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Course Handbook MSc Human Resource Management MSc Human Resource Development

2017/18 Dr Ruth E Slater FHEA Chartered MCIPD

Division of HRM and Leadership Lancashire School of Business and Enterprise

Please read this Handbook in conjunction with the University’s Student Handbook. All course materials, including lecture notes and other additional materials related to your course and provided to you, whether electronically or in hard copy, as part of your study, are the property of (or licensed to) UCLan and MUST not be distributed, sold, published, made available to others or copied other than for your personal study use unless you have gained written permission to do so from the Dean of School. This applies to the materials in their entirety and to any part of the materials.

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Contents

1 Welcome to the Course 2 Structure of the Course 3 Approaches to teaching and learning 4 Student Support 5 Assessment 6 Classification of Awards 7 Student Feedback 8 Appendices

8.1 Programme Specification(s)

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Welcome to the course Dear Student

Welcome to the University of Central Lancashire and our HR community! More specifically, welcome to your MSc Human Resource Management/Development Course.

We hope that during your time with us here at the University of Central Lancashire you will enjoy your studies. As a student you also have access to lots of electronic resources, support and free courses. Four key services you might like to look at are: - .

• Ask the Library Trainer for support and help on using the library

• Ask the IT trainer for support on a range of software applications

• A range of electronic resources

• E-learning (Blackboard) access remotely & on campus for resources on modules

• Library & Information Services Induction presentation.

We also have an active Students' Union and many interesting clubs and societies which you may be interested in joining.

The first few weeks of your course will probably be quite hectic - lots of new faces, travelling to different buildings, and so on. Your Student Handbook is, therefore, designed to act as a reference guide for all the pieces of information you may need during your life here.

It is part of our University's philosophy to involve students in the running of their courses as much as possible. There are opportunities for students to become Student representatives, who seek views, concerns and plaudits from course members, which are then relayed to staff through the Stall Student Liaison processes

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you every success here at the University of Central Lancashire and to encourage you to strive to achieve your full potential.

If you have any problems, issues or concerns during your programme please do not hesitate to contact me by e-mail at RESlater@uclan.ac.uk Best wishes for your success.

Dr Ruth E Slater FHEA Chartered MCIPD

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1.1 Rationale, aims and learning outcomes of the course The MSc offers you the opportunity to enhance your professional skills and knowledge of

Human Resource Management and Development. We seek to enable you to gain a

competitive edge in pursuing your professional career and to make an outstanding contribution

to the performance of your employing organisation. The accreditation of this course by the

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is a key factor is this.

Successfully completing the MSc may lead to membership of the CIPD following the CIPD’s

behavioural assessment and gaining appropriate experience. The CIPD want members to be

capable in certain ‘professional areas’ and to demonstrate certain behaviours.

Professional areas:

Behaviours:

The MSc offers the opportunity to develop skills and these behaviours as part of your studies for the academic qualification.

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The programme of study will be directed towards the attainment, assessment and evaluation

of knowledge and skills required by you to meet your Postgraduate qualification.

The intention is to create an intellectually challenging degree that will prepare you as a

graduate, for a career in human resource management or human resource development, or

for further academic study.

This programme is accredited by the CIPD and subject to both CIPD and University quality

assurance processes and procedures.

The Programme aims are:

• To provide you with a high quality postgraduate management education and

development experience of intrinsic worth that will enable you to achieve learning

outcomes at a level appropriate for the award of a MSc of the University.

• To provide an intellectually stimulating programme of professional postgraduate

education for students desiring to develop their careers in the human resource

management and development profession.

• To develop the operational skills and behaviours of human resource management and

development practitioners through a curriculum that combines rigorous academic

study, skills development and application.

• To ensure that by completion of the programme, students meet the requirements of

CIPD ‘advanced’ level standards to enable them to contribute to their present or future

organisations.

• To enable you to learn and demonstrate your skills and knowledge to a level that may

lead to MCIPD. Please note this course meets the skills and knowledge elements of

the CIPD process but the CIPD have their own process for the assessment of the

‘behaviours’ (listed above) and the appropriate experience.

Learning outcomes Upon successful completion of the Programme you should be able to demonstrate that you

have achieved a number of key learning outcomes to a level appropriate for the award of a

MSc from the University. You will also have completed all of the learning outcomes required

by the CIPD’s programme of study.

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In particular, you should be able to show that you can:

• Critically assess the objectives and methodologies of your business colleagues and stakeholders.

• Strategically assess trends and patterns and identify good practice which can be imported from outside the organisation.

• Identify and critically evaluate method and methodological alternatives for undertaking postgraduate research and demonstrate a critical awareness of problems.

• Demonstrate a level of knowledge, understanding and ability about managing people and leadership that meets CIPD Professional Standards.

• Demonstrate an awareness of the wider contribution that personnel management and development can make to organisational success.

• Demonstrate an understanding of how to develop organisational capacity through people management and development processes and initiatives that will help to embed or promote change in organisational culture, structure and functioning, and ensure the skills needed to operate in changed roles and environments.

• Effectively analyse business needs and issues using relevant facts and figures; anticipating objections and preparing responses.

• Effectively apply a range of critical thinking abilities, tools and processes. • Effectively evaluate the appropriateness and potential value of concepts, models,

paradigms and ideologies to the understanding and management of organisations. • Demonstrate the ability to prioritise tasks and work schedules • Systematically seek to improve performance and professional development through

periodic reflection. • Identify how to gain support and commitment from others and be able to influence and

persuade them. • Promote professionalism and an ethical approach to HRM and HRD practice in

organisations.

1.2 Course Team The course is run by the Lancashire School of Business and Enterprise (LSBE), Division of

Human Resource Management and Leadership.

Course Leader Room Phone E-Mail Dr Ruth E Slater GR260 01772 894640 reslater@uclan.ac.uk

STAFF E-MAIL PHONE ROOM Mrs Janet Chettle JChettle@uclan.ac.uk 01772 894735 GR250 Dr. Barbara Menara BMenara@uclan.ac.uk 01772 894616 GR257 Mr Tony Proctor tproctor@uclan.ac.uk 01772 894704 GR 250 Dr. Ruth Slater reslater@uclan.ac.uk 01772 894640 GR 260 Dr. Emma Thirkell ethirkell@uclan.ac.uk 01772 893780 GR250 Dr. Gemma Wibberley gwibberley@uclan.ac.uk 01772 894674 GR263

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1.3 Expertise of staff The University has been running CIPD programmes for more than 25 years. The current

Course Team is well developed in terms of teaching and learning practice established over

many years and builds upon the previous business and industry experience of individuals.

Most of the staff who teach on the programme have HR experience and are Associates,

Chartered Members or Chartered Fellows of the CIPD. Several staff are involved in knowledge

transfer (consultancy) activities which helps them to maintain good links with organisations

and businesses. We also have strong links to the CIPD at a national and local level.

Most of the staff who teach on this programme are part of the HRM & Leadership Division.

The Division is perhaps the most active group of researchers in the Lancashire School of

Business and Enterprise (LSBE). Many of the teaching staff have PhDs or are progressing

towards achieving them and all staff have at least a Masters level qualification. Several have

also completed a CIPD qualification like the one you are embarking on here! Most of the

Course Team are also members of iROWE (Institute of Research Organisation, Work and

Employment) our own research institute and as a student (and after you leave UCLAN) you

will also have access to iROWE. For more information visit the iROWE webpage. A number

of staff are research active.

You can see more details on university staff profiles 1.4 Academic Advisor You will be assigned an Academic Advisor who will provide additional academic support during

the year. They will be the first point of call for many of the questions that you might have during

the year. Your Academic Advisor will be able to help you with personal development, including

developing skills in self-awareness, reflection and action planning.

1.5 Administration details Course Administration Service provides academic administration support for students and staff and are located in the following hubs which open from 8.45am

until 5.15pm Monday to Thursday and until 4.00pm on Fridays. The hub can provide general assistance and advice regarding specific processes such as extenuating circumstances, extensions and appeals. Greenbank Building Sport and Wellbeing Management Business telephone: 01772 891992/891993 email: GreenbankHub@uclan.ac.uk

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1.6 Communication

The University expects you to use your UCLan email address and check

regularly for messages from staff. If you send us email messages from

other addresses they risk being filtered out as potential spam and

discarded unread.

Within the Lancashire School of Business and Enterprise (LSBE), Academic and programme

support staff will normally communicate with you using email. We will use your University email

address and you are expected to access your emails regularly. Module Tutors will also use

Blackboard so you must ensure you access these areas regularly as well. In some

circumstances the University will ring you and you should ensure that you update your mobile

phone number.

Letters will be sent occasionally if all other means of communication fail. These will be sent to your home address so you must ensure your details are kept up to date.

1.7 External Examiner The University has appointed an External Examiner to your course who helps to ensure that

the standards of your course are comparable to those provided at other higher education

institutions in the UK. The name of this person and home institution can be found below. If

you wish to make contact with your External Examiner, you should do this through your Course

Leader and not directly. External Examiner reports will be made available to you electronically.

The School will also send a sample of student coursework to the external examiner(s) for

external moderation purposes, once it has been marked and internally moderated by the

course tutors. The sample will include work awarded the highest and lowest marks and

awarded marks in the middle range.

The external examiner for our course is Professor Ian Cunningham at Strathclyde University.

Ian is also an Academic Fellow of the CIPD and has responsibility to the CIPD for ensuring

the University complies with its approved status.

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2. Structure of the course 2.1 Overall structure

MSc HRM&D Course Structure 2017-18

Total credits required: 180

Of which

Semester One Semester Two Semester Three

• HR4007 HRM in Context (15)

• HR4008 Managing, Leading and Developing People (15)

• HR4009 Developing Skills for Business Leaders (15)

• HR4307 Research Methods (20)

(year long)

• Progress Tutorial (0)

• Academic Development (0)

• HR4011 Organisational Design and Development (15)

• HR4019 Leadership and Management Development (15)

• HR4072 Critical Research Issues in HRM (20)

• HR4307 Research Methods

• Option (15)

• Option (15)

• Progress tutorial (0)

• HR4993 Dissertation (35)

All modules are delivered on the main City Campus.

