HANDBOOK FOR EXTERNAL EXAMINERS2013/14

ACADEMIC REGISTRY

CONTENTS

Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION

Chapter 2 NOMINATION AND APPOINTMENT

Chapter 3 ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Chapter 4 REPORTS

Chapter 5 ‘CAUSES FOR CONCERN’ PROCEDURES

Chapter 6 TERMINATION OF APPOINTMENT

Chapter 7 FEES AND EXPENSES

Appendix 1 EXTERNAL EXAMINERS FEE/EXPENSE CLAIM FORM

Appendix 2 STATEMENT OF FEES PROFORMA

Appendix 3 ROLE AND REMIT OF EDGE HILL ASSESSMENT BOARDS

Appendix 4 EXTERNAL EXAMINER ANNUAL REPORT TEMPLATE

Appendix 5 CONTACTS LIST

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1. INTRODUCTION

Universities and other institutions with degree awarding powers are responsible for the quality of their educational programmes and the standard of the awards to which they lead. The external examiner system within UK higher education is one of the principal means for assuring the maintenance of threshold academic standards, and the quality of the evidence produced by external examiners is crucially dependent on their ‘externality’ and expertise. The external examiner should be an ‘independent witness’ who is not compromised by a prior association with the programme team, or by some reciprocal arrangement with their own department. External examiners should also be ‘expert witnesses’ whose authority is derived from their knowledge of the discipline and experience of assessment.

Edge Hill University’s external examiners are appointed in accordance with the criteria set out within Chapter B7 of the Quality Assurance Agency’s UK Quality Code for Higher Education1 and provide informative comment and recommendations on:

Whether the University is maintaining the threshold academic standards it has set for its awards in accordance with the national Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) and applicable subject benchmark statements2;

The rigour, equity and fairness of assessment in line with the validated learning outcomes and the University’s Academic Regulations3;

Comparability of academic standards and student achievement with other UK higher education providers;

Evidence of good practice and innovation relating to learning, teaching and assessment, and opportunities to enhance the quality of learning opportunities provided to students.

External examiners are appointed to all Edge Hill University programmes or modules that lead to the award of credit at Level 5 and above and also, where prescribed by professional bodies or otherwise approved at validation, at Levels 3 and 44. Examiners are expected to attend the relevant assessment board(s)5 and to produce an annual report to the University on the provision for which they are responsible. Although programmes will often be covered by a single examiner - including those delivered collaboratively at the University and/or a partner organisation or within a consortium arrangement – there are occasions where more than one examiner may be required, e.g. to accommodate a range of specialisms (modules) or where the number of students makes the load on a single examiner impractical. In such cases it is important that department/Faculty processes permit and enable communication and coordination between examiners so that a coherent programme/portfolio-level report on standards can be generated. Where modules are shared between more than one programme Faculties will normally apply the general principle that no module is covered by more than one examiner and will organise their coverage accordingly.

This remainder of this chapter provides guidance on:

1 http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Pages/quality-code-B7.aspx. 2 As defined within Part A of the UK Quality Code for Higher Education, see http://www.qaa.ac.uk/AssuringStandardsAndQuality/quality-code/Pages/UK-Quality-Code-Part-A.aspx. 3 http://www.edgehill.ac.uk/about/corporate/policies. 4 For example, foundation programmes and Foundation degrees.5 See also Section 3 ‘Roles and Responsibilities’, below.

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The nomination and appointment of external examiners (Section 2); Their role and responsibilities (Section 3); The production and consideration of external examiner reports (Section 4); Access to internal and external ‘causes for concern’ procedures (Section 5); Arrangements for the termination of external examiner appointments (Section 6).

2. NOMINATION AND APPOINTMENT

The External Examiners Sub-Committee (EESC)6 of the University’s Learning and Teaching Committee (LTC)7 is responsible for considering all external examiner nominations for programmes or other groupings of cognate subjects, e.g. portfolio-based awards, and for standalone modules. Part of EESC’s remit is to ensure that the criteria set for the identification, nomination and appointment of candidates are upheld, that nominations are consistently and rigorously assessed and that external examiner administration and processes are routinely monitored. The recommendations of EESC are subject to endorsement by LTC through Chair’s Action.

Faculty Quality Officers will alert academic departments/areas to the requirement for external examiner nominations which (for new provision) must be submitted in advance of the first year of delivery of the modules to be examined, or (for existing provision) during the final year of the current examiner’s term of office. Heads of department complete and submit to their Faculty a ‘Nomination Form for a New External Examiner’8, accompanied by the nominee’s academic curriculum vitae detailing his/her employment history, roles and responsibilities and levels of research and scholarly activity. Nominations should be approved by the relevant PVC Dean or Associate Dean of Faculty before being submitted to the Academic Registry9 which logs their receipt and forwards them to the Academic Quality and Development Unit (AQDU)10 for consideration by EESC11. The essential requirement of an external examiner nomination is that it provides sufficient information to enable a judgement to be made against the criteria for appointment listed below and where EESC considers that insufficient information has been supplied, a request for further details will be made which may delay the process of approval. By instruction of the University’s Directorate, all external examiner nominations must normally have been approved before the start of the academic year in which the appointee is due to commence their duties.

