MEMO
To:
Deans of Faculty
Associate Deans (Learning and Teaching)
Heads of School
Faculty and School Departmental Secretaries and Administrators
Faculty Examination Officers
Chairs of Boards of Examiners
External Examiners
Ms H Preston, Student Administration and Support
Ms A Hughes, Complaints and Appeals Manager
Professor G Bradshaw, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Learning, Teaching and
Quality)
Ms N Pierce, Academic Registrar
Ms C Moran, Director of Academic Quality and Partnerships
Staff in AQPO
FROM:
Alison Carass, Academic Quality and Partnerships Office
DATE:
9th September 2015
SUPPLEMENTARY ASSESSMENT: REQUIREMENT FOR THIRD ATTEMPTS
I write to inform you of a change to the Section11.4 of the Regulations Governing
Undergraduate Awards which was approved by the Senate at its meeting in July
2015, following consideration and recommendation by the Learning and Teaching
Committee.
During the 2012/13 academic session, the University conducted a review and
agreed changes to the way in which it calculated and classified its Degrees. As
part of this review, other changes were also made to the regulations aimed at
simplifying and streamlining practice.
One of these changes concerned the granting of third attempts at assessment.
Previously, Faculties had been required to have in place an algorithm to determine
whether third attempts should be granted to students. As these Faculty
algorithms were all different, it was agreed that there should be consistency of
practice across the University to ensure equity of treatment for students. A
University-wide regulation for the granting of third attempts was therefore
introduced which required students to achieve at least 80 credits at 40% and to
have attempted their first supplementary assessment (second attempt) in order to
be granted a third attempt. The rationale for requiring that students attended the
second attempt was the view that students who had not attended had not
demonstrated engagement with their studies and thus should forfeit any further
attempt.
An issue has arisen in relation to the second part of this requirement, that
students must have undertaken their second attempt before being granted a
third. Concerns have been raised by staff in Faculties, Chairs of Boards of
Examiners and students when making Appeals that there is an inherent ambiguity
within the regulations.
This centres on the fact that if a student does not meet the criteria to pass and
proceed (100 credits at 40% and 20 credits at 35%) then there are offered
supplementary assessment in all credits in which they have failed to achieve a
mark of at least 40%. Since currently compensation is permitted in up to 20
credits at each stage for marks in the range 35-39%, some students choose not to
re-sit credit in this band and are then falling foul of the requirement to have
undertaken their second attempt if they subsequently failed to pass and need a
third attempt. Although if a student seeks advice on their supplementary
assessment, the University position is that the student should attempt all failed
credits in order to maximise their chance of success, there is no requirement that
a student must undertake all these. Thus it has been common for students with
marks in the compensatable range to be strategic and gamble on passing other
credit which would enable such marks to be compensated. This strategy is
sometimes unsuccessful resulting in students being unable to gain an award or
progress at the supplementary Board of Examiners. Students may also miss their
second attempt for a variety of other reasons.
Thus currently, in line with this regulation, students who have not attended their
second attempt are not being allowed a third attempt which means that some
students are required to withdraw and some are transferred to the Ordinary
Degree (where offered). This has led to a significant number of Academic
Appeals. Both staff and students have complained at the lack of clarity in this
area and students in their appeals have stated that they were not aware of the
implications of not attending all the second attempts which were offered to them.
The regulation has now been reviewed and taking into account feedback on
practice in the sector and experiences within the University, the requirement to
undertake the second attempt at assessment before being awarded a third will be
removed from the Regulations Governing Undergraduate Awards.
This will take effect from the 2015/16 academic session for all students being
considered for a third attempt in that year.
I would be grateful if you could disseminate the above information to all
appropriate staff within your Faculty.
If you have any queries or require any further information please do not hesitate
to contact Ext 3897 or at a.j.carass@bradford.ac.uk
A copy of this memo can be found on the AQPO website at the following link:
http://www.bradford.ac.uk/aqpo/documents-templates-and-downloads/
under the letter ‘M’ for Memo.