BBS Business & Accounting 1
st Year Handbook 2015 - 2016
Author: School of Business Date: September 2015
Maynooth University
School of Business
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Welcome to Business and Accounting 2015-16
I hope that the summer has been good to you, whether you took the opportunity to work and earn some cash for college, pursued your passions, or a mix of both! Welcome “Maynooth University”. Many thanks for choosing Maynooth University School of Business as your intellectual home. I, and all the faculty and staff, are thankful for your business and are looking forward to working with you! Welcome to the year of new beginnings: the start of a life long journey in business, of new friendships, the independence of thought and freedom that University brings. The first year is about building the foundations of business. You will cover a wide range of the key concepts and practices that are needed to operate a business successfully! Embrace class as an opportunity to maintain your focus and learn business. As a professional student, treat University as you would employment. Be structured in your study life, aiming to study for at least 30 hours a week, in addition to 12 hours of class. Remember to have coffee/tea (as an addict myself), but that this is social, not work time! Balance your life with sport and cultural activities, embracing University life. If you are finding life to be difficult reach out for support: talk with friends, family and our student counselling service. Over the last year the university have been making positive investments in your school of business, which benefit the education we can provide you as a student. In addition to our long standing faculty we now have a new faculty including: Professor of International Management, Pamela Sharkey Scott, Professor of Marketing, Joseph Coughlan and new lecturers Dr. Jean Cushen (HR and OB), Dr. Lorraine Morgan (Information Communication Systems), Dr. Ruifang Wang (Management), Dr. Olga Ryazanova (Management and Marketing), and Dr. Na Fu (HR/OB, whom joined us early last year) as well as Dr. Graham Heaslip (Operations), who is returning from a
research sabbatical We are also moving building, which will enable us to teach more of our postgraduate programs on the main campus and provide a more integrated service to our undergraduate students. Our new home is in the Rye Hall Building, located behind the John Hume Building. It is hear that you will be able to connect with our school
programs office about queries you may have and also where all your lecturer’s office will be located. Do drop by Rye Hall to see our home over the coming academic year. Enjoy your time here at Maynooth University and thank you very much for being a member of the student community of the School of Business.
Prof. Peter McNamara Head of School of Business
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IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
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What’s in this handbook?
Welcome to Business and Accounting 2015-16 .......................................................... 2
IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUR DIARY ................................................................... 3
What’s in this handbook? ................................................................................................ 4 Lecture Timetables, Campus Map and Room Codes ................................................ 5
Course Details .................................................................................................................. 7
Modules on offer ............................................................................................................... 7
Course Team .................................................................................................................... 9
Accounting Contact Details ............................................................................................ 9 Information Technology ................................................................................................. 10
Student – staff communications ................................................................................... 10 Charter for Teaching and Learning ............................................................................. 11
Examinations and Continuous Assessments ............................................................ 15 European Computer Driving License (ECDL) ............................................................ 17
Plagiarism ........................................................................................................................ 17 Attendance ...................................................................................................................... 20
Rules and Regulations .................................................................................................. 21
Health & Safety ............................................................................................................... 21
General Information ....................................................................................................... 22
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Lecture Timetables, Campus Map and Room Codes
PLEASE NOTE: Timetables are subject to some small changes. Please consult the timetable section at https://www.nuim.ie/timetable/ for updates
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Course Details
Semesters
The undergraduate academic year consists of two ‘semesters’, Autumn and
Spring. Normally a module taken in a semester is examined at the end of that
semester. Repeat examinations (where allowed) for both semesters are in
August.
Modules on offer
Modules are essentially courses with an associated credit weighting, known as
the European Credit Transfer System, or, ECTS for short. To graduate a
student must acquire 180 credits in total (240 for BBA), on the basis of 60 credits
per annum (normally 30 credits per semester). Modules come with a Module
Code and the full description of the module is available at www.nuim.ie/courses
Note that each 5 ECTS credit module is the equivalent of ca. 125 hours of work
(24 class hours, 101 hours of private study, assignment work, exam preparation,
etc.).
Please also note and be aware that some modules on the Accounting side of the
degree programme are required modules, which means these must be passed
in order to progress to the next year. To ensure exemptions for different
Accounting body accreditations, a pass mark for some modules may be 50%.
Your lecturers will inform you of this.
