• All registered/enrolled students must read and consider the EVCFE Code of Conduct, which is outlined below. The registration on process cannot be finally completed for a student until they have considered and signed their individual acceptance of the code of conduct without condition on or reservation.

   

   STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT / LEARNER AGREEMENT

  Language Proficiency

  All courses are delivered through the English language. FE students should have a high standard of oral and written English.

  Attendance – Uncertified Learner Absences:

  Absence noted for an entire day will be recorded as a full day’s absence. Any single absence for at least an entire lesson but less than the whole day, will be recorded as a half day absence. Two or more separate single absences in the course of one day will be recorded as two half days, which equal to a sum of one full day.

  • Maintenance Grant: In order to qualify for the payment of a learner maintenance grant in any month, an eligible learner must not be absent for more than four days in a calendar month.
  • Unsatisfactory attendance: A learner whose attendance is unsatisfactory may be alerted to the situation by the relevant Course Director. A student whose record shows a sum total of absences, made up of half and full days, of five (5) days, other than those certified as Sick Leave or as Special Leave, will be reported by the Course Director to the College Attendance Board. A standard letter will be sent to the learner’s permanent address to notify him/her of the time and date of the scheduled meeting with the College Attendance Board.
  • College Attendance Board Meetings: The College Attendance Board consists of one male and one female teacher appointed by the College. On meeting the Board, the learner will be invited to give a written commitment to attend all further course activities. Any unauthorised absences in excess of five (5) days will be treated as breach of the learners’ code of conduct.
  • A learner who, following a meeting with the Board, having been recorded as failing to

  attend a meeting with the Board, or who has not already been reported to the Board, is recorded as absent for a sum of five (5) further days after the initial allowance of five days has been utilised, excluding days certified as Sick Leave or Special Leave, will be removed from EVCFE learner register by the Course Director. The attendance board will recommend to the Board of Management that the student be deregistered. The student will have the right to appeal to the Board of Management regarding the proposed deregistration. The Board of Management will then make the final decision in the form of an order addressed to County Waterford and Wexford Education on and Training Board. Thus, if a sum total of ten (10) uncertified absences occur, the learner will be de-registered. If this sum total of ten (10) days is reached before a scheduled interview with the College Attendance Board has taken place, then the student will be deregistered without meeting the Board.

  • The deregistered person has ceased to be a learner, and must leave the College.
  • Application on for re-entry to College: If a deregistered person applies for re-entry to the College, he/she will be interviewed by an appeal committee, which will consist of one or more members of the College Attendance Board, along with the Course Director and Further Education Coordinator. The appeal hearing will take into consideration on the number of days of medical, special and exceptional leave taken, the academic progress made by the appellant, and any representations made by the appellant. Following consultation with the members of the appeals committee the Principal will decide the issue. · A person who is accepted for re-registration on as a learner must make a further written commitment to attend all scheduled course activities. Failure to fulfil this promise, as measured by a sum total of five (5) days absence, excluding days certified as Sick Leave, will lead to automatic deregistration of the learner. A re-registered learner has no entitlement to Special leave.

   

  A POSITIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

   Child Welfare

  EVCFE operated within a second level campus of over 500 second level students aged 12-18. Enniscorthy Vocational College and EVCFE operating therein have a duty of care for the personal safety for all students with a particular emphasis on the safety of second level students. With that in mind, FE students are not permitted to have any contact in school/college time, with any 2nd level student. Contact which is forbidden includes:

  • Talking to/ in conversation with 2nd level student (s) anywhere on the campus
  • Being with 2nd level student(s) in cars or isolated areas of the campus
  • Any contact of a sexual or other nature which is consented to or otherwise between FE and second level student

   

  General Behaviour Standards

  All FE students must wear the student card provided continuously while present on the EVCFE campus.

  • All FE students must at all times be respectful, cooperative and non confrontational in class and on campus, with all staff and students. Unacceptable behaviour would include anything which would undermine the running and teaching of FE courses and our duty of care to FE and in particular second level students including:
  • Talking/ interrupting the teaching of FE courses
  • Being confrontational with any staff member
  • Any ‘inappropriate’ behaviour inside class or any area on campus
  • Any behaviour within cars parked on campus of a sexual or of any other unacceptable nature

  – Driving at a speed on campus or approach roads without due care and attention to themselves, other students, staff or general public. Adhere to speed limits.

