U Nisim Student Handbook

UniSIM Student Handbook
Disclaimer
The SIM University (UniSIM) would like to emphasise that, while every effort is made to ensure accuracy, the material in this Handbook is subject to alteration or amendment in the light of changes in regulations or in policy or of financial or other necessity. SIM University 461 Clementi Road Singapore 599491 Copyright 2010 SIM University All rights reserved. No part of this Handbook may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the SIM University.
Page 1 of 62 Updated as at 28 June 2010
Contents
Contents ....................................................................................................................................................... 2 Foreword ...................................................................................................................................................... 7 Purpose of the Student Handbook............................................................................................................ 7 1 Introduction......................................................................................................................................... 7 1.1 Programmes of study................................................................................................................ 7
1.1.1 Eligibility for the degree / certificate...................................................................................................7
1.2 1.3 1.4

1.4.1 1.4.2 1.4.3 1.4.4 1.4.5
How the University is organised .................................................................................................. 7 The University's regulations..................................................................................................... 7 Main features of study............................................................................................................... 7
The course ............................................................................................................................................7 Course materials ..................................................................................................................................8 Books and library .................................................................................................................................8 Assignments and examinations..........................................................................................................8 Tuition and counselling .......................................................................................................................8
Your student records and progress through UniSIM ..................................................................... 9 2.1 Personal identifier number ....................................................................................................... 9 2.2 Changing your name ................................................................................................................. 9 2.3 Changing your address............................................................................................................. 9 2.4 Confirmation of student status ................................................................................................ 9 2.5 Access to your student record................................................................................................. 9 2.6 Academic transcripts ................................................................................................................ 9 2.7 Problems that may affect your progress............................................................................... 10 2.8 Communications via MyMail account.................................................................................... 10 3 Supports for your studies ............................................................................................................... 10 3.1 Self-study.................................................................................................................................. 10 2
3.1.1 3.1.2 3.1.3 3.1.4 3.1.5 Printed materials ................................................................................................................................10 Set books ............................................................................................................................................10 Audio programmes ............................................................................................................................11 Video programmes.............................................................................................................................11 Computer-based materials ................................................................................................................11
3.2 3.3 3.4

3.4.1 3.4.2 3.4.3
Tutors/Instructors.................................................................................................................... 11 Tutorials, lectures and seminars ........................................................................................... 11 UniSIM facilities ....................................................................................................................... 12

Class venues ......................................................................................................................................12 Car parks.............................................................................................................................................12 Smoking in SIM campuses ................................................................................................................12
3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 3.12 4
SIM student membership privileges and library services ................................................... 12 Laboratory facilities................................................................................................................. 12 Orientation and seminars ....................................................................................................... 12 Self-help study groups............................................................................................................ 13 Telephone and electronic mail ............................................................................................... 13 Equal opportunities ................................................................................................................. 13 Students with disabilities........................................................................................................ 13 UniSIM Student Portal / My UniSIM (Blackboard Learning Management System) ........... 14
UniSIM Student Portal...................................................................................................................14 My UniSIM ......................................................................................................................................14
3.12.1 3.12.2
Registration....................................................................................................................................... 14 4.1 Registration for new students................................................................................................ 14 4.2 Course registration for continuing students ........................................................................ 14
4.2.1 4.2.2 4.2.3 Entitlement to course registration ....................................................................................................14 Submitting your course registration (via UniSIM eCR system)......................................................15 Making your course choice amendments ........................................................................................15
4.3
4.3.1 4.3.2
Restrictions and advice on your choice of courses ............................................................ 15

Number and level of course ..............................................................................................................15 Repeating courses .............................................................................................................................16
4.3.3
Second UniSIM degree ......................................................................................................................16
4.4
4.4.1 4.4.2 4.4.3 4.4.4 4.4.5 4.4.6 4.4.7 4.4.8
Course results, course offers and continuing registration................................................. 16

Course results and course offer .......................................................................................................16 Students with outstanding fees ........................................................................................................16 Course offer ........................................................................................................................................16 Course offer procedure .....................................................................................................................17 Over/under-subscribed courses .......................................................................................................17 Pending results (for degree programme) .........................................................................................17 Changing course offer .......................................................................................................................17 Collection of course materials ..........................................................................................................17
4.5
4.5.1 4.5.2
Transfer of programme (TOP) ................................................................................................ 17

Transfer of programme for degree students....................................................................................17 Transfer of programme for students reading General Studies programme..................................18
4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9

4.9.1 4.9.2 4.9.3 4.9.4
Withdrawal from course.......................................................................................................... 19 Deferment of study .................................................................................................................. 19 Withdrawal from programme.................................................................................................. 19 Cancellation of registration .................................................................................................... 20
Failure to make academic progress .................................................................................................20 Failure to submit course registration / did not take up course offer .............................................20 Appeals against cancellation of registration ...................................................................................20 Re-admission after cancellation of registration ..............................................................................20
4.10 Capstone Courses ................................................................................................................... 20 Fees and payment ............................................................................................................................ 21 5.1 Types of fee .............................................................................................................................. 21
5.1.1 5.1.2 5.1.3 5.1.4 5.1.5 5.1.6 5.1.7 5.1.8 5.1.9 5.1.10 Course fee...........................................................................................................................................21 Credit exemption fee (for degree programmes only) ......................................................................21 Transfer of programme fee (for degree programmes only) ............................................................21 Deferment fee .....................................................................................................................................21 Course choice amendment fee .........................................................................................................21 Registration re-instatement fee.........................................................................................................21 Overseas examination fee (for degree programmes only) .............................................................21 Re-sit examination or re-submission fee .........................................................................................21 Late fee penalty ..................................................................................................................................21 Course fee subsidy from Ministry of Education (MOE)..............................................................22
5.2 5.3
5.3.1 5.3.2 5.3.3 5.3.4
Fee amounts............................................................................................................................. 22 How to pay your fees............................................................................................................... 22

Payment by cheque or cash ..............................................................................................................22 Payment by credit card......................................................................................................................22 Responsibility for fee payment .........................................................................................................22 Receipts ..............................................................................................................................................22
5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7

5.7.1 5.7.2 5.7.3 5.7.4 5.7.5 5.7.6 5.7.7 5.7.8
Refunds..................................................................................................................................... 22 Home kits and other loans...................................................................................................... 23 Debts to the University............................................................................................................ 23 Government funding / subsidy............................................................................................... 23
Eligibility .............................................................................................................................................23 Subsidy cover and quantum .............................................................................................................23 Changes in eligibility status ..............................................................................................................24 Number of credit units (CUs) subsidised.........................................................................................24 Transfer/re-admission university students ......................................................................................25 Changes to programme of studies ...................................................................................................25 Obligations bond, non-completion of programme .......................................................................25 Students on other sponsorships or concessionary fees ...............................................................25
Credit exemption .............................................................................................................................. 26 6.1 What is credit exemption ........................................................................................................ 26 6.2 Maximum credit exemption allowed ...................................................................................... 26 6.3 General principles governing credit exemption................................................................... 26
6.3.1 6.3.2 6.3.3 6.3.4 Higher educational level ....................................................................................................................26 Academic study..................................................................................................................................26 Successful completion ......................................................................................................................26 Period of study ...................................................................................................................................27
6.4
6.4.1 6.4.2
Application and appeal for credit exemption........................................................................ 27

Application for credit exemption ......................................................................................................27 Credit exemption fee..........................................................................................................................27
Continuous assessments................................................................................................................ 27 7.1 Computing the continuous assessment scores................................................................... 27 7.2 Preparing for TMAs ................................................................................................................. 28
7.2.1 7.2.2 7.2.3 7.2.4 Should you discuss your TMAs with other students? ...............................................................28 What constitutes plagiarism and collusion (or cheating)?.............................................................28 Confidentiality of TMAs submitted ...................................................................................................29 Processing personal data .............................................................................................................29
7.3
Submitting TMAs ..................................................................................................................... 30

Submitting softcopy of TMAs (applicable to courses conducted in English, Chinese, Malay & 30 Partially completed TMAs..................................................................................................................30 Late submission of TMAs ..................................................................................................................30 Monitoring ......................................................................................................................................30 Late return of marked TMAs..............................................................................................................30 Reviewing TMAs scores ...............................................................................................................31 Re-submitting TMA ............................................................................................................................31 Non-submission of TMAs ..................................................................................................................31
7.3.1 Tamil) 7.3.2 7.3.3
7.4
7.4.1 7.4.2 7.4.3 7.4.4 7.4.5
Marking and returning TMAs.................................................................................................. 30
Examinations / examinable components ....................................................................................... 31 8.1 Submitting your end-of-course assessment (ECA) ............................................................. 32 8.2 Submitting your capstone project ......................................................................................... 32 8.3 Special circumstances affecting your examinable works................................................... 32 8.4 Re-sit examinations and re-submissions.............................................................................. 33
8.4.1 8.4.2 Re-sit ...................................................................................................................................................33 Re-submitting examinable work .......................................................................................................33
8.5
Examination arrangements..................................................................................................... 34
Entitlement for examination ..............................................................................................................34 Provisional dates of examinations ...................................................................................................34 Examination venue allocation ...........................................................................................................34 Late arrival ..........................................................................................................................................34 Overseas examination centre............................................................................................................34 Seating arrangements and examination number ............................................................................35 Invigilation ..........................................................................................................................................35 Question paper and answer booklets...............................................................................................35 Permitted materials at examinations ................................................................................................36 Absence from the day of examination or no ECA submission..................................................36 Leaving the examination venue ...................................................................................................36 Submitting your answer booklets ................................................................................................37 Misconduct during an examination .............................................................................................37 Anonymity of examination scripts ...............................................................................................37 Lost property .................................................................................................................................37 Smoking .........................................................................................................................................37
8.5.1 8.5.2 8.5.3 8.5.4 8.5.5 8.5.6 8.5.7 8.5.8 8.5.9 8.5.10 8.5.11 8.5.12 8.5.13 8.5.14 8.5.15 8.5.16
Course results .................................................................................................................................. 38 9.1 Grading systems...................................................................................................................... 38

9.1.1 9.1.2 9.1.3 9.1.4 9.1.5 9.1.6 9.1.7 Students admitted before January 2006 and opted to graduate with an OUUK degree ..............38 Students admitted before January 2006 and opted to graduate with a UniSIM degree ...............38 Students admitted to UniSIM from January 2006 onwards ............................................................39 Mark thresholds for the award of course results ............................................................................39 Threshold for re-sit and repeat .........................................................................................................40 Automatic withdrawal from course...................................................................................................40 University core courses.....................................................................................................................40
9.2
9.2.1 9.2.2 9.2.3 9.2.4 9.2.5
Graduation Regulations .......................................................................................................... 41

UniSIM and OUUK Awards (for students enrolled in UniSIM before January 2006).....................41 UniSIM Awards (for students enrolled in UniSIM from January 2006 onwards)...........................41 UniSIM Awards (for students enrolled in UniSIM from January 2007 onwards)...........................42 Grade Point Average (GPA) system .................................................................................................42 Computation of Grade Point Average (GPA) ...................................................................................43
9.3
9.3.1 9.3.2 9.3.3
Classification of Honours Degree.......................................................................................... 44

UniSIM and OUUK Awards (for students enrolled in UniSIM before January 2006).....................44 UniSIM Awards (for students enrolled in UniSIM from January 2006 onwards)...........................44 Eligibility for graduation with a basic and honours UniSIM Award ...............................................45
9.4 9.5
9.5.1 9.5.2
Notification of results.............................................................................................................. 45 Examination review ................................................................................................................. 45

Examination review process .............................................................................................................45 Examination review fee......................................................................................................................46
10
9.6 Convocation / Graduation....................................................................................................... 46 Student regulations and discipline................................................................................................. 46 10.1 Introduction and definitions ................................................................................................... 46 10.2 Rules and regulations (SR)..................................................................................................... 46 SR 1 Authority of the Academic Board .......................................................................................... 46
SR 1.1 SR 1.2 SR 1.3 SR 1.4 SR 1.5 SR 1.6 To make regulations......................................................................................................................46 Publicity for regulations and their mode of application.............................................................46 Changes in regulations or their mode of application.................................................................47 Fees and dues................................................................................................................................47 Continuous assessment (assignments) and examinations.......................................................47 Limitations that the Academic Board may impose.....................................................................47
SR 2 SR 3 SR 4 SR 5 SR 6 SR 7
UniSIM liability ......................................................................................................................... 47 Counting credit towards award.............................................................................................. 47 Language of instruction, assessment and administration.................................................. 47 Discipline .................................................................................................................................. 47 Age ............................................................................................................................................ 47 Registration .............................................................................................................................. 48
Necessity for registration .............................................................................................................48 Registration as a student..............................................................................................................48 Course registration .......................................................................................................................48 Payment of fees .............................................................................................................................48 Changes to fees.............................................................................................................................48 Refund of fees................................................................................................................................48 Failure to pay fees .........................................................................................................................49 Continued provision of services ..................................................................................................49 Applying payment .........................................................................................................................49 Awards ...........................................................................................................................................49 Sponsorship...................................................................................................................................49
SR 7.1 SR 7.2 SR 7.3
SR 8
Fees........................................................................................................................................... 48
SR 8.1 SR 8.2 SR 8.3
SR 9
Students in debt....................................................................................................................... 49
SR 9.1 SR 9.2 SR 9.3 SR 9.4 SR 9.5
SR 10
SR 10.1 SR 10.2 SR 10.3 SR 10.4 SR 10.5 SR 10.6
COURSES............................................................................................................................. 49
Award of course credit..................................................................................................................49 Grades ............................................................................................................................................49 Points of rating for courses..........................................................................................................49 Level of study ................................................................................................................................49 Definition of failure........................................................................................................................49 Repeating courses ........................................................................................................................49
10.3 10.4 SD 1 SD 2 SD 3 SD 4
SD 4.1 SD 4.2
Code of practice for student assessment......................................................................... 50 Code of practice for student discipline............................................................................. 50 APPLICATION ...................................................................................................................... 51 DISCIPLINARY OFFENCES ................................................................................................ 51 PENALTIES .......................................................................................................................... 52 EXECUTIVE AUTHORITIES................................................................................................. 53
Presiding Examiner/Chief Invigilator ...........................................................................................53 Staff Lecturer .................................................................................................................................53
SD 5
DISCIPLINARY AUTHORITIES............................................................................................ 53
SD 5.1 President of UniSIM..............................................................................................................................53 SD 5.2 Provost of UniSIM..........................................................................................................................53 SD 5.3 Registrar of UniSIM .......................................................................................................................54 SD 5.4 Deans of Schools, UniSIM ............................................................................................................54
SD 6
QUERIES AND APPEALS ................................................................................................... 54
SD 7 SD 8 SD 9 SA 1
SA 1.1 SA 1.2 SA 1.3 SA 1.4 SA 1.5
FAILURE TO RESPOND ...................................................................................................... 56 RECORDING AND REPORTING OF PENALTIES.............................................................. 56 SUSPENSION ....................................................................................................................... 56 ASSIGNMENTS .................................................................................................................... 57
Communication of requirements .................................................................................................57 Submission of assignments .........................................................................................................57 Assignment score appeals ...........................................................................................................57 Resubmission of assignments.....................................................................................................57 Cheating in assignments ..............................................................................................................57
SA 2
EXAMINATIONS................................................................................................................... 57
SA 2.1 Eligibility ........................................................................................................................................57 SA 2.2 Conduct of the examination .........................................................................................................57 SA 2.3 Examination arrangements...........................................................................................................58 SA 2.4 Conduct of students at the examination .....................................................................................58 SA 2.5 Absence from the examination..........................................................................................................58 SA 2.6 Award of aegrotat ..........................................................................................................................59 SA 2.7 Sick and disabled students ..........................................................................................................59 SA 2.8 Overseas examination ..................................................................................................................59 SA 2.9 Re-sits and Re-submissions.........................................................................................................59
11 GA 1 GA 2 GA 3
Award regulations........................................................................................................................ 60
11.1 11.2 Introduction....................................................................................................................................60 General award regulations ..............................................................................................................60
REGISTRATION ........................................................................................................................ 60 ELIGIBILITY FOR AWARD ....................................................................................................... 61 CREDIT EXEMPTION........................................................................................................... 61

Approved scheme .........................................................................................................................61 Previous study...............................................................................................................................61 Application of transferred credit ..................................................................................................61 Claiming transferred credit...........................................................................................................61 Fees ................................................................................................................................................61 Choice of UniSIM courses ............................................................................................................61 More than one period of previous study .....................................................................................61 Abandoning transferred credit .....................................................................................................62 Other conditions............................................................................................................................62
GA 1.1 Registration as a student and for an award.......................................................................................60 GA 2.1 Eligibility and registration ...................................................................................................................61 GA 3.1 GA 3.2 GA 3.3 GA 3.4 GA 3.5 GA 3.6 GA 3.7 GA 3.8 GA 3.9
GA 4 GA 5
Duration of Studies ............................................................................................................. 62 Classification of Honours................................................................................................... 62
Foreword
This Student Handbook has been prepared for students of the SIM University (UniSIM) taking the undergraduate degree and general studies programmes. Updates and changes to this Handbook will be via the Student Portal. Students need to refer to this Handbook for matters involving their course of studies.
Purpose of the Student Handbook

The Student Handbook introduces UniSIM's teaching methods and describes its academic and administrative arrangements and how these will affect you as a student. As the Handbook is written to help you in your study, we strongly encourage you to go through it, be familiar with the rules and policies and refer to it regularly for updates.
1
1.1
Introduction
Programmes of study
This Handbook is for students registered in the SIM University (UniSIM). 1.1.1 Eligibility for the degree / certificate Students who have completed the academic requirements for the award (degree / certificate) will receive notification of their eligibility shortly after the release of the course results.
1.2
How the University is organised

