Your module leader will inform you about whether you need to attach this
to your submission. The form itself is designed to provide you with feedback in
relation to the assessment criteria that have been set for this work.
4. Your Coursework: Your module leader or lecturer will inform you of what you need
to do to complete your assessments through Moodle. You should expect:

The assessment specification and pass mark:

This will give you the title of your coursework and will describe what is
required of you precisely and explicitly, including the work count if this is
required. It will also give supplementary guidance on any additional
administrative information, e.g. if a presentation is involved or a poster is
required.

The assessment criteria:

These are descriptions based on the modules learning outcomes, of the
skills, knowledge or attributes you need to demonstrate in order to complete
an assessment successfully.

The grade related criteria:

These are descriptions of the skills, knowledge or attributes you need to
demonstrate to achieve a certain grade or mark in a assessment.

Resubmissions follow the same process

Where to Submit Your Assessment
Electronic Submission
The content for electronic submission will be similar to that for hard copy but will differ in
terms of process. If you are submitting coursework/assignment electronically you should use

32

a drop box in the relevant module in Moodle. Your module leader will advise you if your
assessment is being submitted via Moodle. The drop box will open one month prior to the
advertised submission date and will close at 23:55 on the final submission date (you will be
informed of the time). You will receive a time and date stamped email to your City University
email account when you submit. If you submit after the deadline your work will be marked
according to the late sanctions and you receive an e-mail indicating that your work has been
received late. When submitting electronically you must follow the instructions in Moodle and
submit the cover sheet. You should type your name into the signature space on the course
declaration sheet. Full instructions for submitting your assessment are available here:
http://moodle.city.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=329379
Unless otherwise stated your coursework/assignment must be uploaded in Word format.
Please save your assignment with a file name in the following format:
Firstname_Lastname_Module Code e.g. Alice_Springs_AB001.
If you have particular needs in relation to a disability such as dyslexia please indicate this
where prompted on the coversheet.
Presentational Aspects
Information regarding the presentation of coursework will be supplied by the module leader if
relevant.
Referencing
For details of how to correctly reference work, please refer to Learning Support module on
Moodle http://moodle.city.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=1610#section-14
Study Support
If you think that study skills may help you, please contact the Schools Study Skills
Coordinator and the Academic Learning Support team for an appointment to discuss this on
0207 040 0246 or email academiclearningsupport@city.ac.uk.
Disability and Dyslexia Support
If you would like to find out more how Learning Success at the Student Centre can help you
can find more information at https://intranet.city.ac.uk/students/disability/index.html, phone
0207 040 0246 or email dyslexia@city.ac.uk or disability@city.ac.uk.
Sanctions
Sanctions for Late Submission
Deadlines for submitting your coursework/assignment will be provided by your module
leader. You are reminded that it is your responsibility to ensure you are aware of all
coursework deadlines, examination and other test dates.
Five marks will be deducted per day (for up to four days) for late submission of
coursework/assignment without prior arrangement. If the sanction takes the final mark below
a pass, this will be capped at the pass mark. Weekends will be counted as one day e.g. work
which should have been submitted at 2pm on a Friday but is submitted before 2pm on

33

Monday will receive a sanction of five marks. Work which is not submitted by the fifth day is
recorded as a non submission and will receive a mark of 0%.
Sanctions for Exceeding, Not Declaring or Declaring a False Word Count
Individual coursework/assignments have their designated word limit stated in the module
assessment guidelines. Word limits do not include the list of references at the end or the
appendices.
If the sanction for not declaring an accurate word count takes the final mark below a pass,
this will also be capped at the minimum pass mark.
Exceeding the word limit will incur the following sanctions:
0-10% over word limit
11-20%
21-40%
41-60%
Over 60%

no sanction
minus 5 marks
minus 10 marks
minus 20 marks
to be resubmitted (if it then passes the submission will be
capped at the minimum pass mark)

Please note that five marks will be deducted if you do not disclose the word count of your
coursework/assignment or if you state an inaccurate word count. Sanctions will not reduce
the mark below the pass mark for the work.
Further Sanctions
Please note:
A sanction of five marks will be applied if you do not submit the cover and/or
coursework declaration sheets with your assignment.
Where a piece of work is marked out of a number less than 100, a proportional
reduction will be applied.

4.2.3 Examination-related
Further details regarding the examination will be given to you on the course. However, the date for the
examination is provisional and subject to change until the last day of the course. Current provisional
dates for upcoming examinations are shown in the table below.
Modules

Dates in the academic year 2012/13

(City & Guilds Certificate in

Diabetic Retinopathy Unit 302)

5th 7th November 2012

Examination: 18th/19th December 2012 and 10th
th
/11 April 2013
th
25 - 26th February 2013
Examination: 10th April 2013
th
th
15 16 April 2013
Examination: 12th June 2013

Research Methods and Medical Statistics

18th 19th April 2013

Visual Impairment

27th 28th May 2013

th
Examination:10 July 2013

Principles of Prescribing
Vision in the Aged
Diabetic Eye Disease

34

Independent Prescribing
Glaucoma

(College

of

Optometrists

Professional

Certificate)

17th 18th June 2013

Examination: 31st July 2013
st
rd
1 3 July 2013
th
Examination: 4 September 2013

You have two opportunities to take a module assessment as a first attempt.

4.2.4 Placement-related
N/A

4.2.5 Dissertation/Project-related
Process for the agreement of a project/dissertation
The MSc application form, obtainable from the Programme Officer will require the applicant
to suggest at least two ideas for a research project/dissertation along with a brief description.
Should the idea(s) drawn up by the applicant be unsuitable for the MSc, then a title from the
project/dissertation list produced by academic staff of the Division may be allocated. Project
ideas will be discussed at interview.
It should be noted that a suitable Project/Dissertation Supervisor may not be available to
supervise an applicants chosen project idea.
The applicant may wait until the
Project/Dissertation Supervisor is available (providing it is within six years of starting the
MSc), or an alternative project may be chosen.
If undertaking a dissertation, you will be expected to write a proposal outlining your aims and
objectives within three months. Once the proposal has been approved by the allocated
supervisor, you will be able to register with the University as a Postgraduate Student for one
year.
Before commencing the MSc project, a proposal must be submitted in conjunction with the
agreed supervisor to the Research and Ethical Committee. The format of the submission to
the Research and Ethical Committee must be adhered to. MSc research projects and
registration can only commence after approval has been granted. The candidate must
submit a protocol to the Research and Ethical Committee within three months of interview.
Once approval has been granted, then the candidate must register with the University within
three months of notification.
In preparation for their project/dissertation, it is compulsory for students to undertake two
days of training in research methods and medical statistics. This course places particular
emphasis on practice-based studies of the type likely to be chosen as projects and also
gives guidelines on accessing relevant material and interpreting research papers. This
training is offered annually, usually in April.
In general, it is intended that the study will be conducted whilst the student continues with
his/her full-time employment. A period of one year will normally be allowed for the
project/dissertation. Only under exceptional circumstances will extensions be granted and in
these cases extension fees will apply.

35

Guidelines on presentation
The project/dissertation thesis should be presented in the manner of a formal research
report, as found in professional journals - except that there should be more details of
method, and a fuller review of the literature. Raw data, statistics, etc., should usually be
included in appendices.
The following is the usual order in which the main elements of a thesis are presented:
Title page
This should have a balanced appearance and consist of:
The title, which should be reasonably concise and descriptive;
The full name of the author;
The qualification for which the project is submitted;
The name of the University;
The name of the Division;
The month and year of submission.
Declaration
Unless there is any good reason not to, which must be discussed with your supervisor, the
dissertation should contain a statement along the lines:
I grant powers of discretion to the Division of Optometry and Visual Science to allow this
project to be copied in whole or in part without further reference to me. This permission
covers only single copies made for study purposes, subject to the normal consideration of
acknowledgement.
Acknowledgements
It is a courtesy to mention help given by supervisors and anyone else who has provided
significant help or facilities for the research.
Abstract
This is a summary of about 300 words indicating briefly the method, materials, techniques
and equipment used, followed by the main observations and conclusions in the order
described in the text. Observations and conclusions should form the main substance of the
abstract. It should be understandable without reference to the text.
List of contents
This should list the sections, and their main subdivisions and the number of the page on
which each begins. Peripheral items, such as acknowledgements, appendices, etc. should
also be listed. The page numbers should appear on the right.
Lists of tables and figures
This list of tables normally precedes the list of figures.
Body of text (Project)
Although there cannot be any rigid rules for the layout of the text, a common format is:
Introduction: A resume of past work relevant to your thesis, reasons for carrying out the
current research, and an outline of what you intend to do. Remember to review past
literature critically.
Materials and methods: A thorough description of what you did and how you did it. Someone
should be able to reproduce your results by following the methods you outline in this section.
Include things such as the experimental design, the number of subjects, apparatus etc.

36

Results: There may be several results chapters, depending on the nature of the project.
Each should contain a complete description/summary of the results, statistically analysed in
an appropriate way. Make ample use of graphics.
Discussion: This should put your results in context to other literature in the field. Interpret
your results in the light of what is already known. What have your results added to the
subject area? Assess the strengths and weaknesses of your results.
Outline how the topic might be developed by others in the future.
Rather than using the above scheme, it might sometimes be appropriate to describe different
experiments in separate chapters, each containing its own methods, results and discussion.
Body of text (Disseration)
Although there cannot be any rigid rules for the layout of the text, a common format for a
dissertation is:
Introduction
Critical evaluation of the literature (organised into chapters)
Conclusion
N.B. Written permission to include photographs of subjects who participate in research must
be obtained from the individuals concerned.

Appendices
These should be clear and should contain raw data (if appropriate), statistical computations
(if appropriate), a list of abbreviations and other items which cannot easily be fitted into the
text. It is sometimes more appropriate to put a list of abbreviations at the beginning of the
thesis.
References
References are those sources (written or unwritten) which were consulted during the course
of the research and which are actually referred to in the text. Do not list references you read
but have not specifically mentioned in your text.
Errors of omission are a regular hazard. Keeping full details of all potentially useful items as
you find them (even if some will later be discarded) can save much time and frustration later.
Poor referencing will lose you credit.
Illustrations
Illustrations should be placed at appropriate points in the text, thus avoiding the need to turn
pages for consultation. All figures must be referred to in the text and have full descriptive
legends. Graphs should be fully understandable without direct reference to the text. If you
have used illustrations from the literature (they are commonly used in the Introduction), then
the source must be credited and referenced.
All illustrations must be numbered. This can either be done consecutively (e.g. starting at
Figure 1 for the first illustration shown, continuing with Figure 2 and so on throughout the
text). Alternatively you can number figures consecutively within chapters (e.g. the first figure
in chapter 1 is Figure 1.1, the second Figure 1.2 etc. The first figure in chapter 2 is then
Figure 2.1 and so on).
Pagination and typing
Pages should be numbered consecutively, starting with the abstract and including any
appendices. Numbers should be in Arabic numerals and centred at the bottom of the page.
Typing should be on one side of the paper only and there should be a sufficient margin on

37

the left-hand side to allow for the binder. Leave a minimum of 4cm on the left-hand side and
at least 2cm for all other margins. Typescript should be one and a half or double-spaced.
Quotations
These should generally be avoided. However, if you do use them, and they are over four
lines long, quotations should be single spaced and indented five spaces. If you make any
alterations to the original statement, enclose these within square brackets [ ]; if you omit
anything, show this by using three dots (or four if it is at the end of a sentence). Capital
letters, etc. should appear as in the original if you are copying something that has previously
appeared in print.
Directly copying anything from publications without acknowledgement is plagiarism and
unacceptable.
Titles of books, articles, films, generic names, etc. should be underlined or written in italics,
as should foreign words.
Headings
Headings and sub-headings of various ranks should be written in a consistent form using
upper and lower case letters, underlining, indenting, lettering, numbering, etc. For example:
Introduction
Methods
General methodology
Pigment identification
Extraction
HPLC
NMR
Statistical analysis
Results
etc...............
Guidelines on submission
i.

All projects/dissertations must be written in English

ii.

It is suggested that theses be word processed with a font size of 12 pt. Font size
below 8 pt should be avoided. Times New Roman is a frequently used font style,
although others are acceptable.

iii.

The size of the paper used should be international A4 (297mm x 210mm). Paper
should be good quality and of sufficient opacity to ensure the print does not show
through the reverse side.

iv.

Margins at the binding edges should not be less than 40mm and other margins not
less than 20mm.

v.

