General Regulations for Associate Degree and Higher Diploma Programmes

1. Admission, Enrolment and Registration

1.1 Admission to associate degree/higher diploma programmes is subject to satisfying the stipulated Programme Admission Requirements.

1.2 All students are required to register for courses according to the study schedule of their programmes every semester. Students should complete the procedures according to the dates officially announced.

Registration of Courses

1.3 Students will automatically be registered on courses required by their programmes of study. Registration of elective courses takes place in the pre-registration exercise according to the schedule stipulated by the Programme.

Adding/Dropping of Courses after Registration

1.4 Adding/dropping of courses is allowed during the course add/drop period stipulated  by the Programme.

1.5 The University reserves the right to cancel courses with low enrolment anytime before the deadline for adding/dropping of courses.

Withdrawing from Courses after the Period for Adding/Dropping of Courses

1.6 Permission to withdraw from courses after the deadline for adding/dropping of courses will only be given under exceptional circumstances, such as illness, personal or academic problems, or other unforeseen circumstances deemed acceptable to the course instructor concerned and the School Registry.

1.7 Applications should be endorsed by the course instructor and approved by the School Registry, at least four weeks before the commencement of the semester examination.

2. Units and Study Load

Units

2.1 The number of units assigned to a course is indicative of the total time spent by an average learner in all modes of learning, including lectures, self-study, and other teaching, learning and assessment components to achieve the learning outcomes of the course, normally over a period of one semester.

2.2 In general, a single unit corresponds to 45 notional learning hours.

Study Load

2.3 Normally, students are required to register for all courses prescribed by their programmes, including elective courses, each year. Study schedules are available in the programme document/handbook.

2.4 In special circumstances when students cannot fulfil the graduation requirements within the normal period of study and are granted extension of study, they will be classified as “part-time” when registering for less than 12 units in a semester during the extension period.

2.5 Unless prescribed in an approved study plan, a student may not register for more than 18 units in a semester. Students who wish to do so must obtain approval from the Department Head/Programme Director during the course add/drop period. Students who wish to register for more than 21 units must obtain approval from the Department Head/Programme Director and the School Registry. Approval for a study load in excess of 21 units will only be given under exceptional circumstances.

2.6 Students who are placed on academic probation are required to work out and agree on a study plan with their Department Head/Programme Director. While some programmes may require such students to follow the normal study load, this study plan will normally include a reduced study load according to the following guidelines:

1. Students with a failure of 0–4 units in the previous semester may be required to take not more than 17 units in the following semester.
2. Students with a failure of more than 5-7 units in the previous semester may be required to take not more than 15 units in the following semester.
3. Students with a failure of more than 8-10 units in the previous semester may be required to take not more than 12 units in the following semester.

Double Registration

2.7 Unless otherwise approved by the University, associate degree/higher diploma students are not permitted to enrol on any other full-time award-bearing programmes at the University or at any other local institutions of higher learning. Students breaching this regulation are subject to discontinuation of their studies at the University.

3. Attendance

3.1 Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes for which they have registered. If absence is due to conditions beyond their control and they wish to establish that fact in order to justify make-up work (e.g. papers, assignments), a written explanation together with supporting documents must be presented to the course instructor for approval within five days after the absence.

4. Assessment

4.1 Students are assessed by different assessment task such as coursework assignment, essay, presentation, project and examinations, etc., as specified in the programme document and course outlines.

Academic Honesty

4.2 Students who are found to have committed an act of academic dishonesty such as plagiarism, submission of material(s) for assessment which is not the students' own work, the use of fabricated or copied data, shall receive an “F” grade for the course. In addition, the case may also be submitted to the Student Affairs Committee for further action.

4.3 Students found to have committed academic dishonesty may be excluded from participation in the end-of-semester Course Feedback Questionnaire for the course concerned.

Semester Examinations

4.4 Only students whose names are on the course enrollment record are permitted to sit for the semester examination of the course.

4.5 Students should sit for all scheduled examinations. Students failing to do so without official permission will receive an "F" grade for the examination concerned.

4.6 Normally, the end-of-semester or year examinations are scheduled within the University examination period as two- or three-hour closed-book written examinations. For alternative arrangements, the course instructor must submit the details with the approval of the Department Head/Programme Director.

