UCL’s External Examining Process
Information for staff
The changes to the External Examining process do not affect the administration of Boards of
Examiners (BoE). All changes are effective from Summer 2015.
Key Changes
The key changes that External Examiners (EE) and colleagues should be aware of are listed
below in brief with further details included in the following table.
1)
2)
3)
4)
Externals will be asked to structure their recommendations in the annual report (see
point 2 in the table).
The reporting procedure to respond to the recommendations provided by the
Externals will include Academic Services, Faculty and Departmental staff members
(see point 3 in the table).
UCL will publish a list of all appointed External Examiners’; this will be available to all
staff and students (see point 5 in the table).
External Examiners reports and Departmental responses from Summer 2015 Boards
of Examiners meetings will be made available to students via Portico (see point 6 in
the table).
Changes to External Examining Process
1
2
Who will be
affected /involved
The revised EE report template will include a *External
section with a checklist of questions and a
Examiners
section for EE to record tiered
*Departments
recommendations (Essential, Advisable and *Chairs of BoE
Desirable) to categorise the severity of
*Board
issues.
Administrators
Effective
From:
Summer 2015
(June
onwards)
The revised EE reporting process will involve
Academic Services reviewing and approving
Essential recommendations before
requesting a response from the Departments.
*Academic
Services
*Faculty Tutors
*Departments
*Chairs of BoE
*Board
Administrators
Summer 2015
(June
onwards)
*Faculty Tutors
*Departments
*Chairs of BoE
*Board
Administrators
*Students
Summer 2015
(June)
The Faculty Tutors will be supporting
Departments draft a formal response to the
Essential recommendations.
3
Key change: Colleagues are advised not to
provide any formal comments on Portico for
Essential recommendations until approved
by Academic Services and Faculty Tutors.
All comments added to the report submitted
by the EE will eventually be available to
students as well as the EE and therefore the
reporting function on Portico will now be used
as a formal mechanism for responding to EE.
A designated member of staff must be
responsible for ensuring the response is
placed on Portico.
1
Academic Services
June 2015
UCL’s External Examining Process
Information for staff
4
Changes to External Examining Process
Who will be
affected /involved
Effective
From:
Colleagues will be provided with step by step
guidance to assist them in responding to EE
reports. The response will be required within
a tight timeframe and will be specified in the
guidance (please refer to the document: Main
Steps – Response to External Examiner
Reports).
*Departments
*Chairs of BoE
*Board
Administrators
*Departments
*Faculty Tutors
Summer 2015
(June)
A template has been provided by Academic
Services for Departments to record formal
responses to EE recommendations and
circulate widely to staff and students. It will
be required to be submitted as part of the
Annual Student Experience Review process
(ASER).
5
Key Change: In line with QAA’s Quality
Code Chapter B7 Indicator 8, the names of
External Examiners’ and Institution will be
made available to students, via a list
published and updated annually on the UCL
website, within the UG and PGT programmes
pages of the Academic Regulations and
Guidance webpage. Staff can direct students
to this page for information about External
Examiners for their module.
*Students
*External
Examiners
*Module /
Programme
Administrators /
Boards of
Examiners
Administrators
*UCLU
*Student and
Registry Services
(assessments
team)
Summer 2015
(June)
6
Key Change: In line with QAA’s Quality
Code Chapter B7 Indicator 14, all External
Examiners’ reports and Departmental
responses will be made available to students
on Portico (and where appropriate, to partner
institutions).
*External
Examiners
*Departments
*Chairs of BoE
*Board
Administrators
*Academic
Services
*Students
*UCLU
*Student and
Registry Services
(assessments
team)
Summer 2015
(July / August)
Externals should consider any reference to
individuals ensures their anonymity when
completing the report and Chairs and Board
Administrators should remind Externals of
this at the Boards of Examiners meetings.
Externals should be given an opportunity to
raise confidential matters at the meeting of
the Board of Examiners.
The External Examiner’s report will be made
available to relevant colleagues in
2
Academic Services
June 2015
UCL’s External Examining Process
Information for staff
Changes to External Examining Process
Departments, Faculties and Central teams
too.
The ‘closed’ report which will include the
Department’s response will be available to
Externals as well as to students.
Academic Services has suggested guidance
that staff could give to students (please refer
to the document: UCL guidance to students –
EE reports and responses).
3
Academic Services
June 2015
Who will be
affected /involved
Effective
From: