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Special Circumstances. Dr Neil McCormick MBChB Assessment Officer Neil.McCormick@ed.ac.uk. Special Circumstances. Current advice and process Current issues Good practice Future changes. Current advice.
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Special Circumstances Dr Neil McCormick MBChB Assessment Officer Neil.McCormick@ed.ac.uk
Special Circumstances • Current advice and process • Current issues • Good practice • Future changes
Current advice • Taught Assessment Regulation 36http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/academic-services/policies-regulations/regulations/assessment • 2008 Special Circumstances Policyhttp://www.docs.sasg.ed.ac.uk/AcademicServices/Policies/Special_Circumstances.pdf • Procedural guidance for students and staff • Colleges’ policies on mark adjustmenthttp://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/academic-services/policies-regulations/guidance
Process • Students submit notification (form) plus supporting evidence • via Personal Tutor or Programme Director • by a given deadline 2 days after student’s last assessment
Process • Special Circumstances Committee meets • small sub-committee of Board of Examiners • appropriately limits the number of people discussing sensitive student details
Process • SCC makes recommendations to Board • Form of the recommendations will depend on how much the SCC knows about the assessments each student is taking
Current issues • Who should consider special circumstances? • How do we ensure consistency of decisions?
Current issues • How do we determine the impact of a circumstance on an assessment? • How do we handle chronic conditions, disabilities and mental health issues?
Current issues • Can we make the process more transparent and so avoid student appeals? • Student understanding of the process • Increasing trend to “bank” minor issues
Future changes Current University task group • Removal of scope to adjustmarks in light of special circumstances • Student anonymity • Routine feedback to students on the SCC decision
Future changes • No “double-counting” of reasonableadjustments as special circumstances • Define the level of evidence required • independent and professional
Future changes • Encourage the progression option where sufficient evidence already available without further assessment • SCC decision to be binding on the relevant Board(s)