Assessment tasks by role

Responsible for:

• Ensuring the quality of examinations and other assessment across all courses in the academic unit 
• Ensuring that non-examined assessments and examination papers are appropriate for the level of study and the content of the examination papers is appropriate for the course being examined and the time required to complete  
• Ensuring staff are mentored in their career development, including in the development of course assessment (may be delegated to other staff) 
• Ensuring that hard-copy and digital student coursework is managed and returned in a way that safeguards student privacy 
• Ensuring the quality of the grades that are submitted and that anomalous issues are dealt with prior to the submission of grades (may be delegated to other staff) 

Achieved when:

• Academic unit reports of assessment activity are reviewed, approved and submitted to Assessment Services 
• A Course Director is appointed for every taught course 
• Each course has Examiners and Assessors appointed and the appointments include at least on research-active academic.  Formal notification is forward to Assessment Services by the appropriate deadline.  Changes are approved and notified 
• Substantive changes to assessment arrangements are approved by all students, the academic head and dean, and notified to all students.  Minor changes to assessment arrangements are approved, and notified to all students 
• Timely and fair decisions are made about students who miss an assessment or test for work or sporting reasons not covered under the aegrotat and compassionate consideration regulations 
• Examination question papers are reviewed to ensure they are set at an appropriate standard and format  
• Examination question papers are submitted to Assessment Services by the appropriate deadline 
• Examination duration and designation changes are approved 
• An appropriate recommendation is made on applications for aegrotat and compassionate grades 
• Appropriate decisions are made on applications for deferment of examinations  
• Documented academic unit processes ensure the appropriate moderation of results 
• Academic unit processes support the confidential and secure return of student coursework 
• Academic unit processes follow policy with respect to retention of coursework 
• Timely and fair decisions are made with regard to illegibility of student examination scripts 
• Academic unit moderation processes are documented and ensure that appropriate standards are maintained 
• Moderation decisions, including adjustment of marks, are recorded 
• Requests for late submission of results are approved 
• Changes to submitted grades are approved and resubmitted 
• New and existing academic staff are provided with information and support to develop assessment skills 
• Assessment is discussed as an aspect of teaching performance in the Academic Development and Performance Review process; assessment problems are identified through review of course reports and in discussion with academic staff 
• Assessment issues identified in academic unit reviews are reviewed and addressed

Responsible for:

• Overseeing the design of assessment processes to ensure that assessments are relevant and aligned with learning objectives
• Ensuring that the assessment complies with all aspects of policy 
• Ensuring that the structure of assessment is available to all students prior to the start of semester 
• Ensuring that appropriate support and supervision is provided for tutors and/or laboratory demonstrators in a marking role. 

Achieved when:

• Assessment design is coherent across the course and aligns with learning objectives 
• Digital Course Outlines provide the required and accurate information on assessment and learning outcomes 
• Group work assessment tasks are well designed and implemented and comply with policy 
• Marks are not awarded for attendance 
• Question banks for tests and examinations are appropriately maintained and recycled 
• Where plussage is used its use is appropriate to the structure of course assessment and learning outcomes and is approved by an Associate Dean 
• Applications for exceptions to the 70% limit on invigilated assessment in courses where plussage is used; and the prohibition against tests with a weighting higher than 20% in the final week of teaching are made to the Associate Dean 
• Concurrent teaching (where relevant) is clearly differentiated by separate and appropriate assessment 
• Course information is published in Canvas two weeks before the start of teaching. 
• Specific assessment criteria are provided to students at the time an assessment task is set 
• Changes to assessment arrangements, where they occur, are publicised to students 
• Appropriate provision is made for students notifying their intent to submit assessment in Te Reo Maori 
• Invigilation of tests is organised 
• Timely and appropriate feedback is provided to students, including feedback to students on an early assessment exercise in time to assist them to prepare for their first substantive assessment 
• Examination questions, or question apportionment, released ahead of the examination are approved and notified to all relevant students 
• Examination papers are approved before submission to Assessment Services  
• Students are informed that they may not contact Examiners or Course Directors after publication of provisional final results 
• Course reviews evaluate assessment tasks and outcomes 
• Oversight of assessment standards is maintained through acting as one of the Examiners for the course and leading Examiners’ meetings
• Examination papers are submitted on time, free from errors and at the level appropriate for the course 
• Final grades are accurate and submitted on time or alternative arrangements are made 
• Changes to submitted grades are approved and resubmitted 

Responsible for:

• The administration and organisation of the course acting under supervision of the Course Director 

Achieved when:

• The Course Director delegates some of their tasks, with appropriate oversight, to the Course Coordinator 

Responsible for:

• Preparation of question papers; confirmation of quality and fairness of results through participation in Examiners’ meeting 
  

Achieved when:

• Coursework assessment and tests are set and marked against the standards and criteria set for the assessment task 
  
