General Policy

• Student admission and enrolment
• Online teaching and learning
• Student attendance and participation
• Academic conduct and integrity
• Assessments and examinations
• Student records and privacy
• Technology and information security
• Safeguarding and online safety
• Equality and inclusion
• Student wellbeing
• Complaints and academic concerns
• Student support services
• Responsible use of Berkeley's digital platforms

• Identification documents
• Academic certificates
• Academic transcripts
• Professional qualifications
• Employment or professional experience
• English-language evidence
• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) documentation
• Other programme-specific evidence

• Application and admission information
• Registration records
• Programme and module records
• Attendance and participation
• Assessment submissions
• Academic results
• Progression records
• Academic communications
• Tuition fee information
• Certification and completion records

• Join scheduled classes on time.
• Use their correct name or approved student profile.
• Follow tutor instructions.
• Participate appropriately in discussions and activities.
• Avoid disruptive behaviour.
• Respect tutors and other students.
• Maintain appropriate language and behaviour.
• Avoid recording or distributing classes without authorisation.

• Academic requirements
• Assessment integrity
• Identity verification
• Accessibility requirements
• Privacy considerations
• Reasonable adjustments

• Virtual class attendance
• LMS activity
• Participation records
• Academic submissions
• Tutor interactions
• Assessment participation
• Other approved academic engagement indicators

• Plagiarism
• Contract cheating
• Impersonation
• Collusion
• Fabrication or falsification
• Purchasing assignments
• Copying another student's work
• Providing work to another student for copying
• Unauthorised assistance during examinations
• Manipulation or falsification of academic evidence
• Unauthorised use of artificial intelligence

• Plagiarism detection
• Authorship verification
• Identity verification
• Assessment security
• Academic integrity investigations

• Submit AI-generated material as their own original work where this is prohibited.
• Use AI to complete an assessment where independent student work is required.
• Fabricate references, evidence, data or research using AI.
• Use AI during examinations unless specifically authorised.
• Upload confidential Berkeley information or another person's personal information to unauthorised AI services.
• Where AI use is permitted, students may be required to acknowledge or explain how it was used.
• Unauthorised or deceptive use of AI may be treated as academic misconduct.

• Assessment deadlines
• Identity verification
• Permitted materials
• Academic integrity requirements
• Technical requirements
• Examination conditions
• Submission procedures
• Online proctoring or verification arrangements where applicable

• Berkeley's safeguarding procedures;
• The student's age and circumstances;
• The country in which the student is physically located;
• Applicable child-protection and safeguarding laws;
• The nature and seriousness of the concern; and
• The appropriate local safeguarding or emergency authority.

• Protecting children and vulnerable learners from harm.
• Acting promptly where there is a credible safeguarding concern.
• Maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.
• Protecting students from online exploitation and abuse.
• Providing clear reporting procedures.
• Sharing safeguarding information only where appropriate and necessary.
• Escalating serious concerns to appropriate authorities where required.
• Considering the laws and safeguarding arrangements applicable where the student is located.

• Physical abuse
• Emotional or psychological abuse
• Sexual abuse or exploitation
• Neglect
• Cyberbullying
• Online harassment
• Grooming
• Sexual harassment
• Sextortion or sexual exploitation
• Stalking
• Threats of violence
• Hate-based abuse
• Exposure to harmful online material
• Unauthorised sharing of intimate or personal material
• Exploitation or coercion
• Serious concerns regarding self-harm or immediate safety
• Inappropriate tutor-student or student-student communications

• One-to-one online communication
• Private messaging
• Video meetings
• Recording
• Personal contact details
• Social media
• Sharing photographs or videos
• Communications outside appropriate educational purposes

• Use approved educational platforms.
• Be accessible only to authorised participants where appropriate.
• Use appropriate privacy and security settings.
• Maintain professional communication.
• Protect student personal information.
• Provide students with a clear method for reporting concerns.

• The student themselves
• Another student
• A tutor or Berkeley representative
• Another person encountered through Berkeley activities
• Online abuse or exploitation

• Record the concern.
• Contact the student.
• Involve a parent or guardian where appropriate.
• Take steps to protect access to Berkeley's online environment.
• Preserve relevant evidence.
• Refer the matter to an appropriate safeguarding authority.
• Contact emergency services where there is an immediate risk.

