ACADEMIC PRACTICES@ UNIVERSITY OF

JYVÄSKYLÄ

Elisa Heimovaara

International Coordinator

Faculty of Education and Psychology

5th January, 2021

JY. Just add U…

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 2

5. Examinations6. Assessment and Grades7. Contact with the Staff8. Questions and Answers

1. Planning your Studies2. Registering for Courses3. Modes of Study4. Written Assignments

Degrees in Finnish Universities

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 3

ECTS Credits

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 4

One academic year = 1600 hrs of work = 60 ECTS 1 ECTS = 1 JYU opintopiste (op) = 27 hrs of work What work is included in a credit?

– Lectures/ Seminars/ Demos/ i.e. contact teaching– Group/ pair work– Exams, essays or any other assignments and the time to prepare– Any other independent work

Academic Calendar

Autumn semester 2020 I period: 31 August - 25 October II period: 26 October - 18 December

Orientation programme: 25-28 August

Spring semester 2021 III period: 1 January - 14 March IV period: 15 March - 23 May V period: 24 May - 30 June (Summer

Semester; some teaching may beavailable. Faculties do not necessarilyorganise courses in the fifth period.

Orientation programme: 5 & 7-8 January Recommended arrival date: 4 January Easter Break: 29 March - 6 April

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 5

1. Planning Your Studies: 30 ECTS per Semester

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 6

• Personal Study Plan• Your Department/ Faculty• Centre for Multilingual Academic

Communication (Movi)• Other Departments/ Faculties

• N.B.Pre-requisites?Level?Language?

Personal Study Plan in Sisu

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 7

A Personal Study Plan (i.e. HOPS) is a documented plan of studies, their timing and order of completionthroughout the entire degree. A tool for planning the studies: it helps you to keep track of which studies are to take and which studies

have already been completed. Enables you to enroll on individual courses. The overall structure of the degree programme and thus the outline of the Study Plan is already in Sisu,

however: A lot of optionality in the main structure! (in most programmes)

When choosing the elective or completely optional studies, you can take your individual background,interests and career aims and employment prospects into account.

Instructions: https://www.jyu.fi/digipalvelut/en/guides/sisu-guide/for-students/forstudents

Choosing a Course

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 8

…A lot of optionality in the main structure… Mainly from your own Master’s Programme, possibly free-choice courses from other

Faculties/Departments Courses at the Centre for Multilingual Academic Communication (Movi) All courses can be found in the Sisu system; all titles are in English but always check the course info and

the Completion Methods: is it actually available for you and is it taught in English! Check:– Languages of learning

– Some courses may have contact teaching in Finnish but int’l student are allowed to complete the course byindependent study in English

– Subject specific restrictions (e.g. JSBE)

– Prerequisites

– Level – course code!

COURSES BY MAINLY DISTANCE LEARNING IN Jan – Mar 2021 DUE TO COVID-19

Course Codes

The first 3 digits of the codeusually express the hostsubject (in Finnish), the 4th digitexpresses the level of studies.

For example: TIE = tietotekniikka (=Information Technology) PSY = Psychology XEN = X for Movi, English language

xxxPxxx = Perus = BA/BSc basic (1st year) xxxAxxx = Aine = BA/ BSc intermediate (2nd-3rd year) xxxSxxx = Syventävä = Master's level (Advanced) xxxJxxx = Jatko = Doctoral level

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 9

2. Registering for Courses

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 10

• Registration period is stated in the CompletionMethods tab of the Course Description in Sisu

A course may have separate registration forlectures/ exams/ demos!

If a course is full, you may go to first lecture tosee if there is availability, esp. language courses

Please cancel your registration if you changeyour plans!

When to Enrol/ Register?

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 11

When your University user license is fully functional. Your degree programme usually has planned thecourses and their timing accordingly.

You must first include the course in your Study Plan and then you make a separate enrolment for thosecourses which you will be completing during that period/ semester.

Courses have enrolment deadlines which are announced in SISU in the course description participationin a course is confirmed after the end of the registration period

Sisu?

