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- REGULATION 8:
Regulation 8: General Regulations for University Examinations and Assessments
Guidance Notes to Regulation 8.12
Guidance on Extenuating Circumstances Regulation 8.15
Contents
2) Code of Practice on Assessment
8) Conduct of Students in Examination and In-Course Assessments
11) Conduct with Regard to Dissertation, Projects, Essays, or other like In-Course Assessments
12) Unacceptable Coursework and Academic Misconduct
14) Examinations Sat in other than Normal Examination Venues
16) Declaration of Personal Interest
19) Code of Practice on Assessment
These regulations shall apply to all examinations and assessments which contribute towards the final award in respect of students pursuing courses under Regulations 1 and 2. The following paragraphs of these regulations shall also apply to Departments/School examinations: 1, 2, 8, 12, 15, 16 and 18. In respect of all other paragraphs, Departments/Schools are advised to either adopt these paragraphs or subscribe in their internal procedures to the principles which underlie them.
1. Definitions
Relevant definitions appear in University Regulations 1 and 2.
Any reference in these regulations to a module shall be deemed also to be a reference to a unit of study. In addition, the following definitions shall apply in respect of these regulations:
Borderline: Marked on, or within two marks below, the boundary of a class.
Board of Examiners Conventions: Conventions which a Board of Examiners adopts with the approval of appropriate external examiners and which may include:
i) criteria for sampling of examination scripts and in-course assessments by external examiners;
ii) methods applied by the Board in the rounding of marks, including the stage(s) at which such rounding shall be applied, in the computation of marks;
iii) criteria upon which students may be called for a viva voce examination
Double Marking: A process whereby every script is seen by two markers and final marks are determined by agreement between the markers.
Examination Venue: A venue normally within Keele and specified by the Head of Records and Examinations as one in which an examination may be held.
Extenuating circumstances: Unforeseeable and unpreventable circumstances which may adversely affect a student's academic performance which are beyond the student's control.
Internal Moderation: The process where student work is scrutinised by a second internal examiner to check the assessment criteria has been applied consistently, that the marking scheme has been followed, where applicable and the outcomes of the assessment are fair and reliable.
Any reference in these regulations to Senate shall be deemed to include a reference to any committee of Senate designated by Senate for the purpose.
Any reference in these regulations to the Director of Planning and Academic Administration, Head of Department/School, or other named officer of the University shall be deemed to include a reference to any person designated by that officer for the purpose.
2. Code of Practice on Assessment
2.1 The University’s Code of Practice on Assessment of Student Performance forms part of these regulations and can be found in paragraph 19.3
3. Scheduling of Examinations
3.1 The Head of Records and Examinations shall be responsible for the scheduling of examinations.
3.2 The examination periods shall be set aside exclusively for the conduct of examinations and students’ private study.
3.3 The Head of Records and Examinations shall arrange for a student to be supervised for the whole of each period from the beginning of the time prescribed for any examination which he/she is forbidden to take at the prescribed time until the end of the time appointed for him/her to take that examination or, as the case may be, from the beginning of the appointed time until the end of the prescribed time.
3.4 When a student is forbidden by his/her religion to sit examinations on certain days, the student should inform the Head of Records and Examinations immediately after the publication of the examination timetable. If one or more examinations to be taken by the student is (are) scheduled so that the student is not permitted to take the examination(s) on the dates prescribed, the Head of Records and Examinations shall set a time earlier or later than the prescribed time on which the student must take the examination(s) in question. The relevant Head(s) of Department/School shall be advised of these appointed times.
3.5 If in the opinion of the Head of the Department/School any examination which would normally be taken within the provisions of 3.4 above is unsuitable to be taken under such conditions, then the Head of Department/School shall submit for approval to the Head of Records and Examinations other conditions under which the student must take either that examination or some alternative which is equivalent to it.
4. Examination Papers
4.1 The University requires that: 4.1.1 each individual tutor be personally responsible for the delivery of all examination material to the relevant Department/School; 4.1.2 complete examination papers be reviewed by the relevant Discipline Board of Examiners; 4.1.3 external examiners be sent the full documentation that is to be presented to students at each examination; 4.1.4 each examination paper be proof-read and verified by more than one member of staff in advance of approval by the Head of Department/School and prior to being submitted for printing.
4.2 The layout of examination papers should conform to the guidance issued by the Head of Records and Examinations from time to time.
4.3 Examination question papers shall be submitted for printing by the deadline specified by the Head of Records and Examinations and shall include confirmation from the Department/School that the paper has been proof-read and is therefore ready for printing.
4.4 Following the examination period, unless requested otherwise by the Head of Department/School, the Head of Records and Examinations shall deposit a copy of each examination question paper in the University Library where they shall be retained for a minimum period of ten years.
4.5 It is the responsibility of the Head of Department/School to:
4.5.1 ensure that examination scripts are securely held whilst they are being marked; and
4.5.2 make examination scripts available to the Head of Records and Examinations immediately upon request.
4.6 A student may see a copy of their examination scripts after the assessment has been considered by the relevant examination board, in order to provide students with appropriate feedback.
5. Anonymous Marking
5.1 Unless otherwise provided for under 5.5 below, anonymous marking is required for each element of in-course assessment which contributes 25% or more to the assessment of any module which counts towards the end qualification.
5.2 Where in-course assessment has a significant formative element, in order that feedback can be given within two weeks, anonymity should be lifted and the student's name should be attached to the assessed work immediately after internal first marking is completed.
