Student administration/Assessment administration, University of Glasgow

University of Glasgow

Student administration

Assessment administration

Dean of Faculty

Regents and masters

Chancellor

Faculty

Senate

Court

Clerk of Senate 1858-1911

Registry 1911 to date

Faculties

Departments

From 1451, student assessment took the form of tests and examinations at various stages in the students' academic career. There were no written examinations but searching oral examinations, in the form of disputations, were regularly held to test a candidate's fitness for promotion from one year's class to the next until he finally attained the master's degree. Disputations, in which students acquired a practical training in dialectics by resolving questions or theses put forward for debate, either took place privately in masters' own classes or, for more advanced students, publicly under a presiding master.

The first key stage for examination was for the bachelor's degree, for which a student was eligible after two years' study at the University. The Dean of Faculties first notified a meeting of the general congregation on the Cathedral doors (Glas. Mun. II, 26). The statutory date for this was the nearest day to All Saints (1 November) and this was adhered to until 1509 at least. At this meeting of the general congregation, candidates were presented to the Dean by the regents. The Dean scrutinised the candidates to see that they had fulfilled all the requirements as to knowledge. This was certified by schedules, giving details of books heard and disputations attended, as well as oral evidence from the regents. Four examiners, known as temptores or triers, were then elected. These were usually two regent masters and two non-regent masters and they were sometimes joined by the Dean. The examiners then questioned each student on the prescribed books. When the students had been examined, the Dean, along with the examiners, decided on the pass list and fixed the date for determination. The students had to pay fees to the Faculty, Beadle and Rector and their names were entered in the Dean's book. At determination, a master, usually the student's own regent, was present and candidates sat on a 'black stone' (now embedded in an 18th century oak chair). Those candidates who passed determination were declared by the presiding master, by order of the Faculty of Arts, bachelors in arts.

The next key stage for examination was for the master's degree. Students had to be at least nineteen by the date of the mastership and have spent four years in the Faculty. The Dean of Faculties again notified a meeting of the general congregation on the cathedral doors. This congregation was held on 3 July each year, and its purpose was to ascertain which bachelors were eligible for examination for the degree of master. In order to become a master, a candidate had first to be admitted to a license in arts. At the meeting of the general congregation, the Dean, in the presence of the Faculty, asked the regents about their presentations. Then the senior bachelors offered their schedules and supplicated for admission. A bachelor could not present himself. If he did so, without leave of his regent, the Dean could not admit him. Examiners were elected, dues collected, and the Dean then inscribed the candidates' names on a roll which he handed to the examiners who were enjoined not to admit anyone else. There were two examinations for the licence: the temptamen, which was a preliminary trial of the students' acquaintance with the prescribed books, and the examen, a more specialised examination. The examen was technically known as the Chancellor's examination, although the Chancellor enjoined the Dean and examiners to carry it out. Candidates for the license again had to sit on the Black Stone. At the end of the examen, the names of the successful candidates were placed in a letter closed with the Dean's signet and kept sealed by the senior examiner until the day of licence, usually in August, when the students were presented to the Chancellor. Students could not present themselves for licence to the Chancellor unless they had first passed these examinations.

This broadly remained the practice with regard to assessment until the Universities (Scotland) Act, 1858, in which the medieval oral procedure of the Black Stone was replaced by written examination papers. The act charged the Senate with the superintendence of the teaching of the University, which was understood to include examining. The Senate was henceforth responsible for framing regulations for examinations, subject to the approval of the University Court. The act also abolished the lower degree of bachelor of arts and made important changes to the examination procedure. Fees were now to be paid to the general University fund rather than, as had hitherto been the case, to individual professors, and six additional examiners, three in arts and three in medicine, were to act along with the professors and be remunerated from new parliamentary grants. Before the act, it had been the custom for students to take their final examination in all the subjects they had studied. The act, however, gathered the subjects into groups or departments in which students were to be examined at successive stages in their courses.

The 1858 act also provided for the holding of voluntary preliminary entrance examinations in Latin, Greek and Mathematics. In 1883, an entrance examination was instituted for public students in arts under the age of 17. This remained in force until it was superseded by the higher requirements of the preliminary examination introduced by the commissioners under the Universities (Scotland ) Act, 1889. In 1892, the commissioners established a joint Board of Examiners, consisting of representatives from each of the four Scottish universities, to supervise and control examinations and maintain a uniform standard. Examiners in each university prepared, set and marked the examination papers. The papers were then transmitted through the Senate to the Board, which accepted or corrected the results in accordance with a set standard and then reported the results to the faculties. Each faculty then published a list of successful candidates. Results were transmitted to the Clerk of Senate and recorded in the Senate minutes. The preliminary examination was discontinued after March 1971.

The Universities (Scotland) Act, 1889 gave the University Court the power to appoint examiners on the recommendation of the Senate and to take proceedings against an examiner if necessary.

An Assessment Working Group was established in 1997 to develop a strategy and code of practice for assessment. The outcome was a code of assessment which was introduced in the 2002-2003 session. This replaced the previously existing examinations code. Both codes were designed to provide a fair and rational means of assessing students' performance and, accordingly, of determining academic awards. A number of other assessment related codes, namely special examination and other assessment arrangements for students with disabilities and special needs, code of practice on incomplete assessment, code of practice for overseas examination arrangements, and use of computer, dictionaries and electronic calaculators in examinations, complement the code of assessment. All the codes are published in the University calendar.

From 1858 until 1911, the Clerk of Senate was responsible for the administration of examinations. From information received from the faculties and academic departments, he prepared lists of candidates and examination timetables and organised examination arrangements, the printing of examination papers and the publishing of examination results. In 1911, these duties passed to the newly appointed post of University Registrar. In about 1922, a Clerk of Examinations, under the direction of the Registrar, was appointed. In about 1995, the Registry was divided into sections, one of which was the Examination Section, which was responsible for the organisation of all examinations in the University including distributing timetables, printing examination papers, instructing invigilators, publishing results and making arrangements for resits.

Liber decani facultatis 1640-1654 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26621 (Clerk's Press 9)
Includes statutes for the conduct of examinations.

Faculty meeting minutes 1640-1669, 1701-1859 ref: GB 0248 GUA 26621, 26626, 26631-26632, 26634-26635, 26647-26650, 26690-26703
Subjects under discussion by the Faculty include examinations.

Dean of Faculties' minutes 1732-1768 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26645 (Clerk's Press 33)
The minutes are largely concerned with admissions to examinations for the degree of Doctor of Medicine.

Dean of Faculties' minutes 1768-1771 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26646 (Clerk's Press 34)
The minutes are largely concerned with admissions to examinations for the degree of Doctor of Medicine.

Schedules of graduates 1823-1946 Ref: GB 0248 GUA R 4
The schedules record preliminary examination results and degree examination results.

Calendars 1826 to date Ref: GB 0248 GUA SEN 10
The calendars include the code of assessment and related codes.

Senate minutes 1858 to date Ref: GB 0248 GUA SEN 1/1
Subjects under discussion by the Senate include the administration of examinations.

Senate meeting papers 1858 -1998 Ref: GB 0248 GUA Senate papers
Subjects under discussion by the Senate include the administration of examinations.

Court minutes 1860-1997 Ref: GB 0248 GUA C 1/1
Subjects under discussion by the Court include the appointment of examiners.

Degree examination results 1872-1972 Ref: GB 0248 GUA R 5
 

Indexes to Senate minutes 1873-1919 Ref: GB 0248 GUA SEN 1/2
Subjects under discussion by the Senate include the administration of examinations.

Local examination results 1877-1893 Ref: GB 0248 GUA R 11
 

Letterbook of Glasgow University Local Examination Board 1888-1897 Ref: GB 0248 GUA R 15/3/1
 

Court meeting agendas 1894-1925 Ref: GB 0248 GUA C 1/3
Includes lists of examinerships.

