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Undergraduate Student Departmental Handbook 2017-18

Department of History B Floor, Bowland Main, Bowland College LA1 4YT

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/history/

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/history/

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. The History Community………………………………………..…4

2. Departmental Teaching………………………………………....…6

3. Departmental Student Support………………………………..…...9

4. University Support Services for Students……………………..…15

5. Studying History at Lancaster…………………………………...21

6. Undergraduate Degree Schemes……………………………..….28

7. Enrolment………………………………………………….…….31

8. Modules and Convenors…………………………………………33

9. Teaching and Learning…………………………………………..40

10. Assessment……………………………………………………..47

11. Mark Schemes………………………………………………….49

DEPARTMENTAL AND UNIVERSITY SUPPORT

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY / UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT HANDBOOK 2017-18 2

Introduction

The purpose of the Department Handbook is to bring together the core information about procedures and management of the Department.

Core information from the University for current students is available here: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/current-students/. This Handbook provides key information to Undergraduate Students within the History Department. It can also be accessed via the History Department website [http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/history/resources/index.php] and on Departmental Moodle sites.

There is a separate Part I [HIST100] study guide for all those students who are studying History at Part I, and also, for those taking a second element of History at Part I, there is a distinct HIST111 guide.

Part II students should also consult the Study Guides and Moodle sites for their respective modules.

Communication between the Department and the student will always be through your @lancaster.ac.uk address. You can access your Lancaster email remotely as webpages. Find out how at http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/iss/services/email/.

You must, therefore, check your Lancaster email inbox regularly. The Department expects you to do this on a DAILY BASIS. Important messages, which may include appointments that you must keep and action that you must take by a certain date, will be sent by email and from departmental and other university officers. Individual tutors may also email you about teaching matters, either directly or, via the Moodle module website.

Apart from their teaching and research duties, a number of members of the Department have other roles and duties within the Department and/or University. Both departmental administrative and academic staff receive a very large number of email messages every day; the normal expectation is that tutors will try to answer emails within 2 working days. They will do their best to respond to you as soon as possible but please be patient.

Please have a care to use proper and appropriate email etiquette.

TELEPHONE: Please ensure that you have provided the University Registry with an up-to-date contact telephone number (e.g. your mobile). Hopefully you will have done this at registration but be sure to tell them if this changes at any point.

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/current-students/

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/history/resources/index.php

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/iss/services/email/



Mission Statement

The Department of History is committed to the advancement of historical knowledge and understanding through both research and teaching. It aims

• to expand and deepen historical understanding through research and publications;

• to inform its teaching through its research;

• to transmit knowledge through good teaching;

• to develop in students the capacity to evaluate arguments, analyse evidence, solve problems, and make independent judgements;

• to encourage access to the Department of good students from a wide range of backgrounds;

• to contribute to the range and flexibility of the University's degree schemes;

• to provide rich and varied curricula;

• to develop in students transferable skills of analysis, presentation and communication;

• to encourage the highest possible standard of student achievement;

• to provide a service to the wider community.

It is in your own interest to check your Lancaster University email account and

College pigeon-hole regularly. The Department of History expects you to

check your @lancaster.ac.uk email inbox on a DAILY BASIS.



1 THE HISTORY COMMUNITY

We like to think of the academic, administrative and support staff and the student body (both undergraduate and postgraduate) as a single community. There are regular events, both academic and social, and a number of ways in which students and staff are brought together to discuss and decide matters of departmental interest. Much of the participation detailed below is well-regarded by the University and more widely by employers and the community and makes valuable contributions to students’ curricula vitae.

Departmental Meeting (DM) All academic staff engaged in teaching, representatives of administrative staff, and representatives of the student body (drawn from those who sit on that year’s Staff-Student Consultative Committee – see below) meet regularly as a Departmental Meeting. When there are issues at which it is inappropriate or unnecessary for students to be present, the Departmental Meeting will become a Staff Meeting.

Staff-Student Consultative Committee (SSCC) Each cohort of students, from Year 1 to Postgraduate Research Students and Assistant Lecturers elect or choose representatives to meet with those academic and administrative staff who have particular responsibilities for administration in the Department.

Minutes of the meetings are related in a ‘You said: We did’ format and placed onto the Departmental Moodle site. A report from the SSCC is given to the Department Meeting by the Director of Undergraduate Studies who chairs the SSCC.

The Student Forum Separate from the SSCC and the Module Questionnaires (see below), each Year of study can choose to meet as student forums (around six students for each year) covering a range of modules and discuss with each other and subsequently with the Director of Studies, matters of concern relating to the year’s teaching, ‘in real time’, that is, while the teaching is in progress rather than waiting under end of module evaluations.

Module evaluations At the end of the teaching on each and every module, the students taking that module will be asked to fill out an (anonymous) evaluation questionnaire about the module. It is very important that the level of take up of feedback remains high, as academic staff are evaluated



according to the metrics produced by these reports. Please take part and fill in the questionnaires with constructive comment.

National Student Survey (NSS) Towards the end of a student’s final year at University, s/he will be asked to take part in the National Student Survey. The NSS gathers opinions from students about their experience. It is an influential source of public information and gives students a powerful collective voice.

The NSS asks 27 questions relating to 8 aspects of the learning experience, to which they answer positively or negatively. The results are made available to prospective students and their advisors through the Unistats website. It is completed at all publicly funded Higher Education Institutions and others. It is an important component of the judgements – in terms of league tables, funding, recruitment and reputation – made about the Department and Lancaster University and it is important that all students make a return: see http://www.thestudentsurvey.com.

Student Ambassadors Each year students have an opportunity to be trained up and act as Student Ambassadors, meeting prospective students, teachers, and parents, particularly at Open Days and other University events.

Lancaster University Society of History (LUSH) Lancaster University’s History students have their own History Society, which organises events, books guest speakers and has social events.

http://www.thestudentsurvey.com/



2 DEPARTMENTAL TEACHING

Departmental Code of Teaching

The following points describe the aims and practice of members of the Department of History in the organisation of their teaching, methods of assessment and conduct towards students.

Course organisation Each Module Convenor, that is, the person responsible for organizing a given module, will ensure at an appropriate time, normally at the beginning of the course, that Module Study Guides – containing, for example, information on the module’s teaching and learning strategy, assessment patterns, lecture syllabus, and seminar programme – are available on-line, via the University’s virtual learning website, Moodle.

Types of teaching structure (the proportion of lectures, seminars, tutorials, supervisions, workshops or other) and the types of assessment (essay, reflective diary, presentation, group project, examination or other) will vary according to the type of course, the year in which it is taught and the intentions behind the course-syllabus.

Assessment In the Module Study Guides, and at initial meetings for each module, students will be given clear guidance on the assessment requirements, deadline dates and relevant departmental policy, conditions and system for granting and recording ‘extensions’, word limits, the presentation of essays, and arrangements for their return.

The Department employs sampling as its method of moderating examination scripts, and also for coursework where this is required under University regulations. All dissertations are 2nd marked, as are certain types of coursework which are classed as projects (on final year Special Subjects). The moderator is an academic member of the Department, appointed by the Examinations Officer, and is normally a specialist in the chronological period or theme covered by the module. As is normal practice across academia in the UK, the assessment of all Part II History modules is also reviewed by External Examiners (senior academics from other universities across the country; the Department has five who each serve a term of four years), who act as expert advisors on issues of assessment and other related matters.



Availability of tutors Tutors will set aside and publicise at least two hours per week when they will normally be available to see individual students for discussion of any academic matter related to their studies. These times will be publicised via the Module Study Guides and on course Moodle sites. In response to student feedback about office hours, tutors may offer ‘focused’ office hours at times when they are particularly needed, for example coursework deadlines. Thus for instance instead of offering 2 hours a week in Weeks 1-10, a tutor may offer 1 hour in Weeks 1-5, and 3 hours in Weeks 6-10. Appointments for other times may be made. Please note that tutors have limited time to answer emails; the normal expectation is that tutors will try to answer emails within 2 working days.

The timetable In each of the modules, a proportion of hours will be face-to-face, typically in seminars, lectures, workshops or individual supervisions, and a proportion will be for private study. At Part I, the core HIST100 module (40 credits) comprises 400 learning hours, as does the optional second Part 1, HIST111 (16 + 16 + 8 credits). At Part II, a conventional HIST2XX module (15 credits) comprises 150 learning hours, 25 of which will be face-to-face in seminars and lectures, and 125 hours of which will be for private study. The Special Subjects taken in the Third Year comprise 60 credits (600 learning hours) and the HIST300 dissertation 30 credits (300 learning hours).

Classes will be cancelled or postponed only if absolutely necessary. They may sometimes need to be rescheduled and clear notice of at least a week should be given to all students in a course or seminar group of re-arrangements. All classes should begin on the hour and end no later than ‘ten to’. Students’ individual timetables (week by week view) can be accessed via the Student Portal; at the start of the Michaelmas Term, the Department will circulate by email instructions to students on how to access their teaching timetable.

Student Complaint and Student Appeals procedures The Department aims to treat all its students with courtesy and respect, and is committed to providing them with a high-quality learning experience. However, where we fall short of this we want to be informed and to seek to rectify the failure. The vast majority of concerns raised by students are best answered or resolved quickly and informally by direct contact between the student and the Department.

Any student who feels, after consultation with his or her course tutor, that he or she has not been properly treated in accordance with this Code of Practice should bring the matter to the attention of the Part I or Part II Director of Studies, as appropriate, in the expectation that the majority of matters can be resolved by this means. If, however, no satisfactory resolution has been achieved, the student should then approach the Head of Department, via



the Departmental Officer. Under University regulations, students cannot question academic judgement.

There may be occasions, however, where students feel the need to make an official

complaint or to appeal against a decision affecting them. This will be treated very seriously and students should follow the University Student Complaint and Student Appeals Procedure. For further information see

http://gap.lancs.ac.uk/complaints/pages/default.aspx

Students wishing to make such a complaint should first invoke the departmental procedures outlined above.

https://gap.lancs.ac.uk/complaintsandappeals

http://gap.lancs.ac.uk/complaints/pages/default.aspx



3 DEPARTMENTAL STUDENT SUPPORT

Summary of departmental roles – whom to consult, how and when?

> Part I Part I Coordinator Mrs Anne-Marie Mumford (Bowland Main, B.115) [email protected] Tel: (5)92607

For advice on Part I matters, the Part I Coordinator should be consulted in the first instance.

The Part I Coordinator should also be contacted to make an appointment with the Part I Student Advisor.

ENQUIRIES Mon-Tue-Thu 09.30-12.30 & 13.00-14.30 Wed 09.30-12.30 & 13.00-17.00 Anne-Marie does not work on FRIDAYS.

Part I Student Advisor Dr Nicholas Radburn (Bowland Main, B.006)

The Part I Student Advisor is responsible for monitoring the academic progress of all students studying History in the first year. They are the main point of contact within the Department for students who wish to discuss issues which they feel are affecting their academic work.

APPOINTMENTS Via the Part I Coordinator

> Part II Part II Coordinator Mrs Laura Hogarth (Bowland Main, B.114) [email protected] Tel: (5)92554

For advice on Part II matters, the Part II Coordinator should be consulted in the first instance.

The Part II Coordinator should also be contacted to make an appointment with the Part II Student Advisor.

ENQUIRIES Mon-Tue-Thu-Fri 10.00-12.00 & 14.00-16.00 Laura does not work on WEDNESDAYS

mailto:[email protected]




> Part II Part II Student Advisor Dr Thomas Rohkramer (Bowland Main, B.139)

The Part II Student Advisor is responsible for monitoring the academic progress of all students studying History in the second and third year. They are the main point of contact within the Department for students who wish to discuss issues which they feel are affecting their academic work.

APPOINTMENTS Via the Part II Coordinator

Study Abroad Advisor Dr Marco Wyss (Bowland Main, B.010)

The Study Abroad Advisor is the person within the Department to whom students wishing to study abroad during their Second Year should turn for advice on courses and exchange arrangements.

The Study Abroad Advisor is also the main point of contact within the department for Incoming Study Abroad students [and Erasmus] who wish to discuss issues which they feel are affecting their academic work.

APPOINTMENTS Via the Part II Coordinator

> Postgraduate Studies

Postgraduate Studies Coordinator Ms Rebecca Sheppard (Bowland Main, B.106) [email protected] Tel: (5)92549

For advice on postgraduate studies, the Coordinator for Postgraduate Studies should be consulted in the first instance.

The Postgraduate Coordinator should also be contacted to make an appointment with the Director of Postgraduate Studies.

ENQUIRIES Mon-Tues-Weds-Thurs 11.00-12.30 & 13.00-16.30 Fri 11.00-12.30 & 13.00-14.30

Director of Postgraduate Studies Dr Corinna Peniston-Bird (Bowland Main, B.138)

The Director of Postgraduate Studies has overall responsibility for MA and PhD research degrees. The Director also advises undergraduate and MA students about further postgraduate opportunities, including funding available for postgraduate study.

APPOINTMENTS Via the Postgraduate Studies Coordinator





> Specialist advice

Disabilities Rep Dr Thomas Rohkramer (Bowland Main, B.139) [email protected] Equal and Diversity Rep Dr Thomas Rohkramer (Bowland Main, B.139) [email protected]

The Disabilities Rep and Equal and Diversity Rep are the people to contact with regard to any issue concerning disability, equal opportunities or unfair treatment. If you have any on-going medical concerns or mental health issues that impact on your studies and that you would like the Department to take into account, these again are the people to contact. If a female student wishes to discuss matters which (for good reason) they would not want to take up with male tutors, it is recommended that they approach the appropriate co-ordinator.

Academic Officer Dr Ian Gregory (Bowland Main, B.144) [email protected]

The Academic Officer is responsible for the investigation of and subsequent action where appropriate for plagiarism in coursework at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Careers Officer Prof. Michael Hughes

The Careers Officer liaises between the Department and the Central Careers Service and, on request, advises students about career opportunities. APPOINTMENTS Via the Part II Coordinator

General Director of Part I Studies

Dr Sarah Barber

(Bowland Main, B.147)

The Director of Part I Studies has overall responsibility for the Department's Part I (first year) provision. Students with issues to discuss should normally raise them first with the Part I Student Advisors, but they may consult directly with the Director of Part I Studies.

APPOINTMENTS

Via the Part I Coordinator

(see pp. 9)

Director of Part II Studies

Dr Sarah Barber (Bowland Main, B.147)

The Director of Part II Studies has overall responsibility for the Department's Part II (2nd/3rd year) provision. Students with issues to discuss should normally raise them first with the Part II Student Advisors, but they may consult directly with the Director of Part II Studies.

APPOINTMENTS

Via the Part II Coordinator

(see pp. 9)

Head of Department Prof Michael Hughes

The Head of Department has overall responsibility for the running of the department. They devolve the management of teaching upon the persons listed below. Students with issues to discuss should normally raise them first with the Part I/II Advisors.

APPOINTMENTS Via the Departmental Officer, Amanda Harrison [email protected]







Academic Tutorial System The University operates, and the History Department embraces, an Academic Tutorial System for students embarking on an undergraduate degree at Lancaster. Departmental processes for the Academic Tutorial System have been designed to dovetail with central University guidance.

At the start of the academic year, each student is allocated an Academic Tutor as a point of contact for academic guidance and support. Students are expected to hold one-to-one meetings with their Academic Tutor once a term. You will be notified by the Department via email at the beginning of the academic year as to the name of your Academic Tutor and the purpose of the meetings. You are strongly encouraged to attend the designated one-to-one sessions with your Academic Tutor, raise any general academic matters with her or him, discuss your overall performance and patterns of feedback, as well as seek advice about future course options. More information on History’s Academic Tutorial System will be circulated by the Department via email shortly after the beginning of Michaelmas Term.

NB. At present, the History department operates a distinction between advice to students on academic issues, and those which are of a more personal nature but affecting students’ studies.



Student Advisors The History Department has two Undergraduate Student Advisors, one for Part I and one for Part II. There are, in essence, two sides to their role.

First and foremost, the Student Advisors deal with all student issues which may affect an individual student’s ability to study. These could be medical, psychological, or emotional and related to either matters happening to the student themselves within the University or related to their lives outside of the University.

If a student feels that they have any issue which would affect their ability to study they should notify it in the first instance to the appropriate (either Part I or Part II) Co-ordinator within the Administrative team (Anne-Marie Mumford for Part I; Laura Hogarth for Part II). They will make an appointment for you with the relevant Student Advisor. Students are advised that if they wish mitigating circumstances to be taken into account when assessing overall module and degree performance, they must have provided appropriate and proportionate documentary evidence. This will usually take the form of a Personal Statement (a short statement explaining how and when you feel that your studies have been affected), and we urge students to keep documentary evidence of formal appointments, treatment, etc.

Secondly, the Student Advisors comprise part of the History Department’s monitoring of student progress. They will be alerted if, for example, a student’s attendance at and engagement with their studies falls below a certain level, such that the student creates cause for concern. This is not designed to be punitive, but rather, to act as a means of catching students who are struggling or having difficulty engaging with university life while the issue is more easily addressed. Student attendance will be registered using the iLancaster app (and in the case of students unable to use the iLancaster app, will be manually entered by the appropriate member of academic staff).

Appropriate documentary evidence should be collected and presented to the relevant Co-ordinator at the time of the circumstance, which affect a student’s studies. This will take the form of a Personal Statement (a short statement in students’ own words, on how and when their studies have been affected) and formal evidence, such as, a doctor’s note, hospital documentation, or any other evidence deemed appropriate by the Department.



Confidentiality If you have sensitive health and/or personal problems, which you are reluctant to communicate but which you feel might have affected your progress and results, please be reassured that the Part I and Part II Student Advisors deal with such matters in strict confidence. Please remember, however, that you may not be able to access all the support available to you unless we can inform other staff involved in support arrangements of your problems.

At the time of the Examination Boards, any statements from you or others explaining such difficulties are similarly treated in the utmost confidence and disclosed only as is appropriate to the Chair of the Board of Examiners and the Department’s External Examiners at pre-meetings of the Final Board of Examiners which consider cases of medical and/or personal mitigating circumstances.

Please exercise common sense when approaching Departmental staff to inform them of illness. For example, if you are advised that you may be contagious (and obviously seek medical advice as the priority), please make contact with the Department via email or telephone in the first instance.



4 UNIVERSITY SUPPORT SERVICES FOR STUDENTS We hope you have an enjoyable and productive time at Lancaster University, but recognise that sometimes problems can affect your ability to study.

