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From: HEAD OF SAD (Student Administration Department)
Date: 01/05/98
I feel that I should comment on Dr Jones memo of of 27.3.98 in which she raises a number of issues in relation to our Assessment Systems. As one of those responsible for introducing new and substantially improved systems I have to say that I find his carping criticism uncalled for and unhelpful. The facts are these. 1. Students were not rioting because of late publication of results. This was a high spirited demonstration of support for the new administrative arrangements which simply got out of hand a little when Luddite colleagues of Dr Jones sought to intervene. 2. The publication of last years results was a deliberate decision designed to test the ability of students to sek, handle and interpret information. 3.The use of seat numbers rather than assessed marks was introuduced specifically to reduce the work load on Dr Jones and her colleaugues who have for a long while complained about the heavy work load involved in marking examinstions.One would have hoped that she would have supported this exciting new development. 4.No work was sent to the wromng external examiner. In accordance with the University's policy of creating generalists able to work in any area it seemed wholly appropriate that we should expect the same level of skills from our externals. It was unfortunate that the Nursing External was unable or unwilling to mark the papers in Housing Law, Discrete Maths and Advanced Information Management Systems which were sent to her. 5. No work was "lost completely". A decision was made to save postal bills by supressing a number of sets of papers. This also had the advantage of our being able to test out a new new random marking system based on students' registration numbers. Work on this important new approach continues. It may we worth mentioning however, that significant numbers of students received marks of 98 % by use of this system, a fact which will increase the University's standing in the league tables showing the number of First Class Degrees awarded. We are confident that next year we shall have many students scoring 99% by this method. 6. No-one who was present was marked as absent, quite the opposite was the case.Students who were absent were not given "fictional" grades as Dr Jones complains; they were given real ones to ensure that they did not submit extenuating circumstances claims thereby saving everyone's time. Finally, Dr Jones speculates that a return to a devolved system of administration is being considered. SAD is alive to all possibilities and opportunites and should it be appropriate at some future point to introduced new administraive concepts we shall not hesitate to do so.