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Questions & Answers in Full

Dissertations

I am currently a 4th year Law student at Bournemouth. My comment regards the guidance and organisation the School provides students writing their dissertations. It would seem that each dissertation tutor has a different perspective on what should be included in our projects. Some are telling the students to include literature reviews whilst others are saying not to, some tutors encourage hundreds of footnotes whilst others say keep it to a minimum.  This is confusing and ultimately could cost us marks if the second marker disagrees with what our tutors have told us to include. I believe that the tutors should be more consistent and all encourage the same standard of project rather than giving us mixed instructions. Furthermore, whilst I understand the project must be organised primarily by the student I have heard numerous reports from my course mates of insufficient guidance from their tutors.  It is understandable that they are not allowed to contribute or suggest content, however I think that a hand in date for a draft should be compulsory.  This is the standard procedure on many other courses and hugely motivational. It allows the student sufficient time for feedback and encourages good time management. It would also avoid last minute projects which usually result in low marks and an overall bad impression of the course. I hope this comes across as constructive criticism as it is in no way meant to be an attack on the school or on the tutors.

Answer

There is detailed guidance on 'structure and format' in the Project Handbook to which all staff and Level H students have access . The Handbook also clearly outlines what the supervisor's role is (and what it is not).

Regarding the literature review, again, the Handbook is clear. In the section headed "Main body of the project", it explains: "In a law project it is not ordinarily necessary to include a separate 'literature review'....." However, there may be minor variations depending on the methodological approach and the subject-matter of the dissertation.

The Handbook also gives guidance on the use of footnotes in the section entitled "Use of footnotes".

Ultimately, there is `guidance' but also room for flexibility. The idea is to discuss with the supervisor how you both prefer to proceed. It is a partnership. That process will then be fit for the individual because we all have personal learning styles.

Second markers will consult with first markers if there is a significant difference in marks. Generally there will be deference to the views of the first marker precisely because of the points you make regarding differences in style. Finally, if there is no agreement a third marker will be used to mediate.

The `guidance' process that occurs between student and supervisor is a personal one and should be the subject of detailed discussion at the outset of the project. Again, personal learning styles are important here.

I personally disagree with a compulsory draft date because managing the project is part of the learning activity. Notwithstanding, I will ask the Deputy Dean (Education) to review.

If you see me in a cafe say hello, buy me a coffee and I'll be happy to discuss any issues concerning you.

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BU Redundancies

Chris, I'll ask the question that nobody else will. We have all been under threat of redundancy since last September. When are we going to know? Surely you have a project plan that you could publish? There are rumours that some of us have to be advised of our fate by the end of February in order for the school to get out applications for replacement (young PhDs with research credentials) to be in place by September. The lack of communication is very soul-destroying.

Secondly, how do you remotivate those that are left, when there is a rumour about a second round of cuts again next year?

Peter Merchant

Answer

I submitted a plan to the UEG in accordance with the redundancy schedule previously published. Unfortunately (or fortunately) in the interim two additional volunteers came forward. This meant that we had to postpone the next stage until they had been resolved. Also, another member of staff challenged being included in a particular group. These issues were resolved yesterday and the next stage of the process will now commence. This will entail contacting those people still at risk and asking them to provide information and evidence relating to the criteria for consideration by a panel, which will then recommend compulsory redundancies as deemed necessary. Hopefully, the emails will go out within a week.

As to the second question I can honestly say that there is absolutely no intention to have another round of redundancies. However, I'm sure the questioner knows me well enough to realise that I cannot predict the future and I will not be a hostage to fortune and say, "never". I will say that I am tasked by the Vice-Chancellor to build the school not shrink it. As the saying goes - nobody ever shrank a business to greatness.

If you see me in a cafe say hello, buy me a coffee and I'll be happy to discuss any issues concerning you.

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National Student Survey

As a 4th year law student, I feel my lecture time is precious. Therefore I was disappointed that you proceeded to interrupt one of my lectures to pressurise us into rating the university well in the National Student Survey. I could understand your points in that if we have problems we should bring it to your attention. However I find it against the spirit of the survey to try to coerce students into giving the university a good rating. I included a brief summary of this in the comments box on the actual student survey.