5.3 Wherever possible, anonymity should be maintained until all of the assessment process, including second marking and the reconciliation of discrepancies between internal markers, is completed. Anonymity must be lifted, and the number on the work matched with the student's name, when the assessments for work marked anonymously is combined with marks for any work not marked anonymously. In all cases, anonymity must be lifted before the meeting of the Discipline Board of Examiners
5.4 All examination scripts must be marked anonymously.
5.5 The University Learning and Teaching Committee is empowered on the advice of the Faculty Learning and Teaching Committee to exempt a course, module or unit of assessment from the requirement for anonymous marking if a sufficient case is made.
5.6 Exemptions granted under 5.5 above shall apply for the lifetime of the module or course, i.e. until any significant change is made (as defined in section 5 of the Academic Quality and Standards Manual) that require approval by the Faculty Learning and Teaching Committee.
6. Internal Moderation
6. Internal Moderation
6.1 All examinations and course work are subject to internal moderation. This can be undertaken through one of three processes (see Guidance Notes). Examiners can choose which method of internal moderation to apply to each assessment component. Where Examiners determine that second marking should be used, a sample of work must be selected in accordance with Regulation 6.2. The sample should include examples of student work from across the mark range, including borderline and failing cases. Provision must be made for review of a sample of at least 20% of each assessed component.
6.2 Normally a sample of 20% of student work is selected for second marking, however;
• with small cohorts, the sample of work selected should include work from across the mark range, including borderline and failing cases, as available.
• where there are more than 150 pieces of student work in total, normally a maximum of 30 pieces of work shall be selected.
6.3 Work undertaken on an individual student basis that is also marked on an individual tutor/supervisor basis should be subject to double marking in order to ensure equity of marking. It is not required that double marking should be independent. Schools/Disciplines may, however, as part of their stated assessment strategy, require double blind marking for specific classes of work where it is deemed appropriate to the discipline.
6.4 Second marking, when selected as the method of internal moderation, should be applied to all discreet assessment components, as defined on the applicable module documentation. Where one assessment within a module comprises multiple elements, second marking may be applied to the totality of those, rather than each individual element. Schools are free to determine when to conduct the internal moderation process on each assessment component within a module, which may be before the provisional final module mark is calculated.
6.5 If there is clear evidence from the sample selected for internal moderation that there are several serious discrepancies in the marks being awarded by first and second marker, the Programme Lead should arrange for all the assessments affected; either within a specified grade band or the whole cohort, to be re-marked. The External examiner should not be involved in the determination of results.
6.6 The School’s Internal Moderation policies must be clear about the procedure to be followed in order to resolve any disagreement between first and second markers and assign a final mark for a piece of work. There should always be a form which records the marks from the markers and the process for resolution.
6.7 Students should be provided with a single mark on their assessed work, as agreed by the internal examiners and the feedback given on their performance in the assignment must be consistent with the provisional final mark.
6.8 In very exceptional cases Disciplines/Schools, with the prior agreement of the Head of Governance and Quality Assurance, may work outside the minimum requirements set by these regulations.
6.9 Where a sampling approach to internal moderation is adopted, the sample of work that is moderated would normally be the same sample sent to the external examiner. External examiners should be informed about the internal moderation process that has been followed.
7. Invigilators
7.1 Invigilators and Senior Invigilators for University examinations shall be appointed by the Head of Records and Examinations.
7.2 Senior Invigilators are designated individuals acting on behalf of the Director of Planning and Academic Administration under delegated authority and are responsible for:
7.2.1 the collection of examination papers from the Head of Records and Examinations prior to each examination;
7.2.2 the conduct of the examination from the admission of the students to the examination room until the scripts are taken by Heads of Departments/Schools or their designated nominee against a signed receipt on the production of appropriate identification, or are, exceptionally, returned to the Head of Records and Examinations for later collection;
7.2.3 the distribution of the question papers and answer books to the examination desks before the start of the examination;
7.2.4 commencing the examination promptly, making all announcements, noting the time that the examination commences and subsequently ending the examination at the appropriate time;
7.2.5 completing the attendance record of students in the examination room;
7.2.6 the verification of the identity of students in the examination room;
7.2.7 determining who is authorised to enter the examination venue and ensuring that only such individuals may enter or communicate within the examination venue
7.2.8 keeping a record of any incidents or circumstances that may need to be taken into consideration by the Board of Examiners;
7.2.9 the collection of all the answer books and verifying that the number of answer books collected matches the number of attendees;
7.2.10 ensuring all unused answer books are returned to the invigilators desk;
7.2.11 ensuring that only materials permitted by the examination rubric are brought into the examination room;
7.2.12 ensuring that all regulations and procedures are adhered to and that students are kept under constant supervision;
7.2.13 determining whether emergency procedures for evacuation should be initiated;
7.2.14 contacting the Directorate of Planning and Academic Administration in the event of a suspected breach of regulations;
7.2.15 deciding whether to exclude a student from the examination room.
7.3 Invigilators shall assist the Senior Invigilator in such tasks relating to the conduct of the examination as the Senior Invigilator shall require
8. Conduct of Students in Examination and In-Course Assessments
8.1 Any student in breach of these regulations and/or committing any act which might obtain for him/ herself or for another student an unpermitted advantage shall be regarded as cheating. Students must not, in any way, attempt to present an examination script when the script or includes material produced by any unauthorized means whatsoever. Any conduct in breach of the provisions of this paragraph may be deemed to constitute cheating within the meaning of Ordinance IV.6. Examinations such as open-book examinations, where sources are allowed or provided, are treated as coursework for the purposes of Regulation 8.12.
