Student Handbook

Contents Welcome by the Rector ................................................................................................................................................. 2

PREPARE TO TAKE THE LEAP .......................................................................................................................................... 3

STUDENT SUPPORT ........................................................................................................................................................ 4

Facilitating E-Learning................................................................................................................................................ 4

Learning Support ....................................................................................................................................................... 6

Financial Support ....................................................................................................................................................... 7

GENERAL & ACADEMIC RULES ....................................................................................................................................... 9

Attendance ................................................................................................................................................................ 9

Payment Policy ........................................................................................................................................................ 10

Enrollment Variation ............................................................................................................................................... 11

Student Dress Code ................................................................................................................................................. 12

Submission of Assignments ..................................................................................................................................... 12

Plagiarism ................................................................................................................................................................ 13

Assignment Extension .............................................................................................................................................. 13

Exam Registration .................................................................................................................................................... 14

Referral/Re-sit provision .......................................................................................................................................... 14

Appeal of Results ..................................................................................................................................................... 15

Student Complaints Procedure ................................................................................................................................ 16

Student Responsibilities .............................................................................................................................................. 16

AWARDS ...................................................................................................................................................................... 17

VILLA COLLEGE BOOK PRIZE .................................................................................................................................... 17

COLLEGE MEDAL ...................................................................................................................................................... 18

QASIM IBRAHIM AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE (QIAE) ................................................................................................. 19

VILLA COLLEGE STUDENT ASSOCIATION (VCSA) .......................................................................................................... 20

APPENDIX ........................................................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

Welcome by the Rector

Congratulations to all our new students, and welcome back to current students enrolled across

different campuses of Villa College.

Quality in provision of higher education always comes first at Villa College. We always ensure

that our graduate attributes are ranked at the top for academic achievements and for personal

development. Rigorous academic programs and numerous extracurricular and co-curricular

activities are available to students enrolled at Villa College to ensure that a well-rounded

educational experience is provided.

We kick-off the new semester by further strengthening our dedication to improving our student

services. Clearer guidelines and procedures are in place for our students to ensure diligence in

student services. This handbook outlines several of these services and procedures that are in

place for our students at Villa College. Every student must make sure to read the content of this

handbook to become familiar with the policies and procedures in place to guide your path into

our educational environment.

I look forward to meeting each and every student of Villa College both at formal and informal

occasions during the coming year. Please feel free to drop by the Student Desk to ask for

further clarification and to become acquainted with the key staff who are at your service. At the

same time, my consultations to students are available throughout the year.

Let your experience at Villa College be an enjoyable one that you value for life. Make full use of

this opportunity and learn to make the best use of your knowledge, talents, skills and potential.

I wish you a very happy, healthy and a fruitful experience at Villa College.

Dr. Ahmed Anwar

Rector

PREPARE TO TAKE THE LEAP

The future is yours to decide

Assalam Alaikum! Welcome to Villa College. We congratulate you on your first step to building your future. As you embark on your journey, we are here to help you and guide you throughout your studies. At Villa College, we believe in the true potential of our students. We believe every individual is an important pillar of our society; capable of contributing much towards making it better. Make full use of your opportunity here. The future is yours to decide! OUR VISION To be a leading higher education provider in the Maldives, highly valued locally and recognized internationally.

OUR VISION

The mission of Villa College is to sustain, advance and disseminate knowledge and understanding by providing internationally recognized quality education at an affordable price through teaching, research, consultancy and training which develop intellectual capacity and values vital for the development of the Maldivian community.

We aim to be a leading centre of excellence in sustaining, advancing and disseminating knowledge and understanding.

We aim to teach a range of disciplines which provide knowledge, skills, competencies, attitudes and values necessary for students to lead a fulfilling life.

We aim to be an active partner in the social and economic development of the Maldives.

We aim to develop and sustain our identity as an institution of quality.

We aim to reach out to every corner of the country by creating opportunities for higher education at an affordable price.

STUDENT SUPPORT

Guiding you in your studies

Student Desk

The Student Desk is the first point of contact for students at Villa College. You may drop by for any enquiry regarding your studies at Villa College. Additionally, the Student Desk is where you request for/collect the Notification of Results, Financial Statement, Offer Letter, Course Completion Letter, Research Letter, etc. The staff at the Student Desk can help you clarify any issue with your studies and guide you to relevant faculties and departments. The Desk is open from 0900hrs to 2200hrs. You have the option of contacting the college via phone or email.

