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DOCUMENT SIGN-OFF AND OWNERSHIP DETAILS

 

Document name:

 

Regulations and Procedures for Postgraduate Research students

Version Number:

 

V6.0

Equality Impact Assessment:

 

 

Privacy Impact Assessment;

Not applicable

                                                                                                                                Approved by:

 

Graduate Board and University Research Committee

Date Approved:

Graduate Board 08 May 2024

 

Effective from:

 

01 August 2024

Date for Review:

 

Annually

Author:

 

Head of Student Regulations and Casework

Owner (if different from above):

 

Director of Registry

Document Location:

 

https://www.hud.ac.uk/policies/registry/regs-pgr/

Compliance Measures:

 

A compliance check has been completed as this is available on request, email studentconduct@hud.ac.uk

Related Policies/Procedures:

There are many regulations / policies / procedures that may impact upon these regulations, in the main these are:

 

  • Regulations for Awards (Research Degrees) 2024
  • Quality Assurance Procedures for Taught and Research Awards 2024
  • PGR Handbook (online)
  • A list of important student policies can be found in the Regulations for Postgraduate Research Students 2024 – Section 1.16: Important information for all students

 

 

REVISION HISTORY

 

Version

Date

Revision description / summary of changes

Author

6.0

01 August 2024

Throughout the Regulations

  • Minor corrections throughout
  • Removal of ‘School based investigations’ and renamed as appropriate
  • Correction of mailboxes throughout
  • Some larger areas of re-wording to address providing additional clarity, which does not impact a regulatory or material change.

 

SU Introduction

  • Updated with new SU President’s signature

 

Our Student Charter

  • Updated with new SU President’s signature

 

Section 1: Student Information

  • Removal of each individual policy and a link to the policy framework provided instead
  • Updated information for DL PGRs
  • Update procedure on enrolment and an introduction of an appeal procedure for late enrolment

 

Section 2: International Information

  • Introduction of ATAS clearance information
  • Clarification that some home students may also be on a visa and that proof to study will be required
  • Clarification that annual leave can’t be carried forward into the new A/Y

 

Section 3: Student Finance

  • Bench fee introduction
  • Clarification of implications of non-fee payment

 

Section 9: Research Misconduct

  • Introduction of minor breach (stage 0)
  • Clarification that previous UNRELATED allegations will not be disclosed during considerations of a new allegation but if a case is escalated, it will be considered open and information will be shared
  • Titles of each stage have been slightly amended
  • Expectations with referral paperwork now outlined

 

Section 10: Support to Study

  • Name changed from fitness to study to support to study to better suit the process
  • Merging of stages 2 and 3 to decrease the anxiety of three separate meetings for students at what can be an already very distressing time
  • Changed and provided more detail for the appeal procedure to bring in line with other procedures
  • Expectations with allegation paperwork now outlined

 

Section 11: Student Disciplinary

  • Expectations with allegation paperwork now outlined
  • Removal of stage 0

 

Section 12: Complaints

  • Alteration to stages, changed from 4 to 3 in line with sector. Stage 1 – informal early resolution, stage 2 – formal resolution and stage 3 – review. Compliant with external regulatory requirements to have 3 stages – made clearer for students and put more of an emphasis on early resolution
  • Clarification on evidential information sharing

 

5.0

1 August 2023

Throughout the Regulations

  • Minor corrections throughout
  • Removal of ‘rejection’ references and replaced with ‘not upheld’ or ‘not successful’
  • Introduction of support information in all investigative procedures
  • Updated academic appeal and complaint regulations and procedures in line with latest OIA good practice framework guidance.
  • Some larger areas of re-wording to address providing additional clarity, which does not impact a regulatory or material change.
  • References to material irregularity changed to procedural irregularity in accordance with language recommended by the OIA

 

SU Introduction

  • Updated with new SU President’s signature

 

Our Student Charter

  • Updated with new SU President’s signature

 

Glossary

  • New definitions

 

Section 1: Student Information

  • Clarification of virtual panel and meetings
  •  Introduction of revocation of award and credit regulation (research misconduct or administrative errors)
  • Introduction of fit to submit policy and clarification of existing fit to sit policy

 

