External Examiner Sub-Committee

EXTERNAL EXAMINER HANDBOOK

October 2020

Contents1. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................42. PURPOSE OF THE EXTERNAL EXAMINER ROLE..............................................................43. CONFLICT OF INTEREST......................................................................................................44. TEESSIDE UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC PROVISION...............................................................55. TYPES OF ASSESSMENT BOARDS.....................................................................................56. INDUCTION AND SUPPORT FOR EXTERNAL EXAMINERS...............................................6

6.1 Induction............................................................................................................................66.2 Documentation and Information Supplied Following Appointment....................................66.3 Information Governance....................................................................................................86.4 Non-Disclosure Agreements..............................................................................................8

7. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES..........................................................................................87.1 Module Examiner's Role....................................................................................................87.2 Award Examiner's Role...................................................................................................10

8. NON-ATTENDANCE AT BOARDS.......................................................................................119. ANNUAL REPORTING..........................................................................................................1110. FEES AND EXPENSES......................................................................................................1311. RELATED REGULATIONS.................................................................................................13

11.1 Extenuating Circumstances (Taught Provision)...........................................................1311.2 Academic Appeal.........................................................................................................1311.3 Academic Misconduct..................................................................................................1411.4 Recognition of Prior Learning [RPL] Policy..................................................................14

12. INFORMATION PROVIDED TO STUDENTS ABOUT EXTERNAL EXAMINERS.............1413. ADMINISTRATION OF THE EXTERNAL EXAMINING PROCESS...................................1514. TERMINATION OF APPOINTMENTS................................................................................17Appendix A External Examiner Mentor Guidelines.......................................................................19Appendix B External Examiner Confirmation of Endorsement of Assessment Process...............22Appendix C External Examiner Annual Fees................................................................................23Appendix D External Examiner Expenses Form...........................................................................25Appendix E Responsibility for Assessment Board Decisions.......................................................26Appendix F External Examiner Role Guidance.............................................................................28APPENDIX G Definition of a Module Pass...................................................................................31

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1. INTRODUCTION

External Examiners play a central role in assuring the University’s academic provision and maintaining the standards of its awards. External Examiners provide informed, independent and impartial judgements and advice to the University. We will draw upon your professional advice and expertise and will give active consideration to your reports. This Handbook outlines the responsibilities of External Examiners including any specific requirements of the University and relevant information regarding its processes and policies that you need to be aware of in undertaking this role.

The Handbook for Advanced Independent Work External Examiners is available separately, here.

2. PURPOSE OF THE EXTERNAL EXAMINER ROLE

The role of an External Examiner is to: provide assurance to the University that its academic standards are comparable with

similar awards across the HE sector verify that academic standards are appropriate for the award or modules for which the

External Examiners take responsibility and that they meet recognised sector standards, i.e. Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), UK Quality Code including the Subject Benchmark Statements, Qualification and Credit Frameworks, appropriate Characteristic Statements and the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications

ensure that the assessment process is equitable and is fairly operated in the marking, grading and classification of student performance, and that decisions are made in accordance with University Regulations

report on the standards of student achievement identify, where appropriate, examples of good practice and areas for enhancement provide comment, where relevant, in relation to partnership modifications for delivery

with an existing partner, such as additional site delivery location.

The University has two categories of External Examiner: Module and/or Award, and a full list of both Module and Award External Examiner roles and duties can be found in Section 7 of this Handbook and the Role Guidance is attached as .

3. CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The University has institutional procedures to ensure that potential conflicts of interest are identified and resolved prior to the appointment of External Examiners. This includes avoiding a reciprocal arrangement involving cognate courses at another HE provider.

You are required to advise your contact within the School/UK Public Sector Validated College Provision of any conflict of interest or change of circumstance that arises during your appointment, which may result in the termination of your appointment.

You are also required to advise your School/UK Public Sector Validated College Provision contact immediately of any changes of address, email, etc., so that our records can be amended accordingly.

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4. TEESSIDE UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC PROVISION

The guidance in this Handbook covers the arrangements for external examination of courses delivered by Schools at Teesside University and those delivered by its Partners. The type of partnership arrangement will affect some aspects of the administration of external examination:

where the University has approved a course(s) for Partner delivery, the University will lead on all aspects of the administration of external examination

in the case of UK Public Sector validated courses which are designed and delivered by the Partner, the University has delegated certain aspects of the administration of external examination to the Partner.

In all cases, award pathways are defined within a modular framework and the assessment of students’ work against levels of achievement is defined at module level.

5. TYPES OF ASSESSMENT BOARDS

The University operates a two-stage assessment system. The first stage is concerned with individual modules or clusters of modules (Module Assessment Boards) and the second with progression and awards (Progression/Award Boards). Within this system, there are two clearly defined External Examiner roles: A Module External Examiner and an Award External Examiner.

Although both types of Assessment Boards will usually meet on a serial basis, the Boards may be combined, provided that the agenda is structured appropriately to separate consideration of module and progression/award results, and provided that cross-School matters resulting from module sharing are adequately addressed. Assessment Boards normally meet either as ‘first sit’ boards following the completion of summative assessment, or as ‘reassessment’ boards. Meetings at other times are permitted, particularly where there are matters associated with progression and awards.

Where the pattern of provision requires, Schools and Partners may operate with multiple Module Assessment Boards, feeding into a single Progression/Award Board.

Assessment Boards that are convened to review modules and awards for UK Public Sector Validated Provision will be organised by the Partner institution. All other Assessment Boards, including Transnational Education provision, will be organised by the University.

The University utilises Preliminary Boards, without the External Examiner in attendance, to ensure adequacy and correctness of data and to identify items for discussion at the formal Assessment Board.

For further details of the University’s Modular Framework, see Credit Accumulation & Modular Scheme [CAMS].

For information on the Responsibility for Assessment Board Decisions, see Appendix E.

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6. INDUCTION AND SUPPORT FOR EXTERNAL EXAMINERS

6.1 InductionAll External Examiners will receive a central induction, hosted by Academic Registry. Inductions are normally held twice per year for Teesside University External Examiners.

All newly appointed External Examiners will be invited to an induction, although existing External Examiners are welcome to attend if they wish. Alternatively, induction materials are available from the External Examiners website for those unable to attend.

UK Public Sector Validated Partners will induct External Examiners appointed to oversee their provision and the College will advise on the induction activities following appointment.

Where an External Examiner has no previous experience upon appointment, Schools/UK Public Sector Validated Partners will implement mentoring arrangements to ensure a balance of experience within the rest of the External Examiner Team. This will have been clearly indicated on the nomination form [see Appendix A – External Examiner Mentor Guidelines].