8.2 Personal belongings of students, including but not limited to coats and bags and mobile phones, shall be left in the place designated for this purpose at the examination venue.
8.3 Smoking is not permitted in an examination venue at any time.
8.4 Subject to such general directions as may from time to time be given by the Senate, the Head of Records and Examinations may authorize the use of equipment, tables, texts or other aids in any examination. Any such authorization shall be indicated on the rubric for the examination paper, and appropriate advance notice shall be given to all students by the examiners.
8.5 Students shall not be permitted to take to an examination desk any pencil case or similar receptacle.
8.6 Each student shall be required to place his/her Keele card on the desk in the examination venue for the duration of his/her examination. Attempts at impersonation of any candidate shall be deemed to constitute cheating within the meaning of Ordinance IV.6. Both the impersonator and the student shall be deemed to be in breach of the regulation and may be subject to disciplinary action.
8.7 Students shall be admitted to the examination venue five to ten minutes before the start of the examination, as deemed appropriate by the Senior Invigilator.
8.8 No student shall be admitted to the examination venue later than thirty minutes after the start of the examination unless the Senior Invigilator can confirm that no student has already left the examination venue, either temporarily or permanently.
8.9 No student may leave the examination venue, either temporarily or permanently, until thirty minutes after the start of the examination, save in exceptional circumstances and with the permission of an invigilator.
8.10 No student may leave the examination venue, either temporarily or permanently, during the last fifteen minutes of the examination, save in exceptional circumstances and with the permission of an invigilator.
8.11 Any student who temporarily leaves the examination venue must be accompanied by an invigilator. Any student who leaves the venue temporarily without being accompanied by an invigilator shall not be readmitted to the examination.
8.12 Before commencing the examination, each student shall be required to complete examination stationery in accordance with the instructions issued by the Senior Invigilator.
8.13 No student shall communicate with any other student in an examination venue, prior to, during or at the end of the examination on any matter or in any way whatsoever.
8.14 All answers and rough work shall be completed on the stationery provided and written legibly. With the approval of the Head of Records and Examinations, examiners shall be permitted not to mark an illegible examination script or to require the student to have the script typed at the expense of the student.
8.15 The Head of Records and Examinations or his/her authorized representative, whether an invigilator or not, may for good cause refuse to admit any student to the examination venue and exclude any student from the venue. Whether "good cause" has been established shall be at the discretion of the Head of Records and Examinations or his/her authorized representative and any breach of these regulations may be deemed to be such good cause.
8.16 Any student excluded from, or refused entry to, the examination room under the provisions of 8.15 above shall be deemed not to have attended that paper. The question of whether the student was absent with sufficient cause shall be referred by the Head of Records and Examinations to the sub-committee on examination absence and coursework as outlined in 15.7 for consideration. A student may challenge the decision of the sub-committee as outlined under Regulation 7.
8.17 When the Senior Invigilator announces the end of the examination students shall: stop writing immediately; and remain seated in silence until permitted to leave the examination venue by the Senior Invigilator.
9. Use of Electrical Aids
* 9.1 The University has an approved list of calculators which are acceptable for use in examinations; these calculators are the Casio FX-83 series; Casio FX-85 series; Casio FX-350 series; Aurora SC582 series; Texas Instruments TI30 series and Sharp EL-531 series.
The use of an approved electronic calculator will be permitted in University examinations unless specifically prohibited in the rubric of the paper, subject to the following:
i) the type of calculator used must be declared on the examination script;
ii) calculators must be available for inspection by the invigilators;
iii) instruction booklets, or any other written material relating to the operation of the calculators, shall not be permitted in the examination venue.
Calculators that are not on the approved list will not be allowed into the examination venue and will be confiscated immediately if found.
9.2 As far as possible, examinations shall be set and marked to avoid giving advantage to students who possess one type of calculator rather than another.
9.3 No other electronic aids are permitted unless specified in the rubric of the examination paper.
* regulation awaiting approval from the University Council on 7th November 2013
10. Use of Dictionaries
10.1 The use of dictionaries is not permitted in any examination unless specified otherwise in the rubric to the examination paper provided for under the provisions of section 13 below.
11. Conduct with Regard to Dissertation, Projects, Essays, or other like In-Course Assessments
11.1 Titles must be approved or specified by the School Board of Examiners concerned.
11.2 Dissertations, projects or essays or other like in-course assessments must be in the student’s own words, except for quotations from published and unpublished sources which must be clearly indicated as such and be accompanied by full details of the publications concerned. The source(s) of any map, photograph, illustrations, or similar must be similarly indicated. The student must indicate clearly the source(s); whether published or unpublished, of any material not resulting from his/her own experimentation, observation or specimen collecting, including observational data.
11.3 Dissertations are not returnable to students. Students should therefore retain a copy for their own purposes.
11.4 A student who has submitted a dissertation shall not be considered to have started final examinations for the purposes of Ordinance IV.8.
11.5 Student projects which involve the participation of human subjects must not be undertaken without the prior approval of a School Student Project Ethics Committee (or another Ethics Committee recognised for this purpose by the relevant School).
12. Unacceptable Coursework and Academic Misconduct
Guidance Notes to Regulation 8.12
12.1 Any allegation of cheating or other academic misconduct in taught courses shall be dealt with in accordance with the following procedures. Students may also be subject to Fitness to Practise procedures where relevant, which may have further consequences for the student.
12.2 Any allegation of cheating or other misconduct in an examination or allegation of cheating in an in-course assessment that does not fall within the definition of plagiarism as set out in 12.4 below, shall be reported by the invigilator, internal or external examiner to the Student Conduct Manager who, if satisfied there is a case for investigation, shall inform the student of the nature of the allegation and of the arrangements for an investigation by the Academic Misconduct Panel constituted under 12.3 below.
12.3 Any such investigation shall be carried out by the Academic Misconduct Panel consisting of a senior member of the academic staff nominated by the Vice-Chancellor as chair, the Dean or his/her nominee from the Faculty in which the alleged offence has taken place and one other Dean or his/her nominee.
12.4 Any allegation of plagiarism in an in-course assessment shall be dealt with in accordance with the following procedure. For the purpose of these Regulations, plagiarism shall be defined as the unacknowledged use by a student of someone else’s work being presented for assessment as if it were the student’s own. Plagiarism may constitute a form of academic misconduct and for the purposes of this regulation also includes but is not limited to the following:
12.4.1 collusion, where a piece of work is prepared by more than one student, including work deriving from a piece of authorised collaborative group-work, and is presented in whole or in part for assessment as if it were the student’s own work;
12.4.2 the commissioning or use of work, either published or unpublished, which is not the student’s own and representing it as if it were, without proper acknowledgement and citation of the sources;
12.4.3 purchase, commissioning or acquisition of work from a commercial service, or the attempt to do so, including internet sites, whether pre-written or specially prepared;
12.4.4 submission of a piece of work written in whole or in part by another person;
12.4.5 duplication of the same or almost identical work for more than one coursework assignment.
12.4.6 the falsification of data or sources, or falsification of official documents or their signatures, where these are used for academic benefit, which will always be dealt with by the Academic Misconduct Panel as a serious and major offence.
12.5 For the purposes of these regulations, multiple instances of alleged plagiarism in the same module shall be deemed to be individual offences.
12.6 The following roles and responsibilities shall apply in respect of alleged plagiarism
12.6.1 Academic Conduct Officer Each Department/School shall designate one member of its academic staff to fulfil the role of Academic Conduct Officer (ACO), on such terms as may be determined by Senate from time to time. One or more deputy Academic Conduct Officers shall also be designated. The Head of each Department/School shall have responsibility for the appointment of the Academic Conduct Officer and the Deputy Academic Conduct Officer; these latter shall act under the provisions of regulation 8.12 on behalf of their Head of Department/School. The Head of Governance and Quality Assurance may appoint further Academic Conduct Officers outside Departments/Schools, as appropriate. 12.6.2 Examiner Examiners, whether internal or external, who have good cause to suspect plagiarism in coursework for which they have marking responsibilities shall report such cases to the relevant Academic Conduct Officer and produce such evidence as they have in support of any allegation.
12.7 The following procedures and penalties shall apply in relation to allegations of plagiarism:
12.7.1 The Academic Conduct Officer shall seek advice from the Director of Planning and Academic Administration whether the allegation represents a first or subsequent offence;
12.7.2 Having sought the advice of the Directorate of Planning and Academic Administration, the Academic Conduct Officer shall, where the case falls within the terms of his/her jurisdiction as defined in paragraph 12.9 below, conduct an investigation of the alleged plagiarism, the first stage of which shall be to invite the student to admit or deny the allegation and to make any submission in mitigation. Where the student admits the offence, the Academic Conduct Officer shall proceed to apply the appropriate penalty under paragraph 12.9 below without the need for further investigation. Where the student denies the offence, the further investigation shall always include an interview with the student, who shall have the right to be accompanied by a representative who must be a member of the University, and with the examiner making the allegation. In the instance of possible collusion, the ACO will require an investigating interview individually with all parties involved. Students have responsibility for the security of their work, and for not allowing others to pass off their work as their own. A student is guilty of collusion if he/she provides completed individual work to another student who then submits it, in whole or in part, as their own. An ACO has discretion to deal with this as unacceptable work under 12.7.4.
12.7.3 If the Academic Conduct Officer concludes, on the basis of the investigation that the allegation of plagiarism has been substantiated beyond reasonable doubt, he/she shall apply the appropriate penalty under paragraph 12.9 without the use of discretion and inform the student, academic School(s) and Student Conduct Manager in writing and such other staff as need the information to administer and support the student’s academic progress.
12.7.4 Where there is clear evidence of collusion but where the Academic Conduct Officer cannot establish beyond reasonable doubt the individual responsibility for that collusion, the work of all students involved will be rejected as unacceptable work. They will be required to submit a new piece of work which is diffrent to that originally submitted. The nature of the new work is at the discretion of the School but it will assess the same learning outcome as the original work. The School will determine a reasonable assessment deadline for submission of the new work. This new work will be regarded as a first attempt. Submission of the new work will be treated as a first attempt and there will be no capping of the assessment unit mark or the module mark. A central record of ‘unacceptable work’ will be kept.
12.7.5 Absolute proof of the allegation is not required for the Academic Conduct Officer to determine that an allegation has been substantiated. The standard of proof is ‘beyond reasonable doubt’.
12.7.6 Unacceptable work Examiners with good cause to suspect plagiarism or collusion will pass the case to the ACO, who will investigate it further. For first minor offences at all levels, ACOs will operate a less formal procedure than that in 12.7.1 to 12.7.3. Communications with students, or summaries of them, will nonetheless be kept by the ACO (e.g. in emails or letters) until after all possibility of an appeal is passed. In cases where unacceptable work is confirmed beyond reasonable doubt, and individual responsibility for the work is clear, the ACO’s action will be to require a resubmission (not 'reassessment') of the work with proper acknowledgement as soon as possible, and to require the student to have appropriate instruction and practice in academic writing. Any original mark, if given, will be held back until an acceptable version is submitted. The final mark will be awarded on the merit of the work but will not exceed any original mark given. Where the original mark would be a fail regardless of plagiarism or collusion, the student will be informed of the unacceptable nature of the work but no resubmission will be made and the original mark will stand. The ACO will require the student to have appropriate instruction and practice in academic writing. A central record of ‘unacceptable work’ will be kept.
12.8 Major and minor offences The types of offence shall be:
12.8.1 Minor offences Minor offences of plagiarism may be characterised by unattributed quotations; persistent inappropriate paraphrasing or word substitution in unattributed text; multiple missing, incorrect or incomplete citations, or up to a few paragraphs of direct copying without acknowledgement of the source. Minor offences of collusion are characterised by shared frameworks or outlines, up to a few paragraphs of shared text without acknowledgement, or multiple shared text fragments, in work submitted for an assessment that has been made known to be individual work. Allowing one’s own work to be submitted by another student as theirs is an offence.
12.8.2 Major offences Major offences of plagiarism are more serious than minor ones, and may be characterised as including copies of multiple paragraphs in full, from public sources, or from a fellow student, without acknowledgement of the source; or submissions of the same piece of work for assessment in whole or in large part, for more than one assessment without acknowledgement of the source; or the commissioning or buying of work for assessment from individuals or enterprises, or attempt to do so. Major offences of collusion are characterised by several paragraphs or more of text, or other material, in work submitted for an assessment that has been made known to be individual work. Allowing one's own work to be submitted by another student as theirs is an offence.
12.9 Jurisdiction and Penalties
12.9.1 The table below sets out the scope of the jurisdiction and fixed levels of penalty available to the Academic Conduct Officer. It applies to students in courses at all academic levels.
12.9.2 The Academic Conduct Officer shall always have the right to require a student to undertake such additional instruction in the expectations and conventions of academic scholarship as the Academic Conduct Officer deems appropriate.
|
|
Student History |
Major or Minor Case |
Action of the ACO |
|
A |
First Offence |
Minor |
The original mark, if any, held back until an acceptable version is submitted. (Not reassessment) The final mark is awarded on merit but will not exceed any original mark given. Appropriate instruction and practice in academic writing is required of the student. A central record of ‘unacceptable work’ is kept. |
|
B |
First Offence |
Major |
The issue of a written warning for academic misconduct plus allocation of a mark of zero for the assessment unit in question and with the normal consequences, if any, for reassessment. A central record of academic misconduct is kept. |
|
C |
Second Offence |
Minor |
The issue of a written warning for academic misconduct plus allocation of a mark of zero for the assessment unit in question and with the normal consequences, if any, for reassessment. A central record of academic misconduct is kept. |
|
D |
Second Offence |
Major |
The issue of a written warning for academic misconduct plus allocation of a mark of zero for the module in question and with the normal consequences, if any, for reassessment. A central record of academic misconduct is kept. |
|
E |
Third and subsequent |
|
Referred to the Academic Misconduct Panel |
|
Notes: |
|||
12.9.3 In respect of any allegation not falling within the scope of his/her jurisdiction as defined above, the Academic Conduct Officer shall refer the case to the Head of Governance and Quality Assurance for consideration by the Academic Misconduct Panel established under 12.3, the actions of which are not limited by the tariff in 12.9.1.
12.10 A student shall have the right to appeal to the Academic Misconduct Panel outlined under the terms of 12.3 against the decision of an Academic Conduct Officer. Appeals should be sent to the Student Conduct Manager within 10 days and Appeals may be made only on one or both of the following grounds:
i) procedural irregularity in the conduct of the original investigations of the Academic Conduct Officer;
ii) extenuating circumstances, providing that these circumstances can be substantiated if it is clear that a prima facie case for consideration has not been established, the Student Conduct Manager may reject the case.
12.11 The procedure for an investigation conducted by the Academic Misconduct Panel under 12.3 above shall normally follow the following arrangements. However, the Vice-Chancellor, on the advice of the Head of Governance and Quality Assurance, shall have discretion, according to the circumstances of the case, to vary the procedure in any way other than to deny the student an opportunity of a hearing.
12.11.1 A notice of the date, time and place of the meeting of the Academic Misconduct Panel at which the student is summoned to appear will be posted to the student’s contact address. The notice will set out the nature of the allegation and will be accompanied by the documentation that will be presented to the Panel. A copy of the notice will also be emailed to the student.
12.11.2 Seven days must elapse between the posting of the notice and the meeting to which the student is summoned, unless there is good reason to vary this.
12.11.3 The student will be informed by the Student Conduct Manager of his/her rights to call witnesses, give evidence and to be represented by a member of the University.
12.11.4 The student shall be asked to submit a response to the allegation at least 48 hours before the meeting is to take place and shall be informed that the Panel will have the right to ignore any mitigation that is not accompanied by supporting evidence or is tabled at the meeting.
12.11.5 The Academic Misconduct Panel may deal with the case if the student fails to appear without reasonable excuse and/or does not submit a statement, or if the student notifies the Student Conduct Manager that they do not wish to attend.
12.11.6 The student will be informed in writing and by email of the outcome, once it has been approved by the Vice-Chancellor. This will normally be within 14 working days, but may be longer if there are issues to be considered.
