Regulations for the Foundation Degree Award in Health Studies

1    SCOPE OF THESE REGULATIONS
1.1    These Regulations govern the assessment, progression and award for the Foundation Degree Health Studies (Higher Apprenticeship Nursing Associate) (FdSc) 

1.2    These Regulations govern students studying for Foundation Degrees as part of their study for the Higher Apprenticeship Nursing Associate. 

1.3    These Regulations cover the academic award of Foundation Degree only; the award of the Apprenticeship is by a non-integrated End Point Assessment, which is documented separately.

1.4    These Regulations govern students commencing their programme from the academic year 2020/21 onwards.

1.5    Alterations to or concessions against these Regulations may be made only with the approval of the Learning and Teaching Committee of Senate, or by named persons with delegated powers to operate on behalf of the Committee.

1.6    The University will share appropriate information with employers sponsoring the Apprenticeship for the purpose of facilitating learning and delivery of the Apprenticeship Programme.
 

In order to qualify for an award of the University the student must:

(a)          satisfy the general entrance requirements of the University and any entrance requirements relevant to the course and Higher Apprenticeship; and

(b)          satisfactorily complete a programme of study and assessment in accordance with these Regulations and any specific criteria set out by the relevant Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Body (PSRB), the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

3.1         The University shall:

(a)          publish any course-specific requirements for assessment and progression;

(b)          publish Course Profiles specifying the modules to be taken, and any elective modules available, for each course;

(c)           publish Module Outlines specifying the content and assessment for each module.

3.2         Students may be awarded specific credit via Accredited Prior Learning, in accordance with the University’s approved policy.

3.3         Table of Awards

4.1         Students must enrol for and complete the course within the timescales summarised in the table in Regulation 3.3.

4.2         Extension to a period of study

4.2.1      The Learning and Teaching Committee of Senate may vary or amend the requirements of these Regulations in respect of a particular student, in agreement with their employer. This may include the extension, by interruption or repetition of, a student’s period of study to a maximum of two years beyond the specified length of the course. In such instances, it may also impose alternative conditions and requirements.

5.1         Students shall be required to enrol for and complete modules according to the requirements set out in the Course Profile and Module Outlines, by the deadline published by the University. 

5.2         A student may be suspended from a module including a practice element placement where a Professional Code of Conduct applies, pending formal investigation of the circumstances in accordance with published procedures, where the Head of School decides that there is prima facie evidence that a student’s behaviour has jeopardised the welfare of a subject (whether patient, pupil or client), and/or has contravened the relevant professional code of conduct and/or the behaviour is incompatible with behaviour required by the relevant profession.

6.1         The course shall have an assessment strategy linked to the learning outcomes of the course.

6.2         The Foundation Degree award shall be classified using a Pass/Merit/Distinction scale.

6.3         The method and timings of each assessment shall be published in advance to the students.

6.4         The assessment of each module shall generate a single mark between 0% and 100%, calculated from contributing individual   component marks, weighted appropriately.

6.5         Each module will be displayed with a single mark and grade (the grade, based on higher degree classification system).

6.6        The pass mark for modules shall be 40% except where PSRB requirements stipulate a higher pass mark.

6.7         All marks will be recorded and displayed to two decimal places. For the purposes of progression and classification, module, stage average and classification marks will be treated as if rounded to the nearest integer:

6.7.1      Module marks within 0.5% of a pass mark will be awarded a pass;

6.7.2      Stage average marks within 0.5% of a progression boundary will be considered to have achieved the threshold;

6.7.3      Classification marks within 0.5% of a higher classification will be awarded the higher classification.

6.7.4      Classification marks within 0.5% of a borderline will be considered as being borderline.

6.8         Each individual component of the module is required to be passed in order to pass the module; such modules are identified with a ‘pass all components’ marks scheme.

6.9         Where appropriate, individual modules or components may be   assessed on a Pass/Fail basis.

7.1         Membership of Boards of Examiners

7.1.1      The Board of Examiners shall comprise a Chair (who shall be an appropriate member of University academic staff from the students’ School of Study), external examiner(s) and at least two additional internal examiners. The membership of Boards of Examiners and their sub-groups must be approved by the Learning and Teaching Committee of Senate.

7.1.2      With the exception of the Board of Examiners for the Final Assessment, a Board may delegate its functions to a sub-group of examiners which shall include the Chair (or Deputy Chair, who must also be a member of University academic staff from the appropriate School of Study) of the Board and at least two other internal examiners.

