Terms & Conditions

1. General

The information below covers the basic terms and conditions that apply to all persons applying to study with Cranefield College or the Cranefield Academy of Knowledge as well as students who have already enrolled. Of particular importance for first-time applicants are the payment terms and cancellation policy in Section 1 below.

Cranefield College is registered private higher education institution that offers accredited academic programmes leading to qualifications (from certificate- to doctorate-level), and also offers short courses through its Cranefield Academy division.

By applying to enrol on any course or programme with Cranefield, all applicants agree to the terms and conditions reflected below and all related rules and regulations as contained in the full Cranefield Prospectus, which may be accessed here.

Cranefield is domiciled in South Africa, and all transactions with applicants and students, including the use of this website, are accordingly governed by South African law.

 

2. Payment Terms & Conditions and Cancellation Policy

2.1 For academic programmes (i.e. leading to a qualification such as an Advanced Certificate, Diploma or Degree), the registration fee must be paid in order to finalise registration.

2.2 For short courses, the full course fee must be paid in order to finalise registration.

2.3 In the case of cancellation in advance of the start of an academic programme, all payments minus the registration fee would be reimbursed to the student. After a student has received access to materials, no refunds are possible on any academic programme or short course.

2.4 Payment may be made via Visa, MasterCard, Diners or American Express Cards or by bank transfer into Cranefield’s bank account, the details of which will be provided on request.

2.5 Card transactions will be acquired for Cranefield via PayGate (Pty) Ltd, which is the approved payment gateway for all South African Acquiring Banks. DPO PayGate uses the strictest form of encryption, namely Secure Socket Layer 3 (SSL3), and no card details are stored on the website. Users may go to www.paygate.co.za to view its security certificate and security policy. Customer details will be stored by Cranefield separately from card details that are entered by the client on DPO PayGate’s secure site.

2.6 The merchant outlet country at the time of presenting payment options to the cardholder is South Africa. Transaction currency is South African Rand (ZAR).

2.7 Cranefield takes responsibility for all aspects relating to the transaction including sale of goods and services sold on this website, customer service and support, dispute resolution and delivery of goods.

 

3. Privacy Policy

3.1 Cranefield College is committed to protecting all personal information received from any applicant or student. For the purpose of this clause, ‘personal
information’ shall be defined as detailed in the Protection of Protection of Personal Information Act 4 0f 2013.

3.2 It is Cranefield’s policy that no personal information be actively shared with any third party for any purpose.

3.3 Where information must of necessity be available to any service provider incidental to services rendered to Cranefield (e.g. website, marketing and/or payment services), the extent of this is limited to the basic information necessary to provide such services, and the service provider is strictly prohibited from sharing such information or using it for any other purpose.

4. General Code of Conduct

4.1 All students and members of staff must acquaint themselves with the code of conduct, and the rules and regulations of Cranefield College.

4.2 Students shall be bound by this code and the aforementioned rules and regulations for the duration of their learning programme. Cranefield may from time to time announce additions or amendments to the rules and regulations.

4.3 Cranefield expects all students and members of staff to conduct themselves in such a way as to enable Cranefield to fulfil its aims effectively and efficiently, without hindrance. No student or member of staff shall act in breach of any regulation of Cranefield where he or she knows or ought to know that he or she is acting in breach thereof. Those who breach regulations will be subjected to disciplinary action, coupled with legal action where appropriate.

4.4 Misconduct on the part of students or members of staff can take the form of any conduct that amounts to inappropriate interference with the functioning or activities of Cranefield, or anyone associated therewith. The following particular provisions highlight some noteworthy specific instances of misconduct.

4.5 No student shall falsify or misuse any certificate or other document and/or knowingly make any false statement in the course of his or her endeavours with Cranefield. The discovery of any false statements or fraudulent omissions at any time may lead to cancellation of, or preclusion from, registration.

4.6 Cranefield requires all those who undertake research, both staff and students, to practise sound research ethics, both to ensure the highest quality of research and to avoid the potential for misconduct. Such misconduct could for example be in the form of plagiarism or any other form of deception, or in the form of the violation of the rights of others (including unauthorised use of confidential information and involving persons in research without their informed consent). The College has a dedicated Ethics Committee, which deals impartially with all ethical matters involving any member of staff or any student.