HRM (pathway) Options HRD (pathway) Options Shared HRM/HRD Options

S2:HR4012 Talent & People Resourcing

S1:HR4018 Learning & Talent Development

S2:HR4011 Organisational Design and Development

S2:HR4014 Employment Law S2:HR4020 Designing, Delivering and Evaluating Training

S2: HR4019 Leadership and Management Development

S2: HR4021 Understanding and Implementing Coaching and Mentoring

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2.2 Modules Each module is a self-contained block of learning with defined aims, learning outcomes and

assessment. A standard module is worth 20 credits however the CIPD accredited modules

are 15 credits each. A standard module equates to the learning activity expected from one

sixth of a full-time academic year. Modules may be developed as half or double modules with

credit allocated up to a maximum of 120 credits per module.

Compulsory Modules These modules are compulsory:

HR4007 HRM in Context This module provides learners, first, with an understanding of the principal internal and

external environmental contexts of contemporary organisations, including the managerial and

business context, within which managers, HR professionals and workers interact in conditions

of environmental turbulence, change and uncertainty. Second, the module examines how

those leading organisations respond to these dynamic environmental contexts. Third, the

module indicates how leaders in organisations, and those in the HR function, and line

managers with HR responsibilities, need to recognise and acknowledge that corporate

decisions and HR choices are not always shaped by managers alone. They are also shaped

by internal and external forces beyond their immediate control.

HR4008 Managing, Leading & Developing People This module aims to provide learners with a rigorous framework of knowledge and

understanding concerning people management and development that they will need whatever

the degree of specialisation they later elect to follow. It has a number of distinct learning

objectives. First, the module seeks to familiarise learners with major contemporary research

evidence on employment and effective approaches to human resource (HR) and learning and

development (L&D) practice. Research focusing on the links between people management

practices and positive organisational outcomes is covered, as is research that highlights major

contemporary changes and developments in practice. Second, the module introduces learners

to major debates about theory and practice in the specific fields of leadership, flexibility and

change management, the aim being to help them become effective managers as well as

effective HR specialists, managing others fairly and effectively and increasing levels of

engagement, commitment, motivation and performance. The module also introduces the

major aims of HR and L&D and explores how these are achieved in practice in different types

of organisational scenario. Finally, the module requires learners to reflect critically on theory

and practice from an ethical and professional standpoint and provides opportunities for applied

learning and continuous professional development.

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HR4009 Developing Skills for Business Leaders Successful human resource (HR) professionals have different approaches to their work,

sharing a range of diverse personality traits, attributes and beliefs. These underpin skills

proficiency, but cannot in themselves be described as ‘skills’. Yet often they are central

determinants of an individual manager’s effectiveness and are developed consciously over

time and with an awareness of differing cultural contexts and operating environments. A key

purpose of this module is thus to encourage learners to develop a strong sense of self-

awareness and of their own strengths and weaknesses as managers and colleagues. The

module is primarily concerned with the development of skills, and specifically seeks to develop

and improve a range of definable skills that are pivotal to successful management practice

and to effective leadership. These include thinking and decision-making skills, the

management of financial information, managing budgets, a range of teamworking and

interpersonal skills and others associated with developing personal effectiveness and

credibility at work. The module also seeks to develop further more-specialised skills that are

of particular significance to effective higher-level people management and provides

opportunities for applied learning and continuous professional development. Finally, the

module seeks to help learners make the most of their formal programmes of study with the

inclusion of key postgraduate study skills and requires critical reflection on theory and practice

from an ethical and professional standpoint.

HR4072 Critical Research Issues in HRM This module acts in part as a bridge between Research Methods in Semester One and the Dissertation in Semester Three. Critical Research Issues in HRM further develops students’ knowledge and understanding of key research issues in the fields of HRM/D. It builds students’ awareness of research themes in terms both of the literature and research findings and further develops their appreciation of research methodologies and methods. The module draws upon the research topics and publications of division staff and students will be helped to see how topics are researched within particular conceptual and theoretical frameworks. Indicative topics include: workplace violence and bullying, dispute resolution, career choices and emotional labour. HR4307 Research Methods Research Methods is intended to enable students to plan and conduct a research project and produce a postgraduate dissertation. The module focuses on both introducing students to the philosophical basis of research design and on the practical actions that are key to the production of a worthwhile piece of research. The module also explores the potential value of research for managers in today’s ever changing organisations and the ethical issues that must be considered in researching people in organisations. Skills of data collection and analysis are also developed, as well as the students ability to synthesise and present information in the form of a postgraduate dissertation.

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HR4993 Dissertation The Dissertation Module will develop the students’ ability to plan and conduct an extended piece of postgraduate research within the field of HRM/D and in so doing, meet both academic standards and the requirements of CIPD’s ‘Investigating a Business Issue’ module. Students will be able to develop and demonstrate their critical thinking at a theoretical level and at a practical/application level. The dissertation enables students to research a pertinent HR issue through a critical literature review and primary research; combining these two, students will offer a rationale for the changes to policy and/or practice that they recommend. The dissertation enables students to demonstrate their appreciation of HRM as a catalyst for changes which can add value to an organisation’s human resources, give greater efficiency to its people management systems and add to its overall efficiency and ability to adapt and thrive.

Option Modules

There are two pathways on this programme and you need to inform the Course Leader at the outset which pathway you wish to be on. One pathway is HR Management (HRM) and the second is HR Development (HRD).

HRM Pathway To be awarded an MSc HRM, as well as taking the core modules outlined in 2.1, you are required to complete at least one option module from the HRM list above and complete a dissertation based on an HRM topic. HRD Pathway To be awarded an MSc HRD, as well as taking the core modules outlined in 2.1, you are required to complete at least one option module from the HRD list above and complete a dissertation based on an HRD topic.

HRM (pathway) Options HRD (pathway) Options HRM/D (pathway) These modules are normally taught as standard

Employment Law Learning & Talent Development

Organisational Design and Development

Managing Employee Relations

Designing, Delivering and Evaluating Training

Leadership & Management Development

Employee Engagement Knowledge Management & Organisational Learning

Understanding and Implementing Coaching and Mentoring

Performance Management Reward Management Talent & People Resourcing

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PLEASE NOTE: The University is accredited to run all module options listed below. However, modules will only run when student numbers make them economically viable and based on staff availability. Core modules will always run and there will always be a guaranteed pathway for both HRD and HRM. HR4011 Organisational Design and Development This module covers organisation design and organisation development and will enable

learners to develop a critical understanding of the theory and conceptual framework of

organisation design and of the principles and practices of organisation development. Both are

critical to our understanding of organisations and how they function and both reside within a

framework of organisation theory. The module focuses on decisions that have to be made on

the most appropriate organisational structure(s) to ensure delivery of organisational activity.

Organisation design is about shaping an organisation to maximise its effectiveness, aiming for

flexibility in delivery of its services. Through breaking down departmental barriers, seeking

improved supply efficiencies, teamwork and collaboration and working towards better

customer management and retention, organisations can enhance their performance and

ensure that organisational goals and targets are achieved. Organisation design activities

therefore focus on finding the most appropriate structures, relationships between departments

and sections, and allocation of work activities, including definition of duties and role

responsibilities. It has a clear link to performance management in that effective delivery of

work and output will be measured and managed. The module also focuses on how an

organisation’s culture, values and environment support and enhance organisational

performance and adaptability. Organisation development is defined by CIPD as a ‘planned

and systematic approach to enabling sustained organisation performance through the

involvement of its people’. This might include how organisational members acquire new skills,

knowledge and behaviours, and do things differently, often as part of the application of

continuous improvement strategies. The concept of the ‘learning organisation’ as one of a

number of organisation development strategies that might be adopted as part organisational

change activities is also explored. The importance of cultural awareness in managing

outcomes of design and development strategies, the practical applications of organisation

design and organisation development concepts and the implications for the effective

management of organisations and professional practice are considered.

HR4012 Talent & People Resourcing This module focuses on these activities, focusing not just on the practical aspects of

recruitment, selection, employee retention and dismissal, but also on the strategic aspects to

equip learners with the knowledge and skills required for resourcing and talent management

within a global context. Skills can be sourced by hiring employees, but also through other

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means such as the employment of agency workers, subcontractors and consultants, or

through outsourcing arrangements. To mobilise an effective workforce organisations hire

people from employment markets, which obliges them to compete for talent with other

employers whenever demand for skills is greater than the available supply. Effective

organisations thus develop a strategic approach to the attraction and retention of staff,

analysing their key employment markets and gaining an understanding of their dynamics so

as to enable them to compete more effectively, both now and in the future. Indeed, planning

to enable an organisation to meet its future demand for skills is an increasingly important HR

role and is central to this module. As the skills that employers seek become more specialised,

employment markets have tightened, leading to increased sophistication in the area of

resourcing and talent planning. This is reflected in the increased use of proactive diversity

management, employer branding, work–life balance initiatives and innovative approaches to

job design, which are covered in this module.

HR4019 Leadership & Management Development The focus of this module is on the development of leadership and management in facilitating

organisational, team and individual change and growth. There is recognition of differing

approaches and interpretations of the concepts of leadership and management within a range

of organisational contexts including public, private, not-for-profit, large, small, national,

international and multicultural organisations. This module encompasses the development of

leadership and management at all levels ranging from first line to senior managers and draws

on the established body of knowledge and theory in both leadership and management and

learning and development, in addition to the growing body of specialist knowledge in

leadership and management development. The module will enable learners to develop a

critical understanding of the complexities and contested nature of leadership and management

and the contextual opportunities for development. It will enable learners to develop a range

of personal and professional skills associated with the development of leadership and

management strategies to facilitate organisational development and change.

