IMU's Policies
Academic Board Policy
Academic Board Policy
This Policy applies to the Academic Board and its functions.
- The Academic Board is formed as the principal academic authority in the college. It is responsible to the President for maintaining high standards in teaching.
- The Academic Board may initiate reviews on academic governance matters.
- The Academic Board reports to the President.
The Academic Board fulfils its responsibility in the following ways:
- Establish and maintain academic standards through implementing policies and procedures.
- Advice the President on academic matters.
- Inform the College Council of academic matters.
- Carry out activities to meet the school’s academic compliance obligations including:
- Ensure all lecturers prepare schemes of work, assignment briefs, and examination question papers on time.
- Hold monthly meetings to verify assignment briefs and examination question papers to ensure that they confirm to academic standards specified in the specifications.
- Ensure administration of examinations in examination conditions.
- Ensure exam papers and assignments get marked on time.
- Ensure that students get their marked exam papers and assignments in their account within 20 days of taking the assessment.
- Organize classroom supervision of teaching through an external supervisor.
- Collect, analyze and report to the President on student feedback on teaching and learning.
- Review all academic programs annually.
- Make recommendations to the President for the conferral or granting of academic awards.
- Investigate cases of academic misconduct and ensure adequate procedures for preventing misconduct.
- Investigate and judge on academic appeals.
- The Academic Board reports to the President.
- Ratify the final moderated marks for each course.
- Ratify individual student assessment profiles leading to progression, continuation and award.
- Ensure that the assessment of students has been conducted in accordance with School and MQA regulations.
Admission Policy
Admission Policy
Admission plays an important role in quality assurance and enhancement. We follow the MQA regulations on admission. Students are screened to ensure that they meet the minimum requirements before they are accepted into a program of study. This process is carried out by the registrar with the help of the administration.
Minimum entry requirements
- Each applicant is required to submit copies of their qualifications together with their applications.
- The applications are processed by an administrative staff and checked to ensure all the required documentation is there.
- The applications are then forwarded to the Registrar who makes a decision on whether to offer a place or not based on the applicant having met the minimum criteria set by the MQA.
- The Registrar then asks an administrative staff to write placement letters for applicants who meet the entry requirements and send them to the applicants.
- A fee schedule for the course is included with the placement tetter.
- The applicants are given a deadline to enroll in the course and pay the fee.
- The school then informs applicants whose applications were rejected.
Alternative entry route
The applicants are allowed to join the programs through the alternative entry criteria as prescribed by the MQA for various levels of MNQF qualifications.
Assessment Policy
Assessment Policy
IMU University is dedicated to providing students with high quality higher education. The school views assessment as a major factor in its quality assurance system.
The conduct of student assessment is a function of the Assessment Board. The basic principles applied in student assessments are:
- They should assess the learning outcomes specified in the module specifications.
- They should be rigorous and designed to support high standards.
- The assessment process must be transparent.
- The assessments must be equitable in both design and operation.
- They must be valid and reliable.
In accordance with these principles, the school will:
- Maintain standards by ensuring external scrutiny of its courses by an external verifier and consideration of their reports.
- Publish and regularly review procedures governing the conduct of assessments.
- Ensure that the criteria for the assessment of qualifications are kept under revision.
- Have in place procedures for the consideration of special assessment arrangements for reasons of disability or other special need.
- Have a proper mechanism for the resolution of complaints and appeals of an academic nature.
- Establish regulations and procedures for dealing with academic misconduct.
- Encourage students to participate in the improvement of teaching and assessment practices by giving student feedback.
Degree Committee
Degree Committee
The attendance policy is in place to help the school to enable students to achieve their qualification while fulfilling the contact time requirement of the IMU University Qualifications Authority. As students have made an enormous financial investment in choosing to pursue higher education, it is the school’s policy to follow up promptly on absences and support the students in their studies as fully as possible.
At the IMU University, we are committed to helping students to successfully complete their course by providing great resources and student support and a safe learning environment.
Attendance rules
- All the students are required to attend a minimum of 80% of the class duration in order to get attendance for the class.
- All students are required to maintain an 80% attendance for graduation.
- The student who has an attendance of more than 50% but less than 80% will have to pay the supervised learning fee to compensate for the attendance shortage through supervised learning sessions.
- It is compulsory for students to attend functions/activities organized by the College on various occasions like Student Day.
- If any student’s attendance is lower than 80%, their results will not be sent to MQA for approval unless they compensate their attendance to make it up to 80%.
- If a student’s attendance is lower than 50%. their results will be nullified, and they are required to retake the module after paying the module retake fee of MVR 3500.
Equal Treatment Policy
Equal Treatment Policy
The school will ensure that it provides equal opportunity & treatment for all students, without discrimination. Thus, the school will:
- Provide resources to meet the special assessment needs of individual students.
- Provide candidates with information on their responsibilities in the assessment process.
- Provide candidates with constructive feedback to enable them to achieve the award.
- Maintain records of assessment and verification decisions and make them available for inspection by candidates and the awarding body.
Grades Appeal Policy
Grades Appeal Policy
The aim of the school is to offer all learners fair and equal access to assessment against the school’s standards, including provisions of constructive feedback as appropriate. The assessor and students will work together during this process and both would agree on the decisions made. However, there may be times when students disagree with assessment decisions. The grades appeal procedure provides the student with the means to appeal against any decisions deemed unfair by the student.
Students may appeal for a re-check of a course mark/grade in writing within one month after the mark/grade is awarded. No charge is levied for processing appeals.
Upon receipt of the appeal, a panel of assessors will evaluate the assessment. The grade awarded by the panel, after being endorsed by the Registrar, will be conveyed to the student and recorded in the student’s record and transcript. The decision made by the Registrar is final and no further appeal will be allowed.
