PROFESSOR SIR STEVE SMITH AcSS
Northcote House
The Queen’s Drive
Exeter
UK EX4 4QJ
Telephone+44 (0)1392 263000
Fax+44 (0)1392 263008
Web
SS/RB
18 August 2011
Dear Andrew
Professor Dentith:External Examiner’s Report 2010-2011
College of Humanities: English
BA English
The External Examiner notes the following areas of good practice:
That the procedures for recording internal moderation of marks on jointly-taught modules were especially successful.
The External Examiner makes the following recommendations:
Essential
None
Advisable
None
Desirable
I would like the Department to consider how far it has the balance right in setting the overall aims of its degree. I feel that on many modules the aim appeared to be to induct the students into an understanding of contemporary scholarship, rather than using that scholarship to lead them to an engagement with the primary texts. Exeter has outstanding students who produce excellent work; nevertheless, their talents are not always best served by teaching which privileges criticism over primary engagement.
It was the External Examiner’s final year of appointment and they leave the following comments:
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as an External Examiner at Exeter and would like to thank in particular the several Exams Officers who have managed the examining process meticulously.
I should be grateful if the College would respond to me as required under the procedures contained in the TQA Manual. These look to a response normally within eight weeks after appropriate internal discussion within the College including an opportunity for input from the staff meeting and the College’s Teaching Committee.
Please note that the University’s statement of procedures also requires that the College’s next annual main meeting of the Boards of Examiners for the programmes in question, at which an External Examiner is present, should include early in its agenda a copy of the External Examiner’s report and of the College’s response.
Yours sincerely
Professor Sir Steve Smith
Vice-Chancellor
ccJill Collins