Self Service Banner (SSB) is the Student Management system where you can view your profile, timetable, assessments and attendance. Self Service Banner is also linked with Moodle where you can view learning material and submit Assignments.

You can log into SSB from any Bahrain Polytechnic Lab or from your home PC through Bahrain Polytechnic Website by clicking on Useful Links >> Self Service Banner (access to timetables and class lists for staff and students).
If you need more information click here and follow the instruction.

There are two full time semesters (Semester 1 from September to February, and Semester 2 from March to July), and we are offer some summer courses. See the academic calendar for details.

For our current degrees, students require 480 credits to complete their Degree.  This normally takes 8 semesters or 4 years of full-time study.
Students who are full-time should enroll into 60 credits per semester.  Students who are part-time should enroll into 30 credits per semester.

We award our own Degrees using international standard programmes. The Bahrain Polytechnic programmes are approved and Bahrain Polytechnic is accredited to offer programmes under the provisions of the Royal Decree.
There are no formal affiliations yet with Gulf region institutions. We are seeking international accreditation for our Degrees, which will be determined when our first cohort graduates in 2013.

Bahrain Polytechnic contracts 14 buses to transport students. The morning bus will arrive before 8am classes each day and the return home bus will leave at 5.15pm every afternoon.

The bus service is free to all enrolled students.

Please see the bus schedule for more information. If you wish to have a place on a bus, please fill in the application for bus transport form and send it to Facilities Transport or bring it to Transport offices in Building 24.

The student ID number is automatically generated for the student when they apply to Bahrain Polytechnic. The ID consists of the academic year code, and the student's enrolment number.

2011	00320
Academic year	Enrolment Number

The Student Information Centre issues ID cards to students. The card shows the students name, photo and ID number. It is like an identity card, so students can identify themselves as Bahrain Polytechnic students. It is your library card and allows you access facilities on campus.

Students must carry and display (show) their ID card at all times when on campus. Staff and visitors must also wear their ID.
Only registered students who can show an ID card will be allowed on campus.

Be sure to always keep it safe when you are on or off campus.

If your card has been lost, stolen or damaged, you must replace it as soon as possible.

• Fill in an ID Replacement Form (available on website, from the Student Information Centre in Building 8 or Security in H26)
• Pay the 15 BHD fine at the Finance department (building 11)
• Submit the stamped form to Security in H26. Your card will be printed on the same day where possible.
• Collect your card and wear it!

You can show your CPR card to Security at the entry checkpoint to gain access for a day, but you must find or replace your ID.

Students register online through SSB before the beginning of each semester. You can change classes online up until classes begin if there is space in the class. During the first week of classes at the beginning of the semester you can change by filling an Add and Drop form (available on the website or in Student Information Centre) and submit to the Student Information Centre. Classes will be changed subject to availability (space in the class).

You can see your timetable on SSB.

 

Students can change their Programme of study by filling a Programme Transfer form (available on website or in Student Information Centre) during the specific period announced by Registry see the calendar.

Students can take Leave of Absence (LA) (drop classes) for a maximum of 2 continuous semesters. If you want to take LA or want to officially withdrawn from Bahrain Polytechnic you must fill out a Withdrawal/ Leave of Absence form (available on the website and at the Student information Centre) and follow all the instructions on the form.
Depending on when the form is completed and submitted to the Student Information Centre Student, your status and grades will be assigned. E.g. A W grade will be assigned in the student transcript if the student applies to take leave of absence or withdrawal before the approved closing date which is no more than 30 days after the end of the second week of the semester. AWF grade will be assigned in the student transcript after that day.