4.7 Although copyright in any assignment, dissertation or thesis by an enrolled student of Cranefield vests in him or her, it is mandatory for such student-author to inform Cranefield of any subsequent use of the material, and to acknowledge his or her supervisor/s and Cranefield therein. Failure to do so shall constitute a breach of contract with Cranefield.

4.8 Action will be taken against any student or member of staff who engages in behaviour that is malevolent, injurious or offensive, and/or causes distress. Moreover, where such a person causes damage to the property of Cranefield, or commits any other criminal offence or causes other damage in respect of Cranefield or its students or staff, appropriate legal action will be taken.

5. Admissions

5.1 Possession of prescribed qualifications for admission to any learning programme does not automatically qualify a student to register for it. He or she may be requested to comply with additional requirements such as a special assignment or an oral or written examination. The admission policy is reviewed annually, and the admission requirements from the previous year may not apply. It is the responsibility of prospective students to keep abreast of developments.

5.2 Because of the nature of the admission procedures, deadlines are enforced strictly. All relevant documentation must be provided by the specified deadlines. Application for any programme implies acceptance by the applicant of the admission policies and procedures.

5.3 All students at Cranefield must have personal access to the Internet for the purpose of their studies.

5.4 When applying for admission to any academic programme (i.e. leading to a qualification), applicants must submit certified copies of their highest qualifications, and must also submit a curriculum vitae, which must reflect all qualifications and the latest grades received, to the Registrar. The Admissions Committee may, however, require applicants to provide certified copies relating to all courses/programmes attended at any other institution, prior to approving admission to the learning programme involved.

5.5 When undergraduate courses are still in progress at the time of application, or graduate programmes have not been completed, and are not reported on the certified copies, applicants must provide a ‘statement of registration’ to the Registrar.

5.6 If it is discovered that any application information is false or misleading, the application will be invalid. This will result in immediate rejection. If the student has already been registered, withdrawal from the programme will be mandatory.

6. Class and Group Participation

6.1 Class participation is not compulsory. However, for all modules on academic programmes, with the exception of M7, online class participation is strongly encouraged, and it is in the ordinary course expected that a student will be engaged in all live lectures for a particular module via Blackboard Collaborate. Cranefield’s use of Blackboard enables students to participate in classes interactively online from the office or home, and/or to study recordings of the live classes.

6.2 With Cranefield’s technology-enhanced distance learning, all classes – live and recorded – are online, saving time and travel. Whether or not a student participates in a live online class at a particular time, he or she will still be able to study the recording of the class, including questions and answers. All students are in the ordinary course expected to study these recordings for revision purposes. Where students are unable to participate in the live class, it is important to note that it remains imperative for all students to adhere exactly to all the set dates and assignment deadlines for all modules.

6.3 In the case of all academic modules, with the exception of M7, it is compulsory for all students to participate actively and timeously in group activities and assignments. Lack of such participation would result in a student not being able to continue further with the module in that cycle. For case discussions in syndicate groups, students are able to meet in a dedicated online collaboration room where they can see and hear each other in an organised fashion, using the Blackboard Collaborate system. Such group sessions can also be recorded for revision purposes.

6.4 Cranefield’s lecture sessions generally span three hours on each lecture day, commencing strictly at 09h00 and ending at 12h00. The live lecture days are generally five per module.

6.5 Records of all students’ online activities are kept as a matter of a course, and a student’s sponsor organisation may follow up with the College to verify participation.

7. Submission and Assessment of Assignments, Dissertations and Theses

7.1 All examination sessions on academic programmes involve a first and second examiner (the latter of whom may be internal or external). All dissertations and theses are assessed and graded by a first examiner (the supervisor/promoter), and, where there is a co-supervisor or joint promoter, assessed by him or her as second examiner, and then finally also assessed by an independent external examiner.

7.2 Adherence to submission dates for individual and group assignments is strictly required. In the case of individual examination assignments, any student who fails to submit on time and provides a valid reason (supported by evidence) may, however, be granted an extension for submission. Nevertheless, any late submission will generally result in the student having to wait until the assessment of supplementary examinations for the late assignment to be assessed.