6.2 Documentation and Information Supplied Following AppointmentAfter appointment, External Examiners will be sent the following information:

a) Academic Registry1. a contract letter stating the module(s) and/or awards to be examined, the length of

the tenure, fee band and the name of the School/Partner contact. The External Examiner is required to confirm their acceptance of the post within two months of the date of the letter. If confirmation is not received by Academic Registry [AR], by this deadline, it will be assumed that the External Examiner does not wish to accept the post and the School/Partner will be advised so that arrangements can be made to find an alternative External Examiner

2. a link to this Handbook on the External Examiner website at: TU External Examiner Website

3. the final report of the previous External Examiner, if applicable4. Mentor Guidelines and name of mentor if relevant.

b) Schools (for courses delivered at TU, TUCP, TNE and Employer Partners)1. School/College contact details2. a School/College Induction Pack3. details of how you can communicate with internal markers and others involved in the

teaching and assessment of the relevant courses/modules4. an up-to-date Module/Award/Progression Assessment Board calendar5. a written statement identifying your role in relation to the rest of the External

Examiner Team, including clarification on whether you will be required to report on standards and quality at module or course/award level, or both

6. list of modules/award(s) which you are responsible for7. programme specification(s) and other relevant documentation, including Course

Handbook8. course Regulations and variances9. arrangements for sampling students' work in accordance with the Assessment &

Feedback Policy

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10. if you are responsible for collaborative course(s), information and details of the nature of the provision and any variations in the course compared to those run at Teesside University

11. the arrangements, where appropriate, for you to meet with students on the course. External Examiners will not normally meet with students, unless Professional, Statutory & Regulatory Body [PSRB] requirements necessitate, or by request in exceptional circumstances

12.you will be offered the opportunity to visit the University/Partner during your tenure and the School/College will consult with you on a regular basis

13.PSRB requirements and details of any additional duties required of you14. if the module(s)/award(s) are linked into a Higher and Degree Apprenticeship, a

statement clarifying what this means to your role/duties1:o providing clarity on whether the End Point Assessment [EPA] is integrated

into the academic award and any implications for your roleo explaining the relationship between apprenticeships duties and Knowledge,

Skills and Behaviours [KSBs] and course/module learning outcomeso identifying how the learning opportunities provided by the course are

delivered in the context of on-the-job and off-the-job learning

c) Partner College (UK Public Sector Validated College Provision only)1. College contact details2. details of how you can communicate with internal markers and others involved in

the teaching and assessment of the relevant course/modules3. an up-to-date Module/Award/Progression Assessment Board calendar4. a written statement identifying your role in relation to the rest of the External

Examiner Team, including clarification on whether you will be required to report on standards and quality at module or course/award level, or both

5. list of modules/award(s) which you are responsible for6. programme specification(s) and other relevant documentation, including Course

Handbook7. course regulations and variances8. link to Assessment & Feedback Policy9. module descriptors, including learning outcomes and assessment methods policy10.assessment briefs for approval11.arrangements for sampling students' work including Partner institution policy and

process12. the arrangements, where appropriate, for you to meet students on the course.

External Examiners will not normally meet with students, unless Professional, Statutory & Regulatory Body [PSRB] requirements necessitate, or in exceptional circumstances.

13.you may be offered the opportunity to visit the Partner institution at any time during your appointment and the Partner institution will consult with you on a regular basis

14.PSRB requirements and details of any additional duties required of you15. if the module(s)/award(s) are linked into a Higher and Degree Apprenticeship, a

statement clarifying what this means to your role/duties2:o providing clarity on whether or not the End Point Assessment [EPA] is

integrated into the academic award and any implications for your roleo explaining the relationship between apprenticeships duties and Knowledge,

Skills and Behaviours [KSBs] and course/module learning outcomes

1 As outlined in the QAA Second Edition of Quality Assuring Higher Education in Apprenticeships2 As outlined in the QAA Second Edition of Quality Assuring Higher Education in Apprenticeships

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o identifying how the learning opportunities provided by the course are delivered in the context of on-the-job and off-the-job learning

6.3 Information GovernanceNewly appointed External Examiners are encouraged to consult the Advance HE Handbook for External Examiners.

Comments by an External Examiner about the performance of an individual candidate may be classified as personal data and be available to a student under the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation 2018, referred to in this document as Data Protection Legislation (DPL). This applies to comments and opinions made by Internal Markers or External Examiners, whether they are on an examination script or a separate marking script. Information which does not relate to specific individuals, such as External Examiners’ Reports, may be publicly accessible under the Freedom of Information Act [FoIA].

Examination scripts are considered to be ‘personal data’ under the DPL. Due care must be taken to keep them secure and confidential in accordance with the Data Protection Principles.

Examiners are advised that written comments may be liable to disclosure to the subject of the comments or to other agencies/individuals as required or permitted by law and should therefore be intelligible and appropriate.

Comments relating to specific examination scripts should ideally be made on attached sheets rather than directly onto the scripts.

Where comments are handwritten and potentially illegible, it may be necessary to provide a word-processed version to fulfil the requirements under both the DPL and FoIA to provide information in an intelligible format.

Any files that have been downloaded during the assessment process that may contain student’s work, grades or personal details, should be deleted from External Examiner devices immediately. This is to ensure the University’s compliance with the requirements and safeguards of the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018, to protect the rights and privacy of individuals.

6.4 Non-Disclosure AgreementsExternal Examiners may have sight of certain confidential information in the work submitted by students that are on placement and may be required to sign a confidentiality agreement/non-disclosure agreement [NDA] on the insistence of such placement providers. External Examiners are reasonably expected to sign these in the performance of their duties, but this will not affect their ability to make reports to any relevant regulatory body, as may be required during the performance of their duties.

7. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

7.1 Module Examiner's RoleThe Module Examiner is a subject specialist who works closely with academic staff responsible for the development and delivery of modules within particular subject areas. They are appointed for all taught modules at Levels 5, 6, 7 and 8. Module Examiners are required for Level 4 courses of more than 60 credits, Foundation Degrees and HNC/D awards and the duties for Level 4 are the same as for Levels 5 and 6, as indicated below. Module Examiners are not required for Level 3 modules (including Foundation Year provision), unless there is a PSRB requirement. The same External Examiner can be

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appointed for both taught courses and TU online courses and modules that are delivered online via a standard face to face or blended delivery model.

The role of the Module Examiner is to assure the University of the overall standard of achievement within a subject area. The School/Partner will advise you, either at the commencement or during your appointment, of any additional responsibilities which may be required of you, for example, involvement in any proposed changes to the course(s)/module(s).Module External Examiners will be required to indicate whether, in their expert judgement, the standards for the modules and subject areas are appropriate, making reference, where relevant, to appropriate external reference points such as QAA Subject Benchmark Statements, or the FHEQ and to internal University documentation such as course learning outcomes, level descriptors, and marking criteria. Comment is also sought on the assessment process, the quality of the student learning experience and student achievement.

