1. General provisions
1.1. Purpose of regulation
1.1.1. Rules of Procedure for Students of Study Programmes Regulated by the Maritime Safety Act (hereinafter MSA students) in the Estonian Maritime Academy (hereinafter EMERA) provides, in addition to the rules provided in the Academic Policies of Tallinn University of Technology (hereinafter the university), rules regarding studies for MSA students, with the purpose of instilling necessary attitudes, skills, and habits and developing personality traits required in ship officers into MSA students as future ship officers.
1.2. Bases of regulation
1.2.1. the Statutes of the Estonian Maritime Academy;
1.2.2. the Bases for the Activities of the Centre of Maritime Education and Training of the Estonian Maritime Academy; [amended 22.09.2022]
1.2.3. the Uniform Regulation of the Estonian Maritime Academy;
1.2.4. the Action Plan in the Event of Fire at the Estonian Maritime Academy;
1.2.5. the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW Convention), as amended;
1.2.6. the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code);
1.2.7. the Maritime Safety Act;
1.2.8. the Regulation “Laeva vahiteenistuse kord1” (Procedure for the Watchkeeping of a Ship) of the Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications;
1.2.9. Drill Rules of the Defense Forces.
1.3. Definitions and abbreviations
1.3.1. ATS – automatic fire alarm system;
1.3.2. EMERA – Estonian Maritime Academy;
1.3.3. monitor – a member of the guard and the deputy head of the guard, a more experienced MSA student;
1.3.4. MSA student – a student in a study programme regulated by the Maritime Safety Act;
1.3.5. orderly – a member of the guard, a less experienced MSA student;
1.3.6. watch – the period of participation in the watchkeeping specified in the watchkeeping schedule;
1.3.7. watch officer – commander of the watch crew; Drill and Watchkeeping coordinator;
1.3.8. watch log – the watch logbook kept by the monitor and the orderly, recording the start and end times of watchkeeping, watchkeepers, the patrols carried out and other relevant events;
1.3.9. watch crew – the watchkeeping team consisting of the watch officer, the monitor and the orderly/orderlies;
1.3.10. key log – a logbook in which the issue and return of keys and access cards is recorded;
1.3.11. university – Tallinn University of Technology
2. Wearing uniforms
2.1. The purpose of wearing a uniform is to develop the personal qualities necessary for a ship’s officer to work at sea: orderliness, punctuality, discipline, a sense of responsibility, honor and unity, etc.
2.2. Descriptions of the items and insignia of MSA students’ uniforms, the requirements for wearing them and the minimum wearing times, and the procedures for obtaining, issuing and keeping track of them are laid down in the EMERA Uniform Regulation.
2.3. The wearing of uniforms is mandatory for MSA students when participating in studies in EMERA buildings and territory (incl. consultations, assessments, examinations, etc.), except in workshops that take place in laboratories where the wearing of personal protective equipment and protective clothing is required by internal and occupational safety regulations.
2.4. The student is obliged to take care of the impeccable appearance of his/her uniform – the uniform must not be dirty, snag or wrinkled. Indoors, it is forbidden to wear visible clothing that is not part of the uniform (scarves, jackets, vests, etc.) together with the uniform.
2.5. Lecturers and the watch officer have the obligation to check compliance with the uniform requirements, and an MSA student who violates the uniform requirements is not allowed to participate in studies, Drill and Watchkeeping service and is not entitled to state catering. Restrictions shall remain in effect until errors in uniform compliance have been corrected. An MSA student who is not allowed to participate in studies, Drill and Watchkeeping service shall be considered absent.
2.6. An MSA student wearing an EMERA uniform and insignia is a representative of EMERA. Uniforms may be worn outside of studies provided that the wearer behaves with dignity, complies with the requirements of public order and generally accepted norms of conduct. The wearing of uniforms is prohibited at demonstrations and events that may discredit EMERA.
3. Participation in studies
3.1. Participation in studies is mandatory for MSA students throughout the study period.
3.2. The chief of study group shall record absences of MSA students in the absences registration form (Form V2/1.1). The chief of study group may assign the recording of absences to other MSA students in the same group, while remaining accountable. The lecturer shall confirm that the studies have taken place and the absence of the recorded absentees with a signature on the absence registration form. Absence registration forms for each semester shall be prepared and provided by the Centre of Academic Affairs.
3.3. The evaluation criteria for the subjects of the study programmes regulated by the Maritime Safety Act define the minimum rate of participation in contact learning necessary for achieving the learning outcomes as a prerequisite for access to the evaluation.
4. Drill and Watchkeeping
4.1. The purpose of the Drill and Watchkeeping service is to train MSA students in ship management (subordination, chain of command, wearing uniforms, etc.), to prepare them for watchkeeping on ships (watchkeeping, patrols, safety and security measures, etc.), to instill the necessary attitudes, skills and habits for watchkeeping, to develop necessary personal qualities (decency, punctuality, discipline, responsibility, initiative, etc.) required in ship officers and to support the university’s Security Division and security guards in ensuring security in EMERA’s buildings and on its premises. [amended 22.09.2022]
4.2. Watchkeeping service shall be assigned during the contact study period of the autumn and spring semesters on working days between 08:00 and 18:00 (on Fridays until 17:00). Outside the contact study period of the semester, watchkeeping service may be assigned to keep additional watches.