Villa Collage QI Campus Tel: (+960) 330 3200 Tel: (+960) 330 3263 Email: info@villacollege.edu.mv

Facilitating E-Learning

Wi-Fi Access

To get Wi-Fi internet access at the campus, please ask for a username and password at the Student Desk.

MyUWE and myVLE

All University of the West of England (UWE) students studying in Villa College should complete

their online registration with UWE.

Students doing OUM programmes can access the OUM Library Database through their myVLE account. Numerous e-books and journals are available on a range of disciplines for you to read and download. Reading required for your courses and assignments are available here. You are strongly urged to research the materials available whilst doing your coursework. Also, please ensure that you read all OUM policies and procedures available through myVLE.

How to login?

Students should use their UWE user ID and password provided in the UWE welcome letter to

log in to MyUWE and check your student record information.

Vi l la Col lege Student Portal

The Villa College Student Portal provides e-learning access to all enrolled students. Course outlines, lecture slides, reading lists and important notices are often provided through this portal. It is very important that you update your profile with the current email address at your first login. You are expected to use MOODLE to: • download and print out lecture slides to annotate in lectures • prepare for workshops/tutorials • access learning activities, additional readings and practical examples • find revision activities and information • contact the teaching staff • access timetables • find important announcements • submit coursework electronically through TURNITIN links • check plagiarism for your course work • find out marks for individual assessment components and receive feedback

First t ime lo g- in?

For your first log-in, please use your student ID as your username and “welcome123”, without inverted commas, as your password.

Upon successful log-in you will be prompted to reset your password.

For first time users of the portal, a video guide of the portal is made available for download in the home page.

What i f you have any di ff iculty?

If you are experiencing any difficulty in accessing or using your portal, please visit the Student Desk to seek assistance, or send your queries to askhelp@villacollege.edu.mv. http://villacollege.edu.mv/moodle/

Learning Support

When students join Villa College, they are not left to study alone. Instead they become part of a

learning community made up of faculty, staff, and fellow students. We, the Student Service,

uphold the principles of a balanced education. Academic excellence is reflected in our

philosophy of supporting and celebrating the diversity of learning needs within the school

community. We strive to accommodate students with diverse learning needs to achieve their

highest potential.

Library

The Villa College Library staff support your learning and guide you in finding information and

research. The library is equipped with some of the leading and most recent books from a range

of disciplines. It also provides e-library services which you can access from comfort of your own

home.

Villa College Online Resources

Listed below are some of the e-resources the students might find helpful.

LIBRARY OPAC

JSTOR

Royal Society Journal Collection

OxfordOnline

EIFL/IOP free access

International Monetary Fund

E-Library USA

Workshops and Short Courses

Students often experience difficulty with various coursework components. This is mainly

because most of the students are new to the academic writing style and citation/referencing

demanded in higher education. In order to drive our students to achieve their highest potential,

below listed workshops were conducted in the past year.

Academic Writing Workshop

E-Tutes (for individual help)

Referencing Workshop

UWE Library Orientation for Students

Study Skills portal in the UWE library website

Group Research Support Workshop

Individual Research Support Workshop

Statistics Analysis Session

Financial Support

As we aim to support students in all aspects in order for them to continue their learning process

here in Villa College, apart from learning support, we provide financial support to our students.

Detailed below are the financial support that is available to students.

Installment Scheme

To ease our students’ financial burden, Villa College has a payment plan available for students

who wish to finance their tuition in installments. The total amount is divided into monthly

installments depending on the course duration.

MIB

Villa College enables newly registered students to finance their tuition fee through MIB

Educational Financing. Students can submit the application form to the Student Desk to apply

for this service. With this service, students can extend their payment duration to another 3

years in addition to the period of the educational programme they are enrolled in. This will

lessen the monthly installment which students have to pay.

Scholarships

Villa College offers scholarship opportunities to students to acquire their education at Villa

College. These opportunities are open to all students and application forms can be submitted to

the Student Desk once scholarships are announced.