• United Kingdom: safeguarding matters should be handled in accordance with applicable UK requirements and appropriate local safeguarding arrangements. Current English statutory guidance requires immediate action where a child may be at risk.
• United Arab Emirates: concerns involving children should be handled in accordance with applicable UAE child-protection requirements and competent UAE authorities.
• Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: the Child Protection Law and its implementing framework provide for reporting and responding to abuse and neglect. Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development also operates the 1919 reporting service for abuse-related concerns.
• United States: the appropriate response may depend on the student's state, age, institution type and circumstances. Berkeley should follow applicable federal and state reporting requirements and contact the relevant local authority where necessary.
• Berkeley should not rely on one country's reporting procedure for a student physically located in another country.

• Recorded appropriately.
• Restricted to those who need the information.
• Shared proportionately.
• Protected from unnecessary disclosure.
• Retained in accordance with applicable requirements.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and Credit Transfer Policy and Procedures

Policy Statement

BERKELEY is committed to providing high-quality service and to maintaining the highest standards for its learners, and other stakeholders. Recognition of prior learning and transfer of credit exists to enable learners to avoid duplication of learning and assessment. This policy explains what is defined as the recognition of prior learning and credit transfer, and BERKELEY’s policies for applying these.

Policy Relevance

This policy defines recognition of prior learning and credit transfer, the circumstances in which they may be applicable to learners, and the policies for applying them where relevant.

Policy Responsibility and Review

This policy is the responsibility of the Quality Manager and will be reviewed regularly.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) allows for a learner to be recognized for certain learning they have previously undertaken which has not been certificated or accredited through the RQF (Regulated Qualifications Framework) or QCF (Qualifications and Credit Framework), towards the regulated/unregulated qualification being studied.

If approved for RPL, the learner does not need to attend learning for the approved unit(s), but must still undertake the assessment in full in order to achieve the assessment criteria.

The learner must provide evidence of prior work, learning, and/or achievement, for consideration. This must be fully evidenced, valid, and reliable, and mapped to the learning outcomes and assessment criteria of all units for which the RPL claim is being made.

RPL may be claimed against a whole unit or several units. It is not possible to claim part units.

Under some circumstances, there may be a limit to the proportion of the qualification that can be achieved by RPL, and/or specific rules may apply to RPL eligibility of certain units. Full details of any requirements will be identified in the rule s of combination for any regulated/unregulated qualifications offered by BERKELEY.

BERKELEY remains the role of the assessor and internal quality assurance staff to ensure that assessment criteria are only deemed to have been met where assessment is valid, reliable and fit for purpose, and where evidence is adequate, sufficient, and authentic. The process of RPL is subject to the same standard of scrutiny through the application of existing quality assurance and monitoring processes as any other form of assessment. RPL assessments should be included in standardization and evaluation activities so that processes are reviewed, as with all other assessments.

Where RPL is used towards a learner’s achievement of a regulated/unregulated qualification, a learner will still be charged the full fee for the qualification being claimed, as the full qualification is still subject to full external quality assurance of the assessment, by BERKELEY.

Credit Transfer

Credit transfer allows for previously accredited achievement to count towards another regulated/unregulated qualification, where it is either allowed as an equivalency within the new qualification, or where the learner has already achieved one or more exact unit(s) belonging to that qualification.

In the case of approved credit transfer, the learner does not need to repeat their assessment.

The learner must provide evidence of certification for the unit(s) to the BERKELEY (the certificate itself is not required where a previous credit the achievement was from BERKELEY).

Credit transfer may be claimed against a whole unit or several units. It is not possible to claim part units.

Eligibility should be checked by the BERKELEY’s internal quality assurer and:

• Provide evidence of units achieved, usually by way of the original certificate (not required where previous credit achievement was from BERKELEY).

• Make an application for credit transfer to BERKELEY.

Where credit transfer is used towards a learner’s achievement of a regulated/unregulated qualification, a learner will still be charged the full fee for the qualification being claimed which includes checking eligibility for credit transfer and authentication of the certificate(s).

Staff Development Policies

1. Purpose and Objectives

This policy sets out BERKELEY’s commitment to the development of its staff, the broad range of development activities available, the responsibilities of the parties involved and the funding arrangements for staff development activities.

