Assessment, Progression and Awarding Committee

Every assessment for a Degree, Diploma or Certificate of the University, whether taken at one sitting or in parts, is directed by an Assessment, Progression and Awarding Committee (APAC).

The University has a two tier system for Assessment, Progression and Awarding Committees. The two tiers are:

Tier One: Programme/Discipline Assessment, Progression and Awarding Committees whose primary responsibility is to safeguard academic standards for the particular programmes under consideration. The Tier 1 Committee will make recommendations for progression, award and classification of candidates.

Tier Two: College Assessment, Progression and Awarding Committees whose primary responsibility is to assure that academic regulations are applied consistently and equitably across disciplines within the College. The Tier 2 Commitee will make decisions about the consequences of failure of candidates.

The responsibilities and the terms of reference of each of these Committees can be seen in detail in Chapter 7 of the University's Taught Programmes Handbook

External Examiners

The University appoints an External Examiner to each taught programme. The External Examiner will be present at the Tier 1 Assessment, Progression and Awarding Committee.

The responsibilities of an External Examiner includes those of ensuring that each candidate is treated fairly and with an even application of academic standards, and that the standard of the University's awards is maintained and is equivalent to threshold academic standards set in accordance with frameworks for higher education qualifications and applicable subject benchmark statements.

The University's Quality Review Framework outlines the role of an External Examiner in more detail.

The University publishes a list of current External Examiners. Please note: the contacting of external examiners by students regarding any aspect of their programmes of study is prohibited and will be treated as an offence under the University's Disciplinary Procedures. External Examiners are requested to inform the University should such an occurrence take place.