Please do not forget that it is your degree and your responsibility to seek help if you are experiencing difficulties. The University will do whatever is possible to assist you if you are having problems, whether financial, personal or academic, provided that we are aware of those problems. You are urged to contact the Department in the first instance but if you feel, for any reason, that you cannot speak to the Department, you are encouraged to contact one of the following support services available: your College office, your Academic Tutor, the College Senior Advisor, your College Wellbeing Officer, the Counselling Service, the student support services, the Undergraduate Student Registry or the Students’ Union Advice Centre, ‘The Base’, The International Office.

YOUR UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES


CENTRAL SUPPORT SERVICES FOR STUDENTS

These services are covered in the University core information:,http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/sbs/ Student Based Services includes such services as:

• ‘The Base’ • Counselling and mental health • Healthcare • Disability • General welfare • International students • Careers • Student funding and financial aid • Student Registry • Accommodation

Student Based Services, in University House, provides both specialist and general guidance and support to students and assists individual students if they encounter difficulties that cannot easily be resolved by their college or academic department. The Base, their ‘one stop’ enquiry desk at the front of University House, has friendly staff who will do their best to help you and make you an appointment with a specialist advisor, including from the services below, if necessary. Tel: 01524 592525 or university extension 92525 in the first instance.

Specialist advisors are available to help students with disabilities and dyslexia and mental health issues, emotional and practical support, general welfare issues, international students and students with financial difficulties. In addition to the specific support services detailed below, ‘The Base’ and Student Registry staff can provide guidance on changing direction by suspending (intercalation), transferring or withdrawing from study, academic review and appeals and provide student status letters.

Disability Support services The Department of History follows University Policy and strives to make itself an inclusive department. The Disability Support service provides guidance and support by working with History to ensure the learning support needs of disabled students are met, especially with regards to examinations and assessments.

You can contact the Disability Support service at any time during your time here if you feel you might need advice (for example you might want to be assessed for dyslexia). The Disability Support service provides information and advice on planning for university life and

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/sbs/



study, disability policy, Dyslexia tuition and study support, accessibility issues, disabled student allowances and other funding, study aids and strategies assessments and works alongside disabled students from the first enquiry or visit before students arrive, through their course and on to the job application process. And the Assessment Centre provides an assessment of needs for disabled students applying for DSA funding.

There is also the Department’s Equal Opportunities/Disabilities Officer, who is the person to liaise within the Department with regard to any such issues.

If using the Library is an issue because of dyslexia, a disability or medical condition, get in touch with Fiona Rhodes, [email protected] for advice and help.

See: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/sbs/disabilities/ and http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/edi/

International Students The International Student Support service offers specialist advice including on visas and immigration, travel, money, work and related issues, together with adjustment and welfare issues.

See: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/student-based-services/international/

The University Counselling and Mental Health Service Counselling staff provide confidential and professional support on issues such as personal, family, social or academic matters. The service offers both appointment and drop-in sessions.

See: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/sbs/counselling/

Careers Service The Central Careers Service may be used throughout your time at Lancaster and is situated in University House, A Floor. You should not wait until nearly the end of your final year before accessing the Careers Services. The Service will support you through the whole process of identifying career choices and this can be important in your first year when you are making choices about 2nd year courses. Staff in Central Careers Service can also provide information, advice and guidance on going into work, further study and developing your skills.

The Careers Service provides relevant information to departments, via departmental careers tutors about impending Careers events and vacancies. For more information visit http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/careers/ .


http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/sbs/disabilities/

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/edi/

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/student-based-services/international/

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/sbs/counselling/

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/careers/



Learning Development and Learning Support ([email protected]) (see Moodle https://modules.lancs.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=283)

In addition to the support which is integrated into your study programme (e.g. guidance and feedback given to you in seminars, meetings with your Academic Tutor, written feedback on your coursework assignments) you can also contact Joanne Wood, the Faculty’s Learning Developer, or sign up for a meeting with a Writing Mentor in the Writing Space. Joanne can offer further advice and support in and help students become effective and independent learners. Joanne can be contacted on [email protected]

For further information about the Writing Space and the other support that is available, please see the FASS Effective Learning Moodle site: https://modules.lancs.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=283

The Chaplaincy Centre (Tel: 94071) An ecumenical environment providing another source of welfare, advice and often practical support from the various Chaplains. For more information, visit the Chaplaincy website at http://www.chaplancs.org.uk/.

Harassment Network The Harassment Network provides confidential support for any student or staff member who feels they are subject to harassment. Contact network members by phone (see internal telephone directory or by email at [email protected] ). For further information about the network contact see ‘Harassment Network Members’ at http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/depts/hr/equality-diversity/bullying.html.

Students' Union Advice Centre Located in Bowland Main, it offers a full range of financial and welfare advice to students. Advisors will also undertake an advocacy role for students facing academic sanctions. Tel. 93765.

Nightline (Tel. 94444 / 01524 594444 / [email protected])

Nightlife is a listening service run by the Students' Union, operated by trained students between 10pm and 8am during term time.

• Security (Tel. 94541): available on a 24 hour basis.


https://modules.lancs.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=283


https://modules.lancs.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=283

http://www.chaplancs.org.uk/


http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/depts/hr/equality-diversity/bullying.html




Student Funding • University Financial Awards: a range of awards have been introduced to help selected UK

Undergraduate students with the costs of study. These include bursaries (based on household income) an academic scholarship (based on academic merit) and an access scholarship (based on household income and academic merit). For information on these financial awards please see: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/student-based-services/money/

• Lancaster Opportunity and Access Fund: funds may be available to provide discretionary financial support to UK home students who have a shortfall between their income and (reasonable) expenditure or who face unexpected or exceptional circumstances that threaten their continued attendance on the course. For further details and application procedure (including forms) please see: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/student-based-services/money/funding/

• Emergency Loans: The Student Funding Service or your College may be able to offer an emergency loan to UK home students in financial difficulty. Emergency loans are usually given where students are experiencing delays with their government funding (new and continuing students) or those experiencing financial difficulty during their course. Help is usually given towards food and travel costs only (around £40-50 per week), not major costs such as accommodation.

• Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA): students with disabilities may be eligible for additional help towards course related costs. Further information from the Disabilities Service Tel: 92111, email [email protected] or call into The Base, A-Floor, University House or see: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/sbs/disabilities/

• Student Aid Fund: this is a fund to help students who experience a financial crisis through unexpected or exceptional circumstances. It is available on a very limited basis to students who encounter a serious emergency situation. It does not help students who simply have a general shortfall between income and expenditure. For further information and details about the application process please see http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/student-based-services/money/funding/student-aid-fund

• Other awards: a range of undergraduate and postgraduate financial awards are listed on the financial award database at: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/student-based-services/money/funding/

For more information see: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/student-based-services/money/

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/student-based-services/money/

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/student-based-services/money/funding/

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/student-based-services/money/funding/


http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/sbs/disabilities/



Health Services on Campus

Details of health services on campus can be found in the core information at:

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/about-us/theuniversity/our-campus/health-services/

This includes: • The University Medical Centre / King Street Practice • Dental Services • Pharmacy • Natural Health Care Centre on Campus

For further details on many of the Student Based Services listed above see:

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/sbs/ For further details on health services in campus see

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/sbs/health/

IMPORTANT! Emergencies

Anyone needing an ambulance should dial 999 on the internal telephone system rather than a mobile. The call is channeled through Security, who can meet the ambulance and quickly direct to the scene. Examples of some life threatening conditions are chest pain; loss of consciousness; breathing difficulties; and severe loss of blood.

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/about-us/theuniversity/our-campus/health-services/

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/sbs/

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/sbs/health/



UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

5 STUDYING HISTORY AT LANCASTER The Department provides a curriculum of great breadth and diversity, covering a wide range of chronological periods and geographical areas. It encompasses distinctive interests like cultural history, social history, digital humanities, regional history, visual and material culture, the history of science, the history of religion, Empire and colonialism, the history of war, gender history, the history of slavery, and political history.

The curriculum is not prescriptive, and maps on to the Quality Assurance Agency's Subject Benchmark Statement (December 2014):

http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/SBS-history-14.pdf

Part I covers some major historical topics and themes from Ancient History to the present day, and we offer a large and diverse list of Part II options.

Among the distinctive features of studying history at Lancaster University are:

• Flexibility: You study History and one or two other subjects in your First Year, after which you can decide whether to keep a new interest going, or even whether to change your Major subject. In Part II (your Second and Third years) you choose from a wide choice of modules.

• Specialisation: Our range of modules allows you, if you wish, to concentrate on specific chronological periods or areas such as social, medieval, American or intellectual history.

• Synthesis: Combined Majors degrees, and Minor courses, encourage you to explore links between History and other subjects, such as Politics, English Literature, Philosophy, Languages, Economics, or Religion.

http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/SBS-history-14.pdf



• Coherence: A sufficient range of modules exists in this and other Departments to enable you to construct an intellectually-coherent and challenging scheme of study, e.g. in European history, language and literature.

Your studies of history should enable you to develop the skills and qualities of mind listed below. You may wish to draw attention to them later when applying for jobs or further study.

• The ability to ask cogent and focused questions about the past and to pursue these questions through structured enquiry, selecting and interrogating an appropriate range of materials;

• The ability to understand how people have existed, acted and thought in the always different context of the past;

• The ability to read and analyse texts and other primary sources, both critically and empathetically, while addressing questions of genre, content, perspective, and purpose;

• The appreciation of the complexity and diversity of situations, events, and mentalities in the past;

• The understanding of problems inherent in the historical record itself;

• Basic critical skills: a recognition that statements are not all of equal validity, that there are ways of testing them, and that historians operate by rules of evidence;

• Intellectual independence: the ability to ask questions, set tasks, pursue structured enquiries, and solve problems;

• Marshalling of argument: in written and oral form, drawing on and presenting all the above skills. Such argument has structure and is relevant and concise.

Part I History Studies The Part I Programme for students taking History is designed to extend and deepen your knowledge of the past and to introduce you to some major historical topics and themes from the period from Ancient History to the present day. You will also become more familiar with the wide range of primary sources used by historians (including yourself) in the writing of history. You will gain insights into how historians (including yourself) conduct research and interpret the past, and you will therefore better understand the reasons for changing historical interpretations.



> AIMS OF PART I

History at Part I aims to:

• Introduce students to the study of the subject at university level; • Extend their historical knowledge and understanding by providing a course which tackles major topics over a long chronological period, up to the present day;

• Assist students with issues such as time management and the change from structured to more autonomous learning;

• Be enjoyable and accessible to a wide range of students, including those who have not studied the subject at Advanced or Advanced Subsidiary Levels and those who do not intend to continue with it after Part I;

• Develop bibliographic skills and skills of analysis; dissecting commentary; working with non-textual sources; presentation; and commentary which students need to progress in higher education, not only in History but in related subjects.

To achieve these aims, the Department offers a first-year survey course (HIST100: From the Medieval to the Modern) which gives you a wide ranging introduction to world history and develops the core research skills you will need for the rest of your degree. For more information on the course, consult the HIST100 Study Guide. From 2015-16, the Department has also offered an optional 2nd Part 1 in History (available to History Majors and Combined Majors), HIST111: People, Places, and the Past: History and Histories which comprises 4 ‘mini-modules’ (of which students take 2, 1 in each of the Michaelmas and Lent Terms), and also 1 compulsory mini-module in the Summer Term. Further information on these courses will be provided to new First Year students via email prior to arrival, and also as part of the Department’s activities during Welcome Week.

You can access the HIST100 and the HIST111 course guides on the Moodle sites, and via these links:

HIST100: From Ancient to Modern History and Historians

HIST111: People, Places, and the Past: History and Histories

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/media/lancaster-university/content-assets/documents/history/Student_Handbook_PartI_2017-18.pdf

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/media/lancaster-university/content-assets/documents/history/HIST111_Course-pack_2017-18.pdf



Part II History Studies The Part II programme of the Department (Second and Third Years) offers a wide-ranging selection of courses from Ancient History to the contemporary period, in British, European and global history.

> AIMS OF PART II > SKILLS

History at Part II aims to:

• offer a diversity of periods, cultures, methodologies, and conceptual assumptions

• offer time depth: awareness of continuity and change over an extended time span

• offer geographical range: a chance to study the history of more than one society, culture, or state

• offer the opportunity for close work on primary sources, material originating in the period studied: written documents, artefacts, visual evidence, oral sources and so on

• inculcate critical awareness, that all history students will reflect critically on the nature of their subject, its social rationale, intellectual underpinnings, ethical dimensions, and intellectual standing

• to offer a diversity of specialisms, for instance cultural, social, regional, political, intellectual, and environmental history, the history of women, and of gender

• to offer the opportunity to undertake an extended piece of written work based in part on primary sources

History at Part II aims to equip you with the following skills:

• the ability to develop and sustain historical arguments over a variety of literary forms

• an ability to interrogate, read, analyse, and reflect critically and contextually on secondary sources

• the ability to gather and deploy evidence and data

• an ability to design, research, and present a sustained and independently conceived piece of historical writing

• the ability to address historical problems in depth

• clarity, fluency, and coherence in written expression

• clarity, fluency, and coherence in oral expression

• the ability to work collaboratively and to participate in group discussion

• competence in specialist skills

To satisfy the above aims and cultivate the requisite skills, students study history courses of different types: These are outlined overleaf.



• HIST250: 'The Nature and Practice of History' (15-credit module)

HIST250 is a core module taken by all students on History Major and Combined Major degree schemes that addresses the need to offer History students an introduction to the practice of the discipline of history as a whole.

• HIST251: ‘Writing History: Questions, Methods, Conclusions’ (15-credit module)

HIST251 is a core module aimed at History students who will be embarking on advanced historical research leading to a Dissertation (it is therefore a requirement for History Majors, and also for Combined Majors who choose to take the History Dissertation).

• HIST2xx (15-credit modules)

These courses help students to deepen their understanding of change and development over long periods of time and consider how such changes should be analysed in terms of key historical themes, events and individuals. They are taken mostly in the Second Year but also in the Third Year, and develop knowledge acquired in Part I.

• The Special Subject (60-credit modules)

The Special Subject is a 60 credit module and it is taken in Year 3. In this course a given issue or topic, usually of limited chronology, is studied in depth. Special Subjects are studied from selected contemporary sources, linked to secondary material, and enable students to get to the threshold of research knowledge on the topic. The Special Subject enables students to build on skills and deepen knowledge acquired in their First- and Second-Year courses.

The Special Subject seeks to develop critical and independent thinking at an advanced level, and has as its overall objective the improvement of powers of judgement by means of an informed understanding of the complexities of a chosen period and subject.

Within this broad framework, the Special Subject aims to acquaint students closely with a particular period of history; to enable them to practise the skills of the historian at a more specialised and sophisticated level than hitherto in their undergraduate courses; to refine existing skills, particularly by the discussion of findings and conclusions; and to foster new skills related to research and the presentation of research findings.

The critical use of original source materials is central to the study of all Special Subjects, and its objective is to sharpen and refine skills of selection and assessment by practising the examination and evaluation of evidence in close detail under expert supervision. In dealing with primary sources, students are taught to identify and consider the origins, contemporary purpose, possible bias, potential uses and possible drawbacks of documentary materials, and to reach historical judgements based on their conclusions.



Close attention is also paid to the proper written presentation of findings. Thus considerable stress is laid on the importance of developing a careful and methodical approach to the compilation and use of evidence. Particular emphasis is given to accuracy in citations and references, and the development and enhancement of bibliographical skills and techniques.

• The Dissertation (30-credit module)

The Dissertation (HIST300) is a module that progresses from the methodological understandings acquired in Second-Year courses.

You will write a 10,000-word dissertation exploring a challenging historical problem. While, in many cases, we expect that the topic chosen will arise from courses you are studying, it should also be possible to accommodate topics which do not have a direct bearing on your taught courses. The aim is to give you the opportunity to work in depth on a topic of your choice, and to gain the satisfaction of working independently and of making a subject your own. Research for dissertations will usually combine work on secondary literature with the use of primary sources (in translation where necessary). You are expected to demonstrate knowledge of the wider historical context of the subject being explored by including a critical review of relevant published work and to show an awareness of the limitations of primary sources used.

Your preparation for the dissertation begins in the Lent Term of your second year. Unless you are away from the University on a European or International Exchange, you are also required to carry out a significant amount of work on your dissertation up to the end of the Summer Term.

For those intending to proceed to higher degrees, the Special Subject provides a firm grounding for more advanced study.

Access to the dissertation for Combined Majors from 2016-17

Please note a recent change in our degree scheme rules. From 2016-17, all Combined Majors with History will be offered the option of undertaking the HIST300 Dissertation in their 3rd Year (as opposed to a HIST3xx Special Subject). Because HIST251, taken in the 2nd year, is a pre-requisite for HIST300, this means that from 2015-16, all Combined Majors will be offered the option of undertaking HIST251 (and then HIST300).

So any student who undertakes HIST300 in their 3rd year will have had to have undertaken HIST251 in their 2nd year. From 2017-18, Combined Majors with History will take EITHER a HIST3xx Special Subject or HIST300 in their 3rd Year. Students will make this choice at the end of their 1st year, and will be advised about this nearer the time.



For more information of modules, including a list of modules and their Convenors for this academic year, see Section 8.



6 UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE SCHEMES All students on Majors or Combined Majors and consortial degree schemes must take the compulsory Part I module, HIST100 ‘From the Medieval to the Modern: History and Historians’. From 2015-16, they also have had the option of taking the 2nd Part 1, ‘HIST111’. At Part II the History Major can be taken as a 240 to 180 credit scheme (with a minimum of 180 credits in History and maximum of 60 credits in minor subjects). The History Major can also be taken including Study Abroad. The structures of the Major degree schemes in Part II are as follows:

HISTORY MAJORS

Scheme / Credits Year 2 Year 3

HISTORY MAJOR 120 credits in History 120 credits in History

2 x HIST 2xx courses (30)

Dissertation (30)

Special Subject (60)

HISTORY MAJOR 90 or 120 credits in History 90 or 120 credits in History

HIST250 (15) HIST251 (15) 6 x HIST2xx courses (90)

Dissertation (30)

OR Special Subject (60)

HIST250 (15) HIST251 (15) 4 x HIST2xx courses (60) and 30 credits in minor subject

30 further credits (if taken in history, this means 2 x HIST 2xx courses)



HISTORY MAJOR 90 credits in History 90 credits in History

Dissertation (30)


30 credits from minor subjects 30 credits from minor subjects

HISTORY MAJOR WITH STUDY

ABROAD

120 credits abroad 120 credits in History

2 x HIST 2xx courses (30)

Dissertation (30)


COMBINED MAJORS WITH HISTORY


COMBINED MAJOR

60 credits in History 60 credits in History

HIST250 (15) and HIST2xx courses (45)

The remaining 120 credits will be taken from the other major subject.