7.1.3      There shall be an Extenuating Circumstances Panel, which shall comprise of a Chair (who shall be an appropriate member of University academic staff from the students’ School of Study), and at least two members.  The Extenuating Circumstances Panel will act as an advisory group to the Board of Examiners to consider students’ extenuating circumstances and the related evidence.

7.1.4      All members of a Board of Examiners (or one of its sub-groups) are required to attend unless the Learning and Teaching Committee of Senate has approved their absence. In the case of reassessment for the final award classification, the Learning and Teaching Committee of Senate may approve the absence of the external examiners, if there is evidence that they have been appropriately consulted.

7.1.5      In order to inform its decisions, a Board of Examiners may invite the attendance or comments of other internal staff who are not members. Such an invitation will not confer rights of membership.

7.2         The Chair

The Chair of the Board of Examiners, with appropriate support and regulatory advice from the Secretary to the Board (who shall be an appropriate member of staff of the Learning and Teaching Service at UEA), shall have responsibility for:

(a)          seeking approval of the membership of the Board and its sub- groups;

(b)          the production of examination papers;

(c)           marking and moderation processes and other quality assurance scrutiny, in liaison  with the School Director of Learning and Teaching or the Institution Lead for Assessment where necessary;

(d)          the chairing of the meetings of the Board;

(e)          ensuring that any decisions on progression, classification or the award of academic qualifications are not influenced beyond the recorded marks by a student having plagiarised and/or colluded or otherwise been disciplined;

(f)           making and recording all arrangements with external examiners, including the size and nature of the sample for moderation in accordance with University guidelines, arrangements for consultation at Reassessment Boards where required and ensuring that the views of external examiners are given due weight in any decisions made by the Board of Examiners which are not determined by formal vote;

(g)          considering any recommendations of the Extenuating Circumstances Panel;

(h)          the recording of decisions made by the Board of Examiners and ensuring that all members of the Board of Examiners or appointed sub-group thereof have signed the appropriate results and pass lists;

(i)            ensuring compliance with the relevant Regulations; and

(j)            undertaking such other tasks as the Senate shall require.

7.3         The External Examiner

7.3.1      The role of the external examiner is to ensure that:

(a)          internal marking is consistent, fairly applied and of an appropriate standard;

(b)          assessment has enabled learning outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated;

(c)           academic standards are appropriate for the level of the award;

(d)          recommendations for awards and for classification of awards are consistent, fair, fairly applied and of an appropriate standard.

7.3.2      The external examiner shall undertake duties as described in the  Senate’s Code of Practice for the External Examiner System for Awards (Taught Programmes):

Including consultation with the Chair of the Board of Examiners with regards to all arrangements, e.g. size and nature of the sample for moderation.

7.3.3      The external examiner shall normally attend the Final Assessment Board(s) and, where appropriate, participate in the Final Reassessment Board(s) where recommendations for awards are made and sign the appropriate signature sheet.

7.3.4      The external examiner shall monitor module marks and confirm whether marking standards are acceptable. The external examiner should review the marks awarded and report to the Board of Examiners as follows:

(a)          where the marking standards are judged to be  acceptable, that no further action is required;

(b)          where the marking standards are judged to be unacceptable, and the external examiner has drawn this to the attention of the Board before module marks have been confirmed, request that the Board shall review and amend as appropriate the marks of all the students who have taken the module or item in question. If the overall marking standards are acceptable but an individual mark appears to be inappropriate, the mark shall stand but it will be drawn to the attention of the Final Assessment Board;

(c)           where the marking standards are judged to be unacceptable, and the external examiner has drawn this to the attention of the Board after module marks have been confirmed, request that the Board shall not amend confirmed marks but shall take appropriate action to ensure that the classification of students is not compromised. This will normally involve considering the position of all borderline candidates who have taken the module or item in question and might also involve a review of further samples of work to ascertain an appropriate allowance to be made in the consideration of such borderline students.

7.4         Voting

The Board of Examiners may determine its decisions by formal vote. Where a vote is taken the decision shall go with the overall majority. The Chair shall have the casting vote.

7.5         Meetings of the Boards of Examiners

The individual meetings of the Boards of Examiners shall be scheduled at the beginning of the academic year by Learning and Teaching Service, in consultation with the Chair of the Board of Examiners. The dates of Boards of Examiners shall be published to students.

