FACULTY OF HUMANITIES

SCHOOL OF ARTS

UG STUDENT HANDBOOK

2014-2015

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CONTENTS

WELCOME FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL ............................................................................. 2

SCHOOL KEY CONTACTS ................................................................................................ 3

COMMUNICATIONS ...................................................................................................... 3

FACILITIES AND RESOURCES .......................................................................................... 4

PROGRAMME AND MODULE INFORMATION ................................................................ 4

MODULE AVAILABILITY .................................................................................................. 5

MODULE REGISTRATION ............................................................................................... 5

MODULE AND DEGREE CHANGES .................................................................................. 5

CHANGING SEMINAR GROUPS ...................................................................................... 6

SUSPENDING YOUR STUDIES/WITHDRAWING ............................................................... 6

SUBMITTING YOUR WORK ............................................................................................ 6

SCHOOL WIDE MARKING CRITERIA ............................................................................... 7

SCHOOL WIDE GRADE DESCRIPTORS ............................................................................. 9

FEEDBACK ................................................................................................................... 11

AVOIDING PLAGIARISM ............................................................................................... 12

GENERAL STUDYING INFORMATION ........................................................................... 12

HOW YOUR DEGREE RESULT IS CALCULATED .............................................................. 12

STUDY ABROAD AND PLACEMENT YEAR OPTIONS ...................................................... 12

STUDENT CHARTER AND UNIVERSITY REGULATIONS .................................................. 13

SCHOOL OF ARTS STUDENT SUPPORT ......................................................................... 13

APPEALS AND COMPLAINTS ........................................................................................ 16

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EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY ........................................................................................... 16

ACADEMIC ADVISORS .................................................................................................. 16

STUDENT REPRESENTATION ........................................................................................ 17

THINKING ABOUT YOUR FUTURE ................................................................................ 17

HEALTH AND SAFETY ................................................................................................... 18

USEFUL LINKS .............................................................................................................. 19

WELCOME FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL

Welcome to the University, if you are a new student in the School of Arts, and welcome back to those of you

who are returning. You are joining an outward looking, inclusive and highly engaged academic community. We

are proud of our high teaching and research standards and of what our graduates have achieved as a result of

their commitment and contribution. We really hope that you will also take a genuine pride in being a member

of this School, and we look forward to working with you as partners in continuing to develop Kent’s distinctive

and innovative approach to the Arts.

This handbook provides you with essential information, guidelines, and advice which will help you through

your time at University. We don’t expect you to memorise the content word for word but please check it

through and keep it somewhere you can easily access it in future. From time to time policies and procedures

will change, to ensure you have access to the most up-to-date information the School has created a bespoke

‘current students’ section on the website, see http://www.kent.ac.uk/arts/studentpages/index.html for

further information.

Finally, whether as teachers and researchers, or as administrative and support staff, all of us within the School

of Arts are committed to helping you get the very best from your time with us. If you experience problems or

difficulties, please speak to us and we will do our very best to help and support you. On behalf of all academic

and teaching staff in the School and all administrative and support colleagues, I hope that you have a highly

rewarding, positive and engaging year.

Professor Peter Stanfield (Head of School of Arts)

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SCHOOL KEY CONTACTS

You may find the following contacts useful:

Peter Stanfield Head Of School pfs4@kent.ac.uk

Amy Green Receptionist and PA to Head of School asg28@kent.ac.uk

Ffion Capelin Undergraduate Programmes Co-ordinator (Drama) fc94@kent.ac.uk

Rachel Evans Student Experience Manager re34@kent.ac.uk

Will Forrest Health & Safety / Technical Support Manager wf29@kent.ac.uk

Paul Sharp Undergraduate Programmes Co-ordinator (Film and History of Art) ps357@kent.ac.uk

Sue Sherwood Student Support Co-ordinator scs2@kent.ac.uk

Jacqui Double Student Support Officer jd461@kent.ac.uk

Denise Twomey School Administration Manager dt85@kent.ac.uk

Rosie Klich Head of Drama rek@kent.ac.uk

Cecilia Sayad Head of Film cs354@kent.ac.uk

Michael Newall Head of History of Art mbn@kent.ac.uk

Lawrence Jackson Senior Tutor L.G.G.Jackson@kent.ac.uk

Please see your individual subject guides for specific teacher information.

COMMUNICATIONS

Please use your Kent email throughout your time at University. A lot of email handling programs will enable

you to add this account to your generic inbox, and mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops

should be able to digest this easily. The University offers free Wi-Fi on campus using the Eduroam network.