12.11.7 If a case of possible academic misconduct by a student studying at an overseas collaborative college were to need an appearance before the Academic Misconduct Panel, they will not be required to attend Keele in person. Unless videoconferencing with the Keele Misconduct Panel were to be arranged, a local Disciplinary Committee will act as a Keele Academic Misconduct Panel, following its process and informed by its case law. Such a Disciplinary Committee will be approved in advance by the Head of Governance and Quality Assurance. It will report to the Head of Head of Governance and Quality Assurance who will pass its recommendations to the Vice-Chancellor in the normal way.
12.12 The Academic Misconduct Panel will consider the allegation, which will be presented by the invigilator or member of the student's Department/School and make recommendations to the Vice-Chancellor as to any penalty, the minimum being a formal reprimand and the maximum being permanent exclusion from the University. The student shall have the right to attend any hearing. The Vice-Chancellor shall normally accept the recommendations of the Academic Misconduct Panel.
12.13 A student shall have the right of appeal to th Academic Misconduct Appeals Panel against the decision of the Academic Misconduct Panel, unless it was an appeal against the decision of an Academic Conduct Officer. The membership of the Academic Misconduct Appeals Panel must be difference to the original panel membership when the appeal is heard. Appeals must be lodged, in writing to the Student Conduct Manager, within 10 days of the date on the letter informing the student of the outcome. Appeals can only be made on one or both of the following grounds:
i) any procedural irregularity prior to or in the conduct of the Panel meeting;
ii) there is new evidence that can be substantiated, including extenuating circumstances, which were not known at the time and may have affected the outcome had it been known to the Panel and that there is a valid reason for not making it known at the time. If it is clear that a prima facie case for consideration has not been established, the Student Conduct Manager may reject the case.
12.14 Following exhaustion of the appeals procedure, a student may submit a grievance to the University Council under the terms provided for by Statute 21(23). Grievances must be submitted within 28 days of the letter informing the student of the outcome of the appeal and must be made in writing to the Secretary to Council. Grievances can only be made on one or both of the following grounds:
a) Procedural irregularity in the conduct of the case
b) there is new evidence that can be substantiated, including extenuating circumstances, which was not known at the time, and may have affected the outcome had it been known to the Panel and that there is a valid reason for not making it known at the time.
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13. Special Provision
Examinations
13.1 A student requiring special provision for his/her examination(s) shall submit a written application to the Head of Records and Examinations. The application shall be supported by documentary evidence, usually from a qualified medical practitioner or other appropriate source. The Head of Records and Examinations is permitted to disregard requests for special provision if not supported by appropriate documentary evidence.
13.2 Where a student’s circumstances are known to be prolonged or permanent and identified prior to the start of the session, a student requiring special provision for his/her examination shall be required to submit the written application by the end of the fourth week of the Semester One or within four weeks of initial diagnosis.
13.3 Special examination provision may be considered for a range of circumstances including dyslexia, visual, physical and sensory impairment or chronic illness.
13.4 Students granted special provision in examinations shall normally sit such examinations in a specially designated venue.
13.5 For routine applications, the decision to allow the special provision will be made by the Head of Records and Examinations, in consultation with the Head(s) of Department/School concerned.
In-Course Assessments
13.6 A student who requires special provision for in-course assessment(s) shall submit a written application to the Head of Department/School. The application shall be supported by documentary evidence. The Head of Department/School is permitted to disregard requests for special provision if not supported by appropriate supporting documentary evidence. The Head of Department/School shall decide whether or not to approve the application for special provision and the nature of such provision, if any, to be made available to the student.
13.7 A student may apply to the Head of Governance and Quality Assurance for alternative assessment methods to be employed in specified modules. Any such application should identify the alternative methods proposed, be accompanied by a statement of support from the Head of Department/School and be submitted as early as possible and no later than the day of commencement of the module(s).
14. Examinations Sat in other than Normal Examination Venues
14.1 Where Senate has approved arrangements for a programme to be delivered elsewhere other than Keele, examination arrangements should mirror those at Keele. Heads of Departments/Schools are responsible for providing details of the arrangements for approval by the Head of Records and Examinations.
15. Extenuating Circumstances
15.1 A student is required to report in writing any extenuating circumstances which may have had an effect on his/her performance in any examination or in-course assessment to the relevant Discipline Board(s) of Examiners as soon as the circumstances are certified and in such format as may be approved by Senate from time to time. The report should be accompanied by independent evidence.
15.2 In very exceptional cases, where the student does not wish the circumstances to be revealed to the department/school, a letter from a doctor or counsellor confirming that the circumstances are very exceptional, and how these may have affected the students ability to study, will be acceptable in lieu of the report.
15.3 If any special circumstances arise in an examination venue, the circumstances shall be reported by the student to an invigilator. The Senior Invigilator shall report such circumstances in writing to the Head of Records and Examinations who shall inform the relevant Discipline Board(s) of Examiners.
15.4 Discipline Boards of Examiners may disregard the reported circumstances if appropriate documentary evidence is not supplied.
15.5 If a student is unable to submit in-course assessment by the due date as a result of extenuating circumstances, any claim for an extension of the deadline for submission should be accompanied by the work completed up to the point of submission of the claim. The claim should be submitted to the relevant department/school(s) in good time before the meeting of the Discipline Board(s) of Examiners convened to consider the assessment(s) for which an extension is being sought.
