6K - Assessment Boards: Policy and Procedure 1

6K - Assessment Boards: Policy and Procedure CONTENTS

1. SCOPE AND PURPOSE .............................................................................................................. 1

2. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES ............................................................................................................ 1

3 LINKS TO OTHER BU DOCUMENTS ......................................................................................... 2

4. PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT BOARDS ................................................................................ 2

5. TYPES OF BOARDS .................................................................................................................... 3

6. SCHEDULING OF BOARDS ........................................................................................................ 4

7. EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCE BOARDS ............................................................................. 4

8 ASSESSMENT BOARDS ............................................................................................................. 5

9 ATTENDANCE AT ASSESSMENT BOARDS ............................................................................. 7

10 LOCATION OF BOARDS AND USE OF TELE/VIDEO CONFERENCING ................................ 8

11 DOCUMENTATION FOR ASSESSMENT BOARDS ................................................................... 9

12. PREPARATION FOR ASSESSMENT BOARDS ......................................................................... 9

13. ASSESSMENT BOARD DISCUSSION AND DECISIONS .......................................................... 9

14. MINUTES AND NOTES .............................................................................................................. 12

15. NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS ................................................................................................... 13

16. CONFIDENTIALITY .................................................................................................................... 13

17. CONFERMENT OF AWARDS ................................................................................................... 13

18. ACADEMIC APPEALS ............................................................................................................... 14

19. STAFF DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................................ 14

20. REFERENCES AND FURTHER INFORMATION ...................................................................... 14

21. APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................. 14

1. SCOPE AND PURPOSE

1.1 This policy and procedure for Assessment Boards outlines the principles and arrangements

Bournemouth University (BU) applies to Assessment Boards and is aimed at BU staff. It outlines the key stages and responsibilities involved in the organisation and conduct of Assessment Boards.

1.2 Assessment Boards review student achievement and individual student results. They are

authorised to assess students in accordance with the University’s assessment regulations and to confer awards of the University, and where appropriate of other awarding bodies, upon those who have fulfilled the learning outcomes of an approved programme of study and achieved the standards required for an award.

2. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

2.1 Senate: to approve any new policies or amendments to existing policies relating to

Assessment Boards. Awards of taught degrees are conferred on behalf of Senate by Assessment Boards. The Vice-Chancellor confirms all taught awards made by Assessment Boards through signature on the award certificate on behalf of Senate.

Owner: Academic Quality Version number: 3.5 Effective date: August 2019 (for Academic Year 2019-20) Date of last review: July 2019 Due for review: July 2020

This document is part of the Academic Regulations, Policies and Procedures which govern the University’s academic provision. Each document has a unique document number to indicate which section of the series it belongs to.

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2.2 Academic Standards and Education Committee: to periodically review policies and procedure relating to Assessment Boards and to recommend changes to current policy to Senate.

2.3 Faculties/Partners: to manage and operate Assessment Boards and implement their

decisions. 2.4 BU staff and BU appointed external examiners: to maintain responsibility for making

decisions on student achievement which are fair, consistent and robust. 2.5 Further information on individual roles is provided in Section 8. 3 LINKS TO OTHER BU DOCUMENTS

3.1 To ensure consistency of practice and alignment with University regulations this Policy and

Procedure document should be read in conjunction with:

3P - Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and UK Credit Transfer (UKCT): Policy and Procedure;

3U - Interruption of Study: Procedure;

6A - Standard Assessment Regulations1:

o 6A - Standard Assessment Regulations: Undergraduate Programmes o 6A - Standard Assessment Regulations: Postgraduate Taught Programmes o 6A - Standard Assessment Regulations: Foundation Degree Programmes o 6A - Standard Assessment Regulations: Higher National Programmes o 6A - Standard Assessment Regulations: Graduate Certificate and Graduate

Diploma Programmes o 6A - Standard Assessment Regulations: Integrated Masters Programmes

6C - Principles of Assessment Design: Policy;

6D - Marking, Independent Marking and Moderation: Policy and Procedure;

6E - Assessment Feedback and Return of Assessed Work: Policy and Procedure;

6H - Academic Offences: Policy and Procedure for Taught Awards;

6J - Exceptional Circumstances including extensions: Policy and Procedure;

6L - Assessment Board Decision-Making, Including the Implementation of Assessment Regulations: Procedure;

6M - Research Misconduct: Policy and Procedure;

6N - External Examining: Policy and Procedure;

9B - Quality Assurance and Enhancement Group (QAEG): Procedure;

11A - Academic Appeals Policy and Procedure - Taught Awards.

Policy 4. PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT BOARDS 4.1 An Assessment Board shall be appointed for every programme of study leading to an award

of the University and, where appropriate, of other awarding bodies. 4.2 Assessment Boards shall be accountable to Senate, with a constitution approved by or on

behalf of Senate. 4.3 The terms of reference of Assessment Boards are provided in Appendix 1. 4.4 The membership of Assessment Boards is outlined in the terms of reference and shall include

one or more external examiners approved by Senate. 4.5 Decisions made by Assessment Boards are collective and no member has overall veto on the

final decision.