The governance of the University is principally under the purview of the Board of Trustees. The Board appoints staff and determines the terms of appointment. It also controls the Universitys finances, property and general affairs. The highest academic body of the University is the Academic Board, which regulates the admission and examination and has the power to award degrees, diplomas and certificates. The President is the academic and administrative head of the University, assisted by Provost, Registrar, and Deans of the Schools.
1.3
The University's regulations

SIM University has comprehensive formal student and award regulations that cover all the main areas where you and the University come together. Students must comply with the Award Regulations to claim an award. These regulations are to be read in conjunction with the Student Regulations.
1.4
Main features of study

1.4.1 The course Courses are spread over 6 or 13 study weeks from January to April and July to October. Courses for the degree programmes are offered at 2 levels Compulsory and Elective courses. Each course has a value of credit units.
1.4.2
Course materials You will receive a set of specially designed learning materials, including correspondence texts and assignment questions. There may also be audio and video programmes, home experiment kits, computer disks and notes on audio and video formats. Books and library In addition to the course materials which you receive, you may also need to buy set books and other recommended readings. Set books Some courses may require set books. You will need the books throughout the course, thus, you are advised to buy them from the bookstore at UniSIM rather than borrow them from the library. Recommended reading This varies from course to course. It may be optional background reading. You are not expected to read all the books recommended for background reading, though you might like to use some of them in solving difficult questions or pursuing a special interest. For some courses, the recommended reading includes books, which are important if you are to derive full benefit from the part of the course to which they refer. You might want to buy some of the recommended books but, if not, they may be available at the Tay Eng Soon Library. Tay Eng Soon Library Using library resources is an essential part of your education. The most important aspect of a university education is to teach you to think for yourself. This implies learning where to find information and, in particular, how to apply the literature of your subject effectively. If you do not have a command of that literature, you can neither extend your studies to fields not in the course nor keep abreast of new developments after the course is over. You need to put in effort to master the printed and computer-based bibliographies, abstracting services, catalogues, indexes and other means that enable you to search the literature systematically. To help you, some courses include guides to the use of libraries and literature.
1.4.3
1.4.4
Assignments and examinations Your success in any course is measured partly by continuous assessment of the assignments submitted and partly by the examination. Continuous assessment and examinations are in Sections 7 and 8. Tuition and counselling At the beginning of the course, you will be assigned to a tutor who will be responsible for your tuition and counselling throughout the course. Section 3 explains how UniSIM's tuition and counselling work. Your student record is available only to those directly concerned, either academically or administratively, with your progress as a student. If you are sponsored to read a programme/course, your acceptance of sponsorship is taken to imply your agreement that UniSIM may, upon request, release the results of your courses directly to the sponsor without seeking your permission.
1.4.5
2
2.1
Your student records and progress through UniSIM

Personal identifier number
Your personal identifier (PI) number is our means of finding your records in our system and it will stay with you throughout your studies with UniSIM. You should always quote it in verbal or written communication with UniSIM.
2.2
Changing your name

If you change your name, you must inform UniSIM and provide the appropriate documentary evidence in the form of a marriage certificate or deed poll or letter of declaration signed by a solicitor or a Justice of Peace. We insist upon documentary evidence as we have to be satisfied as to the true identity of those who wish to change their names. Although academic transcripts can be issued in your current name, award certificates can be issued only in the name you held at the time of the award.
2.3
Changing your address

If you change your address, please inform us in writing or you can update it yourself online at the student portal via http://www.unisim.edu.sg. No verbal request will be entertained. Although we will change our record of your address as quickly as possible, there may inevitably be some delay. You should place a redirection order with the Post Office to avoid missing any mailing/ correspondence. UniSIM cannot accept responsibility for non-receipt of correspondence materials due to the acts or omissions of a third party. We accept only one local mailing address per student.
2.4
Confirmation of student status

For most purposes, your identity as a UniSIM student will be adequately confirmed by any official document from UniSIM, such as the online course result and course offer, or the student membership card. If these are not satisfactory, UniSIM can provide you with an official confirmation of your status as a registered student. Requests should be sent via your MyMail account, and addressed to the Student Relations (SRL) Department at email: students@unisim.edu.sg.
2.5
Access to your student record

UniSIM is committed to the principles of data protection and follows best practices in handling the information it holds. All personal information is held in secured computer and manual files. Information is transferred within UniSIM only to those who need it for the purposes of our academic and other services to you (this may include disclosures to relevant third parties). You can access your electronic records at the student portal via www.unisim.edu.sg. To do so, you need your UniSIM login ID and password sent to you with your confirmation of registration.
2.6
Academic transcripts
Academic transcripts are records of all courses you have taken and the grades that you have obtained. From 2006 onwards, your transcript will include failed and withdrawn courses. Total credit exemption granted (if any) and total credit units of courses taken at approved institutions (if any) will also be reflected in the transcript at the end of programme.
Letter of attestation can be made available for the following purposes: As formal evidence to a third party that you have been awarded credit for a particular course or courses. In most cases, your course results will suffice and hence, you should keep copies of your course results. If you have to provide formal evidence to a third party (employer, sponsor, etc.) of the award of credit for course(s) completed, you should write to UniSIM for a certification letter. You should address your request to Student Relations (SRL) Department at email: students@unisim.edu.sg. In support of applications for jobs, membership of professional bodies, admission to other courses, etc.
2.7
Problems that may affect your progress

As a general rule of thumb, if you have difficulties that might affect your studies, you should always get in touch with your tutor or lecturer or the Student Relations Department of UniSIM.
2.8
Communications via MyMail account

You should email your communication to the Student Relations Department at email: students@unisim.edu.sg, via your MyMail account. Any request that you send to us must be via your MyMail account. It should include your name at the time of registration, your personal identifier (PI) number, and the programme that you are currently enrolled in or has completed with SIM University.
Support for your studies

The essential feature that distinguishes UniSIM from conventional universities is the way in which teaching is delivered to you. At UniSIM, you learn primarily through self-study. The syllabi are then supplemented by lectures, tutorials and/or seminars.
3.1
Self-study
Patterned on a self-study mode, you are advised to maintain 6 8 hours of self-study on a weekly basis in order to complete a 2.5, 3, 4, 5 or 10-credit unit course. Self-study is not about reading books alone. With our carefully-structured package books that you will be receiving, you will learn from a combination of materials which include, but are not limited to printed materials, videos, audio programmes, and computer-based materials depending on the needs of the course. With the help of the Course Schedule, you will be able to pace your learning accordingly. The Course Calendar indicates the number of assignments involved in the course and the respective assignment submission dates. Students are expected to have their own internet access in order to utilise the online facilities, course/academic and administrative information available on the various portals. 3.1.1 Printed materials The types of course materials a student needs may vary from one course to another. You should refer to the set of specially written study units and workbooks which provide the essential study information you require. Set books Some courses might require the use of set books. Depending on the course you are taking, set books may be packaged with other course materials or at times, require you to
3.1.2
purchase them separately. If you need to purchase them, please refer to the announcements on the student portal. 3.1.3 Audio programmes Most courses include a number of audio programmes, presented in the form of Compact Discs (CDs). These are useful learning tools to help you understand key concepts better. Video programmes Some courses include video programmes, presented in the form of Video Compact Discs (VCDs) or Digital Versatile/Video Discs (DVDs). These useful learning tools are for your individual viewing and form an important component of your self-study. Computer-based materials Some courses may require you to use the computer and/or with specific software(s).
3.1.4
3.1.5
3.2
Tutors/Instructors
Coming from local universities, polytechnics or the relevant industries, your tutors/instructors are certainly qualified and trained to teach the courses. They teach and facilitate the class to have good discussions, answer your questions, clarify issues related to the courses, mark assignments and counsel (students), when required.
3.3
Tutorials, lectures and seminars

Apart from self-study and submitting assignments, regular tutorials and lectures or seminars are provided to enable you to have more in-depth discussions with your lecturers, tutors and fellow students. Tutorials provide the chance for you to clarify issues and problems on course work and assignments with your tutor. The sessions also allow you to interact and learn together with other students. These are normally conducted in the evenings, and last an average of 2.5 hours. Lectures are organised to help students focus on key learning points. These also allow you to interact with students from other tutorial groups and are normally conducted in the evenings, and last an average of 2.5 hours. Seminars are flexible sessions that aim to facilitate learning not just from the seminar instructor but also among students. These are structured around various class activities, which may include class discussions, presentations, case studies, computer exercise and so on. Seminars focus on interactive and active learning, which are normally conducted in the evenings, and last an average of 3 hours. You are assigned to specific tutorial and lecture or seminar groups based on your course combination and the availability of tutors and lecturers. Due to the large number of UniSIM students and the many combinations of courses taken by students, it is not possible to assign students to their preferred groups. Please be advised that UniSIM is unable to accommodate requests from students to change tutorial, lecture or seminar group. Students must stay in the specified group throughout the semester or academic year. Students are not allowed to attend tutorials, lectures or seminars not allocated to them. During tutorials, lectures and seminars, digital beeping devices such as pagers and mobile phones must be kept on silent mode so as not to disrupt the lessons. Class attendance is not compulsory unless otherwise stated by the course. Some courses may have mandatory laboratory requirements. Failure to attend the mandatory laboratory session(s) may lead to a FAIL grade in the course.
There will not be any make-up lessons on the tutorials, lectures, seminars or laboratory sessions that you have missed. SIM University reserves the right to make changes to the mode of course delivery.
3.4
UniSIM facilities
3.4.1 Class venues Your classes, including laboratory sessions may be held at one or more of the following premises: SIM HQ (461 Clementi Road) SIM Clementi Centre (535A Clementi Road, located adjacent to the SIM HQ) Ngee Ann Polytechnic Singapore Polytechnic Other venues as designated by UniSIM. Car parks Complimentary parking at SIM HQ is available to all students. However, students are not allowed to park their vehicles at Level 1 car park of the SIM HQ as this level is reserved for staff and lecturers of SIM who possess valid car passes. Students are to comply with car park regulations. Those who park indiscriminately are liable for penalty. Smoking on SIM campuses To provide a healthy environment for all users at SIM premises, the SIM Headquarters located at Clementi Road, SIM Management House at Namly Avenue and premises where UniSIM classes are held have been designated as smoke-free campuses. There shall be no smoking in all areas within the building as well as in the open areas surrounding the building. Students who violate this policy shall be subject to disciplinary action according to UniSIMs disciplinary procedures.
3.4.2
3.4.3
3.5
SIM student membership privileges and library services

Every UniSIM student will be either a Student or Corporate Member of SIM. For more information on membership privileges, please refer to the link www1.sim.edu.sg/member.html.
3.6
Laboratory facilities
During specific tutorials, students may access the laboratory facilities located at the University campus and other designated centres. These facilities provide a comprehensive infrastructure to support you in your coursework.
3.7
Orientation and seminars

Once you have accepted our offer for admission into SIM University, you will be invited to attend an orientation as well as special seminars. These events are held in the month of January and July, depending on your admission. The orientation session provides a platform for you to meet with our UniSIM academic/administrative staff. Hence, all new students are encouraged to attend this session.
3.8
Self-help study groups

Students are encouraged to set up meetings and discussions among themselves. A successful study group requires a facilitator/coordinator to coordinate the meeting place, time, agenda and so on. Many students find self-help study groups beneficial as they are able to add new insights to their studies and hence broaden/share their learning experiences.
3.9
Telephone and electronic mail

The Student Relations (SRL) Department is your first-point-of-contact with the University on enquiries on administrative matters. You can either call the Student Hotline at 6248-9111 and/or email to students@unisim.edu.sg for your queries. The operating hours of our Student Hotline are as follows: Monday Friday Saturday : : 8.30 am 7.30pm 9.00 am 1.00pm
In addition, you may use the telephone and email contact of your tutors to discuss matters concerning your academic studies. All UniSIM students are each given a UniSIM MyMail email account. You are required to use the MyMail account when corresponding with UniSIM faculty and staff.
3.10
Equal opportunities
The principles of equal opportunities apply at UniSIM, whereby there should not be unfair treatment and discrimination of students, particularly in the area of student admission (including credit transfer and programme transfer), programme requirements and assessment and students with disabilities. Students are treated based on their merits, abilities and potentials, regardless of gender, religion, ethnic group, age, family background, sexual orientation and/or other irrelevant factors. For validated awards by The Open University, United Kingdom (OUUK), policies will follow the guidelines as set forth by OUUK rules and regulations as well as the Quality Assurance Agencys (QAA) Code of Practice.
3.11
Students with disabilities

The principles of equal opportunities ensure that no applicant who is academically suitable will be refused admission to the University on the ground of his/her disability without compelling reasons. To ensure that students with disabilities have the same access to learning opportunities as their counterparts, UniSIM shall, to the best of its effort, endeavour to assist them to complete their studies successfully. A wide range of special services is available to support students with disabilities. This includes advice and/or information on the course(s) chosen and course materials in alternative forms. We encourage students, regardless of individual circumstances, to inform us earliest possible if they need additional help. It may be possible for students with disabilities to take their examinations away from the designated examination venues. As far as possible, UniSIM will try to conduct off-site examinations should a situation (such as a critical medical condition certified by a medical professional) arise thereby preventing a student from taking an examination under the usual conditions.
A written request supported by valid documents is required for the University to make available the special services or arrangements.
3.12
UniSIM Student Portal / My UniSIM (Blackboard Learning Management System)

The various online platforms for students to access academic and administrative information are as follows: 3.12.1 UniSIM Student Portal Students can login into the UniSIM Student Portal via http://www.unisim.edu.sg. You may find general announcements, administrative forms and specific programme information on this portal. 3.12.2 My UniSIM My UniSIM is a user-friendly web-based learning management system that supports a flexible teaching and learning environment. It facilitates self-paced learning with tools for online content sharing, course management (i.e. course materials), assessment management (i.e. continuous assessments), and online collaboration and communication. It also supports online marking. Students need to submit their assignments (TMAs) via TURN-IT-IN in My UniSIM. Your marked assignments shall also be returned to you via this platform. Lecturers and tutors will also supplement classroom experience with online course materials, conducting online discussions and managing projects to enhance lecturerstudents interaction. You are strongly encouraged to access My UniSIM regularly.
4
4.1
Registration
Registration for new students
To register as a student of UniSIM, you must submit your acceptance of the course offer by the deadline given. If you do not submit the course offer acceptance in time, the University will withdraw the offer of registration. Accepting an offer of registration gives you the following rights and obligations: 4.1.1 Receipt of course services including tuition and correspondence services for the rest of the academic semester, unless you withdraw (see Sections 4.6 and 4.8 regarding withdrawal). 4.1.2 Liability for payment of course fees and other fees (if applicable) in full.
4.2
Course registration for continuing students

4.2.1 Entitlement to course registration As a registered student, you are entitled to continue your studies in any subsequent semester after registration, without having to apply again through the admission process, provided that: You are not in debt to UniSIM or SIM, You have satisfactorily completed electronic course registration for the subsequent semester, and Your academic progress in the programme is satisfactory (see Section 4.9).
The electronic Course Registration (eCR) is an important exercise helping students plan the courses they would like to read for the next semester. It is an indication of your choice of courses in the next semester. As a registered student, you will be invited, through announcement in the student portal and blackboard, in April and October each year to choose the course(s) that you wish to take in the following semester (under the assumption that you will pass all the courses in the current semester). The final decision to offer the chosen course(s) will depend on your course results at the end of the current semester and also the availability of placements in the courses chosen. If you submit your course registration by the deadline given, you will receive a course offer letter after the release of course results of the current semester. Dependent on the demand of courses chosen, the course offer letter will present you the list of courses for you to read in the following semester. You are expected to study during every semester. However, if you wish to take a semester off from your studies, you need to apply for deferment of study (see Section 4.7). You would still need to complete your course registration even though you do not wish to take any course in the following academic semester or that you are going to complete the programme (i.e. acquiring remaining final credit units) by the end of the current academic year. This is due to the necessity to exercise your "repeat" options pertaining to the outcome of your course results of current semester. 4.2.2 Submitting your course registration (via UniSIM eCR system) Before submission, you should read the instructions given to you carefully. If in doubt, you may consult your tutor-counsellor or call Student Hotline for assistance. You should submit your course registration by the deadline. Please remember to keep a copy of your final submission. If you fail to submit your course registration by the stipulated deadline, you will not be allowed to proceed to the next stage of the programme and your name will be withdrawn from our register (see Section 4.9). 4.2.3 Making your course choice amendments If you wish to make changes to your choice of courses after the electronic course registration period, you may do so using the Course Choice Amendment (CCA) form during the course offer. A non-refundable application fee of S$53.50 (inclusive of 7% GST) is payable for every application to add or remove courses from your confirmed course choice. Your application to change your choice of courses is subject to approval by the UniSIM taking into account available places.
4.3
Restrictions and advice on your choice of courses

