Prep Student Handbook

Dear Students,

Welcome to the School of Foreign Languages at Işık University. Congratulations on being accepted, and we extend our warmest wishes for a successful and fulfilling journey throughout your time here. We anticipate an exciting new academic year, eagerly awaiting the arrival of new faces while fondly remembering those who have moved on. We hope this coming year will be a rewarding experience for all of us.

At the School of Foreign Languages, our primary objective is to prepare you for successful academic English proficiency at the university level. Since Işık University predominantly employs English as the medium of instruction, we offer courses specifically designed to enhance your speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Furthermore, our aim is to equip you with the necessary tools to overcome the challenges you will face at the university level.

The SFL staff and instructors are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards in teaching, curriculum development, materials design, and professional development. We are committed to meeting the needs of our students at Işık University School of Foreign Languages.

However, it is ultimately your responsibility as a student to seize the opportunity to enhance your English language skills, as well as develop the academic and personal abilities essential for maximizing your educational experience here at Işık University.

We wish you the best both during your time at the School of Foreign Languages and in your future academic pursuits. We encourage you to utilize the knowledge and experiences gained here to ensure academic success at the university level and throughout your professional endeavors.

Sincerely,

School of Foreign Languages
Işık University

PLACEMENT PROCEDURES

Students who enroll in a program that offers education in English at Işık University are required to take the Işık University English Placement Test in order to prove their English levels. However, students with a passing grade from one of the English exams approved by the University Senate are exempt from this process. (details below)

Those who take the Placement Test and

score 55 and over, qualify to take the Exit Exam;

others, who receive a score lower than 55, enroll in the SFL Prep Program directly.

Students who score 70 or above on the Exit Exam can register for their respective departments.

A student may be exempted from the Preparatory School Program without taking the Proficiency Exam, or Exit Exam, only if a student has received one of the following test scores from an officially accepted test centre.

TOEFL IBT: 80
PTE Academic: 65
e-YDS/YDS: 70
e-YÖKDİL/YÖKDİL: 70
e-TEP: 80

* TOEFL, PTE Academic, and e-TEP scores are valid for a maximum of 2 years; YDS/e-YDS and YÖKDİL/e-YÖKDİL scores are valid for 5 years.

* For TOEFL and PTE Academic, only results from university test centers are accepted.

PLACEMENT WITHIN THE SFL PROGRAM

Students are placed in one of three levels (tracks) according to their Placement Test or Exit Exam results. These levels are: Track 1 (CEFR A1), Track 2 (CEFR A2), Track 3 (CEFR B1). The Exit Level for all tracks is CEFR B1+.

ENGLISH PREP PROGRAM CURRICULUM

AIMS / FUNCTION OF THE CURRICULUM

The main objective of the Prep Program is to raise the students’ English language to the necessary level for them to study successfully in their department. The Prep Program course components are:

Core Language Development,
R&W - Reading, Writing,
L&S - Listening, and Speaking.

Description

Students who are placed in a track (e.g. Track 1) stay on that track until the end of the academic year. All lessons last for 45 minutes and breaks are 15 minutes long. The number of weekly class hours in each track is different. The weekly program of each course is given to students at the beginning of the academic year. Each Academic Year is divided into two semesters (fall and spring). The programs of both Track 1 and Track 2 are two-semester programs, covering the entire academic year; however, Track 3 is a shorter one-semester program. The Prep Program aims to bring students in all tracks to Upper-Intermediate Level /CEFR B1+ level once they have completed the Prep Program.

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITIES THROUGHOUT THE LEARNING PROCESS

Learning a foreign language requires hard work and determination. Students are expected to take personal responsibility for their learning journey, demonstrating motivation and drive. Teachers actively support and encourage students throughout the learning process.

ATTENDANCE / PARTICIPATION IN CLASSES

Attendance is compulsory in the SFL. Attending 85% of the classes is required to take the Exit Exam.