4.3. The watchkeeping service shall be managed by the watch crew consisting of a watch officer, a monitor and an orderly. The roles of the oncoming MSA students (monitor/orderly) shall be determined by the watch officer prior to the start of the watch and are recorded in the watch log.
4.4. Rights and obligations of watchkeepers
4.4.1. The rights and obligations of a watch officer are set out in the watch officer’s job description.
4.4.2. The duties of the orderly and the monitor are:
4.4.2.1. to carry out regular (at least 4 times a day) patrols of the EMERA buildings and territory and record them in the patrol system and in the watch log;
4.4.2.2. to welcome incoming and outgoing EMERA staff and visitors and, if necessary, to assist them in traversing the buildings;
4.4.2.3. to make the required entries in the watch and key logs;
4.4.2.4. to strike a ship’s bell (glass bell) in the beginning of the watch and each subsequent full and half hour;
4.4.2.5. to ensure the order and cleanliness of the watch room during the watch;
4.4.2.6. to report irregularities, problems and other incidents to the watch officer immediately and to take the necessary measures;
4.4.2.7. in the event of a fire and/or an ATS disturbance, to act in accordance with the Action Plan in the Event of Fire at the Estonian Maritime Academy;
4.4.2.8. to wear an armband on the left hand: the orderly has a red armband and the monitor has a blue armband with a white horizontal line in the middle, which is 1/3 of the width of the armband;
4.4.2.9. to stand guard in the lobby;
4.4.2.10. to answer the phones in the watch room;
4.4.2.11. to comply with other orders given by the watch officer;
4.4.2.12. to monitor the real-time video camera images for the purposes of ensuring the security of persons and property and to develop the skills and habits necessary for ship watchkeeping. [amended 22.09.2022].
4.4.3. Watch members have the right to give orders and make remarks to all persons in the EMERA building and territory who violate university and EMERA regulations.
4.5. The mandatory time for an MSA student (excluding a chief of study group) to participate in watchkeeping duty is 20-30 astronomical hours per academic year, depending on the number of MSA students, plus additional time laid down in clause 4.11 for line-up absences. One watch period for MSA students is 10 consecutive astronomical hours. Participation in the watchkeeping service to the required extent is laid down in the assessment criteria of one subject of each year in the MSA students’ study programme as a prerequisite for assessment.
4.6. The watch schedule is prepared by the watch officer on the basis of a written submission from the chief of study group, which is presented to the MSA student assigned to the watch for a signature. Chiefs of study groups must submit written submissions for the following week’s watches to the watch officer by 12:00 noon on the Friday of each week.
4.7. The watch officer shall register the watch hours of each MSA student participating in the watch and forward them, together with the general assessments, to the Programme Director of the respective study programme and to the lecturer of the respective subject.
4.8. Absence from watchkeeping duty, arbitrary departure from watchkeeping duty, failure to perform obligations during watchkeeping duty or improper performance of obligations during watchkeeping duty shall constitute a violation of the procedure laid down in these Rules of Procedure, for which an additional on-duty period shall be assigned equal to the number of hours missed / not fulfilled.
4.9. If an MSA student is unable to attend watchkeeping duty at the assigned times due to illness or other emergency, the MSA student must immediately notify the chief of study group, who shall appoint a substitute.
4.10. MSA student line-ups shall be held once a week during the autumn and spring semester contact study period under the coordination and in the presence of a watch officer. The attendance of MSA students and their compliance with uniform requirements shall be checked, and necessary information shall be announced during the line-up. The schedule and location of line-ups shall be prepared by the watch officer in coordination with chief of study group.
4.11. Participation in the line-up is mandatory for MSA students. In case of absence from the line-up without proper reason, 5 astronomical hours will be added to the MSA student’s mandatory on-duty period. The watch officer shall record the attendance of each MSA student in the line-up.
4.12. During formation training, line-ups and ceremonial operations, attendants shall follow the formation rules of the Defense Forces.
5. Executors and responsible persons
5.1. The Rules of Procedure are administered by the watch officer, who is also responsible for their observance.
5.2. The watch officer shall introduce the Rules of Procedure and related legislation to the entrants at the beginning of the academic year.
5.3. Before each watch, the watch officer shall ensure that the watchkeepers are aware of their duties and of the Rules of Procedure and that they are in proper uniforms.
5.4. The watch officer has the right and the duty not to allow an MSA student in breach of the uniform requirements to take part in drill and watchkeeping duty and not to allow him/her to be catered by the State funding. The watch officer has the right to demand the correction of errors along with an explanatory note from MSA students who violate the Rules of Procedure and forward it to the Programme Director of the respective study programme and to the Head of the Centre of Maritime Education and Training. [amended 22.09.2022]
5.5. Serious and/or repeated violations of the requirements of the Rules of Procedure shall be considered a violation of the academic practices or generally accepted norms of conduct laid down in the Academic Policies of the university.
5.6. In the assessment criteria, lecturers determine the degree of participation in contact training (3.3), check the fulfillment of uniform requirements (2.5) and confirm the registration of absences (3.2). Lecturer has the right and the duty not to allow an MSA student who is in breach of the uniform requirements to attend classes. [amended 22.09.2022]
5.7. The Centre of Academic Affairs prepares absence registration forms (3.2).