Please bear the following points in mind when you submit your course registration. It is very important to assess your state of readiness for a course in order to avoid academic difficulties. Therefore, you should consult your tutor-counsellor to advise you whether your choice of courses is sensible in the light of your current academic progress. 4.3.1 Number and level of course As a registered student, you are entitled to continue your studies in any subsequent semester after registration, without having to apply again through the admission process, provided that:
You register for a maximum of 30 credit units per semester (where a maximum of 20 credit units are for new and/or repeat courses, with the remaining 10 credit units meant for re-sit examinations). You may also choose an additional 10 CUs of buffer courses during course registration. These buffer courses are to be used only in the event that your choice of the first 20 CUs of courses has reached its course quota. You can register for any course if you have fulfilled the pre-requisites (if any) of that course. The courses that you wish to take do not have any conflict in timetable schedule (i.e. both course timetable and examination timetable). As part of the graduation requirement, student must complete at least 30cu of level 3 courses.
UniSIM reserves the right to withdraw, postpone or alter a previously publicised course. We will give you as much notice as possible if such changes have to be made. Anything that is likely to affect your study plans, such as changes to fees or to presentation of courses, will be publicised in the UniSIM website and student portal announcements. It is important to look out for such announcements. 4.3.2 Repeating courses You may not register to read a course for which you have already been awarded a course credit or a course certificate. Second UniSIM degree You will not be admitted to a second UniSIM degree unless you have completed the requirements of the first one. If you want to study for a second degree after successfully completing your first, you must apply for admission in the usual way in competition with other applicants. You may not register for courses counting towards more than one degree in the same year. You may not 'carry over' courses for one degree to another.
4.3.3
4.4
Course results, course offers and continuing registration

4.4.1 Course results and course offer Provided you are not in debt to UniSIM for course fees or other charges, you will receive the course offer in the next semester. Students with outstanding fees If you have outstanding fees payable to UniSIM and you do not respond to a final demand, UniSIM will withhold your course results and course allocation. If you do eventually settle the outstanding payment, UniSIM will give you an offer of courses subject to vacancies available at the point of payment. Course offer If you have satisfactorily completed and submitted your course registration and are not in debt to UniSIM, you will have the course offer as follows: New course(s) allocation subject to the available vacancies of the course(s) One or more re-sit examinations (if you are eligible for re-sit) One or more repeat courses (this will apply only if you are required to repeat any course and have requested to repeat the course(s) during your eCR) The total credit units of courses (for degree programme) offered in each semester (including re-sit examinations and repeat courses) will not exceed 30 credit
4.4.2
4.4.3
units, of which at least 10 credit units MUST be for re-sit examinations. The maximum credit units allowed for new and repeat courses are 20 credit units per semester. However, if you fail to meet the minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) for the semester, you will only be allowed to register for 10 credit units of new or repeat course for the following semester. Students enrolled from January 2007 onwards will be eligible to take up to 10 credit units of UCORE courses per semester. 4.4.4 Course offer procedure You will receive your course offer letter online. Important notes accompanying the course offer will explain to you how to register, pay your course fees and give you information about all related matters. The course offer procedure is simple. You just need to print, sign, date and return the course offer reply letter (as an indication of your acceptance), together with the payment, by the deadline given. If you do not return the course offer reply letter by the date given, UniSIM will withdraw its offer of course(s). Any future reinstatement will be entirely at the University's discretion. Over/under-subscribed courses In the event that a course is under-subscribed (e.g. insufficient student numbers to run a tutorial class), you will have sufficient notice to amend your choice of courses. The application fee of S$53.50 (inclusive of 7% GST) for the course choice amendments will be waived. Pending results (for degree programme) Typically, a few students in each semester will have course results Pending. If your course allocation for the following semester depends on the outcome of a pending result, UniSIM will allow you to continue with your study based on your courses chosen until all your pending results are resolved. Changing course offer If you would like to be considered for a change of course(s) before the deadline for course fee payment, you should submit the Application for Course Choice Amendment form stating your requirements and pay a non-refundable application fee of S$53.50 (inclusive of 7% GST) by the stipulated deadline after receiving your online course offer letter. Approval for such course changes will be at the discretion of the University. Thus, we strongly advise you to decide your choice of courses carefully during the course registration exercise (Please see Section 4.2 on course registration). Collection of course materials The important notes accompanying the course offer will indicate the details for the collection of course materials (if it is applicable to your course) for the next semester.
4.4.5
4.4.6
4.4.7
4.4.8
4.5
Transfer of programme (TOP)

4.5.1 Transfer of programme for degree students Students who wish to transfer to another UniSIM programme must submit the "Application for Transfer of Programme" form to UniSIM during the transfer of programme application periods. A non-refundable application fee of S$107 (inclusive of 7% GST) is payable for each application (see Section 5.1). All applications must reach UniSIM by the stipulated deadlines. Late applications will not be considered until the next programme transfer application period. UniSIM will consider all programme transfer applications and you will receive a reply within 3 weeks of the application deadline. Approval for transfer of programme will be given at the sole discretion of UniSIM.
If the application for transfer of programme is successful: The transfer will take effect in the following semester. The credit exemption policy and degree profile of the new programme at the point of transfer shall determine the credit units that are transferable to the new programme. Credit units obtained for courses that were taken previously but are not part of the degree profile of the new programme are not transferable. There will be no fee refund for these courses. Any credit exemption granted previously may be transferred if they fit the degree profile of the new programme, except for General Studies programme. There will be no fee refund for those credit exemptions not transferable to the new programme. Students are expected to fulfil the requirements of the new programme (if any), i.e. prevailing course fees, CGPA requirement, UCore requirement, etc. Students are required to pay new programme fees. Students candidature will be continued from admission joined intake. Each student can only apply for a maximum of two transfers throughout his/her study with UniSIM. Important Notes: Students under the UniSIM award will not be allowed to transfer from the Honours to another Honours programme. Students under the UniSIM award will not be allowed to transfer from the basic to honours programme. Those who meet the academic requirements to pursue the honours programme will be invited to do so by UniSIM. You are allowed to transfer from the Honours to basic degree or to other basic programme on conditions that the new programme is still active and has enough courses for you to complete the programme. In addition, students enrolled before 2006 must complete the new programme by 2013; and students enrolled from 2006 must complete the new programme within 8 years from year of admission. Students under the OUUK award will only be allowed to transfer to another OUUK programme (basic or honours) on the condition that the new programme is still active and has enough courses available for the students to complete the programme. In addition, students must complete the new programme by 2010. 4.5.2 Transfer of programme for students reading General Studies programme Students who are reading the GS Modular may apply for a Transfer to the GS Degree after completing at least 20 cu with at least a CGPA of 2.0. Approval is given on a caseby-case basis. Students who are reading the GS Modular and have completed 80 cu (including 10 cu of the UCore) will be awarded the Diploma in GS. Thereafter, these students are required to complete another 50 cu, if they are interested to qualify for the GS Degree award. At least 40 cu of all the courses must be from levels 2 and 3. Alternatively, students who have completed the Diploma in GS may apply for a Transfer of Programme (TOP) to other undergraduate degree programmes after having completed 80 cu. The 10 cu from the UCore and 40 cu of relevant courses with at least a CGPA of 2.0 may be transferred to the receiving degree programme. You must also meet all admission requirements of the undergraduate programme of the degree programme you are applying for.
Credit exemption, if granted, (for courses covered in the General Studies Programme) will not count towards the CGPA requirement for the regular undergraduate programme.
4.6
Withdrawal from course

A student may withdraw from course(s) registered for the semester. There will be no refund of course fee paid and all withdrawals will be duly reflected in your academic transcript.
4.7
Deferment of study
If you do decide to defer your studies in a particular semester, you must submit the Application for Deferment form to the UniSIM before course fee payment and course commencement. A nonrefundable application fee of S$53.50 (inclusive of 7% GST) is payable for each deferment application (see Section 5.1). You will be informed of the outcome of your application for deferment within two weeks. Each deferment application, if approved, will be for a period of one semester only. You are expected to resume your studies in the following semester. For example, if you applied for a deferment in January 2006, you are expected to resume your studies in July 2006. Students who have re-sit examination(s) should not apply for deferment in that academic semester unless you choose not to take the re-sit examination(s). You will have to repeat the course(s) and pay all fees as due should you choose to take the same course(s) again in future. Students may defer their studies at UniSIM for any number of times (subject to approval by UniSIM) as long as they can complete the Degree (basic and honours) programme enrolled in within the maximum 8 years candidature period. There is no maximum candidature period for General Studies Programmes (GSP) students and they need not apply for deferment. There is no deferment fee payable. The online accounts of the GSP Degree track students are kept active until their graduation there will not be certificate awarded for individual course completed.
4.8
Withdrawal from programme

If you wish to end your studies at UniSIM as distinct from simply withdrawing from a particular course, you must submit the Application for Withdrawal from Programme form and return your student card to UniSIM. You will receive an acknowledgement letter regarding the full implications of withdrawal. No refund of the course fee will be given for withdrawal from a programme. You are strongly advised to consult your tutor, lecturer or the Student Relations (SRL) Department of UniSIM before making such an important decision. When you withdraw from the programme, any course you registered at the time will be cancelled, and you will no longer receive information about course registration. You may be re-admitted as a student only by re-applying to UniSIM (approval is granted at the sole discretion of UniSIM). You must do this before the specified closing date of admission applications (in March for July intake and in September for January intake) for the semester that you want to re-commence your studies. At the discretion of UniSIM, you may be permitted to count any course credits or credit exemptions previously obtained only if they are relevant and applicable to the same or new programme that you have re-applied to study.
4.9
Cancellation of registration
4.9.1 Failure to make academic progress Under certain circumstances, UniSIM may exercise its right to cancel the registration of a student who fails to make academic progress. Failure to make academic progress in a programme is defined as follows: A course result of 'Fail'. Withdrawal from a course after registration. Failure in a re-sit examination or withdrawal from a re-sit examination after registration. CGPA rating of below 2.0 (see Section 9.2), which is applicable to degree students from January 2006 intake onwards. For degree students from intakes before January 2006, the CGPA requirement does not apply; however, students must not have failed to make academic progress for 3 consecutive semesters. A formal warning will be issued by UniSIM to students likely to have their registration cancelled. UniSIM reserves the right to decide the cancellation of registration, considering all relevant information, including any mitigating circumstances, relating to each student's progress. 4.9.2 Failure to submit course registration / did not take up course offer UniSIM may also cancel the registration of a student who: Fails to submit his/her course registration (when told to do so by UniSIM), or Declines an offer of registration for a course. Fails to return course offer reply letter form by the deadline and has not made any application for deferment or withdrawal from the programme. Appeals against cancellation of registration If your registration has been cancelled by UniSIM for failure to make academic progress or failure to submit course registration/course offer, you have the right of appeal to reinstate your student registration. Appeals should be made in writing to UniSIM and must arrive not later than 14 days from the date of the formal notification of cancellation of registration. A non-refundable fee of S$107 (inclusive of 7% GST) is payable when you appeal to re-instate your student registration. In addition, you have to pay the administrative fee of S$53.50 (inclusive of 7% GST) for application of course registration or deferment if your appeal is successful. You may email to Registrar@unisim.edu.sg. After the 14-day deadline, you will have to apply for re-admission to UniSIM. 4.9.4 Re-admission after cancellation of registration If your student registration is cancelled, you may re-apply for admission to UniSIM, subject to the sole discretion of UniSIM. You must do this before the specified closing dates of admission application (end March for July Semester and end August for January Semester) for the semester that you wish to take your studies. At the discretion of UniSIM, you may be permitted to count any course credits previously obtained only if they are relevant and applicable to the programme that you have re-applied to study. For degree programmes, your credit exemption will be re-assessed and if awarded and accepted, you will be required to pay the prevailing credit exemption fee for each course awarded credit exemption. Students candidature will be continued from admission joined intake.
4.9.3
4.10
Capstone Courses
A student may withdraw from the capstone courses either by withdrawal through the normal withdrawal procedure or fail to submit TMA01.
No grade will be given and a student has to re-register for the course and pay the full fees. The In-Progress status is assigned to any student who fails to submit the Final Report by the first day of the official examination period. In addition to an administrative late fee of $500, five (5) marks are deducted from the Final Rank Score. Any student with an In-Progress (IP) status and fails to submit the Final Report again by the first day of the official examination period in the following semester will be deemed to have failed the Capstone Project course. The student would have to re-register for the Capstone Project again and pay the full fees.
5
5.1
Fees and payment

Types of fee
5.1.1 Course fee To accept the offer of a place and thus become a registered student of the course, you must pay this fee. Credit exemption fee (for degree programmes only) You have to pay a non-refundable credit exemption fee upon acceptance of the credit exemption awarded. The credit exemption fee payable is 15% of the course fee per course exempted. Transfer of programme fee (for degree programmes only) A non-refundable fee of S$107 (inclusive of 7% GST) is payable for each application when you apply for programme transfer (see Section 4.5). Deferment fee A non-refundable fee of S$53.50 (inclusive of 7% GST) is payable for each application for deferment of your studies (see Section 4.7). Course choice amendment fee A non-refundable fee of S$53.50 (inclusive of 7% GST) is payable for each application when you make changes to your original choices of course registered (see Section 4.2). Registration re-instatement fee A non-refundable fee of S$107.00 (inclusive of 7% GST) is payable when you appeal to UniSIM to re-instate your student registration (see Section 4.9).
5.1.2
5.1.3
5.1.4
5.1.5
5.1.6
Please note that payment made for application/appeal (for transfer of programme, deferment, course choice amendment and re-instatement) does not imply that the application/appeal will be approved automatically. Approval is at the sole discretion of UniSIM. 5.1.7 Overseas examination fee (for degree programmes only) This is payable in advance if you request to sit for the examination at a recognised overseas examination centre (see Section 8.5). Re-sit examination or re-submission fee You need to pay this fee when you accept the offer of a re-sit examination or a resubmission (see Section 8.4). We will inform you of the fee amount when we give you the re-sit or re-submission offer. Late fee penalty Students who do not meet fee payment deadlines will incur a late fee penalty of 5% on the outstanding fee payable. The penalty applies to non-payment as well as partial payment of the fee. Acceptance of late fee payment is at the sole discretion of the University. Appeals for late fee payments to be accepted will not be entertained.
5.1.8
5.1.9
5.1.10 Course fee subsidy from Ministry of Education (MOE) Students are required to pay all course fees by the stipulated deadline after receiving course offer letter to enjoy the fee subsidy. Students who fail to make payment of all course fees by the stipulated deadline are deemed to have missed the opportunity to claim subsidy for their registered course(s). As such, students will be charged the full course fee for the semester.
5.2
Fee amounts
UniSIM reserves the right to revise fees and all other charges at any time without notice.
5.3
How to pay your fees

Whenever you are asked to pay fees you will be given a date by which to do so. Fees must be paid promptly. 5.3.1 Payment by cheque or cash Each course offer letter will state when and how fees can be paid. All cheques should be made payable to the "SIM University". Payment by credit card UniSIM accepts payment of fees by credit card. If you want to pay in this manner, you must make the payment personally at UniSIM.
5.3.2
Cash and credit card payments can be made at: SIM University 461 Clementi Road Singapore 599491 Office Hours Monday to Friday: Saturday: 8.30am 7.30pm 9.00am 1.00pm
Cheques can be sent to: SIM University Administration Office 535A Clementi Road Singapore 599490 5.3.3 Responsibility for fee payment Even if a sponsor has undertaken to pay your fee, you remain ultimately responsible to UniSIM for any amount not paid. Receipts Receipts will be issued for all payments made.
5.3.4
5.4
Refunds
It is the general policy of UniSIM not to refund fees. However, UniSIM will consider a partial transfer of course fees to the next semester/partial refund on exceptional circumstances such as serious illness of a student or serious illness or death of a student's spouse or dependant leading to a deferral of studies or a withdrawal of studies. Satisfactory documentary evidence is required with any application for a refund or transfer of course fees. Refunds would only be given
if you have paid your fee in full. You must follow the deferment/withdrawal procedure explained in Section 4.
5.5
Home kits and other loans

If you register for a course that has a home kit or UniSIM lent you equipment/materials or books, you are bound by the conditions of the loans as set out by UniSIM. In particular, you must return the kits and other equipment or books when asked by UniSIM or meet the full cost of replacement. You are responsible for returning the loan items in good condition to UniSIM. UniSIM will charge you for any durable item of significant value that you fail to return or return in such a condition that is unfit to be used again. Unfulfilled kit liabilities and charges are regarded as debts to UniSIM. Prompt and complete return of kits and other equipment or books is important. If not returned on time, it may deny other students the chance to take the course in the next semester.
5.6
Debts to the University

Debts may include unreturned home kits, equipment on loan, set books on loan and other loan items from UniSIM. If you owe UniSIM any course fees, kit charges or other debts, you cannot qualify for course credit or any other award. If necessary, legal proceedings may be set in motion for the recovery of the debt. UniSIM also reserves the right to withhold course results, academic references, transcripts and certificates; not to offer further registrations; impose a late fee penalty of 5% on the outstanding amount and, possibly, cancel registration if you do not pay all fees and other charges by the dates specified for payment. Once you are in debt to UniSIM, any payment you make towards any fee will be used to reduce/offset your debt.
5.7
Government funding / subsidy