1 For those programmes with approved amendments to the University’s Standard Assessment Regulations, the amended

regulations are outlined in the approved Programme Specification.

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4.6 The Assessment Board is authorised to assess students and to recommend the grant of awards in accordance with the assessment regulations.

4.7 The Assessment Board is responsible for all assessments that contribute to the

recommendation of an award. 4.8 No other body has authority to recommend conferment of an award or to amend the decision

of an approved and properly constituted Assessment Board acting within its terms of reference and in accordance with the regulations for the programme of study. An Assessment Board may however be required to review a decision or may have that decision annulled under the terms outlined in 4.9 and 4.11 below.

4.9 No recommendation for the conferment of an award of the University, or of another awarding

body, may be made without the written consent (normally by signature on the Assessment Board Report) of the external examiner(s). On any matter which the external examiner(s) have declared a matter of principle, the decision of the external examiner(s) shall either be accepted as final by the Assessment Board or shall be referred to Senate. Any unresolved disagreement between external examiners shall be referred to Senate for determination.

4.10 Matters discussed during an Assessment Board are confidential to that Board and should

remain permanently confidential at all times. 4.11 Academic Offences procedures should facilitate early deterrence, identification and warning

of the consequences of academic offences. The Student Handbook includes a warning that academic offences are serious matters which can, in extreme cases, lead to a decision that the student be excluded from the University, or to the revocation of an award, even after the recommendation of the Assessment Board.

Procedure 5. TYPES OF BOARDS

2

5.1 Exceptional Circumstance Board: this is a meeting of internal examiners to determine

whether or not the submitted application for circumstances to be taken into account is valid. The circumstances should be taken into account by the Preparatory/Assessment Board. The membership for this meeting is outlined in the terms of reference (Appendix 1A). The agenda for this meeting is provided in Appendix 2A.

5.2 Preparatory Board: (if required): this is a meeting of internal examiners which makes

recommendations to the Assessment Board on intermediate/final results/outcomes, progression, awards and reassessments and will note any action required before the Assessment Board takes place. It is strongly recommended that this meeting is held in preparation for an Assessment Board. It is up to each Faculty to agree which programmes will hold a Preparatory Board. It is currently compulsory for all Assessment Boards held at Partners. The membership for this meeting is outlined in the terms of reference (Appendix 1B). The agenda for this meeting is provided in Appendix 2B.

5.3 Assessment Board: this is a meeting of internal and external examiners which will determine

intermediate/final results/outcomes, progression, awards and reassessments and formally receive comments from external examiners. It will also determine whether a student has satisfied any additional requirements as specified for awards, including placements

(see 5.3.1

below) and other requirements for professional recognition or accreditation for employment or practice. Decisions related to the impact of individual student mitigation will be taken at this Board. The membership for this meeting is outlined in the terms of reference (Appendix 1C). The agenda for this meeting is provided in Appendix 2C.

5.3.1 A separate Placement Board is not normally held, but placement outcomes are considered at an Assessment Board (usually at reassessment time). The Placements and Careers office

2 these replace meetings previously referred to as Sub Board/Main Board/Delegated Board/Resit Board/ Progression

Board/Unit Board/Profile Board.

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normally provide the outcomes of the placement year to the Programme Support Officer for the Assessment Board. Administrative arrangements for placement years are arranged locally in each Faculty.

6. SCHEDULING OF BOARDS 6.1 The Assessment Board timetable is a shared document held on the Assessments SharePoint

site at https://docs.bournemouth.ac.uk/sites/as/assess/SitePages/Home.aspx. Faculties are required to enter Assessment Board dates, and programme and cohort details in here as early in the academic year as possible.

6.2 From September 2013, with the implementation of the Common Academic Structure (CAS), it was not the intention to increase the number of Assessment Boards held. However following each semester, to help identify and support students whose performance is below pass-level, student progress reviews may take place. See 6E – Assessment Feedback and Return of Assessed Work: Policy and Procedure for further guidance.

6.3 The host programme for common units should be identified in the Faculty Unit Directory.

Where common units are delivered across programmes and/or Faculties, the scheduling of the Assessment Boards should be discussed between all parties to ensure Boards take place in an appropriate sequence. It is the responsibility of the Board for the host programme to consider the appropriate common units and communicate the outcomes to the other programmes/Faculties before Assessment Board results are published. External examiners for common units are not expected to attend each Board where the unit is presented, but will be expected to attend the Assessment Board where they also have responsibility for a named programme award(s). A written report from the external examiner can be submitted via the Programme Support Officer in advance of the other Assessment Boards where the unit features.

6.4 A Circumstance Board is held in advance of a Preparatory Board (or an Assessment Board if

a Preparatory Board is not required). For large programmes there is normally at least one week between the Circumstance Board and the Preparatory/Assessment Board. Further information about Circumstance Boards is provided in Section 7.