15.6 If a Discipline Board of Examiners agrees that there is a sufficient case submitted to explain a students poor performance or failure to complete an assessment, it will recommend one of the following courses of action:
i) compensation of a mark where assessment has been completed or partially completed;
ii) recommendation to the relevant University Board of Examiners for further assessment to be regarded as a first attempt, normally taken at the same time as students taking re-assessment for the module(s);
iii) in the case of any in-course assessment at level I (FHEQ Level 4) or at levels II (FHEQ Level 5), III (FHEQ Level 6) and M (FHEQ Level 7) where the in-course assessment forms only part of the total module assessment, approval of an appropriate extension of deadline for submission;
15.7 Sub-Committee on Examination Absences and Coursework Extensions
In the following situations Discipline Boards of Examiners are authorised only to make recommendations to the Sub-Committee on Examination Absences and Course Work Extension:
a) absences from Level II (FHEQ Level 5), III (FHEQ Level 6) or M (FHEQ Level 7) examinations.
b) failure to submit in-course assessment by the due date where the in-course assessment contributes 50% or greater to a module mark at Levels II (FHEQ Level 5), III (FHEQ Level 6) or M (FHEQ Level 7), save that, Discipline Boards of Examiners are authorized to grant extensions to students for in-course assessments not exceeding 10 working days in respect of undergraduate and 28 working days in respect of postgraduate work.
c) failure to complete a professional practice placement at the appropriate time.
15.8 The Sub-Committee is empowered to make a final recommendation to a University Board of Examiners or direct to Senate for redeeming the assessment where it deems there to be a sufficient case to merit such action. If good cause for absence from examinations or late submission of in-course assessment is not established by the Sub-Committee, the student shall be deemed to have failed the assessment with a mark of zero and shall consequently be subject to the regulations regarding failure.
15.9 The Constitution of the Sub-Committee shall be:
two senior members of the academic staff, nominated by the Vice-Chancellor, one to be chair;
two members of the University Learning and Teaching Committee;
the Head of Governance and Quality Assurance or his/her nominee.
16. Declaration of Personal Interest
16.1 Members of staff are required to inform their Head of Department/School of any personal interest relating to a student at the earliest opportunity. Where a member of staff has informed the Head of Department/School of a personal interest relating to a student, the Head of Department/School, having consulted the Director of Planning and Academic Administration, shall as he/she deems appropriate:
16.1.1 put in place arrangements to ensure that the member of staff is not responsible for the setting of examination question papers to be taken by the student or the marking of any of the student’s assessments; and
16.1.2 inform the Chair of the relevant Board of Examiners of the member of staff’s interest relating to the student and that he/she should be required to withdraw from the meeting of any Board of Examiners when the student’s case is discussed; and
16.1.3 instruct the Chair of the Board of Examiners to ensure that a declaration of interest, and withdrawal of the member of staff from the Board of Examiners, shall be recorded in the Minutes of the meeting of the Board.
17. External Examiners
Appointment
17.1 External Examiners shall be appointed by the Head of Governance and Quality Assurance on behalf of the Senate.
17.2 Schools are responsible for the timely nomination of external examiners for the courses for which they are responsible. Nominations should be made in the form approved by Senate.
17.3 It is normally a requirement that external examiners should not be:
a) a member of a governing body or committee of the University or one of its collaborative partners, or a current employee of the University or one of its collaborative partners;
b) anyone with a close professional, contractual or personal relationship with a member of staff or student involved with the programme of study;
c) anyone required to assess colleagues who are recruited as students to the programmes of study;
d) anyone who is, or knows they will be, in a position to influence significantly the future of students on the programme of study;
e) anyone significantly involved in recent or current substantive collaborative research activities with a member of staff closely involved in the delivery, management or assessment of the programme(s) or module(s) in question;
f) former staff or students of the University unless a period of five years has elapsed and all students taught by or with the external examiner have completed their programme(s);
g) a reciprocal arrangement involving cognate programmes at another insitituion;
h) the sucession of an external examiner by a colleague from the examiner's home department and insitution;
i) the appointment of more than one external examiner from the same department of the same institution.
17.4 Some or all of these requirements may be relaxed, with the agreement of the Quality Assurance Committee and subject to the ratification of Senate, but only in exceptional circumstances.
17.5 Appointments are made normally for four years. Appointments may be extended for a fifth and final year with the agreement of Senate.
17.6 Departments/Schools are required to ensure that, on appointment, external examiners are given at least such information about both the course and departmental policy as specified in the Code of Practice on External Examining.
Duties of External Examiners
17.7 The primary duty of external examiners is to ensure that the academic standards of Keele awards are comparable to similar awards in other UK universities, and that examinations and other assessments are fair and conducted in accordance with University procedures and regulations.
17.8 External examiners are expected to:
17.8.1 ensure the University's awards are comparable in standard to those in other universities in the UK;
17.8.2 to ensure academic rigour and standards are upheld for the University's awards in accordance with the Framework for Higher Education Qualitifactions (FHEQ), any applicable subject benchmark statements and the expectations set out in the UK Quality Code for Higher Education;
17.8.3 to ensure that the assessment processes and marking criteria measure student achievement rigorously and equitably;
17.8.4 to advise on examination papers and assessment questions for assessments which count towards final awards;
17.8.5 to ensure that the internal marking is appropriate and consisten, and carried out on accordance with the University's regulation and that the overall assessment strategy is appropriate for the level of the module;
17.8.6 to offer, where appropriate, advisory comments and suggestions on the programme content and structure, assessment practice and on the teaching and learning strategies;
17.8.7 to be a member of, and attend, the Subject Examination Board where modules which contribute to the calculation of the final award are considered;
17.8.8 to provide the University with a comprehensive and timely annual report.
