Academic Regulations [Version 9.04]
PART FIVE: Foundation Degree Regulations
Note: These Regulations should be read in conjunction with relevant Programme Regulations, which may in some cases include approved variations or exclusions of specific regulations herein.
Terminology [supplementary to PART ONE]
COLLABORATING PARTNER means the independent institution with which Roehampton University, as the awarding body, is formally collaborating for the specific purpose of offering a Foundation Degree.
PART-TIME STUDENTS of three kinds are recognised in Foundation Degree regulations:
- Part-time Student (employment-based) refers to one who registers for a credit load equivalent to a full-time student as defined in regulation 76.3, but whose formal studies are shared between the college at which the student is registered and his or her place of employment;
- Regular Part-time Student refers to one who, on admission, registers for an appropriate set of modules within an award-bearing programme, and continues to study within the requirements of an award-bearing programme;
- Associate Student refers to one who, on admission, registers for one or more individual modules up to a maximum of 40 credits.
88.1 Students may be full-time or part-time, or may mix both modes of study during their programmes. They may also change modes or interrupt their studies at any time without adverse effect on the mark or credit-value of any completed assessments.
88.2 A proposed 'Interruption of Study' must be formally notified to the Deputy University Secretary (Student Administration) and may not last for more than one year. Absences in excess of this amount must be registered as 'Withdrawal'.
88.3 A Foundation Degree student intending to be full-time or part-time (employment-based) must register for modules worth at least 120 credits and not more than 150 credits in an academic year. Individual applications for remission of this Regulation may be approved by the Chair of the University's Learning, Teaching & Quality Committee (or designated representative) on the recommendation of the Programme Convener.
88.4 A regular part-time student may not register for modules worth more than 80 credits during one academic year, excluding resits.
88.5 Associate students may not register for modules worth more than 40 credits altogether.
88.6 The maximum permissible duration of study leading to the award of a Foundation Degree is five years. An individual application for extension of this period may be approved by the Chair of the University's Learning, Teaching & Quality Committee (or designated representative), on the recommendation of the Programme Convener.
89.1 The academic standard of each module, including the standard of its assessment, shall be designated as being at one of two levels: HE1 or HE2. These levels are defined in Levels Descriptors approved by the University and published on its website. Levels HE1 and HE2 are levels of undergraduate study.
90.1 It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that his/her registered programme is in accordance with these Regulations and with subject Programme Regulations as specified in approved publications.
90.2 All full-time, part-time (employment-based) and regular part-time students will be admitted to an approved programme of study leading to a target award.
90.3 Students will enter in September and register for one year's programme on initial registration: thereafter they will register annually at a specified time for a complete academic year.
90.4 The target award of all full-time, part-time (employment-based) and regular part-time students will be assumed to be a Foundation Degree unless otherwise specified at initial registration or subsequently. Students may retrospectively claim the award of Certificate of Higher Education if they have completed the relevant programme requirements and wish to withdraw from the programme requirements for a Foundation Degree.
90.5 Students who are awarded a Foundation Degree and who successfully apply for and complete additional study at the University leading to the award of a Bachelors degree will be allowed to retain their Foundation Degree award and certification. However, marks obtained in the Foundation degree will not be used to determine the classification of the Bachelors degree. [See also 83.4 below]
90.6 A student must successfully complete the compulsory modules at Level HE1 before proceeding to level HE2. In exceptional cases this regulation may be waived on the recommendation of the Programme Convener. Where all or most Level HE1 modules are compulsory, the student must pass at least 100 credits to proceed in accordance with Regulation 82.14.
90.7 Withdrawal from a module will be deemed to be a failure in that module, and will be so recorded on a student's transcript, except in cases approved by the Chair of the University's Learning, Teaching & Quality Committee (or designated representative), on the recommendation of the Programme Convener.
90.8 Given that employment or work placements are an integral part of Foundation Degree programmes, it is a requirement that students shall immediately inform the Programme Convener of any material change in the nature of their employment or work placement arrangements which might affect their ability to complete the relevant learning and assessment.
91. Credit Accumulation and Transfer
91.1 A successfully completed module earns a student a specified number of credits at a defined level and in a particular subject.
91.2 Foundation Degree students may not take more than 150 credits, at whatever level, in any period of two consecutive semesters. This regulation may be waived only in special circumstances with the explicit approval of the Chair of the University's Learning, Teaching & Quality Committee (or designated representative), on the recommendation of the Programme Convener.
91.3 Associate students may transfer registration to full-time, part-time (employment-based) or regular part-time student status on the Foundation Degree and claim credit for relevant modules successfully completed as associate students.
