1. Undergraduate Examination Board Briefing 2015-2016 Prof Chris LANGLEY Chair – RSC Dominic STONE Secretary – RSC 25 th April 2016 Slide 1

2. Programme for the session Introduction and Welcome Questions Slide 2 Undergraduate Examination Board Briefing 2015-2016 PROGRAMME FOR THE SESSION Changes to Regulations from 2014/15 Clarifications from the year

3. Training for Boards of Examiners Advice to Boards of Examiners. The Senate has agreed that annual updating/training should be offered to all Chairs, Deputy Chairs and Secretaries of Examination Boards. This is to ensure that the decision-making of Boards of Examiners is consistent and in accordance with current Regulations and best practice. Slide 3 INTRODUCTION Undergraduate Examination Board Briefing 2015-2016

4. Classification borderlines - undergraduate Changes for all undergraduate programmes (including integrated Master’s programmes). Undergraduate Taught Programmes: Based on contributing “units”. Transition arrangements in place until 2017-2018. Award data monitored by RIG – reported to RSC. Changes to General Regulations: 2014-2015 General Regulations updated. Further clarification updates to 2015-2016 General Regulations. Renaming of Undergraduate General Regulations. General Regulations for Undergraduate Programmes and Integrated Master’s Programmes. Slide 4 UPDATE ON ROBED PROJECT Undergraduate Examination Board Briefing 2015-2016

5. 2015-2016 General Regulations (UG/IM) Clarification of Regulation 10.2.3 (and 10.3.2 for IMs). 10.2.3 Borderline candidates a Candidates who are 0.5% or less below a boundary will be promoted automatically to the higher class. b Candidates whose mark falls within a 2.0% band below automatic promotion will be considered for promotion to the higher class. Where R10.2.3.b applies: Any candidate who has 50% or more of the 16 eligible units in the higher classification should be promoted automatically. The 16 eligible units are: 12 units representing the final stage weighted appropriately, i.e. 20 credit modules count as 2 credit units; 2 units representing the average mark for the second academic stage (normally Stage 2); 2 units representing the average mark for the placement. Or If a candidate does not have 16 eligible units (as defined in R10.2.3) ineligible units (e.g. credit from Recognised Prior Learning or other credit without marks) are removed from the calculation and promotion is based on achieving the higher classification in 50% or more of the remaining units. Slide 5 UPDATE ON ROBED PROJECT Undergraduate Examination Board Briefing 2015-2016

6. Condonement Changes for all undergraduate programmes (including integrated Master’s programmes). Minimum thresholds (Regulation 6.5): Increasing the minimum thresholds for condonement to 35% for undergraduate modules (levels 4, 5 and 6) and to 45% for integrated Master’s modules (level 7). Undergraduate Programmes (Regulation 6.4): 60 credits in total across all stages of a Batchelor’s programme. 80 credits in total across all stages of an integrated Master’s programme. Transition arrangements in place – rolling through for 2014-2015 entrants. Slide 6 UPDATE ON ROBED PROJECT Undergraduate Examination Board Briefing 2015-2016

7. Exceptional circumstances Exceptional Circumstances claims which are judged to meet University Regulations will be addressed by taking appropriate action specific to the individual module(s)/assessment(s) concerned whenever possible … (Regulation 8.5). “Unspent” ECs (see Regulation 8.6): Exceptional Circumstances which meet University Regulations will not be addressed using condonement. If a candidate has ‘unspent’ Exceptional Circumstances and there is evidence of reasonable performance elsewhere in their profile the Board of Examiners may decide to increase the borderline band for degree classification for the candidate, taking into account the learning outcomes of the programme. If a candidate has ‘unspent’ Exceptional Circumstances the Board of Examiners may decide that a failed assessment should be attempted as if for the first time, or, accept a module mark which is based on completed components based on a mapping of the module learning outcomes against the assessments. Slide 7 UPDATE ON ROBED PROJECT Undergraduate Examination Board Briefing 2015-2016

8. Other Changes to Programme Regulations Minor update to Aston Credit and Qualifications Framework (CQF). Re-instate the award of the Aston Foundation Diploma for Foundation Year (Level 3 programmes) following requests from Schools. Foundation Diplomas have been awarded in 2014-15 on the basis of an RSC Exemption from Regulations. Additional changes to General Regulations for Undergraduate Programmes and Integrated Master’s Programmes: To clarify (Regulation 1.9) that trailed modules are included in their original Stage for the purpose of General Regulations e.g. condonement regulations. RPL limit for Integrated Master’s Programmes increased to 75% to allow direct entry to final stage (as with BSc) (Regulation 2.2). Clarification of placement percentage (10%) for integrated Master’s programmes (Regulation 10.3.1). Slide 8 OTHER CHANGES TO REGULATIONS Undergraduate Examination Board Briefing 2015-2016

9. Other Changes to General Regulations (1) Slide 9 Undergraduate Examination Board Briefing 2015-2016 OTHER CHANGES TO REGULATIONS Changes to Regulation 2.7 of the General Regulations for the Conduct of Boards of Examiners with regard to viva voce examinations. Regulation 2.7.5 An exceptional viva voce examination may be required with the explicit approval of the relevant Associate Dean. Regulation 2.7.4 Examinations, including general viva voce, will not normally be held outside of Aston University’s term-dates and other examination periods approved by the Senate unless there is a good reason to do so.

10. Other Changes to General Regulations (2) Changes to Fitness to Study Regulations. Revision of Paragraph 17: In cases where evidence may be required concerning prescribed medicines that are relevant to the case, the medical evidence provided must be from the prescribing doctor or consultant healthcare professional. Slide 10 Undergraduate Examination Board Briefing 2015-2016 Revision of Paragraph 7. Where possible the University will seek to obtain the student’s written consent to invoking these provisions. The University reserves the right to apply a precautionary exclusion, as described in Section B3 of the Regulations on Student Discipline, until such time as consent is given or the student can demonstrate that their behaviour will no longer cause the University concern. OTHER CHANGES TO REGULATIONS

11. Other Changes to General Regulations (3) Changes to Regulations on Student Discipline (1). New Regulation C1.5: In cases where it is suspected that a student has conspired to create or has commissioned or purchased from someone else a piece of written work as defined above, it should be noted that this type of offence will usually be handled by a University Disciplinary Board and the recommended penalty will normally be that of expulsion from the University. Slide 11 Undergraduate Examination Board Briefing 2015-2016 Addition of the following offences to Regulation C1.2: Impersonating a student for the purposes of assessment attendance. Allowing someone to impersonate a student for the purposes of assessment attendance. OTHER CHANGES TO REGULATIONS

12. Other Changes to General Regulations (4) Changes to Regulations on Student Discipline (2). New Regulation C2.4: The Academic Offences Officer has the right to request an exceptional viva voce examination in cases where it is suspected that a student has commissioned and/or purchased material for written assignments including project and dissertation work. The evidence from this exceptional viva voce may be used in any following disciplinary action. Slide 12 Undergraduate Examination Board Briefing 2015-2016 C2 - Role and Powers of the Academic Offences Officer OTHER CHANGES TO REGULATIONS

13. Condonement RSC received a query regarding which attempt mark to use when using condonement. The mark awarded must be from the final/most recent attempt and not an earlier attempt. A waiver of regulations can be requested for a retrospective change to a Board decision where appropriate. Slide 13 CLARIFICATIONS Undergraduate Examination Board Briefing 2015-2016

14. Repeat with/without attendance RSC has been working on ways to clarify Board of Examiners decisions regarding failure outcomes. A working group on failure decisions established that there is varied practice across Schools when deciding whether the outcome is with/without attendance. Decisions being taken must always be based on academic performance and not fee implications for students. Slide 14 CLARIFICATIONS Undergraduate Examination Board Briefing 2015-2016

15. Repeat with/without attendance Current policy: Repeat with attendance = Full fees for all credits being taken Repeat without attendance = Fees for the first 10 credits only Proposed new definition for Restart: “The decision to Restart a Stage should be used sparingly and normally only where exceptional circumstances are present. Restarting a Stage requires full attendance and all modules must be taken. Existing credits and module marks from previous attempts at the restarted Stage will be deemed void (i.e. students will begin at first attempt and all marks will be uncapped). Restart assessments are not allowed in the case of final Stage modules. (See also Regulation 7.1.3)” Slide 15 CLARIFICATIONS Undergraduate Examination Board Briefing 2015-2016

16. Introduction of a new waiver of regulations application form Waivers of Regulations Slide 16 DEVELOPMENTS IN 2015-2016 Undergraduate Examination Board Briefing 2015-2016 Review and monitoring – RSC reviews requests for Waivers of Regulations and suggests changes to the General Regulations if a particular Regulation is causing a problem. http://www.aston.ac.uk/quality/a-z/general-regulations/rsc/waivers-of- regulations/

17. Review of implementation – RSC is interested in feedback on the new Examination Board Spreadsheets. New Examination Board Spreadsheets following ROBED. Examination Board Spreadsheets External Examiners – Some feedback to date from the External Examiners – main points centre around “missing” information which is actually found elsewhere. Aim – To provide Boards of Examiners the necessary information in order to be able to make decisions on progression and recommendations of awards. Slide 17 DEVELOPMENTS IN 2015-2016 Undergraduate Examination Board Briefing 2015-2016

18. Prof Chris LANGLEY Chair – RSC Dominic STONE Secretary – RSC 25 th April 2016 Slide 18 Undergraduate Examination Board Briefing 2015-2016