THE UEL JARGON BUSTER

As a student at UEL, you will hear a lot of names, abbreviations and acronyms used verbally and in writing in the first few weeks. This can feel like another language to learn. This Jargon Buster provides you with a list of definitions for abbreviations, acronyms and nicknames which should help you settle in. You will get another one when you arrive that focuses on Study Jargon.

Academic advisor is a member of academic staff to whom students can go for advice. You will meet them as part of your course orientation programme and at several points in the first year. They will help you review your academic requirements and can refer you on for non-academic support requirements.

Academic services librarian is a named librarian available to help you find information for your assignments. They can also help with citing and referencing. You will meet the academic services librarian for your school during the first few weeks of term.

Academic Student Group is a type of Students’ Union group which is linked to an academic subject. Academic student groups organise lots of social activities and events, and also subject-related talks, presentations and trips. A full list of academic Student Groups is available on the Students’ Union website: uelunion.org

ACE is the School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering and based in the East Building on the Docklands campus. It is made up of two departments: the Department of Architecture and Visual Arts and the Department of Engineering and Computing.

ACI is the School of Arts and Creative Industries and located across the Docklands and USS campuses. The school is made up of three departments: the Department of Fashion, Department of Media, and the Department of Music, Writing and Performance.

Ailsa House is a student residential block, one of the West Halls on the Docklands campus.

Alumni is the term given to a person who has attended or has graduated from a university or college.

AMR stands for Annual Monitoring and Review. The Annual Monitoring and Review process happens every year for full- and part-time students and provides you and the School with an opportunity to assess your progress over the last 12 months.

Application to Register is the formal process that all PGR students must go through in order to proceed with their research. The application to register is submitted through PhD Manager and is reviewed and approved by the School’s RDSC – Research Degrees Sub-Committee, and the URDSC – University’s Research Degrees Sub-Committee.

Aqua East is our gym and medical facility for UEL’s student athletes who are part of the East London Sport High Performance Programme.

Aramark (UK) is the University of East London catering provider, offering catering options across all campuses, with outlets offering hot meals, snacks and recognised High Street brands.

Atrium is the long corridor down the middle of the ground floor of our East Building at the Docklands campus.

Bean Machine is a Starbucks ‘Proud To Serve’ outlet located at University Square Stratford in the reception area. It sells speciality coffee, Frappuccinos, and sweet and savoury snacks, along with confectionery and soft drinks.

Being Well, Living Well is a Moodle course which takes a positive, preventative approach to equip students with the practical tools and knowledge needed to develop strategies to improve their mental, physical, emotional and financial wellbeing. Search for Being Well, Living Well on Moodle.

Blackbullion is a financial education tool specifically for university students and is free for UEL students to use. Sign up at blackbullion.com/register using your UEL email address.

BUCS is British Universities & Colleges Sport, the national governing body for higher education sport in the UK. It runs all the local and national student sports leagues and competitions, which East London Sport clubs compete in on a weekly or yearly basis.

Building abbreviations are used on your teaching timetable and campus maps. They include:

AE Arthur Edwards

AVA Architecture & Visual Arts Building

DL Docklands Library

CC Conference and Computer Centre

CE Clinical Education Building

CW C-Wing of University House

EB East Building

ED School of Education and Communities

ITC IT clusters - Library

KD Knowledge Dock

LT Lecture Theatres

MLT Main Lecture Theatre

NB North Building

SD Sports Dock

SL Stratford Library

UH University House

US University Square Stratford (USS)

WB West Building

Stratford

Docklands

Docklands

Stratford

Stratford

Stratford

Docklands

Stratford

Docklands

Docklands

Stratford

Docklands

Docklands

Docklands

Stratford

Stratford

USS

Docklands

Bus stops at Docklands campus are on Cyprus Place and near the Cyprus DLR station. Both are opposite the North Building on the Docklands campus. Additional bus stops can be located on Sir Steve Redgrave Bridge at the east end of the campus. At the Stratford campus, there are bus stops on Water Lane and Romford Road. For University Square Stratford, there are stops on Great Eastern Road and Stratford Broadway.

