Academic Issues

As a student it is important that you familiarise yourself with the Academic Regulations, Rules and conventions that the University of Essex set. There are many different documents to be aware of and understandably this can get quite confusing. We have highlighted some of the key resources that we believe are vital for every student. These documents are designed to help you navigate your way successfully through University. You can find a link to all the University Regulations here .

 

THE RULES OF ASSESSMENT

The Rules of Assessment explain what is required to pass each year of your course and how your award will be determined. They also tell you what will happen if you don’t pass a module.

There are standard rules that will apply to all Undergraduate or Postgraduate Taught courses, but some degrees will also have specific Rules or ‘variations’ that may apply only to them. Professional Doctorate Rules of Assessment and the Regulations for Research Degrees outline the rules and conventions for Postgraduate Research students.

The Board of Examiners are responsible for ratifying your results and confirming your outcome for the year or what awards you are eligible for. The Board of Examiners are also responsible for confirming what options should be given to a student if they haven’t passed a module(s). The options they will give are set out in the Rules of Assessment. The Board of Examiners will only offer different outcomes if a student has submitted Extenuating Circumstances that have been accepted by the University.

YOUR DEPARTMENTAL HANDBOOK

Each department, school or centre produces a Departmental Handbook which should give you all the important information you will need to be aware of for your studies. This includes who to contact in your department, where to find additional sources of help or information, how to ensure you are referencing your work correctly and much more. Your handbook will usually be your first place to check if you have a question about your course. Every Student Handbook can be found here

ACADEMIC INTERGRITY, AUTHORSHIP AND PLAGIARISM GUIDANCE

The University expects students to complete all of their assessments with honesty and integrity. This means ensuring you use the correct academic conventions to reference your work and obtain ethical approval where necessary. If you fail to meet these expectations the University will investigate your work and may find that you have committed an academic offence. There is information and support available to help you understand what is expected of you, including moodle courses on 'Academic Intergrity' and guidance on how to reference. See the guidance here

Wouldn't it be great to sail through your studies without any hurdles getting in your way! Unfortunately, life has a way of taking us by surprise and interrupting our plans sometimes. If something happens that you think has had a significant impact on your studies, then it's important to let the University know. At Essex, the way to do this is via the Extenuating Circumstances process.

WHAT IS AN EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCE?

An 'Extenuating Circumstance' (or EC) is the term used by the University to describe circumstances that are beyond your control and that have a detrimental effect on your usual academic performance. This might be because you are unable to submit a piece of work or attend an examination, or you may feel like you have done less well then you would normally have expected to if the circumstance had not occured. EC's tend to be of medical or personal nature; they should usually be supported with relevant evidence and be deemed to have had a significant impact on your studies.

 

HOW DO I MAKE THE UNIVERSITY AWARE OF MY EC'S?

Even if you have spoken to your Personal Tutor or another person at the University about your situation, EC's can only be considered if they are formally submitted using the Extenuating Circumstances form. Extenuating circumstances must be submitted prior to the formal deadline, although it is a good idea to complete the form as soon as possible after the circumstance occurs. It is important to explain your circumstances and the impact these have had on you as fully as possible and to provide evidence to support your claim. Consider this your one and only opportunity to let the University know whats happened - focus not only on what happened but why and how this had a significant impact on your studies.

 

You should make sure you report these circumstances before the University's published deadlines - once the deadline has passed, it may be too late for them to be considered.

 

If, due to your circumstances, you cannot attend an exam you should also report this as an absence in addition to submitting your EC form.

 

WHAT EVIDENCE SHOULD I PROVIDE?

Without evidence, it may not be possible for the University to take action on your EC claim so whenever possible you should include supporting documents. It is possible to submit up to two 'self certifications' per academic year. Self certification is in place to recognise that for some minor medical illnesses you may not need, or be able, to seek medical attention and therefore, would not be able to provide any evidence. The type of evidence you might be expected to provide will depend on the nature of your circumstances but the University has provided some information about what might be expected on their webpages.

