APPENDIX 3
ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT REGULATIONS
(TAUGHT COMPONENTS AND PROGRAMMES)
INSTRUCTIONS TO EXAMINATION INVIGILATORS
NOTE: Where reference to Examinations Office, Teesside University Smart Card [TUSC], Head of Learning Environment etc. appears below, the equivalent will apply at collaborative partner institutions and it will be the responsibility of the collaborative partner to advise the Invigilator on the alternative arrangements.
1.0 General
1.1 There must always be at least two Invigilators in the Examination Room, except when an Invigilator needs to accompany a student from the room, or in the case of specific special needs examinations.
1.2 An Invigilator will be nominated as the Senior Invigilator by the Head of Learning Environment; other Invigilators will assist the Senior Invigilator.
1.3 If an Invigilator finds it essential to interpret or waive these Instructions, the incident must be fully documented on the Senior Invigilator’s Report Form and drawn to the attention of the Head of Learning Environment.
2.0 Collection of Examination Materials
The Senior Invigilator is responsible for the collection of the following from the Examinations Office (Room M206b) 30 minutes before the scheduled start of the examination, except in the case of evening examinations, when examination materials must be collected from the Examinations Office (Room M206b) between 4.30pm and 5.00pm:
· Examination materials.
· Senior Invigilator’s report form.
· Senior Invigilator’s incident report form.
· Seating plan.
· Receipts.
3.0 Preparation of Examination Room
The Senior Invigilator is responsible for ensuring that the seating arrangement is satisfactory, all desks are numbered, and for ensuring the distribution of all examination materials, other than the question papers, before the students are admitted. Paper for rough work must not be distributed.
The Senior Invigilator must ensure that a copy of the ‘Instructions to Students Undertaking Examinations’ is posted in a prominent position outside the Examination Room.
4.0 Admission of Students
The Senior Invigilator is responsible for the following:
4.1 Admitting the students to the Examination Room, normally not more than 10 minutes before the scheduled start of the examination, and instructing students to be silent. Students are not allowed to bring a child or pet in to the Examination Room, nor is the child or pet allowed to be left unattended outside the Examination Room.
4.2 Students should only take into the Examination Room those essential items needed to complete the examination and these must be contained in a transparent pencil case or small transparent plastic bag. The Senior Invigilator should instruct students to leave all unauthorised material including bags, mobile telephones, pagers, mobile devices, coats and other belongings in a specific part of the Examination Room. The place appointed by the Senior Invigilator for the deposit of unauthorised materials must be identified on the Seating Plan and must be in full view of the Invigilators. Mobile telephones, pagers, mobile devices or any other similar device must be switched off. The University does not accept liability for any losses resulting from this instruction. All items brought into an Examination Room by a student are at the sole risk of that student and therefore, students have been advised not to bring valuable items into an Examination Room. Before the examination commences, students must place all essential equipment on their desk and other items such as calculator cases and spectacle cases, must be placed (and all similar unauthorised small items) on the floor under their desks. The judgement of the Senior Invigilator on what constitutes unauthorised material is final, subject to:
4.2.1 Any special instructions on the question paper.
4.2.2 Any general regulations approved by the appropriate Assessment Board and notified to the Head of Learning Environment and Invigilators.
4.3 Ensuring that students are not permitted to use dictionaries unless approval to do so has been granted by the University’s Variance Sub- Committee and notification subsequently made to Invigilators.
4.4 Instructing students to place their TUSC or equivalent face upwards on the desk at which they are sitting their examination (see section 9.9 in this Appendix).
4.5 Instructing students to complete in full the attendance card and the front covers of answer scripts. Students must be reminded to include their desk number on the attendance card and on the front cover of their answer scripts.
4.6 Ensuring that students complete their name (then fold over the removable strip) on the front cover of the answer script, and any supplementary sheets. Students may also be required to complete their Student Enrolment Number on the front cover of the answer script.
