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Regulations

Registration

Each student reading a course in English must register with the Department at the beginning of the academic year, in addition to registering with the University and the Faculty.

Students should promptly report to the Department Secretary any change of name, address or telephone number.

Click HERE to view this year's guide to registration.

Classes

Courses comprise lectures and tutorials. For tutorials, students are divided into small groups which meet with a tutor for an hour once a week. While attendance at lectures is optional (though highly recommended), attendance at tutorials is compulsory. (See also 'EXAMINATIONS' below.)

Essays And Other Written Assignments

Each course requires from the student a specified amount of written work. Deadlines are set by individual tutors. Students are expected to observe these deadlines.

Tutors are willing to discuss graded assignments and may insist that students with serious weaknesses attend a discussion session. Grades assigned and comments made become a part of the student's undergraduate record in the Department.

Written work demands some originality of ideas, clarity of expression, logical organisation of thought and acceptable presentation of material. Marks will be deducted for work that is improperly presented or documented, or that has a significant number of grammatical or other errors. Plagiarism will be dealt with severely. Each student should collect from the Department Office a copy of the pamphlet Notes on Essay Writing, which offers basic guidance.

Notice Board

Students should read the notice board outside the Departmental office (Room 19) regularly for information about courses and other activities.

Examinations

Any student who misses a significant number of classes can be debarred from sitting the final exam as set out in the General Examination Regulations 22:

"Any candidate who has been absent from the University for a prolonged period during the term for any reason other than illness, or whose attendance at prescribed lectures, classes, tutorial or clinical instructions has been unsatisfactory, or who has failed to submit essays set by his teachers, may be debarred by Senate on the recommendation of the Faculty Board concerned, from sitting any University Examination."

The Department insists on punctual and regular attendance at tutorials and on active participation in classes. All assignments must be submitted. Students who do not submit their prescribed coursework are significantly reducing their final marks.

The Marking And Grading Scheme

GRADE GPA MARKS
A+ 90-100% 4.3
A 80-89% 4.0
A- 75-79% 3.7
B+ 70-74% 3.3
B 65-69% 3.0
B- 60-64% 2.7
C+ 55-59% 2.3
C 50-54% 2.0
FE 35-49% 1.3
F 0-34 0.0

First Class Honours (Weighted GPA 3.60 and Above) Upper Second Class Honours (Weighted GPA 3.00 -3.59) Lower Second Class Honours (Weighted GPA 2.50-2.99) Pass (Weighted GPA 2.00-2.49) View the Grading Criteria Here

Departmental Prizes

Every year the Department recognises excellence by awarding a prize (usually books/book tokens) to the best student in English in each of the three years. In addition, the Department usually nominates a student entering the final year of the English Major for the Anna Hollar Prize. There is also the Vicens Prize for outstanding performance at Level II. In 2000-2001, the Department introduced the Derek Walcott Prize for Poetry. In 2010-2011 the Colin Channer Prize for Fiction will be established. In 2006-2007, the Brodber/Pollard Prize for creative writing was offered for the first time to the student achieving the highest marks in LITS2604. The Mervyn Morris Prize was introduced 2013/2014 for the student who achieved the highest mark in the second level course, Creative Writing: Poetry (LITS2603). A new prize was also introduced this year in honour of Gloria Lyn for outstanding performance in the West Indian course.

Consultation/Counselling

Members of the Department have regular office hours for students wishing to consult them outside of lecture and tutorial times. Please try to observe these arrangements whenever possible.

Part-time students who find it difficult to contact staff outside of teaching and office hours are advised to make an appointment by telephone.

Whenever problems arise, students should seek counselling from the Head of Department or any other member of staff. If approached early, lecturers can often help to find solutions. Consultations are treated confidentially.

Departmental Consultative Committee

This Committee comprises members of the Department together with student representatives. For each course, students elect a Class Representative who provides a link between the class and the Department on the Departmental Consultative Committee (DCC). In this way, students can make an input into the Department's deliberations about its academic programme, the nature and quality of its teaching, and the relationship between students and staff.

Meetings are normally held at least once in each semester and are primarily concerned with matters affecting the Department which students wish to discuss. However, academic and related problems, or suggestions for improvement of courses and teaching should be discussed with the lecturer/tutor concerned before being brought to the Consultative Committee. The Department is always ready to discuss with students any serious grievances. Students, if not satisfied, may also raise matters with the Dean.

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