 

If documents are not provided in English, you will need to provide a translation from an accredited translator.

 

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I SUBMIT AN EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCE CLAIM?

When you submit an EC claim form, this will be assessed by an EC Committee (a designated group within your Department). The committee will consider the circumstances and any evidence submitted and will make a recommendation to the Board of Examiners if the circumstances should be accepted. The committee are required to make an assessment and to determine the significance and likely impact of your circumstances.

 

These recommendations are then considered by the Board of Examiners - the formal body which approves the marks for each student. Using the Rules of Assessment, the Board of Examiners will decide whether a student can progress to the next academic year and what degree classification a final year student can be awarded. When there are accepted ECs, they may consider offering additional options to ensure every student is given a fair opportunity to perform to the best of their academic ability. Typical action the Board of Examiners may take includes offering further reassessment opportunities where these might not usually be allowed, offering voluntary reassessments where a module has been passed but evidence suggests the performance is lower than usual, instating marks for formative assessments etc. The Board of Examiners cannot give additional marks; allow a student to continue if they have not passed all the core modules nor annotate transcripts to explain there were extenuating circumstances.

 

HOW CAN SU ADVICE HELP ME?

SU Advice can discuss and offer guidance on the Extenuating Circumstances procedures and assist you through the process of submitting a form. We cannot write forms for students but we are happy to discuss what should be included with any student. Please contact us to discuss your circumstances confidentially with one of our advisers.

 

You can book an appointment by emailing suadvice@essex.ac.uk followed by your query. You may wish to attach any relevant documents if you are booking an appointment via email, or to bring them with you to the appointment.

 

Occassionally something happens and it might not be possible to submit your coursework and assessments by the published deadlines. The University does not allow deadline extension requests (other than for the submission of a Masters dissertation), however, you may be able to submit the work up to 7 days late under the University's Late Submission policy.

 

The University has a single policy for late submission of coursework/assessments. for all Undergraduate and Taught Postgraduate students. If work is submitted after the published deadline then it will not be marked and your transcript will show a mark of zero for that piece of work. In some circumstances, an Exam Board may offer you a reassessment attempt in line with the Rules of Assessment. Reassessment attempts are usually for a maximum 'capped pass mark'.

 

If you have had extenuating circumstances outside of your control that have meant you have missed the deadline, you can submit the work alongside a late submission form, up to 7 days after the original deadline. If your reasons for Late Submission are accepted, your work will be marked as normal. If your reasons for Late Submission are not accepted then the mark of zero would apply.

 

When a Late Submission claim is received, it will be considered by your departments Extenuating Circumstances Committee. These committees meet at least once a term and consider all Extenuating Circumstance and Late Submission claim forms. They will decide whether the reason for late submission can be accepted and whether the work can be marked. You should not wait for the result of the late submission form before submitting your work as it is unlikely to be decided before the 7 day deadline.

 

IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT LATE SUBMISSIONS?

• Your late submission claim will not be processed before the deadline - this means you will not find out whether your work will be marked before you submit it.
• You have 7 days (including weekends and national holidays) to submit the work after the original deadline. This means if your original deadline is 10am on a Monday, you have until 10am the following Monday to submit the work via FASER. You should also submit your online Late Submission claim form within this 7 day period.
• If your late submission claim is not accepted, your work will not be marked. If you fail a module as a result of this mark of zero, the Exam Board may consider offering a reassessment attempt for a capped pass mark. The Exam Boards do not usually meet until the end of the academic year so you will not find out about any reassessment options during the year.
• The Late Submissions form is the same form as the Extenuating Circumstances form. You can submit your claim under Late Submission grounds only, or if you feel the quality of your work has also been impacted you can request the claim is also considered as an Extenuating Circumstance.
• You cannot submit a Late Submission form until after the deadline for submission has passed.

DO I NEED TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE?

