External Examiner Induction

2014/15

External Examiner Induction

• University Overview

• Structure and Purpose of Boards

• Role of the External Examiner

• Undergraduate/Postgraduate Regulations & Grading criteria

• IT Access: Wolf, PebblePad and e:Vision

• Finance: Claims

• Useful Contacts

University Overview• Faculty structure:

– Faculty of Science and Engineering (operating as a faculty since 13-14)– Faculty of Arts (operating as a faculty from 14-15)– Faculty of Social Sciences (operating as a faculty from 14-15)– Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing (operating as a faculty from 14-15)

• A number of themed Research Institutes / Centres

• Student Profile (12-13 data):

• 20 credit framework for both UG and PG

White 58.0 %

Female 59.5 %

19 – 20 years old 30.7 %

From West Midlands 74.9 %

Studying full-time 69 %

Structure and Purpose of Boards

Stage One (Internal) Board

Internal Checking

External Examiners not required to attend

Stage Two

An on-going process throughout the academic year. The External Examiner interacts with module staff and students in a variety of ways.

Stage Three (External) Board

Confirmation

External Examiners required to attend

Module Results Award & Progression

Stage One (Internal) Board

Internal Checking

External Examiners not required to attend

Stage Two

An on-going process throughout the academic year. The External Examiner interacts with module staff and students in a variety of ways.

Stage Three (External) Board

Ratification

External Examiners required to attend

Board Stage Profiles…

Attendance

Activities

Paperwork

Module Results: Stage Three (External) Board

Reduced membershipChairChair of Stage One (Internal) BoardSecretaryExternal Examiners

Report and record Stage One (Internal) Board activityFormally ratify recommendationsReceive a verbal overview from external examinerFormal report submitted 4 weeks after Stage Three (External) Board

Formal minutes taken

Award & Progression: Stage Three (External) Board

Reduced membershipChairChair of Stage 1 (Internal) BoardSecretaryExternal examiners

Short and focusedReport and record Stage 1 (Internal) activityFormally agree recommendationsReceive brief report from External Examiner

Formal minutes takenStatistics / comparisonsStudent transcriptsChair’s ReportExternal Examiner’s report

Paperwork: in more detail

• The Stage 1 (Internal) Chair’s Report

• Module Summary Forms

• Future developments – the move to paperless boards and better statistical data

Essential Role of the External Examiner

Part B: Assuring and enhancing academic quality

Chapter B7: External examining

Expectation:Higher education providers make scrupulous use of external examiners

18 indicators of sound practice:

• defining the role (Indicators 1-3)• nomination and appointment (Indicators 4-6)• carrying out the role (Indicators 7-10)• recognition of the work of external examiners (Indicator 11)• external examiners' reports (Indicators 12-16)• serious concerns (Indicators 17, 18)

Essential Role of the External Examiner Part B: Assuring and enhancing academic quality

Chapter B7: External examining

Essential Role of the External Examiner Definitions

• Threshold academic standards are the minimum level of achievement that you have to reach to succeed on your course and achieve the qualification. A key feature of this is that threshold standards should not vary from one higher education provider to another.

• Academic standards are the standards that individual degree-awarding bodies set and maintain for the award of their academic credit or qualifications. They include the standards of performance that a student needs to demonstrate to achieve a particular classification of a qualification.

Essential Role of the External Examiner

These Chapters cover the issues relevant to the setting and maintaining of academic standards.

Chapter A1: The national levelChapter A2: The subject and qualification levelChapter A3: The programme levelChapter A4: Approval and reviewChapter A5: ExternalityChapter A6: Assessment of achievement of learning outcomes

Part A: Setting and maintaining threshold academic standards

What am I expected to do?

• Provide impartial, independent and informative advice/comments and recommendations to assure and enhance

• Meet with students

• Comment on collaborative provision

• Attend Assessment Boards

• Submit an annual report x4 weeks after the final Stage 3 assessment board

• Moderate a sample of student work to determine the accuracy and consistency of internal marking of assessment tasks (level 4 (for HNDs & FDs), 5 and above)

• Confirm assessment is in accordance with module regulations

• Confirm the continuing currency of the range of modules

• Approve assessment tasks for next year

• Confirm that University and Course regulations have been applied consistently and fairly for all students studying on courses belonging to the Board.

• Confirm each student’s award and classification, where they have met the requirement for the award.

Module Results External

Examiner

Progression & Award External

Examiner

What am I not expected to do?

