Student Charter
At Edinburgh Napier University, we want staff and students to work together to improve the quality of your learning experience. To achieve this, we all have a responsibility to each other. This charter explains this responsibility and sets out the level of service you can expect while you are studying with us. It also says what we expect of you.
Student Charter for Taught Programmes 2022/23
Our Student Charter helps ensure that you, our students, work together with our staff to be the best we can be, making Edinburgh Napier University a great place to study and learn. We want you to be ambitious and to actively participate in your learning, professional development, citizenship and broader student life opportunities.
We put our students at the heart of our community and everything we do. We are committed to providing the environment, experiences and facilities that help you to succeed, whatever your background and whatever your ambitions.
What makes up the Student Charter?
Your Learner Journey
Our Commitments
We will employ high quality academic staff, who will be knowledgeable, motivating, and will stretch you to achieve your full potential. We will deliver programmes which are attractive and relevant to employers, stimulate innovation, enterprise, confidence and curiosity. We will work in partnership with you to achieve this.
We will design and conduct appropriate assessments which support your learning and development, which are fair, transparent, varied and effective. To help you plan effectively we will publish your exam timetable six working weeks before the exams begin.
We will offer you regular, useful, timely and constructive feedback on your assessments and progress. This will encourage autonomy and opportunities for self-reflection. We will normally provide formal feedback on assessments within three working weeks of the final submission deadline, or explain why this isn’t possible. We will listen and respond positively to your feedback on academic and non-academic issues that affect your student experience and time with us.
Your Commitments
We want you to have a professional approach aligned with our campus and classroom code of conduct. To achieve your best results you’ll attend and Check In to all scheduled events, whether on-campus or delivered remotely (in the virtual learning environment e.g. via WebEx) mindful that on-campus events would usually be timetabled between 9am-6pm (9am to 1pm on Wednesdays).
We want you to arrive well-prepared for participating fully in class, while seeking advice if you are having difficulties. We want you to engage positively with your academic studies, the broader curriculum, your fellow students (regardless of background and culture) and with other opportunities that support your academic, professional and personal growth.
We want you to use assessments as a tool for learning and reflection. You will need to adhere to the University’s regulations and procedures, which you can access here on myNapier.
We want you to engage positively with the feedback you receive and to routinely engage in evaluations of learning, assessment, services and your student experience so that we can enhance our services and programmes of study for the benefit of you and future students.
Your Student Voice
Our Commitments
We value student representation as one of the key routes to enhancing the quality of your student experience. We are committed to working in partnership with Edinburgh Napier Students' Association (ENSA) to enable student-focused and effective forums through which students' ideas and aspirations on your student experience can be explored and addressed.
We will maintain an accessible, reasonable and straightforward complaints system. We will take your concerns seriously, responding appropriately and within good time. Whenever possible, we will seek to informally resolve any difficulty at the point of origin.
Your Commitments
We want you to engage positively with the democratic forums and processes provided for all students to contribute to discussions and decisions on their experiences and the support provided.
We want you to consider becoming a representative at programme, School and senior level and to seek elected office at ENSA and to engage with student representatives so that they can articulate your views.
We want you to let us know if a problem may be developing, so that we can informally resolve any difficulty in the first instance and support you appropriately. We also want positive feedback where things are working well, so that we know to continue. Your feedback is particularly important as we transition out of the Covid19 pandemic.
Our University Community
Our Commitments
We are committed to ensuring the university is an open, supportive and inclusive community, in which bullying, harassment, hate incidents or prejudice of any kind, will not be tolerated or permitted.
We will provide an excellent and comparable academic experience for all our students, to offer support services that are easily accessible and which recognise the diversity of needs within our student community. We will improve our services in response to student feedback, to supply relevant and up-to-date information, and to adhere to the highest professional standards in all of our dealings with you.
We will provide our students in Edinburgh with access to a range of high-quality facilities. We will provide spaces and facilities to encourage extra-curricular social and sports activities with other students, promoting a sense of community and belonging. Our physical and virtual environments will be modern, appropriate and support your learning.
