Using Google Drive for Sharing External Examiner Reports and Tracer Sheets

Google Drive is the system LeTS uses to share current External Examiner Reports and their Tracer Sheets for comments by colleagues in academic departments at the University. The Drive enables us to notify contacts within departments, using Google Mail, when a report has been received and comments are needed on the Tracer Sheet. LeTS circulates the Tracer Sheets to a number of colleagues (including HoDs and FDLTs) who make relevant comments which are then compiled into a summary report presented to the Quality and Scrutiny Committee at the end of each academic year.

Accessing and editing Reports and Tracer sheets

You will receive an email from Eve Grant or Rebecca Swift in LeTS with the title
“External Examiner Report -dept code-examiner name-session”

This will tell you that a report has been received from one of the External Examiners within your department and will link to the examiners folder on Google Drive (egTanesini in the example above). To access the Report and Tracer sheet for that external examiner simply click on the link to be taken directly to them.
To view or download the Report click on the report icon.

After reading the report, please add your comments to the Tracer Sheet which is a Google document. You don’t need to download the tracer sheet because you edit the sheet directly within Google Drive.

To access the Tracer Sheet click on the link in the original email you had been sent and select the Tracer Sheet icon. A black screen with the tracer sheet on it will appear. Click on the “pop-out” icon at the top right of the screen to open up an editable Google form.

Type in your comments to the Google document and the document is automatically saved within Google Drive. Every change you make is automatically saved in Drive.When you have finished making your comments simply close the tab (there is no Close button).

Please remember to add your name and date to the Tracer Sheet as LeTS cannot deem it completed without this and enables us to circulate the Reports and Tracers in a timely manner.

The Activity logwithin Google Drive provides LeTS with notification of your “activity” within Google Drive.

Please do not move External Examiner folders or documents from the folders on Google Drive.

Managing your notifications

You can manage your email notifications by creating your own folder within your own Google Mail specifically for External Examiner Report notifications.

As you receive the emails, move them into the folder.
When you are ready to add comments to the Tracer Sheet you can go to the folder and find the email we sent you which will be headed External Examiners Name and Session Date. You can then action the Reports and Tracers at a more convenient time returning the reports within four weeks of their receipt.

The Process used within LETS

Once all the External Examiner Reports for the current session have been commented upon, via the Tracer Sheet, the reports are archived within LeTS. The Drive is used simply to allow swift distribution for comment.

Departmental Contacts are emailed to say that the report is available to be commented upon. It is therefore important to keep LeTS up to date with any changes to External Examiner Contacts within your department.
Please get in touch with Eve Grant Ext. 20416 Rebecca Swift Ext. 21364 you need to discuss any part of this process. Alternatively you can email

12/06/2015