Student charter

All students have the right to live in a safe and supportive academic and social environment.

We will endeavour:

• to maintain and refine the quality of community life at the College

• to ensure you are treated in an equal and fair manner by staff, fellow students and other members of the institution

• to provide a safe and supportive environment, free from harassment, and conducive to educational success.

In return we expect you:

• to co-operate fully with all policies that relate to your well-being, such as health and safety, equal opportunities and social conduct

• to act in a civil, considerate and responsible manner towards all other members of the College and to visitors, and contribute to the life of the community in a positive way

• to actively ‘look out for’ yourselves and for all other members of the College community.

All students have the right to be treated as equals and to be part of a community free from unlawful discrimination and harassment. We celebrate and actively promote the diverse community in which we live and we recognise the equality of each member.

You can expect:

• from point of entry until graduation and beyond, to be part of a community, which is free from unlawful discrimination or harassment

• to express your opinions openly and freely, provided that you do so within the law

• the College to take seriously all issues which concern the unlawful expression of opinions, discrimination or harassment

• the College to provide appropriate services for students with disabilities and special educational needs.

 In return we expect you:

• to treat all members of the College equally and respectfully, regardless of  gender, nationality, race, ethnic origin, disability, age, religion, marital status or sexual orientation

• to respect the right of others to express their opinions

• to follow the College’s rules and policies relating to anti-discrimination, harassment and freedom of speech.

All students have the right to receive an appropriate academic programme of high quality, which is recognised as such both nationally and internationally.

You can expect:

• a programme of study in line with the details outlined in the programme documentation

• to be taught by staff who are appropriately qualified, competent in their field, and committed to attaining high standards of professional development in both their research and teaching

• robust mechanisms to be in place to ensure that you are assessed fairly.

In return we expect you:

• to participate fully in your programme of study, including regular attendance at timetabled classes, or equivalent events, and completion and prompt submission of all assignments and projects

• to work co-operatively with other students

• to meet our required standards in relation to academic honesty when submitting work for assessment and when taking examinations

• accept that we, together with our appointed external examiners, will be both rigorous and fair in judging the standard you have attained.   

All students have a right to accessible support provided by the College and the Students’ Union.  Students should be aware that some forms of support are dependent on funding from outside bodies and the timing of the release of such monies is often beyond the control of College.

 You can expect:

• to be informed of and have access to all the tutorial, pastoral and advisory services available to the student body relating to such issues as emotional well-being, financial and legal rights, and vocational guidance

• all welfare and support services to be delivered promptly, sympathetically and in an unprejudiced way

• that all reasonable steps will have been taken to ensure that our campus is a healthy environment and you are provided with advice and facilities to enable you to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

 In return we expect you:

• to register promptly with the College Health Service if appropriate or with another local practice

• to inform the Educational Support Office (ESO) of any disability or educational special need that may have an impact on your studies

• to make yourself aware of current health issues and ensure that your health needs are met and that inoculations etc. are kept up to date

• to make yourself aware of our policies on alcohol, drug and other substance use and misuse and to obey College smoking restrictions

• to recognise the high demand on our support resources and to make use of these facilities responsibly and courteously.

All students have the right to safe and secure access to learning resources, study spaces, services and facilities.

 We endeavour to:

• provide you with the technology, support and services you require to carry out your study and research

• provide access to the Library resources you need to support your study and research

• maintain, improve and extend our learning resources, spaces and facilities to meet your needs.

 You can expect:

• access to appropriate learning environments conducive to study and research

• access to PCs in a range of locations across the campus to supplement your use of your own IT equipment

• provision of a personal College email address and access to specialised software applications specific to your programme of study

• to be able to connect your equipment to our network services from your study bedroom and from a range of locations across the campus

• access to the College's virtual learning environment

• guidance and instruction on the use of learning resources and facilities including information skills training on Library resources

• access to the resources and collections of the Senate House Library in London

• friendly, professional advice from staff

• means of providing feedback and responses from us to your feedback.

