1. External examiners with partner institutions External Examiners’ Workshop, 15 March 2016 Linda Freston Quality & Standards Adviser - Partnerships l.freston@brighton.ac.uk

2. Looking at: an overview of Brighton’s provision delivered in partnership with local further education colleges (FECs) quality assurance management and structures responsibilities of partners examination board operation consideration of external examiner reports administrative arrangements, contacts and sources of information

3. Brighton’s FE college-based provision We currently work with: Central Sussex College, Crawley City College Brighton & Hove East Surrey College, Redhill Northbrook College, Worthing Plumpton College, Lewes Sussex Coast College Hastings Sussex Downs College, Lewes and Eastbourne Around 1800 students on Brighton-validated programmes in FE colleges, around 9% of total Brighton student population 60% on foundation degrees, 25% on degrees/top-up degrees, rest mainly teacher training or postgrad 80% are full-time

4. Brighton’s college-based provision Compared with the University, colleges recruit older students - around 50% over 21, 35% over 25 more students who declare a disability more students from low participation neighbourhoods more students from state schools Compared with the University, colleges have slightly lower rates of progression/retention same or higher achievement rates mostly same or higher employability rates

5. Types of partnership Validation partnership College has own contract with HEFCE Students enrol only with college Sub-contractual partnership Numbers franchised from University Students enrol with college and University individual partner colleges may have a mix of validation and sub-contractual programmes but the majority now are validation

6. Validation or sub-contractual from 2015 entry? Solely validation: East Surrey College Northbrook College Plumpton College Solely sub-contractual: Central Sussex College Sussex Coast College Hastings Mainly validation, three courses still sub-contractual: City College Brighton & Hove Sussex Downs College

7. Funding and student entitlements For validation partnership programmes: borrow from college library, reference access only to books in University library access to online learning resources provided by college only access to college VLE only student support provided entirely by college may be members of Brighton Students’ Union For sub-contractual provision can borrow from University library access to University online library and VLE some student support provided by University automatically members of Brighton Students’ Union

8. Types of course Foundation degrees normally 2 years, full time work-related element Progression route to Level 6 3 year degrees 1 year top-up degrees MSc degree at Plumpton PGCE/CertEd Further Education and Training usually full and part time routes

9. Types of course Consortium courses more than one college delivers the same programme University may also be a delivering partner has impact on arrangements for management and oversight PGCE/CertEd Further Education and Training FdA Early Years Care and Education FdA Business FdA Travel and Tourism Management

10. Subject areas Approximately 130 courses: Art and design: fine art, craft, fashion, printmaking, textiles, graphic design, photography Business, travel, tourism, hospitality, aviation management Education: lifelong learning, early years Equine studies, animal sciences Land-based subjects Media and computing: games, fashion media, digital media design Music: production, composition, performance, business Physical sciences Theatre arts: performance and backstage Winemaking and wine business

11. Management and QA structures For the majority of FEC-based provision: centrally managed by ASC’s FEC sub-committee overseen at college by HE Board admin support from Partnership Office, Academic Services academic support from Subject Representatives/ Consortium Programme Leaders For consortium programmes where the University also delivers the programme: oversight through relevant School and Consortium Programme leaders affects PGCE/CertEd Further Education & Training in 2015-16

12. Management and QA diagram Academic Standards Committee FEC Sub-committee college annual report FEC HE Boards course report EE report Subject Group meetings course report EE report Course boards course report EE report

13. FEC Sub-committee meets 4 times per year representatives from FECs and University oversight of development and implementation of strategy and policy at FECs role in annual monitoring and reporting to Academic Standards Committee on academic health receives college-level reports oversight of college HE boards approval of changes to provision recommended by HE Boards approval of examination board arrangements and external examiner changes and nominations

14. Subject groups Annual meeting in October: chaired by subject representative and attended by college course leaders opportunity for subject staff to meet each other and share practice/experience reviews course monitoring reports and external examiner reports reports to FEC Sub-committee on areas for attention, good practice includes time for development activities additional meetings as required July 2015 included developmental cross-moderation meetings

15. College HE Board meets at least termly reports to FEC sub-committee oversight of local delivery of HE local implementation of policy and regulation receives annual college report and recommends submission to FEC sub-committee receives annual course monitoring reports and external examiner reports includes student representatives oversight of course boards membership includes 1 member of UoB academic staff and 1 member of the Partnership team

16. University academic support Subject representative provides academic guidance and leadership for programmes in subject group chairs annual subject group meeting supports and attends periodic review of programmes Consortium programme leader same responsibilities as subject representative also responsible for management of consortium delivery chairs consortium meetings, organises cross- consortium activities produces annual monitoring report

17. Partner responsibilities: University oversight of academic standards, quality of student learning opportunities course validation and review maintaining definitive programme and module information appointment and remuneration of external examiners chairing examination boards Approval of staff appointments chair validation and periodic review events, partner college review develop, review and implement policy and regulation access to learning resources and student support academic and administrative support

18. Partner responsibilities - college all teaching, assessment and other aspects of programme delivery appointment of course leader provision of teaching accommodation provision of learning resources and student support liaison with external examiner staff recruitment, deployment and development organisation and servicing of HE Board organisation and servicing of exam boards implementation of University policy and regulations administrative support

