External Examiner Induction Session20 March 2012

Tim Hudson – Academic ServicesPam Parker – Learning Development Centre

External Examiner Induction Session - timetable

10.00 am – Registration and refreshments

10.15 am – Welcome from the Deputy Vice-Chancellor10.30 am – University External Examiner induction11.30 am – Question and Answers12.00 pm – Programme Directors arrive and start of programme

induction with Programme Directors

1.00 pm – Close of External Examiner Induction Session

External Examiner Induction Session• Introduction to City • The importance of External Examiners • Programme Director induction • Payment of fees and expenses• UUK review of the External Examiner system

• External Examiner’s Annual Report • Consideration of Annual Reports • Assessment regulations and policies • Assessment and feedback policy • HE Academy website• Question and answer session

Introduction to City University London

City University London gained its degree awarding powers in 1966. Now it has seven Schools:

•School of Arts•Cass Business School•School of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences•School of Informatics•School of Law•School of Community and Health Sciences•School of Social Sciences

Validated Institutions and Partnership Institutions

•Arts Educational Schools Ltd•ESCP Europe Business School•Guildhall School of Music and Drama•Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy Centre•Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication•Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance

•City and Islington College•INTO City•Westminster Kingsway College

Student statistics – HESA 2010/11 headcount

Total students 17,499 12,733FTE

Students in Validated Institutions

3, 749 3,503FTE

Full-time 12,723 87%

Part-time 4,776 13%

Type of programme undertaken by students

headcount %

Undergraduate 9,626 55%

Postgraduate taught 7,269 42%

Postgraduate research 604 3%

Students by gender

headcount %

Male 7,373 42%

Female 10,127 58%

Number of students by fee status

headcount %

UK 10,832 62%

European Union 2,417 14%

Overseas not EU 4,250 24%

Number of students in each School

UG PG Total

School of Arts 444 1,061 1,505

Cass Business School 1,420 2,108 3,528

School of Informatics 662 637 1,259

City Law School 647 761 1,408

School of Community & Health Sciences

4,066 1,146 5,212

School of engineering & Mathematical Sciences

1,252 953 2,205

School of Social Sciences 1,165 671 2,298

Learning Development Centre

74 78

The University for Business and the Professions• HE Academy• Broadcast Journalism Training Council• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants• Institute of Financial Services• Association of MBAs • Nursing and Midwifery Council• College of Radiographers• Health Professions Council• British Computer Society• Law Society of England and Wales• Bar Council• Institute of Mechanical Engineers• British Psychological Society, etc.

QAA’s UK Quality Code for Higher Education – Chapter B7 External Examining October 2011

There are three principles which all refer to the importance of therole for maintaining standards and the need to ensure the role istransparent for students.

There are then 18 indicators provided but these stress:i whether the academic standards set for its awards are appropriate;ii the extent to which its assessment processes are rigorous, ensure

equity of treatment for students and have been fairly conducted within institutional regulations and guidance;

Iii where appropriate, the comparability of the standards and student achievements with those in some other higher education institutions;

v good practice that has been identified in learning, teaching and assessment and opportunities to enhance learning.

Programme specific induction•Programme and module specifications •Programme handbook defining the aims and objectives of the

programme, the programme scheme, syllabuses, assessment scheme and assessment regulations

•Background information on the programme and its place in the department/school system of education in that subject

•Subject benchmark statement (where available) •Details of any professional, regulatory or statutory body

requirements•Previous External Examiner report and programme director’s

response•Annual Programme Evaluation •School Teaching and Learning Strategy

Types of External Examiner• Programme External Examiner• Module or subject External Examiner• Lead or chief External Examiner

• Number and range of External Examiners:•Workload•Academic diversity of the programme•FHEQ•New External Examiner mentoring•PSRB requirements•Diversity of assessments particularly where there is

performance or work based learning involved.

Role of an External Examiner•Attend award Assessment Board and approve

recommendations of the Assessment Board for submission to Senate

•Complete an Annual External Examiner Report

•Approve the assessment compiled by the internal examiners

•Review assessment materials

•Perform such other special duties as may be agreed

Academic Calendar

• Dates and times of Assessment Boards, with indication of Boards at which attendance is required

• Dates and timescales for receipt and turnaround of work, what to be received, and from whom

• Dates for visits to the University to review work, meet students etc

School process for annual reportsWhat happens to them?

Academic Services receive your report within two weeks of the Assessment Board. The report is annotated to help the University be aware of good practice and ascertain whether there are any common issues within Schools.

The report is then sent to the programme team who prepare a response which is considered at the School’s APPSC/BOS before being sent to you. Students will be present at this meeting.

External Examiner reports are also available on the City’s intranet for students to see.

Assessment Regulations and PoliciesThe University has a set of policies and regulations that cover allprogrammes and provide additional guidance

These have been regularly reviewed

In the main all programmes adhere to these however there is amechanism of being able to gain an exception where required forprofessional reasons

The Assessment and Feedback Policy document provides guidance for aspects such as developing assessment, marking and moderating, responsibilities and academic misconduct, extenuating circumstances and appeals

Submission of student work• Many schools now use on line submission but we still have

some physical submission of coursework and some performance aspects such practice assessments

• The University does have turnitin however there is no standard policy for use at present.

• There is a University Assessment Working Group which is currently looking at how student appeals and extenuating circumstances claims are managed. This is with a view to ensuring fairness to all students and the proper maintenance of academic standards.

Marking and Moderation• The University has moved to a policy of first marking and

moderation in many departments although there is some second marking.

• Second marking is mostly still on assessments such as dissertations and portfolios

• In relation to feedback there has been a lot of development of this over the last few years but one of the key areas is reducing the time from submission to feedback now 3 weeks

Assessment and Feedback Policy

This policy was revised and approved in June 2010. The policy covers additional guidance for assessment such as:

•Assessment criteria and grade related criteria

•More advice on marking and moderating

•Advice on Assessment Boards

•Advice on Feedback

Useful Websites

The Higher Education Academy have an area on theirwebsite just for external examining.http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/external-examining

QAA websitehttp://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Pages/Quality-Code-Chp-B7-External-examining.aspx

Any Questions?