7.3 In the case of group assignments on academic programmes, no extension may be granted under any circumstances, since the case is for discussion in the live class on the day of the deadline. Late submissions with a valid excuse (and supporting evidence, where relevant) will be treated as supplementary examinations (with 50% being the maximum awardable mark) with no feedback report. Where the submission is substantially beyond the deadline or there is no valid excuse as mentioned, the group will receive 0%.

7.4 In the case of dissertations and theses, late submission may not be accepted, and a student who fails to submit on time, for whatever reason, shall have to submit for the next available submission deadline. The submission deadlines for dissertations and theses are 1 November (for March graduation) and 1 June (for September graduation) of every year. In the case of both master’s and doctoral programmes at Cranefield College, a student must submit within three years of starting his or her programme to avoid having to reregister for the programme.

7.5 All individual assignments shall contain the following signed declaration: “I hereby declare that this assignment is my own work, and that it has not previously been submitted to any other Higher Education Institution. I also declare that all published and unpublished sources have been fully acknowledged and properly referenced. This includes figures, tables and exhibits. Where modified by me, this has also been indicated.”

7.6 All dissertations and theses submitted for examination shall contain the following signed declaration: “I hereby declare that this [dissertation/thesis] is my own work, and that it has not previously been submitted to any other Higher Education Institution. I have acknowledged all other persons who have assisted in the content or presentation of the work. I also declare that all published and unpublished sources have been fully acknowledged and properly referenced. This includes figures, tables and exhibits. Where modified by me, this has also been indicated.”

7.7 The following honest declaration, signed by each member of the group, must be included in all group assignments: “We, the undersigned, hereby declare that each of us has contributed to this assignment, and that it is entirely our own work. We also declare that all published and unpublished sources have been fully acknowledged and properly referenced. This includes figures, tables and exhibits. Where modified by us, this has also been indicated.”

7.8 All assignments must be submitted in electronic form in MS Word format. In accordance with Higher Education practice, all final examinations remain the property of the College, and may not be returned to students. However, students will be granted the opportunity to discuss their marked examinations with the examiner/s by special request, which request must reach the Administration within 14 days of the results being released.

8. Plagiarism

8.1 Students must take great care to ensure that they acknowledge their sources at all instances that any of these are used or referred to in any assignment, and that they do not use others’ words or ideas without clearly indicating this. The full reference must then be provided in the bibliography at the end of the assignment. If any part of any source is quoted verbatim anywhere in a student’s work, this absolutely must be indicated with quotation marks.

8.2 If in the assessment of any assignment, dissertation or thesis it is found that any portion of any piece of work is unduly similar to, or the same as, that of another student at Cranefield or of any other unacknowledged author, the student (or students) involved will receive 0% for the entire assignment.

8.3 In the case of a first offence, a warning will be issued and the opportunity of doing a supplementary examination may be granted where applicable. Depending on the details of the case, the student/s may be requested to appear before the Ethics Committee.

8.4 In the case of a further offence, the student/s will generally be requested to appear before the Ethics Committee (depending on where the student is based). The Committee will subsequently decide whether a supplementary will be granted or whether the student’s/s’ studies will be suspended. The Committee will determine the period of suspension, according to the specific case. Suspended student/s will have to reapply for registration on the relevant programme after the expiration of the suspension period. In the case of multiple offences, a student may be barred from further study. As with students’ academic records, records of instances of plagiarism are securely and permanently stored by the College.

9. Supplementary Examinations and Re-evaluations

9.1 A student who, due to reasons beyond his or her control, fails to undertake or to submit an examination assignment on time, may be granted the opportunity to complete a supplementary examination for which a full mark will be awarded. Details (with supporting evidence, where appropriate) of the reasons for such failure must be submitted to the Head of Administration before the due date, or shortly thereafter, depending on the nature of the situation, and will be placed on record. Every case will be evaluated on its own merits. Confidentiality of any personal information is assured.

9.2 A student who, without a valid excuse as contemplated in 9.1 above, fails to undertake or to submit a first examination assignment on time will have the opportunity to complete a supplementary examination. The result of such a supplementary examination will then be only a pass (reflected as ‘50%’) or fail, without the opportunity for obtaining a higher mark. The fee for a supplementary examination following failure to undertake or to submit is indicated in the current Cranefield Prospectus.

