Assessment Boards

1. Assessment Boards Training for Chairs

2. To provide guidance on: Role of Chairs/Secretary Role of Progression and Award Boards Possible progression decisions Assessment codes? Purpose of today

3. Work with the board Servicing Officer and other key staff on pre-Board activity Conduct meeting in appropriate manner Ensure students assessed in accordance with the regulations Confirm accuracy of progression and awards lists Ensure Chair’s Actions are kept to a minimum Role of Chairs

4. The servicing officer – allocated from the Assessment Unit / Academic Registry Preparation of documentation and arrangements for the Board Prepare board minutes Advise Chairs on regulations and procedures Ensure accurate record of decisions is recorded in Delta Support for Pre-Boards Role of Servicing Officer

5. Assure appropriate standards for modules Confirm marks, consider performance and award credit for all students on modules in the subject area Make progression decisions for students on their programmes, including transition and combined honours students Award Pass Compensations Award specific credit for certificated and experiential learning (AEL) Note Academic Misconduct External examiners involved in these boards – task is very similar to previously, except that they will see the progress of students on programmes Student profile view will be as follows: Role of Progression Board

7. Possible progression decisions • All students are entitled to one resit of any component that they fail (except for Academic Misconduct) • More complex progression decisions expected at the resit boards • Possible progression decisions/options include: • Progress – 120, 105 or 90 credits and achievable for student to pick up missing components alongside study at next level • Repeat – some success but not across all modules – eg passed 60-90 credits, or fewer with evidenced extenuation • Leave – fewer than 60 credits factoring in approved/rejected extenuation • Proceed decisions for part time students

8. Award credit to students on modules passed by compensation Confirm eligibility for awards on basis of accumulated credit Ensure any award-specific requirements have been met (e.g. core modules) Confer awards Note decisions of the Extenuation Panel Award general credits achieved on basis of accredited learning Note Academic Misconduct There are still examiners at School/Subject Area level for these boards, and their role is the same as under the previous framework Role of Award Board

9. Transition students • Many of the students who joined UEL prior to September 2014 had gaps in their credit profile; • Work has been done to try and ensure that students have a full profile and move onto the next level; • Separate transition regulations were approved to run alongside the new regulations, initially for two years but this could be extended; • Full time transition students need to pass 90 credits per year, although these can be at different levels; part time need to be making sufficient progress; • Transition students classification will be calculated using both the old and new algorithms

10. Still a central panel; Boards will see outcomes of panel; Students now able to apply at resit even if didn’t apply first time Cannot apply if coursework submitted within 24 hours of the deadline (UG students only) There are new codes available on the DELTA system Extenuation

11. Extenuation (continued) • Exams – if granted • the exam mark is ignored (zeroed) • the student is reassessed in the exam • the reassessed component mark is uncapped • Coursework – if granted • c/w submitted within one week receives its mark • c/w not submitted/submitted later than one week • the c/w is reassessed at next opportunity • The reassessed component mark is uncapped

12. Module marks entered (using Web Mark Entry) Input of extenuation decisions to DELTA Pre Board held Production of module reports POG Progression Board held Post Board amendments to results (e.g. EE moderation) Process Module Results (TMR) Production of Award Board reports (pre-checking of awards by programme leaders) Award Board held The Board Process

13. Statistical Data (Module and Programme) POGS (Module data) Academic Misconduct APL/ACL Extenuation Progression Reports (Including Combined Honours students) Also include Pass Compensation report Progression Board

14. Term 2 boards • w/c 8/6/15 PG Subject Area Boards • w/c 15/6/15 UG Progression Subject Area Boards and School Award boards • Extenuation Panel

15. Resit/SEMC Boards • w/c 7/9/15 PG Subject Area Boards • w/c 14/9/15 UG Progression Subject Area Boards and School Award boards • October Dissertation boards • Confirm dates for following year’s Boards

16. Pre-boards Pre-boards will be highly effective in streamlining the Progression boards • Prepare progression recommendations • Opportunity to discuss complex student profiles to produce a recommendation • Pre-boards do not form part of the formal University governance structure and are not attended by EEs or assessment board members • Scheduled between the availability of results and before the Progression board

17. Deluge of extenuation claims/appeals Marks are not provided on time Unresolved Assessment Offences Boards out of synch Complicated transitional arrangements Inconsistent decisions made What can go wrong?

18. Classification • Postgraduate Masters - Pass 50%-59%;Merit 60-69%; Distinction 70%+ • Undergraduate – for students on transition, both the old and new classification algorithm will be used, and best result applied

19. Non-discretionary and earliest opportunity unless PSRB prohibits Postgraduate compensate one 30 credit OPTION module 90 credits already achieved ≥45% and component thresholds met Undergraduate compensate one 15 or 30 credit CORE or Optional module per level 90 or 105 credits already achieved at the level or higher ≥35% and component thresholds met Compensation

20. Late coursework submission • Ruling applies to coursework for undergraduate students • Work submitted up to 24 hours after the deadline will be deducted 5% of total available component marks • Will be noted on feedback to student, which enables examiner to see this too

21. Extenuation Versus Appeal Versus Complaint Procedures when ‘things go wrong’

22. Regulations UEL home page / Services / Quality Assurance and Enhancement / Manual of General Regulations • Part 3 – Assessment Regulations – remember UG and PG are slightly different; also transition arrangements on this page • 3c D level modules and Professional Doctorates • Part 6 - Extenuating Circumstances – slightly different for UG and PG • Part 7 - Appeals against Assessment Board Decisions www.uel.ac.uk/qa/manual/index.htm

23. Appeals against assessment Board decisions Conciliation Stage (Stage One)

24. Grounds of Appeal • The assessment was not conducted in accordance with the current regulations for the programme, or there has been a material administrative error or some other material irregularity relevant to the assessments has occurred. • For a student with a disability or additional need, the initial needs assessment was not correctly carried out, or the support identified was not provided, or the agreed assessment procedures for that student were not implemented. (Appeals Procedure, Paragraph 1.1)

25. Appeals – Conciliation Stage Before conciliation meeting: • Student notifies the Compliance Unit of intention to appeal within 10 working days of publication of results on UEL Direct. • Chair of Assessment Board to convene conciliation meeting within 10 working days of receiving such notification. • Student to complete appeal form in full prior to conciliation meeting. During conciliation meeting: • Chair considers evidence against grounds of appeal listed in paragraph 1.1 of Appeals Procedure. • Section 1a of the appeal form completed by Chair to indicate decision and rationale. The Student should complete section 1b and return the form to the Compliance Unit.

26. Appeals – Conciliation Stage After conciliation meeting • Where appeal upheld, decision agreed by Chair’s action and noted at next Assessment Board meeting. • Students who are dissatisfied with decision should notify the Compliance Unit within 5 working days.

27. Appeals – Conciliation Stage

28. Appeals – Conciliation Stage • Academic judgement – appeals are not permitted on the basis of disagreement with academic judgement • Appeals relating to disability – consult Disability, Dyslexia and Access Centre before reaching a decision • Extenuating circumstances decisions – appeals relating to extenuation decisions should be submitted directly to the Compliance Unit • Poor dissertation supervision or programme delivery – issues relating poor dissertation supervision or programme delivery are not valid grounds of appeal and should be raised via the complaints procedure prior to assessment

29. Manual of General Regulations Part 7: Appeals Procedure (http://www.uel.ac.uk/wwwmedia/uel/migratedcontent/qa/documents/PART7-Appeals.doc) Guidance for Chair of Assessment Boards on conciliation meetings (http://www.uel.ac.uk/qa/documents/Appealsprocedureguidanceforchairsofassessmentboards_2010-11.doc) Appeals – Further Information

30. Comparison of Regulations

31. Undergraduate Associate Certificate (20 credits at level 3 or above) Undergraduate Certificate (40 credits at level 3 or above) Certificate of Higher Education (120 credits at level 4 or above) Diploma of Higher Education (240 credits – 120 at level 4 or above, 120 at level 5 or above) Foundation Degree (240 credits – 120 at level 4 or above, 120 at level 5 or above) Ordinary degree (300 credits - 120 at level 4 or above, 120 at level 5 or above, 60 credits at level 6 or above) Honours degree (360 credits - 120 at level 4 or above, 120 at level 5 or above, 120 credits at level 6 or above) Undergraduate awards

32. Postgraduate Awards Postgraduate Associate Certificate (30 Credits at Level 7) Postgraduate Certificate (60 Credits at Level 7) Postgraduate Diploma (120 Credits at Level 7) Master’s Award (180 Credits at Level 7) Integrated Master’s (480 credits, mixture of UG and PG study)

33. Consistent approach to coding. Award Board Decision Codes: NA Award Conferred NB Under investigation for Breach of Regulations NCA Chairs Action NX Exclude (not academic decision) NQ Completed (e.g. Socrates Students) Assessment Board Codes

34. P Pass PE Pass-exempt (decision through APL) PC Pass-compensated FR Fail (attempt 1 & 3) - move to reassessment FE Fail (attempt 2) – move to repeat module (and generate new assessment record) FX Fail (attempt 4) – exclude from further assessment/reassessment Assessment Board Codes Module Decisions (1)

35. GR Extenuating Circumstances Granted (attempt 1&3) – move to reassessment uncapped GE Extenuating Circumstances Granted (attempt 2) – repeat module uncapped BM Minor breach of regulations penalty BS Serious breach of regulations penalty BX Expel breach of regulations penalty Assessment Board Codes Module Decisions (2)

36. I Intermitting or on break W Withdrawn – due to non-attendance T Terminated – registration discontinued CA Refer to Chair’s Action B Under Investigation for Breach of Regulations Assessment Board Codes Module Decisions (3)

37. NS Non-submission G Extenuating Circumstances Granted (exams or non- submission of coursework) KP Extenuating circumstances Rejected – Pass (exams only) KF Extenuating circumstances Rejected – Fail (exams only) KN Extenuating circumstances Rejected – Non submission (exams or non-submission of coursework) Assessment Board Codes Some Component Decisions (1)

38. Assessment Board Codes Some Component Decisions (2) LP Late submission of coursework within one week, extenuation granted – Pass LF Late submission of coursework within one week, extenuation granted – Fail LK Late submission of coursework within one week, extenuation not granted – coursework to 0 – Fail LX Submission of coursework within one week but with no extenuation PL Pass after 5% reduction for late submission FL Fail after 5% reduction for late submission KA Exam attended and extenuation rejected