It is advisable to include evidence wherever this is available. The type of evidence you should submit will depend on the type of problems that you have experienced. Whilst documentary evidence is not always required, nor possible to obtain, the Extenuating Circumstances Committee reserves the right to reject cases where evidence is not provided.

 

The University has provided some guidance about what types of evidence they would expect on their webpages.

 

WHAT TYPE OF CIRCUMSTANCES WON'T BE ACCEPTED?

The following are examples of circumstances which are NOT considered to be acceptable:

 

• minor ailments and illnesses on the day of coursework submission, such as colds, coughs, sprains, headache)
• personal disruptions or events which could have been anticipated, such as holidays, weddings, changing address or employment, religious holidays or festivals which are usually known in advance
• study-related circumstances, such as computer failure, printing problems, unavailability of books, photocopying problems, as these problems should be factored into the organisation of your work load (in cases where there are serious failures of relevant computing resources, the department may schedule a general change in the deadline for all students affected)
• general pressure of work is not taken to be circumstances beyond your control, as you are expected to plan your work schedule
• excessive demands on time or pressure of employment which could have been anticipated
• financial constraints, as these are commonly experienced by students
• misreading/confusing the coursework deadline
• oversleeping on the day of the deadline
• transport problems, such as car breaking down or delayed public transport

 

It is not possible, to list all of the potential circumstances that a student may encounter which would be accepted but the list above should give you an indication of the types of circumstance that are not accepted by the Committee.

 

HOW CAN SU ADVICE HELP ME?

SU Advice can discuss and offer guidance on the Late Submission policy and assist you through the process of submitting a claim. We cannot write forms for students but we are happy to discuss what should be included with any student. Please contact us to discuss your circumstances confidentially with one of our advisers.

 

You can book an appointment by emailing suadvice@essex.ac.uk followed by your query. You may wish to attach any relevant documents if you are booking an appointment via email, or to bring them with you to the appointment.

During your time at University you may decide you wish to change your course, take a break from your studies or in some cases even leave your studies completely. Depending on the type of change you are thinking about making, there are different things to take into consideration and it is advisable to discuss your situation with someone before making any final decisions.

 

Some courses allow for you to choose which modules you would like to study - these are usually referred to as optional modules. You can usually change these modules within the first two weeks of the start of term via eNROL. If you wish to change a module after the first two weeks of term you would need to discuss this with your department.

 

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT COURSE CHANGE OPTIONS?

The options available for changing course will depend on a number of factors such as what time of year you are requesting the change, your previous qualifications and eligibility for the new course, your student finance options, immigration status etc. Some of the typical course change options include:

 

• Changing course within the current academic year - this is only likely to be possible if you request to change within the first couple of weeks of term (the University publish the deadlines for these requests here. The deadlines are in place to make sure you don't miss too much of the new course.
• Changing course and starting it in the next academic year - in some cases it may be possible to finish the first year of one course and then change into the second year of a new course. Alternatively, you may be able to switch to the first year of a new course. This second option would mean you would be adding an additional year of study to the length of your degree.
• Adding/removing a study abroad year or a placement year
• Taking a period of intermission from your studies - this would involve taking a temporary break from University and starting again at the start of the next academic year
• Changing to/from a non-accredited similar course of study - this may be possible if there is a course equivalent available and the professional body requirements can be fulfilled.

If you wish to change to a different University or Academic Instituition, you would need to withdraw from Essex. It may be possible to transfer ratified credits achieved at Essex to a new institution - you are advised to discuss this with the admissions team at the new institution. Only credits that have been confirmed and ratified by an Exam Board can be transferred.

It is a good idea to speak to your Personal Tutor or a member of staff in your current department and to make enquiries with the new department before making any decisions. Be aware that submitting a request to change course may not be approved so it is a good idea to keep up with your current course until you have received an outcome (unless you are requesting intermission or withdrawing from the University entirely - in these cases you may incur further fee liability if you continue studying - please speak to an adviser to discuss this situation).