6.5 There is flexibility for a programme to hold Assessment Boards as per specific requirements

of the Programme Specification e.g. to determine progression between stages. Preparatory/Assessment Boards can be discrete to a programme or any one can be shared with other programmes/levels. Faculties may wish to organise Preparatory/Assessment Board agendas so that cohorts of students are allocated a specific time for discussion to allow members of the programme team to attend for the parts relevant to them. Preparatory/Assessment Boards can consider assessments and reassessments in the same meeting.

6.6 If an Assessment Board is only considering reassessments or placements it may be referred

to as a Reassessment or a Placement Board respectively but the terms of reference and agenda will be the same as for an Assessment Board and only the appropriate agenda items will be discussed.

7. EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCE BOARDS 7.1 Exceptional Circumstance Boards are held by all Faculties and are managed either at

Faculty, Department or programme level dependent on the preference of the Faculty and volume of circumstances to be considered. For regional Partners, Academic Quality may alternatively hold at least one meeting per year at each Partner across all Faculties and programmes being delivered.

7.2 An Exceptional Circumstance Board should consist of the Dean (or nominee) as Chair, an

appropriate Programme Leader for each application under consideration (although individuals may not be present for the whole meeting) and the relevant Programme Support Officer acting as Secretary. The same individual should act as Chair for the whole Faculty where possible to ensure consistency of decision-making. Year Tutors may also attend where applicable.

6K - Assessment Boards: Policy and Procedure 5

7.3 Exceptional Circumstance Boards consider circumstances submitted by individual students

with appropriate evidence, which has been independently verified, at least five working days in advance of the date of the Exceptional Circumstances Board. Exceptional circumstances affecting whole units and cohorts should not be considered by the Exceptional Circumstance Board and should be taken to the Preparatory/Assessment Board. Records of coursework extensions and exam postponements should be available to the Exceptional Circumstances Board to ensure that ‘double counting’ of circumstances does not occur. These should be held on Faculty files and recorded consistently across Faculties.

7.4 Where a student has a late diagnosis of a disability or learning difference, the Exceptional

Circumstances Board may, where it has been evidenced that the students’ performance in assessment has been affected, accept this as valid Exceptional Circumstances. The student may thereby be allowed the opportunity by the Assessment Board to be assessed as for the first time for the current academic level only. Normally, retrospective consideration would apply to the period between initial ALS consultation and formal diagnosis where this may have affected students’ assessment performance.

7.5 The Exceptional Circumstance Board should ensure that students are treated equitably, as far

as is practical, so that students are neither advantaged nor disadvantaged by the process with respect to their peers; that only documented circumstances are considered and not anecdotal information from staff; that confidentiality/data protection issues are adhered to (there should be no discussion of Exceptional Circumstances at a Preparatory/Assessment Board).

7.6 Exceptional Circumstances are either accepted or declined by the Exceptional Circumstances

Board, following a judgement made on the basis of the evidence provided.

7.7 Where it is appropriate, and in exceptional cases, an Exceptional Circumstance Board may make a recommendation to the Preparatory/Assessment Board for alternative assessment methods or the award of an Aegrotat degree. This will be based on the nature of the circumstance submitted which shall remain confidential to the Exceptional Circumstance Board.

7.8 The Secretary is responsible for recording the decision that the Board applies to each

application. Where appropriate the rationale for any exceptional decisions3 made should be

recorded in a separate document in note form for future reference. The outcome of the Board should be recorded at the end of each individual student request form.

8 ASSESSMENT BOARDS 8.1 Individual roles in preparation for, and at Preparatory/Assessment Boards are as follows 8.2 Chair: a principal or senior academic (normally a Deputy Dean, Associate Dean, Head of

Education, Head of Department, Professor or Associate Professor, or equivalent) appointed by the Dean and who is not involved in the programme

4. New Chairs are required to

undertake training prior to taking on this role, and it is recommended that other Chairs maintain/refresh their knowledge each year. . Further details on training opportunities will be made available through the Faculty Education Service Manager and on the Staff Development website www.bournemouth.ac.uk/staff_development. Ideally, a programme should have the same Chair for a number of years to allow ongoing involvement with the business of the Assessment Boards during the year, such as the management of outstanding decisions by Chair’s Action (see sections 13.12 – 13.17 below).

8.3 The Chair is primarily responsible for the following:

- advising members on the format of the Board; - ensuring all agenda items are covered;

3 Added April 2014. At the discretion of the Faculty, the rationale for all circumstance decisions may be recorded.

4 Added April 2014 (for clarity). Assessment Boards for all partner provision, including validated, must be chaired by the link

Faculty.

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- ensuring the Board is conducted in accordance with the regulations of the University and the programme;

- ensuring the Board reaches decisions on student achievement which are fair, consistent and robust;

- ensuring that all members feel able to contribute to discussions; - summarising the decisions before moving onto the next item; - ensuring the outcome of each decision is clear and accurately recorded; - supporting external examiners during the Board, particularly to ensure they are familiar

with the format and the relevant regulations; - agreeing scope of, and taking Chair’s Action decisions; - signing the Board report (where external examiners are not present); - identifying and referring actions as appropriate; - ensuring that the results lists have been double checked prior to publication; - ensuring the accuracy of the minutes, including rationale for any exceptional decisions; - communicating with the Secretary before, during and after the Board.

