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Studying Philosophy
at Reading
Philosophy Department Programme Handbook.
Entry October 2015 Undergraduate.
Disclaimer
Formal Ordinances and Regulations are given in the University Calendar
(www.reading.ac.uk/calendar/), in the Programme Specification (available at
www.reading.ac.uk/progspecs/) and in relevant module descriptions
(www.info.reading.ac.uk/module/); should there be, or appear to be, any conflict
between statements in this handbook and the full Ordinances, Regulations, Programme
Specifications or module descriptions, the latter shall prevail.
Although the information in this Handbook is accurate at the time of publication,
aspects of the programme and of Department practice may be subject to modification
and revision. The University reserves the right to modify the programme in unforeseen
circumstances, or where the process of academic development and feedback from
students, quality assurance processes or external sources, such as professional bodies,
requires a change to be made. In such circumstances, revised information will be issued.
Information provided by the School in the course of the year should therefore be
regarded, where appropriate, as superseding the information contained in the handbook.
Please keep this handbook in a safe place as you will need to refer to it throughout your
programme.
ii
Alternative Formats
The material in this handbook can be provided in alternative formats such as large print,
Braille, tape and on disk upon request to Ms Sukh Thiara (Tel: 0118 378 8325 or email:
s.thiara@reading.ac.uk).
Communication
Students should note that email is the default means of communication between staff
and students. Students must use their official University email address when
communicating with the University - for the following reasons:
the University guarantees that your University of Reading email account will be
available to you for the entire duration of your studies;
the University guarantees that suitable, supported email software will be available
to you for the entire duration of your studies;
email sent from non-University mail accounts may be classified as SPAM and
hence not read.
iv
Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
Examinations ......................................................................................................................................... 36
2.8
2.9
3.2
External Examiners............................................................................................................................... 44
3.3
3.4
Student Representation..................................................................................................................... 45
Personal tutors...................................................................................................................................... 46
4.2
4.3
Students with disabilities, disabling conditions or specific learning difficulties (such as
dyslexia) ................................................................................................................................................................ 50
4.4
5.
Key dates................................................................................................................................................. 52
5.2
5.3
5.4
Communication ................................................................................................................................... 57
5.5
5.6
5.7
6.
Overview of the Online Student Handbook and Key Academic Policies and Procedures ...... 59
7.
Course and Faculty Reps are also key in the student representative structure. Course and
Faculty Reps proactively seek out, identify and promote the views of students. They
represent your views at School level and Faculty level. ........................................................................ 1
Visit www.rusu.co.uk/coursereps to find out more about Course Reps, and how to get
involved. .............................................................................................................................................................. 2
What can RUSU do for me? ............................................................................................................................... 2
Change It!..................................................................................................................................................................... 2
RUSU organises and supports campaigns that have been put forward by students. Campaigns
aim to raise awareness and ultimately make change amongst the student community on issues
that affect you on campus, in the community and on a national level. If you want to get involved
in campaigns email changeit@rusu.co.uk or visit the ARC Centre (Advice, Representation and
Campaigns Centre) and ask to speak to the Campaigns Coordinator. ..................................................... 2
Using Change It is a great way to direct your union so get involved!........................................................ 2
RUSU Student Lettings ................................................................................................................................... 2
RUSU Nursery Service ..................................................................................................................................... 2
How can RUSU enhance your student experience? ....................................................................................... 3
vi
to work hard at their studies and to be active partners in shaping their experience of
HE;
to seek out opportunities to enhance their understanding and to develop practical and
intellectual skills;
to take advantage of the wealth of activities (social and developmental) provided by the
University and the Students Union;
to be aware that their conduct affects other students and reflects on the University, and
to act accordingly;
to provide constructive feedback on their time at Reading through the Students Union
and directly to the University.
to treat one another with respect, tolerance and courtesy, regardless of identity,
background or belief, both in person and online;
to show responsible stewardship of the university environment, facilities and resources;
to challenge one another intellectually and to contribute to the advancement of
knowledge;
to work fairly and effectively with one another both inside and outside the academic
context;
to be accountable for our actions and conduct;
2. Programme Information
2.1 Welcome to the Department of Philosophy
Philosophy consists in the critical examination of the fundamental nature of reasoning, reality,
knowledge, morality, social justice, and beauty. Philosophy is an interface discipline,
concerned with how different views of the world clash, or fit together, and with how far
different perspectives (moral, scientific, religious, metaphysical, personal) can be reconciled.
The Philosophy Department at Reading is committed to excellence in teaching and research.
All the full-time members of the Department are active in research into their special fields (see
the section on Academic Staff, below), and hope to communicate, in their teaching, some of
the excitement of developing and evaluating new ideas. The broad orientation of the
Department is that of analytic philosophy, though some of us have strong interests in other
philosophical movements as well. None of us are rigid adherents of any one school of thought,
but all of us aim in our work for the highest standards of logical rigour, precision in argument,
careful conceptual analysis, and rational debate. Philosophy as we study it today is part of a
long cultural tradition, and we hope that by the end of your course you will have acquired
lasting insights into the ideas of some of the great canonical philosophers of the past, as well
as developing an understanding of issues that are in the forefront of current philosophical
debate.
We hope you will enjoy the course, and the philosophy you do. During Part 1 you will sample
the writings of some famous philosophers of the past, and learn something of how
philosophical arguments are conducted. The rest of the programme gives you the opportunity
to acquire a thorough grounding in the subject (in the Part 2 modules), and to pursue more
detailed studies reflecting some of your own special philosophical interests (in the Part 3
modules). Students learn best by engaging with the issues and participating as fully as possible
in discussions in lectures and seminar classes, and by taking advantage of the various extracurricular activities on offer (for example the Philosophy Society, and its visiting speakers
programmesee below). Our ideas for the course, and the modules we teach, are constantly
developing in the light of research interests and teaching needs, and we hope that you will
contribute to that process by talking to us about our offerings and how they can be improved.
The unexamined life, said Socrates, is not worth living. Philosophy involves a critical
examination of our most fundamental beliefs about truth and reality, right and wrong. It
challenges many of our assumptions about what we know and how we should live. It is an
interface discipline, concerned with how different views of the world clash, or fit together,
and with how far different perspectives (moral, scientific, religious, metaphysical, personal)
may be related and reconciled. Philosophy is a deeply enriching subject, worth studying for its
own sake. We hope that whatever Philosophy modules you take in Part 1 will induce you to
take more Philosophy modules. Beyond that, we hope that your time at Reading will be
intellectually stimulating and benefit you for the rest of your lives. By the time you graduate
you will have acquired the ability to think clearly and logically, to expound and evaluate
complex arguments, and to express yourself, in discussion and in writing, coherently,
economically and precisely. These skills should be of enormous value for your future careers.
This booklet provides a detailed conspectus of the structure of the entire BA course, and
provides advice and information on many other matters you will need to know during
your undergraduate career.
require students to study in more depth some aspects of Philosophy in which they
have a greater interest
provide a supportive learning environment with full access to welfare, pastoral and
careers support.
The central objective of the BA Philosophy course is to cultivate the ability to do, and not just to
read, philosophy. That is, our graduates should acquire a receptivity to the kinds of reasoned
thinking that, historically, have been championed by our subject. On successful completion of
a BA course, students will have:
gained a knowledge and understanding of the main areas of philosophy and of the
views of great figures in the history of philosophy
acquired the abilities to think clearly and reason logically, critically to evaluate
arguments, and to question the assumptions of any given viewpoint
On successful completion of a Joint Honours degree students will achieve the preceding
outcomes within a less extensive Philosophy syllabus than Single Honours students.
