General rules on study and assessment
Approved with subsequent amendments by the RU Curriculum Council on May 17th, 2017 and by the RU Executive Committee Januay 9th, 2018
1. Registrations, absences, transfers between departments or Schools, class attendance, permission to attend a course twice, progress of studies and credit transfer, re-enrolment, extra credits and special assistance
1.1 Maximum number of credits per semester
Full-time studies consist of 30 ECTS per semester. A School may permit a student to register for up to 38 ECTS per semester. If the reasons are deemed satisfactory, further exemptions from the above-mentioned rule may be granted by a School.
1.2 Registration and withdrawal from a course and permission of RU to de-register students
1. Students are responsible for registering for courses before the registration deadlines announced on the University Academic Calendar.
2. Students are responsible for their own study, including course registration and ensuring that their course selection is in accordance with the course/department regulations and with rules on course advancement and prerequisites. Registration for courses is possible in the first two weeks of each semester. The deadline for withdrawal from courses is after the fourth week of the semester. Students who would like to withdraw from a course must send an e-mail to Teaching Affairs and Registry (nemendabokhald@ru.is), before the deadline for that semester. Students may change their registration for three-week courses during the last week of each 12-week period, but students can withdraw from a course during the first week of study. At the request of students, RU Schools can give permission to withdraw from courses even if the above-mentioned deadlines have passed if the reasons are deemed satisfactory. Among reasons that are deemed satisfactory are illness or accidents. Individual RU Schools can set special regulations on registration and withdrawal from courses that are taught in separate sessions or shorter continuous sessions than 12 or 15 weeks. Please note that special rules apply for course registration for Master's studies in the School of Law, which can be viewed on the School website.
3. RU is permitted to de-register students after the course registration period comes to an end, if students have neither paid tuition fees nor registered for courses in the upcoming semester.
1.3 The consequences of students not completing individual course components
1. Students who fail to appear for term or final examinations, including makeup examinations (due to illness) and resit examinations, or do not submit an assignment which is part of the course assessment, receive a grade of 0 for the relevant course component. In the case of a final examination or final assignment in a course, students receive a grade of 0 for the course. Students who do not qualify for the right to take a final examination or submit a final assignment, receive a grade of 0 in the course.
2. Students who do not appear for a final examination or final assignment, can, depending on circumstances, choose to take the relevant course components at a later date; see further information in, for example, Article 5.1.6. Registration for makeup and resit final examinations and final assignments takes place as soon as students announce their absence from a final examination or assignment; cf Article 5.1. The period for makeup and resit final examinations and assignments is after results from final examinations and assignments have been released; these dates can be seen in the University Academic Calendar.
3. If students choose to withdraw from makeup and resit final examinations or makeup and resit final assignments, students shall send an email to nemendabokhald@ru.is before the examination takes place or the final assignment is administered. The fee for makeup and resit final examinations and final assignments may be seen under Tuition Fees on the RU website. The fee is non-refundable.
1.4 Rules on student transfers between departments or Schools
1. A student wishing to transfer to another department within the same RU School must submit a written application to that effect to the relevant School. Such transfers to another department can only be made between semesters.
2. A student wishing to transfer to another RU School must submit a new application to the School in question. Having been a student in one School does not guarantee admission to another one.
1.5 Rules on attendance
Individual RU Schools can set special rules on attendance. Students are responsible for familiarising themselves with these rules and the attendance requirements set for each course.
1.6 Permission to attend each course twice
1. Students are allowed to attend each course twice and have an opportunity to take all of the course components, including examination and final assignment, both times. Attending a course means that a student is still registered in a course after the deadlines have passed that are specified in Article 1.2.2. Students who do not fulfil the preceding requirements and wish to continue their studies, can apply for re-enrolment to the School in question. Terms and consequences of re-enrolment are pursuant to Article 1.8 and the rules of individual Schools concerning study progress and re-enrolment.
2. Students are permitted to attend a course again, which they have already completed, in order to raise their prior grade. The grade for a course, and its individual components, which is taken again always stands, irrespective of whether it is higher or lower than the previous grade.
