Student Guide For The John Paul II Institute Melbourne
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Academic Council
The Academic Council of the Institute meets at least 4 times a year to discuss a range of matters pertaining to academic, financial and management matters. According to the Institute's Vatican Constitution some decisions can only be made by the Academic Council. Membership consists of the Permanent Fellows and representatives of the Sessional Lecturers and the students.
Academic Regulations
The regulations of the Institute are set out in a document called Academic Regulations. Students should obtain a copy of the document when they first enrol. Copies may be found on the display stand in the hallway leading to the top floor or directly from the Dean's Office.
Availability of Lecturers
The best way to communicate with our lecturers is by e-mail. Therefore do no hesitate to ask them for their e-mail addresses. Many of our lecturers are holding down numerous positions of responsibility simultaneously as lecturers, parish priests, advisers to bishops and/or as leaders of religious orders. However they are eager to help with any of your academic problems, so just send them a message. It is also possible to arrange to see lecturers for private tutorials if you have a particular academic problem (eg structuring an essay). The Dean is also available to give extra tuition in areas such as essay writing.
Since members of the Institute form a spiritual family students may approach the priest members of our Faculty for confession, or other pastoral care. Again, just send a message by e-mail asking for an appointment.
Car Parking
A limited number of pay parking spaces are available for students during the day and after 5PM. The spaces are allotted on a first come, first served basis. If you wish to apply for the use of a parking space during evening lectures, you need to speak with the Facility Manager, Kathie Edmond. Her telephone number is 9926 5266.
Chapel
The chapel is located between the third and fourth floors of the Thomas Carr Centre and is open for private prayer outside of Mass times. Mass is usually celebrated on week days at 1.05pm.
Common Room
JPII students are entitled to use the second floor common room facilities, including tea, coffee, milk and sugar provisions, the refrigerator, the snack machine, the urn and the microwave oven. The costs of these facilities are covered by the Student Services Fees paid each semester.
Computer Room
Two IBM computers are available in the Student Room on the 4th Floor for the use of students. They both have internet access.
Contact Details
You can contact the John Paul II Institute on 9417 4349 or via email at info@jp2institute.org
Dean
The Dean of the Institute is Associate Professor Tracey Rowland. Her office is located on the top floor - turn right at the top of the stairs. If the door is open please feel welcome to knock and enter; alternatively make an appointment to see the Dean by speaking to the Administrative Assistant whose office is beside the Registrar's and phone number is 9412 3372.
Director
The Director of the Institute is Most Rev Peter J Elliott.
End of Semester Celebrations
A formal academic dinner or family barbecue is usually held to mark the end of each semester. Spouses of students are welcome to these functions.
Essay Extensions
The Rules pertaining to extensions are found in Section 5 of the Academic Regulations. These Regulations provide that a student may apply to the Course Co-ordinator for an extension to the submission date of an essay for a serious reason. Requests for extension should be made in good
time and signed by the Course Co-ordinator (or, if unavailable, the Dean) directly on the prescribed cover sheet, copies of which may be found on the publications stand in the hallway on the top floor.
Essay Writing
Essays are commonly graded by reference to the following criteria: the quality (clarity and lucidity) of the expression, the depth and breadth of the research, the depth of the analysis, the accuracy and relevance of material presented and structural issues such as the logical development of the argument. Students should have these criteria in mind when preparing essays. If a student feels that he or she is weak in one or more of these areas, the Dean and individual lecturers of the Institute are always willing to set aside time for giving advice in these areas. However the onus is on the student to take the initiative and approach a lecturer and/or the Dean for an appointment. For information about the presentation of footnotes, appendices arid a bibliography and matters of stylistic presentation generally, there is an A4 sheet available on the publications stand in the hallway leading to the top floor. It is titled Guidelines for Presentation of Essays and Theses.
Fire Evacuation
In the event of an emergency evacuation occupants are asked to make their way via the front entrance to the Assembly Area 1 - corner of Victoria Parade and Eades Street. If required, and/or advised by the emergency services, a second Assembly Area has been designated at the Fitzroy Gardens. Occupants are asked to travel south down Eades Street to the Gardens. After crossing Albert street at the pedestrian crossing occupants are to assemble at the 'River God Foundation' in the Gardens. If you have any further queries regarding fire evacuation procedure please contact Toby Hunter who is the Fire Warden for the fourth floor.
Grades
The Institute's Grading System is: 0-49 Fail, 50-59 Pass, 60-69 Credit, 70-84 Distinction, 85-100 High Distinction.
Intensive Mode
This is a technical term referring to the delivery mode of lectures. Some courses are conducted over a 13 week or semester-long period, while others are conducted intensively over several weekends or consecutive weekday evenings. Although the lectures are arranged into three hour blocks there are breaks each hour on average.
Kitchen
JPII Students are welcome to use the kitchen on the fourth floor which has a refrigerator and microwave oven.
The Lateran
The "Lateran" or "Pontifical Lateran University" is situated in Rome near the great basilica of St. John Lateran. The John Paul II Institutes for Marriage and Family throughout the world are affiliated to the Lateran University where the Institute was first established in 1981.
