Study Smart

Study smart tips:

At your Students' Union we want you to reach your potential, take a look through the pages for our top tips for studying smarter. 

 

• Top Tip 01: Know your Academic Regulations

The academic regulations set out the rules you must follow in your academic studies throughout your time at the University of Gloucestershire (UoG); so it’s pretty important stuff and a good idea to get to know them!

How do I access the academic regulations?

You can access the academic regulations via www.glos.ac.uk/docs. The academic regulations are updated each year so it’s important you refer to the correct ones; normally the academic regulations for the current academic year. The only exception to this is if these academic regulations are less favourable than the academic regulations for the year in which you started your course, in which case the academic regulations for the year in which you started our course will be applied.

• Top Tip 02: Make the most of the resources available

Student Achievement Team

Unsung heroes in their own right, the Student Achievement Team can help you with everything from referencing, note taking and academic writing, to planning, structuring and editing assignments (but not all at once, obviously). They can also help you to make sense of your feedback and understand how to incorporate it into your next assignments. They are based at each of the Student Helpzones at Park, FCH and Oxstalls campuses and run group tutorials throughout the year. You can also book one-to-one appointments with them via the Future Plan Portal here.

A couple of meetings with the Students Achievement Team can often be the difference between one grade and the next, so we really would recommend connecting with them (but beware, appointments fill up early so book in with them as far in advance as possible!).

Book rooms!

Did you know you can book rooms at all of the UoG campuses? Whether it’s for group work, a meeting with a mentor or just a quiet space to crack on with assignments, booking rooms at UoG is really easy and really can support your learning, wellbeing and development.

Head to Resource Booker.

Your Future Plan

The Your Future Plan team is responsible for promoting students’ career and employability development. They offer information, advice and guidance to students and encourage you to take up opportunities to gain work experience, develop your skills and begin to manage your own career development. You can find out more information by visiting the Your Future Plan portal.

Wellbeing

Yes your studies are important, but your wellbeing should always come first so remember to take time out of your academic studies for self-care and socialising. We hope you’re having the BEST time at UoG, but we understand that sometimes life isn’t always that great; and that’s ok. If you need any additional support, visit one of the Student Helpzones at FCH, Oxstalls and Park, where you will be able to speak to a member of staff and find out about all the support available.

You can also find out more about the range of support services available to help with your wellbeing on the ‘Get Support’ tile on MyGlos or the Health and Wellbeing pages of MyGlos Help 

• Top Tip 03: Get to grips with referencing

We know it can be confusing, but referencing is an essential skill in academic writing for every course in Higher Education; so it makes sense to get to grips with it. Thankfully, there’s a whole heap of support and resources available at UoG to help you understand everything from bibliographies to reference lists, citations to quotations, and everything in between.

How to reference and avoid plagiarism (sharepoint.com)

• Top Tip 05: Clue up on academic extensions

Whilst we hope you have the best time at university, we understand that sometimes unforeseen circumstances can make submitting assessments on time harder than usual. That’s why the university allows extensions to submission deadlines for extenuating circumstances; but only where approval has been granted in advance of the original due date. You can read more about these extensions, who they apply to and how to access them on the MyGlos Help pages here .

• Top Tip 06: Understand academic offences - and how to avoid them

What is an ‘assessment offence’?

An assessment offence means that a student has broken the academic regulations by submitting work that isn’t entirely their own or has been fabricated. Assessment offences are sometimes called an ‘academic breach’ or a ‘breach of the academic regulations’. The usual types of assessment offences are listed below:

Plagiarism is when a student uses someone else’s work to inform their assignment without properly acknowledging the other person. This means that students must not copy, closely follow, paraphrase or present another individual's work as their own without referencing them. This includes not just books and online articles but also images and audio etc. To avoid plagiarism material must be referenced correctly, follwing one of the university's approved referencin styles. More information and guidance can be found on the MyGlos Referencing page.

