General University Undergraduate Awards (Amendment) Regulations, 2010

B

L.N. 12 of 2010

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

General University Undergraduate Awards (Amendment) Regulations, 2010

IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred upon him by articles 74 (5)

and 75 (6) of the Education Act (Cap. 327), the Chancellor of the

University of Malta has promulgated the following regulations made by

the Senate of the University of Malta by virtue of the powers conferred

upon it by articles 75 and 79 of the said Act

Citation

These regulations may be cited as the General University Undergraduate

Awards (Amendment) Regulations, 2010 and shall be read and construed as one with

the General Regulations for University Undergraduate Awards, published as Legal

Notice 127 of 2004, hereinafter referred to as “the principal regulations”.

Applicability

These regulations shall be applicable from October 2009 onwards.

Amendment to regulation 7 of the principal regulations

For paragraph (b) of regulation 7 of the principal regulations there shall be

substituted the following

“(b) between two and three semesters for courses leading to a University

Diploma or University Higher Diploma; and”

Amendment to regulation 18 of the principal regulations

For regulation 18 of the principal regulations there shall be substituted the

following

“18. A Course leading to an award in more than one Area of Study may include

areas that fall under the academic responsibility of different Faculties. Senate shall

approve such courses provided there is the concurrence of each of the Faculties

concerned.”

Amendment to regulations 20, 21 and 22 of the principal regulations

For regulations 20, 21 and 22 of the principal regulations there shall be

substituted the following

“20. An Area of Study can be designated as a main area in the Course Plan for

a Bachelor degree if at least 70 credits at the appropriate level are assigned to it.

An Area of Study can be designated as a main area in the Course Plan for a

Bachelor honours degree if at least 110 credits at the appropriate level are assigned to it.

An Area of Study can be designated as a subsidiary area in a degree Course

Plan if at least 35 credits at the appropriate level are assigned to it.”

Amendment of regulation 39 of the principal regulations

6. For paragraph (1) of regulation 39 of the principal regulations there shall be

substituted the following

“39. (1) Subject to regulations 37 and 38, students who obtained credit when

registered at other recognised institutions of higher education, may have their credits

accepted by the Board of Studies for transfer towards a specific Programme of Study

except to a programme leading to a University Certificate,

provided that any award of the University shall be subject to the last 60 credits of the

Course being awarded by the University of Malta and, except for students who

participate in periods of study abroad approved by the University, the classification of

the award is calculated only on the credits obtained from the University of Malta”.

Amendment to regulation 53 of the principal regulations

7. For paragraph (3) of regulation 53 of the principal regulations there shall be

substituted the following

“(3) Students who fail a study-unit due to ineligibility to take the first

assessment because of failure to satisfy the attendance requirement shall not be allowed

a supplementary assessment, unless in special circumstances with the approval of the

Board of Examiners. In such cases, the Board of Examiners shall impose special

requirements on the student to make up for the missed teaching sessions.”

Amendment to regulation 55 of the principal regulations

8. For paragraph (2) of regulation 55 of the principal regulations there shall be

substituted the following

“or (2) be required to re-do the unit during an additional year of study. Such

an additional year may, at the discretion of the Board, not be counted for the purpose of

Course duration.

The conditions for the re-assessment of such study-units shall be indicated in the

particular study-unit description and/or in the bye-laws for the Course.”

Amendment to regulation 57 of the principal regulations

9. For paragraph (2) of regulation 57 of the principal regulations there shall be

substituted the following

“(2) for the examination mode: at the supplementary session of examinations,

held in September.”

Amendment to regulation 59 of the principal regulations

10. For regulation 59 of the principal regulations there shall be substituted the

following

“59. Students who after the supplementary session need not more than 10

credits in order to successfully complete the Course Plan for the year, shall, whenever

possible and after academic counselling by the Dean and/or the head of department

concerned, be given the option by the Board to either

(a) refer the failed study-units to the following year to be done over and above

the study-units indicated for that year; or

(b) repeat the unit/s in an additional year of study if the student is in the final

year of the Course; or

(c) repeat the year, if eligible in terms of these regulations.”

Amendment to regulation 68 of the principal regulations

11. For regulation 68 of the principal regulations there shall be substituted the

following

“68. Students who, after the supplementary assessment session, still lack more

than 10 credits to complete the requirementS of their Course Plan for the particular year

shall be required to repeat the year if eligible in terms of these regulations or, if not

eligible to repeat a year, shall be required to withdraw from the Course.”

Amendment to regulation 76 of the principal regulations

12. For paragraphs (a) and (b) of regulation 76 of the principal regulations there

shall be substituted the following

“(a) The performance in study-units in a Certificate, Diploma or Higher

Diploma Course shall normally be weighted equally except that, in the case of a

Diploma or Higher Diploma Course that includes Level 2 study-units, such units may

be weighted by a factor that is not more than twice that of Level 1 units.

(b) In degree courses, the performance in study-units of each year of the Course

may be weighted differently towards the Final Weighted Average Mark, provided that

the weighting of the study-units of any particular year shall not be more than 65%.”

Amendment to regulation 77 of the principal regulations

13. The following title shall be added before regulation 77 of the principal

regulations

“Award Classification Board”

14. For sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph (2) of regulation 77 of the principal

regulations there shall be substituted the following

“(b) Degrees are normally awarded as follows

Average Mark

Bachelor Degrees

Bachelor Honours Degrees

100% - 80%

Category I

First Class Honours

79% - 70%

Category IIA

Upper Second Class Honours

69% - 55%

Category IIB

Lower Second Class Honours

54% - 45%

Category III

Third Class Honours”

15. For paragraphs (3) and (4) of regulation 77 there shall be substituted the

following

“(3) The Award Classification Board, at its own discretion, may award a higher

classification than that indicated to students whose Final Weighted Average Mark is up

to five marks less than the minimum for the category/class. In such cases, the Award

Classification Board is required to minute the decision and the justification for it.

(4) The Award Classification Board may also award a lower classification than

that indicated in the above guidelines. In such cases, the Award Classification Board is

required to obtain the authorisation of the Board of the Faculty responsible for the

particular Course that shall minute the decision and the justification for it. The student/s

concerned may appeal to Senate against the decision within two weeks of the

publication of the final classification.”

Amendment to regulation 78 of the principal regulations

16. For regulation 78 of the principal regulations there shall be substituted the

following

“78. The University shall make every effort to ensure that the published Course

Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit Catalogues are complete and up-to-date,

but reserves the right to make changes on the recommendation of the relevant Board.

The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not

attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.”

Amendment to regulation 79 of the principal regulations

17. For regulation 79 of the principal regulations there shall be substituted the

following

“79. A student in debt to the University, or otherwise having unfulfilled

obligations to the University, shall not be permitted to re-register in any succeeding

sessions, nor shall a degree, higher diploma, diploma or certificate be conferred upon a

student in debt or having unfulfilled obligations, except by special permission of the

Rector, or until the debt is paid or the obligation is fulfilled.”

UG Harmonised Regs-2004-a3

November 2009

€0.47