University of Sunderland

Referred/Deferred Work Guidance for Students

REFERRED OR DEFERRED COURSEWORK??
Don't Panic - Here are some hints and tips to help!

What is Referred work- what does this mean?

On your transcript you will see that you may not have passed all elements of  work  (shown by the R (referred), RM (referred - mitigation accepted) N (non submission) or D (deferred) in the `overall grade' field), however you will be given another chance to pass the module/s by completing the appropriate referred assessment/s . It may be that you are referred in one element of assessment for a module or maybe more.

If you have been referred for a module this means that you been allowed another attempt to pass it but your mark will be capped to 40.
If you have been deferred this means that your mitigation has been accepted and therefore the assessment has been delayed, you can still achieve full marks in this instance.

The important thing is not to panic, you have this second chance to pass the modules and there are ways in which we can help and ways in which you can help yourself all you need is a little effort and the determination to succeed (not forgetting the added incentive of the success scholarship that you will receive when you successfully pass all of your referred work).

First things first:

• Have you checked SunSpace to get your referred/deferred work? It will be available from 2nd February 2012
• The hand in date for all DESIGN Undergraduate referred/deferred work is 5th March 2012 by 3pm
• If you have any learning difficulties ensure you register with the Disability Support Team who can offer you advice and help and you may be entitled to extra time for your assignments or examinations. They are located on Level one of Edinburgh Building in Student Support.

OK, now you're sorted on that front:

 Do you understand why you were referred?

• If you did not achieve the minimum grade requirement for an element/s of assessment
• Non submission - you must submit ALL elements of assessment to pass the module, if you didn't understand one aspect then speak to your Module Leader or Tutor - they are here to help you understand and pass the module.
• It is vital that you hand in something for ALL elements of assessment, even if you don't think it is finished! If you fail to hand in something for ALL elements then you cannot be compensated (being compensated  means that in certain circumstances - even if you do not achieve the pass mark - you MAY still be allowed to progress to the next stage). You CANNOT pass a module if you have not at least attempted ALL elements of assessment.

Have you read your feedback?

• This will tell you what you need to work on or what extra needs to be done to gain extra marks
• Make sure you collect you feedback from the LRC or Faculty Office where you submitted the work 
• Speak to your Module Leader or Tutor for tips and further feedback on your work which could help with your referred/deferred work, alternatively see below for link to staff availability.

Do you understand the work that has been set, or do you need to speak to someone about the assignment?

• Speak to your Module Leader or Tutor or check staff availability for staff in your area who can give advice
• If you can't get hold of a member of Academic staff then contact ADM's Student Experience Coordinator - Abi Fullerton - on 0191 5153105 and she will find someone who can help you.

Do you know where to get help if...

You need help planning your work or time?

• Help is available for study skills from essay writing, maths, revision and exams, plagiarism, grammar and more...
• Beverley Morgan is a Study Skills tutor based in Murray Library who can offer advice in this area 0191 5153600.

You feel like quitting .....Talk to someone first, there may be an option you hadn't thought of..

• Your Programme Leader or Tutor will be happy to discuss any problems you may be having with your course
• You can also speak to ADM's Student Experience Coordinator, Abi Fullerton, on 0191 5153105. If you want to, she can put you in touch with one of the many support services that the University has to offer 
• If you wanted to speak to someone independent then the Students' Union has Student Advisors who can offer confidential advice and guidance  - call them on 0191 5153030.

Do you understand about Plagiarism and Collusion?

• Plagiarism is the use of the words, thoughts, findings and ideas of others without acknowledging them as such. Some instances of plagiarism are deliberate, for example, if work is copied in order to meet a deadline. In other cases it may be done in ignorance.  Either way, plagiarism is a form of cheating and will be penalised.
• Collusion is another form of plagiarism. While collaboration and group work are required in order for students to exchange ideas and work as a team, this must not result in the submission of individual work that is the same or very similar as another student's. In such cases, collaboration becomes collusion. Other examples of collusion are where one student writes a piece of work for another, perhaps for payment, or where an essay is bought from an online supplier.
• See Study Skills for further information on how to avoid plagiarism.