91.4 Relevant credits, i.e. credits at an appropriate level and in an appropriate subject, earned in another institution or in other institutions may be transferred towards the credit requirements of the Foundation Degree. Other prior learning may also be considered for credit, and in all cases the relevance, status, and currency of the prior learning will be taken into account. Module marks will not be transferred.
91.5 Not more than half the credits needed for the Foundation Degree award may be transferred from outside the University. Applications should be made through the University in accordance with published procedures and will be subject to approval by the Chair of the University's Learning, Teaching & Quality Committee (or designated representative). (See also 84.3 below.)
92.1 Learning, Teaching & Quality Committee
92.1.1 The Learning, Teaching & Quality Committee is directly responsible to the University Senate for the overall management and monitoring of the Foundation Degree and for all associated matters related to credit accumulation, transfer and exemption.
92.2 Programme Boards
92.2.1 Each Foundation Degree programme shall have a Convener, approved annually on behalf of the University Senate, who will be responsible for the management of the Programme, in consultation with the teachers of the modules specific to that Programme (as indicated by the module code or other appropriate designation).
92.2.2 Each Foundation Degree programme shall establish a Programme Board. The Programme Board shall be constituted and conduct its affairs according to arrangements determined by the University Senate and set out in Annex 1 to these regulations.
92.2.3 Each Programme Board shall meet at least twice a year.
92.2.4 Each Programme Board shall be responsible through the Moderator to one University School Board as determined by the University Senate.
92.2.5 In cases where a module appears in more than one Foundation Degree programme, its management is the responsibility of the sponsoring Programme Board (as indicated by the module code or other appropriate designation). In such cases, the Chair of the non-sponsoring Programme Board (or a nominated deputy) is entitled to attend all relevant meetings of the sponsoring Programme Board. Conversely, the teacher responsible for such a module (or a nominated deputy) shall be entitled to attend all relevant meetings of the non-sponsoring Programme Board.
93.1 Programme Examinations Boards
93.1.1 Each Foundation Degree programme shall establish a Programme Examinations Board.
93.1.2 The Programme Examinations Board shall be constituted and conduct its business according to arrangements determined by the University Senate and set out in Annex 2 to these regulations.
93.1.3 Each Programme Examinations Board shall be responsible for the assessment of all modules sponsored by its Programme Board.
93.1.4 Each Programme Examinations Board shall meet following each examination period (including any resit period).
93.1.5 A candidate whose assessment performance has been, or is likely to be, impaired because of ill health or other reasons, must inform the Chair of the Programme Examinations Board in writing at the earliest opportunity, and provide documentary evidence in support. In the case of ill health this should be a medical certificate. The Chair will ensure that the documentation is considered by the Programme Examinations Board, and the Board may take it into account in making recommendations to the Foundation Degree Awards & Progression Board.
93.1.6 A Programme Examinations Board may recommend at its own discretion the award of a mark without requiring all items of assessment to be completed, or it may require an alternative or additional form of assessment, e.g. a viva voce examination. An alternative form of assessment may be approved only where there are clearly defined mitigating circumstances preventing the normal assessment or a deferment, and where the proposed alternative assessment is capable of testing substantially the same learning outcomes as the validated assessment. The proposed alternative form of assessment should be referred to the Chair of the University's Learning, Teaching & Quality Committee for approval, and reported to the next meeting of the Programme Examinations Board.
93.1.7 It is the responsibility of the Programme Convener in conjunction with the Chair of the Programme Examinations Board (where different) to ensure that the application of Regulations 81.1.5 and 81.1.6 takes due account of the University's Guidelines on Mitigating Circumstances.
93.2 Foundation Degree Awards & Progression Board
93.2.1 There shall be a Foundation Degree Awards & Progression Board which shall be constituted and conduct its business according to arrangements determined by the Senate and set out in Annex 2 to these Regulations.
93.2.2 The Chair of the Foundation Degree Awards & Progression Board shall be nominated by the University Senate.
93.2.3 Every Foundation degree Programme Convener is required to be in attendance throughout every meeting of the Board. If for good reason a Convener is unable to attend, a suitable and well-informed alternate may be substituted provided that the Deputy University Secretary (Student Administration) is notified in advance of a Board meeting.
93.2.4 The Foundation Degree Awards & Progression Board shall meet at least once a year.
93.2.5 At its meetings the Foundation Degree Awards & Progression Board will receive recommendations from the Foundation Degree Programme Examinations Boards in the form of a combined credit and mark profile for each candidate, consisting of all the credits achieved by the candidate together with the marks achieved by the candidate during the current academic year. It will make recommendations for individual awards to the Senate.