Three copies of the thesis are required by the Division. Each copy of the thesis
should be in a temporary soft bound form (comb or tape with a wide margin). These
will be sent to Examiners (including the External who may recommend amendments
to the thesis). Following the Assessment Board, two copies of the thesis will be
returned to you in order to be hard bound in black cloth. The boards must have
sufficient rigidity to support the weight of the work when standing on a shelf. The
spine of the volume should bear in at least 22pt type the degree, the candidates
surname followed by initials and the year of presentation, in gold lettering, starting
40mm from the base.

vi.

One hardbound copy is retained by the Division where it will be filed, indexed and

38

made available for loan. The other copy is for you to keep.
vii.

Diagrams and graphs should be neatly drawn in ink, or more usually generated by
PC.

viii.

An electronic submission is required in addition to the above bound copies in order to

check for plagiarism using Turnitin

Word limit guidelines and penalties for deviating

You should present your work in as concise a manner as possible. Marks are not awarded
for bulk. Thesis length will vary depending on the study but it should be between 10,00015,000 words. If you think you may exceed this limit you must discuss this with your
supervisor. Examiners may refuse to examine theses that appear too long.
Assessment criteria
Effort and initiative
(a)
Independence/dependence on supervisor
Literature survey
(a)
The extent to which there has been an effort to gain access to original full papers
(b)
The correct usage of a referencing system
(c)
Critical evaluation of the literature
Experimental work (for projects only)
(a)
Ability to use graphics packages, spread sheets and statistics
(b)
Ability to explain findings
(c)
Interpretation of results; integration with literature
(d)
Originality (not always possible in some highly prescribed projects)
(e)
Practical ability
Presentation
(a)
Organisation of material
(b)
Ability to write grammatical English
(c)
Ability to pitch explanations at a level appropriate for a scientific, non-specialist
reader
(d)
Ability to write interestingly
(d)
Effective use of diagrams (with a clear indication of the extent of the supervisors
contribution)
The project/dissertation will initially be assessed by the students project/dissertation
supervisor and by a second marker. All projects/dissertations will then be passed to the
Module Leader who will review the marks and, with the MSc External Examiners approval,
award the final mark. Each project/dissertation will be subject to double blind marking. The
thesis will be normally marked and returned approximately eight weeks after submission. If
a discrepancy of greater than 10% occurs between marks awarded by the students
supervisor and the second marker (that cannot be resolved), then the thesis will be referred
to the External Examiner. In exceptional circumstances, the Assessment board may refer a
student and the award of MSc will be subject to the student re-submitting his/her thesis until
the required standard is met. Amendments to an MSc thesis must be completed within three
months of the date of the Assessment board.

39

Students will normally be required to present their research prior to the meeting of the
assessment board.
The verbal thesis presentation will be assessed taking into account:
The students ability to pitch the presentation at a level appropriate for a scientific, nonspecialist audience
Appropriate use of teaching aids (e.g. Power point)
Planning and organisation of material
Clarity of objectives
Critical evaluation of the literature
Evaluation of the data
Soundness of conclusions
Delivery and pace
The presentation should last between 15 and 20 minutes, with 5 minutes for questions. The
audience will consist of fellow students and academic members of staff at the University.
The presentation will be assessed by the supervisor and the second marker. The mark
awarded for the presentation will contribute 15% towards the final mark of the
project/dissertation.
In the event of failure to satisfy the External Examiners pass criteria, students will be
provided with a summary of feedback following the Assessment Board.

4.2.6 Breaking Confidentiality

In all assessed work (coursework, assignments, examinations, clinical assessment (please
see exception below), clinical profiles/workbooks etc.) you must comply with the following to
protect confidentiality:

All clients/patients, relatives, members of staff (except where assessors are required
to sign their name) and peers are to be referred to by a pseudonym.

The use of pseudonyms should be made explicit through a statement such as

"Pseudonyms have been used in order to protect the confidentiality of the identity of
individuals referred to in the assessment (except assessors who are required to sign
their names)." Personal details such as address, hospital number, G.P. etc.
must not be given for any reason.

If the name of the work place or any personal details of any client/patient, relative,
member of staff (except clinical assessors) or peer has been given in an assessment,
this assessment will automatically be recorded as 0 for breach of confidentiality. Your
resubmission will then be regarded as a second attempt.

Dangerous and unsafe practice

If you demonstrate evidence of carrying out practice that is unsafe, dangerous or contrary to
professional standards and codes of professional clinical practice you will automatically
receive a 0 mark for dangerous practice.

40

Exception: With assessments taking place in the clinical setting, the patients may be
identified during discussions between student and assessor or lecturer if they have given
consent to their case being used for the purpose of that assessment.
Referencing Documents that are NOT in the Public Domain
Example:
In text: this action was taken in accordance with the NHS Trust's (name withheld,
1999) disciplinary policy

In reference list: NHS Trust (name withheld, 1999) Disciplinary Policy.

Referencing Documents within the Public Domain - these should be anonymised as

above.

4.2.7 Failure to Achieve a Pass Mark

You are directed to the University Assessment Regulations:
http://www.city.ac.uk/adu/dps/senate_regs/s20.doc. Normally only two attempts are allowed
and a pass at second attempt will be awarded only a minimum pass mark. Failure to
achieve a pass at a second attempt will normally lead to a requirement to withdrawal from a
module or programme.

4.2.8 Marking and Moderation of Assessments

Marking may take various forms, including the use of anonymous marking and double or
second marking. Double marking usually means that markers do not see each others
comments or marks whilst for second marking these may be made available to the second
marker.
First Marking: First markers use assessment criteria and grade related criteria (see section
2) in order to assign a mark to a piece of work.
Moderation is used to ensure that an assessment outcome is fair and reliable. Moderation
can also take various forms including sampling, additional marking of borderline cases or
statistical review of marks. The University requires that:
1. In addition to external examining requirements, more than one member of staff is
normally involved in marking and moderation processes. This should ensure that no
module mark is finalised on the basis on only one internal assessors decision.
Boards of Studies are required to determine appropriate marking and moderating
mechanisms and the criteria for the identification of samples to be considered
through the moderation process.
2. Marking of examination scripts is anonymous. This is considered to be an
appropriate means of avoiding claims of bias and demonstrating a commitment to
equal opportunities and equality and diversity policies.
3. Second marking or moderation of all dissertations or equivalent assessment tasks
takes place.

41

Moderators comments are not included in your feedback: The University also considers that
the use of anonymous marking for forms of assessment other than examinations should be
encouraged where this is appropriate to the assessment type. The use of a statistical
analysis of the distributions of marks both within and between modules, including their centre
and their spread, is also to be encouraged.
External Examining: samples of your work are also sent to an external examiner, an
academic who works at another institution, who checks that standards are consistent within
one assessment task and across a range of assessments.
If you would like more information on the processes used to mark your work, please ask your
Programme Officer or Programme Manager / Director.

4.2.9 Results and Feedback

If you have submitted your assignment via Moodle the provisional results will be available via
grade book in Moodle at 12.00 noon on the date results are due to be published. You will be
informed up to a minimum of 24 hours before the scheduled release if there are likely to be
any unavoidable delays.
Provisional coursework results and feedback will be returned to you either 3 weeks after the
deadline for submission or 4 weeks in the case of an end of module assessment or exam. A
longer turnaround time for dissertations is necessary because of their length. In some
specific circumstances, work may be returned at a slightly later date e.g. where return of
work would disadvantage you or where clinically related coursework/assignment or exams
may extend over a long period. You will be informed where this is the case. You will also be
informed if work is likely to be returned at a later date due e.g. to staff illness. If you would
like someone else to collect work on your behalf you must email us via your city email
account only at shshelpdesk@city.ac.uk stating your name, module number and student
ID number and details of who will be collecting your work. Due to data protection we cannot
accept emails from other email accounts. You will need to provide the person collecting your
work with a copy of your email signed by yourself to identify that they are your authorised
collector. Alternatively, if you would like your assessment posted back to you please
enclose a stamped addressed envelope with your submission. If you have changed
address, please email your new details to us at shshelpdesk@city.ac.uk stating your full
name and student ID number.
Assessment Boards
Once work has been marked, the provisional results will be considered by the Assessment
Board. Any marks that have been given to students during the year are provisional until they
are ratified by an Assessment Board. The Assessment Board is convened to make
recommendations on student progression, award, award of credit or withdrawal from a
programme of study as a result of academic failure. It makes such recommendations
through its consideration of student results. The Assessment Board also considers the
findings of any Extenuating Circumstances Panels and Academic Misconduct Panels. The
duties of and processes for running Assessment Boards are outlined in the Assessment
Regulations.

42

In 2012-13, the Assessment Boards for the MSc Clinical Optometry will be held in: January
and July 2013. After the Assessment Board the results and decisions of the Board are
checked and signed off. No results can be disclosed until after this process has taken place.
You will be informed individually of all your marks and the decision of the Assessment
Board. If you have failed, the possibility of resitting and/or appealing will be drawn to your
attention.
Provisional marks
It is likely that you will receive marks for work undertaken throughout the term, before the
end of the Academic Year. It is important to remember that these marks are provisional until
they are confirmed by the Assessment Board. This means that they may be amended
following discussion at the Assessment Board. You should also be aware that you cannot
appeal against a provisional mark; appeals can only be lodged after the mark has been
approved by an Assessment Board.
Some programmes hold Interim Assessment Boards. These Boards can only make
recommendations to the Assessment Board; marks considered by an Interim Assessment
Board are also only provisional.
External Examiners
External Examiners play a critical role in supporting the maintenance of academic standards
and overseeing the assessment process. The University appoints External Examiners for all
provision that leads to a City University London award.
External Examiners ensure that assessments have been carried out fairly and consistently
and that standards are in line with other UK higher education institutions and/or with relevant
professional body standards. The External Examiner(s) undertake a number of tasks which
are outlined in the Assessment Regulations. These include approving assessments
compiled by Internal Examiners, reviewing a sample of assessment material, reviewing a
sample of assessed work and approving the recommendations made by the Assessment
Board. External Examiner(s) also provide a written report on the assessment process and
on the standards of student attainment. Programme Committees and Boards of Studies,
which have student representatives, consider the External Examiners reports and respond
to issues raised.
The External Examiner(s) for this programme are:
Name
Institution
Role
Prof David Henson
Manchester
Royal
Eye Professor
of
Hospital/Manchester University Ophthalmology & Vision
Sciences in the School of
Medicine
Prof Christopher Hammond
Kings College, London
Research Ophthalmologist

4.3

Module Specifications

Individual Module Specifications are available for all your modules, these outline the
teaching and learning hours, the assessments and the learning outcomes you will be

43

expected to achieve. The Module Specifications are available from the module leader and on
individual module spaces on Moodle.

4.4

Good Academic Practice and Referencing

4.4.1 Introduction
This section provides important guidance about good academic practice, plagiarism
prevention and writing appropriately in assignments. If there are any aspects of the
information below that you do not understand or would like some further assistance on,
please contact your Programme Director or Personal Tutor. This guidance should be
considered in conjunction with the Assessment Regulations and the Assessment and
Feedback Policy, which can be found on the Academic Services website.
To accompany the information provided here, staff at the University have developed a
website called StudyWell (www.city.ac.uk/studywell). This website provides additional
guidance, videos, quizzes and case studies on many of the issues raised here. It includes
information about understanding what plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct
are and how to avoid them, as well as advice about referencing. Additional advice is also
available through the Student Centre and the University Library.

4.4.2 Understanding Academic Misconduct, including plagiarism

There are various types of academic misconduct, of which plagiarism is one and arguably
the most well-known form. It represents a serious issue in education, so it is important that it
is understood and avoided. The University takes very seriously any form of academic
misconduct. Information on academic misconduct can be found in the Academic Misconduct
section of this Handbook, in the Assessment Regulations and in the Assessment and
Feedback Policy. In addition, you are required to follow your individual Division or School
guidelines on the avoidance of academic misconduct.
You might find it useful to look at the StudyWell website (www.city.ac.uk/studywell) to find
out more about what academic misconduct is. Additional general information on academic
misconduct be found at http://www.indiana.edu/~istd/ (Indiana University, What is Plagiarism
and how to recognise it).

4.4.3 How to avoid Academic Misconduct, including plagiarism

Whatever type of subject you are studying or whatever level of research you are doing, it is
important that the work you submit is your own. Of course, while youre studying you will be
encouraged to familiarise yourself with other peoples opinions. You might also discuss ideas
about your subject in class with other students and your lecturer too. In fact, you will learn
more if you actively seek out the ideas and opinions of others. However, when you mention
other people's thoughts, ideas or concepts, you must acknowledge where these came from.
If you dont reference others ideas, then you could be accused of academic misconduct.
Whilst completing written work at University you will make use of a variety of sources of
information, including the work of other authors. You will gain higher marks if you use other
peoples work as a basis for your own critical thought and not simply to show that you have
read relevant material. You must therefore distinguish carefully between the work of others
and your own work by accurate referencing.

