OCA Student Regulations
OCA Student Regulations take the form of both core and supplementary policies. The core policies are the most critical to know and understand in order to study at OCA. These policies are the Terms and Conditions, Admissions Policy, Assessment Policy, Refund Policy, and Student Code of Conduct. All of these policies (plus some others) are sent to you when you enrol with OCA.
Terms and Conditions
The Terms and Conditions set out the contract between OCA and you as a student.
Terms and ConditionsAdmissions Policy
This policy details how you join a course at OCA, as well as any entry requirements that apply.
Admissions PolicyAssessment Policy
The Assessment Policy covers how your studies are assessed, what you need to complete to achieve qualifications, and the OCA process.
Assessment PolicyRefund and Compensation Policy
Your refund entitlement, what you can claim a refund for, and how and when you will receive a refund if due.
Refund and Compensation PolicyStudent Code of Conduct
The Code of Conduct sets out the expected behaviours as a student with OCA, and what happens if those behaviours are not met.
Student Code of ConductAcademic Frameworks and Learning & Teaching Policies
The Academic Framework are the core governing principles for how programmes of study operate at OCA. OCA operates the Academic Regulations for Subsidiary Institutions of The Open University, and in addition there is the Learning and Teaching Policy, and Tuition Policy, which cover how learning and tuition is actually delivered at OCA. Lastly, the Progression and Continuation Policy sets out certain progression restrictions between units and stages, and the Assessment through the Medium of Welsh Policy details support for Welsh language speakers.
Academic Framework
Here you'll find the academic regulations that apply during the 2023/24 academic year.
Academic FrameworkAssessment through the Medium of Welsh Policy
The Assessment through the Medium of Welsh Policy details how we support Welsh language speakers at assessment.
Assessment through the Medium of Welsh PolicyLearning and Teaching Policy
The Learning and Teaching policy sets out how learning is designed, developed, and delivered at OCA.
Learning and Teaching PolicyProgression Policy
The Progression and Continuation Policy sets out certain progression restrictions between units and stages
Progression PolicyTuition Policy
This policy sets out how tuition happens, the role of tutors, and learning environments that facilitate tuition and learning.
Tuition PolicyStudent Support Policies
This section covers all the policies that cover supporting aspects of your study, from building and maintaining an engaging learning environment to safeguarding students at risk.
Active Study Policy
The Active Study Policy supports maintaining engagement with study, covering what you need to do, and what OCA has to do.
Active Study PolicyAnti-Harassment and Bullying Policy
Bullying and harassment is not tolerated at OCA, and this policy sets out the behaviours we expect from students and what we will do if we are aware of bullying or harassment happening
Anti-Harassment and Bullying PolicySafeguarding Policy
Safeguarding is a legal duty and covers persons under the age of 18 or at risk adults. These may be OCA students or unconnected. This sets out our policy ad what we do if a concern is raised
Safeguarding PolicySexual Harassment and Misconduct Policy
OCA does not tolerate sexual harassment and misconduct, violence or abuse, and this policy sets out what happens if a concern is raised.
Sexual Harassment and Misconduct PolicyStudent Support Policies
This section covers all the policies that cover supporting aspects of your study. This includes how to apply for extra time, how we support student accessibility, and applications for credit exemption.
Extenuating Circumstances Policy
If you lose time during your study due to illness or other events you could apply through our Extenuating Circumstances Policy for more time
Extenuating Circumstances PolicyRecognition of Prior Learning Policy
Recognition of Prior Learning looks at study or life experience you have already done, and awards you credits based on that
Recognition of Prior Learning PolicyStudent Accessibility Policy
OCA programmes are designed to by accessible to all, and this policy outlines how we do that, and how we support students with additional accessibility needs
Student Accessibility PolicyWellbeing Policy
Student wellbeing is important to ensure that our students can achieve their goals. This policy sets out what we do to support positive wellbeing.
Wellbeing PolicyFees and Finance Policies
OCA is a not-for-profit organisation, and our fees are less than equivalent courses at campus-based universities. Our fees are set by our Board of Trustees, and our policies detail how and when we can increase fees.