Lecture Rooms
Details of the rooms in which lectures will be held may be found on the notice board outside the Registrar's Office. Most commonly, lectures will be in the Salvado, Siena or Aquinas rooms.
Library
 Students are entitled to use the Mannix Library located in the Thomas Carr Centre which is shared with students from the CTC and CAEM. Students may also use the libraries of the Australian Catholic University. Students may enrol as members of the Library at the Dominican House of Studies at 816 Riversdale Rd, Camberwell. The Dominican Library has an excellent body of material from authors in the Thomist tradition.
 Two particular sections of the Mannix Library of which students should be aware are the Reserved Collection and the collection of encyclicals. Encyclicals are letters written by Popes on particular subjects and are usually published in the form of small booklets. Once you have located the place in the Library where the encyclicals are kept in cardboard boxes it will be easy to find them on the many occasions when you will need to consult them. The Reserve Collection contains material which is likely to be in popular demand and is only available for use in the library. The books in this collection are arranged according to courses and all John Paul II Institute courses will have a 'JP', prefix in the Reserve Collection.
Library Fees
A flat fee of $20 will apply plus $20 for every unit a student is enrolled in up to a maximum of $120 per annum. Audit students and students taking a course in a state other than Melbourne will not be charged library fees.
Library Staff
The Mannix Library staff are always willing to help with general enquiries. The Librarian is Mr. Tony McCumstie, the Deputy Librarian is Rosalie Cotter, and the Library Assistant Liliana Casley.
Library Times
The Mannix Library is open from 9AM - 8PM Monday to Thursday and from 9AM - 5PM on Friday. Other arrangements will be made when possible for weekend intensive students.
Mass Times
Mass is usually celebrated in the Chapel on weekdays at 1.05pm. If you would like a Mass to be offered up for a special intention please let either the Dean or the Registrar know and they will pass on the request to the priest celebrating Mass. Mass times are published on the Institute's web-site and the Registrar's Board.
Meeting Room
A meeting room for student use is located on the top floor of the Thomas Carr Centre Opposite the Computer Room. If you want to have small group discussions over a cup of coffee, the meeting room is a good place for this.
Other Campuses of the Institute
Other campuses of the Institute are located in the Lateran University of the Vatican City (Rome), Valencia (Spain), Cotonou (Benin), Salvador da Bahia (Brazil), Gaming (Austria), Changanacherry (India), Washington D.C. (USA), and in Mexico City and Guadalajara (Mexico).
Our Lady of Fatima
 Our Lady of Fatima is the Patroness of the Institute. On her Feast Day in 1981 Pope John Paul II was formally to proclaim the establishment of the Institute. He was prevented from doing so by the attempt on his life, from which he believes he was saved by the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima. The Feast of Our Lady of Fatima is October 13.
Photocopying
A photocopier is located on the top floor for the use of both students and staff of the institute. There is a special PIN number that students can use and this may be obtained from the Registrar. It is recommended that large photocopying jobs be done and paid for in the Library.
Policies
The JPII Institute has 3 policies containing information regarding Discrimination and Harassment. They are Equal Opportunities, Sexual Harassment, and People with Disabilities. These Policies can be obtained on the website - www.jp2institute.org
Pre-Reading
It is good to do some pre-reading before the start of each course. Draft copies of Course Guides are available for students who want to do pre-reading. In any given course there are usually some magisterial documents which are required reading which are worth at least a skim read before the start of a course.
Privacy Protection
The Institute complies with the provisions of the Privacy Act. The primary purpose for which the Institute collects information is for student/academic records and also for health and safety reasons. A Human Research Ethics Committee exists to consider all research proposals that may relate to the privacy of individuals.
Registrar
The Registrar is Lt Col Toby Hunter. The Registrar's Office is located on the top floor next to the Director's. If you have any questions about your enrolment status or academic results, these are questions you should direct to the Registrar.
Respect Life Office
The Respect Life Office is located on the top floor of the Thomas Carr Centre. The Executive Officer is Marcia Riordan. Marcia is available to answer inquiries about a range of life issues and her office is a valuable resource centre for students with an interest in pro-life and bio-ethical subjects.
Required & Recommended Reading
Course Guides will usually list a number of readings under the heading "Required Reading" and "Recommended Reading". Students should definitely read the works required and will find the recommended works helpful both to supplement lectures and for their essay topics. If your Course Guide contains recommended readings across a range of fields, for example, New Testament, Old Testament and Vatican II, you might be able to skip some of the recommended reading listed under the Old Testament heading if your essay is on the Documents of Vatican II, but it would not be advisable to skip the recommended reading under the Vatican II heading. Required reading may be asked about during classes or the examination. All materials in the Course Reader are ordinarily required reading.
Review of Results
Students who wish to appeal a result may do so according to the processes set out in Section 7 of the Academic Regulations. The first step is to consult the examiner. Any failures are automatically sent to a second examiner.
Scholarships
A small number of scholarships exist to cover the cost of tuition. As yet there are no large scholarships which cover living allowances as well as tuition fees. Application forms for scholarships may be found on the publications stand in the entrance to the top floor hallway.
Smoking is not permitted inside the Thomas Carr building.
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