VALIDATED CENTRE

STUDENT HANDBOOK PROGRAMME OF STUDY

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
[VERSION 2: July 2006]

DELIVERED BY RAFFLES EDUCATION GROUP THROUGH ITS MEMBER INSTITUTIONS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0

BASIC COURSE DATA THE AIMS OF THE NEW MBA PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES OF THE MBA PROGRAMME LEARNING OUTCOMES ADMISSION CRITERIA FOR ENTRY

03 04 04 04 05

6.0
7.0

PROGRAMME & CURRICULUM STRUCTURE TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES

07 09

8.0

ASSESSMENT STRATEGY

10

9.0

ACADEMIC REGULATIONS

16

1.0

BASIC COURSE DATA

Originating Institution(s) World Education Council/Raffles Education Group Course Title(s) Master of Business Administration Awards to be conferred Master of Business Administration Exit Awards Postgraduate Certificate in Management Studies Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies Awarding Body Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom Mode/Study Pattern Part Time & Full Time Duration for completion MBA - 3.0 years (plus 6 months extension) Course Leader Ms. Sherean Jessica Vaz.

2.0

THE AIMS OF THE MBA PROGRAMME

This new blended Distance Learning MBA programme is delivered through face to face tuition and further supported by online learning and has the following aims: To enable graduates to assume senior managerial and leadership positions in business To enable graduates to progress from technical, operational or functional roles to general and strategic management To enable graduates to function effectively and efficiently in an increasingly networked and globalised business environment To provide graduates an acceleration of career advancement or change of career direction To foster the ability for self development and life long learning amongst graduates.

3.0

OBJECTIVES OF THE MBA

The principal objectives of this MBA programme are: 1. To add value to peoples managerial and personal development by providing a flexible and conducive learning environment, together with a range of innovative learning experiences. 2. To help people enhance and develop their knowledge through providing a critical but supportive learning environment. 3. To develop goal and action, human relationships and analytic reasoning abilities. 4. To enable people to assess and improve their distinctive and personal managerial skills and values. 5. To encourage and develop peoples awareness that an ability to initiate and manage change and innovation is a life-enhancing component of a continuously improving personal life and career. 6. To enable people to apply their emerging higher-level understanding of managerial issues to both simulated and real-life business situations.

4.0

PROGRAMME LEARNING OUTCOMES

On successful completion of the programme, participants should be able to: Demonstrate critical understanding of the theories and current issues of strategic management and the development of conceptual frameworks to guide their application within organisations.

 Acquire a strong foundation in all key functional areas of business management to enable them to succeed as effective managers in an increasingly complex and dynamic environment Acquire and use a range of concepts, tools and techniques for problem solving and decision-making for analyzing complex and inter-related business scenarios Develop creativity in the application of knowledge. Demonstrate and apply independent research and critical skills enabling the investigation and evaluation of valid and relevant strategic management issues. Demonstrate initiative, insight, attitudes of responsibility and leadership in the development of the strategic management agenda. Exhibit the qualities and transferable skills relating to communication, organisation, strategic management and working with others.

5.0

ADMISSION CRITERIA FOR ENTRY

The normal admission requirement for the MBA programme is that candidates should possess a Bachelors Degree. The programme is however designed as a post experience development programme rather than direct graduate entry and it is to be expected, therefore, that many interested candidates may hold lower academic qualifications than the above norm but with compensating relevant work experience. Candidates whose qualifications and or experiences are considered inadequate for direct entry to a Masters programme may be offered admission on probation basis by attempting 3 modules of the programme and upon successful completion will then be allowed to continue as a student registered on to the MBA programme with full credit earned from the 3 modules (30 credits). To summarise the entry requirements are as follow: I MBA Level A Bachelors Degree qualification in any subject from a recognised institution and 2 years of working experience or more. A professional qualification equivalent to a degree and a minimum of two years of working experience Candidates with more than six years of work experience of which at least three years at managerial level A Diploma of Higher Education awarded by British universities and five years of working experience of which at least 2 years at managerial level.

In acknowledgement of the differing constituencies and prior background of applicants to postgraduate courses, applications will be welcomed from potential participants with qualifications or experience which do not readily fit the conventional pattern above

It is anticipated that there may be participants who have successfully completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Management programmes from other UK universities who may wish to progress and complete an MBA. Entry to the final stage of the MBA via this route may be accepted if participants meet the following criteria: Are deemed to have satisfied all the module learning outcomes successfully. Plus Have passed all the M level modules on the PGDM. Plus A period of work experience incorporating managerial responsibilities and contributing to strategic decision making (usually not less than two years). Plus Access to employment in a public or private sector, for-profit or not-for-profit organisation.