National criteria for the appointment of external examiners ensure that nominees are capable of exercising impartial, independent and expert judgement and securing the standard of the provision to which they are appointed, in comparison with standards across the higher education sector.

6 See QMH Chapter 8.7 Ibid.8 http://www.edgehill.ac.uk/download/attachments/12718452/Nomination+Form+11.12.docx?version=2&modificationDate=1321877436000. 9 To the External Examiners Administrator. 10 http://www.edgehill.ac.uk/aqdu/about/.11 The annual schedule of EESC meetings may be found on the Academic Board Committees Wiki at: https://go.edgehill.ac.uk/wiki/display/academicboard/Home.

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UK-wide criteria for the appointment of external examiners (QAA)12

External examiners seeking appointment to UK higher education providers are expected to demonstrate appropriate evidence of the following:

Sufficient standing, credibility and breadth of experience within the discipline to be able to command the respect of academic peers and, where appropriate, professional peers;

Competence and experience in the fields covered by the programme of study, or parts thereof;

Competence and experience relating to designing and operating a variety of assessment tasks appropriate to the subject and operating assessment procedures;

Awareness of current developments in the design and delivery of relevant curricula;

Knowledge and understanding of UK sector agreed reference points for the maintenance of academic standards and assurance and enhancement of quality;

Familiarity with the standard to be expected of students to achieve the award that is to be assessed;

Competence and experience relating to the enhancement of the student learning experience;

Fluency in English, and where programmes are delivered and assessed in languages other than English, fluency in the relevant language(s) unless other secure arrangements are in place to ensure that external examiners are provided with the information to make their judgements.

The nominee’s standing, credibility and breadth of experience may be indicated by:

Their present post and place of work; The range and scope of their experience across higher education/professions; Their current and recent active involvement in research/scholarly/professional activities in

the field of study concerned.

This does not, however, preclude the nomination of appropriately-experienced individuals who do not hold senior positions in their home institutions and where this is the case the Faculty is asked to provide information to clarify the nominee's suitability for the role. Nominees without previous external examiner experience should, where possible, join an experienced team of examiners or work initially alongside an experienced current examiner on a related

module/programme. If the individual has no previous external examiner experience at the appropriate level, their nomination should be supported by:

Other evidence of ‘externality’13; or

12 ‘UK Quality Code for Higher Education’ Chapter B7 at http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Pages/quality-code-B7.aspx. 13 For example, through association with a Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Body (PSRB).

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Extensive experience of internal examination, i.e. assessment moderation and verification procedures; or

Other relevant and recent experience likely to support the examiner’s role e.g. involvement in programme validation and quality monitoring processes.

External examiners are, in the majority of cases, most appropriately appointed from other institutions in the higher education sector. However, in some circumstances nominations for appointments from outwith the sector may be appropriate, for example from industry or the professions. Where the nominee is not of the HE sector, the nominating department/Faculty is required to provide details for EESC of the relevance of their expertise and their recent experience of standards in higher education and how they will maintain the currency of their knowledge and experience.

Relevant academic and/or professional qualifications to at least the level of the qualification being externally examined, and/or extensive practitioner experience where appropriate;

Meeting applicable criteria set by professional, statutory or regulatory bodies.

An external examiner's academic and/or professional qualifications should be appropriate and equivalent to the course being examined. Both the level and subject of their qualifications and, where appropriate, their practitioner experience should broadly match what is to be examined so that comparability of standards can be maintained.

Where an external examiner leaves their employment in an academic institution (or in the case of practice-based programmes, exits professional practice)14 during their term of office, that individual may only continue as an Edge Hill examiner for a maximum of two more years if they do not resume permanent employment or practice in the meantime.

Extension of duties15

Where an external examiner is appointed to a programme/portfolio, the extension of that individual’s duties to embrace additional or alternative modules will not require formal approval through EESC. However, it is incumbent on the responsible Faculty to ensure that the Academic Registry is notified of any changes to the examiner’s responsibilities. Where the extension of duties is out of the existing programme examiner’s subject expertise, a fresh nomination should be generated for consideration by EESC in the normal way.

Restrictions and ‘conflicts of interest’

External examiners should not be involved in the delivery of the course at the University, advising students about the course or its examination and assessment, or have been a consultant to

14 This would include cases of redundancy or retirement.15 As distinct from ‘extensions of office’ which are covered under Terms of Office (below).

