under the auspices of the Centre for the Liberal Arts and Sciences

B

L.N. 221 of 2014

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

Regulations of 2014 for a Programme in the Liberal Arts and Sciences

under the auspices of the Centre for the Liberal Arts and Sciences

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 Board of the Centre for the

Liberal Arts and Sciences in virtue of the powers conferred upon it by article

7(b)(v) of the Statute for the Centre, which regulations have been approved by the

Senate of the University of Malta

Citation

These regulations may be cited as the Regulations of 2014 for a

Programme in the Liberal Arts and Sciences under the auspices of the Centre for the

Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicability

These regulations shall be applicable from October 2014 onwards.

Interpretation

In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires, the terms

used shall be taken to mean as indicated in the Glossary of Terms listed hereunder

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Term

Explanation

Award/s

A University Certificate, a University Diploma, a University

Higher Diploma, a Bachelor degree awarded as specified in these

regulations.

Award

The Award Classification Board appointed to decide on the final

Classification

classification of students eligible for the award of a diploma or

Board

degree.

Board of Studies

The Board of Studies appointed to administer the Programme in

terms of these regulations.

A Catalogue of Units is the collection of all the Units offered in

this Programme and shall be published online. The detailed

description of each Unit shall indicate its type, level, code, title,

content and learning outcomes, credit value, method of teaching

and assessment, including the percentage weighting of each

assessment component when applicable.

Credits are awarded for successful completion of each Unit.

The allocation of credit to Units forming part of the Programme

according to the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation

System (ECTS) proposed by the European Commission.

Assessment of Units may be through coursework, assignments,

written or oral examinations, other methods of assessment as

approved by Senate, or combinations of these, to each of which a

percentage of the final mark shall be assigned. The Method of

Assessment for each Unit shall be indicated in the detailed

description of the Units that is published in the Catalogue of

Units.

The Programme in the Liberal Arts and Sciences.

A part of the Programme carried out upon a syllabus approved

by Senate, on the recommendation of the Board of Studies, to

which a specified number of Credits at an indicated level is

assigned, and which is capable of separate assessment. A Unit

may take the form of a series of lectures, tutorials, the writing of

an extended essay, private study, or a combination of such work,

or any other method of teaching.

The University of Malta.

Admission Requirements

Units in the Programme are open to persons who are deemed to have the

ability to follow such Units with profit. Acceptance may be subject to a short

interview. Certain qualifications and/or experience may be specified for particular

Application for Units

(1) Applicants shall register for Units offered in a particular semester

within the time specified by the Office of the Registrar.

(2) The University shall announce the Units on offer during a

particular semester or year at least one month before the commencement of the

Academic Calendar

The University shall announce the date of commencement and

completion of each Unit at the time when the Units are made available to the public

B

Language of Instruction and Assessment

The language of instruction and assessment shall be English, except that

for areas of study involving a language, teaching and assessment shall be in that

language. Senate may also approve the delivery of a Unit in Maltese or in any other

language.

Units

Units shall be approved by Senate on the recommendation of the Board

of Studies.

(1)

Units shall be offered at Introductory and Higher Levels.

(2) Units offered at the Introductory Level shall not require students to

have academic preparation or knowledge, skills and competences in the subject area

beyond that acquired at the end of secondary education. The level attained on

successful completion of the Unit shall be that of a first year Unit of a University

undergraduate award.

(3) Units offered at the Higher Level may require students to have

knowledge, skills and competences in the subject area of the Unit comparable to, or

that acquired from, an Introductory Level Unit offered in the Programme. This does

not necessarily imply that every Unit offered at the Higher Level will have a

corresponding Unit at the Introductory Level.

Students who obtained Credits when registered on courses offered by the

University or any other approved institution of higher education, may have their

Credits accepted by the Board of Studies for transfer towards the Programme,

provided that these Credits have not already been counted towards another award of

the University or of any other institution of higher education.

Attendance is compulsory but students may be exempted from attending

lectures by the lecturer concerned for valid reasons.

Board of Studies

The Board of the Centre for the Liberal Arts and Sciences shall act as the

Board of Studies for the Programme.

The election of the student members shall be held annually during the

first half of the first semester.

Credits

A Credit value is assigned to each Unit, indicating the total learning

time, including time devoted to tuition, private study and assessment, which an

average student might be expected to spend in achieving the learning outcomes

associated with the Unit; one Credit nominally represents twenty-five hours of

learning, of which five to seven hours are normally direct teaching when a Unit is

imparted in the standard lecturing mode.

B

Units shall normally be assigned four or eight Credits.

Assessment - Marking and Grading

Examiners shall express the student’s performance in the assessment of

Units as a percentage mark and as a grade as indicated in the tables below. Both the

percentage mark and the letter grade shall be recorded in the student’s academic

record. For the purpose of determining the award classification, the percentage mark

shall be used.

Descriptor

Work of exceptional quality

Exceptional

performance

showing

comprehensive

understanding and application of the subject matter.

Evidence of extensive additional reading/research/work.

Work of excellent quality

Superior performance showing a comprehensive

understanding of the subject matter. Evidence of

considerable additional reading/research/work.

Work of very good quality

Performance is typified by a very good working knowledge

of subject matter. Evidence of a fair amount of reading/

research/work.

Work of good quality

Above average performance, with a working knowledge of

subject matter. Evidence of some reading/research/work.

Work of average quality

Considerable but incomplete understanding of the subject

matter. Evidence of little reading/research/work.

Work of fair quality

Basic understanding of the subject matter. No evidence of

additional reading/research/work.