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 12

All course information Electronic personal study plan (eHOPS) Registration for courses and exams Transcript of Records (Jybar) Course descriptions SISU is both in Finnish and in English; choose your language Keep your email address and other contact information updated in SISU! Problems with SISU contact the SISU support (sisu-info@jyu.fi) SISU is a new system and still in process - please be patient!

3. Modes of Study

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 13

Vary from Faculty to Faculty, programme to programme and course to course Seminars, demos, practical work, group work, presentations, independent study, online courses, lectures,

book exams (no oral exams!), essays and reports, learning diaries

Example of a Course Outline

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 14

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 15

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 16

Important to Notice

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 17

Confirmation of registration Possibly overlapping schedules; no ready-made timetables for students Do not miss the first lecture; all the important information is given there! If not possible, please ask! Academic quarter of an hour…14:00 or 14:15? Attendance requirements vary; check with the lecturer! Class sizes vary (10-400)! Teaching methods vary!

4. Written Assignments

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 18

Great cultural differences on structure, style and referencing: be aware of your own background anddifferences in academic culture and writing conventions!

• Submission vary (paper/ e-mail/ Moodle…)• Check deadlines

Academic Fraud and Plagiarism

Fraud means: cheating (e.g. talking!) on an exam; copying an assignment; giving a fellow student your work to

present it as their own; taking an exam for someone else; falsifying measurements or other findings.

Plagiarism means: copying someone else’s work either

directly or in a modified form (incl.summarizing or translations) withoutproperly naming the source!

It must be clear for the reader at all timeswhich part of the text is borrowed, what isthe cited publication/ material, and towhich section of the publication ormaterial the citation refers to (e.g. pagenumbers).

REFERENCES!5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 19

JYU Code of Conduct for Preventing and Dealing withAcademic Fraud and Plagiarism…

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 20

Ethical guidelines for studying and the processing of academicfraud: https://www.jyu.fi/en/study/administrative-rules-and-regulations/processing-of-academic-fraud

Ensure you know how to avoid fraud! Plagiarism detection software is in use

5. Exams

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 21

• Lecture exams• Book exams• General exams• E-exams

Retakes are available After 2 no-shows/failed exams, the student must consult

the teacher about the possibility to take the exam. Only a certain number of books are available; please plan

ahead…

Lecture Exams

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 22

In many courses (not all) at the end of a course/ period. A part of the course. Dates for exam and re-exams stated in Sisu. Separate registration for Tentti (= exam) in Sisu. If you cannot attend: discuss with the teacher beforehand!

Book Exams

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 23

Book exam can be:a) a part of a course with contact teaching orb) the only mode of studying of an independent study course, i.e. no lectures!

On general examination days:– Faculty specific dates– organised once per month (COVID-19 exceptions!)– duration: 4 hrs

General Examination Day, Part I: Registration(COVID-19 exceptions!)

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 24

For each general exam date there is a list of exams you can take that date Registration in Sisu Deadline usually 7-10 days before the exam day; late registrations are not accepted! Cancel your registration if you decide not to take the exam! If you do not show up, you have

lost one chance to take the exam.

General Examination, Part II:On the Day

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 25

Roll call & personal envelopes before the exam outside the exam room (COVID-19 exceptions!); You are not allowed to leave the exam within the first 30 minutes; If nobody has not yet left the examination room, late arrival is permitted. Leave your bag next to the wall of the exam room, take only the pen(cil)s and erasers with you. No mobile phones, handouts or dictionaries (unless otherwise mentioned)! It is not allowed to open the envelope until permission is given. No talking – at all – in the exam room! Remember to take your ID/ student card to the exam (your identity will be checked when you

return the exam). No cheating!

eExaminations

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 26

E-exam Guide Some (not all) exams can also be taken as eExams Registration in the eExam system In the eExam rooms (Agora building, room Ag C221, Mon - Fri 8 - 20

or in Proxima, room X150, Mon - Fri 8 – 16) eExam room sometimes overloaded, especially towards the end of semester

register on time Registration possible 60 days prior to the planned exam date

6. Assessment and Grades

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 27

Work is assessed within two weeks of submission, results in Sisu• 0-5 scale• Re-assessment• Transcript of Records

Grades

Some courses may be gradedPass/ Fail If you fail your exam/ course,

please talk to the teacher to agreea reassessment

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 28

About the Grades

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 29

“Normal distribution” is NOT used, i.e. all students can get a 5, if they do well No University level assessment criteria Grades and credits do not have any connection, i.e. all students will receive the

same number of credits (for the same amount of work), but can receive adifferent grade Students are not usually compared with each other on the basis of their grades

Where to Find the Results?