Don't accuse me of devaluing my degree or my alma mater, as you said in your little speech something along the lines of 'in 10 years time your degree will be worth a lot more'. Personally I hope that I will have proceeded far enough in the professional world in 10 years time that no-one cares where or what degree I got.

Answer

Apologies for wasting your time. I did ask your lecturer and was assured it was OK. I'm sorry you felt coerced; from the tone of your question/comment I find it hard to believe you would be so easily bullied. Nevertheless, what I said, and I am happy to stand by it, is that we need to work as a team to add value to your degree and that entails internal feedback and external PR. If you feel that you won't care in 10 years time then you are right to complain and we will have to disagree and that's fine also. If you would like to discuss further then lets sit down for a coffee and talk. Thanks for the comments.

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Appointments with Tutors

I am a final year student completing my dissertation. I am having trouble getting in contact with my dissertation tutor. They consistently fail to reply to emails, need constant reminding to review and return my work and have let a colleague of mine wait for an hour and a half outside their office for a pre-scheduled meeting with them (giving the reason "sorry I forgot" when they did turn up). I understand they are busy people and they are very useful when seen, but even 5 minutes or a reply to an email would be helpful.

Although I am frustrated about this I do not intend to do anything about it as I realise any action that I take (even though this maybe through the correct channels),whether I like it or not will indicatively affect my dissertation classification (as is the way of the world).

 My question is what do you intend to put into place to ensure that this does not happen to any other students? And, if as I hear is planned, that more students in future will be assigned to one tutor surely this makes it more important? Finally, how are students protected from the prejudices that the markers within the university may put on them if they have decide to take action (i.e. a complaint to the overall dissertation supervisor)?

Answer

First, you should make an issue of this through the correct channels. We constantly strive to be more professional in everything we do and if your allegations are correct it is an instance of a lack of professionalism. Second, prejudicial treatment towards a complainant is, again, unprofessional and is not condoned. You genuinely do not need to worry about that.

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Anonymous Marking

What would be the rationale?

The rationale would be to eliminate bias. Whilst you have said in another post that the university is professional in marking, one can't help wonder if the marking system is truly unbiased. The exam system are semi-anonymous with only the student number on the paper. I say semi, because if the marker was so intent they could look up the student from the number.

Secondly can I actually congratulate you on "ask the dean". When I first heard about it I thought it would be a gimmick, but it's not! The turnaround on the replies also seem quick. Keep up the good work.

Answer

There will always be a bias. I suppose the real issue is one of trust. When I am marking work I actually want to know who the student is because I feel I can interpret the work better. The objective/subjective debate will never end. However, your point is well made and will be discussed at a School Committee meeting in due course.

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VC's Plans and New BU Logo

What do you think of the vice-chancellor's plans for the university. In particular what do you think of the "new" logo? The university spent thousands upon thousands of pounds changing it all over, and to be quite frank it looks cheap and nasty. The old logo looked much more regal. I've yet to find a person that likes the new logo (and who isn't on the V-C's payroll).

Answer

I am in favour of the VC's plans for the University, not least because I don't see any alternative if we are to survive in what will be an increasingly competitive market.

To be honest the logo was virtually in place when I arrived and so I had no attachment to its predecessor.  At my previous School we changed the logo and branding while I was there and the comments you make were very similar to those we heard at the time.  Ultimately, it is not what we personally think, because we all have our own tastes, but whether it works. 

Cost is always an issue when you don't like the outcome.  Bournemouth actually spends relatively conservatively on marketing.

Branding is more than a logo and the process itself can add huge value.

But, as I said, the real question is, does it work? Well, we are significantly up on UG applications this year and last, we are at least 30% up on open day registrations, and some 150% up on PG application form downloads.   We also won a "highly commended" Rebrand100 award (an international award for best branding projects) and have been nominated for 3 HEIST awards incl. best prospectus, best recruitment campaign and best marketing team.   We've also just launched the 2009 UG prospectus, and have already given away over 25% more than this time last year, as it has such "pick-up-appeal".  The evidence seems to suggest that the answer is, yes.

Although I am clearly on the VC's payroll I am mellow about the logos although naturally I prefer some over others. 

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Short Lectures

I'm in my final year of law and appreciate that the year is nearly finished and we've covered the topics in each of the units. However that said, two of my lectures this week have finished early, one by an astonishing 45 mins (instead of one hour). I feel short changed and that even though we'd already have other revision lectures, the full hour could have been put to use. Even though the uni seems to be shifting to less contact time, do you think it's right that my lectures (which I have paid for) are cut short. Perhaps a tuition fee refund is in order...?