  – Students should be courteous and respectful to neighbouring residents and their property. No littering.

  • FE students must not park their cars or motorbikes in areas beside and around the campus other than those areas where they are permitted to do so:

  – The car park at the back of the campus

  – FE students have a duty to park carefully and orderly to ensure their own and their vehicles safety and the need for staff to access and leave the car park without any difficulty.

  • In the event of a registered FE student not disclosing that they possess a criminal record, the Board of Manager reserves the right to immediately expel the student concerned.
  • All students must sign the Colleges computer usage policy outlined herein prior to accessing their EVCFE computer account. All FE students may be permitted to use the college computer facilities only for course related assignment preparation. All FE students are not permitted under any circumstances to use the computer facilities of EVCFE for social networking (i.e. Facebook) or for their private business and/or commercial profit.
  • FE students may not under any circumstance access, download, save, create or transmit any abusive, obscene, threatening, defamation, offensive or harassing images or material to staff or any other person(s).
  • FE students must not damage the computer facilities at EVC wilfully or otherwise.
  • FE students must not permit another individual(s) unauthorised access to their computer account and or files.

   

  GENERAL COURSE ADMINISTRATION

   Any FE student who wishes to discuss any issues regarding their course must following the following sequence

  – Raise the matter with the tutor concerned

  – Contact their course director if the issue is not resolved

  – If the problem is not solved at this point contact the Principal.

   

  Assignments

  FE students have a personal responsibility to ensure that all course related assignments/projects are submitted with the relevant cover sheet(s) by the deadline date. EVCFE tutors and course directors may refuse to accept any assignments/projects which are not submitted by the deadline date irrespective of the circumstances. Tutors/Course Directors may at their own discretion accept late assignments/ projects with penalties (e.g. subtracting marks from the FE student’s assignment/ project) FE students accept that they have no recourse to appeal any such lack of commitment to the protocol in this regard

  • FE Students must keep a hard copies of assignments/ projects already submitted in a secure place as such projects/ assignments WILL NOT be handed back.

   

  Plagiarism

  Plagiarism can include “the inclusion of another person’s writing or ideas or works, in any formally presented work (including essays, theses, projects, laboratory reports, examinations, oral, poster or slide presentations) which form part of the assessment requirements for a module or programme of study, without due acknowledgement either wholly or in part of the original source of the material through appropriate citation. Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty, where ideas are presented falsely, either implicitly or explicitly, as being the original thought of the author’s.” (UCD Plagiarism Statement, Policy & Procedure)

  PLAGIARISM & EVCFE

  EVCFE has an absolute responsibility to:

  • Inform FE students of all rules and regulations concerning the college’s plagiarism policy
  • Monitor and check students’ assessments/ coursework for plagiarism
  • Ensure any enforcement of discipline in relation to plagiarism is applied with fairness and due process
  • All FE students have a responsibility to be aware and understand all aspects of the college’s plagiarism policy.

   

  Learner Appeals

  EVCFE will facilitate FE students who wish to appeal the result of a module(s) or part thereof to do so through its LEARNER APPEALS PROCESS. This process permits the FE student to contest/appeal the nature and structure of the assessment process and the result of the assessment itself. This appeals process will be valid only if the following sequence of regulations are followed:

  • The only results which can be validly appealed are those officially conferred by QQI (July results)
  • The responsibility for appealing a result rests with the learner concerned
  • The learner has 1 month from the date of postage of the results to make an appeal
  • An official appeal application must be completed by the learner

  – No additional material may be introduced by learner at the appeal stage

  • A 3rd party appointed by the Principal will review the appeal

  – The learner will be informed of the result of the appeal within 7 days of submitting it

  – The module(s) result s after the appeal process will be forwarded to FETAC as the final result.