8.4 Programme Leader: presenting information as required for example on the delivery and

management of the programme or the assessment processes over the year and contributing to discussions during the meeting.

8.5 Unit Leaders: providing marks to the Programme Support Officer by the specified deadline

after ensuring the unit mark sheets are fully completed, aggregated5, agreed, signed by first

and second markers and the marks calculated accurately. The Unit Leader will be asked to check the accuracy of the results on theModule Results List

6 in advance of the meeting. Unit

leaders should attend the Assessment Board to contribute to discussions and to comment on or answer any questions relating to their unit. Where attendance is not possible, the unit leader must make arrangements to ensure the unit is appropriately represented.

Secretary: primarily to provide secretarial and administrative support to the Assessment Board in advance, during and after the meeting in liaison with Board members, the Faculty and the Student Lifecycle Team. The Secretary should be in a position to advise the Chair on the current regulations in force for the relevant cohorts of students, provide advice on individual student cases and advise on issues relating to the programme as a whole. The Secretary is responsible for maintaining the formal record of the meetings, including the rationale for decisions made, publishing the results, and ensuring that all central records are updated and maintained accordingly. A full checklist of actions is

available on the SITS Training pages Tips – Post Board Checklist https://docs.bournemouth.ac.uk/sites/SRS/docs/Forms/Assessments.aspx 8.6

8.7 As noted in 8.3 above, secretaries should establish good communication with the Chair

before, during, and after the Assessment Boards. This may be facilitated by regular meetings with the Chair and where appropriate, the Programme Leader.

8.8 External examiners: normally have responsibility for at least one named programme award

and responsibility for a number of named units within that programme, in order to maintain nationally comparable standards. Normally, units are only overseen by one external examiner. External examiners should be informed well in advance of the time, date and place of the Assessment Board meetings they are expected to attend.

8.9 The involvement of external examiners is required for all levels of assessment that contribute

to the award classification. Therefore external examiners are not normally required for Level 4 of honours degree programmes, unless otherwise stated by Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) requirements, but are required for qualifications that terminate at Level 4. External examiners are also required for both levels of Foundation degrees to allow for external examiner involvement with the programme over a two-year period and to reduce the risk associated with partner provision.

5 (Added October 2015) Any capping of marks for Late Submissions, Non-Submissions or Non-Attendance must take place and

applied by the Unit Leader/nominee. 6 The Student Details Report is one of three reports generated from the Unit Details Report.

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8.10 The principal role of external examiners is to provide an independent view to help ensure that the academic standards of the University’s awards are appropriately set and maintained; the performance of students is comparable with that of their peers on similar programmes elsewhere in the sector; the assessment processes are sound and fairly operated; the quality of the learning opportunities is maintained; and the provision meets the requirements of relevant PSRBs. To achieve this, external examiners must have access to sufficient evidence of learning, teaching and assessment practices of the provision to which their appointment relates. External examiners are encouraged, where possible, to raise and discuss with the programme team any concerns they have in advance of the Assessment Board. This for example may allow time for moderation of a unit to take place, if it is deemed appropriate, ahead of the Board.

8.11 During a visit to the University to attend an Assessment Board external examiners will be able

to meet with members of the programme team and may also meet with students. External examiners will be expected to discuss final decisions on progression and attainment during the Assessment Board and to consider if standards of student performance are comparable with practice across the sector. External examiners are required to submit a written annual report within two weeks of the meeting. Where external examiners attend more than one Programme Assessment Board during an academic year, the report should be submitted after the final Assessment Board.

8.12 Independent Member: ensures compliance with, and fair interpretation of, the approved

regulations for the programme. In addition, the independent member provides a valuable source of information on Assessment Boards and assessment practices, thus preventing insularity of practice. Independent members are drawn from the Quality Assurance and Enhancement Group (QAEG).

8.13 Independent members are not part of the quorum. Instead, the actual or perceived level of

risk associated with the Assessment Board itself or the provision considered at the Assessment Board will indicate whether an independent member is required to attend the meeting. The Chair may also request that an independent member is present. Examples of where an independent member may be required are:

where a Board is required to exercise discretion to determine both reassessments and repetition for an individual student.

known problems (e.g. those arising from an invigilator's report);

retrospective modifications;

known complaint/s;

new provision or new programme team;

new Chair;

any other unusual situations that may be associated with an increased level of risk. 8.14 Boards involving the Franchise or Validated partnership model provision

7 will always require

the presence of an independent member. It may be possible for an independent member to participate via a video/tele-conferencing link. It is also acceptable to use QAEG members from the same Partner as long as they are independent from the provision which the activity relates to.

9 ATTENDANCE AT ASSESSMENT BOARDS 9.1 Membership for Assessment Boards is set out in the terms of reference (Appendix 1). If an

internal member is unable to attend a Board they should advise the Secretary in advance and arrange for appropriate representation on their behalf at the Board.

