Middlesex University

1
Middlesex University

• External Examiner Workshop
• The Assessment Process
• Colin Davis
• Academic Registry
• November 2007

2
Scope

• This presentation covers the assessment process
  for Middlesex qualifications
• This will include programmes delivered at
  Middlesex campuses, and also those delivered
  under joint and franchise collaborations in the
  UK and overseas
• Also included are validated programmes which have
  adopted Middlesex arrangements for assessment

3
Topics

• Campuses and Schools
• Assessment Boards
• Programme Progression
• Committees
• Timing of Boards
• Structure of degrees
• Module Grades and Administrative grades
• Re-assessment and deferred assessment
• Compensation
• Extenuating Circumstances and Deferrals
• Plagiarism
• Classification of degrees

4
Session 1 1st tier boards, role of external
examiner, 20-point scale

• Separate regulations for UG and PG students
• Sections A,B,C,E differ
• Section D relates to external examiners
  responsibilities

5
Campuses and Schools

• Campuses
• Hendon, Trent Park, Cat Hill, Enfield, Archway,
  Dubai
• Other (collaborative programmes)
• Schools
• Computing Science, MUBS
• Arts Education, HSSC
• Student
• has one base campus
• studies a programme owned by one school

6
School Structure

• A School has several Departments, each with a
  Head of Department (HoD)
• A Department has several groups, or clusters of
  Programmes, each with a Director of Programmes
  (DoP)
• Each Programme has a Programme Leader (PL)

7
Subjects and Programmes

• Each module in the university belongs to one
  Subject
• e.g. module code PSY3000
• belongs to the PSYchology Subject
• is at level 3 (Honours)
• Each Programme is made up of modules drawn from
  one or more Subjects

8
Two-tier system of Assessment Boards (D)

• Subject Boards (1st tier)
• confirm module grades
• Programme Progression
• Committee (2nd tier)
• decide students progression
• School Assessment
• Board (2nd tier)
• award final qualifications

9
Subject Assessment Board (D1)

• Membership
• Chair (Member of the School -NOT the Director of
  Programmes)
• External examiner(s)
• Internal examiners
• Overseas campus rep.
• Secretary (Assessment Manager or nominee)
• Terms of Reference
• Nature of assessment
• Award grades
• Recommendations of class to
• second tier (School) board

10
Timing of UndergraduateBoards (E1)

• September starters
• June main Boards
• September resit Boards
• January starters
• July main Boards
• September resit Boards
• Year 2 UG commences in September
• Summer School
• September main Boards
• June resit boards

11
Timing of PostgraduateBoards (E1)

• TAUGHT MODULES
• September starters
• June main Boards
• September resit Boards
• January starters
• July main Boards
• September resit Boards
• DISSERTATION
• September starters
• Nov/ Dec main Boards
• January starters
• February main Boards

12
Credit points and the 20 point Grading Scale (E5)

• Used for all modules within Middlesex programmes,
  including joint and franchise arrangements.
• Also used on those validated programmes which
  have adopted Middlesex credit point and grading
  structures.

13
Structure of Full-Time Honours degree (A)

• YEAR 1
• YEAR 2

Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
Module 4
Module 5
Module 6
Module 7
Module 8
Module 9
Module 10
Module 11
Module 12
14
Structure of Full-Time Masters degree (A)
YEAR 1
Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
Module 4
Dissertation module
Module 30 credits Dissertation 60
credits Masters 180 credit points (inc 150 at
level 4 30- at level 3) 12 months
(normally) See table in section A for credit
point requirements for a variety of
qualifications
15
Module grades (E5)
16
Administrative grades (E5)
17
Re-assessment / deferred assessment (E7)

• Failure of a module (grades 17,18,19,20) results
  in a re-assessment opportunity in the exam,
  coursework or both
• Deferral of exam/coursework is also possible
• Example codes
• RE, RC, RA, DE, DC, DA
• DERC etc.