44

Some guidelines for ensuring that work is indebted to the original source are:
Be clear and explicit about all your sources. Never copy anything without explicit
acknowledgement. This includes copying the work of other students.
Quoting directly from a book or paper is acceptable provided that it is referenced
properly (see below citations). But you should also ask yourself whether you need to
use the exact quote, or whether it would be better to cite the idea and then express it in
your own words or terms.
Make sure that you reference a publication properly every time you cite it in your work. It
is not enough to cite it just once and then continue to refer to it in the rest of the work
without proper referencing.
When paraphrasing, do not copy whole sentences or phrases and replace some words
with others of similar meaning as this is a form of academic misconduct. Paraphrasing
means grasping someone else's idea or argument and then putting it into your own
words. Paraphrasing should be acknowledged, normally in every paragraph, e.g.: "Smith
goes on to argue that ..." or "Smith provides further proof that ...". Full details of the
source used must be given at some point in the work (see below citations).
Show clearly when you are citing someone else, e.g.
o Smith (2001, p.27) acknowledges that .
o As Smith (2001, p.27) states in .
o According to Smith (2001, p.27) .
If you are drawing ideas heavily from a few sources (general indebtedness) you should
err on the side of caution, referencing the sources and stating if the ordering of evidence
and argument or the organisation of material reflects one particular source. When in
doubt, you should seek advice from your tutor to ensure that the presentation of your
work is in line with University requirements.
You do not need to refer to a specific reference where something is common knowledge.
Common knowledge usually refers to facts or information that are known by most
people, for example capital cities. However, referring to specific statistics or facts or to
someones interpretation of a statistic or fact would not be classed as common
knowledge and would require a reference.

4.4.5 Citations
You must ensure that you cite works correctly. Articles in leading academic journals and
books by well known academic writers will provide examples of good practice. Different
disciplines have different citation conventions and the MSc Clinical Optometry uses the
Harvard system as detailed below.
Harvard system
Citations in the text
Reference by author and date (and by page number if precise text cited).
If there are two authors, cite both names followed by the date (and page number if
precise text cited).
If there are more than two authors, refer to the first author et al followed by the date (and
page number if precise text cited).

45

If there are no authors, use anon followed by the date (and page number if precise text
cited).
If the reference you wish to use is one which was cited in another work mention both
authors followed by the date (and page number if precise text cited): X author (date), as
cited by Y (date) (page).
Quotations should be in inverted commas.
References are listed in a bibliography or reference section at the end of the work.
This system is used, for example, in arts publications.

Examples:
In this pioneering work on the epidemiology of cholera, Snow (1855) stated on
proceeding to the spot I found that nearly all of the deaths had taken place within a short
distance of the pump (Snow, 1855, pp.39-40).
Many researchers have identified error as being the most significant problem in handling
spatial data (e.g. Hunter and Goodchild, 1995).
Zhang et al (1990) examined ways in which drainage basins could be found
automatically from computer-based models.
It was not until the widespread popularisation of fractals by Benoit Mandelbrot
(Mandelbrot, 1982), that alternative approaches to spatial geometry were given serious
thought by those in the GIS industry.
Strahler (1964) suggested that the topological characteristics of these stream
connections can themselves be quantified.
Increasingly, business applications are turning to XML as a mechanism for sharing
information on line (Sun Microsystems, 2000).
Citations in the bibliography or reference section
References are listed in alphabetical order of authors.
Where more than two authors have been used you should list all the authors given in the
order in which they are listed by the publication. If the reference used was one which was
cited in another work you should list only the publication you read.
Examples (NB please note the conventions for using italics in different contexts):
Article or paper in a periodical:
Hunter, G.J. and Goodchild, M.F. (1995) Dealing with error in spatial databases: A
simple case study, Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, 61(5), pp.529537.
Zhang, M.C., Campbell, J.B. and Haralick, R.M. (1990). Automatic delineation of
drainage basins within digital elevation data using the topographic primal sketch.
Mathematical Geology 22 (2), pp.189-209.
Book
Mandelbrot, B.B. (1982) The Fractal Geometry of Nature. New York: WH Freeman.
Snow, J. (1855) On the Mode of Communication of Cholera. London: John Churchill.

46

Contributions in an edited work

Strahler, A.N. (1964) Quantitative geomorphology of drainage basins and channel
networks, in Chow, V. (ed) Handbook of Applied Hydrology, New York: McGraw-Hill,
pp.39-76.
Websites
Author, (year), title of work, Journal title, [type of medium] volume. Available: site/path/file
[date of access].
Dovey,
M.
(1999)
Meta-Objects,
Ariadne
[Online]
19.
Available:
http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue19/meta-objects/ [15 June 2007]
Sun Microsystems (2000) Building Business to Business Applications. Available:
http://java.sun.com/xml/b2b.html [15 June 2007]
Electronic discussion lists
Author, (date), subject of message, Discussion list, [type of medium] Available e-mail:
discussion list@e-mail address [access date].
Kelly, B. (10 Aug 1999): Language issues and web sites. Website information
management [Online] Available e-mail: website-info-mgt@mailbase.ac.uk [2 Sept 1999]]

4.4.6 Correct and incorrect ways of referencing an example

The following is taken from an editorial by David Rhind in the Journal of Information Science,
2002:
Information Science is an inter-discipline. The corollary of that is that we need to establish
good communication at the individual, research group and departmental level with
specialists in other disciplines. This is a strong feature of Information Science at City,
especially in health, pharmaceutical, legal and geographic sectors (Rhind (2002, p.1).
Example
Rhind (2002) states we need to
establish good "communication at the
individual,
research
group
and
departmental level".

Verdict
Misplaced
citation

Comments
This would constitute plagiarism. The
quotation marks should begin with the
word we. You should check all citations
carefully. The page number is missing.

The Department of Information Science

at City has excellent communication at
many levels, individually, through
research
groups
and
at
the
departmental level.

Paraphrasing
with
no
reference

This would constitute plagiarism. You must

acknowledge your sources when you
paraphrase.

Rhind (2002, p 1) argues that "We

need to establish good communication
at the individual, research group and
departmental level".

Correct
citation

The citation is correctly referenced.

It has been argued that Information

Science is a subject area that covers a
number of different domains; therefore

Acceptable
paraphrasing

The paraphrase correctly refers to the

article and therefore would not constitute
plagiarism. However, an essay composed

47

excellent communication is needed

over a number of levels - at the
individual level, within research
groupings and at a departmental level
(Rhind, 2002).

extensively of paraphrasing will not

demonstrate any critical thinking and will
not achieve high marks.

4.4.7 Consequences of poor academic practice or academic misconduct

If a student fails to achieve good academic practice they may become guilty of either poor
academic practice or academic misconduct. Information on this can be found in the
Academic Misconduct section of this Handbook.
If academic misconduct occurs, the issue of whether a student intended to commit academic
misconduct or whether it occurred by accident is not relevant. However, intentional and
accidental misconduct may be dealt with in different ways, for example via varying sanctions
or processes. Once again, the advice is to always check the explanations and regulations
on academic misconduct for your own programme, and if there is anything you do not
understand, please seek the advice of a tutor.

4.5

Research Integrity

We expect our staff and students to seek to maintain the highest achievable standards in
their research conduct. If you are undertaking a research project as part of your course, then
you need to familiarise yourself with the City University Framework for Good Practice in
Research.
The framework applies to all staff and students who are engaged in or support research
activity and is intended to assist the University in achieving its commitment to academic
excellence .
It can be found here:
http://www.city.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/66181/ResearchGoodPracticeFramework.
pdf
The framework has been designed to:
Establish and promote a code of good practice in the conduct of all aspects of
research whether this be funded, non-funded, project-based or individually led
Encourage members of the University to maintain the highest achievable standards
in their research conduct
Ensure that the quality of research conducted by members of the University is
safeguarded and to document the procedure for investigating allegations of
misconduct.

4.5.1 Research Ethics

All research involving human participants or identifiable personal information has some
ethical implications. Human participation covers direct data collection from people, for
example surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations and physiological measurements. It
also includes retrieving data from individual records such as case notes.

48

It is important that you consider the ethical implications of your research. Even if the
research is low risk, issues such as data protection, confidentiality and anonymity may need
to be considered. You will need to discuss any such ethical issues with your supervisor,
before beginning your work and before collecting data or making contact with participants.
He or she will be able to advise you on what issues are likely to arise.
Remember that you are responsible for ensuring that you obtain the appropriate and
required ethical approval before you begin your research. Ethical approval must be obtained
before any research involving human participants is undertaken. If you do not have approval
in place before you start you will not be covered by the Universitys indemnity insurance if
anything should go wrong. Failure to follow University procedures may also in some cases
result in disciplinary procedures being instigated.
Further guidance is available on the research ethics webpages:
https://intranet.city.ac.uk/students/research_support/research_support/research_integrity/res
earch_ethics.html
You can also contact Anna Ramberg Anna.Ramberg.1@city.ac.uk for help and advice.

4.6

Learning Resources

Libraries
Optometry resources are located at the University Library Northampton Square.
Opening times are:
Monday-Friday:
08.30-19.00
Saturday & Sunday: Closed
Tel: 0207 040 8191
Please visit http://www.city.ac.uk/library/ for further information about the libraries.
You are also entitled to use any of the other libraries within the University. Please check the
University Library website at www.city.ac.uk/library/ for more information.
Code of conduct
All library users are subject to the regulations within the Code of Conduct. Breaches can
result in a ban from Library premises and withdrawal of library privileges (including borrowing
and computer access). Please read the following link before visiting any library within City
University London http://www.city.ac.uk/library/about-the-library/library-code-of-conduct.html
Borrowing Rights
If you are on a course at City, you are allowed to borrow up to 15 books/videos/DVDs/CD
ROMs once you have registered with the library. Please remember to bring your ID card
each time you visit. You will not be able to access Libraries, request, borrow, renew items or
access the online resources without your ID card.
Fines are charged on late returns of borrowed items. Please remember to pay your fines
promptly as it can affect your future borrowing privileges or may result in your qualification
being withheld.

49

Renewing Items
You can renew items you have borrowed by:

Using the 24 hour automated renewals line 020 7040 8191

Using
the
on-line
library
catalogue:
http://www.city.ac.uk/library/ourservices/borrowing-and-renewing.html
Calling the library directly during opening hours (see telephone numbers above)

Photocopiers
Each School Library has a number of photocopiers and requires the user to purchase a
rechargeable photocopy card from either the library counter or automated machine before
copying.
Interlibrary Loans
There is an Interlibrary loan service at all sites. Books on loan from the British Library will be
for reference use only during the loan period at the requested site. Articles are provided in
print form, however electronic form may be possible, ask at time of the initial request.
Extensions on book loans 2.50 and ask at the desk for the current cost of overseas thesis
borrowing.
Resources
Each School Library holds a variety of resources to support you through your qualification.
We keep multiple copies of books which support your reading list and subject area at each
site. You may also access DVDs, CDs, Videos and many useful journal titles and
databases.
Electronic Resources
There are now a vast number of resources available online including databases and
electronic journals and more recently electronic books. These resources are accessible both
in and outside of the University using access via your Barcode and PIN. Access via the
catalogue using Barcode and PIN will provide direct access to journal articles or references.
City University London holds a subscription for many of these resources, which makes them
free for you to use once you have registered as a student. To apply for a PIN you will need
to create one when you activate your computer account or alternatively from the catalogue
using your student ID card. Contact the Issue Desk at any of the sites should you encounter
a problem.
As well as providing links to a number of electronic resources the web page also gives you
on-line access to past exam papers, reading lists and a citation guide.
Both library sites have a number of computers available for you to access electronic
resources (word processing and emailing is NOT available). These are available on a dropin basis and there is no need for a username or password. Printing is available from these
computers and is charged at 5p per sheet.
IT Support Services
For IT support contact the IT response centre by calling ext. 8181 from any internal
telephone.
Training sessions
The Library provides training in the use of a variety of electronic resources. Training
sessions usually last for up to one hour and can be booked by filling in a library training

50

booking form in either library. For training on IT contact staff at the Issue desk for further
information.
Assistance with computer problems
Contact the university IT response centre by calling x8181.
Moodle
By accessing Moodle you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of use described on the
City University website. You can interface with Moodle starting four weeks before your
module begins. Moodle is interactive, so you can contact staff before, during and after the
three day module itself. Moodle is a largely intuitive learning environment but easy to follow
step-by-step on-line tutorials are available for novice users.
If you have problems accessing your Moodle account please contact campus computing
support
or
the
Response
Centre
via
response-centre@city.ac.uk
or
at
http://moodle.city.ac.uk/
If you are able to connect with Moodle but cannot open details within or you do not have
access to your individual module code/course name then contact the Senior Programme
Officer, Rita Kaur.
Computer Shop
The University has its own Purchasing Shop located in E301, Drysdale Building,
Northampton Square (020 7040 8177, ucs-shop@city.ac.uk).
Software
The networked computers allow access to a wide range of packages including wordprocessing, spreadsheets, graphics and statistics. You can also access/use email and the
Internet.
There are also a number of computing rooms available in University buildings.
Northampton Square buildings: Rooms EG14, EG12, EG07, EG05, EG03, EG04 and in the
N/Sq Library rooms U306 and U307. (Ask at the Reception Desk for directions).
Open: late evenings and on weekends. Call x8181 for specific times which vary during term
time and holidays. Some are 24 hr labs. To access these labs after 5:30 pm ask at N/Sqs
main Reception Desk to get a PIN number put on your City University Photo ID for swipe
access to EG03, 04 & 05 computer labs. See the below link and log in:
www.city.ac.uk/it-student/resources _and_
facilities/where_to_find_computer_rooms/extended _hours.html
How to register/gain access
To register you must complete the on-line self-registration procedure, details of which should
be given to you when you start your programme/module. If you do not receive this
information, or lose it, sheets explaining the procedure are available in the computer rooms.
Once registered, you will need your login name and password each time you wish to access
the system. If you have any problems or queries about registration / access please contact
the IT Response Centre ext 8181.
At the beginning of the programme, ALL students, either by self registration or through the
taught informatics sessions will have access to the full range of network services provided by
the Computing Services Department.