Optional Modules Please note that owing to staffing and timetabling constraints, not all these modules may be

available in any one academic year:

HR4013 Managing Employee Relations This module will provide learners with a comprehensive understanding of employment

relations perspectives and debates, both national and international, from a theoretical and

behavioural competency perspective. It will enable learners to understand, analyse and

evaluate competing theories and perspectives associated with managing employment relations

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strategies and their outcomes on organisational climate, employees and management. The

module provides opportunities for learners to critically apply the activities, knowledge and

behavioural competencies required for managing employment relations practices in union and

non-union, small and large, private, public and indigenous and multinational organisations and

will enable learners to review and critically evaluate the roles and functions of different

stakeholders in employment relations and the structures and processes required to manage

the employment relationship effectively. Learners will also be able to assess the impact of

contextual changes on employment relations practices and organisational performance from

a managerial perspective and gain insights into the creation and implementation of effective

employment relations procedures and policies.

HR4014 Employment Law The purpose of this module is to provide learners with the knowledge, understanding and skills

required to brief organisations on the consequences of current and future developments in

employment law, and to give up-to-date, timely and accurate advice concerning the practical

application of legal principles at work in different jurisdictions. The module will provide learners

with the key principles that underpin UK and EU employment law, their purpose, the major

defences that employers are able to deploy when defending cases, and the potential

organisational costs and reputational risks associated with losing them. Moreover, the focus

is on situations that occur relatively regularly in workplaces rather than on more uncommon or

obscure legal scenarios and on advanced knowledge of legislation or case law. Employment

law continues to expand both in terms of volume and complexity and the amount of regulation

covering the employment relationship and the workplace has grown substantially in recent

years, including additional duties placed on public bodies to actively promote equality. While

organisations can source specialist advice on more complex and unprecedented issues from

legal advisers, senior human resource (HR) professionals need to be sufficiently aware of

major, current and coming developments in the regulatory environment to ensure

organisations are fully prepared and also able to anticipate legal problems associated with

proposed decisions or plans before they are implemented. In the context of increasing

numbers of claims to employment tribunals, they take a leading role in handling issues and

disputes at work and in leading an organisation's response when a formal legal claim is

contemplated or pursued, including preparing and presenting responses to employment

tribunal claims and they need to fulfil each of these requirements to a professional standard.

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HR4015 Performance Management The module examines the design of performance management systems that aim to transform

organisational objectives and performance outcomes and identifies the knowledge and skills

needed for effective performance review processes that are fair, ethical and improve people

performance in modern organisations. It will equip learners with the necessary skills and a

critical understanding of the performance review process that combines challenge and support

and places a focus on personal, team and organisational learning and accountability.

Furthermore, it recognises the importance of communication skills in the performance review

process and evaluates the need for employee involvement as well as transparent, ethical and

justifiable rewards for performance.

HR4016 Reward Management This module examines total rewards in an organisational and international context and

provides learners with the knowledge and understanding of environments in which reward

professionals plan, implement and evaluate employee reward policies to support strategic

organisational goals. They will acquire both theoretical and normative understanding of the

diverse approaches to reward management and be able to critically reflect on the strengths

and limitations of these approaches in promoting individual and organisational performance

in a fair, reasonable and equitable way. The foundations for pay and benefits management

in modern organisations in the private, public and third sectors and how these traditions can

be integrated into appropriate strategic designs that provide considerations of relative value

and worth, individual and collective contribution and labour markets is examined. Learners

will be able to comprehend the relationship between traditional, contingent and

developmental choices of rewards, the use of diagnostic and evaluative skills in designing

flexible approaches to reward and the challenges of international and executive pay

arrangements.

HR4017 Employee Engagement This module explores the different dimensions of employee engagement, that is, the cognitive,

affective and behavioural dimensions. It examines and explores what is meant by

‘engagement’ and why some organisations are better than others at creating authentic

engagement among their employees, and what any organisation can do, with the aid of its

human resource (HR) professionals, to create sustainably high levels of workforce

engagement. The module will equip learners with a comprehensive understanding of the

concept of ‘engagement’ as applied in an organisational setting and explores the research-

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based and philosophical connections between employee engagement and other related

beliefs, values, leadership models and management practice. It provides learners with

knowledge and understanding of the rationale for the emergence of employee engagement

as a key priority for organisations with high-performance working (HPW) achievements or

aspirations and will enable them to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to assess the

research, experiential and anecdotal evidence surrounding both the processes that facilitate

employee engagement and the outcomes that may follow. The module counsels caution in

the assessment and interpretation of ‘evidence’ about the processes and benefits of

engagement and the need to guard against tendencies towards rhetoric, as many studies lack

empirical detail and devote excessive attention to views of those with a vested interest in

reporting progress and success. Employee engagement, if properly understood, carefully

implemented and objectively measured, is a powerful tool for delivering positive reputational

and ‘bottom-line’ outcomes. Learners will explore techniques needed to measure

engagement, take remedial action or embed engagement-enhancing cultural practices, and

to identify, prioritise and evaluate actions to promote high levels of engagement.

HR4018 Learning & Talent Development Learning and development and its central contribution to talent management is recognised

and acknowledged to be a significant lever in achieving economic, social and cultural

aspirations, ambitions and objectives of governments, work organisations and individuals.

Perhaps less recognised, but of equal importance, is the potential role of learning and

development in formulating and agreeing aspirations, ambitions and objectives. The

contribution of learning and talent development to both formulating and achieving objectives

forms a core rationale and component of this module. So too does the contextual nature of

notions of talent and their connections with national and organisational policy and strategies

intended to promote similarly contextual notions of success. This module will develop a critical

understanding of the potential and limitations of the contribution of learning and talent

development policies and strategies to formulating and achieving objectives at national,

organisational, group and individual levels and will enable the development of intellectual,

social, professional and personal skills to perform effectively in associated professional roles.

HR4020 Designing, Delivering and Evaluating Learning & Development Provision The design and delivery of learning and development always occurs in a specific context. It is

important therefore that this module develops a critical understanding of the role and influence

of a range of contextual factors on the design, delivery and evaluation of learning and

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development plans and interventions. There is a well-established body of knowledge and

theory on learning processes and their application in instructional design and facilitating

learning that also influences design and delivery of learning and development plans and

events. This body of knowledge therefore forms a significant component of the module. The

module as a whole is intended to develop the professional knowledge and skills required to

perform effectively in specialist roles associated with the design, delivery and evaluation of

learning and development.

HR4021 Understanding and Implementing Coaching and Mentoring Interest in and the use of coaching and mentoring in organisations, and as methods of

personal, professional and management development have grown significantly. Both

processes are more popular and prevalent in professional practice and have been subject to

much academic and professional research and writing which suggest many issues and

problems, as well as features of effective practice, that need to be taken into account when

using the processes and methods. The research and writing also signals many unanswered

questions about current practice and this module promotes an evidence-based approach to

enable the development of intellectual, social and professional skills necessary to design,

apply and practise coaching and mentoring programmes and services in work organisations

and their application in supporting personal and performance development. It encourages a

questioning of simplistic and prescriptive accounts of coaching and mentoring in order to

develop a critical awareness and understanding of the potential and limitations of coaching

and mentoring models, frameworks and associated theories.

HR4022 Knowledge Management & Organisational Learning Organisational learning is argued to be a critical process affecting the success or otherwise of

organisations, for example in achieving competitive advantage. The efficiency and

effectiveness of the process influences performance outcomes. Therefore attention needs to

be given to examining and improving organisational learning. This is often achieved through

mechanisms and techniques associated with knowledge management. Learning and

knowledge are intertwined, as the former is a necessary condition for the creation of the latter.

There is therefore an established connection between the two concepts. This module will

explore that connection to develop a critical understanding of the concepts of knowledge

management and of organisational learning and associated theories and the personal and

professional skills associated with designing and implementing knowledge management

strategies that promote organisational learning.

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2.3 Course requirements The combinations of modules required to achieve the MSc HRM or HRD

qualification are explained in detail above. To successfully achieve the

MSc HRM or HRD you must pass ALL assessments in each module.

For the Course Leader to be able to notify the CIPD of your results. In

addition, you must remain a member of CIPD throughout the

programme and provide evidence of CPD to the Course Leader at the

end of the course.

2.4 Progression Information Discussions about your progression through the course normally take place in February each

year. It is an opportunity for you to make plans for your study over the next academic year.

The course team will tell you about the various modules / combinations available and you will

both agree on the most appropriate (and legal) course of study for you.

2.5 Study Time 2.5.1 Weekly timetable Your timetable will be available to you online when you join the course:

https://intranet.uclan.ac.uk/ou/lis/Pages/DailyWeekly-Timetables.aspx

It is your responsibility to check your timetable regularly as some rooms may change under

special circumstances

2.5.2 Expected hours of study This is a full time masters programme. In semesters 1, 2 and 3 you should expect to devote

at least as much time per week to your studies as you would to a full-time job. For this taught

programme, the University and CIPD estimate of overall workload for successful study is 10

hours per credit. Thus, a total of 150 study hours should be devoted to each 15 credit module

that you take – this includes class attendance, guided learning, assessment time (e.g. revision,

writing essay etc.) and student initiated learning. The dissertation includes some one-to-one

supervision but the greater part of the work involves self-directed study.

You will typically have to attend at the university on three or four days of the week during the

semester one and semester two teaching weeks.