7.6         Provision of Assessment Information

7.6.1      Boards of Examiners shall receive the following:

(i)            Module marks and any contributing component marks achieved by each student taking the module;

(ii)           Stage aggregate mark for each student, expressed as a percentage and taking weightings into account, for the Stage in question;

(iii)          Where relevant, the confirmed marks for the preceding Stage(s).

7.6.2      Results will be presented as follows:

(i)            Marks shall be displayed to two decimal places for all marks, including module and component marks, stage aggregate and final award marks;

(ii)           Where appropriate, modules and individual components assessed without the award of a mark shall be presented as Pass/Fail.

8.1         Students’ attendance, engagement and progress will be monitored throughout the year under General Regulation 13.

9.1         All marks are provisional until these have been confirmed by the Board of Examiners which shall receive the marks presented for each module, and contributing components being assessed and for which it is responsible.

9.2         It is the role of the Board of Examiners to confirm that internal and external moderation has been completed and that the marking standards for the module are appropriate.

9.3         ADJUSTMENT OF MARKS

In exceptional circumstances, the Board of Examiners may determine that marks obtained in a component of the module should be amended by scaling. Scaling may only be undertaken with the approval of the Learning and Teaching Committee of Senate, which must be given for each assessment item for which the Board of Examiners believes that scaling is necessary. A recommendation that scaling should occur must be informed by factors other than the standard deviation and average marks for the module relative to other modules and should seek to address factors not previously addressed by internal and external moderation. Only upward scaling will be approved and the method for scaling shall be piecewise linear scaling. Any such adjustment must be made for all students who have taken the assessment in question.

9.4         In some circumstances it may be appropriate for the assessment item to be remarked.

9.5         Marks may not be adjusted for individual students. Special factors relating to an individual student’s examination and coursework marks may only be taken into account at the relevant Stage or Final Assessment Board meeting.

9.6         After completing the above process, the Board shall confirm all marks.

9.7         Where modules are assessed without the award of a mark the Board of Examiners shall resolve whether the student has achieved a Pass or not.

9.8         Marks thus confirmed by the Board of Examiners shall not normally be subject to further amendment except in the following instances:

(a)          to correct an error in recording or transcription;

(b)          following a decision to change a mark as a result of an Academic Appeal by a student. In such cases and after completion of the Academic Appeal process the final mark shall be determined by the Board of Examiners, if necessary at a later date.

10.1       The Extenuating Circumstances Panel advising the Board of Examiners shall consider extenuating circumstances formally reported to it, and make recommendations to the Board, in accordance with the University’s approved Extenuating Circumstances Regulations.

10.2       The Board of Examiners shall formally approve the recommendation made by the Extenuating Circumstances Panel. Any alternative arrangement shall only be approved by the Board if it is in the student’s best interest.

10.3       The Extenuating Circumstances Panel advising the Board shall treat all statements of extenuating circumstances as confidential, not to be disclosed outside the meeting of the Panel. Where circumstances are particularly sensitive, students may ask that the disclosure of the information be limited.

11.1       A student may be granted a Delayed Assessment (including a Delayed Reassessment) in accordance with the University’s Extenuating Circumstances Regulations.

11.2       Students for whom a Delayed Assessment has been approved shall normally be required to take the Delayed Assessment at the earliest possible opportunity.

11.3       In the case where a Delayed Assessment/ reassessment is requested by a student and is approved, even though the initial assessment has been attempted, the original mark for the initial assessment will be voided. The mark for the Delayed Assessment/reassessment  will be used to calculate progression and final classification.

12.1       There will be a Stage Assessment Board once students have attempted the assessment for all modules with a credit total that equates to a Stage. At this meeting, the Board of Examiners will consider if students have successfully completed the relevant Stage of Study by reviewing all module results for the Stage.

12.2       The Stage Assessment Board shall:

(a)          receive and confirm module marks and grades completed during the relevant Stage and an aggregate mark for the Stage for each student expressed as a percentage and taking into account weightings of modules for the Stage in question;

(b)          receive from the Extenuating Circumstances Panel its recommendations regarding extenuating circumstances.