Do you know how to reference books/articles/websites that you've used for your assessment?

• An e-version of 'Cite them Right' is available by logging into my.sunderland with your User ID and Password then clicking on 'Me' and 'Library Resources'

Handy Hints

• Break the assignment into manageable parts
• Write an essay plan - bullet point what is to go into each section
• If you have more than one piece of work then do a time plan and stick to it
• Re-read your feedback from previous work - take note of suggestions and criticism - these are here to help you improve
• Make a start! Write down anything then you can build around your ideas and add quotes and references later, a blank screen or paper is daunting so take the plunge and get something down even if it's a brainstorming ramble to begin with 
• DON'T leave it till the last minute...spread the work over the vacation period to avoid last minute panic
• DO speak to someone if you're struggling - we are here to help you.

Frequently Asked Questions

I didn't take this module, why have I been referred in it?

• If you did not attend any lectures or seminars for this module, check your e-vision account to see what modules you're registered for. If have been registered for a module in error you will need to complete a module change form at the Faculty Office. If you are worried about which modules you should be taking please go and see your Programme Leader.
• Please note that if you are Full Time Undergraduate student then you must be enrolled for, and taking, 120 credits.

There's no mark against a piece of work, but I did hand it in - what do I do?

• You will need to take the stamped receipt that you were given when you handed the work in to your Module Leader in the first instance. If you cannot find the receipt then speak to the staff at the hand in desk who will have a copy with date of submission on it. ALWAYS HAND YOUR WORK INTO THE LRC OR FACULTY OFFICE AND ENSURE YOU GET A RECEIPT FOR ALL WORK SUBMITTED - THIS IS YOUR PROOF OF SUBMISSION

I haven't received my referred/deferred work, what do I do?

• If you have not received a letter telling you about your referred/deferred work then you will need to speak to the Assessments and Records team on 0191 5152189
• If you have received your letter then you will need to access the appropriate referral/deferral work via SunSpace - instructions are on your referral letter.

I have mitigating circumstances for this piece of referred/deferred work, what do I do?

• You need to complete a mitigation form and speak to your Programme Leader - please note that there are deadlines for these forms so it is important that you speak to someone at the earliest opportunity. If you cannot contact your Programme Leader speak to the Student Experience Coordinator, Abi Fullerton , on 0191 5153105.

Who can I ask for help?

• Your Programme Leader or Tutor will be happy to discuss any problems you may be having with your course or the assignment
• You can also speak to ADM's Student Experience Coordinator, Abi Fullerton , on 0191 5153105. If you want her to, she can put in touch with one of the many support services that the University has to offer 
• If you wanted to speak to someone independent then the Students' Union has Student Advisors who can offer confidential advice and guidance  - call them on 0191 5153030
• Don't bury your head in the sand, it is better to ask for help early on rather than the day before your work is due in, we understand that some people may struggle with assignments, the sooner you speak to someone about it the sooner we can help you get started on it.

Can I have an extension on the deadline?

• You would need to speak to your Module Leader as they need to approve this, you can pick up a form from the Faculty Office and ask your Module Leader to approve and sign it.
• Please be aware that this may delay your progression onto the next stage of your programme.

Where do I find relevant texts for assignments or independent research?

• Check your Module Guide for recommended texts
• Check out the Library - search SunCat using a keyword for your assignment then it's a matter of looking through the books it gives you and seeing if they are relevant - if you use them don't forget to reference them!
• Check for journal articles via your Athens account, speak to Library staff if you are unsure about how to do this.
• The internet has some useful information on it but be careful when using certain websites, such as Wikipedia, as their information may not always be correct and may just be an opinion rather than properly researched work- remember if you do use information from a website then you must reference these too!

When will I get my results?

• Results will be available on Evision, this date is to be confirmed