Bus routes for the Stratford campus call at Stratford station. They include: the 25, 69, 86, 104, 108, 158, 238, 241, 257, 262, 276, 308, 425, and the D8. By road, the campus is accessible via the A12, A13 roads, and the A406 London Circular.

Bus routes for the Docklands campus call at Cyprus bus station. Bus routes serving Docklands include: the 101, 173, 262, 300, 366, 376, 474 and N551. By road, the campus is accessible via the A12, A13 roads, and the A406 London Circular.

Buzz Café is based on the Stratford Campus located inside the Arthur Edwards building and is a ‘Proud To Serve’ Starbucks coffee outlet. Get your favourite speciality coffee, Frappuccinos, iced coffees and sweet and savoury pastries, confectionery, sandwiches, paninis as well as a range of grab-and-go foods.

Campus is the term given to buildings and grounds at which a university or college is based. UEL has two main campuses. The word campus is generally used to refer to buildings grouped together in one area. University Square Stratford, UEL’s third site, is a single, stand-alone building but is occasionally referred to as a campus for the sake of convenience.

Career coach is someone who provides professional, high quality, impartial and confidential information, advice and guidance to support all your employability needs and help you progress your career goals.

Career Passport is a digital toolkit that evidences the acquisition of key skills and knowledge, over and beyond what a graduate is generally expected to possess. It is a portfolio you can keep adding to as your experience build.

Career Zone Platform is an online careers management platform, built specifically for UEL students, to help support your career goals. You have access to a jobs board with internships and flexible part-time jobs, mentoring programmes with industry leaders, employer events and volunteering opportunities with our community partners. You can also access learning pathways to take you stepby-step through a number of career topics. You can use the system to book appointments to see a careers coach or advisors from our Volunteering, Enterprise and Placements teams.

Career Zone Spaces are available on all three UEL sites for students to visit to discuss their career goals.

Cash points (also known as ATMs) are available outside the North Building at Docklands campus and inside the Conference and Computer Centre at the Stratford campus. At University Square Stratford, the closest cash points are inside the Stratford Shopping Centre, just a short walk from the building.

CCC is the abbreviation for the Conference and Computer Centre based at the Stratford campus. This building accommodates open-access computers, a 400seat lecture theatre, seminar rooms and an entrance foyer.

CELCAT is the timetabling software used by the University.

Citing and Referencing is how you acknowledge the articles, books and other resources that you have used to gather information and evidence when doing your assignments. Accurate referencing and citing are essential academic practices which help you to avoid plagiarism (see Plagiarism below). Citations appear in your essay and show what source you are referring to. References are at the end of your work and give the full details of the source so the person reading it can find it. There are many styles of citing and referencing. Your module handbooks will give guidance on what style you should use, and your lecturer will be able to help if you are in any doubt. Your academic services librarian can help you with citing and referencing.

Clare House is a student residential block, one of the West Halls, on the Docklands campus.

Collaborative study spaces are areas in the libraries where you can talk and work together in groups.

Community Group is a type of Students’ Union Group which brings together students who want to meet other students like themselves or facing similar challenges. They organise social activities and events but also have a role in representing the members of the group. A full list of Community Groups is available on the Students’ Union’s website.

Consent to share is where we will require your written consent to share information with relevant staff in the University and/or external support providers in order to facilitate reasonable adjustments for your course of study.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the name that describes activities which help you develop experience and key skills for your career. You will be encouraged to undertake CPD activities as part of your studies as they will enhance your learning and employability.

Convocation is the name given to a key event to mark the beginning of the academic year. It’s an exciting occasion in which the University welcomes its new cohort and showcases its wide array of services and opportunities.

Course refers to an undergraduate or postgraduate degree which is made up of modules (see Modules below). An undergraduate part-time degree or postgraduate degree can vary in duration. At UEL, they are called courses, but they are also known at other universities as programmes.

Course coach is a member of academic staff to whom students can go for advice. You will meet them as part of your course orientation programme and at several points in the first year. They will help you review your academic requirements and can refer you on for non-academic support requirements.

Course leader (CL) is the person who looks after the management of your course. They are supported by a course team.

Course representative is an elected student representative. Every course at every level elects a student from that course to represent their course mates for one year. Every student in the course can run to be the course representative and can also vote in the election. Course representatives are one of the most important aspects of the Students’ Union’s role and they play a key role in shaping the development of our University. Elections are usually held within three weeks of the start of term.

Costa Coffee is a fully franchised store located in the West Building on the Docklands campus. Trained baristas deliver hand crafted speciality coffees made to your dietary needs or preference. A counter service offers hot drinks, iced coolers, sweet snacks and sandwiches.

Credit is earned through learning and assessment. There is a specified amount of credit attached to each module you study (see Module below). As modules are completed, your credit will build up. Once enough credit is built up through successful completion of coursework, exams and other assessments, students are deemed to have earned their degree and are ready to graduate. Credit will be acquired at a specified level.

Credit Level represents the difficulty of your module. Normally, foundation year modules are rated Level 3, first-year modules are rated as Level 4, second year modules as Level 5 and your final year modules as Level 6. Postgraduate modules are rated as Level M or 7. Occasionally, you may take modules where the level does not equate with your year of study. For example, in some degrees, you may take some Level 5 work in your first year, which is Level 4.

Credit Control is a finance team based in the East Building on the Docklands campus. The team can provide you with support and advice for paying your fees and tuition.

Cyprus DLR Station is connected to the campus entrance, behind North Building at Docklands campus. It is part of the Transport for London network. DDT stands for Disability and Dyslexia Team.

Dean is an academic leadership role, responsible for the overall management of your School (see School below) and the welfare of its staff and students.

Diagnostic assessment explores an individual’s learning profile in more depth to establish strengths and challenges in the learning or work environment. It is used to identify and diagnose special learning difficulties (SpLD) such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and ADHD.

Digital First Aid (DFA) is the library’s service to help you with a range of IT and digital skills. Digital first aiders are also students at UEL and can help with a range of IT-related queries, including connecting to Wi-Fi and using Microsoft Teams and other software packages. Enquiries relating to passwords should be directed to IT Services.

Dissertation is a long-form essay (see Essay below), usually written in the final part of a degree course. The dissertation is distinct from a standard essay as it will include some new research (eg, a survey) undertaken by the author to prove their answer to a question.

Disabled Students’ Allowance is government money that students with a disability, learning difficulty or a long-term health condition can receive if eligible. Contact the Disability and Dyslexia Team for more information at ddac@uel.ac.uk

The Dome is part of University House. It was originally built as a public museum as a result of a generous donation from a Victorian era journalist, philanthropist and MP John Passmore Edwards.

TEAL stands for Teaching Enhanced Active Learning and is our teaching approach which combines traditional face-to-face, on campus tuition with cutting-edge technology.

East London Edge Awards are rewards for those who take on significant extracurricular activity.

East London Edge Pathways are extra-curricular opportunities we promote through the Career Zone.

East London Sport is a UEL student support service that provides UEL students with a wide range of programmes to help students get active, compete in sports competitions, support elite student athletes and gain work-based learning experiences in a sport and leisure environment. East London Sport also runs the SportsDock at the Docklands campus.

Edge Restaurant is a food court emporium, offering home comfort meals, meal deals, rotating guest street food concepts, a salad bar, jacket potatoes, freshly made soup and a live theatre station with chefs cooking food to order. It opens for breakfast from 8am.

Educom is the abbreviation for the School of Education and Communities which is based on the Stratford campus in the ED Building. It is made up of six departments: the Department of Social Sciences and Social Work, Department of Initial Teacher Education and Training, Department of Psychological Studies, Department of Sociology, Department of Global Studies and the Department of Early Childhood and Education.

Enrolment is an activity a student must undertake to officially join their course. See the enrolment section at the beginning of this handbook for more details.

Essays are a style of writing. Often consisting of around 2,000-3000 words (but sometimes longer), they are written in response to a question and set out the author’s response in a logical format: an introduction to set the direction, a middle section containing the responses to the question and supporting evidence, then a conclusion which sums everything up.

EU Student are students whose normal home is outside the UK, within one of the 27 member countries of the European Union, and who are registered on a full-time degree programme of more than one year.