21

2.5.3 Attendance Requirements You are required to attend all timetabled learning activities for each

module. Notification of illness or exceptional requests for leave of

absence must be made to:

GreenbankHubAttendance@uclan.ac.uk, and copied to your Course Leader: Dr Ruth E Slater, reslater@uclan.ac.uk

Information for Postgraduate Students during the dissertation period in Semester 3

Attendance for semester three when you are completing your dissertation will be self-managed

and you will arrange supervision directly with your supervisor.

All Tier4 students will be required to come to Greenbank Hub twice per month to sign the

register, as well as complying with their visa conditions in meeting with their supervisor once

per month when taught modules have finished. Tier4 students may request authorised

absence during semester 3 but this will only be granted if the visit or return home is relevant

to their topic research and no holiday period will be granted unless there are evidenced

exceptional circumstances. Please note: for any student who is given authorised absence for

more than 59 days PBS will require information as the University will look to revoke the

sponsorship which will mean the student will not be able to return back to UK again.

International Students - you MUST attend your course of study regularly; under PBS, UCLan is obliged to tell UKVI if you withdraw from a course, defer or suspend your studies, or if you fail to attend the course regularly. If you have not gained the required authorisation for leave of absence, do not respond to

communications from the University and if you are absent for four weeks or more, you may be

deemed to have withdrawn from the course. If this is the case, then the date of withdrawal will

be recorded as the last day of attendance. You can check your attendance record through the

‘MyUclan’ facility available in your student portal.

Each time you are asked to enter your details on SAM you must remember that the University

has a responsibility to keep information up to date and that you must only enter your own

details on the system. To enter any other names would result in inaccurate records and be

dishonest. Any student who is found to make false entries can be disciplined under the student

guide to regulations.

22

3. Approaches to teaching and learning 3.1 Learning and teaching methods Students are supported by the electronic E-Learn (Blackboard) system where materials are

made available to them by module to support their learning. There is a course page which

contains lots of useful information (e.g. timetables, handbooks and study skills) and

information on each module you are undertaking. PLEASE NOTE that it is better to access

Blackboard using Mozilla Firefox as your browser than Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Mozilla Firefox can be downloaded for free for your own PC here.

Acquisition of core knowledge and understanding is through a variety of teaching and learning

methods including lectures, seminars and workshops. Group activities are used to encourage

social learning and interaction. Particular emphasis is placed on applied, active learning with

students participating in case studies, exercises and by relating your learning to work. You will

be expected to engage in a wide range of private study in preparation for each module week

by week. This will include sourcing materials, reading and notetaking to apply to particular

situations. We also encourage reflective practice throughout the programme, learning from

experience for future action.

3.2 Study skills Staff on the course give advice and guidance on assessments for each module.

The University offers more support on a wide range of study skills. To start with you might like

to look on myuclan at your course page which has further information.

WISER offers specialist advice and guidance to ALL students at the University, no matter what

area of study, undergraduate or postgraduate; and for students of

all levels of ability.

Learn how to study more effectively, write better and get the marks

you deserve, so even the confident able student can use the services to gain those extra

marks.

WISER tutorials offer:

• 1-to-1 help;

• Feedback on your writing (either personally face to face or on-line);

• Advice on your specific study problems.

WISER can help you generally in your study and specifically to develop the communication

skills that can contribute to your PDP portfolio and will be invaluable in future employment.

23

If you need support either talk to a member of the course team or go directly to WISER.

Website – the “I” The electronic version of the “I” is the Student Lobby and a very useful site to direct you to

sources of help and to aid your studies. Often you can find the answer here as a useful point

to go to and which will direct you to important information. If you don’t know something then it

is probably here.

3.3 Learning resources

3.3.1 Learning Information Services (LIS) Extensive resources are available to support your studies provided by LIS –

library and IT staff. Take advantage of the free training sessions designed to

enable you to gain all the skills you need for your research and study.

You can get support on:

• Study skills at study smarter and there is an online IT induction

• Ask the Library Trainer for support and help on using the library

• Ask the IT trainer for support on a range of software applications

• A range of electronic resources

• E-learning (Blackboard) 3.3.2 Electronic Resources LIS provide access to a huge range of electronic resources – e-journals and databases, e-

books, images and texts.

• See course material on E-learning (Blackboard) and library electronic resources

3.4 Personal development planning The University encourages personal development planning for students and staff and our

course is no different. As we are also teaching you on behalf of the CIPD we expect you to

keep a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) portfolio. The Course Leader will talk to

you about the requirements at your induction and at the end of the course the Course Leader

will review your portfolio on behalf of the CIPD. Throughout the programme you will also be

encouraged to reflect and maintain CPD. The CIPD web site has more information on CPD

and offers an online process for capturing your CPD. The CIPD view is that it is much more

important that you keep a CPD portfolio than what process you use to keep it.

24

3.5 Preparing for your career Your future is important to us, so to make sure that you achieve your full

potential whilst at university and beyond, your course has been designed

with employability learning integrated into it. This is not extra to your degree,

but an important part of it which will help you to show future employers just

how valuable your degree is. These “Employability Essentials” take you on a journey of

development that will help you to write your own personal story of your time at university:

• To begin with, you will explore your identity, your likes and dislikes, the things that are

important to you and what you want to get out of life.

• Later, you will investigate a range of options including jobs and work experience,

postgraduate study and self- employment,

• You will then be ready to learn how to successfully tackle the recruitment process.

Daily drop in service available from 09:00-17:00 for CV checks and initial careers information.

For more information come along and visit the team (in Foster building near the main entrance)

or access our careers and employability resouces via the Student Portal or through this link:

CAREERS

• career and employability advice and guidance appointments

• support to find work placements, internships, voluntary opportunities, part-time

employment and live projects

• workshops, seminars, modules, certificates and events to develop your skills

Daily drop in service available from 09:00-17:00 for CV checks and initial careers information.

For more information come along and visit the team (in Foster building near the main entrance)

or access our careers and employability resources via the Student Portal. A member of the

Careers team will provide a careers support session to the group at a Progress Tutorial slot in

semester two.

Your programme leads to a qualification accredited with the CIPD, the professional association

for people working in HR, HRD or learning and development role. You can specialise in either

HRM or HRD, depending upon which optional modules you take in semester 1 and 2. You

may already have experience of working in an HR, HRD or management role and this course

is designed to support your career in HR/D or in managing people. As the course is linked to

the CIPD it will be recognised by employers nationally and, in some countries, internationally

and should, combined with practitioner experience, help to enhance your future employability.

Once you upgrade to Chartered Membership status with the CIPD, you will also be more

marketable across the HR profession.

25

4. Student Support It is important to us that you are supported throughout your studies and a range of support

services are available to you within your course, Lancashire School of Business and

Enterprise (LSBE) and the University. Within your course, you are supported by your Course

Leader and Module Tutors and Academic Development Tutor. Within the Lancashire School

of Business and Enterprise (LSBE) there is a Student Support Office based in Greenbank Hub

(Gr 006) which offers a range of advice and guidance to all students. Within your first few

weeks at university, your Course Leader will explain to you what is offered by the Student

Support Team and how you access them.

4.1 Academic Advisors The Academic advisor is your Course Leader (Dr Ruth Elizabeth Slater)

and Dr Slater can help you with advice about both the academic, personal

and administrative aspects of your course. Dr Slater is the person to contact

if you have any personal difficulties which are affecting your ability to study

on the course, certainly in the first instance. Contact Alison at the earliest opportunity.

If there is anything which you are not sure about then please contact reslater@uclan.ac.uk. 4.2 Students with disabilities If you have a disability that may affect your studies, please let one of the course team know

as soon as possible. With your agreement, information will be passed on to the Disability

Advisory Service. The University will make reasonable adjustments to accommodate your

needs and to provide appropriate support for you to complete your study successfully. Where

necessary, you will be asked for evidence to help identify appropriate adjustments.

Arrangements are made for students who have a disability/learning difficulty for which valid

supporting evidence can be made available. Contact the Disability Adviser for advice and

information.

Within the Lancashire School of Business and Enterprise (LSBE) the Academic Lead for

students with disabilities is Angela MacKenzie. Angela’s e.mail address is

AMMackenzie@uclan.ac.uk if you wish to contact her for further advice/support. Angela is

based in Greenbank 129.

4.3 Students’ Union One Stop Shop The Opportunities Centre is the Union’s One Stop Shop to find employment or volunteering

whilst you study. With thousands of jobs and voluntary positions advertised, agency work

through the Bridge and information on over 2000 volunteer positions within the Union.

26

5. Assessment

5.1 Assessment Strategy Assessment is an important part of your development as a student to test

understanding, knowledge and ability to apply learning. The learning

achieved from completing an assessment and from the feedback received,

especially about how to improve are very valuable.

Each learning outcome of the course has to be assessed and this is achieved in the various

modules. There is scope for modules to have more formative work or more summative work

to be assessed as befits the module. Most modules are assessed purely by course work, but

some modules have examinations at the end of semesters; some have time-constrained

assessments during semester.

5.2 Notification of assignments and examination arrangements You will be notified of the requirements for individual assessments and their respective

deadlines for submission by your module tutor and this will normally be included in the Module

Information Pack (MIP) for each module. Marking criteria for each assignment are

incorporated into each MIP. The MIP for each module will be available on Blackboard.

In most cases assignments are to be submitted electronically via Blackboard and “Turnitin”

and your module tutor will advise you accordingly. Assignments are marked in accordance

with CIPD professional body requirements and whilst this course does not adopt UCLan’s

grade band marking scheme it is used as a guide to assist staff in making their academic

judgements. The grade band marking scheme is explained in more detail on the programme

page on Blackboard.

Assignment marks and feedback are usually provided through the Blackboard system. Overall

module marks will be available on the MyUCLAN system once the marks have been ratified

at a Course Board.

5.3 Referencing The Lancashire School of Business and Enterprise (LSBE) uses the Harvard referencing style

and more information on this is available in an easy to use comprehensive guide at Harvard

referencing guide

5.4 Confidential material During the course of your study, it is possible that you may have access to confidential

information, for example, on placement, in completing your dissertation, undertaking a live

project, etc. Please remember that it is your ethical and legal responsibility to respect

27

confidentiality and maintain the anonymity of individuals and organisations within your

assignments. If you need further guidance on these issues you should contact the relevant

Module Tutor or your Course Leader.

When you join the course you will be signed up to the CIPD and as such you will be

immediately governed by the professional and ethical standards of both UCLan and CIPD. As

a HE institution the University operates a freedom of speech policy. This does not allow people

to be offensive to one another but does allow for exploration of differing views and meanings

in order to develop and benefit the learning community. As such one of your fellow students

may discuss experiences and issues from their workplace. To allow this to happen we prefer

that classroom discussions are both open and confidential in nature. You have to use your

own professional judgment in deciding what and how to divulge such information. This is

equally true in writing assignments and conducting research and you are bound by UCLan’s

research ethics code which call for overt research and the protection of your research subjects

(usually through anonymity). If you have any doubts talk to your research supervisor, module

tutor or contact the course leader. The course team are also bound by the University’s ethical

and professional standards and many of us are also covered by CIPD guidelines and policies.

As such we do not disclose information outside of the teaching team and/or University

processes.

5.5 Cheating, plagiarism, collusion or re-presentation Please refer to the information included in section 6.6 of the University Student Handbook for

full definitions. The University uses an online Assessment Tool called Turnitin. A pseudo-

Turnitin assignment will be set up using the School space on Blackboard to allow students to

check as many drafts as the system allows before their final submission to the ‘official’ Turnitin

assignment. Students are required to self-submit their own assignment on Turnitin and will

be given access to the Originality Reports arising from each submission. In operating Turnitin,

Schools must take steps to ensure that the University’s requirement for all summative

assessment to be marked anonymously is not undermined and therefore Turnitin reports

should either be anonymised or considered separately from marking. Turnitin may also be

used to assist with plagiarism detection and collusion, where there is suspicion about

individual piece(s) of work.

Where possible UCLan uses anonymous marking and Turnitin assignments can be

anonymised but there may be exceptions to this. For example, where one student has a

special educational need it could mean they are unfairly identified whilst others would be

anonymous. In such cases the module tutor or course leader may decide to remove anonymity

28

for all students in the interest of fairness. As the special need is a personal matter we would

not disclose this to other students.

On a professional programme anonymity is very difficult to achieve as you may write about

your organisation or experiences and from that it may be possible to identify you but the

Course Team have years of experience of marking and academic professionalism. Similarly,

in personal reflection and dissertation style assignments anonymity may not be applied due to

the feedback or marking requirements and you will be advised of this at the outset of a module.

6. Classification of Awards The awards associated with the MSc HRM/D programme are as follows:

• MSc HRM

• MSc HRM with Merit

• MSc HRM with Distinction

• MSc HRD

• MSc HRD with Merit

• MSc HRD with Distinction

Normally a “merit” is awarded when the average percentage mark (APM) for modules is 60-

69% and a “distinction” is awarded at 70% or higher. The full process for determining awards

is detailed in 6.2 below.

The MSc in Human Resource Management is one of the target awards of the programme and can be awarded with ‘Merit’ and with ‘Distinction’. The Average Percentage Mark (APM) is based on the all the modules undertaken. To achieve this award you must have a total of 180 credits of which 45 credits have to be from 3 HRM pathway option modules (see the table in section 2.2 above)

The MSc in Human Resource Development is the alternative target award of the programme and can be awarded with ‘Merit’ and with ‘Distinction’. The Average Percentage Mark (APM) is based on the all the modules undertaken. To achieve this award you must have a total of 180 credits of which 45 credits have to be from 3 HRD pathway option modules (see the table in section 2.2 above)

The Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management award is primarily an intermediate exit award. To achieve this award you must have a total of 120 credits of which 45 credits have to be from 3 HRM pathway option modules (see the table in section 2.2 above). This award is not CIPD accredited.

29

The Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Development award is primarily an intermediate exit award. To achieve this award you must have a total of 120 credits of which 45 credits have to be from 3 HRM pathway option modules (see the table in section 2.2 above). This award is not CIPD accredited.

The Postgraduate Certificate in Human Resources award is primarily an intermediate exit award, and its Average Percentage Mark (APM) is based on the successful completion of any 60 credits. This award is not CIPD accredited.

The University publishes the principles underpinning the way in which awards and results are

decided in Academic Regulations. Decisions about the overall classification of awards are

made by Assessment Boards through the application of the academic and relevant course

regulations.

If the APM is near a borderline, ‘at the discretion of the Assessment Board, students may be

classified according to the academic judgement of the Assessment Board’ In operating

discretion for profiling Course Assessment Boards will use academic judgement and may refer

to performance in core modules; the placement component, the dissertation/project or other

factors which have been published to students.

Typically marks at 49.5/59.5 and 69.5 are automatically rounded up to the next level. Where

a mark is between 49.0 and 49.49/ 59.0 and 49.49 and 69.0 and 69.49 this is where the board

will is able to use its discretion.

7. Student Feedback You can play an important part in the process of improving the quality of this

course through the feedback you give. In addition to the on-going discussion

with the course team throughout the year, there are a range of mechanisms

for you to feedback about your experience of teaching and learning. We aim

to respond to your feedback and let you know of our plans for improvement. For example, we

have adapted a number of our modules based on previous student feedback.

The Students’ Union can support you in voicing your opinion, provide on-going advice and

support, and encourage your involvement in all feedback opportunities. They will be asking

that you complete the UCLan Student Survey.

The Students’ Union and University work closely together to ensure that the student voice is

heard in all matters of student-life. We encourage students to provide constructive feedback

throughout their time at university, through course reps, surveys and any other appropriate

means,

30

The Union’s Student Affairs Committee (SAC), and members of Students’ Council each have

particular representative responsibilities, and are involved with decision making committees

as high as the University Board. Therefore, it is very important students engage with the

democratic processes of the Students’ Union and elect the students they see as most able to

represent them.

As a Course Team we are keen to know what you think so that we can continue to offer an

excellent course. Apart from staff student liaison (see the section below) there are a number

of opportunities to help us and the future HR community that will pass through this programme.

• When courses are validated, revalidated or assessed for re-approval by the University

and/or the CIPD the validation panel will meet with a selection of students in private to

discuss what works well and what issues there are on the programme. If the Course

Leader approaches you to attend one of these sessions, we would be grateful if you

could make every effort to attend as your contribution is valuable to us.

• Staff may ask from time to time for feedback on how things are going on their modules

or during teaching sessions.

• Staff who supervise you on a one to one basis may also ask how the supervisory

relationship is progressing. Although you do not need to wait to be asked to discuss

this!

• The course Leader may ask from time to time on an informal basis how the course is

progressing – again though you do not need to be asked and you are encouraged to

contact the Course Leader to raise issues or give positive feedback.

7.1 Student Staff Liaison Committee meetings (SSLCs)

Details of the Protocol for the operation of SSLCs is included in section 8.2 of the University

Student Handbook.

The purpose of a SSLC meeting is to provide the opportunity for course representatives to

feedback to staff about the course, the overall student experience and to inform developments

which will improve future courses. These meetings are normally scheduled once per semester.

Meetings will be facilitated using guidelines and a record of the meeting will be provided with

any decisions and / or responses made and / or actions taken as a result of the discussions

held. The meetings include discussion of items forwarded by course representatives, normally

related to the following agenda items (dependent on time of year).

The course team encourage student feedback in all areas and recognise that additional items

for discussion may also be raised at the meeting

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• Update on actions completed since the last meeting

• Feedback about the previous year – discussion of external examiner’s report;

outcomes of National /UCLan student surveys.

• Review of enrolment / induction experience;

• Course organisation and management (from each individual year group, and the

course overall);

• Experience of modules - teaching, assessment, feedback;

• Experience of academic support which may include e.g. Personal Development

Planning, academic advisor arrangements;

• Other aspects of University life relevant to student experience e.g. learning resources,

IT, library;

• Any other issues raised by students or staff.

Updates on actions resulting from the SSLC may be emailed, discussed in class or posted on

Blackboard to ensure that students clearly understand any changes which have been made.

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8. Appendices

33

8.1 Programme Specification(s)

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL LANCASHIRE

Programme Specification

This Programme Specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided.

Sources of information on the programme can be found in Section 17

1. Awarding Institution / Body University of Central Lancashire

2. Teaching Institution and Location of Delivery

University of Central Lancashire/Preston

3. University School/Centre Lancashire School of Business and Enterprise

4. External Accreditation Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

5. Title of Final Award MSc Human Resource Management/Development

6. Modes of Attendance offered Full-Time

7. UCAS Code -

8. Relevant Subject Benchmarking Group(s)

-

9. Other external influences Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

10. Date of production/revision of this form

March 2016

11. Aims of the Programme • To provide students with a high quality postgraduate management education and

development experience of intrinsic worth that will enable you to achieve learning outcomes at a level appropriate for the award of an MSc of the University.

• To provide an intellectually stimulating programme of professional postgraduate education for students desiring to develop their careers in the human resource management and development profession.

• To develop the operational skills and behaviours of human resource management and development practitioners though a curriculum that combines rigorous academic study, skills development and application.

• To ensure that by completion of the programme, students meet the requirements of CIPD ‘advanced’ level standards to enable them to contribute to their present or future organisations.

• To enable students to learn and to demonstrate their academic learning to a level that may lead to MCIPD. Please note this is subject to successful assessment by CIPD of behaviours and attaining the appropriate experience.