12.3       The Board of Examiners shall confirm that a student has satisfactorily completed the Stage where the student has achieved the following in the Stage in question:

(a)          at least the pass mark for all numerically-marked modules including  individual  components  of  modules  and/or  individual

sections within examinations where required;

(b)          a Pass, in modules assessed as Pass/Fail including individual components of modules and/or individual sections within examinations where required;

(c)           any additional progression requirement/s for the Stage as specified by the Nursing and Midwifery Council

12.4       Failure to complete the Stage satisfactorily

12.4.1    For a student who has failed to complete the Stage satisfactorily, the Board of Examiners shall refer the student to reassessment, except in the following circumstances:

Where a student studying at Stage 2 has achieved a module mark of below 20% in a Core module, the Board of Examiners shall:

i.             For a student whose marks of below 20% are as a result of an application of a penalty for late submission or plagiarism and collusion, offer a reassessment opportunity in the affected module(s).

ii.            For any other student, consider the overall performance of the student, taking into account factors including the number of failed modules, the student’s attendance and progress to date, the level of study, any recommendations of the Extenuating Circumstances Panel, and any PSRB requirements, and take one of the following actions:

1.            Offer a reassessment opportunity in the affected module(s);

2.            On the recommendation of the Extenuating Circumstances Panel, and following discussion with and agreement by the Employer, permit the student to repeat the year of study, either with or without a period of interruption;

3.            Recommend to the Head of School, following discussion with and agreement by the Employer, that the student should not be offered a reassessment attempt. Any such student would not be permitted to be reassessed in any failed module, and would be withdrawn from the Institution and receive an exit award where appropriate (in accordance with Regulation 17).

12.4.2    A student may not be referred to reassessment in a module until they have completed any delayed assessments in that module.

12.4.3    Where a student has delayed assessment for a module and has failed another module for which delayed assessment has not been granted, they may be referred to reassessment in the failed module.

13.1       Students eligible for reassessment will be offered a reassessment opportunity in all failed components of the failed module normally in the form of the original assessment. Any exceptions to this may be made only with the approval of the Learning and Teaching Committee of Senate.

13.2       Reassessment will normally be offered on one occasion only.

13.3       Reassessment for each module shall be completed in accordance with the timetable specified by the University.

13.4       Module marks following reassessment are calculated as follows:

(i)            All marks achieved at reassessment are stored on the Student Record System;

(ii)           For ‘Pass all Components’ mark scheme modules, component marks at or above the pass mark achieved at reassessment will be capped at the pass mark.

13.5       Where the failed module or component is a clinical/practical placement, the Board may:

(i)            Modify the form and duration of the reassessment on an individual basis, to take account of any special circumstances, the needs of the student and the needs of the placement provider;

(ii)           Opt not to offer a reassessment opportunity to a student who has demonstrated failure that, in the view of the Board, indicates that the student is unlikely to achieve a pass mark or reach appropriate standards for professional practice within the reassessment period (i.e. where there is evidence of continued and persistent failure to demonstrate professional competence within the placement with no significant trajectory towards competence). In the event that reassessment is not offered, the student shall be required to withdraw from the course of study. This would be considered in consultation with the student’s Employer.

There shall be a Stage Reassessment Board at which the Board of Examiners shall consider the confirmed module marks achieved for each student following their reassessment. It may act as a Stage Assessment Board or Final Assessment Board for students who have sat delayed assessments.

14.1       Confirmed marks will be presented as follows:

(a)          the original mark achieved in each module or component that was reassessed;

(b)          the actual mark achieved at Reassessment;

(c)           the overall module mark calculated following Reassessment; the capped mark will be recorded against the component for use in progression and degree classification purposes.

14.2       The Board of Examiners shall receive recommendations from the Extenuating Circumstances Panel in accordance with Regulation 10

14.3       The Board of Examiners shall confirm that a student has satisfactorily completed the Stage where the student has achieved the following in the Stage in question:

(a)          at least the pass mark for all numerically-marked modules, including  individual  components  of  modules  and/or  individual sections within examinations where required;

(b)          a  Pass,  in modules assessed as Pass/Fail;

(c)           any additional progression requirement/s for the Stage as specified by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

14.4       Consideration of extenuating circumstances at the Reassessment Board

14.4.1    Where a student has been granted a delayed assessment, in accordance with the Extenuating Circumstances Regulations, the Board of Examiners shall:

(a)          for a student who has met the required conditions, confirm provisional progression, pending passing the outstanding delayed assessment or reassessment by the deadline published by the University;

(b)          for any other student, require the student to interrupt their studies and return to undergo the delayed assessment at the next available opportunity.

