myUniversity2019/20

The purpose of myUniversity is to give you a source of information about the University and help you to navigate more detailed information available through myNapier and other electronic platforms. In this context myUniversity covers a range of information that may be useful to you as you progress through your studies. We would encourage you to read this handbook fully when you start, and then refer to sections in it when you need to.

Although written primarily for Undergraduate and Taught Postgraduate students studying on campus myUniversity does include information relevant to those studying overseas or through a global online programme. Students studying an Edinburgh Napier programme at an overseas location through one of our global partners can refer to the separate Transnational Education version of the myUniversity handbook for more tailored information.

myUniversity

Across the University, we have achieved a range of awards. Some Schools have been awarded prizes (for example Athena SWAN Bronze Departmental Award in the School of Computing and in the School of Engineering and the Built Environment).

In addition, each School has provision accredited by professional or statutory bodies.

Our Awards

Contents

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1. Welcome from the University Principal 42. University essentials 53. Communicating with the University 94. Important dates for your diary 115. myTimetable 126. University support available during your study 147. Assessment and feedback 158. Getting involved with the wider University community 189. Careers and International Opportunities 2110. Graduation 23

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Welcome from the University Principal 1Welcome All that hard work was worth it…

On behalf of myself and everyone connected to the University, welcome to Edinburgh Napier!

Whether you’re a new student or returning to study for a higher degree, today marks a moment in time as you move onto a new chapter of your life. You’re setting off on an exciting journey that will involve new faces, experiences, challenges and opportunities – all in what is, for now at least, an unfamiliar environment. But you’ll soon feel at home.

Of course, the hard work doesn’t stop now.

The next few years will offer you inspiration, a broader and deeper understanding of your chosen subject, and development of skills and attributes that will enable you to thrive in future careers. And be aware, we want to learn from you too – you bring a unique set of experiences to the University.

Take pride in your work – we certainly will. Our growing reputation and success is built in no small manner by our students’ achievements, so you might say we’re helping to shape each other’s futures.

I wish you every success in your studies. Welcome to the Edinburgh Napier University community. Professor Andrea M Nolan OBE

Principal & Vice-Chancellor

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Health and safety at Edinburgh Napier UniversityYou must adhere to the University’s safety practices. Please read and familiarise yourself with the University health and safety information.

Student Charter

At Edinburgh Napier University, we want staff and students to work together to improve the quality of the student learning experience and to help you realise your potential. To achieve this, we all have a responsibility to each other. The Student Charter explains this responsibility and sets out the level of service you can expect while you are studying with us and what we expect of you. When you were made an offer of admission to the University you were sent the terms and conditions for applicants and students.

MatriculationAt the start of each academic year you have to register online. If you don’t matriculate we are not able to enrol you onto modules and you won’t be able to access your Moodle account or timetable. The Student Loans Company will not authorise loan payments until the University has confirmed that you are a matriculated student. When the matriculation task opens, you will be emailed and required to complete the task before you commence or recommence your studies.

Personal information: It is your responsibility to notify the University promptly of any change of address, change of name or changes to your personal infor-mation. You can do this via eStudent Records.

If you are a student studying online please remember that matriculation is essential and you must complete the process as soon as possible, it only takes ten minutes. If you don’t matriculate you won’t be able to access your pro-gramme information on your Virtual Learning Environment account (Moodle) or receive your student ID card. The University also has to confirm that you are a matriculated student with the Student Loans Company before any loan payments are released.

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If you are a Transnational Education (TNE) student, you don’t need to matriculate as are transferred as a current student directly into the University by our Admissions team. As a TNE student, you are sent a password email to enable you to access Edinburgh Napier’s systems.

Getting your student cardYour student card provides you with a means of identification. If you study at an Edinburgh Napier campus it also grants access to library resources, as well as access to certain labs and buildings. It is your responsibility to carry this card at all times on campus. Your student card is printed offsite by a third party provider and sent directly to your term-time address. Once you have matriculated and uploaded a photo, cards will be printed and posted to your term time address within 5 days. If your card is lost, stolen or has expired a replacement card can be requested and will normally be sent directly to you within 48 hours of request and payment. An electronic version of this card is available on iNapier.

What are my responsibilities using materials?You are advised that copyright of the materials contained within Moodle sub-sists in the work from which it was taken. Digital Copy has been made under the terms of a variety of licences which allow you to:

• access and download a copy• print out a copy Digital Copy and any digital or printed copy made by you under the terms of these licences are for use in connection with your studies. You may retain such copies after the end of the course, but strictly for your own personal use. All copies (including electronic copies) shall be destroyed and/or deleted if and when required by Edinburgh Napier University. Except as provided for by copyright law, no further copying, storage or distribution (including by email) is permitted without the consent of the copyright holder. The author (which term includes artists and other visual creators) has moral rights in the work and neither staff nor students may cause, or permit, the distortion, mutilation or

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mutilation or other modification of the work, or any other derogatory treatment of it, which would be prejudicial to the honour or reputation of the author. Digital versions of copyright material made under licence from the rights holder, and its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Please refer to the original published edition.

Information on copyright considerations is available at LibGuides at Napier.

Complaints The University operates a complaint procedure and more information on it is available on myNapier.

English language support including In-Session Support (not applicable to global online or students studying overseas)Support is available for students whose first language is not English and for students who have English as their first language but are from a different educational system to the UK. The aim of In-Session Support is to help you with Academic English and thereby enable you to become more familiar with the expectations of the UK. system. Tutors look forward to working with you while you are on your programme here at Edinburgh Napier University – whether through workshops or one-to-one help sessions available by appointment. More information on In-Session Support can be found on myNapier.

University essentials 2Please note that digital material is for use ONLY by students registered on their course of study. No other parties are permitted to download and/or print out a copy. Please ensure that you adhere to your responsibilities in relation to use of copyright materials.

Visa information - tier 4 studentsIf you are matriculated as a tier 4 student, you have a number of responsibilities as outlined below. Information that is more detailed is available on myNapier. You are required to:

• supply us with a copy of your passport and your visa (when you receive it)• register with the Police within 7 days of arriving in the UK, if required • update your student record with any change in your address, telephone number, email address etc• pay your fees on time• maintain attendance on your course and submit coursework on time• attend face-to-face additional registration points with our Tier 4 staff during the academic year• check your student email account regularly as this is how the University will contact you regarding your studies and immigration matters• stay within the working restrictions (generally 20 hours per week during term time) and• obtain formal approval from the University for any period of absence over 5 days outside University holiday periods. Any request for absence should be made directly to your School office. You will be required to give details of your absence to state your expected return date. Your request will be sent to the Visa & International Support Team which will consider the amount of time you need away and your visa end date. This is done to determine whether UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) will need to be informed of your time away or not

If you will be away from the University at any point for more than 5 days, you must inform your School and obtain permission. This could be due to illness, studying abroad, returning home, travelling, placements, undertaking research etc. You should not be away from the University without permission as your absence may need to be reported to the Home Office.

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EmailAs a matriculated student of the University, you are allocated a University email address. This is the only recognised account for all electronic communication, e.g emailing your Programme Team, your School Support team or the University’s support services. Your University email links to Moodle, our online learning environment.

This means that you will receive any notifications from Moodle direct to your email account. Accessing your email regularly helps to keep you connected to the University. You can do this from any internet-enabled device, including tablets and smart phones. MoodleMoodle is the online learning environment for supporting your studies at the University. It provides secure access to important course information, learning activities and additional learning support where appropriate. Once you have matriculated and paid any relevant fees (for example module fees for global online) you will automatically be registered in Moodle and enrolled to the module sites.

Please take the time to find how Moodle is to be used within your modules and take advantage of the opportunities provided. You can login to Moodle from any internet-enabled device, including tablets and smart phones. Support for Moodle is available from the IT Support Desk for any login issues, from your programme administrator for incorrect modules, and from your module leader for access to materials and activities.

Communicating with the University 3It is your responsibility to maintain a professional online identity when communicating with the University, your fellow students and using social media.

Communicating with the University 3Your Moodle pages will be updated regularly and links will be provided to you on your Moodle home page. It is your responsibility to check the programme and module Moodle pages regularly.

Communicating through social media The University recognises the potential benefits of social media, and encourages responsible and acceptable use so that you can enjoy the benefits of online networks, whilst maintaining the high standards of conduct expected by the University and relevant professional organisations.

Guidance on how to be web-wise can be found in the Data Protection section on myNapier.

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Important dates for your diary 4

Calendar of the academic year

At Edinburgh Napier University the academic year runs in trimesters with each week of a trimester being referred to as a number (ie. Tri1 Wk1, Tri2 Wk 1).

The trimester dates, examination dates and holiday dates are available in the academic calendar.

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Accessing your timetable (on-campus students only)You can access your individual timetable via mobile devices and the student portal. Timetables are currently published three times a year for the upcoming trimester. Individualised student timetables are generated at the start of each trimester, once module enrolment and allocations are completed. Students with incomplete timetables due to delays with matriculation or changes to module selections should allow up to 5 working days for timetables to be adjusted. It is therefore important to complete your enrolment and any module selections prior to the start of trimester.

The University has a timetable policy that covers the timetabling of the University’s on-campus undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and learning provision. The standard teaching week runs from Monday to Friday with standard teaching hours 9am - 6pm.

The University expects students to play an active role in their own learning and to attend all timetabled events. In accordance with the University’s policy on equality and diversity, the University will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate students with individual requirements relating to disabilities.

LecturesSome of the contact hours for each module on the programme will be spent attending lectures. These are an opportunity for a lecturer to communicate information to a large group of students. Module material will be available on Moodle, so it is important you are familiar with the system and register for modules.

Taking additional notes during lectures is an important aspect of learning as you will find well-structured summaries of the lectures a valuable starting point for investigating a topic in the library and elsewhere such as online.

If you wish to ask a question, please do so. However, you may find that some lecturers prefer to take individual questions at the end of the class in order to minimise disruption to the class as a whole.

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Tutorials and workshopsThese are meetings between smaller groups of students and a member of staff. They may be used for discussions based on problem-solving questions. You may be asked to prepare a paper to read aloud at a tutorial or you may be asked to make a presentation, either individually or as part of a group. In order for you to fully benefit or engage in these activities, you will normally need to prepare work prior to a tutorial.

Specialist space and laboratories In some subjects you will carry out experimental procedures, rehearsals, use specialist information technology etc. For these classes specialist space is provided. You will normally be expected to work at your own pace and a subject tutor will normally be available to assist with individual problems.

Independent and directed study

It is important to remember that the timetabled class hours are only a part of the hours which you will need to spend on developing subject specific skills.

When you are not attending classes your time can be spent on individual study i.e. researching, reading, preparing material for tutorials, referring to texts and articles, preparing coursework assignments, revising for examinations etc.

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Academic support and study skills As a university student, you want to get the most out of your studies and to develop as an effective, independent learner. You will be assigned a Personal Development Tutor (PDT) who will act as an adviser to support your academic and professional development during the course of your study. To support you in learning and developing the academic skills required to succeed in your assignments we have a team of Academic Skills Advisers. These skills include critical reading, analysis and evaluation, reflective thinking and academic writing.

Academic Skills Advisers can provide guidance to help you study, read and write at the levels required for university. The team offers a range of open workshops and one-to-one guidance opportunities to help you improve your academic skills and your grades. The team also works with lecturers to provide timetabled sessions related to assignments which you are advised to attend. To find out more about the support we offer email us at academicskills@napier.ac.uk

Academic SupportIf you are experiencing any difficulties in your studies, you are encouraged in the first instance to speak to your PDT. Your PDT can provide you with support and sign post you to other services on offer at the University. Your School may have an Academic Support Adviser and if so, you will find their name and contact details in your myProgramme handbook. Alternatively, your PDT will be able to share details of this person.

Information Services We are committed to delivering and supporting high quality IT and Library systems and services, accessible anytime, anywhere to enable you to achieve your learning.

Find out more about IS Services and the Library on myNapier. You can contact our Service Desk at ISServiceHelpdesk@napier.ac.uk where you will be given professional support, alternately our Information Assistants are available at each campus library to support you. You can also download our iNapier app which will give you personalised access to the University’s online services via your mobile device.

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What will assessment and feedback be like on my programme of study? We are committed to ensuring that your experience of assessment and feedback is supportive of your learning and development throughout the duration of your programme. You will therefore experience a variety of assessments. These are intended to help you and your programme team gauge how you are getting on with the modules in your programme. These assessments may take a wide range of forms. They may be coursework or examination-based or both. Assessments may be formative or summative. Formative assessments help you learn, give you feedback and support your successful completion of summative assessments. Summative assessments count towards the final mark for the module. Both are important.

How and when do I get feedback on my assignments?The Student Charter states when students will get feedback on their work. Very occasionally there may be an issue associated with getting feedback to students within the defined period e.g. due to staff illness. Should there be a delay, you will be informed by the Module Leader. Details of the revised feedback date may be given via email, Moodle etc, – so please check for any changes. When you receive your feedback, you will also get a preliminary mark but until this mark is considered at an Assessment Board it is not agreed and may be subject to change.

What do I do if I am absent due to illness or other personal circumstances?It is your responsibility to let your module leader know if you are going to be absent. On return, you need to ensure that you are aware of what happened while absent and make sure you catch up.

We operate our assessment processes on the principle of Fit to Sit. This means that if you submit a piece of coursework or undertake an examination, we are assuming that you are healthy enough to undertake the assessment to the best of your abilities. Once you have submitted the work we will assess your submission on the assumption that you have been able to undertake the assessment without the negative impact of any underlying issues such as ill health, personal issues or other concerns.

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What should I do if I am ill or absent and concerned about the impact on assignment submission or examination performance?If the assessment is a non-exam based assessment e.g. an essay or a presentation, you may wish to consider asking for an extension under the Extensions Policy.

If your circumstances are more serious or relate to a formal exam and you are not able or ready to attempt the assessment at all, you can apply to defer the assessment. This normally means handing in the assessment or sitting the exam at the next available opportunity.

Important Note: The decision to defer assessment could affect whether you can carry on to the next year of your studies so you should always seek advice from your Programme Leader, Personal Development Tutor and/or the Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association Advice Service (ENSA Advice) before applying for a deferral.

The week of submission is provided in the assessment matrix of myProgramme handbook. The exact dates are located in your module handbook or your assessment brief.

What should I do if I am ill or absent on the day an assignment is due or on the day of an examination?You need to let your PDT or Programme Leader know. Exceptionally the University will permit applications for extenuating circumstances after the assessment date. This process is called Retrospective Extenuating Circumstances and permits, if your submission is deemed valid, the Board of Examiners will take your circumstances into account when deciding on your award or progression.

Applications for Retrospective Extenuating Circumstances should be submitted on form EC1 to your Extenuating Circumstances Officer and must be accompanied by evidence supporting your rationale for not having been able to use deferral of assessment procedure at the appropriate time.The deadlines for Retrospective Extenuating Circumstances, the applicable forms, details of the type of evidence generally accepted and full information about the Extenuating Circumstances process can be found on myNapier.

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Plagiarism and what this meansPlagiarism at Edinburgh Napier is defined as the “unacknowledged incorporation in a student’s work either in an examination or assessment of material derived from the work (published or unpublished) of another.’ This means that you may not use work from others and call it your own. Work in this context applies to any form of work (and not only written work). It therefore also applies to music, art, audio and drama.

Plagiarism is considered a breach of academic conduct regulations. It is considered a serious offence and is dealt with according to the Student Conduct Regulations. You will be contacted by the Academic Conduct Administrator if there are any such concerns regarding your work.

Good referencing practice is the best way to avoid unintentional plagiarism and you will find help and resources about this on the Be Wise, Don’t Plagiarise website. Your School Academic Conduct Officer (ACO) is responsible for investigating allegations of breach of Academic Conduct Regulations.

Examination arrangements The University has exam guidance that outlines everything you need to know about sitting exams. You can access this guidance on the Student Administration pages on myNapier.

Assessment and feedback 7It is your responsibility to ensure that your Extenuating Circumstances form is submitted by the required deadline.

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(Currently not applicable to global online and students studying overseas)

Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association (ENSA)ENSA offers a range of services and opportunities to help support and enhance your student experience at Edinburgh Napier University. More information is available on the ENSA pages. Our vision is to enhance your experience continually and assist you in achieving your full potential.

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ENSA executive The students of Edinburgh Napier University elect ENSA’s executive committee each year. It exists to represent the collective interests of students to the key decision-makers at the University and within the wider community.

The executive is made up of three full-time Sabbatical Officers; President, Vice President Representatives & Volunteers, Vice President Sports & Societies and 8 part time students who volunteer to carry out their duties while continuing with their studies; two campus officers, Equality & Diversity Officer, Activities Officer.

Student representationEvery year of every programme of study has at least 1 and usually 2-3 reps (depending on the size of your class). There are around 350 Programme Reps overall.

At programme level, ENSA’s role is to train and support your elected programme representatives and facilitate their engagement with the representative structures. The fundamental role of a programme representative is to listen to students’ views on your programme, and take forward those issues effecting most of the students. This may include ideas for improvements and constructive solutions on how to fix things when they are not working.

Edinburgh Napier University and ENSA actively encourage you to get involved in your education experience by engaging with your student representatives. The University is committed to working in partnership with you and ENSA as members of the academic community to drive forward its ambitious academic agenda, and to strive for academic excellence for its students and the University.

School representativesThe focus of your programme representatives is to ensure that the Programme Team understand your expectations of the programme. There is also another group of student representatives called ‘School Representatives’ who operate at a strategic level. Each School selects four students to engage with the representative structures at School level and above. These students deal with the broader themes as described in the University Strategic Plan.

Team Napier Getting involved with ENSA sports can be one of the best things you do at University. All of the ENSA Sports clubs, along with ENSA Societies, make up one big Team Napier. Every year ENSA’s sports clubs just get bigger and better, and many enjoy great success representing Team Napier in inter-university competitions. ENSA societies are your chance to connect with like-minded people, develop new interests and skills, and maybe even make some of the best friends of your life while you are at it.

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Getting involvedYou will be offered opportunities to feedback your views to your student representatives, the Programme Teams and the University generally in a variety of ways including: questionnaires, surveys, focus groups, meetings with your Personal Development Tutor, representative forums and many more. More information is available on myNapier. Your programme will also have a Student Staff Liaison Committee.

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As a University we offer a range of services to help support your professional development and prepare you for the world of work. Underpinning our service is our amazing portal myFuture where you can book one-to-one meetings with a Careers Consultant, confirm your attendance at one of our many fantastic employer events or search for part-time and full-time vacancies on our live jobs board.

Career and Skills Development team The Career and Skills Development team help to ensure that you are well supported and prepared for successful careers in today’s ever-changing labour market. They offer a range of services such as one-to-one career guidance and coaching, a variety of professional development workshops and support with enhancing your interview skills.

Placement teamOur Placements team can support you with finding a relevant work placement to enhance your degree experience. They look after all stages of this process - from help and guidance with your initial applications, to organising skills workshops to ensure you are fully prepared for your placement and supporting you with the transition from your placement back to University life.

Employer Engagement teamOur Employer Engagement team are dedicated to building strong relationships with local, national and international employers in order to provide you with access to the latest opportunities and events. These events include careers fairs, employer presentations, industry networking events and employer skills workshops.

Graduate Recruitment team

The Graduate Recruitment Team help make sure that you are seen as key emerging talent by employers. They do this by promoting a wide range of employment opportunities on our myFuture jobs board, working with employers to fully understand their recruitment process so we can share this with you and make sure you are fully prepared for what’s to come.

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Merchiston Student CentreOur Student Centre is open to all and hosts a wide range of the University’s different student support services, giving you a one-stop shop to access face-to-face support.

Global mobility Global opportunities come in many shapes and forms allowing most undergraduate Edinburgh Napier students to benefit from a transformative experience.

Whether it’s a semester or a year spent studying at one of our partner universities in Europe or beyond, a shorter term exchange over the summer or a work placement in one of the EU countries, the Global Mobility team can help you identify the right one for you.

Many of these opportunities come under the European Commission-funded Erasmus+ programme but there is funding available for non-EU-based placements too! Whatever you opt for, CV-boosting skills come in the package. Life-long memories and friendships are thrown in as a bonus!

See what’s on offer on myNapier and if interested, do get in touch at studyabroad@napier.ac.uk

For more information about funding opportunities contact development@napier.ac.uk

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Graduation

Graduation is an important occasion to celebrate your success with your family and friends. Details of the things you need to do to prepare for graduation day are available on myNapier.

To help ensure your graduation runs smoothly please read this information carefully, including our Data Protection Statement on how your details will be used.

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