Key policy and regulations changes
Explore Kingston University's key policy and regulations changes.
Key policy and regulations changes 2025/26
We regularly review our policies and regulations to make sure that these continue to be in the best interests of our students and safeguard our academic standards. The changes you see here, will have been considered in detail at one or more of the University's sub-committees before being approved by the University's senior academic committee, Academic Council, which is constituted by elected academic staff and has student union representation. You should make sure you read through the Summary of Key Changes which details all the key changes we have made to our regulations and policies for 2025/26. We have also pulled out some of the changes that we think you will most want to know about in the headings below.
Further advice: Please contact Kingston Students' Union, or your Personal Tutor in the first instance if you would like to discuss the University's policies and regulations and how they impact you in any more detail
This table provides the full detail of all changes to the University's suite of General and Academic Regulations, Policies and Guidance for 2025/26:
- Inclusion of a new section titled Support for students with Disability. This section outlines the University's process for supporting students with disabilities, including how you can declare a condition, access support through a Summary of Support Needs (SoSN), and the responsibilities of both students and staff in this process (Paragraphs 30-33).
- Inclusion of enrolment/re-enrolment deadlines for students on research degrees: ‘For students on research degrees, the last date for enrolment each year is usually the Monday of the third week following your cohort start date (1st October, 1st January, 1st March, or 1st May)’
- Inclusion of an additional clause (P) in Appendix 1 Student Code of Conduct: This new clause covers students' responsibilities under the University’s Data Protection Policy. It outlines expectations regarding the handling of personal data, including a prohibition on making audio or video recordings of others without their consent—except in exceptional circumstances such as evidence of criminal activity.
- Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): where a student is admitted with Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), their standard and maximum registration periods will be adjusted to reflect the reduced credit load required to complete the course.
- Compensation: A PAB may compensate a maximum of 30 credits at each level of study (levels 3-7)
- Progression Trailing Credit: Assessment Boards may permit a student to progress from Level 6 to Level 7 on an Integrated Masters course with 90 credits passed at the current level of study and undertake a retake in a maximum of 30 credits while studying at the higher level
- Summary of Support Needs (SoSNs): New section added to clarify how students with disabilities can access support, including before an SoSN is in place.
- Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): where a student is admitted with Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), their standard and maximum registration periods will be adjusted to reflect the reduced credit load required to complete the course.
- Summary of Support Needs (SoSNs): New section added to clarify how students with disabilities can access support, including before an SoSN is in place.
- Introduction of formal definitions and references to the unacceptable use of generative artificial intelligence within the procedure.
- Changes to the process for dealing with suspected breaches of academic integrity and poor academic practice at undergraduate level in the Academic Induction Period (AIP).
- Clarity that concurrency rules only apply where it is the same form of academic misconduct (i.e. two or more cases of collusion) and not where there is a mix of types of academic misconduct (i.e. a case of plagiarism and a case of fabricating data).
This procedure has been rewritten into a new accessible format, combining two previously separate procedures (Student Conduct and Health & Disability) into one document. Courses relating to Nutrition have been included under the scope of the policy.
Academic Guidance 2: Guidance on Editorial Help for Student Assessment
This guidance is for students to use when considering whether to employ a third party such as a professional copy editing or proof-reading company or software tool (including generative artificial intelligence (GAI)) when producing work in draft or final version. This guidance was previously published as an Annex within the Academic Integrity Procedures for Taught and Research degrees (AR6 and AR7) but has been reviewed as a new standalone document which references both AI and non-AI editorial help.