1.Grounds for appeal
Students can appeal against a decision by an assessor if they can show that:
- There was insufficient notice of the date, time and place of assessment.
- Any special equipment that they required was not available.
- Their special needs were not discussed prior to the assessment.
- Student were not given access to the appropriate resources
2.Grounds for non-appeal
Students cannot appeal against a decision made by the assessor or verifier for the following reasons:
- If they disagree with the assessor for personal reasons.
- If they feel that the school’s methods of assessment is not appropriate.
- If they feel that the school does not accept or recognize their prior learning.
Health & Safety Policy
Health & Safety Policy
The school’s health and safety policy sets out our responsibilities in respect of the health and safety of its students, and anyone else working in or visiting the school.
The school will ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare, of all students and members of the general public when they use our premises and facilities.
This includes maintaining safe and healthy learning conditions for all students.
All students have a responsibility to do everything they can to prevent injury to themselves, their fellow students, the school employees and any other person whilst on the school premises. Students must ensure that they are familiar with emergency evacuation procedures. Students are required to report any accidents or near misses which have occurred, whilst on the school premises or at any location where Work Experience Placement is being undertaken, to their tutor or other school employee, as soon as practicable.
Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism is writing others’ words or ideas in your assignment without giving them credit. Students must acknowledge, in the form of in-text citations, the source of phrases and ideas that are not their own. You do not need to acknowledge ideas and phrases that are common knowledge. But, if you use ideas or phrases that were used originally by someone else, you must give credit.
A student must not plagiarize any idea, writing, data or invention belonging to another person. For the purpose of this rule, plagiarism includes:
- Using another writer’s words without proper citation.
- Using another writer’s ideas without proper citation.
- Citing the source but reproducing the exact words of a printed source without quotation marks.
- Borrowing the structure of another author’s phrases or sentences without crediting the author.
- Borrowing all or part of another student’s paper or using someone else’s outline to write your own paper.
- Using a paper writing “service” or translating the writing or creation of another person from one language to another.
- Any form of plagiarism found in assignments will result in disciplinary action that may lead to dismissal.
- Plagiarism will be detected through Turnitin for all the papers/assignment reports submitted on the student portal.
- The College will follow the below-mentioned marking scale for the assignment/papers marking based on content similarity as per Turnitin.
Policy on Academic Misconduct
Policy on Academic Misconduct
Malpractice is the deliberate falsification of records or influencing the systems within the school for the purpose of obtaining certificates without due assessment. This may involve students, school staff or others. The school has the following procedure to report and investigate malpractice.
Malpractice by students
It is a grave offence to engage in any form of malpractice. The following are examples of malpractice by students:
- Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the act of copying and presenting as the student’s own work, the whole or part(s) of another person’s work and without appropriately acknowledging the source. This includes presenting artwork, images, words, thoughts, inventions and discoveries.
- Collusion: Collusion involves presenting work produced in a group as individual work. The school encourages teamwork and collaboration which are essential skills in many sectors and academic disciplines. However, such activities should involve the use of minutes, task allocation and agreeing outcomes. In such cases, work students submit must contain individual contributions that are different from the rest of the team’s work.
- Impersonation: Impersonation is presenting work for another student pretending to be that student or letting someone else do this for you.
- Fabrication of evidence.
- Refusal to follow the instructions in examinations or assessments.
- Misuse of material provided for assessment or examination.
- Using unauthorized material and exchange of unauthorized communication in examinations and assessments.
- Cheating to gain an unfair advantage.
Investigation of allegations of malpractice
The College will appoint a member of the faculty to investigate any such allegations. The process involves the following:
The facts relating to the allegation will be established in order to decide if malpractice has occurred, such as:
- Authenticity of assignments or answer scripts.
- Whether or not the student is still studying towards the qualification after obtaining the certificate.
- Whether or falsified records were used to obtain the certificate.
A course of action, including remedial and punitive action against the parties involved, will be decided upon and implemented.
A report will be submitted to the Senate once the investigations have been completed, giving in details of the evidence, conclusions and recommendations.
Professional Development Policy
Professional Development Policy
1. Learning Theories
2.Content Development:
- Contents should not be too basic or too specific.
- Contents must not be too specific or too general.
- Slides must be readable; not include too many contents in one slide, charts, pictures, tables, and diagrammatic illustrations must be clear and easy to comprehend; Slides should be inappropriate color and font size; slide design must be appealing and students must perceive the slides as well organized.
- Students must find it easy to comprehend what is demonstrated in the lecture slides.
- Students must not perceive the content as too much or too little.
3.Build Interpersonal Skills:
- Building rapport; trust; respect among students
- Communicating Informatively and Supportively.
- Communicating clearly.
- Verbal communication must match non-verbal communication.
- Build Listening skills.
4.Enhancing Professors delivery
- Professors must be able to maintain the speed of delivery by not being too slow or fast.
- Students must feel comfortable listening to lectures that are neither too quiet nor loud.
- Professors must be cautious not to halt noticeably but deliver it smoothly.
- Professors must sound lively and must not lecture monotonously which would otherwise lead to boredom.
5.Faculty attitude
a.Professors must maintain good etiquette while delivering, inside and outside school premises.
b.It is essential to build and maintain the attitudes listed so forth:
- Caring
- Supportive
- Motivating
- Inspiring
c.However, professors must avoid the following negative attitudes:
- Rude
- Mean
- Belittling
- Sarcastic
6.Self-learning and continuous learning
- Strengthening teachers’ knowledge of specific subject-matter content.
- Engage in self-learning and continuous development.
- Learning through research and writing articles and journals.
