Standing Committee on Assessment

Standing Committee on Assessment is a subcommittee of the University Teaching Committee.

On postgraduate researcher (PGR) matters it reports to the PGR Policies and Programmes Committee of York Graduate Research School Board.

Terms of reference

Purpose

On behalf of University Teaching Committee and York Graduate Research School, to develop, consider, monitor and review policies and procedures relating to the assessments, marking, feedback and progression for all taught and research students.

On behalf of Senate, to approve, report and monitor the results of assessment for University awards, including those of higher doctorates, and appoint internal and external examiners.

Contact us

Academic Quality

sca@york.ac.uk
+44 (0)1904 321135

1. To develop, consider, monitor and review University policies and procedures relating to assessments, marking, feedback and progression for all education provision that leads to an award of the University and to ensure such policies and procedures meet appropriate quality assurance and regulatory requirements;

2. To make recommendations to University Teaching Committee, York Graduate Research School Board and Senate on matters of assessment policy, strategy or practice (for those committees to disseminate as appropriate). To keep other relevant committees informed about the implications of assessment-related decisions or recommendations;

3. To consider proposals for amendments to the Ordinances and Regulations relating to assessment and to make recommendations accordingly to University Teaching Committee and York Graduate Research School Board, for Senate;

4. To review trends on academic misconduct cases as reported by Standing Academic Misconduct Panels, through an annual statistical review leading to recommendations with regard to policy, practice. An individual member of SCA is also appointed to advise each Panel;

5. To note the approval, on behalf of University Teaching Committee, of the appointment of any internal examiner, at any level, who is not a member of academic, research, teaching and/or scholarship staff (i.e. continuing employees on permanent or limited-term contracts). This includes, for example, Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs), casual teaching staff and persons not employed by the University; these approval decisions are made by individual academic SCA members, on behalf of the committee;

6. To note the approval, on behalf of University Teaching Committee, of the appointment of external examiners at all levels except the Institutional External Examiner, including terms of appointment. These approval decisions are made by individual academic SCA members, on behalf of the committee. For taught provision, approved nominees are appointed to the office of external examiner and the SCA determines:

a. the role and responsibilities of external examiners;

b. the term of office and extensions to the defined term of office;

c. provisions for the early termination of appointment, and considers and approves the early termination of an external examiner’s appointment.

7. To approve the appointment of assessors for applications for admission to Higher Doctorates on behalf of Senate; these approval decisions are made by individual academic SCA members, on behalf of the committee;

8. To note the approval of special examination arrangements for all students in University examinations; these approval decisions are made by individual academic SCA members, on behalf of the committee;

9. To approve, and report to University Teaching Committee, the outcomes of University assessments, including degree results and progression. To keep under review, and report to Senate through University Teaching Committee and York Graduate Research School Board, the distribution of results for examinations at all levels, including data regarding EDI;

10. To approve examination outcomes for research students, and variations from standard examination arrangements, as detailed in the Policy on Research Degrees; these approval decisions are made by individual academic SCA members, on behalf of the committee;

11. To develop policies and procedures in relation to the University’s Policy on Exceptional Circumstances affecting Assessment, to monitor activity and to make recommendations to University Teaching Committee and York Graduate Research School Board;

12. To consider the workload associated with the Committee’s business, including via consideration of the impact of the Committee’s decisions on staff workload; and to oversee the workload associated with being a member of the Committee.

13. To consider ways of promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in relation to all the above.

Professor Steve King, Computer Science (Chair) (until 1 September 2026)
Dr Alet Roux, Mathematics (Deputy Chair) (until 1 September 2027)
Dr Jeremy Airey, Education (until 1 September 2025)
Eddie Cowling, International Pathway College (until 1 September 2027)
Dr Sue Faulds, Health Sciences (until 1 September 2026)
Dr Patrick Gallimore, Law (until 1 September 2025)
Dr Jasper Heinzen, History (until 1 September 2025)
Dr Mathilde Péron, Economics (until 1 September 2027)
Professor Christian Piller, Philosophy (until 1 September 2025)
Dr Eytan Zweig, Language and Linguistic Science (until 1 September 2025)

Ex officio members

TBC - Dean, York Graduate Research School
Associate Professor Anna Sotiriadou, Deputy Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students (CITY College)
Professor Jill Webb, Associate Dean for Teaching, Learning and Students, Faculty of Social Sciences

Student representation (for unreserved business)

One nominated by University of York Student's Union - Fenella Johnson

In attendance

Deputy Head of Student Administration (Student Lifecycle) - Jenny Matson
Special Cases Manager - Daisy Bowen
Open Door & Disability Operations Manager - Claire Wilkinson
Representative from York Online Programmes - Dr Zara Burford
Head of Inclusive Education - Jess Penn
AQ Policy Manager - Dr Adrian Lee
AQ Policy Officer (Secretary) - Aimee Yeoman
A representative Head of Faculty Operations - Isabel Jagoe
A representative Student Services Manager - Diane Atkinson
York SU Advice and Support Manager - Richard Andrew
Dr Juliet James - York Graduate Research School

Quoracy and voting rights

The Committee must have at least one student representative to be considered quorate. In case of a voting situation, where the votes are tied, the Chair holds the casting vote.

Reserved business

The student members of the Committee shall not be present nor receive any papers for business regarding the academic assessment of any individual student, or personal matters relating to any individual staff member, student or external examiner.

2024-25

Date	Paper deadline
Friday 13 September 2024	Friday 30 August 2024
Friday 25 October 2024	Friday 11 October 2024
Friday 22 November 2024	Friday 8 November 2024
Friday 31 January 2025	Friday 17 January 2025
Friday 14 March 2025	Friday 28 February 2025
Friday 2 May 2025	Friday 18 April 2025
Friday 27 June 2025	Friday 13 June 2025