93.2.6 Where an incomplete programme is accompanied by a request for the award of a Certificate of Higher Education, the Board will consider such a request and make a recommendation.
94.1 All module assessments at levels HE1 and HE2 shall consist of one final percentage mark. All work submitted for assessment must be in English, unless programme regulations specify otherwise.
94.2 The pass-mark at levels HE1 and HE2 is 40%.
94.3 A fail mark at levels HE1 or HE2 in the range 30-39% may be subject to condonation at the discretion of a Programme Examinations Board. (A Programme Examinations Board may at its discretion choose to condone a subordinate element of the assessment for a module, but that condonation will not be officially recorded on a student's transcript.) This category of 'condoned fail' will allow a candidate to progress to subsequent study or gain an award without repetition or interruption. For full-time and part-time (employment-based) students no more than 20 credits out of 120 in any academic year will be accepted by the Awards & Progression Board as in the 'condoned fail' category; for regular part-time students no more than 20 credits out of a consecutive series of 120 credits will be accepted. Where a finalist candidate is prevented from graduating as a result of failure(s) within the condonable range, condonation will be approved by the Awards & Progression Board unless Programme Regulations forbid it, subject to the above limits.
94.4 A candidate is entitled to refuse a condonation, thus electing to fail the module, and may attempt a resit on a subsequent occasion as determined by the Awards & Progression Board. In such cases the candidate must inform the Deputy University Secretary (Student Administration) in writing as soon as possible, and not later than within two weeks of the despatch of the confirmed results. This entitlement does not apply to modules assessed in the final semester of a student's programme.
94.5 In cases where a candidate has failed or deferred a particular assessment, the Programme Examinations Board shall stipulate the nature and timing of the assessment and/or attendance required to pass. Such resits or deferred assessments shall normally take place at the next scheduled examinations period. Any student who has interrupted a programme of study with resits or deferments pending, or any student who has left as a result of programme termination, must inform the Deputy University Secretary (Student Administration) within two weeks of the despatch of confirmed results if he/she wishes to take such assessments at the next opportunity. An interrupting student who seeks permission to take such assessments on return to study must also inform the Deputy University Secretary (Student Administration) within the same period. Students who have been suspended must ensure that all associated arrangements for resits and deferred assessments are similarly confirmed with the Deputy University Secretary (Student Administration).
94.6 There will be a mark reduction on retaking the assessment of a failed module. The mark awarded, which may be used to determine eligibility for Merit or Distinction, will be the hypothetically merited mark or the mark which is half-way between that mark and the pass-mark, whichever is the lower. The procedure for applying the mark reduction to modules with multiple assessment components is explained in Annex 3 to these regulations. Transcripts will, by means of an indicator, show that the reduced mark was achieved on resit. However, no candidate will be required by these Regulations to retake a particular failed module or its assessment. A candidate who has passed a particular module shall not be permitted to retake the assessment for that module.
94.7 A candidate who has failed a particular module but who has made a reasonable attempt to fulfil the assessment requirements for that module shall have the right to retake the assessment for that module on one occasion only, except in cases where specific Programme Regulations withhold that right. Further retakes shall be permitted only at the discretion of the relevant Programme Examinations Board, though careful consideration will be given to offering a second resit in cases where failure on a compulsory module would result in programme termination. A candidate who fails to submit work for assessment or to attend for examination at the appointed time or who otherwise fails to make a reasonable attempt to fulfil assessment requirements shall forfeit the right to retake the assessment for that module. A retake in such cases shall be permitted only at the discretion of the relevant Programme Examinations Board.
94.8 All work submitted for assessment in whatever form will remain the property of the University, or in the case of programmes which are delivered entirely by Collaborative Partners, of the Collaborative Partner. Examinations scripts will not be returned to students; other work may be returned to students at the discretion of the University, or in the case of programmes which are delivered entirely by Collaborative Partners, of the Collaborative Partner.
94.9 [Repealed by Senate on 27/02/2008 and now covered in the Code of Conduct for All Students of the University.]
94.10 [Repealed by Senate on 27/02/2008 and now covered in the Code of Conduct for All Students of the University.]
94.11 [Repealed by Senate on 27/02/2008 and now covered in the Code of Conduct for All Students of the University.]
94.12 [Repealed by Senate on 27/02/2008 and now covered in the Code of Conduct for All Students of the University.]
94.13 [Repealed by Senate on 27/02/2008 and now covered in the Code of Conduct for All Students of the University.]
94.14 In order to be allowed to continue in the full-time or part-time (employment-based) modes, a student must have satisfied the examiners in at least 100 credits in modules taken during that year, and must have otherwise fulfilled programme requirements.
