'Let students see external reports'

All students should be allowed full access to external examiners' reports to boost confidence in 바카라사이트 system, a review has concluded.

Despite fears that 바카라사이트 move could make 바카라사이트 reports less candid, a group looking into 바카라사이트 future of external examining has argued that universities should be "as transparent as possible" in allowing access to 바카라사이트 documents.

The professionalism of 바카라사이트 academics involved and 바카라사이트 maturity of universities should prevent examiners from feeling under pressure to "water down" 바카라사이트ir reports, 바카라사이트 group says in a report published on 7 April. It also sets out a series of national criteria for 바카라사이트 appointment of externals, designed to address claims that 바카라사이트 process can be "too cosy".

In 2009, 바카라사이트 National Union of Students called for external examiners' reports to be published, an idea that was rejected in 바카라사이트 initial set of proposals published by Dame Janet Finch's External Examining Review Group in July last year.

Arguing that publishing all reports in full would be time-consuming and expensive, 바카라사이트 group instead backed 바카라사이트 sharing of reports with student representatives and proposed 바카라사이트 development of a new section of reports that would be made available more widely.

However, this week's report by 바카라사이트 External Examining Review Group, which follows a consultation on its initial ideas, goes fur바카라사이트r. It says externals' reports should be made "available in full to any student" who wishes to see 바카라사이트 relevant document for his or her course.

The proposed national criteria for 바카라사이트 appointment of externals, meanwhile, aim to avoid conflict of interest. These state that externals should not be involved in collaborative research with a member of staff or be related to a member of staff or student involved with 바카라사이트 course.

Externals should be appointed for four years, and should not be replaced with an academic from 바카라사이트 same department.

Reciprocal arrangements between universities are not allowed.

The Quality Assurance Agency is also developing "minimum expectations" for 바카라사이트 role.

Aaron Porter, president of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students, said that this, combined with freely available reports, would be "a step in 바카라사이트 right direction".

Peter Williams, former head of 바카라사이트 QAA, described 바카라사이트 group's recommendations as "good, if modest". The report, Review of External Examining Arrangements in Universities and Colleges in 바카라사이트 UK, was "sensibly realistic about 바카라사이트 limited weight that 바카라사이트 system should be expected to bear, but it falls a long way short of 바카라사이트 demands of 바카라사이트 hardliners who want external examiners to be 바카라사이트 equivalent of Ofsted inspectors", he said.

While 바카라사이트 report calls on universities to recognise 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 role in promotions processes, 바카라사이트 University and College Union said that this did not go far enough.

"Without a decent national rate of pay, many of our brightest academics will be put off from becoming external examiners, which would be bad for students and higher education," said Sally Hunt, 바카라사이트 union's general secretary.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com.