51

You are entitled to use any of the computer suites within the University. Access
arrangements and times are outlined in the User Handbook distributed at the beginning of
the programme and available in the computer suites.
E-mail
Citys student email service is called Outweb. Self-registration automatically creates an email
account for you and gives you an email address. To access this email account visit
https:/outweb.city.ac.uk and use your username and password to login.
Standards of Behaviour in the Computer Suite
When using these services, there are a variety of obligations placed upon you as to what
constitutes acceptable standards of behaviour. These constitute local University policies and
some
national
statutory
obligations.
Full
details
can
be
found
at
http://www.city.ac.uk/about/city-information/legal
If you are found misusing the facilities you may have your access privileges withdrawn.
Please note if your access privileges are withdrawn, this may affect your ability to complete
your academic work and submit your assignments.
Banned from public PC rooms are:
Food
Drink
Smoking
Mobile phones
Learning and Teaching
The use of IT facilities is provided for academic purposes, therefore priority is given to
students using the computers for their academic work. There are periods of excess demand
on the facilities. It is inappropriate that students should be using equipment to access chat
rooms or play games, whilst this demand exists.
Due to the demand for access to facilities, the University operates an open access policy.
This means that although teaching may be taking place, you may be able to use the facilities
at the discretion of the lecturer.
Whilst teaching is taking place, you must acknowledge that this is a teaching and learning
environment and:

Leave when requested to do so by the lecturer

Not disrupt the group
Not cause any noise within the class
Enter and leave the room quietly
Mobile phones must be switched off
Only access machines that are not in the immediate vicinity of the taught session.

Taught sessions are for teaching purposes only. You should give the lecturers the courtesy
of their attention. These sessions are not for social activities. Personal email access should
be done in your own time.
Professional obligations
You have various statutory and legal obligations to maintain confidentiality and security of
clinical and personal data you may handle via a computer. You will be expected to conform
to the following regulations:

52

Data Protection Act (1998)

Access to Health Records Act (1990)
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act (1988)
Computer Misuse Act (1990)
Health and Safety at Work Act (1992)
NMC Code of Professional Conduct (NMC April 2008) http://www.nmc-uk.org/

Use of equipment
Behaviour that has the potential to disrupt the work of others, or can reasonably be
considered offensive by them, will not be tolerated. This can include:

Excessive noise
The display and access of offensive material
Invasion of privacy
Unauthorised access to other peoples files
Harassing email
Attempts to sabotage or misuse the equipment

Investigation and Enforcement

Complaints and anomalies may prompt investigation of possible breaches of the Conditions
of Use. Certain activities on the network and centrally provided systems are routinely logged
and/or automatically monitored. These include:

Usage of workstations
Access to web pages
Access to software
Volume of data transfers
Quantity of email.

Note that the address and date/time of access to web sites can be tracked. If you are
identified as accessing material that may be considered illegal or offensive further action
may be taken.
Serious breaches of these conditions will be handled by the University Disciplinary
Procedures. However, where the misuse has implications for clinical fitness to practice,
additional disciplinary measures may be instigated, which may have implications for your
continuation on the programme.

4.7

School, Divisional and Programme Prizes

School and University Awards

We have a number of prizes to celebrate the excellent work going on throughout the
University both by you and our staff. Here are some examples of the types of awards
offered:

Student Voice Awards University level

The Student Voice Awards are awarded annually by City University London and
CULSU (City University London Students Union). This student-led teaching awards
scheme encourages you to nominate lecturers and professional staff who have
inspired, guided or helped you the most over the academic year.

53

Rep of the Year Awards School level

Rep of the Year Awards are awarded by the School of Health Sciences in addition to
the Student Union's Student Voice Awards. This is your chance to nominate
someone who has made a positive contribution to your experience during the past
year. The achievement is recognised & celebrated at a special School
presentation ceremony where a certificate and gift vouchers are awarded for
students on different programmes.

Look out for more details to follow via e-mail, and MySHS Moodle space about the prizes as
we will need your help to nominate the individuals you feel deserve a special recognition.
Survey Prizes
There are a number of chances to win prizes by completing surveys about your student
experience. We offer this to thank you for your time. Your feedback will be used to help us
know what we are doing right, what we need to improve and what we need to do more of!
Please do get involved if you can.

54

.......................................................................................................................................................

Part 2 Supporting Guidance and General

School Information

.......................................................................................................................................................

55

56

Introduction to Part 2 of the Programme Handbook

This part of the handbook is intended to complement Part 1 (Specific Programme
Information). It is given to all students from the School of Health Sciences (SHS) and is your
guide to University and School Regulatory Information.
In this part of the handbook you can find out:

Information about social facilities available at the University

Support systems available in the University
Health and Safety information
Information about the careers service

57

58

5. Supporting Guidance
5.1 Quick guide to tackling issues and events which may impact on your
time at City

Tackle any concerns and worries you have as early as possible as early resolution
will minimise any impact on your personal life, studies, assessment, award or
progression
Use all the sources of support available to you. If you dont want to use a service or
speak to a particular person then choose another contact
Keep a written record of events that you think are impacting you and the action that
you and your School/ support services take to remedy this
If you are in any doubt about what is being done or what is expected of you, seek
clarification
Dont suffer in silence. We have many specialist staff who are there to help and
support you during your time at City but we cant do this if we dont hear from you.

The following sections detail the options available when things do go wrong and you will find
more information about academic, personal and professional support available later in this
handbook.

5.2

Student copyright and intellectual property rights

Copyright of a students work normally lies with the student and the student may refuse to
allow others access to this work, although requirements for completing the programme must
be met. However, any students work produced for the purpose of a taught programme of
study may be retained by the programme. It is standard academic practice for student
research projects or dissertations to be available for inspection by others within the library.
Students should be mindful of the risk of work being copied if it is placed into the public
domain electronically.
Where a taught student has developed intellectual property (IP) that may have commercial
value, the intellectual property will be managed in accordance with the Universitys
guidelines. The initial presumption is that the student owns the IP. However, there are
exceptions. You can contact the City Research and Enterprise Unit if clarification is
required.

5.3

Extenuating Circumstances

Extenuating circumstances are managed in accordance with the Assessment Regulations

and Assessment and Feedback Policy. You can find the full Regulation and Policy on the
Academic Services website.

5.3.1 What are Extenuating Circumstances?

Extenuating Circumstances (EC) are defined as circumstances which are unforeseen and
outside a students control and which can be shown to have had a direct and substantial
impact on his/her academic results. This may include an impact on capacity to study prior to

59

an assessment, on ability to complete an assessment, and/or on performance during an

assessment.
Examples of the types of extenuating circumstances that might be accepted include illhealth, bereavement, or other personal issues which were unexpected, out of your control
and may have affected preparation for an assessment or performance during the
assessment itself. Circumstances such as the availability of books, conflicting assessment
deadlines, transport difficulties, routine work commitments or circumstances that could have
foreseen and/or prevented will not normally be accepted.
If you are in doubt remember these two questions:
1. Could I have foreseen what happened?
2. Was I in control of what happened?
If you answer no to both and you believe that your performance was significantly affected as
a result of what happened then it is worthwhile submitting a claim.

5.3.2 Submitting your claim

If you believe that you have been subject to extenuating circumstances you must make a
claim no more than 7 calendar days after the affected assessment. You will need to do the
following:
1. Read the Extenuating Circumstances form and accompanying guidance available at
www.city.ac.uk/ace.
2. If you believe your extenuating circumstances meet the criteria then complete the
form and assemble your supporting evidence.
3. Submit your form and supporting evidence to one of the SHS Student Helpdesks
(either West Smithfield or Myddelton Street).
Your form will be considered by an Extenuating Circumstances Panel who will look at
whether your form is complete, whether you meet the criteria, and if your evidence
supporting your case is strong enough.
If your application for Extenuating Circumstances is accepted the Panel will make a
recommendation to the Assessment Board. You will be notified of the recommendations the
Extenuating Circumstances Panel make and of the decision of the Assessment Board when
it meets.
The most usual outcome, if your application is accepted, is that you will be offered an
additional opportunity to take the assessment/s.

5.3.3 What sort of evidence do I need?

Evidence should be both relevant and significant. Evidence normally takes the form of
written confirmation from an objective, independent, third party. Evidence should relate to
facts, not personal opinions. Evidence will often come from an expert or person in authority
and will be provided in the form of an official document (e.g. a police report or doctors note).

60

When you are providing a piece of evidence check its relevance and significance and try to
ensure it includes some, if not all, of the following:

Date that the document was written

Signature or evidence that it comes from the person making the statement (e.g. from
an official email address)
Evidence that it is independent and verifiable (e.g. the name of their company or
organisation)
Evidence that the person has the experience or expertise to make the statement (e.g.
their job title or qualifications)

Relevance indicates that the evidence speaks directly to the case you are making. For
example, a relevant doctors note will cover the period you are claiming for. An irrelevant
note might cover a different period of time or testify that you had told the doctor you were
sick but did not attend the surgery at the time of the illness.
Significance means that the evidence is likely to impact on the decision of the reviewers.
For example, a note from a friend or relative indicating that they expect you to do well is not
significant.

5.3.4 What happens if I miss the deadline?

The University sets strict deadlines for the submission of requests for consideration of
extenuating circumstances relating to assessment, progression or award. The University
must think very carefully about any request for extenuating circumstances being given
consideration after you have received your results. This is done to safeguard the fairness of
our assessment process. Any decision about whether you are given extra opportunities or
special provisions unavailable to your peers must be because of your circumstances, not
because you are unhappy with your results. You, and all other students, have the right to
expect that everyone is treated fairly.
If you miss the deadline for reasons which were unforeseen and outside your control then
you may be able to submit an Appeal asking that your late Extenuating Circumstances form
be approved for submission to the Extenuating Circumstances Panel. Saying that you did
not know about the deadline or indicating that you didnt think your performance would be
affected at the time of the assessment will not be accepted as grounds for an appeal.
Extenuating circumstances cannot be used as an insurance against poor assessment
results.
You can visit the Academic Services website or look at the relevant section of this Handbook
for information about submitting an appeal for consideration of your late extenuating
circumstances.

5.3.5 Contact for further information

Please contact the Student Helpdesk on 020 7040 5000 if you require any assistance with
your EC claim.

61

5.4

Academic Misconduct

Instances of suspected academic misconduct are managed firstly in accordance with the
Assessment Regulations and Assessment and Feedback Policy. If the case is referred to
University-level, it is managed in accordance with the Student Discipline Regulations and the
Student Discipline Policy. The following is an extract from the Assessment Regulations,
Student Discipline Regulations, Assessment and Feedback Policy and Student Discipline
Policy; the full policies and regulations can be found on the Academic Development Unit
website.
If you would like more information on academic misconduct, please contact your Programme
Manager/Director.