To complete the MBA, PGDM entrants will normally be required to complete the MBA PLOs and complete and be assessed on the module learning outcomes contained in the following modules: Managing and Leading Strategically Dissertation International Consultancy Project

In the event of participants not meeting the required learning outcome standards, then they may be required to undertake additional specific and identified modules.

5.1 EXEMPTIONS AND CREDITS It is envisaged that participants should attend each of the modules on the programme and attempt all the assessments required. It is not anticipated that exemptions will be allowed on the MBA programme. However, under very exceptional circumstances, if an individual is able to satisfy WEC that they have already achieved the required level of competence and appropriate knowledge and understanding in certain areas, they may be exempt from undertaking particular modules and/or learning activities. This will be through the AP (E) L process. In any case of dispute, the matter will be referred to the Board of Examiners for a final decision.

6.0

PROGRAMME & CURRICULUM STRUCTURE

The MBA starts with the Induction Module which is not assessed. Other modules are delivered in either a semester based or a modular based block teaching format, wherein in the latter mode, either using evenings during week days or weekends or a combination of weekdays and weekends. Gaps exist between modules to allow participants to reflect and complete assignments. A number of modules are core and must be completed (these are highlighted in the MBA structure. (See Diagram 1). E- Learning components are embedded into the core modules of the programme Participants can choose from a number of Electives to suit their interest Flexibility is built into the structure: Participants can complete the programme without any breaks They can select modules one at a time and build up the credit points to earn the MBA or exit with the Postgraduate Certificate, Post Graduate Diploma as the case may be, within the stipulated time allowed for the respective awards. Participants can choose either to complete their MBA in 2 years or up to a maximum period of 3.5 years.

Participants are not normally allowed to attempt Stage 2 modules until they have attempted Stage 1 modules but at the discretion of the Board of Examiners, this requirement may be waived. Also participants must attend the Research Methodology workshop prior to commencing their Dissertation.

Diagram 1: Overall Programme Structure STAGE 1

INDUCTION WORKSHOP
UNDERSTANDING STRATEGY ( 10 CREDITS ) ORGANISING WORK AND MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES ( 10CREDITS ) MANAGING AND ACCOUNTING FOR FINANCIAL RESOURCES ( 10CREDITS ) MANAGING INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE STRATEGICALLY ( 10CREDITS ) MANAGING STRATEGIC MARKETING ( 10CREDITS )

LEARNING AND CHANGING ( 10CREDITS )

THINKING AND MANAGING ETHICALLY ( 10CREDITS )

MANAGING OPERATIONS STRATEGICALLY ( 10CREDITS )

CONSULTANCY PROJECT( 10 CREDITS )

COMPLETION OF STAGE 1 AND PROGRESS TO STAGE 2

STAGE 2

ELECTIVE 2 ELECTIVE 3 ( 10 CREDITS ) ( 10 CREDITS ) MANAGING AND ANALYSING MANAGING AND LEADING BUSINESS RESEARCH STRATEGICALLY ( DISSERTATION ) ( 20 CREDITS ) ( 30 CREDITS ) INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANCY PROJECT ( 10 CREDITS )

ELECTIVE 1 ( 10 CREDITS )

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AWARD

7.0

TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES

7.1 Philosophy Central to the philosophy of the programme is the desire to produce thinking reflective managers who can use their theoretical knowledge creatively in a variety of contexts, bringing to bear initiative, leadership and strategic management skills. These managers should also be capable of using self-reflection as a tool for self and continuous improvement. The teaching and learning strategy for the MBA is based on this philosophy.

7.2 Approach Participant centred learning will be strongly encouraged and developed. Experiential Learning, Action Learning, Cooperative Learning, Problem-Based Learning will be infused into the teaching-learning-assessment strategies. Business games, online learning, case analysis and self directed learning resources will be available to support the delivery and the appropriate assessment tools / tasks will be used to assess the intended learning outcomes The above philosophies form the basis of the MBA programmes teaching and learning strategy, namely that the environment should be goal-directed to provide motivation and experiential, problem-orientated and self-directed learning. The programme will, therefore, progress significantly beyond the delivery of subject knowledge and will incorporate knowledge and learning, discourse and informed dialogue, and self-development. It should be noted that the focus will be on facilitating learning rather than teaching and, in this respect, the strategy is designed to facilitate the deep learning attributed to a more active participation of the learning process by participants. The programmes structure and the environment within which it operates provide opportunities for learning and seek to develop participants as self-motivated and independent learners in line with the participant centred rather than teacher centred approach. The Induction workshop prior to the commencement of the programme proper will provide the platform to inculcate learning how to learn skills and strategies and laid a strong foundation for the subsequent learning experience on the programme. The early stage of the programme provides opportunities for learning in a structured manner: the rationale being that participants need to learn how to learn at this stage of the programme. As the programme develops, the emphasis switches to more selfdirected learning with a greater degree of experiential learning opportunities. The three capstones of the programme (International Consultancy Project, Dissertation, Thinking and Managing Strategically) are the culmination of this change in emphasis, with participants undertaking a combination of knowledge and learning, discourse and informed dialogue, and self-development.