10
which terms your chosen modules run; you must ensure a reasonable balance of work
between the autumn and spring terms.
whether the modules you wish to take have any prerequisites (such as modules from
previous years) or are themselves prerequisites for modules you wish to take in later
years.
whether your choices will timetable together you should not take modules which
result in timetable clashes.
You may change your modules (subject to space and satisfying any prerequisites) up to the end
of the third week of the term in which the module takes place. Late changes are permitted
only in exceptional circumstances.
Part 1
In part 1, the Philosophy Department offers four modules over the Autumn and Spring
Terms. In the Autumn Term, the modules are PP1RA Reason and Argument and PP1HN
Human Nature. In the Spring Term, the modules are PP1MW Mind & World and PP1VV
Values & Virtues. If you wish to continue with Philosophy as part of your degree beyond
the first year, you will need to take Reason and Argument and at least one other Part 1
Philosophy module.
11
Parts 2 and 3
In Part 2, single-honours Philosophy students must take at least 100 credits in Philosophy;
joint-honours Philosophy students must take at least 60 credits in Philosophy.
In Part 3, single-honours Philosophy students must take at least 100 credits in Philosophy.
Joint-honours Philosophy students will usually be required to write a 40 credit dissertation or
project either in Philosophy or their other Department, and must take 40 additional credits in
each subject. Four year programmes such as Art & Philosophy, and Philosophy joint with a
modern language, have special arrangements for the final two years: please consult the
appropriate programme specification. Single honours students in Parts 2 and 3 are allowed to
take one 20-credit module from outside Philosophy.
The Part 2 course is designed to build on the philosophical work you have already
undertaken in Part 1 and to provide a basis for your Part 3 modules. It will give you an
overview of some key elements of the Western philosophical tradition and will encourage
you to develop your skill at reading philosophy actively and critically.
Although there are no compulsory modules at part 2, single honours students who wish to
study at postgraduate level are encouraged to take Theory of Knowledge and Moral
Philosophy. These two modules cover subject areas we take to be central to the discipline of
Philosophy, without a grounding in which you would not have a proper sense of the
discipline necessary to study the subject at advanced level. The two modules, Theory of
Knowledge and Moral Philosophy, are essentially problems modules: that is, their focus is on
enduring philosophical problems within these areas of philosophy rather than on historical
figures. Other modules available to students have a slightly different character. For
example Introductory Logic involves an introduction to logic, which provides a basic
understanding of formal and methodological principles which are important to many
aspects of the discipline. Ancient Philosophy and the two Early Modern Philosophy courses on
the other hand are history modules, in the sense that they focus on the thought of
important historical figures within the discipline. However, the problems/history division
should not be taken too strictly, because the problems modules contain reference to
historical figures and the history modules investigate the plausibility of historical figures
solutions to problems.
12
The Part 3 modules are designed to cater for a broad range of philosophical specialisms and
to reflect tutors research interests. By the time you near the end of your second year you
will have developed a sense of where your own philosophical interests lie and will have a
basis for selecting the Part 3 modules you wish to study. They offer you the opportunity to
explore specific areas of philosophy in depth.
Dissertation
The dissertation module in philosophy is optional for single honours students to take in part 3.
All students taking a philosophy dissertation are urged to read the description for this module
carefully.
Please note that ALL joint degree combinations require a dissertation. This means that students
following these programmes must take either the Philosophy Dissertation module (PP3DIS) or
the dissertation module in their partner department (except for Psychology and Philosophy
students see below).
Students spending their third year abroad as part of a joint programme with Modern
Languages write their dissertation in Philosophy during their year abroad.
In addition
(a)
Art and Philosophy students must write a Philosophy Dissertation in their fourth year.
(b)
Psychology and Philosophy students must take the joint project module PY3PPP in their
third year (the project is the equivalent of a dissertation).
Part-time students
Students who take the BA in Philosophy as a part-time degree during the daytime take the
same modules and follow the same structure as full-time students, but over twice the
amount of time. They take a minimum 40 and maximum 80 credits in Philosophy over two
years, as well as extra credits in other subjects to make up 120 credits at Part 1. For all
students, the Part 1 module Reason and Argument (PP1RA) is compulsory and so must make
up 20 of the 80 credits.
Similarly, the 120 credits at Part 2 are spread over two years, as are the 120 credits at Part 3.
Please consult the Philosophy BA Handbook for full-time students to see the overall structure
of the Honours degree. For combined honours degrees, similar requirements apply, but
consult the Part-Time Degree Co-ordinator in Philosophy (Prof. David Oderberg) as well as the
co-ordinator in the other department.
degree
(second
edition),
can
be
http://www.prs.heacademy.ac.uk/publications/emp_guide_for_web.pdf
found
at
Former graduates from Readings Philosophy Department include those who have gone on to
follow careers in business and management, journalism, television production, insurance,
banking, publishing, librarianship, the Civil Service, local government, social work, the
probation service, the armed forces, and further training for careers in accountancy, law and
teaching. For students who wish to go on to postgraduate work in Philosophy, the Department
offers an MA programme, as well as more advanced research leading to the degrees of MPhil
and PhD. The training offered by a degree in Philosophy is a valuable and respected
qualification with which to proceed to a wide range of rewarding professional careers.
Figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) for 2006 showed that starting
salaries for Philosophy graduates in non-graduate employment averaged 15,312. This is
comparable with other Arts and Humanities graduates, e.g. Classics 16,078; History 14,636;
and English 14,263. For Philosophy graduates entering graduate employment their average
salary of 21,466 compares favourably with Classics 19,422; History 19,418 and English
18,484.
An article in the Guardian notes that philosophy graduates are sought after in the fields of
finance, property development, health, social work, marketing and advertising, and business,
and that the number of philosophy graduates in these areas increased significantly between
2002 and 2006. The same article also cites the Higher Education Careers Unit as agreeing that
philosophers are finding it easier to secure work (Guardian, Tuesday 20 November 2007). We
believe that a Philosophy degree makes you extremely well-suited to todays employment
market because it equips you with the kind of skills that employers are looking for.
Transferable skills
Philosophy (like many other academic disciplines) is not a directly vocational subject such as
law or medicine. But a training in Philosophy develops the ability to think clearly and reason
logically, to expound and evaluate arguments, to organise ideas, to be aware of the logical and
practical implications of our assertions, to be alert to alternative explanations and solutions, to
reject facile assumptions and search for coherent principles of thought and action. The
structured development of students presentation skills and of the clarity and precision of their
written work are also invaluable in any area of work. So, philosophical training is highly prized
by employers in every area of business and professional life, where these vitally important
general transferable skills are at a premium. See Appendix A in this handbook for a recent
report from the Council for Industry and Higher Education, stressing the skills which
philosophy graduates bring to the workforce.
It is important, when filling in application forms and at interview, to draw attention to the
general transferable skills that a training in Philosophy produces.
Graduate Studies
At the end of your course you may, if you have enjoyed it and done well, begin to think of
carrying on to do graduate work either here at Reading or elsewhere. For students who wish
to go on to postgraduate work in Philosophy, the Department offers an MA taught units
programme, as well as more advanced research facilities, leading to the degrees of MPhil and
PhD. Some of our BA graduates go on to MA programmes in related disciplines, e.g. War
Studies, Environmental Studies. Others go on to gain postgraduate teaching qualifications for
teaching careers at primary and secondary school level, or gain professional qualifications in
14
other areas, e.g. law. In short, the training offered by a degree in Philosophy is a valuable and
respected qualification with which to proceed to a wide range of rewarding professional
careers.
