Academic Issues

Please refer to the Advice Unit Handbook or University Handbook for more detailed information.

As an undergraduate student you will be assigned a personal tutor/course leader.  Your tutor will advise you and provide information on all aspects connected to your course.

If you need information on suspending or deferring your course, then you are strongly advised to contact the Advice Unit as this will have visa implications and may affect future visa renewals.

First year students may often feel unhappy at the beginning of their studies and may feel insecure with their new environment, homesickness or loneliness and some may suspect that they have made the wrong choice of course and wish to transfer to another course.  Do not hesitate to contact your tutor/supervisor if you are experiencing any kind of difficulty.  If you find it difficult to approach your tutor then please contact the Students' Union Vice President Education and Welfare or the Advice Unit Coordinator, and we will do our best to help you.

It is also possible that during your time at the University of Bolton, you may experience unforeseen medical or personal problems which may lead to poor academic performance. The mitigating circumstances procedure of the University allows you to make your tutors and/or Exam Board officially aware of your difficulties, and that these difficulties have had a detrimental effect on your academic performance.

This procedure will allow the University to consider your difficulties when decisions are reached about your progression through the course.

The Mitigating Circumstances Form is available from the administrative office of your school and from the Students' Union. We advise that you always seek advice from the Vice President (E & W) who can provide you with practical help and support in completing the form before you submit it to the University.

So, if you are not sure about how to proceed or even whether you need to complete a form, make an appointment to see the Vice President for a chat.

Anything you tell us will be treated in the strictest confidence, and we will not do anything without your express consent.  We are an independent service and will act purely in your interests.

The Vice President (E & W) can assist and represent all students on academic appeals, reviews, course complaints and tutor problems.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism - this means 'copying' or presenting somebody else's work as your own, this can be either from published text such as a book or the internet or another student's work. Penalties for plagiarism can be very severe, and can include failing your course!!

To be safe:

Whenever you use a quotation from a book or a website or reproduce another persons ideas (even in your own words) you should always note down the original source - this is known as referencing. Make sure you check with your tutor about how you should reference your work!!

As an international student you must be very careful not to plagiarise - even by accident.  If english is not your first language, it can sometimes be tempting to copy from books, journals and websites. This is ok, but you must reference your work before handing it in for assessment.

Make sure you leave enough time before your deadline to check that everything in your work has been referenced.

Below are ideas on where to go for more information on plagiarism and where to find out how to reference your work correctly;

• There are books available in the University library
• Make sure you read your subject handbooks
• Speak to your tutors

Visit http://data.bolton.ac.uk/bissto/infoskills/useinfo/plagiarism.htm

Useful Contacts

Vice President Education & Welfare of the Students' Union
Tel: 01204 900 850 or email him at suvpedu@bolton.ac.uk

Advice Unit
Tel: 01204 900850 or
email the Advice Unit

Student Centre
Tel: 01204 900600/528851 ext: 3733 or email the Student Information Centre