MRC Policies
MRC always strives to maintain the highest standards of teaching and learning.
Mont Rose College strives to maintain the highest quality of teaching and learning experience for its students. MRC commits to a process of continual improvements, and to maintaining its achievements through an enthusiastic process of standards and quality assurance.
ACADEMIC ETHICS
Integrity Policy of Management Education
It is Mont Rose College students’ responsibility to ensure all work submitted or presented to them is entirely their own. Serious violation of this rule in cheating or plagiarism may result in dismissal of the student from the college. The Director, senior tutors, and teachers are responsible for clarifying to staff and students items in the Academic Ethics Policy as outlined below.
1. Cheating
Any use of an unfair means to pass an examination or 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:
2. Plagiarism
Incorporation of any text into any assessed material whether intentionally or otherwise without due acknowledgment of its author or source constitutes plagiarism.
Non-compliance with the following guidelines may constitute plagiarism:
Other violations include
ADMISSIONS POLICY
1. Policy Statement
Mont Rose College welcomes applications from all prospective students with the motivation to learn and the potential to succeed. The College review and update the admissions policy and procedures to ensure that it continues to support the mission and strategic objectives of the College. (Indicator – 4, chapter B2). The College is committed to ensuring equality of opportunity for all individuals seeking a place on a programme.
This admissions policy is made in line with the QAA quality code chapter B2.
2. Scope
Mont Rose College will ensure that all applications are dealt with on an individual basis and are considered fairly in line with the College’s Equality and Diversity Policy, Admissions Requirements and Guidelines and any relevant legislation like Data Protection, Competition and Market Authority etc.
The policy and procedures are clear and are conducted in a professional manner by the trained staff members. (Indicator -1, chapter B2)
3. Legislation
The following legislation applies to this policy
4. Responsibilities
Everyone has a responsibility to give full and active support to the policy by ensuring:-
5. Actions to Implement and Develop Policy
Criteria for Admission
Entry Requirements
The Mont Rose College recruits students of outstanding achievement from all educational backgrounds. Proven previous exam results are the main focus towards admission at Mont Rose College. International students also need to show English competency in order to secure admissions.
The following criteria must be met in order to secure admission at Mont Rose College.
Procedure:
Once the college has received all the above information from the student than the candidates require to take the initial diagnostic test. The candidate needs to achieve more than 50 % marks to be forwarded to the next stage at which point they will be interviewed. After the interview the final decision is made.
An unconditional offer letter will be issued to the accepted candidates.
A conditional letter will be issued to the students in case they have to meet a certain criteria (Indicator -8, chapter B2).Summary of admission process:
(Indicator – 6, chapter B2)
For International Students the criteria of admission are almost same but before issuing the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) letter the college has to check students’ English level, which should confirm that a student has achieved a CEFR level B2 in English.
Once an International student arrives at Mont Rose College on enrolment day, then it is the responsibility of appointed person to check their academic documents along with Visa and scan them. Once student documents are completed, then he/she requires to do the initial diagnostic test.
Right to Refuse an Application
The College reserves the right to refuse an application if the applicant fails to fulfil the specified criteria.
Applicants who do not meet the normal entry requirements for a particular course may be given a place subject to specified conditions. These conditions will be made explicit to the applicant. A decision to admit an applicant under these circumstances will be at the discretion of the Principal or his nominee(s), usually the Admissions manager.
The College requires below mentioned documents from students. If they can’t provide any of this requested information then they must inform the College and obtain extra time to complete their application.
The student has a right to appeal against the admissions decision and can request a review of a decision concerning the selection or admission. The appeal policy is available on the college website. (Indicator -3, Chapter B2)
The college does not allow appeals based on academic judgement, appeal can be filed with regards to procedural grounds within 2 weeks of a decision.
The College will inform the prospective students of any significant changes in the programme they have applied for and will advise promptly of other choices available. (Indicator -9, chapter B2)
Monitoring & Evaluation
The College’s Senior Management Team will monitor the operation of the policy by receiving an annual report on admissions.
Policy & Procedure for Admissions Appeals and Complaints
Introduction
- Mont Rose College of Management and Sciences is committed to a high quality and transparent Admission Policy and Procedures. But there will be times when the applicant is not satisfied with the admission process and wishes to file a complaint. Therefore, admissions complaint and appeals policy has been designed in line with chapter B2 and indicator 3 of the Quality Code.
Scope
An appeal is a formal request for a selection decision be reviewed and will only be considered where there are adequate grounds (as set out below). An applicant can request a review of a decision concerning the application with regards to procedural grounds, within 2 weeks of the decision being made.- Any applicant may complain or appeal against the handling of his/her admission application if there is a reason to believe that;
- The admission decision contradicts the published entry criteria
- There has been an administration or procedural error in handling applications
- There are concerns regarding staff behaviour in handling the admission application
- There is the emergence of information which may have affected the decision and which was not available at the time of the original decision.
- Complaints or Appeals will not be considered:
- If the applicant is disappointed with the selection decision made on academic grounds.
- If the dispute concerns a decision from a previous admissions cycle or one that has already been accepted by the applicant.
Complaints Procedure: Chapter –B2 – Indicator -3
- Mont Rose College is committed to resolve admission queries quickly and informally. In the first instance the applicant should contact the relevant Admission Advisor for feedback and an explanation as to why their application was unsuccessful. If the course of action proves unsatisfactory, then the formal complaints and appeals policy will apply.
- If the applicant is not satisfied with the outcome of the application and the feedback received or there is some new information, he/she may complain in writing to the College Admissions Manager. An applicant must provide the following information:
- Name and Address
Grounds for the complaint
An indication of the outcome being sought
- The Admission Manager shall investigate the complaint and shall respond to the applicant within 15 days of the receipt of the complaint. (If it should prove impossible to respond fully within 15 working days, the applicant shall be informed in writing of the revised date).
Appeals Procedure: Chapter B2 –Indicator -3
- Where an applicant remains dissatisfied with the written response received regarding their complaint, or there is substantial new information, he/she may appeal in writing to the Admission Manager by completing the Applicant Appeal Form together with any supporting documentation, within 15 working days following the receipt of their formal feedback.
5.1 The Admission Manager shall investigate the appeal and shall respond to the appellant within 15 working days of receipt of the appeal. (If it should prove impossible to respond fully within 15 working days, the applicant shall be informed in writing of the revised date).
5.2 The Admission Manager may request additional information from either the applicant or relevant staff and may convene a meeting to discuss the appeal. The Admission Manager will decide whether:
The appeal is upheld and the College will take appropriate action
OR
The appeal is not upheld and will communicate the reasons for this decision and confirm that no action will be taken
5.3 The decision reached by the Admission Manager is final and will be communicated to the appellant and relevant staff within 15 working days of considering the appeal.
Appendix 1
Applicant Appeal Form
This is only for the purpose of submitting a formal appeal in accordance with the Mont Rose College Admissions Complaints and Appeals Policy. Please read this information prior to submitting the form as we may be unable to consider an inappropriate or incomplete submission.
If you have any queries concerning the completion or submission of this form, please contact the Head of Admissions Mr. Jodat at j.sheikh@mrcollege.ac.uk
Applicant Name: Applicant Number/ UCAS Personal ID: Course(s) applied to: Please provide details of your appeal below (please provide copies of any communications regarding your application or feedback received)
Continue on separate sheets if necessary
Please explain why you are not satisfied with the feedback or communications you have received.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
The College will work to remove any barriers, real or perceived, which might deter people of the highest ability from applying to the College, either as staff or students. The College aims to provide an inclusive environment which values diversity and maintains a working, learning and social environment in which the rights and dignity of all its staff and students are respected to assist them in reaching their full potential.
No prospective or actual student or member of staff will be treated less favourably than any other, whether before, during or after their study or employment at the College on one or more of the following grounds, except when such treatment is within the law and determined by lawful requirements: age; colour; disability; ethnic origin; marital status; nationality; national origin; parental status; race, religion or belief; gender; sexual orientation; or length or type of contract (e.g. part‐time, full time or fixed‐term).
With regard to staff, this policy applies to (but is not limited to) advertising of jobs and recruitment and selection, to training and development, to opportunities for promotion, to conditions of service, benefits, facilities and pay, to health and safety, to conduct at work, to grievance and disciplinary procedures and to termination of employment
With regard to students, this policy applies to (but is not limited to) admissions, teaching, learning and research provision, to grant the scholarships, grants and other awards under the College’s control, to student support, to College accommodation and other facilities, to health and safety, to personal conduct and to student complaints and disciplinary procedures.
