YEAR 2 Handbook (2011/2012)

CORE CHEMISTRY MODULES

DATES OF TEACHING AND EXAMS (University Term Dates)

WHO’S WHO

General Year 2 problems should be addressed to the Year 2 Coordinator, Dr John Satherley, room 115, js1@liverpool.ac.uk (email is often the fastest method of communication). Note that one member of staff is in overall charge of each chemistry module, and inquiries concerning academic matters should be made to the module leader in the first instance. Descriptions of the modules and staff involved in a particular module can be found through VITAL (see Module Codes). If you are having problems with your programme then discuss this with the Year 2 Coordinator. If you experience personal problems which affect your studies then remember you also have a personal tutor to discuss things with.

YEAR 2 TIMETABLE

Students can view their personalised timetable by logging into SPIDER.

WHAT’S IN A CHEMISTRY MODULE?

A typical module is assessed on the basis of tutorials and other coursework, with the majority of the marks coming from the end-of-semester written exam. It is obviously essential to turn up to all the tutorials and do all the coursework. Marks for practical modules (CHEM245 and CHEM246) and the key skills module CHEM280 are based entirely on continuously assessed work.

For details of Assessment Criteria in relation to practical work and assessment of written work, the University position on Cheating, Plagiarism and Collusion and the Departmental Policy on Feedback to Students see this section in VITAL.

Lectures. Attendance is compulsory. Please sign the attendance sheets circulated during each lecture. Inform the Year 2 Coordinator if you are registered for a module, but your name does not appear on the list, or your details are wrong. If you experience any timetable clashes as a result of subsidiary courses, please inform the Year 2 Coordinator as soon as possible. Do not try and muddle through by missing one of the modules that clash. Your timetable should be available through ORBIT, the University timetabling system.

Tutorials. Tutorial locations should be available via ORBIT. In order to benefit from the tutorials it is essential to do the required work (as indicated on the tutorial sheets) beforehand. Marks are awarded both for tutorial attendance and for handing in tutorial work on time. If you have a timetable problem, please see the Year 2 Coordinator as a matter of urgency.

Handing in work. Tutorial work and other coursework should be handed in to the Undergraduate Office during opening hours (not pushed under the door). All work should state clearly which module it relates to, your tutorial group and tutor’s name and be signed (with name printed) and dated. All work must be submitted in person and it will be date stamped by the Undergraduate Office.

Late work. For continuously assessed work (tutorials, homework assignments etc.) you lose 5% of the original mark each day it is late, and get zero if it is more than 5 working days late. So even if you are a day or two late, hand it in anyway. If, for good reasons, you have been unable to submit a piece of work then you must negotiate with the module leader about the possibility of submission at a later date.

Practical modules. You must attend practical classes, and be sure to hand in your books and workshop scripts at the correct times as requested by the lab course organisers. Failure to attend practicals and/or failure to produce your practical book could result in you obtaining less than 35% for the course, hence being unable to pass the year (see rule (iii) below).

Exams. Timetables for exams become available a few weeks before the exam period starts and are published on SPIDER and also posted outside the Undergraduate Office. Past papers are available for download in pdf format from VITAL. Information about the University's rules on Examinations and Assessments can be found here.

RULES FOR PASSING YEAR 2

All of the second year modules contribute to your overall degree classification. To pass Year 2, you must:

MChem Programmes. Students registered on MChem programmes are expected to obtain an overall average mark of ≥ 55% at the first attempt. If this is not achieved then the student must transfer to a BSc programme.

Resits. If you get less than 35% in any module, you have to resit all of the modules you obtained less than 40% in (i.e. failed). As the marks for lecture-based modules are the sum of tutorial and exam marks, and you can only resit the exam part, you need good marks in your tutorials and coursework, otherwise you may find yourself needing to get up to 50% in the resit exam just to pass. It is not wise to give up on a module and deliberately fail at the first attempt with the expectation that you can pass it in August, since even if you do pass, your mark is capped at 40%, and this will obviously lower your carry–forward mark for the year which contributes to your final degree classification. One more thing to remember about resits: the exam mark from your first (failed) attempt is automatically set to zero, so you must turn up to all the resits and make a serious effort at them, otherwise you cannot pass the year.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE ILL OR ABSENT

If you are unable to attend lectures, tutorials, workshops or practical classes because of illness or for other reasons then you should fill out an absence form, available from outside the Undergraduate Office, saying what you missed and why. This form, together with a medical certificate (if required) from your GP/hospital, should then be handed in to the Undergraduate Office. If your absence occurs at the same time as a deadline for handing in assessed work then you must negotiate a later submission deadline with the module leader. For illness during the exam period, see below.

MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES

Most illness and other issues which result in only a few days absence should be be dealt with as described in the previous paragraph.

There are two situations where mitigating circumstances apply:

i) Illness or other exceptional circumstances which result in missing an assessment such as an exam. Any student who misses an exam or part of an exam due to illness or other exceptional circumstances, or whose performance was impaired by illness or other exceptional circumstances, should make relevant information available immediately to the Departmental Examinations Representative, Dr Ian O’Neil (extn. 43485, chemexam@liverpool.ac.uk). Please note that the University Regulations for the Conduct of Examinations stipulate that students must report any such circumstances within five working days of the examination in writing. The letter must be accompanied by a valid medical certificate or other report.

NB: Failure to read the examination timetable correctly or through inadequate time management or other similar failings are not regarded by the University as mitigating circumstances for missing an examination.

ii) Personal or family issues or conditions or circumstances which are of a chronic nature i.e. which affect a student's performance across the whole academic year or for an extended period of time. If a student considers that their performance is (or likely to be) affected by such things then they should fill in a Mitigating Circumstance Form attaching to it corroborating evidence such as a medical certificate from a GP or other health professional. Prior to filling in a Mitigating Circumstance Form a student should discuss it with the Year 2 Coordinator or the Senior Tutor, Dr Jon Iggo.

UNIVERSITY DOCUMENTS

If you need to consult University documents about assessment, complaints, conduct, plagiarism, progression, suspension, transferring to another programme, or withdrawing from your studies see this link.

CHEMISTRY PROGRAMMES

MCHEM

BSc

PROGRAMME STRUCTURES

F102 Chemistry (MChem)

FZ61 Chemistry with Research in Industry (MChem)

FZBF Medicinal Chemistry with Pharmacology (MChem)

F1F3 Chemistry with Nanotechnology (MChem)

F100 Chemistry, F108 Chemical Sciences, FZ11 Chemistry with a Year in Industry (BSc)

FZB2 Medicinal Chemistry (BSc)

Programmes with Optional Modules

For those students with a choice of module, the Department recommends that, if possible, you take a chemistry module from the list below as these will reinforce other chemistry modules that you will study. However, should there be subsidiary modules that you wish to take every effort will be made to register you for those modules, provided there are no timetable clashes.

Option A Modules

¹ Contact Dr Helen Aspinall if you are considering this module.

Subsidiary Modules

Modules from outside the Department (timetable permitting):