Brunel University Briefing for External Examiners March 2014

1. Brunel UniversityBriefing for External ExaminersMarch 2014 Dr Steve Mullins Deputy Head of Registry

2. Content • Appointment of External Examiners • Role of External Examiner • External moderation of Assessment • Panels/Boards of Examiners • Vice-Chancellor’s Representative • External Examiners’ Reports

3. Appointment of External Examiners • Senate Regulation 4 governs the appointment of and role of External Examiners • At least 1 External Examiner per award bearing Programme • Appointment normally for 4 years but may be extended by one further year • Heads of School Nominate External Examiners, who are appointed by Senate • A Chief External Examiner may be appointed

4. Role of the External Examiner • To assist with the quality assurance of programmes • Review of standards of student performance • Review of comparability of standards with those of similar programmes in other UK HEIs • External Examiners report on • Standards of University awards • Fairness of University assessment, examination and awarding processes

5. External Moderation of Assessment • Comment on assessment e.g. examination paper questions • Samples of assessed work made available together with full set of provisional grades • Not required to study each piece of work in detail • Is the work of appropriate standard and comparable with other UK HEIs? • Do grades/marks assigned reflect published marking criteria?

6. External Moderation of Assessment • Information provided: • 10% sample size • Indication of where adjustments already made • Samples provided should represent full range of achievement • 20% of Masters dissertations or all if fewer than 10 students • All dissertations available on day of the BoE

7. Panel of Examiners • Panel of Examiners chaired by HoS or nominee • Panel members nominated by the Chair and shall include: • At least one External Examiner • Appropriate Academic Staff responsible for teaching and assessment of the programmes under consideration • Panel is responsible to Senate (not the School) • External Examiners are full voting members of the Panel of Examiners, their role includes: • Participation in the assessment process for individual modules or assessment blocks • Moderation of assessment • Quality assurance of the assessment process as it relates to individual modules or assessment blocks

8. Board of Examiners • BoE constituted by the Head of School for each programme leading to an award of the University • Board of Examiners is responsible to Senate – not the school • Considers progress of students, actions to be taken as a result of accepted Mitigating Circumstances, UG progression between levels and recommendations for award • Chair of the BoE, nominated by HoS, is not normally responsible for delivery of programme(s) under consideration. • Membership of the BoE: • At least one External Examiner • Vice-Chancellor’s representative • Chair’s of all panels involved in the assessment process • Appropriate academic staff

9. Board of Examiners • Board may not adjust the grade/mark assigned to a student by a Panel, except where assigning grades where MCs have been accepted • External Examiners are full voting members of the BoEs, their role includes: • Participation in decision about individual student awards and/or progression • Participation in determination of recommendations for awards • Provision of comment and advise on i) academic standards expected, ii) structure, content and assessment of programmes, and iii) the overall conduct of the examination process

10. Vice-Chancellor’s Representative • Senior member of the University Administrative staff – normally from registry • Most BoEs have a Lead VCR and an Assistant VCR present • BoE may not conduct business resulting in recommendation of an award in the absence of the VCR • Role of the VCR to i) ensure proceeding of a BoE are carried out in accord with Senate Regulations and approved programme specification(s), ii) report to the Head of Registry any irregularities, and iii) report to Head of Registry where an External Examiner expressed dissatisfaction with the proceedings or decision of the BoE. • VCR also ensure accurate recording of BoEs decisions and transmission to students

11. External Examiner Reports I • All External Examiners submit a report annually to the Vice-Chancellor – by 31st July each year • Request for reports and reminders sent out by the Quality and Standards Office • Pro-forma/web form provided for the report • External Examiners may also write in confidence to the Vice-Chancellor at any time during their period of appointment about any matter relating to their duties • Fees paid once reports are received

12. External Examiner Reports II • School required to respond to the comments made in the External Examiners Report both directly to the External Examiner and in their annual monitoring reports • University will provide a central response to broader issues, particularly regarding regulations • Fees paid once reports are received • External Examiner reports and University responses published to current students and staff. Web page also available to External Examiners.