We only email to your University email so it is imperative that you check this often and hook it up to your

devices where applicable to ensure you are not missing information that is crucial to your study.

Documentation concerning IT and FAQs are available online: http://www.kent.ac.uk/itservices/email/

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The Student Guide is your essential guide to the Kent student experience, make sure you book mark this in

your favourites!

Don’t forget you can follow us on Twitter @UniKentArts and ‘Like’ us on Facebook!

We also publish a regular student bulletin which will fill you in on happenings around the school.

You can find us on our official website by following the link below.

www.kent.ac.uk/arts

We have a dedicated web page for current students, see

http://www.kent.ac.uk/arts/studentpages/index.html

Calling all returning students!

Make sure you attend the Welcome Back meeting on Wednesday 1st October. This is your opportunity to find

out about improvements for the forthcoming academic year. For further details please consult your timetable.

FACILITIES AND RESOURCES

Your base at the University as an Arts student is the Jarman Building. Packed out with subject-specific

resources and state of the art technologies, this building houses your admin team, your academic staff,

student support, two seminar rooms, a gallery, two large drama rehearsal studios with control rooms, a sound

studio, a film studio, several edit suites, an open bank of PCs with a printer for student use, and social areas to

take a load off or even study in!

For more details on what resources are actually available to you specifically for your subject, see your subject

handbook.

For information regarding IT and Library services across campus, including the availability of PCs please see:

http://www.kent.ac.uk/itservices/pcs/

PROGRAMME AND MODULE INFORMATION

The School of Arts offers the following Undergraduate Programmes:

Programme Title Owning Subject BA Drama and Theatre (SH and JH) Drama and Theatre

MDrama Drama and Theatre

Film (SH and JH) Film

Art History (SH and JH) History of Art

History and Philosophy of Art (SH and JH) History of Art

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Art and Film History of Art

Visual and Performed Art History of Art

With the exception of the MDrama programme there is the opportunity to add a Year/ Term Abroad or Year in

Industry to any of these programmes. If you are interested in doing so please speak to your Academic Adviser

in the first instance.

Official ‘Programme Specifications’ which define what we do, what we offer, and what you can expect from

your programme are held on the Faculty website. For further particulars please visit

http://www.kent.ac.uk/humanities/studying/programmes/index.html?tab=20142015.

In addition, there are similar official documents for each module we offer, which state the correlation

between module outcomes and learning, teaching and assessment activities. You can find official

specifications for all current modules at

http://www.kent.ac.uk/humanities/studying/modules/index.html?tab=20142015

MODULE AVAILABILITY

After the winter vacation you will be invited to attend the School of Arts Module Fair where information will

be available on the modules running in the forthcoming academic year. You will have a few weeks to consider

your options and plan the next stage of study. The Faculty of Humanities Undergraduate Office publishes

online Programme Handbooks which can be viewed at http://www.kent.ac.uk/hsugo/handbooks/humanities-

2.html. From these, you can establish which modules are running, which you may take an interest in.

MODULE REGISTRATION

During the Spring Term you will be asked to complete Module Registration for the following academic year.

Full instructions will be made available to all students at the Module Fair, there is also online advice and

guidance, please see: http://www.kent.ac.uk/hsugo/omr/stage2.html

MODULE AND DEGREE CHANGES

If you would like to change modules you should contact the appropriate Undergraduate Programmes

Coordinator in the first instance. Where possible we will try and accommodate your request but please note

that some modules can only accept a limited number of students and therefore you may be placed on a

waiting list.

If you think you would like to change degree programmes you should contact your Academic Adviser in the

first instance to discuss the options available to you. Your Academic Adviser will then put you in contact with

the Student Experience Manager who will be able to guide you through the process.

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CHANGING SEMINAR GROUPS

If you would like to change seminar groups you should contact the appropriate Undergraduate Programmes

Coordinator in the first instance. Where possible we will try and accommodate your request but please note

this may not always be possible owing to classroom sizes or timetable restrictions. If you need to change

seminar groups it is always best to let us know at the earliest opportunity.

SUSPENDING YOUR STUDIES/WITHDRAWING

It is important that you seek help if you are experiencing problems with your studies. If you seek a period of intermission you are strongly advised to check the financial consequences with your sponsors. It is very important that your sponsor is consulted.

If you are considering suspending or withdrawing from your studies please make an appointment to see the School of Arts Student Support Officer. You will be offered guidance and support throughout the process. For further information please see http://www.kent.ac.uk/teaching/qa/guidance/intermission_procedures.html.

