Student Guide
2020-2021
Timetables, Appointment of Lectures and Examination Calendar The Timetable contains the distribution of subjects over a period of time (four-month terms or a whole year) for each academic year, indicating study year and group, senior lecturers and all other lecturers per subject, as well as examination dates and the classrooms where the subject is to be taught. The periods within which the teaching timetable must be drawn up (generally between April and May of the previous year) are set out in the Academic Calendar and approved by the Governing Council. By designing the timetables within the specified periods, students are able to more easily choose and organise their academic year. The authorities of the centres shall appoint a lecturer who shall be in charge of organising the timetables and examination calendar for each curriculum or course. These timetables shall be approved by the centre board or a board to which this task has been delegated, and are final. Student representatives must be involved in setting the timetables and examination dates. Examination dates may only be changed for justifiable reasons (for example, due to a change in the Spanish university entrance examination dates), and until 15 days before the initially set date. In any case, modifications may only delay the start dates and must be published on the notice boards. If you have any doubts concerning these issues, please go to your centre’s secretary’s office. You may also obtain specific information from the centre’s webpage (web.ua.es/en/centres-departments-and-institutes.html) or more generally from the Information Service webpage: web.ua.es/es/oia/horarios-academicos/horario-de-clases-y-calendario-de-examenes.html
Group allocation and change When degrees have morning and afternoon timetables in which the same subjects are taught, places are divided into two groups in such a way that they both contain a similar number of students. Students with the best entry marks and academic records will be given priority to choose groups based on their timetables and therefore, they are called to submit their registration documents based on their marks. Some centres allow students to request a group change if they have a good reason. There is an application deadline you may consult at your secretary’s office. Generally, circumstances that may justify a group change are the following: a clash with working hours, transport difficulties, federated or university sporting activities, need to take care of a family member, etc.
Teaching and lecturers The departments are teaching units responsible for coordinating the teaching of their field of knowledge (Article 13 of Chapter 3 of Title 1 of the UA Statutes). Each sub ject taught as part of any degree course is integrated within a department which is responsible for appointing the teaching staff and ensuring that the staff fulfil all their teaching duties. Teaching is a right and a duty of the University’s teaching staff, which shall exercise academic freedom, with no restrictions other than those established in the Constitution and laws, and those derived from the studies planning carried out by the relevant University bodies (Art. 33.2 of Organic University Law and Art. 107 of Section 1 of Chapter 1 of Title 3 of the UA Statutes).
TEACHING TO THINK
139