Quality Assurance Policy
Quality Assurance Policy
The College aims to maintain high standards in its educational provision. Our policy is, therefore, to maintain and enhance the quality of our educational provision in a manner that will ensure compliance with MQA requirements and student needs. The policy will be implemented through the following processes and procedures.
Quality Assurance Process
Quality assurance and enhancement takes place through the quality assurance and enhancement framework which describes the quality assurance and enhancement policies and procedures. The following outlines the quality assurance and enhancement framework.
- The quality assurance and enhancement of the College’s programs take place within its own guidelines, the guidelines provided by our curriculum providers and through the mechanisms in place for accreditation and approval at the Maldives Qualifications Authority.
- The quality of learning and teaching is maintained and enhanced in the College through the Senate and the faculty.
- The Senate is charged with promoting the academic excellence of the College. It does so through the Quality Assurance, Enhancement and Compliance Committee.
- Responsibility for quality assurance and enhancement is shared by senior officers of the College. The President leads on issues related to quality assurance. He works with members of the faculty to develop academic policy and to develop and maintain best practices.
- The Senate and the faculty work together to ensure that the quality of learning and teaching is maintained.
- Although quality assurance and enhancement are the responsibility of the QAECC, the responsibility to assure and enhance quality lies within individual program areas.
- Professor of individual subjects take on continuous improvement of the quality of learning, teaching and student experience. This is done through student feedback, peer observation, supervision of teaching, faculty professional development and student support in the form of guidance and counseling. These are critical to maintaining the high standards of outcomes expected of the Maldives Business School’s graduates.
- Those faculty members who are in charge of the administration of the program undertake to periodically review the curricular content of the program and make recommendations to the QAECC.
Quality Review Policy
Quality Review Policy
Internal Review
- A one-year Quality Cycle will be maintained by the Quality Assurance, Enhancement and Compliance Committee (QAECC).
- Each year the QAECC will conduct a peer review of teaching and learning in all the courses to ensure that students are enabled to achieve the required standards. The report will be presented for consideration by the QAECC.
- The peer review data are given to an external verifier from outside of the College who will visit the classrooms and meet with the faculty and students to discuss the courses and resources.
- Based on the report, each concerned faculty will write a one-page report addressing the main concerns identified in the review report. Good practice gleaned from the reports are then shared as examples.
- In addition, the College also monitors the effectiveness of its teaching and learning process through assessments and students’ feedback.
External Review
- An appropriately qualified external verifier is appointed to assess if standards set out in the specifications are being maintained. They do this by examining the assessment instruments, internal marking and peer reviews.
- The External Verifier (EV) will produce a report to be presented to the QAECC on the attainment of learning outcomes given in the specifications and assessment methods.
- The QAECC will review the EV reports and submit them to the Senate with recommendations which will take action to maintain and enhance quality.
Redo & Late Submission Policy
Redo & Late Submission Policy
Assignments are to be submitted on stipulated dates. Failure to do so would result in non-acceptance and would lead to a late fee of USD 250 per task.
If a student does not achieve the Pass grade or missed some of the pass criteria in a submission, the student must resubmit the assignment again covering the unmet criteria.
The following are the guidelines regarding the submission of assignments for students:
- Once students have completed an assignment attach the cover page to it. If the assignment is a word file, save it as a PDF file and submit it on the student portal. If it is a PowerPoint file, attach the PowerPoint cover page and submit it on the student portal.
- Students should complete your assignment for each module and pass them all to graduate. Each assignment will be marked by a suitable faculty member.
- Assessment briefs are published on the student portal and explained in the classroom by the faculty in the first week of each module. The brief will tell students how to do the assignment.
- Every assignment has a due date and students are expected to submit assignments within the due date. All assignments must be submitted through the student portal and no assignment will be accepted in person or by email. In the event a student cannot submit an assignment within the due date without obtaining an extension, it would be considered as a non-submission.
- All assignments must be submitted with the relevant cover page after being duly filled out by the students. Assignments without the cover page will be rejected.
- Student must read all the expected sources and evidence of their reading must appear in the body of their report as in-text citations.
- Student must reference all sources using generally accepted referencing conventions. Assignments that are not properly referenced will be rejected.
- Students must not copy and paste others’ work in their assignments. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. Students’ assignment will be rejected if it contains plagiarized work.
- There are no group assignments. All assignments are individual assignments. Where group work has been conducted, individual student submissions must include their own contribution relating to all the criteria.
- All assignments have a word limit, usually ranging from 2000 – 4,500 words. Individual tasks may require fewer words. Students’ assignments will be rejected if they exceed the maximum number of words allowed. Students can write a maximum of +10% words in excess of the word limit. The word count for a report is made from the beginning of the introduction to the end of the conclusion. The cover page, abstract, table of contents and references are not included in the word count.
- If the students fail to submit the given assignment on time, they can submit it on a later date by paying the late fee of USD 250.
- If any student is not satisfied with the marks they scored in the assignment, they can submit the assignment with the amendments for remarking with the resubmission fee of USD 100 for improvement in grades.
- Every student has two attempts for submitting their assignment for remarking in case they are not satisfied with the marks scored.
- In case of examination as well, student can re-sit for examination in case they score low marks in examination for improvement in grades. Each re-sit for examination student will be charged USD 250.
Refund Policy
Refund Policy
Any fees paid will be reimbursed according to the following table, regardless of attendance and use.
- Students wishing for a reimbursement first submit (1) a course withdrawal form and, (2) a refund form to the office.
- Any refunds will take a minimum of 30 days to process.