The principal objective of a Module External Examiner is to ensure the performance of and standards achieved by students are comparable with their peers on similar modules elsewhere in higher education. To achieve this, the Module External Examiner is required to:

1. Advise on the form, content and assessment criteria of proposed summative assessments for first sitting and reassessments (including examination and other forms of summative assessment) for modules in their subject area. Judgements may be made as to whether the challenges that the tasks present allow the students to demonstrate the required learning outcomes and whether the differing achievements of students may be adequately discerned.

2. Scrutinise a sufficient sample of students' examination scripts, assignments, projects/dissertations, etc. in line with the Assessment & Feedback Policy to ensure the standard for modules in their subject area. The marking and moderation processes are included in this Policy. Judgements may be made as to whether students have performed to a sufficiently high standard and whether their performance has been appropriately judged by the internal markers.

3. Attend Module Assessment Boards (or appropriate alternative) for modules in your subject area. You are encouraged to join in discussion and make comment throughout the Board. There is no requirement for Level 4 Module Examiners to attend Foundation Degree and HNC/D module/progression boards, but you are encouraged to do so. If you are unable to attend, you will be asked to provide formal comments that will be recorded at the Assessment Board. Note: The Module Assessment Board considers students' results from modules studied in both semesters of the academic year.

4. Confirm to the Module Assessment Board that all students have been assessed fairly in relation to the relevant module specification and regulations, and that the students who have passed have fulfilled the learning outcomes of the modules and reached the required standard. External Examiners are expected to use their expertise, to ensure that students’ outcomes from the TU assessment processes are comparable to others within the HE sector. The External Examiner is not able to amend any individual marks at the Assessment Board. If any adjustment to assessment results arising from the consideration of the External Examiner views is judged to be necessary, this should operate on the basis of the whole cohort, not on individual students at the margins, nor through the sampling process. External Examiners will be aware

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of the publicity around grade inflation and the UUK paper on degree algorithms. At TU, we carefully monitor the outcomes from our assessment processes, including an annual report to Academic Board and we continue to engage in the debates within the HE Sector.

5. Confirm that the Module Assessment Board has been conducted in accordance with University Regulations. [see APPENDIX G – Definition of a Module Pass].

6. Present a minuted verbal report to endorse the outcomes at the end of the Module Assessment Board.

7. Complete and sign a proforma at the end of the Assessment Board [see Appendix B] as confirmation of your endorsement of the Assessment process. If you are absent from the Board, you will be sent a copy of this proforma to sign and return. Results will not be released to students until this endorsement is received by the School/Partner. In exceptional circumstances, an External Examiner may feel unable to endorse the results of the Assessment Board and, where the matter cannot be resolved by the Board, the Chair of the Board must notify the Academic Registry as soon as possible, providing relevant information. The Academic Registry will consider the circumstances and, in consultation with the School and the Examiner make a recommendation. Where an External Examiner has a serious concern about the academic standards and considers the proposed recommendation insufficient, they may raise their concern directly with the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning & Teaching).

8. Attend Module Reassessment Boards and sample reassessment work as requested by the School/Partner. If you are unable to attend, you will be asked to provide formal comments, which can be recorded at the Reassessment Board, and complete Appendix B as confirmation of your endorsement of the assessment process as in the previous bullet point.

9. Present a formal word-processed Annual Report to be submitted electronically to APR@tees.ac.uk, by 30 September for UG provision and by 30 November for PG provision [see also Section 9 on reporting].

7.2 Award Examiner's RoleThe Award Examiner is concerned with the application of the University’s Assessment Regulations rather than with academic subject areas. External Examiners are expected to be conversant with these Regulations and provide comment in their Annual Report on the extent of their correct application. Award Examiners are likely to be associated with one or more named awards. The primary function is to oversee and verify the implementation of the University's Assessment & Progression Regulations in the progression of students through the levels of an award(s) and in the classification of awards, ensuring comparability of treatment between students. The Award Examiner will not be involved in detailed consideration of students' work and does not have to be (or have been) a Module Examiner, although in many cases they will be a Module External Examiner for one area of the award(s) under consideration.

Specific Award Examiners are not appointed for undergraduate awards of 60 credits or less and postgraduate awards of less than 60 credits, unless required by PSRBs. The rationale for this is that external examining will have occurred for the modules and there are no discretionary regulatory decisions to be made regarding the awards. Specific Award Examiners are also not required for Level 3 modules (including Foundation Year provision), unless there is a PSRB requirement. However, when such Level 3 module results are presented to a Progression/Award Assessment Board, the Award External Examiner(s) present will be asked to oversee the process and endorse the results. Schools/Partners should make appropriate arrangements to ensure that Level 5 Award External Examiners are present for all relevant Progression and Award Boards for the

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target awards at Levels 3 and 4, to ensure oversight and endorse the results of any intermediate qualifications. The same External Examiner can be appointed for both taught courses and TU online courses and modules that are delivered online via a standard face to face or blended delivery model.

In the case of provision leading to a professional qualification, Award External Examiners may also be required to oversee and approve the implementation of the PSRB's requirements.

The Award External Examiner is required to:1. Attend the Progression & Award Board(s) (or appropriate alternative) for all the

award(s) to which they have been appointed.2. Ensure that decisions and recommendations are reached in accordance with the

University's Assessment & Progression Regulations or variance agreed. Note: All Progression & Award Boards require an External Examiner to be in attendance either in person or virtually.

3. Be consulted where a variance to the standard University Assessment Regulations which directly affect students currently on an award are to be considered by the Student Learning & Experience Committee [SLEC].

4. Participate, as required, in reviews of decisions about individual students.5. Present a minuted verbal report at the end of a Progression & Award Board. This

should include a statement that they accept the classification/award decisions at the end of the Assessment Board, complete and sign a proforma [see Appendix B] as confirmation of their endorsement of the assessment process. Additionally, the School/Partner will formally record in the Minutes that the results presented are formally endorsed and note any exceptions that need further action. If you are absent from the Board, you will be sent a copy of this proforma to sign and return. Results will not be released to students until this endorsement is received by the School/Partner. In exceptional circumstances, an External Examiner may feel unable to endorse the results of the Assessment Board and, where the matter cannot be resolved by the Board, the Chair of the Board must notify the Academic Registry as soon as possible, providing relevant information. The Academic Registry will consider the circumstances and, in consultation with the School and the Examiner make a recommendation.  Where an External Examiner has a serious concern about the academic standards and considers the proposed recommendation insufficient, they may raise their concern directly with the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning & Teaching).

6. Present a formal word-processed Annual Report to be submitted electronically to APR@tees.ac.uk by 30 September for UG provision and by 30 November for PG provision [see also Section 9 on reporting].

The External Examiner Role Guidance [see ] includes details on the responsibilities, time commitments and fees associated with the role.

