Dear Colleagues.

Many thanks to all of you that responded to be query.  The following is a
summary of the responses received.
Obviously, the results need to be accompanied by a warning that some
colleagues replied on the basis of the department/faculty - as opposed to a
general policy at their institution.

A plain text attached version is also included.

Maggie

=========================================================


SUMMARY OF MAILBASE RESPONSES

1. 	Name of Institution.

Birmingham University
Bradford
Derby
Essex
Glamorgan
Glasgow Caledonian University
Goldsmiths College
Heriot-Watt University
Northumbria
Nottingham
UEL
University College London
University of Hull
University of Leeds
University of Ulster
University Of Wales -  Lampeter

2. 	Do you appoint EEs to
	a) 	a set of modules
Derby -
Glasgow Caledonian University
UEL
	b)	a degree programme(s)
Derby - Yes, every degree/award has an identified examiner, with particular
reference to student profiles on interdisciplinary programmes.
Essex
Glasgow Caledonian University
Goldsmiths
University of Hull
University Of Wales - Lampeter
	c)	both modules and a degree programme(s)
Birmingham
Bradford
Derby -
Glasgow Caledonian University
Heriot-Watt University
Nottingham
University College London
University of Ulster
	d) other arrangement - details as follows - generally a variation on a, b
or c above.  Some clearly indicated as one or more of the above.
Birmingham - Occasionally appointed to departments, schools or other units
such as 'The Japan Centre' or 'The Shakespear Institute'.
Glamorgan - We appoint external examiners to fields (sets of modules) and
separate Externals to the degree programmes.  However it is not unknown for
an external to be appointed to a field and a degree programme.
Glasgow Caledonian University - Some assessors cover only modules and some
cover modules and programmes as we have two layers of assessment board
Goldsmiths College - EEs appointed to Sub board or  Joint sub board  each
of which may look at as few as one programme or as many as three or four
programmes
Northumbria - appointed to subject divisions
UEL - arrangements are rather complicated to explain, although they seem to
work OK.  An EE is appointed to a set of modules (obviously in some cases
this may mean a whole subject area, or all the modules on a particular
single honours degree programme, but it often won't).  One EE is
additionally appointed to the Main Assessment Board; this will usually be
one of those appointed to modules on the programme.
University of Hull - Degree Programme (although they are present at module
boards as well)
University of Leeds - Normal to appoint on a 'discipline' basis
particularly for undergraduate but may be 'local' variation - e.g. mostly
programme basis for PGT, some appointments for programmes and/or modules in
Healthcare Studies and there are separate appointments to the non-modular
courses within MBChB and BChD

3. 	Do you expect EEs to assess first year undergraduate students.
	Unless indicated below, a response of No was given.
Birmingham - External Examiners are required to be present at examiners
meetings, which often deal with all years of a particular Programme/s
including the first year. Although obviously the examiners normally spend a
smaller percentage of time on first year matters.
Bradford - In most cases, no. However some professional bodies require
first year work to contribute to the final degree, so as external examiners
consider all work contributing to an award of the University, first year
work is assessed on these courses.
Derby - normal sampling basis, especially in the early stages of a new
programme.  As experience and confidence are built up the examiner is
likely to look at less and less first year work and concentrate on  the
following years.
Glasgow Caledonian University - consider a sample of each year including
borderline, very good and fail
Goldsmiths College - EEs are expected to assess first year UG students when
the first year counts to the final assessment for honours (about 80% of
programmes here).  First year marks count for only a small % of the overall
assessment so would not expect EEs to spend too much time on these
Northumbria - generally not required to look at level 0 or level 1 - but
some foundation courses are considered by EEs
Nottingham - EE is involved where the assessment counts towards the final
degree
UEL - All subject area ex exes assess undergraduate students at all levels;
they all assess a sample, which includes all Firsts and all Fails, even at
Level 1. EEs also have the right to request further papers if they wish.
University College London - Generally No but Externals have been known to
ask for random samples this is especially true of our Professional
programmes e.g. Engineering, Architecture. In the cases where an external
is appointed for a few modules on a small degree programme it is not
unknown for an External to assess/moderate everything.
University of Hull - believe that most departments send a sample, and also
borderline students.
University of Leeds - In general don't expect EEs to assess level 1 UG -
but they have right of oversight and can see sample or all if the wish -
they may also be involved (particularly re tricky cases) at request of a
School.  In Medicine and Dentistry EEs definitely involved in Year 1 but on
basis of sampling. Noted discussions with the English National Board where
we are attempting to change the examination culture for Nursing and
Midwifery to reduce the level of involvement of EEs in level 0 and 1: the
previous NHS culture led to arrangements whereby EEs were very fully
involved in levels 0 and 1 - some insisting on double marking all scripts.
University of Ulster - regulations only require external examiners to
assess work contributing to the final award which, for undergraduate
degrees, would exclude the first year. The faculty can ask the examiner to
look at first year work if it feels this would be appropriate, for example
on a new degree programme.

Please add any other comments that you think may be helpful. .......

University College London - It would seem that departments would like more
assessment from EE's but with large modular programmes and the increasing
involvement of EE's in Quality Assessment/Assurance issues it is impossible
for them to assess everything so alas the situation is that they do the
accepted minimum.
UEL - The EE is paid according to the duties he/she is asked to perform, ie
there is a payment for the subject area ex ex, and a further payment to the
Main Assessment Board EE.  One problem which arises is that some examiners,
from institutions without a modular structure, do not like the fact that
they are unable to consider the overall marks on the programme and assist
in degree classifications.  This has led to some minor difficulties,
although the University has no concerns about this; under our modular
scheme, the Main Board can often appear mechanistic, as marks which have
been passed up from the Subject Area Board cannot be changed or moderated
at this stage, so the presence of one external examiner to ensure fair play
is really all that is required.