Modular study results processing guidance

1. The following notes provide guidance on the process of agreeing the outcome of modular study. This includes both the award of credit for individual modules and the award of qualifications. It does not cover assessment setting or examinations policy.
2. Sections here cover the three periods before, during and after exam boards.
3. This guidance is mainly a collection of information from other sources but with a specific focus on modular study. Those other sources (mainly RPS guidance and the University policy on study by credit accumulation) should be referred to for further details.

Before the boards

1. The first thing we would ask you to do this year is to identify any modular study students you expect to be achieving an award this summer that should be invited to Graduation in July, ie. those expected to complete either a Masters, PG Diploma, PG Certificates, Foundation Degree or Diploma of Higher Education. Please provide a list of these students (name, qualification, a registration number) to the Graduation Office graduation@essex.ac.uk and Carla Constable carla@essex.ac.uk
2. Before beginning the process of printing grids for modular students, you should ensure you know which students to expect, so that you can detect if any are missing from the grids printed.
3. Grids for individual courses can be printed from RPS in the usual way. Students on modular schemes, or with no specific qualification aim, have their own Stage Code, usually ending in ‘CB’.
4. Grids showing the all the past and current results for a student, similar to the grid for a student studying in standard mode (see example on final page), are available from Carla Constable, carla@essex.ac.uk (or, if Carla is unavailable, Al Rowe arowe@essex.ac.uk). Please let Carla know the date on which these will be required.

At the board

This is a summary of the information contained in the University’s policy on study by credit accumulation.

1. The board will need to decide on the award of credits and/or the opportunities for reassessment. Where a student is not studying towards a specific qualification, one reassessment attempt is allowed. Where a student is studying towards a particular qualification, the Rules of Assessment for that qualification apply. This may restrict the opportunity for reassessment.
2. If a student has completed all the work required for the qualification they are studying toward, then the board should consider them for that award. The board may recommend the award or offer reassessment within the rules of assessment for that award.
3. If a student is studying towards a specific qualification but is no longer able to meet the requirements of the rules of assessment, then the board should note this and direct the department to meet with the student to discuss options. The board may agree the offer of a lesser qualification if the student is eligible.
4. Except in the above circumstances, the board may only award a postgraduate student the qualification they have indicated they wish to study toward. For undergraduate students taking language modules, the board may agree to offer awards to students for which they are eligible, eg. a Certificate of Continuing Education where a student has achieved 60 credits.
5. Extenuating circumstances and academic misconduct should be considered in the same way as for any other student. Please ensure when you are adding any such details to the student’s record that you do so against the correct registration as each module is treated separately, unlike students on a full-time scheme.

After the board (postgraduate students)

1. Once the board has made decisions, assessments for each will need to be entered into the database.
2. In RPS, select the ‘Module Mark entry’ and enter the student’s exam number and note the order of the modules.
3. Click the ‘Year Mark/Progress’ button, you will notice that there is no way on this screen to distinguish one registration from the next: