End of Session jargon buster

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

ART (Academic Review Type)

An ART is a code which represents progression and award decisions agreed by Exam Boards (ratified by Examination Boards for Taught students, and by School Progress Panels for PG Researchers). Each ART is denoted by a letter, eg, ART A represents a ‘Proceed’ decision, ART B an ‘Award Qualification (Successful Completion)’ decision, ART C a ‘Review’ decision, and so on

Academic Year

The current academic session, eg, 2023/24

Adjusted Regulations

With the approval of the Academic Policy and Regulations Committee, certain programmes have been permitted to calculate degree classifications based on a different total number of credits achieved. These programmes therefore use Adjusted Regulations when calculating degree classifications and the Use Adjusted Regulations checkbox should be ticked in BIRMS page ES02 Progression and Award Processing for UG-PGT Student.

Anonymous

Marks processing and End of Session processing can be carried out anonymously in BIRMS. If the Anonymous? checkbox is ticked, only the Student ID number will display in the processing pages.

Assessment Framework (2021/22)

The assessment, progression and award framework used in 2021/22 to take account of emergency assessment/progression/award data from 2019/20 and changing COVID-related End of Session processing requirements in 2020/21.

Assessment Period

An Assessment Period in BIRMS is the phase of a programme year during which modules are assessed, marks are recorded and an Exam Board recommendation is made. There are three Assessment Periods: Main, Supplementary and PGT Dissertation. They do not have to be tied to the standard academic year calendar - where in the year assessment periods fall will differ, for instance, for non-standard start date programmes.

ATAS

Academic Technology Approval Scheme - in certain instances, action is needed by TSA/RSA to enable transfer onto ATAS-requiring programmes.

B

Best of

Where students have choices built into their assessments (ie, choose three from the following five questions), or where the best marks from a given group of marks are used (ie, the best three marks from these five questions will be taken). This is built into component structures in BIRMS Component Manager.

C

Child component

A non-top level component. A component can be both a child and a parent (see ‘Parent component’ below).

Cohort

A collection of programme years or a collection of students - contact the BIRMS Team to create/update cohorts.

Component code

The component code is a unique number, auto-generated within BIRMS Component Manager. It will be made up of the 5-digit code of the module which ‘owns’ the component, plus an indicator of where and how the component fits into the overall component structure.

Component due by date

This is the date by which the assessment for a component must be submitted.

Component marked out of

This is the maximum achievable mark for the component.

Component structure

The components that are attached to a module, their descriptions and values, and how they relate to each other.

Cum Laude (suspended 2019/20-ongoing)

In academic years where Cum Laude is being awarded, the exceptional achievement of students in the top 10% of their cohort will be awarded a Cum Laude epithet with their degree.

D

E

Emergency Assessment and Progression Framework (2019/20)

The emergency assessment and progression framework put in place for End of Session processing in 2019/20 to deal with COVID-related changes and issues.

F

Fair Assessment Policy (2020/21)

The assessment, progression and award policy used in 2020/21 to take account of emergency assessment/progression data from 2019/20 and changing COVID-related End of Session processing requirements.

Final Assm

A tick in the Final Assm checkbox in BIRMS Component Manager flags which assessment within the component structure for the module will be undertaken last by students. Where a mark for this final assessment and others are present in BIRMS, the module outcome can be deemed 'Complete' for HESA reporting purposes.

G

GPA

Grade Point Average or GPA is a score that is calculated using the same module and stage weightings used to calculate a student's degree classification. The student's Overall Weighted Mean (OWM) mark will be assigned a GPA value using the single GPA scale for Higher Education. This is part of the degree classification calculation process in BIRMS page ES02 Progression and Award Processing for UG-PGT Student.

Graduating Cohort Arrangements (2022/23)

Graduating Cohort Arrangements (GCA) - the assessment, progression and award arrangements used in 2022/23 to take account of emergency assessment/progression/award data from 2019/20 and changing COVID-related End of Session processing requirements in 2020/21 and 2021/22.

GRS 2

Online form recording monthly PGR supervision meetings - there is further information online for supervisors and PGRs.

H

I

Internal hurdle pass mark

A minimum mark that must be achieved for a specific component in order to pass a module. For instance, if an internal hurdle of 70 were set but not achieved for a component, the student would fail the module whether or not the overall module mark achieved surpassed the required module pass mark.

J

K

L

‘Locked’ ART/degree classification (End of Session)

In BIRMS page ES02 Progression and Award Processing for UG-PGT Student, where the locked checkbox is ticked for an ART/degree classification, the value cannot be overwritten.

‘Locked’ mark (Marks Entry / importing marks)

In BIRMS page ES02 Progression and Award Processing for UG-PGT Student, where the locked checkbox is ticked for a component mark or a module mark and recommendation, the value cannot be overwritten unless it is unlocked.

M

Maximum Period of Registration

For PGRs, the end of the period of registration as set out in Regulations and the deadline for submission of the thesis for examination.

Minimum Period of Registration

For PGRs, the end of the period of normal registration as set out in Regulations and the earliest date for submission of the thesis for examination.

Module Level

The stage at which a student would typically complete a module. Module levels are:

LC – Certificate Level. Usually completed in programme year 1 of a 3 year Bachelors programme
LI – Intermediate Level. Usually completed in programme year 2 of a 3 year Bachelors programme
LH – Honours level. Usually completed in programme year 3 of a 3 year Bachelors programme
LM – Masters level. Completed by students on postgraduate programmes of study

N

O

Owning module for a component

This is the module that owns a component that has been incorporated into another module’s component structure (see ‘Shared component’, below).

