Quality Handbook Supplement 15F - Board of Examiners requirements

1.1 Boards of Examiners have delegated powers from Academic Board for the determination of academic awards to students, and for decisions about the progression of students.

1.2 It is the duty of board members to uphold the confidentiality of all its meetings.

2.1 A Board of Examiners should comprise:

1. a chair (normally a senior academic member of the School, for example a Head of Department);
2. a secretary;
3. the course leader (collaborative academic lead for a collaborative partner);
4. module leaders (or their representatives);
5. the external examiner(s);
6. the Academic Liaison Tutor for courses operating under a Validation Service agreement.

2.2 A progression board may be chaired by a member of academic staff below Head of Department level with appropriate experience, expertise and independence, and appointed by the Executive Dean. An external examiner is not required to attend.

2.3 An external examiner who is unable to be present at a board meeting should subsequently indicate by written notification, via the course leader, their involvement in the assessment process and their agreement to the decisions made at the board. An external examiner need not attend progression boards and referral boards. In the latter case they should be involved in the process.

2.4 All members must uphold the confidentiality of all meetings of the board.

2.5 A member of the board is required to declare any personal interest, involvement or relationship with a student being assessed. This includes where courses are delivered in collaboration or partnership where members may have a line management relationship with a student being considered.

2.6 A student cannot be a member of a board or attend a meeting other than as a candidate for assessment (i.e. where a viva voce is held).

2.7 A board should meet:

1. at the key stages in order to determine student progress or awards;
2. to consider referrals;
3. to consider - as required - any case of student progress that is giving cause for concern and is likely to lead to the termination of a student’s study on the course (in these circumstances it will be the responsibility of the course leader, or equivalent person, to notify the Academic Registrar or his/her nominee of the need to convene such a meeting);
4. when required by Academic Board to reconsider any recommendation regarding student assessment.

3.1 The terms of reference for a Board of Examiners are as follows:

1. To confirm that the student assessments have been conducted in accordance with the appropriate Common Assessment Regulations (and any special validated dispensations).
2. To ensure that appropriate moderation arrangements are in place and have been used in the setting and marking of assessment tasks.
3. To receive and consider agreed grades and all other information pertinent to student assessment and to make decisions on the progress of or the conferment of the award on each student accordingly.
4. To exercise academic judgment upon individual matters concerning student assessment arising.
5. To act on consideration of personal circumstances and/or cases of upheld academic misconduct and serious academic misconduct, and – in rare situations – academic appeals.
6. To confirm the procedures to be followed in notifying students of its decisions.
7. To consider any special issues concerning student assessment brought to its attention by an external examiner or member of the board.
8. To consider any matter referred to it by the Academic Board.

3.2 It is the responsibility of key members of the board to ensure that board decisions are recorded accurately and communicated to students as soon as possible.

5.1 It is the duty of the chair to ensure that:

1. attendance at the meeting enables the board to fulfil its terms of reference and is quorate (the majority of members are in attendance). Where this is not the case it is the chair's responsibility to determine a course of action.
2. Board members have all the information necessary for them to exercise a judgement, including student results and the outcome of the consideration of exceptional circumstances and/or cases of upheld academic misconduct and serious academic misconduct.
3. assessments have been conducted in accordance with the appropriate Common Assessment Regulations (and any special validated dispensations);
4. the board takes into account all information pertinent to student assessment and that the board’s decisions in respect of progression and the conferment of the award result from informed and impartial academic judgement;
5. proper procedures are in place to notify all students of the board’s decisions and that – in cases of student referral or failure – immediate and appropriate actions are taken to notify students of the decisions;
6. together with the external examiner, sign the conferment statement or annotated results sheet;
7. grades and award recommendations as confirmed by the board are prepared and checked in close collaboration with the minute-secretary;
8. following the board that the minutes are checked and approved as a true record of the proceedings;
9. feedback is provided to School Executive in accordance with School procedures on any issues arising from the board to inform the monitoring and enhancement of practices and processes associated with the work of boards.

6.1 The course leader is responsible for ensuring that:

1. assessment activities are planned, including the dates of board meetings and the moderation procedures, and this is agreed with the external examiner;
2. the membership of the board is agreed annually with the chair, and that the membership list is accurately maintained for the course and that the external examiner appointment(s) is valid to cover the appropriate assessments;
3. the business of the board is well defined and appropriate agendas are prepared (in conjunction with the chair and secretary);
4. all information necessary for the board to fulfil its duties has been collated, scrutinised and agreed before the meeting and that copies of this information are available to all members;
5. the final decisions are accurately recorded and the board’s decisions are carried out efficiently and effectively.

7.1 The secretary will be expected to:

1. make all the administrative arrangements for the effective operation of the board, e.g. the notification of dates and times, room booking, the circulation of papers;
2. record all decisions accurately;
3. ensure all the necessary administrative actions are carried out following the meeting.