5.7.1 Eligibility All current UniSIM students on undergraduate degree programmes awarded by UniSIM, who are Singapore Citizen or Singapore PR and have not previously received government sponsorship / subsidy for a first degree (local or overseas), e.g., first degrees from NUS/NTU/SMU/UniSIM, or from overseas university funded by government scholarship/bursary; are eligible for the subsidy from July 2008 semester. There is no cap on age to qualify for the subsidy and no retrospective claim for the subsidy. Documentary proof or declaration is required for all the above criteria. Post-graduate, Diploma and Certificate programmes are not eligible for the subsidy. For the Bachelor of Counselling cum Graduate Diploma in Counselling programme, the subsidy is only available for the Bachelors portion and not applicable to the Graduate Diploma. For GSP students in the Certificate or Diploma track who accumulate enough credit units (CUs) to be awarded a Degree, no retrospective claim of subsidy is allowed. Each student is eligible for the subsidy only once, i.e., for his/her first governmentsubsidised undergraduate education (local or overseas). 5.7.2 Subsidy cover and quantum For eligible students, MOE will subsidise at the following rates: Singapore Citizen (SC): 40% of the published course fee except BSc Aviation Maintenance programme (BSAM)
Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR): 20% of the published course fee except BSAM programme Other miscellaneous fees will not be subsidised.
For eligible students, MOE will subsidise at the following rates for BSAM programme Singapore Citizen (SC): 27% of the published course fee Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR): 13.5% of the published course fee Students need to pay the subsidised fee, which is the difference between the full course fee (set by the University) and the subsidy, and any prevailing GST on the subsidised fee. The subsidy covers: Course fee Course fee (for repeat cases) except BSAM programme The subsidy does not cover: Re-sit fee Extra courses taken beyond the requirements for the undergraduate degree programme Auxiliary charges like administrative fees (e.g., course choice amendment, deferment, transfer of programme, exam appeal, etc.), credit exemption fee, credit transfer fee, overseas travel expenses, etc. Any penalty charges (e.g. late fee payment) Any other miscellaneous fees The subsidy is the same for every semester, i.e., 40% (for SCs) and 20% (for SPRs) with the same percentage of subsidy applies to all UniSIMs published course fees. The subsidy cut-off point will be either the maximum 8 years candidature period, or upon consuming the maximum claimable registered CUs, whichever is earlier. 5.7.3 Changes in eligibility status If you admitted without the subsidy, but subsequently fulfil the criteria, you would be eligible for the subsidy from the next academic semester onwards, upon your notification to UniSIM. Number of credit units (CUs) subsidised The Singapore Government will provide the subsidy for a maximum of 200 registered CUs over 8 years maximum candidature period, if pursuing an honours or direct honours degree 160 registered CUs over 8 years maximum candidature period, if pursuing a basic degree 200 registered CUs over 8 years maximum candidature period, if pursuing a dual basic degree, BSAM programme For an existing UniSIM student [SC or SPR who has not previously received a government subsidy/sponsorship for a first degree (local or overseas)], the government will provide the subsidy for the total remaining CUs required to complete his/her programme plus an additional 30 CUs for repeat courses (if required). For example, if a student has 40 CUs remaining before completion of the degree programme, the student will receive a maximum of 70 claimable registered CUs (40 CUs remaining and 30 additional CUs). No retrospective claim is allowed. If an existing student is invited back to do an honours programme, his/her maximum claimable registered CUs for the honours courses will be the unused CUs from the
5.7.4
allocation of 200 CUs for an honours programme as listed in (a). For example, a BSc Psychology student who has used up 140 CUs to complete his/her basic psychology degree will be able to claim up to 60 CUs for the honours portion (i.e., 200 CUs less 140 CUs). The subsidy will be available within 8 years from the date he/she started the basic degree programme with UniSIM. Credit exemption counts towards the cap for subsidised CUs. For example, if you have been awarded 40 CUs of credit exemption at the time of admission for your basic degree, your maximum claimable registered CUs will be 120. 5.7.5 Transfer/re-admission university students If you are transferring from a full-time degree programme from an autonomous university to UniSIM, you will be eligible to receive the full subsidy subject to satisfying the criteria listed above. If you are transferring from a part-time degree programme from an autonomous university to UniSIM, you will be eligible to receive the balance claimable subsidy subject to satisfying the criteria listed above. Changes to programme of studies If you apply for a transfer from one basic degree programme to another basic programme, the maximum claimable registered CUs for your new programme will be the balance claimable registered CUs carried forward from your current programme. For example, if a BSc Psychology student who has used up 70 registered CUs of subsidy, and applies for a transfer to a BSc Math programme, he/she will be able to claim up to 90 CUs (i.e., 160 CUs less 70 CUs) for the BSc Math programme. If you apply for a transfer from an honours programme to a basic degree programme, the maximum claimable registered CUs for your new programme will be the unused portion of the 160 CUs available for a basic degree programme. For example, a BSc (Hons) Psychology student who has used 70 CUs of subsidy applies for a transfer to a BSc Psychology programme will be able to claim up to 90 CUs (i.e., 160 CUs less 70 CUs). 5.7.7 Obligations bond, non-completion of programme There is no need to repay the subsidy and there is no requirement to undertake a service bond. Students do not have to pay back the subsidy to MOE or UniSIM. However, should you choose to re-enrol with UniSIM at a later period, you can only claim the balance registered CUs within 8 years from the start of the semester when you first enjoyed the subsidy. For example, if you are eligible for 160 registered CUs and you consumed 20 CUs before withdrawing from the programme, you can only claim 140 registered CUs the next time you enrol in a UniSIM undergraduate programme within 8 years from the start of the semester when you first enjoyed the subsidy. You do not have to pay back the subsidy to MOE or UniSIM. However, the CUs of the withdrawn course(s) will be counted towards the claimable registered CUs given to you. For example, if you are eligible for 160 registered CUs and you registered and then withdrew from 10 CUs of course(s), your balance left for claiming will be 150 registered CUs. 5.7.8 Students on other sponsorships or concessionary fees Students who do not wish to be entitled to the subsidy can inform UniSIM in writing. All students receiving UniSIM sponsorship will automatically be entitled to the subsidy, subject to meeting the criteria for the subsidy.
5.7.6
6
6.1
Credit exemption
What is credit exemption and credit recognition
The policy for credit exemption (encompassing both credit exemption and credit recognition) allows UniSIM to give recognition in its degree programmes to people who have successfully completed some academic study at a higher educational level. This level is defined as a local polytechnic Diploma or beyond. An award of credit exemption will exempt you from one or more specific courses; an award of credit recognition will reduce the number of credit units you need to obtain in order to qualify for the degree. Credit exemptions only apply to selected undergraduate programmes in the School of Arts and Social Sciences, the School of Human Development and Social Services, and in the School of Science and Technology. All undergraduate programmes offered by the School of Business are not eligible for credit exemption. The award of credit exemption is at the sole discretion of UniSIM. You have to comply with the Award Regulations to claim an award.
6.2
Maximum credit exemption allowed

In determining the number of credit units a qualification is entitled to for a UniSIM degree programme, the syllabus and content of the courses need to be assessed. Qualifications from related fields of study will generally be eligible for the maximum credit exemption award (up to 20 credit units). Qualifications from unrelated fields will have no or less number of credit exemptions.
6.3
General principles governing credit exemption

The award of credit exemption is governed by the following principles: 6.3.1 Higher educational level To be considered for credit exemption, prior qualification must have been achieved at a higher educational level from a recognised institution. This level is defined as a local polytechnic Diploma or beyond. Your previous academic qualification must be obtained within the last 8 years (or 10 years for languages, translation and interpretation disciplines) at the start of the commencement date of the UniSIM programme. 6.3.2 Academic study To be eligible, previous study must be academic in nature; has an established syllabus and well-structured course work, and that its courses are assessed through controlled examinations. Qualifications based solely upon work experience are not within the scope of the scheme. However, this does not exclude courses, which, while primarily academic in nature, have a practical element, particularly if this element is assessed and requires the application of theory to practice. Successful completion Award of credit exemption will be considered only if an eligible period of study has been successfully completed. The programmes must be examinable and the applicant must have obtained an overall pass mark.
6.3.3
Successful completion of part of a degree programme may be considered for award of credit exemption on an individual basis. 6.3.4 Period of study The period of study is also considered in the award of credit exemption in conjunction with the level, content and completion of the relevant qualification being reviewed.
The credit exemption policies may change from time to time. Your credit exemption will be assessed under the policy in force at the time when you submit the claim for credit exemption (i.e. at the point of admissions).
6.4
Application and appeal for credit exemption

6.4.1 Application for credit exemption Applications for credit exemption must be submitted upon application for admissions to UniSIM. You cannot apply and/or appeal for credit exemption once you have commenced the UniSIM programme. This includes circumstances where students obtained additional qualification during their course of study. Applications for credit recognition may be submitted upon application for admissions to UniSIM or during your candidature. To be considered for credit recognition, besides the general principles stated in 6.3, the qualification must be at least at university level from a recognised institution. 6.4.2 Credit exemption fee There is no application fee for the application of credit exemption; however, you have to pay a credit exemption fee upon acceptance of the credit exemption awarded. The credit exemption fee payable is 15% of course fee per course. There is no fee payable for award of credit recognition.
Continuous assessments
UniSIM courses usually have two assessment components a continuous assessment component which is discussed in this section, and an examinable component, explained in Section 8. Your continuous assessment is usually in the form of tutor-marked-assignments (TMAs). Depending on the course, it could be in the form of computer-marked assignments (CMAs), online quiz, lab report, etc. You are required to submit it by the respective cut-off date given in the course schedule.
7.1
Computing the continuous assessment scores

Individual TMAs are weighted to reflect their relative importance. Your overall continuous assessment score (OCAS) is the aggregate of all individual TMA weights multiplied by the respective TMA scores you obtained. A zero score is awarded for the TMA that you do not submit. Unless otherwise stated, there is a minimum score for the OCAS that you must attain in order to pass the course. You are advised to be familiar with the assessment strategy of the course, which can be found in course schedule and course materials.
Your TMA scores will be recorded and made known to you. Unless otherwise stated in the course calendar, the passing mark for each TMA is 40.
7.2
Preparing for TMAs

TMAs serve two purposes: Guide students in the learning process, and enable the University to assess the standard of understanding that you have attained. In the course of preparing and doing TMA, it helps you to focus on specific aspects of the course and to consolidate on what you have learned. The nature of TMAs obviously varies from course to course. TMA notes, together with your course materials, provide you guidance about the scope and standards required. 7.2.1 Should you discuss your TMAs with other students? While some students may find that they work best on their own, many do learn a great deal from discussions with others. The views and insights you gain while tackling a question together are usually as valuable as those you derive from reading books or attending lectures. There is nothing wrong with discussing TMA questions with fellow students or others before you begin working on your TMA. However, when working out your TMA, you are to work alone and not to use others work, be it in its entirety or in part, as though the work is yours. 7.2.2 What constitutes plagiarism and collusion (or cheating)? If you submit a TMA containing work not of your own and without indicating this to the marker (i.e. acknowledging your sources), you are committing 'plagiarism'. This might occur in a TMA when you: Use a choice phrase or sentence that you have come across. Copy word-for-word directly from a text. Paraphrase the words from a text very closely. Use text downloaded from the Internet. Borrow statistics or assembled facts from another person or source. Copy or download figures, photographs, pictures or diagrams without acknowledging sources. Copy from the notes or essays of a fellow student. Copy from your own notes, tutorial, video or lecture containing direct quotations. Plagiarism may inadvertently occur due to inexperience. To avoid this, read carefully all course-specific study advices, especially on statements concerning plagiarism and know how to draw references on your sources. Where plagiarised material is included in a TMA, tutors are likely to notice the shifts in style and may be aware of the source. Seek their advice on this early. The temptation to plagiarise may arise from lack of self-confidence or from a lack of understanding about the TMA and about what is required of you. TMAs not only provide a means of assessing your performance during your course and contribute to your overall course result, they also help you understand your subject and enhance your learning. When you attempt to use the ideas and concepts independently, you learn more thoroughly and develop your own writing style. You are likely to perform better in examinations if you have learned how to write your own answers in TMAs. By submitting work that is not your own, you are denying yourself the benefit of this valuable learning experience. Copying the output of others would be counter-productive to your goal of learning the course work and attaining real achievement. Most students will not wish to take such a negative approach to studying, and UniSIM does not tolerate it.
Although you are encouraged to show the results of your reading by referring to and quoting from published work on your subject, copying from such sources without acknowledgement is deemed to be plagiarism and will not be accepted by UniSIM. You are encouraged to collaborate with others in studying, but submitting work copied from or written jointly with others is not acceptable, unless collaboration is required in the particular TMA. You will be committing 'collusion' if you work with your fellow student(s) and produce TMAs that are substantially similar to each others. Submitting work done by someone else and persistently borrowing other people's work without citation are obvious instances of collusion and plagiarism, which are regarded as cheating. Paying for work from other sources and submitting it as your own is also cheating. It is a dishonest act to cheat and gain an unfair advantage over others. All TMAs and other forms of coursework (e.g. ECAs and project reports) will need to be submitted to Turn-It-In, which is a web-based plagiarism detection system, before marking. The TMA set-up in MyUniSIM (Blackboard Learning Management System) has been integrated with Turn-It-In to identify plagiarised text in students TMAs and coursework submitted. If collusion or plagiarism is established, one of the following penalties may be imposed: First Offence Second Offence Third Offence Fourth Offence i) or ii) i) ii) i) ii) i) ii) Warning letter Reduction of grade Zero for TMA No refund of course fees Expulsion from course for the semester No refund of course fees Expulsion from the programme No refund of course fees
7.2.3
Confidentiality of TMAs submitted All information you furnished in TMAs is treated in confidence to you, your tutor and UniSIM, and will not be divulged to anyone outside UniSIM. In your TMAs and elsewhere in your course, you may be encouraged to apply the course contents to your own work. This sometimes means you may need to give information or to make comments on the company or organisation that you work with. UniSIM treats such information with complete confidentiality. Tutors may use it only for purposes directly connected to the teaching of the course, and do not divulge it for any other purpose during or after their service with UniSIM.
7.2.4
Processing personal data Students are usually not expected to process personal data as part of their studies, but if you need to do so (perhaps for the purpose of a project), you must obtain the agreement of your tutor or supervisor that the processing is necessary and immediately inform UniSIM. They will provide you with the necessary advice.
7.3
Submitting TMAs
7.3.1 Submitting softcopy of TMAs (applicable to courses conducted in English, Chinese, Malay & Tamil) All TMAs should be submitted electronically through MyUniSIM (Blackboard Learning Management System). For further submission information, please refer to the MyUniSIM Student Guide under section on Electronic Assignment Submission. You will need your PI number and password to gain access to the SIM University portal at http://www.unisim.edu.sg Unless you are told otherwise, the TMA must be prepared in MS Word format. For courses conducted in English, Chinese and Malay, all TMAs and other forms of coursework will be submitted to Turn-It-In for plagiarism detection. For security purposes, it is important to ensure all e-mail correspondences with the University are via MyMail account, the official e-mail account given to all students. 7.3.2 Partially completed TMAs Unless instructed otherwise, you must submit all parts of your TMA in one go. Partial TMA submission received later as a second instalment will not be marked. Your tutor will return it to you with a note saying that it cannot be accepted. Late submission of TMAs With effect from July 2009 semester, there will be a new TMA Deduction Policy in place. Please refer to the TMA Deduction Policy attached. 7.3.3.1 7.3.3.2. Multiple submissions are allowed before the cut-off time, after which no further submissions will be allowed by the system No re-submission will be allowed after the cut-off time
7.3.3
7.4
Marking and returning TMAs

For all courses conducted, the marked TMAs will be returned to you via MyUniSIM. This can take up to three weeks from the date of TMA submission. Your tutor will make comments on your script when marking TMA. Please read your tutor's comments carefully, take note of your strengths and/or weaknesses. There may be comments that you do not understand or do not agree with. Your tutor will be ready to discuss these with you. You can view your assignment result from MyUniSIM under the view grades for your respective course. For more information about receiving your TMA results, please refer to MyUniSIM Student Guide. 7.4.1 Monitoring UniSIM monitors TMAs marked in order to ensure a reasonable uniformity of marking standards and an adequate level of teaching/learning comments given. A proportion of the TMAs marked will be selected for monitoring. Late return of marked TMAs If your TMA is not returned to you after 3 weeks, you should ask your tutor about it. If your tutor does not respond to your query within the next three days, you should inform the School.
7.4.2
7.4.3
Reviewing TMAs scores First stage directly to your tutor If you wish to appeal against the score awarded for a TMA, or to clarify about the comments made by your tutor, you should first return the marked TMA to your tutor within 7 days of the date that the tutor returned the marked TMA to you. This must be accompanied with a letter, directed to the tutor who marked your TMA, stating the grounds on which you are appealing against the assessment. Second stage with UniSIM If you are not satisfied with the response from your tutor, you should forward the marked TMA, together with the related correspondences, and any other relevant information, to Examination Administration (EA) Department, within 4 days upon receipt of your tutors decision by filing for an appeal against TMA grade. Please note that there will be a fee imposed on the Second Review only. A nonrefundable administrative fee of S$53.50 (inclusive of 7% GST) is payable for each TMA appeal case. Please print a copy of the Appeal Form found in the Forms Section of the student portal and fill in the relevant details. Submit the form to UniSIM together with the relevant documents and payment. For Group-Based Assignments, all team members must sign on the appeal form. You should not assume that an appeal would result in an increase to your original score. Scores often remain unchanged and it is even possible for them to be lower. You would have to accept the result of your appeal, even in the case of the latter. Decision made at this second stage shall be final and UniSIM does not accept subsequent appeals. UniSIM will not consider appeals later than 14 days after the cut-off date for the final TMA.
7.4.4
Re-submitting TMA You cannot re-submit a TMA. Non-submission of TMAs A zero score will be awarded for any TMA not submitted.
7.4.5
Examinations / examinable components