Section 3: Student Finance

  • Updated with clarification on late or no fee payment past enrolment deadline and likely withdrawal
  • Tuition fee refunds with interrupting and withdrawing students (PGR specific)

Section 5: Interrupting, Withdrawing or Transferring Course

  • Streamlining of withdrawal, interruption and transfer out procedures

 

Section 8: Assessment Appeal

  • Now available for students who have since left the University in accordance with OIA Good Practice Framework

 

Section 9: Research Conduct

  • Introduction of proof reading and the use of AI Tools information
  • Updating of misconduct breach terminology

 

Section 10: Fitness to Study

  • Introduction of Return to Study meeting process

 

Section 11: Student Disciplinary

  • New table of misconduct classifications with further examples given

 

Section 12: Student Complaints

  • Clarity provided on when a complaint is out of time
  • Grounds introduced for appeal of stage 2 outcome
  • More emphasis on informal resolution

 

Section 13: Precautionary Measures, Criminal Proceedings and University Investigation

  • New section – taken information out of Student Disciplinary and kept in its own section for ease of access and lack of repetition throughout the regulations. Also included to be applicable for Fitness to Study.
  • Included section on no contact agreements and orders

 

 

4.0

1 August 2022

Throughout the regulations

  • Insertion of missing words and small spelling or grammatical changes throughout.
  • Small clarification and formatting changes throughout.
  • Some larger areas of re-wording to address providing additional clarity, which does not impact a regulatory or material change.
  • Some areas of duplication have been deleted.
  • Name change: restriction has been changed to the new definition of precautionary measures throughout.
  • Insertion of hyperlinks.

Registry

4.0

1 August 2022

Welcome

 

  • Inclusion of reference to the SU confidential peer listening service.

 

4.0

1 August 2022

Our Student Charter

 

  • Updated with new SU President’s signature.

 

4.0

1 August 2022

Our PGR Charter

 

  • Removal of paragraph relating to PGRs who are non-campus based, attending University for at least 10 days per year, as this has been removed from the Regulation for Awards (Research Degrees).

 

4.0

1 August 2022

Section 1 – Important information applicable to all students

 

1.6 Email correspondence

  • Removal of advice to contact Computing and Library Services for support on how to forward University emails to an external account, as this is no longer permitted.

1.14 Student representation on panels

  • Section added that Student Union Officers (or nominee) sit on some of our panels and will be provided with training and support for the role.

 

 

4.0

1 August 2022

Section 2 – International student information

 

2.19 Additional time and writing-up

  • Further clarify added that a visa extension is not guaranteed if there are alternative study options
  • Removal of the option that writing-up fees can be reduced if the thesis is submitted early, as this is no longer available.

2.9 Doctoral extension scheme

  • Removal of this section as this is no longer available

 

4.0

1 August 2022

Section 3 – Student finance introduction

 

3.10 PGR interruption of studies

  • Clarification that ‘in year’ short term periods of interruption will not reduce fees, but additional fees will not be charged as long as the extension period (at the end of study) corresponds to the period of interruption.

 

4.0

1 August 2022

Section 4 – PGR engagement and attendance

 

  • Removal of requirement for home students to swipe their student ID card.
  • Insertion of a new section relating to recording engagement and attendance, which sets out the requirement of regularly completing online supervision recording. Failure to comply will be dealt with under the non-engagement procedure.

 

 

4.0

1 August 2022

Section 9 – Research conduct

 

9.1 Introduction

  • Additional section to include a degree may be revoked when an allegation is upheld after a University Research Misconduct Panel.

 

4.0

1 August 2022

Section 10 – Fitness to study

 

10.2    Interruption due to impaired Fitness to Study

  • Additional point to confirm that when student’s return to study a re-convened Fitness to Study meeting will usually take place.

 

4.0

1 August 2022

Section 11 – Student disciplinary

 

11.1 Regulation introduction

  • New section added to confirm that if a Students’ Union investigation finds a case to answer under their Students’ Union Constitution’s Disciplinary procedure, then it is likely to indicate a breach of our Code of Conduct.

 

4.0

1 August 2022

Section 12 – Student complaints

 

12.1 Regulations introduction

  • Addition that we cannot accept complaint about the outcome to decisions reached in other regulations and procedures.