1.7 Study progress, maximum permitted period of study, credit transfer and study leave
RU has unified rules for progress in studies and transfer of credits, both for undergraduate studies and for Master's studies. These rules, which can be viewed on the University's website (see links below), address, for example, study progress, maximum permitted period of study, transfer of credits and study leave.
General Rules for undergraduate studies
General rules for Master'sstudies
See also rules of individualSchools on study progress and credit transfer
1.8 Re-enrolment
Students who do not fulfil School requirements concerning study progress can apply for re-enrolment at the School in question. Upon re-enrolment, undergraduate students must repeat courses that they have completed with a grade lower than 6.0. At the Master's level, School rules on minimum grades apply in courses that are evaluated for credit transfer upon re-enrolment. See further information in rules of individual Schools concerning study progress and re-enrolment.
1.9 Extra credits
1. Students finishing their studies with extra credits, that is, more credits than required for the final degree in question, can request that elective courses corresponding to the number of extra credits taken, should be excluded from the graduation papers. A request for such an exclusion must be submitted to Teaching Affairs and Registry, nemendabokhald@ru.is, at least nine days before the formal graduation date.
2. A course, taken by a student, that is substantially similar in content as another course that the student has already finished, cannot be evaluated as a part of the degree in question.
1.10 Special assistance for students
Students who request special assistance in their studies, must submit an application to the Student Counselling and Career Centre prior to the advertised deadline. See further information: Student Counselling and Career Centre and rules on special assistance for students at Reykjavik University .
2. Individual course components (examinations, assignments and other course assessment) and grades
2.1 Assessment in individual courses
In individual courses, it shall be ensured in studies and assessment that students are tested as regards pure knowledge, other aspects of knowledge, skills or competences or skills and competences.
2.2 Maximum weight of final examinations and final assignments
Final examinations and final assignments may at a maximum count for 70% of overall assessment in courses in undergraduate and Master's studies. The preceding rule does not apply to final theses/projects in departments.
2.3 Procedure for final course assessment period
Written and oral final examinations and final assignments are held over a specific period at the end of each semester. The examination and assignment schedule shall be available six weeks before the first final examination or assignment takes place. The Directorate of Assessment reserves the right to change the schedule within 7 weekdays from its publication. When final examinations or final assignments in individual courses take place outside the regular final assessment period, the rules of Article 6 on final examination and final assignment procedure shall be followed insofar as possible. In such cases, responsibility for upholding the proper procedure rests with the teacher(s) and School/department concerned, in consultation with the Director of Assessment. As may be applicable, the rules of Article 6 also apply to other assessment besides final examinations or final assignments.
2.4 Director of Assessment and Directorate of Assessment
The Director of Assessment consults with the relevant School Dean and the Director of the Department of Preliminary Studies on the arrangement of the final assessment period. The Directorate of Assessment is composed of the Director of Assessment and the Director of Teaching Affairs and Registry.
2.5 Duration of final examinations and final assignments
The time allowed for written final examinations shall never be less than two hours or longer than four hours. The same applies to final assignments if these are taken in a classroom. The School Dean, in consultation with the Director of Assessment, can nevertheless allow exceptions in particular courses. The teacher or teacher's stand-in must be in attendance at least once during the final examination or final assignment to answer any questions regarding doubtful points or other aspects of the examination or assignment. Students are responsible for reporting clashes in their examination or assignment schedule to the Director of Assessment, so that arrangements can be made to take the exams or assignments one after the other.
2.6 Posting of grades for individual course components
1. Grades for written/practical term examinations outside the traditional final assessment period, final examinations, assignments (both final assignments and other assignments) and any other kind of assessment that takes place during the teaching period, shall be posted no later than seven weekdays from the examination date/submission date. The deadline for posting a grade for all course components in three-week courses is, though, three days from the end of the final assessment period, but five days if the number of students exceeds 100. The deadline for oral term examinations, final examinations, final assignments, or other oral assessment is two weekdays. The deadline is five weekdays for written/practical makeup final examinations (due to illness) and resit final examinations, as well as for makeup and resit final assignments. If the number of students in 12- or 15-week courses taking the relevant written course component exceeds 100, then the deadline is 10 weekdays. See Article 3.1 for information on the posting of grades in the Department of Preliminary Studies.
2. Grades for final theses (at the Bachelor's and Master's levels) shall be available no later than ten weekdays before the graduation date of the semester involved. For further information, see rules on submission of final theses.
Rules on submission of finaltheses
2.7 Entry of final grades
Teachers enter final grades for their courses in the learning management system, where they are saved, and the course is closed.
2.8 Release of grades
Teaching Affairs and Registry reserves the right to postpone the release of final grades until the last final examination or final assignment has been taken in a course of study/academic year/School.
3. Examinations in the Department of Preliminary Studies
3.1 Examinations
The length of time for written final examinations shall generally not exceed three hours. Final course grades shall be posted no later than seven weekdays from the date of the examination. Final grades for the last final examinations of each examination period shall be posted before teachers in the Department of Preliminary Studies conduct a formal review of examinations with students. Students have the right to see how their written examinations were marked and get their teacher's explanations at the Department's formal review of the exam, which shall take place within three days of all grades being released, on a date published on the RU website.
3.2 Grades in the Department of Preliminary Studies
1. To pass a course, the grade on the final examination or final assignment must be at least 4.0 and the final grade for the course must be at least 5.0. Course components other than the final examination are not part of the final grade unless the final examination grade is at a minimum 4.0. All course components and their proportion in each course is specified in course descriptions and on the course website.
2. In other respects RU's General Rules on Study and Assessment apply to students in the Department of Preliminary Studies.
4. Course assessment, grading, examinations and final assignments
4.1 Composition of assessment
1. RU emphasises the diverse composition of assessment. Assessment can be based on class attendance, class participation, essays, presentation, assignments, practical assignments, term examinations, final examination, reports, peer-review or web-based discussions.
2. The principal course teacher (or teachers) is responsible for preparing all course components presented in the course as well as the composition for the final grade. One final grade is given for each course in which a student is registered.
4.2 Connection between assessment and learning outcomes
All assessment components, the final examination and final assignment included, should be clearly described and associated to the learning outcomes of the course and should reflect the emphases in individual courses.
4.3 Weight of individual course components in the assessment
1. The weight of each component in the final grade shall be specified on the course website at the start of the course.
2. If the grade for a practical examination is to be made up of more than one part, the weight of each part shall be made clear to students before the examination is taken.
4.4 Right to take examinations, right to take final assignments and minimum requirements
1. Successful performance on practical components of a course, class attendance and/or assignments may be made prerequisites by a School for taking final examinations or final assignments. Such requirements must be announced at the beginning of the course.
2. Successful performance on specific components of a course may be made prerequisites by a School for completing the course. Such requirements must be announced at the beginning of the course.
4.5 Grading
1. Final grades are given in whole and half numbers on a scale of 0 to 10. A final grade lower than 5.0 for an undergraduate course and 6.0 for a Master's course is a failing mark. In such a case, the student attains no credits for the course. A School may decide on a higher passing grade for individual courses (see the rules of individual Schools). When students are required to pass specific course components (for example, the final exam or final assignment), the passing grade shall be the rounded-off grade, that is, 4.75 becomes 5.0 and 5.75 becomes 6.0, and the student is then considered to have attained the minimum grade for the relevant course component in undergraduate or Master's studies. The grade 4.75 or 5.75 is however used to calculate the final grade for the course. If the final grade consists of the results of two or more course components, then grades shall generally not be rounded for individual course components. A final grade shall be rounded and given in whole and half numbers.
2. To pass a course, an undergraduate student must receive a grade of at least 5.0 (does not apply to the Department of Preliminary Studies; see Article 3.2) on the final examination or final assignment. This applies regardless of whether the course is an undergraduate or Master's course.
3. To pass a course, a Master's level student must receive a grade of at least 6.0 on the final examination or final assignment of the course. This applies regardless of whether the course is a Master's or undergraduate course.
4. Course components other than the final examination or final assignment are not part of the final grade unless the final examination grade or final assignment grade is at a minimum 5.0 in undergraduate studies and 6.0 in Master's studies.