SUBMITTING YOUR WORK

The deadlines for submitting written coursework will be published on the module Moodle page, these deadlines are non-negotiable. If you miss a deadline your work will not be accepted and you will automatically be awarded a mark of zero. If you have a serious medical or personal problem that causes you to miss a deadline, you should apply for a concession – see the Student Support section for details of how to do this.

You MUST submit your work properly, in accordance with the following regulations:

All written coursework must be submitted electronically via Moodle. An automatic on-line receipt will be issued to you when you upload your essay which you must keep for your records. Submission of written coursework by email is not acceptable. We need you to submit your work via Moodle to allow us to put it through plagiarism detection software called Turnitin.

All written coursework must include a completed cover sheet. Assignment cover sheets are available on every module Moodle page. The cover sheet should form the first page of any assignment you submit. Please ensure you accurately complete the cover sheet prior to submission.

All written coursework must include the word count on the cover sheet. The word count refers to the body of the essay, including quotations and footnotes, but excluding essay title, bibliography and appendices. 10% deviation up or down is fine. (i.e. for a 2000 word essay the word count is expected to fall between 1800-2200 words), any more significant deviation is very likely to be penalized and result in a lower mark.

Essays must be submitted before MIDDAY on the day of the deadline. All practical coursework which cannot be submitted electronically will need to be handed in at

Jarman Reception before MIDDAY on the day of the deadline. You will be given a date-stamped receipt as proof of submission.

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Please note it will state on the Module Moodle page if the work needs to be submitted in hard copy.

SCHOOL WIDE MARKING CRITERIA

FOR WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS (ESSAYS)

Coursework is assessed in various forms of writing, including essays, dissertations, portfolios, reviews and reports. “Portfolio“ may refer to a range of quite different forms of submission, which will be assessed in different ways. To avoid confusion amongts the students we suggest to distinguish these different types of portfolios and consistently refer to them under different names. We are aware of:

a) Portolios that contain and assemble a range of smaller pieces of creative and/or practical work: several drawings, theatre reviews, short film scripts etc.: we could call these creative portfolio

b) Portfolios that assemble and document previous creative work and have the purpose of providing critical analyise and self-reflection: we could call these reflective portfolio

c) Portfolios that contain and assemble a range of smaller pieces of academic writing: we could call these research portfolio]

Reference to each will be made in the relevant sections below. Students’ written work (essay, research portfolios) will be assessed with regard to the following qualities.

1. Research and Understanding: Students will be marked according to their ability

to identify and productively work with appropriate research sources, discriminating between primary and secondary sources;

to assess the reliability of source material;

to synthesize information while avoiding overdependence;

to demonstrate the independence of thought demonstrated in their approach.

2. Argument, Analysis and Structure: Students will be marked according to their ability

to present, sustain and conclude a complex argument based on a secure grasp of source data and to draw reasoned and logical conclusions;

to give their writing a clear and coherent structure;

to go beyond description to analysis;

to identify issues with precision;

to communicate clearly and with focused relevance, avoiding vague and unsupported generalities.

3. Writing and Presentation: Students will be marked according to their ability

to write clearly, succinctly and accurately

to adhere to academic conventions for formatting written work;

to adhere to standardsof punctuation, spelling, and grammar;

to use accurate referencing according to the School’s referencing guidelines.

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FOR PRESENTATIONS

1. Research and Understanding: Students will be marked according to their ability

to identify, and productively work with, appropriate research sources, discriminating between primary and secondary sources;

to assess the reliability of source material;

to synthesise information while avoiding overdependence;

to show originality in their approach.

2. Coherence and Structure: Students will be marked according to their ability

to present, sustain and conclude an argument, based on a secure grasp of source data, and to draw reasoned and logical conclusions;

to articulate their thoughts within a clear, coherent structure;

to go beyond description to analysis;

to identify issues with precision;

to communicate clearly and with focused relevance, avoiding vague and unsupported generalities.

3. Presentation: Students will be marked according to their ability

to adhere to academic conventions for research presentations (this may include articulacy, prepareness, engagement with the audience, appropriateness of tone and tempo etc.);

to make productive use of visual aids where appropriate;

to provide references where the intellectual properties of others (quotations, images etc.) are used.

FOR CREATIVE PRACTICE

Practical and creative work in the School of Arts comes in many forms: acting, filming, curating, editing, performing, directing, devising, design, scriptwriting, technical work, etc. It may be presented in different forms e.g. performances, screenings, exhibitions or creative portfolios. Depending on the nature of the practical or creative work being assessed, the criteria will be inflected differently; and in any particular project the relative importance of each criterion may be different. The level of achievement in each of the four areas differs depending on which year you are in, as indicated below. Your practical and creative work will be assessed with regard to the following qualities, as appropriate, which may be weighted differently according to discipline and module:

1. Ideas. Students will be assessed accoring to

the quality of practical and creative ideas behind the work;

the quality of imagination at work;

and possibly innovation and taking artistic risks.