9.3 A student who fails a first examination will have the opportunity to complete a supplementary examination. The result of such a supplementary examination will then be only a pass (reflected as ‘50%’) or fail, without the opportunity for obtaining a higher mark.

9.4 All supplementary examinations must be submitted electronically in Word or PDF format.

9.5 A supplementary examination will not be permitted in the case where a student has failed both to submit his or her individual assignment and also to participate in, or to submit, the group assignment. In such a case, the student will be invited to repeat the module.

9.6 A supplementary examination will not be permitted in the case where a student has any outstanding payments in respect of his or her studies. Only once such arrears have been settled will a student be granted the opportunity to complete a supplementary examination.

9.7 A supplementary examination must, in all cases, be undertaken within six months after failing, or failing to undertake or to submit, the previous examination, failing which the student will have the opportunity to repeat the course/module in question, in accordance with 10. below.

9.8 A student who fails to take or to submit his or her supplementary examination on time (or at all) will fail and will have the opportunity to repeat the module/course in accordance with 10. below.

10. Repeat courses or modules

10.1 A student who repeats a module or short course shall be liable for 50% of the current full module/course fee (in addition to the fees paid for his or her previous attempt).

10.2 A student who does not complete a full academic programme within the required time (where applicable) will be liable for a reregistration fee. Information regarding the maximum allowable time to complete a programme is provided with the rest of the information for that specific programme.

10.3 A student who does not complete a module of an academic programme within the prescribed period of a particular cycle, will need to repeat the module in a subsequent cycle (starting afresh) and would be liable for a repeat fee in terms of 10.1 above. The same applies to continuing professional development (CPD) short courses.

10.4 In the case of non-CPD short courses taken individually through the Cranefield Academy, a student may switch sessions an unlimited number of times, subject to an administration fee in each instance, as indicated in the current Cranefield Prospectus. This is to allow for the possibility that a student’s work demands necessitate a rescheduling of studies. Maximum flexibility is allowed on such short courses, but a student must carefully adhere to the dates of any particular session in terms of assignments and the final exam. If these deadlines are missed for a particular session, the student would need to switch sessions. In the event of switching sessions, the progress from the previous session is carried over to the new session.

10.5 Fees paid electronically must be accompanied by the invoice reference number, or the name and surname of the student, and the Administration must be informed of such a transfer by fax or email.

10.6 In the case where a company will be liable for tuition fees, the VAT registration number must be provided with registration.

11. Language Policy and English Proficiency Requirement

11.1 The official language of the College is English. All learning materials, instructions and facilitation are presented/conducted in English. All official correspondence from the College is also in English.

11.2 All students enrolled at Cranefield College are expected to be basically proficient in English. In addition to this basic requirement, students are expected to develop their English skills progressively during their studies. To this end, and following recommendations from the Council on Higher Education, a compulsory support module (Module M7: ‘Advanced Business English’) forms part of the PGDipPM programme, so as to promote the further development of English skills for all students who continue with higher studies at Cranefield College. Each student receives personal feedback on his or her own writing, and has the opportunity to improve aspects according to his or her individual needs.

11.3 Where a Master’s Degree student at Cranefield College has not yet completed the required Advanced Business English module (M7), the course will be added to his or her MCom modules. The module must be completed in conjunction with the first module (M8 or M9.x) of the student’s MCom programme. In cases where special permission is granted for a deferment, it is still compulsory for any MCom student to have passed the Advanced Business English course at the very latest by the fourth month after being allocated a supervisor.

12. Academic records

12.1 Cranefield shall keep comprehensive records of the academic achievement of all its past and present students. Cranefield College uses a combination of Student Manager and Maximizer to manage student information and maintain student records. The system allows for permanent and secure retention of all information, and the records are as a matter of course treated as confidential and the rights to privacy of the students are respected. Transfer of information to third parties is only at the written request or with permission of the student.

12.2 Cranefield shall make available to any enrolled student or past student, on request, a transcript of his or her academic record, and, where required, a copy of his or her degree/diploma certificate(s) subject to the payment of the relevant fee.