5. If the weight of the final examination or final assignment is 30% or less of the final grade, a School may permit teachers to depart from the minimum grade for the final examination or final assignment.
6. A School may decide to award grades of “passed” or “failed” instead of a numerical grade for individual courses.
4.6 Rules on examinations, assignment work and honest work methods
1. Teachers are obliged to explain the structure and weight of individual components in a written examination on the examination itself. Teachers must also detail what support materials/devices may be used during examinations. The preceding is also valid for other course components as may be applicable at each time.
2. Students must work out answers to term and final examinations alone. Unless otherwise permitted on the basis of Article 4.6.3, students may neither provide to nor accept help from others, and all copying is forbidden. A person who provides a student with assistance is considered equally in violation of the rules as the person accepting the assistance. The preceding applies to all course components that students must work on alone.
3. A teacher may, though, permit limited co-operation among students in cases of individual-based assessment. If this is allowed, each and every student must, though, submit an independent solution.
4. RU heavily emphasises high-quality scholarly work and integrity in all conduct of its staff and students. Important aspects of high-quality scholarly work include respect for copyright and the full participation of all members in work groups.
5. To better clarify RU's expectations in this area, the University has created the following code of conduct for doing assignments:
a. Your own work
Reykjavik University requires that your projects be your original work. This means that the work you do is your own from beginning to end without assistance from others, and you never copy others' text or work and present it as your own. References shall always be cited and rules on working with references also apply to copying of a student's own work.
Each submitted project shall be unique. All reuse of projects, whether within a course, between courses, or between study programmes, is not permitted, unless otherwise noted.
Teachers may make exceptions to the main rule that students may not work together on projects, but this will then be stated in writing in the project description. The same applies to the group assignments. Projects undertaken by a group must be completed from beginning to end by the group. The whole group is responsible for maintaining proper procedures.
b. Your contribution
RU requires that you, as a student, always put forth your best effort in group work and make sure that your contribution is comparable to that of other group members. Teachers may give different grades to individual group members when there is reason to believe that contributions differ considerably.
c. Individual and group projects
As is stated in Article 4.6.2, the general rule is that in individual projects the student is required to work on all parts of the project alone and without assistance. Group projects may allow for the division of tasks between the members, provided that the contribution of each member is comparable. The whole group, however, remains responsible for the entire project.
6. Students taking an oral examination are not permitted to discuss or in any other way exchange information on its content while the examination is in progress.
4.7 Rules on submitting assignments
Course teachers set rules concerning submission deadlines for assignments at the beginning of the term, and students must submit their assignments before the deadline passes. A teacher may however accept late assignments and deduct lateness penalties from the grades for each day or each hour after the deadline. The arrangement of such lateness penalties should be announced at the beginning of the course.
4.8 Rules on taking examinations on computers
1. Students taking examinations on computers may only use the software/programs specified by the examination supervisor/teacher. During an examination a student is absolutely forbidden to use a communications program, communications devices or software/programs other than what has been specified. It is only permissible to save examination documents to the directory specified by the examination supervisor.
2. If someone taking an examination leaves the computer unattended during the examination, for example, to go to the toilet, he or she must leave the computer so that examination answers are not visible to others on the screen.
3. People taking an examination are entirely responsible for regularly saving their examination documents and submitting them in a timely manner at the end of the examination. If people use their own computers to take an examination, the examination supervisor or Director of Assessment reserves the right to examine the documents and programs/software in the computer used while taking the examination. The examination supervisor also reserves the right to examine other software in the computer and its use. Examination takers taking examinations on computers are allowed into the examination room 15 minutes before the examination starts.
5. Repeated course components, for example, examinations and assignments, and students' right to appeal
5.1 The right to take repeated individual course components due to illness or other reasons
1. Students registered for but unable to attend a final examination or submit a final assignment, in cases when they have the right to take a makeup examination (due to illness) and resit examination or a makeup and resit assignment, shall notify of their absence by sending an email to nemendabokhald@ru.is before the examination is held or the final assignment administered.
