Download Newcastle Uni's Admissions Policy: Procedures & Parental Duties for Under 18s and more Study notes Marketing in PDF only on Docsity!
NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY
Policy and Procedures for Admitting Students Under 18
1. Policy
Newcastle University welcomes applications from people of all ages. No applicant shall be refused admission on grounds of age.
Whilst responsibility for a student’s personal supervision and welfare continues to rest with the parent or guardian, the University recognises its special duty of care towards students who are legally still children. It has established procedures for dealing with applications from people who as students will be under 18. Principles, institutional responsibilities and procedures relating to the protection of under 18s and vulnerable adult students are set out in the University’s Policy for the Safeguarding of Under 18s and Vulnerable Adults’. The Procedures that follow here are concerned with the admissions process and preparation for the admission of such students.
A separate ‘ Under 18 Students in Residence Policy’ is available for students who are under 18 and live in University owned or managed accommodation.
Separate provisions apply for applicants to INTO Newcastle University and to pathway programmes at Newcastle University London.
2. Procedure for Applicants with Parent(s)^1 in the United Kingdom
2.1 When applications for undergraduate degrees are received, any applicants who will still be under 18 when they begin their first year of study shall be identified.
2.2 In the case of any such identified applicants to whom admissions tutors wish to make an offer, a letter shall be sent by the Admissions Office^2 to let the applicant know that, if he/she accepts Newcastle’s offer, certain formalities will need to be completed before the start of the degree programme.
2.3 In addition, action shall be taken as follows, depending on whether applicants will be aged between 16 and 17 on entry or whether they will be under 16.
a) If they will be 16 or 17:
(^1) All references to ‘parent(s)’ in this document are intended also to cover legal guardians and any other person or body having parental responsibility. (^2) ‘Admissions Office’ is used in this document to refer to the central Admissions Office, the offices in the Faculty of Medical Sciences that deal with undergraduate applications to that Faculty, and INTO University Partnerships staff who process applications for Newcastle University London.
The letter shall be accompanied by an agreement to be read and signed by a parent, and to be returned to the Admissions Office if the applicant decides to accept the offer. This seeks to ensure that the respective responsibilities of the University and parent in relation to the applicant are clear. The agreement is attached as Appendix I. Receipt of the signed agreement shall be a condition of the applicant’s offer.
b) If they will be under 16:
i) The letter shall explain that, if the applicant accepts the offer, the applicant and parent(s) shall be invited by the Admissions Office to a meeting. The purpose of the meeting shall be to discuss issues such as residential accommodation, responsibilities for welfare, guarantees for contracts, and consent for undertaking activities related to the degree programme. The meeting is also intended to ensure that the applicant and parent(s) are fully aware of the adult environment in which the University operates and that the applicant has the personal maturity to cope with and benefit from the Higher Education experience. The Admissions Office shall invite the relevant admissions tutor to attend the meeting.
ii) If the applicant accepts the offer, a memorandum of Understanding shall be drawn up (after a meeting if one is held), to remain in force until the student becomes 18. Two copies shall be signed on behalf of the University by the Academic Registrar, and a parent shall be asked to sign both copies also. One signed copy shall be retained by the parent and the other by the University, with a copy of it being sent to the Head of the relevant School. A sample Memorandum of Understanding is attached as Appendix II. Receipt of the signed memorandum shall be a condition of the applicant’s offer.
iii) If the applicant accepts the offer, the Admissions Office shall write to the relevant Head of School to inform him/her that an applicant who will be under 16 has accepted an offer for a degree programme. The Head of School will be advised that, although there is no guarantee in the case of conditional offers that the applicant will register for the degree, a personal tutor should be identified. If the nominated tutor does not already have Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance as an employee of the University, a DBS check should be arranged as early as possible.
iv) It the applicant accepts the offer, the Admissions Office shall, if the applicant has indicated that he/she would wish to live in University accommodation, inform the Accommodation Office of the situation in order that suitable accommodation is allocated.
3. Procedure for Applicants with Parent(s) outside the United Kingdom
3.1 – 3.2 The same procedure as 2.1 and 2.2 above shall be followed.
3.3 In addition, action shall be taken as follows depending on whether applicants will be aged between 16 and 17 on entry or whether they will be under 16.
a) If they will be 16 or 17:
The letter shall be accompanied by an agreement to be read and signed by a parent, and to be returned to the Admissions Office if the applicant decides to accept an offer. This seeks to ensure that the respective responsibilities of the University and parent in relation to the applicant
Appendix I AGREEMENT
Name of Applicant: ....................................................................................
Applicant’s UCAS Personal ID: ....................................................................................
Applicant’s Date of Birth: ....................................................................................
If the applicant named above takes up a place of study at Newcastle University, I, the undersigned parent or guardian:
- Understand that the University shall not have parental responsibility and shall not be liable for any acts or omissions by the student. I agree that I shall remain primarily responsible for the student’s personal supervision and welfare. For this purpose, I understand that I must consider whether there is a need to provide any continuing personal supervision.
2a. Understand that I shall be responsible for ensuring that the University’s rules and regulations are adhered to by the student.
2b. Agree to act as guarantor for the tuition and accommodation fees incurred by the student together with any other sums owed to the University until the student attains 18 years of age. (On the student attaining the age of 18, the guarantee shall cease to have effect for any future debts).
- Consent to the student undertaking the programme of study and participating in such extra curricular activities as the student shall determine.
- Agree that Newcastle University, if the student is unable to consent and if it is not possible to contact a parent in the event of an emergency, may authorise emergency medical treatment, acting on medical advice in the best interests of the student.
- Accept that the University’s obligation of confidentiality is owed to the student and to nobody else. Accordingly, the University shall not divulge confidential information, for example about a student’s academic progress, to a parent or anyone else without the consent of the student.
- Understand that this agreement shall remain in force until the eighteenth birthday of the student.
Signed …………………………………………………………….
Name (please print): ………………………………………………
Relationship to applicant: …………………………………………
Date: ………………………………………………………………
Please now return the completed agreement to: The Senior Undergraduate Admissions Manager Marketing and Student Recruitment Directorate King’s Gate, Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU
Appendix II
SAMPLE
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
Name of Applicant: .............................................................................................
Applicant’s UCAS Personal ID: .............................................................................................
Applicant’s Date of Birth: .............................................................................................
Responsibilities of the University
On behalf of Newcastle University, I agree that, if the above named applicant takes up a place of study at the University:
- The University shall make such special provision for the student by reason of the student’s age as is reasonably necessary but shall not have parental responsibility_._
- The University shall allocate, through its Accommodation Office, suitable residential accommodation for the student where this is requested.
- The University shall ensure that the member of staff who will act as personal tutor will have Disclosure and Barring Service clearance.
Signature on behalf of the University :
Signature .......................................................................................................
Name (please print) .......................................................................................................
Position .......................................................................................................
Date .......................................................................................................
Responsibilities of Parent or Legal Guardian
If the applicant named above takes up a place of study at Newcastle University, I, the undersigned parent or legal guardian:
- Understand that the University shall not have parental responsibility and shall not be liable for any acts or omissions by the student. I agree that I shall remain primarily responsible for the student’s personal supervision and welfare. For this purpose, I understand that I must consider whether there is a need to provide any continuing personal supervision.
2a. Understand that I shall be responsible for ensuring that the University’s rules and regulations are adhered to by the student.