Make-up Examinations

4.7 Students missing an examination because of extenuating circumstances such as illness, injury or other personal emergencies may apply in writing via an application form with supporting document(s) to the School Registry for a make-up examination. Applications should be made according to the schedule as stipulated by the Programme.

4.8 In case of illness or injury, the application must include a medical certificate recommending for sick leave on the date of the missed examination by a qualified medical practitioner.

4.9 The following situations would normally not be considered:

1. Elective surgery scheduled to be held on an examination day;
2. Public examinations such as HKDSE Examination, TOEFL, SAT, GRE, GMAT, etc., held on an examination day; or
3. Having forgotten or misread the examination schedule.

4.10 If the application is approved, the make-up examination will normally be arranged within six weeks after the examination period.

4.11 No other arrangement will be made if the student is unable to attend the make-up examination.

4.12 The course instructor should set a new examination paper for the make-up examination and will decide if the grades for the make-up examination should be lowered.

4.13 Students missing an examination who do not apply for a make-up examination or whose application is disapproved will receive zero mark for that examination.

Supplementary Examinations

4.14 Students who fail a course only due to failure of the end-of-semester examination or year examination may be allowed to sit for supplementary examination, as recommended by the Programme in consultation with the course instructor.

4.15 Students, including final year students, are allowed to take supplementary examination for a maximum of one course per semester and Grade D is the maximum grade for the course after supplementary examination.

4.16 For final year students, recommendation to take supplementary examination for any failed course in Semester 2 should be approved by the University Senate.

5. Examination Regulations

5.1 Students are not allowed to sit for an examination if they:

1. have not completed the proper course/section enrolment procedures; or
2. have not settled any fees due to the University.

5.2 Students should read the examination timetable carefully and take note of the date, time and venue of the examinations. Having forgotten or misread the examination timetable is normally not an excuse to apply for make-up examinations.

5.3 Students should arrive at the examination venue at least 10 minutes before the scheduled time of the examination. Once they enter the examination venue, they should sit according to the seat number assigned to them.

5.4 Students will not be allowed to enter the examination venue after the first 30 minutes of the examination.

5.5 Students are not allowed to leave the examination venue after they enter the examination venue (except with the permission of the invigilator), during the first 30 minutes and the last 15 minutes of the examination.

5.6 Students must bring their Student ID Card (or HKID Card) and put it at the top right-hand corner of the desk throughout the examination. Students without any such identification may not be allowed to sit for the examination.

5.7 Before entering the examination venue, students must make sure that unauthorized articles/items (e.g. books, manuscripts, notes, papers and all kinds of electronic/communication devices, including smart watches) are taken out from their pockets and placed inside their bags.  All electronic/communication devices must be turned off.

5.8 Once they enter the examination venue, students should place their bags under their seats immediately. They should also make sure that no unauthorized articles/items are put on the desk unless prior approval is given by the invigilator.

5.9 Students should place their stationery on the desk and their pencil case/box under the seat.

5.10 Students must not turn over the pages of the examination question paper and must not start working until they are instructed to do so.

5.11 Students should remain absolutely silent once they enter the examination venue. They must not talk to or disturb other students. If they have questions, they should put up their hands and wait patiently for an invigilator.

5.12 Students who wish to leave the examination venue temporarily during an examination session must:

1. raise their hand and wait for an invigilator;
2. leave only with the approval of the invigilator.

Before students leave the venue, the invigilator has the right to check whether any unauthorized articles/items have been placed in their pocket(s).

5.13 Students who have completed their examination and wish to leave the venue early during an examination session must:

1. first check the answer book(s) and papers that they bear their names, student numbers, course code and section number (even if no attempt has been made to answer any questions);
2. raise their hand and wait for an invigilator;
3. leave only with the approval of the invigilator.

5.14 At the end of the examination, students must:

1. promptly stop writing, put their pens down at once, remain seated and wait silently until the invigilator has collected all answer books;
2. leave only when the invigilator tells them to do so;
3. not remove anything from the examination venue except personal belongings and the question papers (if allowed).

