EDUCATION ACT (CAP. 327)

Bye-Laws of 2005 in terms of the General Regulations for University Undergraduate Awards, 2004 for the Diploma in Archive and Records Management, the Diploma in Library and Information Studies, and the Degree of Bachelor of Library, Information and Archive Studies - B. LIAS - under the auspices of the Centre for Communications Technology

IN exercise of the powers conferred upon him by sections 30(5) and 31(6) of the Education Act (Cap. 327), the Chancellor of the University of Malta has promulgated the following bye-laws made by the Board of the Centre for Communication Technology in virtue of the powers conferred upon it by section 37 (1) of the said Act and which have been approved by the Senate of the University of Malta as required by section 37 (2) of the said Act:

Citation and Interpretation

1. (1) These bye-laws may be cited as the Bye-Laws of 2005 in terms of the General Regulations for University Undergraduate Awards, 2004 for the Diploma in Archive and Records Management, the Diploma in Library and Information Studies, and the Degree of Bachelor of Library, Information and Archive Studies - B. LIAS - under the auspices of the Centre for Communications Technology.

(2) In these bye-laws, unless the context otherwise requires -

"the Board" means the Board of the Centre for Communication Technology;

"the Degree" means the degree of Bachelor of Library, Information and Archive Studies ­ B. LIAS;

"the Degree Course" means the programme of studies leading to the degree of Bachelor of Library, Information and Archive Studies ­ B. LIAS;

"the Diploma" means the Diploma in Archive and Records Management or the Diploma in Library and Information Studies; and

"the Diploma Course" means the programme of studies leading to the Diploma in Archive and Records Management or to the Diploma in Library and Information Studies;

"the Principal Regulations" means the General Regulations for University Undergraduate Awards, 2004.

Applicability

2. These bye-laws shall be applicable to courses commencing in October 2005 or later.

Areas of Study

3. (1) The Degree may be awarded in Library and Information Studies and in Archive Studies as two main ordinary areas of study.
(2) The Diploma may be awarded in either Archive and Records Management or in Library and Information Studies.

Special Course Requirements for Admission

4. To be registered as regular students in the Degree Course or in the Diploma Course, applicants shall, apart from satisfying the general requirements for admission as specified in the Admission Regulations of the University, be in possession of a pass at Intermediate Matriculation Level in English, or its equivalent.

5. Applicants shall be required to indicate for which Diploma Course or the Degree Course they are applying on the application form.

6. Applicants who obtained the Diploma in Library and Information Studies from the University of Malta up to and including 2005 are eligible until October 2009 to apply to join the Degree Course with exemptions as approved by the Board.

Course Duration

7. (1) The Degree Course shall extend over a period of three years of full-time study or five years of part-time study.

(2) The Diploma Course shall extend over a period of one year of full-time study or two years of part-time study.

Course Programmes

8. (1) The Degree programme shall consist of study-units, to which 180 credits shall be assigned, including synoptic study-units, two practicums and a dissertation.

(2) The Diploma programmes shall consist of study-units, to which 60 credits shall be assigned selected from the Degree programme as appropriate for the particular Diploma, and including synoptic study-units, one practicum and a long essay.

9. The Board shall publish the programmes of study for the Degree Course and for the Diploma Course, drawn up in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Principal Regulations, and approved by Senate before the commencement of each Course. Subject to changes that the Board may, with the approval of Senate, be constrained to make, students are bound to follow the study-units and obtain the credits as indicated in the programme of study they are following for the Degree or for the Diploma.

Transfer to Degree Course

10. Should students registered for the Diploma Course opt to transfer to the Degree Course, they should submit a request in writing to the Board within the first semester of the programme (in the case of full-time study) or during the first year of study (in the case of part-time study).

Classification of the Awards

11. (1) The Final Weighted Average Mark for the classification of the Degree shall take into account the results obtained in all the components of the Course, which shall be weighted as follows:

Taught study-units (including practicums but excluding synoptic study-units and dissertation) - 40%
Synoptic study-units - 40%
Dissertation - 20%.

(2) The Final Weighted Average Mark for the classification of the Diploma shall take into account the results obtained in all the components of the Course, which shall be weighted as follows:

Taught study-units, practicum and long essay - 60%
Synoptic study-units - 40%.