8.0

ASSESSMENT STRATEGY

8.1 AIM The aim of the assessment strategy is to identify formal practices and procedures for assessing and appraising the performance of MBA participants in order those judgments and decisions can be reached concerning: The progression of participants through the programme. How well participants have met the programme learning outcomes through the combination of the individual module learning outcomes. The provision of feedback information to participants concerning their performance and how they adhered to the generic assessment criteria and the module-specific assessment criteria. The award of M level credits for individual modules. The granting of the Postgraduate Certificate, Post Graduate Diploma and the MBA awards. The granting of interim awards should the participant fail to complete the programme but successfully complete specific elements.

The underpinning principles which drive the assessment strategies adopted for this programme are the profile of the target participants and the programme itself (its philosophy and associated learning outcomes).

The section below summarises the varied assessment tasks or instruments which will be employed in assessing the different programme learning outcomes.

8.2 ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS

A) WORK-BASED REPORTS Selected modules will contain one work-based report with word limitations of usually between 3,000 - 4,000 words. Each module document will outline the specific word limit. Normally the expected presentation of reports should be structured as outlined in Table 1 below.

10

Table 1:

FORMAT AND OUTLINE OF WORK BASED REPORT GENERAL STUCTURE OF THE REPORT Title Page (including module title, assignment title, name, word count and date)

Sections Executive summary (one page) Contents (page numbers) Introduction 1 Analysis Subsections Statement or evaluation of alternatives 8 Conclusions 11 Recommendations (justifications and implementations) 13 References (Harvard style)
Watson, T. (2002), Organising and Managing Work, Financial TimesPrentice Hall Publishing.

Page No

Appendix A Title Appendix B Title

The purpose of the word limitation is for participants to: Focus on issues Be critically concise Refrain from writing excessively Assist them in their time management throughout the programme

More specifically and to prevent confusion by participants over the word limit, the assessment specifically relates to the section in the report between the introduction and the completion of the recommendations section. It does not include the executive summary, the contents, diagrams, models, tables, references and the appendices. These are, however, expected as part of the presented report. For consistency throughout the programme, participants are requested to include the word count on the front of their report. Where course reports are part of a modules assessment, the word limit will normally be 3,000 to 3,500, words as specified in the module document.

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B) CONSULTANCY REPORTS Two exceptions to the work-based types of report are the Team Consultancy Report and the International Consultancy Project Report. In both these cases, participants are required to produce a piece of work that is fit for its purpose (the clients). Though not specifically requiring reference to theories and research, participants should still incorporate the toolbox of managerial techniques they have acquired while on the programme. For the International Consultancy Project involving a Multi National Corporation, however, participants will be expected to demonstrate how they have incorporated specific models, theories and research methodology and techniques in the appendices to the report.

C) ARTICLES/ ASSIGNMENTS Written assignments are designed to allow participants to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the module, which participants must then apply to an issue concerned with that particular subject area in their own organisation, or one with which they are familiar. Participants are either required to identify a process, issue or problem which they must describe, analyse and discuss, leading to conclusions and recommendations for a course of action which are backed by clearly reasoned argument. The assignments provide a regular assessment process, which tests the following: knowledge critical and analytical faculties planning skills organising ability report writing skills.

Participants are requested to adhere to precise written instructions laid out in the module document to produce an academic article/essay on a selected area conforming to standards expected of good academic writing.

D) EXAMINATIONS Examinations are included in most of the modules. These seek to determine participants individual effectiveness in responding to specific questions under timeconstrained invigilated conditions. The examination may take a number of forms:

12

 An open or a closed book examination requesting participants to demonstrate their knowledge and critical analysis skills in responding to specific questions based over the said module. A case study approach where questions will then be asked in relation to the case study directed at mainly problem identification, problem solving and decision making..

Examinations test retained knowledge and understanding and the participants ability to address questions and problems under examination conditions and time constraints. This process simulates conditions under which managers invariably have to work assessing what is needed, identifying options, establishing priorities, making decisions and communicating - all under pressure. Examinations also ensure that the participant has to produce original work, which cannot benefit from outside help. The examination process is valued by employers as it assures them that participants on the program are thoroughly assessed on their own merits and cannot achieve a pass based largely on the work of others.

