You may choose to include award classification boundaries and information on the borderline policy, but please ensure that it is clear which regulations apply to which cohort(s) where regulations have changed.
Students graduating in 2017/18 are, in the main, the first cohort on the new progression and award rules, introduced in the 2015/16 academic year. However, please be aware that there will still be a significant minority of students graduating on the old progression and award rules so please refer students to the regulations in place in the year they started on their graduating programme.
Please make certain that there is no mention of a discretionary policy in your handbook, as this has been replaced by the QMUL borderline policy from 2013/14. Compulsory text:
Examination boards may use a borderline policy when making recommendations for final degree classifications. The following criteria are used
Students with College Marks within one per cent of a borderline (except at the pass/fail border) shall be determined to fall within the ‘zone of consideration’;
Students with College Marks within 1.5 per cent of a borderline and with significant extenuating circumstances in the final year not taken into account elsewhere may be determined to fall within the zone of consideration. However, if this approach is taken then the extenuating circumstances may not also be used as a reason to raise the classification itself;
All students falling within a zone of consideration shall be considered as possible cases for application of the borderline policy;
Students falling within the zone of consideration and with at least half of their final year credits (half of all credits at PG level) with marks at the level of the upper classification (or higher), shall be raised to the higher classification. The dissertation/project does not have to be among the credits at the higher level;
Students falling within the one per cent zone of consideration and not meeting the requirements of point 4, but with significant extenuating circumstances in the final year not taken into account elsewhere shall be raised to the higher classification provided the SEB is confident that – without the effect of the extenuating circumstances – the student would have achieved the higher classification.
