1. PRINCIPLES

The Manios Institute of Volos has been operating since 1994 as the main provider of Foundation Course Education in Volos / Greece under the following principles :

• Manios Institute of Volos operates with a long-term horizon in mind, especially as far as its customers (both perspective students and UK Universities) are concerned
• Courses will be designed in accordance with University syllabuses and requirements
• There will be a student selection and assessment procedure introduced and fully implemented
• Both administration and teaching staff will be co-operating in setting up and implementing operating procedures to the appropriate degree of involvement
• Parental co-operation is seen as necessary and parents’ information sessions are to be held on top of individual periodic progress advice meetings

2. AIMS & OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

To operate within the principles set above, the Institution will promote the fulfilment of the following set of objectives :

• Perspective UK University students in the course of their Foundation Year will be instructed primarily in terms of understanding the language, terminology and pertinent lecture and tutorial material applicable to the subject and the course to be attended
• Behavioural matters relating to the UK lifestyle, academic way of thinking and individual responsibility form a vital part of the Foundation Programme and will be communicated as appropriate
• Students will be selected, taught and assessed in accordance with the UK University standards. Set procedures will be implemented by balancing the emphasis between letter and spirit fairly, as appropriate to the circumstances of each student
• The Institution will be working with both parents and Universities in order to provide the best possible combination of student-course-University. Parents will be informed on students’ progress on a monthly basis and Universities will be kept informed fully and on time throughout the selection, assessment and validation process
• Classes will be kept small in size, in order to allow for individual attention and student co-operation. The latter is seen as vital throughout the Foundation Year and special emphasis is placed in motivating students to pursue improvement in their overall performance

3. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS & SELECTION

The first MIV entry stage for a prospective student consists of a study of his/hers documentation and marks attained. Based on that, an interview session is arranged with the Careers Advisor, to ascertain the mutual suitability of student and Institute. A more detailed panel interview with the specific course lecturers is then organised and the student's overall picture subsequently assessed by the Institute's lecturing and administration staff. A decision is communicated to the student in less than a week's time from the panel interview.

4. PROGRAMME ORGANISATION & MANAGEMENT

All courses are taught entirely in English and students are required to become familiar with the language of science as well as the syllabus content. Coursework is set throughout the year and includes a number of different exercises and projects. Each exercise is awarded a mark as a percentage. These are combined to give the final coursework mark. Typical coursework exercises include essays, oral presentations and poster presentations.

Students studying within this school also cover the same subjects within the Greek education system. Our Foundation Courses aim to build on their current knowledge and combine English scientific language and method of approach with skills that will be useful to the students during their university careers. These include note taking from lectures and text, organizational skills, book research, problem solving and group discussion skills.

Class numbers are deliberately kept low (maximum of 8 students) to ensure personal attention. We currently average around 6 students per class. In addition, students are offered personal tutelage to help them with any academic or other problems they may have. In total, students attend for a full 28 hours per week lectures, tutorials and computer labs for a period of 30 weeks.

5. ASSESSMENT STRATEGY

Examination results reflect not only scientific knowledge, but also Language ability (a correct answer written with poor English will not gain full marks). Examination papers are written within the school and based on past A-level papers. Exam duration is usually 3 hours. Students’ results are expressed in the form of grades ( A = above 75%, B = 74-65%, C = 64-55%, D = 54-50%, E = 49-40%, F = 39-26%, U= below 25% ). These percentages are given by combining the mark from the final examination (75% of total) with the mark from coursework (25% of total).

6. ACCREDITATION OF THE PROGRAMME

The Manios Institute of Volos, confident in its ability to provide the best possible education to its students for their future University studies, intends to create close long - term links with UK Higher Education Institutions. This effort has resulted to our collaboration with the University of Huddersfield and the University of Sunderland. Both Universities have recognised the Manios Institute of Volos Foundation Programme as satisfying entry requirements to undergraduate courses of the Universities.

MIV acts as Educational Agent in close cooperation with the British Council in Greece, offering services to prospective students such as: Year Foundation course in all areas of study, Summer intensive Foundation course, Direct Placement for students with appropriate qualifications, Counceling on matters of UK Education such as Accommodation, fees, travelling, visas etc, Counceling on postgraduate courses of all levels. Postgraduate applications and placement, Preparatory courses for the English tests IELTS, GMAT, GRE, TOEFL.