Leeds University Business School Module Handbook Leeds University Business School 2013-2014 LUBS9001 STUDY YEAR ABROAD Maria McCabe Information in this handbook is believed to be correct at the time of writing. Any necessary changes to this information will be directly communicated to students studying abroad.
CONTENTS PAGE 1 General Information 2 2 Staff 3 3 Health and Safety 3 4 Objectives of the module 4 5 Study requirements 4 6 Procedure for Approval of Modules/courses 7 7 Assessment 8 8 Re-Sits 10 9 Progression 10 10 Keeping in Touch 11 11 Study Abroad Office 11 APPENDIX A 12 Study Requirements In Different Countries APPENDIX B Online Learning Log Questions 14 APPENDIX C 16 Module Approval Form APPENDIX D 17 Erasmus Certificate of Attendance 1
LUBS 9001 (STUDY YEAR ABROAD) 1. GENERAL INFORMATION Year of 3A (between Levels 2 and 3) Programme: Semesters: 1 and 2 Prerequisites: None Eligible In order to be able to take this module students must programmes: be enrolled on a single or interdisciplinary honours programme parented by the Business School and must satisfy the academic criteria for acceptance to study at one of the University s exchange partners. (This will normally require students to have passed all their Year 1 examinations with an average of at least 60.) In addition students taking a joint honours programme parented by another department may also be eligible to enrol on this module (or the corresponding module offered by the parent department for their other main subject area). In each case, enrolling on this module involves transferring to a 4-yr International version of the student s existing programme. 2
2. STAFF Module Leader: Maria McCabe Room 1.13 26 Lyddon Terrace Tel: +44(0)113 343 6592 Email: maria@lubs.leeds.ac.uk The Module Leader is responsible for approving the choice of courses studied while abroad and will arrange for the provision of feedback to students on the online learning log (see Appendix B). The Module Leader will also be responsible for the assessment of this module (on a pass/fail basis). Study Abroad Officer Lisa Beare Room G.16A 26 Lyddon Terrace Tel: +44(0)113 343 0197 Email: L.L.Beare@leeds.ac.uk The Study Abroad Officer is responsible for informing students about the year abroad and for all the administration of the module. The Study Abroad Officer is the main point of contact for students abroad. 3. HEALTH and SAFETY You are required to attend a health and safety awareness briefing prior to your departure and complete a Risk Awareness form. A copy of this document can also be downloaded from the module website. The types of issues you should think about before leaving the UK may be: who will be your emergency contact, how can you arrange access to any medication you regularly require, rules of the road may differ, etc. 3
4. OBJECTIVES OF THE MODULE This module gives students the opportunity to: Demonstrate ability to cope with a significant change in the environment and adapt to a new culture and learning paradigm Broaden understanding and knowledge of subject specialism(s) Gain a deeper understanding of the country in which they are studying Improve foreign language skills (in exchanges where the language is not English) Develop transferable skills in openness and sensitivity to diversity in terms of people and culture 5. STUDY REQUIREMENTS For guidance on individual countries see Appendix A. The general principles underlying the requirements are as follows: How many modules should I study? A full academic workload is defined by the host institution (e.g. usually 12-15 credits per semester in North America/ 60 ECTS in Europe - although this can vary between institutions. Please check with the host university at registration what a full workload will be). Then: Language of instruction is normally English (or the student s first language): you will normally be required to study a set of approved courses/modules which are the equivalent of at least 80% of the full academic workload defined by the host institution. Language of instruction is not normally English (or the student s first language): you will normally be required to study a set of approved courses/modules which are the equivalent of at least 50% of the full academic workload defined by the host institution. Modules should usually be taken from the equivalent of level 2-3 at the host Institution. In North America this will usually be at level 3-4 (also commonly known as Junior and Senior Year). 4
Who do I need to tell about my module choices? This will depend on whether you are studying under an ERASMUS scheme in Europe, or a WORLDWIDE scheme in another part of the world. If ERASMUS you must inform the Study Abroad Officer in Leeds University Business School (Lisa Beare: L.L.Beare@leeds.ac.uk) and the Study Abroad Office (SAO) (studyabroad@leeds.ac.uk). In addition, both the Business School and the SAO must be informed if any changes are made or additional modules applied for. If students at European partners undertake unaccredited language study they may be able to have this formally recognised as part of their programme - if they are able to provide sufficient detail about the programme and arrange for an attendance certificate to be provided, showing the number of hours studied. If