Extenuating circumstances are when something occurs that is unforeseeable, unpreventable, and likely to have a serious impact upon your academic performance.

Felix House is a student residential block, one of the West Halls on the Docklands campus.

First Degree This is normally a bachelor’s degree, eg, BA, BSc, BEng, LLB (see Honours Degree).

Foundation Certificate is the course completed at Level 3.

Fresher is a term sometimes used to describe a new undergraduate student. GIN stands for Get Into Nursing, which is a short course designed to widen access to our nursing course.

Graduate is a person who has completed and passed their degree and had it officially conferred by a graduation ceremony. In the period between passing your assessments and the graduation ceremony, you are officially termed a graduand.

Green Restaurant is based on the Stratford campus in the Arthur Edwards Building and offers home comfort food, meal deals, soft drinks and grab-and-go food.

Group study rooms are rooms in the libraries that you can book to study together in groups.

Halls of Residence are University-owned accommodation in which students often live while studying. At UEL, our accommodation sits on the waterfront of our Docklands campus.

HE stands for higher education. Higher education courses normally occur at university.

Higher Degree is a postgraduate degree such as Master’s degree or Doctorate. Masters’ (MA / MSc) degrees are awarded to graduates who have undertaken an additional course of study after an honours first degree. Master’s degrees may be taken following a period of work experience, and some courses take the form of company training programmes. MPhil degrees are a Master’s degree which a student is awarded after a period of research or a taught course.

High Performance Sport Programme supports all UEL students who receive sport scholarships or are part of East London Sport’s selected high-performance sport teams.

Honours Degree is a first course of higher education study undertaken at university, normally lasting three or four years if undertaken full-time.

HSB is the abbreviation for the School of Health, Sport and Bioscience and is based on the Stratford campus in University House in the Dome. It is made up of four departments: the Department of Applied and Public Health Professions, Department of Bioscience, Department of Nursing and Department of Sport.

The Hub is UEL’s Information Access Point for student information, advisory services and documents.

IAG stands for Information, Advice and Guidance and is important for any students who may be thinking about their postgraduate or exit plan. The department is located in USS.

Knowledge Dock Café is based in the Knowledge Dock Building on the Docklands campus. It serves Triple Fairtrade coffee and has a hot deli counter.

ILSC stands for Introduction to Law Short Course. This is a short course designed to widen access to our law courses.

International Student is the term used to describe students whose permanent home is usually outside the UK and European Union. This term is sometimes used to include those from the European Union.

ISA is the International Student Advice Team. The team provides free and confidential advice, information and support on UK immigration-related matters. Jamillah House is a student residential block, one of the West Halls on the Docklands campus.

Kwame House is a student residential block, one of the West Halls on the Docklands campus.

LALS refers to the Library, Archives and Learning Services at UEL. There are two libraries, one at Docklands in the Docklands Library building and one at Stratford in the Stratford Library building.

LEA is the Local Education Authority, to which UK undergraduates apply for assessment (in full or part) of their contribution towards tuition fees, which are then processed via the Student Loan Company (SLC). Your application to your LEA should be made before arrival, although in some cases the outcome may not be known until after term begins.

Lecture is a formal learning event, led by an academic or subject specialist to a group of students. You are expected to prepare for and attend lectures. In this setting, students normally listen and make notes, although some sessions involve interaction between the lecturer and students.

Lecture Theatre 2 to 6 are rooms based on the Stratford campus near the Arthur Edwards Building.

Leisure Hub is the online booking and membership system for SportsDock that can be accessed via the SportsDock website.

Level 3 is the term used to describe a student in their foundation year of undergraduate study. In other universities, it is sometimes referred to as Year 0.

Level 4 is the term used to describe a student in their first full-time year of undergraduate study. In other universities, it is sometimes referred to as Year 1.

Level 5 is the term used to describe a student in their second full-time year of undergraduate study. In other universities, it is sometimes referred to as Year 2.

Level 6 is the term used to describe a student in their final full-time year of undergraduate study. A student whose has taken a year out to undertake a placement will return to Level 6. In other universities, it is sometimes referred to as Year 3.