If you are not lucky enough to have private funds to support you in your graduate studies, you
will need to apply for public funding, which is hard, though not impossible, to get. The
following notes are intended to give some idea of the procedure for this.
The University of Reading offers some scholarships and bursaries. Further information about
these can be found at www.reading.ac.uk/Studentships/ However, the main source of funding
is the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), which offers 1-year and 3-year grants (for
MA and PhD study respectively), although please note that AHRC funding for PhD study is only
available to those students who have an MA. To obtain AHRC funding, the application form
must be completed and with them by May 1. This deadline is rigidly imposed.
To meet the deadline, you need to work towards it in the following way:
By mid-February in your final year you should have talked to a member of the Department
about applying to the AHRC. Further details about the AHRC application process can be
obtained from the Postgraduate Administrator in HUMSS 163 (Amanda Harvey). Now is the
time to write a first draft of your proposal for graduate work, the most crucial part of your
application.
By early March you should have had at least one meeting with a member of the
Department to discuss your first draft.
By the end of the Spring Term (mid-March) you should have discussed a second draft of
your AHRC proposal and submitted it to one of the Professors for final vetting. You will
also need to have applied to the University for graduate studies.
By 31st March you should have submitted the completed AHRC form to the Department in
order to give your referees time to write their references. The Department and University
will complete the final sections of the form before sending it off to the AHRC.
Career Management Skills - Using your degree to make you more employable
All undergraduate programmes at the University will include a programme of activities to
develop your career management skills (CMS). CMS may be provided in a particular module or
may be delivered across a range of modules. The aim is very simple: to put you in control of
your future and help you stand out from the crowd.
Through CMS you will:
Explore the range of options available with your degree including employment,
postgraduate study, taking a gap year or voluntary work
Reflect on your personality, values, interests, aspirations, motivation and skills to help you
decide what careers areas might suit you
Develop the skills and awareness necessary to enable you to apply effectively to the
opportunities that interest you.
Marketing yourself by writing effective CVs and
application forms, developing interview skills and networking skills.
CMS is included in your Philosophy degree in many ways. In Part One, you will take PP1RA
(Reason and Argument), this module explores the ways in which philosophy supplies the tools
for reasoning logically and analytically, not just about abstract theories but about problems
15
and situations in real life. You will be introduced to techniques for evaluating claims and
arguments, assessing evidence, and justifying your beliefs. A mix of lectures, seminars,
structured reading, assignments, and class discussion will furnish you with the skills essential
to logical thought. These skills are essential both to further study in philosophy and to other
areas of academic work. They are also a foundation for the kinds of thinking you will have to
do in your future life and career. Thus this module will also explore the role of good argument
beyond the University, looking at ways to enhance your career prospects and examining the
transferrable skills you will gain from your degree (and, in particular, from a degree in
Philosophy).
Students
from
any
degree
can
use
the
CMS
online
resources
at:
http://www.reading.ac.uk/destinations to find degree related job websites, advice on CVs,
application forms and interviews, as well as interactive self-assessment exercises.
Self motivation.
Philosophy seeks to understand and question ideas concerning reality, value and experience.
Concepts such as existence, reason and truth, occur in every sphere of human enquiry.
Philosophy is open-ended, constantly questioning and refreshing itself, the very essence of
learning and knowledge.
A degree in vocational subjects like Business, Finance, Law, Marketing or Media Studies
provides immediate skills and practical tools for gaining entry into the employment market,
whereas Philosophy focuses on providing the ideal environment in which to develop the
fundamental and essential attributes on which these skills depend.
Philosophy teaches the student how to analyse and communicate ideas in a clear, rational and
well thought out way. Students of philosophy learn to develop and defend an opinion, they
learn how to learn and how to think. With such in-depth grounding, philosophy graduates are
likely to develop into well rounded, mature, thoughtful and articulate employees.
Studying formal logic helps students acquire skills in symbol manipulation, formal systems
and abstract thinking and it also influences the wider skills of analysis and a detailed
understanding of argument structure. These skills are of immediate value in computer and
information management careers and in all contexts where precision, clarity and high level
abstract planning and analysis are required.
Philosophy students will develop general skills like the ability to think logically, analyse
critically, communicate articulately and accurately, both orally and in writing.
16
These are the skills that employers indicate are so important for middle management and
leadership roles. The skills of vision, creativity and analytical power being developed through
the study of Philosophy will have a premium.
The Employability: Where next? Unlocking the potential of your philosophy degree (second edition) can
be found here http://www.prs.heacademy.ac.uk/publications/emp_guide_for_web.pdf
The Reading Internship Scheme is open to all Reading students and finalists for up to 6 months
after graduation, in smaller to medium companies based in the Thames Valley region.
17
To prepare for and sit all relevant examinations in the Summer Term. Students should
be aware that it is very much in their own interests to do as well as they possibly can in
their first attempt at exams. Although it may be possible to resit an exam which you
fail, your mark in a resit (for purposes of degree classification) will be capped at a
maximum of 40%. Furthermore, failures in examination will normally be mentioned in
any letters of reference which members of the Department write for you
To inform the Department if circumstances (e.g. illness or accident) mean that you are
will be away from the University for three or more days
To submit all your coursework essays on time, or to inform the Department (by means
of the standard extenuating circumstances form) where circumstances, such as illness
or accident, prevent you from doing so
To ensure that all your coursework is completed to the best of your ability and is
submitted in the format required by the department (see the entry on how to submit
your coursework essay in this handbook)
To attend essay seminars ready and able to discuss the set topic
To keep a regular check on your University email, on the student noticeboard in the
Philosophy corridor, and on your pigeonhole (located outside HUMSS 68)
To make and maintain regular contact with your personal tutor (i.e. seeing them at least
once a term)
If you are having problems with your course, to contact your personal tutor, or other
member of the department, at the earliest possible time to discuss these problems
To raise any concerns you have with the teaching provision of the Department, or any
other concerns, in a suitable and constructive manner (e.g. via the staff-student
committee or personal discussion with staff).
To provide good quality teaching and the support for learning which will enable you to
get the best degree of which you are capable
To provide appropriate resources for all modules (e.g. clear reading lists, BlackBoard
courses)
To keep you informed of any unavoidable changes to your programme by email and/or
posting notices on the student noticeboard
18
To help you in your future career (e.g. by helping you to prepare for the job market, by
writing references for you, and by helping you to apply for further study where
appropriate)
To do its best to support you through any problems you have during your degree (e.g.
through discussions with personal tutors and help in accessing support services outside
the department)
To respond to any concerns raised about the teaching provision of the Department, or
any other student concerns, in an appropriate and constructive manner.
We want you to achieve the best degree you can, to enjoy your time in the department,
and to use your degree to build the future you want for yourself. If at any time you feel
in need of extra support, please see your personal tutor, or another member of staff, to
discuss the problem as soon as possible.
Lectures
These provide essential core material but also allow opportunities for questions and discussion.
All modules in Parts 1, 2 and 3 involve a substantial amount of lecture attendance at least
two hours per week. They are supplemented by seminars.
Seminars
These are one-hour group sessions where students may be broken down into smaller groups,
depending on the activity involved. The purpose of seminars is to stimulate discussion, answer
questions, and help students achieve a deeper understanding of the topic.
Part 1 Seminars
In most Philosophy Part 1 modules, each student is required to give a short oral
presentation to the rest of the group once each term per module.