Enrolment Terminology	Code	Description
Academic Year		2 semester started on September
Add		Add a new course
Drop		Delete a current course
Mentor		An academic adviser to help the student
Programme Syllabus		A set of materials courses should be studied to complete the graduation requirements for Bachelor Degree or Diploma.
Course Compulsory		Student should study this course
Course Elective		Student choose to study this course
Pre-requisite Course		Course require to study before another course
GPA		There are two GPAs: Semester GPA is a total average of semester grades Accumulated total average of all semester grades
Transcript		Student grades certificate.
Leave of Absence	LA	Postpone study for maximum of 2 semesters
Leave of Absence with refund	LR	Take leave of absence within the first 2 weeks at the beginning of the semester and fees will be refunded (less administration fee).
Withdrawal	WS	Leave the Polytechnic
Withdrawal/Attendance	WA	Withdrawn from a course with Failed grade WA due to non attendance (20%).
Withdrawal with refund	WR	Withdrawn within the first 2 weeks of the beginning of the semester and fees will be refunded (less administration fee).
Withdrawal or Leave of Absence without refund	WD	Take leave of absence or withdrawn after the first 2 weeks of the beginning of the semester without refund with Administrative grade W.
Withdrawal/Failed	WF	Withdrawn or take leave of absence from courses more than 30 days after the published closing date with Withdrawn with Fail grade
Review of Mark or grade		Re-checking an assessment and/or final grade in a course. A request for review must be made using the form: Student Request for Review of Mark/Grade (Form F/A/AB/005.2) and must be submitted within 10 working days of the date of return of assessment or when the Results Notice is posted.
Appeal		Students can appeal if they disagree with decisions made by Faculty members, administrators or committees. Appeals must be made in writing and received by the Dean within 14 days of the original decision.

Attendance is required for all classes. Attendance is important as classroom activities are designed to develop effective skills that are required by employers. Students are expected to arrive on-time and participate in all activities. Tutors record attendance daily for all programmes.

Absences in excess of 20% (twenty percent) of the total scheduled class time will result in withdrawal from the course with a fail grade WA for not meeting Bahrain Polytechnic attendance requirements. See the attendance Policy - on Moodle for details.

Tutors record attendance for each session daily. The session will be 1 or more hours. If you change room, the attendance will be taken again.

Students should be marked as:

• PR - Present
• AB - Absent
• L1 - Late less than 10 minutes (counts as present)
• L2 - Late more than 10 minutes (counts as a 0.5 absence)
• LV - Left Early (counts as a 0.5 absence)
  

Your attendance rate is calculated by the number of session absent divided by the total scheduled sessions for the course.
Example for a course which has 45 scheduled sessions for the semester.

Day 1	1 session (2 hrs)	= AB = 1 absence
Day 10	1 session (2 hrs)	= AB = 1 absence
Day 25	1 session (1 hrs)	= AB = 1 absence
Day 28	1 session (1 hrs)	= L2 = 0.5 as first occurrence
Day 30	1 session (2 hrs)	= L2 = 0.5 absence as second occurrence
% Absences = 4absences/45 sessions = 8.8%

It is your responsibility to check your attendance on SSB!

The attendance requirement was set at 80% to allow for most absences.

If you believe you have an exceptional circumstance that prevents you from attending classes and/or you reach 15% absences because of specific reasons, then you can apply for an exemption of attendance with evidence. Examples include:

• A student who is training for a national sports team needs to leave early one day a week therefore not being able to attend one class every week
• A student whose work hours commence every day at 3pm, therefore is not able to attend one class every week that finishes at 4pm
• A student has ongoing medical treatment which requires him to have 1 day off every 2-3 weeks
  

If you are sick or absent for other important reasons you must have evidence if you want to apply for an exemption from attendance. You must keep any documentation that you may need to show in order to apply for an exemption or appeal a decision.

If you missed a test or assignment you have to provide your excuse to your tutor to get approval from the Programme Manager for re-sit the test.

Process:

• Request an Exemption from Attendance Requirement form (Form A-AB-009) from the Student Information Centre in Building 8 and make an appointment with an Enrolment Officer.
• The Enrolment Officer will advise you what evidence is required to apply for an exemption including:
• evidence that you are achieving satisfactory progress in the course - the Tutor may be asked by the student to sign the form indicating satisfactory progress
• Submit your form with documentation and to the Student Information Centre, who will send the completed form to the Dean of Faculty for approval.
• You will be notified by SMS of the decision by the Registry.
• If approved, Registry will enter the attendance exemption for the approved dates and classes into Banner. The Tutor will see the exemption (XE Exempted) with the comment Approved by the Programme Manager for the student in the attendance record on Self Service BANNER.
  

Applying for an exemption does not automatically guarantee that it will be granted. Each case will be reviewed individually by the Programme Manager.