Unauthorised collusion occurs when student has worked closely with one or more students (either current or from previous years), to produce work that is submitted as the work of one individual. If the assignment is group work based then students must not callaborate with anyone outside of the agreed group. Also a student will be deemed to have colluded when they have provided another student with assessment material that they have produced.

Re-presentation refers to when a student submits parts of a previous piece of work or re-submits the same assignment more than once.

Fabrication is when a student creates false results or information to use in an assessment.

Impersonation occurs when a student completes an assignment on someone else’s behalf or allows someone else to complete an assignment on behalf of the student. Essentially this means pretending to be someone else.

Cheating in exams is when a student attempts to gain an unfair advantage by the use of dishonest means in an invigilated exam or test. This means that students must not communicate with, or copy from, another student, or bring information from written, printed or electronic sources into the exam location unless this approved as part of the exam.

Procedural dishonesty (including the use of essay mills) is the use of falsified or fabricated (i.e. fake) evidence or information submitted in support of any summative assessment activity, such as false requests for extenuating circumstances.

How do I know if there has been an assessment offence?

If you have been involved in an assessment offence, you will receive an ‘SB’ grade for the relevant piece of work. This stands for ‘suspected breach’.

What happens if I receive an ‘SB’ grade?

If you receive an SB grade for a piece of work, you will be contacted via email by academicintegrity@glos.ac.uk. You will be informed of the reason for the suspected breach and given the opportunity to provide a written response.An Academic Conduct Officer (ACO) will determine if an assessment offence has actually taken place. Click here for full details of the process.

Does an SB grade mean I have to leave uni?

Probably not, but it does depend on how many times you have been found to have breached the academic regulations.

If your suspected breach is not upheld, no further action is taken and your work is marked as usual. If your suspected breach is upheld there are 3 possible outcomes:

If it is your first assessment offence your work will still be marked but with all the material deemed to have breached the academic regulations will not be considered for marking. A formal caution will be logged on your student record but this will not appear on your transcript of results.

If it is your second assessment offence you will receive a BR grade for the module which will remain on your transcript of results. This means you will lose all marks for the module and it will be counted as a fail. You may get the opportunity to retake this module, but this will be at an additional cost.

If it is your third assessment offence you will receive a BR grade for the module which will remain on your transcript of results. This means you will lose all marks for the module and it will be counted as a fail. You will also be required to withdraw from the course and university.

However, in the case of procedural dishonesty even a first offence will receive a BR grade for the module which will remain on your transcript of results. This means you will lose all marks for the module and it will be counted as a fail.

If you are studying a professional programme, the university may be required to notify the appropriate Professional, Statutory & regulating bodies (PSRB) or accrediting body immediately when a suspected breach has taken place.

More information about assessment offences use this guide, but if you’ve still got questions, feel free to email helpzones@glos.ac.uk or ajones68@glos.ac.uk 

• Top Tip 07: Know your reassessments from your retakes

Everyone at the university and SU want you to do as well as you can in all of your assessments, but we also understand that sometimes, things don’t always go to plan. So it’s important to know what to do and where you can seek support if you don’t achieve the grades you had hoped for.

I failed a module, what happens now?

If your overall grade for the module is between 1-39%, you will normally be offered one opportunity for reassessment. A reassessment involves submitting additional work in accordance to a reassessment brief. It’s important to know that all pieces of work submitted as reassessments are capped at 40% and there is normally an additional administrative charge you will have to pay to cover the cost of the reassessment. Reassessment briefs are provided in a similar format to assessment briefs, so it’s important you read the reassessment brief carefully so you know exactly what work you are expected to do for the reassessment.

What happens if you fail a reassessment?