E) PRESENTATIONS As part of the assessment of some modules, a presentation (individually or in groups) may contribute towards the overall assessment of that module.

F) CASE STUDIES Selected case studies may be incorporated into the assessment of modules.

G) DISSERTATION The Research Project requires the participant to select an appropriate topic which provides sufficient scope to reflect a wide but relevant range of concepts and theory from the whole programme when applied to an issue, project or development situation within their organisation. The Research Project requires evidence of considerable background and some original research into the subject area in the form of a survey, questionnaire, qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis or similar research activity to obtain data for analysis and comparison, and financial evaluation - leading to discussion, conclusions and recommendations. Participants are expected to produce a plan covering all aspects of an implementation of their recommendations. The word length for the dissertation is between 18,000 to 20,000 words 8.3 ASSESSMENT STRUCTURE Throughout the MBA programme, participants are expected to provide evidence of their learning to a high level commensurate with the rigour expected in a world-class

13

MBA degree. Reference to appropriate theory and its practical application is expected and participants are encouraged to read, investigate and research well beyond the boundaries of the materials supplied in the MBA modules. The assessment regime assumes that participants have significant work experience and they are expected to relate this extensively to the theory, concepts and techniques covered throughout the programme. 8.4 ASSESSMENT MAP

MODULES

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 20 10 30

Induction Module Understanding Strategy Organising Work and Managing Human Managing Information and Knowledge Managing Strategic Marketing Learning and Changing Thinking and Managing Ethically Managing Operations Strategically Consultancy Project Elective 1 Elective 2 Elective 3
Business Development & Entrepreneurship Competing in the Networked Economy Contemporary Issues in HRM Contemporary Issues in Strategic Marketing
60% 60% 60% 60% 60% 60% 60% 100% 100% 100% 60% -

Not Assessed
40% 40% 40% 40% 40% 40% 40% 40% 100% 100% 100% -

Managing and Leading Strategically (4000 to International Consultancy Project Managing and Analysing Business Research

8.5 GENERAL ASSESSMENT CRITERIA FOR THE MBA Each module in the programme has specific learning objectives. There are however some general criteria that will be applied. In assessing a participants work, the following factors will be used for guidance:

14

DISSERTATION [18000 to 20000 words]

U

ASSIGNMENT [3000 to 3500 words]

PROJECT [3000 to 3500 words]

U

CREDIT POINTS

S.NO

EXAM
U U

 an effectively organised and directed response to the question posed an appropriate range of relevant material applied to the work environment the ability to evaluate critically all arguments the ability to justify in a coherent manner points identified and conclusions reached an acceptable standard of literacy adherence to any specified word length Compliance with instructions. To provide feedback to participants, the following grading scale will be used for all assessed elements: Mark Range Grade 70% + 65 69% 59 64% 50 58% < 50 A B C D E Distinction Good Average Pass Fail

The generic assessment criteria for respective grades are indicated by the table below
GENERIC ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 70+ Distinction An outstanding piece of work incorporating and integrating both original and secondary sources with a high standard of presentation. The work addresses the brief as set in full. A creative response demonstrating a thorough understanding, analysis and judgment of the central issues. There is extensive critical coverage balanced with careful selection and organisation of material, accompanied by a cogent and sustained justification of the arguments adopted. There is substantial evidence of relevant wider reading, which is accurately referenced. There is significant intellectual argument, utilising appropriate conceptual frameworks, which are comprehensively and rigorously discussed, critically applied and, where relevant, are adapted and considered in the context of the workplace. Detailed, realistic conclusions and recommendations are thoroughly thought through in line with the analysis. Good pass. An impressive response to the assignment, well structured and presented incorporating relevant information. The work addresses the brief as set in full. In-depth understanding of salient issues and evidence of wide reading, which is accurately referenced. Extensive critical coverage with confident and balanced selection and organisation of material. May however lack synergy in places with some important ideas not being fully explored. Relevant conceptual frameworks are identified and their application is explained and developed into detailed, well-justified, practical and realistic conclusions and recommendations. Pass A solid, acceptable answer that covers the majority of the key issues but may not be sufficiently complete to develop a full understanding of the situation. The brief has been addressed, although some area might not be as fully developed as others. Consideration of the academic underpinning and practical application of material may be limited, perhaps providing