Part 2 Seminars
In Part 2, some of the timetabled lecture slots will feature seminars or other group activities
instead of lectures, thus providing students with the opportunity to ask questions and
interact directly with the module lecturer(s). (Note that separate arrangements apply to the
module PP2IL Introductory Logic).
Part 3 Seminars
These seminars take a number of forms, for instance they may involve student
presentations, or discussion of weekly reading, or preparation for essay writing, or feedback
19
on essays which have been marked. Further information on the kind of seminars involved
in each part 3 module will be given by the module convenors.
20
Written Work
The Weekly Paragraph or Weekly Exercises
All part 1 students are required to produce weekly work for each part 1 seminar. For part 1
modules containing a seminar report, this weekly work is called a weekly paragraph. Students
who are not doing a report in a given seminar are required to hand in a substantial piece of
writing on the weeks topic. The maximum length for this is one page of A4 paper. Doing
these exercises makes for better discussions and puts students in a stronger position to learn
from the presentations. It also helps the seminar tutor to see how well students understand
the material.
In your weekly paragraph, comment in some way on the reading you have done. Your
comment can take various forms. It might be a statement of your own (tentative) views. It
might be a brief account of the contents of some item on the reading list. It might be a note
of which points you think are most important, or an objection to some view propounded in
the reading you have done.
For PP1RA Reason & Argument, the weekly paragraph is replaced by weekly homework
exercises which can be found in the back of the course pack.
22
Whatever the content of weekly work, it is required to be legible either printed or neatly
handwritten. Students have repeatedly noted the benefits of doing this weekly work.
Seminar tutors will make brief written comments on your weekly work, but are available to
discuss this further if you want to do so.
2.6.4 Assessment
The University publishes an annual guide to Assessment which can be downloaded from the
following
link:
http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/exams/student/exa-guideUG.aspx
In
Philosophy, assessment throughout parts 1, 2 and 3 is by a combination of coursework and
examination.
Students should note that all word limits below include footnotes, but exclude the
bibliography.
23
Part 1 Assessment
All part 1 modules have a coursework component. For the modules PP1HN, PP1VV and
PP1MW, there will be two essays. The first essay should be between 900 and 1100 words and
counts for 15% of the final module mark. The second, longer essay should be between 1400 and
1600 words and counts for 25% of the final module mark. (In all, the coursework component of
these modules is worth 40%.)
For the module PP1RA, there are two term assignments, worth 20% of the final module mark
each (40% in total). (Note that there is no word limit for PP1RA assignments.)
The rest of the mark (i.e. 60%) will be determined by performance in the examination at the
end of Part 1.
Part 2 Assessment
All part 2 modules (bar Introductory Logic) have a coursework component. You will be required
to write two essays (1500-2000 words each) for each module and the average of these two
marks will contribute 30% to your overall mark for the module, the rest of the mark to be
determined by performance in examination at the end of part 2. For Introductory Logic
assessment is by examination alone, although there will be weekly practice assignments to
complete during the module.
Part 3 Assessment
All part 3 modules (bar Further Logic, and Dissertation) have a coursework component
contributing 30% to your final mark for the module (the remainder of the mark coming from
performance in examinations at the end of part 3); however the precise form of the
coursework element may differ between modules. For instance, in some modules the
coursework component may be the average mark received across two coursework essays, in
others student presentations, take-home exams, or comprehension tests may contribute.
Further information on the coursework component will be provided by the module convenor.
Part Two
Autumn
Essay 1: Thursday of Week 5
24
Part Three
Autumn
Essay 1: Friday of Week 5
Essay 2: Friday of Week 11
Spring
Essay 1: Friday of Week 5
Essay 2: Friday of Week 11
You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You
should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to
submit any work. Unless extensions are granted or there are extenuating circumstances (see
below) late submission always involves the following penalty:
where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally
agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work
will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the
deadline up to a total of five working days;
where the piece of work is submitted more than five working days after the
original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will
be recorded.
Requests for Extensions and Remissions
If you require an extension or particular circumstances to be taken into account in accessing
your work you will need to complete an Extenuating Circumstances form (ECF).
Extensions will be granted to students only if they provide written evidence from a personal
tutor, medic, counsellor, or public official that adequately explains their inability to submit the
relevant item of coursework on time. Such explanations may refer to such circumstances
beyond the students control as illness, death or severe illness of a close relative or partner,
physical attack, witnessing a seriously distressing event or other events of comparable effect.
25
Extensions will definitely not be granted in respect of poor time management skills, difficulties
in obtaining books or other materials, or similar issues.
Students may request in advance an extension to the date for submission of coursework and
should submit their request in good time. All requests must be made on the standard
extenuating
circumstances
form
(to
be
found
on
the
web
at:
http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/exams/student/exa-circumstances.aspx
If an extension is granted and the work is submitted by the revised deadline, no penalty will be
applied.
Remissions
Students may request remission of the penalty for late work (i.e. that the normal penalty for
late submission is waived or varied). Remission will be granted only for very good reasons, and
normally only for reasons that could not have been anticipated in time to make an extension
request. If remission is granted, no penalty will be applied. All requests for remission must be
made
on
the
standard
request
form
(to
be
found
on
the
web
at:
http://www.reading.ac.uk/web/FILES/exams/ECF_2011.pdf
Extenuating circumstances forms should be submitted to the School of Humanities Office in
HumSS G44 and must be accompanied by supporting evidence (e.g. medical certificate).
those produced by writers of our own time and place may contain a richness of thought and
imagination which takes several careful readings to begin to uncover. They are not, in short,
to be memorised verbatim and taken at face value; rather, they need to be approached
slowly and carefully, and may be full of surprises.
Secondary works include works of scholarship (books and journal articles) that present original
research and interpretations of the subject you are studying. They are usually written by and
for academics, and may be at a level of sophistication that you havent regularly
encountered. A good tutor may assign works that challenge you. These require an active
effort to comprehend. They are to be read for the major points, and especially for the
arguments that lead to those points. Remember that articles from journals are likely to be
very focused. This means that they will not necessarily give a general overall view of the
subject, or take pains to introduce the subject properly. But they will often contain the depth
of material you require after you have been introduced to the topic. It is better to have read a few
articles thoroughly than to have read many superficially.
Textbooks and introductions aim to generate an overview of the topic. You should consult them
especially if you feel that you are unsure of the philosophical issues within the topic, or if
you want a survey of the major opinions on the topic.
Remember that effective reading is active reading. While reading you should not regard
yourself as a passive receptacle into which information is being poured. Rather, you should
make an effort to engage with the thoughts of the author. Taking notes is a good way of
following an argument. If you find passages that you simply cannot understand, you should
mark them and ask the seminar tutor about them in or after the class. You should approach
your reading in the context of the ideas developed in the lectures, to see how the texts
complement or contradict what the lecturer is saying. Seminar discussion provides you with
a forum in which to test the accuracy of your understanding of what you have read, and you
should present interpretations in order to get the reactions of your tutor and fellow students.
Dont be afraid of making mistakes, since texts sometimes are not clear and several
conflicting readings are possible. From considering different possible interpretations, good
discussion is often generated.1
Parts of the last four paragraphs have been derived from a document 'On Reading Philosophy', produced by the Department of
Philosophy at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.
27
introduction so that it really does fit with what follows. If you have problems structuring
essays, get into the habit of dividing them into sections and inserting section titles.
If the quotation had been a bit longer, it should have been indented as a box quotation.
You may adopt any reasonable convention for making references so long as you adhere
to it consistently. If in doubt consult your seminar leader. All quotations must be referenced.
