1. External Examining - Overview of QAA’s work Dr Tim Burton Assistant Director, Development and Enhancement Group 5 March 2010

2. Planned outputs (i) a set of minimum expectations for the role of external examiners (ii) implementation of the minimum expectations (iii) a guide to external examining Not reviewing Section 4 (of the QAA Code) per se, but will determine the implications of the minimum expectations and how they fit with the Code

3. Process and timescales (1) Development of ‘Minimum expectations’ Ongoing liaison with UUK/GuildHE and HEA Roundtable events 24 March and 1 April (doubling up with the Evaluation of the Academic Infrastructure) Preceded by a discussion paper identifying possible issues for discussion at the Roundtable events Analysis of the feedback and development of draft minimum expectations – April Further consultation on specific proposals – May Provisional: Final approval and publication – Summer

4. Process and timescales (2) Implementation of ‘minimum expectations’ Working with HEA and the sector to raise awareness and support implementation October – December 2010 The guide Development process - Autumn 2010

5. Some perspectives … National: external examining as part of the architecture for managing quality and standards in higher education Institutional: how institutions utilise external examiners given HEI responsibilities for standards Individual: the support, information and guidance external examiners need Current students: awareness and understanding of external examining within their institution

6. Context and alignment – the sector-led review Context See handout for extracts from recent reports Sector-led review (UUK/GuildHE) Review group Chair – Professor Dame Janet Finch Members – UUK, GuildHE, QAA, HEA, AoC, NUS Expert group Senior representatives of the sector (primarily PVCs) Report and recommendations in December 2010

7. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. Registered charity numbers 1062746 and SC037786