8. NON-ATTENDANCE AT BOARDS

If you are unable to attend the Assessment or Reassessment Board either in person or virtually, the School/Partner will communicate with you to ensure that your views are considered and noted, and follow the process for reporting External Examiner non-attendance at Assessment Boards.

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You will be asked to complete a Confirmation of Endorsement of Assessment Process [see Appendix B]. Results will not be released to students until this signed endorsement is received by the School/Partner.

9. ANNUAL REPORTING

All External Examiners are required to provide a written Annual Report which is a key feature of the University's process to assure national comparability of the University's awards and in quality assurance and enhancement.

The report asks External Examiners to confirm that our academic standards and administrative/assessment processes are robust and carried out in accordance with both external benchmarks and our own internal regulations and procedures. We provide the opportunity for External Examiners to highlight any positive features around the student experience and also provide us with recommendations for enhancement.

If you are involved in multi-site collaborative provision arrangements, we request that you are specific in your Report about the provision and which Partner you are referring to.

Failure to submit an Annual Report will result in non-payment of your fees and may result in the termination of your contract.

The School will provide a link (via email) to an online Annual Report template. For UK Public Sector Validated College Provision, the College will complete the front page of the Annual Report template (Word version) prior to sending to you. If you do not receive the Annual Report template / link to an online report, please contact your School or APR@tees.ac.uk.

This Report should be submitted by 30 September for UG provision and by 30 November for PG provision each year. Reports are received by the SLAR on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor and forwarded onto Schools and relevant collaborative partners.

If you raise any significant concerns, your comments are subjected to institutional level analysis and reported to the Student Learning & Experience Committee and Academic Board, following discussion at the relevant Schools’ Student Learning & Experience Sub-Committees.

Schools will respond to all External Examiner Annual Reports, normally within 20 working days from receipt of the Annual Report via letter or email. If you have raised a significant concern or indicated that you are not satisfied with the response you received to a significant concern that you or your predecessor raised previously, the School/Partner will complete the response and return it to you. In the case of UK Public Sector Validated College Provision, the Partner will normally respond to you within 30 working days after liaising with relevant TU colleagues.

Reports are made available for wide discussion in the University/Partner and to students and external audiences. We therefore, request that you do not refer to individuals, either students or staff, within your Report. In certain circumstances where the findings of External Examiners would expose the University to legal liabilities or unfairly damage its reputation, the availability of this information may need to be delayed or withheld.

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An additional, where an Examiner has a concern that is considered systemic and not a one-off case of ineffective practice, they may send a separate confidential report to the Teesside University Vice-Chancellor. If you are not satisfied with the response received from the Vice-Chancellor, and having exhausted the University’s internal procedures, you may invoke the Quality Assurance Agency’s Concerns Scheme or inform the relevant Professional, Statutory & Regulatory Body.

Due to the importance of External Examiner Reports to our quality assurance and enhancement processes, if we do not receive your completed Annual Report by the end of October, we will send you a first reminder and then if still not received by the end of November, a second reminder. We appreciate that there are often reasons why a report cannot be completed within the given timescale and would appreciate it if you could discuss any difficulties with the relevant School/Partner contacts or the Academic Registry via APR@tees.ac.uk.

10.FEES AND EXPENSES

The annual fee agreed on your appointment and included in your contract letter will be paid once per year following receipt of an Annual Report, further information is available in Appendix C and Appendix D. If you are requested to undertake additional duties, for example to cover for another External Examiner who is unable to fulfil their duties for specific reasons, you will be paid an additional honorarium fee depending on the number of additional modules examined. The honorarium scheme is for exceptional circumstances and for short term cover of no longer than one assessment period. If the cover exceeds one assessment period, a change of duties application will be processed, where your fee band will be considered in accordance with the Annual Fee Band table (Appendix C) and you will receive a revised contract letter.

Please note that all fees paid to External Examiners (including the mentoring fee) are subject to deduction of PAYE in line with HMRC Regulations.

If the course(s) close before the end of your tenure and you are no longer required to examine, you will be sent a letter from AR confirming this and that your annual fee will no longer be paid.

Expenses forms should be sent direct to the School Administrator contact at Teesside University. Subsistence rates are paid in line with the Teesside University Travel, Subsistence & Expenses Policy’ University and these will be processed on receipt. Expenses Forms should be submitted to the relevant School Contacts within one month of incurring the expenses.

11.RELATED REGULATIONS

11.1 Extenuatng Circumstances (Taught Provision) The University has in place Extenuating Circumstances Regulations, which allows students to request a short or long extension, deferred submission, an interruption of studies, or to apply for Mitigating Circumstances in accordance with the University’s Extenuating Circumstances Regulations (Taught Provision). Partner institutions offering UK Public Sector Validated Provision will also process any applications they receive from students in accordance with University’s Regulations.

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It is the responsibility of individual students to notify the University or Partner of any extenuating circumstances that they feel may have affected their performance in assessments. These circumstances will be considered by the University or Partner.  Only those extenuating circumstances that are accepted will be identified at the subsequent Assessment Board.

11.2 Academic AppealThe University Academic Board [UAB] has established the principle that the decisions of an Assessment Board should not be overturned if the Assessment Board has been properly constituted, has acted within its Terms of Reference, and has applied current Regulations. However, UAB may ask an Assessment Board to reconsider a decision. UAB has established an Academic Appeal Committee [AAC] to undertake responsibility for the consideration of applications for Academic Appeal. See the University Academic Appeal Regulations and Appendix C.

11.3 Academic MisconductAcademic Misconduct is unacceptable conduct for any member of the University community. Academic Misconduct is defined within the Regulations as ‘any action by a student which gives (or which has the potential to give) an unfair advantage in an examination or assessment, or to assist someone to gain an unfair advantage, or any activity likely to undermine the integrity essential to scholarship and research’.

External Examiners are not required to comment on the work of individual students who have committed an academic misconduct offence. However, there will be an opportunity for External Examiners to comment on the application of the Academic Misconduct Regulations at the appropriate Assessment Board, where individual cases are discussed and ratified. See the University Regulations relating to Academic Misconduct (Taught Components and Programmes).

11.4 Recognition of Prior Learning [RPL] PolicyThe University has approved procedures for Recognition of Prior Learning [RPL] as regards both certificated (Recognition of Prior Certificated Learning [RP(C)L] and Experiential [RP(E)L] learning).

External Examiners are only involved directly in these processes as regards RP(E)L decisions on Advanced Standing.

The volume of such decisions will vary across Schools/Partners and they may either operate with a dedicated RPL Board and Examiners or may make RP(E)L decisions ratified at Module Assessment and other Boards.

The School/Partner you are associated with will be pleased to supply you with details on any expected role with reference to RPL. See the University Policy relating to RPL Policy.

12. INFORMATION PROVIDED TO STUDENTS ABOUT EXTERNAL EXAMINERS

The University/Partner informs students in all Course Handbooks of the name and institution of the External Examiner for their course and a statement explaining the role of External Examiners and details on how to access their reports is included.

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The following statement is incorporated within all Course Handbooks:

“Standard Statement on External ExaminingStudents often ask questions about how we know that their degree is broadly of the same standard as degrees awarded for similar courses by other universities. In the UK we have a system called External Examining which is one of several ways that we confirm that standards are met. An External Examiner is generally an experienced lecturer from another University/Higher Education Institution, who offers an independent view as to whether the work of students on the course is of the correct standard. The External Examiner does this by looking at a sample of work (e.g. assignments, exam answers, dissertations), discussing the work with your lecturers and normally attending the assessment boards to endorse results. They then produce an annual report which highlights any good practice they have seen and allows them to report any concerns they may have. They also confirm in their Report that academic standards and achievement are comparable with the UK Higher Education sector. The External Examiners’ reports are made available to students via the ‘courses’ tab in e-Vision and are also considered annually at relevant Course Boards.

The main External Examiner for your course is (insert name here) and they work at (insert place of work here). Sometimes, your modules may have a different External Examiner and your Module Leader can provide details on request.

Please note that students are not permitted to contact External Examiners directly and External Examiners will not respond to any communication from individual students. If you have any concerns about your course then please speak to your Course Leader.”

External Examiners are requested not to respond to any enquiries you receive from students as a result of your external examining role with us at Teesside University. Any enquiries received by the External Examiner should be forwarded to APR@tees.ac.uk.

13.ADMINISTRATION OF THE EXTERNAL EXAMINING PROCESS

To ensure the effective and efficient operation of the process and ensure that you can carry out your duties effectively, responsibilities are allocated as follows:

a) The Role of the Schools/PartnersExternal Examiners will be provided with the following annually by Schools/Partners: any amends to School/Partner contact details revised programme specification(s), if appropriate notification of the timing of the Assessment Boards module descriptors, including learning outcomes and assessment methods policy

[Assessment & Feedback Policy] significant changes to approved modules or courses that have taken place between

periodic reviews assessment approval information (see Assessment & Feedback Policy), which

includes a description of levels of attainment adopted for assessed work, together with any other assessment criteria, including classification criteria and, where appropriate, a description of the marking schemes/criteria adopted for each type of assessment.

assessment briefs and exam papers for approval

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guidance on how to access the Module Box for each module, usually via Blackboard and includes the following:o assessment Internal Moderation Pack available in the Assessment &

Feedback Policy), including quantitative assessment data.o a sample of assessed student work (examination papers, assignments, etc.)

and feedback, allowing adequate time for consideration and response by the External Examiner. This should include, as a minimum, for first sit assessments a selection of student work reflecting grade distribution and/or quality – based on the work of 10 students (for modules with fewer than 10 students, then the work of all students) across all bands, but this can be expanded at the request of the External Examiner. The sample can include work that has been single-marked, double-marked, and internally sampled, and not be restricted to the sample that was used for internal sampling.

Module External Examiners will receive a sample re-assessment work in preparation for Module Re-assessment Boards, if required. In addition to samples of work from a module, the External Examiner will be provided with statistics showing the cohort’s performance across the module (normally available at the Module Assessment Board).

NB: The Quality Code notes that External Examiners are not normally in a position to expect or encourage an Assessment Board to raise or lower marks for individual students work of which the External Examiner has sampled, as this practice would be unfair to those candidates whose work was not part of the sample. Therefore, where the External Examiner has concerns about the internal marking, then the External Examiner should be asked to review the work of the full cohort following which, the Assessment Board may consider recommendations for adjustment.

the arrangements, where appropriate, for the External Examiner to meet with the students on the course. This is normally only required on awards with PSRB involvement

Annual Report Template [see section 9] and information for claiming fees [Appendix C ] and expenses [Appendix D]

In addition, the School/Partner will: For continuous monitoring purposes, reflect on areas identified by External

Examiners for development and also key areas of good practice within the relevant Course Journal. These will then be considered and addressed at the Course Boards and by the Head of Department when preparing their CME School Report. UK Public Sector Validated College Partners are required to consider External Examiner feedback, including Box 10 and 11 concerns, along with their responses, as part of the Collaborative Provision Continuous Monitoring & Enhancement Report [CPCMERs]. These reports will be reviewed and a summary of areas for development will be included in the annual UK College Partnerships Oversight Report. This Report contributes to the CME Institutional Report presented annually to SLEC and UAB.

Ensure that the verbal and written External Examiner Reports are considered and that a written response is submitted to the External Examiner normally within 20 working days. In the case of UK Public Sector Validated College provision, the Partner will respond to the External Examiner normally within 30 working days from receipt of the report from the University after liaising with relevant TU colleagues. If the External Examiner has raised a significant concern in Box 10, or indicated that they are not satisfied with a response received to a previous Box 10 concern, the

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School/Partner will respond by returning the completed Part 3 of the Annual Report Template (School’s/Partner’s Response) via letter/email. In the case of External Examiners in other collaborative arrangements, ensure that the Annual Report, along with the DRAFT Response prepared by the School, will be sent to the designated contact at the collaborative institution. In some cases, the School may wish to liaise with the relevant collaborative institution(s) and construct a joint Response (and Action Plan, if appropriate). Schools, not the collaborative partner, are required to respond direct to the External Examiner. Collaborative partners will be required to discuss External Examiner Annual Reports at relevant Partner meetings and also ensure that a copy of each report is lodged with their Quality Department.

External Examiners may be offered the opportunity to visit the University/Partner at any time during their appointment and Schools/Partners are encouraged to consult with External Examiners on a regular basis.

b) The Role of Academic RegistryAcademic Registry will: invite External Examiners to attend a Central Induction Event maintain a database of External Examiner induction and mentoring arrangements acknowledge receipt of reports and forward a copy of all reports to the School

Associate Deans (Learning & Teaching) and Senior Administrators and contacts at Collaborative Partners, normally within 5 working days of receipt

maintain a record of External Examiner Reports received and send reminders as and when required and provide EESC with a Report in January each year of any outstanding reports. For those reports outstanding, EESC will recommend to SLEC whether an External Examiner's contract should be terminated and, if SLEC approves, AR will write to the External Examiner accordingly

if a report does not conform with the University format, it is incomplete, or includes names of individuals, Academic Registry will return to the External Examiner to complete/amend and any fees will be withheld pending completion and return

log concerns and good practice identified in Annual Reports and produce a Report annually for UAB as part of the University’s oversight of the maintenance and enhancement of academic quality assurance and standards via the external examining process. The report will also review national comparability of standards as reported by Module and Award External Examiners; report on procedural compliance; identify areas of common concern which may affect standards; and highlight areas of good practice

maintain a database to ensure that there are no conflicts of interest between staff at Teesside University (and UK Public Sector Validated UK College Partners) who act as External Examiners at other institutions and External Examiners contracted to Teesside University

upload External Examiner Annual Reports onto the University e-Vision site to allow TU students to view Reports and onto the TU SharePoint site to allow TUCP and UK Public Sector Validated Colleges to access, so that they can make arrangement for their students to view the reports.

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14.TERMINATION OF APPOINTMENTS

If you wish to resign from your role prematurely, you are required to provide 12 weeks’ notice. Resignations should be sent to APR@tees.ac.uk. Schools, Partners, HR and EESC will be advised accordingly.

The External Examiner Sub-Committee [EESC] reserves the right to terminate the appointment of an External Examiner. This would normally only occur when an External Examiner was unable/did not fulfil their duties, including the non-submission of an Annual Report or Passport within the timescale for submission, continual late submission of Annual Reports, or repeated non-attendance either in person or virtually at Module/Award Boards without a valid reason(s), and repeated late or non-return of students’ work. In these cases, Schools will submit a detailed proposal for termination to EESC for consideration. The Academic Registrar will send out a letter to the External Examiner.

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Appendix A External Examiner Mentor Guidelines

External Examiner Sub-Committee

External Examiner Mentor GuidelinesTeesside University Courses

(including UK Public Sector Validated College Provision Awards and Modules)

The Mentoring Role

Teesside University’s External Examiner Sub Committee [EESC] requires that all newly appointed External Examiners who are new to external examining have the support of a mentor. This is in addition to the support for External Examiners provided by the University’s Student Learning & Academic Registry [SLAR] and the University’s Academic Schools/Partners.

In the case of newly appointed External Examiners, who are new to External Examining for UK Public Sector Validated Colleges, the Validated Partner College is responsible for finding a mentor for the proposed External Examiner and should identify the mentor on the External Examiner nomination form. The mentor should normally be an experienced Teesside University [TU] Higher Education External Examiner with at least two years’ external examining experience at TU. It is preferable, but not essential, that the mentor has experience in the same discipline area as the mentee.

In exceptional circumstances, when a mentor cannot be found, a TU member of academic staff, with more than 2 years recent external examining experience at another HEI and from a different subject area can act as a mentor. However, before submitting a nomination requesting that a TU member of academic staff acts as the mentor, the School must first request SLAR to check the TU Reciprocity Database for confirmation that the TU member of academic staff is (or has been) registered on the database within the last five years.

Mentors will normally take on the role for one academic year and a one-off fee of £100.00 is paid to external mentors for each mentee. This fee can be claimed by the mentor on their Expense Claim Form. This mentoring fee is subject to deduction of PAYE in line with HMRC Regulations.

The maximum number of mentorships allowed at any one time is four (including TU academic staff exceptionally appointed as mentors), although they can be asked to take on the role in consecutive or preceding years. The outgoing External Examiner is not allowed to mentor their successor. SLAR will keep an up to date record of External Examiners who are mentors, the name of the External Examiner they are mentoring and the durations.

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Guidelines for mentors and new External Examiners

The advice of the mentor is intended to complement any training or information provided for the External Examiner by the University and/or the Partner and will normally comprise of guidance on the University’s expectations, standards and practices, and on the handling of difficult or unusual cases.

The following guidelines are intended to act as broad advice for mentors and mentees. However, it is recognised that individual arrangements can be agreed between the two and an initial conversation should be held to discuss and agree the expectations of each early in the new External Examiner’s tenure.

The mentor is expected to offer guidance on the role of the External Examiner in:

moderating examination papers and providing comment on other forms of assessment clarifying the strategy for sampling of students work in line with TU Assessment and

Feedback Policy providing advice to the Assessment Board compiling a formal annual report any other mentee queries related to the external examining process, e.g. matters related to PSRBs

The mentor should also be available/contactable to support the mentee to ensure the proper process of assessment has taken place in terms of confirmation of standards and fairness to students.

Following approval by SSLESC of a nomination, where a mentor has been appointed, SLAR will contact the mentee via email, to advise them of the name of the mentor and the mentorship period and attach a copy of these Guidelines. The email will be copied to the mentor and relevant School/Partner.

The mentor should contact the new External Examiner (mentee) as soon as possible after receipt of the email from SLAR and arrange to have an initial meeting, via email, telephone or virtually. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the role and duties of the External Examiner and identify any areas where the mentee may need guidance and/or support on, following receipt of the information supplied to them by the University/Partner. If the mentee does not receive any communication from the mentor, they are encouraged to contact SLAR via APR@tees.ac.uk.

Following the initial discussion, the mentor should:

be available as required to identify and support the mentee’s development needs with regards to the external examining role

agree a contact mechanism to review the mentee’s support needs or if the mentee has a query

when requested, provide SLAR with feedback on the operation of the mentorship

Following the initial discussion, the new External Examiner (mentee) should:

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identify the type of support they will need and request the mentor to advise how they can access relevant support

seek advice as necessary to fulfil the external examining role and notify the mentor of any emerging support needs

seek additional advice from SLAR (via APR@tees.ac.uk) if they are unable to contact the mentor or have a query which the mentor is unable to answer

when requested, provide SLAR with feedback on the operation of the mentorship

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Appendix B External Examiner Confirmation of Endorsement of Assessment Process

External Examiner Sub-Committee

External Examiner Confirmation of Endorsement of Assessment Process

Section 1: for completion by the Chair/Secretary of the Assessment BoardSchool/Partner:

Title of Board:

Date of Board:

Chair of Board:

Secretary of Board:

Name of External Examiner:Was the External Examiner Present at the Board?

YES o NO oIf YES, the External Examiner to complete and sign Section 2 below

If NO, the External Examiner to complete and sign Section 3 below

Section 2: for completion by the External Examiner if PRESENT at the BoardI confirm that I was present at this Assessment Board and I was involved in the decisions made and endorse those decisions

External Examiner Signature Date:Section 3: for completion by the External Examiner if ABSENT from the BoardI confirm that I was not present at this Assessment Board but I was consulted about the decisions made and endorse those decisions

External Examiner Signature Date:

Guidance on completing this form:Step 1 Schools/Partners to complete Section 1Step 2 If the External Examiner is present at the Module/Progression/Award Assessment

Board, Schools/Partners must provide all External Examiners with a copy of this form for signature in Section 2 immediately after the Assessment Board

Step 3 If the External Examiner is absent, the External Examiner should be sent the form for confirmation and signature in Section 3, and requested to return this to the School/Partner. An email confirming their endorsement of the decisions may be attached to this form in lieu of signature

Step 4 All completed and signed forms must be retained by the School/Partner as part of the Assessment Board record

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Appendix C External Examiner Annual Fees

External Examiner Annual Fees

ANNUAL FEE BAND TABLE

Band Fee Indicative Basis (for translation/transition purposes only)

A £100 For externals who are only examining one or two modules, or who do not need to attend Boards in a particular year.

