Annual Reporting

Annual Reporting

External Examiners are required to complete an Annual Report at the end of each academic year and a Final Report at the end of their term.

External Examiners’ comments are central to the University’s quality assurance mechanisms. The Reports are considered by the relevant School and College and by the Quality Assurance Committee and may be made available to other appropriate University Committees. Reports are also made available to Panels for the purposes of internal and external review. Following the requirements of the QAA Quality Code, external examiner reports are made available to student representatives through Staff–Student Liaison Committees.

Examiners are asked to submit their Reports as soon as possible after the examinations; however the final deadline for the receipt of Reports is 31 August for undergraduate Reports, and 30 November for postgraduate Reports. It is only upon receipt of the Annual Report that the External Examiner’s fee is paid.

(1) On receipt of the Reports, Academic Services scrutinizes the Reports to highlight any commendations and recommendations. For purposes of data protection, comments naming members of staff or students may be redacted. Receipt of the Report is confirmed with Registry Finance so that the external examiner fee can be paid.

(2) The Reports are sent to the Heads of School and College for response.

(3) Heads of School are asked to discuss the Reports with relevant staff and to prepare a School Response, using the EE School Response Template, indicating the School’s response to any issues that have been marked for comment in the Reports. The School Responses should be forwarded to the College Director of Teaching and Learning (DoTL).

(4) College DoTLs are then asked to prepare a composite College Response, using the EE DoTL Response Template, to provide a College overview. The College Response should include comments on the performance of the College, including School-specific comments, with recommendations and action points for the College.

(5) Colleges are then asked to email the School and College Responses to the Clerk of the Quality Assurance Committee for a mid-late January deadline. Responses to any late Reports should be returned as and when they come in.

(6) The External Examiner Annual Reports and the School and College Reponses are considered at a late January meeting of the Quality Assurance Committee.

(7) Any concerns raised by the Convener of the Quality Assurance Committee are referred back to the Head of School via the College DoTL for consideration. Policy issues are referred to University Committee for Teaching and Learning.

(8) Finally, the Quality Assurance Committee informs External Examiners of action taken in response to their concerns.