  General

  The Board of Management reserve the right to consider any behaviour not specified above as ‘unacceptable’ and take whatever action it deems necessary to deal with any such behaviour including initiating the deregistration on process

  • The Board of Management of EVCFE reserve the right to investigate and recommend to WWETB the removal or suspension of a FE student who does not comply with any of the conditions of the Student Protocol per the deregistration on process
  • The college and any staff member thereof reserve the right to decline to write a reference as to the academic and/or moral character of a FE student.

   

  All courses are delivered through the English language. FE students should have a high standard of oral and written English.

 

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 Students who have been unemployed for a certain period may be entitled to funding under the VTOS (Vocational Training Opportunity Scheme) or the BTEA (Back to Education Allowance) scheme. You may be entitled to avail of the following schemes that will help you on your chosen course.

Students may be entitled to maintenance grants. Conditions and eligibility are the same as those for Universities or Institutes of Technology students. The Grant process is managed through Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), www.susi.ie. Students should apply online and are reminded to keep a copy of all documents used in the application on process.

*It is important for students to note that Absence from College may aff ect the payment of your grant.

 

Back to Education on Allowance (BTEA)

This allowance is paid at a weekly rate equal to your previous social protection on payment that qualifies you for participation on in the scheme. The allowance is payable for the duration on of the course. It essentially replaces your existing social welfare income.

 

Course Fees:

The exact fees for each course can be accessed from the website www. evcfurthereducation.ie. Students also have to pay a Government levy and exam fees.

The following categories of students are exempt from paying the government levy and exam fees.

1. Full medical cardholders in their own right and their dependent children;
2. Those who are eligible under the student grant scheme;
3. Those in receipt of BTEA or VTOS allowances;
4. Non-EU nationals who have already paid the full economic fee of their course.

Students who have applied for the Student Grant Scheme must supply evidence confirming that the application has been received. A copy of this letter should be given to the Course Director as soon as possible. Students who have applied for the Back to Education Allowance must supply a letter from the relevant Authority confirming that the application has been received. Students who have their applications for the Student Grant Scheme or BTEA turned down must pay the government levy, as the College is required to follow up on the status of these students. Students who decide to leave the course during the year have no entitlement to receiving any of the course fees back.

Certification will not be awarded if there are any outstanding financial matters.

 

GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING SERVICE:

EVCFE offers a Career Guidance and Counselling service. This service provides support for students in the following areas to ensure their college experience is a positive one:

 

• The Guidance service offers advice to students enabling them to make informed choices in relation to further study options and career choice.
• The Counselling service provides a confidential environment in which students can explore personal issues, which may be causing them concern.

Where appointments are made, it is crucial that students turn up at the agreed time to be fair to all students and the Guidance Counsellor. Ms. Avril Murphy is the Guidance Counsellor.

 

HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE

Canteen:

There is a canteen serving tea/coffee, soft drinks and a wide variety of food. Further Education students are not to be in the canteen when second level students have their break between 11.00-11.15 and between 1.15-1.55. During this time, students can avail of the seating upstairs. The facilities can be used at all other times during the day. It is important that all students dispose of their rubbish in an appropriate manner by using the bins provided.

First-Aid:

There is a First-Aid room located close to the main office. In the event of an accident, your teacher should be informed at once. If he/she is unavailable, then the Deputy Principal or Principal should be informed. Accident Report forms have to be completed for each accident/injury.

Fire Safety:

There is a Fire Evacuation notice in each classroom. Students should make themselves familiar with the procedures and note where the nearest fi re exit is at all times. If the alarm sounds, students and staff must proceed to their assembly area (Basketball courts) as quickly as possible.

Mobile Phones:

We would ask that mobile phones are kept out of sight and are turned off during class, to avoid interruption. No calls or texts should be made or responded to during class time. Messages can be checked at break-time. The college telephone number is

05392 36969 and can be given as a contact number. Urgent messages will be passed on as soon as possible.

10 TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF QQI MODULES

Attend all classes

You are required to attend and be punctual for all your classes at EVCFE. Punctual and regular attendance are strong indicators of success.

Get organised

Students who are successful are organised from the beginning of term in relation to organising folders, materials and electronic files.

Read assignment briefs thoroughly

Each brief contains specific instructions detailing exactly what you have to do to successfully complete your assessment, along with other essential information, such as deadline dates, assessment weighing, notification of other paperwork, which must be handed in with the assignment, soft copy to be emailed etc.

