University Calendar
Academic Regulations 2006/7
Winchester School of Art
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MAIN INDEX
PREFACE
SECTION I
SECTION II
SECTION III
SECTION IV
SECTION V
SECTION VI
SECTION VII
SECTION VIII
SECTION IX
SECTION X
ARCHIVE 2001/2
ARCHIVE 2002/3
ARCHIVE 2003/4
ARCHIVE 2004/5
ARCHIVE 2005/6

Regulations for the Degrees of BA(Hons) Fine Art; BA(Hons) Textiles, Fashion and Fibre; BA(Hons) Graphic Arts

1. Admissions
  1.1 In addition to the University of Southampton General Regulations (Section IV), short-listed candidates may be invited to attend a portfolio interview before being offered a place on a programme. International candidates who are unable to attend an interview in person may be offered a telephone interview; the portfolio in these circumstances is to be sent by post or another form of delivery to the School or provided in an electronic format, ie: CD-ROM or DVD compatible with UK systems.
  1.2 Winchester School of Art embraces the University of Southampton's equal opportunities policy. Candidates with specific requirements or disabilities are advised to bring relevant matters to the attention of the School before commencing a programme of study to ensure that appropriate support can be provided.
  1.3 Accreditation of prior learning. If candidates have completed units at other places of learning and can demonstrate the equivalence of their learning outcomes to a relevant unit of the programme, the School may permit such a candidate to join a degree programme at an appropriate level. Such admissions must also comply with the University's regulations on credit transfer.
     
2. Structure of Programme
  2.1 Full-time degree programmes normally consist of three years of study. Part-time degrees will normally be taken over a period fo six years.
  2.2 All units involved in the undergraduate taught courses are credit-rated in accordance with the principles contained in the CATS Guide and Regulations; ECTS equivalents are also shown. Details of how CATS arrangements apply to each course are included in the relevant student handbooks.
  2.3 There are three levels of study and each level of study is worth 120 credits. For full-time study the levels usually correspond to a year of study; for example, Level One is taken in year one. For part-time study, levels are usually split over two years; for example, Level One will be taken in years one and two.
  2.4 The programme may specify that certain core units must be taken.
  2.5 Alternative units will be offered at different times in the programme so as to provide candidate choice; for example, a range of employability-orientated units. Selection of such units by each candidate shall be subject to the prior approval of the Programme Leader. It may not always be possible for a candidate to study a preferred option unit due to availability or capacity. In the case of candidate exchange units and professional experience periods, candidates must apply in advance to undertake such study and have their proposals approved by their Programme Leader before they can embark on it.
  2.6 At Level Two, candidates are offered the opportunity to choose to study a specialist pathway or the generic pathway to degree award level.
     
3. Progression
  3.1 To be eligible to progress from Level One to Level Two, candidates must pass all Level One units.
  3.2 To be eligible to progress from Level Two to Level Three, candidates must pass all Level Two units.
  3.3 Pathway choices are subject to a candidate's successful completion of Level One and shall be subject to the prior approval of the Programme Leader.
     
4. Assessment
  4.1 The pass mark for all units is 40%.
  4.2 All units must be passed to complete the degree programme.
  4.3 Candidates who have failed to achieve the pass mark in one or more units at the end of any level will be offered the opportunity to re-submit new work in all units in which they have failed. The highest grade that this re-submitted work may achieve is 40%. Failure to attain 40% on re-submission will result in the candidate's study on the programme being terminated; they may still be entitled to a lower award as outlined below.
  4.4 Candidates who fail to become eligible to proceed to Level Two or Level Three of their programme following re-assessment will normally have their programme terminated.
  4.5 If a candidate has failed an assessment due to circumstances outside their control, the Special Cases Assessment Board may recommend to the School Assessment Board that the candidate can re-submit and be assessed as if for the first time. Alternatively, the School Assessment Board can recommend that a candidate has passed on the basis of previously submitted work.
  4.6 Failure to submit work for assessment at notified dates and times, taking into consideration any written deadline extensions granted to the individual candidate, will lead to a penalty being imposed. Work submitted up to 5 working days late will be assessed using the normal criteria but will have the mark that may have been awarded reduced by 5% for each day late; ie: by a maximum of 25%. If the piece of work was deemed to warrant a grade of 40% or higher, it cannot be reduced below 40% by this penalty.
  4.7 Work submitted more than 5 working days after the notified submission date, amended by any written deadline extensions granted to the individual candidate, will be classed as non-submitted work and will be given a mark of zero.
  4.8 The performance of candidates shall be assessed by the Board of Assessors in accordance with the School's regulations governing assessment for the relevant programme of study.
  4.9 Deadline extensions for individual candidates may be granted for individual assessments by the relevant Unit Convenor or Programme Leader, a Deputy Head of School or the Head of School and will be written.
  4.10 In addition, candidates may be granted an extension to all assessment as a result of a letter from the Learning Differences Centre staff regarding the challenges of their learning differences and outlining a set duration of extension that the candidate will receive for all of their assessments. Candidates encompassed by such a letter will normally inform their unit tutor that they will be making use of their extension ahead of an assessment but will not be penalised if they fail to do so.
     
5. Award of Qualification
  5.1 There are three exit awards available. Each level of study is worth a total of 120 CATS Credits (60 ECTS). To be eligible to receive these awards the following number of credits is required:
  • Certificate of Higher Education (Level 1) 120 CATS (60 ECTS)
  • Diploma of Higher education (Level 2) 240 CATS (120 ECTS)
  • BA (Hons) Degree (Level 3) 360 CATS (180 ECTS)
  5.2 Candidates who exit the programme at the end of Level One having passed all Level One units, or exit the programme following failure at Level Two, will be eligible to receive a Certificate of Higher Education.
  5.3 Candidates who exit their programme at the end of Level Two having passed all Level Two units, or who fail Level Three, will be eligible to receive the Diploma of Higher Education.
  5.4 Candidates are required to pass all Level Three units to qualify for the degree award. The certificate and diploma awards are available in the generic programme titles only as insufficient specialist practice will have been completed to receive a named award. The degree award will indicate which specialist pathway a candidate has followed. If a specific specialist pathway is not followed, a degree with the generic programme title will be awarded.
  5.5 Degree classifications are typically awarded using the weighted average of Level Three marks.

First Class 70% or over
Upper Second Class 60 - 69%
Lower Second Class 50 - 59%
Third Class 40 - 49%
Fail 0 -39%
     
6. Notification of Results
  6.1 Finalist candidates will be able to collect their final results in person at a date, time and location advertised in advance.
  6.2 Semester 1 results will remain provisional until confirmed by School Assessment Board in Semester 2.
  6.3 The final award is granted by the University of Southampton's Senate on the recommendation of the relevant School Board. It is only awarded to candidates who have satisfactorily completed an approved course of study and have satisfied the assessment requirements.
     
7. Placements/Exchanges
  7.1 A candidate exchange may be available as an alternative core unit. Candidates will be advised of the considerations and application procedure. Exchanges will be restricted by destination and subject to availability, suitability of the candidate, criteria set by the School and the University, and the requirements of the UK government and the government of the country and region of the host institution; eg: regarding visas. To be considered, candidates must make a formal application before a deadline that will be specified each year, outlining their reasons for wishing to study at a particular institution and their plans for their work whilst there. Selection is at the discretion of the host institution and the Head of School.
  7.2 Exchanges will normally take place in Semester 2 of Level Two and will be full-time, typically for a period of 12 weeks. Candidates will be expected to participate fully in the programme of the host institution whilst working on a pre-agreed project. Assessment of a candidate's project work will take place on their return to Winchester School of Art. This assessment will not only encompass preparatory and completed work carried out whilst on exchange but, separately, also the contemporary record of the candidates' reflection on their exchange.
     
8. Professional Experience
  8.1 At Levels Two and Three, candidates may have opportunities to engage in professional experience subject to availability and the requirements of participating professional organisations. To undertake professional experience, candidates must make an appropriate written proposal in line with prevailing procedures and undergo an interview process. Selection is at the discretion of the professional organisation and the Head of School. The exact nature of an experience will need to be negotiated with the Unit Convenor and based on guidelines that will be outlined to candidates. Before a professional experience is approved, the host professional organisation must be monitored and approved; eg: in terms of health and safety.
     
9. Attendance and Behaviour
  9.1 Candidates are expected to attend all sessions timetabled for their programme, pathway and selected units. If they are aware that they will be absent for any session, they should inform the relevant Unit Tutor immediately.
  9.2 In terms of absence through sickness, candidates are permitted to self-certificate for up to five days after which they are encouraged to seek a medical certificate. They should inform their Unit Tutor of the circumstances of their illness as soon as possible, and make efforts to make up any work that they have missed.
  9.3 In the case of illness persisting for more than five days, candidates should confer with their Unit Tutors regarding the situation, and with their Programme Leader, if their absence is liable to impact seriously on their study.
  9.4 In the case of absence arising from other causes, for example bereavement, illness of a dependant, etc., candidates should contact their Unit Tutors as soon as possible to alert them to these developments, confer with them and, when appropriate, the Programme Leader, regarding ameliorating the effects of the absence on their study.
  9.5 Whilst studying at the School whether on its campus, on visits, whilst on exchange or professional experiences or via online facilities including email, candidates should act in a manner which is appropriate to the highest professional standards with particular attention to avoiding behaviour which lessens the study experience of their fellow candidates. Candidates falling below these standards of behaviour are liable to be called to account by their Unit Tutors, Programme Leader, the Deputy Heads or the Head of School and asked to reflect on their continued study at the School.
     
10. Regulations
  10.1 Candidates who commenced their study from the academic year 2006/7 onwards will have to comply with these regulations. In addition it is anticipated that, from the start of the academic year 2006/7, School procedures and candidate expectations and behaviour should be in line with these regulations.
  10.2 Candidates who commenced study on their current programme of study before 2006/7 can seek to have previous regulations apply in cases in which these differed from these regulations. Such candidates are advised to refer to the regulations in the University Calendar for the academic year in which they commenced study at the School.
     
Valid as of 22 June 2006 


Academic Regulations : School of Art
Academic Regulations : School of Education
Academic Regulations : School of Humanities
Academic Regulations : School of Law
Academic Regulations : School of Management
Academic Regulations : School of Social Sciences



Submitted by the Editors
on behalf of the the Secretariat.
Last reviewed: 30/06/06
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