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validation16 within the last three years. Institutions do not appoint as external examiners anyone in the following categories or circumstances:

A member of a governing body or of a committee or a current employee of the appointing institution or one of its collaborative partners;

Anyone with a close professional, contractual or personal relationship with a member of staff or student involved with the programme of study;

Anyone required to assess colleagues who are recruited as students to the programme of study; Anyone who is or knows they will be in a position to influence significantly the future of students

on the programme of study; Anyone significantly involved in recent or current substantive collaborative research activities with

a member of staff closely involved in the delivery, management or assessment of the programme(s) or modules in question.

Other restrictions include:

A reciprocal arrangement involving cognate programmes at another institution;

The succession of an external examiner from an institution by a colleague from the same department in the same institution;

The appointment of more than one external examiner from the same department of the same institution;

Former staff and students of an institution can only be appointed as external examiners for the same institution after a period of not less than five years has passed since leaving the institution or when all students taught by or with the proposed external examiner have completed their programme(s), whichever is the longer.

Where in exceptional circumstances any of these terms needs to be varied – for example, in the case of discipline areas that are very small and specialist and where the pool of potential external examiners is restricted – this will be on submission of a proposal to EESC which makes the case for exception and includes an account of the measures already taken to recruit a suitable individual.

Terms of office

The duration of an external examiner’s appointment will normally be for four years. An exceptional extension is possible to ensure continuity17.

16 The phrase ‘consultant to validation’ applies specifically to individuals who have provided advice to course teams in their preparations for programme approval, and not to external members of validation panels. Where the latter has been the case, the maximum period of office will normally be limited to three years.

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An external examiner may be re-appointed in exceptional circumstances but only after a period of five years or more has elapsed since their last appointment.

External examiners should normally hold no more than two external examiner appointments

for taught programmes/modules at any point in time.

The default term of office is September to September although January to January appointments are also permitted by application to EESC. Where the nominee already holds two external examinerships at other institutions, the proposing department/Faculty must provide supporting arguments to EESC; for example, the addition of a third examinership may be mitigated by the (small) volume of student work to be examined and its distribution (timing) during the year.

Faculties/departments receive notification of the outcome of EESC’s consideration of nominations which are then referred to LTC for final approval (by Chair’s Action). Approved nominations are returned to the Academic Registry which sends the appointee a formal letter that is copied to the Head of Department and Faculty Office. The University undertakes to ensure that all examiners are informed about organisational procedures and practices and the crucial value of their feedback to the institution as part of its broader system of quality assurance and enhancement. Chapter B7 of the UK Quality Code for Higher Education requires that higher education institutions provide students with the name, position and home institution of their external examiner which are normally published in module or programme handbooks although Faculties will decide on the most appropriate means for conveying this information (which may include the use of the Learning Edge Virtual Learning Environment). Students are advised that entering into direct correspondence with their external examiner(s) is in all circumstances prohibited and are directed to alternative institutional mechanisms for consultation, complaints and academic appeals18. New appointees receive written confirmation of the programmes/portfolios/awards for which they have been assigned responsibility, together with clear guidance on what detail will be published about them as well as information on:

The University’s current Academic Regulations; Institutional guidelines on external examining and assessment including the various roles, powers

and responsibilities assigned to examiners and the extent of their authority in examination/assessment boards;

The University's learning, teaching and assessment strategies; The operation and timing of examination/assessment boards.

New appointees are advised to inform their employer of their appointment and are invited to visit the University in advance of taking up their role and an annual central induction event is organised in January by the Academic Registry.

3. ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

17 Applications for extensions of office are received and considered by EESC which makes recommendations to LTC. Under Edge Hill University’s regulations, the maximum possible extension is one year.18 For the relevant policies on student complaints and academic appeals (Appendix 21 of the Academic Regulations) see http://www.edgehill.ac.uk/about/corporate-information/strategies-policies/.

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Overview of role and responsibilities

These are set out in full below and the Academic Registry, Faculties, academic departments/areas and programme teams ensure that appropriate arrangements are made to enable examiners to discharge their responsibilities. Departments and Faculties send to examiners, on an annual basis, the information and evidence they need including programme and/or module handbooks 19. They will normally visit the University at least once a year to review assessed student work and attend the relevant assessment board(s) although further mid-year visits may be required for programmes with a performance, practical or professional element, or where cohorts are completing at different times during the year. Where more than one examiner has been appointed to oversee a number of cognate or related awards, e.g. in the Faculty of Education, a Chief External may be appointed to represent them at the relevant progression and award board.

Award and progression board external examiners also operate within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences where the moderation of student work comes within the remit of module board examiners. In all circumstances, examiners are required to comment on the extent to which the University’s Academic Regulations are applied fairly and consistently by assessment boards, that the boards’ discretion has been used appropriately and that procedures relating to extenuating mitigating circumstances and academic malpractice are applied fairly. If, in highly exceptional circumstances, examiners are unable to attend any of the boards at which their presence is formally required they are requested to make arrangements to be available for consultation by telephone or other means (e.g. Skype).

