Regulations for Taught Programmes

3.7 Examination Boards

3.7.1

Academic Board delegates responsibility for the assessment of students and the consideration of results, progression and degree awards to Boards of Examiners.  The College’s examination boards will be comprised of ‘programme boards’ and ‘College boards’.

3.7.2

Programme Boards of Examiners should be constituted such that all programmes can be considered, this could be at degree level or departmental level, depending on the numbers of students requiring consideration.

3.7.3

Programme Boards of Examiners are responsible for the approval of the content of written examination papers in accordance with the published procedures.

3.7.4

Marks and judgments are provisional until they have been confirmed by the Board of Examiners; this includes marks provided to students through the academic year, (for instance on coursework) to support their learning.

The exception will be for students studying at the College under Erasmus or other study abroad arrangements where the period of study is for one term only. Module marks will be confirmed through the marking and moderation procedure and confirmed marks provided to students no later than 8 weeks after the end of the term in which they studied.

3.7.5

Programme Boards of Examiners are based in academic departments and their membership includes academic staff and external examiners.

Rules for quoracy are set out in the Guidance and Procedures for the Conduct of Boards of Examiners.

Meetings will be convened online and conducted in line with the College’s procedures as set out in the Board of Examiners’ Guidance.

3.7.6

One Board of Examiners may cover multiple programmes of study.

3.7.7

Decisions relating to finalists and other students can be taken either by the Chair (providing the prior approval of the External Examiner(s) has been obtained) or at a meeting of the Programme Board as appropriate.

All decisions must be taken on the basis of confirmed marks (following completion of the marking and moderation process).

Programme Boards (including External Examiner(s)) must be consulted where any exceptional decision is required in accordance with the College’s published Board of Examiners’ Guidance.

3.7.8

Consideration of module cohort performance must be undertaken by Programme Boards of Examiners as established in the Guidance for Boards of Examiners.

This can either be completed at the same meeting where individual students are being considered by the Board, or separately in advance. Any additional meetings should be convened online. External Examiners can be invited to attend these meetings.

3.7.9

For joint programmes, students’ results are considered by all contributing Programme Boards of Examiners.

The home department receives recommendations from the contributing department(s) and is responsible for making final decisions on progression and degree awards. Each Programme Board of Examiners sees the entire profile of students’ marks.

3.7.10

Programme Boards of Examiners may recommend to dismiss or suspend temporarily a student on grounds of unsatisfactory academic progress because of failure in a summative assessment.  Where a student has been dismissed from a programme on the grounds of unsatisfactory academic progress, a student will not be able to make a new application for the same programme.

3.7.11

Programme Boards of Examiners consider any adjustments relating to progression presented by extenuating circumstances.

For the purposes of student privacy, Programme Boards of Examiners do not discuss the specific extenuating circumstances themselves.

3.7.12

Programme Boards of Examiners do not consider the assessments of a student subject to an academic misconduct investigation until the process is complete.

3.7.13

A Programme Board of Examiners may reconsider its recommendations only when invited to do so through an Academic Appeal.

3.7.14

College Boards of Examiners will be convened to ratify decisions of Programme Boards and will operate in accordance with the College’s published Boards of Examiners Guidance. All meetings will be convened online.

3.1.15

College Boards will comprise of the relevant Chairs of Programme Boards and will be Chaired by a member of the College appointed by the Chair of the Quality and Standards Committee.

External Examiners will be appointed to College Boards on the approval of the Quality and Standards Committee Chair.

College Board ratification will take place either through action taken by the Chair or a meeting of the full Board as required.