STUDENT CHARTER
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MISSION AND VISION ENDORSEMENT
The University of Cumbria is a community of students, staff, partner organisations and the Students’ Union. Working together we will achieve the missions and uphold the values of the University of Cumbria and the University of Cumbria Students’ Union (UCSU). Our Charter is for those students who are enrolled with us and who are directly receiving teaching and learning through the university. The University of Cumbria Mission Is to provide and promote excellent and accessible higher education which enhances the lives of individuals and fosters the development of the communities to which we belong. In so doing, the university embraces four guiding themes: sustainability; creativity; employability and enterprise.
UCSU’s Mission Is to represent and support you to achieve your ambitions. This charter defines how we work together to achieve our goals. It is not a legal document or a list of rules, but an explanation of what it means to be part of our vibrant learning community. At the centre of the Cumbria experience is a passion to learn, a passion to educate and a curiosity about the world. Staff and student leaders endorse this charter and agree to actively represent the principles and values which it contains.
Professor Peter Strike
Aden Fry
Vice Chancellor, University of Cumbria
UCSU Community and Partnerships Officer
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Guardian University League Tables 2015 graphics
We are the
TOP
Ranking up
10
new university (post-1992) in the North West for educating health professionals.*
or more places*
*Guardian University League Tables 2015
* Guardian University League Tables 2015
Art, design and craft are all rated in the top
F VE for North West universities.* *Guardian University League Tables 2015
The University of Cumbria Experience will provide you with a passport to life-changing opportunities, both professionally and personally. The 70% University of Cumbria offers an exceptional package of support including outstanding library and learning services, access to specialist equipment, a professionally focused curriculum, practical hands-on experience, and a personal tutor committed to assisting you, as well as careers support to THELMA awards graphics (email footer) make yourself the employee of choice. To find out more about the Cumbria Experience, andOUTSTANDING the wide array of support and opportunities available, FINANCE please WINNER visit: www.cumbria.ac.uk/experience TEAM of Tower Hamlets schools employ at least one University of Cumbria trained teacher.
Law, musical theatre performance and psychology are all rated in the top three of North West universities.*
* Guardian University League Tables 2015
Working together we will make sure that your university experience is based on the best principles of higher education: creativity, realising potential, accessibility, social responsibility, equality, diversity and inclusion.
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You will be supported to achieve your potential. You will receive clear information about learning outcomes, assessment criteria and rules in advance so that you are offered the opportunity to succeed and you know what to expect.
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You will steer your own learning goals and receive timely, relevant and clear feedback on your work.
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If you have a disability, or a specific learning difficulty, we will work with you to make reasonable adjustments so that you can participate and have the full opportunity to succeed at the university.
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It is essential to respect your peers and colleagues. When difficulties come up, we will seek to address them in a collaborative and principled manner, respecting the personal needs of others.
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Your active participation in university life is welcomed and valued and the university aims to engage you, communicate clearly with you and listen to your views. We care about your opinions.
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Together we will create an environment that supports the wellbeing of students and staff. We want you to truly feel a sense of belonging to the university through a variety of partnerships and projects in learning, teaching, employability, enterprise and research.
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The Student Handbook has all the information you need and has been prepared for you to use throughout your University of Cumbria experience; please take time to read it. www.cumbria.ac.uk/StudentHandbook
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We want you to have a very positive experience at the university. If you do have matters of concern during your time with us, please raise them as soon as possible, so together we can seek to address them. For issues that cannot be resolved informally, we provide a formal complaints process with clear information about how to access it and what support is available.
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We are committed to supporting the learning, development and enterprise of all members of the university community. We value the intellectual, personal, professional, vocational, creative and social potential of students and staff. • You will have access to activities and services to enhance your career potential and personal development. • External placements, work related learning and work experience are a key part of many of our courses. We will work with you to agree and prepare you for suitable professional experience and we expect that all work related activities will be undertaken professionally. • We will offer you a comprehensive range of enterprise and employability development opportunities, within and beyond the curriculum, to help you achieve your potential. • Please take the time to explore what is available to you as part of the Cumbria Experience: www.cumbria.ac.uk/StandOut • Being a student is rewarding but requires dedication, preparation and hard work.
We provide you with an award-winning, high quality package of support and learning resources allowing individuals to achieve their full academic potential. These resources are for everyone’s benefit and it is essential we all respect and share them appropriately. • You will be provided with accurate, honest and reliable information, and advice, guidance and resources to enable you to succeed. • We value every university member and ask that you respect your status and abide by university rules and regulations, intellectual property rights, copyright, patent laws and safeguarding, and that you return resources on time and in a fit state so they can be used again. • Being a student is rewarding but requires dedication, preparation and hard work. • We hope you will make full use of university online support materials and access them regularly, including the wide array of electronic sources of information, specially selected for your subject area and searchable from any internet location (on or off campus).
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The physical and virtual environment in which we work, study, meet and live will be fit for purpose and contribute to a sustainable future. • We ask that you respect the physical environment, including your accommodation, and behave respectfully towards each other, neighbours and other users of our premises or facilities. • Please be respectful of your surroundings, including online and social media, which reflect positively on you and on the University of Cumbria, and are supportive of any other members of the university community. • Your experience is unique and shaped by you; our university is as diverse as you are, with its many learning locations and ways to study. You can expect to receive an equivalent (though not identical) experience whether this is campus based or accessed from a distance. • We want to stay in touch with all our community whilst at university and beyond and ask that you update your contact details to allow us to do this, and to enable you to take part in our virtual learning and alumni activities.
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Staff and students form the core of a meaningful and effective partnership. This shared responsibility creates a high quality university experience. We are all responsible for the quality of learning, teaching and research. • It is expected that students and staff attend inductions, participate in timetabled events such as classes and meetings and adhere to stated deadlines, whether submitting work or providing feedback. • We are all ambassadors for the University of Cumbria and its values and are all expected to conduct ourselves in an appropriate and professional manner which is suitable for the occasion. • By working together we can achieve so much; if you need additional help with your studies, don’t leave it too late— act in a timely way. • Take advantage of the many sources of help and guidance available; be in control and stay on track.
The partnership approach between our Students’ Union and the University of Cumbria has been recognised nationally as being highly commendable. The Students’ Union recently achieved Investors in People Gold standard and was also shortlisted for an International Investors in People Award for Small Employer of the Year 2015. UCSU was also shortlisted in the small & specialist category for Student Union of the Year at the 2015 NUS Awards Gala, having won the Student of the Year prize in 2014. The recent awards recognise the University of Cumbria Students’ Union status as one of the leading smaller unions in the country for the representation and support of their members, and the provision of opportunities to provide a fantastic university experience – from volunteering to student groups and sports teams. The Students’ Union’s commitment to the needs and interests of students at the University of Cumbria is what makes our partnership so beneficial – both the University and the Union work closely together to deliver the best outcomes for students, and challenge one another to further enhance the student experience for all members, regardless of where, what or how they study.
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Meaningful and honest interaction is one of the foundations of our community. If you have any comments on the charter or wish to raise a query or concern about any part of your experience, please do so through any of the channels listed below and we will seek to address any issues. Your feedback will help us to improve the university community experience.
University of Cumbria email for charter issues studentcharter@cumbria.ac.uk UCSU email for charter issues student.union@cumbria.ac.uk UoC student complaints process www.cumbria.ac.uk/studentcomplaints University of Cumbria Primary Charter named contact: Head of Library and Student Services, Margaret Weaver, Margaret.Weaver@cumbria.ac.uk UCSU Primary Charter named contact: Community and Partnerships Officer, Aden.Fry@cumbria.ac.uk
The charter is a set of mutual expectations and aspirations and does not define or limit the legal obligations and /or rights of the university, its students or UCSU. Those rights and obligations can be found on the university’s website. Should you have any queries in this regard, UCSU and / or Library and Student Services (LiSS) can provide advice and support.
If you require alternative formats of this charter, for example large print, Braille, podcast, please contact disabilitysouth@cumbria.ac.uk
Information correct at time of printing August 2015. Visit www.cumbria.ac.uk for the most up to date version. Copyright Š University of Cumbria 2015 (UOC 530)