Primary role of external examiners

The UK Quality Code for Higher Education requires higher education providers to communicate to external examiners their various roles, powers and responsibilities including the extent of their authority in examination/assessment boards. The principal duties and responsibilities of examiners at Edge Hill University relate to final award assessment (undergraduate including foundation degree, and postgraduate taught awards) which involves:

Monitoring that the agreed assessment process has taken place; Monitoring that students have fulfilled the stated programme objectives in their submission for

conferment of the award; Assuring fairness, standards and procedures in assessment which will contribute towards final

awards in accordance with the approved programme regulations, and seeing evidence that the requisite internal moderation procedures20 have been complied with;

Approving proposed final award examination papers, and other assessment material as agreed with the examiner, so as to ensure that students will be assessed fairly in relation to the validated syllabi and regulations and in such a way that examiners can judge whether students have fulfilled the objectives of the programme and reached the required standard;

Moderating samples of work in order to satisfy themselves that each student is fairly classified; Providing advisory comments on the standard of marking for internal assessors to act on during

the following year.

In addition to module and programme handbooks, examiners receive the relevant grading schemes and marking and classification criteria and a record of marks for each assessment item. Departments will reach an agreement with examiners on the volume and range of student work to be externally

19 See QMH Chapter 6.20 Ibid.

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moderated which should include representative samples of each grade/classification, borderline cases, cases of failure or academic malpractice21 and any cases affected by illness. However, all examination scripts and coursework contributing to assessment must be available to examiners on request. Where they only visit the University for the assessment board, examiners will need to make arrangements with the programme team to conduct their sampling and moderation of assessed work prior to the board such that their views may be considered before grades are confirmed. Any work likely to be the subject of discussion at a module assessment board should be made available to the examiner prior to that meeting, having already been assessed by no less than two internal examiners. Where there is a significant difference between first and second markers it is expected that programme teams should have taken steps to resolve this internally and examiners have the right to request additional samples of students’ work where an equity issue has been highlighted. In exceptional cases, examiners may be asked to act as arbitrators on borderline cases or may seek to implement changes to marks, taking due account of the effect of such changes on the rest of the assessed cohort. They may also be invited to participate in decisions relating to cases of suspected or proven malpractice.

Examiners of practice-based modules (e.g. in teacher training) may be required to visit placement settings (schools) to meet students and mentors. However, there is no general requirement for examiners to meet with students although they may do so on request. Faculties will determine the processes by which such engagement takes place, notifying them formally to EESC and the Academic Quality Sub-Committee (AQSC)22 and making sure that examiners are aware of them.

Faculties will involve external examiners in the consideration and verification of APEL claims and where these are assessed by portfolio, a sample of appropriate size (normally larger than that for conventionally delivered and assessed modules) should be provided. External examiners also have particular responsibilities for approving learning contracts and student-initiated programmes including ‘shell’ modules23.

Secondary role of External Examiners

In addition to their other duties, external examiners are also expected to assist programme teams and the University by being available to:

Be consulted about and agree any proposed changes in the approved progression and assessment regulations that will directly affect students currently on the programme(s) for which they have responsibility;

Comment on proposed modifications24 to programme(s) and modules, including new modules within existing programmes/awards25 for which they have responsibility;

Comment on work other than for final award assessments, examination papers and continuously-assessed work;

21 See Appendix 13 of the Academic Regulations at http://www.edgehill.ac.uk/about/corporate/policies/appendices. 22 Through the Faculty Academic Quality Statement – see QMH Chapter 1.23 See QMH Chapter 7.24 See QMH Chapter 4.25 Including large portfolios of programmes/awards, e.g. the UG & PG CPD Portfolios of the Faculty of Health & Social Care.

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Comment and give advice on the content and structure of course schemes and assessment practices and on course delivery, teaching and learning methods.

Edge Hill’s quality assurance system provides for the commissioning of reports on particular aspects of academic provision to which external examiners may occasionally be asked to contribute, advising on the implications of developments within the external market, regulatory environment or the wider academic community within which the provision is situated.

4. REPORTS

External examiners’ reports provide an important source of direct evidence of academic standards and indirect evidence of the quality of students’ learning opportunities and the UK Quality Code for Higher Education requires that higher education providers give full and serious consideration to them. Edge Hill examiners complete an annual report26 for the provision for which they are responsible, to a deadline notified by the Academic Registry. As well confirming that appropriate academic and/or professional standards are being met and that assessment is being carried out rigorously and fairly, examiners also confirm that sufficient evidence was available to them to fulfil their role and that issues raised by them in previous reports have been, or are being, satisfactorily addressed. Reports are submitted online within four weeks of the meeting of the relevant assessment board and Faculty Quality Officers are responsible for issuing reminders to examiners who are paid on receipt of their report accompanied by a completed claim form27. The reports are then copied by the Academic Registry and circulated to the AQDU, Faculties and academic departments and filed electronically on the University’s Staffshare ‘Y’ drive28.

