Educational and Examination Regulations: General rules

1 General rules

1.1 To whom it applies

These rules are applicable to all students who are enrolled at Leuven University College, and to all staff members of the Leuven University College.

1.2 Availability of these regulations

By enrolling, students become subject to these education and examination rules.
At the time of enrolment, a digital copy of these Education and Examination Regulations will be made available to the student (www.leuvenuniversitycollege.be). Upon request, the student will receive a printed copy.

1.3 Communication

Everyone is expected to consult the Leuven University College (electronic) announcement board at least once a week, in addition to the present education and examination regulations. Students are expected to consult their personal examination results at the day on which the examination results are communicated. The ICT code of conduct can be found on www.khleuven.be/portaal.

1.4 Definitions

The regulations of Leuven University College use the following terms:

a period of one year starting on the third Monday of September and ending on the day preceding the beginning of the following academic year. The academic year is composed of two semesters.
updating programme: a study programme that may be imposed on students who hold a credit certificate, another certificate of study or a certificate of competence that was acquired at least five calendar years ago and that the student wishes to valorise with regard to an as yet uncompleted course of study or another course of study. The period of five calendar years starts from the first day of October following the month in which the certificate was obtained
rounding rule: the student’s overall result of a course unit and a course subunit is rounded down to the nearest whole number in case of a decimal between 0.1 and 0.4 and rounded up to the nearest whole number in case of a decimal between 0.5 and 0.9; the number of ECTS Credits while applying the 10 % tolerable fail rate is rounded down to the nearest whole number in case of a decimal between 0.1 and 0.4 and rounded up to the nearest whole number in case of a decimal between 0.5 and 0.9
graduating option: a specialisation in a study programme, having a study load of at least 30 ECTS Credits
K.U.Leuven Association: association between K.U.Leuven and university colleges in the Flemish Community of Belgium The composition of the association and a description of the bodies and areas of application involved can be found at associatie.kuleuven.be
certificate of continuing education: attendance certificate proving that the holder took part in a continuous education activity without assessment or examination
competence inquiry: inquiry into an individual's competences in view of delivering a certificate of competence
APEL committee: the Leuven University College committee that assesses a request for APEL in accordance with the APEL-APCL Regulations of the K.U.Leuven Association and the general regulations with regard to exemptions (2008)
deliberation period: is a period during an academic year, as determined by the academic calendar, when the technical committees and examination committees of a study programme convene in order to exercise their powers as determined by the examination regulations. Deliberation may also occur outside this period in case of dispute about a particular examination result or when results of examinations taken outside the institution are not delivered in time. The deliberation period is concluded by communicating the results
certificate of competence: the certificate stating that a student has acquired competences that are characteristic of the bachelor level programme at a higher professional education institution or of a well-defined study programme, course unit or cluster of course units. This certificate is delivered by a recognition body and consists of a paper document and a record in the K.U.Leuven Association data base
certificate of admission: the certificate that grants a person admission to higher education if said person does not comply with the diploma requirements with regard to his enrolment in an undergraduate bachelor programme
committee for particular admission requirements: the Leuven University College committee assessing whether a person who does not comply with the diploma requirements for enrolment in an undergraduate bachelor's programme can still be admitted to a bachelor's programme, in accordance with the Regulations of the K.U.Leuven Association related to the general conditions of particular admission requirements (2008)
competence: integration of knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes which results in an effective, high-quality performance in a particular function or role. This performance is visible in actions undertaken in a certain situation.
credit certificate: the recognition of competences related to a course unit of a study programme that a student has acquired based on an examination. ((The student passes the course unit if he receives at least 10 points out of 20 or a 'pass' mark.) This recognition is entered into a database and may be made available on paper on the student’s request. The ECTS Credits linked to a course unit are called “credits”. No credit is granted to a course unit for which a tolerable fail grade was earned.
credit contract: an agreement between Leuven University College and the enrolled student in order to obtain a credit certificate for one or several course units