Deferment Policy
Deferment Policy
This policy sets out the procedure and regulations applicable to students who wish to suspend their studies on a temporary basis and intend to resume their studies in the future. Taking a break from the course before the semester starts will be considered a deferment according to this policy. This could be due to work, travel, or other personal reasons.
A student cannot defer the course for any less than the length of a semester, i.e., 6 months. The maximum duration allowed for deferment is 2 semesters (12 months) at a time. Students who have deferred their course can join the next semester without additional charges. However, if there are any changes in the fee structure when the student resumes the course, the student may be required to pay according to the new fee structure.
Any student wishing to defer the course for any reason can request the deferment within 30 days of the semester start date. Students are required to submit the duly filled deferment form provided on the college website within the first 30 days of the semester start date. After the submission of the deferment request, deferment approval will be provided within 7 days and the student will be notified accordingly.
Any request for course deferment received after 30 days from the semester start date will be rejected and the student will be responsible for their attendance. To ensure enrolment for the new semester after course deferral, the student must contact the college 1 month prior to the commencement of the new semester.
Progression Policy
Progression Policy
The aim of this policy is to set conditions for students enrolled in Bachelor’s Degree courses to progress from one year to the next. The following are the prerequisites for progression:
Progression from Year 1 to Year 2
The student:
1. Should have achieved at least a pass grade in all the 8 modules in Year 1.
2. Should have attended 80% of classes in all the 8 modules in Year 1.
3. Should have paid all due fees for Year 1 Including the annual administrative charge of USD 1500/-.
Progression from Year 2 to Year 3
The student:
1. Should have achieved at least a pass grade in all the modules in Year 1 & Year 2.
2. Should have attended 80% of classes in all the modules in Year 1 & Year 2.
3. Should have paid all due fees for Year 1 & Year 2 Including the annual administrative charge of USD 1500/-.
This policy supersedes any previous policy.
For further clarification, please contact our student services on +855 768 383 199 .
Last Updated: 22 September 2024
Re-Registration Policy
Re-Registration Policy
Objective: This policy outlines the conditions for students who wish to resume their course after a period of inactivity of 1 semester or longer without formally notifying the college.
Resuming the Course: Students who wish to continue their course or resume their studies should take note of the following:
If the student has been inactive for more than 1 semester, a re-registration fee of MVR 2,500 is required for enrollment in the registered course.
Note:
- This policy applies to all courses (excluding deferred students).
- The re-registration fee is non-refundable.
- The period of inactivity is counted as 1 semester starting from the date of the student’s last attended class or the date of submission of their last assignment or exam.
- If a student does not complete the enrolled course within the maximum duration allowed, they are required to start the course again. (This includes the duration of deferment). Please refer to the table below for the maximum duration allowed to complete the course.
Credit Transfer & Exemption Policy
Credit Transfer & Exemption Policy
Purpose
This policy prescribes the system, standards, procedures, and terms and conditions under which students may be granted advanced standing at IMU University. Credit transfer recognizes the successfully completed prior learning experiences of the students and provide them with the opportunity to accelerate their progress towards completion of their program.
Policy Statement
IMU University recognizes the prior learning and experience achieved by the student from any other institute, college or university. College provides them with the framework to get their prior learning recognized and transferring the credit to the current course they enrolled in with the college. This policy highlights the rules and regulations along with the conditions which are to be satisfied in order to provide credit transfer for the prior learning. The credit transfer policy set in accordance with the guidelines set by the MQA.
Scope
This policy applies to all the students who enrolls in under-graduate and post-graduate programs offered by the college from level 4 to level 9.
Definitions
- Credit: Credit is the agreed means of measuring and recognizing the learning which are required to be achieved by a student to achieve the qualification. The credit is always correlate with the learning hours where students showcase their commitment and effort towards learning in achieving the qualification. The learning hours includes the time spent by the student in classes, doing their assignment, project work, content research, preparation for examination and examination. A student achieves the credit on the successful completion of the course and scoring minimum pass grade in the course. Total of 120 credits make up one academic year for all the programs extending from Level 4 to Level 9.
- Credit Transfer: A process whereby the school recognizes and validates the prior learning of a student after verifying all the relevant documents like certificates, statement of results, letter of completion with MQA reference number and allowing the student to get the credit transferred from the prior learning to their current programs in which they are enrolled with the school. The student does not need to attend the programs or courses for which credit transfer has been approved by the school. EX will be printed on the transcript for the program/course for which credit transfer been approved by the school.
- Prior Learning: Learning acquired outside of IMU University from any MQA recognized institution through previous coursework, professional experience, or other formal and informal learning experiences.
- Exemption: An exemption is provided to a student who have previously studied a particular course and had achieved the pass grade from any other MQA recognize institution. The student need not to attend or do any form of assessments for the courses they been granted exemption. EX will be printed on the transcript for the courses exempted.
Criteria for Credit Transfer
- Prior learning must be related, relevant and equivalent in terms of content of the courses offered at IMU University.
- The student must have secured a minimum of pass grade from the previous institute for the courses applied for exemption under credit transfer.
- Exemption for the course may be allowed for equivalent modules that have been taken in other institutions provided that certified copies of evidence are provided and the school is satisfied that the content and depth with at least 70% similarity in the content.
- The student must be able to produce the documents to validate the prior learning.
- Student need to apply for the credit transfer immediately after their enrollment in the program along with all the relevant documents.
- The learning experience must have occurred within the past five years from the date of enrollment. Prior learning that is older than five years will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
- Application for credit transfer and exemption can only be made by a student who have formally enrolled in the programs.
Limitations
- For the under-graduate programs, maximum of 2/3 of the total credit transfer will be allowed for credit-transfer.
- For the post-graduate program, maximum of 1/3 of the total credit will be allowed for credit transfer.