Longbridge House is a student residential block on the east of the Docklands campus

M365/O365 refers to Microsoft 365/Office365 which is online cloud-based software, through which students can access their email (Outlook) as well as other Office apps such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, OneDrive, etc.

Main Lecture Theatre (MLT) is based on the Docklands campus. It holds 400 students.

Marley House is a student residential block on the east of the Docklands campus.

Mature student is a student over 21 years of age at the beginning of their undergraduate studies, or over 25 years of age at the beginning of their postgraduate studies. Over half of mature students in the UK are aged between 21 and 24.

Mentoring programmes have been designed to help students and graduates develop their professional and personal skills. You can be mentored by a professional, a fellow student or become a mentor yourself for new students.

MFA stands for Multi Factor Authentication. We’re all used to having a username and password to login to our accounts. MFA is where you add extra layers of security to stop people hacking into your accounts. For example, you might set up the system to send you a code number by text message to your phone after you have entered your standard password. By doing this, it means if someone discovers what your password is, they still can’t get into your account. At UEL, we use Microsoft Authenticator to protect our users’ online accounts from malicious access. This allows you to add additional information, for example, something you know, such as a user name and password; something you have, such as a mobile phone or landline, personal email account, bank card or digital token (often called a ‘dongle’); or something you are, such as your fingerprint on your phone’s or laptop’s reader.

M level is another term used to describe a student studying at Master’s level. This could apply to an undergraduate student who is undertaking an integrated degree (3/4 year Bachelor’s degree plus one year masters) or a Postgraduate Master’s student.

Modules explore a specific area within subject. A number of modules make up a course which then leads to a degree. Courses all have code and a title. Each module has a set number of credits which will vary from course to course. Modules are also referred to as Units in other universities.

Module leader is an academic who organises a module. This is your first point of contact if you are having difficulties or there is a problem with the running of a module.

Module team is made up technical, support and academic staff who help run a module.

Moodle is the online virtual learning platform used at University of East London (also known as a VLE). Most taught courses have a Moodle course which either students are automatically enrolled onto or they can self-enrol. Moodle courses contain course materials, such as audio and video files, lecture slides, links to recordings of lectures and reading lists. You can submit your work electronically to Moodle and tutors can provide feedback and provisional marks to you via Moodle. It’s accessible on Track My Future or directly on moodle.uel.ac.uk/

Moves App is UEL’s new app which rewards students with points for every step they take. It is a physical activity social network to help to motivate UEL students and staff community to stay active during their busy schedules. Points can be cashed in to claim rewards such as Nando’s vouchers and East London Sport hoodies.

Move East London refers to UEL’s programme enabling all students to take part in sport and physical activity across the Docklands and Stratford campuses. All our drop-in sessions are free to attend and vary from circus skills, yoga and boxing to basketball, volleyball and football. They are organised by East London Sport and run by our sports reps and sports scholars, so they are a great opportunity to learn a new sport, hang out with friends, or take a break from studies.

Multi-Faith Facilities at Docklands and Stratford are for prayer and reflection. Munch Café is located the Sports Dock Building on the Docklands campus and serves 53 Degrees Fairtrade coffee. Iced drinks, sandwiches sweet and savoury treats, grab-and-go food, nutritional and healthy takeaway options are available. Open from 8am.

My Dashboard (Engagement Dashboard, the Dashboard) is a tool created for you to support your successful progression in studies. It allows you to monitor weekly activity on Moodle and on Teams and check your attendance in the on-campus classes (if scheduled). In addition, it gives you an overall engagement score based on a series of weightings with recommendations for action. You can access it via Track My Future My Study page.

My Study is a section within Track My Future. It is your go-to place for studyrelated resources and tools (such as Moodle, your timetable, My Dashboard etc).

My Voice is a section within Track My Future. It is a space for sharing feedback, participating in surveys and learning about student representation.

The Pump House

The Pump House caters as a space for students and has a vegan / flexitarian menu. Open 11.00-16.00 Monday to Friday. Open in the evenings when events are on from 18.00-23.00.

