Handbooks and guidance notes
School Handbook
Our School Handbook covers most of our teaching arrangements, including level-specific information, and points to module-specific information.
School Handbook
The School Handbook was signed by Alan Dearle on 27/09/11 at 1350. The signature is visible in the first page of the document when viewed in Adobe Acrobat/Reader and appears as shown in the picture.
Addenda
- [1 Nov 2011, Revised 8 Nov 2011] Add to Coursework Section, page 7:
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Most coursework is submitted electronically via MMS. It is the student's responsibility to check that each submission has been successful, indicated by an automated email receipt from MMS, and that the correct piece of coursework has been submitted. No claims of submission without evidence of a receipt are considered. In the case of a technical problem preventing submission from a laboratory machine, and only in such cases, a student may email their coursework to the appropriate tutor or lecturer as evidence of timely completion. It is then the student's responsibility to submit the coursework to MMS when feasible, and to request the coordinator to waive the lateness penalty.
- [2 Feb 2012] Add new Examinations Section, under Academic Matters:
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Solutions and marking schemes for past examinations are not provided.
- [2 Feb 2012] Append to Sub-Honours Tutorial Section, page 12:
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Solutions to past tutorial questions are not provided. Although tutorial notes are often issued to tutors of sub-honours modules, these are not normally in a form appropriate for independent study material. Students are strongly encouraged to take notes during tutorials.
- [2 Feb 2012] Add new Essays Section, under Academic Matters/Coursework:
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The School website contains general guidance on essay writing. See also the information on grade descriptors (page 8) and word limits for essays and reports in this handbook.
- [2 Feb 2012] Delete from Grade Descriptors Section:
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Penalties for exceeding word limits are at the discretion of the Module Board.
- [2 Feb 2012] Add new Word Limits Section, under Academic Matters:
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When writing an essay, report or dissertation, you are required to adhere to the specified word limit. The word limit indicates the level of detail required. If you write too much in an attempt to make your point, then you have not focussed your argument sufficiently. This might mean you are giving too much detail, too many examples or trying to cover too many points. Likewise, if your document is well below the word limit then consider whether you have given enough detail. Writing a coherent argument, within the limit provided, is an important skill and takes effort.
Word limits apply to everything but the bibliography. The actual word count, ignoring bibliography, must be stated in the document header. You are penalised if you exceed the word limit. You are also penalised if you submit an inaccurate word count in the header. The overall grade penalty is the sum of:
- the proportion of the excess to the word count limit
- the proportion of the error in the stated word count to the stated word count
For example, for an essay with an actual length of 3200 words, stated to be 2900 words, where the limit is 3000 words, assessed initially at grade 15:
- the proportion of the excess is 200/3000 = 6.7%
- the proportion of the error is 300/2900 = 10%
The overall penalty is 16.7%, leading to a final grade of 12.5.
Errata
- [5 Jan 2012] The link to the web page on the Staff-Student Consultative Committee on page 11 should be:
- [6 Jan 2012] The email address for the Honours CS Coordinator on page 4 should be:
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