95.1 These Regulations apply to the following awards, which may be conferred on eligible candidates:
Certificate of Higher Education
Foundation Degree
95.2 Eligibility for awards depends on attainment of minimum credits as follows, subject in all cases to any additional requirements contained in specific Programme Regulations. The Foundation Degree award is eligible for Merit or Distinction, as indicated below:
| Award | Credits | Distinction/Classified |
| Certificate of Higher Education | 120 credits at level HE1 or higher | Not Eligible |
| Foundation Degree | 240 credits at levels HE1/2, of which a minimum of 120 must be at level HE2 | Merit/Distinction |
95.3 For the purpose of determining whether the Foundation Degree award
is FdA or FdSc, each programme shall be deemed by the Senate to be an
'Arts' or a 'Science' programme.
95.4 A student who has been awarded a Foundation Degree and who has been accepted to undertake additional study at the University in order to obtain a Bachelors degree must take at least 120 credits at level HE3 at the University, and may be required by specific Programme Regulations to exceed this total. Classification of the Bachelors degree will be determined solely on the basis of marks for modules which are approved components of the Bachelors degree programme itself. [See also 78.5 above]
96.1 The Certificate of Higher Education is unclassified and ineligible for Merit or Distinction status.
96.2 The Foundation degree will be unclassified, though will be awarded with a Merit in cases where the average of the marks achieved by a candidate for 120 credits at level HE2 is between 60% and 69%; and with a Distinction in cases where the average of the marks achieved by a candidate for 120 credits at level HE2 is 70% or above.
96.3 Awards of Merit or Distinction to credit transfer students will be based only on marks achieved in modules taken at the collaborating institution and assessed in collaboration with the University. Where the award of credit reduces the number or HE2 credits taken at the collaborating institution below the 120 credits required by Regulation 84.2, the revised figure will be used to determine awards of Merit or Distinction provided always that it is never less than 80 credits.
96.4 For the purposes of the assessment for Merit or Distinction, the mark for a 20-credit module will be regarded as two marks, that for a 30-credit module as three, that for a 40-credit module as four, and pro rata.
97.1 The Foundation Degree will be conferred in a named subject.
97.2 The Certificate in Higher Education will not be conferred in a named subject.
97.3 Following the end of each academic year, all students will receive a University transcript which records all modules taken (including withdrawals), all marks awarded (including fails), and, where appropriate, any award conferred.
97.4 No student shall be entitled to an award of the University unless all fees for tuition and residence and any other sums due to the University or its colleges or the Collaborating Partner have been paid and the rightful property of these bodies returned.
98.1 A full-time or part-time (employment-based) Foundation Degree student may be programme-terminated on the recommendation of the Foundation Degree Awards & Progression Board for one of two main reasons:
- failing compulsory module(s) with No Resit Permitted;
- failing to gain 100 credits in the academic year.
98.2 Any student, whether full-time or part-time (employment-based) or regular part-time at any level may also be suspended or dismissed for disciplinary reasons pursuant to the Student Disciplinary Regulations.
98.3 A regular part-time student at any level may be programme-terminated as a result of failure to make adequate academic progress.
98.4 A full-time or part-time (employment-based) Foundation Degree student who has been programme-terminated for either of reasons (i) and (ii) above may appeal against termination of full-time or part-time (employment-based) status, subject to paragraph 90.2.2 below. (A regular part-time student may also appeal against termination, subject to paragraph 90.2.2 below). If successful, continuation with the previous programme will be allowed.
98.5 A full-time or part-time (employment-based) Foundation Degree student who has been programme-terminated for either of reasons (i) and (ii) above may apply for readmission as a regular part-time student without appeal in order to redeem the credit deficit, by completing and submitting a Change of Mode of Study form [SR4] to the University Registry. There is no obligation on a Programme Convener to accept a terminated full-time or part-time (employment-based) student on a regular part-time basis. There can be no readmission to full-time or part-time (employment-based) status until (a) at least one year has elapsed from the date of termination, and (b) the credit deficit has been redeemed sufficiently for full-time or part-time (employment-based) status to be renewed.
98.6 A candidate who believes that he/she has been incorrectly marked in a particular module, or incorrectly failed, or incorrectly programme-terminated, or incorrectly denied merit/distinction status for an award has in certain circumstances the right of appeal. An appeal must be about an academic decision. Pursuance of other possible grievances should follow the complaints procedure of the Collaborating Partner, on which informal advice may be sought in the first instance from the Programme Convener. Full details of the grounds on which candidates may appeal and of the procedures to be followed are set out in Annex 4 to these regulations.