TRIPLE MAJOR 60 or 90 credits to be taken in History, chosen with the advice of the Department, to be taken over two years.

60 or 90 credits in History

Remaining credits from other major subjects

The remaining credits (180 or 150, respectively) will be taken from the other major subjects.



> 4.3 CONSORTIAL DEGREES


MEDIEVAL & RENAISSANCE

STUDIES

At least 150 credits in History over two years

A maximum of 90 credits in other subjects over two years Dissertation (30)


> 4.4 HISTORY AS A MINOR

Students taking History as a minor subject may choose up to 60 credits from the list of HIST2XX modules on offer at Part II, except HIST250 and HIST251, subject to having passed Part I History according to University regulations.



7 ENROLMENT (AND CHANGES OF ENROLMENT)

Part I You will have automatically been enrolled on, or have enrolled on, the History Part I module, HIST100, ‘From the Medieval to the Modern: History and Historians’, before you read this handbook. You will also sign up for a seminar group for HIST100 on-line during Intro Week and HIST100 seminar group lists will be displayed on the departmental Part I noticeboard from Monday of Week 1. It is important that you check these lists and arrange any changes due to timetable clashes etc. with the Part I Coordinator. First year students can change their minor subject up to the first three weeks of the Michaelmas term; they are not normally, however, allowed to change their intending Major. A change of minor subject requires the completion of a ‘Change of Enrolment’ form and these are acquired from the Student Registry or http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/media/lancaster-university/content-assets/documents/student-based-services/course-and-study-changes/Part1-Change-of-enrolment.pdf.

In Lent Term, HIST100 students will be invited to enrol on the ‘Dates’ module of the course, which runs at the beginning of Summer Term. This module offers you choice with regard to the topic (selected from a list of options, covering different historical periods, geographic areas, and types of history). The Department will inform you about the process and timescale of enrolment on the HIST100 ‘Dates’ module in Lent Term.

The Department’s second Part I in History, ‘HIST111: People, Places, and the Past: History and Histories’, which is optional for History Majors and Combined Majors, enabling them to take two-thirds of their 1st year in History; i.e. HIST100 (which is compulsory for History Majors and Combined Majors) + HIST111 (if they so wish). HIST111 is the over-arching module code for this package of modules which comprises the following options: in the Michaelmas Term, ‘HIST101: The Fall of Rome’ or ‘HIST102: Reform, Rebellion and Reason: Britain, 1500-1800’; in the Lent Term, ‘HIST 104: From Great War to Total War?’ or ‘HIST105: 'Histories of Violence: How Imperialism made the Modern World’; and in the Summer Term, ‘HIST199: Lancaster: A Place in Space and Time’.

Students enroll on HIST111 (and its ‘mini’ modules’ within) during Welcome Week, and follow a process similar to HIST100 for seminar sign-up.



Part II At the beginning of the Summer Term, first year students have to confirm the scheme of study they hope to follow in Part II and enrol themselves online for the courses/modules they hope to take in both their Second and Third Years. Second year students must re-enrol for their third year. Late in the Lent Term the Department circulates by email information explaining its enrolment procedures, and produces a booklet with detailed information about schemes of study, courses available, how and when to enrol on-line etc. The Department also holds an advisory talk at the end of Lent Term. The enrolment period (approximately a week) begins at the start of the Summer Term and students must get their enrolments signed off in the Department on a specific morning, usually in the third week of the Summer Term. Late changes of enrolment etc. may be made during the first two weeks of the Michaelmas Term and must be done through the Part II Coordinator.

If you are a First- or Second-Year student, you should also consult with your Academic Tutor regarding your choice of courses for Part II. See the Academic Tutorial section, page 12.


UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT DEPARTMENTAL HANDBOOK 33

8 MODULE TITLES & CONVENORS

Course descriptions and further details are available on the University and History Department web pages. The University web pages (‘course find’) provide course descriptions for Part I History modules; for Part II History module lists/descriptions are presented as exemplars by degree scheme http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/by-department-subject-area/history/ .

For lists and course descriptions for Part II History modules running in a given academic year, students are advised to see the tailored guides on the departmental website; these are updated each year during the Lent Term in preparation for module enrolment for the next academic year http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/history/resources/ . Further details on this process will be circulated to students by email nearer time. In addition, when preparing for module enrolment, students can also access the on-line module catalogue http://www.lusi.lancaster.ac.uk/CoursesHandbook/ModuleDetails/OnlineModules.

Listed overleaf are the modules available this academic year, 2017-18. Part I module options are designed to remain constant year by year, and are taught by a team of tutors. Please note that not all Part II courses listed on the University web pages are running each academic year. Tutors may be on research leave or courses may not recruit minimum numbers and, whilst the Department makes every effort to give students early warning where a course will not be available in a particular year, unforeseen circumstances sometimes result in late changes in course availability. Please note that the Department applies a quota or limit to each of its courses and courses may therefore become full. Note especially that Special Subjects have a maximum quota of 15 students on the course because these are research-linked courses, each taught by a single member of staff and they place heavy pressure on scarce library resources.

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/by-department-subject-area/history/

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/by-department-subject-area/history/

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/history/resources/

http://www.lusi.lancaster.ac.uk/CoursesHandbook/ModuleDetails/OnlineModules



5.1 Part I: HIST100 HIST100 From Ancient to Modern: History and Historians Dr S Barber and

colleagues

5.2 Part I: HIST111 HIST101 The Fall of Rome Dr P Hayward and

colleagues

HIST102 Reform, Rebellion and Reason: Britain 1500-1800 Dr S Pumfrey and colleagues

HIST104 From Great War to Total War? Dr A Warburton

HIST105 Histories of Violence: How Imperialism made the Modern World

Dr D Sutton and colleagues

HIST199 Lancaster: A Place in Space and Time Dr C Donaldson and colleagues

5.3 Part II

HIST2XX MODULES (15 credits)

Taught in MICHAELMAS [M] Term (Weeks 1-10) or LENT [L] Term (Weeks 11-20)

(+ revision sessions in early Summer Term)

HIST200 M The Making of Germany, 843-1122 Dr P Hayward

HIST202 L Norman England, 1066-1154–Conquest, Colonisation and Conflict Dr P Hayward

HIST204 M The Origins and Rise of Islam (600-1250 AD) Dr A Metcalfe

HIST205 L Byzantine and Muslim Sicily (535-1072) Dr A Metcalfe

HIST206 M The Greek World c. 800–404 B.C.: From Homer to the End of the Peloponnesian War Dr T Jim

HIST207 L The Greek World c.403-31 B.C.: from the end of the Peloponnesian War to the Coming of Rome Dr T Jim

HIST208 L Crusade and Jihad: Holy War in the Middle East, 1095-1254 Dr Sophie Ambler



HIST237 M The English Civil War (1640-1660) Dr S Barber

HIST241 M The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, 1500-1865 Dr N Radburn

HIST256 M The United States and the Vietnam War Dr P Hagopian

HIST257 L After Vietnam: Remembering, Representing and Refighting the ‘Bad War’ Dr P Hagopian

HIST258 M The Cold War in Europe Dr M Wyss

HIST259 L Inventing Human Rights, 1776-2001 Dr M Hurst

HIST268 M The Making and Unmaking of Heroes in German History: from Warriors and a People’s Queen to Film stars and a Football Team

Dr T Rohkramer

HIST271 L The History of the United States, 1865-1989 Dr T Hickman

HIST279 M Gandhi and the End of Empire in India, 1885-1948 Dr D Sutton

HIST285 M New World Order 1919-1939 Dr A Warburton

HIST286 L Restless Nation: Germany in the 20th Century Dr T Rohkramer

HIST290 L Culture and Society in England, 1500-1750 Prof N Tadmor

HIST294 L Nature and Culture 1500-1700: Themes from the Renaissance Dr S Pumfrey

HIST2XX CORE MODULES (Year 2 only, 15 Credits)

HIST250 M The Nature and Practice of History Dr C Donaldson

HIST251 L Writing History: Questions, Methods, Conclusions Dr C Donaldson

HIST299 is classed as a Lent Term Module but may occur at any point in the academic year. See page 27 for further details.

HIST299 From Education to Employment: History Work Placement Module Dr S Riches



DISSERTATION (30 credits) A necessary requirement for History Major students, including Medieval and Renaissance Studies. All Combined Majors with History will be offered the option of undertaking the HIST300 Dissertation in their 3rd Year (as opposed to a HIST3xx Special Subject).

HIST300 Dissertation Module Dr T Hickman

SPECIAL SUBJECTS (60 credits) A necessary requirement for History Major students, including Medieval and Renaissance Studies. The History Special Subject is also available to History Combined Major final year students). Combined Major students (first years) will decide at the end of their first year whether to take a Special Subject or the Dissertation. A variety of Special Subjects run each year. For example, the following modules are running in 2017-18:

HIST312 The Normans in Italy (1050-1994) Dr A Metcalfe

HIST318 Vikings and Sea-Kings: Power and Plunder in the Irish

Sea Region, 794-1079 Dr F Edmonds

HIST333

Science and Society in England, 1640-1688 Dr S Pumfrey

HIST348 Gender Identities in the People’s War: Experiences,

Representations and Memories Dr C Peniston-

Bird

HIST354

The Third Reich and Film Dr T Rohkramer

HIST355 A Global History of the Cold War Dr M Wyss

HIST366 The Politics of Memory: The Contested Past in Museums, Monuments and Minds Dr P Hagopian



Other opportunities

Department of History Heritage Placements

The opportunity to undertake high-quality work placements is becoming increasingly important for students, especially in relation to their employability. In your second year, you can apply to take a credit-bearing work placement module, coordinated through the department’s Regional Heritage Centre. Placements are available in a range of prominent multi-site organisations such as the National Trust as well as small independent museums, county archives, and heritage charities. Our placement providers vary from year to year but usually include Lakeland Arts (Kendal and Windermere); Keswick Museum & Art Gallery; the National Trust, Sizergh Castle, near Kendal); the Harris Museum (Preston); Wigan Archives Service; and the Fusilier Museum, Bury. The placements may involve any of the following activities, according to the requirements of the host organisation:

• curating virtual exhibitions; • repurposing, cataloguing, and contextualising existing resources, such as photographs, rare books and historic artefacts; • creating and running public workshops, including for schools or families – such as setting up activity trails; • producing informative literature, for use on websites, exhibition boards or social media; • contributing to the requirements of a museum accreditation process; • contributing to conservation area appraisals (for example, research into a specific townscape); • checking historic inventories; • working with oral history resources, including transcription of recordings; • rebuilding the online profile of the organisation.

Placements typically last for 35 hours (usually either half a day or one day a week during the Lent term in the second year, or an intensive five-day period in the Easter vacation). Heritage placements are typically unpaid, but all travel expenses are met and for intensive placements we may be able to meet accommodation costs near the placement location. Applications for the work-placement module are made by History undergraduates (including Combined Major students) at the start of their second year (or sometimes towards the end of their first year for any placements that start before Christmas), and usually consist of a CV and a supporting statement which outlines the student’s reasons for applying and how they meet the requirements of the placement provider. All applications are subject to initial screening in the History Department, and are then passed to the placement providers for shortlisting. In most cases placement



providers prefer to invite their applicants in for an informal meeting before deciding on offers, but some placement providers may use a more formal interview process. Students who are offered, and accept, a placement will drop an elective module in the Lent term of their second year, regardless of when the placement is actually happening. A key point to note is that students are assessed on a reflective report about their experience on placement and a portfolio of up to five pieces of writing that engage with aspects of the heritage sector (for instance, routes into employment, funding challenges, the role of social media in enhancing the visitor experience, the implications of digitisation). This work is directly supervised by the teaching staff for the module. This means that the student is not directly assessed on the work they do on Faculty (FASS) Placement scheme History is joining the FASS Placement Year scheme in 2017-18, and it will be advertised at recruitment events to those seeking to enter in 2018-19.

For those students who are already enrolled on Year 1 in 2017-18, the FASS Placement Officer will be visiting the Department to introduce and explain the scheme (ideally in weeks 4-6). A student who intends to include the placement scheme within their degree must submit a 250-word document answering the question ‘Why do you want to complete a placement year?’ to [email protected] by Friday Week 11. This scheme involves an additional fourth year taken as work-based learning and involves talking four modules: FASS150 ‘Preparation for Placement’ (uncredited – pass/fail); FASS250 ‘Work-Based learning Preparation’ (10 credits); FASS350a ‘Work-Based Learning Placement’ (10 credits); FASS350b ‘Work-Based Learning Reflections’ (10 credits). The credits are in addition to the traditional number of credits which a student would accrue on a three-year degree programme, meaning you will graduate with 390 instead of 360 credits.

Please direct any questions about the scheme to the Faculty Placements Team, led by the FASS Placements Officer, Rachel Beauchamp: [email protected] : 01524 510846. A Placement and Internships Co-ordinator will also be appointed during 2017-18.

Study Abroad/Exchange Year The History Department also participates in Exchange Programmes with universities in other countries. During their second year, such exchange students in effect do their second year modules abroad and then return to do a ‘normal’ third year at Lancaster. The Study abroad and Exchange programmes are organized by the University’s International Office, but students interested in this possibility should contact Dr Marco Wyss, Study Abroad Advisor, via email [[email protected]]. They should be aware that although fees and living expenses (room and





board) are ‘exchanged’, the programme will still involve some additional expenditure which must come from the participants.

Current 1st year students intending to undertake ‘study abroad’ in their 2nd year should note that their participation in the exchange programme is only officially confirmed after Part II on-line enrolment has taken place and therefore that they must enrol on-line for their Part II modules as if they will be remaining in Lancaster. Once the Department has received confirmation that they have been accepted onto the ‘study abroad’ programme, their enrolment record will be amended at the start of the academic year to reflect this. This serves to ensure that your enrolments are in place should for unforeseeable and/or unavoidable reasons the exchange does not go ahead.



9 TEACHING & LEARNING Attendance

Contact hours

There are no stipulated contact hours – that is, opportunities for direct face-to-face interaction between module lecturers and tutors and students – and these will vary depending on the year of study and the structure of modules, but in the History Department they usually take three forms: lectures, small-group/individual teaching (seminars, workshops or supervisions) and office hours.

Each member of teaching staff will advertise two ‘office hours’ per week in which they will be in a designated office on a drop-in basis.

In addition, there are opportunities to consult an Academic Tutor.

Learning hours

Rather, the University refers to ‘learning hours’ – that is, the total number of hours per week which a student should normally expect to spend in study towards each module – which includes private study time (which might be general reading, seminar preparation, following up on lectures, preparing essays or other assignments). The University’s guidelines recommend

Student attendance at timetabled classes will be registered using the iLancaster app, to be downloaded onto phone or tablet. It is not necessary to have the device out – it can remain in a pocket or bag – provided it is switched on (and on silent, please). Students can register attendance from 10 minutes before a scheduled session until ‘ten-to’ the hour. You can self-certify absence.



approximately ten hours per week, per module, which works out at around forty hours per week of study (or the equivalent of a 5-day, 9-5 schedule).

Lectures

Lectures chart the ground, define the limits of the course and introduce you to main themes and controversies: they provide the framework of your courses, indicate where their emphasis lies, elucidate the major problems and suggest what you should read. By sending you to the right books with the right questions in your mind, they should save you more than the time you spend on them.

Seminars and Workshops

Seminars and workshops both describe smaller group-teaching practice. Both will vary in size, but as a general rule, a group of up to fifteen students will tend to be a seminar; greater than fifteen and usually greater than twenty will be a workshop. Academics’ practice in setting up both types of teaching group will vary, but they are both designed to enable students to freedom to explore and discuss matters relating to a module in greater and more focused detail. The larger workshop group will usually be further broken down into student sub-groups, working independently in parallel with each other across the designated time.

Students will be expected to prepare for seminars or workshops and be prepared to engage with the process. In some cases, modules will contain elements of assessment designed to award a small proportion of coursework marks for seminar and other participation: this will vary across modules and types of courses. This does not mean that the talkative and confident student will always score highly. It is a key component of academics’ teaching skill that they manage the different personalities and qualities of students within their teaching groups to maximise the student’s potential in each case.

Supervision

Supervision usually refers to individual, dedicated interaction between student and teacher. It is most appropriate to describe the relationship between student and teacher that will develop on the dissertation module.

More information on how to get the most out of seminars and other learning opportunities can be found in the sister document to the Departmental Handbook, the ‘Guide to Learning’.



Code of Practice on Use of Laptops, Tablets, and Mobiles in Lectures and Seminars

The technological landscape within which we work has been revolutionised in recent years by advances in technology, particularly mobile technology giving users internet access. The advantages are many, but progress in some areas is accompanied by problems in others. On the one hand, the use of such devices by students can clearly enhance teaching and learning if used appropriately, for example in Special Subject seminars. On the other, their inappropriate use can be distracting for staff and for students beside or behind the user, for example in tiered lecture theatres. We therefore need to distinguish between what we regard as appropriate and inappropriate use, while also recognising that students with special needs often need to use such devices in particular ways. The History Department, prompted partly by student feedback, has drafted the following Code of Practice in relation to learning and mobile technology, to be introduced from 2015-16. It has been agreed by academic staff and by Student Representatives via the Staff Student Consultative Committee:

• What is ‘appropriate use’ of mobile devices in lectures and seminars is at the discretion of the Module Convenor;

• Such devices should always be in silent mode and visible, above rather than below desks; • Appropriate use of laptops, tablets for word-processing to take notes is fine – though

students should note there is some research evidence taking notes longhand is more effective;

• Use of laptops, tablets, and mobiles in seminars (and in some lectures) to visit websites that are relevant to the course under study is sometimes appropriate: for example, Moodle and other sites that may be recommended or encouraged by the lecturer or tutor;

• The use of electronic devices to make recordings of lectures, which are intellectual properties, is neither permitted nor necessary given that lectures are recorded, via Panopto (in most cases);

• Inappropriate use of laptops, tablets, and mobiles in seminars and lectures to access websites that are not relevant to the course under study is discouraged as discourteous to the Course Convenor and distracting for other students;

• Persistent and inappropriate use of mobile phones in seminars and lectures to check messages, texts etc. is discouraged as discourteous to the lecturer or tutor and distracting to other students;

• Students should not discuss in lectures the content of material on their own or other mobile devices.



Plagiarism

We recognise that sometimes a student may break the rules accidentally. In such cases, the University takes an educational rather than a punitive approach. However, where rules are broken intentionally the penalties are severe.

Genuine and serious plagiarism as defined below is rare, and the vast majority of students need not worry about it. In recent years, however, the Department of History, in common with university departments all over the world, has found that real plagiarism is an increasing problem. Lancaster University’s Plagiarism Framework is designed to help students avoid plagiarism and to ensure that all students who do plagiarise are treated equally. The Department is required to implement the Framework.

The need to avoid plagiarism does not mean that you cannot depend upon secondary sources or use internet sites in preparing and writing essays, nor that you should overload your essays with unnecessary references. What it does mean is that you should reflect upon what you read, weigh the evidence and arguments offered by historians, and then present your own arguments, in your own words. We are aware that many students are not sure what plagiarism is, when honest reliance on others’ work changes into plagiarism, and what study skills of referencing and paraphrasing can guard them against the danger of inadvertent plagiarism.

The University Senate has agreed that students must sign a form declaring that all course work submitted is their own work. Forms can be obtained from the plastic container mounted on the wall by the essay box. The form also requires your consent that work can be stored electronically and submitted to electronic tests for plagiarism.

Full details of the University’s Plagiarism Framework document can be found at: https://gap.lancs.ac.uk/ASQ/Policies/Documents/Plagiarism-Framework.pdf

For the Library guide to plagiarism, including a helpful online tutorial, see: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/library/referencing/what-is-plagiarism/

The rules of the University and the Examination Regulations define in detail the definitions and penalties for dealing with malpractice, including plagiarism. It is important that you abide by these rules and don’t attempt to gain advantage by any unfair means. When submitting coursework, it must be your own work and any assistance must be correctly acknowledged.

https://gap.lancs.ac.uk/ASQ/Policies/Documents/Plagiarism-Framework.pdf

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/library/referencing/what-is-plagiarism/



Coursework submission and return

You are expected to meet coursework deadlines as part of your training in time management skills. They allow both you and your tutor to plan and spread the work of writing, marking and discussing your work. Moreover, if a piece of coursework is submitted late (or not at all), the Department is required by the University to apply penalties.

Your tutor will inform you (for example, in the course Study Guide) of the various coursework submission dates/deadlines by which s/he expects each piece of coursework to be submitted. The deadline set by the Course Convenor for the submission of a piece of coursework is the official deadline, after which penalties will be applied for late/non-submission according to university regulations.

The SUBMISSION DEADLINE is always as follows:

Part I / HIST100: 12.00 noon of the relevant day;

Part II: 12.00 noon of the relevant day.

Please note that all work submitted after these times will be treated as having been submitted on the following working day.

Each piece of coursework must be submitted in two formats by the same deadline stipulated by each Module Convenor:

in HARD COPY (via the Essay Box in the Department); and

in ELECTRONIC FORMAT (via Moodle)

You must submit the HARD COPY in person, with the correct Department of History cover sheet attached, indicating Yr 1 and Yr 2 or Yr 3 and Yr 4, by placing it in the essay box which is situated in the Department’s mixing bay. You must not post essays under doors, or send them through the internal mail. In this way, we keep up-to-date records of those essays which have been submitted. On the top of each essay you should write your name, year, college, course number and tutor. This is necessary in case your covering form becomes detached.

If you have to post an essay to the Department, this must be done by prior arrangement with and addressed to either the Part I Coordinator or the Part II Coordinator as appropriate and



be sure a) to keep a copy in case it is lost in the post and b) to obtain proof of postage by sending it Recorded Delivery. If the department can find no record of your coursework submission, and you cannot promptly produce your copy, you will automatically receive the appropriate penalty for late submission.

With regard to ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION via Moodle, you will be sent instructions on how to make the submission, along with guidance on any related issues, by the Departmental Office. Failure to submit the electronic version of your coursework in addition to the hard copy by the stipulated deadline will result in a formal note being placed on your file.

Please note that the Department will give due consideration to the influence dyslexia may have had upon an essay or other coursework, but it must be properly informed about it. The written work concerned should include a formal university statement of support needs which may be obtained from the Disability Support service. This is your responsibility.

Penalties

Penalties are applied to coursework not submitted by the stated deadline and without an agreed extension. If the work is between one and three days late, the University requires us to apply a penalty of one full grade (e.g. an essay worth B+ will receive C+). If the work is submitted more than three (3) days late or not submitted at all, the University requires that it will be recorded as a non-submission and awarded a score of zero.

Extensions to Coursework Deadlines

Extensions can ONLY be granted by the appropriate Part I or Part II Student Advisor. Appointments to see him or her must be made through the relevant Part I or Part II Coordinator.

Please note that requests for extensions will be treated sympathetically, but will only be allowed for certifiable medical or compassionate reasons. Poor time management will not be sufficient. Any extension will be for an agreed and recorded period. Work submitted after this revised deadline will be subject to the appropriate penalty of a one grade deduction or the award of zero.

No coursework deadlines will be set and no coursework can be submitted and/or extensions granted beyond the Senate Deadline. For Year 2 and 3 students this latest deadline is 5.00pm on Friday of Summer Term Week 3. For Year 1 students it is 5.00pm on Friday of Summer Term Week 6.



Return of Essays and Feedback

The University asks that coursework be marked within 4 weeks of submission, excluding ‘closure periods'. If they are unable to return your mark or coursework to you within this period, your tutor will contact you to explain why. Individual tutors will advise students how they wish to return essays/coursework: many return work in seminars, during their office hours, or at specially scheduled sessions. Marked coursework will be accompanied by specific written feedback on your assignment and constructive suggestions on how to improve your work in the future. Tutors will be happy to discuss this feedback further with you, and the Department strongly advises students to take the opportunity to discuss their work with their tutors on a one-to-one basis.

Essays must be collected within the collection period advised by your tutor. Please note that the administrative staff and the Part I and Part II Student Advisors are not in a position to inform you when specific tutors will be returning coursework.

Keeping and resubmitting Part II Coursework

Some significant pieces of coursework will be moderated. All students must keep a copy of each piece of coursework that they submit to the Department for assessment until they graduate. This is especially necessary in the rare cases that a piece of work goes astray because you must be able to hand in another copy quickly in order to avoid penalisation.

It is also very important that you retain all your essays in Part II in order that our records of marks may be doubly checked. During the summer term of your Second and Third Years, the Department will request that you check on-line the Department’s record of your marks.

Finally, please note that Second- and Third- Year students must keep the marked copies of all coursework as they may be asked to resubmit them for review by the External Examiners and in preparation for the Exam Boards. This is because all marks are provisional until approved by External Examiners, the Boards of Examiners and the Committee of Senate. External Examiners are entitled to review coursework and this may prove important if your result is narrowly below a class borderline. No credit can be given if you have not fulfilled this requirement. It is therefore important that you keep your assessed coursework secure.



10 ASSESSMENT Rationale for Teaching, Learning and Assessment

The strategies for teaching, learning, and assessment in the History Department map on to the guidance offered in the QAA Subject Benchmark Statement for History (Draft for Consultation June 2014). Students have regular formal contact with teaching staff and other students in a variety of structured settings. These include lectures, seminars, and e-learning, as well as working independently. Students undertake a range of assignments – essays, dissertations, reports, reviews, work-related projects, and so on. Students receive critical and constructive comment on their progress. Diversity in assessment is recognised as vital. Thus, while the essay remains a central component of history assessment, done under exam conditions or as coursework, because of the integrative skills which it develops, shorter reports require precision of focus. The development of oral communication skills is also important, as is group work. Thus students may also be assessed on their performance in seminars, including through individual presentations. Given that team working and collaborative activity is increasingly seen as important, the Department is keen to introduce group projects. Examinations are important in giving students opportunities to produce written arguments under pressure, as well as safeguarding against plagiarism and outside assistance.

It is these principles that have determined the strategies for teaching and learning, and the selection of methods of assessment, within the History Department. We are keen to set a balance between assessment by coursework only, and more traditional examinations, within the regulations set down by the University. Our marking criteria give predominance to positive achievement, using the full range of grades; feedback includes the kind of improvements necessary to achieve a higher grade.

When marking assessed work, your tutors have the benchmarks of Focus, Structure and Argument; Knowledge and Evidence; and Writing and Presentation in their minds. Some of the criteria outlined below may nevertheless be more relevant to some tasks than to others. Tutors therefore employ what are often called ‘best-fit’ criteria. In other words, taken overall (and an essay or other assessed writings is marked as a whole and not in discrete sections), which of the class criteria does this piece of work most closely match? When deciding grades within a class, they will be making finer-grained distinctions informed by the norms set out below.



Markers aim to use the criteria fairly and reasonably. In practice, grades have to be awarded on a holistic basis, because most essays have qualities that belong to more than one band. It may be that an essay that is outstanding, for example, in terms of argument and structure, is weak in, say, presentation and research. The final grade will be the sum of these qualities. For guidance as to the relative strengths and weaknesses of your essay, you should give particular attention to the marker's comments and feedback.

Markers aim to use the criteria fairly and reasonably. In practice, grades have to be awarded on a holistic basis, because most essays have qualities that belong to more than one band. It may be that an essay that is outstanding, for example, in terms of argument and structure, is weak in, say, presentation and research. The final grade will be the sum of these qualities. For guidance as to the relative strengths and weaknesses of your essay, you should give particular attention to the marker's comments and feedback.