2. Definitions, Terms, Acronyms

No entries for this document.

3. Policy Scope/Coverage

This policy applies to all BERKELEY staff.

4. Policy Statement

The BERKELEY is dedicated to the pursuit of learning but is itself required to be a “learning organization”, so that it can continually improve the provision of learning opportunities to its students. Staff development is a vital investment from which our staff and the BERKELEY itself will benefit.

This policy and development activities offered under it are designed to:

• provide development opportunities essential for staff in induction, upgrading skills required for their current and future positions, attaining required competencies, and in personal development related to job performance;
• enhance the standard of performance of all staff in their current jobs;
• maintain and increase job satisfaction;
• provide support for career advancement, so that BERKELEY will retain staff who perform well and staff are prepared for possible future responsibilities;
• improve and develop the ability of staff to initiate and respond constructively to change,;
• maintain and improve organizational effectiveness and efficiency; and
• support the BERKELEY’s principles of equity.

All BERKELEY staff have the right and responsibility to continuously improve the capabilities required for their current role, and to consider the development required for their possible future role at a higher level or in another organizational unit. While staff should proactively develop their capabilities, staff development is a shared responsibility; heads of organizational units and supervisors have key responsibilities in supporting staff to identify their skills and development needs through regular feedback and the performance appraisal process, and to take up development opportunities.

Discussions of the staff member’s career aspirations and the creation of a development plan must occur with their supervisor as part of the annual performance appraisal process, in addition to more frequent informal conversations. Career progression cannot be guaranteed for any staff member, and it is noted that not all staff desire to move to a higher level. Some gain greater job satisfaction by seeking continuous improvement in their current role, or by moving at a level to another organizational unit. Promotion occurs in accordance with policies under the Career Development, Increments and Staff Recognition and Recruitment and Selection – Policy.

5. Types of Development Opportunities

The BERKELEY encourages staff to develop their capability through a broad range of activities, including (but not limited to) the following:

•  attending formal training courses and seminars (such as the Staff Development Program of courses);
• on-the-job training;
• participation in mentoring, as a mentor or a mentee;
• participation in action learning programs;
• lateral transfers and job rotation;
• staff interchanges or secondments;
• internships;
• conferences;
• special studies program
• study visits;
• multi-skilling;
• temporary performance of higher duties;
• support from a coach;
• involvement with networks or professional associations;
• private study to improve skills or qualifications and
• participation in professional development activities relating to teaching, learning and research (for academic staff).

6. Responsibility for Staff Development

6.1 Staff Development Committee

Responsibility for the development of the Staff Development Policy and a program of formal development activities for the BERKELEY rests with the BERKELEY Staff Development Committee, which advises the Head of Directors. The Terms of Reference for the Committee and information on the Staff Development Program that it oversees each year are contained in Staff Development – Guidelines.

6.2 Heads of organizational units

Heads of organisational units bear the primary responsibility for implementing this staff development policy by ensuring that staff are engaged in the performance appraisal process and are given access to relevant development opportunities.

6.3 Supervisors

Supervisors play a key role in staff development by assisting staff to identify their strengths and development needs, offering regular feedback, and by providing encouragement and the time to participate in development opportunities, and to reflect on, share and apply what they learn as part of their work.

6.4 Staff

The effectiveness of any staff development activity depends on the active and purposeful participation of the individuals involved. Staff have a clear responsibility to identify their strengths and development needs, seek feedback, and develop their skills to enhance performance in their current position and adapt to changes in their work, and to be ready to assume further responsibilities.

7. Equity

Staff development activities must be accessible on an equitable basis, must promote the principles of equity, and must reinforce the aims and objectives of BERKELEY’s Equity and Diversity Plan. Where appropriate, courses must accommodate any specific needs of employment-disadvantaged groups. Courses must build an understanding of equity issues relevant to the topic.

8. Funding

While many effective development activities do not require specific funding (e.g., mentoring, on-the-job training), organizational units must allocate funding for formal staff development from the funds under their control.

In addition, the BERKELEY Staff Development Committee proposes an annual budget for staff development activities and deploys it appropriately when allocated, including funding the annual Staff Development Program of courses.