- Any request for credit transfer will not accepted after the first six months of enrollment in the program.
- Exempted courses will not be counted towards the total grades awarded for a program.
- Exempted courses/programs are recorded on the student’s transcript but are not included in the total grades awarded for a program.
Credit Transfer Procedure
- Students seeking credit transfer and exemption must submit the Application for Credit Transfer and Exemption form available on the college website.
- Students are required to submit the Application for Credit Transfer and Exemption on the college website along with the relevant documents like certificates and transcripts for evaluation and validation.
- The submitted applications for credit transfer and exemptions are forwarded to the Registrar for evaluation and validation of the prior learning.
- Registrar after evaluating and validating the submitted application for credit transfer and exemption provides the approval.
- The letters of Statement of Advanced Standing and Exemption are emailed to the students whose applications for Credit Transfer and Exemptions has been approved by the Registrar.
- The students whose applications got rejected by the Registrar are formally informed through an email mentioning the reason for rejection.
- Decisions on Application for Credit Transfer and Exemption will be communicated within four weeks of application submission.
Appeals
Students whose application for credit transfer and exemption are denied may appeal the decision by:
- Submitting a written appeal through an email to the Registrar’s office within two weeks of the decision notification.
- The Registrar’s office will review the case and make a final determination within two weeks.
Review
This policy will be reviewed every two years to ensure its relevance and effectiveness.
Faculty Selection Policy
Faculty Selection Policy
This policy exists to enable the school to employ staff in providing its services.
Policy statement: In order to adequately meet its obligations to its students and comply with government regulations, the school President must hire qualified faculty. They will be a mix of full-time and part-time staff that sufficient but lean. The proportion of full-time faculty should be 25%.
Program Level | Eligibility Criterion |
Certificate Level 4 |
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Level 5 (Diploma) |
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Level 6 (Associate Degree) |
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Level 7 (Bachelor’s Degree) |
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Level 8 (Postgraduate Diploma) |
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Level 9 (Master’s Degree) |
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Appeals for Decision on Admissions & Enrollment Policy
Appeals for Decision on Admissions & Enrollment Policy
Objective
The policy is designed to provide a fair and transparent procedure for applicant to appeal decisions related to admissions and enrollment at the IMU University. It ensures that all applicants are given equal opportunity and due consideration.
Scope
This policy applies to all admission and enrollment decisions made by the IMU University.
Grounds for Appeal
Applicants can lodge an appeal based on the following grounds:
- Procedural errors or irregularities in the admissions process.
- Presentation of any additional and significant information that was not available or known to the applicant at the time of application.
- Demonstrable bias or discrimination in the decision-making process.
Procedure for Appeal
Initiation of Appeal:
- The appellant must submit a written appeal to the Admission Committee within 15 working days from the date of receiving the admission decision.
- The appeal should clearly state the grounds on which it is being made and be accompanied by relevant documentation/evidence.
Acknowledgment:
- The Admission Committee will send an acknowledgment of receipt of the appeal within 5 working days.
Review Process:
- Admission Committee, comprising members not involved in the initial decision-making, will review the appeal.
- The committee might invite the appellant for a hearing or request additional information if deemed necessary.
- The Admission Committee will make its decision based on the evidence presented and the integrity of the school’s admission criteria.
Communication of Decision:
- The outcome of the appeal will be communicated to the appellant in writing within 20 working days from the date of receipt of the appeal.
- The decision of the Appeals Committee is final.
Confidentiality
All appeal proceedings will be handled with utmost confidentiality to protect the privacy of the appellant. Information will only be shared with those involved in the appeal process.
Record Keeping
The Registrar’s Office will maintain a record of all appeals, including documentation, proceedings, and outcomes, for a period of five years.
Monitoring and Review
The Admission Committee will review the appeals process annually to ensure its effectiveness and fairness. Feedback from appellants may be considered in these reviews.
Protection from Discrimination
No applicant will be disadvantaged or discriminated against for lodging an appeal. All appeals will be considered on their merit, without prejudice.
Contact Information
For inquiries or further information regarding the appeals process, please contact:
Registrar’s Office
IMU University
No.225,Street Claster, Sangkat Niroth, Khan Chbar Ampov, Borey Peng Huoth, PH Euro Park, Phnom Penh. Cambodia
Email: info@imu.university
Phone: + 855 768 383 199
Classroom Observation Policy
Classroom Observation Policy
Objective
The purpose of classroom observation is to promote the highest standards of teaching and learning, encourage professional development, and ensure a consistent quality of educational delivery across all the courses offered by the IMU University.
Scope
This policy applies to all teaching faculty and instructional spaces within the IMU University.
Principles
- Observations are constructive, non-evaluative, and focused on improving the quality of teaching and learning.
- Feedback from observations is confidential and shared only with the observed faculty member.
- All faculty are subject to observation, regardless of tenure or seniority, to foster a culture of continuous improvement.
Stages
Pre-Conference:
- Meeting with the faculty will be conducted by the observer.
- The observer will brief the faculty about the classroom observation, the date, time and grounds on which the class will be observed.
Observation:
- The observer will supervise the class as agreed in the pre-conference stage.
- The observer will identify the areas of improvement during the class and note them in Professor In-Class Appraisal Form.
Post-Conference:
- Findings of Professor In-Class Appraisal Form will be discussed by the Observer and the faculty.
- Areas of improvement will be discussed by the Observer with the faculty.
- Training and development needs will be identified by the Observer in consultation with the faculty.
Procedures
Notification:
- Faculty will receive at least one week’s intimation prior to the scheduled observation.
- Pre-conference meeting will be conducted between the observer and the faculty to clarify the basis on which the observation will be conducted.
