Boards of examiners for assessed components excluding the Thesis

(3)9.84

A Board of Examiners shall be convened for each professional doctorate programme. The Board of Examiners shall be directly responsible to the Senate for the conduct of its business.

(3)9.85

The Board of Examiners shall be responsible for:

• confirming the provisional assessment component results of professional doctorate students registered for that programme
• considering and confirming the academic performance of individual professional doctorate students as it relates to progression or award decisions – including decisions to award an intermediate qualification or to terminate registration
• receiving reports on claims of mitigating circumstances that have been accepted by a Mitigating Circumstances Panel or where a Mitigating Circumstances Panel has made a recommendation for the Board’s approval
• considering and deciding on claims of mitigating circumstances not considered by a Mitigating Circumstances Panel

(3)9.86

The membership of the Board of Examiners shall be agreed annually.

(3)9.87

The Board of Examiners shall comprise:

• a Chair who shall normally be the Programme Director or another senior member of the Department’s academic staff appointed by the Programme Director or Head of Department
• at least two markers from the programme team both of whom are either members of the University’s academic staff or members of staff of the National Health Service holding an honorary position with the University
• other members of the University’s academic staff nominated by the Programme Director or Head of Department as needed to ensure that the Board can make informed progression and award decisions
• the external examiner(s) for the professional doctorate programme

(3)9.88

The Board of Examiners shall meet at least annually. Meetings of the Board of Examiners must be attended by all those members specified in (3)9.87(1) to 9.87(3). Meetings where required members are absent shall be declared inquorate and rescheduled.

(3)9.89

The external examiner(s) for the professional doctorate programme shall normally attend all meetings of the Board of Examiners. External examiners who cannot attend a meeting of the Board of Examiners shall be required to submit for consideration at the meeting written comments on the module outcomes and the performance of professional doctorate students.

(3)9.90

The Department shall provide a secretary to attend each meeting of the Board of Examiners. The secretary shall be responsible for recording the decisions of the Board and for providing a written account of the Board’s discussions in relation to any difficult cases.

(3)9.91

All members of the Board of Examiners, including external examiners, are equal and shall participate in the transaction of the Board’s business. If in any specific case a vote of the Board’s members is needed, the Chair shall have the casting vote.

(3)9.92

The Board of Examiners shall make decisions on the basis of evidence of professional doctorate student achievement. The Board of Examiners shall not adjust marks for any individual student or group of students except as specified in (3)9.53.

(3)9.93

External examiners shall be invited to endorse the decisions of the Board of Examiners to indicate that they are satisfied with the conduct of the assessment process rather than to indicate agreement with each individual assessment decision.

(3)9.94

The Board of Examiners may defer a decision in relation to an individual professional doctorate student where it does not hold sufficient information about the student’s academic record and/or any claim of mitigating circumstances. The Board of Examiners may authorise the Chair to make that decision on its behalf at the earliest subsequent opportunity. The Board of Examiners may not authorise the Chair to make a decision to award an intermediate qualification.