Supporting Examination Boards

1
Supporting Examination Boards

• A briefing for administrative staff
• Colin Clark
• Assistant Registrar, Student Progress and
  Assessment Office
• Summer 2009
• www.sussex.ac.uk/sas/ugexamadmin

2
Agenda

• Finals (Classification) Exam Boards
• Finals marks input
• Preparation for marks assurance
• Preparation for borderline scrutiny
• Preparation for classification meeting
• During classification meeting
• Communication with SPA after classification
  meeting
• Publication of pass lists
• Progression Exam Boards
• Progression marks input
• Preparation for marks assurance
• Preparation for progression meeting
• Communication with SPA after classification
  meeting
• Publication of pass lists
• Informing students of resit requirements
• Resit Exam Boards
• Web reports
• Repeats
• Communication of repeats/failures to SPA

3
Finalists marks input

• Coursework
• All finalists coursework marks must be sent to
  exams system by end of day on Friday 5th June.
• Arts
• All marks sheets must be returned to the SPA by
  end of day on Wednesday 10th June.
• Science
• All finalists marks must be input by end of day
  on Friday 12th June.
• Externals marks
• All finalist marks moderated by externals must be
  returned to the SPA by end of day on Monday 8th
  June
• MEC decisions
• All finalist MEC decisions must be recorded on
  the database by end of day on Wednesday 17th June.

4
Finalists - Marks Assurance

• Thurs 18th or Fri 19th June (Marks must be ready
  by 19th for marks assurance, but may be ready
  earlier, CC to advise at the time)
• Print and copy boxplot report emailed by Colin
  Clark (will be sent Saturday 20th June unless
  meeting is earlier than 20th)
• Run and print Department Marks Analysis report
• Run and print Marks Detail report

5
Finalists marks assurance outputs

• SPA (Colin Clark) must be told at the end of the
  marks assurance process either
• Which marks to change
• List of changed marks for course/assessment by
  candidate number
• Or unambiguous specification of how to scale
  marks (be clear about or percentage points)
• Rationale for change
• Or a message to say no marks need to be changed
• Note SPA input all changes to marks for Arts and
  Science
• On the afternoon of Tuesday 23rd June there is a
  period called an armistice between marks
  assurance and classification boards when SPA
  input changed marks. During this time no reports
  should be run.
• Formal minutes can follow later either as
  standalone minutes of the marks assurance meeting
  or embedded as an item in the classification
  meeting minutes

6
Finalists Borderlines

• Fri 19th June at the earliest
• Run rank list and select candidates in the
  borderline
• Use this list to prepare scripts for borderline
  scrutiny on Weds 24th June
• Print draft marks arrays to check for
  completeness/problems
• Borderline Scrutiny in D640
• Contact SPA as soon as you can with requirements
  for scripts to be unearthed from our archive

7
Preparation for Classification meeting

• All Boards except Philosophy, Biochemistry,
  Psychology, Informatics, Mathematics, Physics
  Astronomy, Biology and Environmental Science,
  Chemistry will have final marks arrays ready to
  print on the morning of Tuesday 23rd June.
• The remaining arrays will be ready to print on
  the morning of Weds 24th June.
• All arrays should be ready by 730am.
• Print arrays (anonymous for board members, named
  for board officers and admin)
• Print rank list
• Print impairment report
• Print set aside report
• Print 39n report
• Run pass list for export to excel
• Run all marks report if required by board for any
  candidates

8
During classification meeting

• Use a copy of a marks array to record the
  following for each candidate
• Any courses with mark of 39.n where board decides
  to award credit (note mark is not rounded up,
  just award credit)
• Any courses for which the board awards general
  credit in compensation (record amount and level
  of general credit)
• Any courses/lack of courses for which the board
  wishes to use University Credit
• Any marks the board sets aside
• Any change to the predicted classification
• This copy should be taken to the SPA a.s.a.p
  after the end of the meeting
• Minutes must be sent to SPA as soon as
  practically possible as they may be needed for
  appeals. Must include clear minutes for general
  credit (esp if not given!), set asides and
  borderline decisions

9
After classification meeting

• Deliver the following (by hand dont put them in
  the internal mail - too slow) to the SPA
• Annotated marks array
• Pass list (ready to be signed by relevant Head of
  School Teaching and Learning Committee formally
  the Dean, except SOCCUL)
• Fail list
• List of students who will resit their finals the
  following Summer (inc list of which courses to be
  resat)
• SPA updates to database must be complete before
  4pm Friday 26th June.
• A copy of the formal minutes should follow later
  as soon as practically possible.