If you are require a visa to study in the UK, you should ensure you have taken advice about your immigration status before making your final decision. You can find further information and guidance about the impact changing course may have on your visa on the University's web pages here.

 

HOW DO I REQUEST TO CHANGE COURSE?

Once you have discussed your plans and made a decision to request a course change, you need to amke a formal request using the online course change request form. The request will then need to be considered by your current department, the new department (if relevant) and the relevant University Dean.

HOW CAN SU ADVICE HELP ME?

SU Advice can discuss the different factors that may influence your decision to change course and assist you through the process of submitting a change of course request. Please contact us to discuss your options confidentially with one of our advisers.

You can book an appointment by emailing suadvice@essex.ac.uk followed by your query. You may wish to attach any relevant documents if you are booking an appointment via email, or to bring them with you to the appointment.

Receiving notification of a suspected academic offence can feel very scary and can often come as a bit of a shock. SU Advice is here to support students through the process. We can talk you through what to expect, how to prepare for any meetings and can also attend meetings with you if you would like us to support you in this way. Even if you choose not to get support from SU Advice, it is important that you prepare for your meeting and understand what to expect.

 

WHAT IS AN ACADEMIC OFFENCE?

"Academic Offence" is an umbrella term that is used to describe a variety of different issues that may occur in academic work; particularly where it may be deemed that a student has gained an unfair academic advantage over other students. These issues can range from not using the correct referencing style, colluding or working too closely with other students or, in the most serious cases, buying or deliberately copying the work of others. You can also commit an academic offence by submitting false data; a false extenuating circumstance claim or failing to get the correct ethical approval for your work. Even if the issue has occurred without intention or from failing to understand the academic conventions required, you can still be found to have committed an offence.

 

If there is a concern that a student may have committed an academic offence (whether intentionally or not) it is important that the University investigates and where necessary takes action to ensure that no student has gained an academic advantage over any other student.

 

WHY HAVE I BEEN ASKED TO ATTEND A MEETING?

An academic offence meeting is your opportunity to respond to any allegation being investigated. A final decision about an allegation can not be made unless a meeting has been scheduled and you have been given sufficient notice of the date of the meeting, however, a decision can be made without you present if you do not attend. You can also choose to submit a written response to the allegation if you do not wish to attend the meeting.

 

It is important to note that being called to attend a meeting does not necessarily mean you have committed an academic offence. The purpose of the meeting is to investigate the allegation against you. Firstly, the adjudicator needs to understand the circumstances of the situation to decide whether an academic offence has occurred. They may need to ask you questions to understand more about your case and to gauge your understanding of what has happened.

 

If they feel that on the ‘balance of probability’ there is evidence to suggest an offence has been committed, they will then need to determine an appropriate penalty. When deciding on a penalty the adjudicator will take into consideration the following factors:

 

• the severity of the offence (e.g., how much work is impacted)
• the nature of the offence (e.g., was there any intention to gain an academic advantage, did you know that you shouldn’t work with another student or did you deliberately set out to cheat)
• whether you have been honest and upfront in the meeting (e.g., have you given plausible explanations for how similarities in your work may have occurred).
• whether it is a first offence or a subsequent offence
• whether there are any mitigating circumstances that may explain how an offence occurred (e.g., mistakes in referencing due to being ill at the time of writing the work). Mitigating circumstances are not an excuse for committing an offence but help to explain how something might have happened.

 

WHO IS MY MEETING WITH?

Most initial Academic Offence investigations will be carried out by a Academic Offence Adjudicator in your department, unless the allegation is about a formal examination or you are a postgraduate research student. The Adjudicator should not be someone who has been involved in the teaching of the assessment or supervision of the work in question. Departmental Adjudicators are able to issue a fixed range of penalties or may decide to refer a case to a Faculty Adjudicator if further investigation is necessary or if the allegation is of a more serious nature.

 

A Faculty Adjudicator is responsible for considering cases relating to formal examinations, cases involving Postrgraduate Research students or cases that have been referred to them by the Departmental Adjudicator. The Faculty Adjudicator has a fixed range of penalties they can apply. They can also make a referral to an Academic Offence Committee. An Academic Offence Committee have the full range of penalties available to them.

 

Any meeting my also be facilitated by a member of university staff acting as a secretary/administrator.

 

The Adjudicator or Committee are required to do the following when investigating a suspected offence:

 

• give you written notification that an allegation is being formally investigated;
• check whether you have had any previous academic offences before making a final decision;
• decide whether the allegation is also a breach of the Student Code of Conduct and if so ensure appropriate action is taken via discussion with the Student Progress Team;
• keep a record of how the concern was raised and how the allegation was investigated;
• provide you with an opportunity to respond to the allegation by inviting you to a meeting;
• provide a written outcome of the investigation to you, your department and the Student Progress Team. The outcome notification should include a summary of the allegation, your response and the reasons for any decisions made and provide you with details of your right to appeal the outcome

 

WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES OF AN ACADEMIC OFFENCE?

The Adjudicator(s) will first need to decide whether, on the balance of probability, there is enough evidence to suggest an Academic Offence has been committed. If they decide there is not sufficient evidence, then the allegation will be dismissed and no further action would be taken. Your work should be marked as normal.

If it is determined that an offence has been committed, the Adjudicator will need to decide on a appropriate penalty. There are a total of 9 penalties available to the Adjudicators.

The following penalties can be issued by a Departmental Adjudicator, a Faculty Adjudicator and an Academic Offence Committee:

 

• Penalty 1: A formal written warning only
• Penalty 2: Resubmit the unit of assessment making minor amendments to correct referencing and paraphrasing or with affected sections struck out. The work can then be assessed for an uncapped pass mark
• Penalty 3: Resubmit the unit of assessment making minor amendments to correct referencing and paraphrasing or with affected sections struck out. The work will then be marked for a capped pass mark only.
• Penalty 4: A mark of zero issued for the unit of assessment. The Board of Examiners can consider offering reassessment in line with the Rules of Assessment, but this is usually for a capped mark.

 

The following penalties can be issued by a Faculty Adjudicator and an Academic Offence Committee:

• Penalty 5: A mark of zero issued for the unit of assessment with no resubmission or reassesment permitted.

 

The following penalties can be issued only by an Academic Offence Committee:

• Penalty 6: A mark of zero issued for the whole module with no resubmission or reassessment permitted.
• Penalty 7: No longer eligible to be awarded the full degree. A mark of zero will be issued for the whole module with no resubmission or reassessment permitted. You will only be allowed to complete any current credits you enrolled for and will only be eligible to leave with an Exit Award (excluding an Ordinary Degree)
• Penalty 8: Required to withdraw immediately and no longer eligble for the full degree. A mark of zero will be issued for the whole module with no resubmission or reassessment permitted. The Board of Examiners can consider you for an Exit Award only (excluding an Ordinary Degree) based on the credits you have already achieved.
• Penalty 9: Required to withdraw immediately with no qualification awarded. A mark of zero will be issued for the whole module with no resubmission or reassessment permitted. The Board of Examiners can only ratify any credits already achieved for recording purposes.

 

There may be further implications of receiving an Academic Offence penalty such as being prevented from studying abroad under the Study Abroad Scheme, being prevented from completing a work placements as part of your course, being referred to the University Fitness to Practise Procedure (this is only applicable to specific degree schemes).

 

Following an Academic Offence outcome, you have the right to appeal the decision if you have grounds to do so.

 

SU ADVICE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ATTENDING AN ACADEMIC OFFENCE MEETING?