We expect you:

• to supplement your study and research with those materials, equipment or resources not usually provided by the College, for instance purchasing certain course textbooks, as recommended by Departments, and paying for services such as printing and photocopying

• to utilise (where available) your own laptop or PC installed with the appropriate general software tools to support your course of study

• to make appropriate use of your student email account. This will be the primary method of contacting you and it should be checked regularly

• to adhere to all rules, guidelines, and procedures for the safe and responsible use of space, equipment and resources within Royal Holloway and take responsibility for maintaining anti-virus protection and service updates current on your personal PC, laptop or other mobile equipment

• to adhere to the Library and Information Technology regulations, including those on appropriate network use, copyright observance and plagiarism.

We aim to help all students find accommodation conducive to study.

 We endeavour:

• to offer suitable College-owned accommodation whenever possible

• to distribute this accommodation fairly to selected groups of students, prioritising those who are likely to benefit most from it, for example, new students, students with significant impairments and international students;

• to support you in finding appropriate accommodation in the local area.

In return we expect you:

• to contact us at the appropriate time if you wish to be allocated accommodation

• to complete applications honestly and fully; to pay appropriate fees promptly and to let us know at the earliest opportunity of any changes of plans

• when in Halls, to follow all our rules in order to create a safe and calm environment conducive to study and that you behave appropriately at all times, showing consideration for your fellow students, the College’s staff and its property

• when living locally, to behave with consideration to your housemates and neighbours so that Royal Holloway students are seen as valued and welcome members of the local community.

The College is active in supporting students in ensuring they have adequate financial support during their studies.  Students should be aware that some forms of support are dependent on funding from outside bodies and the timing of the release of such monies is often beyond the control of College.

 We endeavour:

• to be prompt and resourceful in making available bursaries and scholarships; in offering opportunities for paid employment and in efficiently paying out hardship and other funds available to us for the support of students

• to ensure that all staff have a constructive and considered approach to students seeking to address financial difficulties.

In return we expect you:

• to be proactive in ensuring that you have taken all reasonable steps to secure your financial position and to advise us at the earliest possible opportunity of circumstances that require support or that might affect you studies

• to pay all fees promptly at the agreed time

• to make realistic decisions about your paid work commitments so that you do not jeopardise your chance of successfully completing your studies with us.

We will endeavour:

• to provide you with accessible and up to date information on College activities, facilities, policies, procedures, codes of practice and regulations and future strategies

• to provide you with clear and accurate information relating to your programme of study, your courses and your progress

• to handle all information responsibly to ensure that confidentiality is maintained and that sensitive information is not misused.

In return we expect you:

• to regularly check your College email account, your post, your departmental pigeonhole, the intranet and notice boards

• to understand and abide by the policies, procedures, codes of practice and regulations governing your study at Royal Holloway

• to keep your personal details updated on your student portal

• to advise your department(s)/school and submit evidence as necessary, of any circumstance which you feel has a detrimental effect on your studies or academic performance, or any disruption to your conditions of study or assessment

• to understand that we may have to withhold information that would jeopardise confidentiality, compromise academic impartiality or prejudice the managing of the College.

 

All students have the right to have their views represented at College level

You can expect:

• student opinion to be treated as highly important and to be acted on appropriately

• College to recognise the importance of the ‘student voice’ with regards to the student experience

• that there will be student representation (usually provided by the Students’ Union) on a variety of College committees up to the highest level

• consultation with students on all issues of importance to the student body

• the Students’ Union to work with College in ascertaining student opinion and to be fair and considerate in its representation of the student voice.

In return we expect you:

• To involve yourself in the representative structures as much as possible, either as a student ambassador directly or by participating in elections in the SU, in your department or in your Hall of Residence. 

All students have the right to have problems, disagreements, appeals and complaints acknowledged and investigated by an appropriate member of staff.

You can expect:

• all students to have access to straightforward and effective procedures for investigating and resolving complaints

• to be advised of the most appropriate way of getting your problem addressed

• consistent, objective and sensitive treatment throughout the handling of your complaint

• to have access to the help and assistance offered by the Students’ Union. 

In return we expect you:

• to address problems through the recognised procedures and channels available

• to be cooperative throughout the investigation of your complaint and to be receptive to the viewpoints and concerns of others.