Academic Assessment Board Guidelines

1. HE Assessment Boards A Brief Overview Peter Greenall HE Development Manager May 2011

2. Terms of Reference • To ensure that the examination and assessment of students is conducted in accordance with the regulations and procedures of the College and the Awarding Body • To formally consider and subsequently confirm the grades awarded to students for each module of their programme • To consider and confirm the recommended grades or classification of the award • To agree student progression within the award • To consider the achievement profiles of individual modules

3. Terms of Reference(Continued) • To receive and action the recommendations of the External Examiner/External Verifier/Course Consultant • To nominate students for special awards and prizes • To receive and consider the recommendations of the Independent Member on matters relating to process and consistency in institutional/awarding body procedures • To make recommendations to the Awarding Body, of students who are eligible to receive awards, (in the case of Lancaster University awards, via the College Assessment Board).

4. Agenda • Introduction by Chair • Apologies for Absence • Confirmation of the minutes of the last meeting • Matters arising and update on actions • The extent of internal moderation • Observations of the External Examiner • Consideration of Extenuating Circumstances • Approved EC decisions will be provided to the board prior to the meeting by the HE Registrar • Presentation of Results • Formal Agreement of Results

5. Agenda(Continued) • Consideration of recipients of awards and trophies • Comments from Independent Member / Course Consultant • Publication of results * • Confidentiality Reminder * • Date of Next meeting * - see next slide

6. Membership • Chair • A member of staff who is independent of the programme delivery team, sufficiently informed of the regulations and with appropriate seniority • Programme Leader • Teaching Staff • Ideally, all staff involved assessment, internal verification and moderation. • Pastoral Tutor(s) • Course Consultant • External Examiner • Independent Member • Member of staff not involved with theprogramme who has completed appropriate training. Allocated by Quality and Standards

7. Procedure • Agenda should be circulated at least 7 days prior to the meeting • Any potential conflict of interest should be declared by the chair at the start of the meeting • Chairs Action • Delegated power to act on a specified issue at a future date when further information has become available • Scope of delegation should be minuted during the meeting and actions taken recorded • It is normal for Chairs Action to be taken in conjunction with the External Examiner and/or representatives of the Awarding Body

8. Moderation & SamplingFactors to consider • The previous history of assessments in this area • The scope/size of the qualification/unit/elements • Size and characteristics of the whole e.g. number and type of students, age gender, ethnicity, disability/special assessment need • Number, location and experience of the assessors • Range of assessment methods used • Special requirements • Spread of activity on to satellite sites • The specific awarding body requirements. • Known problem units or areas of concern

9. Presentation of Marks • For each student the chair or Programme Leader must read out (in alphabetical order): • Full Name of Candidate • Mark awarded for each Module • Decision regarding progression or award • Details of reassessment/resubmission where appropriate • At any stage, a member of the board may ask for clarification or re-consideration of a decision

10. Accuracy of Marks • The marks recorded for individual assessments shall be expressed as percentages, rounded to the nearest whole percent. • Aggregate module marks shall be the weighted average of all contributing assessment marks, rounded to the nearest whole percent. • Average marks for an award shall be the weighted average of all contributing module marks, rounded to two decimal places of a percent.

11. Board Recommendations Refer to booklet page 25

12. Board Outcomes • The outcomes of Assessment Boards are to be presented to one of the following College Boards: • 24th June – 9am (Bispham C205) • Progressing Students (Progression Board) • 27th June – 9am (Bispham C205) • Students being recommended for award (Award Board) • College Board decisions must be confirmed by Lancaster University Senate prior to publication.

13. Reassessment • For the first time this year, the college has decided to fix the window of reassessment: • Programme teams to have sent reassessment work to learners by no later than the 1st July • All deadlines are to be no later than the 31st July • This means that reassessment work will need to be written, verified and sent as soon as possible following the Assessment Board.

14. Publication of Results • To ensure no breach of the Data Protection Act 1998, programmes teams need to agree and implement a secure method of communication to students e.g: • secure post (recorded delivery) • Secure electronic means (college e-mail account) • face to face • prior agreed telephone communication (confirm student identity with student number/address etc.)

15. Graduation Graduation Ceremonies this year are on the 6th and 7th July For more information contact : Liz Wilson - Marketing