WORLDWIDE you must inform the Study Abroad Officer in Leeds University Business School (Lisa Beare: L.L.Beare@leeds.ac.uk). Why do I have to inform LUBS about my module choices? Simply because you are a student of The University of Leeds following an approved programme of The University. Also, during your year abroad you are studying a LUBS module (LUBS9001 Study year Abroad) and the LUBS Board of Examiners needs to be satisfied you have completed this module if you want the word International registered on your degree certificate. For this reason, not only must you inform LUBS of your module choices, but LUBS also has to AGREE to these choices. It does this by formally approving your module choices via the Module Approval Form (see appendix C). How do I get courses/modules approved by LUBS? Your course/module choices are approved by the Module Leader by submitting a Module Approval Form (see Appendix C) to the Study Abroad Officer in Leeds University Business School (Lisa Beare: L.L.Beare@leeds.ac.uk). The principles underlying module choice approval are as follows: About two thirds of the approved courses/modules you choose should relate to Business School subjects, i.e. Economics and 5
Business/Management (including the various functional areas of business/management, e.g. accounting, human resources, marketing). You are encouraged to seek courses which are not normally available to you at LUBS. Courses/modules which appear similar to core modules within your LUBS degree programme may not be approved. Remember, approval is at the discretion of the Module Leader. So, would a BA Economics student wanting to study a module entitled Marketing receive approval? Yes they would. Would a BA Management w/ Marketing student wanting to study a module entitled Marketing receive approval? No. The remaining courses/modules you choose (about one third of your approved workload) should relate to the unique culture, history, native peoples, or language of the country in which you are studying. Inevitably, your choice of courses will also need approval by the institution that you are visiting. Note, some of the courses that you may have chosen in advance as ones that you would like to study may not be made available to you, either because they have been withdrawn or because of restrictions on enrolment imposed by that institution. Have all my module choices to relate to the module learning objectives? You can choose subjects that are of general interest to you in addition to approved courses/modules providing that you satisfy the module requirements in terms of approved module workload and this set of approved courses has been agreed (and providing that the institution you are visiting permits you to do so). Such additional courses will not count towards the minimum academic requirements for passing LUBS9001 but then you are not required to undertake a full home student workload either. Historically courses on such topics as downhill skiing or scuba diving may prove to be attractive and rewarding addons that will enrich your study abroad experience, but these will not be approved or counted against your academic approved workload. 6
6. PROCEDURE FOR APPROVAL OF MODULES/COURSES As with enrolment at Leeds, your choice of courses will be checked at 3 stages: a) June enrolment : Before the end of semester 2, you should establish with the Study Abroad Officer, Lisa Beare a) what courses are likely to be available from the partner institution and b) which of these are approved choices for the purposes of meeting our minimum study abroad requirements. Appendix A provides information on the number of approved modules you will need to take during your SYA, this number varies between destination Universities. When submitting modules for LUBS approval you should provide a list of modules/courses slightly longer than the number of modules you are required to take, e.g. you are required to take 9 approved modules, submit a list of 11 or 12 for approval. As noted previously, about two thirds of the modules you list should relate to academic business subjects, and about one third to deepening your understanding of the culture of the country you are visiting. Some partner Universities provide a fixed programme for exchange students and so the LUBS approval process does not apply in such cases. b) September enrolment : At the start of the academic year, you will finalise the modules to be taken at the partner institution. When the partner institution has accepted your enrolment on those courses, you will need to get approval of your choice from LUBS if you have not already done so. You should do this by submitting a Module Approval form (shown in Appendix C). When you are registered on your modules, please record them in the learning agreement section of the online log (see Appendix B). If you have any concerns about your choice of modules, you should email Lisa at the earliest opportunity. c) Subsequent course changes (including semester 2 changes): As at Leeds you will be able to change your choices (within whatever timescale the partner institution permits) but only with our explicit agreement. (Again your point of contact for obtaining LUBS permission for this will be Lisa). Students should maintain e-mail contact with Lisa over any urgent issues that need revising. 7