Student Debt Policy
If students accrue a debt with OCA, this policy details what we'll do to work with students to pay down the debt
Student Debt PolicyStudent Fees Policy
This policy sets how OCA can change fees, when, and under what conditions
Student Fees PolicyConduct Policies
Whilst you are a student at OCA, there are certain expectations of you as a student. These cover how you interact with your peers and staff, both on OCA systems and platforms, and on social media. In addition they also cover your ability to study the course, both academically and with computer literacy.
Academic Misconduct Policy
Activities such as plagiarism are not permitted, and the Academic Misconduct Policy sets out what happens if you are found to have used these activities
Academic Misconduct PolicyFitness to Study Policy
Fitness to study details how you engage with study, your personal ability to engage, and how OCA supports you in doing so.
Fitness to Study PolicyOnline Behaviour and Social Media Policy
This policy sets out the expectations of conduct towards others in online spaces and social media.
Online Behaviour and Social Media PolicyStudent Computing Policy
The Student Computing Policy covers IT Literacy and what you'll need to be comfortable with in IT.
Student Computing PolicyData Protection Policies
As a student you’ll provide personal and sensitive data as part of enrolment to OCA. We use this information to provide services to you, and to carry out our statutory duties. Our Data Protection policies detail what data we collect, what we use it for, who we share it with, and how long we keep it for.
Data Breach Policy
This policy looks at what happens if something goes wrong and data is inadvertently shared
Data Breach PolicyData Protection and Confidentiality Policy
Our overarching policy on Data Protection. It sets out what data we collect, what we use it for, who we share it with, and how long we keep it for.
Data Protection and Confidentiality PolicyData Protection Impact Assessment Policy
This policy details how OCA conducts assessments on data, both our need to ask for it, and what we need to do to keep it safe
Data Protection Impact Assessment PolicyData Protection Policies
As a student you’ll provide personal and sensitive data as part of enrolment to OCA. We use this information to provide services to you, and to carry out our statutory duties. Our Data Protection policies detail what data we collect, what we use it for, who we share it with, and how long we keep it for.
Information Security Policy Set
A set of policies covering Information for students and staff at OCA. Entails emails, communications, network security and more.
Information Security Policy SetStudent Privacy Policy
The Student Privacy Policy covers the data we collect from you as a student, and how we process that data.
Student Privacy PolicyEquality, Diversity, and Inclusion Policies
The OCA student body is extremely diverse, and something we are proud of. We are not complacent though, and these policies help to explain what we are doing to deliver parity of experience for students of all backgrounds.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy
This policy introduces the efforts OCA makes to ensure parity of opportunity for all students at OCA
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion PolicyGender Identity Policy
OCA aims to support gender diverse and trans students to have an equitable student experience
Gender Identity PolicyIf things go wrong
Occasionally things do go wrong, and when that happens we want to put things right. The Complaints and Academic Appeals Policies are the routes to bring to OCA’s attention things that haven’t gone to plan, and we’ll do our utmost to sort it out.
Academic Appeals Policy
The Academic Appeals policy is for when you want to raise something that is academic in nature, but not appeals against marks or academic judgement
Academic Appeals PolicyStudent Complaints and Non-Academic Appeals Policy
The Student Complaints and Non-Academic Appeals Policy covers decisions and incidents that are not academic in nature or do not directly affect your study
Student Complaints and Non-Academic Appeals PolicyStatutory Policies
These policies cover specific duties that OCA as a Higher Education Provider must undertake by law.
Criminal Convictions Policy
Studying with a criminal conviction is not normally a barrier to study, but OCA undertakes additional tasks to safeguard the OCA community and support study.
Criminal Convictions PolicyPrevent Duty Policy
The Prevent Duty aims to safeguard people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.
Prevent Duty PolicyOCA Forms
Below you’ll find a variety of forms to us when contacting OCA, say for example if you wish to withdraw, or appoint and advocate on your behalf.
Advocacy Guidelines and Procedure
Advocacy Guidelines and ProcedureCancellation Form
Cancellation FormComplaints Form
Complaints FormData Breach Form
Data Breach FormFreedom of Information Request Form
Freedom of Information Request FormInformation and Communication Technologies Exemption Form
Information and Communication Technologies Exemption FormRight to Erasure Form
Right to Erasure Form