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The modules you will study on the BBS Business & Accounting programme are:
**Module Title Code Credit Semester Lecturer
INTRODUCTION.TO ACCOUNTING: AC101 10 1 Department of Economics
MICROECONOMICS ( MARKETS, WELFARE AND CONSUMER CHOICE) EC101A 5 1 Department of Economics
INTRODUCTION TO MACROECONOMICS EC102 5 1 Department of Economics
INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT & TEAMS MN101 5 1 Dr. Jean Cushen
INTRODUCTION TO MARKETING & SALES MN103 5 1 Prof. Joseph Coughlan
FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING 1 AC102 7.5 2 Department of Economics
FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING 2 /PRINCIPLES OF FINANCE AC103 2.5 2 Department of Economics
MICROECONOMICS (COMPETITIVE MARKETS AND GOVERNMENT POLICY) EC101B 5 2 Department of Economics
INTRODUCTION TO QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS EC105A 5 2 Department of Economics
ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR MN102 5 2 Tatiana Andreeva
THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE MN172 5 2 Dr. Ruifang Wang
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Course Team
The School of Business is located in Rye Hall Extension, North Campus (formally
Hamilton Building).
The course team is composed of members of the academic staff of the School,
contributing departments, and a number of visiting lecturers. The course team
names and office numbers are given below. Visiting lecturers will occasionally be
available by appointment.https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/school-business/our-
people
Head of School Prof. Peter McNamara
Room 22 [email protected]
Programme Academic Co-ordinator for Business & Accounting
Dr. Jean Cushen Room 26 [email protected]
Administrator Kathryn Walsh Room 14 [email protected]
Accounting Contact Details
1st Year Accounting coordinator
Responsible for Chartered Accounting qualification (CAI)
Michael Hayden
2nd Year Accounting coordinator
Responsible for Institute of Taxation, ACCA and CPA qualifications
Hilary Qualter [email protected]
3rd Year Accounting coordinator
Responsible for CIMA qualification
Aodhdin Casey
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Information Technology
Increasingly the world of work and academia relies on information technology.
We are no different and use Moodle as the almost exclusive means of
communication. All written assignments must be typed and uploaded to
Turnitin.com. via Moodle. To ensure that you are comfortable with the
technology we strongly recommend that you complete ECDL training. Details are
available here: https://www.nuim.ie/computer-centre/ecdl
There is plenty of computer access on campus in the Public Access Computer
Rooms:https://www.nuim.ie/computer-centre/public-access-computer-rooms-pacr
However, many students now opt to get their own laptop computer. This is a
good investment now that most of the campus is covered by wi-fi access.
Student – staff communications
Access to staff: Students are encouraged to consult with lecturers on academic
or other matters concerning their work in university and their general progress as
students. All fulltime lecturers will be happy to arrange to meet by appointment.
Some lecturers operate specific office hours for students to stop in. For contact
details click here: https://www.nuim.ie/school-business/our-people
If all of the times posted by a lecturer you wish to see clash with your classes,
you can ask for an appointment to see the lecturer at a mutually convenient time.
Visiting lecturers will do their best to meet with you, but their times are usually
more limited and may need to be just before or after classes.
Lecturers cannot enter into individual discussions on class topics with students
via email. In the first instance you should try to ask the questions in class. If there
are a number of students with a similar question that seems to remain
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unanswered you should ask the student representative to contact the lecturer on
behalf of the group and it may be possible to arrange a tutorial to pick up on the
issue. You can ask lecturers questions via Moodle. The lecturer will decide
whether to answer the question on Moodle or bring it to a class or tutorial to be
dealt with. In many cases you will find that a class member already has the
answer and students are encouraged to help each other through the use of
Moodle.
Module Evaluations: Towards the end of each module students will be invited
by the lecturer to complete a questionnaire evaluating various aspects of the
module. Please complete this form as fully as you can. Lecturers are pleased to
have the benefit of your comments in helping them to assess their work and to
integrate improvements.
Maynooth University Student Charter
https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/study-maynooth/maynooth-education/student-
charter
Maynooth University is committed to offering students an outstanding university
education, the best available in Ireland, an education which challenges and
supports all students to achieve their full potential, and prepares students for life,
work and citizenship, and for complexity, diversity and change.
Maynooth University is committed to providing an outstanding learning
environment for our students, with excellent teaching, research and scholarship,
and student supports. Maynooth University offers a curriculum and an
intellectual, cultural and social environment that provide students with
opportunities to make meaningful and positive contributions to the development
of the community and society
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Members of Maynooth University, staff and students, undertake to treat each
other with dignity and respect and to abide by the rules and regulations of the
University. We champion an open, friendly and inclusive learning environment
that is welcoming of diversity and the benefits this brings. We are committed to
fostering an atmosphere conducive to learning, research and scholarly activity in
which students are empowered to strive for academic excellence and to embrace
learning as a lifelong pursuit, while also recognising the importance of the social,
sporting and cultural aspects of the student experience. We are committed to
upholding the highest standards of academic, ethical and professional integrity,
and to recognising our social, environmental and civic responsibilities.