Departments are required to provide formal and timely responses to examiners’ comments and recommendations, outlining any actions to be taken as a result (or the reasons for not taking action). Faculties are responsible for ensuring that responses are accurate and of appropriate quality and consistent with agreed University policies; copying them to the Academic Registry and AQDU; and despatching them to examiners within six weeks of their report having been received. Examiners’ reports and departmental responses are considered together at programme boards

which are attended by student representatives29 and, in their subsequent reports, examiners are invited to comment on the extent to which they feel the points raised by them previously have been addressed by the University.

Institutional overviews of external examiner reports

26 The template for external examiners’ reports is at http://www.edgehill.ac.uk/externalexaminers/reports. 27 Claims should be submitted by examiners within three months of the last meeting attended.28 At Y:\Academic Registry\External Examiners.

29 See QMH Chapter 6.

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During the autumn, the Head of Academic Quality produces an initial overview of issues distilled from external examiner reports which is reported to the November meeting of AQSC for early consideration and action at Faculty level.

Faculty Boards (and the Graduate School Board of Studies30) receive summaries31 of external examiner reports and departmental responses which highlight generic and specific issues and the actions taken to manage them, as well as any features of good practice highlighted by examiners (for quality enhancement). These summaries are considered in detail at the March meeting of AQSC and, taken together, constitute the formal Institutional overview of external examiner reports which is received by LTC in May.

5. ‘CAUSES FOR CONCERN’ PROCEDURES

On appointment, external examiners are informed in writing that they have a right to raise any matter of serious concern with the Vice-Chancellor, if necessary by means of a confidential written report to which a considered and timely response will be provided. Where they have serious concerns relating to systemic failings with the academic standards of a programme(s), and where all published applicable internal procedures have been exhausted (including submission of the confidential report to the Vice-Chancellor), examiners may seek to invoke the QAA’s Concerns scheme32 and/or inform the relevant professional, statutory or regulatory body.

6. TERMINATION OF APPOINTMENT

In accordance with the UK Quality Code for Higher Education the University has developed a policy and procedure for the early termination of an external examiner’s contract33. An examiner who wishes to resign before the end of their term of office must write formally to the PVC University Secretary, giving sufficient notice for the appointment of a replacement.

Termination of appointment by the University must be done through a formal recommendation from the Faculty to LTC and a letter to the PVC University Secretary outlining the reasons for termination. While neither exhaustive nor prescriptive, the following are indicative of what may be considered appropriate grounds for termination:

Failure to disclose a relationship, contractual or otherwise, which may impair the integrity of the examination process and the independence of the external examiner;

Persistent failure to attend meetings and/or present the required reports, and/or the submission of identical reports and/or failure to return students’ work following examination;

30 For the small number of postgraduate taught programmes for which the Graduate School has designated quality assurance responsibilities.31 Produced by the designated Associate Dean (or Assistant Director of the Graduate School) using template Form EE1 ‘Faculty Summary of External Examiner Reports and Department Responses’ at http://www.edgehill.ac.uk/aqdu/external-examiners/. 32 http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Complaints/concerns/Pages/default.aspx. 33 “The appointment of an external examiner can be terminated by the appointing institution subject to approved institutional procedures, at any point during their tenure, if he/she fails to fulfil their obligations or if a conflict of interest arises which cannot be satisfactorily resolved” (UK Quality Code for Higher Education, Chapter B7).

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Dismissal by the examiner’s main employer for improper conduct in relation to their employment which may impair the integrity of the examination process or the independence of the examiner;

On programmes where there is a clinical or professional element, disbarment from being able to practise which may impair the integrity of the examination process or the independence of the examiner;

Failure to maintain professional body membership or a professional registration where this is a requirement of being an examiner for the programme concerned.

Where there are other grounds for termination these must be stated in the written communication from the Faculty to the PVC University Secretary who shall inform the examiner in writing of the University’s decision which is also notified to the Academic Board.

7. FEES AND EXPENSES

The fees and expense claim forms for all examiners need to be submitted to the External Examiner Officer in Academic Registry at Edge Hill University. We would expect fee claims to be made following completion of the year’s work, a statement of fees is recorded through-out the year. Expenses are often claimed through-out the year. In addition to the daily (or half-day) rate for time taken on any external examining duties, the annual fee can be claimed on production of the annual report. Daily (or half-day) rates include any preliminary visit to the Institution to establish contact with the tutor/department concerned; (this does not include the Induction day if it is not your preliminary visit) time spent on moderating students’ work, whether course work, dissertations or examination scripts; visits to Edge Hill (Schools or placements) for assessment purposes and time spent attending Assessment Boards. The University will reimburse expenditure in accordance with the maximum rates specified below. The University reserves the right to amend or withdraw this policy at any time. All expense claims are subject to the University's normal audit procedures in accordance with its financial regulations.

Reimbursement for all expenses will only be paid on production of receipts. Non attachment of a receipt means that the item(s) may be disallowed from the claim. Please note that credit card flimsies or statements are not acceptable as proof of purchase.

