Constitution and Terms of Reference

Coventry University

Subject Assessment Boards

Constitution and Terms of Reference

1 Purpose and scope

A Subject Assessment Board shall be established by the relevant Faculty Board(s) for each subject area which is concerned with modules that are assessed by the University. The Subject Assessment Board is responsible for determining the assessment results for each module within its remit. It will operate with authority vested in it by the Academic Board, and will have due regard to the relevant regulations.

2 Terms of reference

.1

To consider and approve draft examination papers and other means for the assessment of students’ performance, making use of any mechanism for the approval of draft examination papers which it finds appropriate having regard to the established procedures of the University and the need for efficiency.

.2

To consider the results of assessment and examination of modules - including the performance in supervised work experience where applicable - and to decide, in accordance with the approved module regulations and the relevant policies of the Academic Board, on the results of the assessment.

.3

To re-consider its decisions, either as the full Subject Assessment Board or part thereof acting as a review panel, if it is required to do so by the Academic Registrar or the Assessments Review Group acting on the authority of the Academic Board in accordance with the agreed procedures of the Academic Board.

.4

To ensure, where this is required by the regulations, that the External Examiner(s) are fully associated with its deliberations and concur with its decisions or those of any formally constituted sub-committee of the Subject Assessment Board.

.5

To ensure that any matters of policy which arise from its deliberations are referred to the Faculty Board responsible for the subject.

.6

To ensure that its duties are fulfilled within the schedule set by the Academic Registry.

.7

To note that marks awarded for summative assessments may be communicated to students as part of module feedback, but it must be made clear that these marks are provisional and subject to moderation by the External Examiner(s) and ratification by the Subject Assessment Board.

.8

Candidates’ expected overall results or classifications are CONFIDENTIAL until they have been confirmed or amended by the final meeting of the Programme Assessment Board and must not be disclosed to candidates until the results are declared. Moreover, all proceedings which relate to individual students are also CONFIDENTIAL to the members of the relevant assessment boards and those having the right to attend and receive papers.

3 Constitution

.1

The membership of each Subject Assessment Board shall comprise:

(a) at least one member of academic staff teaching on each module within the remit of the Subject Assessment Board;

(b) for modules at levels F, H, 2, 3 and M (and, where appropriate, Level 1), the External Examiner(s) nominated by the responsible Dean of Faculty in consultation with other Deans having interest in the subject area and approved by the Faculty Board and by the Academic Board.

.3

The Chair and the Vice-Chair shall be nominated from the members of the Subject Assessment Board by the Dean of Faculty in consultation with other Deans having an interest in the subject area and approved by the Faculty Board.

.4

The Chair of the Subject Assessment Board, with the agreement of the Quality in Teaching and Learning Committee (QuILT), will extend the constitution to include members from partner institutions where a course is offered wholly or in part at that institution under a franchise agreement.

.5

The specific constitution of each Subject Assessment Board shall be proposed, together with a suggested quorum, by the Chair for approval by the Faculty Board.

4 Administrative arrangements

.1

Conduct of meetings and minutes will be in accordance with University practice.

.2

The Secretary shall normally be a member of administrative staff.

.3

The dates of meetings will be arranged well in advance with the External Examiner(s) to conform with 2.4 and 3.1(b), and published by the Academic Registrar (or nominee).

.4

The Dean of Faculty responsible for the Subject Assessment Board shall be entitled to attend meetings, to speak and to receive agenda items and minutes.

.5

Attendance

The following are excluded from formal membership but shall be entitled to attend and speak and to receive agenda items and minutes on request:

the Vice-Chancellor

the Deputy and Pro-Vice-Chancellors

the Registrar and Secretary

the Academic Registrar

the Deputy Academic Registrar

.6

The responsible Dean(s) and Associate Dean(s) should receive papers.

.7

Reconsideration and annulment of decisions

In the circumstances set out in the agreed AcademicBoard procedures:

(a) the Academic Registrar or the Assessments Review Group acting on the authority of the Academic Board may require the Subject Assessment Board to reconsider its decisions;

(b) the Academic Board, on advice of the Assessments Review Group, may annul a decision of the Subject Assessment Board.

.8

Circulation of Papers

All members of the Subject Assessment Board

5 Notes

These notes are included for guidance. They do not form part of the definition of the Subject Assessment Board.

Subject Assessment Boards are concerned with modules. Subject Assessment Boards will therefore:

.1

Agree on standards for each module;

.2

Confirm mark changes (with the agreement of the External Examiner(s) where appropriate);

Such mark changes may arise from, for example:

(a) Remarking of all scripts or scaling of marks to satisfy 5.1 above;

(b) Discovery of unmarked parts of individual scripts;

(c) Correction of addition on individual scripts.

.3

Confirm marks awarded for each module. It will be expected that Module Leaders will have looked particularly carefully at examination scripts and coursework assessments for borderline pass/fail cases.

It will also be expected that Module Leaders will have looked at other borderlines which affect the module grade before transmitting module result sheets to the Chair of the Subject Assessment Board.

.4

The Subject Assessment Board will not consider mark changes due to illness or other circumstances, unless required to do so by the Assessments Review Group but should note where student’s requests for deferral of assessment on the grounds of extenuating circumstances have been granted by a designated authoriser within a Faculty or by the Faculty Deferral Panel.

Revised April 2011

Revised November 2011 (SW)

Revised May 2012

Revised April 2013

Revised April 2014 (Policy Unit)

Coventry University

Guide to Subject Assessment Board (SAB) Procedures, 2013/2014

1 Confidentiality

.1

All discussions undertaken by Assessment Boards are confidential. In particular, all proceedings which relate to individual students are confidential to members of the Board, the Vice Chancellor, Deputy and Pro-Vice-Chancellors, the Registrar and Secretary and the (Deputy) Academic Registrar.