In order to realise its commitment, the College will:
Scope
This policy applies to all members of the College, students and staff, whether permanent, temporary, casual, part‐time or on fixed‐term contracts, to job applicants, to student applicants, current and former students, to associate members and to visitors to the college
This policy statement is supported by the following policies:
Complaints regarding the College Equal Opportunities Statement or Policies are to be raised with the Bursar who will present them to the College Welfare Committee in the first instance for consideration.
Further information on the general principles of equality law can be found at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents
QUALITY ASSURANCE POLICY
Academic /Quality Assurance Board is comprised of Principal, Academic Manager, lecturers from Business department and Hospitality department, Programme Leaders and class representatives. They are responsible for developing and monitoring the Mont Rose quality policy and also strive to ensure that it reflects best practice in relation to national and international standards.
They are responsible for ensuring that the day to day operational aspect of Mont Rose College conforms to Mont Rose College Quality Policy.
Quality Assurance Objectives: The objectives of the Quality Assurance Committee are as follows:
1. Responsibilities of the Academic / Quality Assurance Committee:
2. Quality Assurance Framework
The MRC quality assurance framework is arranged and managed through:
Student Feedback
In Mont Rose College all students are encouraged to complete feedback forms during each session relating to the facilities offered by the, course content, teachers, teaching methodologies and resources. This information is evaluated and analysed by the Quality Assurance Committee who then later on make decisions for improvements.
Academic Feedback
All academic staff members are expected to offer feedback to the students with reference to their progress, college development, the market value of current courses, identification of new courses, building a good rapport with students, student issues and assessments.
3. External Examiners/Verifiers feedback
The examination reports developed by the external examiners and external verifiers sent by different awarding boards are vital for Mont Rose College to improve its quality policies and procedures.
Course Review
Each course should be reviewed on a yearly basis. The review process will help Mont Rose College to maintain the course in line with the requirements of the awarding bodies and the demands of the continuously changing external environment.
Programme/ Course Development
The Academic Manager is responsible for ensuring that courses offered at Mont Rose College should:
The following policies have also been developed to ensure quality procedures at all levels.
APPEALS POLICY
1. Purpose and scope of the procedure
2. Principles of the procedure
The procedure is based on the following principles:
3. Process (Indicator -3, Chapter B9)
4. Right of secondary appeal to a decision of the academic appeal panel
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. (Indicator -6, Chapter B9)
A request for a secondary appeal must specify the grounds of the appeal, preferably under one or more of the following headings:
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.
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 of the appeal. If it is a re-hearing it will follow the format at Annex 1. The student will be 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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
Any recommendations made by the panel will be communicated to the appropriate Individuals and committees. (Indicator -6, Chapter –B9)
The decision of the secondary appeals panel is final.
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”
5. Date of adoption:
Date of next planned revision:
Annex 1:
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.
The panel shall order the proceedings as follows:
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.
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
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
Appendices
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.
Indicator -7, Chapter –B9:
The policy is reviewed and approved by Academic/ Quality Assurance Board annually for enhancement purpose.ATTENDANCE POLICY
1. Introduction
Mont Rose College of Management and Sciences is very strict about punctuality and regularity of the students. These qualities of punctuality and regular are highly valued by employers. Therefore, the college tries to inculcate these qualities among the students.
The Student Services Department keeps a 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 for students and to meet this challenge we not only implement the attendance policy but develop the ways it can be achieved.
2. 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. Exceptions can only be made where there is medical evidence or proof of extenuating circumstances.
3. Policy Standard
4. 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. 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: –
When a student is absent, late authorisation of such absence is only possible if a justified reason is provided.
5. Absence due to illness
If a student is ill and needs to stay at home, then they have to inform the Student Services administrator no later than 9:30 am on the first day of their absence otherwise they will be marked as ‘unauthorised’ absent. Medical evidence will only be required if the illness lasts for more than 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.
Absence due to an appointment
6. 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 85%, then the college will issue the first non-attendance warning letter / text or email to the student regarding their absence. The student has to contact the Student Services department within 5 working days to provide reasons for unauthorized absence.
If the student fails to do so, then a second non-attendance warning letter / text or email will be sent 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 a suspension 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) or other educational establishment’s partners if required.
After receiving the Suspension letter if the student still wishes to continue his/her studies, then they have to provide a valid reason for their absence and if that has been accepted by the Student Services department the student will be able to resume classes in the next semester and not within the current semester.