Family Discount

Villa College offers a 10% tuition fee discount per semester for immediate family members

studying concurrently and on a full-time basis at Villa College. The discount is valid as long as

the immediate family members (who are defined as parents, children, brothers, sisters, and

spouses) are enrolled and paying their tuition fee. The discount is applied to one of the

students of the family.

Student Referral

Villa College offers a 5% tuition fee discount per semester for those students who bring in

another successful enrollment. The discount is only applied to the referrer who has introduced

a new student to the college.

How to Apply

Students are required to fill and submit designated forms to the Student Desk, which is where

the forms are available. Sample forms are attached in the appendix.

GENERAL & ACADEMIC RULES

Attendance

Attendance is compulsory for all students. Students should demonstrate exemplary, regular attendance at all classes, tutorials, workshops, lab classes and practical sessions.

A student must attend atleaset 75% of the total number of classes in a module. Failure to do so will result in the student being barred from the final examination.

In specific courses where greater than 75% attendence is required, a student must meet the required percentage of attendance.

Students failing to meet the 75% attendance requirement at the end of the semester will be provided with one of the following rulings from the Academic Board

Repeat the entire subject in another semester

Exemption from the assignment(s) but attend classes to acquire 75% attendance

Any student repeating a module due to failing or obtaining an ‘I’ grade, but has already obtained a cumulative attendance of 75% in a previous semester, will be allowed to sit for the final exam without attending further classes.

Student will be provided attendance for absent classes under the following procedure:

For any foreseen absence, students must request for leave, in writing to the Course Coordinator at least 2 working days before the beginning of the absence.

If the absence is due to the student’s work commitments, then a letter must come from the immediate supervisor or head of the institution explaining the nature of the absence and number of days the student needs leave.

If the absence is due to family or personal reasons such as medical treatment of the student or immediate family, a letter requesting leave of absence needs to be sent by the student him/herself. And when the medical emergency is met, necessary documentation needs to be provided. If the student fails to provide the necessary documentation, no attendance will be provided for the absence.

If the absence is due to the student leaving for Hajj or Umrah, a letter with accompanying documentation should be provided.

If the student has an unforeseen absence such as due to sudden sickness of the self or immediate family, the passing of a relative or sudden work commitment, a letter with accompanying evidence is required within 5 days.

Payment Policy

Appl icat ion, Registrat ion Fee & Student Associat ion Fee

A non-refundable and non-transferable application fee of MVR 50 should accompany each application for admission.

Each student is required to pay a non-refundable registration fee of MVR 100 at registration each semester.

Each student is required to pay a non-refundable Student Association fee of MVR 45 at registration each semester.

Tuit ion Fee

Tuition fee as determined by the College from time to time, and shall be payable as per the payment schedule provided to students.

Payment can be made as a one-off payment or on an instalment basis.

Students are advised to pay their instalment payment on or before the 5th of each month. Late payments will be collected with a fine of 5% of the instalment payment.

Withdrawal, Deferment and Refund

Enrolment Variation

All enrolment variation requests have to be lodged on the designated forms to Villa

College Reception.

Mere submission of the request is not be enough to consider the student request for

enrolment variation as complete. The process is deemed as complete once the

Registration Department communicates the outcome of the enrolment variation

application to the student.

Enrolment Var iation Timel ine for Regular Students

Week Description Enrolment

Variation Refund Policy

Effect on

Transcript

Week 1

Add/Drop/Withdrawal

Period

Add/Drop/Wit

hdrawal

Allowed

100% of first

instalment

No Effect

Week 2 50% of first

instalment

Week 3

No refund and rest

of the semester

fees applies to the

student

Week 4— Week 7

Close of Add/Drop but

Special cases for

Drop/Withdrawals

allowed

With special

permission

student may

drop/withdraw

No refund and rest

of the semester

fees apply to the

student

Withdrawals

Recorded as

“W”

Last Thursday of

Week 7-Week 14

Census Date & Closure

of Enrolment Variation

No enrolment

variation

beyond this

point

No refund and rest

of the semester

fees apply to the

student

Withdrawals

Recorded as

“F”

Student Dress Code

T h e f o l l o w i n g i s r e g a r d e d a s a p p r o p r i a t e a t t i r e f o r a t t e n d i n g V i l l a

C o l l e g e :

