BLE for Students
Welcome to the support page for SOAS students using the BLE. We hope you enjoy using the BLE as part of your studies.
For an introduction to the BLE, please download the BLE Guide for Students. This is available via the link on the right.
Common Questions
- What should I do if I can't log in to the BLE?
During the busy registration period, there will be a short delay whilst your course registrations are verified and the data entered onto the student record system. You will not be able to log onto the BLE until this process is complete, which may be a few days. If, after three days or so, you are having technical problems, see if you can find an answer on our Troubleshooting page. There is also a link to this on the left. If you still can't resolve the issue, contact BLE Support at ble@soas.ac.uk. - What should I do if have forgotten my password?
Please contact the IT Helpdesk at helpdesk@soas.ac.uk. Their office is in Library Reception (Floor E). - I can log in to the BLE but I can’t see my course(s). What do I do?
Once you have submitted your completed Online Course and Examination Registration Form to your faculty office you should be enrolled on the relevant BLE course(s).
You MUST have completed this form before you can be enrolled on any BLE course. Please note this process will take at least 72 hours. (If after this time you still can't see your correct courses please contact your faculty office). - What does it mean if my course is showing as ‘unavailable’?
This means you have been enrolled on it, but it has not yet been made available to students. Please contact your tutor who will need to make it available.
Copyright Considerations
Items on the BLE are protected by copyright law. Copyright may be owned by students, staff, SOAS, external authors or publishers. When using the BLE, you must respect other people's copyright in accordance with the School's IT Policies.
Copyright is a complex area, but in general you may:
- Download and print out a single copy of an item on the BLE for your own use in studying your course.
- Quote from an item on the BLE to a reasonable extent in an essay or assignment. You should fully attribute the source.
However, it is not acceptable to:
- Publish, sell or distribute copies of material on the BLE without the permission of the copyright owner.
- Send copies of items to people other than students or staff on your course.
- Quote from an item on the BLE without acknowledging the source.
- Pass off something produced by another person as if it was your own.
Some items on the BLE have been scanned under a licence between SOAS and the Copyright Licensing Agency. These items will have copyright notices attached to them, the terms of which must be respected by all BLE users.
Data Protection Issues
Personal data about you held in the BLE will be managed securely in accordance with SOAS's Data Protection Policy. This includes information about when you logged in and what resources you have used. This information is accessible to BLE administrative staff and some data is also accessible to the staff involved in teaching your course.
The personal data gathered in the BLE will be used to maintain and monitor the system, e.g. to produce statistics on system usage or to spot possible abuse. Information accessible to academic staff may be used for pedagogic and teaching purposes: e.g. to identify students who are accessing the BLE infrequently, which may indicate a need for advice or support.
You have the right under the Data Protection Act to gain access to the data held about you.
For any further information regarding copyright and data management, please contact the SOAS Data Management Officer at copyright@soas.ac.uk.