B £350 Module Examiners up to 12 modulesModule and Award Examiners with 3-6 modules

C £500 Module Examiners 12+ modulesModule and Award Examiners 7-12 modules

D £750 Module Examiners with very high loads and/or multiple boardsModule and Award Examiners 12+ modules and/or multiple boards

E £1000 Very high load Module and Award Examiners NOTE: The fee will only be paid once per academic year following receipt of an Annual

Report. All fees (including mentoring fees) paid to External Examiners are subject to deduction of PAYE in line with HMRC regulations.

ADVANCED INDEPENDENT WORK EXTERNAL EXAMINER FEES £100 per piece of work up to and including 180 credits £150 per piece of work, greater than 180 credits Plus a repeat fee of £50, if applicable.

The number of thesis examined is capped at 6 per academic year.

EXTERNAL EXAMINER MENTORING FEEA fee of £100 (first year only) will be paid to external mentors for each mentee. This is subject to PAYE deductions.

Please note that the Finance Department will not sanction the payment of any fees until a completed Annual External Examiner Report Form has been received by Student Learning & Academic Registry and our Human Resources Department has received confirmation from the School that your original Passport has been verified in accordance with UKVI requirements.

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EXTERNAL EXAMINER HONORARIUM PAYMENTS

The External Examiner Honorarium Payment Scheme can be used in exceptional circumstances where an External Examiner is required to undertake work outside their normal duties. An honorarium payment should only be used to cover SHORT TERM cover of no longer than one assessment period. If the period required to cover the workload exceeds one assessment period then a change of duties should be processed through the normal procedure.

The table below outlines the fee band for honorarium payment.

Honorarium Fee Band Band Fee Description

AA £100 Module Examiners examining one to two additional modules

BB £125 Module Examiners examining three to four additional modules

CC £150 Module Examiners examining five to six additional modules

DD £175 Module and Award Examiners examining Seven+ additional modules and/or Award

Note: if the honorarium includes Award then band DD will be applied automatically

EXPENSESExpenses are paid at the discretion of the School and the University has no specific rules relating to the level and type of expenses incurred by External Examiners but expects that:

public transport will be used wherever possible. This is normally interpreted as second-class rail travel, although Schools may agree alternatives such as air travel where this is necessary

use of own car will be funded on the basis of the current University Subsistence & Travel Allowance Rates issued by the Finance Department

Schools will normally make hotel reservations on behalf of External Examiners. In the case of UK Public Sector Validated College Provision, External Examiners will normally book their own accommodation based on recommendations from the Partner and in line with Teesside University guidance regarding costs. External Examiners should liaise with the partner regarding travel connected with an Assessment Board.

the University’s normal Subsistence Rates will apply, unless otherwise agreed

Schools are requested to explore these issues with External Examiners prior to their first visit, so as to agree a mutually acceptable basis on which expenses will be incurred and funded.

All expenses must be submitted on a Teesside University Expenses Claim Form [Appendix D] in accordance with the requirements set out in the External Examiner Handbook, within one month of incurring expenses. These claim forms, including relevant receipts, must be sent to the relevant School Senior Administrator at Teesside University.

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Appendix D External Examiner Expenses Form

External Examiner Expenses Form[to be authorised by Schools, then forwarded to Payroll]

Expenses should normally be submitted within one month of incurring expenses. Fees are paid automatically on receipt of your Annual Report and paid separately to your expenses. You do not need to claim for your fee on this form.

SECTION A: PERSONAL DETAILSSurname: Forenames:

Title: Prof/Dr/Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms(delete as appropriate) School/Partner:

SECTION B: DETAILS OF EXTERNAL EXAMINER EXPENSESDate(s) of Attendance (this can be virtually):

Details of Expenses Claimed (please supply receipts for all claims where possible): Amount

Taxis:From: To:

From: To:Public Transport (usually reimbursed at second class):From: To:

From: To:Subsistence:

Car Mileage (number of miles travelled): ………From: To:

From: To:Accommodation(if not previously arranged by School) Number of Nights .........Mentoring Fee (if applicable) £100 paid once to external mentor for each mentee

TOTAL £

Date: Signature of Claimant:

AUTHORISATIONSigned (Budgetary Head)

Signature: Date:

Payroll Number:

Cost Centre to be Charged:

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Appendix E Responsibility for Assessment Board Decisions

Responsibility for Assessment Board Decisions

1. INTRODUCTIONThe authority of an Assessment Board is established through a chain of delegation. Degree awarding authority is delegated by the Board of Governors to the University Academic Board [UAB] which, in turn, delegates to each Assessment Board authority and responsibility for determining the academic progress of students and for making awards.

15.ACADEMIC APPEALSUAB has established the principle that decisions of an Assessment Board should not be overturned if the Assessment Board has been properly constituted, has acted within its Terms of Reference, and has applied current Regulations. However, UAB may ask an Assessment Board to reconsider a decision in defined and specific circumstances. UAB has established an Academic Appeals Committee [AAC] to undertake responsibility for the consideration of applications for Academic Appeal.

If a student believes they have grounds to request reconsideration of a decision of an Assessment Board, they can first attempt to obtain resolution by contacting the appropriate Dean’s nominee or Head of College nominee. If informal resolution is not reached, the student may formally submit a request for a review of the decision of the Assessment Board.

Formal StageAn AAC is established to consider formal written applications requesting reviews of decisions of Assessment Boards.

The AAC may: reject the applicationor The AA is upheld and the Assessment Board is asked to reconvene to

reconsider its decision along with any additional recommendation(s)/decision(s) made by the Committee

When an application is upheld and referred to the Assessment Board, then it may be necessary to hold a Reconvened Assessment Board. This Board:

shall meet at the earliest opportunity, normally within 15 days of the publication of the AAC’s decision.

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members of the Assessment Board will be invited to attend but no members directly involved in the School/Collaborative Partner’s submission to the Academic Appeal shall act as Chair or as a panel member for the reconvened Assessment Board.

External Examiners must normally be invited to the meeting but if they are unable to attend, then their views must be ascertained before the decision of the Assessment Board is published.

Finally, it should be noted that if an Assessment Board does not, or becomes unable to, act as directed by the AAC, the Committee has the right and duty so to inform the UAB. If after enquiry the UAB finds that an Assessment Board will not or cannot conduct itself appropriately in the light of the relevant Constitution, Terms of Reference and current Regulations, the UAB shall consider and institute any necessary reforms of an Assessment Board and/or any emergency arrangements and procedures necessary to ensure equity for affected students. In circumstances where the Assessment Board does not heed the advice of the UAB, the UAB may annul decisions of the Assessment Board.

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Appendix F External Examiner Role Guidance

External Examiner Sub-Committee

External Examiner Role Guidance

Designed for Schools and UK Public Sector Validated College Partners to use when considering an appointment.

