ZJSU student handbook
Welcome to the Joint Institute student handbook. We encourage you to familiarise yourself with this resource. Information is arranged alphabetically within broad categories. If you cannot find the information you need here, or on the Joint Institute student experience Canvas page, please contact our dedicated education team. Our staff will be more than happy to help.
Please find the link to the student experience Canvas page here.
You can contact the education team by emailing ZJSU-JI@sussex.ac.uk.
Advice and support
- Academic advising
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As a student at the Joint Institute, academic advice is provided by your course convenor. Their role is to support your academic progress and offer guidance, or referral to appropriate specialist professional services as necessary. You can email your course convenor for academic advice and support.
BEng Communications Engineering
Dr Fan Zhang
BEng Robotics & Electrical Engineering
Dr Fan Zhang
MSc Robotics & Autonomous Systems
Dr Kun Liang
MSc Artificial Intelligence & Adaptive Systems
Dr Maxine Sherman and Dr Warrick Roseboom
For further information see the Joint Institute student experience Canvas page.
- Joint Institute education team
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The Joint Institute education team here at Sussex provides quality assurance and assessment support.
Contact the team at ZJSU-JI@Sussex.ac.uk if you need information or support related to your assessments.
Staff Name
Role
Email
Responsibility
Assistant Education Manager
Oversight and management of course delivery and assessment
Senior Course Coordinator
Quality assurance, teaching delivery and coursework support
Curriculum & Assessment Officer
Regulations, exam boards, curriculum and assessment quality assurance
Course Coordinator
Coursework, exam paper organisation and support
Visit the Joint Institute student experience Canvas site to access wider resources and support for your studies.
- Referencing and academic integrity
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During the second semester of year two, you will study the Academic Communication for Engineering module (Q1156Z), which will introduce you to the Numerical system of referencing, as well as teaching you the importance of how research links to reports, which will be important for your coursework submissions.
All students should therefore familiarise themselves with the Numeric referencing style, as well as the importance of academic integrity, both found on the Skills Hub. If you are having any difficulties with learning the referencing system, please get in touch with the module convenor for Academic Communication for Engineering, David Munn (D.Munn@sussex.ac.uk).
- Report writing guides
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Engineering students should make full use of the following resources when writing a laboratory or technical report:
- Skills hub
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Students at the Joint Institute can benefit from many of the resources in the University of Sussex Skills Hub. These will help you to develop the skills which are essential for academic study. Here you will find a wide range of resources, including expert advice and suggestions from successful Sussex students.
- Student experience
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Visit the Joint Institute student experience Canvas page to access more resources and support for your studies and to discover ways to make the most of your time with us. You can auto-entrol here.
Assessment
- Academic appeals (including informal resolution process)
- Assessment regulations
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Contact Patrick Meredith, Curriculum and Assessment Officer. pm477@sussex.ac.uk, for clarification on assessment regulations.
- Coursework submission support
- Exam information and support
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All of your examinations will be held in person on the ZJSU campus. Please note that all retake exams will also be in person. Retake exams will take place in the assessment period following the term in which the module was delivered. General guidance on your expected conduct during examinations can be found here.
- Exceptional circumstances
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You can make an exceptional circumstances claim if you experience something sudden, temporary and unforeseen, which could have an impact on one of your assessments: exams, or coursework.
Outcomes of upheld exceptional circumstances claims are:
Type of exceptional circumstances claim Outcome (if your claim is accepted) Late submission. You must submit your work before the final deadline. Late penalty will be waived. Your submission will show as late but with X7L or X24 on Sussex Direct. Excused non-submission of an assignment (XNS). You will not be able to submit your original work.
An opportunity to retrieve the mark by taking a new assessment in the retake assessment period following the term in which the module was delivered. Details will be published on your assessment timetable after the end of semester exam board has met. Retake assignment briefs will be published on Canvas approximately three weeks prior to the submission deadline. Excused absence from an exam. A further uncapped attempt in the retake assessment period following the term in which the module was delivered. Impairment for a coursework assessment. An opportunity to retrieve or improve the mark by taking a new assessment in the retake assessment period following the term in which the module was delivered. Details will be published on your assessment timetable after the end of semester exam board has met. Retake assignment briefs will be published on Canvas approximately three weeks prior to the submission deadline. Impairment in an exam. A further uncapped attempt in the retake assessment period following the term in which the module was delivered. Important: The mark you get for a resit or sit assessment will be used for progression and/or award purposes, even if it's lower than your original mark. If you don't take the resit or sit, your original mark will stand.
- Mark conversion
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Please be aware that on the internal ZJSU system, you will have different marks to those on your results page on Sussex Direct. These marks hold the same weighting in both British and Chinese. To pass a module, you must have an overall mark of 40 (60 in ZJSU weighting).
Here is the mark conversion:
Uos
ZJSU UoS ZJZU UoS ZJSU UoS ZJSU 0 0 1 2 26 39 51 70 76 89 2 3 27 41 52 71 77 89 3 5 28 42 53 72 78 90 4 6 29 44 54 73 79 91 5 8 30 45 55 74 80 91 6 9 31 47 56 75 81 92 7 11 32 48 57 76 82 92 8 12 33 50 58 77 83 93 9 14 34 51 59 78 84 93 10 15 35 53 60 79 85 94 11 17 36 54 61 79 86 94 12 18 37 56 62 79 87 95 13 20 38 57 63 80 88 95 14 21 39 59 64 81 89 96 15 23 40 60 65 82 90 96 16 24 41 61 66 82 91 97 17 26 42 62 67 83 92 97 18 27 43 63 68 84 93 97 19 29 44 64 69 84 94 98 20 30 45 65 70 85 95 98 21 32 46 66 71 86 96 99 22 33 47 67 72 86 97 99 23 35 48 68 73 87 98 99 24 36 49 69 74 88 99 99 25 38 50 69 75 88 100 100 If there are discrepancies between your marks, such as following a resit/sit your mark has not been updated on the ZJSU system, please get in contact with ZJSU-JI@sussex.ac.uk so we can liaise with ZJSU colleagues on having this amended.
- Reasonable adjustments
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As part of your studies at the Joint Institute, you are eligible for additional help with your teaching, exams and assessments if you have a disability. This is known as reasonable adjustments, aimed at minimising barriers to your studies. There is a range of support available to you if you meet the eligible criteria.
Please find further information on reasonable adjustments via the Student Hub and the range of support you can get depending on your condition.
- Results information
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See 'Getting your results'
If you have any questions about your results, contact Patrick Meredith pm477@sussex.ac.uk or Jessie Buckley Jessie.Buckley@sussex.ac.uk
- Withdrawing from your course
Other information
- Transcripts and letters
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You can request a letter from the University to prove your status as a student, as well as an interim transcripts of your grades if you require them. Please see 'Letters and documents' on the Student Hub for the full list of letters available. Please also note that some letters on there, such as council tax exemption, are not relevant to Joint Institute students and are specifically for students studying in the UK.
Please contact ZJSU-JI@sussex.ac.uk for any guidance or questions you have about requesting letters.
- Your candidate number
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You will find your candidate number on your Sussex Direct study page. This is the 6-digit number that you must put on your coursework and exam submissions, as well as at the end of any email correspondence with staff.