Parking on the Stratford campus is not available for students during peak hours (8am-5pm, Monday-Friday), although Blue Badge holders can apply for a peak hours parking permit. All students can apply for an off-peak parking permit, allowing them to use the campus car parks at Docklands and Stratford outside these times.

PEP refers to Pre-Entry Programmes which are based in University Square Stratford.

PEEP is a personal emergency evacuation plan. If you have a disability which means you would need specialised support in case of emergency, please contact the Disability and Dyslexia Team via the Hub and arrange for a PEEP to be created.

Performance studios are based at University Square Stratford.

PhD Manager is the online system used by all PGR Students to support their journey through their Doctoral degree. The PhD Manager system allows PGR students to record supervisory meetings and submit various applications, including application to register, transfer from MPhil to PhD and Annual Monitoring and Review.

PGTA stands for postgraduate teaching assistant. You may find some attached to your classes. They have a wealth of knowledge and experience so do use them if you have one.

PGR stands for postgraduate research.

PGT stands for postgraduate taught and includes postgraduate master’s study.

Placement is where a student can gain experience in the workplace as part of their course.

Plagiarism is the term used to describe using or copying another person’s work without using proper citations and references (see Citing and referencing above).

Proper acknowledgement of ideas, research evidence or historical findings are key to academic integrity. Integrity and ethics are deemed so important at universitylevel that plagiarism is considered a form of cheating and is subject to disciplinary procedures at UEL.

PFMW is the Professional Fitness & Mental Wealth programme all students undertake. The components go beyond subject knowledge and this is the part of your course that will nurture skills for life.

Premier Retail Shop is located in the East Building ground floor opposite the Hub. It is a one-stop campus shop for all snacking and household needs. Rollover hot dogs are available at lunch time and there are freshly baked savoury pastries and sandwiches in the morning. Ready meals and refrigerated snacks are also provided.

Quiet study space are spaces in the libraries reserved for individual quiet study. Brief whispered conversations are permitted, but not group work.

RDSBL is the abbreviation for the Royal Docks School of Business and Law which is based at University Stratford Square. It is made up of two departments and one institute. They are the Department of Business Management, Entrepreneurship and Finance, Department of Law, Policing and Justice and the Institute of Hospitality and Tourism.

RDL stands for research degrees leader. All Schools have a research degrees leader to oversee the MPhil/PhD students in each School.

RDSC is for the Research Degrees Sub-Committee that reviews all applications submitted by PGR Students and discuss PGR student development within each respective School.

Redbridge House is a student residential block on the east of the Docklands campus.

Reasonable adjustment is a change that removes or reduces the effect of a disability and allows disabled people to access the same opportunities and services as non-disabled people. Adjustments vary according to individual circumstances and what is reasonable for an organisation may be impossible for another.

Red Room is social learning space in University House on the Stratford campus. Report and Support is a reporting tool to capture incidents of sexual assault, harassment, bullying and hate crime.

Sandwich is a course of study which includes a year of practical work undertaken in an organisation outside the University, but which has relevance to the student’s programme of study. The sandwich year is usually the penultimate year of a degree programme. (Also see Placement).

Scaffolded information and support refers to support and advice you need at specific points in your study journey. The aim of this approach is to not overload you with information all at once.

School of Psychology is based at the Stratford campus in the Arthur Edwards Building. It is made up of two departments: the Department of Professional Psychology and the Department of Psychological Science.

School representatives are elected School-level representative who work with School leaders to improve the curriculum, student experience and careers opportunities. They are part of the student leadership committee in the Students’ Union and work closely with the student officers and course representatives.

Self-issue are machines you can use to borrow library books. You will need your ID card to use these.

Self-returns are the machines you can use to return library books. These books will be removed from your account when you use the machine.

Shepherds House is a student residential block on the east of the Docklands campus.

Silent study space are spaces in the libraries reserved for studying in silence.

SITS is the student records management system used to store, administer and manage all aspects of student information from initial enquiry and application through to completion of your studies.

SLC refers to the Student Loan Company, which deals with the payment of tuition fees to the University on behalf of eligible UK students and the provision of student loans to UK students. This does not apply to European Union or International students.

Security Team is based on each campus. They can all be reached by dialling internally from a phone extension 7771, or from outside +44 (0)20 8223 7771.