9.2 If an external examiner is unable to attend an Assessment Board they should submit a written

report in advance of the meeting with comments on the samples of work they have seen. If at least one external examiner can attend the Assessment Board, the meeting can go ahead and the absent external examiner(s) will be required to endorse the decisions made by the Assessment Board. In such cases following the Assessment Board an updated Board Report should be sent using a safe and reliable method. This can be either via uploading the

7 See 7A – Partnership Definitions and Models for further details

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documentation to BUTransfer8 and sending the link to the documents in an email or in hard

copy sent by Special Delivery to an agreed address. External examiners should be asked to respond, by a specified deadline, to signify their endorsement to the decisions made. The email sent back in response by the external examiner should be filed with the Board Report. If an external examiner does not respond by the specified deadline the results of the Assessment Board will be published on the date agreed during the meeting. In such cases outstanding responses from external examiner(s) should be followed up following publication of results to complete the Assessment Board records.

9.3 Where no external examiners are able to attend an Assessment Board, the meeting should

normally be postponed or alternative arrangements for tele/video conferencing may be made (see sections 10.2 - 10.7). In such cases external examiners should normally have made an interim mid-year visit to the University.

10 LOCATION OF BOARDS AND USE OF TELE/VIDEO CONFERENCING 10.1 Assessment Boards are normally held at the place of delivery in rooms suitable for the

meeting. Partners will need to make local arrangements to ensure a suitable room is arranged.

10.2 In exceptional or certain situations, Assessment Boards may make use of video/tele-

conferencing facilities to involve members of the Board who are not physically present at the meeting. Typically this may be used to link an external examiner or independent member to a Board or to link team members from a Partner to a Board at the University.

10.3 Boards using video/tele-conferencing should not normally consider large numbers of students

and should only be used where the Board is anticipated to be uncomplicated. Video/tele-conferencing should therefore not normally be used where there are student profiles that require detailed discussion, a number of failures, issues concerning mitigation or overarching programme issues that need to be discussed. The Chair is responsible for agreeing in advance that it is appropriate for the meeting to go ahead via video/tele-conferencing. Where the video/tele-conferencing link is between the University and the external examiner, the latter must confirm that they are satisfied with this approach in advance of the meeting.

10.4 If during the course of a video/tele-conference Board it is apparent that issues concerning the

cohort have arisen or that a student’s circumstances are too complicated to consider in this medium, then the Board should be reconvened at a time when all members can be physically present.

10.5 Where an Assessment Board is conducted by video/tele-conferencing with a Partner the

documentation should be uploaded to BUTransfer9 and an email containing a link to the

documents should be sent to all relevant staff. 10.6 A nominated person within the Partner (normally the HE Coordinator or Programme Leader)

will take responsibility for ensuring that relevant documentation is available to Assessment Board members at the Partner and that the meeting is quorate. The nominated person will also ensure that all documentation is shredded or securely destroyed following the Board. A signature/attendance sheet will be required from the Partner and is sent to the Secretary at BU by the HE Coordinator/Programme Leader.

10.7 Where an Assessment Board is conducted by video/tele-conferencing with an external

examiner, the documentation should be uploaded to BUTransfer10

and an email containing a link to the documents should be sent to them. Alternatively a hard copy of the documentation may be sent by Special Delivery to an agreed address. External examiner(s) are required to endorse the decisions made during the Assessment Board. Following the Assessment Board an updated Board Report should be sent using a safe and reliable method as outlined above. External examiners should be asked to respond in writing, by a specified deadline, to signify their endorsement to the decisions made. The written response sent back should be filed with the Board Report. If an external examiner does not respond by the specified deadline the

8 BUTransfer is available at https://butransfer.bournemouth.ac.uk/

9 BUTransfer is available at https://butransfer.bournemouth.ac.uk/

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results of the Assessment Board will be published on the date agreed during the meeting. In such cases outstanding external examiner responses should be followed up following publication of results to complete the Assessment Board records.

11 DOCUMENTATION FOR ASSESSMENT BOARDS 11.1 The Secretary should ensure that each member of the Board has sight of a hard copy or

electronic access to the relevant documents. It is recommended that Board Reports are uploaded to BUTransfer

10 and an email link to the documents should be sent to all relevant

Board members. Members of Assessment Boards are encouraged to bring laptops/tablet computers with them to the Board to enable them to view the Board Reports via BUTransfer. It is advisable to check before the Board that BU Transfer can be used on the chosen device as there may be some exceptions.

12. PREPARATION FOR ASSESSMENT BOARDS

12.1 Unit Leaders should provide agreed marks to the Programme Support Officer as soon as

possible after marking has been completed and will be asked to check the accuracy of the results in advance of the Assessment Board (see Section 8.5).