We will follow Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland advice regarding safe practices to protect our students and staff. This includes measures put in place to reduce the enduring risk of the spread of Covid-19.
We actively welcome students from a wide variety of backgrounds, cultures and countries, promoting inclusion through flexible entry, exit and transition points. We will use technology to support individuals' needs.
We will offer you an education which looks beyond the immediate goals of a qualification and a job, and prepares you for careers and lives as both rounded citizens and independent, critical thinkers.
Your Commitments
We want you to be proud of your university, building a community where everyone feels valued.
We want you to be responsible and professional, proactive in seeking help and information. It is important that you become familiar with your programme handbook, University regulations and procedures.
We expect you to uphold the highest standards of behaviour and personal responsibility. This includes complying rigorously with Scottish government advice regarding the management of Covid-19, which may involvecomplying with all travel restrictions and quarantine regulations, adhering to social distancing, wearing of face-coverings, handwashing, and behaving in a manner that will protect you and also safeguard members of the public within our campuses, university accommodation, private accommodation and in public spaces.
We want you to engage with opportunities which help you to develop your understanding of society's economic, social and cultural needs, to demonstrate active citizenship and ethical understanding and behaviour.
We want you to respect and value differences, contributing positively to the learning of others and to recognise diversity and internationalisation as opportunities for growth.
We want you to enjoy your time at Edinburgh Napier by making the most of extra-curricular opportunities, including participation in ENSA clubs and societies, with an awareness of how such activity supports your personal development and future employability.
At Edinburgh Napier University we expect all members of the University community to help create and maintain an open, supportive and inclusive environment. The Student Code of Conduct below provides more information on what is expected from you.
Student Code of Conduct for Taught Programmes 2022/23
At Edinburgh Napier University we expect all members of the University community to help create and maintain an open, supportive and inclusive environment. As a member of that community you should respect and value diversity, including different cultural perspectives.
The University community is considered to be current matriculated Edinburgh Napier University students, members of university staff, individuals contracted to carry out work for the University, staff and representatives of the Edinburgh Napier Students Association, and any visitor to the University.
This Student Code of Conduct complements Appendix I of the Student Conduct Regulations (PDF, 314 kB) in providing you with helpful examples of inappropriate conduct. Although those listed here and in our regulations are not exhaustive, they give a clear view of what may be deemed inappropriate.
Examples which may lead to action being taken against you are:
- Behaviour that does not align with government and university advice and guidance on Covid-19 protection. This includes your behaviour in public spaces and in private accommodation, as well as on our campuses and in university accommodation.
- Using language, orally or in writing (including emails, texts and postings on social media, Moodle and other websites), which is generally considered as having the potential to be offensive to others. This includes any offensive language of a racist, sexist or sexual nature as well any offensive language regarding any individual’s religion, beliefs and/or right of freedom of speech.
- Bullying and harassment of any form (e.g. racism or gender based violence) including via social media, text messages, email and in person.
- Disrupting others’ learning and engagement, for example:
- Talking at inappropriate times in classrooms, study spaces and libraries
- Talking over others who are already speaking in class
- Excessively loud talking or shouting at inappropriate times and/or places
- Unreasonable refusal to work in peer groups when required.
- Using your mobile devices in class for purposes unrelated to module content you are currently being taught.
- Being present on campus whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Violent, aggressive and/or indecent behaviour which has the potential to cause mental or physical harm to any individual or damage to university resources.
- Behaviour likely to cause injury or impair the health and safety of yourself and/or others.
- Misuse or unauthorised use of university resources (premises, equipment, etc).
- Misuse or unauthorised use and/or theft of items of university property or property of any member of the University community.
We appreciate your cooperation in avoiding behaviours such as these, as they have a negative impact on members of the University community and its wider environment.
If you are in breach of the code of conduct, the potential repercussions are outlined in our Student Conduct Regulations (PDF, 314 kB).