Section F: interpretation and significant disruption

69.1 Staff who need guidance on the taught assessment regulations, beyond that provided in the regulations and associated guidance, should contact the relevant College Office, Dean and/or the Academic Policy Officer with responsibility for the Academic Policy and Regulations Committee:

Academic Policy and Regulations Committee

Application of the regulation

70.1 Significant disruption can be extremes of weather, loss of facilities, and factors beyond the University’s control which have an impact on the assessment of students.  This may result in Boards of Examiners only having partial results available.

70.2 In response to individual significant disruptions that may have a widespread impact on assessment, the University will adopt a communication strategy for students, staff and key external stakeholders, e.g. External Examiners, to ensure that they are aware of the measures that are adopted.

70.3 All forms of assessment, such as examination scripts and course assignments, are the property and responsibility of the University, not of individual examiners or markers.  They therefore must be accessible to the University when required.

70.4 Drawing on previous experience [APRC 14/15 2 C], the issues and regulations where APRC may consider concessions include, but are not limited to:

(a) External Examiners: number appointed; commenting on examination papers; participation in Boards: confirmation of results [Taught Assessment Regulations 5, 8.1(a), 38, 39.1, 39.2, 39.6, 62.3(e), 63]

(b) Ensuring that there is appropriate external input for relevant decisions, for example, External Examiners provide an important quality assurance function in the assessment process.  If an External Examiner is unable to act then that quality assurance function still needs to be carried out;

(c) Board of Examiners’ quorum [TAR 39, 39.1];

(d) Progression requirements and timing of progression decisions [TAR 51, 52, 56, 56.1(a) and Degree regulations on Progression and Permissible Load];

(e) Feedback schedules [TAR 16].

71.1 Where Boards have sufficient evidence to make decisions then the decision will be made and will stand, unless subsequent information becomes available which it would be in the student’s academic interest for the Board to consider.

71.2 Situations may arise in which assessment results are unavailable for particular elements of assessment for all students or for only some students. Such elements of assessment may become available after the disruption is over.

71.3 Within the limits described below, Boards are empowered to make decisions in the absence of assessment results which are expected to become available at a later date.

71.4 At the start of the meeting to determine course outcomes, the Board of Examiners must agree on any specific elements of assessment without whose marks they cannot proceed to determine a student’s result for the course. Before making such a decision, the Board should consider carefully whether there is sufficient other information already available to allow it to take a view on such elements of assessment.  If it is not possible to determine a result or decision then the Board will reconvene when information is available.

71.5 Where a very high proportion of the assessment results are available for a course for an individual student, it is possible that the Board may decide it is able to determine a student’s marks and grades for the course. The Board must be satisfied that, in its academic judgement, the mark and grade assigned is correct, and that the outcome will not need to be changed when further assessment results become available.

71.6 As a guide, where results for less than four-fifths (by weighting) of the assessment for a course are available for an individual student, it is unlikely that the Board will be able to determine a mark or grade for the course for that individual.  However, if at least half of the assessment results are available, then the Board may decide it is able to confirm a pass for the student. If unable to reach a decision, even on a pass, the Board should record that insufficient information on which to make a decision was available at that time.  When further results become available the Board will need to reconvene to determine the appropriate mark and grade.

71.7 Where less than half of the assessment results are available for a course for an individual student, it is unlikely that the Board will have sufficient information to reach any decision, even on a pass, and the Board may need to record that insufficient information on which to make a decision was available at that time.  When further results become available the Board will need to reconvene to determine the appropriate mark and grade.

71.8 No Board should return a fail decision in a situation where any unavailable assessment results will become available at a later date, unless it is absolutely clear that even passes at 100% in the unavailable assessments would not be sufficient to turn a fail into a pass.

71.9 Boards of Examiners responsible for progression and award decisions may be required to make decisions on these matters where students have incomplete or unreliable profiles of course results. This may occur where students have yet to receive final results for some courses; or where students have been awarded a pass but not a mark or grade for some courses; or where marks for some courses are not regarded as a reliable indicator of students’ ability due to disruption. In some circumstances, Boards may be in a position to address this using existing provisions of these regulations, such as the award of credit on aggregate for Honours and postgraduate taught students. Boards may also consider excluding missing or adversely affected course results when making calculations regarding credit on aggregate, progression, award, Honours degree classification, and the award of Merit and Distinction on postgraduate taught degrees. Boards may also wish to take account of the impact of disruption for students who are in the borderline for progression or award purposes.

71.10 Once all assessment results are available, Boards should reconvene at the earliest possible opportunity to determine outstanding marks, grades, and progression and award decisions and to review the status of any decisions where significant information is now available.