12.2 Wherever possible, the Chair, Secretary and Programme Leader should discuss in advance

of each Assessment Board any areas of potential difficulty, securing outside advice where appropriate. Where it is identified, through moderation by external examiners, or through other means, that students in a cohort have been adversely affected in an assessment (e.g. concerns regarding marking standards, flawed assessments, disrupted examinations etc.) Secretaries should ensure any information pertaining to the issue is made available at the Assessment Board to aid in the Board decisions. Similarly information pertaining to individual student issues should also be made available. Depending on the issue, specific staff may be requested to be present at the Board to provide information.

12.3 The early preparation of Assessment Board reports is strongly recommended and

encouraged. This relies on Unit Leaders submitting fully completed mark sheets to the Programme Support Officer by the specified deadline. On receipt of agreed unit marks for each unit the Programme Support Officer will enter the marks into the student record system and will arrange for a list of the marks to be run and checked by the Unit Leader. Once all marks for each unit have been entered the unit, stage and (if applicable) programme calculations can be completed and a copy of the Assessment Board Report uploaded to BUTransfer (see section 11.1). This allows members of the Board to view the reports in advance and make their own preparations for the Assessment Board. All members of the Board are reminded of the highly confidential nature of the data held in the Board Reports. Please note that BUTransfer automatically deletes files after fourteen days.

13. ASSESSMENT BOARD DISCUSSION AND DECISIONS

13.1 In order for an Assessment Board to make decisions on student achievement which are fair,

consistent and robust the Board is required to consider whether students have passed all of the requirements of their programme of study and have achieved a standard that accords with a consistent national standard of awards in line with the terms of reference.

13.2 According to the Office for Students (OfS) statutory definition of “completion”, students must

attempt the final piece of assessment for each unit that they have enrolled onto within 13 months of starting the relevant academic year. If a student fails to sit the final exam or submit the final piece of coursework (if no exam element exists for the unit) then BU must report them as non-completions. It is therefore important that the outcome of each student’s study for each unit that they are enrolled on to is accurately recorded and ratified.

13.3 To assist in complying with the OfS requirements stated in 13.2 all students who are live, withdrawn, interrupted or suspended should be presented to a Board for consideration regardless of whether they have completed the assessment for any units or not.

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Live students are those who have actively engaged with their course for the academic year being considered at the Board

Withdrawn students are those who have chosen to stop studying during the academic year being considered at the Board and who do not intend to continue studying.

Interrupted students are those who have been granted permission to interrupt their studies for a period of time by the Faculty but who intend to continue studying at a later date.

Suspended students are those who have been suspended by the University. 13.4 For withdrawn students the Board should confirm whether the student withdrew prior to the

expected assignment submission date. If the student was still engaged in study at the time of submission for the assignment then the mark achieved for that piece of work should be recorded or it should be recorded as NS (non-submission) as appropriate. The Board should also formally award any intermediate award that the student is entitled to as appropriate.

13.5 For interrupted students, the Board report will include the student’s result to date for ratification. The Board notes should state the student’s position at the intended point of return to study, including any units where further work is required. The Board should confirm whether the student interrupted prior to the expected assignment submission date. If the student was still engaged in study at the time of submission for the assignment then the mark achieved for that piece of work should be recorded or it should be recorded using the appropriate code (e.g. NS). The Board should also consider the length of time for which the student has interrupted and acknowledge the date at which they wish to return. The Board should ratify as appropriate any earlier decision to extend the registration period. When an agreed interruption period is exceeded without the University’s permission, the Board should agree whether the student is allowed to continue on the programme or whether they should be awarded whatever credits or award that they have achieved to date.

13.6 Assessment Boards may decide to send some students a letter of commendation. The criteria for sending these letters is left at the discretion of the Assessment Board. Faculties may wish to develop their own criteria to assist Assessment Boards in this regard.

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13.7 Decisions for each student should be noted on the Assessment Board Report by the Secretary with reference to the relevant Progression Code (further information is available on

the SITS training pages – Information sheet: progression rules:

https://docs.bournemouth.ac.uk/sites/SRS/docs/Forms/Assessments.aspx

13.8 Both the Assessment Board Report and the minutes should include details of any extensions,

reassessment arrangements and intermediate awards. Details of any agreed Chair’s Action should also be noted.

13.9 Care should be taken when issuing intermediate awards to students who have entered with

RPL to ensure that they have completed the relevant number of credits to receive the award. Further guidance on RPL is available in 3P – Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and UK Credit Transfer: Policy and Procedure.

13.10 The rationale for any discretionary decisions should be clearly understood and recorded in the

minutes with reference to the relevant assessment regulation. The details of decisions regarding students with Exceptional Circumstances and any other issues or unusual events should also be clearly recorded.

13.11 The annotated Assessment Board Report, signed on the front page by the external

examiner(s) (or the Chair if an external examiner is not present), is saved in hard copy by the Secretary in the Faculty. An updated electronic copy of the Assessment Board Report should be saved in the Board Documents section of the Assessments SharePoint

https://docs.bournemouth.ac.uk/sites/as/assess/SitePages/Home.aspx within seven working

days of the meeting. 13.12 If an Assessment Board does not have all the appropriate information available in order to

come to a fair and robust decision for an individual student, the Board may agree that the Chair of the Assessment Board can make decisions on the Board’s behalf using Chair’s Action. The number of Chair’s Actions agreed by the Board should be kept to a minimum and typically should not exceed 10% of the cohort.