5.4.1 General
Academic misconduct is any action that produces an improper advantage for the student in
relation to his/her assessment or deliberately and unnecessarily disadvantages other
students. It can be committed intentionally or accidentally.
Plagiarism, cheating in an examination, collusion, impersonation, falsification or fabrication,
duplication or self-plagiarism, ghosting and disruption are non-exhaustive types of academic
misconduct. Further information on these types of academic misconduct is available at the
end of this section of the Handbook and on StudyWell , a website designed by the University
to encourage positive study skills and the development of good academic practice.
Academic misconduct is different from poor academic practice, which can be dealt with
within the assessment criteria. Where poor academic practice has been identified markers
should use the ordinary marking procedures to provide the student with an appropriate mark
for their performance. They should also provide the student with feedback on how to
improve academic practice; where relevant informing the student if there is a concern that
his/her academic practice might result in a charge of academic misconduct in the future.
Students can contact the Academic Learning Support service on 0207 040 0246 to make 1-1
appointments to get support with good academic practice in their work. Appointments can be
made at West Smithfield or Northampton Square.

5.4.2 Investigation of cases of suspected academic misconduct

The University actively pursues all cases of suspected academic misconduct. This
safeguards the integrity of its awards as well as the interests of the majority of students who
work hard for their award through their own efforts. Decisions on the severity and extent of
misconduct are matters of academic judgement.
Technologies may be used to support academic judgement in cases of suspected academic
misconduct, for example: to investigate suspected cases of academic misconduct already
identified via other means; or to check the work of a whole cohort or a defined sample of
students. The reports arising from these technologies should only be used as evidence if
they are subject to academic interpretation and accompanied by a short written analysis of
the results.

62

5.4.3 Turnitin
Turnitin is a web-based application that provides a number of functions that facilitate online
assignment management including collection, marking, and feedback. It is also used to
check electronic assignment submissions for 'originality'. It does this by comparing the text of
a submitted assignment against text from a wide range of electronic material including
journals, websites, and other students work, including work from many UK universities. It is
most commonly used to assist in the detection of academic misconduct (such as plagiarism
or collusion) in an assignment after it's been submitted. Turnitin can also be used formatively
to help students learn about the importance of good academic practices and good
referencing.
For information on the use of Turnitin on your programme, please refer to the Assessment
Guidelines section of this Handbook which you can find in Part 1.
The Assessment Regulations and Student Discipline Regulations set out the different stages
at which cases of alleged academic misconduct might be considered:

Initial consideration at local level.

School-level consideration via an Academic Misconduct Panel
University-level consideration via a University Disciplinary Panel.

5.4.4 Local procedures

A member of staff who suspects academic misconduct has been committed should first
follow any local procedures established at School or department level. These local
procedures should be focussed on preliminary investigation and/or potential resolution.
The local procedures used by the School of Health Sciences are documented below:
Academic Misconduct in Examinations: Students should read the Universitys
Regulations on the conduct of examinations available here:
http://www.city.ac.uk/__data/assets/word_doc/0003/69240/s11.DOC
Please note that all suspected instances of AM in an examination will be investigated and
any student suspected of committing AM in an examination will be referred to an Academic
Misconduct Panel.
Academic Misconduct in Coursework/Dissertation: Where a case of plagiarism is
suspected, the assessment should be marked and moderated as normal and a note made
on the coversheet and marks report that the student is suspected of committing AM. In
addition, the marker/moderator should identify any plagiarised sections on the hardcopy of
the assignment and cross-reference this with the plagiarised source material where
applicable. The work should then be returned to the Senior Programmes Officer (SPO).
The electronic copies of all coursework suspected of academic misconduct are submitted to
Turnitin. This generates a Similarity Report which shows the works similarity to other
published sources. This report is interpreted by an academic who has undergone Turnitin

63

training, they prepare a report which outlines the reasons they believe the work has been
plagiarised. Further information about this part of the process is available in the AM Process,
available from MySHS on Moodle.
If the reviewer finds that there is no case at this point, the assessment can be returned to
the student with a suggestion on the coversheet that the student should seek advice on their
writing style and help with referencing from the Study Skills Team. The work will be released
to the student at this point.
If a case is found at this stage, the reviewer should complete an Academic Misconduct
Report, ensuring that they report the following:
(a)
(b)
(c)

Why they feel the work has been plagiarised

The source(s) from which the work has been plagiarised
A summary of findings from the plagiarism report

If the case is not resolved at this stage, including if the student disputes the charge, it should
be referred to an Academic Misconduct Panel. A students case will be considered by a
panel from the students home programme. Where modules from another programme are
involved, members of staff from that programme may present evidence.

5.4.5 Academic Misconduct Panels

An Academic Misconduct Panel will investigate each case and decide whether or not
academic misconduct has taken place. The Panel is not required to prove intent but
instances of deliberate fraud may carry more severe sanctions.
The student will be invited to attend the hearing and may choose to be accompanied. It
accompanied, the student is expected to speak on his/her own behalf. The student may
present his/her case to the Panel in writing if s/he wishes. The student may also respond to
any evidence used by the Panel. If a student decides to attend in person but does not
subsequently attend the meeting, and has not given adequate reasons for this in advance,
the Panel may continue in the students absence.
(i)

If academic misconduct has not taken place no further action is taken and no note is
entered on the students record. The notes of the Panel are retained. The marking
process is resumed in the normal way and the results are considered by the
Assessment Board. If a student has committed poor academic practice this should be
taken into account during the marking process.

(ii) If academic misconduct has taken place the Panel must decide an appropriate sanction
to recommend to the Assessment Board. Different sanctions exist to accommodate
different levels of academic misconduct. Recommendations as to sanctions should be
based on the following facts:
1. The instance of the misconduct (first or subsequent).
2. The extent of the misconduct (major or minor). This is a decision based on
academic judgement.
3. Whether the misconduct was deliberately fraudulent.

64

In addition, the following circumstances may have an effect on the choice of sanction:
1. The effect a sanction would have on the students ability to enter his/her chosen
profession.
2. The students year of study.
3. The nature of the module (number of credits, structure, aggregation formula).
4. Any extenuating or mitigating circumstances.
The reasons for the recommendation must be clearly recorded. The Panel must also make
clear the rationale for any deviations from sanctions that are the norm for a given type of
misconduct.
The sanctions a Panel may recommend are:
(i)

Minor first instance: marking work with appropriate mark reductions for affected sections
(which may mean marking the work excluding the affected sections). In addition a
written warning may be given

(ii) Major first instance or subsequent minor instance: a fail (0%) for the assessment
component with the right to remaining resit(s) retained (maximum mark at resit =
minimum pass mark)
(iii) Major first instance or subsequent instance (major or minor): a fail (0%) for the module
with the right to remaining resit(s) retained (maximum mark at resit = minimum pass
mark)
(iv) Major first instance or subsequent instance (major or minor): a fail (0%) for the
assessment component or module with the right to remaining resit(s) retained; however,
although the student can gain the credit for the component or module they will not be
given any marks for it
(v) Subsequent instance (major or minor): a fail (0%) for the assessment component or
module with the right to remaining resit(s) retained (maximum mark at resit = minimum
pass mark) but where the students marks in other assessments in the same diet are
capped
In addition, the Panel may recommend that the student undergo training in good academic
practice
Where the Panel considers that the case is serious enough to warrant a sanction greater
than those it is able to recommend, it may ask that the case be dealt with under the
Universitys Student Discipline Regulations (see section on Student Discipline). The panel
may recommend a sanction it considers appropriate for consideration by the University
Disciplinary Panel. Sanctions the Panel may recommend include any of those listed in the
Student Discipline Regulations.
Panels should aim to achieve an equitable and consistent outcome for students in the
sanctions given for cases of academic misconduct. However, the same sanction might have

65

a different outcome depending on the time at which the misconduct was committed (e.g. first
sit or resit) and the structure of the programme.
The Panel shall report its decisions and recommendations, with reasons, to the Assessment
Board for the appropriate programme, which will take the recommendation into account
when agreeing your marks and making a recommendation concerning your progression or
award.
Where the case is being considered under the Student Discipline Regulations the
Assessment Board shall note any recommendations made by the Panel but shall suspend
implementation of them pending the outcome of the disciplinary process.
Where misconduct is found it is recorded at the Assessment Board. Where applicable, a
note is made on the students record.

5.4.6 University Disciplinary Panels

If the case of suspected academic misconduct is referred to the University under the Student
Discipline Regulations, a University Disciplinary Panel will be held in accordance with those
Regulations.
The student will be invited to the meeting and may choose to be accompanied. Evidence
will be provided to the panel and the student in advance of the meeting. The student may
provide a written response to the evidence provided if s/he wishes.
If the student chooses not to attend or fails to attend without submitting in writing valid
reasons for a postponement the panel may meet in the students absence.
The Panel will consider the case. Witnesses may be called by the student or by those
bringing the allegation. The student will have opportunity to present any mitigating
circumstances prior to the outcome of the hearing being finalised.
If the allegations are not substantiated, no further action will be taken.
If the case relates to academic misconduct and the allegations are substantiated, options
available to the Panel are:
Any of the sanctions listed in Section 13 of the Assessment Regulations.
A fail (0%) for the assessment component or module with the right to remaining resit(s)
removed.
Any of the sanctions listed in Section 13 of the Assessment Regulations combined with
the ability to reduce or rescind previously gained marks.
Reduced degree classification or award level.
Exclusion. This can include selective restriction of:
i. attendance at or access to the University;
ii. exercise of functions or duties of offices or committees of the University;
iii. contact with named person(s);
iv. privileges associated with the University, for example those associated with
the Library.

66

Suspension, either total or qualified (e.g. providing permission to attend for the
purpose of an assessment).
Expulsion from the University.
Retrospective withdrawal of any University awards.

Sanctions can be combined as appropriate and reasonable. The Panel should also consider
the period of time for which a sanction will remain effective, if relevant, and whether a review
of a sanction should be undertaken at any point

5.4.7 Academic Misconduct and Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (PSRBs)
Where programmes are PSRB-accredited, the disciplinary and/or conduct procedures of the
PSRB may apply in addition to those of the University.
PSRBs may be informed of cases of academic misconduct as long as this is done in
accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and only once the internal procedures have
been completed. The student must be notified before the PSRB is informed.
For more information about your particular PSRB and academic misconduct, please contact
your Programme Director/Manager.

5.4.8 Definitions of Academic Misconduct

A non-exhaustive list of types of academic misconduct includes:
1. Plagiarism: passing off the ideas or words of someone else as though they were your
own. It applies equally to the work of other students as to published sources and can
include:
Submitting, as one's own, an assignment that another person has completed.
Downloading information, text, artwork, graphics or other material from the internet
and presenting it as one's own without acknowledgment.
Quoting or paraphrasing material from a source without acknowledgment.
Copying from other members while working in a group.
Contributing less, little or nothing to a group assignment and then claiming an equal
share of the marks.
2. Cheating in an exam: either by copying from other students or using unauthorised notes
or other aids.
3. Collusion: students working together to create and submit a similar or identical
assignment or assessment, without authority from their tutor or School.
This does not include those times when students are asked to undertake group-work and
so in situations in which students may legitimately work together. However, any groupwork task should be clear in explaining how and to what extent students may work
together (for example, whether the group-work includes writing a joint report). If students
work together beyond the group-work arrangements, that might constitute collusion.

67

4. Impersonation: where a person assumes the identity of another person with the
intention of gaining unfair advantage for that person.
5. Falsification or fabrication: inventing or altering data or references.
6. Duplication or self-plagiarism: Preparing a correctly cited and referenced assignment
from individual research and then handing part or all of that work in twice for separate
subjects/marks, without acknowledging the first assignment correctly.
7. Ghosting: Submitting as your own work that has been done in whole or in part by
another person on your behalf, or deliberately making or seeking to make available
material to another student for it to be used by the other student. Investigating the
possibility of using another persons work can also be counted as academic misconduct.
8. Disruption: preventing an assessment from being conducted in an orderly and
appropriate manner.

5.5

Fitness to Practise

5.5.1 Introduction
Fitness to practise means having the skills, knowledge, good health and good character to
practice in the relevant professional role safely and effectively. Fitness to practise is
monitored and assessed throughout your time on the programme and, if there are concerns
including allegations of misconduct, lack of competence and poor health, these will be
investigated and addressed by the School. The main purpose in doing this is to safeguard
the health and wellbeing of the public and to adhere to the standards set out by the
Professional Statutory Regulatory Bodies (PSRB).
The School is required to monitor that all applicants meet the general entry requirements as
part of the selection process. The School is also required to monitor progress of all students
and to take appropriate action if any issues related to good health or good character arises.

