2023-24
DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (SRUC) in VETERINARY NURSING
RESOLUTION
The Degree of Bachelor of Science (SRUC) in Veterinary Nursing is governed by Resolution No. 684 of the University Court, the provisions of which are as follows:
1. The Degree of Bachelor of Science (BSc) (SRUC) may be awarded by the Senate of the University of Glasgow in SRUC (the College) in such designations as may be prescribed by Regulations.
2. The Senate may make regulations governing the award of the Degree which are subject to the approval of the University Court - these shall be as stated under ‘Regulations’.
3. The Degree may be awarded either as a General Degree or as a Degree with Honours.
4. The programme for the Degree shall be administered by the College which shall, subject to Senate approval where appropriate, be responsible for the content and conduct of the programme and examinations and other methods of assessment, the admission and progress of students and related matters. The day-to-day management of the Degree programme shall be the responsibility of a management team appointed by the College.
REGULATIONS
1. Introductory and Definitions
The definitions set out in the Glossary of Terms apply to these regulations.
2. Duration of Study
A full-time candidate for the degree shall, subject to §3, normally attend for at least three academic sessions for a general degree and at least four sessions for a degree with Honours. A part-time candidate shall, subject to §3, normally attend for at least four academic sessions for a general degree and at least five for a degree with Honours. The normal maximum duration of study is five years for the general degree and six years for the Honours degree. In order to continue their studies candidates must comply with the progress regulations set out at §7.
3. Recognition of Prior Learning
3.1 Accredited Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) may not be counted for credit on this degree.
3.2 Non-university examinations can permit entry with advanced standing. Such examinations will be considered by the Programme Leader, acting on the advice of the appropriate course leader(s).
4. Composition of Degree Programmes
There is a prescribed curriculum of compulsory core courses[1] and training,[2] as described in the appropriate programme specification and programme handbooks.
5. Approval of Curriculum
The curriculum of each candidate must be approved at the start of each session by the candidate’s Year Tutor.
6. Assessment
For each academic session, assessment and reassessment are, in so far as not modified by these regulations, governed by the Code of Assessment which is contained in the ‘University Fees and General Information for Students’ section of the University Regulations published for that session.
7. Progress
7.1 The progress of candidates shall be reviewed annually. Decisions on progression of any candidate who fails to meet the minimum requirements for progression are taken by the Board of Examiners. Mitigating circumstances should be discussed with the appropriate Year Tutor and notified in writing to the Programme Management Team for extensions and to the Mitigating Circumstances Panel for mitigation.
7.2 In order to progress to the subsequent year of the degree programme a candidate must have achieved grade D3 or above in all courses of the prescribed curriculum in the preceding year. It should be noted that for this award, there can be no compensation within or between courses which include any element of the RCVS Day One Competences for Veterinary Nurses and/or RCVS Day One Skills for Veterinary Nurses.
7.3 The minimum achievement required for progression of a part-time candidate is determined by the Programme Leader acting on the advice of the appropriate Year Tutor.
7.4 Exclusion of Candidates
A candidate may be excluded from further instruction and assessment if:
a) the candidate does not achieve grade D3 or above in any course on two occasions;
AND/OR
b) the candidate’s progress is not considered satisfactory (as determined by the Board of Examiners), e.g. a candidate’s duration of study, relative to the stated maximum periods of study and/or whether a candidate has met additional, stated, College requirements.
If, after consideration, a candidate is readmitted to the programme they will be permitted one further attempt at the assessment at the next available diet. Failure to achieve grade D3 or above for the relevant course or courses at this diet will result in exclusion.
7.5 Appeal against decisions of the Board of Examiners may be made following the Code of Procedure for Appeals set out in the Degrees Awarded in Conjunction with the SRUC section of the University Regulations.
8. Requirements for Award of Bachelor of Science with Honours
8.1 To be eligible for the award of an Honours degree, the candidate must have obtained at least 480 credits, including (a) at least 90 credits at SCQF level 10, and (b) a grade D3 or above for a piece of independent work worth at least 45 credits.
8.2 The class of Honours awarded is determined by the grade point average[3] calculated from the eight year 4 course equivalents[4] (including the Honours Project which counts as three course equivalents) and one course equivalent representing the grade point average for year 3.
9. Requirements for the Award of Bachelor of Science (General Degree)
9.1 A candidate, to be eligible for the award of the general degree, must have completed:
a) the curriculum for years 1, 2 and 3, totaling 360 credits, achieving grade D3 or above in all courses; and
b) a minimum of 2,990 hours of training, including a minimum of 1,800 hours of clinical placement within an approved veterinary training practice.
9.2 The general degree shall be awarded with Merit where the grade point average achieved by the candidate is at least 12.0, and with Distinction where the grade point average is at least 15.0.
9.3 Where the candidate has accumulated more than 360 credits, the credit counted in the calculation of the grade point average shall be reduced to 360 credits by discarding all of the credit for certain of the courses in such a way as to maximise the grade point average while meeting all other requirements of the regulations.
9.4 The general degree may be awarded to a candidate on the Honours programme who fails to meet the requirements of the Honours degree, provided that the requirements of §9.1 are met.
10. Reassessment
10.1 For all years of the degree programme, a candidate who is awarded grade D3 or above for a course after the first assessment diet shall not normally be allowed a re-assessment.
10.2 In years 1 to 3, a candidate awarded less than grade D3 for a course shall be entitled to re-assessment. For semester 1 courses in years 1 and 2 reassessment shall normally be offered within the academic session. For semester 2 courses in years 1 and 2, and for all year 3 courses, reassessment shall normally be offered during the July/August reassessment week. The grade awarded as a result of the re-assessment shall be no higher than D3.
11. Code of Professional Conduct and Fitness to Practise
All candidates for the degree of BSc Veterinary Nursing are required to assent to the College’s Code of Professional Conduct. Any candidate who refuses to do so will be denied access to Clinical Practice. A candidate in breach of the Code will be subject to Fitness to Practise procedures which may include referral to the College’s Fitness to Practise committee.
[1] The term ‘course’ refers to components of the overall degree programme and has the same meaning as ‘module’ which is commonly used at SRUC.
[2] Training is defined as a programme of veterinary nurse education approved by RCVS, comprising of a theoretical programme and practical training.
[3] The grade point average is determined with reference to the schedule of grades and grade points contained in Schedule A and Schedule B of the University’s Code of Assessment. The grade point average is calculated by taking the product of each course’s weight and the candidate’s grade points and dividing the sum of these products by the sum of the courses’ weights. The weights shall correspond to the courses’ credit ratings unless specified otherwise in the relevant programme documentation. The grade point average is expressed to one decimal place. (§16.34(a) of the Code of Assessment). In determining whether a candidate has achieved a required grade point average, no further rounding is permitted. For example, a candidate achieving a grade point average of 8.9 would not satisfy a requirement for a grade point average of 9.0.