13.13 Situations where a Chair’s Action is appropriate include:

i where an issue has already been raised at the Assessment Board and it has been agreed that the Chair may take action on behalf of the Board without further consultation;

ii where a student’s mark has been incorrectly recorded at the Assessment Board and this

is subsequently brought to the attention of the Chair, Chair’s Action may be used to rectify the mistake;

iii where a mark was not available at the meeting of the Assessment Board (normally where

the student has been granted an extension); iv where a student has been permitted to ‘carry credit’ into the next level of study, but

decides to ‘repeat the unit’ rather than to ‘carry credit’ as per the decision of the Assessment Board;

v where an appeal has been upheld and remedial action has been taken (e.g. cap lifted,

work remarked and a different mark awarded); vi where a student notifies the University that they do not wish to continue with their studies

and they wish to receive an intermediate award for which their eligibility has already been ratified by the Assessment Board.

13.14 When an appeal has been upheld and remedial action results in a change to the progression

or degree classification then the external examiner’s agreement should be obtained prior to completion of the Chair’s Action. In cases where the external examiner’s ratification is not required (e.g. Level 4), the Chair should consult with the Programme Leader prior to completing the Chair’s Action. In all cases, the outcome of the Chair’s Action must be reported at the next Assessment Board.

13.15 Chairs’ Actions must be monitored and dealt with by Faculties. Chair’s Action forms are

available at the Assessments SharePoint site at

https://docs.bournemouth.ac.uk/sites/as/assess/SitePages/Home.aspx and Student

Administration can provide further guidance on how to complete them if necessary.

6K - Assessment Boards: Policy and Procedure 12

Completed Chairs’ Actions must be accompanied by an updated Assessment Board report and should be saved in the Board Documents section of the Assessments SharePoint ( https://docs.bournemouth.ac.uk/sites/as/assess/SitePages/Home.aspx).

13.16 If the Chair’s Action results in a final award being issued or changed they should be approved

by external examiners and a new results list must be produced and saved in the Board Documents section of the Assessments SharePoint site that is located at https://docs.bournemouth.ac.uk/sites/as/assess/SitePages/Home.aspx. The results list

should display the date the Chair approved the decision (the date on the Chair’s Actions form).

13.17 Programme Support Officers should keep a list of all Chairs’ Actions to ensure that any outstanding decisions on individual students are not overlooked. A list of Chairs’ Actions should be prepared for the next meeting of the Assessment Board for ratification.

13.18 Senate may in the following circumstances require an Assessment Board to reconsider its

decision:

i if a student appeals against the Board decision (see 13.19 below) and establishes to the satisfaction of Senate, or the review group, that their performance in the assessment was adversely affected by illness or other factors which he or she was unable, or for valid reasons unwilling, to divulge before the Assessment Board reached its decision. The student’s appeal must be supported by medical certificates or other documentary evidence acceptable to Senate (see also 6J – Exceptional Circumstances including extensions: Policy and Procedure);

ii if Senate or the review group is satisfied on evidence produced by a student or any

other person that there has been a material administrative error, or that the assessments were not conducted in accordance with the current regulations for the programme, or that some other material irregularity relevant to the assessments has occurred.

13.19 The University definition for an academic appeal is contained in 11A – Academic Appeals

Policy and Procedure – Taught Awards.

i

13.20 Disagreement with the academic judgement of an Assessment Board in assessing the merits of an individual piece of work or in reaching any assessment decision based on the marks, grades and other information relating to a student's performance, cannot in itself constitute grounds for a request for reconsideration by a student.

13.21 If after reconsideration, in the circumstances detailed in 13.18, the Assessment Board does

not modify its decision, Senate may annul that decision if in its opinion due and proper account has not been taken of the relevant factors as specified in 13.18.

13.22 In cases of procedural or other irregularity, or where it is not possible to reconvene an

Assessment Board, Senate shall have power to annul a decision of the Assessment Board without making a prior request for reconsideration. If an error or irregularity is found to have affected more than one student, the Senate may annul the whole assessment or any part of it.

13.23 When a decision has been annulled it is the responsibility of Senate to take appropriate

action, including if necessary the appointment of new external examiners. 13.24 Detailed procedures for conducting a review of a decision of an Assessment Board are

contained in 11A - Academic Appeals Policy and Procedure - Taught Awards. 14. MINUTES AND NOTES 14.1 Preparatory Board notes: the Secretary is responsible for producing informal notes of

Preparatory Boards prior to the Assessment Board. These notes will be for reference only and should aid the secretary in preparing for the Assessment Board.