The examinable component may take several forms e.g. written examination, dissertation or a project presentation, viva voce, and/or other form as specified by the course. Your course materials will give you specific instructions on the academic contents of your examinable work. The examinable component for most courses consists of a written examination, usually of two to three hours duration. To help you better prepared for the paper, a specimen examination paper will be given to you so that not only you are familiar with its format, you will have an idea of the kind of questions you are likely to see and the way to tackle them. If your course requires you to submit a piece of work as an examinable component, which could be in place of or in addition to a written examination, it is likely to be a project, a report or an endof-course assessment (ECA). A submission cut-off date will be made known to everyone concerned. It is very important for you to adhere to this cut-off date as failure to do so will be treated as non-submission.
8.1
Submitting your end-of-course assessment (ECA)

This section is applicable only to courses conducted in English, Chinese and Malay. The procedure to submit your ECA is the same as how you submit Tutor Marked Assignment (TMA), i.e. through MyUniSIM. Extra files, missing appendices or corrections received after the cut-off date will not be accepted for assessment/grading. As submission of your examinable work via MyUniSIM is an essential requirement of the course, we cannot accept it in hard copy or through other avenues. You do not need to accompany your submission with a cover note or form (such as ET3). However, electronic transmission is not necessarily an instant process. The network traffic can be extremely heavy especially near the cut-off date/time and thus connections/accessibility to the system cannot be guaranteed. As such, you are strongly advised to submit your work at least a few good hours before the cut-off time. By doing so, you will have a peace of mind that your work is accepted by the system well before time, without encountering bandwidth or other technical problems. It is wise for you not to put your course results at risk by submitting it at the very last minute. Once submitted, the screen display will give the status of your submission. You will receive a successful assignment submission message only if you have applied for the email notification option. Please note that there is strictly no extension to the ECA deadline stipulated.
8.2
Submitting your capstone project

Please refer to your course materials for specific instructions on the requirements of your capstone project. Usually, you will receive a booklet, Information for Students Submitting Examinable Work, about 3 weeks before the submission deadline. You are advised to read it carefully as it provides you with important information such as how to submit your work, what to do if special circumstances have affected your ability to submit it on time. A student may withdraw from the capstone courses either by withdrawal through the normal withdrawal procedure or fail to submit TMA01. No grade will be given and a student has to re-register for the course and pay the full fees. The In-Progress status is assigned to any student who fails to submit the Final Report by the first day of the official examination period. In addition to an administrative late fee of $500, five (5) marks are deducted from the Final Rank Score. Any student with an In-Progress status and fails to submit the Final Report again by the first day of the official examination period in the following semester will be deemed to have failed the Capstone Project course. The student would have to re-register for the Capstone Project again and pay the full fees.
8.3
Special circumstances affecting your examinable works

If you have a physical disability or serious illness, which requires extra time or need other support facilities during an examination, please inform the Examination Administration (EA) Department at least 3 weeks before your examination. If you wish the University to be aware of a serious difficulty, which occurred within 21 days before the submission cut-off date of examinable work or your written examination, you should complete and submit form E39, with supporting documentary evidence, to the University no later than 3 days after the submission cut-off date or your written examination.
The Examinations and Awards Committee (EAC) will not consider information received later than 3 days after the examination or submission cut-off date. EAC will not review cases not supported by relevant evidence/documents. You must also keep proof of posting. Form E39 is downloadable from the student portal. Advice about completing the E39 form is on the back of the form. Special circumstances that render considerations may include: The death or critical illness of a dependant or immediate family (evidence such as a medical certificate or death certificate is required). A severely debilitating illness during most of the revision period or the examination (medical evidence is required). Circumstances that you should not submit the E39 form include home relocation, work pressure, normal pregnancy or English is your second language.
8.4
Re-sit examinations and re-submissions

Not all courses permit students to re-sit a written paper or re-submit the examinable component. However, if this is applicable in your course, you have only one attempt to do so. Unless otherwise stated, no re-sit examination or re-submission will take place more than 12 or 24 months after the start of your course. You are not permitted to re-sit an examination or to re-submit for a course passed. You cannot ask for a re-submission or re-sit examination be given to you. 8.4.1 Re-sit If you withdraw from the course e.g. by not turning up for the final examination, i.e. 'W' status, you may re-sit the examination or re-submit during the next examination period for the course provided you meet the following requirements: An overall continuous assessment score (OCAS) of at least 40 Fulfilled all the mandatory requirements, if any, e.g. compulsory lab sessions If you have taken the written examination but failed, i.e. an 'F' grade, you may re-sit the written examination during the next examination period of this course provided you meet the following requirements: An overall examinable score (OES) of at least 15 An overall continuous assessment score (OCAS) of at least 40 Fulfilled all the mandatory requirements, if any, e.g. compulsory lab sessions If any of the above requirements is not met, the outcome will be a repeat (not a re-sit). Exception to the above takes place only if your course has a different set of governing rules to re-sit the examination, which will be stated in your course information. 8.4.2 Re-submitting examinable work If your course does not have written examination as part of the examinable components, and you are eligible for a re-sit, then you need to re-submit the examinable works as required by the course. If your course examinable component requires a written examination and another piece of work, regardless of whether you fail both or either one of the two, and are eligible for a re-sit, then you have to take the written examination and fulfil the other piece of examinable work in order to complete the re-sit.
8.5
Examination arrangements
8.5.1 Entitlement for examination You are entitled to take the examination for courses that you have successfully registered to read, to re-sit and/or to repeat in that semester. Provisional dates of examinations Examinations will normally be held in May (for January Semester) and in November (for July Semester). Examination sessions can be held in the morning, afternoon or evening, on weekdays, and if necessary the full day on Saturdays or even Sundays. If you plan to take a vacation or go away overseas during this period, you are strongly advised not to confirm your travel arrangements until you have the detailed examination timetable with you. UniSIM is not obliged to set up a special examination session due to your absence or vacation. The examination timetable for the next semester will be released during the electronic Course Registration (eCR) exercise held in the current semester, which usually takes place 3 months before the commencement of the next semester. 8.5.3 Examination venue allocation You will receive your personalised examination timetable and the examination centre allocation via the student portal. You MUST produce a satisfactory proof of your photo identity such as your identity card, passport or driving licence when you enter the examination venue. Please note that without a satisfactory photographic authentic proof of your identity, you may not be allowed to sit for the examination. It is your responsibility to ensure that you attend the right session in the right venue. It is very much to your advantage to arrive at the examination venue in advance, and to be at the entrance of the examination venue at least 15 minutes before the examination starts. You cannot expect yourself to be in a good state of mind during examination if you arrive at the examination venue feeling agitated. You are thus strongly advised to factor in time allowance for heavy traffic, adverse weather conditions and parking problem when planning your journey. Usually, you will be allowed into the examination venue about 10 15 minutes before the examination begins. This gives you time to find your desk, to settle down properly and to read the instructions on the front covers of your answer booklet and question paper. 8.5.4 Late arrival If you arrive late but within first 30 minutes after the start of examination, you will be admitted to the examination without question. No extra time will be given for late arrival. However, you will not be allowed to take the examination if you arrive later than 30 minutes after the examination has begun. Overseas examination centre You can request to take your examination at an overseas centre if you are living abroad while pursuing your studies with UniSIM. UniSIM will do her best to arrange for a suitable organisation to conduct your examination on behalf of UniSIM. However, subject to many factors, such arrangements are not always possible. We cannot guarantee there will be an overseas examination for you.
8.5.2
8.5.5
To request for an examination to be held overseas, please retrieve the Application for Overseas Examination form from the student portal and submit it to UniSIM by end of February (for January semester) and end August (for July semester). We are unable to deal with late requests as identifying a suitable organisation/venue, coordinating the logistics and finalising the entire examination arrangements do take quite some time. You must make a fresh application for each examination period. There is a fee for each examination paper being held overseas, which is payable when you make the request. UniSIM will process the application only upon receipt of the fee paid. In the event that we are not able to arrange for an overseas examination arrangement for you, we will refund you the amount. 8.5.6 Seating arrangements and examination number The seating plan will be displayed outside the examination room. Seats are arranged by course code and by students' surnames in alphabetical order. Invigilation In each examination venue, there will be Presiding Examiner, Chief Invigilator and Invigilators responsible for the conduct of the examinations. The Presiding Examiner will inform students about the examination. This includes announcements concerning the use of materials, the start time and end time of the examination. Under all circumstances, invigilators will not help you to interpret questions, misprints or ambiguities. If you discover an error, a misprint or an ambiguity in the paper, please notify the invigilator, who will in turn inform the Presiding Examiner/Chief Invigilator accordingly. 8.5.8 Question paper and answer booklets You are not permitted to read the question paper until you are told to do so. Instead, you should check the front cover of the question paper and make sure that you are given the correct question paper. You should read the cover page instructions carefully and adhere to the instructions closely. UniSIM does not take responsibility for your failure to follow instructions which may, as a result, affect your performance. You should attempt the total number of questions required by the paper. Do not answer more questions than required. You are to ensure that your examination index number and course code are clearly written/available on all answer booklets submitted. The invigilator will supply you, upon request, additional answer booklets during the examination if you need them. Rough paper will not be provided as all rough works must be written in the answer booklet and crossed out accordingly. You are required to submit legible hand-written answers. The University reserves the right not to mark any illegibly written answer, or to charge the students concerned for transcription. All essay plans and rough works should be done in your answer booklet. Works that are crossed out in your answer booklet will not be marked. As any work not crossed out is considered to be part of your answer, it will be marked, even if it is meant to be your rough work or essay plan. You will not be given marks for the same information twice, even if it appears in your plan and in your answer.
8.5.7
8.5.9
Permitted materials at examinations The rules on materials/instruments permitted into the examination venue are very important with which you must comply accordingly. These rules will be given in the Examination Arrangement Booklet posted on the student portal when your personal time table is released. The Examination Arrangement Booklet spells out clearly what materials are allowed in examination venue. You must read both the general and the course examination rules carefully and abide by them.
8.5.10 Absence from the day of examination or no ECA submission If you are absent from an examination paper or have failed to submit your end-of-course assessment (ECA) for which you are eligible to sit or submit, you are deemed to have automatically withdrawn from the course. You will have to re-sit the examination or to resubmit the ECA in the next course cycle. Due to certain requirements, some courses do not permit re-sit/re-submit but require the students concerned to repeat them in the next course presentation. If you are absent from a re-sit examination or have failed to re-submit your ECA, for which you are eligible to re-sit or re-submit, you are deemed to have automatically withdrawn from the re-sit course. You will have to repeat the course in the next available presentation. For courses withdrawn, i.e. with the W status, there is no impact on the computation of your Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). 8.5.11 Leaving the examination venue No one is allowed to leave the examination venue during the first 30 minutes and the last 15 minutes of the examination. You are not eligible to withdraw from the course once you are in examination venue even though subsequently during examination you could be ill and have left the examination venue without completing the examination. Temporary absence After the first 30 minutes of an examination session, you are allowed by the invigilator to leave the examination venue, under a reasonable degree of supervision, for a short period to visit the lavatory. Your question paper, answer booklet(s) and all other materials/instruments must remain at your seat. Illness during examination If you fall ill after examination has started, notify an invigilator immediately. If you are unable to continue the paper, you may leave the examination venue. Once you are out of the exam venue, you are not allowed to return to the exam venue again until the examination session is over. If you wish to notify the Examination and Awards Committee (EAC) about your illness, you must complete Form E39, enclose it with a medical certificate clearly stating that you were unfit for examination by a qualified, recognised medical practitioner, and then send it to UniSIM not later than 3 days after the examination. You can retrieve Form E39 from the student portal. Your paper will still be marked as per normal and marks will be awarded accordingly. Finishing an examination early If you decide to finish your examination before its end time, you will be allowed to leave the examination room (provided it is not during the first 30 minutes or the last 15 minutes of the exam time). Before you leave, you are to hand in all your answer booklet(s) and examination stationeries to the invigilator. You will not be re-admitted once you left the examination venue.
8.5.12 Submitting your answer booklets On completion of the examination, you must make sure that all your answer booklets do bear your examination index number and course code. All your answer booklets are fastened together using the strings provided, in accordance with the instructions on the answer books and/or question paper. Some examinations may require you to write answers on the question paper or on separate answer sheets provided. Under such circumstances, you must fasten the question paper or answer sheets with your answer booklets for submission. You must remain seated until the Presiding Examiner gives permission to all students to leave the exam venue. Other than the question paper and materials/instruments which you brought in to the exam venue, you are not allowed to take along any examination materials whether used or unused, out of the exam venue. You must ensure the invigilator has collected your answer books. If you inadvertently take any answer book out of the examination venue, it will not be marked. 8.5.13 Misconduct during an examination The following situations constitute misconduct during an examination: Possessing a mobile phone or any kind of communication devices at your desk. Taking into or having in possession, while in the exam venue, any unauthorised materials, including permitted materials but containing unauthorised annotations/information. Aiding or attempting to aid another student, or obtaining or attempting to obtain aid from another student. Consulting, or attempting to consult, any personnel or materials during moments of being away from the seat while the examination is in progress. Attempting to influence script marker(s) and/or any UniSIM officials. Behaving in a manner deemed to be inappropriate in an examination venue or that might bring UniSIM into disrepute. The Presiding Examiner/Chief Invigilator has the authority to stop a student suspected for committing any of the above from continuing the examination, confiscate the unauthorised materials and expel that student out of the examination venue. The student will have to face disciplinary actions by the Examinations and Awards Committee. 8.5.14 Anonymity of examination scripts All UniSIM examination scripts presented for marking are anonymous. You must not write your name on any answer book. You must adhere to this instruction strictly and the University reserves the right not to mark your script if it bears your name on it. However, this rule does not apply to most projects, dissertations or other kinds of examinable works, which have different marking arrangements from the written examinations. 8.5.15 Lost property UniSIM is not liable for the use, misuse, damage or loss, of any personal item/property brought into or left at an examination venue. 8.5.16 Smoking Smoking is strictly not allowed in the examination venue.
Course results
Your course result is the aggregate of two assessment components continuous assessment (OCAS) and examinable (OES) component. The determination of each course result goes through many levels of review and discussion. The Examinations and Awards Committee (EAC) approves the course results.
9.1
Grading systems
9.1.1 Students admitted before January 2006 and opted to graduate with an OUUK degree Course Level 1 Course Grade Pass 1 PP F5 Pass 1 Pass 2 Pass 3 Pass 4 F5 Mark Range 85 marks 40 84 marks < 40 marks 85 marks 70 84 marks 55 69 marks 40 54 marks < 40 marks
2 to 4
9.1.2
Students admitted before January 2006 and opted to graduate with a UniSIM degree Students under this category will have two sets of result grades on their transcript: Courses taken and successfully completed before January 2006 will be awarded OUUK result grades as in paragraph 9.1.1 above. This grading rule applies to re-sit examinations in May 2006. Courses taken from January 2006 onwards will be in alphabetical letter grades as follows. Level 1 OUUK Marking Scheme (up to December 2005) Pass 1 85 marks PP 40 84 marks Letter Grade Marking Scheme (from January 2006 onwards) A+ 85 100 marks A 80 84 marks A75 79 marks B+ 70 74 marks B 65 69 marks B60 64 marks C+ 55 59 marks C 50 54 marks D+ 45 49 marks D 40 44 marks F < 40 marks A+ 85 100 marks A 80 84 marks A75 79 marks B+ 70 74 marks B 65 69 marks
2 to 4
F5 Pass 1 Pass 2
< 40 marks 85 marks 70 84 marks
Pass 3
55 69 marks
Pass 4
40 54 marks
F5
< 40 marks
BC+ C D+ D F
60 64 marks 55 59 marks 50 54 marks 45 49 marks 40 44 marks < 40 marks
9.1.3
Students admitted to UniSIM from January 2006 onwards Students under this category will have course grades in alphabetical letters and come under the Grade Point Average (GPA) system as follows: Level All Letter Grade Marking Scheme (From January 2006 Onwards) A+ 85 100 marks A 80 84 marks A75 79 marks B+ 70 74 marks B 65 69 marks B60 64 marks C+ 55 59 marks C 50 54 marks D+ 45 49 marks D 40 44 marks F < 40 marks GPA 5.0 5.0 4.5 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0
9.1.4
Mark thresholds for the award of course results The following 3 thresholds apply for all courses completed after January 2006 in order for a student to pass a course: A minimum overall continuous assessment score (OCAS) of 40 marks A minimum overall examinable score (OES) of 40 marks Fulfilled the compulsory attendance (where applicable) as required by the course The rank score (RS) of a course shall determine the course grade. The rank score is computed based on the weighted % of OES and OCAS of the course. For example, if both the OES and OCAS are equally weighted (i.e. 50% each) and a student has obtained an OES and OCAS of 50 and 75 marks respectively, then his/her rank score is RS = 0.5 OCAS + 0.5 OES = 63 (rounded up) With this rank score of 63 marks, then Under the OUUK award, the students course grade will be a PASS 3 (Levels 2 to 4) and a PP (Level 1). Under the UniSIM award, it will be a B-. Please note that the weighted % of OCAS and OES components in a course is not necessarily a 50:50 rule as in the illustration above.
9.1.5
Threshold for re-sit and repeat In general, if a student fails to attain either an overall examinable score (OES) of at least 15 or an overall continuous assessment score (OCAS) of at least 40, he/she will repeat the entire course (i.e. inclusive of both the OCAS and OES components of the course at the next available presentation). However, some courses require mandatory attendance for lab sessions as part of the course requirements to pass the course. Unless otherwise specifically stated by the course requirement, the above thresholds shall be applicable to all courses. UniSIM reserves the right to moderate the OES and OCAS when necessary.
9.1.6
Automatic withdrawal from course Starting July 2007, student absent from an examination or who does not submit the endof-course assessments (ECA) is deemed to have automatically withdrawn from the course. UniSIM will not question the student regarding the absence or non-submission. Under this circumstance, the course will not have a grade and hence no GPA computation. Instead, it will be a W status (to signify that the student withdrew from the course in the semester). Thus, the W status will not affect the overall CGPA of the students academic performance. It will be duly reflected on his/her academic transcript to account for the his/her progress. Following the rules for re-sit and repeat, the outcome of the course will then be either a W + re-sit or a W + repeat. If it is a re-sit category, the student must take the examination or submit a new ECA in the next semester. UniSIM does not limit the number of withdrawals W for each student in the 8-year candidature period. Thus, a student may choose to withdraw in the next semester for being absent for the re-sit examination or not to submit the new ECA in the next semester. The outcome of this course in the second semester will then automatically be a W + repeat.
9.1.7
University core courses Students admitted from January 2007 onwards must complete 10 credit units (cu) of University Core (UCore) courses in order to graduate. The objective is to impart to students a common set of skills and areas of knowledge beyond their academic disciplines. For January 2007 July 2009 intakes, students are required to complete a compulsory 4cu course, Effective Communication (COR100) and any two other 3-cu courses to be selected from a list of offerings. For January 2010 intake onwards, students are required to complete a compulsory 2.5-cu course, Essential Academic Writing Skills (COR160), and any three other electives to be selected from a listing of offerings. The assessment strategy for these UCore courses is in the course materials and the course calendar. There are 2 types of assessment strategy for UCore courses: OCAS + OES OCAS = 100% = 100%
The UCore courses are designed to broaden the students curriculum. Thus, these courses do not offer a re-sit option if students withdraw or fail any component of the UCore courses. Other than Effective Communication (COR100) or Essential Academic
Writing Skills (COR160), such students can choose to repeat the same UCore courses or select from a list of other course offerings in the UCore curriculum. Students may take courses within the UCore curriculum on top of their maximum permitted course load. The grade attained for each UCore course will be reflected in the transcript and will contribute towards students GPA computation. (This applies to student enrolled from January 2007 onwards.) Students reading Chinese and Tamil programmes will take the UCore courses specified in their Curriculum Plan (CP).
9.2
Graduation Regulations
9.2.1 UniSIM and OUUK Awards (for students enrolled in UniSIM before January 2006) 9.2.1.1 Graduate Diploma students are eligible to graduate upon successful completion of all required courses that count towards the successful completion of the programme in which they are enrolled prior to January 2006. 9.2.1.2 Basic Degree students seeking either OUUK or UniSIM Awards and who were enrolled with UniSIM before January 2006 will be eligible to graduate with the respective chosen award, if they have completed 120 credit units of courses, as required by the programme of study. 9.2.1.3 Honours Degree students seeking either OUUK or UniSIM Awards and who were enrolled with UniSIM before January 2006 will be eligible to graduate with the respective chosen award, if they have completed 160 credit units of courses, as required by the programme of study. 9.2.2 UniSIM Awards (for students enrolled in UniSIM from January 2006 onwards) 9.2.2.1 Graduate Diploma students are eligible to graduate upon the successful completion of all required courses that count towards the successful completion of the programme in which they are enrolled and obtain the required GPA at the point of completing all required courses. A GPA of at least 2.5 is required for a Graduate Diploma student to graduate with the qualification which he/she has registered for. Otherwise, Section 9.2.5 will apply. 9.2.2.2 Basic Degree students seeking UniSIM Awards must complete 120 credit units of courses and achieve a GPA of at least 2.0 at the point of graduation. UniSIMs GPA system tracks a students progress at programme level continuously over his/her semesters of active study, where he/she has registered for new or repeat courses. 9.2.2.3 Honours Degree students seeking a UniSIM Award will be eligible to graduate with the respective chosen award, if they have completed 160 credit units of study, which must include a Capstone Course. In addition, students must attain at least a GPA of 3.0 after the completion of the required 160 credit units of courses in order to graduate with an honours classification. Section 9.3 describes the Honours Classification System. If a student successfully completed 160 credit units of courses, but attained a GPA between 2.0 to 2.99, the student can only graduate with a Basic Degree.
9.2.3
UniSIM Awards (for students enrolled in UniSIM from January 2007 onwards) 9.2.3.1 Basic Degree students seeking UniSIM Awards must complete 130 credit units of courses and achieve a GPA of at least 2.0 at the point of graduation. UniSIMs GPA system tracks a students progress at programme level continuously over his/her semesters of active study, where he/she has registered for new or repeat courses. 9.2.3.2 Honours Degree students seeking a UniSIM Award will be eligible to graduate with the respective chosen award, if they have completed 170 credit units of study, which must include a Capstone Course. In addition, students must attain a GPA of at least 3.0 after the completion of the required 170 credit units of courses in order to graduate with an honours classification. Section 9.3 describes the Honours Classification System. Should a student successfully complete 170 credit units of courses, but attain a GPA between 2.0 to 2.99, the student can only graduate with a Basic Degree. All students must complete at least 30 credit units of Level 3 courses as part of the graduation requirements (See 4.3.1)
9.2.4
Grade Point Average (GPA) system UniSIM uses the GPA system to track a students progress at programme level over the semesters of active study, where he/she has registered for new or repeat courses. The academic performance indicator to be used is the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). In addition to meeting the minimum requirement of the Semester GPA as stipulated in Section 9.2.2, students who fail to attain the minimum CGPA of 2.0 at the end of any active semester will only be allowed to enrol in not more than 10 cu of courses in the following active semester. All students enrolled in UniSIM after January 2006 are subject to the following academic performance reviews: 9.2.4.1 Failure to attain the minimum CGPA at end of the 1 and/or the 2 active semester Students are allowed to enrol in not more than 10 cu of studies (excluding rend rd sits) in the following active semester, i.e. 2 active semester and/or 3 active semester. At the end of the 2 active semester, Heads of Programmes (HOPs) will issue a letter to remind students whose CGPA is below 2.0 that they may be asked to leave their programme should they fail to achieve the required minimum rd threshold CGPA by the end of the 3 active semester of study. 9.2.4.2 Failure to attain the minimum CGPA at the end of the 3rd active semester th and from the 4 active semester onwards Academic Warning if the CGPA falls below the minimum required at the rd end of the 3 active semester or for the first time in any active semester from th the 4 active semester onwards, a letter of warning will be issued. Academic Termination if the CGPA falls below the minimum again in any subsequent active semester of study after the issue of the Academic Warning, a letter of termination will be issued.
nd st nd
To view an example, please click here. Any student who feels that he or she has valid reasons and wishes to appeal against the Academic Termination, must write to the Registrar within 14 days from the date of the letter of termination. A student withdraws from his/her programme of study after having been issued an Academic Warning, has the option to re-apply for admission to the same programme of study or to another programme and pay the full application fees. All the academic records in his/her previous programmes of study with the University will not be considered in this new programme of study, even if the student is taking the same programme of study. It is very important to note that all students are only allowed to re-apply to a similar programme of study once. Any student who has been issued an Academic Termination, is not allowed to reapply for admission to the same programme. He or she only has the option to reapply for admission to another programme of study. The student would be required to pay the full application fees. All the academic records in his/her previous programmes of study with the University will not be considered in this new programme of study. In all appeal cases, the Registrars decision will be made known to the student within 14 days of receipt of the appeal. The decision is final and no further review will be allowed. An active semester is defined as a semester in which a student is enrolled for at least one new or a repeat course. It does not include any re-sit examination. If a student withdraws from a course or several courses in one/several active semester(s), the CGPA computation will exclude all the withdrawn courses. Your CGPA will be printed on your course result letter and transcript. There will be no performance review for students enrolled in shorter programmes, i.e. those with minimum periods of study less than 4 active semesters in length. 9.2.5 Computation of Grade Point Average (GPA) Sum (number of credit units(cu) x grade point) / Sum (number of credit units(cu)). An illustration:
Course Course 1 Course 2 Course 3 GPA = = =
Number of cu 10 cu 5 cu 3 cu
Grade A F D
Grade Point 5 0 1
[10 (5) +5 (0) + 3 (1)] / [10 + 5 + 3] 53 / 18 2.94
9.3
Classification of Honours Degree

