Academic Conduct

It is the policy of the Institute to uphold academic excellence and integrity. Conduct by any member that is contrary to this important aspiration will be considered a serious offence.

a) Plagiarism will be viewed as a very serious offence. Plagiarism includes copying the work of other persons or presenting substantial extracts from books, articles, theses, lecture notes or tapes without proper acknowledgement. Students will be imposed academic penalty for plagiarism which may vary from failing the student from the module or modules concerned or termination from the Programme depending on the seriousness of the offense.

b) Cheating in examinations will be viewed as a serious offence and dealt with according to the examination and evaluation rules of the Institute. Penalties may range from reprimands to expulsion or legal

Assignments & Examinations

1. The NIE examination and evaluation policies and rules (as reflected in the Examination & Evaluation Handbook) apply to the Distance Programme unless otherwise specified.

2. In order to obtain the Degree, a candidate must fulfill the following criteria:

2.1. A candidate must do all the assignments indicated in the respective modules by the tutors and submit them within the due date.
2.2. A candidate must obtain at least 'D' grade, i.e. the passing grade in each assignment.
2.3. A candidate must complete all the course modules successfully.
2.4. A candidate must attend the Residential School each year regularly until the course is completed. However, it is not compulsory to attend the Residential School twice for the same level unless it is specified as explained below.

3. Assignments should be submitted within the due dates specified, failing which a candidate may be considered as failed in the module to which it belongs. If in case a delay in submission is foreseen, candidates should apply for an extension from the respective tutor stating reasons. Extension will be subject to the approval of the tutor concerned. Normal occupational commitments and extra- curricular activities will not be accepted as grounds for granting extensions. Extensions will not be granted where requests are received after the due date for submission of an assignment.

4. If a candidate is unsuccessful he or she will be allowed to re-do the examination/assignment(s) that he or she failed in.

5. A candidate who has been granted an extension of one more year to complete the level at which he or she is, will be required to attend the Residential School for the second time at his or her own expense, if his or her incomplete work is of a nature that requires to be done during the Residential School.

6. A candidate may be provisionally promoted to the next higher level if he or she fails to complete a level by a maximum of one course module or equivalent. However, he or she will be required to successfully complete it within a maximum period of three months from the day his or her results have been declared.

7. The distance course is evaluated through a series of assignments and examinations. At the end of each level, the progress report is made in terms of the marks obtained (percentage) in each module. Where grades are used, the following conversion table can be used to interpret:

Grade	Meaning	Marks
A	Distinction	75 & above
B	First Division	60 -74.9
C	Second Division	50 - 59.9
D	Pass	40 - 49.9
E	Fail	39.9 & below

Where to Send Assignments

Assignments for course modules should be sent directly to the respective tutors, but a copy of the forwarding letter should be sent to the Coordinator, Distance Education Programme.