Our Student Charter

York St John University will take all reasonable steps to provide a safe, secure and healthy environment that is conducive to learning and working and is inclusive of the needs of all students and staff.

Everyone in the York St John University community is expected to:

• Act with courtesy and respect in all situations – with peers, colleagues and the local community.
• Contribute to building a friendly community that is free of harassment and discrimination.
• Actively engage in University life and challenge exclusion and prejudice in all forms.
• Take responsibility for resolving problems and seek support when they need it.
• Be aware of University policies, regulations and codes of practice.

You can expect the University to:

• Send you information on how to enrol with the University.
• Comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act and safeguard all personal information.
• Provide information on how to apply for University-owned accommodation or to how to find suitable private accommodation in York.
• Provide a welcome experience that will help you find your way around the University and settle in.
• Provide an overview of our student support services.
• Give you access to, and help you to familiarise yourself with, the University library and IT systems.
• Help you to complete enrolment and register for modules.
• Tell you what your tuition fees and any other University charges are, and how to pay them.
• Help you access student financial support where possible.
• Help you to come to a new arrangement for paying your fees, should your circumstances change.
• Provide you with access to our student regulations, policies and procedures.
• Provide you with a teaching timetable when you arrive at the University.

You are expected to:

• Apply for University-owned accommodation, if you wish to do so, by the deadlines specified by Accommodation Office.
• Read and follow instructions on how to enrol for your course.
• Make sure that you are enrolled and register for a full set of modules for your course.
• Begin to familiarise yourself with student regulations, policies and procedures.
• Familiarise yourself with student support, library and IT systems and access them as you need to.
• Read and agree to abide by the University Acceptable Use Policy for University IT Systems.
• Let us know if you have particular needs relating to health or disability for which special arrangements should be made.
• Make any necessary arrangements with anyone who is financing your studies such as local education authority, Student Finance England, employer or sponsor.
• Make arrangements to pay any fees and charges and keep to the agreements made.
• Contact the Finance Office as soon as possible if your circumstances change and make it difficult to pay your fees or university charges.
• Complete any recommended preparation for the start of your course and brush up your study skills.

You can expect the Students' Union to:

• Send you pre-arrival information about Students' Union support and opportunities.
• Provide you with information about Welcome Week and social events for new students.
• Inform you of your entitlement to membership of the Students' Union and the benefits associated with this.
• Signpost you to relevant support services.

You can expect the University to:

• Provide you with a programme handbook that outlines the academic arrangements for your programme.
• Give you a module guide at the start of each module including information on assessment.
• Design your learning and teaching to meet the outcomes for the module or programme.
• Provide well trained and knowledgeable lecturers and support staff.
• Provide or arrange access to suitable teaching and learning spaces.
• Provide or arrange access to suitable library and IT systems, including access to our Virtual Learning Environment, Moodle.
• Tell you which texts or equipment you will need.
• Keep you informed about changes to your timetable.
• Provide you with an academic tutor who will meet with you on a scheduled throughout your programme.
• Offer support to manage disabilities so that you can access and fully participate in University life.
• Provide you with clear information about your responsibilities for any required placements and support you in participating in those placements.
• Offer a range of student support services and advice on how to access them.
• Follow the Student Disciplinary Procedure where necessary.
• Offer careers advice to plan your future, find volunteering opportunities and part time work.

You are expected to:

• Make yourself familiar with the requirements for your course and seek clarification from your tutor or head of programme in the first instance, if you are unsure of what is expected.
• Attend scheduled classes and let your tutors know if you are unable to attend.
• Take responsibility for your own learning and spend a realistic and substantial amount of time studying independently and contribute fully to all the activities specified for your programme.
• Read key recommended texts, use the University library or other libraries to find other course material and make use of the materials provided on Moodle.
• Check your email and notice boards regularly.
• Behave professionally when on a placement, keep in contact with your placement tutor, and report any difficulties at the earliest opportunity.
• Consult your head of programme if you want to make a change of module and programme
• Keep Registry up to date on any change of address, personal information or programme and ensure that your programme record is correct.
• Meet with your Academic Tutor, use support services as needed and ask if you need help.
• Be a responsible member of the community, become familiar with the Student Disciplinary Procedure and abide by all university policies, regulations and codes of practice.
• Make yourself familiar with the University Student Dignity and Respect Policy which details expectations for your behaviour.

You can expect the Students' Union to:

• Provide you with details of your elected representatives and how to contact them.
• Provide a range of extracurricular activities to meet the needs of a diverse student body.
• Represent the student voice on University committees.
• Provide you with the opportunity to feedback your views on the Union's services and activities.
• Run free and democratic elections, and consult the student body on major issues that will affect their student experience.
• Provide 1 to 1 representation and advice and guidance on a range of student issues.

You can expect the University to:

• Provide you with a supervision team with expertise relevant to your research and offer regular supervision meetings
• Help you identify your training needs and help you find opportunities to address them.
• Ensure you are supported in any teaching duties you undertake.
• Support you to disseminate your research findings.
• Provide you with access to protocols and a handbook that outline the academic arrangements for your research degree and information about administration,
• Progress requirements and assessments.
• Provide or arrange access to suitable library and IT systems, including access to our Virtual Learning Environment, Moodle.
• Provide you with pastoral care.
• Offer you support to manage disabilities so that you can access and participate in research.
• Offer a range of student support services and advice on how to access them.
• Follow the Student Disciplinary Procedure where necessary.
• Offer careers advice and support to plan your future, find volunteering opportunities and part time work.

You are expected to:

• Meet regularly with your supervisor and check your email and notice boards regularly.
• Complete supervisor meeting notes or meeting log within a week of the meeting.
• Take opportunities offered to you to develop your skills and review your progress.
• Seek to disseminate your research both informally and formally.
• Accept teaching opportunities only if you are able to commit to the development of your teaching skills.
• Make yourself familiar with the requirements for your course and seek clarification if you are unsure of what is expected.
• Take responsibility for your own research and spend a realistic and substantial amount of time working on your research degree.
• Complete any assessment tasks that are set for you, including any preparatory work.
• Use the University library, inter library loan service and other libraries to fully exploit the evidence base for your subject.
• Consult your supervisor or your research tutor if you want to make changes to your research degree
• Keep Registry up to date on any change of address or personal information and ensure that your programme record is correct.
• Attend meetings with your Postgraduate Research Tutor, let us know if you need help and use student support services as needed.
• Be a responsible member of the community, become familiar with the Student Disciplinary Procedure and abide by all university policies, regulations and codes of practice. 
• Make yourself familiar with the University Student Dignity and Respect Policy which details expectations for your behaviour.

You can expect the Students' Union to:

• Provide you with details of your elected representatives and how to contact them.
• Provide a range of extracurricular activities to meet the needs of a diverse student body.
• Represent the student voice on University committees.
• Provide you with the opportunity to feedback your views on the Union's services and activities.
• Run free and democratic elections and consult the student body on major issues that will affect their student experience.
• Provide 1 to 1 representation and advice and guidance on a range of student issues.

You can expect the University to:

• Tell you about the assessment requirements for each module and the dates for handing in assessed work.
• Publish an examination timetable.
• Make arrangements for the secure receipt of assessed work and provide you with a receipt for the submission.
• Publish regulations about assessment (Code of Practice for Assessment). This will include both information about the requirements for progress and award and explain what we mean by Academic Misconduct and its consequences.
• Make appropriate adjustments to assessment arrangements for students with disabilities or to help students meet religious obligations.
• Encourage you to tell us about any difficult circumstances that may have affected your assessment.
• Assess your work fairly and deploy an external examiner for each course to benchmark our academic standards and to provide an independent view of the process.
• Provide you with feedback on assessed work according to a schedule published by your School.
• Publish, through e:Vision, definitive marks for your modules immediately after they have been formally agreed by School Assessment Boards, and award and progression decisions once approved by the Progress and Award Examination Panel.

You are expected to:

• Complete any assessment tasks that are set for you, including any preparatory work by the dates specified.
• Ensure that you get and keep a receipt when you submit assessed work.
• Familiarise yourself with the examination timetable and make sure that you attend the examinations.
• Participate effectively in other forms of assessment such as group work or performances.
• Tell us in good time about any disability that you might have which might require an adjustment to assessment, or any religious obligation which we may be able to facilitate.
• Inform us of any circumstance which ought to be taken into consideration in assessment, using the Exceptional Circumstances Procedure.
• Familiarise yourself with the regulations for progress and award and understand how they apply to you.
• Take advantage of the feedback provided on assessed work.
• Understand regulations about cheating and plagiarism and its consequences and make sure that you get to know the accepted methods of academic writing and referencing so that plagiarism is avoided. This includes understanding that essay mills are now illegal, as per the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022.

You can expect the Students' Union to:

• Provide you with advice if you have concerns or difficulties with assessment.
• Advise and represent you through the academic appeals process.
• Highlight good practice and areas for improvement with regards to feedback from assessed work.
• Ensure University assessment processes are robust and transparent.

You can expect the University to:

• Tell you if you need to do anything further to complete your programme.
• Offer you the continued support of the Careers Service.
• Provide you with a certificate for the degree that you have achieved: a Diploma Supplement and Transcript (unless you are in debt for tuition fees to the university).
• Offer you the opportunity to attend a graduation ceremony if your degree is eligible.
• Offer you the opportunity to have a continuing relationship with the University through the York St John Alumni Society.
• Engage with you in the quality assurance and enhancement of your educational experience.

You can expect the Students' Union to:

• Invite you to attend an Old Johns’ weekend
• Give you the opportunity to use the Students’ Union commercial services.

You can expect the University to:

• Offer you the opportunity to express your opinions on course delivery and your experience at York St John.
• Let you know what has been done in response to your feedback.
• Treat any complaint seriously, seek to resolve the problem and respect your confidentiality.
• Ensure that you are not treated unfairly because you have provided feedback or made a complaint.
• Seek to learn from any complaints by reviewing them as part of the University's quality procedures.

You are expected to:

• Contribute your views constructively through student evaluation surveys and directly to your School.
• Keep your Students' Union representatives informed of any concerns or suggestions for improvement.
• Approach the service or School directly and give them the chance to put things right.
• Try to sort out any complaints informally and directly with the service or School concerned in the first instance.
• Seek the assistance of a student representative or the Students' Union to help resolve the problem.
• If you cannot resolve the problem directly, you can contact the Student Casework Manager and follow the University's complaints procedure.

You can expect the Students' Union to:

• Represent your views at relevant University committees.
• Give you with the opportunity to provide feedback on both the university and the Students' Union.
• Seek your feedback to enhance the services provided by the Union.
• Offer advice, support and representation if you need to complain about the University.
• Collaborate with the University on an annual review of complaints made.