Excellent First Class A+

First Class A, A-

Upper Second Class B+, B, B-

Lower Second Class C+, C, C-

Third Class D+, D, D-

Fail F1, F2, F3, or F4

Important: you will receive a letter grade only on your work. The ‘aggregation score’ (which is used to determine overall performance when it comes to decisions on progression from Part I to Part II and on degree classification at the end of Year 3) is calculated automatically when marks are entered on the University’s student record system.

The grading scheme recognises five levels of assessment for essays and exams. What follows attempts to spell out as transparently as possible what particular grades indicate for your intellectual development as an undergraduate historian. There are significant differences in terms of academic attainment between the higher and lower grades at any given level (between a B+ and a B-, for example), and those differences reflect the extent to which certain criteria have been satisfied.



11 MARK SCHEMES THE UNIVERSITY MARK SCHEME

Grade Summary description Aggregation score

A Excellent; First Class

A+ 24 A 21 A- 18

B Good; Class II.i

B+ 17 B 16 B- 15

C Satisfactory; Class II.ii

C+ 14 C 13 C- 12

D Weak Pass; Class III

D+ 11 D 10 D- 9

F Fail

F1 (Marginal Fail) 7 F2 (Fail) 4 F3 (Poor Fail) 2 F4 (Very poor fail) 0



A+ A/A- B C D F

Focus, Structure, & Argument

Engagement with demands of the question

Full engagement and outstanding grasp of the implications of the question

Close and consistent engagement; vigorous and mature grasp of implications

Clear understanding and grasp of implications but some tendency to over-generalise or over-particularise

Reasonably good engagement but with lapses of focus and modest grasp of implications, with some irrelevant content

Some engagement and grasp of implications but prone to generalities, over-simplification and/or over-generalisation

Very limited engagement and scant grasp of implications

Cogency and development of the argument

Fully developed, logical, and sophisticated argument

Carefully developed and sophisticated argument

Cogent argument but with occasional lapses (of focus or coverage)

Adequate argument but often lacking in focus and inconsistent in quality

Argument undermined by irrelevancies, excessive narrative and/or unsupported assertions

Argument not developed beyond rudimentary points

Intellectual independence and originality

Extensive evidence of bold, innovative, and/or original thinking

Strong evidence of boldness, originality and/or innovative thinking

Some evidence of independence of thought

Very limited independence of thought; often recycles familiar ideas

Very basic ideas and lack of reflection

No evidence of independence of thought

Organisation/

structure

Highly logical structure which articulates every point required to make the argument work

A logical structure in which most, but not all, of the necessary points are made

An essay with many useful points, but one where they do not comprise a logical argument

Generally adequate but not always consistently effective organisation

A disorganised and illogical essay

Severely deficient structure



Knowledge & Evidence

Range of reading/

Sources

Broad, deep and assured, involving independent and judicious use of specialist sources

Drawn from a variety of sources well beyond the standard course reading list

Broad range of reading and other preparation. Acquaintance with specialist monographs and articles as appropriate to the question

Some knowledge is shown, but it is not very comprehensive, detailed or drawn from specialist sources

Limited reading and other preparation done to acquire knowledge

Inadequate reading and other preparation done to acquire knowledge

Knowledge and accuracy

Very broad and wide-ranging

Knowledge is developed judiciously and critically in response to the demands of the question

Extensive accurate knowledge is shown, but this may be uneven in places

Enough accurate knowledge but insufficiently digested, sometimes prone to inaccuracies

Knowledge adequate to frame a basic answer to the question, but often deployed inaccurately or in a vague manner

The answer includes some knowledge, but this is very limited, patchy, and inaccurate

Use of ideas and concepts

Shows mastery of ideas and independence of thought

Used with great facility and imposes a valid personal interpretation

Knowledge about ideas and concepts is adequate and appropriately developed

Awareness of the nature of historical development is demonstrated. The knowledge deployed shows some understanding of how historical argument develops

There is limited appreciation of the problematic or controversial nature of historical explanations

Understanding of the nature of historical processes is rudimentary and underdeveloped

A+ A/A- B C D F



Use of historians’ interpretations

Extensive, authoritative, and judicious use of other historians’ ideas and interpretations

Knowledge about the views of historians is secure and pronounced

Deploys other historians’ views and attempts to move beyond them. A good sense of the nature of historical development is shown

The answer largely recycles the ideas of historians without much understanding or development of them

Knowledge about the ideas of historians is unlikely to be well developed

Very limited knowledge of historians’ ideas

Use of evidence (with reflection on its relevance, value, and limitations)

Excellent judgement of its relevance, value and limitations

Evidence is deployed authoritatively to support and develop arguments, with a rigorous sense of relevance and of the value or limitations of different sorts of data

A good knowledge is demonstrated of how historical argument develops

Information is sometimes used critically, but there is no systematic attempt to evaluate its status and significance in terms of the overall argument

The knowledge on offer implies some awareness of how historical argument develops, but knowledge about the ideas of historians is limited or muddled

The answer may be excessively over-generalised and/or irrelevant, vague or inaccurate



A+ A/A- B C D F

Writing and Presentation

Accurate and effective use of language

Superbly fluent, precise, and concise

Fluent, precise, and concise writing, with very few errors

Mostly fluent, precise, and concise, with minor errors and occasional lapses

Sufficiently accurate writing but not always fluent and prone to clumsiness (e.g. problems with expression, grammar)

Generally unclear, ungrammatical, and seriously lacking in sophistication and precision

The writing is likely to be unclear and/or ungrammatical

Quality of historical interpretation

Excellent ability to convey nuances and complexities

Very effective in dealing with nuances and complexities

Adequate ability to convey nuances and complexities

Limited evidence of awareness of nuances and complexities

No serious ability to convey nuances and complexities

The writing shows very little appreciation of the problematic or controversial nature of historical explanations

Ability to use the technical and advanced vocabulary employed by historians

Outstanding level of sophistication

Very high level of sophistication

Shows appreciation of technical and advanced vocabulary and adequate ability to deploy it

Unlikely to use technical/advanced vocabulary

No serious attempt to use technical/advanced vocabulary

It lacks understanding of the vocabulary necessary to sustain an historical argument

Referencing and Bibliography

Extensive referencing; excellent formatting of referencing and Bibliography

Very good referencing, accurate formatting of referencing and Bibliography

Adequate referencing, but with minor errors in formatting of referencing and Bibliography

Basic and limited referencing; numerous errors in formatting of references and Bibliography

Serious problems in extent of referencing, and formatting of referencing and Bibliography

Rudimentary referencing; deeply flawed formatting of referencing and Bibliography



Examinations

History examinations normally take place during and between Weeks 24 and 29, Summer Term, but all students should ensure they are available until Week 30, the end of the Summer Term.

Weighting of exams to coursework

The normal weighting of exams to coursework for Part II in History is 60% exams to 40% coursework. Some courses/modules are assessed by a higher proportion of coursework or by coursework alone, i.e. 100% coursework. The assessment details of each module are presented in the relevant course Study Guide and on course Moodle sites.

How we mark

As with coursework, examination scripts will be marked using the Department’s marking criteria (see Section 11), with due allowance being made for the specific examination context under which essays or other forms of assessment have been written. Marking is done anonymously, that is your name does not appear on the front cover of your script until it is later matched up to your seat number after your script has been read internally. Examination scripts are internally moderated according to University regulations, so as to ensure maximum fairness.

After scripts have been marked internally, they are sent to the External Examiners, who are senior academics at other universities whose role is not only to monitor our marking but to guide us in the preparation of exam papers and advise us generally on our teaching and assessment of courses, and our associated processes. On receipt of the External Examiner’s confirmation of grades, the agreed grades are entered into the student record system, which calculates the aggregation score for each course. No grades are considered final at this stage and re-reading both of script and of essays may take place right up to the Final Board of Examiners’ meeting. The Department does not, however, ask students to attend vivas (oral examinations).

Please note that history is a ‘humanities’ discipline, with its roots in the classics. Its messages cannot be disentangled from its medium, and clear expression, along with correct English grammar, punctuation and spelling, is an inseparable part of effective exam performance. It is not, of course, the case that we consciously ‘take marks off’ a script for faulty English, but rather that a history essay, either in exams or coursework, cannot convey conviction



if it is rendered in faulty prose. If you have anxieties on this issue, discuss them with a tutor, who may be able to put you in the direction of further help and advice. By the same token, you must take notice of the need for readable scripts. We do not ‘mark down’ illegibility per se, but we cannot give you credit for what we cannot read - and your gradings will suffer accordingly. Many people produce illegible scripts through making the common error of confusing quantity - including much irrelevant narrative - with quality, which means pertinent and succinct analyses, backed up by accurate evidence.

We do not, in this Department, debar students from writing on topic areas related to essay questions tackled earlier and in fact we look for and respect the expertise that students have been building up. Needless to say, exam questions will not invite you simply to rehash essays, nor should you attempt to do so; the question will clearly be different.

Please see link to the Past Examination Papers website: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/student-based-services/exams-and-assessment/past-papers/

Disabilities and examinations

Where disability necessitates special arrangements for examinations, it is the responsibility of the student to instigate these through Student Based Services.

Visiting Study Abroad students

Visiting study abroad students (Incoming Study Abroad, Erasmus etc.) must do all coursework which a home student would do in the same period. In addition, the student must either take the appropriate final examination or some additional assessment to replace the final examination (usually an additional essay or ‘take-home examination’) if it is for some reason (time, content, etc.) inappropriate.

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/student-based-services/exams-and-assessment/past-papers/

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/student-based-services/exams-and-assessment/past-papers/