Regulations for the Conferment of Awards
Awards
7.1 The following awards of the university are available for taught programmes:
Undergraduate
Foundation Certificate
Foundation Diploma
Foundation Degree (FD, FdA, FdSc, FdEng)
Certificate in Teaching Competence
Certificate in Education
Certificate of Higher Education
Certificate in Languages
Advanced Certificate in Languages
Certificate in Professional Studies
Diploma in Professional Studies
Diploma in Industrial Studies
Diploma of Higher Education
Higher National Certificate
Higher National Diploma
Ordinary Degree (previously termed ‘unclassified’)
BEng Degree
Honours Degree (single, joint, major/minor)
Honours Degree (Extended)
Pass Degree within an Honours Programme
BA Degree with Subject Specialism (Three Year Programme for intending teachers)
BA (Hons) Degree with Subject Specialism (Four Year Programme for intending teachers)*
BA (Hons) Degree (Two Year Programme for intending teachers)
BA/BSc (Hons) Degree (Four Year Programme for intending teachers)*
LLB and (Hons) Degree
MEng, MChem, MPharm DegreePostgraduate in TIME (Graduate Awards)
Postgraduate Certificate in Education (or Professional Graduate Certificate in Education)
Certificate in Professional Studies
Diploma in Professional Studies
Graduate Certificate
Graduate DiplomaPostgraduade in LEVEL (Postgraduate Awards)
Postgraduate Certificate
Postgraduate Certificate in Personnel Studies
Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Studies
Postgraduate Diploma
Diploma in Architecture
Master’s Degree
LLM
Master in Business Administration
Master of Public Administration
Masters by Research
Principles of Conferment
7.2 An academic award (other than honorary) can be given only to a student who is registered for that award and who has satisfied the academic requirements to qualify for the award and all other requirements of the university, including the discharge of any outstanding financial obligations.
7.3 Only the Progression and Award Board for an award has authority to decide that a student has met the requirements within the approved regulations for the programme.
7.4 The date of conferment of a taught award will normally be the date of the final decision by the Progression and Award Board that the student has qualified for the award.
7.5 In very exceptional circumstances it may be necessary for an award to be rescinded. This could arise for two reasons:
(a) if it should come to the attention of the Chair of the Progression and Award Board after the Board had met that there had been a breach of regulations which would affect the final outcome of the assessment and of which the Board was not aware
(b) if an error in recording the decisions of the Progression and Award Board was undetected up to and after the point of publishing the results.
7.6 In these circumstances, the Chair of the Progression and Award Board will consult the Head of Learning and Quality Unit (LEAP) informing her/him of the circumstances. Subject to her/his advice, the following action should be taken:
(a) if a recording error has taken place, the Chair of the Progression and Award Board will inform all members of the Board and issue a corrected record as quickly as possible, writing individually to the student(s) affected
- if it appears that a breach of regulations has taken place, all students in that cohort should be informed that their awards are deferred and the Progression and Award Board should be reconvened to reconsider the results of the students involved. At least one external examiner (the Chief External where there is one) should be present at the reconvened meeting: however in view of the commitments of external examiners and the need to act with speed in such cases, the external examiner(s) may be consulted separately by the Chair of the Board and her/his opinion obtained in writing to be put before the Board at its meeting. The decisions of the reconvened Board will be issued in the form of a revised results list and letters will be sent by the Chair of the Board to the student(s) whose results have been changed.
Publication of assessment results
7.7 Following a Progression and Award Board meeting, the results list must be signed by the Chair of the Progression and Award Board and the Secretary of the Board. Results letters will normally be sent by post to students whose names appear on the results list.
7.8 It is the responsibility of the student to provide the appropriate Student Centre with a current address to which the results can be sent or alternatively amend their address details on-line using Student Bannerweb.
7.9 Student Centre staff are not authorised to give results over the telephone or in person. Any result so given cannot be considered to be official.
7.10 Assessment results will be released to students who have outstanding financial obligations to the University (or associated institutions), but progression or release of an award certificate will not be authorised until these obligations have been met.
7.11 A record of achievement (transcript) will be provided for any student who has successfully completed any elements of a programme of study leading to an award of the University.
7.12 The transcript will be in the format currently approved in the University and will include a record of:
(a) the full name of the student;
(b) the dates of the student’s registration;
(c) the elements of study successfully completed and their level, grades or marks achieved and (where appropriate) date of completion;
(d) the credits accumulated;
(e) the award achieved;
- language of teaching;
- language of assessment;
(h) teaching institution.
7.13 A Diploma Supplement (which incorporates the University’s transcript) will be provided for any student who has successfully completed a programme of study leading to an award of the University.
Preparation and issues of award certificates
7.14 The certificate available to a student will be that specified in the regulations for the programme on which she/he is registered. Unless specified in the regulations, an interim certificate will not be awarded to a student who is continuing to the final award.
7.15 A student who leaves the University having completed one or more stages of an award may receive a certificate for the highest stage completed if the programme regulations allow it and with the approval of the Progression and Award Board.
7.16 It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that her/his name is correctly entered in the student records system, as the name registered is the one which will appear on the award certificate. If a student changes her/his name whilst registered for the award, evidence of this, e.g. deed poll or marriage certificate, must be shown to the appropriate Student Centre.
7.17 The name shown on the certificate will be the student’s full name at the time the award is made. A change of name after that date will not result in a change of name on the certificate, it will be for the student to keep evidence that he/she was previously known by the name on the certificate.
7.18 Unless the award is made by an external body the certificate will be in the format approved by the University. Samples of the approved format and wording of certificates will be held by the Head of Progression & Conferment. Certificates will bear the signature of the Vice Chancellor and the Chancellor. Certificates without these signatures, or which have been amended after issue, are not valid.
7.19 The following will be recorded on the certificate:
(a) the name of the University;
(b) the full name of the student;
(c) the award achieved;
(d) the title of the programme of study;
(e) endorsements; e.g. that the programme of study was a sandwich programme;
(f) the date of conferment of the award (normally the date of the final decision by the Progression and Award Board).
Posthumous Awards
7.20 Any award listed in Section 3 may be conferred posthumously and accepted at an awards ceremony on the students’ behalf by a parent, spouse or other appropriate individual. The normal conditions of the award must be satisfied, if not then the appropriate exit (fall-back) award should be conferred. The award certificate will state that the student:
“has been posthumously awarded the degree of ………………………….”
Replacement Certificates & Transcripts
7.21 Duplicate certification and transcripts will be issued where the appropriate application form is completed and the necessary fee paid. Application forms can be obtained online [MS Word], by post at the Conferments Unit, Room 307 Fry Building, Southwood Site, Avery Hill Road, Eltham London SE9 2UG or via email at conferments@gre.ac.uk.
7.22 If a damaged award certificate or transcript is received by post, this should be immediately returned to the University for replacement.
Awards Ceremonies
7.23 Only those undergraduate students who successfully complete their studies in June or July will be eligible to attend the July/October Awards Ceremonies for the year. All students whose awards are conferred at Progression and Award Boards after this period will be able to attend Awards Ceremonies in the following year.