Academic Ethics and Integrity Policy of Management Education

It is Mont Rose College students’ responsibility to ensure all work submitted or presented by them is entirely their own. Serious violation of this rule in cheating or plagiarism may result in dismissal of the student from the best colleges in London. The Director, senior tutors and tutors are responsible for clarifying to staff and students items in the Academic Ethics Policy as outlined below.

Cheating

Any use of an unfair means to pass an examination or an assessment, e.g. attempt to submit an assignment which is not entirely prepared by the student shall constitute cheating. Compliance with this rule requires the students to observe the following points:

Plagiarism

Incorporation of any text into any assessed material whether intentionally or otherwise without due acknowledgement of its author or source constitute plagiarism.

Non-compliance with the following guidelines may constitute plagiarism:

Other violations include:

Equal Opportunities

MRC’s commitment to maintaining high standards in the provision of education and other services is coupled with its aim of eliminating discrimination and promote equal opportunities for all as required under the provisions of national legislation.

Notwithstanding individual differences in needs, MRC asserts its belief that all members of the short courses London college staff and students are to be treated equally regardless of their gender, ethnic origin, age, ability, disability, faith, sexual orientation or any other attribute.

The working culture in the colleges in Ilford  does not tolerate discrimination, victimisation and harassment in whichever form it occurs. When acting as an employer, provider of education or other services, MRC is committed to implementing its equal opportunities Policy of Management Education. To achieve this aim the college will adhere to the points below:

Quality Assurance Policy

Mont Rose College always strives to maintain the highest quality of teaching and learning experience for its students. The provisions of this Policy of Management Education commit the college to a continuing process of improvement, and to maintaining its standards through a vigorous process of quality assurance.

The college shall subject its education and training programmes to an continual process of improvement and quality enhancement. The college will update and monitor periodically plans, and policies of education improvement.

The colleges in east London will assist students in achieving their full academic potential and, to make progress towards this end possible, will ensure that their academic performance sets a benchmark against the ambitious achievement criteria, and make necessary arrangements to respond effectively to their feedback.

Student Academic Appeal Policy and Procedure

Student academic appeal policy and procedure

1 Purpose and scope of the procedure

1.1 In all cases the college will abide by the QAA Quality Code. The college operates an internal academic appeals Policy of Management Education and procedure for those cases where an awarding body procedure does not apply (e.g. Formative assessment without awarding body involvement). In other cases, the appeals Policy of Management Education and procedure of the awarding body takes precedence, and the college will cooperate with it as required.

1.2 An academic appeal should be made by the student in writing, except in extreme circumstances. The college distinguishes between a student complaint (about any non-assessment service provided by the college and/or awarding body) and a student academic appeal. Academic appeals are concerns or problems raised by a student or students concerning any aspect of the assessment process, including marks given. There is a separate student Complaint Procedure.

1.3 This academic appeals procedure applies to the students, who would like to appeal against the matters which are in the College control. Any matters raised against awarding bodies, New Buck’s University, or other Mont Rose College partners, should be submitted directly to the relevant bodies. The College representative will provide the full guidance, how to appeal to other relevant bodies.

2 Principles of the procedure

2.1 The procedure is based on the following principles:

• A student has the right to be accompanied by a colleague or friend at every stage of the formal procedure.
• Any academic appeal must be made in writing as soon as possible, even if originally made orally
• It is only possible for the college to hear academic appeals that are within the power of the college to remedy. In many cases the appeals procedure of the awarding body will apply, and may be operated entirely by the awarding body.
• All proceedings should, so far as is practicable, remain confidential
• A formal record of any hearing will be available to the student.
• The hearing will be recorded and a copy given to the student
• The timescales set out may be extended with the agreement of the parties
• Where more than one student has lodged an academic appeal relating to the

same, or substantially the same, issue, the academic appeal may be dealt              with together in the interests of fair and consistent decision-making.

• if the student’s academic appeal restates an academic appeal that the college is already dealing with, or that it has dealt with in the past, the student will be asked to explain how the new academic appeal differs from the previous one, and either what new incident has occurred or what new evidence has come to light.
• Where it is clear that there is nothing new being raised, the college can reject the academic appeal without a hearing or committee meeting.
• Deliberately false or malicious academic appeal will be treated as matters of

misconduct and will be investigated in line with the Disciplinary Policy of Management Education and

procedure

• An academic appeal raised while a student is subject to disciplinary proceedings will be heard when the disciplinary process has been completed. If the academic appeal has any bearing on the disciplinary proceedings, it can be raised in the course of those proceedings.

3 Process

3.1 the academic appeal will be heard by a special appeal panel reporting to the Principal and to the assessment committee functions of the college. The student should set out in writing the nature of their academic appeal. The student should explain how they think it should be settled. This must be submitted to the Principal.

3.2 The Principal will appoint another person as investigating officer who will be asked to provide a full written report together with any relevant documents. The investigation should be conducted as quickly as possible while allowing for all relevant information and evidence to be gathered. The student has to collect and present all required documentation within 14 days before the hearing starts. The discretion could be applied and dates of hearing rescheduled if the student require more time to obtain the proof.The request for discretion should be

3.3 Should the academic appeal includes material lodged against a named or otherwise identifiable individual or individuals, the Principal will give them a copy of the academic appeal at the earliest opportunity. The individual will present their response at the appeal hearing.

3.4 The appeal panel will consist of two nominees of the Principal. Where possible, there should be a gender balance on panels. The college will make every attempt to ensure that the hearing will be held within 14 working days of receipt of the investigating officer’s report, or within 14 working days of the academic appeal being received if it is against an individual. The student will be given five working days notice that the hearing is to be held. The student may request an alternative date to allow up to an additional five working days if their representative is unavailable. If following a reasonable attempt to rearrange the hearing, the student is still unable to attend, they may send a representative, or the hearing may be held in their absence

3.5 The student making the appeal should ensure that they attend the meeting at the specified time. If they are unable to attend because of circumstances beyond their control, they should inform the Principal and/or the chair of the panel as soon as possible. If they fail to attend without explanation, or it appears that they have not made sufficient attempts to attend, the hearing may take place in their absence.

3.6 Any relevant written information or evidence must be made available to all parties at the earliest opportunity and, in any case, two working days before the hearing.

3.7 All parties involved will be allowed to attend and make representations at the

meeting. Witnesses may be called.

3.8 Refusal of any party to attend shall not invalidate the proceedings.

3.9 The panel, in seeking to resolve the academic appeal, may adjourn the meeting or defer a decision if more information is required.

3.10 The decision of the panel, the reasons for that decision and any redress will be

communicated to the student who has made the academic appeal within 14 working days. The college will accept the decision of the appeal panel. Where the academic appeal contains material lodged against an individual, both parties will be given a copy of the decision. This will be handed to the student whenever possible or posted directly by recorded delivery to the student within 14 working days of the hearing and to the student representative, where applicable.

4 Right of secondary appeal to a decision of the academic appeal panel

4.1 Should the student making the original academic appeal wish to appeal against the decision of the panel they must do so, in writing, to the Principal within five working days of being informed of the decision.

4.2 A request for a secondary appeal must specify the grounds of the appeal, preferably under one or more of the following headings:

• The nature of any redress
• The finding of the hearing on a point of fact which is pertinent to the decision of the hearing a failure to adhere to the published academic appeal procedure.

4.3 At a hearing of the secondary appeal panel, a member of the original panel will attend to present their findings and reasons for their decision. The student and the management representative presenting the case should use the guidance attached at Annex 1 and Annex 2 as best practice for the presentation of their respective case statements. Witnesses may be called.

4.4 The secondary appeal will be heard by secondary appeal panel members, the student and the management representative. The written cases should be received within five working days after the first appeal decision was released.The format of the appeal hearing will depend upon the nature ofthe appeal. If it is a re-hearing it will follow the format at Annex 1. The student willbe given five working days notice that the hearing is to be held. The student making the secondary appeal may request an alternative date to allow up to an additional five working days if their representative is unavailable. If following a reasonable attempt to rearrange the hearing, the student is still unable to attend, they may send a representative, or the hearing may be held in their absence.

4.5 The student making the secondary appeal should ensure that they attend the meeting at the specified time. If they are unable to attend because of circumstances beyond their control, they should inform the Principal as soon as possible. If they fail to attend without explanation, or if it appears that they have not made sufficient attempts to attend, the hearing may take place in their absence.

4.6 The secondary appeal hearing is not a rehearing of the original academic appeal, but rather a consideration of the specific areas with which the student is dissatisfied in relation to the original academic appeal. The chair of the panel may therefore confine discussion of those specific areas, rather than reconsider the whole matter afresh.

4.7 The secondary appeal panel will hear all or part of the previous hearing depending upon the nature of the appeal. The panel has the scope to:

• Uphold all or part of the previous decision
• Not uphold the previous decision.

4.8 If the secondary appeal panel decides either to uphold only part of the previous decision or not to uphold the previous decision, it may at its discretion substitute an appropriate remedy of its own choosing.

4.9 Within seven working days of the secondary appeal the panel will record the decision and hand it to the student wherever possible otherwise it will be posted directly by recorded delivery. The college will accept the decision of the secondary appeal panel.

4.10 Any recommendations made by the panel will be notified to the appropriate

Individuals and committees.

4.11. The decision of the secondary appeals panel is final.

4.12. The formal “Completion of Procedures Letter” is issued to the student within 21 calendar days after the final decision is made. If the student is still dissatisfied with the outcome, he/ she may apply for a review of the complaint to the Office of the Independent adjudicator (OIA) for higher education.

4.13. The complaint should be received by the Office of the Independent adjudicator (OIA) (www.oiahe.org.uk) within twelve months of the date of the “Completion of Procedures Letter”

Date of adoption:

Date of next planned revision:

Annex 1: Format of the formal academic appeal / secondary academic appeal hearing

1.1 The panel shall be responsible for the proper conduct of the hearing, which shall be conducted on a formal basis.

1.2 The chair of the panel will conduct the introductions of those present and confirm the names of any witnesses who may be called. The chair of the panel will ensure that all parties understand the nature of the academic appeal and ask the student who is bringing the academic appeal to say how they think it should be settled.

1.3 The panel shall order the proceedings as follows:

• Ask the student to present their case, allowing the investigating officer or respondent to ask questions after the presentation has been completed.
• The student may call witnesses or refer to documents previously circulated and necessary for the hearing
• While the student making the appeal will be given every opportunity to explain their case fully, they should confine their explanation to matters that are directly relevant to the academic appeal.
• The chair of the panel will intervene if he/she thinks that the discussion is straying too far from the key issue(s).
• The chair may also intervene to ensure that the meeting can be completed within a reasonable timeframe, depending on the nature and the complexity of the academic appeal
• Ask the investigating officer or respondent to respond to the case, allowing the student to ask questions after the presentation has been completed.
• The investigating officer or respondent may call witnesses or refer to documents previously circulated and necessary for the hearing.
• The panel may ask questions on points of clarification at any time and may call witnesses. Questions shall be put to each party after it has presented its case.
• If either party wishes to present evidence not previously circulated the hearing may be adjourned to allow the other side to consider it.
• Allow the student and then the investigating officer or respondent the opportunity to sum up their cases. Neither party may introduce new matters in their summing up.

1.4 The academic appeal panel adjourns to consider its decision, which shall be given as soon as possible after the hearing, but in any case within three working days of the hearing.

1.5 At the same time the student shall be advised of their right to make a secondary appeal against the original appeal decision.

Annex 2: Guidance for appeal documentation

Student

Management

Grounds of appeal.

Response to grounds of appeal

Case statement, which should include, as appropriate:

An introduction explaining the reasons for appealing

Summary of course

The outcome sought

Appendices

Case statement, which should include, as appropriate:

Introduction, background to the case, processes followed on calling the original hearing, how the decision was arrived at

Summary of course

Recommendations

Appendices

2.1 If papers are presented in this way it should be possible for the secondary appeal hearing only to hear any specific comments or particular aspects of the case, rather than a repetition of the original hearing.

You can download our Assessment Apeals Policy here.

Attendance Policy and Student Complaint Policy

Introduction

Mont Rose College of Management and Sciences is very strict about punctuality and regularity of the students. These qualities of punctuality and regularity are highly valued by the employers. Therefore, the college tries to inculcate these qualities among the students.

The Student Services Department keeps the record of each student’s attendance on a daily basis.  The Student’s Disciplinary Policy treats the breach of Attendance Policy as a serious offence.

Our aim is to be the first choice of the students and to overcome this challenge we not only emphasize on implementing the attendance Policy of Management Education but also on the ways it can be achieved.

Policy Aim

This policy applies to all students enrolled in any course offered by the college. The aim of the policy is to ensure that all the students should understand that they need to attend all the classes and tutorials to get the maximum benefit from their course of study.

Mont Rose College of Management and Sciences encourages 100% attendance. The adjustments can only be made where there is medical evidence or proof of extenuating circumstances.

Policy Standard

Authorised (Planned) and Unauthorised Absences
It is the student’s responsibility to provide the reason with evidence to the Student Services Administrator for an authorised absence. Absences are unauthorised unless proven otherwise.

The attendance will be marked by the lecturer no later than 15 minutes after the start of each session.

The attendance register will be completed by the lecturer at the start of each class, he/she will mark the student either:

P – Present (signature of the student)

I – Authorised Absence

A – Unauthorised Absence

SL – Sick

T– Tardy (those who appear after the start of the class but within the first 15 minutes of the start of a session)

H – Holiday / Annual Leave 

When a student is absent, late authorisation of such absence is only possible if a justified reason is provided. 

If a student is ill and needs to stay at home then they have to inform the Student Services administratorno later then 9:30 am on the first day of their absence otherwise they will be marked as ‘unauthorised’ absence. Medical evidence will only be required if the illness lasts for more then 3 days.

In case a student falls ill or has an accident while in the college and needs to go home, the student must report the illness or accident to the course tutor or the Student Services department to get an authorised absence.

The students are advised to book any appointments after the college hours to avoid interruption in their programme of study. If due to any valid reason they cannot do so then they should inform the Student Services Department or the course tutor at the time of leaving.

Non-Compliance with attendance Policy:

Non-compliance with attendance policy will result in a disciplinary action being taken against the student. If the attendance is below 80% then the college will issue the first warning letter to the student.  The student has to contact the Student Services department within 5 working days to provide reasons for unauthorised absence.

If the student fails to do so then a second warning letter will be issued mentioning that they have 5 more working days to inform the office of their unauthorised absence. If the student again fails to contact the Student Service department then third letter will be issued to the student mentioning that the student’s name has been withdrawn from the college record and the college has also informed the UK Border Agency (UKBA). If the student’s attendance for the semester drops below 80% then progression to further study for the next semester will not be permitted.

Attendance and punctuality are not only important for student success and progression in the course of study but are also required to fulfill the condition of their study visa and remain in the UK.

The College is required by law to inform the UK Border Agency (UKBA) about the attendance of international students, the College will report non-attendance in the following circumstances:

Authorised & Unauthorised Absences

The following would be considered suitable reasons for an authorised absence:

The following would be considered unacceptable reasons for authorising absence:

Withdrawing from or suspending study:

If you are considering withdrawing from the College or interrupting your studies for any reason, please consult your tutor and the Student Services department and seek advice if you have a particular problem. If a student wants to take a prolonged leave due to illness and pregnancy he/she needs to provide medical certificate to get an authorised leave from the college.

If you decide to suspend or withdraw from your course, you must inform the Student Services department who will complete the appropriate forms on your behalf. It is very important that the correct procedure is followed, should you decide to re-enter higher education at a later stage.

You must not, under any circumstances, withdraw from the College without notifying the Student Services department, as failure to do so may carry financial implications in terms of tuition fees, repayment of the student loan and visa issues.

Student complaints policy and procedure

Student complaints policy and procedure

1 Purpose and scope of the procedure

1.1 In all cases the college will abide by the QAA Quality Code. The purpose of the complaints procedure is to ensure that, as far as possible, complaints are dealt with and resolved informally through discussion between the aggrieved student and staff. Complaints and concerns or problems raised by a student or students and may be made in writing or orally. (There is a separate procedure for student academic appeals.) Before using the complaints procedure, it is expected that a student will try to resolve the complaint informally. The formal stage of the procedure should only be used when the informal stage has failed to resolve the issue or is not making progress at reasonable speed.

1.2 In appropriate cases the college may offer facilities for mediation.

1.3 This procedure applies to all students.

1.4 This procedure takes account of the ACAS code of practice on complaints procedures and will be reviewed periodically in line with developments in best practice.

2 Principles of the procedure

2.1 The procedure is based on the following principles:

• A student has the right to be accompanied by a colleague or friend at every stage of the formal procedure.
• Any complaints, to become formal, must be made in writing as soon as possible, it is only possible to hear complaints that are within the power of the college to remedy
• In all cases, reference to informal resolution in advance of formal complaint is recommended
• All proceedings, whether informal or formal, should, so far as is practicable, remain confidential
• A formal record of any hearing will be available to the student. The hearing will be recorded and a copy given to the student
• The timescales set out may be extended with the agreement of the parties where more than one student has lodged a complaint relating to the same, or substantially the same, issue, the complaints may be dealt with together in the interests of fair and consistent decision-making.
• Where a complaint concerns an apparently trivial issue the relevant staff member will discuss this informally with the student to determine whether there is a real need to pursue the matter through the complaints procedure.
• If the student and a member of staff are unable to agree, the student will be entitled to submit the complaint formally together with any further evidence or explanation that throws new light on it, and demonstrates that a substantive complaint is in fact being made
• If the student’s complaint restates a complaint that the college is already dealing with, or that it has dealt with in the past, the student will be asked to explain how the new complaints differs from the previous one, and either what new incident has occurred or what new evidence has come to light. Where it is clear that there is nothing new being raised, the college can reject the complaint without a hearing or committee meeting.
• Deliberately false or malicious complaints will be treated as matters of misconduct and will be investigated in line with the Disciplinary policy and procedure complaints raised while a student is subject to disciplinary proceedings will be heard when the disciplinary process has been completed. If the complaint has any bearing on the disciplinary proceedings, it can be raised in the course of those proceedings.

3 Informal stage

3.1 If a student has a complaint that involves another student or other students, they should first of all try to resolve the matter by direct approach to the student or students involved.

3.2 If the matter remains unresolved, the student may request a meeting with a relevant staff member or in a relevant college committee, and efforts made to resolve the issue. Any informal meeting with staff should be held within 10 working days of the submission of the request. Many student complaints are likely to take the form of suggestions for improvement (e.g. more library books, changed teaching hours) and can be dealt with informally or, more formally but without a complaints panel hearing, in a regular committee meeting of the College and using the normal and routine student voice and student representative processes of the College.

3.3 If, after any action to resolve the complaint taken by staff, the student is still dissatisfied, they may proceed to the formal stage of the procedure.

4 Formal stage

4.1 If the complaint has not been resolved at the informal stage and the student wishes to proceed to the formal stage, the student may do so and the complaint will be heard by a panel or in a relevant college committee meeting (e.g. Academic Board, Senior Management Team meeting). The student must set out in writing the nature of their complaint and the reasons why they are dissatisfied with the outcome of the informal stage. The student should explain how they think it should be settled. This must be submitted to the Principal. Complaints raised against the Principal should be submitted to the company Board. In all cases a copy of the complaint should be sent to the Principal.

4.2 Should the complaint relate to a process or decision, the Principal will appoint another person as investigating officer who will be asked to provide a full written report together with any relevant documents. The investigation should be conducted as quickly as possible while allowing for all relevant information and evidence to be gathered. A timescale for this will be agreed between the student and the Principal.

4.3 Should the complaint be against a named individual or individuals, the Principal

will give them a copy of the complaint at the earliest opportunity. The individual will present their response at the hearing and it would not normally be necessary to conduct an investigation. Complaints about named individuals will not be dealt with in routine committee meetings of the college.

4.4 The panel will consist of two nominees of the Principal. Where possible, there should be a gender balance on panels. The college will make every attempt to ensure that the hearing will be held within 14 working days of receipt of the investigating officer’s report, or within 14 working days of the complaint being received if it is against an individual. The student will be given five working days notice that the hearing is to be held. The student may request an alternative date to allow up to an additional five working days if their representative is unavailable. If following a reasonable attempt to rearrange the hearing, the student is still unable to attend, they may send an authorised representative (the letter of authorisation should be received prior the meeting), or the hearing may be held in their absence

4.5 The complainant should ensure that they attend the meeting at the specified time. If they are unable to attend because of circumstances beyond their control, they should inform the Principal and/or the chair of the panel if the complaints are against staff, as soon as possible. If they fail to attend without explanation, or it appears that they have not made sufficient attempts to attend, the hearing may take place in their absence

4.6 Any relevant written information or evidence must be made available to all parties at the earliest opportunity and, in any case, two working days before the hearing.

4.7 All parties involved will be allowed to attend and make representations at the meeting. Witnesses may be called.

4.8 Refusal of either party to attend shall not invalidate the proceedings.

4.9 The panel, in seeking to resolve the complaint, may adjourn the meeting or defer a decision if more information is required.

4.10 The decision of the panel, the reasons for that decision and any redress will be communicated to the student who has made the complaint. Where the complaint is against an individual, both parties will be given a copy of the decision. This will be handed to the student whenever possible or posted directly by recorded delivery to the student within ten working days of the hearing and to the student representative, where applicable.

4.11 Failure to meet the requirements of redress, set out by the panel will result in the invocation of the Disciplinary policy and procedure, unless an appeal has been lodged.

4.12 The formal stage should be completed within 30 calendar days and the student is provided with the written outcome of the formal stage.

5 Right of appeal

5.1 Should the complainant wish to appeal against the decision of the panel they must do so, in writing, to the Principal (or to the Chair of the Board if the complaint was heard by Board members) within five working days of being informed of the decision.

5.2 A request for an appeal must specify the grounds of the appeal, preferably under one or more of the following headings: .

• The nature of any redress
• The finding of the hearing on a point of fact which is pertinent to the decision of the hearing
• A failure to adhere to the published procedure.
• If the material evidence was not provided for valid reasons during the formal stage

5.3 The appeal will be considered within 14 working days and the Completion of Procedure Letter and related correspondence will be issued confirming the summary of the complaint procedure and outcomes.If the settlement is offered,the Completion of Procedures Letter will be issued confirming the settlement.If the student rejects the offer,the Completion of procedures letter will be issued showing a summary of proposals.

5.4. The formal “Completion of Procedures Letter” is issued to the student within 21 calendar days after the final decision is made. If the student is still dissatisfied with the outcome, he/ she may apply for a review of the complaint to the Office of the Independent adjudicator (OIA) for higher education.

The complaint should be received by the Office of the Independent adjudicator (OIA) (www.oiahe.org.uk) within twelve months of the date of the “Completion of Procedures Letter”

Annex 1: Format of the formal complaints / complaints appeal hearing

1.1 The panel shall be responsible for the proper conduct of the hearing, which

shall be conducted on a formal basis.

1.2 The chair of the panel will conduct the introductions of those present and confirm the names of any witnesses who may be called. The chair of the panel will ensure that all parties understand the nature of the complaint and ask the student who is bringing the complaint to say how they think it should be settled.

1.3 The panel shall order the proceedings as follows:

• Ask the student to present their case allowing the investigating officer or respondent to ask questions after the presentation has been completed.
• The student may call witnesses or refer to documents previously circulated and necessary for the hearing
• While the complainant will be given every opportunity to explain their case fully, they should confine their explanation to matters that are directly relevant to the complaint. The chair of the panel will intervene if he/she thinks that the discussion is straying too far from the key issue.
• The chair may also intervene to ensure that the meeting can be completed within a reasonable timeframe, depending on the nature and the complexity of the complaint
• Ask the investigating officer or respondent to respond to the case, allowing the student to ask questions after the presentation has been completed.
• The investigating officer or respondent may call witnesses or refer to documents previously circulated and necessary for the hearing.
• The panel may ask questions on points of clarification at any time and may call witnesses. Questions shall be put to each party after it has presented its case.

If either party wishes to present evidence not previously circulated the hearing may be adjourned to allow the other side to consider it.

Allow the student and then the investigating officer or respondent the opportunity to sum up their cases. Neither party may introduce new matters in their summing up.

1.4 The panel adjourns to consider its decision, which shall be given as soon as

possible after the hearing, but in any case within three working days of the hearing.

1.5 At the same time the student shall be advised of their right to appeal

against the decision.

Annex 2: Guidance for appeal documentation

Grounds of appeal.

Response to grounds of appeal

Case statement, which should

Include as appropriate:

An introduction explaining the reasons for appealing

Summary of course

The outcome sought

Appendices

2 Case statement, which should include as appropriate:

Introduction, background to the case, the process followed on calling the original hearing, how the decision was arrived at

Summary of course

Recommendations

Appendices

2.1 If papers are presented in this way it should be possible for the appeal hearing only to hear any specific comments or particular aspects of the case, rather than a repetition of the original hearing.

Prevent Policy

2015/2016

1. This policy has been drawn up and implemented in order to satisfy the Government and regulators such as HEFCE that the college is fulfilling its duty under the Counterterrorism and Security Act 2015 (the Act) to have due regard to the need to prevent people being drawn into terrorism (the Prevent duty).
2. The College affirms and promotes education as a place of life-enhancing free expression and enquiry. It deplores the expression and cultivation of views and actions which tend to limit or destroy the life of others, however intense or sincere such views or actions may be.
3. The College regards itself and will sustain itself as a locus of democracy, ethical and rigorous enquiry, social and individual improvement, due process, peace, individual liberty, respect and tolerance.
4. The College recognises the UK government view that preventing people being drawn into terrorism requires challenging extremist ideologies. This document is drawn up following the current UK official definition of extremism as ‘vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs’. The college also recognises that the existence of ‘fundamental British values’ may be an essentially contested notion, that UK life has not always aligned with democracy, respect and tolerance, and that the UK does not have a monopoly on such desirable practices and cultures as democracy, the rule of law (including the incorporation of apparently perverse, humane jury decisions), liberty, respect and tolerance. Nevertheless, the college affirms and promotes the UK’s aspiration for these virtues, and abhors terrorism.
5. College members, and UK citizens more generally, do not have the right not to be offended by the views of others, but they all have the right not to be subject to the threat or acts of terrorism. The college will accordingly operate its Prevent duties with energy and diligence.
6. All other policies and procedures of the College (e. equal opportunities, anti-bullying and harassment) should be understood as implicitly if not explicitly embodying and operationalising the Prevent duty.
7. College’s implementation of this Prevent Policy of Management Education must not involve covert activity.
8. Themes to be considered in implementation include necessity and proportionality; consent; the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Human Rights Act 1998.
9. The college will provide HEFCE and any other relevant regulator with any information required for monitoring compliance with the Prevent duty.
10. The college will work to the reporting requirements and submission dates set by HEFCE or any successor body.

1. This policy is linked to the two sets of statutory guidance:

1. • Revised Prevent Duty Guidance for England and Wales (which includes general guidance for bodies in all sectors covered by the duty)
   • Prevent Duty Guidance: for higher education institutions in England and Wales.

1. The College acknowledges that a key element of the UK government’s Prevent strategy is to encourage institutions to address risks of radicalisation. The Counterterrorism and Security Act 2015 (the Act) introduced a package of measures aimed at countering the risk of terrorism and radicalisation. Part 5 of the Act puts hitherto voluntary elements of the Prevent strategy onto a statutory footing. The college became subject to the Prevent duty on 18 September 2015.
2. The College will respect the freedom of speech duty implicitly applying within higher education. It will respect the importance of academic freedom when issuing guidance. It will implement the two sets of UK government guidance:

• Revised Prevent Duty Guidance: for England and Wales (which includes general guidance for bodies in all sectors covered by the duty) – the ‘General Guidance’

• Prevent Duty Guidance: for higher education institutions in England and Wales – the ‘HE Guidance’.

1. The College will assess the level of risk that College members may be drawn into terrorism, and it will have policies and procedure to mitigate those risks. Partners of the college will need to be acknowledged in its risk assessments in a proportionate way.
2. The College has taken into account the HEFCE advice note at www.hefce.ac.uk/reg/prevent/framework/. The college will maintain:

1. 1. 1. 1. Prevent risk assessment
      2.     Action plan
      3.     Policies and procedures for managing and mitigating the risks around external speakers and events on campus and institution-branded events taking place off campus. Such policies will reflect the institution’s duty to ensure freedom of speech on campus and its arrangements to protect the importance of academic freedom.