19. Communication with external examiner Course leader has primary responsibility for liaison with external examiner in respect of: provision of information about programme moderation of assessment briefs/exam papers dates and times of visits and exam boards arrangements for moderation of assessed work access to college VLE if required responding to external examiner report College manages administration of visits – accommodation and travel Consortium Programme Leader may also liaise with external for consortium programmes

20. Exam boards for FEC programmes normally held at college chaired by a member of University staff attended by a member of Partnership Office serviced by college staff normally held June/July and September (referral boards, external examiners not required to attend) student results documentation: validation courses: College produces Sub-contractual courses: University produces

21. Sample exam board report – validation Student number Student name M od e FT /P T MN101 Att no MN101 mark MN101 Grade MN101 Credit MN101 result MN102 Att no MN102 mark MN102 Grade MN102 Credit MN102 result MN103 Att no MN103 mark MN103 Grade MN103 Credit MN103 result MN104 Att no MN104 mark MN104 Grade MN104 Credit MN104 result MN105 Att no MN105 mark MN105 Grade MN105 Credit MN105 result MN106 Att no MN106 mark MN106 Grade MN106 Credit MN106 result Weighted MNerage L4 credit passed Compensated credit Level 4 Recognition of Prior Learning credit Level 4 Decision Mit circ sMinutes 107350AAA, BFT137E+0 FAI L141D-20 PAS S115F0 FAI L147D+20 PAS S141D-20 PAS S153C-20 PAS S 39.0 080 Exam Query - MN103 163660BBB, CFT154C20 PAS S158C+20 PAS S172A-20 PAS S154C20 PAS S154C20 PAS S160B-20 PAS S 58.6 7120 125224DDD, EFT159C+20 PAS S10F-0 FAI L139E+0 FAI L149D+20 PAS S144D20 PAS S140D-20 PAS S 38.5 080 4B Awaiting Mark 163559EEE, FFT158C+20 PAS S162B-20 PAS S164B20 PAS S177A20 PAS S163B-20 PAS S181A+20 PAS S 67.5 0120 129211FFF, GFT142D-20 PAS S145D20 PAS S146D20 PAS S153C-20 PAS S148D+20 PAS S151C-20 PAS S 47.5 0120 130672GGG, hFT00F-0 FAI L00F-0 FAI L00F-0 FAI L00F-0 FAI L00F-0 FAI L00F-0 FAI L0.000 Withdrawn Module status and credit CodeStatus Se m Cre dit AV101Compulsory120 AV102Compulsory220 AV103Compulsory Yea r20 AV104Compulsory120 AV105Compulsory220 AV106Compulsory Yea r20

22. Sample exam board report – sub-contractual

23. Exam board administration College produces documentation for validation students Partnership Office produces documentation for sub-contractual students transcripts and letters for sub-contractual students sent to college for despatch University maintains archive of documentation College retains any mitigating circumstances claims students at colleges subject to same process and deadlines for appeal (21 calendar days to submit request)

24. Consideration of external examiner reports submitted directly to Brighton: externalexaminers@brighton.ac.uk externalexaminers@brighton.ac.uk all reports are read by Quality and Standards staff, VC or Deputy VC and passed on to college Course Leader, HE Manager and Principal Course Leader prepares response and identifies actions through course monitoring report early in Autumn term

25. Consideration of reports EE report and course monitoring report received by: Course board or equivalent (and made available to students) College HE Board Each of these groups monitors progress against actions Subject Group also receives the report for QA overview, enhancement activities Special process for issues of serious concern

26. Responding to External Examiner reports Course Leader should routinely send a copy of annual course monitoring report which outlines response to external examiner report and action planning Colleges may also choose to reply separately Colleges can refer reports to the University if the issues raised are beyond the scope of their responsibilities – University will reply in consultation with college Matters of serious concern: Partnership Office manages an investigation and advises the Deputy Vice-Chancellor on response and actions required

27. Fees and expenses Claims should be submitted to the Partnership Office: ExternalExaminersColleges@brighton.ac.uk ExternalExaminersColleges@brighton.ac.uk Partnership Office will check and process fees and expenses claims for payment (except for PGCE/CertEd Further Education & Training – to be sent to School of Education contact specified in the External Examiner Handbook) Payroll deadlines are the end of the first week of the month for payment at the end of that month

28. Partnership Office contacts Tanya Izzard, Partnership Manager: t.izzard@brighton.ac.uk 01273 64(3901) t.izzard@brighton.ac.uk Linda Freston, Partnership Adviser: l.freston@brighton.ac.uk 01273 64(2508) l.freston@brighton.ac.uk Chrysanthi Kanari, Partnership Administrator: c.kanari2@brighton.ac.uk 01273 64(2072 c.kanari2@brighton.ac.uk Also see https://staff.brighton.ac.uk/reg/part/Pages/home.aspx https://staff.brighton.ac.uk/reg/part/Pages/home.aspx

29. Sources of information Quality assurance arrangements for partner FE colleges: http://staff.brighton.ac.uk/reg/part/Pages/fecqa.a spx http://staff.brighton.ac.uk/reg/part/Pages/fecqa.a spx General external examiner information: https://staff.brighton.ac.uk/reg/acs/Pages/Extern al-Examiners.aspx https://staff.brighton.ac.uk/reg/acs/Pages/Extern al-Examiners.aspx