65+

50+

15

only partial consideration of the issues. The analysis is generally adequate but may be overly descriptive in places, lacking critical analysis and displaying limited evidence of the application of wider reading. Material is referenced in an adequate fashion, although some of the detail might be incorrect. It identifies and applies the conceptual frameworks but utilisation and critique of these is limited. Conclusions and recommendations generally follow the brief but lack detail. Use of analysis to support conclusions and recommendations is limited <50 Fail Work contains errors, omissions or poorly expressed ideas; in some cases these omissions may be fundamental. The assessment brief is not addressed to a material extent, either as a whole or in significant dimensions. Lacks an adequate theoretical and conceptual base thereby failing to identify the key issues and possibly demonstrating a basic misunderstanding of the brief. The structure is not always clear possibly due to the participants own lack of understanding. There is no clear line of argument, with passages not being adequately linked and explained. There is little or no evidence of wider reading. Sources used are inappropriate or are poorly referenced. Contains a number of unsupported observations and fails to reach informed conclusions and recommendations. The quality of the form of expression is such that meaning is impaired in places. There are unacceptable numbers of basic errors.

9.0 9.1

ACADEMIC REGULATIONS
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FINAL AWARD OF MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

In order to be awarded the Master of Business Administration degree, the participant must successfully complete all the specified criteria for the: Induction module 14 modules plus The Dissertation 9.2 REQUIREMENTS FOR POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN MANAGEMENT STUDIES

Participants should normally have completed and successfully passed each of the following modules and achieved 120 M level credit points: Understanding Strategy Organising Work & Managing Human Relations Managing Information & Knowledge Strategically Managing Strategic Marketing Managing & Accounting for Financial Resources Thinking & Managing Ethically Learning and Changing Managing Operations Strategically Three Electives The Consultancy Project 16

In the event of not fully meeting the requirements for the Postgraduate Diploma award, the Board of Examiners may grant participants a number of M level credit points for each of the modules that they have been successful in completing.

9.3

REQUIREMENTS FOR POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN MANAGEMENT STUDIES

Participants should normally have completed and successfully passed any six of the following eight modules and achieved 60 M level credit points: Understanding Strategy Organising Work & Managing Human Relations Managing Information & Knowledge Strategically Managing Strategic Marketing Managing & Accounting for Financial Resources Thinking & Managing Ethically Learning and Changing Managing Operations Strategically

In the event of not meeting the requirement for the Post Graduate Certificate programme, the Board of Examiners may grant participants a number of M level credit points for each of the modules that they have been successful in completing. 9.4 CLASSIFICATION STRUCTURE FOR THE FINAL AWARD

The following classification bands will apply to the award of the degree: Master of Business Administration Degree Classification MBA Distinction MBA Credit MBA Pass MBA Fail Final Mark (weighted average) 70% or above 60% - 69% 50% - 59% 49% or below

9.5

MBA WITH DISTINCTION

The MBA with Distinction may be awarded to candidates of exceptional merit. In order for the Board of Examiners to consider making the award, a candidate will be required to: Pass all the modules of the MBA stage at the first attempt and Achieve an average mark of 70% or above across all modules ( excluding the

17

Dissertation ) and Achieve a mark of 70% or above in the Dissertation. 9.6 9.6.1 REFERRALS AND FAILURE Referrals

The Board of Examiners may, at its discretion, permit participants who fail in a module to make good that failure in one of the following ways: Resit the examination and resubmit the module assignment / project Resubmit the module assignment only Resit the examination only

Before the participant produces the resubmission, they should ensure that they have undertaken the following: They have read the feedback comments provided by the assessor on their first attempt and are clear of the reasons for it not meeting the pass mark. They have contacted the Module Tutor to discuss their original submission and their resubmission. They have re-familiarised themselves with the module-specific assessment criteria identified in the module document. They have attached their original assignment attempt and feedback with their resubmission on or before the specified date.

A participant failing one module will normally be referred in that module. The maximum mark for a referred module will be 50%. A participant who is referred in a module is normally required to achieve a mark of 50% in the referred element(s) unless the Board of Examiners sets alternative minima as part of the referral conditions A maximum of two referrals is permitted for a given module after which the participant will be required to withdraw from the programme. Only in exceptional circumstances will the Board of Examiners permit a participant to resit a particular module more than twice. Any resit will be levy with a resit fee and students are advised to check with their respective centre for the current fee applicable. 9.6.2 Failure to submit course work

Failure to submit the required course work within two weeks of the due date, without prior authorisation by the Course Leader, may be interpreted as failure in that element

18

of assessment. 9.7 COMPENSATION

Where a participant marginally fails one module the Board of Examiners may exceptionally exercise its discretion and compensate the failure. The Board of Examiners is authorised to allow compensation in a module only provided the average mark for the module to be compensated is normally not less than 45% and no component contributing to the assessment fails below 45%.where there are two components in the assessment. Compensation should be justified by an appraisal of the participants overall performance on the programme to date. The mark recorded for the one allowable compensated module will be limited to 50%. For the full programme, only three compensated pass can be granted by the Board of Examiners.