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2. Coherence: Students will be assessed accoring to

the coherence, organisation and structuring of the work, which should be appropriate to the aims of the project.

3. Understanding. Students will be assessed accoring to

The level of understanding as shown in the work. Depending on the particular project, this may

include: an intellectual understanding of the work; an understanding of social, historical, cultural and/or performance context; awareness of relevant practitioners and/or theorists.

4. Skills: Students will be assessed accoring to

their demonstrable skills as appropriate to the project. These may include voice work, camera work, editing abilities, physical work, engagement with the audience, presence, improvisation, directing skills, craft skills, technical skills, modelling, computer aided design, creative writing skills, ability to adapt existing texts, etc.

FOR SEMINAR PARTICIPATION

Seminar participation will be marked based on the quality and consistency of the students’ contributions and preparations for seminars. This will be assessed by regular tasks, such as a logbook, reflective portfolio or a regular short written response to a reading task. Seminar leader will look in particular for:

1. Quality of contributions: do the student’s contributions and/or responses to tasks demonstrate in-depth understanding, proactiveness and independence of thought?

2. Consistency of Engagement: are the student’s contributions and/or responses to tasks of a continuously high standard?

3. Groupwork: where appropriate, does the student demonstrate the ability to constructively work within a group, finding a balance between being too dominant or too passive. Does the student support others in achieving their goals?

4. Development: do the student’s contributions and/or responses to tasks show that their abilities, skills and knowledge are developing and improving?

SCHOOL WIDE GRADE DESCRIPTORS

FIRST CLASS/DISTINCTION [72, 75, 78, 85, 95, 100]

Marks in this category will be awarded for work that is excellent or even outstanding. In the lower range, the work will be very good in all aspects, and excellent in many, demonstrating deep knowledge, and a secure grasp of complex material. It will be intelligently and inventively framed as a coherent, sophisticated argument, effectively constructed, and eloquently presented. It will explore a range of appropriate material beyond that

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offered in classes, showing an awareness of problems and questions. In the upper range, the work will be of exceptional quality and will put forward complex and original ideas in the context of a clear and perceptive argument, deploying with rigour, responsiveness and confidence a wide range of resources and supporting material. The argument will be constructed with precision, displaying critical awareness, and advancing and/or challenging knowledge and understanding, and it will be excellently presented and communicated. The very best work in this category will demonstrate outstanding qualities in all aspects. It will show the excellence of written work that may be considered for publication and/or used in the professional context. For practical and/or creative work first class marks will be awarded for work that is of excellent or even outstanding quality, imaginative, conceptually strong, engaging and sustained and fully articulated by making excellent use of considerable skills and strengths of the individual or the group.

UPPER SECOND CLASS/ MERIT [62, 65, 68]

Work marked in this category will demonstrate very good qualities, with a well-constructed, insightful argument that is appropriately informed by strong research, with an appropriate range of sources and analytical approaches. It shows a clear knowledge and an appropriate awareness of contexts, and is attentively and persuasively presented, showing some minor faults in language, spelling, and academic format. Work in the lower range of this category will still be very good, but with some aspects which are more typically found in Lower Second Class work. In contrast work in the upper range will include some first class aspects, but not consistently enough to warrant the higher category. For practical and/or creative work upper second class marks will be awarded for work that is of very good quality, and in most aspects imaginative, conceptually strong, mostly engaging and sustained and articulated to a large extent by making very good use of considerable skills and strengths of the individual or the group.

LOWER SECOND CLASS/ PASS [52, 55, 58]

Marks in this category will be awarded for clear and solid work that displays good qualities in all aspects, and is mostly satisfactory. The work will show some analytical understanding and some sound knowledge, while it may be somewhat restricted in being descriptive rather than analytical, relying on obvious sources and not engaging with more complex aspects. While properly presented, there may be a few faults in the presentation. Work in the lower range of this category will still be good, but with some aspects which are more typically found in Third Class work. In contrast work in the upper range will include some Upper Second Class aspects, but not consistently enough to warrant the higher category. For practical and/or creative work lower second class marks will be awarded for work that is of good quality, and in many but not all aspects imaginative, conceptually sound. This work will be engaging in some parts but not sustained and articulated throughout. It will make good use of an appropriate range of skills and strengths of the individual or the group, but will also show some weaknesses and flaws in its execution.