5.5.2 Grounds for Referrals

Referral to the Fitness to Practise Panel may take place:
a) as a result of a Cause for Concern process,
b) through the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) process (e.g. caution, criminal conviction,
prison sentence - please refer to the Schools CRB Process)

5.5.3 Cause for Concern Process

Purpose
The purpose of this stage in the School of Health Sciences Fitness to Practise Process is to
ensure that students and staff are able to raise any issue of concern at the earliest possible
stage in order that a supportive action plan can be agreed. It is essentially the preliminary
stage of the Schools Fitness to Practise Policy.
Grounds for Referral
A student may be referred for two possible reasons:

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Lack of progress for non-academic reasons

Competence Issues (e.g. unsafe practice);
Health Issues (e.g. an impairment or health condition which may make it impossible
for a student to meet the requirement of the programme including mental illness)
Lack of professionalism
Unprofessional behaviour/Professional misconduct (e.g. breach of confidentiality, sexual,
racial or other forms of harassment, poor timekeeping, dress, unprofessional attitude,
inappropriate behaviour such as rudeness, aggression, not taking instructions when
appropriate);
Character Issues (e.g. honesty, aggressive, violent or threatening behaviour,
drug/alcohol abuse)

5.5.4 Further Information

The full Fitness to Practise process can be found on the MySHS page on Moodle.

5.6

Clerical check of marks

The Assessment Regulations state that a student may ask that a check be undertaken of
his/her marks to ensure that they have been calculated correctly. This is separate from
making an appeal. If you wish to ask for a clerical check you must submit the request no
later than 28 days following the publication of the results from the Assessment Board. You
should collect a Clerical Check of Marks Form from the Student Helpdesk.

5.7

Transcripts, certificates and Diploma supplements

At the end of your programme of study, you will receive a Certificate, Transcript and a
Diploma Supplement. You will also receive an interim transcript at regular points throughout
your programme; for example, at the end of each year of a full time undergraduate
programme.
The Transcript is a statement of your academic performance on your programme of
study at City University London. It confirms that you are or were a registered student at
the University and includes the following information:
o Student details
o Programme of study
o Qualification and final result achieved for your programme of study (for a Final
Transcript)
o Record of learning and achievement including a list of modules that you have
taken, together with the marks and credits achieved
o Information signifying it is an official transcript, for example the University
stamp.
To verify the contents of the transcript, or obtain duplicate copies, contact your Programme
Officer.

Your Degree Certificate will usually be presented to you at your Graduation Ceremony
or, if you are unable to attend, it will be posted to you. It is an official document which

69

formally certifies your final award. You can find more information
http://www.city.ac.uk/about/student-administration/graduation/your-guide-tograduation/degree-certificates

here:

The Diploma Supplement is a European Commission initiative which aims to promote

transparency in higher education and fair and informed judgments about qualifications
across Europe. It is effectively a European version of your transcript and also contains
some additional information. You can find more information about this here:
http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/ds_en.htm

5.8

Student Appeals

Work submitted for an assessment is marked according to formal criteria and is subject to a
wide range of checks and balances designed to ensure accuracy and consistency. These
include anonymous marking, moderation and/ or second-marking. The marking process is
overseen by External Examiners. Following these procedures recommendations are made
to the relevant Assessment Board which is responsible for approving marks and making
decisions concerning progression and award.
Academic Appeals can only be made against the decision of an Assessment Board.
Academic appeals relate to progression and award although reference can be made to
individual assessments and marks as part of the appeal.
1. Occasionally things might go wrong or you will experience circumstances outside
your control which impact on your academic assessment, award or progression. City
has a number of mechanisms in place to ensure these are dealt with as quickly as
possible and you should make use of these at the earliest possible opportunity. It is
important for students to remember that the Appeals process is not a substitute for
early reporting of problems. The earlier a problem is reported, the more the
University will be able to do to assist you in minimising disruption to your studies.
2. The appeals process is intended for the very rare cases where no agreed remedy or
resolution was identified at an earlier stage.
Academic appeals from students at City are managed in accordance with the UK Quality
Code for Higher Education3, the Senate Regulations for Appeals (20, 20b, 21 and 21b) and
the Appeals Policy.
The following principles underpin Citys approach to appeals:
1. A focus on providing support and enabling resolution
2. Recognition that our students are preparing for business and the professions where
personal responsibility for seeking support, guidance and resolution is expected
3. A culture of enhancement seeking to learn from appeals and improve the student
experience
4. Clarity in language and process

http://www.qaa.ac.uk/AssuringStandardsAndQuality/quality-code/Pages/default.aspx

70

5. Fairness and consistency in treatment of the student body as a whole, as well as

for particular individuals
6. Upholding independence in appeals decisions and the integrity of academic
judgement
7. Maintaining awareness through collaboration with support services (academic and
welfare), targeted local campaigns, and visible and accessible central information
8. Respecting confidentiality with regard to personal information
You can access the full policy and the Appeals Regulations by visiting the Academic
Services webpages: http://www.city.ac.uk/about/education/academic-services

5.8.1 The process

You are able to make an appeal up to 28 calendar days after the publication of the decision
of the Assessment Board. Your School will formally notify you of the decision of the
Assessment Board; the notification will include a statement indicating your options for
appeal. It is important to remember that an appeal cannot be made against the academic
judgement of your examiners or the Assessment Board; if you are unhappy with your marks
you should seek advice from your Personal Tutor in the first instance. You can also request
an administrative check of your marks to ensure there has been no error in the calculation;
an administrative error in calculation is the only time when your marks might be changed and
it does not require an appeal for such errors to be remedied.
You can only appeal on two grounds:
1) Material error
This is an error that is both relevant and significant to the decision made by the
Assessment Board in respect of your award or progression.
2) Undisclosed extenuating circumstances.
This is when you were unable to apply for consideration of your extenuating
circumstances through the standard procedure. The appeal review looks at your
reasons for not being able to apply at the time.
These definitions simply give you a broad indication of the grounds for appeal. Detailed
criteria are given in the forms and guidance; if you believe you may have valid grounds for
appeal now is the time to read through these and seek advice and support from the Union
Support Service (http://www.culsu.co.uk/advice/) if you are uncertain about the grounds for
your appeal.
There are different forms and guidance for taught students and research students. You can
find these on the Academic Services website:
http://www.city.ac.uk/about/education/academic-services
Once you have completed your form you should submit it to:
Mark Smith
Quality Officer
School of Health Sciences

71

City University London

Northampton Square
London EC1V 0HB
Mark.Smith.2@city.ac.uk
We would encourage you to make full use of the support available to you when preparing
your appeal. The Union Support Service offer independent, confidential advice and there
are a range of FAQs and case studies available on the Academic Services website as well
as a flowchart representing the whole appeals procedure.
You will not suffer any detriment if you appeal in good faith. However, you should be aware
that if an appeal is made fraudulently or your actions contravene the expectations set out in
City and You then disciplinary action may be taken against you.

5.9

Student Complaints

5.9.1 General
Complaints by students will be managed in accordance with Senate Regulation 26 the
Universitys Complaints Regulations and the Student Complaints Policy. The following is
an extract from the Complaints Regulations and Student Complaints Policy; the full policy
and regulations can be found on the Academic Services website.
If you would like more information on the Complaints Regulations and Policy, please contact
Waheeda Dhansey w.dhansey@city.ac.uk.
The University aims to provide a high quality experience for each student. It recognises,
however, that on occasion a student may be dissatisfied with or concerned about an aspect
of his/her experience and may wish to pursue this using a mechanism beyond day to day
feedback processes. The Universitys Complaints Regulations, and associated policy,
therefore exist to enable students to make complaints about such matters.
A complaint can be made about any aspect of the student experience or the wider
University, including educational aspects, and can be made by an individual student or by a
group of students.

5.9.2 Consideration of complaints

The University takes student complaints seriously and will do its best to resolve matters that
are brought to its attention. It encourages informal resolution where possible and positive
engagement with those who complain. The University aims to deal with complaints
transparently, confidentially, following the principles of natural justice and in a timely manner.
A student will not suffer any detriment if they make a complaint in good faith.
However, complaints that are submitted anonymously will not normally be considered and
complaints that are found to be unsubstantiated will be dismissed. A student should also be
aware that if a complaint is pursued inappropriately disciplinary action may be taken against
him/her.

72

Staff and students are expected to take every opportunity to resolve a complaint before
escalating the matter to the next stage of the process. Each stage of the process should be
exhausted before the next stage is used.
Making a complaint is different from appealing against the decision made by an Assessment
Board on a students assessment, progression or award. The timescales of the two are also
different. If a student has a concern s/he must ensure that s/he chooses the most
appropriate route for pursuing that concern depending on its nature. Concerns should where
possible be raised at the time.

5.9.3 People involved in the Complaints Regulations

The Complaints Regulations refer at various points to Officers. These are:

School Officer nominated by the Vice-Chancellor or his/her nominee Waheeda

Dhansey w.dhansey@city.ac.uk.
University Officer nominated by the Vice-Chancellor for reviews or his/her nominee
Deputy Vice-Chancellor
University Officer nominated by the ViceChancellor for Validated Institution reviews or
his/her nominee Deputy ViceChancellor [normally delegated to the Dean of Validation]
Member of staff to whom validated students can ask advice on which Regulations should
be used Director of Academic Services or his/her nominee

Appropriate consideration will be given to ensuring that the Officers involved do not have a
conflict of interest in the case. At the informal stage, a student should if at all possible
address his/her complaint to the person most directly involved in the event leading to the
complaint. However, at other stages the following groups of staff will not normally be
permitted to be involved in investigating and considering complaints cases:

The students Programme Director;

The students personal tutor;
Any member of staff related to the event which has given rise to the complaint;
Any member of staff who might be considered to have a vested interest in the outcome
of the case, normally including those directly involved with the student or involved in the
students programme and/or other activities with which the student is involved;
Any member of staff who declares him/herself as having a conflict of interest.

Where possible, at University-level members of staff from the same School as the student
should not be involved in consideration of the case. In addition, the same members of staff
will not be used at different stages of the regulations.

5.10 Student Discipline

If you do not behave in a professional manner it is possible that you may be deemed to have
committed misconduct. Instances of alleged misconduct are managed in accordance with
Senate Regulation 13 the Universitys Student Discipline Regulations and the Student
Discipline Policy. Instances of alleged academic misconduct will initially be considered in
accordance with section 13 of the Assessment Regulations and with the Assessment and

73

Feedback Policy. The following is an extract from the Student Discipline Regulations and
Student Discipline Policy; the full policy and regulations can be found on the Academic
Services
website:
http://www.city.ac.uk/about/education/academic-services/academicpolicies-and-regulation/complaints-and-discipline/discipline
If you would like more information on the Student Discipline Regulations and Student
Discipline Policy, please contact Waheeda Dhansey w.dhansey@city.ac.uk.

5.10.1 General
Students are expected to behave appropriately and in accordance with the rights and
responsibilities outlined in City and You.
The Disciplinary Regulations define misconduct as improper interference, in the broadest
sense, with the proper functioning or activities of the University or those who study or work in
it, including actions which damage the University. The following constitute misconduct:
1. Disruption of, or improper interference with, the academic, administrative, sporting, social
or other activities of the University, whether on University premises or elsewhere. This
will normally be taken to include areas adjacent to such premises and/or premises being
used by the University for its purposes or any activities under its auspices;
2. Obstruction of, or improper interference with, the functions, duties or activities of any
student, member of staff or other employee of the University or any authorised visitor to
the University;
3. Violent, indecent, disorderly, threatening or offensive behaviour or language whilst on
University premises or engaged in any University activity;
4. Fraud, deceit, deception or dishonesty in relation to the University or its staff or in
connection with holding any office in the University or in relation to being a student of the
University;
5. Action likely to cause injury or impair safety on University premises;
6. Breach of the provisions of any of the Codes of Conduct of the University or equivalent;
7. Damage to or defacement of property or the property of other members of the University
community caused intentionally or recklessly and misappropriation of such property;
8. Misuse or unauthorised use of University premises or items of property including
computer misuse;
9. Conduct which constitutes a criminal offence where that conduct:
took place on University premises, or
affected or concerned other members of the University community, or
damages the good name of the University, or
itself constitutes misconduct within the terms of the Disciplinary regulations, or
is an offence of dishonesty, where the student holds an office of responsibility in the
University;
10. Behaviour which brings the University into disrepute;
11. Failure to disclose name and other relevant details to an officer or employee of the
University in circumstances when it is reasonable to require that such information be
given;
12. Failure to comply with security instructions and procedures;

74

13. Failure to comply with a penalty previously imposed under the Disciplinary Regulations
or a subsidiary Code of Conduct;
14. Conduct which constitutes unsuitability for the profession where the students course of
study is linked to a particular profession.
It should be noted that if a student pursues a complaint or an appeal in an appropriate
manner, including submitting materially inaccurate or false information or evidence,
disciplinary action may be taken against him/her.

5.10.2 Consideration of cases of alleged misconduct

The Disciplinary Regulations set out the different stages at which alleged cases of
misconduct might be considered. These include:
Initial consideration at local level.
University-level consideration.
Appeal against the outcome of University-level consideration.