Participation in Examination and Assessment
17.9 External examiners should:
17.9.1 ensure that they have adequate information on the aims and learning outcomes, the syllabus, and the regulations for the programmes for which they are responsible, which shall include such core information as may be specified by Senate from time to time;
17.9.2 be given the opportunity to modify and approve examination questions and work set for other forms of assessment;
17.9.3 see a sufficient number and range of papers and other assessed work from the whole group of students to be able to determine that the internal marking was appropriate and consistent, and be given the opportunity to see the scripts of all students on borderlines, or who are potential first class honours or failing students;
17.9.4 see examples of all in-course assessments which contribute to the final assessment;
17.9.5 participate in making recommendations for investigation by the University of cases of alleged cheating, plagiarism, or other assessment offences, within the provisions of section 12 above.
17.10 External examiners have the right to:
17.10.1 see any piece of work which contributes to a students final assessment;
17.10.2 scrutinise the basis for the assessment of any element in the programme which contributes to final assessment;
17.10.3 request further or additional internal marking of the work of any student;
17.11 Departments/Schools should consult external examiners on the range and quantity of scripts they wish to see, including in-course assessments, subject to the guidance provided in the Code of Practice on External Examining. Mark distribution grids should always be sent to external examiners.
17.12 External examiners should ensure that any reservations which they may have on the academic standards of a programme, the fairness and appropriateness of the assessment, the level of marks awarded, and the procedures followed in the assessment process should, wherever possible, be expressed at the meeting of the Board of Examiners, before a final decision on marks is made. The signature of an external examiner on a mark-sheet shall be taken to signify that the external examiner assents to the marks given.
17.13 Marks approved by the Board of Examiners and the Senate may not be subsequently reconsidered unless so agreed by the Senate at the meeting at which the original marks were approved.
External Examiners Reports
17.14 After each annual examination period, external examiners are required to submit to the Vice-Chancellor a report in the format approved by Senate. Reports should be submitted within a month of the meeting of the Board of Examiners.
18. Disclosure of Marks
18.1 Semester One marks and grades are to be made available to students at the earliest possible opportunity after the start of Semester Two, subject to confirmation by the external examiner. Students are to be clearly informed that the marks are provisional and subject to confirmation, and that Boards of Examiners are free to adjust marks up or down in the light of the comments of the external examiner.
18.2 Any interim adjustments by the external examiner shall be notified to the students.
18.3 Where there is a disagreement between internal markers, the lower mark should be used until another internal member of the examination board has had an opportunity to moderate marks. The external examiner will not advise on the raising or lowering of individual marks.
18.4 Marks or grades shall only be published through means which satisfy the University’s registration under the Data Protection Act (1998) and any subsequent revisions thereto.
18.5 Semester Two module marks and results and classifications, if any, for end qualifications are not to be made available until after confirmation by the external examiner.
18.6 Each student shall receive a formal transcript issued by the Head of Records and Examinations following completion of the intermediate award or end qualification whichever is the later.
18.7 No fee will be charged for the issue of the certificate and transcript. A fee may be charged for any replacement transcript(s), certificate(s), or certified copies.
19. Code of Practice on Assessment
19.1 The University’s Code of Practice on assessment of student performance was approved by Senate in November 1994 and sets out the different responsibilities of the University, Departments/Schools, and students:
Students
It is the responsibility of students to ensure that
a) they attend examinations, produce all pieces of required written work and complete other assessed activities by the due date
b) they inform tutors of illness or other circumstances which they consider will affect their academic performance.
c) they inform the tutor in charge of the course or the Head of Department/School as appropriate of any reason for absence from examinations or for failure to attend or submit required work. Evidence substantiating the reason for absence should be provided if possible.
d) they inform the Student Course Information & Examinations Office in the Academic Services Directorate of any reason for absence from University examinations.
e) they inform themselves of any published examination or assessment results at the end of semester before leaving the University.
Departments/Schools
It is the responsibility of Heads of Departments/Schools to ensure that
a) students are informed of the assessment procedures which apply to the courses which they are studying by publicising them in Departmental/School handbooks.
b) students are provided with an agreed level of feedback on their academic work within an agreed period of time and in good time to correct deficiencies.
c) for all pieces of assessed work and examinations, students are made aware of what is expected of them and of the assessment criteria.
d) any assessment criteria conform to the guidelines issued by the University.
e) if a student is asked to withdraw from the University on academic grounds a case for the withdrawal is clearly established and that any other Department/School responsible for a Principal subject studied by the same student is consulted.
f) students have available a source of informed academic advice and are made aware of how to avail themselves of that advice.
g) in the event of a student making an appeal against a requirement to withdraw on academic grounds the Head of Department/School or a responsible deputy make a full report on the reason for requiring the student to withdraw and on the complete academic record of the student in that subject.
The University
It is the responsibility of the University, through the Directorate of Planning and Academic Administration, to ensure that
a) Departments/Schools are aware of any information affecting the progress of a student which is sent directly to the Head of Records and Examinations.
b) University examinations are held in an appropriate venue, at the times published on the dates agreed.
c) students at risk at the end of any academic year are informed, in writing of the requirements specified by Departments/Schools for them to return to good standing and are notified in sufficient time to enable them to respond to those requirements.
d) students are informed of the dates and times of any re-examinations or the nature of any required course work in lieu of a re-examination.
e) students are informed of their rights of appeal and are given an opportunity to present any information in support of their appeal.
f) Departments/Schools provide a full report to the Appeals Committee and that all available information is presented to the Appeals Committee.
g) students are informed of the outcome any appeal, normally within 10 working days.
h) notes of guidance are provided to academic staff in Departments/Schools who are likely to be advising students on matters concerning assessment and appeals against a requirement to withdraw on academic grounds.