Court camera meeting minutes 1900-1944 Ref: GB 0248 GUA C 1/2
Subjects under discussion include examinations.

Forensic Medicine and Public Health (for Law students) class roll books 1900-1945 Ref: GB 0248 GUA LFS 4/1
Examination marks are recorded in the roll books.

Preliminary examination schedules 1900-1971 Ref: GB 0248 GUA R 10
 

English Language and Literature student roll books 1902-1940 Ref: GB 0248 GUA ELL 4/1
Some of the roll books include details of examinations.

Zoology class roll books 1902-1970 Ref: GB 0248 GUA ZOO 4/1
Examination results are recorded in the class roll books.

Zoology degree examination results 1903-1981 Ref: GB 0248 GUA ZOO 4/2
 

Jurisprudence class roll book 1904-1913 Ref: GB 0248 GUA LFS 4/9
Examination marks and dates are recorded in the roll book.

Court camera meeting papers 1906-1944 Ref: GB 0248 GUA C 1/5
Subjects under discussion include examinations.

MBChB Medical Faculty curriculum books 1913-1955 Ref: GB 0248 GUA MED 4/2
Details of examinations taken are recorded in the curriculum books.

Non-graduating student schedules 1920-1969 Ref: GB 0248 GUA R 6
The schedules include correspondence concerning examination results.

Electrical Engineering class records 1921-1979 Ref: GB 0248 GUA EE 4/1
Include class examination results.

Correspondence on examination arrangements 1922-1923 Ref: GB 0248 GUA R 16/10-11
 

Register of anatomy students for second professional examination 1922-1961 Ref: GB 0248 GUA ANA 4/5
 

Electrical Engineering degree examination results 1922-1990 Ref: GB 0248 GUA EE 4/2
 

Aeronautical Engineering, Engineering Design and Engineering Drawing and Design examination papers 1924-1938 Ref: GB 0248 GUA AE 1/1
 

Scottish History and Literature class roll books 1926-1971 Ref: GB 0248 GUA SHL 4/1
Examination results are recorded in the class roll books.

Geology examination papers 1927-1966 Ref: GB 0248 GUA GEO
 

Scots Law class roll books 1931-1961 Ref: GB 0248 GUA LFS 4/2
Examination marks are recorded in the roll books.

Anatomy Department class examination results 1939-1954 Ref: GB 0248 GUA ANA 4/6
 

International Private Law class roll book 1949-1978 Ref: GB 0248 GUA LFS 4/3
Examination marks are recorded in the roll book.

Mercantile Law class roll book 1955-1976 Ref: GB 0248 GUA LFS 4/5
Examination marks are recorded in the roll book.

Scottish Legal System class roll book 1959-1972 Ref: GB 0248 GUA LFS 4/4
Examination marks are recorded in the roll book.

Criminal Law class roll book 1961-1972 Ref: GB 0248 GUA LFS 4/6
Examination marks are recorded in the roll book.

Scottish Private Law I class roll book 1961-1972 Ref: GB 0248 GUA LFS 4/7
Examination marks are recorded in the roll book.

Scottish Private Law II class roll book 1961-1972 Ref: GB 0248 GUA LFS 4/8
Examination marks are recorded in the roll book.

School of Social Study and Training examination results 1962 Ref: GB 0248 GUA SST 4/2
 

File of presscuttings relating to security arrangements for examinations 1969-1977 Ref: GB 0248 GUA IP 6/2/27
 

Scottish History examination scripts 1987-1988 Ref: GB 0248 GUA SH 4/1/1-3
 

   In addition, there is much material relating to the administration of examinations and the appointment of examiners within the body of records known as the inventory. Ask the Archivist for further information.

Title of function/activity taken from Elizabeth Parker's Function Activity Model (report compiled for JISC). Function and activity description compiled according to GASHE's Standard for Creating Function and Activity Descriptions.

Student administration/Course administration, University of Glasgow