7. ASSESSMENT Students will be registered on the Leeds University Business School year abroad module LUBS9001. Assessment for this module is pass/fail and will take place once the student has returned from overseas and their transcripts received by Leeds. The Business School at the University of Leeds will decide whether to award a pass or fail based on the student s transcript, learning log and, where appropriate 1 interviews and evidence of written work. Students should therefore keep all copies of written work undertaken abroad and be able to provide it on request to staff at the University of Leeds. In order to pass this module, you are required to: 1. pass the required number of credits of approved modules for your partner institution, as outlined in your learning agreement, and 2. complete the Online Learning Log to an appropriate standard The Study Abroad Office is sent transcripts of your results, but you should also enter your results online, as sometimes the transcripts are delayed. In cases where you have not passed the required number of credits (for example, if you are one module short of achieving this) the learning log will be critical in determining whether or not you pass the year abroad. You should therefore find out your results before completing the log, so that you can use the log to explain any difficulties you have had with specific modules. Note, any evidence of mitigating circumstances, such as medical evidence relating to illness during your studies, should be submitted to the School s Undergraduate Student Support Manager in the normal way. In the first instance it is best to contact Lisa, who can forward the information on. The Learning Log is a reflective piece of writing where you critically evaluate your performance on your year abroad studies. As such you should identify what you have done, why you chose these actions from alternative actions or available alternative choices, whether your performance was as you expected (either above or below) and if not, why not. In other words, it is similar to writing your PDP. 1 Where, for example, It is deemed that the student s transcript does not accurately represent their performance. 8
MARKING CRITERIA Fail Incomplete log Failed to provide a response to all questions asked in the log. (Do not leave responses blank, if there is nothing to say to a specific question then say there is nothing to say/add/note.) Fail Descriptive A description of events, devoid of Pass writing Descriptive reflection Average Dialogic reflection Good Critical reflection Deadline for submission discussion. Basically a description of events, but the account shows some evidence of deeper consideration in relatively descriptive language. There will be little consideration of alternatives. This writing is characterised by a stepping back from the events and actions which leads to a different level of discourse. There is a sense of mulling about, discourse with self, and an exploration of the role of self in events and actions. There is consideration of the qualities and judgements and of possible alternatives for explaining and hypothesising. The reflection is analytical or integrative, linking factors and perspectives. In addition to dialogic reflection this shows evidence of reflection on what has been learnt from the experience, and therefore, with the benefit of hindsight, what you may have done differently, and why. (Adapted from Hatton and Smith, 1995) The online log must be completed by 1st July 2014. Your entries at that time will be taken, together with your transcript, as your submission. If you have any problems obtaining your exam results from your partner institution, and this prevents you from completing the learning log, you should notify Lisa as soon as possible. Applications for extension to the deadline for submission should be made, in advance (and in accordance with general LUBS requirements) to the School s Undergraduate Student Support Manager, but in the first instance contact Lisa. 9
8. RE-SITS If you are unlikely to meet the requirements to pass LUBS9001 because you have failed courses taken at the partner institution, you have the option of a second attempt based, if this is allowed by the partner institution, on re-sitting the failed courses. NB In such a case it is entirely the responsibility of the student to arrange re-sits as LUBS cannot arrange re-sits for you at the partner institution. In these circumstances, you may also apply to update or extend your learning log (either online or as part of a revised submission) giving detailed explanations of why you have not achieved the required results. The deadline for such re-submission and for notification of the results of any re-sit attempts is 1st September 2014. 9. PROGRESSION If you pass LUBS9001 you will of course be able to progress directly to the final year of the 4-yr International version of your programme to which you have transferred. Any student who fails LUBS9001 will be unable to progress directly on that programme but will be permitted to transfer back to enter the final year of their original 3-year programme. 10. KEEPING IN TOUCH It is your responsibility to maintain contact during your year abroad with the Business School. This includes notifying Lisa of your contact details once you arrive, advising her of any problems you are having (including illness or other absences) and ensuring that your modules are approved by LUBS. To help you keep in touch, LUBS has established a study abroad website, which allows you to record personal contact details, update your learning agreement and your learning log. It can be accessed via the VLE. Details of the questions that will appear on the log are shown in Appendix B. There is also a facebook group you can join which has study abroad updates and information. You can also keep in touch with one another as well as former and prospective study abroad students: www.facebook.com/lubsstudyabroad ERASMUS students are required to submit a Certificate of Attendance form to the Study Abroad Office on completion of the year abroad (see 10
Appendix D). The Study Abroad Office will hold back the final payment of the Erasmus Grant until this is received. ERASMUS students must also complete an Erasmus Learning agreement (see Appendix D). 11. STUDY ABROAD OFFICE For more detailed information about partner institutions, application deadlines, accommodation, insurance and visas, please contact the Study Abroad Office. Their website has lots of useful information. http://www.leeds.ac.uk/students/study-abroad/index.htm The office is open from 10am-3pm for students on weekdays. Study Abroad Office University of Leeds Marjorie & Arnold Ziff Building LS2 9JT UK studyabroad@leeds.ac.uk Phone +44 (0)113 343 7900 Fax +44 (0)113 343 4968 11
APPENDIX A STUDY REQUIREMENTS IN WORLDWIDE PARTNER U.S.A., CANADA and HONG KONG You have to pass a minimum of 8 one semester modules, and are recommended to take 9. The exception to this is RPI which tends to have 4 credit modules instead of 3 credit modules. If you are taking all 4 credit modules, you need to take 7 and pass 6. AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND You must take 7 modules, but you are only required to pass 6. The seventh module can either be a non-approved module (i.e. elective) or it can be an additional approved module. The reason we insist on taking 7 is that it can be very difficult to resit in Australia. N.B. The Australian Academic Year starts in February. WORLDWIDE students will start in Semester 2, which begins at the end of July. Students should therefore take care in the choice of modules, as there may be reduced availability in Semester 2. SHANGHAI AND TAIWAN You are required to pass 8 credits per semester in order to pass the module (individual modules at Jiao Tong and NTU can be 1, 2 or 3 credits). You are strongly advised to take additional modules because arranging resits is likely to be difficult. ERASMUS PARTNER INSTITUTIONS ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) ERASMUS partners should specify the number of ECTS credits a module is worth, but do not assume that the number of local credits is equivalent to the number of ECTS credits. Again, you are often required by your exchange university to sign up for more credits that LUBS 9001 requires you to actually pass. Usually, for students studying in English, 45 ECTS credits are needed to pass LUBS 9001. If you study in a language other than English, 30 ECTS credits are required. At LUND in Sweden, where the language of instruction is English, students are required by Lund to take 7 modules of 5 Swedish credits each (equivalent to 7.5 ECTS credits each). To pass LUBS 9001 you 12
need to pass 6 of these, which is equivalent to 30 Swedish credits (45 ECTS credits). Students at COPENHAGEN BUSINESS SCHOOL must register for a full course load. They are required by CBS to register for a full 60 ECTS credits (120 Leeds credits) and courses are typically 7.5 ECTS credits. You would need to pass 45 ECTS credits in approved courses to pass LUBS9001. The remaining 15 credits could be unapproved electives or additional choices. At Toulouse Business School in Toulouse or Barcelona you are required to pass 45 ECTS credits if you are studying predominantly in English and 30 ECTS credits if most of your modules are in French or Spanish respectively. Students are recommended to take more credits than this as back up. At ESSCA School of Management you are required to take 30 ECTS credits per semester. The number of credits needed depends on where you are studying and whether or not you are studying predominantly in another language. If the whole year is spent studying in French, you would need to pass 30 ECTS credits over the year. If studying one semester in French and one in English, you would need to pass 38 ECTS credits over the year. If both semesters are studied predominantly in English, you must pass 45 ECTS credits overall. At ESC Pau you are required to pass 30 ECTS during the year but are recommended to take more credits that this as a back up. At Instituto de Empresa you are required to pass 45 ECTS credits if you are studying predominantly in English and 30 ECTS credits if most of your modules are in Spanish. Students are recommended to take more credits than this as back up. Students may choose to take more courses if they wish, either in their degree subject or as an elective, in an area which is of personal interest to them. 13
