1.8 Academic Quality Handbook 2024/2025: Summary of Key Changes
The following table provides a list of changes which have been made following the publication of the 2023/24 version of the AQH in September 2023.
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Section |
Change |
Date |
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2.2 Module Approval Outcome vocabulary 28. Vocabulary in table of skills updated by Careers Service
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September 2024 |
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2.12 Departmental Quality Audit Questionnaire removed
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September 2024 |
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2.4.7, 2.5.3, SDF 1.1, SDF2 and SDF4 forms updated to include consultation with service departments. |
Portfolio Planning Committee January 2024 |
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3.2 Assessment policy and procedures Bilingual policy for assessments 27. Aberystwyth University operates a bilingual policy for all written assessments, including coursework essays and examinations. Any student may choose, regardless of whether the main language of assessment of the module in question is Welsh or English, to submit examination scripts and assessed coursework in either Welsh or English (with the exception of assessments where language assessment is included in the module learning outcomes). Students pursuing modules through the medium of Welsh will be examined in that language; students pursuing modules through the medium of English are entitled to be assessed in Welsh. However, in order to allow time for the preparation of Welsh examination papers for English medium modules, students are asked to notify the Welsh Language Services Centre by the dates published by the Centre 1 November for Semester One exams and 1 March for Semester Two exams.
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Academic Board July 2024 |
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3.2 Assessment policy and procedures 30. All centrally-timetabled examinations in the main venues to be either 1.5, 2 or 3 hours in duration. Centrally timetabled online exams requiring on campus invigilation may also be of one hour’s duration.
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Academic Board June 2024 |
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3.2 Assessment policy and procedures 40. In Part One, undergraduate students who fail to complete the year satisfactorily as defined in the conventions are normally allowed to repeat the whole or part of the year as full-time, part-time or part-time external students. The University operates a 'false start' for students at Part One only. A 'false start' allows the student to start Part One again afresh, relinquishing ALL previous marks. Student may only take a 'false start' on ONE occasion and it must follow the initial first attempt at Part One. Students who take a 'false start' must still complete the degree within the maximum time limit for obtaining a degree (see Rules and Regulation Part B).
In Part Two, including the Final Year, undergraduate students may not resit any module for which a pass mark has been attained previously. Students who fail to complete the year satisfactorily as defined in the conventions are normally allowed to repeat the failed credits. Students commencing their studies in Part One or Part Two from September 2018 onwards should refer to the Regulations for Modular Initial Degrees: Section 17, if they are considering changing their degree scheme, for guidance on the number of attempts to pass a module that are permitted (whether newly chosen or previously studied).
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September 2024 |
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3.4 Monitoring Academic Progress & 3.13 Templates
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April 2024 |
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3.6 Academic Practice & 3.13 Templates 3. All students referred to the UAP process shall be directed to the University’s general guidance and resources and the link to the referencing and plagiarism awareness guide shall be included in the UAP minutes. 15. All cases where UAP has been substantiated shall be referred to https://libguides.aber.ac.uk/referencing.
Chapter reviewed and UAP template letters updated to reflect trauma-informed approach and reference to seeking support added.
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September 2024 |
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3.7 Examinations and Examination Boards Submission deadlines for taught postgraduate dissertations/projects Specific deadlines removed and replaced with statement 26. For full-time candidates, the deadline for the submission of the final 60 or 120 credit Element of assessment (the dissertation or equivalent depending on individual degree scheme requirements) is 50 weeks from the start date of the scheme (to the nearest Friday).
Submission deadlines for PGT schemes with durations that differ from the standard 12 months should be set by the academic department in line with the Regulations for Modular Taught Postgraduate Awards (see Registration Periods and Time Limits).
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September 2024 |
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3.7 Examinations and Examination Boards 32 (ii) Senate Examination Board will consider and confirm all results for taught schemes. The University will appoint an External Reviewer, an experienced member of Registry staff at another university, to oversee the operation of Boards. The Senate Award Examination Board is chaired by a Pro Vice-Chancellor unless the PVC delegates this responsibility to a member of Academic Board. Senate Progression Examination Boards are chaired by the Academic Registrar (unless responsibility is delegated to another senior member of Registry staff). Senate Exam Board Terms of Reference updated (para 32 & 38)
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September 2024 |
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3.8 Special Circumstances and Reasonable Adjustments 7. From Semester 2, 2023-24, students with illness lasting two weeks or less are not required to submit a doctor's note to support their claim, but instead may self-certify their illness. Their impact statement should indicate the dates of illness alongside the impact that this illness has had.