5.10.3 Local level

At local level, the case may be considered either by a member of staff within a School or by
an officer responsible for a Code of Conduct, depending on the nature of the alleged
misconduct.
In the case of misconduct which relates to a Code of Conduct, the Code of Conduct will
normally set out the procedures to be followed.
Within the School of Health Sciences, cases of misconduct will be referred to the Associate
Dean or Divisional Lead responsible for your programme.
If the case is not resolved at this stage, including if the student disagrees with the proposed
outcome of a local procedure, it should be referred to the next stage.

5.10.4 University-level consideration

At University-level, consideration might involve a University Disciplinary Panel. Where a
Panel is involved, it will operate according to the principles of natural justice. It should also
be noted that:

The details of any person accompanying a student, including the reason for their
attendance, should be provided to the Chair of the panel at least seven days in advance
of the meeting.
Those bringing the case should be willing to speak on its behalf.
Witnesses can be questioned by the panel.
If a fine is used, it is not considered appropriate for large fines to be given.

5.10.5 People involved in the Disciplinary Regulations

The Disciplinary Regulations refer at various points to Officers and members of staff.
These are:

School Officer nominated by the Vice-Chancellor or his/her nominee

75

University Officer nominated by the Vice-Chancellor or his/her nominee Deputy ViceChancellor Education [normally delegated to the Dean of Students]
Senior administrative officer of the University Appeals, Complaints and Enhancement
Manager or his/her nominee
Academic staff member who sits on University Disciplinary Panels a staff member from
a list approved annually by Senate, who is not a member of Senate
Student who sits on University Disciplinary Panels a student nominated annually by the
President of the Students Union or his/her nominee
Two members of University staff who have been nominated by the Vice-Chancellor or
his/her nominee to undertake initial scrutiny of appeal claims - Appeals, Complaints and
Enhancement Manager or his/her nominee plus one other member of University staff
with knowledge of the Disciplinary Regulations
Academic staff member who sits on University Appeal Panels a staff member from a
list approved annually by Senate of Senate members, former Senate members of others
with appropriate experience
Student who sits on University Appeal Panels a student member of Senate

Appropriate consideration will be given to ensuring that the Officers involved do not have a
conflict of interest in the case. This means that the following groups of staff and students will
not normally be permitted to be involved in investigating and considering disciplinary cases,
including sitting on panels:
The students Programme Director;
The students personal tutor;
Any member of staff or student related to the event which has given rise to the case of
alleged misconduct;
Any member of staff or student who might be considered to have a vested interest in the
outcome of the case, normally including those directly involved with the student or
involved in the students programme and/or other activities with which the student is
involved;
Any member of staff who declares him/herself as having a conflict of interest.
Where possible, at University-level members of staff and students from the same School as
the student should not be involved in Disciplinary Panels and Disciplinary Appeal Panels. In
addition, the same members of staff and the same students will not be used at different
stages of the regulations.

5.11 Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA)

When the Universitys internal procedures in relation to student appeals, student complaints
or student disciplinary cases (including cases of academic misconduct) have been
concluded a student will be issued with a Completion of Procedures (CoP) letter. Following
this, a student who is dissatisfied with the final decision on his/her case may be able to apply
to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA). The OIA is a
national body. It operates an independent scheme for the review of student complaints which
is free to students. The University is expected to comply with the formal decision and any
recommendations of an OIA Reviewer, but OIA decisions are not binding on students.
Information and eligibility rules are available at www.oiahe.org.uk

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6. Student Support
6.1

Academic support

Academic support can be sought from your module leader or lecturers. Their contact details
can be found in your individual assessment guidelines.
Study skills support is available for SHS students. If you think that study skills may help you,
please contact the Schools Study Skills Coordinator and the Academic Learning Support
team for an appointment to discuss this on 0207 040 0246 or email:
academiclearningsupport@city.ac.uk.
City and You states the following:
You are encouraged to inform us at the earliest opportunity of any disability or
specific learning needs, so that we can consider appropriate adjustments and
support.

6.2

Student Contact with Teaching Staff Policy

6.2.1 Context
The Learning and Teaching Strategy supports our students in becoming professional,
analytical and enquiring graduates. Students development is dependent on the support they
receive, the environment in which they study, and the academic quality of their programmes;
students own motivation to learn provides an additional essential factor.
Beyond scheduled teaching, all students should be provided with clear information on the
opportunities available for interaction with academic staff. Staff also need to have
established structures that enable them to manage communications with students effectively
so that expectations of both parties are clear. Personal Tutoring and Academic Tutorials
provide two formal ways in which students receive support. However, from time-to-time,
students may have ad-hoc queries which may be discipline-specific or relate to their wider
educational or personal experience.

6.2.2 Meetings with Academic Staff

During each teaching week of the Academic Year, all academic staff who have a
responsibility for teaching, in its broadest sense, and/or personal tutoring should be available
for a time that totals at least two office-hours to provide students with clear opportunities in
which ad-hoc meetings can be held. This time is a minimum and separate to personal or
academic-related tutorials. These opportunities operate on the following principles:

Students will be advised via programme handbooks and induction about this type of
support and how they should liaise with staff on setting-up a time to meet.
Staff availability will be published in a form that will be most accessible to students on
a particular programme. This may include publication via Moodle, a departmental

77

webpage, a notice on a staff door or an additional line in the signature of a staff

email.
Where appropriate, an office hour time may be virtual. This may be particularly
relevant where students are studying via distance-learning, in partnership with
another organisation or are part-time.
Staff should use their judgement in instances where a student may require further
time beyond the office hour slot and schedule this accordingly.
Where visiting staff are not available, the Head of Department must ensure that other
relevant academic staff will be accessible to students to answer specific queries.
Arrangements must be made clear to students at the start of a module.

6.2.3 Responses to Student Queries

Students will be advised of academic staff email addresses through programme handbooks
and academic staff will be advised of students email addresses through the programme
administrator, following registration. Liaison between staff and students will operate on the
following principles:

Academic staff will respond to students emails and telephone messages in a timely
manner. It is expected, for example, that where a query is straightforward and where
the member of staff is not away, a response within two working days would normally
be reasonable.
Where the nature of the query means that it is not possible to provide the student
with a full response, the issue should be acknowledged and information provided as
to how and when the issue will be responded to and by whom.
Where it is immediately apparent that the nature of the query means that a face-toface discussion would be more appropriate, and where it is not an emergency, the
student may be referred to an office-hour meeting.
Unless agreed otherwise, these principles will not normally apply to emails from
students asking for a detailed response on draft submissions or feedback on formal
assessments. This process will be managed in line with the University Assessment
Policy.
Where a member of staff is absent from the University, an out-of-office message
should be provided which will normally provide details of alternative contact for
queries that are an emergency.
Where academic staff choose to provide students with their mobile phone number
and/or use text-messaging as a formal communication mechanism, they have a
responsibility to ensure that responses are timely and in accordance with the
principles above.
If visiting staff are not able to comply with these principles due to other commitments,
the Head of Department must ensure that other relevant academic staff will be
accessible to students to answer specific queries. Arrangements must be made clear
to students at the start of a module.
Social networking sites will not normally be a media used for formal communication
with students on matters relating to their academic progress.

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6.3

Personal Tutors

6.3.1 What does a personal tutor do?

You could think of your personal tutor as an academic GP, someone to go to when you need
general advice and guidance and who can refer you to other sources of support where
appropriate. Obviously the better your personal tutor knows you, the easier it is to offer the
right kind of help.
In general terms, your personal tutor will:
take an overall interest in you as a person and in your studies
be a point of contact for guidance on academic or personal matters
refer you to other sources of advice and support when needed
assist you in your Personal Development Planning

6.3.2 Can I change my personal tutor?

Occasionally students ask to change their tutor for personal reasons. In such circumstances,
requests are made to the Senior Personal Tutor for the Department.

6.3.3 How does it work?

There are two kinds of meetings with your personal tutor:
Scheduled meetings - you should expect to have three such meetings in your first
year. You will be asked for an update on progress, may work on your PDP Portfolio,
where appropriate, and be able to raise any matters affecting your work. Some
meetings may be group tutorials.
Requested meetings - you can request an additional meeting by making an
appointment with your personal tutor. Please discuss with your tutor how contact
may best be made.

6.3.4 What about confidentiality?

Your personal tutor is expected to keep records on all meetings. You should expect them to
exercise discretion with regard to all matters disclosed by you, and wherever possible to
keep confidential all matters that you ask to remain in confidence. However, if your tutor
judges it would be in your best interests to inform other staff members about a sensitive
matter, s/he will advise you of this.
Further information on personal tutors can be found on the Learning Development Centre
website. www.city.ac.uk/ldc

6.4

Central student support

The Student Centre at Northampton Square brings together a comprehensive range of

support activities, making them easily accessible to our students. Services are available in
the following areas:
Appeals and Complaints;
Counselling;
Faith;

79

Financial Support;
Health;
Housing;
International Student Support;
IT;
Library;
Sports (through Saddlers Sports Centre);
Student Administration.

The Student Centre is located on Level 2 of the University Building. Contact details are:
studentcentre@city.ac.uk/ http://www.city.ac.uk/studentcentre/
General enquiries: +44 (0) 20 7040 5060; Enquiries about services for students: +44 (0)
20 7040 7040; Fax +44 (0) 20 7040 6030

6.4.1 The Learning Success Team

The Learning Success Team provides a range of specialist services aimed at enhancing the
learning experience for students across the University. These services include:
Disability Services;
Dyslexia Support;
Student Mental Health and Wellbeing;
Academic Learning Support.
The Team is located in the Student Centre. Contact details are:
Tel: +44 (0)20 7040 0246; Fax: +44 (0)20 7040 3070; Textphone: +44 (0)20 7040 5080
disability@city.ac.uk or dyslexia@city.ac.uk
http://www.city.ac.uk/studentcentre/learning-success/

6.4.2 The Centre for Careers and Skills Development

Also part of the Student Centre, the Centre for Careers and Skills Development offers
advice, guidance and support on careers-related activities.
The Centre is located on Level 1 of the Drysdale Building. Contact details are:
Tel: + 44 (0) 207 040 8093
careers@city.ac.uk/ http://www.city.ac.uk/careers

6.4.3 The Students Union

The Students Union is essentially run by students for students and provides a range of
support services. The Students Union is located in front of the main University building in
Northampton Square. Contact details are:
Tel: 020 7040 5600; Fax: 020 7040 5601
studentsunion@city.ac.uk; http://www.city.ac.uk/studentcentre/studentsunion/index.html

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6.5

Tier 4 Student Visa Responsibilities: important information for nonEuropean Union nationals in the UK on a Tier 4 student visa

Under the UK immigration rules, both students and universities have certain responsibilities.
If you are coming to or remaining in the UK as a Tier 4 student under City Universitys
sponsorship, your responsibilities are:

To provide the University with a copy of your passport and visa/biometric ID card
To keep your contact details in the UK up to date by noting any changes online at
https://evision.city.ac.uk/urd/sits.urd/run/siw_lgn or by emailing studentcentre@city.ac.uk
To register for your programme on time each academic year
To study while you are in the UK (ensuring that you have good attendance on your
course and no significant gaps or absences)
To follow University processes if you decide that you would like to defer or suspend your
studies or withdraw from your programme
To return home if you defer or suspend your studies, withdraw from your programme or
your programme is terminated
To inform the University of any changes to your circumstances that may affect your visa
status in the UK

As a University, we also have certain responsibilities:

To fully comply with the UK Border Agency (UKBA) Tier 4 of the Points Based System
Sponsor Guidance
To take and keep copies of passports and visa/biometric ID cards for non-EU nationals
To keep students contact details up to date (and to keep a record of any changes of
address)
To check registration and to report anyone who does not register with the University to
the UKBA
To monitor student attendance and to report any unauthorised absences to the UKBA
To monitor changes of student status and to report deferrals, suspensions, withdrawals
and programme terminations to the UKBA
To notify the UKBA of any significant changes in your circumstances (such as a change
of programme or the successful completion of your programme where this is earlier than
expected)
To minimise visa refusals for both our prospective and current students this may mean
the University will not issue a Certificate of Acceptance for Studies, which is needed to
apply for a visa, if the University believes a students visa application may be refused

If you have any questions, please contact the International Student Advice Team in the
Student Centre on visaadvice@city.ac.uk or 020 7040 7040.

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7. Student Engagement
City University London considers that all students have a valuable role to play in informing
the development of programmes and shaping all aspects of the learning experience offered
to both current and future students. The views of students are vital in helping to ensure that
the University provides students with the highest quality of education and these contributions
directly inform the development of relevant strategies and action plans, including the
Universitys Learning and Teaching Strategy.
To this end, the University actively seeks to encourage students to share their views and is
committed to considering and responding to feedback fully.
Two important ways in which students can engage with the development of their programme
is to provide feedback via questionnaire and representation systems.