APPENDIX B The LUBS 9001 website will be accessible through the VLE you will log in with your ISS username and password. You will have to complete a section of the log with the details of all modules you are taking, and the number of credits each module is worth. The online log will consist of the following questions: Initially: Did you have any problems with registration or choice of modules? Did you have any problems with accommodation? How easy or difficult did you find adapting to the culture? Give an example of a time when you used one of the following skills on your year abroad: Communication Skills, Creative Problem Solving, Self Awareness, Flexibility, Social and cultural sensitivity, Initiative Write no more than 200 words and imagine you are completing an application form for a job. This is exactly the kind of question you may get asked in future job applications and you may be able to use or adapt your answer in future. Semester 1 How does the educational system and approach of the host country compare to the UK system? Comment briefly on each of your modules and if you are studying in another language, what has it been like? Exam results: Please reflect on your Semester 1 Exam results. Did you do better or worse than you expected? What do you think are the reasons for this? Do you plan to re-sit any modules, or to take any extra modules in semester 2, as a result of finding out your results? Did you have any mitigating circumstances that affected your semester 1 studies and exam results? If so please explain in detail. Give an example of a time when you used one of the following skills on your year abroad: Communication Skills, Creative Problem Solving, Self Awareness, Flexibility, Social and cultural sensitivity, Initiative Write no more than 200 words and imagine you are completing an application form for a job. This is exactly the kind of question you may get asked in future job applications and you may be able to use or adapt your answer in future. Semester 2 Choice of semester 2 modules: What has informed your choice of modules? The subjects of study, the form of assessment, the availability of modules, advice from the host university, your semester 1 results? 14
Have you learnt any more about the difference in educational styles in this semester? Comment briefly on each of your semester 2 modules. Exam results: Please reflect on your Semester 2 Exam results. Did you do better or worse than you expected? What do you think are the reasons for this? N.B. If you have not met the required number of credits by the end of Semester 2, it is important to complete this section as fully as possible and to give detailed explanations for why you might have failed specific modules. What did you gain from your Year Abroad? Write no more than 300 words and imagine you are completing an application form for a job. You may want to emphasise some of the following Leeds for Life skills, but you can cite others if you think they are relevant: Communication Skills, Creative Problem Solving, Self Awareness, Flexibility, Social and cultural sensitivity, Initiative N.B. The online log questions have been slightly amended based on feedback from previous students. In particular the questions which are based on employability have been introduced. This change is also based on feedback from employers, who have sometimes commented that students are not always able to articulate the value of their year abroad. It is hoped that by getting feedback on your answers when the log is marked, you can improve your future job applications. 15
APPENDIX C Leeds University Business School Study Abroad 2013-14 Module Approval Name: Degree Programme: Student ID: University attending overseas: MODULES TO BE APPROVED INCLUDING TITLE AND MODULE CODE Cultural modules to be approved* Business modules to be approved Please state any factors that have affected your module choice e.g. restrictions on modules available to you. Please list any modules you plan to do in your final year that might limit your choice whilst overseas. *These should include History, Politics, Geography, Economics, culture, language or similar. Cultural modules should amount to around a third of your modules. 16
APPENDIX D Erasmus Certificate of Attendance To be completed and signed by the host institution at the end of your Erasmus study period. It is hereby certified that: Mr/Ms has been an Erasmus student at our institution between the following dates: / / and / / in the Department/Faculty of Transcripts for this student will be: (please tick one) given directly to the student sent to the University of Leeds Study Abroad Office (date) (signature and stamp) Name of the host institution: Name and status of the signatory: It is the responsibility of all University of Leeds students to have this form completed and returned to the Study Abroad Office at Leeds. This form should be faxed to: +44 113 343 4968 A payment of 100, held back from the Erasmus grant, will be made on receipt of this document, the Erasmus Student Report and an Official Academic Transcript* (showing modules and marks obtained abroad). * If students are completing a research project a short report from the academic staff assessing the research will suffice. 17