This guidance is intended to ensure that prospective External Examiners are provided with sufficient information about the role to enable them to make a sound decision prior to accepting the role.

All External Examiners appointed by the University must fulfil the criteria for appointment which is based on the national criteria stipulated in the QAA UK Quality Code for Higher Education and also be eligible to work in the UK as per the UKVI requirements. All potential External Examiners will be required to provide a colour scanned copy of their Passport and thereafter provide their original Passport either in person the first time they visit TU/Partner Site, or via Skype if their duties are due to commence before their first visit. If a Passport has not been verified, the offer of appointment will be withdrawn.

IMPORTANT: An External Examiner will not receive payment of their fees or expenses until an original Passport has been verified, a Personal Details Form has been completed and submitted and an Annual Report received by Academic Registry

Before agreeing to take on the role of an External Examiner, the nominee is strongly encouraged to familiarise themselves with the roles and responsibilities as listed in Section 7 of this Handbook. This explains in detail the exact requirements of the role and responsibilities, although it is essential that the nominee is made aware of the following time constraints in the role, for example:

all External Examiners will be required to attend an induction event at Teesside University, normally a whole day event, or at the UK Public Sector Validated College, organised by the relevant Partner - this may be virtual. If an External Examiner is unable to attend an Induction Event, alternative induction arrangements will be arranged by the School/UK Public Sector Validated College Partner.

Module External Examiners will be given access to examination scripts, assignments, projects, dissertations, or other assessed work in, which in some cases may be numerous (although the External Examiner will be given prior warning of the numbers). These will require scrutinising and comments returned to Teesside University or the Partner, sometimes within a very short timescale. For full details relating to sampling, see Assessment & Feedback PolicyModule and Award External Examiners will, in some cases, be required to visit the University or Partner to view students’ work and provide comments.

Module and Award External Examiners will be required to attend at least one First- sit Assessment Board and one Re-assessment Board per year at Teesside University or the Partner site. First-sit Assessment Boards, on average, last for two

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hours and take place usually in May/June. Reassessment Boards usually take place in September. Please note some Schools and Partners may have Assessment Boards at other times of the year, depending on the nature of their provision. External Examiners involved in collaborative provision may be required to attend additional Assessment Boards.

If an External Examiner is not able to attend an Assessment Board due to exceptional circumstances, for example, illness, they will be required to submit formal comments prior to the Assessment Board, which will be recorded formally in the minutes, and also complete and sign the External Examiner confirmation of endorsement of assessment process [see Appendix B].

at the end of the Assessment Board, the External Examiner will be required to present a verbal report (which will be minuted) and also complete and sign a proforma as confirmation of their endorsement of the assessment process [see Appendix B] all External Examiners are required to submit an electronic copy of their Annual Report by 30 September each year for UG provision or 30 November for PG provision. Only one Annual Report is required per year covering both First-sit and Re-assessment. Failure to submit an Annual Report may result in the termination of the contract. Fees are paid automatically on submission of the Annual Report

all External Examiners are expected to be conversant with relevant Teesside University Regulations, which are on our External Examiner website: https://extra.tees.ac.uk/external-examiners/Pages/default.aspx

if there are PSRB requirements involved with the course, the School or Partner will explain these prior to appointment and point out any additional requirements

External Examiners are required to advise Teesside University or the Partner immediately of any change of circumstances which may create a conflict of interest during their tenure. It is also essential that External Examiners advise of any changes to their address, email, etc., so that records can be amended.

experienced TU External Examiners may be requested to mentor newly appointed External Examiners who have no previous external examining experience for one assessment cycle [see Appendix A, Mentoring Guidelines]. Potential External Examiners should be reminded to include any previous External Examining experience in their CV, so that the School can make arrangements to appoint a mentor if necessary

External Examiners who wish to resign from their role, are required to provide TU with 12 weeks’ notice via APR@tees.ac.uk.

Finally, the Advance HE [previously the HEA] has provided the following as a summary list of what makes a good External Examiner3:

reflection (on decisions and consequences) able to form, express and justify opinions and judgements diplomacy and negotiating skills willing to challenge poor practice and unfairness willing to act in the best interest of the students able to prioritise workload and work speedily acknowledging and empathising with differing institutional practice, and ability to

transfer own knowledge to new teaching and learning contexts with “no baggage” share experiences and offer help and support to subject teams, and willingness to

share good practice produce a timely and constructive report

3 2012 QAA Conference on External Examining: Sharing Good Practice.

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possess integrity, enthusiasm, stamina and motivationThe Advance HEs definition of an External Examiner is a “critical friend and advocate in the enhancement of the Student Experience”. The Advance HE Handbook for External Examiners is available at the following link: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/HE_Academy_External_Examiners_Handbook_2012.

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APPENDIX G Definition of a Module Pass

External Examiner Sub-Committee

DEFINITION OF A MODULE PASS

Occasionally, comments are received from External Examiners who query the University’s definition of a module pass, as defined in the Assessment Regulations:4.4 Module Assessment

4.4.1 Module Pass: The overall pass mark for each UG module is 40% and 50% for each PG Module.

4.4.2 Module Pass with Multiple Components: Where the assessment strategy of a module is comprised of two or more components of assessment, a pass will be awarded where a student achieves at least 40% in the overall UG module mark or 50% in the overall PG mark. The student does not need to achieve a mark of 40% (or 50%) in each component.

Generally, queries relate to the fact that the assessment regulations do not require students to achieve a minimum mark in each component in order to demonstrate that they have achieved the learning outcomes for the module.

When the University developed the revised assessment regulations, the review gave particular consideration to the definition of a module pass in instances where there were two (or more) components.

The previous assessment regulations for UG modules required an overall mark of ≥40% with a minimum of 35% in each component to pass the module. This was predicated on the principle that all module outcomes must be demonstrably achieved at a threshold level in order to award and accumulate the credit required to progress through the levels of an award. The review noted that there was variation in sector practice in this area but the majority of HEI’s awarded credit on an overall module pass in the aggregated assessment components.

Chapter 6 of Part B of the then Quality Code set out the following Expectation about the assessment of students and the recognition of prior learning, which higher education providers are required to meet. “Higher education providers operate equitable, valid and reliable processes of assessment, including for the recognition of prior learning, which enable every student to demonstrate the extent to which they have achieved the intended learning outcomes for the credit or qualification being sought.”

The University has based the regulations around balancing overall performance at each level of a course (e.g. 4,5 and 6) rather than the achievement of individual learning outcomes in every module. This is fully considered in the design of the curriculum and during approval/review processes where detailed scrutiny of the mapping of outcomes is undertaken to ensure that all level and course learning outcomes can be met upon successfully completing the award.

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The revised (current) regulations were presented to the QAA when they visited for the Higher Education Review in May 2016 and no issues were identified with the approach. The University continues to keep the regulations under regular review and monitor sector practice.

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