If you have failed a reassessment, you may have the opportunity to retake the module once more in full at the next available opportunity (often in the next academic year). This is known as your second attempt at the module. If you retake a module, you will be expected to attend all scheduled learning sessions and complete all assessments required for the module. You will also be required to pay the full fee of the module in addition to your usual tuition fees - staff in the Money advice team can normally advise you how much this is likely to cost. Assessments submitted for modules taken as a second attempt are not capped at 40% (unless they are submitted as reassessments for modules taken as a second attempt).

I am retaking a module but already passed one of the assignments, does this mean I only need to complete the assignments that I failed?

No. If you are retaking a module, you will be required to complete all of the assessments again (none of your previous assessment grades on the module will count towards the overall module grade).

My overall module grade is 0%, am I eligible for reassessment?

No; if you’re overall module grade is 0% you are not eligible for reassessment and must retake the module in full at the next available opportunity (known as a second attempt at a module).

I failed an optional module and its reassessment; can I take an alternative module instead?

Maybe. If the module (and its reassessment) that you have failed was optional, you might be able to choose to take an alternative at the same level as the original module but this will be counted as your second attempt at the module (i.e. you will not be able to retake another module if you fail the alternative module).

I passed a module but I am not happy with my grade, can I retake it?

No; if you achieved the specified pass mark for your module, you are not eligible to retake it or submit a reassessment. The same rules apply for every assessment i.e. you can’t retake any assessment if you achieved the specified pass mark for the module that the assessment contributed to.

Do these rules apply to everyone?

Occasionally students are not eligible for any reassessments or retakes. This is normally due to Professional or Statutory Regulatory Body (PSRB) requirements for courses that require professional registration (such as Social Work, Nursing and Allied Health, Teacher Education etc.). Details for courses that do not allow reassessments or retakes can be found in Appendix 1 (List of Approved Variations to the Academic Regulations) of the relevant Academic Regulations for Taught Provision (look for any variations to regulation no. 6.12).

More information on reassessments and retakes can be found in Section 6 (Assessments) of the Academic Regulations for Taught Provision but if you’ve still got questions, feel free to email helpzones@glos.ac.uk or ajones68@glos.ac.uk 

• Top Tip 08: Learn how to navigate academic appeals

Whilst we hope that students feel their grades are a fair and true reflection of their work, we understand that sometimes things go wrong. In a small number of cases, students may be eligible to submit an academic appeal. However, we also understand that navigating the academic appeals processes can sometimes be daunting and confusing, so we’ve tried to explain things a little clearer for you below.

The first thing to do is to speak with your Module Tutor if you have any concern. If you remain dissatisfied after speaking with the Tutor you may consider submitting an academic appeal.

All academic appeals must be submitted within 20 working days of the grade you wish to appeal being confirmed by the Board of Examiners. Sometimes you will see a provisional grade on your Student Record; this means that the grade is yet to be confirmed by the Board of Examiners.

It is important to know whether or not your grade has been confirmed by the Board of Examiners before you submit an academic appeal. This is because academic appeals will not be considered before your grade is confirmed by the Board of Examiners, or more than 20 working days after your grade has been confirmed by the Board of Examiners. If you’re unsure, speak to a member of staff at one of the Student Helpzones.

It is also important to remember that the university will only consider academic appeals based on the following grounds:

a) that, at the time of the assessment, there existed circumstances which adversely affected the student’s performance and which the student was unable to communicate to the Board of Examiners before it reached its decision. In making a such case, the student shall provide valid documentary evidence where appropriate. Retrospective medical certification will not be accepted as valid

^ This essentially means that during the time of the assessment, you experienced extenuating circumstances that affected your performance in the assessment but were not reasonably able to tell the university about these circumstances before the Board of Examiners met.

b) that there has been an administrative error or procedural irregularity during the conduct of the relevant assessment of such a significant nature as to have materially affected the approved grade or mark awarded.

Therefore, when making an academic appeal you should clearly demonstrate how your situation relates to either (or both) of the only valid grounds for academic appeal (as stated above).