- The date and time will be mutually agreed upon between the observer and the faculty during the pre-conference meeting.
Selection of Observer:
- The observer will be selected by the College President to observe the class based on the purpose of the observation.
- Observers may include department heads, peer faculty, or external educational consultants.
Duration:
- Observations should be carried out for not less than 30 minutes of the duration of a class session.
- Partial observations, focusing on specific aspects of teaching, may also be conducted.
Focus Areas:
- Observations may be general or may focus on specific areas such as instructional methods, student engagement, use of technology, classroom management, or any other areas as deemed necessary by the observer.
- The focus will be communicated to the faculty member in advance during pre-conference meeting.
Feedback:
- Within one week of the observation, the observer will provide written and/or verbal feedback to the faculty member.
- Feedback will highlight strengths and areas for development.
- Where necessary, resources or training opportunities will be suggested to address areas of improvement.
Documentation:
- A summary of the observation, including date, focus areas, and feedback, will be maintained by the Registrar’s office.
- This documentation is for internal use only and will be kept confidential.
Confidentiality
- All classroom observations and subsequent feedback are considered confidential.
- Observers are bound by professional discretion and will not disclose details of the observation outside the agreed-upon channels.
Professional Development
- Faculty are encouraged to use feedback from observations for their professional development. The school will endeavor to provide resources and training opportunities to address common areas of development identified through observations.
Review
This policy will be reviewed every two years to ensure its effectiveness and relevance. Feedback from faculty and observers will be integral to this review process.
Concerns and Queries
Faculty with concerns or queries regarding the classroom observation process can approach:
Head of Academic Administration
IMU University
No.225,Street Claster, Sangkat Niroth, Khan Chbar Ampov, Borey Peng Huoth, PH Euro Park, Phnom Penh. Cambodia
Email: info@imu.university
Phone: + 855 768 383 199
Contract Cheating Policy
Contract Cheating Policy
Objective
To uphold the integrity, credibility, and quality of academic work produced and submitted by students at the IMU University, this policy outlines the school’s position and stand on contract cheating.
Definition
Contract Cheating: Submission submitted by the student as their work which has been produced for them by an outside person or entity. This can include, but is not limited to:
- Buying assignment reports from online providers.
- Having someone else to attempt and complete the online exam on student’s behalf.
- Paying a person to attend the whole class or partially on the student’s behalf.
Scope
This policy applies to all students enrolled in any of the programs at IMU University for any level of studies.
Principles
- Academic Integrity: All students are expected to maintain academic honesty in all assignments, examinations, and other academic activities as part of their assessment.
- Responsibility: Students accept the responsibility for confirming the legitimacy of their work.
- Prevention: IMU University will involve in awareness campaigns, education, and the use of technology to detect and deter contract cheating.
Consequences for Contract Cheating
A student who admits to contract cheating in writing will be reported to the relevant authority as per the law.
Procedure, Reporting, Investigations
All reports of contract cheating will be followed by a request to the student for a written admission of alleged contract cheating.
Prevention and Education
The school will:
- Offer regular tutorials on academic writing and integrity.
- Implement and practice advanced plagiarism detection software.
- Make students aware of the dangers and consequences of contract cheating.
Review
This policy will be reviewed every two years or as required to ensure it focus on the evolving nature of contract cheating and remains active.
Contact
For further details on this policy or to report suspected contract cheating, contact:
Academic Misconduct Committee
IMU University
No.225,Street Claster, Sangkat Niroth, Khan Chbar Ampov, Borey Peng Huoth, PH Euro Park, Phnom Penh. Cambodia
Email: info@imu.university
Phone: + 855 768 383 199
Teaching & Learning Policy
Teaching & Learning Policy
Preamble:
This Teaching and Learning Policy is framed upon the principles of delivering excellent education, rooted in high-quality teaching, comprehensive academic resources, and the continuous enhancement of our school’s capacity. This policy will guide our efforts in nurturing a caring environment that is student-centered and fosters academic excellence.
Principles:
- Education at our school is anchored in a student-centered approach, wherein students actively partake in their learning journey.
- We commit to continuous improvement, innovation, and the integration of the latest pedagogical methods and technologies in our educational delivery.
- Collaboration and open communication between faculty, students, and staff are pivotal to our teaching and learning environment.
Excellence in Teaching and Learning:
- All instructional strategies will prioritize student engagement, active participation, and diverse student needs.
- Faculty will be encouraged to continuously refine their pedagogical methods, integrate technology, and undertake professional development opportunities.
- We will regularly evaluate and adjust our teaching methods based on feedback and research.
Assessment:
- The assessment process will be transparent, fair, and reflect the student-centered teaching approach.
- Feedback mechanisms will be in place to ensure students receive constructive and timely feedback on their performance.
- Faculty will be equipped with necessary tools and training to develop effective assessment strategies.
Quality Resources for Academic Work:
- We will invest in and maintain a robust library infrastructure, both online and physical, that provides diverse and up-to-date textbooks, references books and academic journal articles.
- Course materials will be easily accessible to students through our student portal this includes PowerPoints presentations, assessment briefs, class recordings, class links and resources books.
- State-of-the-art facilities, including computer labs and study areas, will be provided to create a conducive learning environment.
- Comprehensive academic support services, such as tutoring and research support, will be readily available to students.
Building Institutional Capacity:
- The recruitment process will emphasize faculty qualifications, teaching ability, and alignment with our strategic objectives.
- The curriculum of all the programs will be regularly reviewed to ensure their relevance, rigor, and alignment with industry needs and academic developments.
- We will continuously enhance our technological infrastructure, ensuring faculty and staff are trained in the effective integration of these tools in both teaching and administrative processes.
