Quality Handbook Supplement 5E - Appointing external specialists for academic approval

2.1 The course sponsor (leader) normally seeks a suitable external – but may consult with the Head of Department and School Standards and Quality Manager (SSQM).

2.2 A proposed external should be able to provide the following:

• a comparative judgment on the standard and quality of the proposal (based on their familiarity with similar courses outside NTU);
• an understanding of current developments in the academic or professional field;
• a familiarity with the knowledge and skills that employers and / or the professions require;
• an appreciation of effective learning, teaching and assessment practices in the subject.

2.3 A proposed external should preferably have sufficient recent and relevant experience of acting as an external validation, review or accreditation member, or have comparable related external experience that indicates competence for the role.

2.4 If a proposed external is inexperienced in terms of external scrutiny, then they will need to have had recent:

• internal involvement in validation, review, accreditation or similar activities;
• other relevant and recent experience likely to support the proposed role.

3.1 An external should not be associated with the University in any way (currently or within the past five years) or have been closely associated (professionally or personally or otherwise) with someone who has a relationship to the University (currently or within the past five years).

3.2 For example, the external should not be:

• personally associated with the sponsorship of current students studying the course under scrutiny;
• involved in the assessment of students following the course under scrutiny;
• likely to be in a position to significantly influence the employment of existing or potential students following the course under scrutiny.

Further information

• While the external may subsequently become an external examiner for the course, an NTU appointed external examiner (currently or within the past five years) may not act as the external at approval.

4.1 The criteria for appointment are intended to help ensure impartiality of judgement and achieve objectivity.

4.2 However, the University accepts that decisions about the suitability of an external will often require a balance to be struck such that the criteria will need to be weighed against each other.

4.3 The support of the SSQM should be sought for the course sponsor’s preferred external (there is no need for referral to SASQC/or the completion of nomination forms) before sign off by EQP.

4.4 EQP retains the right to submit the proposal to the Chair of ASQC, or the course design and approval sub-committee, for consideration if there is doubt about the impartiality or expertise of the individual.