1.1 On 22 February 2010 Senate determined that the “Exams Only” process (whereby students who had failed an exam and subsequent re-sit were permitted to be registered for the following academic year so as to be allowed one final re-sit attempt) would be discontinued and replaced with the introduction of a “Supplementary Year” to better support students taking a second and final re-sit.
1.2 This guidance has been drafted to assist faculties with the implementation of the supplementary year and in communicating information to students.
1.3 Permitting a student to undertake the Supplementary Year is one option available to the relevant Faculty Board of Examiners and is not a right of the student.
1.4 The Supplementary Year is applicable to both undergraduate and postgraduate students.
2.1 If a student fails a unit and the subsequent re-sit (of up to 20 credit points in undergraduate modular programmes) or as a result of recognised extenuating circumstances does not have sufficient credit points to allow him / her to progress, the relevant Faculty Board of Examiners may permit the student to undertake a Supplementary Year.
2.2 Students who are required to re-sit the whole year and those who are to be placed on the supplementary year to re-take the units they have failed and possibly additional supplementary units will be registered on the student records system (SITS) as RR with the relevant mode of attendance.
2.3 The paper on the supplementary year sets out two categories of students, Category 1 being those students who have failed a unit and subsequent re-sit and Category 2 being those students who, as a result of mitigating circumstances, have either not passed or not had the opportunity to take re-sit exams in failed units prior to the start of the next academic year. Categories 1 and 2 are both applicable to undergraduate students but only category 2 is applicable for taught postgraduate students due to the number of re-sit opportunities permissible in taught postgraduate programmes. The table below sets out the status and mode of attendance fields that should be used in SITS to identify the students:
|
Category |
Outcome |
For |
Status |
Mode |
|
| 1. | Students who have failed a unit(s) and cannot progress to the next academic year. This normally would result from failing their end of year exams and their subsequent re-sit. | Register on supplementary year for the failed units and for additional study skills units as determined by the Faculty |
UG |
RR |
PV |
|
2. |
Students who have not, as a result of previous suspension of studies or extenuating circumstances (which have been recognised by the Faculty), passed the required units for them to progress at the start of the next academic year.
This may include students who have not had the opportunity to take re-sit exams in failed units prior to the start of the next academic year. |
a) Required to re-sit the whole year and encouraged to register for additional study skills units as determined by the Faculty |
UG/PG |
RR |
FT |
|
b) Register on supplementary year for the failed units and encouraged to undertake additional study skills units as determined by the Faculty |
UG/PG |
RR |
PV |
||
|
c) In exceptional circumstances: Register on supplementary year, engage with the content of the unit from home (refer 3.6-3.7 of the guidance) |
UG/PG |
Advise Dir Student Admin RE |
PV |
||
2.4 Students registered on the supplementary year will be automatically registered and timetabled for the relevant exams and captured in the appropriate statutory returns.
3.1 Students who are placed on a supplementary year are expected to be registered on the units they have failed and any supplementary units that the faculty determines. A list of supplementary units is at Appendix A.
3.2 The paper on the supplementary year states that it is up to faculties to determine how students “engage with the content of the failed units”. While for many students this will mean re-taking the whole unit, attending lectures and tutorials and completing the requisite assessments in the standard way, in some instances (for example if a student has failed a specific element of the unit), the student will still be registered on the unit but the faculty may determine that the student engages with just those elements of the unit that have proved challenging.
3.3 All Category 1 students are expected to be in regular contact with the faculty / school / department and to be in attendance at certain components of the unit and to fulfil any specific attendance requirements as determined by the faculty.
3.4 Sponsored tier 4 international students are subject to attendance monitoring requirements throughout the whole year on a twice per teaching block basis and will be expected to be in regular contact with the faculty / school / department, such that our reporting responsibilities can be fulfilled. Such students will also need to be registered for a minimum of one unit per teaching block so their continual contact with the University can be assessed.
3.5 Some Category 2 students with extenuating circumstances may have not had the chance to take an original exam and/or a first re-sit and may otherwise be strong students who the faculty is confident could pass the units at the next re-sit opportunity. Such students may also have medical, personal or financial circumstances that would make regular attendance at the University very difficult. In such exceptional circumstances the faculty can decide to allow such students to be registered on the supplementary year on the unit/s they have failed but to engage with the content of the failed units and with their personal tutor from home.
3.6 In these exceptional cases when the student is permitted to engage with the content of their failed unit/s from home, the Director of Student Administration must be advised: s/he will arrange for an exceptional flag (RE) to be placed against the student on SITS. It is important to identify such students separately for attendance monitoring purposes.
3.7 International students who are permitted to return to their home country to engage with the content of the failed unit/s will need to be reported to the Home Office and these students may be required to apply for a separate visa to re-enter the UK to re-sit their exam. The International Office should be advised of sponsored tier 4 students who have exceptional circumstances and are registered on the supplementary year but are permitted to engage with the content of their unit/s from their home country so that the Home Office can be informed.
3.8 The table at Appendix A provides a series of worked examples to help guide faculties when administering students placed on a supplementary year.
4.1 Students re-taking a whole year of study should be charged the full undergraduate or taught postgraduate fee. See the Academic Registry website for accurate fee information.
4.2 Students re-taking failed units should be charged for the unit as a pro rata amount of the full yearly programme fee.
4.3 The majority of the study skills units outlined in Appendix B are already approved and set up in SITS and the relevant fee for that unit will be applied.
4.4 Faculties can determine whether to waive the unit fee/s for students who, in exceptional circumstances, are permitted to engage with the content of their failed unit/s while at home (refer sections 3.5 - 3.7).
5.1 In most cases, home undergraduate students are currently able to access a "plus one" year of statutory funding for an additional year of study. Depending on the circumstances, further years may also be available; however the standard entitlement is one extra year. Students will be able to access tuition fee and maintenance (living costs) support where applicable. The rate of tuition fee loan will be commensurate with the tuition fees charged (i.e. if the tuition fees are pro rata depending on units taken, the tuition fee loan will be for the same amount (subject to the maximum available). In all scenarios of repeat year attendance, students are advised to contact the Student Funding Office for individual advice (student-funding@bristol.ac.uk).
5.2 Self-funded students (both UG and PG) will need to meet the additional tuition fee costs themselves. In addition, Tier 4 sponsored students are expected to be self-funded and so there is limited financial assistance that the University can provide. However, the University does operate an International Hardship Fund which can assist students who are encountering specific financial difficulties; however this fund cannot assist with tuition fees. Further details are available from the Student Funding Office: student-funding@bristol.ac.uk.
6.1 It is important to ensure that faculty progress policies are updated in line with the introduction of the supplementary year and that relevant web pages, handbooks, etc are up to date.
6.2 Given the variations permitted within the supplementary year framework, it is essential that communications with students are clear and precise and that a student is aware of the units they are required to register on and the level of engagement they are expected to maintain with the faculty / school / department and with the units they are studying for. International students also need to be reminded of the University’s attendance monitoring requirements. Taught postgraduate students should also be advised of the arrangements to undertake the dissertation component of their programme following satisfactory completion of the taught component.
6.3 If the former “Exams Only” process was publicised to students by the faculty, then students should be specifically informed about the replacement of the “exams only” status with the Supplementary Year. Assistance with such communications is available by contacting the Director of Student Administration.
7.1 If you would like more information about the Supplementary Year, have questions about the guidance, or would like more information about the University’s responsibilities as a sponsor under the Home Office’s Points Based Immigration System, please contact the Director of Student Administration.
7.2 For information and assistance regarding data entry of students taking the Supplementary Year on SITS, please contact the Student Systems and Information Office: ssio-systems@rtis.bris.ac.uk.
7.3 For information and assistance regarding funding assistance available for students taking the Supplementary Year, please contact the Student Funding Office: student-funding@bristol.ac.uk.
Approved by Education Committee, July 2010
Amended, February 2012
Appendix A Table of worked examples
These examples are for guidance only and do not represent the full extent of circumstances that might result in a student taking a supplementary year; faculties may wish to add their own examples to these or adapt the following to faculty-specific circumstances.