settlement: a contract by which the parties end a future or past dispute by mutual concessions
course subunit: a distinct, consistent set of teaching, study and evaluation activities aimed at acquiring well-defined competences and which is part of a course unit. The ECTS Credits of a course subunit are expressed in whole numbers. They are part of an assessment mark, in conjunction with the marks of other subunits, which leads to the overall result of the course unit
diploma: the document delivered to a student who passed all units of the entire Bachelor’s study programme and which includes the main identification information of the student and the completed study programme.
diploma contract: an agreement between Leuven University College and a student who enrols in order to obtain a diploma or a certificate
diploma supplement: the document issued in compliance with European standards detailing the specific characteristics of the study programme and of the study results that are not mentioned on the diploma. This document will particularly contain the credit certificates of the student who graduated. The diploma supplement and the diploma are inextricably linked and are considered one entity
ECTS: the entire package of agreements allowing to compare attained study results across the European Economic Area. The Flemish credit system is based on the European Credit Transfer System; ‘credit’ is a synonym of ‘ECTS credit’.
European Economic Area (EEA): cooperation between European countries (for members see: europa.eu/about-eu/index_en.htm)
assessment: any kind of evaluation which assesses whether the student has acquired the necessary competences of an entire course unit or of its subunits.
PEL: “prior experiential learning” is the integration of knowledge, insight, skills and work ethics acquired through learning processes that have not resulted in a certificate of study
PCL: "prior certificated learning": any national or foreign study certificate indicating that a formal course of learning, within the regular educational system or not, has been successfully completed, with the exception of credit certificates of a Leuven University College study programme to which the prior certificated learning applies
examination: all assessment activities aimed at checking whether and to which extent the student has acquired the competences of a course (sub)unit and thus has met the course unit goals.
examination contract: an agreement between Leuven University College and the enrolled student who takes an examination in order to obtain a diploma or a credit certificate of one or several course units.
examination opportunity: one of the student’s consecutive possibilities to take an examination about the same course unit
examination period: the period of the academic year, as determined in the academic calendar and/or study guide, which serves in particular for organising examinations
flexible itinerary: a study itinerary which differs from the fixed cluster of course units to create an entire study phase and which is previously determined by the course committee. Leuven University College distinguishes between the following flexible itineraries:
a. the abbreviated itinerary
b. the work/study itinerary
c. the complementary itinerary
d. the prolonged itinerary
personalised itinerary: the student’s itinerary which is modified for specific reasons related to the student and which may be granted at the student’s well-founded request
certificate of continuing education: a document stating that the holder has passed an assessment test or an examination of a continuing education activity
title: designation of Bachelor, Master, or Doctor granted at the end of a successfully completed course of study
level of achievement: special mention granted at the end of a Bachelor's or Master's programme.
(individual) year programme: all the course units in which a student is enrolled during a particular academic year
(individual) summary report: the (electronic) document which provides an overview of the status of the individual student’s study progress at any given moment during his study programme
(individual)l study programme: the sum of the year programmes which the individual student commits to for obtaining a diploma or a certificate or for obtaining one or more credit certificates
joint (degree) programmes: (international) partnership between study programmes which impact the characteristics of a study programme or the awarded diploma. There are several variations: diploma awarded by the institution where the student is enrolled, dual or multiple diploma, joint degree (joint diploma)
learning agreement: a contract between a student, Leuven University College and a host institution on behalf of a mobility programme. The contract includes a list of course units which the student will take in the host institution
study vouchers: virtual vouchers for students by the Flemish Community, expressed in ECTS credits, to be used in order to take one or several study programmes or course units. See http://www.khleuven.be/Info-inschrijven/Leerkrediet
study voucher shortage: having study vouchers worth less than 60 ECTS credits at time of (re)enrolment
learning outcome: description of what students are expected to know, to understand, and to undertake at the end of their learning path and the way in which all that has been learned and/or acquired can be demonstrated
grading mistake: a grading mistake is an examination result that has been incorrectly entered in the system and that has been discovered after the board of examiners' meeting. A grading mistake may have an impact on:
a. the result (mark and/or credit) of a course (sub)unit
b. the fact whether a student can graduate or not
c. the level of achievement at graduation
d. the amount of study vouchers held by a student
e. financing
model itinerary: a study itinerary which consists of a study programme for a particular course of study in which compulsory and optional selections determine how a student is able to obtain a degree or certificate for this course of study within a specified time period.
education activity: the term encompassing lectures, practicals, laboratory work, individual or group assignments, work placements, seminars, tutorials ... A number of education activities combined with study and assessment activities constitute a course unit or its subunit
course of study:the education structure unit. It is a coherent set of education, study and assessment activities. A study programme aims at obtaining well-defined competences that a student should have acquired at the end of the study programme. If completed successfully, it culminates in a diploma or certificate
course stage: coherent part of a course of study, for the purpose of structuring the study itinerary and monitoring the study progress: semesters 1&2, semesters 3&4, semesters 5&6 are the course stages of the initial bachelor study programmes of Leuven University College
course programme: the comprehensive set of compulsory and elective course units of a coure of study
course unit: a distinct set of teaching, study and assessment activities aimed at acquiring well-defined competences. A course unit includes at least three whole ECTS Credits resulting in one separate assessment grade at deliberations. A course unit may consist of different course unit components.
course committee: the committee entrusted with developing and monitoring one or more study programmes and made up of members of the academic and teaching-supporting staff and representatives of the student body, possibly complemented by professionals or alumni.
force majeure: applies when, in spite of all possible efforts, an obligation cannot be met due to an unforeseen situation or event which is sufficiently proven
plagiarism: unauthorised reproduction or copying of work (ideas, texts, structures, images, plans, …) in an identical way or in a slightly altered way and without adequately mentioning the source
continuing education: study programmes of (often) limited scope to broaden or deepen the competences
continuing education with certificate of attendance: activity of continuing education for which a certificate of attendance is awarded and signed by the organiser, which proves that someone participated in a continuing education activity without being assessed or taking an examination
continuing education with certificate: activity of continuing education which is not a postgraduate certificate programme and which is awarded a document by the department and signed by the head of department, which proves that someone passed a formal assessment or examination. This type of continuous education activity is worth at least 3 ECTS Credits
postgraduate certificate: document proving that the holder passed a postgraduate certificate course
postgraduate certificate programme: continuing education study programme covering a coherent set of at least 20 ECTS Credits after having completed a bachelor or master study programme, and for which a postgraduate certificate is awarded by the higher education institution
council for disputes about decisions on study progress: an administrative legal board established at the Ministry of the Flemish Community, judging appeals by students against study progress decisions, after having exhausted all internal appeal efforts against such decisions.
Address: Raad voor betwistingen inzake studievoortgangsbeslissingen (Council for disputes about decisions related to study progress)
Hendrik Conscience building 7A , Koning Albert II-laan 15, 1210 Brussels
bridge programme: a compulsory programme for students wishing to enrol in a Master's programme on the basis of a Bachelor's degree delivered by a professional higher education institution. A bridge programme includes a minimum of 45 and a maximum of 90 ECTS Credits
written notification: unambiguous notification of a (written) request, intention or decision not delivered orally (by letter, by email, by fax, …)
student counselling office (StAB in Dutch): the experts network of student counselling established for each department or study programme. The student counselling office includes the following roles and services:student services, ombuds office, coordinator of student counsellors, coordinator of study itinerary coaches, admissions counsellors, study counsellors, the head of department (the heads of department) and student administration. The student counselling office is the first point of contact for students who have questions about study programme, course units and types of exemptions and reduction of study load
tuition fee: the fee to be paid by students in order to participate in education, study and examination activities
course guide: part of the Education and Examination Regulations which contains specific information about a course programme. This information can be found on www.khleuven.be/portaal
study efficiency: the relation between the number of acquired ECTS Credits and the number of ECTS Credits listed on the year programme, expressed as a percentage: the cumulative study efficiency is defined by the same relation, yet the number of ECTS Credits of all previous academic years related to one and the same study programme is accumulated