Understand the relative importance of each assessment

All assessments are important but assessments are not equally important. Some carry more weight, i.e. they are worth more marks than others are, and therefore warrant more time and effort completing them. Every brief will state the maximum marks a given assessment is worth.

Get Started

Set yourself realistic goals and objectives throughout the year. The most important point is to get started once you get a brief. Do not leave it until the last minute. Students have often over a month to meet a deadline and still struggle at the last minute to get it completed.

Talk to Staff

Unforeseen circumstances can and do arise for students. Also students can feel overwhelmed with the workload from time me time. It is very important that students communicate with the relevant staff. We pride ourselves on having a nurturing atmosphere in the college and we strongly urge you to seek help when you need it.

 Adhere to the Referencing System

Students must follow the agreed referencing system and it is crucial that students take on board the advice given to avoid any plagiarism issues.

 Adhere to Preliminary Deadlines

Feedback may be provided in written or oral form; on a one-to-one basis; or provided on an oral basis to a group. However, this can only be provided once you have submitted in time for the Preliminary Deadline. This feedback is invaluable for all students but particularly those students who find the module difficult or have learner support issues.

Meet the Final Deadline

The Final Deadline is the final date/time that work can be submitted. Assignments handed in after the Final Deadline will not be graded unless there is exceptional circumstances.

Include all supplementary paperwork when handing up assignments Many practical assignments do not just require you to submit the final work on its own- be it a completed newspaper page, a portrait photograph, a ceramic bust or a website. Proof of planning, research and scheduling abilities are generally required- this will be stated on the brief and is evident through the submission of sketches, research outlines, production plans, etc. This supplementary paperwork is also marked on its own merits- by leaving it out; therefore, you are ensuring that you receive a lower grade for your assessment.

 

GUIDELINES FOR EXAMS / PROJECTS

Exams:

• Students are required to attend on time for exams.
• All mobile phones should be turned off.
• Students who arrive more than twenty minutes late for an exam will not be allowed to sit the exam.
• Only official answer books can be used for written exams.
• Students are asked to be considerate of other students when they are finished their exams.
• Any student caught copying or cheating in an exam will have their exam cancelled and may not be allowed to sit the remainder or their exams.

Research

Assignments can rarely be achieved successfully by simply writing what you already know about a topic, or by regurgitating class handouts. Before any assignment is attempted, thorough research is vital. Research is the “systematic investigation to establish facts or principles or to collect information on a subject” www.collinsdictionary.com

TYPES OF RESEARCH

Primary

Information that is gathered first-hand by means of surveys, interviews, questionnaires, observation, experiments and testing.

Secondary

Information that is gathered from material that has already been produced by someone else- e.g. books, brochures, leaflets, magazines, newspapers, television and radio programmes, the internet, research papers, etc.

References

Your work should show evidence of the research carried out and this is done by including references to other works and written material. An assignment should be written in your own words. Under no circumstances should passages of text be copied, word for word, from other sources without acknowledgement of the source. The following are guidelines for referencing [taken from Effective Communication, by Nicholas Harvey]

Quoting

Quotations must be taken from the original text word for word. Short quotations should be placed within quotation marks and be followed with the author’s surname, year of publication and page number. Example: ‘You can’t get away from the internet these days.’ (Butler, 2000, p.1)

Citing

When referencing another author’s work you must include a citation, which must also state the year of publication:

Example: “Butler (2000) states that the internet is unavoidable these days” The reader can then check back the bibliography for more details on the book by Butler.

Bibliography

A bibliography is a list of all written sources of information used for research. It should go at the end of the main body of the project, after the conclusion, before the appendix. It serves two purposes:

1. To show that you have done some research and so that the assessor can check the sources of that research if necessary.
2. To acknowledge the authors of written works you have used. This is common courtesy and also shows you have not plagiarised their work.

The page should be headed with the word ‘Bibliography’, in a style and font consistent with the rest of the assignment. Works are listed in alphabetical order of author’s surname and are not numbered. Different source types require different types of entries, but all should be listed together regardless of whether the information is from a book, video, internet, newspaper etc