All claims must be submitted on the appropriate form and forwarded to: Joanne Collins or Emma NelsonExternal Examiner OfficerAcademic RegistryEdge Hill UniversitySt Helens RoadOrmskirkL39 4QPFEES

The following scale of fees applies: 34

£200:00 annual basic fee to each examiner; £50.00 for each day (or substantial part of day)

34 Subject to a maximum fee of £700.00 per Academic Year.

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£30.00 for each half-day

Please note that the annual basic fee is subject to:

(a) Attendance at a minimum of at least one module board per year and;

(b) Submission of the annual report.

The annual fee must be claimed via the submission of the Fee/Expense Claim Form

EXPENSES

Expenses are paid on the following basis:

Travel:

Car - Mileage allowance is paid at 40p per mile up to 5000 miles and 25p per mile thereafter. Car parking fees paid during the course of External Examiner duties will be reimbursed upon production of proof of expenditure.

Public transport:

(a) Air travel will be by economy class or equivalent and is authorised where significant savings can be achieved in time and accommodation costs. Where a higher class of travel is unavoidable the cost will be met provided this has been cleared with Academic Registry beforehand;

(b) Rail fares will be refunded on the basis of standard-class;(c) Bus and underground fares will be refunded as incurred.

Taxi - Costs will be refunded only where public transport is not available or where the saving of time is of paramount importance. Please note that where possible Ormskirk Express Cabs (01695 577750) must be used. Taxis should not be asked to wait whilst external examining duties are performed (eg observation of school placements). If a taxi is asked to wait whilst an examiner is performing examining duties the faculty will be responsible for the cost.

Hotels:

The University has a list of approved hotels which are used depending on the examiners final destination. On limited occasions the Academic Registrar may agree that it is more appropriate for an alternative hotel to be sourced and in these exceptional cases the University reserves the right to book other accommodation as appropriate.

Overnight accommodation will be arranged by the External Examiner Officers in Academic Registry if an examiner requires accommodation they, or a representative for the examiner, must email eebookings@edgehill.ac.uk. Once accommodation is reserved the hotel will invoice Edge Hill directly for the bed and breakfast rate only.

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Any other expenses incurred must be claimed back from Edge Hill using the Fee and Expense Claim Form.

If faculties wish to request a specific hotel for an examiner this request must be made by the Head of Department and may be subject to faculty costs.

Subsistence:

Lunch and any snacks during the day cannot be claimed. An evening meal and breakfast may be claimed up to a reasonable amount in value only

when overnight accommodation is booked:

- Breakfast - £8.00- Evening meal - £15.00

The University reserves the right to withhold payments for claims which are much in excess of the above.

Telephone Calls and Postage:

Postage expenses incurred as part of your external examining duties and a single telephone call up to a reasonable length (10 minutes), when stopping overnight, may be claimed on expenses.

All claims for telephone calls must be supported by an itemised call listing and claims will only apply to work related calls.

All claims must only be submitted after expenditure has been incurred. The following cannot be claimed as expenses under any circumstances:

Newspapers Alcoholic drinks Lunchtime subsistence The cost of a hire vehicle

IMPORTANT POINTS TO NOTE

External Examiners should use the Fee/Expense Claim Form for all claims, including the annual fee;

A Statement of Fees must be used throughout the year detailing the nature of the claim, to ensure that we have an account of activities, and be submitted along with the Fee/Expense Claim Form;

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In order for claims to be processed it is important that the details below must be completed on the Fee/Expense Claim Form. Please note that failure to submit these details could result in a delay in the payment being made:

Personal details:- Surname- Forename- National insurance number- Date of birth- Address- Signature

Bank details:- Bank name and address- Name the account is held in- Sort code- Account number- Building society roll number

APPENDIX 1

EXTERNAL EXAMINERSFEE/EXPENSE CLAIM FORM

PAY REF: NO

SURNAME*delete as applicable

MR/MRS/MISS/MS/DR/PROF

FORENAMES

15

NAT. INSUR. NO.Cost

Centre Job Code A/c Code

DATE OF BIRTH REG EXEXAM 52660

ADDRESS

POST CODE

BANK NAME & ADDRESS SORT CODE

A/C NO.

BUILDING SOCIETY

NAME A/C HELD INROLL NUMBER

DATE SUBJECT AREA DETAILS OF TRAVEL/SUBSISTENCE/FEES FEES£

TRAVEL£

SUB TOTALS

TOTAL

Claimant signature Budget Holder’s signature

Date: Date:

Please submit completed form to: Emma Nelson or Joanne Collins, External Examiners Officer, Academic Registry, Edge Hill University, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 4QP

APPENDIX 2

STATEMENT OF FEES

Please complete the following statement with the amount of days and half days worked during the completion of your duties each year and submit with your Travel/Expense Claim Form.

