Undergraduate SEB Borderline/Discretion Policy (Sep 2015)

Last revision: Matt Fayers, UG SEB Chair, September 2015

The College's Assessment Handbook outlines procedures for considering possible promotion of finalists with College mark close to a class borderline. These procedures changed significantly in 2014, allowing the SEB much less discretion than was previously the case. This document sets out the rules and procedures for considering borderline candidates. The procedures are under review by the College, and feedback is welcomed; this can be given through the SEB chair.

The "zone of consideration" for each class boundary is a 1% zone below the official borderline. Thus, the zone of consideration for possible promotion to a first-class degree is 69–70. Similar zones apply for promotion to upper second, lower second and third class degrees. There is no zone of consideration for a pass degree: for students beginning their programme in 2014 or earlier there is no College mark requirement for passing a degree, while for those beginning in 2015 or later there is a strict requirement for a College mark of 40 or higher.

Students with College marks within 1.5% of a borderline and with significant Extenuating Circumstances (ECs) not already taken into account may be deemed to fall in the zone of consideration. However, these ECs cannot then be used to promote the student.

Students without Extenuating Circumstances (ECs)

Students in the zone of consideration without (unused) ECs in their final year are subject to a strictly algorithmic procedure: they are promoted to the higher class if and only if at least half their final-year credits are above the borderline in question; for example, a student in the zone 59–60 is promoted to an upper second-class degree if and only if at least half their final year credits are at grade A or B. Note that the level of these modules is not taken into account.

Students with Extenuating Circumstances (ECs)

Students in the zone of consideration with significant ECs in the final year not already taken into account are promoted to the higher degree class provided the SEB is confident that without the ECs they would have achieved the higher classification.

SEB procedures

Despite the almost entirely algorithmic procedures, students in the zone of consideration will be carefully considered by the SEB. The exam scripts and projects for each such student will be bundled together for the external examiners to look at, and each student's transcript will be displayed at the SEB meeting to ensure that the borderline policy is being correctly applied. In cases where the SEB feels very strongly that the procedure is producing the wrong outcome, we may seek a suspension of regulations from the DEB, but in practice this is unlikely to be granted.

Minutes of SEB meetings will record the discussion, evidence reviewed, and decision/recommendation for each candidate considered under the borderline policy.