NATIONAL INSTITUTE for CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

Student Rights

Students are entitled to:

1. Be treated with courtesy and respect at all times by all staff;
2. Fairness and justice in all dealings with the NICE, its agents and staff in all matters;
3. Accurate, complete and timely information about all issues related to their studies and ready access to all relevant policies and procedural documents;
4. Appropriate tutorial support at all stages of their studies including reasonable access to the lecturer responsible for their studies to discuss problems and concerns;
5. The return of graded assignments submitted during the trimester within two weeks of submission deadline, with feedback on the assignment that will serve as a guide for the student's continued studies during that trimester.

If dissatisfied with the assignment grade, students are entitled to ask the lecturer for a review of the grading, with a full and clear explanation of the student's reasons for thinking that the assigned grade is not appropriate. If not satisfied with the lecturer's response, the student may lodge an official request for a reassessment with the principal. If a reassessment is granted, a fee may apply.

At any time that students believe that they have been treated inappropriately or unfairly, they should first take up the matter informally with the member of staff concerned. If the student does not receive satisfaction in this way, the student may lodge a formal complaint in terms of the Grievance Procedure as detailed here.

Student Responsibilities

Students are responsible to:

1. Treat all members of staff with courtesy and respect at all times;
2. Ensure that they take the time to familiarise themselves with all course and unit requirements and all policies and procedures that relate to them;
3. Remembering that, like themselves, staff members are fallible humans who frequently carry a heavy workload, give reasonable opportunity to rectify any occasional mistake or omissions that may occur;
4. Plan their workload, so that assignments can be completed by the due dates.

If exceptional circumstances mean that a student is unable to complete an assignment on time, the student is expected to contact the lecturer before the due date requesting an extension, with a full explanation of the circumstances. A grading penalty may apply to an assignment that is lodged late without having obtained an extension.

Students are expected to show diligence and initiative in locating additional resources in their studies. Lecturers and library staff will always be ready to assist where needed but should be called on only where student initiatives have failed to locate the desired resource.

The acknowledgment of sources in all written work is an essential requirement for academic integrity. This applies not only to direct quotations but also to ideas, facts or opinions that are not original to the student. In all such cases, the source must be clearly identified. Also, a quote, idea, fact or opinion that has been gained by reading a source that is quoting someone other than the author should be clearly attributed to the original source and not merely to the secondary source. These principles apply to electronic sources just as they do to printed sources. Failures in these issues constitute plagiarism, which can lead to an N (not satisfactory) grade being allocated.

Reasonable care is expected to ensure gender inclusive language in written work.

Information on this page is a summary of sections 2.16.1 Student Rights and 2.16.2 Student Responsibilities
on pages 69 - 71 of the CCHE Student Handbook and Policy Manual

Updated on 2 July 2008