1. The college will pay particular attention to:

i. Senior management and governance oversight of the implementation of its Prevent duty obligations and engagement with Prevent partners.

ii. Engaging with and consulting students on the institution’s plans for implementing the Prevent duty.

iii. Training appropriate staff about Prevent.

iv. Sharing information internally and externally about vulnerable individuals.

v. Sharing information about external speakers with other institutions, where legal and desirable.

vi. Ensuring sufficient pastoral support for all students (including arrangements for managing prayer and faith facilities).

vii. The use of the institution’s computer facilities (hardware, software, networks, social media), to include consideration of filtering arrangements and of academic activities that might require online access to sensitive or extremism-related material.

viii. Engaging with student organizations, which are not subject to the Prevent duty, but are expected to cooperate with the college.

ix. The UK ‘Channel’ programme. (‘Channel’ is an early-intervention, multi-agency process designed to safeguard vulnerable people from being drawn into violent extremist or terrorist behavior. Channel panels chaired by local authorities bring together multi-agency partners to collectively assess the risk for an individual and can decide whether a support package is needed.)

1. The college will attend to:

1. 1. An annual report from the governing body or proprietor on the implementation of the Prevent duty in the previous operating or academic year, including any significant developments up to the date of the report.
   2. Regulatory body assessment on a multi-year cycle.

1. Any serious incident in the Prevent area will lead the College to review its approach to the Prevent duty: risk assessment, action plans, training, management and governance oversight.
2. The College will inform HEFCE, or any successor body, of any serious adverse event or serious reportable incident in the Prevent area. The college recognises that reporting an incident to HEFCE is not a substitute for reporting it to the police or other appropriate authority – for example, if criminality is suspected.
3. External speakers and events on campus will be subject to approval by the Principal, and will not go ahead if the risks cannot be fully mitigated. Information about the speakers will be shared with other institutions where appropriate and legal.
4. Senior management will engage with partners, including the police, the Prevent coordinators, and students.
5. Risk assessment will consider how and where students might be drawn into terrorism (including violent and non-violent extremism). It will consider whether student, staff welfare and other similar policies cover these issues. The college will scrutinise whether policies and procedures for events held by staff, students and third parties are effective.
6. The Prevent action plan will mitigate identified risks.
7. For the sharing of information about vulnerable people the internal mechanism is immediate report to the Principal. External agreements for the sharing of information about vulnerable people will be drawn up and operated. The default position of the college is that, within the ambit of legislation concerning disclosures, the nodal point for the transfer of information on Prevent themes is the Principal.
8. In the context of Prevent duties, the college will apply its welfare policies and procedures and its general preference for open-door consultation.
9. When the college is able to set aside a room or rooms for prayer, meditation or general thoughtfulness, it upholds the principle that the room  should be equally available to those of any or no faith, including for the storage of religious books and other articles. At the same time, it acknowledges that some faiths favour certain days, times and practices, and it asks and expects other members of college to respect such preferences. Any competition for or dispute over the use of such room(s) shall be immediately referred to the Principal, whose decision will immediately apply, pending any further discussion within the formal college processes. The college upholds the principle of transparency in its academic and social life: no person of another or no faith will be excluded at any time from any room(s) set aside for prayer, meditation or general thoughtfulness.
10. Operating that part of the UK tradition which represents tolerance and openness, the college respects the right of college members to express the religious beliefs. However, the expression of belief must not breach UK law, must not amount to bullying or harassment, and should respect the right of other college members to study and learn what they wish and how they wish within the law and within the conventions of UK higher education. Given their position of authority and influence, College staff is required to be particularly careful in their expression of belief of any kind; the expression of political/religious faith, either personal or that of others, within the academic setting requires intense care.
11. No part of the College’s estate or equipment may be used for illegal purposes. The College will keep records of student attendance, performance, library use, and use of college IT and other electronic equipment.
12. The College may choose to designate certain web sites as ‘privileged’, meaning that they may be accessed on the College premises and/or using College equipment only with the written permission of the Principal after formal written application by the student/staff member. Permission to use such web sites will normally be given only where the applicant has made a good case that access is required for the purposes of research or other forms of scholarly activity. The College will publish a list of such ‘privileged’ web sites. The general Policy of Management Education the College is that, on College premises and/or using College equipment, College members should not access without formal permission of the Principal any web site, whether designated or not as ‘privileged’, which may reasonably be considered to be promoting terrorism or promoting any other illegal activity or displaying security-sensitive materials. The college may choose to install automatic IT filtering arrangements.
13. Student groups and societies may meet on-campus for social and academic purposes with the written permission of the Principal. All such meetings must be arranged with the issue of an invitation to attend as observer for the Principal or the Principal’s representative(s). No meeting shall be held which may reasonably be considered to be promoting terrorism or extremism (as defined in this document) or promoting any illegal activity or any other activity contrary to college rules. The Principal may refuse permission for a meeting.
14. Any external speaker invited to the college or to college activities by staff or student must be approved in advance by the Principal. Application, with a description of the intended guest, must reach the Principal at least two weeks before the intended visit. The Principal may refuse permission for the inclusion of the intended guest.
15. The use of non-college bodies of college premises and/or equipment for events and/or  activities are subject to the requirements of the two immediately preceding paragraphs.
16. The use by college-based groups of external premises and/or equipment for events and/or  activities is subject to the requirements of the three immediately preceding paragraphs.
17. The college will evaluate its performance of this Policy of Management Education on an annual basis.

EXTERNAL SPEAKER CODE OF CONDUCT

Mont Rose College of Management and Sciences

This code of conduct exists to ensure that all speakers taking part in Mont Rose College hosted or run event, act in accordance with the MRC’s  External Speaker Code of Conduct.

The College will assign a person responsible for the event, who will be ensuring that:

• This Code of Conduct is communicated to all external speakers (once approved and confirmed via the External Speaker Booking Process)

• That all reasonable steps are taken to ensure that the requirements within it are upheld during the running of the event or activity.

Freedom of speech

Free speech is fundamental to the role of Mont Rose College.

As a matter of law, educational institutions in England and Wales have a statutory duty to secure freedom of speech, reflecting their mission as places where new ideas can be advanced and where open and free debate can take place. The Education Act (No 2) 1986 requires the educational institution to take such steps as are reasonably practicable to ensure that freedom of speech within the law is secured for its employees, students and visiting speakers. The Mont Rose College therefore requires all employees and students to tolerate and protect the expression of opinions within the law.

However, whilst the law promotes and protects freedom of speech, it also require to ensure the public order and safety. The College recognises that it has a legal responsibility to create a balance between minimising the possibility of extremism or unlawful conduct and ensuring that it meets its legal obligations in relation to securing freedom of speech.

Legal Context

• Private Rights –Protection from harassment, defamation and unlawful breach of their human rights, unfair treatment.

• Criminal Law –harassment, breach of the peace and terrorism all come under criminal law.

• Public law – Freedom of Speech and some duties under the Equality Act.

Conduct

The Mont Rose College expects external speakers to act in accordance with the law and not to breach the lawful rights of others.

Invitations to external speakers play a central role in College’s life, not least in terms of allowing students to be exposed to a range of different beliefs, to challenge other people’s views and to develop their own opinions.

During the event at which the speaker participates, no he or she shall:

• Act in breach of the criminal law.

• Express hatred or violence or any breach of the criminal law.

• Promote any acts of terrorism or individuals, groups that support terrorism.

• Discriminate against or harass any person or group on the grounds of their sex, race, nationality, ethnicity, disability, religious or other similar belief, sexual orientation or age.

• Defame any person or organisation.

• Raise funds for any external organisation or cause without express permission of the College

The MRC reserves the right to not permit an external speaker to speak at or attend an event, to refuse to permit an event at any time if it reasonably considers there may be a breach of the External Speaker Policy or of any legal obligation.

The External Speakers/Referrers  could request the” External Speaker Form” by emailing to: abdi@mrcollege.ac.uk ;  or admin.assistant@mrcollege.ac.uk .   Alternatively , the form could be downloaded from our website.

The completed form should be submitted for consideration to: abdi@mrcollege.ac.uk

Equality Policy

Mont Rose College’s commitment to maintaining high standards in education and student support is coupled with its aim of eliminating discrimination and promoting equal opportunities.

Notwithstanding individual differences in students and their needs, London college asserts its belief that all members of the college staff and students are to be treated equally regardless of their gender, ethnic origin, age, ability, or disability, faith, sexual orientation or any other attribute.

The working culture in the college does not tolerate any form of discrimination, victimisation or harassment.

• Take all steps necessary to implement legislation relevant to equality policy.
• Ensure that publicity materials contain a statement of our commitment to equality of opportunity.
• Prepare, publish and update literature such as the Student Charter and Student Handbook that describe our facilities.
• Explain service standards and set our various complaint procedures and performance indicators to monitor matters relating to equality of opportunity.
• Write and regularly update a code of conduct describing the types of behaviour that the college considers as incompatible with Mont Rose College’s ethos of promoting equal opportunities and detail disciplinary actions that can be taken against those acting in violation of the code of conduct.
• Ensure high levels of awareness of the contents of the code of conduct and the consequences of violating it among students and members of staff.
• Take steps regularly to monitor and evaluate and review the college policies dealing with equality of opportunity.

Self-actualisation through striving for higher ideals