It’s important to remember that the most common outcome for successful academic appeals is a new attempt at the relevant assessment, and that the outcome is never to remark your initial work. You must note that your submission will have been marked and moderated and the mark you have been given is the confirmed mark for that piece of work.

If you wish to make an academic appeal, you can access support from the Students’ Union (normally their Education Officer) to guide you through the process. To access this support email your Education and Community Officer, Aimee at ajones68@glos.ac.uk and she will get back to you as quickly as possible.

More information on academic appeals can be found in Section 8 (Appeals) of the Academic Regulations for Taught Provision. You can also find all the forms you need here, but if you’ve still got questions, feel free to email helpzones@glos.ac.uk or ajones68@glos.ac.uk

• Top Tip 09: Understand your grades

Most assessments will receive a grade A-D (pass) but occasionally you may get awarded a different grade so it’s important to understand what they all mean. We’ve put together a handy little guide below to help you get to grips with all the possible grades and what they mean.

SB: Suspected assessment offence (take a look at our guide to assessment offences for more information on what to do if you receive this grade)

BR: Confirmed assessment offence

L: Assessment incomplete due to approved extenuating circumstances

N: Non-completion of one or more elements of assessment (i.e. you haven’t submitted the correct amount of (if any) work for assessment)

W: You have withdrawn from the assessment (in accordance with the enrolment and registration policy). This grade won’t be considered in any progression or award calculations (i.e. it won’t contribute to your final degree classification).

The following grades apply to individual assessments only (i.e. not overall module grades):

A, B, C or D: Pass

F: Fail (0-39%)

N: Non-completion (i.e. you haven’t submitted any work for assessment)

S: Satisfactory

UF: Unsatisfactory

UN: Unsatisfactory due to non-completion

For your overall module grade, you may receive any of the following grades:

A, B, C, or D: Pass

QF: Qualified fail (you are eligible for reassessment)

R: Fail (1-39% - you are eligible for reassessment)

F: Fail (0% - you are not eligible for reassessment - take at our look guide to reassessments and retakes which may explain why)

F: Fail following reassessment (0-39%)

S: Satisfactory

UR: Unsatisfactory (but eligible for reassessment)

UF: Unsatisfactory (not eligible for reassessment due to non-submission i.e. you aren’t eligible for reassessment because you did not submit any work)

UF: Unsatisfactory following reassessment

• Top Tip 11: Not happy? Make a complaint

Whilst we hope your experience at UoG is a positive one we understand that sometimes things can go wrong. The university has a complaints procedure in place to raise any of your concerns. You can access the Student Complaints Procedure here. 

The procedure follows three stages  

Stage 1: Immediate local resolution: 

Before you submit a formal complaint you are expected to attempt to resolve the issues or concerns informally at a local level through discussion with the appropriate Module Tutor or Academic Course Leader (for academic related complaints), or member of staff in the relevant module/course team or school, or professional services department  (for non-academic complaints). If you are dissatisfied with the outcome at this stage you can take it to Stage 2 

Stage 2: Formal complaint resolution: 

If the complaint is not resolved informally to your satisfaction, you can submit a Student Complaints Form no later than 3 months after completion of the year of study in which the complaint arose, or within 3 months of the date of withdrawal, or the beginning of an approved leave of absence from the programme of study. Your complaint will then be investigated, and you will be notified of the outcome. 

Stage 3: Formal complaint Review: 

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of Stage 2, you can request for the complaint to be progressed to Stage 3, consideration by a Student Complaints Review Panel, if you meet the grounds noted in 13.1 of the Student Complaints Procedure. You, along with relevant staff from the school/department related to the complaint, will be invited to attend a Student Complaints Review Panel meeting to discuss your complaint and why you remain dissatisfied.  The Panel will then make a decision on your complaint and you will be notified of the outcome in writing.  If you remain dissatisfied after this you may be able to submit your complaint to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA), providing that it is eligible under its rules.