8. For illness of longer than 2 weeks, or for other special circumstances, students should submit independent documentary evidence wherever possible.
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May 2024 |
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3.12 Internal Reviewer Chapter updated to reflect current practice of exam board internal reviewers
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September 2024 |
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3.14 Assessment Glossary Addition of a Glossary of Assessment Terms.
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Academic Board November 2024 |
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4.4 BVSc Year 1 and Year 2: Rules for Progression For students starting before September 2024 6.1 To progress to Year 2. In addition to passing overall a student must have completed at least 6 weeks of AHEMS (in accordance with the AHEMS guidelines applicable to their year of study) prior to the start of BVSc Year 2. A student who has not completed 6 weeks will normally be required to delay their progression to the next year. 6.2 To progress to year 3. In addition to passing overall a student must have completed at least 12 weeks of AHEMS (in accordance with the AHEMS guidelines applicable to their year of study) prior to the start of BVSc year 3. A student who has not completed 12 weeks will normally be required to delay their progression to the next year. For students starting from September 2024 6.3 To progress to Year 2. In addition to passing overall a student must have completed at least 5 weeks of AHEMS (in accordance with the AHEMS guidelines applicable to their year of study) prior to the start of BVSc Year 2. A student who has not completed 5 weeks will normally be required to delay their progression to the next year. 6.4 To progress to year 3. In addition to passing overall a student must have completed at least 10 weeks of AHEMS (in accordance with the AHEMS guidelines applicable to their year of study) prior to the start of BVSc year 3. A student who has not completed 10 weeks will normally be required to delay their progression to the next year.
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September 2024 |
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4.5 Degree Schemes with Sandwich Year, or Integrated year Studying Abroad non-language Schemes 4. In cases where students return from exchange programmes or study year abroad with insufficient credits and/or failures, departmental exam boards should submit recommendations on progression to Senate Examination Board. All recommendations be reviewed by a special circumstances panel which reports Senate Examination Board, in accordance with its terms of reference.
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September 2024 |
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4.8 BSc Nursing (Adult) and BSc Nursing (Mental Health) Resit arrangements brought into line with standard AU schemes (students to resit any failed elements/modules in the summer resit period, not as in-semester resits). Clarification that students must pass all components of all modules across Part One and Part Two, as well as theory and placement hours. Introduction of a BSc in Healthcare Studies as an exit qualification for students who fail to meet the PSRB requirements but do meet AU Modular Initial Degree requirements.
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Academic Board July 2024 |
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4.12 Conventions for the classification of modular degrees 12. One Year Top-Up Schemes: the cascade will be calculated on the basis of the marks awarded by AU only and filled from the top band down, with best 80 credits at the highest level in the top band first, followed by the remaining 40 credits at the lower band.
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Academic Board June 2024 |
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4.13 The Window of Opportunity (Honours Degree Conventions) 1. The following rules apply to the operation of the Window of Opportunity: Preponderance 2. Students whose cascade average falls within 1%* of any borderline SHALL be raised to the higher class provided they meet one of the following criteria: EITHER at least 50% of credits over Part Two as a whole, excluding Sandwich Year or Year Abroad, in the upper class or above; OR at least 80 credits out of the final 120 Part Two credits in the upper class or above. * cascade averages shown to one decimal point for the information of examination boards will be rounded up (0.5 and above) or down (<0.5) to the nearest whole number. And applicable only to students starting Part Two prior to September 2024 (i.e. operation of the 2% Window of opportunity)
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Academic Board June 2024 |
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4.16 CertHE Healthcare Education 2. Students will be required to resit and/or resubmit the failed component(s) of the theory modules in each semester. Students will have TWO opportunities to resit a failed theory module or component. The first opportunity will be an in-year semester resit. If the in- year semester resit is failed, funding is suspended for one year and students will have one final opportunity to resit externally within 12 months. After an external resit a student will re-join the main cohort during the next academic session.