All students are required to participate in classroom activities, turn in projects on time and do assigned in-class work and homework. A student who is absent from a lesson is responsible to learn and make up the content of the lesson he or she misses. For the assignments and tests that students miss, excuses such as ‘I was absent that day’ or ‘I didn’t know’ are not accepted.

ENGLISH-ONLY CLASSES

As there are few opportunities to speak English outside class, SFL students are required to maintain an "English-only" policy during classroom interactions. Teachers are committed to assisting students in adhering to this policy, and students are expected to exert considerable effort in doing so. The primary objective of the Prep Program is to prepare students for success in the Exit Exam and their future academic departments. Thus, the "English-only" rule holds significant importance in fostering English language development and aiding students in their exam preparation.

STUDENT BEHAVIOUR

Students are required to exhibit appropriate conduct befitting a university environment. Any behavior that disrupts the learning atmosphere, hinders instructors from teaching effectively, or impedes the learning of fellow students in class is subject to immediate disciplinary action. Instances of bullying, harassment, or cruelty towards animals are strictly prohibited. In cases where improper behavior persists, students will be referred to the Işık University Disciplinary Committee.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

Students are strictly prohibited from cheating, plagiarism, or using information from any source without proper citation. Any student found cheating during a quiz or exam will receive a score of "0" for that assessment. Additionally, depending on the rules outlined in the Işık University Student Handbook, further disciplinary actions may be taken against the student, including recording the incident in their academic file. In more severe cases, the student may face a semester-long suspension from the SFL.

Students are responsible for the following:

Avoiding any actions that may create the impression of cheating or an intention to cheat.
Refraining from plagiarism.
Accurately referencing and citing all sources used.

EXAMS AND ASSESSMENT IN PREPARATORY PROGRAM

PASSING THE PREPARATORY PROGRAM

In order to pass the Preparatory Program, students are required to have an average score of 70 or above and pass the Exit Exam.

This passing grade score is the average of two semesters of classwork/exams and the Exit Exam grade. The weight of every semester is 25%, therefore, when combined, both semesters make up 50% of the yearly grade and the weight of the Exit Exam is 50%.

Students placed in Track 3 program are eligible to take the Early Exit Exam provided that they do not exceed the attendance limit.

The prerequisite for taking the Exit Exam is to have attended at least 85% of the classes. Students who exceed the attendance limit can only participate in the August Exit Exam and the September Proficiency Exam.

The minimum accepted grade from the Exit Exams given at the end of the first and second semesters is 65. Grades below 65 are entered as "0" in the calculation.

Semester averages and attendance are not taken into account in the August Exit Exam and September Proficiency Exam. To pass, a score of 70 or above is required in these exams.

Make-up of exams during the semester and excuses for absences

If the student submits a document to take make-up exams within the semester due to serious excuses such as health problems, death of relatives, accidents, school missions, this application is evaluated by the school administration.

For very serious health problems (such as surgeries, panel reports) and compulsory situations affecting the course of life (such as death of relatives, accidents, disasters, school assignments), the school administration will evaluate the correction of the student's absences, provided that the excuses are documented.

The student must submit the excuse document to the school administration within one week at the latest after the exam. Submitting an excuse document does not mean that the excuse will be accepted.

The teacher of the relevant course follows the process regarding exams and gives relevant feedback to the student. The class teacher follows the process regarding absenteeism and informs the student.

SAMPLE CALCULATIONS FOR PASSING THE PREP PROGRAM

First and Second semester averages + Exit Exam grade / 2

Student 1	Student 2	Student 3
1st Semester 75	1st Semester 70	1st Semester 63
2nd Semester 67	2nd Semester 76	2nd Semester 69
Average 71	Average 73	Average 66
EXIT EXAM 75	EXIT EXAM 60	EXIT EXAM 70
	Exit Exam score is calculated as “0”
Prep Passing Grade 73 (PASS)	Prep Passing Grade 37 (FAIL)	Prep Passing Grade 68 (FAIL)

EXIT EXAMS

EARLY EXIT EXAM

Track 3 is a one-semester program, so each Track 3 student who has attended minimum 85% of classes can sit the Early Exit Exam.