All students of Maynooth University are members of Maynooth Students’ Union.
Maynooth Students’ Union works in partnership with Maynooth University to
review, support and enhance the student experience and to ensure that all
students at Maynooth receive the highest standards of educational support and
services throughout their time at university. This Student Charter has been
developed by Maynooth Students’ Union and Maynooth University and is
endorsed by the Presidents of the Students’ Union and University. The Student
Charter will be reviewed annually.
Maynooth University undertakes to:
Provide comprehensive orientation and induction supports to facilitate
transition to third and fourth level;
Provide teaching, assessment, feedback and academic guidance, of a
high standard, informed by research active staff, and consistent with a
research-led university of high standing internationally, so as to support
students in their development as independent learners or researchers;
Provide access to learning activities that will support the fundamental
intellectual skills of analysis, synthesis, reflection and critical appraisal and
that will enhance employability and personal development;
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Provide fair and challenging assessment, both formative and summative,
in support of high academic standards and rewarding creativity and
intellectual skill;
Provide opportunities to develop critical skills including written and oral
communication and presentation;
Provide clear and timely communication of information relating to
timetables, examination schedules, module and programme content;
Consider student workload when planning continuous assessment
schedules, and provide clear, timely and unambiguous communication
about assessment requirements;
Provide clear, constructive and timely feedback on submitted work;
Support staff and student participation in quality enhancement activities
and in programme review;
Provide access to effective and progressive library, IT and learning
technology services;
Provide information and access to supports and advice on matters such
as health and welfare, finance and budgeting, accommodation, career
planning, subject choices and international studies;
Provide regular opportunities for continuing professional development for
staff and training and induction for new staff, appropriate to a research-led
university;
Provide a University handbook (online) which details rules, regulations,
codes, supports, examination arrangements and regulations, appeals and
complaints procedures, and programme structures as well as course
handbooks (online) which detail assessment criteria, timetables, contact
and consultation hours, academic guidance and support, and professional
requirements where appropriate;
Provide opportunities for anonymous and direct feedback on the teaching
and learning processes of the University and opportunities to have such
feedback taken into account by the University;
Provide opportunities, both within and outside the formal learning
environment, for development of highly valued skills, such as teamwork
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and communication skills, through active learning experiences. Such
opportunities include workplace learning, volunteering, international
exchanges and project work;
Provide direct participation for students in the governance structures of the
University.
Students undertake to:
Take responsibility for their learning, be self-motivated and engage with
their programme of study;
Attend induction, lectures, tutorials and other timetabled classes, and
meetings with tutors or supervisors, and participate actively in such
meetings;
Commit sufficient time to personal study and appropriately prioritise and
balance study time with other commitments;
Complete and submit assessed work by stated deadlines and consider
and act on feedback;
Notify departments of any factors that may affect engagement with their
programme of study, including, for example, significant absences;
Seek advice, if needed, on academic, personal and welfare issues, from
the Students’ Union and/or appropriate University supports;
Participate fully in group learning activities and projects and provide
collegial support for the contributions of group members;
Develop a portfolio of significant assessed assignments and project work
and other contributions and achievements, and use it to reflect on
accumulated learning as they progress through their studies;
Provide feedback to student representatives and to the University and
participate in quality enhancement activities when requested;
Support relevant clubs and societies as a means of enhancing personal
and professional development and the student experience;
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Use the facilities and resources of the University with respect and
consideration for all other users, and respect the physical environment of
the University;
Recognising the unique identity of Maynooth as a University town, support
University–community engagement and respect the people and physical
environment of Maynooth.
Examinations and Continuous Assessments
Examination and assessment processes vary across the different modules and
departments. They range from 100% continuous assessment to 100%
examination. Basic information on the assessment method is available from the
module descriptor (www.nuim.ie/courses). You lecturer will provide you with
specific details of the assessment. All assessments are set and graded by your
lecturers, so listen carefully to the advice they are giving you. To ensure
consistency across modules, degrees and universities assessments and results
are reviewed by the University’s academic council and an external examiner from
another University. This ensures that all students get fair treatment in their
assessment.
The School is absolutely confident that all students it accepts on the degree
programme are capable of passing the degree. However having the ability to
pass and passing are not the same thing. The difference is the attitude you take
to your studies, the effort you put in and the organisational skill you demonstrate.