• Second mark assignments/ exam scripts

• Arbitrate on internal marker’s grading disagreements

• Change grades of individual students

• Viva students to obtain additional academic information

• Change grades of individuals or groups

• Viva students to obtain additional information to determine a grade or classification, except where required by a professional body

Module Results External Examiner

Progression & Award External Examiner

Regulations: Undergraduate, Foundation, Taught Postgraduate and Professional Doctorates.• Broken down into sections (F-Z according to awards and read in conjunction

with A-E) Section Section title

A General Regulations - 20 credit 

B Admissions - 20 credit

C Enrolment and Registration - 20 credit

D Student Assessment

E Assessment Boards

F Foundation degree -20 credit

G CertHE and DipHE - 20 credit 

H Single honours degree - 20 credit

J Integrated Joint honours degree - 20 credit

K Sandwich Honours degree - 20 credit

L Single honours Bracketed Awards - 20 credit 

M Top Up degree - 20 credit

N Graduate certificate and diploma - 20 credit

P Postgraduate and Masters degree -20 credit 

Q Integrated Masters - 20 credit

S Higher National Certificates and Diploma - 20 credit 

T Foundation and Preparatory Studies

U Accelerated Single Honours Degree 

V Professional Doctorate Regulations

W Masters Top Up Awards - 20 credit 

Z Credit only - 20 credit 

Regulations: Grading Schemes

Mark Performance Result 3-6 Result 7

90-100% Outstanding Pass Pass Pass

80-89% Excellent Pass Pass Pass

70-79% Very Good Pass Pass Pass

60-69% Good Pass Pass Pass

50-59% Satisfactory Pass Pass Pass

40-49%0-49%

Pass (levels 3-6)Fail (level 7)

PassN/A

N/ADefer (first attempt) Fail (following second attempt)

*30-39% Pass by compensation Pass N/A

30-39% Compensatable fail (levels 3-6) Defer (first attempt)Compensatable Defer (following second attempt)Fail (following third attempt)

N/A

15-29% Fail Defer (first attempt)Compensatable Defer (following second attempt)Fail (following third attempt)

N/A

0-14 Fail Defer (following a first attempt)Fail (following a second attempt)

Regulations: Grading Schemes (cont.)

NS Assessment not submitted Defer (first attempt) Fail (following second attempt)

Defer (first attempt) Fail (following second attempt)

GA Assessment grade awaited Held Held

AM Academic Misconduct under investigation

Held Held

M Valid Extenuating circumstances. Defer - May submit assessment within the academic year the module was studied.

Defer- May submit assessment within the academic year the module was studied.

For modules at level 8, a Pass/Fail grade will be used

IT Access

• View module materials;• Read student assessments submitted through the Formative or Summative e-Submission

process;• Mark summative e-Submissions assessments that have been read by you

• View module materials in the gateway resource section;• Dependant on permission level given have a range of functionality;• Read student assessments submitted into the gateway

• Access relevant Academic Standards and Quality documents and internal/external links; • Change your personal details;• Contact us through a generic email address to raise any queries;• Receive regular news updates;• Upload your annual reports;• Read a response to your annual reports

External Examiners are sponsored for an IT account by ASQ at the time of appointment. Accounts are for the examiners period of tenure i.e. 4 years + 1 (if extended)

Finance: ClaimsBasic Annual Fee for Module Results Board £350

Basic Annual Fee for Award Board £200

Additional Daily Attendance Allowance £50

Mentoring Fee £50

Daily Attendance Allowance (Self Employed) £180

• An annual fee will only be paid when the External Examiner report has been received by ASQ;

• Claim forms can be completed on-line however; the form must be printed off, signed in Blue ink (electronic signature NOT accepted);

• All original receipts must be submitted with the claim receipts as non submission will result in expenses being taxed. Annual fees and daily rates are taxable;

• Daily attendance allowances will be paid for attendance at boards to which the external is appointed and separate additional visits to the University. Dates of visits must be included on the claim form. Claim forms without dates included will be returned and may result in payment being delayed. Self-employed external examiners can claim the daily attendance rate of £180 for each day they visit the University or Partner Institution).

Useful ContactsName Title Email Phone

Catherine Shaw Assistant Academic Registrar (Quality Management)

c.b.shaw@wlv.ac.uk 01902 32(3182)

Belinda Cross Senior Quality Officer (for contractual queries, including final reports)

b.cross@wlv.ac.uk 01902 32(3141)

Mandy Sahota External Examining Support (for contractual queries, including final reports)

Mandy@wlv.ac.uk 01902 32(2880)

Lynn Redfern Student Office Manager City Campus (for board arrangement queries)

L.Redfern@wlv.ac.uk 01902 32(1188)

Jayne Hines Student Office Manager City Campus (for board arrangement queries)

j.hines@wlv.ac.uk 01902 32(2629)

Phil Whittingham

STAR Office Manager (for transnational and research queries)

p.whittingham@wlv.ac.uk 01902 32(1631)

Scott Dean Student Office Manager Walsall Campus (for board arrangement queries)

s.w.dean@wlv.ac.uk 01902 32(3259)