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DATE FULL/HALF DAY DUTIES UNDERTAKEN AMOUNT£

Total:

APPENDIX 3

ROLE AND REMIT OF EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY ASSESSMENT BOARDS

1. Assessment Board System:

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Edge Hill University operates a two-tier assessment board system for the determination of marks and results.

1st tier: Module Assessment Boards consider module performance.

2nd tier: Progression and Award Boards consider end of session results.

Combined Tier Assessment Boards may be convened where appropriate within programmes/courses to assume the responsibilities of both Subject Assessment Boards and Scheme Progression or Award Boards.

2. Membership

Absolute membership is set out in the Academic Regulations.

External Examiners are required to attend appropriate Assessment Board meetings but the University is conscious that, within a tiered Assessment Board system, it may not be possible for external examiners to attend at both Module and Scheme/Programme level. Following mixed comments from externals in relation to our current model of required attendance at Progression and Award Boards rather than Module Boards within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, we have reviewed our position during the year. For 2012/13 we will be reverting to previous practice where required attendance will be at Module Boards and this applies across all Faculties. Chief Externals are appointed in the Faculty of Education and will attend Progression and Award Boards with a similar system anticipated for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The practice of operating combined Boards in the Faculty of Health means that external examiners can usually attend both Module and Progression and Award Boards.

It is important to stress that whilst the University stipulates a minimum requirement for attendance at Assessment Boards, external examiners have a right, and are welcome, to attend all Assessment Boards they are associated with at any level.

3. Module Assessment Boards:

3.1 Role and Remit:

Results will be agreed by the Module Assessment Board as soon as possible after the end of the

relevant study period.

Module Assessment Boards shall;

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a) confirm the marks to be awarded to individual candidates for each module they are studying in that subject area;

b) make recommendations on passes, failure, referral, special cases and deferred assessment to a Progression Board or Scheme Award Board;

c) comment on the conduct of the assessment process and implementation of assessment regulations and report on this as appropriate.

Marks determined by Module Assessment Boards shall not be subject to revision by other Assessment Boards.

3.2 Delegation of Functions:

In exceptional circumstances an Assessment Board may delegate any of its functions to the Chair of the Board who shall report their proceedings to the Module Assessment Board and the Progression or Award Board at the next available opportunity.

Every effort shall be made to reach a decision by consensus, however, in exceptional cases where voting upon a matter is deemed to be necessary, a decision shall be determined by a simple majority of members of the Board and the Chair shall have a casting vote.

3.3 Membership:

The membership of Module Assessment Boards will include:

Head of Curriculum Area or Dean/Associate Dean (Chair)

Dean of Faculty or nominee

Appropriate Module Leaders

Staff with substantial teaching and assessment responsibilities

Secretary to the Board to be identified by the Faculty Assistant Registrar.

In accordance with specific Faculty Scheme arrangements, External Examiners may be required.

4. Progression and Award Boards:

4.1 Role and Remit:

In light of the recommendations from the preceding Module Boards, Progression and Award Boards

are responsible for:

a) confirming any AP(E)L recommendations;b) confirming module outcomes in relation to pass, referral, deferral and failure c) exercising the discretion to condone;

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d) determining the overall results for each student in relation to their progression or award;.e) making recommendations for the conferment, as appropriate, of professional status

including Qualified Teacher Status.

Progression and Award Boards operate with delegated authority from Academic Board for ensuring the parity of treatment for students in the interpretation of regulations and precedents across different subjects or different programmes of study. Progression and Award Boards should;

a) Facilitate discussion and exchange of experience and good practices of internal examiners from different disciplines.

b) Ensure that the module components of a candidate’s programme of study entitle the candidate to the specified named award.

c) Consider the awarding of Aegrotat awards (Scheme Award Boards)

Every effort shall be made to reach a decision by consensus, however, in exceptional cases where voting upon a matter is deemed to be necessary, a decision shall be determined by a simple majority of members of the Board and the Chair shall have a casting vote.

4.2 Membership:

The membership of Progression and Award Boards will include:

Dean/Associate Dean of Faculty or Directorate member (Chair)

(The Dean may nominate a senior member of staff to chair Scheme Progression Boards)

Programme Leaders

Heads of Department/Subject Leaders

Subject/Programme staff (or representative sample in the case of large schemes)

External Examiners (attendance is in accord with specific Faculty Scheme arrangements)

Academic Registrar

Secretary to the Board to be an administrative member of staff from Academic Registry.

In exceptional cases an Award Board may proceed in the absence of an External Examiner on the condition that this is i) agreed by the Chair of the Board and ii) that the examiner confirms that they are able to provide a written report on the standard of assessment for their area. In cases where an external examiner is not able to attend, it would be preferable for them to be available for telephone consultation if required.

APPENDIX 4Academic Registry use onlyReport ID:

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EXTERNAL EXAMINER ANNUAL REPORT

ACADEMIC SESSION (Insert Year)

Please use this form for submitting your annual External Examiner Report.

Where modules/programmes are being delivered at more than one centre please make clear to which your responses refer.