Your bibliography should include all the books and articles you have used in writing your
essay. References are often presented in the following form:
Book: Nagel, T.: The View from Nowhere (New York: Oxford University Press, 1986).
Article: Nagel, T.: What is it like to be a bat? Philosophical Review 83, 1974, pp.435-450.
Note the convention: Book titles are given in italics; Titles of articles are given in inverted
commas.
When you cite a work for the first time, give the full title and publication details. After that,
you can shorten your references in various ways:
You can omit the publication details altogether: Kant, Critique of Pure Reason, p. 73.
You can omit references to all but the first author of a jointly authored work: Jones et
al., The World According to Us, p. 2.
If you are only citing one work by an author, so there is no risk of confusion, you might
even just give the authors name and omit the title: Kant, p. 73.
Whichever of these formats you use, be consistent, so as not to confuse the reader, who needs
to be able to verify your quotations & references.
A bibliography or separate list of references isnt usually necessary for a short essay. But if you
do provide one, use a consistent and accepted method of citation, such as laid down in the
Chicago Manual of Style, or in Strunk and Whites Elements of Style.
A standard method of citation is as follows:
Author, Title in italics (Place: Publisher, Date), pp. XX-YY.
Page numbers will be used only in notes, not in the bibliography.
When citing articles in journals, the standard method is:
Author, Title of Article, Title of Journal volume number (year), pp. XX-YY.
For example:
T. Nagel, What is it Like to be a Bat?, Philosophical Review 83 (1974), pp. 435-450.
A very common method of citation is the Harvard style, where the footnote, endnote, or in-text
citation contains only the authors name and year of publication (with the use of letters to
distinguish different works published in the same year). The bibliography then gives the full
information. For example:
OShaughnessy says blablabla (OShaugnessy 1980, p. 312), but he is contradicted by
Olson, who argues that so-&-so (Olson 1998, pp. 399-401).
The bibliography for this essay would then include the following:
O'Shaughnessy, B. 1980 The Will (2 vols.) Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Olson, E. 1998 Human Atoms, The Australasian Journal of Philosophy 76 pp. 396-406.
29
If you cite two works by an author, both from the same year, you can say Smith 1975a, p. 34
and Smith 1975b, p. 67.
Whether you use in-text citation or notes depends on how cluttered you think the text looks
when citations are placed in the middle of it.
The Internet
There is a lot of useful material about philosophy on the web. You are free to make use of it
only on condition that you acknowledge the source of the material by citing an exact url; this
is no different to giving a footnote citation for a printed work, and should be treated in the
same way: you must reproduce the url in your list of footnotes (if specifically quoted from)
or in your bibliography (if you have used material from the website as background help but
have not quoted from it directly).
As with printed works, even though you do not quote from a website directly, if you use it
heavily for help, you must indicate which parts of your essay rely on it and cite it in the
bibliography. You cannot avoid plagiarism simply by avoiding direct quotation.
If you are in any doubt about whether you might be committing plagiarism, see the Study
Advice pages at:
http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/studyadvice/StudyResources/Reading/sta-plagiarism.aspx
this. Then click Submit (at the bottom right hand side of the page). Your essay will then sit in
the system for your tutor to access as and when necessary.
Your essay must be submitted electronically by the deadline specified in the essay handout.
BlackBoard records the time at which the essay is downloaded, and this is the official date for
the purpose of determining late penalties.
BY SUBMITTING YOUR ESSAY, WHETHER ELECTRONICALLY OR IN HARD COPY, YOU ARE
DEEMED TO BE CONFIRMING THE FOLLOWING:
that this is your own work and use of material from other sources has been properly
and fully acknowledged in the text;
that you have read the definition of plagiarism given in the BA Philosophy Handbook;
that you understand that the consequence of committing plagiarism may include
failure in the Year or Part of your course or removal from membership of the
University;
that neither this piece of work, nor any part of it, has been submitted in connection
with another assessment.
Finally
Your BlackBoard copy must match your hard copy!
As your essays form part of the final assessment for each module, you are required to keep the
marked copy of each of your essays until the end of the academic year in which it was written.
The Department may on occasion require a student to return a marked essay as part of the
internal and external moderation process.
The University reserves the right to retain coursework for the purposes of Subject Review (both
internal and external).
indented on the left side. Indented quotations should not be enclosed within quotations
marks (but of course indented quotations do need to cite the source).
It is perfectly acceptable to make full use of quotations in your work; but to attempt to
pass off someone elses words as your own is plagiarism. Plagiarism primarily involves
the word-for-word reproduction of an authors or lecturers material without
acknowledgement, or the reproduction of such material with minor modifications (e.g.
of tense, pronouns, word order, etc.).
Reproducing parts of a lecturers handouts or lectures without acknowledgement also counts
as plagiarism. If you are giving a word-for-word quotation, the whole must be enclosed in
quotations marks and properly cited.
Plagiarism could result in an essays or presentations being awarded a fail mark. In bad cases,
a mark of 0% will be given to the essay, and an official warning noted in the Departmental
records. Repeated offences will be reported to the Faculty and can result in disciplinary
action such as removal from the University.
It occasionally happens that work is received which appears to have plagiarised material in it
and, in common with other universities, the University of Reading subscribes to a Plagiarism
Detection Service for comparing work received with that of other sources. By taking this
programme, students agree that all their required work may be submitted to this Service in
order to review for textual similarity and thereby help detect plagiarism. All submitted papers
may be included as source documents in the system's reference database solely for the purpose
of detecting plagiarism of such papers in the future. Use of the plagiarism service shall be
subject to such Terms and Conditions of Use as may be agreed between the Service and the
University of Reading from time to time and posted on the Service's and University's websites.
Further information on the consequences of plagiarism can be found on the Examinations
Office website at
http://www.reading.ac.uk/web/FILES/exams/UgGuide-2010-11.pdf.
When preparing an essay or dissertation, it is best to read a book or article page by page or
section by section and then to write notes on it in your own words, unless you come across a
particularly important passage or a phrase where the author seems to put a point in a very
effective way, in which cases you may want to copy out the exact wording into your notes.
You might also want to copy out sections of a primary source in case you wish to refer to it in
an essay or dissertation. But make sure that you indicate to yourself, by a foolproof method
that you will always remember, such as by using inverted commas or a different coloured
pen, where you have copied out passages or expressions from any source. Always note the
page number where the material you have copied occurs in case you wish to cite it as a
quotation in your essay or dissertation.
32
An essay or dissertation is expected to be in your own words entirely, save where you are
using direct quotations from primary or secondary sources.
If you use material from a book or article, you must always acknowledge the source. If it is a
phrase, sentence or longer passage, then it should appear as a quotation between inverted
commas and there should be a footnote giving full bibliographic details. You must also
reference any electronic material where you have used the Web as a source.
If you are using someone else's ideas but not their words you should employ phrases such as
Jones argues, again giving the source of your information.
Works quoted or cited should always appear in the bibliography as should any other books or
articles which you have used in the writing of your essay.
You should never take material from a book or article and merely change the wording a little,
passing it off as your own work.
Do not use lengthy quotations from other sources, and never write essays which are no more
than a series of quotations strung together, even if they are acknowledged. This is just bad
style.
If you are in any doubt as to what is acceptable, you should seek guidance from your
lecturers.
Family burial enclosures have been found at King Harry Lane. But at Folly Lane there is
no convincing reason to suppose that the burial is of anything other than one individual.
Probably a man in view of the nature of the pyre goods. This difference suggests
Poor practice
(4) Mentioning the authors name, but not marking quotations is still barely acceptable, as is
still representing others words as your own. At least you have said where the idea/material
comes from, though not using a proper referencing system:
Unlike the family burial enclosures at King Harry Lane, there is no clear reason to
suppose that the remains buried in the Folly Lane enclosure were anything other that
that of one adult individual, in view of the nature of the pyre goods the gender was
probably a male, in the view of Niblett. This difference suggests
(5) Better would be at least providing a complete reference, though this still does not make
unmarked quotations or slight re-phrasings acceptable:
Unlike the family burial enclosures at King Harry Lane, there is no clear reason to
suppose that the remains buried in the Folly Lane enclosure were anything other that
that of one adult individual, in view of the nature of the pyre goods the gender was
probably a male (Niblett 1999: 412). This difference suggests
Acceptable practice
(6) Below the quotation has been clearly acknowledged and referenced. This is good. However,
this is not to say that an essay significantly made up of quotations is acceptable, since we are
looking for your voice, your ideas, and your interpretations. Quotations should ideally be used
sparingly, only where they really succinctly sum up an argument, or where they are vital for
the development of an argument:
Unlike the family burial enclosures at King Harry Lane, there is no convincing reason to
suppose that the remains buried in the Folly Lane enclosure were not that of one adult
individual, in view of the nature of the pyre goods this was probably a man (Niblett
1999: 412). This difference suggests
Better practice
(7) Paraphrasing other peoples ideas is better, it demonstrates you have read their ideas; your
mind has worked through them and encapsulated them into words of your own:
Unlike the family burial enclosures at King Harry Lane (Stead & Rigby 1989), the burial
at Folly Lane was probably that of a single male adult, or so the excavator argued from
the pyre remains (Nibblett 1999: 412). This difference suggests
Best practice
(8) However an essay that just comprises paraphrasing of other peoples views can still result in
a fairly derivative essay. The best practice overall is where you take other peoples ideas and
you intermesh them, rather than sequentially paraphrasing them. This demonstrates your
ability to think comparatively, to be able to directly compare and contrast the work of
different academics, and to be able to vocalize your own point of view:
Stead and Niblett came to very different interpretations of their own cemetery
excavations at Verulamium. Steads excavation at King Harry Lane exemplified the group
34
homogenizing aspect of burial of one tier of society, whereas Nibletts Folly Lane
enclosure evoked separate treatment and disposal of one individual male. Both argued
this from the remains of the funerary pyre goods found buried with the cremated
remains (Stead & Rigby 1989, Niblett 1999).
in each such term). It is the students responsibility to maintain contact with their
supervisor, and to arrange supervisions during this period.
5. In the Autumn Term, you are also required to submit by the start of Week 3 at the
latest around 1000 words of draft material from one or more chapters or outlining some
of the main lines of argument the dissertation will examine. The first meeting will take
place by the end of Week 3 at the latest, and will focus on this material. Based on the
supervisions, and additional research, you are also required to submit a 3,000-word
draft of a substantial section of the dissertation by 12 noon, Friday of Week 10.
6. In the Spring Term, students should arrange to meet their supervisors in Week 1 or
Week 2 at the latest, in order to discuss their draft section and their schedule for the
forthcoming weeks. They should aim to submit a draft of the entire dissertation by 12
noon, Friday of Week 5, and should bear in mind that supervisors cannot be expected to read
any draft material submitted after Monday Week 8.
7. You must submit the dissertation to the Philosophy Office, HUMSS G44, by 12 noon, the
last day of the Spring term. There will be a 10-mark penalty for any dissertation
submitted late but within one calendar week after the deadline, after which a mark of
zero will be awarded.
8. Submission instructions:
a.
Dissertations must be bound, though not expensively or with hard covers. Comb
(spiral) binding or something similar is sufficient, with clear or stiff paper covers.
b.
Dissertations must be printed on one side of the page only, double spaced
(including notes), with margins of at least 1 inch on all sides.
c.
Notes can be at the bottom of each page (footnotes) or gathered together at the
end of the dissertation (endnotes).
d.
The bibliography must be at the end, with full publication details of all books
consulted.
e.
Whichever method of citation you use (for notes and bibliography), it must be
used consistently. Please consult style manuals in the Library, and also read the
information on citation methods in the Departments BA Handbook.
f.
The front page should state the title of the dissertation, your name, and the word
count.
g.
The limit of 10,000 words (including notes but excluding the bibliography) must
not be exceeded by more than a couple of hundred words if necessary; nothing
over that amount will be read.
h.
2.7 Examinations
The Universitys Undergraduate Guide to Assessment at
http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/exams/student/exa-guideUG.aspx provides full details of how
degree results are classified, what marks you may be awarded, and much other helpful
information.
36
At the end of the programme students will receive a transcript listing the modules taken and
the marks obtained. Records are kept of performance in both assessed and any non-assessed
work, and these may be used to help determine your degree classification in borderline cases
or in exceptional circumstances. For example, when students submit Extenuating
Circumstances forms, the Special Cases Committee judges whether their circumstances have
produced underperformance by reference to their essay grades and seminar performance. If
they have failed to attend seminars or submit essays their circumstances will not be treated as
grounds to increase their grades.
The award of the degree is based on your performance parts 2 and 3 in your examinations and,
with the exception of Introductory Logic in part 2 and Further Logic in part 3, on your
coursework essays. Where a module includes coursework, the coursework will contribute 30%
of the final module mark, in some modules an oral seminar presentation contributes 10% of
the module mark, and the written examination will contribute the remaining 60% or 70%.
Examinations are two hours long, and you will be asked to write two essays from a choice of
six essay titles, with the exception of Introductory Logic and Further Logic, where you will be
asked to answer all questions (which will be a selection of logic problems) on the exam paper.
To reflect the notion of progression through the programme, Part 2 assessment results will
have a lesser impact on a students Final Degree Classification than those of Part 3, with the
marks for Part 2 and Part 3 weighted in a ratio of 1:2.
well written, well presented and well structured. In the case of assessed essays and
dissertations, it has satisfactory referencing and an appropriate bibliography.
Understanding: you are not simply repeating material but can use it to answer questions.
Relevance: you understand the question and can use knowledge appropriately.
Read through the whole exam paper carefully. For essay-based exams, consider each
question: do you understand it, do you have the relevant knowledge to answer it? If not,
dont attempt the question. For non-essay based exams, look which questions are worth the
most amount of marks, and make sure you allow time to answer these.
Spend at least 5-10 minutes on each question, thinking about what you will write before
you start writing. Write an essay planthat way you can ensure that what you write is
relevant and that your answer has a clear structure (i.e., that the points follow each other in
a logical order, rather than being randomly assembled).
Make sure your answer deals with the whole question. If the question asks more than one
thing, you should address each thing asked.
Throughout the essay, make sure that all the points you make are relevant to the question
asked. Explain why you are making the points you do, and how they relate to the question.
Finish your essay with a brief conclusion, stating how the points you have made have
answered the question.
In general
Write legibly. If in doubt, you should write on every other line of the paper. If the
examiner finds your work hard to read, you may lose marks.
Dont use material that is irrelevant to the question. Suppose, for example, that you have
studied three arguments for the existence of God, but the exam asks you to discuss the
ontological argument. In this case, you should not discuss the other two arguments you
studied for the existence of God. If the question is on the ontological argument and you
write mostly about other arguments, you will probably fail. Do not feel your answers have
to use all the material youve studied.