Attendance and punctuality are not only important for student success and progression in the course of any study but are also required to fulfil the condition of their student visa if required and to enable a student to 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:
7. Authorised & Unauthorised Absences
The following would be considered suitable reasons for an authorised absence:
The following would be considered unacceptable reasons for authorizing 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 is absent due to illness and /or pregnancy he/she needs to provide a medical certificate to obtain 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 COMPLAINT POLICY
1. Purpose and scope of the procedure
2. Principles of the procedure
The procedure is based on the following principles:
3. Informal stage
4. Formal stage
5. Right of appeal
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.
A request for an appeal must specify the grounds of the appeal, preferably under one or more of the following headings: .
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.
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. (Indicator -4 & 5, Chapter –B9)
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 (Indicator -3, Chapter B9)
The panel shall be responsible for the proper conduct of the hearing, which shall be conducted on a formal basis.
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.
The panel shall order the proceedings as follows:
If either party wishes to present evidence not previously circulated, the hearing may be adjourned to allow the other side to consider it.
The student and then the investigating officer or respondent will be given the opportunity to sum up their cases. Neither party may introduce new matters in their summing up.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.
At the same time the student shall be advised of their right to appeal against the decision.
Indicator -7, Chapter –B9:
The policy is reviewed and approved by Academic/ Quality Assurance Board annually for enhancement purpose.
Annex 2: Guidance for appeal documentation2 Case statement.
This should include as appropriate:
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
This policy has been drawn up and implemented in order to satisfy the Government and regulators such as OFS 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).
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.
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.
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 affirms and promotes the Fundamental British Values, which underpin what is to be a responsible citizen in a diverse Great Britain. The College promotes respect for democratic processes and tolerance of different faiths and respect for how the law is made and applied in the UK, support for equality of opportunity for all and liberty to know, understand and exercise the rights and personal freedoms.
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.
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.
College’s implementation of this Prevent Policy must not involve covert activity.
Themes to be considered in implementation include necessity and proportionality; consent; the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and the Human Rights Act 1998.
The College will provide OFS and any other relevant regulator with any information required for monitoring compliance with the Prevent duty.The College will work to the reporting requirements and submission dates set by OFS or any successor body.
This policy is linked to the two sets of statutory guidance:
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.
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:
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.
The College has taken into account the OFS advice note at The College will maintain:
https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/media/3e9aa5d3-21de-4b24-ac21-18de19b041dc/ofs2018__35.pdfThe College will pay particular attention to:
The College will attend to:
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.
The College will inform OFS, 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 OFS is not a substitute for reporting it to the police or other appropriate authority – for example, if criminality is suspected.
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.
Senior management will engage with partners, including the police, the Prevent coordinators, and students.
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.
The Prevent action plan will mitigate identified risks.
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.
In the context of Prevent duties, the College will apply its welfare policies and procedures and its general preference for open-door consultation.
The College set aside a room 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 the College to respect such preferences. Any competition for or dispute over the use of such room 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 room set aside for prayer, meditation or general thoughtfulness.
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 intensive care.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The College will evaluate its performance of this policy on an annual basis.
EXTERNAL SPEAKER CODE OF CONDUCT
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:
Freedom of speech and academic freedom
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.
Academic Freedom is to be able to teach and conduct the research in an academic environment without the influence of religion, politics or other factors. This is very important for students and staff at Mont Rose College.
Legal Context
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:
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: welfareofficer@mrcollege.ac.uk Alternatively, the form could be downloaded from our website.
The completed form should be submitted for consideration to: ort@mrcollege.ac.uk
EXTERNAL SPEAKER POLICY
Anyone organising an event at Mont Rose College must follow the External Speaker Booking Process detailed below.
The majority of external speaker requests will be straightforward and can be handled entirely at a departmental level.
Some requests may be complex and may require referral for further consideration. This will apply in a minority of circumstances – to events or speakers deemed to be higher-risk.Assessment of proposed external speaker(s)
The External Speaker Code of Conduct should be sent to the speaker prior to the event and the confirmation that it was read and understood by the speaker received two weeks prior to the event.
Prior to the confirmation of any external speaker, the event organiser together with Events Organising Officer at Mont Rose College, will be responsible for assessing the speaker against the following set of questions:If the assessment is satisfactory and meets the requirements set in the External Speaker Code of Conduct and the External Speaker Policy, the event organiser can confirm the external speaker and register them to speak at the event.