See your tutor and discuss this with them. Your Tutor can change any incorrect entries in Self Service BANNER throughout the semester. It is your responsibility to check your attendance on SSB regularly!

You will receive an email and SMS from Registry at 10%, 15% and >20% absences.
When 20% absences are exceeded the student will automatically be withdrawn, receive a Withdrawn with Fail grade (WA) from the course and informed by polytechnic email that they have not met the attendance requirements.

Students have the right to appeal this decision to the Dean of the Faculty by filling an Absence Appeal form from Student Information Centre within 14 days of the date of withdrawal and clearly outline the grounds for appeal and include supporting documentation to provide evidence.  If evidence includes medical reasons, then a full medical report must be submitted along with medical certificates.

The student must present an excuse letter with evidence e.g. medical report to the tutor who will take to the Programme Manager and the Dean for approval. If it is approved the student will re-sit the test before the next semester begin. If no excuse was presented or not approved, the student will get grade F in the assignment/test and or course.

All marks and final grades are posted online in Self Service Banner. They are provisional (not final) until approved by Academic Board -see the calendar for dates of the release of final grades.

If you think a mark or grade is wrong, you can ask for an assessment and/or final grade in a course to be re-checked. A request for review must be made using the form: Student Request for Review of Mark/Grade (Form F/A/AB/005.2) and must be submitted within 10 working days of the date of return of assessment or when the Results Notice is posted.

Students have the right to appeal if you disagree with a decision made by Faculty members, administrators or committees. Appeals must be made in writing and received by the Dean within 14 days of the original decision.

• Can I repeat a course I already passed?
  
  Yes, with a permission of your Head of School or Dean, you can repeat any passed course. Your transcript will show both attempts at the course and both grades will be calculated on the Grade Point Average (GPA). No additional credits will be generated toward the award if a unit that has been passed previously is repeated.

• How many times can I repeat a failed course?
  
  Students are allowed to repeat the failed course once (without special permission).

A Student who has failed the same course twice will be excluded from a third enrolment in that course(s). To repeat the third time, the student MUST apply in writing for approval to repeat the course again to Programme Committee. The letter must be submitted to the Registry Student Information Centre by the published date, together with the fee specified, if any. In the letter, the Student needs to show that there is a reasonable chance of success in subsequent study. Conditions may be applied if the application for a thirds enrolment is successful.

At the end of each semester each students overall record is checked to see if they are in Good Standing and making satisfactory progress toward their programme of study. This review is to make sure that students are made aware of any academic problems. The Programme Managers will then counsel the student and/or apply any academic penalties that are necessary (e.g., academic warning, suspension).

You can see your academic standing on SSB>Student Records>Academic Transcript

GOOD STANDING
Students are considered to be in Good Standing at the end of a semester if they have passed 50% or more of the credits they enrolled in over their last 2 semesters of study.

REFERRAL
Students are considered to be in Referral at the end of a semester if they have failed 50% of the credits they enrolled in over the last semester of study, but have passed 50% or more of the credits they enrolled in over their last 2 semesters of study.

EXCLUDED
Students are considered to be Excluded at the end of a semester if they have failed more than 50% of the credits they enrolled in over their last two semesters of study. The Policy states the exclusion is from any Programme containing assessed courses, and students shall only be permitted to be re-admitted to any Polytechnic Programme with the prior permission of the relevant Programme Committee.

These students MUST apply in writing to the office of the Head of School by the published date, together with the fee specified, if any.

When applying, the Student needs to satisfy the Programme Committee that there is a reasonable chance of success in subsequent study.

Students will be notified of the decision. If successful, the Academic standing will change to Academic Probation

ACADEMIC PROBATION
In approving any an application, the Programme Committee may prescribe conditions as it considers appropriate. Students who would otherwise be suspended will continue under specific conditions which must be fully met. After the semester has concluded, the meeting of conditions and the student's academic standing will be evaluated and the appropriate academic discipline, if required, will be imposed.

Students can apply for Credit Recognition and Exemption from Course and or Programme Requirements using Form (A-AB-012/1). You must submit an official transcript in English, course descriptions or course syllabi with your application to assist us in determining the proper equivalent courses.

Bahrain Polytechnic Grade Point values and the Grade Point Average (GPA) is given on a scale from 0.00 to 4.00 (previously a 0.00 to 9.00 scale was used, September 2008 to May 2012).

Achievement Based Assessment Grades
Grade Point Value (GPV)	Reported Grade	Equivalence	Description
4	A+	95 - 100%	Excellent
3.75	A	90 - 94%	Excellent
3.5	A-	85 - 89%	Excellent
3.25	B+	80 - 84%	Good
3	B	75 - 79%	Good
2.75	B-	70 - 74%	Good
2.5	C+	65 - 69%	Adequate
2.25	C	60 - 64%	Adequate
0	F	<60%	Inadequate

Competency Based Assessment Grades (Calculated in GPA)
Grade Point Value (GPV)	Reported Grade	Equivalence	Description
4	Distinction	Distinction	Excellent
3.25	Merit	Merit	Good
2.5	Competent	Competent	Adequate
0	Not Yet Competent	Not Yet Competent	Inadequate

Competency Based Assessment Grades ( Not calculated in GPA)
Grade Point Value (GPV)	Reported Grade	Equivalence	Description
Not calculated in GPA	Distinction*	Distinction*	Excellent
Not calculated in GPA	Merit*	Merit*	Good
Not calculated in GPA	Competent*	Competent*	Adequate
Not calculated in GPA	Not Yet Competent*	Not Yet Competent*	Inadequate

Note: All courses from the Foundation Programme AP301 and CR* - Credit recognition for prior studies are not calculated in GPA (NCGPA = Not calculated in GPA)

The Grade Point Average (GPA) is given on a scale from 0.00 to 4.00. Your Semester GPA is calculated each semester by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total credits attempted.

Term (Semester) TGPA =	Total of (All Grade Points X All Credits Earned)
	Total of All Course Credits for the Semester
Cumulative CGPA =	Total of (All Grade Points X All Credits Earned)
	Total of All Course Credits All of the Semesters

Example for a student enrolled in Bachelor of International Logistics Management (IL701)

Course	Course Credits	Grade	Points	Credits	GradePoints
TLB6000	15	B-	2.75	15	41.25
TLB6200	15	B	3	15	45
ELB5501	15	C	2.25	15	33.75
BSD5106	15	A	3.75	15	56.25
TLB5300	15	CR*	NCGPA	15	0
Total	65				176.25
GPA = 176.25 / 60 = 2.94

CR* - Credit recognition for prior studies (not calculated in GPA) / NCGPA Not calculated in GPA

Please refer to the Policy RESULTS AND REPORTING A/AB/017 for details. All Policies can be found on Moodle.

You can pay the fees by cash or credit card in the Finance department (building 11). Tuition fees must be paid during registration period that is published by Bahrain Polytechnic.

The first 2 weeks of the beginning of the semester, if you drop courses, take leave of absence or withdraw, your fees will be credited or refunded less an administration fee (BHD20).

To take leave of absence and Withdrawn you have to do the following:

Bahrain Polytechnic is committed to providing a safe campus for all. We have strict security procedures that include the following:

• Vehicles will be checked at the main entry gate. Some vehicles will be selected for random search/inspections. Please check your car before coming to Polytechnic and remove any items that are not directly for the car or for your study.
• All students will checked through the two pedestrian kiosks adjacent to the student car park (One lane for Polytechnic students and the other lane for UoB students at each kiosk).
• Metal detector scanning and bag searches will be conducted at the pedestrian entrances (kiosk).
• Your ID must be visible at all times on the campus.
• In the unlikely event there are any problems on campus, you must follow instructions from Security and Staff.

Note: At times the security checks, can cause delays to students and staff entering the Polytechnic. Please be early and remember we are doing it all for everyones safety.

Please dress in a professional manner. See the posters for details.

Bahrain Polytechnic assigns every student a mentor. You must see your mentor 3 times this semester.

If did not see your mentor last semester, you have a Mentor Hold (MN) (check SSB, Registration>Holds). See Kui Auton, Heyam Juma, Hussain Seroor or Lin Ayo (Student Services) in building 8 to have your MN removed.

This newsletter has important information on your academic studies this semester. Please read it!