After a process of consultation and agreement, some significant changes are being made to the academic year and the ways in which courses are delivered and assessed, from September 2012.
By providing a more seamless academic year, without the January exam period, we believe these changes will improve the student experience. With more time dedicated to developing career skills within the curriculum, these changes are aimed at supporting students in gaining the knowledge and attributes necessary for their working life after graduation.
Students are being reminded of these changes via LookUP and email. Would staff please ensure that their continuing students are aware of the implications for their studies from September 2012.
Dates for 2012/13
Induction week
Monday 17 September – Friday 21 September 2012
Autumn teaching period
Monday 24 September – Friday 14 December 2012
Christmas break
Monday 17 December 2012 – Friday 4 January 2013
Spring teaching period
Monday 7 January – Thursday 28 March 2013
There will be no examinations at the beginning of the spring teaching period.
Easter break
Friday 29 March – Friday 19 April 2013
Consolidation and assessment period
Monday 22 April – Friday 31 May 2013
This period includes formal examination weeks from Tuesday 7 May to Friday 31 May 2013.
Graduation weeks
Monday 15 July – Friday 26 July 2013
For students graduating in July 2013 the exact ceremony dates will be made available from January 2013.
Changes to course credits
From September 2012 the standard unit size will be 20 credits at undergraduate level and 30 credits at postgraduate level. The majority of units will be year-long units.
This means that if students have to repeat units that they failed before 2012, they may have to study units with a greater combined credit value. For example if they need 30 credits, which previously could have been achieved by studying three 10-credit units, they may instead have to study two 20-credit units.
Changes to assessment regulations
There will be some changes to the assessment of student work:
- Referral will now be known as second attempt assessment.
- At undergraduate level students may undertake second attempt assessments in units totalling no more than 40 credits per annum.
- At postgraduate level students may undertake, second attempt assessments in units totalling no more than 60 credits per annum.
- The mark for each second attempt assessment will be limited to a maximum of 40 per cent but the overall mark for the unit will not be limited. This means if students did well in an exam but had to do the coursework again, the good mark they got in the exam would allow their overall unit mark to be greater than 40 per cent.
- All second attempt assessments have to be completed during July, although some re-sit examinations may be scheduled for early August.
Examinations
Although formal examinations will only take place at the end of the academic year in May, many units of study will have other elements of assessment throughout their delivery.
For more information on the changes taking place for 2012 visit the changes to Curriculum and Assessment Regulations pages at www.port.ac.uk/c2caar.