M a l e S t u d e n t s

Shirts or T-Shirts and pants or neat jeans

Shirts and T-shirts should reach below the navel and cover the midriff

Shirts/T-shirts should have sleeves

F e m a l e S t u d e n t s

Appropriate clothing for an education institute (dress, tunics, tops, pants and jeans)

Tops and dresses should not be transparent

Clothing should cover the midriff (waist and buttocks)

Clothing to have decent necklines

Skirts and pants should reach below the knees

Dresses, tunics and tops should have sleeves

T-shirts with inappropr iate language or graphics are NOT al lowed

Inappropriate jewellery i s NOT al lowed

Submission of Assignments

All students are required to submit all assignments on or before the due date.

All assessment items should be submitted with a standard cover sheet. Cover sheets are available at the Student Desk of the College or at www.villacollege.edu.mv.

Students are required to submit both hardcopy and softcopy of the assignment on time.

The hardcopy must be submitted to the Assignment Submission Box at the Student Desk

BEFORE 1800hrs of the due date. NOTE that assignments will be collected and the box

will be emptied at exactly 18:00hrs. The softcopy needs to be upload to MOODLE via

TURNITIN. Assignment submission is deemed to be INCOMPLETE if a softcopy is not

submitted by the deadline.

Late Submission

Assignments submitted after the due date without an approved extension will be

penalized at a rate 10% per day from the total marks scored for the assignment.

Weekends count as one day in determining the penalty.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism in coursework and examinations is a serious offence for which offenders will

be penalized. Without limiting the generality of this definition, plagiarism may include

o Copying or paraphrasing material from any source without due

acknowledgement;

o Using another’s text, illustrations or ideas without due acknowledgement; and

o Working with others without permission and presenting the resulting work as

though it was completed independently.

Plagiarism also relates to material such as data, images, music, formulae, websites and

computer programs. Aiding another student to plagiarize is also a violation of the

Plagiarism Policy and may invoke a penalty.

Villa College expects students’ work to be genuine and original. Any student who

plagiarises does not maintain the academic honesty expected by the College and such

activity therefore is deemed as academic misconduct.

Assignment Extension

Extensions are usually only granted in the case of significant medical, compassionate or

extenuating circumstances which affect a student’s capacity to demonstrate their level

of competence in an assignment. In particular, they include, but are not limited to:

o illness or a medical condition, supported by a medical certificate;

o injury or physical or psychological trauma, impairment or incapacity arising

from an event (e.g. as a result of a motorcycle/car accident), supported by a

medical certificate and related documentation (e.g. police report);

o the death or diagnosis of a serious illness of a close family member, supported

by documentary evidence, and an explanation of the nature of the relationship;

o illness of a child, parent/guardian, or spouse, for whom the student is the

primary care giver;

o legal commitments, where a student is called to attend a court, tribunal or

hearing, supported by documentary evidence; and

o unplanned work commitment preventing completion of the assessment task,

supported by a written document from the employer.

Students must submit designated forms with proper supporting documents to the

Student Desk in order to request an extension.

Exam Registration

Students are required to register for each exam in addition to the module registration. Even if you are registered for the module, you need to register for the exam separately.

Upon successful registration, you will be issued with an exam authorisation slip.

Please make sure that you register for the exam within the given timeframe. Failure to register for the exam by the given date may result in a financial penalty or being barred from the exam.

Requests for Special Consideration on an examination or assessment item must be lodged no later than 3 working days after the date of submission or examination.

If you are unable to attend an exam due to a serious illness of self or an immediate member of the family for whom you are the primary caregiver, a doctor’s report (not just a medical certificate) needs to be submitted within 7 days in order to qualify for the “exam only” option in the next trimester.

Referral/Re-sit provision

Referral or re-sits are designed to provide a second chance to deserving students to pass

a module without having to repeat the module.

Referrals/re-sits are available to all students whose fail the module due to either failing

a compulsory component or the entire module during their relevant attempt in the

module.

The maximum grade the student can receive in a re-sit component will be capped at a

pass if the student scores a mark greater the designated pass grade for the component.

If the student scores a mark less than the pass mark, the student would fail the module

and would be required to repeat the module.

All students awarded with a referral/re-sit shall get registered and pay all the relevant

administrative fees on or before the deadline issued by the College.

The referral/re-sit periods would be within two weeks from the release of each

semester result.

Referral Assessments/Re-sit Fees

As a general rule, an administrative fee would be imposed on referral assessments or re-

sit examinations.

The basis of the referral assessment or re-sit examinations administrative fee would be as

follow:

Appeal of Results

The student may appeal against results of the compulsory or major assessment items including

the results of the final examination using a specific application form. In addition to the

assessments, students have the right to appeal against any decision of the College which

directly affects the student.

Student Complaints Procedure

Student Responsibilities

As a student of Villa College, you have gained a valuable opportunity to excel in an area of study

and contribute to society. This requires dedication and hard work. We expect our students to

take responsibility for their own learning. Self-study is an essential element of higher education.

For every contact hour, we expect our students to spend at least TWO hours on self-study.

Seeking support and guidance from all faculties and engaging in dialogue is an essential part of

your study. Professional growth and practical application of what you learn is a central

objective of your study.

Following are some of the key responsibilities of students:

Respect knowledge, scholarship, and truth and acting with honesty and integrity at all

levels of academic life.

Being aware that all forms of academic dishonesty or misconduct are unacceptable.

Being respectful of the rights and privileges of others and earning respect.

Participating actively and positively in the teaching and learning environment, it is

expected that students will

o attend classes as required,

o maintain steady progress within the unit or course framework,

o comply with workload expectations, and

o submit required work on time.

AWARDS

VILLA COLLEGE BOOK PRIZE

DESCRIPTION

The Villa college book prize is awarded to all graduates who have achieved first class/

distinction grade in their respective programme of study at their graduation and who have

fulfilled the eligibility criteria below.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be eligible for book prize a student must have:

Completed at least 80% of their programme credits at Villa College.

Scored a first class/distinction grade point.

Not repeated a module in the course of their studies.

Completed the programme within the standard duration of the programme.

THE AWARD

The Book Prize Award consists of a certificate.

COLLEGE MEDAL

DESCRIPTION

The College Medal is awarded to graduates who demonstrate academic excellence in their

programme of study within their respective cohort. This medal is awarded to the student

amongst the same cohort who has achieved first class/ distinction grade with the highest

cumulative grade point average/highest average in the cohort and who fulfil the eligibility

criteria below.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be eligible for College Medal, a student must have:

Completed at least 80% of their programme credits at Villa College.

Scored a first class/distinction grade point.

Scored the highest cumulative grade point average/highest average amongst the cohort

in which the student is graduating.

Not repeated a module in the course of their studies.

Completed the programme within the standard duration of the programme.

There must be at least 8 students graduating in the same cohort.

THE AWARD

The College Medal Award consists of a medal and a certificate.

QASIM IBRAHIM AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE (QIAE)

DESCRIPTION

The Qasim Ibrahim Award for Excellence (QIAE) is awarded to graduates who demonstrate the

highest level of academic excellence in their respective programme of study at Villa College.

The QIAE is awarded to the student who has achieved first class/ distinction grade with the

highest Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) /highest average mark in their respective

programme of study amongst the graduating class and who fulfil the eligibility criteria below.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be eligible for QIAE, a student must have:

Complete at least 80% of their programme credits at Villa College.

Scored a first class/distinction grade point.

Scored the highest Cumulative Grade Point Average/highest average amongst all

graduating students enrolled in the programme.

Not repeated a module in the course of their studies.

Completed the programme within the standard duration of the programme.

There must be at least 8 students graduating in the programme from which the student

is graduating.

THE AWARD

The QIAE award consists of a trophy, a certificate and a monetary reward

VILLA COLLEGE STUDENT ASSOCIATION (VCSA)

The VCSA was formed with the main purpose of providing a platform which enables students to be

involved in the governing and decision-making process of Villa College, and to be involved in activities

and services that will encourage interaction among students, enrich their college experience and foster

awareness as a student community, a larger college community, and the surrounding Muslim

community.

The objectives of the Villa College Student Association (VCSA) are:

to promote the welfare of and further the interests of students of Villa College;

to work for quality and equity in higher education across the Maldives;

to afford a recognized means of representation for VC Students within the College and

the wider community; and

to foster community, equity and diversity within the College.