Penalty/Disqualification

5.15 Students have the sole responsibility to ensure that the examination regulations are observed and complied with. Students who are found to have breached any of the examination regulations will be subject to penalty or disqualification.

5.16 Students who commit any of the following offences are subject to receiving an “F” grade for the course:

1. Copying other students' work or any form of cheating inside or outside the examination venue;
2. Having unauthorized articles/items on the examination desk, in the pockets or on their body after entering the examination venue and during the examination session;
3. Removing articles/items other than personal belongings from the examination venue;
4. Leaving the examination venue without permission;
5. Disobeying instructions of an invigilator.

In addition, such cases of breaching examination regulations will normally be submitted to the School Registry for further disciplinary action.

5.17 Students who are absent from an examination without an acceptable reason and proper documentation evidence will receive zero mark for that examination.

Arrangement of Examinations on the Approach of Typhoon/Rainstorms

5.18 Students should follow the arrangement of examinations due to bad weather conditions as stipulated by the Programme and act accordingly.

Notes:
1. “Examination venue” is a generic term.  When an examination is conducted online, examination venue refers to the online examination platform specified by the course instructor.

2. Students should join the online examination platform using the name as printed on the student card.

6. Assessment Grading System

6.1 Letter grades are used to indicate the results of assessment. The number of grade points gained by students in a particular course corresponds to the letter grade.

Grade A (i.e. A and A-) indicates that the students have an excellent performance on all Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) and a thorough mastery of the subject matter.

Grade B (i.e. B+, B and B-) indicates that the students have a good performance on all ILOs and are competent in knowledge of the subject matter; or the students have an excellent performance on the majority of the ILOs and are competent in knowledge of the subject matter.

Grade C (i.e. C+, C and C-) indicates that the students have a satisfactory performance on all ILOs and an acceptable level of knowledge of the course; or the students have a good performance on some ILOs which compensate for marginal performance on others, resulting in an overall satisfactory performance. In addition, the students should have an acceptable level of knowledge of the course.

Grade D indicates that the students have a marginal acceptable performance on the majority of the ILOs and are permitted to proceed to more advanced work in the subject area.

Grade E is a temporary grade applicable only to the first-semester component of a year course. Students who receive the conditional grade may continue to study the course in the following semester. If the students obtain a passing grade in the following semester, the first-semester grade E will be converted to grade D. In the case of failure (F grade), withdrawal from, or discontinuation of that course in the following semester, the first-semester grade E will be converted to grade F.

Grade F indicates an unsatisfactory performance on the majority of the ILOs. Students with grade F in the first semester of a year course are not allowed to continue study in that course in the following semester.

Grade DT indicates that the students have an excellent performance on all Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) and a thorough mastery of the subject matter.  Grade DT is not included in the grade point average calculation.

Grade I is a temporary grade given only when the required work for the course has not been completed due to unavoidable reasons acceptable to the course instructor. If the work is not completed within six weeks after the official announcement of the course semester grades by the Programme, the grade I will automatically be converted to grade F. Grade I is not included in the grade point average calculation.

Grade S is used to indicate satisfactory completion of a course. It is not included in the grade point average calculation.

Grade U is used to indicate unsatisfactory performance in a course. It is not included in the grade point average calculation. The use of this grade has to be approved by the University Senate.

Grade W is applicable to students who have been approved to withdraw from the course after the deadline for dropping of courses as stipulated by the Programme. Students who wish to withdraw from a course have to apply to the course instructors concerned and the application should be approved by the School Registry at least four weeks prior to the examination period for that semester. Grade W is not included in the grade point average calculation.

Grade YR is a temporary grade applicable both to the first component of a year course and to courses that span over more than one academic year. The YR grade indicates that the student will be assessed after the course has been fully completed. Same grade or different grades will be assigned to the different components of the course. If the students drop or withdraw from the course in the last semester, the YR grade will be converted to grade W or any letter grade, depending on the extent to which the students' performance up to the end of each semester preceding the last semester of the course can be assessed by the course instructor. Grade YR is not included in the grade point average calculation.

Grade NR is a temporary grade. The NR grade indicates that the grade for the course is not yet reported by the course instructor at the time the semester grade report is prepared. Grade NR is not included in the grade point average calculation. The conversion of NR grade to a normal letter grade should be made within six weeks after the announcement of course grades.

