Your Student Charter 2012/13 to be reviewed in June 2013
Message From The Principal of the University We warmly welcome you to Newman and want you to become an active member of our learning community. I hope that this charter can act as a compass so that you will be able to find your place in the community and that you understand where to turn to whenever you have issues and questions to ask. Signed on behalf of the University.
Message From The President of the Students’ Union Newman is a close-knit community of learners. Everyone here are friendly and eager to help. So naturally this environment is perfect for developing both academically and as a person. This Charter looks at the basic principles of communication and thoughtfulness that underlie the good relationships and positive atmosphere of Newman. Signed on behalf of Newman students.
Content: The Newman Community: Page 3 The Newman Environment: Page 3 Your Personal Development: Page 4 A Quality Education: Page 4 Your Course at Newman: Page 5 Course Representation: Page 5 Support for You and Your Well Being: Page 6 The Whole Experience: Page 7 Your Assessments and Feedback: Page 7 Where you see a
symbol, further information is available, please visit:
www.newman.ac.uk/studentcharter 2
Newman is a student-centred University with a strong sense of community that delivers education informed by it’s Catholic ethos. All members of the Newman community can expect to work in a vibrant, safe and friendly environment where everyone is polite, respectful and considerate of one another. Students can expect this environment to be professional, enriching and challenging such that talents and creativity are encouraged and can flourish. All students are treated equally at Newman whilst the institution also recognises learners are individuals and allows for different learning styles. Students can expect Newman to be an honest, open institution that is clear on its expectations and happy to answer questions. All members of the Newman community can expect to engage in and contribute towards a range of timely and effective communication. Students at Newman are proud of their University College and become ambassadors for the institution.
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Newman is dedicated to providing a high quality environment for students to learn in. Students can expect:
Clean, tidy and functional services such as the library and catering to be provided at times when they will be accessible to a number of different students.
Both communal and quiet places that are suitable for their learning and social spaces where they can meet friends.
To have reasonable access to an appropriate amount of car parking where they will park considerately. Please see Newman’s Environmental Policy for more details.
Newman recognises the financial position of students and will endeavour to be considerate in the pricing of any kind be that in terms of tuition fees or the prices for food on campus. All members of the Newman Community are expected to respect and appreciate the environment that they are in, keep it tidy and recycle wherever possible.
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Newman encourages students to be open minded about challenges and use them to improve as life long learners. Students at Newman are motivated to learn and participate with their learning moving beyond being simply consumers of knowledge to producers of knowledge. Students at Newman are expected to be independent whilst being supported and will progress in their studies naturally over the lifetime of their university experience. While at Newman, students can expect to develop their knowledge and understanding alongside being supported in developing an understanding of their role in wider society. Students at Newman are encouraged to engage with activities and opportunities so they develop as a person while at Newman. The attributes of the Newman Graduate gained through personal development will help prepare students for their chosen career. Students at Newman can expect to leave with lasting memories and good friendships. 5
Students at Newman are well prepared for their studies, completing preparatory tasks and familiarising themselves with module data sets. Lecturers at Newman are committed professionals who are specialist in the fields they teach. Newman has a full range of professional staff also committed to supporting students in their studies. Appropriate resources are made available to the Virtual Learning Environment in time to allow students to support student learning. Students at Newman can expect access to a wide range of quality, up-to-date resources including a well-stocked library and well-maintained, networked workstations. Students recognise the value of educational resources and appreciate they are used by a number of people. Students at Newman are encouraged to engage with I.T. communication tools and mechanisms. 6
Students are expected to regard their course as a top priority alongside their personal life. They are expected to be committed to their learning, including purchasing some core resources of their own. Leaners are expected to manage workloads effectively and be aware and considerate of the workloads of others. Newman recognises the importance of taught sessions and endeavours to make the time spent in them to be as positive as possible; all sessions are held in a suitable environment free from interruptions with suitable time given to breaks. Students are expected to attend taught sessions and where appropriate a register of attendance will be kept. Students can expect to be able to access an up-to-date timetable easily and where possible are given fair notice of lecture rearrangements or cancellations. Students at Newman who take part in a placement can expect to receive both guidance in developing the skills needed to secure a placement and support whilst on their placement. Those students who require a placement as part of the professional accreditation can expect to be given a placement that is congruent to their learning.
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Newman actively seeks the thoughts of students through the course rep. system and through the Students’ Union and takes these opinions on board when making decisions. Students of Newman respectfully ask questions and voice their opinions in situations they feel comfortable with. Newman students are expected to contribute actively to the organisation and makeup of their course and provide feedback as much as possible through module evaluations and course representatives. Newman Students’ Union will work to represent student interests in the wider sphere of Higher Education. Students can expect clear signposting if things go wrong or if they have a serious concern with their course.
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Students at Newman are expected to be honest about their skills and abilities and seek out help and support when they need it. Newman students can expect support and guidance on a wide range of subjects from writing assignments to careers advice to correct referencing practise. Newman supports all members of its community in a variety of ways from one-on-one support to email communications and recognises that some students will need to draw on specialised support. Students are encouraged to make use of careers support so they can create a plan for developing their employability. Students are expected to take responsibility for their own learning and not to become reliant solely on support structures. Newman will also provide welfare support and financial guidance to its students were possible and appropriate.
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Newman is an environment where students can enjoy “student life”. Newman works alongside Newman Students’ Union in providing various opportunities for students to get involved in, to develop interests and to broaden their education. Students at Newman will have the opportunity to take part in educational trips. Newman Students’ Union will endeavour to have a diverse range of societies and sports that cater for different interests. Newman Students’ Union also provide a range of events and activities to suit student interests. Students are encouraged to make use of the Students’ Union and the services they provide.
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Students at Newman are assessed in a variety of formats with clear deadlines, targets and objectives given at the start of each module. Newman endeavours to monitor assessment points to help spread assignment deadlines out. Students should engage fully with their all assessments and complete to the best of their ability and in a timely manner. All assessment work is marked without bias. Feedback at Newman is provided in a variety of ways from one-on-one time with markers and lecturers to detailed, constructive feedback that is provided with most assessments. Students are expected to act on their feedback to improve their academic work over their time at Newman. Students are given clear guidance on their degree classification, detailed transcripts and early notice of their progress from year to year. 11
“Newman students and graduates are equipped to be
independent life-long
and life-wide learning who are keen and able to work in partnership with others. They are aware of and attentive to their citizenship responsibilities, are comfortable with uncertainty and are able to address many of the emerging social and environmental challenges facing contemporary societies.” Taken From The Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy
Do You Agree? This charter was put together through comments and feedback from students and staff. If you have any thoughts on it or there’s anything you’d like to see included then get in touch with the Students’ Union President at: su-president@newman.ac.uk