New UEW Long Essay, Theses Guidelines Out

The dynamics that come with the shutdown and the need to complete the 2019/2020 second semester through online teaching and learning also have implications for final year students. Hitherto, as part of the partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation under the regular face-to-face system, for example, all undergraduate students are expected to submit and Project work under the supervision of a Lecturer.

The original deadline for the submission of the completed Project work/ Theses/Dissertations was 30^th April. However, as of the time of the shutdown, many students and supervisors were still working on such projects. Now with all academic activities going online, it means undergraduate Project work and all its consequential activities should also be migrated online. The Executive Committee of the Academic Board, based on advice from UEW-Learning Management System Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (ULMEC), has given considerations to these dynamics and directs as follows:

1. A new submission deadline of 29^th May, 2020 has been recommended by ULMEC for all Project Work/Long Essay/Theses/Dissertations.
2. All undergraduate project works that are in their advanced stages of completion as of 17^th April, 2020 should progressively continue, completed and submitted by the new deadline of 29^th May, 2020. However, face-to-face supervision must now give way to online supervision. The determination of whether a Project Work is in advanced stage of completion or not should be the outcome of negotiation between the student and the Supervisor. We encourage consensus rather than impositions.
3. Any outstanding undergraduate Project work that is categorised, through Student-Supervisor negotiations,  as not being in advanced completion stage will convert to one-time-submission Long Essay of between 3000 and 4000 words including references. Such a Long Essay must, generally, be on the original topic that the student has been working on. A Moodle Course for all Departments will be created by the ICT with a section for each Lecturer.  Students will then be requested to submit their Long Essays online to the Supervisor for final grading/assessment. Long Essays are also due 29^th May, 2020.
4. Supervision of all post-graduate Project/Dissertations/Theses will now be done online.
5. All external and internal assessments of post-graduate Projects/Dissertations/Theses should be submitted and done online.
6. All Dissertations/Theses viva voce will  now be conducted on virtual platforms such as Skype, Zoom etc
7. In Faculties and Departments such as Faculty of Science Education, School of Creative Arts, Faculty of Technical Education, Faculty of Agricultural Education, and Faculty of Vocational Education  that depend on practical work and praxis for Projects, Deans are empowered to call a Faculty Board Meeting (virtual or interpersonal with social distancing protocols being observed)  to discuss and propose for consideration of the Executive Committee, innovative alternative ways of conducting and assessing such Projects without the regular face-to-face component. Any such Faculty Board-approved innovative proposal should reach the Vice-Chancellor by 29^th, April, 2020.

8.  Mid-Semester Examination and Continuous Assessment

11^th -15^th May, 2020 has been set aside for mid-semester examination.

Examinations timetable similar to the regular timetable (non-COVID-19 oriented) will be released in due course. ULMEC will constitute the online Time Table Committee with the power to co-opt any other member.

In addition, all Lecturers are mandated to conduct at least one assignment/quiz on Moodle before the semester ends. The assignment/quiz so conducted should mirror the mode in which the end-of-semester question would be set. For example, if the end-of-semester examination will be in the form of multiple-choice questions or essay-type questions, the mid-semester examination should be cast in such mode.

We encourage all Lecturers and students to engage in dialogue and negotiations to resolve project work issues and as well give maximum support to the above directives to help bring the second semester to a logical conclusion.

Thank you.