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12. Learning Outcomes, Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods A. Knowledge and Understanding A1. Critically assess the objectives & methodologies of business colleagues & stakeholders. A2. Strategically assess trends and patterns and identify good practice which can be imported from outside the organisation. A3 Identify and critically evaluate method and methodological alternatives for undertaking postgraduate research and demonstrate a critical awareness of problems. Teaching and Learning Methods Lectures, small group work and plenary sessions, self-directed study, individual reflection, individual and team presentations, research tasks. Assessment methods Essays, reports, dissertation B. Subject-specific skills B1. Demonstrate a level of knowledge, understanding and ability about managing people and leadership that meets CIPD Professional Standards. B2. Demonstrate an awareness of the wider contribution that personnel management and development can make to organisational success. B3. Demonstrate an understanding of how to develop organisational capacity through people management and development processes and initiatives that will help to embed or promote change in organisational culture, structure and functioning, and ensure the skills needed to operate in changed roles and environments. Teaching and Learning Methods Lectures, small group work and plenary sessions, practical workshops, critical discussion and evaluation, visiting speakers, individual reflection, and presentations. Assessment methods Essays, reports, presentations, skills assignments, portfolio, dissertation. C. Thinking Skills C1. Effectively analyse business needs and issues using relevant facts and figures; anticipating objections and preparing responses. C2. Effectively apply a range of critical thinking abilities, tools and processes. C3 Effectively evaluate the appropriateness and potential value of concepts, models, paradigms and ideologies to the understanding and management of organisations. Teaching and Learning Methods Lectures, small group work and plenary sessions, self-directed study, individual reflection, individual and team presentations, and critical discussions. Assessment methods Essays, presentations, case study analysis, dissertation. D. Other skills relevant to employability and personal development D1. Demonstrate the ability to prioritise tasks and work schedules D2. Systematically seek to improve performance and professional development through periodic reflection. D3. Identify how to gain support and commitment from others and be able to influence and persuade them. D4. Promote professionalism & an ethical approach to HRM/HRD practice in organisations. Teaching and Learning Methods Lectures, small group work and plenary sessions, self-directed study, individual reflection, individual and team presentations, research tasks. Assessment methods Reports, essays and presentations, dissertation.

35

13. Programme Structures* 14. Awards and Credits*

Level Module Code

Module Title Credit rating

Level 7 HR4307 HR4007 HR4008 HR4009 HR4072 HR4011 HR4019 HR4993 HR4012 HR4013 HR4014 HR4015 HR4016 HR4017 HR4018 HR4020 HR4021 HR4022

Core Modules Research Methods HRM in context Managing, Leading and Developing People Developing Skills for Business Leadership Critical Research Issues in HRM Organisational Design and Development Leadership and Management Development Dissertation Option modules Talent and People Resourcing Managing Employee Relations Employment Law Performance Management Reward Management Employee Engagement Learning & Talent Development Designing, Delivering & Evaluating Learning & Development Provision Understanding and Implementing Coaching and Mentoring Knowledge Management & Organisational Learning

20 15 15 15 20 15 15 35 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15

MSc HRM requires 180 credits at Level 7 with at least 45 credits of HRM pathway modules taken.

MSc HRD requires 180 credits at Level 7 with at least 45 credits of HRD pathway modules taken.

Postgraduate Diploma HRM requires 120 credits of which 45 credits have to be from the HRM pathway option modules Postgraduate Diploma HRD requires 120 credits of which 45 credits have to be from the HRD pathway option modules Postgraduate Certificate Human Resources requires a minimum of 60 credits.

15. Personal Development Planning

Students will be made aware of and required to follow CIPD’s approach to CPD (Continuing Professional Development). The CPD processes commences with a briefing during the induction. Examples of CPD will be provided and all students will have access to online CIPD support. Students will also be given additional guidance and support throughout the

36

programme. More specific support will be given in the modules Managing, Leading and Developing People and Developing Skills for Business Leadership. At the end of the programme students are required to submit a copy of their CPD portfolio and this is assessed by David Vickers (in his CIPD capacity).

16. Admissions criteria

A UK university undergraduate honours degree, with at least a lower second class classification, or its equivalent.

For students where English is not their first language the following is also required: A score of at least 6.5 on IELTS or a score of 600-650 in TOEFL, supported by a pass in the associated Test of Written English, or a score of greater than 250 on TOEFL computer test. Further information at:

http://www.uclan.ac.uk/information/international/entry_requirements/entry_requirements.php

17. Key sources of information about the programme

• Lancashire School of Business and Enterprise (LSBE) Part Time Postgraduate Brochure and website

• UCLan Postgraduate Prospectus and website • CIPD web pages and post code search system • Fact sheet

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18. Curriculum Skills Map Please tick in the relevant boxes where individual Programme Learning Outcomes are being assessed

Level Module Code Module Title

Core (C), Compulsory (COMP) or Option (O)

Programme Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and understanding Subject-specific Skills Thinking Skills

Other skills relevant to employability and

personal development

A1 A2 A3 B1 B2 B3 C1 C2 C3 D1 D2 D3 D4

LEV

EL 7

HR4007 HRM in Context C HR4008 Managing Leading & Developing

People C

HR4009 Developing Skills for Business Leaders

C

HR4011 Organisational Design and Development

C

HR4012 Talent Management and Resourcing O

HR4013 Managing Employee Relations O

HR4014 Employment Law O

HR4015 Performance Management O

HR4016 Reward Management O

HR4017 Employee Engagement O

HR4018 Learning & Talent Development O

HR4019 Leadership & Management Development

C

HR4020 Designing, Delivering & Evaluating Learning & Development Provision

O

HR4021 Understanding and Implementing Coaching and Mentoring

O

HR4022 Knowledge Management & Organisational Learning

O

HR4072 Critical Research Issues in HRM C

HR4307 Research Methods C HR4993 Dissertation C

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19. LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR EXIT AWARDS:

For each exit award available, list learning outcomes relating to the knowledge and understanding, subject specific skills, thinking, other skills relevant to employability and personal development that a typical student might be expected to gain as a result of successfully completing each level of a course of study.

Learning outcomes for the award of: Postgraduate Certificate Human Resources

A1. Critically assess the objectives & methodologies of your business colleagues & stakeholders.

A2. Strategically assess trends and patterns and identify good practice which can be imported from outside the organisation.

B2. Evaluate the wider contribution that personnel management and development can make to organisational success.

B3. Deduce how to develop organisational capacity through people management and development processes and initiatives that will help to embed or promote change in organisational culture, structure and functioning, and ensure the skills needed to operate in changed roles and environments.

C2. Effectively apply a range of critical thinking abilities, tools and processes.

D4. Promote professionalism & an ethical approach to HRM/D practice in organisations.

Learning outcomes for the award of: Postgraduate Diploma HRM/D

A1. Critically assess the objectives & methodologies of your business colleagues & stakeholders.

A2. Strategically assess trends and patterns and identify good practice which can be imported from outside the organisation.

B1. Illustrate a level of knowledge, understanding and ability about managing people and leadership that meets CIPD Professional Standards.

B2. Define the wider contribution that personnel management and development can make to organisational success.

B3. Articulate ways to develop organisational capacity through people management and development processes and initiatives in order to help embed or promote change in organisational culture, structure and functioning, and ensure the skills needed to operate in changed roles and environments.

C1. Effectively analyse business needs and issues using relevant facts and figures; anticipating objections and preparing responses.

C2. Effectively apply a range of critical thinking abilities, tools and processes.

D1. Plan and prioritise tasks and work schedules

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D2. Systematically seek to improve performance & professional development through periodic reflection.

D3. Identify how to gain support &commitment from others and be able to influence and persuade them.

D4. Promote professionalism & an ethical approach to HRM/D practice in organisations.

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University Student Handbook

2017/18 Please read this Handbook in conjunction with your Course Handbook. All course materials, including lecture notes and other additional materials related to your course and provided to you, whether electronically or in hard copy, as part of your study, are the property of (or licensed to) UCLan and MUST not be distributed, sold, published, made available to others or copied other than for your personal study use unless you have gained written permission to do so from the Dean/Head of School. This applies to the materials in their entirety and to any part of the materials. This Handbook is produced centrally and locked for editing. Partner institutions only are given permission to contextualise the Handbook.

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UCLan Mission statement We create positive change in our students, staff, business partners and wider communities, enabling them to develop their full potential by providing excellent higher education, innovation and research. UCLan Values

• The pursuit of excellence in all that we do. • Equality of opportunity for all, supporting the rights and freedoms of our diverse

community. • The advancement and protection of knowledge, freedom of speech and enquiry. • Supporting the health, safety and wellbeing of all.

Student Charter The Student Charter has been developed by the University and the Students’ Union so that students gain the maximum from their UCLan experience. It is a two-way commitment or ‘contract’ between the University and each individual student. It acts as a means of establishing in black and white what students can expect from the University and the Union in terms of support, and in return what we expect from our students. Read the full Student Charter Supporting Diversity at UCLan UCLan recognises and values individual difference and has a public duty to promote equality and remove discrimination on various grounds including race, gender, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation and age. During your time at UCLan we expect you to be able to

• experience "an integrated community based on mutual respect and tolerance where all staff and students can feel safe, valued and supported."

• contribute to creating a positive environment where discriminatory practices and discrimination no longer happen. Please review the UCLan Equality and Diversity Policy for further information.