Marks & Standards
The Marks & Standard Document can be found on the following University Link
http://examinations.nuim.ie/marks_standards.shtml. This contains important
information that you should familiarise yourself with.
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Continuous Assessments
Continuous assessments form an extremely valuable part of the learning and
assessment process for a number of modules offered by the School (MN and EQ
codes). Continuous assessment may be conducted by means of a single piece of
work or it may require several continuous assessment components to be
completed.
For all modules offered by the School all continuous assessment components
are compulsory unless explicitly stated otherwise. It is the expectation of the
School of Business that all students taking modules delivered by us ought to
complete all continuous assessment components of their module as part of their
education journey. All students are expected to engage fully with all forms of
assessment, be that continuous assessment, examinations, individual or team
work. If you miss a component of continuous assessment you will ordinarily be
assigned a zero percentage grade for that component. Some forms of continuous
assessment take place at fixed times and locations and cannot be repeated
during or at the end of the semester. If you miss such time- and/or location-
specific assessments you will carry a zero percentage for this component in the
calculation of the overall grade for the module. It is the responsibility of the
student to therefore ensure that they comply with all instructions regarding
continuous assessment for each module.
Further details on the continuous assignment policy for each module are
available on the individual moodle spaces.
European Computer Driving License (ECDL)
Maynooth University School of Business strongly encourages all Business
students to complete the ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence) before
graduation and ideally within the first year of studies. It is an additional skill-set
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which employers in industry appreciate when recruiting Business graduates. It
also validates your basic computing skills, which as an entrant to third level
education you are assumed to have. Basic computing skills (such as word-
processing, spreadsheets, email, web-browsing, presentation technology and
skills amongst others) are assumed by Maynooth University Business School to
be capabilities of all incoming students. If you lack these technological skills then
you ought to complete ECDL as these skills are assumed to be part of your
courses. If you have these skills but lack validation of them, then ECDL will
validate your skills for future employers and be a positive achievement on your
CV.
From 2014/15 ECDL is not required to graduate from a Business programme in
Maynooth University (National University of Ireland Maynooth). ECDL is not a
prerequisite for many of our Business modules. When selecting module options,
it is each student’s individual responsibly to read the module descriptors provided
on the university web-site and to determine their ability to successfully participate
in the module.
Plagiarism
Guidance for Students
It is recognised that nearly all assignments and essays draw on the work of
others: published research and critical commentary, lecturers’ notes and
handouts, etc. The effective use and evaluation of existing material are among
the skills that students are expected to develop.
Material is cited in order to contribute to a larger line of argument, or to be
subjected to scrutiny, or to be combined with other material in order to arrive at
new perspectives; value should be added by some original thinking in the way in
which it is used. In all cases, the source of the material (an idea or opinion, a
quote, data, etc) must be acknowledged in a standard form of referencing.
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Plagiarism is the passing off of another person’s work as your own. It includes
copying without acknowledgement from a published source (print or electronic),
or from unpublished sources (e.g. another student’s essay or notes). Plagiarism
occurs when material is copied word for word, but not only in that circumstance.
Plagiarism also occurs when the substance or argument of a text is copied even
with some verbal alterations, such as in paraphrase or translation, without
acknowledgement.
Plagiarism includes using material from books or periodicals, from the internet,
from grind tutors, or from other students, without full acknowledgement of the
sources. Copying and collusion are related to plagiarism. Copying occurs when a
student copies work from a peer, with or without the consent of the original
author. Collusion is when students collaborate to present work as if it were
individual and original. Both copying and collusion are forms of plagiarism.
In instances where two or more purportedly original assignments show clearly
derivative similarities that are unacknowledged, they shall both or all be treated
as plagiarism unless the contrary can be demonstrated.
Plagiarism in any form of assignment contributing to marks or a grade for a
course is a serious offence. It is a form of cheating on several counts: the
perpetrator is attempting to obtain credit for work not done, and is also attempting
to benefit from work done by somebody else. Plagiarism undercuts the whole
thrust of scholarly enquiry that is the essence of education.
Plagiarism will be severely penalised wherever it is detected. Students submitting
assignments, essays, dissertations or any form of work for assessment may be
required to sign a declaration that the material in question is wholly their own
work except where indicated by referencing or acknowledgement.
Students are reminded that any student submitting written work for continuous
assessment can be asked by the marker or the department to take a
supplementary test. This may take the form of an oral examination on the
assignment in question and related issues, or the writing of a paper in controlled
conditions. Students should provide adequate and accurate referencing for their
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assignments. Gordon Harvey, Writing with Sources: A Guide for Students,
(Hackett Publishing Company, 1998) is one of a number of booklets outlining
good practice in reference and citation.