• Marks awarded align with the University grade schedule 
• Examination papers are accurately prepared according to procedures  
• One Examiner is available for the duration of the examination.  Examiners must be available at a telephone extension or provide an alternative number to Assessment Services.  Examiners must have a secure copy of the approved examination paper so that any questions may be answered promptly and efficiently.  Any intention to attend the start of an examination for 15 minutes must be communicated in advance to Assessment Services  
• Where applicable, checks on calculators and books in examination rooms are made 
• Examination scripts are collected and handled securely 
• Coursework is available to the Assessor, as appropriate 
• Adjustment of marks is undertaken according to the rules set out in procedures and records are retained.  Final grades on boundaries are reviewed 
• Final grades are reviewed and signed off 

Responsible for:

• To provide an independent review of the quality of assessments and results 
  

Achieved when:

• Information is received from the examiner(s) and reviewed to ensure adequate fairness and consistency of standards is maintained  
• Final grades are signed off (Examiners’ Grade Approval Sheet, AS-65) 

Responsible for:

• Reporting to the academic head as to the appropriateness of the examination and grading given course content and recognised academic standards 
  

Achieved when:

• A review of the content and grading of examination papers and/or (a sample of) other assessed work is undertaken and reported to the academic head 

Responsible for:

• Ensuring assessment is consistent across the Faculty and reliably meets the University’s standards 

Achieved when:

• Assessment activities in the faculty are carried out in line with University policy, including reporting to Education Committee where required 
  
• Faculty processes ascertain that assessment in new courses is appropriate and academically sound 
• The use of plussage in a course is approved as appropriate to the structure of assessment and course learning outcomes  
• Applications for exceptions to the 70% limit on invigilated assessment in courses where plussage is used; and the prohibition against tests with a weighting higher than 20% are considered and approved as appropriate  
• Distribution of grades is monitored

Responsible for:

• To ensure the integrity of the University’s formal examination and assessment processes
• To provide academic units with support and guidance on these processes

Achieved when:

• The integrity of examination processes is affirmed and results for sub-doctoral students are processed accurately 
• The examination timetable is built with the fewest possible clashes for students and ideally no more than one exam per day for students.  Faculty requests are taken into consideration and accommodated where students will not be adversely affected 
• Nominations of Examiners and Assessors are received and entered accurately 
• Examination papers are received, checked and printed 
• Students who are unable to sit their examinations at the scheduled time and date are advised and alternative arrangements adhere to University standards 
• A pool of well-trained examination supervisors is maintained 
• Appropriate examination conditions are provided for students 
• Students who are sitting examinations under special conditions are accommodated 
• Applications for aegrotat and compassionate passes are coordinated and processed 
• Results are received, and posted to students’ records in a normal timeframe of two working days 
• The Assessment (Coursework and Examination) Procedures are reviewed annually 
• Due dates for submission to Assessment Services are notified in the Procedures and on the Examinations website each year 
• Examination dates and locations, and examination instructions, are available to students online 
• Examination scripts are returned to students on application 
• Applications for submission of late results are approved under standard criteria 
• An annual report is submitted to Education Committee on two-hour and three-hour examinations at stage one

Responsible for:

• Final decisions on aegrotat and compassionate grades 

Achieved when:

• Final decisions on aegrotat and compassionate grades are made

Responsible for:

• University-wide academic policies and processes  

Achieved when:

• The following requests are considered and decided: 
  
  • applications for late submission of results outside of the usual criteria  
  • requests for exemption from the requirement to publish past examination papers on the Libraries and Learning Services Examinations Database  
  • As referee or appoint a referee to determine the final decision in disputed results cases for undergraduate or postgraduate courses (except theses, research portfolios, dissertations and research projects of 30 points or above)

Responsible for:

• Advice and recommendations to Senate on academic policy (including assessment) 

Achieved when:

• Exception requests are considered and decided for the following policy requirements: 
  • group assessment tasks with a weighting of 30% or higher of the final grade must include a minimum component of 40% that is individually assessed 
  • minimum 50% invigilated coursework assessment for stage one courses 
  • Education Committee must approve a course to carry an ungraded pass/fail result 
  • Advice is received on late submission of results 
  • Reports from Associate Deans Academic are received twice a year on instances where marks/grades have been adjusted  
  • Examinations annual reporting is reviewed, including the balance of two-hour and three-hour examinations 
  • three-yearly reports on concurrent teaching are received from faculties

Responsible for:

• Supporting academic staff in the administration of assessment processes 
  

Achieved when:

• Support is provided to Examiners/Course Directors in the preparation and formatting of examination papers 
  
• Examination paper submission is tracked and exceptions are reported to the academic head 
• Accurate information is available to staff assessing aegrotat and compassionate applications 
• Where an aegrotat compassionate decision is to re-sit or hold an oral test, arrangements are made promptly in conjunction with Assessment Services and the student kept informed 
• Nominations for Examiners, Assessors and Course Directors are coordinated and entered into CS9 
• Final results are entered into Canvas

Responsible for:

• Supporting students in the administration of assessment processes

Achieved when:

• Applications for exam recounts are processed within three weeks
  

Responsible for:

• The collection and maintenance of coursework and examination details
  

Achieved when:

• Coursework and exam details are completed and entered in CS9 in a timely manner 
  
• Late changes are submitted to Assessment Services