School of Modern Languages and Cultures

Slavonic Studies

A significant proportion of the written work required of Honours students counts towards the final assessment. In the interests of equity and efficiency the rules for the submission of this work are strict and, except in cases of illness and other good cause, are generally observed by students punctiliously. The situation with other written work, however, is rather less satisfactory, and we are concerned that some of this work is either submitted late or not handed in at all. We understand that students are often working under pressure and have to balance their priorities. We would, at the same time, advise you to bear in mind the following points:

1. Attention to written work, whether in language or literature courses, is usually correlated closely to overall performance, and neglect of written work is likely to be reflected in the examination result.
   
2. If a student performs unexpectedly badly in one or other paper of the degree examination, it is sometimes possible to raise the mark if this is justified by the performance achieved in written work. This, however, is possible only if all the set work has been handed in on time, and unfortunately students all too often have forfeited this opportunity by failing to meet this requirement.
   
3. We are often asked to provide references for students. One of the questions which always interests prospective employers is whether students have been conscientious and punctual in fulfilling all their obligations. One of the most important of these obligations is the submission of written work, and it is therefore very hard to write glowing references in cases where students have not handed in work regularly and on time.
   
4. The Arts Faculty awards the WCE Strachan Trust Bursary (circa £200), which is awarded each year to the best Modern Languages student in Junior Honours on the basis of marks submitted by various Sections of the School of Modern Languages and Cultures. Students who have not submitted all or nearly all of the written work during the first two terms of the Junior Honours year will almost certainly find that they do not have enough marks to make them eligible for nomination.

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