10
Finalists Publication of pass lists

• Pass lists must be published by 4pm Friday 26th
  June
• Pass lists may be published earlier if they are
  ready
• Pass list should be grouped into Honours and
  Ordinary
• Classification, grand mean and final year course
  results will be released to students on Sussex
  Direct at 4pm Friday 26th June

11
Progression Marks Input

• Coursework
• 1st and 2nd year coursework marks must be sent
  to exams system by end of day Friday 26th June.
• Arts
• All marks (including those sent for moderation by
  external examiner) for 1st and 2nd year students
  to SPA by end of day Friday 3rd July.
• Science
• Deadline for input of all Science 1st and 2nd
  year marks end of day Monday 6th July.
• MEC
• All mitigating evidence committee decisions must
  be recorded on database by end of day on Friday
  10th July

12
Progression Marks Assurance

• Friday 10th July
• Marks must be ready by 10th July for marks
  assurance
• Print and copy boxplot report emailed by Colin
  Clark (most will be emailed Sat 11th July)
• Run and print Department Marks Analysis report
  same as for finalists
• Run and print Marks Detail report same as for
  finalists

13
Progression Marks Assurance - Outputs

• SPA must be told at the end of the marks
  assurance process either
• Which marks to change
• List of changed marks for course/assessment by
  candidate number
• Rationale for change
• Or a message to say no marks need to be changed
• On the pm of Tuesday 14th July there is a period
  called an armistice between marks assurance and
  classification boards when SPA input changed
  marks
• Note SPA make all changes to marks for Arts and
  Science

14
Progression Draft Arrays

• It will be possible to print draft marks arrays
  from Wednesday 8th July
• Print draft arrays and look for missing
  marks/problems

15
Preparation for progression meeting

• Tues 14th July final versions of progress arrays
  and related reports will be ready by 730am for
  all but the following boards
• English History Media Music Philosophy
• Anthropology Economics Sociology
• Biology and Environmental Science Chemistry
  Psychology
• Engineering Design Informatics Mathematics
  Physics Astronomy
• Management
• Final versions of arrays for the boards listed
  above will be available by 730am on Wednesday
  15th July
• Print marks arrays (anonymous version for board
  members, named version for board officers and
  admin)
• Run new resit pro forma
• Print impairment report
• Print set aside report
• Print 39n report
• Run pass list for export to excel
• Run all marks report if required by board

16
During progression meeting

• Use a copy of a marks array to record the
  following for each candidate
• Any courses with mark of 39.n where board decides
  to award credit
• Any courses for which the board awards general
  credit in compensation (record amount and level
  of general credit)
• Any course/lack of course for which the board
  wishes to use University credit
• Any marks the board sets aside
• This copy should be taken to the SPA a.s.a.p
  after the end of the meeting
• Resit requirements should be recorded in the new
  resit pro forma
• Clearly minute decisions about set asides and
  general credit especially if general credit is
  not given

17
New Resit Pro Forma
18
New Resit Pro Forma

• Retake Type
• RE Resit, ORE Optional Resit or SI Sit
• Retake Mode(s)
• Record the modes that the student needs to retake
  here
• Cf Mode(s)
• Record any modes for which the marks should be
  brought forward here
• Cf Mark(s)
• Record the marks to be brought forward here

19
After progression meeting

• Deliver the following (by hand dont put them in
  the internal mail - too slow) to the SPA
• Annotated marks array
• Progression list
• Fail list
• Completed resit requirements sheets
• SPA updates to database must be complete before
  12pm Friday 17th July.
• Minutes should be with the SPA as soon as
  practically possible

20
Progression Publication of pass lists

• Progression lists must be published by 12pm
  Friday 17th July
• Progression lists may be published earlier if
  they are ready
• Course results will be released to students on
  Sussex Direct at 12pm Friday 17th July
• The deadline is set at midday so that student
  have a chance of getting advice about their
  situation during the afternoon rather than being
  left to stew all weekend

21
Progression Resit Letters

• Dept writes to student letting them know they
  will be sitting or resitting in September. Note
  students no longer have the option to repeat
  without going through resits.
• SPA write with exact details of resits by 1st
  August.
• Submitted work will be due by 4pm on Thu 3rd
  September 2009.
• Resit timetable published by end of 2nd week in
  August. Students can find their personalised
  timetable on Sussex Direct
• Resit exams take place between Monday 7th
  September and Friday 18th September

22
Resits Web Reports

• Marks assurance not done, except to check a list
  of marks for each course (web report Resit Marks
  List)
• Student Engagement web reports
• Relative attendance
• Relative coursework submission
• Relative formal submission/exam attendance

23
Resits Offer of repeat

• Offer of repeat year of study is now at
  discretion of exam board.
• Exam board to consider
• Academic potential
• Evidence of student engagement with study
• Mitigating circumstances

24
Communication of Repeats/Fails to SPA

• New automated spreadsheet to assist with
  selection of repeat/fail scenarios appropriate to
  students programmes
• (demo)
• You may still use old spreadsheet if you prefer

25
AOB/Questions

• Web reports index
• www.sussex.ac.uk/sas/ugexamadmin
• Full guide to content of exam board web reports
• www.sussex.ac.uk/sas/ugexambriefing
• Cover Sheets (Key) for marks arrays
• www.sussex.ac.uk/sas/ugexamadmin