Dont spend so much time on one essay question that you dont have enough time for the
other. In the case of the Reason and Argument paper, dont spend too much time answering
short questions, leaving insufficient time to answer the longer ones worth more marks.
Even if your initial answer(s) are terrific, an overly brief answer to the later ones will bring
your exam mark right down. Be strict with yourself!
Dont just answer one question on an essay exam, or leave out lots of questions on the
Reason and Argument exam. Notwithstanding the previous point, even if you can just write a
page on the second essay question, or a very brief set of remarks on later Reason and
Argument questions, you will get a much better mark than if you leave it out altogether.
E.g.: for an essay exam, if you get 60% on question 1 and 0 on question 2, your overall mark
will be 30% (which is a fail). If you get 60% on question 1 and 20% on question 2, your
overall mark will be 40% (which is a pass).
39
Past experience suggests that some candidates have adopted radically misguided strategies
when approaching finals, the most popular and disastrous being to cram the mind as full as
possible with information and then release it indiscriminately on the day of the examination.
The principal theme in the points discussed below is that a philosophy exam is not designed
simply to test your memory of the books you have read and the lectures you have attended; it
assesses above all your ability to sort out what is relevant from what is irrelevant, and to
organise the relevant material in a clear, concise and logical manner.
Conciseness:
Writing in exams demands rather more precision and conciseness than normally
exhibited in coursework, and the best way to acquire these virtues is by practice. It is
strongly recommended that students consult previous examination papers, which can be
obtained at:
www.reading.ac.uk/exams/
They should also practise writing some short answers, without books or notes, and under
timed conditions. Members of staff will be glad to look at these practice answers, and
make suggestions for improvements.
Relevance:
The most common cause of poor performance in finals is that candidates produce general
blanket coverage of a topic instead of focusing closely on the precise question set.
Example: Is there any sense of the word fact in which a true proposition can be
correctly said to correspond with a fact? It is very little use thinking Hurrah! I am
prepared for a question on truth and then proceeding to write down all you can remember
about various theories of truth (Correspondence, Coherence, Redundancy Theory, etc.).
There is simply no time for such a discursive answer; and in any case in a philosophy
exam you can expect little or no credit for material, however well presented, that does not
directly bear on the question that is actually asked. What is required, and rewarded, is
attention to the question.
Thread of argument:
The best exam answers are often those which vigorously argue a case, so that the direction
of thought is clear from the first to the final sentence. Before you begin each new
paragraph it is worth pausing to think How does what I am about to say connect with
what has gone before? Ruthlessly avoid the temptation to ramble or waffle; padding is
invariably counterproductive. For each answer it is worth spending at least five minutes
mapping out the direction of your argument before putting pen to paper.
a little time for reflection will often produce their best answers to slightly unexpected
questions.
Presentation:
It is worthwhile being fussy about what may seem minor points like spelling and
punctuation. A messy, badly, punctuated answer has little chance of achieving the clarity
and precision that are the hallmarks of good philosophical reasoning. Avoid over-long
sentences, and be careful to start a new paragraph when introducing a fresh point.
Legibility is extremely important. Remember that examiners will not give you the benefit
of the doubt if you produce reams of semi-legible material.
Some form of supporting evidence is required to support your case, such as a medical
certificate or letter from a counsellor. Please read the guidance on extenuating circumstances
procedures carefully.
In addition to submitting the form, you are strongly encouraged to discuss any
circumstances which you consider are affecting or might affect your work with your Personal
Tutor or the lecturer responsible for your coursework.
The relevant committee may decide that you have been adversely affected by extenuating
circumstances and where extenuating circumstances are accepted as having a significant
impact on your work, possible outcomes include:
If you are ill at the time of the examinations, the Examinations Office may be able to arrange
for you to take examinations in an examinations centre for students with special
arrangements. You should consult the Departmental Examinations Officer, or the Philosophy
Subject Officers in HumSS G44.
For further information, contact the departments study abroad co-ordinator, Dr Nat Hansen
(n.d.hansen@reading.ac.uk).
3. Academic Organisation
3.1 The Philosophy Department
The Philosophy Department is part of the School of Humanities in the thriving Faculty of Arts,
Humanities and Social Sciences. The School of Humanities comprises the Departments of
Classics, History and Philosophy. The Department has strong research links with these
Departments, but it is also actively connected with many other Departments, some in other
Faculties, through the research interests of staff.
The governments Subject Review in 2000 gave the Department a perfect score of 24 out of 24
for the quality of its teaching. In 2008 the Research Assessment Exercise placed the
Department equal third in the UK, rating us among the top five philosophy departments in the
UK and ahead of both Oxford and Cambridge.
The Department is well known for our friendly and co-operative atmosphere, in which
students and staff get to know each other on an individual basis.
Contact Details
Head of Department
John Preston
Mailing Address
Philosophy Department
University of Reading
READING
RG6 6AA
Phone Number
Fax Number
Web Page
http://www.reading.ac.uk/Philosophy
Course Staff
BA Programme Co-ordinator
Name
Room
(Hum
SS)
Professor
Max
De G64
Gaynesford
Telephone
r.m.degaynesford@reading.ac.uk
s.thiara@reading.ac.uk
Support Staff
Ms Sukh
Thiara
G44
43
Ms Karin
Mundt
G44
k.mundt@reading.ac.uk
44
45
to see you regularly to help you reflect on your progress and support your learning
to help you in the transition as you settle in to university, and to help you make the
most of your time at Reading
to advise and support you regarding your studies, and help you with any academic or
personal difficulties that may affect your progress
Obviously this relationship relies upon regular contact and mutual confidence between you
and your Personal Tutor. As a bare minimum, you must see your Personal Tutor at least once a
term at a time agreed with your Personal Tutor. But you should also take the initiative to see
your Personal Tutor whenever you have something you would like to talk over, and you should
feel free to do so at any time. Your Personal Tutor will be able to give you better advice and
sounder references if he or she knows you well. Make sure your Personal Tutor knows about
your achievements and skills, particularly those outside the immediate programme
curriculum.
If it appears that the relationship between Personal Tutor and student is not working as it
should, either party can request a re-allocation. You should discuss this in the first instance
with the Philosophy Support staff, Sukh Thiara or Karin Mundt, in HumSS G44.
If you would like feedback on your overall progress, module providers will give you an
indication of your progress in an individual module, while feedback on progress on your
programme will normally be given by your personal tutor or in some instances by the
Programme Co-ordinator.
46
The feedback you receive is intended to help you to develop and improve your
performance. Keeping your written feedback will help you to see if there are any common
themes that need to be addressed. It will also help you and your personal tutor to focus on
particular issues and to discuss specific strategies to overcome any weakness or to build on
good performance.
47
Department of Philosophy
PP1RA Reason & Argument assignment
FEEDBACK FORM
Date:
Name:
Marker:
Tick and initial here if the essay carries a green sticker was marked on these terms:
Raw mark:
Penalty (if applicable):
Final mark (after penalty):
All coursework marks are subject to internal moderation which may lead to
marks being changed. This piece of work has been moderated internally:
YES
NO
(If work has not yet been moderated prior to return, students will be informed of the outcome
of moderation as soon as possible.)
48
Department of Philosophy
Essay feedback form
Date:
Essay 1/2
Name:
Module code:
Marker:
Assignment title:
Poor
Virtue
Acceptable
Good
Additional comments:
Positive comments:
Suggestions for improvement:
Tick and initial here if the essay carries a green sticker was marked on these terms:
Raw Mark:
Penalty, if applicable:
Final Mark (after penalty):
All coursework marks are subject to internal moderation which may lead to
marks being changed. This piece of work has been moderated internally:
YES
NO
(If work has not yet been moderated prior to return, students will be informed of the outcome
of moderation as soon as possible.)
49
Part 2 or 3 Student wishing to change to a different programme at the same or next Part
If the change is accepted by the relevant School there is a Change of Status Change of Degree
Programme form which must be completed by the Programme Director (or Personal Tutor in
the Henley Business School) of the degree programme a student wishes to enter. This form is
then sent to the relevant Faculty Office for final approval to ensure that the correct
compulsory/qualifying modules have been taken at the relevant parts of the degree in order to
permit the transfer.
Additional information for visa national students
If you are one of the many students studying with us who needed a visa to enter the UK then
please read the following information carefully.
The majority of student visas are a Tier 4 (general) visa although some of you may be here
under a variety of different visas including dependent visas, Tier 1 and Tier 2 visas, student
visitor visa etc. In all cases each particular type of visa carries with it specific conditions
relating to your study. Therefore if you make any changes to your programme while you are
with us, such as changing degree programme, suspending or withdrawing, this may have
implications for your visa and the University, in some instances, is obliged to inform the Home
Office of these changes.
In order to support you in relation to the often complex rules and regulations surrounding
your visa, the University has an Immigration Team that offers students free immigration
advice. The Immigration Team can advise on a range of visa related issues including the effects
of programme changes to your visa, work entitlements, visa renewal and dependent related
issues. The Immigration Team is based in the Carrington Building and offers advice either via a
drop-in service, by appointment or by email. You can contact the immigration team by
emailing immigration@reading.ac.uk or by visiting the Immigration Team reception desk
located on the ground floor of the Carrington Building.
51
John Preston
Mailing Address
Philosophy Department
University of Reading
READING
RG6 6AA
Phone Number
Fax Number
Web Page
http://www.reading.ac.uk/Philosophy
Course Staff
BA Programme Co-ordinator
Name
Room
(HumSS)
Professor
Max
De G64
Gaynesford
Telephone
r.m.degaynesford@reading.ac.uk
Support Staff
Ms Sukh
Thiara
G44
s.thiara@reading.ac.uk
Ms Karin
Mundt
G44
k.mundt@reading.ac.uk
Academic Staff
Professor Emma Borg
Room
HumSS 71
52
Tel
e.g.n.borg@reading.ac.uk
HumSS G71
Tel
j.p.dancy@reading.ac.uk
HUMSS 64
Tel
r.m.degaynesford@reading.ac.uk
Dr Nat Hansen
Room
HUMSS 60
Tel
n.d.hansen@reading.ac.uk
HUMSS 62
Tel
b.w.hooker@reading.ac.uk
HUMSS 69
Tel
d.s.oderberg@reading.ac.uk
HUMSS 72B
Tel
j.m.preston@reading.ac.uk
Dr Severin Schroeder
Room
HUMSS 68
Tel
s.j.schroeder@reading.ac.uk
Dr James Stazicker
Room
Tel
HUMSS 67
0118 378 8118
j.stazicker@reading.ac.uk
Dr Shalini Sinha
Room
HUMSS 66
Tel
Shalini.sinha@reading.ac.uk
Dr James Andow
Room
HUMSS 59
Tel
j.andow@reading.ac.uk
HUMSS 61
0118 378 7562
p.j.stratton-lake@reading.ac.uk
Dr Elaine Beadle
Room
Tel
HUMSS 70
0118 378 7342
e.a.beadle@reading.ac.uk
Dr Mark Tebbit
Room
Tel
HUMSS 59
0118 378 6064
m.w.tebbit@reading.ac.uk
Sessional Staff
Sessional staff are allocated to teach in the Autumn and Spring terms, and are located in
HUMSS 65.
within HumSS and Palmer Building, lectures and seminars are spread over the whole
university campus.
are having trouble finding relevant material for essays in the Main Library. Students who want
to borrow books from the Departmental Library should apply the Subject Officers in HumSS
G44.
Vandalism: Library books, periodicals and other materials belong to the University community
and must not be treated as though they were your own property. Highlighting, underlining
and writing in books makes it difficult for others to read them and is an infringement of the
Library Rules. Heavy fines and/or suspension of borrowing rights are among the penalties that
can be imposed on those found damaging books or other items: perpetrators can be traced
through the computerised issue system.
http://www.epistemelinks.com
Immediate Search or search under headings - has a Fun and Humour section!
http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/philinks.htm
Guide to Philosophy on the Net - Peter Suber, Philosophy Dept. Earlham
http://logic.tamu.edu/cgi-bin/quizmaster
Interactive logic
56
http://plato.stanford.edu/
One of the most popular resources for Philosophy on the web, the Stanford Encyclopedia
contains a wide range of generally high standard articles on key topics.
Questions?
If you need help with resources or Library materials, contact the philosophy liaison librarian,
Miss Anna Richards (anna.richards@reading.ac.uk).
Remember that you must cite all web resources you use in your coursework and should not
simply cut and paste from web sources to coursework. See the entry on how to avoid
plagiarism below.
For further information on academic support, see the links the Library, IT Services and
Computing facilities on the online student handbook
http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/student/OnlineStudentHandbook/std-serv-osh-index.aspx
5.4 Communication
Students should note that email is the default means of communication between staff and
students. Students must use their official University email address when communicating with
the University - for the following reasons:
the University guarantees that your University of Reading email account will be
available to you for the entire duration of your studies;
the University guarantees that suitable, supported email software will be available to
you for the entire duration of your studies;
email sent from non-University mail accounts may be classified as SPAM and hence not
read.
Blackboard
Each module has its own BlackBoard site which students are encouraged to check regularly for
information. This will include information on essay titles and submission, details of any
seminars, and any changes to class times or locations, as well as general course information.
57
Reading address
You should also ensure that the Department has your Reading address and telephone number.
Contacting Staff
Students can contact staff either by email, or by coming to the relevant office during office
hours, or by leaving a note with one of the subject officers (in HumSS G44).
58
It is the responsibility of students to familiarise themselves with the content of the online
student handbook, and to use it as a reference when required. It is particularly important
that you read (or familiarise yourself with) the following academic policies and
procedures, which can also be found in the Online Student Handbook, since they govern
important aspects of your programme and may therefore have a significant impact on
your studies and the successful completion of your degree.
Guide to undergraduate assessment http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/exams/student/exaguideUG.aspx
Guide to postgraduate assessment
http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/exams/student/exa-guidePG.aspx
The Guides to assessment include important information in relation to:
60
As well as Full Time Officers, there is an elected team of 8 Part-time Officers. The Parttime Officers represent liberation and representation groups of students within the
University community.
The Part-time Student Officer Positions are:
Visit www.rusu.co.uk/coursereps to find out more about Course Reps, and how to get involved.
There are many student parents with young children. RUSU provides an
excellent nursery facility, Little Learners Nursery, for children aged 3
months to school age. If youre a parent and have your children here at
Reading, you can apply for a place by visiting www.rusu.co.uk/nursery
for more information.
RUSU also supports the running of student sports clubs on campus. Many of
our sports clubs compete on a national level in the BUCS League, but all
clubs offer opportunities for those from all levels of experience. There are
over 50 different sports to choose from. Many sports clubs even take part in
Varsity, an all-sport event which runs every year competing solely against
one other University. This is a great opportunity to demonstrate our sporting
talent, but also to show support for your University. Go to
www.rusu.co.uk/studentactivities and find out how to get involved.
Volunteering