|
Scenario |
Category |
Enrolment status & Mode of Attendance |
Engagement with the failed unit |
|
Home student fails one exam and the first re-sit for a particular unit with deficiencies across most of the unit content |
Cat 1 |
RR PV |
Registered on the supplementary year with a part time mode of attendance and required to engage with the content of the whole unit through standard attendance and assessment. Student could also be required by the faculty to register on an optional unit related to the programme of study or a study skills unit. |
|
Tier 4 sponsored international student fails one exam and the first re-sit for a particular unit with deficiencies across most of the unit content |
Cat 1 |
RR PV |
Registered on the supplementary year with a part time mode of attendance and required to engage with the content of the whole unit through standard attendance and assessment. As the Home Office requires these students to be in attendance across both teaching blocks the faculty also needs to ensure that the student is registered on a specific optional unit or study skills unit to ensure the attendance in both teaching blocks. The student’s attendance / engagement will be monitored throughout the supplementary year via twice per teaching block online attendance reports. |
|
Home student fails two exams and the subsequent re-sits with deficiencies in particular elements of the units |
Cat 1 |
RR PV |
Registered on the supplementary year with a part time mode of attendance and required to engage with the content of both units. The student has to be in regular attendance and engaging with the units but may be asked to complete assessments and attend those parts of the units with which he/she had difficulty. |
|
Tier 4 sponsored international student fails two exams and the subsequent re-sits with deficiencies in particular elements of the units |
Cat 1 |
RR PV |
Registered on the supplementary year with a part time mode of attendance and required to engage with the content of both units. The student has to be in regular attendance and engaging with the units but may be asked to complete assessments and attend those parts of the units with which he/she had difficulty as long as continual contact and engagement can be assured. As the Home Office requires these students to be in attendance across both teaching blocks the faculty needs to ensure that the student is registered on at least one unit in each teaching block so if both failed units are in the same teaching block the student will also need to register on a specific optional unit or study skills unit in the remaining teaching block. Student’s attendance / engagement will be monitored throughout the supplementary year via twice per teaching block online attendance reports. |
|
A home student who broke her leg and missed her original exam and then narrowly failed her first attempt at the exam in September |
Cat 2 |
RR PV |
Registered on the supplementary year with a part time mode of attendance and required to engage with the content of the failed unit. The student may be required to engage less with the content of the unit if the faculty considers less support is required to help the student pass the unit. |
|
A Tier 4 sponsored international student who broke her leg and missed her original exam and then narrowly failed her first attempt at the exam in September |
Cat 2 |
RR PV |
Registered on the supplementary year with a part time mode of attendance and required to engage with the content of the failed unit. Although the student may require less assistance to pass the unit, because of attendance monitoring requirements she must be in regular contact with the university through attendance at lectures / tutorials and/or submission of assessments or additional work. The student’s attendance/engagement will continue to be monitored throughout the supplementary year via twice per teaching block online attendance reports. As the Home Office requires these students to be in attendance across both teaching blocks the faculty also needs to ensure that the student is registered on a specific optional unit or study skills unit to ensure the attendance in both teaching blocks. The student’s attendance /engagement will be monitored throughout the supplementary year via twice per teaching block online attendance reports. |
|
A home student whose child is ill and missed her original exam and then narrowly failed her first attempt at the exam in September |
Cat 2 |
RE PV |
Student is registered on the supplementary year with a part time mode of attendance. Faculty may determine that the level of engagement required to pass the re-sit exam is minimal and determine less engagement is required. If child’s illness is ongoing or the student is in difficult financial circumstances the faculty may in these exceptional circumstances wish to permit the student to be at home for the supplementary year although still engaged with content of the failed unit by email etc. The Director of Student Administration should be informed and the RE flag entered on SITS. The student will still be registered to re-sit the exam at the end of the following year. |
|
A Tier 4 sponsored international student whose child is ill and missed her original exam and then narrowly failed her first attempt at the exam in September |
Cat 2 |
RE PV |
Student is registered on the supplementary year with a part time mode of attendance. Faculty may determine that the level of engagement required to pass the re-sit exam is minimal and determine less engagement is required. If child’s illness is ongoing or the student is in difficult financial circumstances the faculty may in these exceptional circumstances wish to permit the student to be at home for the supplementary year although still engaged with content of the failed unit by email etc. Student needs to be informed that the repercussions of this decision are that she must return to her home country and may need to apply for a separate visa to re-enter the UK and re-sit her exam. The Director of Student Administration and the International Office should be informed. The RE flag will be entered on SITS and the Home Office informed of the student’s change of status. The student will still be registered to re-sit the exam at the end of the following year but may need to apply for a separate re-entry visa. |
Appendix B Existing units which may be taken by students as part of the ‘Supplementary Year’
(faculties may also offer PGT units to postgraduate students, as appropriate)
|
Unit Code |
Unit Name |
Credit Points |
Level of Study |
|
LANG14011 |
Advanced English Language Studies (AELS) |
20 |
C |
|
LANG10031 |
English for Academic Purposes (EAP) |
10 |
C |
|
LANG10002 |
EAP part 1 – Science & Engineering |
10 |
C |
|
LANG10003 |
EAP part 2 - Science & Engineering |
10 |
C |
|
LANG14021 |
English for Business and Professional Purposes |
20 |
C |
|
LANGM0001 |
Academic Writing Skills for Research Purposes |
0 |
M |