2. A student who notifies of his/her absence to Teaching Affairs and Registry before a final examination is held or final assignment administered is automatically registered for a makeup and resit examination or a makeup and resit assignment. If the student elects not to attend, he/she must notify Teaching Affairs and Registry before the makeup and resit examination is held or the makeup and resit assignment administered.
3. Other course components besides final examinations and final assignments, in cases when students also have the right to take repeated course components due to illness or other reasons, are open to all students whether or not the student in question has taken the previous course component. In these instances, students are not required to notify of their absence as in the case of final examinations and final assignments.
4. The teacher is responsible for preparing and administering term examinations and assignments. Information on their arrangement shall be in place at the start of the course, including the arrangement for taking repeated course components due to illness or other reasons.
5. Makeup and resit final examinations or makeup and resit final assignments are generally taken after the end of the assessment period of each semester. Makeup and resit examinations or assignments replace final examinations or final assignments but grades for other course components remain unchanged. Students who show up for makeup and resit examinations or assignments and do not get the minimum passing grade or are ill during both examinations or assignments, have no further right to take the examination or assignment. Such students must therefore retake the course in order to have it assessed for credit.
6. As regards the assessment for each course, it shall be ensured that students have satisfactory minimum right to take repeated course components due to illness or other reasons. Information on the arrangement of the right to take repeated course components shall be in place at the start of teaching in courses.
7. Students living outside the capital area can apply to the Director of Assessment for a makeup and resit final examination and, depending on circumstances, a makeup and resit final assignment taken at certain sites outside the capital area (Ísafjörður, Sauðárkrókur, Akureyri, Egilsstaðir, Höfn and Vestmannaeyjar). A student wanting to make use of the preceding arrangement shall send a request concerning this to nemendabokhald@ru.is, in addition to notifying of his/her absence to Teaching Affairs and Registry no later than before the examination on the same day that it is held or the final assignment administered.
8. Permission to take examinations or assignments at the above-mentioned sites is subject to the permission of the Director of Assessment and teacher, who evaluate each individual instance.
5.2 Review of individual course components, for example, examination and assignment review
Students are entitled to explanations from their teachers of their scoring of answers to final examination questions or other course components that count for 20% or more of the overall assessment, if they request this within five days of the grades' posting. The teacher shall comply with such requests before the course component is repeated for students to take due to illness or other reasons, or within seven weekdays, whichever is earlier (for information on formal review of examinations in the Department of Preliminary Studies, see Article 3.1).
5.3 Right to complaints
A student who has failed a written final examination or written final assignment and is dissatisfied with the teacher's evaluation may file a complaint with the Director of Assessment. The preceding permission also extends to all other written course components for which the student has not attained the minimum passing grade, see Article 4.5.1, and count for at a minimum 20% of the final grade in the course or where a requirement is set for a specific grade in the relevant course component in order to pass the course. Doing this is subject to the condition that the student has reviewed his or her answers with the teacher before submitting the complaint. The complaint shall be made in writing and lodged within three weekdays from the date of the formal review of the examination or assignment.
5.4 External examiners
1. If a student files a complaint concerning the evaluation of individual course components according to Article 5.3, an external examiner is appointed in consultation with the School Dean. The external examiner shall independently evaluate the student's examination answers and consistency in review and grading. If the external examiner and teacher disagree on the final grade, the external examiner's grade shall apply. A reviewed grade shall be posted within two weeks of the date the complaint was filed.
2. An external examiner shall always be present at oral and practical examinations or final assignments, and the teacher/teachers and the external examiner shall jointly determine the final grade and the conclusion cannot be appealed. For final essays/theses graded jointly by the external examiner and instructor, the outcome generally can not be appealed. See here, though, also rules of individual Schools on essays/theses.
5.5 Custody of answer sheets
After the deadline for students' complaints has passed and all review of the examination answers has been completed, they shall be turned over to the Director of Assessment. Examination answers are kept for one year.
5.6 Custody of course components
The University keeps electronic copies of all written course components and these shall generally be made accessible to students in the learning management system of the University after the conclusion of each semester. Schools can, though, decide to limit the posting of individual course components or parts thereof.