Grade PR is a temporary grade applicable to final year students whose honours projects are found to be unsatisfactory on submission and on the recommendation of the respective Programme are granted an extension up to 1st November of the same year for resubmission. If the project is considered satisfactory on resubmission, the grade will be converted to a letter grade not higher than C. Grade PR is not included in the grade point average calculation.

Grade Point Average (GPA) and Retaking of Courses

6.2 The Grade Point Average (GPA) is an important indicator of the academic standing of students. It is obtained by adding all the grade points gained and then dividing the sum by the total number of units attempted.

6.3 The semester GPA is calculated from all the grade points gained and the number of units attempted in a given semester. The cumulative GPA (cGPA) is calculated from the cumulative grade points gained and the cumulative number of units attempted.

6.4 Students must obtain a passing grade on all courses prescribed by their programmes.

6.5 Students may only repeat courses with grade F to retrieve the failure. Students, however, may be required by their programmes to repeat courses with less than satisfactory grades to fulfil specific course or programme requirements.

6.6 For a course taken for more than once, only the highest grade^* will be included in the calculation of cGPA with effect from the semester in which the highest grade is attained. The number of units gained for the repeated course is counted once only.

* If the grades attained at different attempts are the same, it is the latest grade that is included in the cGPA calculation.

6.7 Students can only repeat the same course twice.  There is no limit on the number of courses to be repeated.

7. Academic Results

7.1 Students’ academic results are officially recorded in the Academic Registry after they have successfully completed their programme of study. A grade report issued by the School Registry will be released approximately five to six weeks after their examinations are completed. Students should report any inaccuracy or inconsistency to the Programme according to its stipulated schedule.

Academic Honours

7.2 Students taking a minimum of 12 units counting towards grade point average and attaining the following results in a semester are eligible for the respective academic honours:

* Students with a “U” grade in the same semester are NOT eligible for receiving the academic honours.

Academic Problems

7.3 Students taking 12 units or more counting towards grade point average and attaining the following results in a semester will be given the respective course of action:

7.4 Students taking less than 12 units counting towards grade point average and attaining the following results in a semester will be given the respective course of action:

Repeat Study

7.5 Students with poor academic results may, at the discretion of individual Programme, be required to repeat a year of study with the approval of the University Senate.

7.6 Students are required to fulfil any study conditions as prescribed by their programmes during their repeating year. If they fail to meet the conditions, they may be recommended to the University Senate for dismissal by the programmes.

7.7 Students, during their entire study at the University, are allowed to repeat only once in their first year of the two-year study. Students who fail to fulfil the graduation requirements after the final year of study may also be granted concession of one additional year of study with the approval of the University Senate.

8. Course Exemption

8.1 Students admitted to Year 1 may apply for exemption from taking certain courses in the curriculum if they have taken equivalent courses in other institutions before, but they are required to replace the exempted courses with other courses to make up for the units being exempted. Students should submit their applications for course exemption within two weeks of their first semester in the university.

9. Transfer of Units

9.1 Students admitted to Year 1 with advanced standing may be granted up to 15 units of transferred units at the point of admission.

9.2 Normally, the students’ transferred units (including units granted at the point of admission and units that students obtained through exchange programmes) should not be more than one-half of the total units required for graduation.

9.3 The University reserves the right not to grant units for courses which are not deemed to be equivalent to the University courses and for courses with grades below the equivalence of grade C in the University grading system.

9.4 Students may be required to sit for proficiency test(s) or qualifying examination(s) prior to the granting of transfer units.

9.5 Units transferred from other institutions are recorded without inclusion in grade point average calculations.

10. Leave of Absence, Suspension, Withdrawal and Dismissal

Leave of Absence

10.1 Students may be permitted to take leave of absence from their studies in cases of health problems, study-related placement, or other circumstances as deemed acceptable by their programmes.

10.2 In all cases, a written application together with supporting documents must be submitted to the School Registry by the deadline stipulated by the School Registry. The School Registry will consult with the Department Head/Programme Director before making a decision. A leave period up to two semesters may be granted for each application approved. For further extension of the leave period, a new application has to be made before the expiration of the leave period. 

10.3 The School Registry will inform the students of the result of applications. If the applications are approved, the students will be notified of the approved period of leave of absence.

10.4 Before expiration of the leave period, students must apply to the School Registry for resumption of studies. For leave of absence approved on medical grounds, medical documents certifying that the students are fit for study should be submitted at the time of application.

Suspension

10.5 Students may be required by the University to have their studies suspended for a period up to two semesters as a disciplinary sanction.

10.6 Certain conditions may be applicable to the students in which they must satisfy before they are allowed to resume studies and/or after they have resumed studies. If the students cannot meet such conditions, they may be required to further suspend studies or withdraw from the University. 

10.7 For suspension period lasting for one semester or more, a remark regarding the students’ suspension of studies will be shown on the academic transcripts.

10.8 Before expiration of the suspension period, students must apply to the School Registry for resumption of studies.

Withdrawal

10.9 Students intending to leave the University prior to graduation must apply for official withdrawal. Students who leave the University without following the proper procedures will be considered as having unofficially withdrawn. No official documents will be issued to such students, and they will not be re-admitted in the future to any programme.

10.10 For official withdrawal, students must complete the clearance procedures as appropriate. Students must settle any outstanding tuition fee before an official withdrawal status is given by the School Registry.

Dismissal

10.11 The University may at any time, by action of the University Senate, require any students to terminate their study at the University either on academic or disciplinary grounds, or on other grounds deemed appropriate.

10.12 The University Senate may also dismiss students whose conduct or general influence is considered harmful to the institution. Such students will normally not be considered for re-admission.

11. Graduation and Award Classifications

Graduation Requirements

11.1 Students are approved for graduation by the University Senate after fulfilling all the graduation requirements stipulated by the Programme. These requirements include: programme requirements, and unit and grade point average requirements. Students who have course, unit or GPA deficiencies may be granted summer study or supplementary examination or a concession of one additional year to complete their studies by the University Senate.

11.2 Individual Programmes are responsible for checking the fulfilment of the graduation requirements of their students.

Programme Requirements

11.3 Students are required to fulfil their respective programme requirements listed in the University Student Handbook at the year of their admission, or in some instances where revisions have occurred, the revised requirements available at the e-learning platform or as advised by their Department Head/Programme Director.

Attendance, Unit and Grade Point Average Requirements

11.4 In addition to the programme requirements, students must meet the following requirements for the award of associate degree/higher diplomas:

1. to have enrolled in the University for at least two years, or as specified by the programme requirements (for students admitted to advanced standing, the period of attendance may be reduced accordingly);
2. to have successfully obtained the total number of units required by the programme, subject to fulfilling all programme requirements; and
3. to have attained a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 for all courses attempted and have passed all courses stipulated by the programme.

Supplementary Examination and Summer Study

11.5 Students who do not satisfy the graduation requirements may be allowed to take summer study/supplementary examination in order to make up for their unit- or GPA-deficiency for graduation. The F grade will be replaced (if applicable) after the supplementary examination and the maximum grade given is D.

11.6 Students must attain a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or above on all courses attempted including summer study and supplementary examination for graduation.

11.7 The availability of summer study and supplementary examination is subject to the arrangements of the programme concerned. 

Concessional Year of Study

11.8 Students who cannot complete the graduation requirements within the normal period of study of the programme because of academic problems, may be allowed a concession of one additional year to complete their studies, subject to the approval of the University Senate. The additional year of study should immediately follow the students’ final year of study at the University.

Award Classifications

11.9 Upon completion of all requirements, students will be awarded the Associate Degree/Higher Diploma with one of the following classifications:

Distinction
Merit
Pass

11.10 The various classifications are based on the cumulative grade point average. The general guidelines are as follows:

11.11 In all cases of classification of awards, the cumulative GPAs cited above are indicative. The University Senate reserves the right, upon the recommendation of the appropriate Programme Management Committee concerned, to make exceptions in the application of these indicative grade point averages.

11.12 Individual faculties/schools may develop additional or alternative indicators for the award classifications in the programmes.