SMART is UEL’s Student Money Advice and Rights Team. The team provide advice and guidance on government and UEL funding, including scholarships and bursaries.

SportsDock is the name for our sports facility based on the Docklands campus run by East London Sport. It has two large arenas, large gym with separate strength and conditioning suite, an outdoor five-a-side football pitch and several conference rooms. It hosts University sports clubs, local, national, and international events and sports fixtures all year round.

SRI refers to the Sustainability Research Institute. It is based in the Knowledge Dock building on the Docklands campus.

SSPR stands for Self-Service Password Reset. It is the portal for users to reset or change their UEL password without the assistance of the IT Team. Users are asked to register for this on first log on.

Standard term dates for the academic year 2022/23 at UEL are listed below and are often called semesters at other universities.

Undergraduate

Term 1 - Monday 25 September 2023 to Friday 19 January 2024

(New students: week starting Monday 25 September 2023)

Break: 18 December 2023 – Friday 5 January 2024

Exams: Monday 8 January 2024 – Friday 19 January

Term 2 - Monday 29 January 2024 - Friday 24 May 2024

Break: Monday 25 March 2024 – Friday 5 April 2024

Exams: Monday 13 May 2024 – Friday 24 May 2024

For courses with a non-standard academic year, please look at the university intranet for your term dates.

Postgraduate

Term 1 - Monday 25 September 2023 to Friday 19 January 2024

(New students: week starting Monday 25 September 2023)

Break: Monday 18 December 2023 – Friday 5 January 2024

Exams: Monday 8 January 2024 – Friday 19 January 2024

Term 2 - Monday 29 January 2024 - Friday 24 May 2024

Break: Monday 25 March 2024 – Friday 5 April 2024

Exams: Monday 13 May 2024 – Friday 24 May 2024

Term 3 - Monday 3 June 2024 – Friday 13 September 2024

Exams: Monday 2 September 2024 – Friday 6 September 2024

Submission of dissertation: Monday 9 September - Friday 13 September 2024

Starbucks is located in the East Building along the Atrium on the Docklands campus. It provides speciality coffees, Frappuccinos, iced teas, freshly baked pastries, sandwiches, paninis and delicious cakes for a morning, mid-morning or afternoon treat. It normally opens at 8am and meal deals are available.

Student Enterprise Team offers an array of events, competitions, boot camps and other training activities for UEL students and graduates to develop business ideas. Details are available in Career Zone.

Student accommodation is sometimes used to describe the University-owned and operated campus accommodation which houses close to 1,200 students. It is serviced by two on-campus launderettes and other campus amenities.

Student Engagement and Retention Team (SERT) is responsible for managing the data you can see in My Dashboard on Track My Future. The team use it to monitor your engagement and will contact you if you are not attending or using the learning resources provided to you.

Student Wellbeing Service (SWS) provides wellbeing advice, emotional support, counselling mental health support and workshops. Sessions can be booked via the hub or email wellbeing@uel.ac.uk

Stratford campus is a short walk from the Stratford and Stratford International railway stations. It is also served by the Jubilee and Central Underground lines, the DLR, and a busy bus station.

Student Groups describes all the Students’ Union’s groups such as societies, communities, clubs and campaigns. Student Groups organise all sorts of social activities and events. If a group doesn’t exist for your hobby or campaign, you can start your own. The Students’ Union will provide support, funding and space for you to organise your group. A full list of student groups is available on the Students’ Union website.

Student officers are the three elected leaders of the Students’ Union, each with a specific remit: activities and opportunities officer, education officer, wellbeing and community officer. They work closely with all the sub-groups of the Students’ Union such as Student Groups, Community Groups, course representatives and campaign organisations. They also represent all students in boards and committees in the University. Student officers are elected every spring and work for the Students’ Union full-time for one year.

Students’ Union (SU) is an organisation made up of all students in the University. Every student automatically becomes a member when they enrol on their course. The Students’ Union provides representation, advice, activities and events for all students, and supports Student Groups with funding and space to organise their activities. It also provides training for all its groups and course representatives. The members of the student leadership committee - three student officers and six school representatives - represent students at University and school boards and committees.