To pass the Prep Program, the average of semester grade and Early Exit Exam score must be at least 70, with the condition that the Early Exit Exam score is at least 65. (See the example calculations above.)

Track 3 students who do not pass, continue with the Prep Program in the second semester. The second semester of the Track 3 is essentially a repeat program from CEFR B1 to B1+ again.

JUNE EXIT EXAM

All Prep Program students must sit the Exit Exam at the end of the academic year (second semester) in order to prove that they have reached the targeted level of English proficiency to become a freshman student in their respective faculty. As described earlier, the semester averages and the Exit Exam score are calculated as follows:

First-semester grade 25%
Second-semester grade 25%
Exit Exam 50%

If the average of all three components is at least 70%, the student passes the Prep Program (with the condition that the Exit Exam Score is at least 65).

AUGUST EXIT EXAM

Students who have not successfully completed the Prep Program by the end of the second semester can participate in the August Exit Exam. To take this exam, students do not need to go through any registration renewal process or enroll in the Summer School (information about the Summer School can be found below). The only requirement for passing the August Exit Exam is to score 70 or above on the exam.

The semester averages and attendance do not have any impact on this exam.

Students who are unsuccessful in the August Exit Exam have the opportunity to participate in the Proficiency Exam, which is held at the beginning of the new academic year. Students who score 70 or above in this exam can proceed with their enrollment in their respective faculties.

At the start of the new academic year, students who have not successfully passed the Prep Program have the following options available to them:

Pay the tuition fee and register again, and attend the courses in the Preparatory Program for a second time. Attendance for such a student is not required. This student is considered a Resit student.
Freeze her/his registration with a petition written to their faculty before the registration period, and keep exam rights.
Apply to study at a Turkish Department within Işık University or at another university.

SUMMER SCHOOL

Students who have not passed the Prep Program by the end of the second semester can choose to enroll in the Summer School Program. The Summer School is an intensive exam preparation program that lasts approximately 7 weeks. Attending the Summer School is optional and comes with a tuition fee. Scholarship students receive a discount proportional to their scholarships.

Students who are unsuccessful in the Exit Exam at the end of the second semester can participate in the Prep Summer School program if they meet the condition of 85% attendance or have a minimum overall grade of 60. To apply for the Summer School, they need to apply to SFL (Prep School Directorate).

STUDENT RESOURCES

Advisor Teacher:

Each class in the Prep Program has an advisor teacher. The advisor teacher is usually the Core (core language development) teacher of that class. The advisor teacher is the first person a student should speak to regarding questions about grades, absenteeism, etc., if he or she would like or needs extra assistance with English, or if any problems arise. The advisor teacher can provide assistance or direct the student to where they can get the answers they are looking for.

Office Hours:

All teachers have a minimum of two office hours for their classes. Students are advised to use these office hours in order to get help from their teachers. Teachers can also invite students to their office hours. Office hours can be in the form of small groups or one on one.

Işik University Psychological Counselling Centre:

The Psychological Counselling Centre (PCC) is available Monday-Friday to provide students with psychological counselling. The centre aims to help students solve their emotional, social, or academic problems on their own but at the same time provides counselling throughout the process of dealing with and solving these problems. The PCC provides its services in Turkish. The individuals who apply for services at the PCC are those who are aware of the fact that they are responsible for themselves. They are the ones willing to take the first step to solve their problems and to ease the difficulties they experience.

For information and appointments:

Telephone: 444 07 99 - 73 07
Email: pdm@isikun.edu.tr

School of Foreign Languages (SFL) Contact Info:

Address: Işık Üniversitesi 34980 Şile/İstanbul

Telephone : 444 07 99

Email : sflinfo@isikun.edu.tr