Review and Accountability:
- This policy will be reviewed annually to ensure it remains relevant and reflects the latest advancements in the higher education sector.
- Feedback from students, faculty, and staff, will be integral to the review process.
- Annual reports reflecting the performance metrics and outcomes related to this policy will be made available to the College Council.
Community Service Policy
Community Service Policy
Purpose and Scope:
- Purpose: This policy is grounded in our mission of putting students first, giving them an excellent education in a caring environment. The purpose of this policy is to provide a framework for developing our student community and encouraging and facilitating their engagement with the wider community.
- Scope: The development of our student community builds strong, beneficial, and lasting relationship between students and the school. Student engagement in the wider community encourages individual students to become more responsible, entrepreneurial, promote healthier lifestyles and increase economic opportunities amongst our students and within the wider community.
Principles:
- Relationship Building: We believe in building strong relationships with our students so that we are better able to serve their needs, promote their interests, nurture them, and help them succeed in life.
- Social Responsibility: We believe in the importance of instilling a sense of social responsibility in our students, encouraging them to actively engage in community development efforts.
- Civic Engagement: We promote active participation in local and national civic activities to foster a sense of belonging and ownership in the communities our students are part of.
- Inclusivity: We are committed to ensuring that all students have equal access to opportunities for community development and that these opportunities are diverse and inclusive.
- Sustainability: Our community development initiatives should aim for sustainable, long-term positive impacts on the communities we serve.
Objectives:
- Recreation and Entertainment: To provide recreational activities and entertainment programs for students so that they will be able to come together as a community fostering bond between individual students and groups of students.
- Education and Awareness: To educate students about the importance of community development, social issues, and the potential impact of their actions.
- Skill Development: To equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge to actively engage in community development activities effectively.
- Participation: To encourage and support students’ active participation in community development projects, both on and off-campus.
- Partnerships: To establish partnerships with local organizations, non-profits, and governmental agencies to facilitate student involvement in community development initiatives.
Strategies and Initiatives:
- Integration: Integrate community development principles and practices into the curriculum through courses, programs, and activities.
- Recreational activities: Provide students with recreational activities such as sports tournaments and competitions.
- Entertainment activities: We will provide students with entertainment activities such as gaming nights, movie nights and talent show.
- Student Clubs and Organizations: Support and promote student-led clubs and organizations focused on community development and volunteering.
- Service-Learning Programs: Develop and maintain service-learning programs that allow students to apply classroom knowledge to real-world community challenges such as creating business plans or building small scale businesses.
- Community Engagement Events: Organize and support community engagement events, such as volunteering fairs, charities, and awareness campaigns.
- Mentorship and Guidance: Provide mentorship and guidance to students interested in pursuing community development projects.
Evaluation and Accountability:
- Establish mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the impact of our efforts to develop our student community initiatives involving students.
- The college will evaluate the success of an activity based on the student feedback collected at the end of each event.
- Periodically review and update this policy to ensure its continued relevance and effectiveness.
Reporting and Documentation:
- Maintain records of student-community and community development activities and achievements by students.
- Publish annual reports on the institution’s website highlighting student contributions to community development.
Research Policy
Research Policy
MISSION: Bridging the gap between Academic and Professional with Purpose, led by Industry Experts.
VISION: To be the most pragmatic educational ecosystem for Leaders and Entrepreneurs in the ASEAN market.
Purpose:
To ensure that research undertaken at the IMU University is undertaken according to the college’s Research Policy and upholds the highest standards of excellence, integrity, and ethics, promoting innovative, reliable, and impactful contributions to the academic community and society at large.
Scope:
This policy applies to all research activities, projects, and publications initiated by faculty and students.
Principles:
- Ethical Conduct: All research endeavors should be based on principles of honesty, integrity, and social responsibility.
- Rigor and Excellence: Ensuring methodological soundness, accuracy, and relevance in all research undertakings.
- Transparency: Openness in research methodologies, findings, and potential conflicts of interest.
- Collaboration: Promoting interdisciplinary research and partnerships with other institutions and industry.
Policy Elements:
- Ethical Approval and Appeal:
- Establishing and maintaining a Research Ethics Committee to review and approve research proposals, particularly those involving human and animal subjects.
- Researchers who are dissatisfied with the Research Ethics Committee may submit an appeal to the Research Appeals Committee. The decision of the Research Appeals Committee will be final and binding on related parties.
- Ensuring informed consent processes are rigorously followed where required.
- Training and Development:
- Regular workshops and training sessions on research methodologies, ethics, tools, and best practices.
- Support for attending conferences, seminars, and courses that enhance research skills and knowledge.
- Data Management:
- Ensuring secure and systematic storage of research data.
- Promoting open-access where appropriate while respecting intellectual property rights and confidentiality agreements.
- Transparency and Disclosure:
- Mandating disclosure of potential conflicts of interest in research undertakings.
- Transparent reporting of methodologies, results, and interpretations.
- Collaborative Research:
- Formulating guidelines for collaborative research partnerships, ensuring clarity in roles, contributions, and rights. These guidelines must be prepared before entering into any research collaboration.
- Supporting interdisciplinary research within the college.
Implementation and Responsibilities:
- The Research Ethics Committee is responsible for the oversight and implementation of this policy.
- Individual researchers are accountable for ensuring their work aligns with this policy and associated guidelines.
Monitoring and Review:
- Annual reviews will evaluate the policy’s effectiveness, considering changes in the broader research landscape and feedback from the academic community.
- Engage with both internal and external stakeholders for feedback and recommendations during review phases.
Related Documents:
- Research Policy
- TOR for Research Ethics Committee
- TOR for Research Appeal Committee
Approval and Amendment History:
This policy is ratified by the College Council on December 29, 2023. Amendments will be duly recorded with dates and specifics.
