PANELS AND BOARDS
Subject Assessment Panel / Award Assessment BoardFunctions / To review the standard of assessment in the subject and to ensure the maintenance of appropriate academic standards in modules
To confirm or modify module marks
To make recommendations on the form of referral for individual modules
To receiveinformationfrom the Panels/Committees of Investigation on provenexamination and assessment offences.
(see also below) / To make decisions on progression and awards for all students
To ensure that decisions are arrived at fairly and democratically in accordance with University assessment regulations
To ensure that justice is done to the individual student and the standard of the University award is maintained
To ensure that all corroborated extenuating circumstances are taken into account
To receive information on all proven examination and assessment offences from the Panel/Committees of Investigation via the Subject Assessment Panels
(see also below)
Chairperson / Usually, Subject Leader / Usually, Head of Department
Membership / Module examiners
Course Administrator
Subject External Examiner / Panel Chairs
Programme Leader
Representative of University Secretary and Registrar
Award External Examiner
Award Assessment Board
Subject Assessment Panel
Information / Marks for subject modules
Statistics for mark distribution for each module / All module marks for students
Final percentage aggregate
Module profile for each student
Marks for modules / Considered / Not considered
Marks for students / Not considered / Considered
Examination and Assessment Offences / Receives information from Faculty/Central Panel/Committee of Investigationon all proven cases of examination and assessment offences. Thesemust be fully recorded in the notes of the Panel. / Receives information on all proven examination and assessment offences from the Panel/Committee of Investigation via the Subject Assessment Panel.
The Award Board will accept the recommended penalty. Should further information come to light which causes the Board to doubt the proposed decision/ penalty the case should be referred back to the relevant Panel/Committee of Investigation for reconsideration.
Students’ Personal Extenuating Circumstances / Not considered / Considered
(For extenuating circumstances relating to an examination or assessment offence – see Operational Instructions for Award Assessment Boards.)
Role of external examiner / To certify standards in each module / To ensure regulations applied, standards of awards maintained and that justice is done to individual students
THE AWARD PROCESS
Date/Month / Contributory Process / Those Involved / Purposes / Comments
On-
going
thro'
year / Screening
Meeting for
Extenuating
Circum- stances / Faculty will determine / To establish the validity or
otherwise of the circumstances submitted by students / Held regularly during the year - feedback given to students on validity or otherwise of circumstances - information provided to Award Assessment Boards.
Dec / Marks Verifi-
cation of
Extended resit
Coursework
Completed by
End Nov. / Faculty will
determine / (Not necessarily a formal
Meeting) To verify the
accuracy of marks for
Extended Resits by
Coursework and identify those at risk. / External Examiners to be consulted over any borderline marks.
Provisional marks to be issued to students. Provision of pastoral
support if required.
Jan / Marks
Verification
Meeting (if required for modules
Completing within the Autumn Term) / Faculty will determine / To verify accuracy of Autumn Term module marks - these will be provisional until ratified by Subject Assessment Panels - and to identify students potentially at risk / Provisional marks for Autumn Term modules may be issued to students. Provision of appropriate pastoral support to students
if required.
June / Subject
Assessment
PANELS
(SAP) / Chair (normally the subject leader or equivalent
Internal Examiners for all subject (or group of subjects) modules
Subject External Examiner(s)
Faculty Business Manager (or nominee) as Secretary / To confirm or modify module marks and to review the standard of assessment in the subject:
- agrees marks/makes amendments as appropriate
- discusses any problems with assessments NOT students
- discusses module statistics
- reviews and ensures appropriate academic standards
- decides on form of referral for modules (not for students) to be recommended to Board
- receives informationfrom the Panel/ Committee of Investigation on allprovenexamination/assessment offences *
have checked and verified marks held
on the computer system before the Panel meeting
Decides final marks for modules only
* This must be fully recorded in the notes of the Panel
July / Award
Assessment
BOARD
(AAB) / Chair (normally the appropriate Head of Dept)
Chairs of contributing
Subject Assessment Panels
Programme Manager
Award External Examiner
University Secretary and Academic Registrar (represented by the Faculty Business Manager or nominee)
Minutes Secretary / To make decisions on progression and awards for all students registered for the named award(s) for which the Board is responsible
- decides on awards and classifications, progression, referrals and failures
- discusses corroborated extenuating ** circumstances and takes appropriate action
- receives information on all proven examination and assessment offences from the Panel/ Committee of Investigation via the Subject Assessment Panel. ***
- agreesconstitution of Resit Award Assessment Board and date
Vivas not permitted to determine class of honours
** Extenuating circumstances relating to an exam/ assessment offence – see Operational Instructions for Boards.)
*** The Board will accept the recom- mended penalty. Should further information come to light which causes Board to doubt the proposed decision/penalty the case should be referred back to the relevant Panel/Committee of Investigation for reconsideration.
Master copy of Results List and annotated copy of Board papers to UniversityRegistry
Transcripts and Results Lists
issued to students
Sept / Referred Award
Assessment
BOARD / As specified by main Board in Summer (Award External
Examiner need not attend) / To make decisions on progression and awards for all students referred, deferred or sitting as a first attempt taking into account extenuating circumstances and any examination or assessment offences. / Formal Panels will not be held. Boards will start in ‘Panel’ mode and move on to ‘Board’ mode.
Awards Ceremony # / Students, their guests and staff / To celebrate students’ achievements
# Most to be held mid-
September. Some held later in the year. / Award documents presented to or sent to students
1
Plymouth University Academic Regulations and Notes for Guidance - Taught Programmes (2011/12 Edition v.1)