14.4.2    For all other students with extenuating circumstances the Board of Examiners shall formally approve the recommendation made by the Extenuating Circumstances Panel. Any alternative arrangement shall only be approved by the Board if it is in the student’s best interest.

14.5       Failure to complete the Stage satisfactorily

Where a student has not completed the Stage satisfactorily as specified above, and there are no recommendations from the Extenuating Circumstances Panel, and following prior consultation with the student’s  Employer,  the Board of Examiners require the student to withdraw from the course and recommend an award where appropriate.

There shall be a Final Assessment Board at which the Board of Examiners, including the External Examiner(s), shall consider the results of all students after their final stage of study.

15.1       Final Stage Assessment Board

The Board of Examiners shall confirm that a student has satisfactorily completed the Final Stage where the student has achieved the following:

(a)          at least the pass mark for numerically-marked modules including individual components of modules and/or individual sections within examinations where required;

(b)          a Pass, in modules assessed as Pass/Fail;

(c)           any additional requirement/s for the Stage as specified by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

15.2       Consideration of the Award

The Board shall consider the award of Foundation degrees according to regulation 15.3.

15.3       Degree Classification

15.3.1    The Board shall receive for each student:

(a)          the final Module Marks contributing to the degree, together with the component marks achieved at the original attempt and any reassessment attempt.

(b)          a final award mark calculated from the Stage aggregate mark for each contributing year according to the following percentage weighting:

(c)           The recommendations of the Extenuating Circumstances Panel.           

15.3.2    The Board will assign a classification of Pass, Merit or Distinction on the basis of the students’ final award marks as follows:

15.3.3    Consideration of students within 2 per cent of a higher class*

The Board of Examiners shall recommend the higher classification for a student whose final award mark falls within 2% of the boundary for the higher classification where the following conditions are met (note the convention of rounding up in Regulation 6.7):

15.3.4    With respect to Final Classification, the Board of Examiners shall consider the recommendations of the Extenuating Circumstances Panel.

15.3.5    Students who have not met the criteria to be awarded a degree may be eligible to be awarded an exit award in accordance with Regulation 17; they would not be eligible to continue on their apprenticeship.

*Regulation 15.3.4 is under review and may be amended for students starting their course in 2019/20

16.1       The Board of Examiners shall consider for a degree (as set out under Regulation 15) those Final Stage students who were referred to reassessment, once the students’ module marks have been confirmed and after the Stage Reassessment Board has confirmed that they have successfully passed the final Stage. At least one External Examiner shall be part of the consideration of awards.

17.1       Students who are not eligible to be awarded a degree shall be considered by the Board of Examiners, including the External Examiner(s), for the appropriate exit awards.

17.2       In addition to the consideration of any named exit award available to students as set out in the Course Handbook, the Board of Examiners shall consider the following exit award:

Certificate of Higher Education

The Board of Examiners shall recommend the award of Certificate of Higher Education to students who have satisfactorily completed level 4. At least 60 credits must have been completed on UEA validated programmes delivered by the Institution.

17.3       Students awarded an exit award from a professional course are not eligible to apply for professional registration or to continue on their apprenticeship.

18.1       The deliberations of Boards of Examiners are confidential except where a student requests information about their own award via an Academic Appeal or Academic Complaint (see 18.4 below).

18.2       Examiners are required to make academic decisions about students’ performance, and marks are a guide to examiners in making those decisions.  However, other factors may be taken into account in accordance with these Regulations and students should be aware that a particular number or pattern of marks does not necessarily lead to a given result.

18.3       Students will be formally advised of the outcome of the consideration of their academic performance by a Board of Examiners in accordance with procedures approved by the Learning and Teaching Committee.

18.4       As part of an informal or formal Academic Appeal or Academic Complaint the Head of the School, Chair of Examiners or Secretary to the Board of Examiners, may advise an individual student of the discussions of the Board of Examiners as they relate solely to the individual student’s academic performance. In this context, minutes of the relevant Board of Examiners with appropriate redactions can be released by the Institution to the student who has submitted an Academic Appeal or Academic Complaint, without recourse to the General Data Protection Regulations.

These regulations apply to UEA Foundation Degree Award, delivered as part of the Higher Apprenticeship Nursing Associates course.