13. Appeals and Settling of Disputes

13.1 Students have the right to appeal any decision that affects their academic interests. Should a dispute arise between a student and lecturer regarding the assessment of the work of that student, or a related matter, it is the policy of the College that such dispute should be settled informally between the parties wherever possible. The lecturer will provide explanations, and the student will be given the opportunity to state his or her point of view and to ask the questions that he or she wishes to ask.

13.2 If a student is of the opinion that any assigned mark is not a true reflection of his or her ability, the first option thus available to him or her would be to request a discussion with the relevant lecturer. The aim of such a discussion would not be to change the assigned mark, but rather to provide insight regarding the reasons for the mark. Should the student not be satisfied with the explanation of the finding (which is based on the assessment of an internal and external examiner), the student has the right to appeal the finding.

13.3 If a dispute regarding a mark cannot be resolved informally in terms of the process described in 13.1 above, the student may appeal and thereby formally apply for a re-evaluation. This could be in the case where a student fails an examination or fails to attain a distinction. Upon payment of the prescribed fee, such a student may appeal to the Registrar to arrange a re-evaluation by an independent subject-specialist examiner (who was not involved in the initial examination process). The appeal must reach the Registrar within fourteen days of the results being released. Following the conclusion of the examination process, the Registrar will then formally report the finding of the independent examiner to the Principal of the College. If the original result has been overturned, the Principal may consult the original internal examiner before accepting or rejecting the finding. If the Principal accepts the finding, the appeal shall have succeeded. If the Principal rejects the finding of the independent examiner, the matter may finally be referred to a panel of two or more independent subject-specialist examiners, who will analyse the assessment and will reach a final decision. This final decision will be communicated to the Principal, who will appropriately convey the decision to the student and original internal examiner.

13.4 In the case of disputes not specifically involving an assessment outcome, a student would also in the first instance approach the lecturer of the module to which the dispute relates. If a student is not satisfied with the explanations provided by the lecturer, he or she can then formally (in writing) bring the matter to the attention of the Administration. Confidentiality is assured in as far as possible in any matter. The Administration will then arrange for another lecturer (in the same specialised area) to evaluate the matter. The student can elect to arrange a meeting with that lecturer, or can view his or her brief report on the matter. If there is any need for further action, the lecturer can make such recommendation to the Principal, who will then take the final steps to resolve the matter.

13.5 In all appeals and instances where dispute resolution is required, the process shall have regard to the principles of natural justice, and administrative-law remedies shall as a matter of course be available to any party who is dissatisfied with the final decision reached.

14. Disciplinary Procedure

14.1 The Principal of Cranefield College, has, in terms of section 3.2 of Cranefield’s Statutes (as contained in the Cranefield Prospectus), the responsibility of attending to matters related to the maintenance of discipline, and has the power to authorise cancellation of registration or termination of studies of any student on disciplinary grounds, following due process. Where relevant, the Principal must also represent Cranefield in legal action against such student.

14.2 Any member of staff of Cranefield may, if he or she finds it necessary, instruct a student whose conduct is in his or her opinion in breach of Cranefield’s code of conduct, to withdraw from any facility affected by the conduct in question. The matter must then be brought to the attention of the Principal, and taken further.

14.3 A complaint of misconduct either by one student against another or by a member of staff against a student, or vice versa, shall be made to the Principal. It will be endeavoured to resolve complaints informally by consultation between the student(s) and staff concerned, facilitated by the Principal. Where this fails, however, a formal complaint, in writing, must be submitted to the Principal, who will then take appropriate disciplinary action against the individual(s) concerned (following a hearing, where necessary).

14.4 Disciplinary action against members of staff shall be conducted according to the South African laws governing the relationship between employer and employee.

14.5 A student who is awaiting the outcome of a hearing may be suspended for a reasonable period of time, pending the outcome.

14.6 All procedures shall have regard to the principles of natural justice, and administrative-law remedies shall as a matter of course be available to any party who is dissatisfied with the final decision of the Principal.

15. Student Support Services

15.1 A full virtual library is available to students, at no additional cost, and all students have access to Cranefield online virtual learning environment, which contains their study materials and further information on their courses.

15.2 A limited subject matter library is available to students at the Administrative Headquarters.

15.3 Full academic and academic administrative support is available to students on a continuous basis, and limited career counselling is available to students on demand.