5.7 Correction of grades
Teaching Affairs and Registry, in consultation with the teacher, can correct obvious errors in calculations or the recording of grades. This is appropriate, for example, when a final grade for the course has already been posted but does not correspond to the combined grades for all the course components or does not take into account that the student must get a minimum passing grade on the final examination or final assignment in order to pass the course, pursuant to Article 4.5.
6. Final examination and final project procedure
6.1 Examination and final assignment rooms
Examination and assignment rooms are usually opened 10 minutes before a final examination or final assignment starts. Students coming more than one hour after the final examination or final assignment has begun will not be allowed to take the examination or assignment.
6.2 Personal identification
During a final examination or final assignment, students shall make valid personal identification available to invigilators. A student failing to show such personal identification may be barred from taking the examination or assignment.
6.3 Invigilation
Invigilators indicate when students shall begin their work, and when the final examination or final assignment period is over. Students shall then hand in their answer sheets if they have not done so already.
6.4 Corrections
If it is necessary to present corrections or communicate information to students during a final examination or final assignment, this is done through a verbal announcement from the teacher, by writing the information on a blackboard or distributing printed copies of it to the students involved, in consultation with the Director of Assessment.
6.5 Submission of answer sheets
1. Answer sheets may not be turned in until one hour has passed from the start of the final examination or final assignment period. At the end of the examination or assignment period, all answer sheets must be handed in immediately. Students shall nevertheless be given time to put their answers in order and label them after the examination or assignment time has expired, but no changes or improvements may be made.
2. Invigilators shall stop students who continue answering questions after the final examination or final assignment period is over and inform the Director of Assessment, who will make a decision on further measures.
6.6 Submission of materials
At the end of all written final examinations or final assignments, students are to turn in to the invigilators the questions, their answers to them and scratch sheets.
6.7 Supplementary materials/devices
Students are forbidden to use supplementary materials/devices in a final examination or final assignment other than those specified on the cover page of the examination or assignment. This includes laptop computers, calculators and other devices. Students may not have overcoats, bags or other items not belonging with the permitted supplementary materials/devices at their desks in the room. Any disturbance in the room is prohibited. It is permitted to verify that a student is only using those supplementary materials/devices specified on the cover page of the examination or assignment.
6.8 Communication devices
Carrying and using mobile telephones during final examinations or final assignments is forbidden. Students carrying such devices are required to turn them off, put them into a bag or hand them over to the invigilators for safekeeping during the examination or final assignment. All communication is forbidden during an examination or assignment, including communication with equipment that a teacher has authorised in accordance with Article 6.7.
6.9 Dishonesty in the taking of final examinations or final assignments
If a student is caught cheating during a final examination or final assignment, the invigilators shall put a stop to the conduct and call on the Director of Assessment, who shall decide on further measures. The Director of Assessment may expel a student from an examination or assignment. The relevant student's case is then referred to the School Dean, pursuant to Article 7 on procedure and appeals.
6.10 Breaks
Students may only leave their desks before they have completed the final examination or final assignment to go to the toilet. This can only be done under the supervision of an attendant.
6.11 Labeling of answer sheets
Students must always turn in their answer sheets marked with either their names and national ID numbers or examination/assignment numbers. A School may decide in consultation with the Director of Assessment to use examination/assignment numbers.
6.12 End of final examinations or final assignments
Students completing their final examinations or final assignments before the end of the stipulated examination or assignment period shall leave the room and examination or assignment area without disturbing those who are still taking the exam or assignment.
6.13 Location of final examinations or final assignments
If there are pressing circumstances, the Director of Assessment may permit a student applying to take a final examination or final assignment elsewhere than on RU's premises to take the examination or assignment at another university or educational institution, provided that the student has previously made such arrangements with the institution. In such cases, see further information in Article 5.1.7 concerning makeup final examinations (due to illness) and resit final examinations, as well as makeup and resit final assignments.
7. Procedures and appeals
7.1 General provision
All decisions concerning students' rights and obligations shall, as applicable, be based on the main rules of administrative law and good administrative practices.