• Read through the paperwork carefully - make sure you understand what the allegation is and read through any evidence documents you have been sent.
• Read the Academic Offences Procedures - this document explains the process that should be followed in the meeting, the possible outcomes and important information about the investigation and decision making process
• Read through your work again - check where your references came from and whether you used the correct referencing style. If you can see you have made a mistake you can explain this in your meeting.
• Attend your meeting - wherever possible you should go to the meeting, this is your chance to provide information that may have an impact on the outcome. Whilst a written statement can help, there is no possibility to answer further questions or provide explanations if you don't attend.
• Be open and honest - if you worked with a friend, or received help it is best to be open about this. The decision is made on the 'balance of probability', this means they can make a decision on the most likely explanation of the offence. If there is no plausible explanation provided for similarity you can still be found guilty of an offence. Your honesty and integrity can also be considered when deciding on what penalty to issue.
• Be prepared to talk about any mitigating circumstances - if something happened that may have impacted your work (e.g. personal family issues, illness etc) it is helpful for the adjudicator to know. It can be difficult to talk about these things but it might help to explain how mistakes in your work could occur. These circumstances will not excuse an offence but can make a difference to the type of penalty that may be issued.
• Don't be afraid to get support - SU Advice are a non-judgemental, impartial service and we are happy to assist you through any Academic Offence allegation. We can help you to feel prepared for the meeting and even go with you on the day if you would like us to. If you don't want to talk with us, you can also take another member of the University or Students' Union with you to the meeting. They cannot speak on your behalf but they can be there to provide support and assistance.

HOW CAN SU ADVICE HELP ME?

SU Advice can help to go through the process and procedures with you ahead of any meeting. We can talk through the evidence with you and help you to understand the allegation. We can also attend any meetings with you and support with your right of appeal if you feel you have grounds. If you would like to meet with an adviser, please contact us as soon as possible when you receive notification of the meeting date. We will arrange you an appointment with an adviser before your meeting so that you can ask any questions. We can not guarantee we will have advisers available at short notice so please contact as early as possible.

 

You can book an appointment by emailing suadvice@essex.ac.uk. Please attach the invitation email informing you of the meeting and any evidence documents the University provides you with so that your adviser can read through these in advance of meeting with you.

All University students are required to comply with the regulations of the University regarding conduct. For students on specific courses there may be additional requirements relating to conduct and professional standards that must be met. The University has a 'Fitness to Practise' procedure which outlines action that should be taken if a concern is raised about a student on one of these courses.

 

WHAT DOES 'FITNESS TO PRACTISE' MEAN?

The term 'Fitness to Practise' refers to a student's suitability to meet the professional or regulatory body codes of practise that exist for certain professions.

 

Where a practical professional placement is required for a course, or where the successful completion of a course will lead to registration with a professional/regulatory body, a student will have additional responsibilities relating to their conduct, health and professionalism. Where there is a concern that a student has failed to meet these responsibilities, the University is required to investigate and, where deemed necessary, take action to address these concerns.

 

The Fitness to Practise procedure may also be invoked following investigation of concerns under other University policies (such as the Student Membership and Disclosure and Barring Service Check Policy and Procedure, the Code of Student Conduct and the Academic Offences procedures.

 

Students will be notified at the point of registration if their course is subject to the Fitness to Practise procedures - typically it will apply to courses that relate to health, social work or education.

 

WHAT HAPPENS IF A CONCERN IS RAISED?

If a concern is raised, the school/department Professional Suitability Group (PSG) is convened. They will make a decision, either that no further action is required, or, that further investigation is necessary. If further investigation is required the PSG will appoint an Investigating Officer to determine the facts of the case. During the investigation process you may be temporarily removed from a placement/studies. This decision is made without prejudice or assumption of any outcome and is designed to safeguard both yourself and other service users/parties whilst an investigation is ongoing.

 

The Investigating Officer will gather evidence and information and will usually organise to meet with you and other people who may be involved (such as University staff, other students or representatives from a placement or practice partner). The Investigating Officer will make a written report for the PSG. The report should only give the facts and evidence of the case and should not make any judgements or recommendations about any course of action.

 

The PSG will then meet to consider the Investigating Officer's report. They can take the following actions:

 

• decide to dismiss the case with no further action to be taken
• decide to issue an Early Resolution Agreement - this will outline any appropriate remedial action(s) or conditions that the student will need to undertake as a result of the concern (such as additional learning requirements, reflection on practise etc). An Early Resolution Agreement is only possible where the circumstances of the case suggest there is a low level of risk and that actions can be taken to rectify the concerns about their fitness to practise
• decide to refer the case to a Fitness to Practise committee - this decision is usually taken as a result of the severity of the concern and the possible implications of the occurrence

 

If an Early Resolution Agreement is issued, but a student does not accept any/all of the requirements of the agreement, the case will be referred to a Fitness to Practise Committee. Failure to comply with the Early Resolution Agreement will also usually be referred to a Fitness to Practise Committee.n

 

WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES OF A FITNESS TO PRACTISE COMMITTEE?

A Fitness to Practise Committee has the power to decide whether a concern is proven or not. They can dismiss a case if they decide it is unproven. If they decide a concern is proven, they can implement one, or more, of the following outcomes:

 

• Permit the student to continue on the course with no further action required
• Permit the student to continue on the course with adjustments
• Issue a formal warning
• Discontinue the placement and institute arrangements for locating an alternative placement if this is permitted under the Rules of Assessment
• Require the student to intermit from the course for a defined period of time with return subject to conditions
• Require the student to withdraw from the course because they are unfit to practise
• Impose such other action as it considers appropriate, provided that no such action requires or implies a concession or exemption under the Rules of Assessment

 

If the fitness to practice case is proven, the Head of School and the Academic Registrar (or their nominee) will decide whether a report is required to be made to the relevant professional or regulatory body and/or your employer (if applicable). You will be notified of this decision in writing.

 

Following the outcome of a Fitness to Practise committee, you have the right to appeal if you have appropriate grounds to do so. You can discuss this process with an adviser if you think you would like to appeal.

 

HOW CAN SU ADVICE HELP ME?

SU Advice can help to go through the process and procedures with you ahead of any meeting. We can talk through the evidence with you and help you to understand the concern that has been raised. We can also attend any meetings with you and support with your right of appeal if you feel you have grounds. If you would like to meet with an adviser, please contact us as soon as possible when you receive notification of the concern. We will arrange you an appointment with an adviser before your meeting so that you can ask any questions. We can not guarantee we will have advisers available at short notice so please contact as early as possible.

 

You can book an appointment by emailing suadvice@essex.ac.uk. Please attach any emails you have received informing you of the concern and any evidence documents the University provides you with so that your adviser can read through these in advance of meeting with you.

 

Hopefully you’ll love your degree, but we know that sometimes they can be hard, so here’s a quick guide to help you survive first year and beyond.

 

1. Join your  Academic Society! They’re full of people on your course that can give advice and know about the course demands..
2. Keep on top of your reading – Don’t let it all pile up or it will start to feel unmanageable, equally books may be in demand at the library if you leave it too late!
3. Review your notes regularly.  This makes things easier when it gets to exam time and revision.
4. Make use of your lecturers’ office hours – this is your chance for one-to-one time, make use of it, that’s why they’re there.
5. ASK QUESTIONS – Seminars, labs and tutorials are the place to question everything, so do! Debate with your colleagues and quiz the tutor.
6. Make your views heard! If you are given an opportunity to give feedback – give it!
7. Know what help is available - speak to the SU about Course Reps and any Academic Issues you may face.  You could even get involved and become a Course Rep or run for an Officer position to help make changes.
8. Attend - its important to maintain a good level of attendance to ensure you don't miss out on important information and study aspects.  If you are having problems with your attendance, come and speak to one of our advisers who can give you more information about your options.
9. Look after yourself - Eat well and keep active! It’s tempting to live off toast and Pot Noodles, but the food we eat plays a big part in our health and wellbeing so try to maintain a balanced diet.  There’s loads of clubs, sports teams and ways to keep active.
10. Enjoy it! Your degree only lasts a few years, so love every moment before it’s over.  If you need any advice or help, you can get in touch with: SU Advice