Overall Weighted Mean (OWM) mark

For taught students: the average mark achieved across all completed modules and stages in a taught programme, including any failed and repeated modules.

P

Parent component

A component that is broken down (eg, an Exam broken down into its individual questions), and therefore has components beneath it, (called child components) in the component structure.

Profiling

Under the appropriate conditions, the University’s legislation allows that a student may be eligible to receive an uplift to their degree classification - this is called 'profiling'.

Borderline students

Where an undergraduate student on a classified programme has achieved an Overall Weighted Mean (OWM) that falls within within one of the profiling boundary ranges for a degree classification, they are deemed borderline, and their degree classification calculation will incorporate profiling to determine whether they are eligible for degree classification uplift.

Units (or Distribution of Module Classes (DMC)) profiling method

Units (DMC) boundary ranges:

greater than or equal to 68 and less than 69.5 – for consideration for Class I
greater than or equal to 58 and less than 59.5 – for consideration for Class 2:1
greater than or equal to 48 and less than 49.5 – for consideration for Class 2:2
and greater than or equal to 38 and less than 39.5 – for consideration for Class 3

The Units (DMC) profiling method uses 'profiling factors' to convert credits achieved by a borderline student in Stages 2 and 3 of their studies into 'units' to determine their eligiblity for degree classification uplift contingent on them having met the Units (DMC) profiling conditions.

Units (DMC) profiling factors

Profiling factor = 1: 120 credits = 120 units
the profiling factor is 120 x 1, or a direct 1 to 1 weighting value between credits and units
Profiling factor = 0.5: 120 credits = 60 units
the units are weighted at half of the credits
Profiling factor = 2: 120 credits = 240 units
the profiling factor multiplication is 120 x 2
Profiling factor = 3: 120 credits = 360 units
the profiling factor multiplication is 120 x 3

Credits (Simplified) profiling method

Credits (Simplified) boundary ranges:

greater than or equal to 68 and less than 69.5 – for consideration for Class I
greater than or equal to 58 and less than 59.5 – for consideration for Class 2:1
greater than or equal to 48 and less than 49.5 – for consideration for Class 2:2

The Credits (Simplified) profiling method utilises Stage 3 credits directly to determine the eligiblity of a borderline student for degree classification uplift contingent on them having met the Credits (Simplified) profiling conditions.

Programme Code

Each programme or course at the university has a programme code associated with it. This is usually a four digit code, eg, programme code 0905 for B.A. Philosophy Full-time.

Programme Year

The year of the programme in which the student is currently studying, eg, for a 3 year programme the student may be in year 1, 2 or 3.

Progress Review

Annual Review of progress for a PGR as required in Section 3 of the Code of Practice for Supervision and Monitoring of Postgraduate Researchers.

Q

R

Ranking (Cum Laude)

Students successfully completing undergraduate programmes which are eligible for Cum Laude calculation will be ranked using their OWM within a cohort of their academic peers.

Release Marks and Decisions

Marks and progress/award decisions (ARTs) are released via the End of Session pages in BIRMS. Students can view their released marks and decisions in the Student Gateway.

S

Shared component

A component can be shared between two or more modules. For example, all students in year 1 of a programme may take one from a choice of three compulsory modules. However, all students in year 1 must complete the same computer test as part of one of these three modules. By using shared components, the computer test component can appear in the component structures of all three modules and does not have to be duplicated.

Sharing Module

This is the module that has incorporated a component that is owned by another module into its component structure (see ‘Shared component’ above).

Speciality

A sub-programme level grouping (stream or pathway) to which a student can be attached via page SD01 Personal Details in BIRMS Student Details.

Student ID

The unique 6 or 7 digit code by which a student can be identified.

Supplementary Mark Calculation Rule

Module marks in the supplementary assessment period are calculated using one of three methods. The method used is decided at School or Department level. These methods are referred to as supplementary mark calculation rules.

The supplementary mark calculation rule can be set up as a default rule covering all modules at a certain level for a certain department, or a specific rule can be applied to a particular module.

There are three rules:

Rule 1
The supplementary module mark is calculated based on the component marks attained solely in the supplementary assessment period.

Rule 2
The supplementary module mark is calculated based on a combination of the component marks from the main and supplementary assessment period. Where a component mark exists in the supplementary assessment period, it is used to calculate the module mark. Where there is no mark for a component in the supplementary assessment period, then the component mark from the main assessment period is used to calculate the module mark.

Rule 3
The supplementary module mark is calculated based on a combination of the component marks from the main and supplementary assessment period, with the higher marks from each assessment period for each component being used to calculate the module mark.

Supplementary mark calculation rule for a module

Aside from default supplementary mark calculation rules, a module can have a specific supplementary mark calculation rule, if you wish the manner in which this module’s supplementary module marks are calculated to be different to the default.

The following restrictions apply to supplementary mark calculation rules:

Modules with specific supplementary components must have Rule 1 as either their default or specific mark calculation rule
Postgraduate taught dissertation modules cannot have a supplementary mark calculation rule assigned to them, because marks for these modules are recorded in the PGT Dissertation assessment period.

T

Taught Weighted Mean (TWM) mark

For PGT students: the average mark achieved across all completed taught modules for a postgraduate taught programme, including any failed and repeated modules.

Thesis Awaited

For PGRs: status following the end of the period of normal registration through to completion of the examination process.

U

V

W

Weighting

The percentage that a component contributes to the next level up in the component structure or the parent component contributes to the overall module mark.