.2

Marks awarded for summative assessment tasks may be communicated to students as part of the module feedback, but it must be made clear that these marks are provisional and subject to moderation by the External Examiner(s) and ratification by the Subject Assessment Board.

.3

Under no circumstances may overall results or classification be communicated to students until they have been formally agreed by the Programme Assessment Board.

4

Any breach of this confidentiality is regarded by the University as a formal disciplinary offence.

2 Declaration of Interest

.1

If a member of the Assessment Board is aware of any potential conflict of interest, for example being related to or a close friend of a student under consideration, this must be declared and recorded in the minutes of the meeting, and the person involved shall not take part in any discussion covering the areas or student concerned; at the discretion of the Chair the member concerned may be permitted to remain in attendance for the duration of these discussions and invited to respond to queries of a factual nature relating to them.

.2

Any examiner who has a potential conflict of interest must declare that interest to the Chair of the Assessment Board as soon as the possibility arises, and should not normally be expected to be the sole examiner for the student concerned on any individual module.

3 Preparation for a SAB meeting

.1

The format for the management and running of the Subject Assessment Board is decided upon by the University’s Academic Registry under the Management of the Academic Registrar and must not be varied.

.2

Module Leaders should look particularly closely at borderline cases (e.g. for pass/fail) before entering results onto SONIC or UNIVERSE. (In SONIC, all borderlines will be highlighted on screen once the marks are entered).

.3

Module Leaders should check carefully the module marks lists printed from UNIVERSE or the marks visible on SONIC/Exams. In the case of students repeating all or part of the assessment, particular care is needed to ensure that the module mark is correct (see Guide to Module Mark Lists).

.4

Module Leaders should discuss with the Chair of the SAB the results for any modules that are out of line with normal expectations (e.g. averages which are felt to be either too high or too low - clearly highlighted in SONIC). Such results should be drawn to the attention of the External Examiner in advance of the SAB meeting.

.5

For modules which require an External Examiner, it is assumed that he/she will have looked at an appropriate sample of examination scripts, project reports etc.

.6

The Module Leaders, Chair and Secretary should ensure that any invigilators' reports or other materials relevant to the modules being considered are assembled in advance of the meeting.

.7

Secretaries should circulate the agenda, statement of membership and any revised procedures to all members. The Secretary is also responsible for providing the constitution and terms of reference, if they are requested.

.8

SONIC should be used to display SAB information to members of the SAB. Alternatively, Module Marks Lists can be printed in the chosen format from UNIVERSE (see Guide to Module Marks Lists), copied and circulated to members of the SAB. The SAB Secretary should have a paper copy of each SAB marks list.

4 Consideration of results at SABs

.1

SABs are responsible for setting standards and, after due consideration, may adjust marks for the module group as a whole upwards or downwards, where appropriate.

.2

For each module, the Module Leader will remind members of the assessment details, component weightings and pass criteria. The Chair will draw members' attention to any issues of significance affecting the results (e.g. an invigilator's report on disruption to the examinations such as fire alarms).

.3

The Board will then consider the overall marks to agree the standards for each module and make any variation. Mark changes may result from:

remarking of all scripts or scaling of marks in relation to the standards set;

discovery of unmarked parts of individual scripts;

correction of additions on individual scripts;

re-marking of particular questions (for all scripts) resulting from anomalies identified by External Examiners on samples of scripts; changing marks only on the sample scripts is not acceptable unless the scripts for all students in the same position (e.g. with a mark of 39%) are included in the sample.

.4

The SAB will not decide upon mark changes for individual students due to illness or other circumstances, unless required to do so by the Assessments Review Group, but should note where a student’s request for deferral of assessment on the grounds of extenuating circumstances has been granted via the appropriate deferral process.

.5

If a student has passed one or more modules (e.g. ’short, fat’ modules or coursework only modules) before withdrawing from a course, these results must still be recorded on UNIVERSE/SONIC. The result should appear on the broadsheet and the student should receive a results letter. For students on Mode C, ALL marks earned prior to any withdrawal will stand, including those for uncompleted modules.

.6

The Secretary is responsible for preparing notes that record the results of each module considered. These notes will act as the formal record of all decisions made, and are circulated to members after the meeting. This formal record of the meeting will be used as evidence in the event of any subsequent queries.

5 Reassessment arrangements at Subject Assessment Boards

.1

The expectation is for re-assessment to be carried out by the same method as the original assessment, e.g. reassessment of a failed written examination paper should be by a similar examination. Any alternative method must be approved either as part of the original module approval or, in the case of exceptional variation from the approved method, by the SAB in consultation with the Module Leader. Alternative methods should only be used in cases where there are particular individual circumstances, not for an entire group, and should never be used on the grounds of local convenience for staff.

.2

Students taking assessments as deferred ‘first attempts’ should be assessed by the methods that would have been used for the original assessment attempt.

.3

For each module, the Board designates the person who will be responsible for preparing any reassessment materials and for making these materials available to all referred/deferred students.

6 Post-SAB meeting procedures

.1

SAB Secretaries must ensure that any mark changes are input promptly and accurately into UNIVERSE or SONIC.

.2

SAB Chairs or Secretaries should ensure that any relevant information that will not appear on the broadsheets, reaches the appropriate Programme Assessment Boards (PABs).

7 References

A number of associated documents can be accessed from the Academic Registry’s web page ( The following may be particularly useful:

Constitution and Terms of Reference etc. for Subject Assessment Boards

Guide to Module Marks Lists

Guidelines on Reassessment Regulations

Andrea Bolshaw

Academic Registrar

Reviewed May 2010

Revised March 2011

Reviewed November 2011 (SW)

Revised May 2012

Revised April 2013

Revised April 2014 (Policy Unit)