Once completed the form should be sent to the Academic Registry. Payment of your annual fee will be made following receipt of your report(s) and External Examiner Claim Form.

Would you please return the completed report within 4 weeks of the date of the final meeting of the Examination Board.

Thank you for your continued support and contribution to the University’s quality assurance.

If there is a matter of serious concern that you wish to raise with the University please return the form directly to the Vice Chancellor.

SECTION A:

1 Name:

2 Modules/Programme/s examined

3 Specialist/subject area(s) examined(where appropriate):

4 Faculty:

5 Department (where appropriate):

6 Collaborative Provision: note all partners and details of provision

Please return your completed report as an email attachment to externalexaminers@edgehill.ac.uk. Receipt of your report will be acknowledged by return. Payments cannot be processed until your report has been received.

SECTION B : ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROCEDURAL MATTERS(Please do not mention students by name)

Q 1 Did the administrative procedures permit you to carry out the role effectively?

YES NOPlease provide comments on the administrative procedures.

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Q 2 Were you provided with sufficient information relating to the programmes(s) and its/their assessment for you to carry out your duties and responsibilities?

YES NOWhat information helped you carry out your role?

Q 3 Have responses by the Programme Team to issues raised in your previous report(s) been satisfactory?

YES NOIf no please explain why:

SECTION C : CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT ISSUESPlease do not mention students by name

Q 1 Please comment on how far the assessments reflect the learning outcomes of individual module/programmes

Please provide additional comments here:

Q2 (a) Were the assessments appropriately structured and scheduled?

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Q2 (b) Did the assessments permit fair and equitable assessment of individual students?Please provide additional comments here:

Q 3 Was the standard of marking of assessments and their moderation satisfactory?

YES NOIf no please provide additional comments here:

Q 4 Was there anything in the curriculum or teaching, learning assessment strategy that you feel might be worthy of wider dissemination?

Please comment here:

Q5 (Where applicable) Please comment on the assessment of Work-Based Learning (WBL) in the programme

Please comment here:

SECTION D : OUTCOMESPlease do not mention students by name

Q 1 What is your perception of students’ knowledge and academic skills in the module(s)?

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Q 2 Please comment on the extent to which there is evidence that students are achieving the intended learning outcomes.

Q 3 Are there any improvements that you can suggest that would enhance the student learning experience?YES NO

Please provide additional comments here:

Q 4 Are the standards of the module(s)/programme appropriate and are the students achieving them? YES NO

If ‘NO’ please elaborate:

Q 5 In your view are the standards being set for. and achieved by. Edge Hill students comparable with similar subjects offered at this level elsewhere?YES NO

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If ‘NO’ please elaborate.

SECTION E: MATTERS RELATING TO PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMMES(To be completed by External Examiners of programmes which have an affiliation to Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies)

Q 1 Are there any comments you wish to make about the module(s)/programme that would be of interest to the relevant PSRB?

SECTION F : FURTHER COMMENTS

Q 1 Are there any comments you wish to make on specific modules or other aspects of the programmes for which you have responsibility or any other matters you would wish to raise?

SECTION G(For office use only upon receipt of report) Date report acknowledged:

Date forwarded to AQU, Programme Leaders, Deans, Heads of DepartmentsDate forwarded to Partner Organisation (if applicable):

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SECTION H: Contact Details – Academic Registry

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APPENDIX 5

CONTACTS LIST(Please add local departmental contacts for your own reference)

Name Query Contact Details

Joanne Collins and Emma Nelson –

External Examiner Officers.

All General Enquiries. Academic Registry Ormskirk CampusEdge Hill University.01695 584569externalexaminers@edgehill.ac.uk

Helen Smallbone –

Senior Registrar for Assessment & Awards.

Award & Progression Boards – Dates and Papers.

Academic Registry Ormskirk CampusEdge Hill University.01695 584278Helen.Smallbone@edgehill.ac.uk

Ian Jones –

Academic Registrar.

Malpractice & Appeals. Academic RegistryOrmskirk CampusEdge Hill University.01695 650982Ian.Jones@edgehill.ac.uk

Lesley Munro -

Pro Vice-Chancellor and University Secretary.

Academic Regulations. Academic RegistryOrmskirk CampusEdge Hill University.Lesley.Munro@edgehill.ac.uk

External Examiner Webpage Examples of Documents Available – External Examiner Handbook.Report Form.Fee/Expense Claim Form.

http://www.edgehill.ac.uk/externalexaminers

Local Contact

Please note it is important that you supply the External Examiner Officers at externalexaminers@edgehill.ac.uk with any changes to your personal details to keep in-line with QAA requirements to publish this information. Publication of this information is not an invitation for students to make contact with you, in fact, it is important that they do not and we will make this clear. If you do receive any enquiries or correspondence from a student on a course for which you are an external examiner, please redirect these immediately to either your departmental contact or to Joanne Collins/Emma Nelson, your support team in Academic Registry.

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NOTES

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