4.7 Ensuring that in examinations with durations that necessitate a break during which time bags, books, notes or similar items must be left in the Examination Room, that the University makes reasonable efforts to ensure that such possessions remain secure. However, the exclusion of the liability for valuable items referred to above will apply to such possessions. Furthermore, the University’s liability for loss or damage to a student’s possessions will be limited solely to a proven loss of items necessary for the examination. Students have been advised of this restricted liability but must also be so reminded immediately before leaving the Examination Room for the break.
4.8 The Senior Invigilator has the authority to require the withdrawal of a student from the Examination Room if they have reasonable grounds to believe that the student may be in receipt of an ‘Exclusion’ letter from the Vice-Chancellor.
5.0 Starting the Examination
The Senior Invigilator is responsible for the following:
5.1 Ensuring that all unauthorised persons have left the Examination Room before the examination is started.
5.2 Distributing question papers, as quickly as possible, immediately prior to the start of the examination.
5.3 Starting the examination promptly at the scheduled time and announcing the duration of the examination.
5.4 Recording the starting time on the Senior Invigilator’s Report Form.
5.5 Ensuring the collection of completed attendance cards immediately after the start of the examination, checking that the number of collected cards corresponds with the number of students present, and noting the number of students present on to the Senior Invigilator’s Report Form relevant to the examination.
5.6 Students must be asked to display their TUSC (or equivalent) identification as they enter an examination room. Students who do not provide appropriate identification must not be allowed to enter the Examination Room until appropriate identification is provided and then only in the timescales as cited in Paragraphs 6.1.1 and 6.1.2. During the examination, check all TUSCs or equivalent to ensure that the TUSC/equivalent matches the attendance card and the student seated at the desk. (See section 9.9 in this appendix.) Once verification has taken place remove the attendance card from the student.
6.0 Students arriving Late
6.1 Students arriving late for an examination must be permitted to enter the Examination Room providing they arrive no later than the times stipulated for the relevant examination duration:
6.1.1 For an examination with a duration of 1½ hours or more, students can be admitted during the first 30 minutes.
6.1.2 For an examination with a duration of more than 1½ hours, students can be admitted during the first 60 minutes.
6.2 Unless explicitly provided for by the appropriate Assessment Board, late students must not be allowed additional time in which to complete the examination.
6.3 The time of arrival of any late student must be noted on the Senior Invigilator’s Report Form. A student arriving more than 30 minutes late is required to inform an Invigilator of the reason for lateness, and this reason must also be noted.
6.4 The TUSC/equivalent must be checked for all late candidates (see section 9.9 in this Appendix).
7.0 Smoking, Eating & Drinking
Smoking, eating and alcoholic beverages are forbidden in the Examination Room, unless prior arrangements have been made in relation to the medical needs of a student. Students may bring a small bottle of water in a clear container.
8.0 Disturbance of Students
8.1 All Invigilators are responsible for minimising disturbance within the Examination Room.
8.2 Invigilators must only communicate with each other when it is essential to do so.
8.3 Students must not communicate with other students, or use mobile telephones, pagers, mobile devices or any other similar devices during an examination. Students are also required to behave in a quiet and orderly manner. Senior Invigilators have the authority to report, or remove, a student from the Examination Room who is acting in an inappropriate manner. The Invigilators are given discretion to interpret this regulation. Any allegations of inappropriate behaviour may lead to disciplinary action in accordance with the University’s Student Disciplinary Regulations.
9.0 Irregularities
9.1 Constant vigilance is essential. Invigilators must ensure that students do not commit an act of academic misconduct. Any breach of the instructions issued to students must be reported to the Head of Learning Environment immediately, who will advise the Ombuds Officer in the Ombuds Office, to be progressed in accordance with the Regulations relating to Academic Misconduct (Taught Components and Programmes).
9.2 Academic misconduct may be defined as: Engaging in any action which results in an unfair advantage over other students taking the same assessment. Cheating in examinations is classed as academic misconduct and definitions of this are provided in Appendix 2 of the Regulations relating to Academic Misconduct (Taught Components and Programmes). This may include the following:
9.2.1 Communicating with or copying from any other students during an examination except where regulations specifically allow such communication.