7.1

Student Feedback Questionnaires

Module Evaluation
All students are invited to undertake an evaluation of their experience at the end of each
module, normally in the final lecture. This process aims to elicit a high volume of anonymous
information to identify strengths of a module and areas for development so as to maintain a
continuous cycle of improvement. The University operates a common question set for
module evaluation so as to ensure consistency of approach and measurement across all
provision.
Your Voice
Undergraduate students in Years 1 and 2 are invited to participate in the Universitys Your
Voice survey. This anonymous activity focuses on programme-level and wider University
experiences, and questions are constructed to complement those asked through module
evaluation.
There are questions common to both Your Voice 1 and 2 and some questions which are
specific to the students year of study. The University is keen on tracking student feedback
through the students University journey.

7.1.1 External Surveys

The University also participates in a number of externally run student surveys.
National Student Survey (NSS)
The National Student Survey (NSS) is a national survey of final year undergraduate
students. It runs across all publicly funded Higher Education Institutions in England, Wales
and Northern Ireland. Some higher educations institutions in Scotland also take part. The
NSS is a national initiative that has been conducted annually since 2005. Those surveyed
include full and part-time, final year students studying for a wide range of undergraduate
courses. Details of the survey can be found at: www.thestudentsurvey.com

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The survey was commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council for England
(HEFCE) and is undertaken by Ipsos MORI, an independent market research agency.
The survey asks final year students a range of questions about the quality of the education
and support that they have received. The survey opens in mid January and closes in mid
April, however each University chooses the week in which survey promotion will start at their
institution. Eligible students will first receive an e-mail inviting them to complete the survey
online; non-respondents are followed up by post and telephone.
The University, Programme Teams and the Students Union work together to ensure that we
receive a good response rate to the survey, as the data collected is vital in supporting City in
ongoing work to enhance the student experience.
Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) and the Postgraduate Research
Experience Survey (PRES)
The Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) and the Postgraduate Research
Experience Survey (PRES) are sector-wide questionnaires, conducted online, which enable
the University to collect feedback from postgraduate and postgraduate research students.
These two surveys are conducted in alternate years. The results from these surveys will be
used to support internal enhancement activity at a University and programme-level.
Survey dates 2012-13
The survey dates for 2012-13 will be confirmed in October 2012. They are likely to take
place between January and May 2013.

7.1.2 Student Committees and Representation

The University and Students Union are jointly committed to operating and supporting an
effective system of student representation throughout all levels of University governance.
Key roles include:
Programme Representatives
Each programme must have a representative, elected by their peers, to represent the
views of the students on that course.
School Representation Officer
Each School has one School Representation Officer (SRO) who acts a link between
programme representatives and the Students Union. SROs also attend relevant Student
Experience Forums to represent the views of students in their School. This position is
filled via Students Union elections and all students are eligible to stand and to vote.
Sabbatical Officer
Each year 3 Sabbatical Officers are elected by students via Students Union elections to
represent their views at University level. Students elect a President, Vice President
Education and Vice President Activities and Development. They participate in a range of
committees and strategic project groups including Senate, University Academic Practice
Programmes and Standards Committee and the University Student Affairs Committee.

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The Students Union provides a range of support to all students undertaking any form of
representation. Further information can be found here: http://www.culsu.co.uk/yourvoice/
Additionally, the Students Union works closely with the University to support activities
around obtaining wider student feedback, through NSS, Your Voice, PTES and PRES.
Student committees
Student-Staff Liaison Committees and Student Experience Committees are run around once
per term for each programme. These meetings are used to enable Student Representatives
to put their views and the views of their fellow students across to a group of senior
programme and school staff.
If you are interested in becoming a student representative, please speak to your Programme
Director/Manager or David Ross, Quality Officer David.Ross.1@city.ac.uk.
Please note that your student representative is Laxmi Juttla and can be contacted on
ljuttla@yahoo.co.uk.

7.1.3 Keeping you informed

You Say, We Listen
Feedback from students is essential to inform the development of the Universitys courses
and to help shape all aspects of the learning experience. We actively seek and encourage
you to give us your views and online surveys are one of the main ways that we do this.
You Say, We Listen is the Universitys feedback campaign that runs throughout the year. In
order to complete the feedback loop City understand that we should communicate back to
students on how we use their feedback. The results of surveys and other forms of feedback
from students are used to support planning work that will enhance the student experience.
The University and your Programme Team will keep you informed of actions that are taken
to respond to your views and will explain when it is not possible to resolve an issue.

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8. Administration and Management

8.1

Refreshment Facilities

Both the Royal London Hospital and St Bartholomews Hospital have restaurants which you
can use and will give you a discount on production of your ID card. At the Northampton
Square site of the University, refreshments can be purchased in a number of locations
including the cafeteria, restaurant and Students Union.

8.2

Students Union

As a student registered for a City University London award, you are automatically a member
of the Students Union.
The Union offers a number of facilities including a Union shop, a bar, and a main bar with
restaurant area and an entertainments venue. The Union organises and co-ordinates the
various societies and sporting activities of the University which are extremely broad and well
attended. The Union is located at the Students Union building, Spencer Street at the
Northampton Square site of the University.

8.3

Health and Safety

8.3.1 Student Responsibility

Take reasonable care of your safety and that of others

Listen to advice given by your lecturers/supervisors
Report accidents (actual and near miss) occurring in the University to make the
environment a safer place to study.

8.3.2 Training
If you undertake a placement or other activities where you may be exposed to significant
hazards, a risk assessment would have been carried out and will be communicated to you.
You will receive a health and safety briefing if any hazards are associated with your
programme/ environment.
Remember; you should not undertake an activity unsupervised if you have not received the
appropriate safety information, instruction or training.

8.3.3 Safety inductions

Safety inductions are an essential process to ensure that you are made aware of the
University's Health and Safety arrangements, general Health and Safety policies,
procedures and specific workplace hazards.
If you have any queries, refer to the Student Services Helpdesks for safety information.

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8.3.4 Fire
On Discovering a Fire
Raise the alarm (at nearest fire alarm call point)
Warn people in the immediate vicinity
Evacuate the building
Make sure you know the location of the nearest fire alarm call point
A continuous alarm will sound in the event of an emergency. In the event that the
alarm does not work, dial 2222 (School buildings) 3333 (University buildings).

You are always required to evacuate the building on hearing the alarm
Follow the fire exit signs and leave the building. Proceed to the assembly point
Follow instructions given by the University Fire Wardens (staff trained in fire
safety - they wear the Yellow High Visibility waistcoat when on fire warden duty)
Do not use lifts during an emergency evacuation
Do not re-enter the building until youve been given clearance.

Fire Prevention
Fire prevention is common sense. Report any situations that may cause a potential fire to a
member of staff.
Fire drills will be held at least once a year
Familiarise yourself with all fire escape routes and evacuation procedures.
Fire notices are displayed in all University Buildings.

8.3.5 First Aid

First Aid signs are displayed in all University buildings, details include: name, extension
number, location of first aiders and out of office emergencies.
The School has trained first aiders to deal with an emergency who can be contacted or via
Reception on each School site.
Security Officers are trained in emergency first aid techniques and can be contacted via
3333 (University buildings).
Look out for the first aid signs
If you have an actual accident, or are involved in an incident i.e., a potential accident that
could have resulted in injury, ill health, damage or loss whilst studying at the University then
report it. There are accident forms available for this purpose.

School buildings: Reception

If the accident occurs elsewhere, report it to your personal tutor
Alert security if outside normal university hours, however inform your personal
tutor as soon as possible.
Contact School staff to complete the City University London accident / incident
form.

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8.3.6 Electric Shocks

Never use an electrical appliance, which seems faulty or looks in poor condition.
Always check that electrical equipment has a PAT tested sticker.
If someone receives an electric shock from an item of equipment, switch off the
current. If the person is unconscious seek help from the nearest first aider.

8.3.7 Spillages
If you are unsure about dealing with a substance spillage, alert your lecturer, demonstrator,
supervisor or School Site Manager.

Emergency kits for cleaning spillages are available.

Always wear appropriate protective clothing, gloves, avoid skin contact with
spillages. You may in certain cases require respiratory protection.
Cleaning fluids, photocopier chemicals should be stored correctly, spillages
should be dealt with immediately - if in doubt ask your supervisor.

8.3.8 Gas Leaks

If you suspect a gas leak, do not touch electrical switches, or use a naked flame.
Notify a member of staff immediately. Ventilate the area.
Turn off the gas supply if you are able to identify the source.
Report any defective gas cylinder gauges immediately (Contact Facilities Team
via Reception)

8.3.9 Laboratory Safety

NEVER climb on benches, tables and chairs
Follow all instructions
Always wear correct clothing and protective equipment e.g. lab coats, gloves
No eating, chewing gum, drinking, smoking
Familiarise yourself with emergency procedures (know the locations of the
nearest shower, first aid kit, fire fighting equipment and emergency exit)
Ensure you know how to operate equipment safely before beginning
Report all known or observed hazards/incidents and injuries to your supervisor
Be aware of posture: static posture without regular change should be avoided
Ensure good house-keeping in the lab, use disposal units provided.
Never wedge open fire doors or block or obstruct doorways, gangways, corridors and stairs.

8.3.10 Long Hours

Take regular breaks, mental or physical fatigue causes loss of concentration, drowsiness
and making you more prone to mistakes and accident

8.3.11 Computers
Working on computers for long periods can cause eyestrain, aches and pains to fingers,
wrists, shoulders, headaches. To reduce the chances of this occurring:

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Mix computer based work with other work.

Take regular breaks. Have a stretch every 30 minutes
Look away from screen frequently, this allows your eyes to relax.
Alternate mouse use with using key strokes
Adjust the workstation and chair to suit you. Your forearms should be
approximately horizontal with the keyboard, avoid hand wrists.

8.3.12 Manual Handling and Lifting

There is a right way to move objects safely. Never move or lift anything that is beyond your
capability. Wherever possible obtain assistance or use a trolley.

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Appendix 1 Coursework Coversheet

COVERSHEET
Student Number
(the 8 digit number on your ID
card)

Module Code

Module Name

Word Count (actual

number of words in
main body of text)

Assessment Title
Year / Intake

Nature of submission

Please
tick

First submission
Resubmission
Yellow sticker

.........

Assessment Submission Receipt: Please complete the details below prior to submitting
your work

Student Name:

Module Code

For office use only: Please use official stamp here

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COURSEWORK DECLARATION SHEET

This declaration sheet will be retained in the office in case of queries. It confirms
that you have read and complied with the guidelines on plagiarism. Attach this
declaration sheet with your name on it, to your coursework. (Administration staff will
remove the declaration sheet before passing coursework to the lecturer concerned).
Student Name
Student ID Number
Programme/Year

Module Code

Assessment Title
Date of submission
Word count declaration
I certify that the word count declared is correct.
Plagiarism declaration
I certify that the coursework that I have submitted is my own unaided work and that
I have read and complied with the guidelines on plagiarism as set out in the student
programme handbook. I understand that the University may make use of plagiarism
detection software (Turnitin) and that my work may therefore be stored on a
database which is accessible to other users of the same software.
Students should be aware that, where plagiarism is suspected, a formal
investigation will be carried out, and action may be taken under the
Universitys rules on Academic Misconduct. This might result in sanctions
ranging from mark deduction to withdrawal from the University.

Students signature ...................................................................................................

Date ........................................................................................................................
_______________________________________________________________________
For office use:
Date stamp:

Date Received......................................................................................................................

Receiving Officer..................................................................................................................

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FEEDBACK AND RESULT FORM

Feedback is provided in relation to the assessment criteria (box on left) that were
given to you with the assessment specification.
The comment box on the right identifies what you have done satisfactorily or well,
what you need to do to improve this mark and, where possible, how you should go
about this. You may also receive feedback through other mechanisms e.g. verbally
or as a group.
Module name and code
Assessment Title

Date

Student Number
Assessment Criteria
Proportion of marks

Proportion of
mark awarded

Comment

This will be repetition of the

original criteria you were given

Overall comment (referring also to the grade related criteria):

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MARK

SANCTIONS

Sanction
Awarded

Late submission per day for 4 days (-5 marks)

Exceeding the word limit will incur the following sanctions:
0-10% over word limit no sanction
11-20% - minus 5 marks
21-40% - minus 10 marks
41-60% - minus 20 marks
Over 60% - to be resubmitted
Word count inaccurate or not disclosed (- 5 marks)
Failure to submit cover and/or coursework declaration sheet (-5 marks each)
Breach of confidentiality /Dangerous practice (0%)

FINAL MARK

Markers Name

Markers Signature .........

Date ...............................................................................................

94