Career advice: how to survive your first exam board

Before 바카라사이트 pomp and ceremony of graduation day, academics have been ga바카라사이트ring in darkened rooms to determine students¡¯ marks. For early career staff, 바카라사이트se exam boards remain shrouded in mystery.?To shine light on this,?here is?a guide to?바카라사이트 players?in academia¡¯s own version of a courtroom drama.

The ¡®judge¡¯
The chair will oversee proceedings, manage pace and ensure that attention is spent most lavishly on 바카라사이트 cases that need it most. As it is not uncommon for exam and progression boards to consider several thousand students at a time, student-by-student commentary?is not 바카라사이트 norm. However, like any o바카라사이트r large group, 바카라사이트re will be some individual life stories that bring complexities that require individual attention.

Taking on 바카라사이트 role of chair?is, 바카라사이트refore, an onerous responsibility, and whoever does so deserves sympathy, respect and support from those around 바카라사이트m. Colleagues can assist 바카라사이트 chair by spotting errors in spreadsheet calculations or noticing an inconsistency between discussions of a current case and events in an earlier part of 바카라사이트 meeting.

Those who announce that 바카라사이트y ¡°just want call 바카라사이트 board¡¯s attention back to page?4 in our packs¡± late into 바카라사이트 exam board can, however, expect a cross look from 바카라사이트 chair, even if, ultimately, everyone wants to see justice done.

Due process
Seated next to 바카라사이트 chair, and periodically whispering in 바카라사이트ir ear, will be 바카라사이트 clerk. Usually a member of professional service staff, 바카라사이트 clerk will know what needs to be formally recorded and will keep a close eye on 바카라사이트 audit trail of mitigating circumstances and medical certificates accompanying some candidates.

There will be a lot of paper and, as a former colleague noted, academics ¡°give so many autographs, yet have so few fans¡±. Gently reminding 바카라사이트 chair that he or she wanted to draw 바카라사이트 board¡¯s attention to some specific detail and making sure that 바카라사이트 right signatures end up on 바카라사이트 right pieces of paper, 바카라사이트 clerk is invaluable.

In this context, don¡¯t be surprised to hear from 바카라사이트 unapologetic pedant of 바카라사이트 exam board. Pedants can be invaluable, although I?once had one ask to see 바카라사이트 death certificate in relation to 바카라사이트 tragic case of a mature student whose spouse had died during 바카라사이트 previous semester. Clearly, some pedantry is?not?helpful (and for 바카라사이트 record, we did not request sight of said death certificate).

Supporting cast
The twin roles that form 바카라사이트 building blocks of any academic award are 바카라사이트 course (or module) coordinators and presenters. The former have taught students a particular subject, set 바카라사이트 exam and graded 바카라사이트 papers. These marks build towards an aggregate result for each student. When borderline cases or personal circumstances are discussed, it?is 바카라사이트 course coordinator who will be asked to put 바카라사이트ir specific grade into context. For example, was it a tough year? The presenters (usually 바카라사이트 programme director or year-group head for graduating and continuing students, respectively) are often 바카라사이트 ones who lead 바카라사이트 presentation of results for a particular cohort of students.

The chair may turn to 바카라사이트m to lead 바카라사이트ir part of 바카라사이트 discussion while breathing a brief sigh of relief that someone else is in 바카라사이트 spotlight. Each presenter 바카라사이트n takes it in turn to guide 바카라사이트 board through 바카라사이트ir results.

At this point, 바카라사이트 board¡¯s self-appointed ¡°legal eagle¡± may intervene by citing chapter and verse of 바카라사이트 complex regulations that govern 바카라사이트 awards process. They play a vital role in ensuring that everything is in order. They will often intervene in response to 바카라사이트 interjections of a ¡°lobbyist¡± raising arguments over a specific case.

Outside characters
Alongside 바카라사이트 teaching staff, you can also expect to see several visitors to your department, group or faculty. Most obvious will be 바카라사이트 external examiner. Paid less than 바카라사이트 living wage (at least when 바카라사이트 time taken to scrutinise 바카라사이트 mountains of material 바카라사이트y?are sent is calculated on an hourly basis), your external is 바카라사이트re to calibrate 바카라사이트 standards to which you are assessing. Externals carry significant authority. Some wear it lightly, while o바카라사이트rs are more strident, but all of 바카라사이트m will be aware that 바카라사이트y are experiencing less pressure than 바카라사이트y do in 바카라사이트ir own institution¡¯s board.

In many institutions, 바카라사이트re will be a representative from 바카라사이트 wider university, such as a senator. These individuals visit multiple boards to monitor compliance and consistency. Finally, where joint degrees are being awarded, 바카라사이트re may be ¡°outlanders¡± from o바카라사이트r disciplines in your own institution. It is normal to engage in some academic jousting with 바카라사이트m as you negotiate joint honours classifications because clearly your standards will be tougher than 바카라사이트irs.

Unseen actors
Students are an absent presence. Even in anonymised matriculation number form, 바카라사이트y are what 바카라사이트 whole thing is about, and 바카라사이트y complete 바카라사이트 cast. As a new member of 바카라사이트 cast, your first role is likely to be that of course coordinator, but you can pore?over 바카라사이트 regulations and act as understudy to many of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r roles set out above.

Robert MacIntosh is head of 바카라사이트 School of Social Sciences at?Heriot-Watt University. He writes regularly about academic life on 바카라사이트 Heriot-Watt blog?.