9.3.1 UniSIM and OUUK Awards (for students enrolled in UniSIM before January 2006) Honours Classification computed for this group of students will be based on the OUUK Classification System whose general principles are illustrated in Table 1 below.
Table 1 Principles of Honours Classification for OUUK Awards Computation is based on results of those courses eligible in the honours classification process for the award in question. Only results from UniSIM courses or collaborative scheme courses are applicable for the classification in that award. Only grades of courses from Level 2 onwards are eligible for computation, 80 credit units in total. The first 40 credit units are taken from the best performing grades at Levels 2 and 3 on a singleweighted basis. The second 40 credit units are from Levels 3 and 4 on double-weighted basis. These 40 credit units include Project and the best 30 credit units from the remaining Level 3 and/or Level 4 courses. As a quality assurance check, the average grade of the best 20 credit units of the double-weighted (i.e. the average grade of the fifth bullet point in this table) must be at least the same or better than either the equivalent degree grade or the honour class computed using all the above rules in this table. Your grades need to satisfy both requirements to qualify for the class of honours.
The current classification points are as follows: Type of Classification First Class nd 2 Upper Honour nd 2 Lower Honour Third Class Minimum Threshold 0 631 901 1,171 Maximum Threshold 630 900 1,170 1,440 Quality Assurance Minimum 0 61 121 181 Quality Assurance Maximum 60 120 180 240
9.3.2
UniSIM Awards (for students enrolled in UniSIM from January 2006 onwards) Students pursuing a UniSIM Award and admitted in January 2006 and July 2006 semesters will be eligible to graduate with the respective chosen award upon completing 160 credit units of study. Those admitted from January 2007 onwards require 170 credit units of study, including a Capstone Project. In addition, students must attain at least a CGPA of 3.0 after the completion of the required 160 credit units of courses (for 2006 cohorts) or 170 credit units of study (for those from January 2007 onwards). If a student attained a CGPA between 2.0 and 2.99, he/she can only graduate with a basic degree. Table 2 below depicts the Honours Classification System for UniSIM Awards for candidates enrolled from January 2006 onwards.
9.3.3
Eligibility for graduation with a basic and honours UniSIM Award This policy does not apply to students pursuing an OUUK Honours Award but only to those selected to read a UniSIM degree. Upon successful completion of a UniSIM basic degree, students eligible to graduate will be awarded with a basic degree. If applicable, UniSIM will offer those eligible to read honours to proceed. Upon successful completion, the students graduate with two UniSIM degrees (i.e. basic and honours) at the end of the compounded study period.
Table 2: Honours Classification for UniSIM Awards (GPA System) Class of Honours CGPA Remarks First Class** All courses (i.e. courses at all levels) 4.5 5.0 are counted in honours classification Second Upper 4.0 4.49 Second Lower 3.50 3.99 Third Class 3.00 3.49 Pass 2.00 2.99 Fail Students will not graduate Below 2.00 ** A student must achieve at least an A- in the designated Capstone Course.
9.4
Notification of results
UniSIM will release your course results online on the student portal, approximately one month after the examination period. You may also generate your online course results letter. Your results will be reflected according to the award (refer to Section 9.1) you have chosen. In order to safeguard confidentiality, results will not be released by telephone or email. UniSIM policy does not permit examination scripts to be returned to students nor allow students to view their scripts. UniSIM also does not furnish any information about the examination performance, including the examination score. Occasionally, the Examinations and Awards Committee may need more time to reach a decision about your course result. In such an exceptional case, a 'pending' status will be given.
9.5
Examination review
9.5.1 Examination review process After the release of course results, if you would like a grade review, you need to apply by completing the Examination Grade Review Application form (which can be found under Admin Forms), stating the circumstances and the rationale for a grade review. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that UniSIM receives all your supporting documents and the fee payable by the given deadline. No late submissions will be entertained. UniSIM does not entertain queries pertaining to course results via telephone. UniSIM reserves the right for not releasing scripts to you for perusal or furnishing you with specific detail information about your examination performance. All reviews will be carried out thoroughly. Please note that after the review, your course results could be upgraded, remain unchanged or even adjusted downwards. The University's decision on your review is final.
9.5.2
Examination review fee Please note that there is a fee for each review of examination results. A non-refundable administrative fee of S$53.50 (inclusive of 7% GST) is payable for each course.
9.6
Convocation / Graduation
Students who have successfully met all requirements of their degree or diploma programmes will be invited to attend the convocation/graduation ceremony organised by UniSIM. Attendance at the ceremony is not mandatory. Information on the convocation/graduation ceremony and academic dress rental will be available on the UniSIM website at www.unisim.edu.sg a few months prior to the ceremony. Only names (without addresses) of graduates are printed in the official Directory of Graduates for both degree and diploma convocation/graduation ceremony. This directory is produced annually to coincide with the ceremony and is a public document. Its contents are not confidential.
10
Student regulations and discipline

The student regulations apply to all UniSIM students and they are to be read in conjunction with the Award Regulations as outlined in Section 11 of this handbook.
10.1
Introduction and definitions

The student regulations define the basis of the registration agreement between you and SIM University. As a student of the university, you are also governed by the UniSIM Award Regulations. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are fully acquainted with and conform to both the Student Regulations and the Award Regulations stipulated in this handbook. Definitions UniSIM refers to SIM University Open University refers to The Open University based in the United Kingdom Academic Board refers to the Academic Board of UniSIM Student Affairs and Support Committee refers to the Student Affairs and Support Committee of UniSIM Examinations and Awards Committee refers to the Examination and Awards Committee of UniSIM
10.2
SR 1
Rules and regulations (SR)

Authority of the Academic Board
SR 1.1 To make regulations The Academic Board may make regulations and rules, delegate to the Provost/Registrar for the management and implementation of the regulations and rules in the area of admission of students, continuing study of students, content of studies, teaching of students and method of assessments used to determine the award of programmes. SR 1.2 Publicity for regulations and their mode of application Regulations made by the Academic Board are published in this handbook. The Academic Board will also make known the manner in which the regulations are applied.
SR 1.3 Changes in regulations or their mode of application The Academic Board may alter the regulations and rules referred to in Regulation SR1.1 or the manner in which it applies them. Changes to the Student Regulations may be made at any time. Changes to course rules will not usually affect courses for which students are registered at the time of the change. The Award Regulations applicable to you are those in force at the time you apply for registration to the award, at the time you progress through the award, at the time you become eligible for and, where required, apply to receive the award. The Academic Board gives reasonable notice of changes to the regulations and rules and the date which they take effect. SR 1.4 Fees and dues Fees and other dues are prescribed by UniSIM (see Regulation SR8). SR 1.5 Continuous assessment (assignments) and examinations The Academic Board prescribes the rules governing continuous assessment (assignments) and examination for any degree, diploma, course credit, certificate or other awards offered by UniSIM. These are set out in the Code of Practice for Student Assessment in Section 10.3 of this handbook and in the detailed course rules as stipulated in the UniSIM Course Calendar. SR 1.6 Limitations that the Academic Board may impose The Academic Board may: (a) Postpone, withdraw, restrict by quota or otherwise determine the availability of a particular course despite the provision of Regulation SR7. (b) Specify certain combinations of courses that are excluded from satisfying the requirements for an award. (c) Specify a particular course or combination of courses as a compulsory component of an award. (d) Decide whether or not a course can be included in the requirements for an award. (e) Cancel your registration if you are found to be infringing Regulation SR5. SR 2 UniSIM liability UniSIM is not liable for any failure to perform any or all of its obligations where the failure (or delay) is due to the intervention or actions of a third party or to any cause beyond reasonable control of UniSIM. SR 3 Counting credit towards award To be eligible for an award from UniSIM or The Open University, you must comply with the regulations and rules about the counting of credit towards that award. Within such regulations and rules, a course counted towards any degree, diploma, or other final award of the University cannot be counted towards more than one other degree, diploma or other final award of the University. A course counted for credit towards a hierarchy of related awards where each award is included in the next succeeding level is regarded, for the purposes of this regulation, as having counted towards one final award. SR 4 Language of instruction, assessment and administration Unless specified otherwise, English shall be the language used for and in all tutorials, lectures, materials, weekend schools, counselling, examinations, assessment and administration in UniSIM. SR 5 Discipline As a registered student of UniSIM, you are subject to the Code of Practice for Student Discipline as outlined in Section 10.4. SR 6 Age Unless specified otherwise, you must be aged 18 and above (for General Studies Programme) and aged 21 or over (for undergraduate programmes) on 1 January / 1 July of the semester of study in order to be permitted to register as a student of UniSIM.
SR 7
Registration
SR 7.1 Necessity for registration You will not be permitted to register or to continue to study as a candidate for any programme awarded by UniSIM unless you comply with the registration requirements stipulated in Regulations SR7.2 & SR7.3. SR 7.2 Registration as a student To be registered as a student of UniSIM, you must satisfy all of the following conditions: (a) You must seek registration in the manner prescribed, and undertake to comply with the UniSIMs rules and regulations in force (which may change from time to time); (b) You must be accepted as a student, or be permitted to register for a course or an award; (c) You must pay or undertake to pay the appropriate fee at the point of registration; (d) You must not be in debt to UniSIM or SIM; and (e) You must be either an individual member or staff of a corporate member of SIM. SR 7.3 Course registration SR 7.3.1 Entitlement Subject to UniSIMs rights as set out in these regulations, registration on a course as a student entitles you to the tuition, assessment and materials for the relevant course presentation. SR 7.3.2 Limitations You must not register to study courses that would enable you to be awarded more than 40 credit units in any 12-month period or more than 20 credit units per semester (repeat and deferrals count towards the 40 credit units per year and 20 credit units per semester). Students, with re-sit examinations, are allowed to take up to a maximum of 60 credit units of courses in an academic year or 30 credit units of courses in a semester. However, please note that the additional 20 credit units per academic year or 10 credit units per semester must be resit courses. The 20 and 40 credit units ceiling remains for new and repeat courses per semester and academic year, respectively. SR 7.3.3 Award registration If you are registered for a particular award of The Open University made available through UniSIM, you must comply with the specific UniSIM award requirements at the point of registration. The UniSIM award requirements can be found in Section 11. SR 7.3.4 Cancellation of registration You can cancel your registration with UniSIM if you wish to discontinue your studies. However, any application and course fees paid will not be refundable. The Application for Withdrawal from Programme form is available for download on the UniSIM Student Portal. SR 8 Fees
SR 8.1 Payment of fees All fees and other dues are payable on demand and must be paid in the manner and by the dates prescribed. UniSIM will inform you of the amount payable. SR 8.2 Changes to fees UniSIM reserves the right to change fees, deposits and other dues without prior notice. SR 8.3 Refund of fees UniSIM does not refund or waive course fees, other fees or any part of them.
SR 9
Students in debt
SR 9.1 Failure to pay fees Failure to pay your fees by the specified date and in the prescribed manner may result in the cancellation of your course reservation, course registration, or any weekend school place allocated for that course. You will no longer be entitled to attend classes, obtain any course materials or any award. SR 9.2 Continued provision of services If UniSIM continues to provide services to you even though you have failed to pay your fees in time, or if UniSIM delays in exercising any of its rights or powers, this does not in any way constitute a waiver by UniSIM of any of its legal rights and remedies including the right to bring an action against you for nonpayment of fees. SR 9.3 Applying payment UniSIM reserves the right, at its discretion, to apply payments to your longest outstanding debts. SR 9.4 Awards Until the appropriate course fees and all other dues have been paid, you will not be awarded a course credit or certificate. Without prejudice to normal legal remedies, UniSIM reserves the right to refuse your further registration if you are in debt to UniSIM or SIM. At the same time, no awards will be conferred upon, and no academic transcripts or references will be issued. SR 9.5 Sponsorship Even if a sponsor undertakes to pay any fees on your behalf, you may remain liable to UniSIM for payment of all outstanding balances. SR 10 COURSES
SR 10.1 Award of course credit A course credit will be awarded if you achieve a specified standard in assessment during the course and where applicable, the examinable component. The Examinations and Awards Committee may prescribe additional conditions for obtaining a course credit. SR 10.2 Grades A course credit may be awarded with a grade. The scheme and conditions for determining which grade is awarded are prescribed by the Examinations and Awards Committee. SR 10.3 Points of rating for courses The Examinations and Awards Committee assigns a point rating to each course. Depending on the rating of the course, the Examinations and Awards Committee will award the appropriate number of points to you when you have successfully completed a course for which you are registered. SR 10.4 Level of study UniSIM assigns a level of study to each course. SR 10.5 Definition of failure You will be deemed to have failed the course if you do not fulfil the course requirements as specified for each of the course. SR 10.6 Repeating courses If you have been awarded credit for a course, you are not permitted to repeat that course.
10.3
Code of practice for student assessment