THIRD CLASS/ PASS [42, 45, 48]

Work marked in this category is satisfactory and adequately achieves some of the objectives. On the lower range of the scale, most aspects may only be poorly developed or the work will show considerable flaws; at the upper end, there will be evidence of solid work in some regards. The work will show reasonable

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knowledge, but be presented lacking clarity, coherence or focus, demonstrating only a limited analytical approach and a simple argument. It will lack proper supporting evidence, and may contain a number of errors in linguistic and academic standards. It may also be poorly presented, not adhering to conventions and/or grammar. For practical and/or creative work third class marks will be awarded for work that is of adequate quality, and only in some aspects imaginative and conceptually sound. This work will not be very engaging and will lack consistency and articulation. It will make satisfactory use of an appropriate range of skills and contain some strengths of the individual or the group, while showing considerable weaknesses and flaws in its execution.

FAIL [0, 10, 20, 32, 35, 38]

Work marked in this category will not meet the objectives of the relevant assignment as detailed in the Module Handbook, and the qualifications appropriate for the relevant level of studies. The work may not engage with or misunderstand the topic, without a sufficiently developed argument, and contain inaccurate or unsophisticated knowledge, and/or omit vital aspects, demonstrating insufficient research and lacking academic investigation. It may also be under or over length, and be poorly presented, not adhering to conventions and/or grammar. In the upper range, there will be some but limited evidence of skills; whereas in the lower range the work will be very poor, showing minimal achievement with regards to the objectives and relevant level qualifications. A mark of 0 will be awarded for non-submission by the deadline, and possibly for work that has been found to contain plagiarism. For practical and/or creative work a fail will be awarded for work that is of insuffient quality. It will lack imagination and be conceptually flawed and confused. This work will fail to engage, will be inconsistent and not adequately articulated. It will make unsatisfactory use of skills and will be marred by considerable weaknesses and flaws in its execution by the individual or the group.

FEEDBACK

For every piece of work you submit, you will receive a sheet of written feedback. This should tell you what was

good about your work, the areas where it was less successful, and possibly suggestions about how to improve

your work, and it will always refer to the published Assessment Criteria. You should read this carefully;

understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your work is an important part of the learning process, and it

should help you to do better next time.

If your teacher has marked your work electronically you can access the feedback directly through Moodle. For

instructions on how to review feedback through Grade Mark please see

http://www.kent.ac.uk/elearning/turnitin/viewing-grademark.html.

For each module, you will receive one-to-one feedback for your work. In some cases, this will take the form of a

short meeting (normally lasting about 15 minutes) in which you will meet with the lecturer in charge of your

seminar group and discuss a piece of assessed written work which you have submitted. In more practical modules,

you might get one-to-one feedback on your creative work from your workshop leader as part of the ongoing,

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week-by-week class discussion. In both cases, one-to-one feedback should help you to understand how to develop

and improve your work.

AVOIDING PLAGIARISM

Academic integrity is the attitude of approaching your academic work honestly, by completing your own original work, attributing and acknowledging your sources when necessary and not relying on dishonest means to gain advantage.

Plagiarism and cheating reduces the value of the work you hand in for assessment and the value of your time spent at university.

The University must keep records of plagiarism and may be required to include this information in employment or academic references.

Plagiarism is something you certainly want to avoid. Further information on improving your academic and

study skills can be found at http://www.kent.ac.uk/ai/students/

GENERAL STUDYING INFORMATION

The School Of Arts belongs to the Faculty of Humanities. The Faculty has an Undergraduate Office which

provides support and advice on a range of issues. For more information please see:

http://www.kent.ac.uk/humanities/undergraduate/index.html

HOW YOUR DEGREE RESULT IS CALCULATED

To learn how we work out your degree result, please see http://www.kent.ac.uk/teaching/qa/credit-

framework/creditinfo.html#classification

STUDY ABROAD AND PLACEMENT YEAR OPTIONS

The School Of Arts gives you the opportunity to study abroad and/or to take a year in industry.

To find out more about the Placement Year please visit:

http://www.kent.ac.uk/humanities/studying/placement/index.html

To find out where in the world you can study during a term or year abroad please visit:

http://www.kent.ac.uk/goabroad/

If you are in Stage 2 and would like to find out more about either of these options there will be an information

session taking place at 1pm on Wednesday of Week 2 (8th October) in Jarman 1.