Work of rather low quality

Minimal understanding of the subject matter, with no

evidence of additional reading/research/work.

Marginal Pass

Marginal performance, barely sufficient preparation for

subsequent courses in the same area.

Unsatisfactory, failing work.

The following grade when assigned to Units shall not be taken into

consideration for computation purposes but forms part of the student’s academic

record

Grade

Descriptor

I

Temporary grade for Incomplete work due to justifiable reasons (illness,

approved absence, etc.) for which the deadline for submission of work has

been extended or the assessment date has been postponed, provided that the

student is examined during the first available session.

B

Assessment Methods

The Method of Assessment for each Unit shall be indicated in the Unit

description and published in the online Catalogue of Units.

When the Method of Assessment comprises more than one assessment

component, the percentage weighting of each component shall be given. Students

shall be awarded the Credits associated with the Unit if they obtain an overall

weighted mark of 45% or higher for the Unit as a whole.

Unless in special circumstances and with the approval of Senate, all

students on the same Unit shall be assessed by the same method/s of assessment.

Supplementary assessments shall normally have the same mode of assessment as the

corresponding first assessment, provided that a different mode of assessment may be

approved by the Board of Studies in special circumstances.

(1)

Assessment may be made

(a) in a continuous mode, i.e. by a set of assessments, which may take the

form of class tests, take-home assignments, oral tests, or a combination of two or

more of these methods, or any other method of continuous assessment approved by

the Senate distributed throughout the Unit; or

(b) in a final mode, i.e. by a single assessment at the end of the Unit; or

(c) in a continuous and final mode, i.e. partly by a set of assessments

distributed throughout the Unit and partly by an assessment at the end of the Unit.

(2) Unit assessments shall be conducted in terms of the University

Assessment Regulations, 2009.

Any work assigned as coursework for continuous assessment purposes

shall always be submitted before the date of the examination to be taken at the end

of the Unit. When a Unit is assessed by coursework only, the date of submission of

the work shall not be set later than the last day of the examination session following

the semester during which the Unit is given.

Supplementary Assessments

(1) Students who fail any Unit shall be allowed a supplementary

assessment provided they satisfy all other requirements as may be relevant to the

Unit. A failed Unit shall be re-examined once only.

(2) Students who fail a Unit due to unjustified absence for an

assessment or due to non-submission of coursework by the set deadlines may be

allowed a supplementary session at the discretion of the Unit lecturer/s.

B

In the supplementary assessment of a failed Unit, students may be

required to be reassessed either in particular component/s of the assessment or in all

the components of the assessment as indicated in the description of the Unit. An

assessment component may be indicated as not having the possibility of a

supplementary assessment, in which case the original mark obtained in the

component is retained.

In supplementary assessments, the maximum mark/grade that may be

awarded shall be 45%, grade D.

Supplementary assessments shall be held as follows

(a) for the continuous assessment mode: by arrangement with the lecturer

concerned provided that reassessment is completed before the end of the

supplementary assessment session; and

(b) for the examination mode: at the supplementary session of examinations.

Eligibility for Awards

(1) Students shall be entitled to a Certificate of Achievement for each

successfully completed Unit and may request a transcript detailing the successfully

completed Units.

(2)

Students shall be awarded qualifications as follows

(a) a Certificate in Liberal Studies if they obtain at least 30 Credits;

(b) a Diploma in Liberal Studies if they obtain at least 60 Credits, provided

that not more than 40 Credits are at the Introductory Level;

(c) a Higher Diploma in Liberal Studies if they obtain at least 120 Credits,

provided that not more than 60 Credits are at the Introductory Level; or

(d) the degree of Bachelor in Liberal Studies if they obtain at least 180

Credits, of which not more than 80 Credits at the Introductory Level and which

include a dissertation or extended project assigned 15 Credits, and also satisfy any

other requirements as specified in these regulations.

Classification of the Awards

(1)

The Certificate in Liberal Studies shall be awarded unclassified.

(2) The names of students who qualify for the award of the Diploma

and the Higher Diploma in Liberal Studies shall be published in a list in alphabetical

order and classified as follows

Pass with Distinction

Pass with Merit

Pass.

B

(3) The names of students who qualify for the award of the Bachelor

in Liberal Studies shall be published in a list in alphabetical order and classified as

follows

Category I

Category IIA

Category IIB

Category III.

Award Classification Board

(1) The Award Classification Board shall be composed of the

members of the Board of Studies, excluding the student representatives, and the

external examiner when one is appointed.

(2) The Award Classification Board shall consult the following

guidelines when deciding upon the classification of the Awards at the end of the

Course

(a) The Diploma and the Higher Diploma are normally awarded as follows

Final Weighted Average Mark

Classification

100 - 80%

Pass with Distinction

79 - 70%

Pass with Merit

69 - 45%

Pass.

(b) The Bachelor’s degree is normally awarded as follows

Average Mark

Classification of the Degree

100% - 80%

Category I

79% - 70%

Category IIA

69% - 55%

Category IIB

54% - 45%

Category III.

Misconduct

Students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner which does not

impair the functioning of the University, including any of its physical resources, and

the reasonable freedom of other persons to pursue their studies, research, duties or

lawful activities at the University or to participate in the life of the University.

Consequences of Unfulfilled Obligations

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

semesters, nor shall any award be given to 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.

B

General Provision

In matters not provided for by these regulations, the Board of Studies

shall be guided by the provisions of the General Regulations for University

Undergraduate Awards, 2004, published as Legal Notice 127 of 2004, and by any

other Statute, Regulations and Bye Laws as applicable.

€0.72