7.2 Appeals concerning teaching, content of individual courses and course components
1. Complaints concerning the grading of individual course components may, depending on circumstances, be lodged with the Director of Assessment. See further information in Articles 5.3 and 5.4.1 on such appeals and procedures.
2. If a student thinks that other decisions by teachers, relating to teaching, content of courses, or individual course components, violate his/her rights, the student can within 10 days of the decision involved, submit a written reasoned request to the Director of Teaching Affairs and Registry for a review of the decision. The Director of Teaching Affairs and Registry will state a reasoned position on the matter, having been informed of the relevant teacher's position, and then refer the matter to the School Dean involved, whose decision in such matters is final. The School Dean can, depending on circumstances, request further opinion before making a decision. The preceding does not apply to students' breaches of these rules; such breaches are pursuant to Article 7.3.
7.3 Penalties for breaches to rules
1. Each School Dean or Director of the Department of Preliminary Studies decides penalties for breaches of the General Rules on Study and Assessment. Such breaches are punishable by:
a) A grade of 0 for a course component.
b) A grade of 0 for a course component and a reprimand.
c) A grade of 0 for the course and a reprimand.
d) Temporary suspension from the University with a reprimand and possibility of re-enrolment.
e) Dismissal from the University without any possibility of re-enrolment.
2. The principal or supervisory course teacher, can decide on the penalty according to item a. (see above) without consulting the Dean of the School if the weight of the relevant course component is 10% or less of the final grade. If the teacher decides to issue such a penalty, he/she must inform the student in writing that the student can appeal the decision to the Dean of the School or the Director of the Department of Preliminary Studies.
3. A student violating the General Rules on Study and Assessment generally forfeits the right to elective vocational courses, exchange study programmes as well as opportunities to represent the University.
4. A School Dean, in exceptional instances, can decide to issue a reprimand to a student without further penalties. Nevertheless, a student cannot receive solely a reprimand for breaching the General Rules on Study and Assessment more than once during the course of study.
5. Repeated violations of the General Rules on Study and Assessment entail ever-severer penalties than were applied for the first violation. A repeat violation is generally subject to no lighter a penalty than suspension for one semester and a reprimand or dismissal from the University. Under special circumstances, a matter involving a repeat violation may be concluded with a decision pursuant to item b. In determining a penalty, the importance of the course component and seriousness of the breach shall be taken into consideration.
6. If information surfaces about a student having cheated on an examination or engaged in dishonest working methods when doing assignments after a grade has been given for a course component, or the course/curriculum has been completed, the School Dean may invalidate a grade for a course component or course. A School Dean is also authorised to impose other penalties, as relevant. If a final project/thesis is involved, and a student has already graduated, the School Dean may request the Rector of the University to rescind the degree.
7.4 Appeals Committee for University Students
1. Students who have exhausted all available appeal remedies within the University can submit their cases to the Appeals Committee for University Students in accordance with Article 20 of the Universities Act, no. 63/2006. The function of the Appeals Committee, according to Regulation no. 1152/2006, is to rule on matters where students at public universities and other universities in Iceland believe their rights to have been infringed concerning:
a) the conduct of examinations and course assessment, including the administration of examinations, grading procedure, the appointment of external examiners and posting of grades;
b) the assessment of study progress, including the right to take repeat examinations;
c) the processing of admission applications, including the assessment of studies completed at other educational establishments;
d) expulsion from an educational establishment and other disciplinary action.
The Appeals Committee can with its ruling confirm, change or suspend the decisions of universities in these matters. Rulings of the Appeals Committee in appeals by university students are final at the administrative level and can not be submitted to the Minister.
2. The Appeals Committee does not review examination answers or a professional conclusion by a teacher, adjudicating committee or external examiners and can therefore not issue a ruling that a particular student shall receive a certain grade in a particular course. Also, the Committee can not issue a diploma nor instruct a University to do so.
3. The Appeals Committee can provide its opinion on whether a university's procedure for handling a written enquiry from a student has been in accordance with law and good administrative practices, irrespective or whether a decision has been made in the case by the university. The opinion, though, is not binding in the same way as rulings.
4. For further information on the Appeals Committee for University Students, see the website of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture