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STUDENT CHARTER AND UNIVERSITY REGULATIONS

The Student Charter specifically addresses the needs and expectations of student members of the University and, in doing so, it also refers to the activities of staff and to the obligations students and staff have to each other. For the purposes of this Charter a student is defined as an individual who is registered on a programme of study normally leading, if successfully completed, to the award of a qualification of the University.

The Charter relates both to the University's academic activities and to non-academic matters which may affect students. You can read the Student Charter and other regulations for students at http://www.kent.ac.uk/regulations/general.html

SCHOOL OF ARTS STUDENT SUPPORT

We all need help from time to time, and your help within the School Of Arts is the Student Support Team.

They’re friendly, non-judgemental and confidential and are there to help you with whatever problems life or

your studies throw at you.

Perhaps you find essay writing difficult or maybe you feel uncomfortable giving presentations in class; we will

always try to help and refer you to further support on-campus.

For more information please see http://www.kent.ac.uk/arts/studentsupport/index.html.

You’d be surprised how many students wish they had come to see us sooner: don’t struggle on alone when

someone is waiting to help.

THE CONCESSIONS SYSTEM

The School of Arts follows the Concessions System described by the University of Kent in Annex 9 of The Credit

Framework. This means that students experiencing exceptional circumstances and who fail to attend or

perform to their best in examinations or fail to submit or perform to their best in coursework are able to ask

for concessionary action to be taken by the Board of Examiners. Such requests are only ever considered if due

procedure has been followed and evidence to support any claim has been provided to Student Support or the

Faculty Office.

A Faculty Concession is used when you fail to submit coursework or attend an assessment, if you fail to attend

an exam or when your overall performance has been affected by concessionary factors. The School of Arts

also has its own Request for a Coursework Extension Form which can be obtained in hardcopy or

electronically from the Student Support Office or by email to artsstudentsupport@kent.ac.uk. A student

experiencing problems can apply for an extension to the date of submission for coursework. Applications

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should be made before the deadline set for that submission and is usually expected before the day of the

noon deadline (except in unavoidable circumstances). The form must come to the Student Support Office or

email address and not to individual Tutors or academic staff.

Students can request a Coursework Extension when they have mitigating circumstances supported by an

Individual Learning Plan, a temporary illness or incapacitating medical condition (supported by medical

evidence) or have suffered the death or serious illness of a parent or very close family member. Other reasons

may also be cited and supported with evidence. The Student Support Officer or Coordinator can help you

identify what evidence you can provide; if in doubt, come and ask if we can help.

The University does not normally consider medical certificates for long-standing controlled conditions, or self-limiting illnesses, as mitigation for impaired performance. Affected students are expected to have had the benefit of experience, medical knowledge or help to control the condition, and should have registered with the University of Kent’s Student Support and Wellbeing Services and have in place measures to support their studies.

The University will not consider concessionary evidence in cases where the student was directly responsible for the circumstances or where a student could reasonably have avoided the situation or acted to limit the impact of the circumstances. The following are examples of circumstances which would not be considered relevant for concessionary treatment (the list is not exhaustive):

Completing coursework too late and missing deadlines because of computer or transport difficulties. Losing work not backed up on computer disk. Failure to make alternative travel plans in the face of known disruptions. Normal employment commitments. Failing to read an examination timetable correctly.

For more information about the concessions process please consult the Faculty of Humanities website

http://www.kent.ac.uk/humanities/undergraduate/index.html

ATTENDANCE

In general, the School of Arts expects its students to abide by the following:

To pursue diligently such studies as are required of you by those assigned to teach you. This includes reading material and undertaking prescribed learning activities, including attending lectures, tutorials, seminars, classes and other opportunities provided for learning

To fulfil the academic requirements of your programme of study, including preparation for classes and seminars, the submission of work by published deadlines, and attendance at examinations

To be diligent in your attendance and punctuality and to notify the University when you have to be absent through illness or other good reason

Our aim is to help ensure that you gain the most possible from your studies with us.

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The Student Support Office will monitor your attendance at recorded sessions for each of your modules and

will contact you if your attendance or non-submission of coursework gives cause for concern. Failure to

comply with the attendance requirements will lead to a meeting with the Senior Tutor. A first warning will be

issued and students will be required to sign a Learning Agreement with the Senior Tutor. The Senior Tutor’s

warning letter sets out a review period during which all classes must be attended. Failure to meet these

obligations by the review date would then lead to a Formal Warning from the Dean of Humanities or the

School may recommend that students are required to withdraw from the University or be denied the

opportunity of referrals (that is, resit examinations or coursework).

Tier 4 Visa students should also note that the University is obliged to monitor and report your attendance, and

that failure to attend lectures and seminars could result in your being reported to the UK Borders Agency. This

could ultimately affect your right to remain in the UK.

To let us know of your absence through illness or other good reason, the School of Arts has its own Absence

Form (available at http://www.kent.ac.uk/arts/studentsupport/index.html) which should be completed and

sent to artsstudentsupport@kent.ac.uk within a week of the missed session/s. If you feel your absence has

impacted on your attainment in any way, you will be asked to provide medical or other supporting evidence to

support either an Extension to a Coursework Submission Date or a Faculty Concession (see The Concessions

System above) for the affected work.

If you arrive at your timetabled sessions over 15 minutes late, you will be marked as absent and asked to

contact Student Support. You should let us know as soon as possible if your timetable makes timely movement

between sessions problematic.

Students with Individual Learning Plans that state their difficulty with attendance may be a consequence of a

disability or long-term condition will still have their attendance monitored as per the above procedure.

However, the Student Support Officer in the School of Arts will contact you individually as your attendance will

affect your attainment and group work. We may seek collaboration with Student Support and Wellbeing to

understand what further actions could be taken by the student, the School of Arts or the wider Support

Services to better facilitate your attending (further information on registering with the Student Support and

Wellbeing Services can be found at http://www.kent.ac.uk/student/support-and-wellbeing/). This may include

your attendance and attainment being monitored through the Support to Study Procedure.

It would be courteous to inform your Seminar Leader if missing a recorded session or arranged meeting but

this would not constitute notifying the University; an Absence Form sent to artstsudentsupport@kent.ac.uk is

the standard way to inform of absence in the School of Arts. Tutors and Course Convenors cannot authorise

absence.

Please note, you are also meant to inform the University if you are going to be off-campus for any length of

time. This is particularly important if the absence from the campus leads you to miss a submission deadline

due to internet connectivity issues.

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You can see a summary of your Attendance Record on your SDS. This displays as a percentage of attendance or

can give you details of individual sessions missed. If you feel this record is incorrect or have any concerns

about your attendance do please contact Student Support (artsstudentsupport@kent.ac.uk).

OTHER SUPPORT SYSTEMS IN THE UNIVERSITY

We have a lot of supporting services, systems and documents designed to make your time with us as pleasant

and rewarding as possible. Why not take a look here to get the ball rolling!

APPEALS AND COMPLAINTS

To find out how to make an official complaint or appeal please see the Procedures section on the School of

Arts website: http://www.kent.ac.uk/arts/studentpages/procedures.html?tab=appeals-amp-complaints

There is also general University guidance available at http://www.kent.ac.uk/fso/appeals/index.html

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

The University of Kent is committed to the creation and support of a balanced, inclusive and diverse

community which is open and accessible to all students, staff, visitors and members of the public. Find out

more about this at http://www.kent.ac.uk/arts/studentpages/procedures.html?tab=equality-amp-diversity

ACADEMIC ADVISORS

Every School of Arts undergraduate student is assigned an Academic Adviser when they enter their first

year. Your Academic Adviser will remain the same throughout your time at Kent, and is there to support your

academic needs and development.

The Academic Advisers scheme aims to:

support the academic and professional development of undergraduate students encourage students in developing their independent learning and personal planning skills raise awareness of the opportunities available to students for developing graduate attributes and skills

at the University of Kent.

For further information about the scheme please see

http://www.kent.ac.uk/arts/studentpages/undergraduatestudents.html

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You can find out who your academic adviser is by checking SDS and looking under ‘my details’ and ‘tutor’.

You’ll find your advisors email address here too.

STUDENT REPRESENTATION

COURSE REPS

There is student representation at all levels of University life. Every student will have a course representative

who is elected to listen to the views of course mates and discuss them with staff at School consultative

meetings. There are elected student representatives who sit on Faculty and University wide committees as

well as full time Sabbatical Officers who represent students’ needs on issues such as academic, welfare and

social matters at University, local and national level. All representatives are elected in elections which take

place either in October or March so YOU can decide who represents your needs! For more information on

student representation and how to get involved visit www.kentunion.co.uk/representation

The list of School of Arts Reps for 2014-15 will be available at

http://www.kent.ac.uk/arts/studentpages/undergraduatestudents.html

STUDENT ASSOCIATION

The School of Arts Student Association exists primarily to build a community of students across the School of

Arts and encourage more interdisciplinary events, academic and social. All students are automatically

members of the Association when they join the School of Arts. To contact the Association please email

ArtsAssociation@kent.ac.uk.