General Implementation Process
- Continuous Monitoring and Evaluation: Relevant faculty will be assigned roles and responsibilities for regular monitoring and evaluation of the processes, activities, practices, policies and enforcement mechanism will be put in place so that all process and activities in the college are regularly reviewed, monitored and evaluated against the in-place quality standards and to be reported to relevant college authorities or committees.
- Self-Assessment: We will conduct a self-evaluation review of all the resources, activities, policies, resources, procedures and outcomes of the entire research process annually to identify the effectiveness of the process in achievement of our strategic objectives and enhance our quality of research.
- External Verification: We will employ an external verifier to review and validate our self-evaluation review. It will involve a panel of external experts and faculty members to identify the areas of improvement and the mechanism to be developed for enhancing the academic research in the college. The panel will prepare and submit an External Verification Report which will be submitted to the College Council for deliberation and action.
- Research Enhancement Plan: Based upon the recommendations and suggestions of the self-assessment review report and external-verification report, the College Council in collaboration with the Research Ethics Committee will draw up a Research Enhancement Plan. This plan will be incorporated into the college’s strategic plan.
Policy on Student Records
Policy on Student Records
Purpose:
This policy aims to establish and provide a safe environment regarding the students’ records with the college. This Policy also establishes the guidelines related to the issuance of any student-related records and the procedure to be followed with respect to compliance with related laws and regulations. The College strictly follows the privacy clause under which any student-related information is not shared with any third party including the parents and siblings except with the regulatory bodies for compliance purposes.
Policy Statement:
This policy specifies the important conditions and procedures that are to be observed by the college in the safekeeping of the student’s records and the issuance of those records.
Custodian:
In accordance with the Policy, the Office of the Registrar is chosen as a safe-keeper and upholder of the student records.
Education Records include:
For this policy, records refer to the records maintained and kept by the college for admission, regulatory and compliance purposes. It includes any:
- Records directly related to the student and kept by the college in order to comply with regulatory requirements.
- Records directly related to the student which are submitted and maintained in accordance with the college admissions requirements.
- Records directly related to the student’s progress and results related to the course studied.
- Records directly related to the students issued by the college related to the course and the grades.
- Transcript or statement of results issued to the student related to their studies.
- Formal letters issued by the college related to their course.
For this policy, the records are being categorized and maintained in two categories:
- Personal Records: These records consist of information of a personal nature which are stored and kept by the college as a part of student enrollment with the college. These records include information like Name, Date of Birth, ID card number, family details, employment details, income details, mobile numbers, email IDs and addresses.
- Educational Records: These records consist of information related to the student’s studies either done with the college or submitted to the college as a part of their application which they have done with other institutions, colleges, or universities. Also, includes the records of the student’s progress in the course they are doing with the college or have done in the past.
Storage of the Student Records:
All the student’s records are safely and securely kept on the college servers internally as well as on the dedicated cloud servers and are regularly updated and monitored for safety and security purposes. All the records related to a student are maintained in the dedicated student centre my.businessschool.mv which are only accessible to the college and student-related information is available to the student.
Access to the Records:
All the records related to the student’s personal & educational information are only accessible to college-authorized personnel. Accessing the records without authorization or disseminating the records without prior permission by any personnel will be dealt with by the server punishment which may go to termination of employment with the college.
Duration of Records:
The college keeps records of a student for a minimum duration of 5 years as per the regulatory requirements.
Releasing the Student Records:
- Student records are shared with the regulatory bodies solely for compliance purposes.
- Student records are only shared with the student as and when requested.
- Certificates and Transcripts are only issued to the student after conducting the due diligence.
- Certificates and Transcripts can be issued to third parties only after getting the no-objection letter from the student along with the identity of the person who will be receiving it on behalf of the student.
- No faculty/staff members are allowed to release any student-related information or records beyond their official capacities and official obligations no matter from whom the request has been received.
- Any records directly related to the student’s results or progress aren’t shared or disclosed to other students studying in the same course.
Procedure for Releasing Student Records and Transcripts:
WE HAVE A WELL-DEFINED PROCEDURE ON RELEASING STUDENT RECORDS AND TRANSCRIPT AS FOLLOWS:
- Student records transcripts are released to the government according to the regulations by the government or as requested.
- Request for Student Records and Transcripts:
- Student requests to release records and transcripts through emails and tickets. (email request from the student)
- No Objection Letter or email is sent by the student to the Registrar’s office if a third party is collecting student records and transcripts. (email request from the student)
- Verification of Identity:
- Students email their National ID card copy. (email request from the student)
- Students email the third party’s National ID card copy if a third party is collecting student records and transcripts. (email request from the student)
- National ID card copy is verified in physical before releasing student records and transcripts. (email request from the student)
- Processing Requests:
- Student Relations Officer (SRO) receives the request, verifies that there are no due payments of the student, lodges a request with the Registrar’s office to authorize the release of the student records or transcripts. (My Business School Portal Screenshots, email request from the student)
- The Registrar’s office processes the requests, verifies the accuracy of the documents, and authorizes the Student Relations Officer to release the requested student records or transcripts. (My Business School Portal Screenshots, Certificate and Transcript print logbook)
- Release of Records and Transcripts:
- After authorization has been received from the Registrar’s office, SRO completes the record keeping and releases the requested student records or transcripts. (Document Handover Logbook)
- Record Keeping:
- SRO enters the documents including document serial number, recipient name, date issued and ID card number, SRO’s signature in the document handover logbook. (Document Handover Logbook)
- SRO gets the recipient of the documents to sign in the document handover logbook. (Document Handover Logbook)