Learning & Information Services (LIS)
Network Accounts
Chester’s LIS creates a network account for all students, including those based at partner organisations. This account enables access to University online systems including Portal, Moodle, University eMail, eResources and more. This is done automatically when a student first registers for a University of Chester degree programme.
REMEMBER UCM will always use your Chester email in all correspondence.
The username for student network accounts is the student number issued by the University, and the password is the student’s date of birth in the format CheYYYYMMDD (e.g. 02
2nd March, 1976 would then be Che19760302).
Portal
Portal is the university Intranet.
Moodle
Moodle is the university virtual learning environment, and access to Moodle module spaces is open to all staff and students with a network account.
You will use the University Moodle to submit assignments online. There are excellent guides about how to do this on Portal which you are expected to look at. Your UCM tutor can offer further support.
Please be aware that digital receipts for assignments will be sent to your University email address (see section on ‘Office 365’). Moodle can be accessed using the ‘eLearning’ icon from the Portal homepage.
University ID card
Students at partner organisations are able to obtain a University ID card upon application. A photograph must be submitted during the enrolment process by accessing the ‘Submit Photo’ tile from the PASS site and uploading the photo. Approval is normally given within two business days (the instructions should be followed carefully to ensure any submission is not rejected). Once approval is received (confirmed through the PASS site above), photographic ID will need to be presented in order to verify the identity of the student.
For security reasons it is not possible to post ID cards directly to students, although they may be distributed by University staff such as Partnership Link Tutors, or designated staff at the partner organisation, by agreement with LIS. Please note this card does not provide services other than access to the library collection and cannot be used to prove student status.
Learning Resources
Library Physical Collection Access
Students studying for University of Chester degrees at partner organisations have standard access to the library collections at any university library in Chester, Warrington, Shrewsbury, Leighton Hospital and Clatterbridge Hospital. Students are able to request books from any library site and collect from the University of Chester library most conveniently located to them.
Students based at partner organisations are not eligible for the SCONUL Access scheme, however most other universities allow some facilities (such as reference services) to be available at their libraries. Inter-Library Loans and other services must be arranged through the UCM Library at Homefield Road.
e Resource Collection Access
Chester University’s suppliers allow access to most ejournals and ebooks that the University subscribes to for UK based students studying with partner organisations. Due to complex and changing, copyright and licensing arrangements with the University’s suppliers this cannot be guaranteed internationally or for all learning resources.
eResources can be accessed via the Library icon from the Portal homepage. Most eResources require University Network Account details to be entered via ‘Athens’ for access. More information about Athens is available via the Library icon on the Portal homepage.
CiteThemRight Referencing Guide
As student of UCM and University of Chester you have access to the CiteThemRight referencing website.
Referencing is a system to indicate where you found the evidence, ideas, theories and facts that you have used in your assignment. By referencing your work you are demonstrating that you have read and researched around your subject and are aware of relevant current thinking.
CiteThemRight provides tutorials and resources to support you to reference accurately. To find our more including how to access the CiteThemRight platform, see here.
Office 365
The University Network Account, which is provided to students, allows access to University email (Outlook), unlimited cloud storage (OneDrive for Business), and other Microsoft services, and the current version of Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Outlook) at no cost whilst the student is enrolled with the University of Chester. These tools are the same as used in business environments.
Office 365 can be accessed by clicking the ‘Mail’, ‘Calendar’ and ‘My Apps’ icons from the Portal homepage for more information. A University email address will first need to be entered, which is the student number issued by the University followed by @chester.ac.uk (e.g. if the student number is 1423876 then the email address is 1423876@chester.ac.uk), and then finally the University of Chester Network Account username and password when prompted.
Online study skill resources
The Chester Portal hosts an excellent range of study skills resources.
Online self-help student support & guidance
Your PAT and the student Services provide excellent support to enable you to be successful in your studies. However, you can also access all the online self-help resources available on the Student Support and Guidance Portal Pages.
These pages include useful materials that can help you with a range of issues such as information on managing money and budgeting, as well as self-help resources relating to student wellbeing, which have been compiled by the Student Counselling Service.