14.2 Assessment Board minutes: the Secretary is responsible for producing and distributing

minutes of Assessment Boards normally within three weeks of the meeting. Assessment Board minutes should be written in two parts. Part one which is suitable for a wider public audience and can be made available on request and part two which is confidential and

6K - Assessment Boards: Policy and Procedure 13

contains information about individual student performance and results. Part two should record all non-standard decisions taken by the Assessment Board, the nature of any debate and where and why discretion has been used with reference to the relevant assessment regulation. It should also include the rationale for any agreed Chair’s Action. Where a student proceeds simply on formula, no minute need be taken. Individual members of staff should not normally be identified by name in the minutes.

14.3 Following the Assessment Board part one and part two of the minutes should be submitted to

the Chair for agreement and signature. Part one of the minutes should be made available to the Programme Leader either on the Faculty’s I-drive or by email for their information and any action. When distributing the minutes a reminder of the confidential nature should be included. External examiners should also be emailed a copy of part one of the minutes. The confidential part two may be made available to external examiners on request and should be sent via a safe and secure method with a reminder of the confidential nature of the minutes.

14.4 Students are permitted to obtain a copy of extracts of the minutes which pertain to them under

the Freedom of Information Act. If any such formal request is made, part one of the minutes should be provided, together with the excerpt from part two that refers to that student. No information about a student should be issued to any other student. Further information is available on the website at www.bournemouth.ac.uk/information-legislation.

14.5 Minute and notes templates for Preparatory and Assessment Boards are available on the

Assessments SharePoint site at https://docs.bournemouth.ac.uk/sites/as/assess/SitePages/Home.aspx. Assessment Board minutes should be lodged electronically in the appropriate Faculty folder at the Assessments SharePoint site at https://docs.bournemouth.ac.uk/sites/as/assess/SitePages/Home.aspx .

15. NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS 15.1 Students should be advised in advance about where and when the results will be

published. Results will not normally be communicated to students over the telephone or by personal email, however in exceptional circumstances results can be sent to individual students using their BU email address.

15.2 Students who have failed, or have work outstanding, should be informed of the arrangements

for reassessments/repeats and the support which is available. Student Administration will publish dates and times of re-sit examinations on the BU website.

15.3 All students receive a transcript of their results free of charge. Students who request official

transcripts will be charged £10 per transcript. Information about obtaining official transcripts, together with the required paperwork is available online at: http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/student/transcripts-syllabus.

16. CONFIDENTIALITY 16.1 Members of all Assessment Boards are reminded of the permanent confidentiality of

proceedings at the end of the meeting. Hard copy documentation circulated during the meeting will be shredded or disposed of securely by the Secretary following the Assessment Boards. Members who have printed copies of the Board Reports in advance of the meeting from BUTransfer are responsible for ensuring that these copies are also disposed of appropriately following the Board. Electronic copies of documents that have been uploaded to BUTransfer will be automatically deleted after fourteen days.

16.2 When distributing the minutes (see 14.2) the Secretary should remind Board members of the

confidential nature of the minutes which should not be shared with other colleagues or with students.

16.3 Student results must not be disclosed to or discussed with third parties including parents or

other students. Student requests for a transcript or reference of any kind must be received in writing. Particular care should be taken if results are being sent overseas. Information may be given to Local Education Authorities, the Police and a number of other statutory bodies (if in doubt please contact Student Administration).

17. CONFERMENT OF AWARDS 17.1 Assessment Boards are authorised to confer awards of the University on behalf of Senate,

and where appropriate of other awarding bodies, upon those who have fulfilled the learning

6K - Assessment Boards: Policy and Procedure 14

outcomes of an approved programme of study and achieved the standards required for an award in line with the assessment regulations. The Vice-Chancellor confirms all taught awards made by Assessment Boards through signature on the award certificate on behalf of Senate.

17.2 Students who have successfully completed their programme of study or who have been

recommended for an intermediate award will be invited to the forthcoming November Awards Ceremonies as long as their award has been ratified by the specified deadline. This deadline is usually towards the end of September.

18. ACADEMIC APPEALS

18.1 All students have the right to appeal against the decision of an Assessment Board. The

permitted grounds for appeal and the required procedure are outlined in 11A - Academic Appeals Policy and Procedure - Taught Awards.

19. STAFF DEVELOPMENT

19.1 Training is essential for new Chairs, Secretaries and Programme Leaders and is advisable

for all other staff. Further details on training opportunities will be made available through the Education Service Manager in each Faculty and on the Staff Development website www.bournemouth.ac.uk/staff_development.

19.2 Student Administration offer Assessments training for administrative staff. Further details can

be found on the Staff Development website above or from Student Administration.

General 20. REFERENCES AND FURTHER INFORMATION 20.1 Further training and guidance on all aspects of Assessment Boards can be sought from

Academic Quality.

20.2 This policy was reviewed according to the University’s Equality Analysis Procedure in June 2019.

21. APPENDICES

Appendix 1A: Terms of Reference for an Exceptional Circumstance Board

Appendix 1B: Terms of Reference for a Preparatory Board

Appendix 1C: Terms of Reference for an Assessment Board

Appendix 2A: Agenda for an Exceptional Circumstance Board

Appendix 2B: Agenda for a Preparatory Board

Appendix 2C: Agenda for an Assessment Board