Scholastic Awards

11.13 Student(s) having awarded the classification of Distinction and is the top two percent of graduate(s) (rounding to the nearest integer, but at least one award would be given for each programme) with the highest cumulative GPA (cGPA) in the graduating class of their programme will be granted the Scholastic Award of that programme for that year.

11.14 If the percentage of graduates eligible for the award exceeds the limit of two percent because there are graduates with the identical cGPA, all the eligible graduates will be granted the Scholastic Award of that programme.

11.15 For a programme with no graduate awarded the classification of Distinction, the Programme may provide strong justifications on academic grounds to nominate, for consideration of the University Senate, the graduate who has attained the highest cGPA in the programme and whose cGPA is not less than 3.20 to receive the Scholastic Award.

11.16 The University Senate reserves the right to refuse granting Scholastic Award to students who have satisfied the above award criteria but have breached the University's standards of conduct.

Diploma

11.17 Graduates having completed all graduation requirements upon approval of the University Senate will be given the relevant diploma as the official document of graduation. Diploma for graduates with outstanding fees to the University will be withheld until the fees are settled.

12. Student Enquiries and Appeals Regarding Academic Matters

12.1 Students may address queries on academic matters to the School Registry, the Department Head/Programme Director, or any member of the teaching staff as relevant. The usual channel is for students to consult the course instructor when the query is about work in a particular course, the Department Head/Programme Director when the matter is related to the programme as a whole, and the School Registry when the query concerns academic policies and procedures. If the query has the potential to become a matter for appeal, students should submit their official enquiries in writing to the School Registry.

Student Appeals against Course-Based Assessment

12.2 Students who wish to appeal against the result of course-based assessment should follow the following procedures:

1. Students who wish to appeal against course-based assessment including examination grades should first appeal in writing to the course instructor and Department/Division/Programme Head or Programme Director/Programme Coordinator concerned within eight working days after students are notified of the course semester grades.
2. The course instructor, or a review panel as decided by the Department/Division/Programme Head or Programme Director/Programme Coordinator, shall review the case and report to Department/Division/Programme Head or Programme Director/Programme Coordinator concerned, giving explanations. The students should be informed of the decision normally within three weeks since the appeal was lodged. Any changes in grades should be reported to the School Registry at the same time.
3. No application fee is required.
4. The course grade after appeal, could be adjusted upward or downward, or remains unchanged.
5. Students who are not satisfied with the decision of the reassessment may appeal in writing to the Academic Registrar within two weeks after receiving the decision from the Programme, giving full reasons in support of the appeal. A non-refundable fee will be charged for the appeal.
6. The Academic Registrar shall review the case and determine if there are grounds for re-consideration:
   (i) If it is considered that there are no grounds for the appeal, the appeal will be refused and the decision is final.
   (ii) If the appeal is accepted, the Academic Registrar shall reconsider the case in consultation with the course instructor and the Department/Division/Programme Head or Programme Director/Programme Coordinator to make a final decision. If deemed appropriate, the Academic Registrar may convene an Appeal Panel to review the case to make a final decision.

Student Appeals against Academic Decisions (Repeat a Year of Study and Dismissal)

12.3 Upon the recommendation of the Department Head/Programme Director, the University Senate may require students with poor academic results to repeat a year of study or be dismissed from the University. Students who wish to appeal against such academic decisions should lodge a formal appeal in writing to the Academic Registrar via their department/programme before the deadline set for the completion of clearance procedures, giving full reasons and providing documentations in support of the appeal. A fee will be charged for the appeal.

12.4 The Department Head/Programme Director should submit a recommendation to support, or otherwise, the students' appeals to the Academic Registrar (via the School Registry), who will then determine whether the appeals should be dismissed, or submitted for review and final decision by an Appeal Panel.

Any recommendation of the Appeal Panel to revoke the University Senate decision shall be subject to ratification by the University Senate.

12.5 The composition of the Appeal Panel shall be as follows:

1. Chairperson of the Appeal Panel—Chairperson of the Undergraduate Regulations Committee; or in the absence of the Chairperson, a senior academic nominated by the Academic Registrar;
2. One senior academic nominated by the Chairperson;
3. The Academic Registrar.