Quality Handbook Section 16A Codicil: Common Assessment Regulations for Integrated Foundation Year courses

1.1 The recent introduction of integrated foundation year (IFY) courses at NTU is not currently reflected in the common assessment regulations. This codicil recognizes the need of these courses to have clear regulations and acknowledge the potential disparity between cotaught students on a course with an integrated foundation year and the matched course without the integrated foundation year.

1.2 The principles align closely to the common assessment regulations in Quality Handbook Section (QH) 16A.

1.3 Compensation, progression and proceeding with deficit, should be approached in the same way as detailed in QH 16A, to wit:

1. Proceed with a maximum deficit of 20 credits-equivalent of assessment
2. Compensation of up to 20 credits

1.4 A potential complexity arises at the level 4 progression board, if the foundation level modules have not been passed.

1. If a student on an IFY course has passed their L4 studies, with an outstanding foundation module that is non-compensable, this outstanding module should be coded as “pass for credits.” This is based on the principle that the student has met the required learning outcomes for level 4 and it would be unfair approach the IFY students and non-IFY students differently, when they have the same profile.
2. If not all the L4 modules have been passed, the student’s profile should be assessed in the usual way. The student might be referred over the summer, repeating, or proceeding with deficit. In this case the foundation level modules should be deferred until the L4 modules are completed. If the L4 modules are passed, then the foundation level modules are coded as “pass for credits.” If the student does not make good these L4 modules and their studies are terminated, the foundation level modules remain unpassed.

1.5 Where course teams do not wish to take this approach, based on the design and nature of their foundation level study, a variation to the CAR should be approved by SASQC and logged in CourseLoop.