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Common Awards (Theology, Ministry and Mission)
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July 2021 Bulletin

14 July 2021
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  1. Covid-19
  2. Upcoming Deadlines
  3. Board of Examiners 
  4. Conversion of Marks 
  5. ASE
  6. Templates and Forms
  7. Calendar
  8. Common Awards Staffing Update
  9. Further Information 

 

1. Covid-19

The Common Awards Team continue to work from home. TEIs are reminded to implement the Academic Safety Net policy at their upcoming Boards of Examiners, where required. Detailed guidance on the policy can be found here: https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/common-awards/news--events/covid-19/academic-safety-net/. Please contact the Team if you have any questions.    

2. Upcoming Deadlines

16th July: Deadline: CIS Account Holders to complete extension request

2nd August: Deadline: TEIs to submit Common Awards Management Committee membership lists  

2nd August: Deadline: TEIs to submit Common Awards policies, to include the following: 

  • Admissions  
  • Accreditation of Prior Learning  
  • Academic Progress Notice  
  • Academic misconduct  
  • Complaints and Appeals  
  • Overlength work  
  • Placements  
  • Research Ethics   

2nd August: Deadline: TEIs to submit T9 (Staffing List) for 2021/22 academic year. 

3. Board of Examiners

The Overarching Board of Examiners are due to be held on September 2nd (Summer) and December 2nd (Winter). 

We therefore ask that TEIs hold their own Board of Examiners no later than 6th August (Summer) and 5th November (Winter). This allows the Common Awards Team enough time to process the data received from TEIs, and resolve any queries, before the Overarching Board of Examiners. 

TEIs are required to submit completing student module marks 48hrs after they have been considered at their TEI Board of Examiners. Further information on the documents TEIs must submit following their Board of Examiners is available here.  

If you have not already done so, please let the Common Awards Team know the dates of your TEI Board of Examiners as soon as possible.  

TEI’s are reminded that Boards of Examiners must ensure that the following is submitted to Durham in line with the deadlines in published guidance and the Common Awards Calendar:   

  • confirmed module marks for completing students registered on Common Awards programmes (see our guidance on submitting module marks) within 48 hours;    
  • Moodle marksheets for students recommended to the Overarching Board of Examiners within 48 hours;   
  • any ‘Group Mitigation Flags’ in line with the Academic Safety Net Policy 2020/21 within 48 hours;  
  • minutes of TEI Boards of Examiners within 2 weeks of the date of the meeting;    
  • outcomes of the scrutiny of SACs applications (see our guidance on SACs on the website for more information);    
  • approved APL credits (if not already submitted);    
  • assessment irregularity reports (if not already submitted).  

4. Conversion of Marks

Ahead of the Board of Examiners, would like to remind TEIs of the principles surrounding the conversion of marks. 

Some assignments, like language tests, might produce quantitative scores. Those scores are not the marks for that assignment. In principle, they will always need to go through some process of conversion – where conversion involves making qualitative judgments about what is meant by different levels of achievement in a quantitatively scored test, and then translating those qualitative judgments into numerical marks in the normal way.  

Further information on Converting Test Scores into Marks is available on our website. 

 

5. ASE

TEIs undertake a single process for reviewing, reflecting and reporting on their provision which covers both the requirements for Durham and the National Ministry Team. This process is undertaken annually and is known as ‘Annual Self Evaluation’ or ‘ASE’.  Further information on Annual Self Evaulations is available here. 

Following the receipt of submissions, a virtual meeting between TEIs and their University Liaison Officer (ULO) will be organised to discuss their content. These discussions form the basis of the annual reports authored by ULOs. See our page on University Liaison Officers for more information.   

Please note that for the Annual Self Evaluation cycle in 2022/23, the virtual meeting between TEIs and their ULO will also consider and discuss TEI action plans generated in response to the From Lament to Action report. 

The ASE form is in two inter-related parts and has been updated recently. See our Templates and Forms page to download the latest version of the form. 

6. Templates and Forms

TEIs are reminded to access important documents using the Templates and Forms sections of the website. This is to ensure all are using the correct versions of documents. 

7. Calendar

A calendar for the academic year 2021/22 is currently under construction and will be shared with TEIs as soon as possible. 

8. Common Awards Staffing Update

Adam Walker has been appointed to the maternity cover vacancy post (Assistant Quality Manager, Student Records) in the Common Awards Team until Emma Harrington’s return in April 2022. Adam will be the point of contact for the upcoming Overarching Boards of Examiners. The process to arrange cover for Adam’s permanent post (Common Awards Administrator) is underway.  

9. Further Information

The full 2020/2021 academic calendar is available here.  

With thanks, 

Mike, Frances, Eve, Alyson, Emma, Rhianne, Deborah and Adam