General Board Guidance on the arrangements for external examiners
General Board Guidance on the arrangements for external examiners
General Board Guidance on the arrangements for external examiners
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All Moderating External Examiners and/or External Examiners are appointed <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> basis<br />
that <strong>the</strong>y are (with <strong>the</strong> internal Examiners) equal members of a <str<strong>on</strong>g>Board</str<strong>on</strong>g> of Examiners.<br />
To ensure <strong>the</strong> suitability of appointment, <strong>the</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>General</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Board</str<strong>on</strong>g> may request a statement of<br />
support <strong>for</strong> appointment or reappointment from <strong>the</strong> nominating Faculty <str<strong>on</strong>g>Board</str<strong>on</strong>g> or o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
authority; such a statement would normally include a current CV <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> nominated pers<strong>on</strong><br />
and an indicati<strong>on</strong> of <strong>the</strong>ir suitability <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> role.<br />
Suitability of nominati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
Care should be taken to avoid nominati<strong>on</strong>s where c<strong>on</strong>flicts of interest (ei<strong>the</strong>r professi<strong>on</strong>al or<br />
pers<strong>on</strong>al) may arise. The <str<strong>on</strong>g>General</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Board</str<strong>on</strong>g> will c<strong>on</strong>sider such appointments <strong>on</strong> a case-by-case<br />
basis. In line with <strong>the</strong> UK Quality Code <strong>for</strong> Higher Educati<strong>on</strong>, <strong>the</strong> following points should be<br />
noted:<br />
• A Moderating External Examiner or External Examiner shall not hold an office in <strong>the</strong><br />
University, or a Fellowship or some office or post in a College and should not teach any<br />
course of instructi<strong>on</strong> which <strong>for</strong>ms part of <strong>the</strong> teaching programme <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> examinati<strong>on</strong><br />
c<strong>on</strong>cerned;<br />
• Former members of staff and students of <strong>the</strong> University shall not be eligible to become<br />
Moderating External Examiners or External Examiners until at least five years have<br />
passed since <strong>the</strong>ir departure;<br />
• Retirees can be c<strong>on</strong>sidered provided <strong>the</strong>y have sufficient evidence of c<strong>on</strong>tinuing<br />
involvement in <strong>the</strong> academic area in questi<strong>on</strong>;<br />
• Reciprocal <strong>arrangements</strong> between Examiners from Cambridge instituti<strong>on</strong>s and o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
instituti<strong>on</strong>s should be avoided, wherever possible;<br />
• An Examiner being succeeded by ano<strong>the</strong>r from <strong>the</strong> same instituti<strong>on</strong> should also be<br />
avoided and no more than <strong>on</strong>e External Examiner <strong>for</strong> an examinati<strong>on</strong> should be<br />
appointed from <strong>the</strong> same instituti<strong>on</strong>;<br />
• To avoid potential c<strong>on</strong>flicts of interest, <strong>external</strong> <strong>examiners</strong> should not be appointed if<br />
<strong>the</strong>y are covered by any of <strong>the</strong> following categories: near relative of a member of staff or<br />
student involved with <strong>the</strong> programme of study, an examiner <strong>on</strong> a cognate course in <strong>the</strong><br />
instituti<strong>on</strong>, any<strong>on</strong>e closely associated with <strong>the</strong> sp<strong>on</strong>sorship of students <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> course,<br />
any<strong>on</strong>e closely associated with placements or training, any<strong>on</strong>e required to assess<br />
colleagues who are recruited as students to <strong>the</strong> programme of study, any<strong>on</strong>e in a<br />
positi<strong>on</strong> to influence significantly <strong>the</strong> future of students <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> programme of study, or<br />
any<strong>on</strong>e who has been directly involved as an <strong>external</strong> member of a validati<strong>on</strong> panel <strong>for</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> programme;<br />
• The appointment of more than <strong>on</strong>e External Examiner from <strong>the</strong> same department of an<br />
instituti<strong>on</strong> should be avoided.<br />
Although seniority is not, in itself, a necessary qualificati<strong>on</strong> <strong>for</strong> appointment as a Moderating<br />
External Examiner or External Examiner, those appointed should normally be pers<strong>on</strong>s of<br />
seniority and must certainly have appropriate experience and/or knowledge and <strong>the</strong> ability to<br />
command respect in <strong>the</strong> subject. In certain circumstances, it is appropriate that pers<strong>on</strong>s from<br />
outside <strong>the</strong> higher educati<strong>on</strong> system, e.g. from industry or <strong>the</strong> professi<strong>on</strong>s, be invited to act.<br />
Every External Examiner will be expected to have:<br />
• Competence and experience in <strong>the</strong> field covered by <strong>the</strong> course<br />
Last reviewed: 29/08/2013 Page 4 of 17 SD