This code of practice for student assessment has the force of regulations and applies to all registered students of UniSIM. Definitions The terms used in this Code of Practice for Student Assessment are defined below. Assignments These are the tutor-marked assignment elements together with any other assessment elements approved for inclusion in the first (continuous) assessment component of a course. The scores for these are used individually and in combination with the score achieved in any second (examinable) assessment component, in determining an overall course result. Examinations These are the formal written and/or oral examinations together with any other assessment elements approved for inclusion in the second (examinable) assessment component. The scores for these are used individually and in combination with the score achieved in the first (continuous) assessment component, in determining your overall course result.
10.4
Code of practice for student discipline

This code of practice for student discipline has the force of regulations and applies to all registered students of SIM University (UniSIM). Definitions The terms used in this Code of Practice for Student Discipline are defined below. Disciplinary Authority The Student Affairs and Support Committee, or other individuals designated by UniSIM or those to whom the above have delegated their authority in writing beforehand. Disciplinary Offence Any action or conduct as specified in regulation SD 2 of this Code of Practice. Assessment All assessment elements used in determining the overall course result include continuous assessment assignments, essays, dissertations, projects, written and oral examinations and any other form of assessment used. For each course, assessments elements are combined into assessment components, the composition of which is prescribed before the course is presented. For research degree study, this includes assessed research training components as well as the final thesis. Assignments These are tutor-marked assessment elements together with any other assessment elements approved for inclusion in the first (continuous) assessment component of a course. The scores for these are used individually and in combination with the score achieved in any second (examinable) assessment component, in determining the overall course result. Examinations These are the formal written and/or oral examinations together with any other assessment elements approved for inclusion in the second (examinable) assessment component. The scores for these are used individually and in combination with the score achieved in the first (continuous) assessment component, in determining your overall course result.
Exclude/Exclusion The temporary or permanent prevention from the use of any facilities, premises or services that is available to UniSIM students. The intention is to deny access to a facility, etc. but not to otherwise affect a student's registration.
Expel/Expulsion Permanent withdrawal of registration with UniSIM Suspend/Suspension Temporary withdrawal of registration from any course, courses, or programmes of study or from the use of certain teaching materials or services. Suspension is not a penalty, in that a student does not have to be found to have committed a disciplinary offence, but typically a police or other investigation will be proceeding while the student is suspended.
SD 1
APPLICATION
SD 1.1 All students The Code of Practice for Student Discipline applies to all who have registered as students (in this Code called 'a student' or 'students' or directly addressed as 'you') of the SIM University as defined in the student regulations. It may be subject to any delegated authority. SD 2 DISCIPLINARY OFFENCES UniSIM regards the following as disciplinary offences and offenders are liable to penalties imposed by the appropriate disciplinary authority under this Code, whether or not action is taken under law. SD 2.1 Conduct that: (a) constitutes disruption of or improper interference with the teaching, learning, research, administrative, consultative, social or other UniSIM activities, whether on the UniSIM & SIM premises or elsewhere. (b) constitutes obstruction of or improper interference with the functions, duties or activities of any student, members of staff or other employees of UniSIM or any authorised visitor to UniSIM. (c) constitutes violent, indecent, disorderly, threatening or offensive behaviour or language while engaged in any UniSIM activity or on UniSIM premises. (d) is likely to cause injury or impair safety during any UniSIM activity or on UniSIM premises. SD 2.2 Conduct that, in relation to premises provided by another institution for use by UniSIM students, constitutes a serious breach of the regulations of that institution, including health and safety matters. Such premises will include but not limited to premises used for tutorial, weekend school, study/examination centre, graduation ceremony, libraries, laboratories, research and/or other facilities. SD 2.3 Conduct prejudicial to the assessment procedures of UniSIM. It includes conduct that is in breach of its examination rules, rules relating to assignments and/or regulations governing the award of degrees. SD 2.4 Knowingly making a false statement or falsifying evidence in support of: (a) An application for registration on any course or for registration for an award. (b) An application or claim for exemption or excusal from or deferment of any of the course, certificate, diploma or degree requirements. (c) A submission of an assignment or other assessment element. (d) An application to UniSIM for a grant, bursary, prize, scholarship or any other form of award, allowance, assistance or reimbursement of fees. (e) A request for provision of a particular service or services. (f) A claim for the reimbursement of travel or subsistence expenses.
SD 2.5 Failure to comply with any penalty imposed on you by UniSIM, subject to the provisions of this Code for any right of appeal. SD 2.6 Unauthorised disclosure of confidential information including, but not limited to: (a) Information relating to the proceedings of UniSIM. (b) Personal data regarding applicants, other students, graduates, clients and staff. (c) Information which are confidential or proprietary to UniSIM and/or protected under the applicable laws governing unauthorised access to or use obstruction or interception of computers or the unauthorised access disclosure or modification of data information or material (including but not limited to the Computer Misuse Act (Chapter 50A)). Disclosure of confidential information is subject to the provision of relevant Codes of Practice that may be issued from time to time. SD 2.7 Conduct that constitutes misuse or abuse of equipment, materials or services provided to students by UniSIM, including but not limited to: (a) Conduct that breaks the rules relating to the use of such equipment, materials or services in Singapore or overseas. (b) Conduct that breaks a software licensing agreement signed by you, or constitutes unauthorised use of the UniSIM computing or network resources. (c) Abuse of copyright. SD 2.8 Knowingly making a false statement or falsifying evidence concerning the award of a degree, diploma, course credit or other distinction by UniSIM. SD 2.9 Conduct that brings the name of UniSIM into disrepute. SD 2.10 Breach of the provisions of any Code or UniSIM rules or regulations that provide for breaches to constitute misconduct under this Code (e.g. bullying and harassment). SD 2.11 Bullying and harassment (a) All complaints of bullying or harassment will be treated seriously and thoroughly investigated. Disciplinary action can be taken in cases where bullying and harassment have been proved. Equally, UniSIM can take disciplinary action against anyone proved to have made a malicious allegation. (b) Cases of alleged serious criminal offence, such as physical and sexual assault, must be immediately reported to the police. In such cases, UniSIM will take no action under this code (other than suspension, if considered necessary) until the outcome of any criminal investigation is known. SD 3 PENALTIES Subject to the provisions of the Code and to any guidelines that may from time to time be made known by UniSIM, one or more of the following penalties may be imposed by the UniSIM Disciplinary Authority. SD 3.1 An oral or written caution which will be administered by UniSIM and may be initiated by the Disciplinary Authority or the Executive Authority. A caution may be delivered orally in the presence of at least one witness, but will be confirmed in writing to you. All cautions are recorded on file. SD 3.2 An order to make compensation covering all or part of the cost of damage to or replacement of property or of any money paid or loaned by UniSIM. SD 3.3 Temporary exclusion from the use of any facilities, premises, or services available to students of UniSIM. SD 3.4 Permanent exclusion from the use of any facilities, premises or services available to students of UniSIM.
SD 3.5 Exclusion from a weekend school, lecture, tutorial, or an examination room (this penalty does not in itself preclude the award of course credit). SD 3.6 Expulsion from UniSIM. SD 3.7 Disallowing an assignment or assignments to be counted for assessment purposes. SD 3.8 Withholding credit for a course or courses taken. SD 3.9 Revoking any assessment that contributes to any academic award or course credit. SD 3.10 Revoking any academic award or course credit. SD 3.11 Revoking any credit exemptions, transferred credits or credit deemed to be the equivalent of any periods of study or examinations. SD 3.12 Any other penalty determined by UniSIM.
SD 4
EXECUTIVE AUTHORITIES
SD 4.1 Presiding Examiner/Chief Invigilator The Presiding Examiner/Chief Invigilator is an Executive Authority in relation to students attending examination venues. In relation to offences under paragraphs SD 2.1(a-d), SD 2.2 and SD 2.3, the Presiding Examiner/Chief Invigilator may: (a) Informally caution you (this is not a disciplinary penalty and is not subject to appeal). (b) Initiate a formal caution (paragraph SD 3.1) that will be administered by the appropriate UniSIM Disciplinary Authority. (c) Discontinue your examination and exclude you from an examination room (paragraph SD 3.5) if such action is deemed essential; exclusion from an examination room does not in itself preclude the award of course credit. SD 4.2 Staff Lecturer The Staff Lecturer is an Executive Authority in relation to students using UniSIMs electronic and/or computing services. In relation to offences under paragraphs SD 2.1(a-d), SD 2.6, SD 2.7, SD 2.9 and SD 2.10 (under the Computing Code of Conduct), he/she may: (a) Informally caution you (this is not a disciplinary penalty and is not subject to appeal). (b) Initiate a formal caution (paragraph SD 3.1) that will be administered by the appropriate Disciplinary Authority. (c) Initiate an order that you make compensation covering all or part of the cost of damage to or replacement of property loaned to you by UniSIM (paragraph SD 3.2). (d) Temporarily exclude you from the use of any facilities, premises or services available to students of UniSIM (paragraph SD 3.3). SD 5 DISCIPLINARY AUTHORITIES Disciplinary Authorities are those officers with the responsibility to act under this Code in respect of certain circumstances. The powers of the Disciplinary Authorities are given below. SD 5.1 President of UniSIM The President of UniSIM, as a Disciplinary Authority of the University, has the power to impose any of the penalties listed in paragraph SD 3. The President may also refer the student disciplinary case to the Students Affairs and Support Committee where an appropriate disciplinary group will be convened for a hearing and, where necessary, for the imposition of a penalty. SD 5.2 Provost of UniSIM
The Provost may, subject to the provisions of the Regulations of UniSIM, suspend any person from any course or courses or from the use of certain teaching materials or services, and may exclude or authorise the exclusion of any person from any part of UniSIM or premises in use by it. These powers are defined in this Code as including all students registered with UniSIM. The Provost must report any such suspension or exclusion to the Student Affairs and Support Committee or other body to which the Student Affairs and Support Committee has delegated its powers. The Student Affairs and Support Committee (or other body) must then consider the matter in relation to this Code. The Provost may delegate the exercise of his/her power to the Deans of School with responsibility for students. SD 5.3 Registrar of UniSIM The Registrar of UniSIM, as a Disciplinary Authority, can act in relation to student disciplinary offences under this code. The Registrar may: (a) Issue an oral or written caution. (b) Order that you make compensation covering all or part of the cost of damage to or replacement of property or money paid or loaned to you by UniSIM. (c) Temporarily or permanently exclude you from the use of any facilities, premises or services available to students of the UniSIM. (d) Exclude you from a weekend school, lecture, tutorial or an examination room. (e) Refer your case to the Student Affairs and Support Committee for a hearing and, where appropriate, for the imposition of a penalty. SD 5.4 Deans of Schools, UniSIM The Deans of Schools, as Disciplinary Authorities, have the power to: (a) Issue an oral or written caution. (b) Exclude you from a weekend school, lecture, tutorial or an examination room. (c) Disallow one or more assignments to be counted for assessment purposes where cheating has been found on any assignment(s) within the first (continuous) assessment component. (d) Withhold credit for a course or courses taken. (e) Revoke any assessment that contributes to any academic award or course credit. (f) Revoke any academic award or course credit. (g) Revoke any credit exemptions, transferred credits or credit deemed to be the equivalent of any periods of study or examinations. (h) Refer your case to the Student Affairs and Support Committee for a hearing and, where appropriate, for the imposition of a penalty. SD 6 QUERIES AND APPEALS If you think that your case has not been properly considered or that a decision is unfair, you have the right to query and then to appeal against it. When you query a decision, it is usually referred back to the committee or individual that conveyed it to you. If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your query and, after looking at the relevant appeal procedure, you think that you have grounds, you can make a formal appeal. You may (except where provided for in paragraph SD 6.3) appeal only once against the finding and/or the penalty imposed. You should lodge an appeal by writing to the UniSIM Disciplinary Authority within ten days of the date of the letter informing you of their decision. Pending the hearing of the appeal, you must observe any penalty imposed. Appeals against findings and/or penalties imposed or endorsed by Disciplinary Authorities are considered by the Student Affairs and Support Committee, except where it is the Student Affairs and Support Committee that is acting as the Disciplinary Authority in the first instance. Appeals against decisions of the Student Affairs and Support Committee acting in the first instance are considered by the Academic Board. If you want to query or make a formal appeal against a University decision you should:
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e)
Look in your Student Handbook to see whether the matter is covered by separate procedures or regulations, and the time limit within a query or appeal must be submitted. Inform UniSIM in writing. State the nature of the matter, set out clear details of the grounds for your query or appeal and the sequence of events, and give the references to any other correspondence. Respect the confidentiality of UniSIM by dealing sensitively with issues that may involve other students or staff and name them only where necessary. Remain courteous and objective.
SD 6.1 Powers of the Student Affairs and Support Committee acting as an appeal body The Student Affairs and Support Committee acting as an appeal body has the power to dismiss or uphold your appeal. The Student Affairs and Support Committee may also set aside, reduce or confirm the penalty imposed but may not increase the penalty. SD 6.2 Powers of the Academic Board The Academic Board has the power to consider appeals against decisions of the Student Affairs and Support Committee sitting as a tribunal of first instance. The Academic Board has the power to dismiss or uphold your appeal. The Academic Board may also set aside, reduce, confirm or substitute the penalty imposed but may not increase the penalty. SD 6.3 Decisions against which there is no right of appeal There is no right of appeal against the following decisions: (a) Decisions of the Student Affairs and Support Committee acting as an appeal body in respect of findings of a Disciplinary Authority acting in the first instance (b) Decisions of the Academic Board in respect of findings of the Student Affairs and Support Committee acting in the first instance SD 6.4 Procedures for Queries and Appeals This procedure is intended to resolve your query or appeal as quickly as possible to the satisfaction of both parties. If it is not resolved to your satisfaction, UniSIM will give full explanation for its decision. You will be informed when your appeal has reached the last stage for consideration. The decision that UniSIM delegate authority takes at that stage is final. SD 6.4.1 Query the decision Within time limit specified in the relevant procedure, write to the committee or individual that conveyed the original decision to you and say that you want to query it. If no time limit is given, you should contact UniSIM immediately, and certainly no later than twenty-eight days after the date of notification of the decision made. Although a simple query can sometimes be dealt with by telephone, you can have more confidence that your query has been accurately recorded if you put it in writing and send it by post, fax or email. A clear, numbered sequence of points is most useful in setting the situation out clearly. UniSIM will send you a reply within ten working days of receiving your query, either answering it full or acknowledging it and indicating when a full answer will be given (or is likely to be given). If, when you receive a full answer, you feel you have grounds, you might want to lodge a formal appeal. SD 6.4.2 Initiation of appeals You should lodge your appeal by writing to UniSIM within ten days of the date of the letter informing you of the decision. SD 6.4.3 The Form of the Appeal The appeal must be submitted as a written statement in which you state the ground or grounds for appeal and be accompanied by any information or correspondence that you consider relevant. You must base the case for appeal on grounds other than simply a statement of disagreement with the decision already
reached, for example, a material procedural irregularity, material evidence not previously available, or a manifestly excessive penalty. Where such grounds are not provided, the case for an appeal will not be accepted. The delegate authority will consider whether there are grounds for upholding your appeal and whether the decision was taken fairly and correctly in accordance with UniSIM's policy and procedures, with all the appropriate information taken into account. The delegate authority will send a reply, or an acknowledgement indicating when a full answer will be given (or is likely to be given), within 10 working days of receiving your appeal. This stage may take longer because the delegate authority will need to see earlier correspondence and may seek advice from several departments, and a member of the authority's staff may discuss things with you. SD 6.4.4 Time limits for appeals The time limits contained in this code are mandatory and must be adhered to. Failure by you to submit an appeal within the specified time limits shall result in you forfeiting the right to appeal, subject only to the sole discretion of the President, who may extend the time limit for processing an appeal of a student where such extension is considered appropriate under the circumstances. SD 7 FAILURE TO RESPOND
SD 7.1 A disciplinary case Despite the time limits stated in the above procedures for conducting a disciplinary case, if your reply to a letter is not received within twenty-eight days from the date of UniSIM's letter or if you fail to attend a previously notified hearing without due notice, a Disciplinary Authority may proceed as if you had denied the substance and validity of the alleged case in its entirety. SD 7.2 An appeal Despite the time limits stated in the above procedures for conducting an appeal hearing, if your reply to a letter is not received within twenty-eight days from the date of UniSIM's letter or if you fail to attend a previously notified hearing without due notice, the Student Affairs and Support Committee or the Academic Board may deem you to have abandoned the appeal. SD 8 RECORDING AND REPORTING OF PENALTIES All disciplinary offences and penalties imposed will be recorded in your personal file/record. Every Disciplinary Authority of UniSIM must report in writing to the Student Affairs and Support Committee on the penalties imposed. SD 9 SUSPENSION
SD 9.1 If you are the subject of a complaint of misconduct, or a criminal charge is pending against you, or if you are the subject of police investigation, you may be suspended by the President, pending the disciplinary hearing or trial. No action will be taken (other than suspension) in such cases under the Disciplinary Code, until the outcome is known; at that time, the President will decide whether or not disciplinary action should be taken under this Code. SD 9.2 Suspension pending a hearing must not be used as a penalty. The power to suspend is to protect the members of the UniSIM community in general, or a particular member or members, and the power is to be used only where the President is of the opinion that it is urgent and necessary to take such action. Written reasons for the decision must be recorded and made available to you. SD 9.3 The President of UniSIM may suspend you with immediate effect when the matter is urgent but when time permits, you should be given an opportunity to make representations to the Student Affairs and Support Committee prior to a decision to suspend being taken.
SD 9.4 You may appeal against suspension to the Student Affairs and Support Committee. In the event that the Student Affairs and Support Committee does not uphold the appeal, it will determine the timescale in which the decision to suspend you must be reviewed. SD 9.5 If you are suspended pending an external hearing or trial, you will have your case reviewed by the Student Affairs and Support Committee if a guilty verdict is returned. The Committee will decide whether or not to impose a disciplinary penalty, and will take into consideration the penalty imposed by UniSIM in determining the penalty under this Code.
SA 1
ASSIGNMENTS
SA 1.1 Communication of requirements UniSIM will indicate in the course rules the number of assignments to be completed for a particular course, the number that will be used in calculating overall results (summative assignments), and the manner in which individual summative assignments scores will be combined. SA 1.2 Submission of assignments You are expected to submit every assignment in a course and by the stipulated deadline imposed by UniSIM. Unless it is specifically arranged otherwise, you must submit all parts of an assignment at one time and not as part-assignments on separate occasions. You will need to submit your assignments (TMAs) via TURNITIN in My UniSIM Portal, unless otherwise specified. Your marked assignments shall also be returned to you via My UniSIM portal. SA 1.3 Assignment score appeals If you are not satisfied with the score awarded for a particular assignment or wish to query any comments made, you must comply with the procedure and timescales for making such appeals, as specified by UniSIM. SA 1.4 Resubmission of assignments You are not permitted to resubmit any tutor-marked assignment in an attempt to improve the score for that assignment. SA 1.5 Cheating in assignments For the purpose of this regulation, cheating in assignments is defined as representing someone else's work as your own. This includes submitting an assignment or part of an assignment that has been written jointly, or has been copied (in whole or in part) without the acknowledgement of the work of someone else. Such copying includes unacknowledged copying from published material. If you are found guilty of cheating in an assignment, you will be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of UniSIM. SA 2 EXAMINATIONS The following regulations apply to the conduct of formal written examinations. You will receive the examination information in the Examination Arrangements Booklet, usually issued shortly before the examination. SA 2.1 Eligibility You are eligible to sit for examination provided that you are registered with UniSIM for the course leading to the examination, or you have been permitted to re-sit the examination. SA 2.2 Conduct of the examination Examinations will be conducted in the manner prescribed by the Examinations and Awards Committee. UniSIM will inform you in advance of the date, time and location of the examination and provide full information on the conduct of examination. No departure from the timetable will be permitted except in an emergency. The time allowed for the examination will be specified on the question paper. No extra time will be allowed either for reading the question paper or for candidates who arrive late for an examination.
SA 2.3 Examination arrangements You must abide by the rules and regulations pertaining to examination arrangements as stated in Section 8. SA 2.4 Conduct of students at the examination While in the examination room, you must not cause annoyance to other candidates, in the opinion of the Presiding Examiner/Chief Invigilator of UniSIM. SA 2.4.1 Misconduct in the examination For the purpose of this regulation, misconduct in the examination is defined as: (a) Possession of a mobile phone or any electronic devices at your desk. (b) Possession in the examination hall of any materials other than those issued by an invigilator for closed book examination. (c) Aid or attempting to aid another student, or obtain or attempting to obtain aid from another student. (d) Consult or attempting to consult, any materials outside the examination room during the periods of absence while the examination is in progress. (e) Attempt to influence a script marker or other UniSIM official. (f) Behave in a manner which is considered inappropriate in an examination room or that might bring UniSIM into disrepute. SA 2.4.2 Disciplinary code If you are found guilty of misconduct in the examination, you will be dealt with by the UniSIM Disciplinary Authorities. SA 2.4.3 Indiscipline in the examination For the purpose of this regulation, indiscipline in the examination is defined as any socially unacceptable action or behaviour that comes within the terms of regulation (SD 2 Disciplinary Offences of the Code of Practice for Student Discipline - see Section 10.4). SA 2.4.4 Serious cases In serious cases of indiscipline, the Presiding Officer/Chief Invigilator of UniSIM is empowered to discontinue the examination and to exclude you and/or anyone else involved from the examination room. SA 2.5 Absence from the examination SA 2.5.1 Illness or other serious circumstances If you absent yourself from any examination due to illness, or some other serious cause on the day of examination that prevents you from attending the examination, you shall be deemed to have withdrawn from course automatically. The final grade awarded for the withdrawn course will be affected by the following factors: (a) Successful completion and attainment of at least 40% in the OCAS A student under this condition will be allowed to take only the examination components (OES) of the course at the next available presentation. The final grade awarded for the course will be based on the weighted average of the Rank Score taken from the OCAS and OES at two different presentations. If the student does not turn up for this examination (a second time) or fails to submit the end-of course assessments, he/she would be deemed as withdrawn from course and will have to repeat the course at the next available presentation. Failed OCAS (less than 40%) A withdrawal with a failed OCAS result will imply that the student has to repeat the entire course at the next available presentation, submitting all OCAS and OES components of assessable work.
(b)
A withdrawal from course will be duly reflected in your academic transcript.
SA 2.6 Award of aegrotat An aegrotat is an examination pass that may be awarded if you are too ill to attend an examination. In exceptional circumstances, if you are unable for medical reasons to sit the examination, you may be eligible for an award of aegrotat under a code of practice approved by the Examinations and Awards Committee. Such exceptions are likely to be limited to students who, for medical reasons, are unable to continue with any further study and are registered on the final course or courses which would qualify them for certain academic awards. SA 2.7 Sick and disabled students SA 2.7.1 Inability to attend an examination centre You can be allowed to take the examination at home, in hospital, or at any other venues approved by UniSIM if: (a) For reasons of disability or ill-health, you are unable to attend an examination centre and; (b) This is considered justified by UniSIM after consultation with your counsellor. You are required to produce a medical certificate to confirm the particular disability or ill-health. The examination will be conducted under the supervision of an invigilator appointed by UniSIM. SA 2.7.2 Inability to write an examination paper You are permitted to record your answers by an appropriate alternative mean approved by UniSIM if you suffer from a disability that, in the opinion of UniSIM, prevents you from completing an examination paper in writing. SA 2.7.3 Blindness You are permitted to have your examination question paper produced in an appropriate medium approved by UniSIM if you are blind. SA 2.7.4 Extra time You are to provide full details of your circumstances on your inability that is medically supported. Extra time of writing would be granted upon UniSIMs approval. SA 2.8 Overseas examination For particular categories of student, arrangement may be made for examinations to be held overseas. If such an arrangement has been made for you, you will be required to pay, in advance, a fee for each examination. SA 2.9 Re-sits and Re-submissions SA 2.9.1 When re-sits and re-submissions are allowed You will (subject to any relevant award regulations) be permitted to take up the option to re-sit the examination or to re-submit assessment work that counts in place of or in addition to an end-of-course assessment, if you fail a course and: (a) Have achieved, for that course, an overall assessment score of at least 40 in continuous assessment and where applicable, have met the threshold requirement on the continuous assessment component and (b) Have attended the examination and have achieved the minimum threshold level specified by the Examinations and Awards Committee (for courses that have an end-of-course assessment) and (c) You will be subject to the conditions set out in paragraph SA 2.9.2. SA 2.9.2 Conditions for permitted re-sits and re-submissions The conditions for re-sits and re-submissions as permitted under paragraph SA 2.9.1 are stated in Section 8.3 of this Handbook.
11
Award regulations
These regulations apply only to students registered on courses and for awards in the SIM University (UniSIM). These regulations are to be read in conjunction with Student Regulations (see Section 10).
11.1
Introduction It is your responsibility to ensure that you are fully acquainted with and conform to both the Student Regulations and the Award Regulations of the UniSIM. UniSIM will be pleased to assist you wherever possible, and should be regarded as a first point of enquiry about all regulatory matters. DEFINITIONS The terms defined below are used in these regulations. Approved Course An approved course is a course that has been approved to count towards a particular SIM University award.
Credit-based Award This is an award for which you may qualify by the successful completion of a number of individual courses, each complete in itself, which combine to form the award and which each involve study for one semester or one academic year or a part thereof. Credit Exemption An award of transferred credit allows you, if you have successfully completed a period of relevant and formally assessed study elsewhere, to be exempted from some of the credit requirement of a SIM University award. Specific Credit Transfer (SCT) This form of transferred credit gives you exemption from one or more courses offered in the SIM University degree for which you are registered, when the study is deemed equivalent in course content and academic standard. General Credit Transfer (GCT) This form of transferred credit may be awarded for study which need not be equivalent to any particular SIM University course, but which must have been deemed appropriate for inclusion in a programme of study leading to the SIM University award for which you are registered.
11.2
General award regulations
GA 1
REGISTRATION
GA 1.1 Registration as a student and for an award
In addition to registration as a student to study a particular course, you must register for a particular award of the UniSIM. The UniSIM Award Regulations define the requirements that you must satisfy, in addition to complying with the Student Regulations, in order to register for and become eligible for an award of the UniSIM.
GA 2
ELIGIBILITY FOR AWARD
GA 2.1 Eligibility and registration To become eligible for an award, you must register for it. GA 3 CREDIT EXEMPTION
GA 3.1 Approved scheme The UniSIM may, from time to time, approve credit exemption scheme for particular UniSIM awards and these general regulations must be read in conjunction with the specific award regulations. GA 3.2 Previous study Any award of transferred credit must be made in recognition of the successful completion, at another institution, of a formally assessed and certificated period of study at higher education level. The level, orientation, and content of the study must be appropriate for the UniSIM award concerned. GA 3.3 Application of transferred credit Any award of transferred credit for study successfully completed elsewhere must be made towards a particular UniSIM award. GA 3.4 Claiming transferred credit A claim for credit exemption must be made in the manner prescribed by the UniSIM. GA 3.5 Fees The credit exemption fee prescribed by the UniSIM is payable when your claim is made. Payment of the fee entitles you to have your transferred credit claim considered. Failure to pay the credit exemption fee means that your claim will not be considered. GA 3.6 Choice of UniSIM courses Where credit exemption is awarded, the UniSIM has the authority to restrict your choice of UniSIM courses to be counted towards an award if it is deemed that there is significant overlap in subject matter between the content of the studies for which you were awarded the credit exemption and the content of any UniSIM courses. GA 3.7 More than one period of previous study You may submit evidence of two or more periods of study in support of a claim for transferred credit. Subject to the particular award regulations, the UniSIM has discretion as to whether or not to take into account more than one period of study in determining an award of transferred credit.
GA 3.8 Abandoning transferred credit If you receive an award of transferred credit towards a particular UniSIM award, you may abandon it in whole or in part, prior to the award being offered, subject to any condition imposed by UniSIM. GA 3.9 Other conditions Unless the UniSIM determines otherwise, you are bound by the conditions set out as follows: (a) Regulations in force If you submit a claim for transferred credit, you will be subject to the credit exemption regulations in force at the time of the claim. (b) Changes in policy You cannot request that a previous award of transferred credit be reassessed on the basis of an intervening change in policy affecting the award that you would receive for a particular course. (c) Studies not included You cannot request that a previous award of transferred credit be reassessed on the basis of studies not included in the original claim. GA 4 Duration of Studies
The credit required for the award of the undergraduate degree may be acquired over any number of academic years of study, not necessarily consecutive; provided that the total period to complete all the required credits is no more than 8 years (for all undergraduate programmes except General Studies programme). Each individual deferment of study allowed shall be for no more than one semester. Any resit must take place by the next available examination. GA 5 Classification of Honours
The class of honours is classified as follows: (1) First Class Honours (2) Second Class Honours (Upper) (3) Second Class Honours (Lower) (4) Third Class Honours

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UniSIM Student Handbook

Page 1 of 62 Updated as at 28 June 2010

1.2 1.3 1.4

3.2 3.3 3.4

3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 3.12 4

Restrictions and advice on your choice of courses ............................................................ 15

Page 2 of 62 Updated as at 28 June 2010

Second UniSIM degree ......................................................................................................................16

Course results, course offers and continuing registration................................................. 16

Transfer of programme (TOP) ................................................................................................ 17

4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9

Fee amounts............................................................................................................................. 22 How to pay your fees............................................................................................................... 22

5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7

Page 3 of 62 Updated as at 28 June 2010

Application and appeal for credit exemption........................................................................ 27

Submitting TMAs ..................................................................................................................... 30

7.3.1 Tamil) 7.3.2 7.3.3

Marking and returning TMAs.................................................................................................. 30

Course results .................................................................................................................................. 38 9.1 Grading systems...................................................................................................................... 38

Graduation Regulations .......................................................................................................... 41

Page 4 of 62 Updated as at 28 June 2010

Classification of Honours Degree.......................................................................................... 44

Notification of results.............................................................................................................. 45 Examination review ................................................................................................................. 45

SR 7.1 SR 7.2 SR 7.3

SR 8.1 SR 8.2 SR 8.3

SR 9.1 SR 9.2 SR 9.3 SR 9.4 SR 9.5

QUERIES AND APPEALS ................................................................................................... 54

Page 5 of 62 Updated as at 28 June 2010

Duration of Studies ............................................................................................................. 62 Classification of Honours................................................................................................... 62

Page 6 of 62 Updated as at 28 June 2010

Purpose of the Student Handbook

How the University is organised

The University's regulations

Main features of study

Page 7 of 62 Updated as at 28 June 2010

Page 8 of 62 Updated as at 28 June 2010

Your student records and progress through UniSIM

Changing your name

Changing your address

Confirmation of student status

Access to your student record

Page 9 of 62 Updated as at 28 June 2010

Problems that may affect your progress

Communications via MyMail account

Support for your studies

Page 10 of 62 Updated as at 28 June 2010

Tutorials, lectures and seminars

SIM student membership privileges and library services

Orientation and seminars

Page 12 of 62 Updated as at 28 June 2010

Self-help study groups

Telephone and electronic mail

Students with disabilities

Page 13 of 62 Updated as at 28 June 2010

UniSIM Student Portal / My UniSIM (Blackboard Learning Management System)

Course registration for continuing students

Page 14 of 62 Updated as at 28 June 2010

Restrictions and advice on your choice of courses

Page 15 of 62 Updated as at 28 June 2010

Course results, course offers and continuing registration

Page 16 of 62 Updated as at 28 June 2010

Transfer of programme (TOP)