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 30

Results are published within two weeks of completing an assignment or exam. Results will appear in SISU study plan &

in the Completed Credits section (My Profile Completed credits)

Transcript of Records

Includes all courses you have successfullycompleted at JYU

Includes ECTS credit values and grades Does not include courses you have failed/

cancelled

You can get digitally signed, official documentsimmediately by downloading them from Jybar. You can find Jybar from the top right-hand corner

of the University website.

Jybar can also be accessed from Sisu by clickingthe University's logo placed on the top left-handcorner of the page.

Further information about the Certificate ofRegistration and the Transcript of Records.

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 31

7. Contact with the Staff

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 32

JYU Main page: https://www.jyu.fi/en / Contacts• Informal, non-hierarchical student-teacher relationship• Direct, to the point communication, styles and preferences vary a lot…• Please be patient; please do not expect an immediate response.

Academic Atmosphere

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 33

• Casual but respectful relationship with professors and other staff: students call their teachers by their(first) names, not by their titles.

– The informal ”you = sinä”, is generally used instead of the formal address, “You = te”.• Even many professors dress very casually. Feedback collected at the end of each course. You can ask for feedback about your performance directly from teacher. Staff often have weekly appointment hours or appointment agreed by e-mail only. (COVID-19

exceptions!). Differences in preference for the use of e-mail – please check. Be precise in your e-mails: state the topic clearly in the subject field, mention the code/ name of the

course or other important details on the matter, use your first and last name as written in Sisu. Please allow enough time for the staff to answer your e-mails, do not expect an immediate answer

Who Can I Ask? Where Can I Find Information?

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 34

JYU/ Faculty/ Department www-pages and Study Guides! Programme/Faculty/ Dept. Administration: Educational Planners, Study Secretaries

– Exam arrangements etc. International Coordinator Course teachers

– Any course specific queries (assignments, grades, attendance, etc.) International Office (T-building, main campus)

– General matters, e.g. Friendship Family programme etc. Your peers in your community

– Tutors, Student Union (Subcommittee for International Affairs), Subject Associations, …

Academic Freedom and Responsibility

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 35

Freedom and right to think and learn and make choices in your studies…and teaching! Flexibility of the system No strict control over students … but this does not mean that there are no rules! Expectation of mature and independent behaviour Ability to plan & organize: be in charge! Remember to ask if something seems unclear With freedom comes responsibility…

Know the Rights, Responsibilities and Duties of bothStudents and Staff

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 36

Studies are regulated by national legislation and decisions made by theUniversity:https://www.jyu.fi/en/study/administrative-rules-and-regulations

Take Care! Goodies Are Here to Help!

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 37

There may be bumps on the road: please remember that you’re not alone! The Goodies, i.e. wellbeing advisers, are there for you when you need someone to talk to.

– Trained members of staff; they are not therapists or psychologists but they are there to listen and toguide students to the right place for help.

– Come with any issue or problem, “big or small”– Always confidential.– Here to find solutions to your situation together. They may not have readily available answers but

there is a wide network of help to look into. More about the Student Life concept, the Student Compass and Goodies at:

https://www.jyu.fi/studentlife/en/wellbeing.

Keep Informed!

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 38

Current News and everything else from New student handbook to Graduation and departure:https://www.jyu.fi/en/study

JYUSletter! Mailing list for international students

– Sign up at: http://lists.jyu.fi/mailman/listinfo/fs-news

Faculty/ Departmental mailing lists for students– Automatic, not routinely translated

– Possibly specific lists for int’l students

Facebook

– IMDPs– IDESCO– ESN Jyväskylä

8. Questions and Answers

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 39

• Ask!• Get involved!• Explore!• Enjoy!

5.1.2021JYU SINCE 1863. 40

Be JYUnited.