study loadthe number of ECTS Credits awarded to a study programme, a course unit or course subunits
ECTS Credit: an international unit accepted by the Flemish Community of Belgium which corresponds to a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 30 hours of approved education, study and assessment activities (26-30 hours in Nursing study programme) and by which the study load of each course or course (sub)unit is defined. ECTS Credits are only awarded in whole numbers. The Dutch word ‘studiepunt’ is a synonym of ECTS Credit.
a. ECTS Credits listed on a student's year programme are credits for which students sign up at enrolment
b. tolerable ECTS Credits are ECTS Credits for which students obtained a score of 8 or 9, and which do not preclude students from obtaining a diploma in accordance with article 3.46 of the underlying regulations or based on a decision by the board of examiners (unless the course unit requires a zero tolerance)
c. acquired ECTS Credits are credits for which a credit certificate has been obtained
student counselling: informing and coaching students from admission until graduation with regard to making choices about study itinerary and coaching and monitoring study progress
study itinerary: the method of categorising the study as a model itinerary or a personalised itinerary within the framework of a diploma contract or an examination contract aimed at obtaining a degree A study itinerary may be a model itinerary or a personalised itinerary
decision related to study progress: one of the following decisions:
a. an examination decision is any decision – whether or not based on deliberations – which includes a final decision about passing a course unit, several course units of a course of study, or an entire course of study.
b. a disciplinary examination decision is a penalty imposed based on examination facts.
c. Awarding a certificate of competence indicating that the student has acquired certain competences based on prior experiential or certificated learning
d. Awarding an exemption is removing the obligation to take an examination of a course unit or one of its subunits.
e. A decision imposing a preparatory programme and defining its study load.
f. imposing study progress monitoring
g. measures following limited study vouchers
enrolment agreement: the agreement between Leuven University College and a student stating the rights and obligations of both parties. The agreement is entered into upon the student’s enrolment by signing one of the following types of agreement: diploma contract, credit contract or examination contract. The Education and Examination Regulations are an integral part of the enrolment agreement
tolerable fail mark: a mark of 8 or 9 out of 20 for a course unit, which does not prevent a student from obtaining a degree (unless the course unit does not allow a tolerable fail mark) in application of article 3.46 of these regulations or based on a decision of the board of examiners
recognition body: the body that is authorised to recognise a certificate of competence or certificate of admission awarded by Leuven University College. In practice, this body is the APEL/APCL committee of the K.U.Leuven Association
VCB: Vaste Commissie van Beroep van de KHLeuven (Permanent Appeals Commission of Leuven University College)
sequentiality: the order in which students are allowed to enrol in course units depending on whether they have either taken or successfully completed one or more other course units. There are three types of sequentiality:
a. strict sequentiality: students must have obtained the credit certificate or at least a tolerable fail grade during the previous academic year in order to take the subsequent course unit
b. flexible sequentiality: students must take the course unit now or have taken the course unit previously, without necessarily having obtained the credit certificate
c. recommended sequentiality: students are advised to maintain a certain sequentiality in his programme, yet it is not compulsory
preparatory programme: a programme that may be imposed on students who do not hold a diploma which allows direct access to the study programme in which they wish to enrol
exemption: the removal of the obligation to take an examination of a course unit or part thereof on the grounds of a credit certificate, another study certificate or a certificate of competence. For this course unit or part thereof, no examination mark is taken into account when determining whether the student may graduate nor in order to grant a level of achievement.
working student: a student who complies with the following conditions:
a. he can produce evidence of employment by means of an employment agreement totalling at least 80 hours a month, or he can produce evidence that he is entitled to benefits as a person seeking employment and the study programme is in accordance with a route to employment as determined by a regional employment office
b. he does not hold a master diploma
c. he is enrolled in a study itinerary with specific education and study format and with specific requirements of coaching and programmes offered, as registered in the Higher Education Register

1.5 Leuven University College organisation

Leuven University College is a non-profit organisation of which the competences have been recorded in bylaws and internal rules. Leuven University College is part of the K.U.Leuven Association.

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