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March 2024 – June 2024) |
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4.19.3 Students starting a Master's Degree or Postgraduate Award FROM September 2024 Reference to Window of Opportunity removed
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Academic Board |
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Chapter reviewed, including criteria for appointment (It is not permissible for a department to engage more than one External Examiner from the same department at any institution), publication of External Examiners’ names, Right to Work check required documents and process updated, requests for in-person visits to be made to qaestaff@aber.ac.uk, timing of commencement and duration of PGT External Examiner appointments clarified, reference to PGCE removed, clarification of role of External Examiners in Semester One, attendance at Semester 3 Examining Board and timing of submission of annual report by Health Education External Examiners clarified.
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September 2024 |
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Chapter 6 updated by Student Services to reflect current practice and trauma-informed approach.
6.7 Student Representation 7. Complaints and Disciplinary (viii) Complaints about Academic Representatives and their associated activities shall be dealt with in line with the Students’ Union Complaints Procedure. (xi) All disciplinary matters within Academic Representation will be dealt with in accordance with the Students’ Union Disciplinary Procedures.
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September 2024 |
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9.3 Credit Accumulation and Transfer Reference to Pass Degree (35-39%) removed
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September 2024 |
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10. Undergraduate Admissions and 11. Postgraduate Admissions |
Chapters removed from AQH to Admissions webpages |
September 2024 |
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14. Final Review |
Chapter and FR Application Form updated to add right of Final Review of decisions made by Finance Office (outstanding fees and charges)
Chapter updated to change the deadline for submitting Support to Study Final Review applications and Finance Final Review applications to 2 working days.
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Academic Board |
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Various |
Reference to Module Evaluation Questionnaire (MEQ) replaced with Student Experience Survey (SES) in Chapter 2.2 Module Approval, Chapter 2.10 Departmental Review, including periodic revalidation of provision, and Chapter 6.4 & 6.7 Student Support & Representation
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August 2024 |
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Various |
Reference to Fitness to Attend replaced with Support to Study in Part A Chapter 6.1 Student Support and Representation, Chapter 12.4 Academic Appeals, Chapter 14.1 & 14.8 Student Complaints, Chapter 16.3 Fitness to Practise, and Part B Important Information for students (9.3)
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August 2024 |
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Various |
PGCE Part B Regulations for the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) removed Reference to PGCE removed from Part A 16.1.4 Fitness to Practise and 16.4 Appendix 1 removed Part A 4. Examination Conventions - 4.20 Award Rules for Postgraduate Certificate in Education removed Reference to PGCE removed from Part A 5. External Examining
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September 2024 |
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BSc Nursing (Adult) and BSc Nursing (Mental Health) Clarification that students must pass all components of all modules across Part One and Part Two, as well as theory and placement hours. Introduction of a BSc in Healthcare Studies as an exit qualification for students who fail to meet the PSRB requirements but do meet AU Modular Initial Degree requirements.
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Academic Board July 2024 |
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Updated to clarify the requirements for a top-up degree |
Academic Board June 2024 |
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28. Clarification of time limits for the completion of awards (full-time, part-time and distance learning) |
Academic Board June 2024 |
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18. Clarification of time limits for the completion of awards (full-time, part-time and distance learning) |
Academic Board June 2024 |
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7. Clarification of time limits for the completion of awards (full-time, part-time) |
Academic Board June 2024 |
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Terminology reviewed to reflect trauma-informed approach |
September 2024 |
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Terminology reviewed to reflect trauma-informed approach
1.4 The university recognises that a referral to the Unacceptable Academic Practice process is often preceded by and/or accompanied by other adversity and an escalation in distress. Students are therefore urged to seek confidential support from Wellbeing, which does not disclose its work with the wider university except where there is a serious safeguarding risk. Students may also wish to seek support from the Students’ Union, who can help by guiding you through the process and can support you by attending the panel meeting with you.
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September 2024 |
Updated: Sept 2024