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Contents page 1. Welcome and Introduction to the University 2. Learning Resources 3. Preparing for your career 4. Student support 5. Students’ Union 6. Rationale, aims and learning outcomes of the course 7. Assessment 8. Student Voice

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1. Welcome and Introduction to the University The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) welcomes you and hopes that you will enjoy studying at UCLan and that you will find your course both interesting and rewarding. Part one of this Handbook provides you with generic University level information and the Course Handbook provides specific information about your programme of study. 1.1 Communication The University expects you to use your UCLan email address and check regularly for messages from staff. If you send us email messages from other addresses they risk being filtered out as potential spam and discarded as unread. 1.2 External Examiner The University has appointed an External Examiner to your course who helps to ensure that the standards of your course are comparable to those provided at other higher education institutions in the UK. External Examiner reports will be made available to you electronically. The School will also send a sample of student coursework to the external examiner(s) for external moderation purposes, once it has been marked and internally moderated by the course tutors. The sample will include work awarded the highest and lowest marks and awarded marks in the middle range. Details of the External Examiner associated with your course can be found in your Course Handbook. 1.3 Expected hours of study The normal amount of work involved in achieving a successful outcome to your studies is to study for 10 hours per each credit you need to achieve – this includes attendance at UCLan and time spent in private study. Please note however that this may vary depending on your particular course and programme of study. You should therefore check your Course Handbook or contact a member of staff within the relevant School. 1.4 Attendance Requirements Student attendance at timetabled learning activities of courses and modules is required. Notification of illness or exceptional requests for leave of absence must be made as detailed in the Course Handbook. Individual modules and/or courses may incorporate a specific attendance requirement as part of the assessment criteria for successful completion of a module. Students with continuous unauthorised absence may be deemed to have withdrawn from the course. The date of withdrawal will be recorded as the last day of attendance. You may appeal this decision by following the Complaints Procedure You must swipe in using your student card. Each time you are asked to enter your details on the Student Attendance Monitoring system (SAM) you must remember that the University has a responsibility to keep information up to date. You must only enter your own details on the system as to enter any other names would result in inaccurate records and be dishonest. Any student who is found to make false entries, such as scanning but not attending, can be disciplined under the Regulations for the Conduct of Students 1.5 Data Protection All of the personal information obtained from you and other sources in connection with your studies at the University will be held securely and will be used by the University both during your course and after you leave the University for a variety of purposes. These purposes are all explained during the enrolment process at the commencement of your studies. If you would like a more detailed explanation of the University’s policy on the use and disclosure of

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personal information, please see the University’s Data Protection Policy and Privacy Notice or contact the Information Governance Officer, Clerk to the Board Service, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, PR1 2HE or email DPFOIA@uclan.ac.uk.

2. Learning resources 2.1 Learning Information Services (LIS) Extensive resources are available to support your studies provided by LIS – library and IT staff. Take advantage of the free training sessions designed to enable you to gain all the skills you need for your research and study.

You can find the link to the Library Opening Hours here: http://www.uclan.ac.uk/students/study/library/opening_hours.php 2.2 Electronic Resources LIS provide access to a range of electronic resources – e-journals and databases, e-books, images and texts.

3. Preparing for your career Your future is important to us, so to make sure that you achieve your full potential whilst at university and beyond, your course has employability learning integrated into it. This is not extra to your degree, but an important part of it.

Your course will take you on a journey of development that will help you to map your personal story of your time at university.

You will be encouraged to record your learning journey so that you can demonstrate all the work-related skills you have developed, both before and during your time at UCLan. This will help you to show future employers just how valuable your degree is and the employability skills you have acquired.

• You will be given the opportunity to explore your identity, your strengths and areas for development, your values and what you want to get out of life.

• You will be able to investigate a range of options, including jobs and work experience, postgraduate study and self-employment.

• We will support you to enable you to successfully tackle the recruitment process and to develop your enterprise skills.

UCLan Careers offers a range of support for you including:-

• One to one career and employability advice and guidance appointments. • Advice on finding graduate jobs, including how to improve your CV with work placements,

internships, voluntary opportunities and part-time employment. • Workshops, seminars, and events to enhance your learning and develop your skills. • Employer presentations and events, to give you the chance to network with potential

employers and find out from them what they are looking for.

Our drop-in service is available from 09:00-17:00, Monday to Thursday, 9:00-16:00 on Fridays. We offer CV and cover letter checks, careers information and can tell you about our full range of services. For more information come along and visit the team (in Foster building

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near the main entrance) or access our careers and employability resources via the Student Portal

It’s your future: take charge of it!

UCLan Careers | Foster Building | University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE 01772 895858 careers@uclan.ac.uk www.uclan.ac.uk/careers

4. Student support, guidance and conduct 4.1 Student Support “Got a Problem to Sort? Come to us for Support”.

The <i> is your first point of call for all enquiries, help and advice. We provide guidance to all UCLan students whatever the query may be. We are based on the ground floor of the UCLan Library and open 7 days a week most of the year. Our friendly and approachable team will do their best to ensure your query is answered. Come and have a chat with us if you have a query on any aspect of student life and study. http://www.uclan.ac.uk/students/study/library/the_i.php

4.2 Students with disabilities You are strongly encouraged to declare your disability on your application form when you apply to study at UCLan. If you have declared this Disability Services will be in contact with you to advise you about reasonable adjustments which may be appropriate in the circumstances. You can also tell any member of staff at the University, who will ask you to sign a disability disclosure form, to let the Disability Service know that you have a disability and agree to share this information with them. Disability Services will then get in touch with you to discuss your available options. Following this you will be assigned a Disability Adviser whom you can contact should you need any further help or assistance. https://www.uclan.ac.uk/students/health/disability_services.php 4.3 Assessment arrangements for students with a disability Arrangements are made for students who have a disability/specific learning difficulty for which valid supporting evidence can be made available. Contact your Disability Adviser for advice and information, disability@uclan.ac.uk

4.4 Health and Safety As a student of the University you share responsibility for the safety of yourself and for that of others around you. You must understand and follow all the regulations and safety codes necessary for a safe campus environment. Please help to keep it safe by reporting any incidents, accidents or potentially

unsafe situations to a member of staff as soon as possible. Safety assessments have been undertaken for each module of your course and you will be advised of all applicable safety codes and any specific safety issues during the induction to your course and modules. You must ensure that you understand and apply all necessary safety codes. These form an essential element of your personal development and contribute to the safety of others. 4.5 Conduct You will be expected to abide by the Regulations for the Conduct of Students in the University. UCLan expects you to behave in a respectful manner towards all members of

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the University at all times demonstrated by using appropriate language in class, switching mobile phones / other devices off prior to attending classes, and also in your use of any social networking sites. If your behaviour is considered to be unacceptable, any member of staff is able to issue an informal oral warning and the University will support staff by invoking formal procedures where necessary. You can read more about UCLan expectations in the regulations for the Conduct of Students.

5. Students’ Union You can play an important part in the process of improving the quality of your course through the feedback you give. In addition to the ongoing discussion with the course team throughout the year, there are a range of mechanisms for you to feed back about your experience of teaching and learning. Where

appropriate, we aim to respond to your feedback and let you know of our plans for improvement. The Students’ Union is the representative body for all UCLan students. The organisation exists separately from the University and is led by the elected officers of the Student Affairs Committee (SAC) as well as representatives on the Students’ Council. The Students’ Union building is located at the heart of the Preston campus, and is the hub for all student activities. Representation and campaigning for students’ rights is at the core of what the Students’ Union does and is encompassed by its tag line of, Making Life Better for Students. Should you wish to make a change to any aspect of your student experience, whether it be academically related or not, then the Students’ Union is where your voice can be heard, actions taken, or campaigns launched. Your Students’ Union is also the home to a fantastic range of student-led societies, sports teams and multitudes of volunteering opportunities. You can also receive help in finding part-time work, whilst you study. Not sure where to go? Pop into the Opportunities Centre on the ground floor of the Students’ Union building and someone will point you in the right direction. We hope your time at University is trouble free, but should you come into difficulties around anything from academic appeals, to issues with housing, benefits or debt, then the Student Union’s dedicated staff team in the Advice and Representation Centre are on hand to help and offer impartial advice. More information on all these things, as well as details about all the Student Union’s (not-for-profit) commercial services, including its student supermarket (Essentials) and student-bar (Source) can be found at www.uclansu.co.uk 6. Rationale, aims and learning outcomes of the course 6.1 You will find information specific to your chosen course of study in your Course Handbook, in the form of a ‘programme specification’. As defined by the QAA (Quality Assurance Agency) - the regulatory body responsible for overseeing quality compliance in the Higher Education Sector - a programme specification is a concise description of the intended learning outcomes of an HE programme. It is the means by which the outcomes are achieved and demonstrated. In general, modules or other units of study have stated outcomes, often set out in handbooks provided by institutions to inform student choice. These intended learning outcomes relate directly to the curriculum, study and assessment methods and criteria used to assess performance. Programme specifications can show how modules can be combined into whole qualifications. However, a programme specification is

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not simply an aggregation of module outcomes; it relates to the learning and attributes developed by the programme as a whole and which, in general, are typically in HE more than the sum of the parts. 6.2 Sometimes certain aspects of courses may be subject to change. Applicants are encouraged to check information on our relevant course pages from time to time, particularly before submitting any application for their academic year of study. Material changes about a course will be notified to you in material produced after the change is made and at the time you are made any offer of a place of study for that course. For details about changes to course information after you have accepted any offer, please see our Additional Information and Conditions of Offer

7. Assessment Please note that all modules will be assessed. You are expected to attempt all required assessments for each module for which you are registered, and to do so at the times scheduled unless authorised extensions, special arrangements for disability, or extenuating circumstances have been expressly agreed by the

University to allow you to defer your assessment. 7.1 Dealing with difficulties in meeting assessment deadlines Assignments must be submitted no later than the time and date on your assignment instructions / brief. If you anticipate that you will have difficulty in meeting assessment deadlines or you have missed or are likely to miss in-semester tests you must report this at the earliest possible opportunity. An academic staff member, such as your Academic Advisor or Module or Course Leader, will be able to provide advice to you on how to do this. Extenuating Circumstances are defined as unforeseen, unpreventable circumstances that significantly disrupt student performance in assessment. Where students have a temporary unexpected circumstance that means that they are unable to complete a particular assignment on time the student may apply for an extension of up to ten working days. 7.2 Extensions Authorisation of the late submission of work requires written permission. Your School is authorised to give permission for one extension period of between 1 and 10 working days where appropriate evidence of good reason has been accepted and where submission within this timescale would be reasonable taking into account your circumstances. Requests for extensions should be made prior to the submission date as extensions cannot be given Retrospectively (Academic Regulations). You should complete and submit an extension request form, with any supporting evidence, to your CAS Hub. Further information is available on the Student Portal at: https://www.uclan.ac.uk/students/study/examinations_and_awards/extensions.php We aim to let you know if the extension has been granted within 1 working day of the receipt of the request. If you are unable to submit work within 10 working days after the submission date due to verifiable extenuating circumstances, you may submit a case for consideration in accordance with the University’s Policies and Procedures on Extenuating Circumstances (Academic Regulations and Assessment Handbook).

7.3 Extenuating circumstances Some students face significant events in their personal life that occur after their course has started, which have a greater impact on their studies than can be solved by the use of an extension. If this applies to you, the University is ready

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to support you, with both your course and your personal wellbeing, through a process called Extenuating Circumstances (see Academic Regulations and Assessment Handbook) You can apply for Extenuating Circumstances online via myUCLan. You must apply no later than 3 days after any examination or assessment submission date. Do not wait until you receive your assessment results to submit a claim. It is in your own interests to submit the claim as soon as possible. You will be expected to re-submit claims for extenuating circumstances for each semester in which they apply. All evidence provided relating to extenuating circumstances will be treated in a sensitive and confidential manner. Supporting evidence will not be kept for longer than is necessary and will be destroyed shortly after the end of the current academic year. Further information about the submission process In determining assessment recommendations, Assessment Boards will consider properly submitted claims from students who believe their performance has been adversely affected by extenuating circumstances. N.B. Assessment Boards are not permitted to alter individual assessment marks to take account of extenuating circumstances (Academic Regulations and Assessment Handbook).

7.4 Late submissions If you submit work late without authorisation, a universal penalty will be applied in relation to your work: • If you submit work within 5 working days following the published submission

date you will obtain the minimum pass mark for that element of assessment. • Work submitted later than 5 working days after the published submission date will be

awarded a mark of 0% for that element of assessment. • Unauthorised late submission at resubmission will automatically be awarded a mark of 0%

for that element of assessment. You may apply to appeal this decision in accordance with the University’s Academic Regulations. 7.5 Feedback Following Assessments UCLan is committed to giving you clear, legible and informative feedback for all your assessments (Academic Regulations). You are expected to review and reflect on your feedback and learn from each experience to improve your performance as you progress though the course. For courses (except distance learning): You will be provided with generic feedback for in-module formative and summative elements of assessment which contribute to a module within 15 working days of the scheduled submission or examination date. Generic feedback on end of module assessment and dissertations will be made available within 15 days of publication of results. Generic feedback may be oral, written, posted on a website or other. For distance learning courses: You will be provided with generic feedback for in-module formative and summative elements of assessment which contribute to a module within 20 working days of the scheduled submission or examination date. Generic feedback on end of module assessment and dissertations will be made available within 20 days of publication of results. Generic feedback may be oral, written, posted on a website or other.

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7.6 Unfair Means to Enhance Performance The University regards any use of unfair means in an attempt to enhance performance or to influence the standard of award obtained as a serious academic and/or disciplinary offence. Such offences can include, without limitation, cheating, plagiarism, collusion and re-presentation (‘unfair means’).

You are required to sign a declaration indicating that individual work submitted for assessment is your own and will be able to view your Originality Report following e-submission of assessed work. If you attempt to influence the standard of the award you obtain through cheating, plagiarism or collusion, it will be considered as a serious academic and disciplinary offence as described within the Academic Regulations and the Assessment Handbook .

• Cheating is any deliberate attempt to deceive and covers a range of offences described in the Assessment Handbook.

• Plagiarism describes copying from the works of another person without suitably attributing the published or unpublished works of others. This means that all quotes, ideas, opinions, music and images should be acknowledged and referenced within your assignments.

• Collusion is an attempt to deceive the examiners by disguising the true authorship of an assignment by copying, or imitating in close detail another student’s work - this includes with the other student’s consent and also when 2 or more students divide the elements of an assignment amongst themselves and copy one another’s answers. It does not include the normal situation in which you learn from your peers and share ideas, as this generates the knowledge and understanding necessary for each individual to independently undertake an assignment; nor should it be confused with group work on an assignment which is specifically authorised in the assignment brief.

• Re-presentation is an attempt to gain credit twice for the same piece of work. The process of investigation and penalties which will be applied can be reviewed in the Assessment Handbook. If an allegation is found to be proven then the appropriate penalty will be implemented as set out below: In the case of a single offence of unfair means in an undergraduate or postgraduate assessment:

• the appropriate penalty will be 0% for the element of assessment, and an overall fail for the module (whether or not the resulting numeric average mark is above or below the minimum pass mark). The affected element of the assessment must be resubmitted to the required standard. The mark for the module following resubmission will be restricted to the minimum pass mark. Where unfair means is detected for the first time on a reassessment for an already failed module, no further reassessment for the module will be permitted, and the appropriate fail grade will be awarded. In the event of a repeat offence of unfair means (irrespective of whether the repeat offence involves the same form of unfair means) on the same or any other module within the course:

• the appropriate penalty will be 0% for the module with no opportunity for re-assessment. This penalty does not preclude you being able to retake the module in a subsequent year. The penalties will apply if you transfer from one UCLan course to another during your period of study and module credits gained on the former course are transferred to the current course. Contact the Students’ Union Advice and Representation Centre by emailing: suadvice@uclan.ac.uk for support and guidance.

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7.7 Appeals against assessment board decisions If you consider that you have a reason to appeal against an assessment board decision, please bear in mind that your reasons must fall within the grounds specified in the University Academic Regulations: Section I. You cannot appeal simply because you disagree with the mark given. The specified grounds for appeal are: 1. that an Assessment Board has given insufficient weight to extenuating circumstances; 2. that the student’s academic performance has been adversely affected by extenuating circumstances which the student has, for good reason, been unable to make known to the Assessment Board; 3. that there has been a material administrative error at a stage of the examining process, or that some material irregularities have occurred; 4. that the assessment procedure and/or examinations have not been conducted in accordance with the approved regulations (this fourth ground will not be relevant to an appeal against a decision relating to an interruption or discontinuance of study. Such an appeal should be based on one or more of the three grounds above. If you want to appeal, then you must do so within 14 days of your results being published. The onus is on you to find out your results and submit your appeal on time. Contact the Students' Union Advice and Representation Centre by emailing: suadvice@uclan.ac.uk for support and guidance.

8. Student voice You can play an important part in the process of improving the quality of this course through the feedback you give. In addition to the on-going discussion with the course team throughout the year, there are a range of mechanisms for you to feedback about your experience of teaching and learning. We aim to respond to your feedback and let you know of our plans for improvement.

The Students Union can support you in voicing your opinion, provide on-going advice and support and encourage your involvement in all feedback opportunities. They will be requesting that you complete the National Student Survey (during semester 2 for students in their final year of study) or the UCLan Student Survey (all other students). The Students’ Union and University work closely together to ensure that the student voice is heard in all matters of student-life. We encourage students to provide constructive feedback throughout their time at university, through course reps, surveys and any other appropriate means. The Union’s Student Affairs Committee (SAC), members of Students’ Council and School Presidents each have particular representative responsibilities and are involved with decision making committees at levels as high as the University Board. Therefore it is very important students engage with the democratic processes of the Students’ Union and elect the students they see as most able to represent them. 8.1 Course Representatives and School Presidents A course representative is a student who represents their fellow students’ views and opinions to the course team, school, university and students’ union. Course representatives work proactively and diplomatically to improve the academic and non-academic experiences of students.

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The role of a course representative is extremely beneficial to both students on your course and the University. It enables students to have ownership of their student experience, to voice their opinions and to share positive practice with the course team, primarily at the Student Staff Liaison Committee Meetings (see below). Course representatives will be elected every year either in April or September. Alongside receiving recognition, support and respect, being a course representative is a great opportunity to enhance your employability skills. If you are interested in becoming a course representative and wish to find out more about the role visit the Students’ Union website or by emailing: coursereps@uclan.ac.uk. School Presidents are annually elected representatives who voice the opinions of students within each school. They communicate and engage with students in their school to gain feedback and work in partnership with senior management to create positive change. They are also trained to support and signpost course representatives where needed. If you wish to find out who your School President is or more about the role visit the Students’ Union website or email: coursereps@uclan.ac.uk

8.2 Student Staff Liaison Committee Meetings (SSLC) The purpose of a SSLC meeting is to improve courses, to have an open discussion and respect each other’s views, to share good practice where identified, to provide opportunity for students to feedback to staff about their course and student experience, to regularly review the course to improve its development, and to jointly work together to action plan

against issues raised. There will normally be one meeting per semester which will last no more than 2 hours. Your School President will Chair the meetings with an academic co-Chair, using guidelines and will provide a record of the meeting with any decisions and / or responses made and / or actions taken as a result of the discussions held. A standard agenda and action grid template will be used. Course representatives will gather feedback from students and communicate this to the School President in advance of the meetings. 8.3 Complaints The University recognises that there may be occasions when you have cause for complaint about the service you have received. When this happens, the University’s Complaints Procedure is intended to provide an accessible, fair and straightforward system which ensures an effective, prompt and appropriate response. Click on this link for more information University’s Complaints Procedure If you are a student registered for a University award at a partner college, who is dissatisfied with the provision at the college, you should pursue your complaint in accordance with the college’s complaints procedure in the first instance. In the event of continuing dissatisfaction when you have completed the college’s procedure, you will be entitled to submit your complaint to UCLan.

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