Answer

Taking the issues in turn:

  • Short Lectures - why didn't you ask the lecturer to stay and chat with you alone when the others had gone? Instead of not getting value for money you would have had 1-2-1 tuition and, therefore, added value.
  • Uni shifting to less contact time - It isn't. The Uni is looking to enhance learning by a range of different delivery mechanisms. Contact time does not necessarily have to be with a human being, it can be with learning materials. For example, research shows that the most effective learning takes place when the learner is subjected to stimuli that have both visual and narrative elements. That's why we like films so much, because we like to learn and be simultaneously entertained. That's also why the term `edutainment' has been coined. As you said yourself some, if not all, of your classmates chose to leave. Maybe they didn't need more lecture time. Different people learn in different ways. One size cannot fit all.
  • Cutting short the lecture - It may have been right to cut short the lecture, I don't know; that is the decision of the individual lecturer. It sounds as if it wasn't right for you but, as I pointed out, you could have spoken to the lecturer and asked him/her to speak to you (and others who wanted to stay) for longer.
  • Rebate - I've thought about this and, let's suppose you're right. Does that mean if we treble the contact time it would be OK to treble the fees? I don't think so, because there is no correlation between contact time and learning. If we can continue to enhance the learning experience, by whatever means, we will be winning. If you could take up the challenge of discussing these issues with the academics concerned both you and they (and the Uni) would benefit. I know that by being forced to think about these issues by your question I have been able to more clearly formulate my thoughts about them.

Catch me for a coffee to discuss.

Student Reply

  • Short Lectures - the lecturers were almost as quickly out the door as the students but I appreciate your point. If I had wanted to I'm sure the lecturers would have stayed to chat.
  • Uni shifting to less contact time - okay if you're going to be pedantic about the word contact time, I'll change it to human contact time. So what is a lecturer if not both visual and narrative? Okay, so he doesn't zoom around the lecture theatre in a fast car or battle aliens etc., but he is animated and presentations now often include visual images. The University is trying to teach on the cheap, by getting the students to sit in front of computers and click things. (You'll need a fair few more computers than the current pathetic offering in the library etc.). Answer me straight (as I'm sure you will); is it not the University's policy to reduce HUMAN contact time? I.e. seminar and lecture time with a real live tutor. One size cannot fit all? Well humans have been watching and learning from other human beings spoken word since time began, it seems to be a good enough way of learning.
  • Cutting short the lecture - I would not say that cutting it short wasn't right for me. I don't need any special help, and truth be told I would probably have switched off sooner or later anyway. But compare it with this, if you paid £5 to go to the cinema to see a film, it they stopped the movie a third of the way in, wouldn't you feel short changed and demand a refund? You're a better man than most if you'd take it on the chin and walk out.
  • Rebate - It seems you can't make up your mind, here you tell me there's no correlation between contact time and learning but earlier you were stating that contact time doesn't have to be human and basically videos/computers are most stimulating (although I guess it depends on what you are viewing). So if there's no difference between human contact time and artificial, what's the point in either? To the point on trebling fees, yes if contact time was increased, I'd have no objection to fees being increased as long as both increases were indicated at the time I paid my fees / entered into the sale. Whereas currently I entered into agreement for X amount of time which I'm not receiving. Lets do some rough calculations: Tuition fee £1,250 (I'm on the old system, I think that's what I paid for this year). 40 weeks x 1 hour lecture, 20 weeks x 1 hour seminar.

Reply

I always answer straight - it is not the University's policy to cut human contact time but to tailor it more and use the technology available to enhance it. Faculty are learning how to do that.

You're right that from time immemorial we have learned from other humans and that human contact is essential. I have to admit to being one of those people who learn best from interaction. The big difference is that we are now dealing with many times the number of students and more or less the same staff base. What we are trying to investigate is how best to use that time. All research shows that the least effective way of learning is to sit in a lecture theatre for any more than about 15 minutes and simply listen.

I've been in a cinema when the show was stopped. I was offered a ticket to see the show again which I did. Ask the lecturer to cover what you feel you missed.

We'll have to disagree about your last point. And your calculations seem to show good value to me.

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