18
Compensation (E10)

• Modules at grade 17 or 18 may be compensated
• Subject to satisfactory overall performance
• By PPC (normally not above level 2) or School
  Assessment Board (NOT Subject Board)
• 30 points at level 1 (60 if learning outcomes
  met)
• 30 points at level 2 (60 if extenuating
  circumstances).
• Maximum 30 points for Masters

19
Module mark sheet (subject board)LAW2000
20
Submission of extenuating circumstances (D9)

• Submitted by the student to the assessment
  manager (campus student office). S/he will decide
  whether to grant deferral of assessment
• Considered by PPCs in making progression
  decisions School Assessment Boards in making
  awards

21
Deferral of modules (E8)

• Granted centrally on campuses by assessment
  managers, for exams, coursework or both, on a
  module by module basis, based on extenuating
  circumstances submitted

22
Session 2operation of 2nd tier boards
23
Progressing Student Subject Assessment Board
PPC

• At the end of each semester
• His/her module grades are decided by (one or
  more) Subject Assessment Boards, then
• His/her overall progression decided by (one)
  Programme Progression Committee
• Assessment grades and progression decision are
  published for each
• student

24
Programme Progression Committee (D1)

• Membership
• Chair
• Associate Dean or independent nominee
• Director of Programmes
• Programme Leaders
• Secretary
• Terms of Reference
• consider all progressing students on campus
  decide academic standing
• make recommendations on regulations relating to
  progression

25
Finalist Student

• At the end of the final yearof the programme
• His/her module grades are decided by (one or
  more) Subject Assessment Boards, then
• the final award is made by the School Assessment
  Board
• The conferred qualification is published

26
School Assessment Board (D1)

• Membership
• Chair
• Associate Dean or nominee
• External examiners (normally two)
• Internal examiners
• Directors of Programmes/ Programme leaders
• Overseas campus rep.
• Secretary DoRS or nominee
• Terms of Reference
• to make award decisions for finalists
• Make recommendations on assessment
  policy/regulations

27
Academic Misconduct (section F)

• Reported to Chair of the Subject Assessment Board
  (U grade)
• Referred to Academic Registrar at MU for
  investigation
• If disputed by student, investigation panel
  ensues
• Registrar recommends penalty to Assessment Board
• P grade penalties
• Applies to all programmes include all
  collaborative programmes
• Delegated responsibility to some collaborative
  partners

28
Classification of Honours degrees (E4.4)

• 2 profiles based on
• level 2 and above (220 points)
• level 3 and above (120 points)
• To achieve a class in a profile, a student must
  achieve one of
• 50 of credits in that class,
• 35 in class and 25 on border
• 25 in class and 50 on border
• Rules for borderline profiles
• Where profiles conflict, there are rules to
  decide class (E4.4)

29
Classification of Masters degrees (E4.6)

• 1 profile based on level 4
• Minimum 60 graded credit points
• Distinction
• 60 pt dissertation grade 3
• 50 remaining credit grade 4
• Merit
• 60 pt dissertation grade 7
• 50 remaining credit grade 8
• Rules for borderline profile

30
Considering extenuating circumstances (D8)

• Subject Boards
• Extenuating circumstances do not alter grades
• Finalist boards
• Considered when there is poor performance in a
  given module or modules
• Class considered when
• both profiles are on a borderline (or if there is
  only one profile, this is on a borderline), or
• both profiles give different, but clear,
  classification
• Level 2 clear, level 3 upper border
• But note D6, General Discretion

31
Example finalist profiles

• Honours degree finalist
• see example sheet
• Masters finalist
• see example sheet

32
Transition Regulations 06/07

• Third attempt at assessment
• Compensation
• CPCs compensate all levels
• 60 pts total for hons degrees
• Note iv compensation possible where
  re-assessment not taken
• 80 credits each semester
• Masters dissertation in parallel with taught
  modules
• 350 credits for Hons
• 170 credits for Masters, to avoid delay