If any of the above questions raise some confusion or concern, the event organiser must seek guidance from their line manager, head of function, whose responsibility it will be to further review the speaker against the questions above.
If the answer is Yes to any of those questions above, the responsibility of decision will be forwarded to the Principal.Legal Context
The External Speakers/Referrers could submit their requests to the campaign manager at ort@mrcollege.ac.uk
The External Speaker Policy is reviewed and approved by BOG on annual basis.
EXTERNAL SPEAKER FORM
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, Mont Rose 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.
We will:
Self-actualisation through striving for higher ideals – Mont Rose College Vision and Code.
FEE POLICY
This document is the Policy of Mont Rose College of Management and Sciences (The College), which outlines the actions and procedures that will be followed with regards to student fees/debts and sanctions applied in the events of non-payment.
If a student is expecting a refund or compensation, he/she should refer to the Refund and Compensation Policy
All students are treated equally and fairly in relation to the payment of fees and other procedures stated in this document.
‘Tuition Fees’ are defined as a charge for tuition and use of academic facilities and payable to Mont Rose College.
A Student is defined as any person, currently or previously enrolled at Mont Rose College on a study programme which may or may not lead to an award or qualification.
Self-funded
2. Payments by a Third Party
3. Sanctions for non-payment of Tuition Fees
4. Students’ Advice
Mont Rose College:
Student Support imran@mrcollege.ac.ukExternal
Student Loans Company; www.slc.co.uk
Aimhigher; www.aimhigherwm.ac.uk
National Union of Students; www.nus.org.uk
National Association of Citizen’s Advice Bureau; www.nacab.org.ukCONSUMER PROTECTION ACT 1987
To ensure the compliance with Consumer Protection Act 1987 and Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, Montrose College of Management and Sciences (The College):
Will provide the candidates with the information they need to make an informed decision before they apply for admission ,for example (but without limitation):
Will ensure that the students have a full access to the College’s Rules and Regulations, that all changes, implied by Law or the College’s Management will be reflected in the College’s policies and available for students’ information.
Where the College expect some things to change after an offer is accepted, will ensure that the whole information about the change is provided to the student promptly, so that the student can agree to this or be advised how to proceed if the student is not happy about the change.
Where any contractual term allows changes to the pre-contract information, will ensure that it is fair and balanced under unfair terms legislation.
Will ensure that the complaints handling processes are fair and transparent. The Students Complaints’ policies and The Students’ Academic Policy are continuously accessible through Mont Rose College website and Students’ Handbook.
Will ensure that the students are informed that they have a right to escalate their complaint to an external scheme such as the OIA, if they are not happy with the outcome of the complaint.
Will ensure that the staff is fully trained and aware of their roles and responsibilities according to the Company’s Policies and Procedures.
To ensure the compliance with Consumer Protection Act 1987 and Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, Montrose College of Management and Sciences will not:
Apply in any way academic sanctions for the purpose of obtaining monies from the student owed to MRC ,which are not tuition fee debts
For the purpose of the above undertaking:
“Academic sanctions” includes preventing graduation, suspension, and progression, withholding a student’s results, refusing tuition or access to facilities that are critical to study.
Apply or recommend any term in any contract with students, which requires the student to incur additional course costs and which has not been notified to the student in their offer letter.
Restrict the access to Student Complaint Policies and Procedures for those students, who are in debt to the College for tuition fees.
The College does not accept any liability (save for liability that cannot be excluded by law) for any consequential losses that actually result or may result from any breach of this policy
TRANSFER PROCEDURES
At Mont Rose College we are dedicated in supporting and assisting our students in realising their full potential. We have processes in place which ensure the provision of transparent and accurate information for our students. The processes below give information on internal course transfers, institutional transfers as well as other relative information e.g. funding and student disability advice.
The purpose of this policy is to guide our students on course transfer procedures within the institution and to another provider.
1. Internal course transfer procedures
2. Procedures of evaluating the programme transfer requests:
3. Process of Transfer from another Institution.
4. Process of Transfer to another Institution.
5. Advice for disabled students
Any students who declare a disability or learning difficulty at the time of admission are advised to see a Welfare Officer if they face any difficulties with their course. The Welfare Officer is available to discuss any student issues and arrange extra support if needed.