9.8

RETAKES

A participant, who has undertaken the two referral of a module and had been granted the one compensated module permissible under these assessment regulations, may exceptionally be offered at the discretion of the Board of Examiners an opportunity to retake one module in order to achieve a Post Graduate Certificate, Post Graduate Diploma or a pass level MBA degree. 9.9 ILLNESS OR WITHDRAWAL

Where a participant's performance has been adversely affected by illness or other unforeseen circumstances, duly authenticated by evidence and made known to the Course Leader and presented to the Board of Examiners, the Board of Examiners may exercise its discretion in a manner appropriate to the case. The Board of Examiners may agree to set aside the results of the assessment(s) affected by these circumstances and, the participant may be offered the opportunity to retake the assessment(s) on the next available occasion, as if for the first time. Where a participant's performance, conduct or attendance indicates that they are unlikely to complete the course on which they are engaged, the Board of Examiners may require the participant to withdraw from the programme.

9.10

DURATION

The Board of Examiners has the right to fail any participant who does not successfully complete all the requirements of the programme namely three and half years for the MBA programme taken from the date of commencement on the programme unless prior extensions had been granted by the Board of Examiners.

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9.11

ACADEMIC IRREGULARITIES

The Board of Examiners will have the right to fail part or all of the assessments of any participant found guilty of cheating, plagiarism, and collusion, falsifying data or impersonation (one person impersonating another to gain unfair advantage). Participants will be required to undertake that material submitted for assessment is their own unaided work. Training will be provided in academic conventions for acknowledging the ideas or quotations from the work of others. In cases of suspected plagiarism or cheating the participant will be interviewed by the Course Leader or Course Coordinator and the findings will be reported to the Board of Examiners, which will decide the appropriate penalty. The work concerned may be set aside or marked down. In serious cases, a participant may be required to withdraw from the programme. 9.12 PARTICIPANTS APPEALS

Participants may appeal against any decision of the Board of Examiners by completing and submitting the WEC Appeal Form, together with any new evidence or other submission for the consideration of the Board of Examiners review group.

Appeals shall be considered initially by the Chair, and the Board of Examiners shall be reconvened where there is a substantial reason to allow a reconsideration of its decision. All decisions of the Board of Examiners are subject to the appeals procedure. A participant has a right to appeal against the recommendations of the Board of Examiners where: (i) there has been a mistake or irregularity in the conduct of examinations or assessments which may have affected the recommendation; (ii) his or her level of achievement was adversely affected by illness or other factors which he or she was unable to or for valid reasons unwilling to divulge before the Board of Examiners made its recommendations; (iii) there has been a material administrative error, or where the examination or assessment was not conducted in accordance with the current regulations of the course governing Participant Assessment, or where some other material irregularity has occurred; (iv) it has recommended that he or she be penalised for cheating or plagiarism. Here the participant may appeal against the Board of Examiners conclusion that cheating or plagiarism has occurred and against the penalty recommended. Disagreement with the academic judgement of a Board of Examiners in assessing the

20

merits of an individual piece of work or in reaching a decision on a participants progression or on the final level of award, based on marks, grades and other information relating to the candidate's performance cannot in itself constitute grounds for an appeal. Where a participant considers there are grounds for an appeal it is his or her responsibility to request that the Course Leader reconsider a decision of the Board of Examiners by completing the Appeals Form and submitting to the Chair of the Board of Examiners not later than fourteen days after receiving confirmation of the Examination Boards decision. The written request must be received and signed by the student using the Appeals Form and: (i) specify the grounds on which the participant is exercising his or her right of appeal; (ii) include all information such as medical certificates or other documentary evidence which the participant wishes to be considered in support of his or her appeal; (iii) identify any person(s) considered by the participant as having information pertinent to the appeal. In receipt of the participants written request that the Board of Examiners reconsiders the recommendation of the Board of Examiners, the Course Leader shall: (i) determine whether or not the grounds for appeal are permissible under the rights above. Where it is determined that there are no grounds for appeal and the decision is confirmed by the Chair, the Course Leader shall write to the participant to inform him or her that the appeal has been rejected; or (ii) request to convene a meeting of the Board of Examiners appointed Review Group where an appeal is permissible and provide it with.. The appointed Review Group shall determine whether or not it can proceed to consider the case solely on the basis of the written submissions or whether or not it wishes to interview any or all of the parties involved. The Review Group is constituted with members and specific powers to determine appeals. The composition and procedures applying the Review Group for appeals is available to all students to read on WECSERF online portal. Before a student submits the Appeal Form, the Appeals Policy and Procedures should be read and understood. The appointed Review Group will consider all of the evidence pertinent to the case and may recommend to the Board of Examiners that: (i) the appeal be rejected (ii) the Board of Examiners be reconvened to reconsider its recommendation (iii) the case is so serious that the Academic Board should annul the decision of the Board of Examiners by taking any action necessary for it to 21