University Plagiarism Document
The library runs workshops on how to avoid plagiarism:
https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/library
Disciplinary Consequences
Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty and will be treated with the utmost
seriousness wherever discovered. Examiners, tutors and markers are required to
report instances of suspected plagiarism to the relevant Head of Department
concerned.
Any student submitting written work for continuous assessment can be asked by
the marker or the department to take a further test. This may take the form of an
oral examination on the assignment in question and related issues, or the writing
of a test paper in controlled conditions. Requiring a student to take such a test
does not necessarily imply that plagiarism is suspected.
In instances where an element forming part of an assignment (from a phrase or
sentence up to a paragraph or two) is found to be plagiarised, marks will be
deducted for that assignment, there will be no possibility of submitting a “make-
up” assignment, and previous and subsequent work submitted in connection with
the course may be subject to particular scrutiny. While the amount of marks
deducted will be proportionate to the extent of the plagiarised material, the
deduction may be severe.
In instances where a significant part or all of an assignment is found to be
plagiarised, zero marks may be awarded for that assignment, there may be no
possibility of submitting a “makeup” assignment, and previous and subsequent
work submitted in connection with the course may be subject to particular
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scrutiny. In serious cases the plagiarism will be reported to the Supervisor of
Examinations and the Committee of Discipline.
All written continuous assessments for the department will be typewritten and
submitted through www.turnitin.com a plagiarism checker. This software
compares your work to thousands of academic databases, a myriad of internet
sources and websites as well as continuous assessments from other business
students in your course, university and other universities around the world.
Attendance
Under university regulations, students are expected to attend all their courses
satisfactorily.
For tutorials and electives modules in the department attendance is always
recorded. Students are expected to treat meetings of these classes as they
would any other business appointment. Failure to attend, without a very good
reason, is taken as a breaking of trust with the class as a whole - fellow students
and lecturer/tutor. When a student has to miss a class, he/she is expected to
explain this in advance to the lecturer/tutor or, if that is impossible, to explain as
soon as possible afterwards. In either case a written explanation should be
submitted to the School. Students arriving late for a class may be marked absent.
N.B.: Work, in the sense of paid employment, is never acceptable as an excuse
for missing class.
The student is responsible for securing all information - both in terms of course
work and administration details - conveyed by lecturers and tutors at his/her
scheduled lectures and tutorials.
All medical certificates submitted by students are kept on a confidential file and
are referred to at examination time.
Rules and Regulations
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All students are expected to acquaint themselves with, and observe, University
rules and procedures. The following rules and regulations are available on this
link:
https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/sites/default/files/assets/document/rulesandre
gulations.pdf
1. General rules of the University
2. Code of Discipline for students
3. Policy for responsible computing
4. Code of conduct for users of computing facilities
5. Library regulations
6. Plagiarism
7. Examination
Health & Safety
The commitment and co-operation of all staff and students of the University is
essential if safety, health and welfare are to be ensured.
When entering a lecture theatre or classroom, students should note the nearest
exit in case of emergency.
In the interest of safety students are asked not obstruct passageways with
bags/books etc. in classrooms and lecture theatres.
Please consult the Health and Safety web page for further information regarding
fire assembly points, first aid etc: www.nuim.ie/service/safety
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General Information
Printing in the Public Access Computer Rooms
The Computer Centre provides a quality prepaid printing service in the
University’s Public Access Computer Rooms (PACRs).
On the North Campus there are three PACRs, Rye Hall, Arts PACR and Callan
Foyer. A net point providing internet and email access is available in the Arts
Building behind the lecture theatres.
On the South Campus there are three PACRs, Long Corridor PACR opposite
Callan Hall, and Teaching Rooms 1 & 2, located behind the Computer Centre
building. Click here for more details on PACR’s
For further details on this service contact the Computer Centre on extn 3388
(Helpdesk) or email [email protected] or Web http://computercentre.nuim.ie
Student Services
Students entering university may be coming straight from school or, in the case
of mature students, after a considerable break from formal education. In both
cases the transition can be a challenge. Student Services are provided to support
students during this transition and ensure that these difficulties do not affect the
students’ success in university. Student services can be contacted at:
https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/current-students
Medical Centre There is the service of a Medical Centre on campus – contact 01
7083878 for further information.
Counselling Service The Student counselling service at NUI Maynooth offers a
confidential service to students of the University. Contact 01 – 7083554 for
further information.