Central Guidance on Student Handbooks
The following are suggested headings for Student Handbooks to assist staff involved in writing these documents; please use any of these headings/links as appropriate for your particular publication. Local information will need to be supplemented with the headings in Sections 1 and 2, but Section 3 provides url links with virtually all the headings thus providing information links for students – these links will be checked annually by the Senate Office.
Part 1 Programme/Course Information
Content in this section could include the following:
- Timetable
- Course or Programme Details
- Course or Programme Structure
- Minimum requirement for credit
- Aims
- Intended Learning Outcomes
- Teaching and Learning Methods
- Prescribed Texts / Recommended Reading
- Information on Moodle
- Formative & Summative Assessment
- Coursework assignments: presentation, deadlines, feedback, weighting (if summative). Specify any summative coursework assignments where there is no opportunity for reassessment (see para 16.9 of the Code of Assessment)
- Penalties for Late Submission of Coursework (see paras 16-25-16.28 of the Code of Assessment)
- Guidance for Students on Code of Assessment
- Declaration of Originality Form [doc] - to be submitted with all assignments
- Examinations: dates, feedback (if formative), weighting (if summative)
- Dissertation: presentation, deadline, weighting. Specify that for an Honours degree students must achieve a grade D3 or better.
- Resit/reassessment
- Link to Programme Specification (http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/senateoffice/qae/progdesignapproval/progspec/ps/find/)
- Degree Regulations: provide information on Calendar Regulations
- Progress
- Progress to next level (if appropriate)
- Admission to Honours and/or designated degree programme
Part 2 School Information
Content in this section could include the following:
- Welcome from Head of School
- School Mission Statement
- Teaching Staff
- Support Staff
- Communication Channels
- Appointments
- Telephone
- Website
- Notice Boards
- Reporting Absences (with cross-reference to University Student Absence Policy - under Registry in Section III)
- School Access
- Quality Assurance and Enhancement
- Student Course Appraisal/Feedback
- Annual Course Monitoring
- The Role of the External Examiner
- Board of Examiners
- Accreditation by Professional and Statutory Bodies
- Consultation on Proposed Course Changes
- Committees with Student Representation
- Committee Name
- Remit
- Election of Student Representatives
- Academic Support
- Adviser of Studies
- Effective Learning Advisers
- Course Tutors
- Study Skills
- Availability of assessment information
- Health and Safety
- Fire Safety
- Laboratory Safety
- Fieldwork
- Placements/Electives
- School Website
Possible text: “Students are encouraged to regularly check the School website (insert url link) and also those given in the following section as information is updated throughout the session.”