receive a revised recommendation including, if necessary, the establishment of a new Board or the appointment of new members (iv) there is evidence which raises doubts about the competence of or the standards being applied by the Board of Examiners and that the Academic Board should authorise a full and proper investigation as a matter of urgency.

9.13

EXTERNAL EXAMINERS

At least one External Examiner will be appointed. Appointments will normally be for three years but may be for shorter periods. The External Examiner(s) may see any of the assessed work submitted including examination scripts, course work and dissertations. External Examiners will be subject to the Assessment Regulations above and in particular no recommendation for the conferment of an award may be made without the written consent of the approved External Examiner(s). On any matter which the External Examiner(s) have declared a matter of principle, the decision of the External Examiner(s) shall either be accepted as final by the Board of Examiners or shall be referred to the Academic Board. Any unresolved disagreement between External Examiners shall be referred to the Academic Board.

9.14

PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is where a participant incorporates another person's work by unacknowledged quotation, paraphrase, imitation or other device in any work submitted for progression towards or the conferment of an award in a way, which suggests that it is the participant's original work. Where a person has reasonable grounds to suspect plagiarism and judges that it substantially affects the submitted work it is the responsibility of that person to inform the participant's Course Co-ordinator in writing of the nature of the suspicion and to provide relevant supporting evidence. It is the responsibility of the person or persons assessing the submitted work to complete the marking and record any action taken in the event of suspected plagiarism. It is the responsibility of the Course Leader to (a) notify the participant concerned in writing at the earliest appropriate time after a case of plagiarism has been alleged and include a copy of a written statement made by any person, remind the participant of an External Examiner's right to require a viva voce examination, inform the participant of the procedures to be followed before the Board of

22

Examiners meets to consider the case and to invite him or her to submit a written statement to it by a given deadline; (b) inform the Academic Board that the Board of Examiners will be considering a case of suspected plagiarism; (c) cause any necessary investigation to be conducted as a matter of urgency and ensure that the Board of Examiners receives all information pertinent to its consideration of the case. In a case of suspected plagiarism it is the right and duty of the Board of Examiners to: (a) receive all information pertinent to the case in written form or verbal evidence including the submitted work itself; (b) seek further advice where appropriate; (c) confirm or reject the accusation of plagiarism; determine its recommendation where it confirms the case according to the circumstances and severity of the case. It may recommend that (i) the case constitutes plagiarism and that the participant fails with or without the right of resubmission; (ii) the submitted work fail. It will then be the responsibility of the Board of Examiners to determine whether or not this failure in assessment can be compensated for in the light of the participant's overall performance or whether or not the participant will be required to retake part or all of the elements for progression towards or the conferment of the award; (iii) the participant be penalised by a reduction in the mark for this assessment and/or classification of the award. The Board of Examiners shall then agree a mark and/or classification; (iv) the participant be issued with a formal reprimand in writing and a copy of this lodged in the participants file.

After a meeting of the Board of Examiners it will be the responsibility of the Course Leader to inform the participant

9.15

EXTENSION REQUESTS

It is important that participants adhere to the stated deadlines, otherwise the assessment process becomes unnecessarily cumbersome, and participants can become overburdened by the end of the course. In exceptional cases of short-term difficulty, an extension may be granted. Note that pressure of work or running out of time are not normally considered sufficient justification for an extension. It is the participants

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responsibility to foresee, plan for and effectively manage the pressures of the course and work.

9.16

EXTENSION REQUEST PROCEDURES

1. Requests for extensions must be submitted to the Programme Coordinator a minimum of five days prior to the submission deadline, for consideration by the Course Leader. Only one extension is allowed for each module. 2. Evidence should be provided if an extension request is submitted. 3. If the request is accepted, then it is normal for a one week extension to be granted. 9.17 SPECIAL SITUATIONS PROCEDURES

In the event that the problem is ongoing or has become more long term, an extension may not be very helpful. We recognise that there may be occasions when participants performance in assessment could be adversely affected by situations lying beyond their reasonable control and which should be taken into account when determining results. These special situations can be considered if a participant on the programme makes written submission, supported by documentary evidence, to the Chair of the Board of Examiners during the Pre Examination Board before the Board of Examiners (BoE). Before submitting details to the Chair of the BOE, the participant should consider carefully whether their situation may be recognised by the Board. The Board will only recognise cases which are outside of the individuals control, such as Illness which is supported by an original medical certificate (copies are not acceptable), Bereavement which is supported by written evidence from a third party, Accidents or burglaries which are supported by a police or crime report, Unanticipated abnormal workload pressures supported by detailed evidence from the employer, Other serious personal factors which are supported by written evidence from a third party. The Board does not normally recognise cases which are preventable by the individual participant, such as: Holidays Financial problems Routine balancing of work, university and personal activities Voluntary changes of employment and/or house moves Computing equipment problems with discs, machines, printers or viruses (participants are expected to follow the good practice guide in the use of computers), Appeal forms submitted after the given deadline, or without applicable supporting evidence 24

 Applicable supporting evidence which does not cover the date of the assessment Any other circumstances which are deemed to have been within the individuals control. The Chair of the Board will consider the submission and make a recommendation to the BoE, which has the final say in what action to take and views from the External Examiner will be sought. Where the Chairperson of the BOE believes that the special situation would have affected the participant members performance, the normal decision of a BoE is to give him/her the opportunity to resubmit the work or retake the examination when the special situation has passed. The Board of Examiners does not impute marks that might have been obtained had the special situation not applied.

9.18

NON SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENT

Failure to hand in the assignment for any reason and without prior approval of the Course Leader will result in the participants work being penalised in accordance with the Academic & Assessment Regulations governing the conduct of the MBA programme and there are as follows: Five days late - the assessed mark will be reduced by five percentage points Ten days late - the assessed mark will be reduced by ten percentage points Over 10 days late - the module assessor can refuse to mark the piece of work and will record a zero mark.

9.19 DEFERMENT

Students who wish to defer completion of either an assignment or an examination after confirming the intention to submit for assessment by completion and submission of the module study registration form for the module or modules must gain permission in writing from the Course Leader and submit the appropriate deferment form. The deferral MUST be for a valid reason or reasons and be agreed and approved by the Course Leader at least 7 days before the assignment deadline or examination date. An administrative fee will be levied to process the deferment and students are reminded to check with their respective Learning Support Centre as to the current fee payable. Students are hereby notified that if deferrals are not formally notified, the Board of Examiners will normally record the absence as a fail in that component of the module and no appeal will be entertained by the Board of Examiners. For each module, students are only allowed a maximum of 2 consecutive deferments

9.20 EXAMINATION ENTRY, RESULTS AND TRANSCRIPT

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The Module Study Registration form will be available online through WECSERF learning portal from the preceding module term and will be closed on week 6 of the same term and no late entry will be accepted. Students are expected to complete the web form and submit electronically to WEC administration. A receipt of submission is automatically provided upon submission of the web form. The Module Study Registration form confirms the student will study and submit for assessment of the module (by assignment, examination and etc) Students may elect not to complete the Module Study Registration if they do not intend to study and be assessed for a module offered in the following term. However, to continue study and submit for assessment after a module term/s break or rest, students must submit the appropriate Module Study Registration form during the term prior to recommencing. WEC will notify all students through when the Module Study Registration form is required together with the web form link for student submission. In order to sit for any module examination, students must bring along the official identification document (Identity Card or Passport) as well as the official WEC examination Statement of Entry form which will be available to all students registered for the examination. A copy can also be collected a week prior to the final examination from their respective Learning Support Centre. Provisional assessment results will be made available to students individually through the WECSERF secured learning portal to provide an indication to students of their results ahead of the Examination Board determination. Provisional results will display the status of the assessments as P (Pass) or DEF (Deferred), or REF Referred or H (Hold where the assessment is under review prior to the Examination Board determination). Appeals against provisional assessment results are not permitted. After the Board of Examiners meeting and confirmation of results, the confirmed detailed results will be made available to individual students through the secure WECSERF learning portal. A cohort results listing with only the student ID number will be available at each learning centre. It is the responsibility of students to check their individual results either online or at the centre. The official detail results will be issued via the WEC transcript which will be issued to all registered students who sat for their respective examination. The transcript will be available to individual students through the WECSERF learning portal online to download.

9.21

FEES PAYMENTS AND REFUND POLICY

Students are advised to check with the respective centres where they are to be

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registered on the above procedures and policies at the time of enrollment and registration into the programme.

9.22 ACCESS AND USE OF MBA LEARNING PORTAL Full details are provided in the print based Induction Module and students are advised to refer to Unit 8 of the module.

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