The University of Sheffield
Department of Biomedical Science

The Academic Year / Submission of Work

The academic year consists of thirty weeks divided into two semesters each of fifteen weeks.  The Autumn semester usually starts in late September and consists of twelve teaching weeks before Christmas and, after the Christmas Vacation, a three-week examination period when the modules taken solely during the semester are assessed. 

The Spring Semester starts immediately after this examination period and consists of twelve teaching weeks broken into two blocks, one before and one after the Easter Vacation.  The second Semester concludes with a three-week assessment period when the modules taken in this semester are assessed.

Intro Week: 23 September - 27 September 2013
Autumn Semester: 30 September - 17 December 2013
Christmas Vacation: 21 December 2013
Autumn Semester (cont.): 20 January 2014 - 8 February 2014
Spring Semester: 10 February 2014 - 5 April 2014
Easter Vacation: [3 weeks Easter vacation Easter Day 20 April 2014]
Spring Semester (cont) 28 April 2014 - 14 June 2014

Submission of Assessed Work

Any work that contributes towards the final assessment of a module should be submitted at the end of the teaching period for that module:

Work should be submitted to a staffed desk (in the BMS Office) at times designated by circulated e-mail closer to the dates.

Work should be submitted to a staffed desk (in the BMS Office) between 10:00 – 13:00 hrs.

Work should be submitted to a staffed desk (see Notice Boards and/or MOLE for location) between 1000 - 1300 hrs. It will be necessary to:

What you need to do to submit hardcopy

1. Well before the date of submission follow this link and log in:

https://sciencecoversheet.group.shef.ac.uk/

2. You should see there a list of modules that require a submission at the next hand in session. If you do not see a module listed for which you know there is work to be handed in email here bmsoffice@sheffield.ac.uk
3. Click on the module or modules you need a coursework hand-in coversheet for and a document should appear. You need to click on each module and get separate coursework hand-in coversheets as the hand-in sheets are personalised to you and the module. As the bar code on the document is personalised to you do not use a coversheet that another student has printed off.
4. To print off the coversheets read the statement on plagiarism and check the box to indicate that you have read it. No cover sheet and therefore no submission will be allowed unless you have checked this box for each module.
5. Print off the coversheet or coversheets that you need.
6. On the day of submission bring your work and the coversheet (or coversheets if you have more than one module’s work) to the relevant venue (usually the BMS office in Firth Court).
7. Do not staple your coversheet to the coursework.
8. Your cover sheet bar code will be scanned and you will receive an e-mail acknowledgement by way of a receipt. If you do not receive an email – contact the BMS office.
9. Remember – if you do not have a coursework cover sheet for the module you are trying to submit work for it will not be accepted by the office.

No work should be submitted via staff pigeon holes as there will be no means of issuing a receipt.

Some module co-ordinators may make alternative arrangements, but it is important that you a) understand the procedure for submitting work for each module; b) sign a module register; and c) are issued with a departmental receipt.

What you need to do to submit electronic copies of work

You may be asked to submit both a hardcopy and an electronic copy of your work (for plagiarism checking). You will submit e-verions through MOLE2 and will be given specific instructions at the time. Clearly, the e-copy text should match the hardcopy.

Submission of the e-copy does not constitute submission of the work itself.

So, if your hardcopy of the work is late then penalties will apply even if you have submitted on-line.

In the case of submission of work purely via email (no hardcopies required), you should ensure that you have received a return email from the member of staff responsible, indicating its safe arrival.

Penalty for late submission of work.

Work submitted after the published deadlines without good reason (see below) will be penalised by the deduction of 5% of the total mark awarded for each working day after the submission date. Working days are Mon-Fri and include days in vacations. Standard office hours are 09.00 – 17.00.

Late submission penalties

The 5 working day deadline for late submission is absolute and any work submitted after the 5 working day period without a special dispensation will receive zero.

Some modules may have a zero tolerance approach to late submission. In these cases, typically where answers to set problems are discussed soon after their setting (e.g. in practical modules), no marks will be awarded for work submitted late. Allowance will be made for illness etc.

Penalty for non or poor participation in groupwork.

Students are expected to take part in various groupwork activities. Failure to engage with these activities, which may require the keeping of a participation log, may lead to reductions in grades awarded. Sometimes the reduction may be suggested by other group members, in other circumstances the academic in charge may reduce the grade awarded without reference to other group members.

Special dispensations for the submission of work.

Assessments cannot be delivered late, or extensions granted, because of word processing problems. You are recommended to (a) save your work to your university network account, (b) keep electronic copies of all material, and (c) leave enough time for printing. If you are prevented from printing out work owing to a failure of the university computer network, late submission of assessment may be accepted on provision of a dated statement from the university's Corporate Information and Computing Services (CICS).