Guidelines for the Appointment and Payment of
Experts External to the University
For Programme Approval and Review
The notes below are intended to assist Academic Quality Officers when dealing with
the appointment and payment of External Experts to Programme Approval and Review
Panels.
The Approval of External Experts to the Panel

Form EE1, Application for Approval of an External Expert on a Programme
Approval and Review Panel, should be completed by the nominating
department and returned to the Academic Quality Officer (AQO).

Current Curriculum Vitae for the nominated External Expert should be attached.

A request for details of the External’s bank account, employment status, NI and
date of birth is included on the application form. No appointment will be
approved until the necessary payment information is provided.

The External Examiners & External Experts Sub-committee will consider all
applications for appointment and make recommendations for approval to
Learning & Teaching Committee. In exceptional circumstances approval of
appointments will take place by Chair’s Action.

A central database of External Expert appointments will be kept by the
Academic Quality & Partnerships Office using the University central system,
SAINT.

Externals must be present at all periodic review meetings and at all meetings of
the Panel which consider new programmes within their subject area. Very
exceptionally, the Pro-vice-Chancellor for Learning and Teaching may permit an
External to respond via a written report if they are unable to attend the
programme event.

It is the responsibility of the AQO to send programme proposals to External
Experts for their consideration and to arrange their attendance at Programme
Approval and Review Panel meetings or Periodic Review meetings.

Details of each proposal considered (if exceptionally the External were
permitted to provide a written report) and each meeting attended by the
External Expert should be entered by the Academic Quality & Partnerships
Office team on form EE3, Payment of an External Expert for participation in the
programme quality assurance process.

Payments for consideration of programme proposals and attendance at
meetings and reviews will be after each event.
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The Payment of External Experts to Panels
In order for External Experts to receive payment of fees gross of any tax or National
Insurance deductions, evidence from the Inland Revenue or National Insurance
collector that substantiates their self-employed status must be provided when their
appointment is approved. This information will be kept on file by the Academic Quality
& Partnerships Office and the Finance Department; Externals are only required to
provide this documentation once.
Without such documentation, payment will be processed through the University payroll
department with tax and national insurance deducted as appropriate.
The University currently pays fees to external experts after each event and this will
continue. However, where their participation in the programme quality assurance
process looks likely to accumulate a fee in excess of the NI lower limit, which is
currently £424 per month, they should be paid at a point of participation in the process
to ensure that they do not incur additional NI contributions.
If Externals hold a National Insurance exemption certificate, they will be asked to
submit a copy so that the University may exempt them from NI payments.
All Externals will be asked, via the approval form, for this information at the point of
appointment. When arranging for payment for an External Expert the Academic
Quality & Partnerships Office team will be asked to indicate on the EE3 form whether
or not an External holds self-employed status or an NI exemption form.

If the External Expert is self employed this form should be submitted to Angela
Sowerbutts in the Creditors section of the Finance Department.

If the External Expert is to be paid via the payroll this form should be submitted
to Margaret Burgan in Salaries
External Experts’ fees will be paid by the Academic Quality & Partnerships Office after
each event from cost centre code 65103.
Claims for travel expenses and accommodation will be paid as and when they arise,
and should be sent by the External Expert to the AQO for the School concerned;
however, these expenses will be paid by the relevant Schools. AQOs should retain
copies of the receipts and send the originals to the Associate Dean or School
Administrator of the School concerned.
Cost Centre Codes
Please enter the appropriate cost centre code when submitting the relevant form.
For use on EE3 – Claims for Fees: 65103 (pre-printed)
AQU
Produced: November 2006
Updated: January 2011
Updated July 2013 SL
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