5.8 Reports

1. External Examiners are required by AU to submit written reports annually.  Comments on the examining process are invited, including observations on the structure and content of the scheme of study and its teaching.

(i) External Examiners on undergraduate schemes are required to complete an annual report which should be submitted within 4 weeks of the meeting of the final Examining Board in June.

(ii) External Examiners on taught postgraduate schemes are required to complete two reports; an annual report which should be submitted within 4 weeks of the meeting of the Semester 2 Examining Board in June, and a short report submitted at the end of the dissertation component of the degree scheme (November/December).

(iii) External Examiners who are responsible for collaborative provision may be requested to submit a separate collaborative provision report in addition to the annual report.

(iv) where an External Examiner is appointed to both undergraduate and postgraduate schemes, the University will require separate reports to be completed following the relevant Examining Boards. The University will not accept joint UG and PGT reports.

(v) the ARCHE External Examiner is required to complete a report after each ARCHE panel. The report should be submitted by email within 4 weeks of the ARCHE panel meeting.

(vi)  The PGCTHE External Examiner is required to submit an annual report after the main PGCTHE Examining Board in February, unless requested to do otherwise by the Chair of the Examining Board.

(vii) Lifelong Learning examiners are requested to submit a joint report.

viii) the Senate External Examiner is required to write an annual report normally submitted by email within 4 weeks of the June Senate Examining Board.

2. The content of the annual report should include full and constructive comments which will help to maintain and enhance provision. Where content is considered incomplete or insufficient the department may ask External Examiners to add further commentary. Please note that External Examiners who are responsible for UK or overseas collaborative provision are required to complete a separate collaborative provision report in addition to the standard annual report relating to AU programmes.

3. Annual Reports should be completed using the online report form, except where the online form is not suitable (e.g. Senate External Reviewer, ARCHE). The Academic Registry will provide the links to the relevant forms, along with indicative questions, via email to all External Examiners. The Academic Registry will disseminate the reports to the relevant departments. The University attaches considerable importance to the External Examiner’s report and payment of the fee and expenses is conditional upon its receipt. In the event of an Examiner not submitting a report, the Pro Vice-Chancellor (or their nominee) shall be empowered to take such steps as appropriate to the circumstances to obtain it, and/or may choose to issue a letter of premature termination as a result.

4. The Academic Registry will arrange the payment of fees and expenses unless the report has not been satisfactorily completed, in which case the External Examiner will be invited to revise it. Departments are asked to respond to their Examiners after they have considered the report and to address any concerns about departmental systems and processes.

5. Annual reports, with departmental responses, will be published on the University’s AberLearn Blackboard site and will be available to registered students at the University. It is therefore important that reference is not made to individual any candidates and/or individual members of staff by name.

6. The Assistant Faculty Pro-Vice Chancellor will ensure that departments have responded appropriately to each Examiner and provide an overview as part of an annual review exercise, identifying departmental and faculty issues to be considered by the faculty and university level matters to be considered by the Quality & Standards Committee.  The Pro Vice-Chancellor will write to all Examiners at the end of the reporting cycle and may respond directly to individual Examiners about specific concerns they may have raised.

7. The University will give careful consideration to issues raised by its External Examiners and will inform the Examiners of steps taken in response to comments or explain why recommended action has not been taken. It may not be possible or reasonable for the University to take forward recommendations from individual Examiners as individual comments will need to be considered along with the comments of other Examiners and other relevant performance indicators.

8. An External Examiner who considers it necessary may send a separate, confidential report directly to the Vice-Chancellor to draw attention to any matters of acute concern. External Examiners should also note that if they have exhausted internal procedures and still have significant concerns, they may contact the QAA. Information is available at: https://www.qaa.ac.uk/

9. The process and timeline for receiving and responding to undergraduate and taught postgraduate External Examiner reports can be found in Chapter 5.14 Template Forms.