Magee Campus

1

• Magee Campus

2
Induction

• Welcome all new students to their courses
• Provide information to assist you to settle
  quickly into university life
• Find out where you get further information

3
Information in this session

• Background to the university, faculty and school
• Structure of the courses
• School staff
• Courses website and handbook
• Studies Advice System
• Attendance and regulations
• Induction notices for this week

4
University Academic Structure

• 5 Faculties in University and 4 campuses
• Vice-Chancellor Prof Richard Barnett
• One of the largest universities in UK and Ireland
• Faculty of Engineering
• Approx 5,000 students in the Faculty
• Acting Dean Dr Richard Millar
• 6 Schools in Faculty
• School of Computing and Intelligent Systems at
  Magee Campus
• Acting Head of School Dr Liam Maguire
• Approx 500 undergraduate students

5
Courses Structure

• Four variants in this School
• Single Honours Computer Science/ Electronics and
  Computer Systems/Computer Games
  Development/Multimedia Computer Games
• Major eg Computing with HRM, with Accounting,
  with Marketing, with Entrepreneurship, with
  Psychology, with Languages
• Main Multimedia Computing and Design, Computing
  and e-Business
• Integrated Foundation Year
• Considerable overlap of modules
• Courses Co-ordinator Dr Heather Sayers

6
Modules

• 6 modules per year 3 per semester
• Contact time with lecturers and demonstrators is
  typically 5/6 hours per week per module
• This contact time is divided into lectures,
  practicals and tutorials
• Each module requires 200 hours of work lectures,
  labs, independent study etc.. Average of 40 hours
  effort per week required by every student for all
  the modules

7
Courses Co-ordinator

• Course Director for all undergraduate courses in
  this School
• Admissions, enrolment, induction , course
  meetings, course documentation etc..
• Meetings arranged by appointment via email
  a.doherty1_at_ulster.ac.uk or tel (Ann) 028 7137
  5148 School Office is room MG230
• Minor queries dealt with via email
  (hm.sayers_at_ulster.ac.uk)
• If you want to change course then you need to
  discuss this with Courses Co-ordinator (within
  the first 2 weeks)

8
Lecturers/Teaching Fellows

• Teach typically one module per semester provide
  notes, laboratory exercises, teaching plans,
  assessment regimes, mark assignments and exams
• Each lecturer has a website teaching information
• Role as a Studies Advisers more later
• They also do research and administration
• Availability posted on office door
• Contact details are available on Courses website
• More beneficial to email a query in advance of
  meeting with a lecturer

9
Other Staff

• Photographs in corridor on way to MG230
• Computer Training Officers
• Graduate Demonstrators
• Computer Officers
• Technicians
• Administration Staff School Office is MG230
• PhD Students - demonstrators

10
Courses website

• www.infm.ulst.ac.uk/scis/
• Will evolve during the year- any comments and
  feedback would be appreciated!
• Repository of information for students
• Noticeboard, contact details, timetables,
  projects etc

11
Faculty course handbook

• CD provided at enrolment
• Handbook addresses
• General information
• Health and Safety information
• Student support
• Teaching and learning, assessment and study guide
• Course information
• Handbook demo

12
Studies Advice system

• All year 1/A students allocated to a Studies
  adviser
• Small groups typically 8/9 students from the same
  or similar course
• Studies advisers are your first point of contact
  to
• Discuss problems with modules, lectures,
  studying, personal problems etc.
• Allocation list will be posted on the courses
  website
• You must meet your studies adviser every week
  see your timetable for indicative times
• Studies adviser will also provide compulsory
  weekly tutorials, and study skills information

13
Studies Advice Tutorials

• For each computing module you study, the lecturer
  will prepare a weekly tutorial question
• Tutorials will be available on courses website
• You must access these questions in advance of the
  weekly meetings and prepare your answers
• All Studies Advisers will take weekly tutorials
  and will monitor performance and attendance
• Attendance at the tutorial sessions is COMPULSORY
• Problems (staff or student) reported to Courses
  Co-ordinator
• I interview students who fail to attend tutorial
  sessions
• Useful as part of PDP process

14
Timetable

• Hardcopy provided at enrolment
• Available at www.infm.ulst.ac.uk/derek/ttsem1
• May change during the semester so please check.
• Can be timetabled anytime between 9am-9pm Mon-Fri
  and SAT mornings! Difficult to change lectures.
• 12 week teaching period from now to Christmas
• Study week and examinations in January
• Then Semester 2 starts new timetable available
  in January
• Year Calendar available in Handbook and on
  courses website

15
Attendance

• Attendance
• Correlation between attendance and successful
  progression
• We expect 100 attendance at timetabled slots
  (monitored)
• Extenuating circumstances
• If any problem arises -inform your Studies
  Adviser and me
• Report all absences due to medical or other
  extenuating circumstances to School Office -
  need to submit form (EC1 form) within 5 days with
  supporting evidence
• These forms are available from your Studies
  Adviser
• If reason accepted, can make alternative
  arrangements for missed assignments

16
Student Representatives

• For every year of every course, there is a
  student representative
• Volunteers are needed by next Monday
• Student Reps receive training to support them in
  their role
• They attend a Staff Student Consultative
  Committee each semester and bring any issues
  (good/bad) to the attention of staff

17
Performance on modules

• Pass mark for all undergraduate modules is 40.
  If a module has both coursework and examination,
  then both elements must be passed
• No opportunity to redo work unless there were
  extenuating circumstances ie you CANNOT chose to
  redo assignments to improve your mark
• May condone a failed module if one mark (CW or
  Exam) is greater than 35 and sum of the two
  marks is 90 or above. eg CW36 and Exam55 then
  condoned, but if CW36 and SE50 its a fail
• Can condone a maximum of 2 modules (40 credit
  points) per year.

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Performance on modules cont..

• Need to pass all 6 modules to progress to next
  year of your course
• We will contact you in February if we feel you
  are at risk of not passing year
• If you fail a module you may be able to resit it
  in August
• Resit fee typically 45 per module no fee
  (first sit) if extenuating circumstances are
  accepted.
• May have to repeat year or leave course if fail 4
  modules or more at first attempt
• Regulations listed in Programme Handbook
• Completion of Integrated Foundation Year allows
  progression to year 1 of degree of your choice
  within the School.

19
Other Information

• Library and IT induction sessions (see allocation
  sheet)
• Laboratory induction (see allocation sheet)
• You need to use your UU email we will contact
  you at this address
• Student Support offer a vital service for all
  students
• Assessment of student with special needs enables
  additional support to be provided eg extra time
  at examinations, pre-printed notes
• Students Union provide additional support and
  facilitate extra-curricular activities

20
Stamp Collection/Prize Draw

• You have been given a sheet containing a few
  simple questions
• Attendance at your Induction will mean you can
  answer all the questions
• Completed sheets need to be submitted to myself
  or Mairin Nicell by Monday 2nd October range of
  prizes on offer
• Draw will be held in MG207B on Tuesday 3rd
  October at 4.15pm

21
Tablet PCs

• This year some year 1 students will receive a
  FREE Tablet PC for the duration of your studies
• Planned to distribute in week 4
• Part of the Wireless Campus initiative at Magee
• You will be required to provide insurance for
  this PC
• More details will be provided in the next few
  weeks

22
Summary

• Reference information available in handbook and
  courses website
• Weekly meetings with Studies Adviser for
  additional advice and tutorial support
• Contact Courses Co-ordinator for any further
  advice or problems
• Attendance and good participation in studies will
  contribute to successful progression
• Other induction sessions offered this week
• Support will be available throughout year