The Welfare Officer will advise, guide and provide assistance if the student decides to transfer to another course or institution.
REFUND AND COMPENSATION POLICY
Consultation: Student Union and Student Representative Committee: Review frequency- annually
Content
1. Purpose
The purpose of this Policy is to ensure that students are aware of the procedures that they have to follow in case they become eligible for a refund or compensation. The policy also sets the eligibility criteria and outlines those circumstances where the students might become eligible for refunds/compensation.
Mont Rose College of Management and Sciences (the College) will provide all required information about the course, timetables, location to applicants at the time of enrolment and prior to the start of each academic year. The College plans course programmes well in advance to ensure that there will be no disruption to students.
Students are advised to refer to the Student Protection Plan https://mrcollege.ac.uk/student-protection-plan/ to understand what measures the College puts in place to ensure course continuity.
In very rare cases the College may have to make changes (as for example- to programme content, campus relocation). If the students concerned are adversely affected by such changes, they may be eligible for a refund of their tuition fees or/and compensation for any extra costs incurred.
2. Objectives
The College has an obligation to ensure that it complies with the requirements of the Office of Student (OFS), Designated Quality Body (DQB), Student Loan Company (SLC), the HE Quality Assurance regulator, Pearson, Buckinghamshire New University (partner university), the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) and other regulators.
This policy applies to:
3. Refunds
Once an unconditional offer of a place at the College has been accepted and the student starts the course, he/she becomes liable for the tuition fee payments. For further detail regarding tuition fee liabilities, the student should refer to the Students Fee Policy on Mont Rose College’s website. (https://mrcollege.ac.uk/mrc-policies/)
If the student or the person who pays the tuition fees on the student’s behalf, changes their mind regarding continuing the course, they must submit a written withdrawal request to the Admission Manager Mr. Jodat Sheikh j.sheikh@mrcollege.ac.uk within 14 days from the start of the course. In this case the fees paid for the first term will be refunded to the student/sponsor/SLC in full within 10 working days from the date, written withdrawal request was received. No further claim is required.
If the student withdraws/ suspends after 14 days of starting the course, the tuition fee liability will apply as follows:
If the student paid full tuition fees in advance, any overpayments will be processed directly (no claim required):
The refunds will be processed:
If the College decides to close a programme or campus, students will be offered the opportunity to transfer to other campuses or modified programmes.
Tuition fees will not be refunded if the programme’s closure is due to a force majeure beyond the College’s control (e.g. (But without limitation) flood, epidemic diseases, war etc.)
If a student leaves the course voluntarily or has been suspended prior to the date of a change, they will not be eligible for a refund.
No refunds will be made for payments made for learning materials or to third parties on the student’s behalf (e.g. registration fees; materials, printings).
If the student believes that he/she is eligible for a refund (excluding automatic refunds as per paragraph 3.2 (written request of withdrawal within 14 days is required)), he/she should refer to the College’s Student Complaint Procedures (https://mrcollege.ac.uk/apply-online/) and submit a claim. The claim will be reviewed according to the College’s policies and procedures. If a decision is made to refund the tuition fees to a student, the refund will be processed within 10 working days of a decision being made. Any refunds will be processed as per clause 3.5.
Compensation
The College will make it as a priority to ensure that all courses offered are delivered as initially described and advertised.
A student may be eligible for compensation if, as a result of College’s decisions, the student has to transfer to another campus/ provider, resulting in increased travelling, maintenance or other costs.
The affected students will be offered the opportunity to apply for compensation after the change takes place.
The students will have to prove the material extent of any financial disadvantage (lost time, increased costs) incurred as a result of any change.
If students are notified prior to enrolment to their programmes that the College will be relocating or planning to relocate, by accepting these conditions, such students will not be eligible for compensation.
After assessing the student’s claim (if found valid), the compensation amount and the compensation release plan will be decided and conveyed to the student.
If the student is unhappy with the College’s decision regarding compensation, he/she can request a review of the decision. If the student is still not happy, he/she can refer to the College’s complaints procedures (https://mrcollege.ac.uk/mrc-policies/) and submit a claim.
Any compensation will be paid directly to the affected student’s account
If a student has any queries regarding the release of compensation funds, he /she should send a query to renata@mrcollege.ac.uk
5. Links:
The following College’s documents related to this policy are available on https://mrcollege.ac.uk/mrc-policies/