9.2.2 Communicating during an examination with any person other than an authorised member of staff.
9.2.3 Taking any written, printed materials or electronically stored information into the Examination Room, unless expressly permitted by the examination or programme regulations that have been notified to the Senior Invigilator.
9.2.4 Gaining access to unauthorised material relating to the examination during or before the examination.
9.2.5 Obtaining a copy of an ‘unseen’ examination question paper in advance of the date and time authorised for its release.
9.2.6 Personation: The legal term for impersonating another person with the intention to deceive or gain unfair advantage.
9.3 Unauthorised Materials: Within the Examination Room, the decision of the Senior Invigilator will be final regarding what constitutes unauthorised or contraband materials. Any attempt by a student to challenge the decision of the Senior Invigilator in the Examination Room regarding what constitutes an unauthorised or contraband item will be deemed misconduct and may be subject to action under the regulations relating to Student Discipline (on grounds other than an unsatisfactory standard of work).
9.4 At all times, Invigilators must act with the utmost circumspection particularly in handling apparent irregularities. It must be remembered that there may be an innocent explanation of a student’s suspicious conduct.
9.5 Any student suspected of contravening the Instructions to Students Undertaking Examinations must be approached immediately by two Invigilators and any unauthorised material confiscated. If personal possessions are involved then a receipt must be given to the student by the Senior Invigilator. If material evidence is not confiscated, it may be difficult at a later stage to prove that an incident has taken place. The student’s current location in his or her answer script must be marked together with the date, exact time and signature of the two Invigilators.
Before leaving the Examination Room, the student must be informed by the Senior Invigilator that the incident will be reported to the Head of Learning Environment and be deemed academic misconduct and may be subject to action under the Regulations relating to Academic Misconduct (Taught Components and Programmes).
9.6 All students disturbed by the incident (including any not directly involved) must be informed that they will be allowed additional time at the end of the examination as compensation. The amount of additional time is at the discretion of the Senior Invigilator who must consider whether settling-down time should be allowed in addition to the actual time lost.
9.7 A full report on the incident must be written immediately after the examination by the Senior Invigilator, on an Incident Report Form and attached to the Senior Invigilator’s Report Form, including details of any additional time allowed. The Incident Report Form must contain a Seating Plan that indicates the position of the student, the Invigilators and any other possible witnesses to the incident. The Incident Report Form must be signed and dated by the Senior Invigilator and the Assistant Invigilator who approached the student.
NOTE: If the appropriate Report Form(s) is not available, the Senior Invigilator must write the pertinent details of the incident on a blank sheet of paper.
9.8 The Senior Invigilator shall pass the Senior Invigilator’s Report Form and the Incident Report Form immediately after the examination to the Examinations Office (Room M206b), who will forward to the Ombuds Officer in the Ombuds Office.
9.9 Any student unable to produce their TUSC will not be admitted to the Examination Room. The student will be asked to provide some alternative form of photographic identification before admittance will be permitted. Any irregularities with TUSC/equivalent matching the student seated at a desk or attendance card must be made on the Senior Invigilator’s Report Form.
10.0 Students’ Queries
Any query by a student about the content of examination questions must not be answered. Students informing an Invigilator of an apparent misprint or ambiguity must be told to note it in their answer script and in the case of ambiguity, to state the assumed interpretation. Details of students’ queries must be entered on the Senior Invigilator’s Report Form.
11.0 Students wishing to leave the Examination Temporarily
11.1 Illness
11.1.1 If a student is taken ill during the examination, an Invigilator must accompany him or her from the room and arrange for him or her to be kept under constant supervision.
11.1.2 All of the student’s examination materials must remain in the Examination Room.
11.1.3 If the student returns to the Examination Room, he or she must not be allowed extra time in which to complete the examination.
11.1.4 The circumstances of any such illness, including the duration of any absence from the Examination Room, must be noted on the Senior Invigilator’s Report Form.