Student village is a name sometimes used to describe the Docklands campus accommodation.

Subway is on the Stratford campus located in the Arthur Edwards building in the food hall along with the Green Restaurant and Buzz Café. It offers all the High Street options of a Subway – six-inch to Footlongs, crisp fresh salads, and meal deals with offers available with a Subcard or Subway app.

Supervisory meetings are meetings all Postgraduate Research (PGR) students hold with their supervisors as part of their PGR journey. These meetings will be formally recorded within the PhD Manager system.

TEAL stands for Teaching Enhanced Active Learning and is our teaching approach which combines traditional face-to-face, on campus tuition with cutting-edge technology.

Teams refers to Microsoft Teams, a unified communications platform that combines chat, video meetings, file storage (including collaboration on files) and app integration. It allows you to join classes and events online, record your class attendance, participate in discussions, communicate with your tutors and classmates, collaborate on files, and share content.

Templars House is a student residential block on the east of the Docklands campus.

TMF/Track My Future is your personalised one-stop-shop to all University’s learning tools, services and resources that will help you to succeed in your studies, career journey and beyond. Track My Future consists of thematic sections (for example My Study, My Voice). Here, you will also find My Dashboard, the tool that will help you to monitor your studies. You can access Track My Future on UEL intranet (https://uelac.sharepoint.com/sites/trackmyfuture), or on your Teams menu.

Togetherall (togetherall.com/en-gb/) is a 24/7 clinically moderated emotional support community with creative tools to allow you to express yourself, find peer support and take part in educational programmes to learn new skills to help with your wellbeing. Sign up using your UEL email account.

TOTUM is the only student discount, proof of age ID and campus life card recommended by the National Union of Students. The basic card is available for free. For every premium card bought by a UEL student, the Students’ Union receives a small donation.

Turnitin is an originality checking and plagiarism prevention service that checks your writing for citation mistakes or inappropriate copying. When you submit your paper, Turnitin compares it to text in its massive database of student work, websites, books, articles etc.

UEATWELL is the onsite brand identity for all catering services at UEL. You will come across this terminology on all menu identifiers, catering social media campaigns and catering signage.

Underground Bar is based on the Docklands campus and plays host to regular comedy, karaoke, open mic, sports and party nights attracting DJs and bands from across the musical spectrum. It is a student meeting point for socialising and meeting new friends. It is located on the Docklands campus between main reception and Cyprus DLR Station and is open Monday to Friday and some weekends.

UPay is a global payment, loyalty, and promotions platform, used in all the retail and hospitality outlets at UEL operated by UEATWELL (excluding the retail shop and Costa Coffee). The app can be used for both redemption and collections of points for use against future transactions using preloaded funds onto your UPay account.

UPay – Order Ahead is a means to purchase items from selected UEATWELL outlets. Either use your preloaded funds or your credit / debit card. Collection time can be chosen at time of purchase, save time and beat the queues.

VPN stands for virtual private network (VPN). It gives you online privacy and anonymity by creating a private network from a public internet connection.

Volunteering is an activity where someone gives up some of your free time. New skills can be gained and the experience can build your confidence and boost your career.

Westfield Stratford City is Europe’s largest indoor shopping mall next to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. It is just one of Stratford’s attractions, alongside many other shops, cafés, bars, and restaurants. There are two multiscreen cinemas, a theatre, an arts centre, Olympic sports facilities and stadium and much more.

Weston Learning Centre is a study facility on the ground floor of University Square Stratford (USS) with PCs, study room and printing facilities as well as a book returns bin.

URDSC is the acronym for the University’s Research Degrees Sub-Committee which reviews applications submitted PGR Students and provides an overview of the School Research Degrees Sub-Committees.

UEL is the acronym give to the University of East London.

UG stands for undergraduate which is a person who is studying for a first degree.

UO stands for Unconditional Offer. A student will receive this once they have met our entry requirements.

USS is the abbreviation for University Square Stratford. It serves 3,400 students and is the base for our courses in law and criminology, dance and performing arts, and the Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Viva is the term used for the final oral defence of a Doctoral thesis.