THINKING ABOUT YOUR FUTURE

There is so much you can do whilst at University to help you prepare for your future. We want you to be in a good position to face the demands of a tough economic environment. Our courses and volunteering opportunities allow you to develop transferable skills and many of our degrees include a work placement or year abroad. We have an excellent Careers and Employability Service and our reward schemes enable you to consolidate and test your skills. With MyFolio, building your own online portfolio can help you reflect and prove your worth to employers. For more information please visit http://www.kent.ac.uk/employability/.

With over 80 students applying for each graduate job in 2011, it is more important than ever for students to

develop and showcase their wide range of skills to employers. On the Employability Points scheme, students

are awarded points for engaging in extracurricular activities, depending on level of engagement and

commitment. The points lead to prizes ranging from vouchers and corporate activities to work experience,

training, and internships. All rewards are carefully selected based on their ability to incentivise students to

reflect on their experience and develop themselves, so not only are students enhancing their skills through the

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activities, but the rewards themselves are increasing their long term employability opportunities. For more

information see http://www.kent.ac.uk/employabilitypoints/index.html.

Kent Extra is a means of enhancing the Kent student experience through providing additional learning

opportunities outside the confines of credit-bearing modules or any specific degree discipline. Kent Extra

courses are non-credit bearing, however, students will be eligible for Kent Extra ‘Miles’, rather than credits

which can appear on the Higher Education Achievement Record. For more information see

http://www.kent.ac.uk/extra/index.html.

For more information about School activities aimed at helping you prepare for the future please see:

http://www.kent.ac.uk/arts/careers.html

MYFOLIO

MyFolio is Kent's electronic portfolio tool, used to guide your learning, improve your personal development and enhance your employability. You can record your progress at university by creating a profile, uploading content, writing a journal, reflecting on your learning, recording your achievements and making plans for your academic, professional and personal development. This can be shared with peers and tutors internally as well as the outside world, depending on your requirements. MyFolio is available to all students during their study time, as well as up to 1 year after graduation. All content you create can be re-used and exported for use in other ePortfolio systems. MyFolio can help you:

Improve your learning

Showcase your achievements

Develop your skills

Increase your employability

Find out more about My Folio at https://myfolio.kent.ac.uk/myfolio/ or access it via Moodle.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

The School of Arts, and the University as a whole, take the welfare of students and staff very seriously. In support of this the University has a clear and rigorous policy concerning Health & Safety which is regularly reviewed and revised, and which involves both the routine assessment of health & safety risks in the working (teaching and learning) environment, and the prompt reporting of any accident or hazard.

However, health & safety issues are most definitely not simply the responsibility of committees and officers of the University. ‘Health & Safety’ affects us all, and we must all share in the responsibility to think about our safety and that of others. Every member of the University, including staff and students, has a legal duty of care for their own and others’ safety. Students are asked to be aware of their route to safety should the need to evacuate a building during a fire drill or an emergency situation arise, paying attention to special procedures summarised in the red and white permanent notices prominently displayed in all University

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buildings. (School of Arts teaching staff are automatically appointed Fire Marshalls in the event of a fire or fire drill.)

Health and Safety is everyone’s responsibility. Learn about those responsibilities at

http://www.kent.ac.uk/arts/studentpages/procedures.html?tab=equality-amp-diversity

USEFUL LINKS

IT SERVICES

http://www.kent.ac.uk/itservices/

CREDIT FRAMEWORK

http://www.kent.ac.uk/teaching/qa/credit-framework/index.html

EXAMS OFFICE (FOR ‘HALL STYLE’ EXAMINATIONS)

http://www.kent.ac.uk/student-records/exams/index.html (For Film Stage 1 students only)

FINANCE OFFICE

http://www.kent.ac.uk/finance-student/

QUALITY ASSURANCE AND VALIDATION

http://www.kent.ac.uk/teaching/qa/index.html

STUDENT LEARNING ADVISORY SERVICE

Student Learning Advisory Service

A free, friendly advice service providing guidance and information on all aspects of effective learning and study

skills to all students

STUDENT RECORDS

Student Records Office and Registry Reception:

Visit this page if you wish to order a council tax exemption certificate, extend your student visa, find

information about the European Diploma Supplement, or need information on obtaining references. Former

students can order transcripts and status letters here.

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STUDENTS UNION

Students' Union

For latest news, information on Canterbury, forthcoming events, entertainment, advice and information,

development, jobs.

UELT

Unit for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching

Includes tips on essay writing, planning a dissertation, exam technique, time management, and presentation

skills; information on short courses and advice on study skills, the VALUE programme, etc.

MEDICAL CENTRE

University Medical Centre