Tasks and responsibilities of the Examination Board

Summary
A description is given here of the general tasks and responsibilities of all members of the examination board and of the specific tasks per role within an examination chamber.

Each member must be able to:

• deal with individual requests from students within a legal framework; Examples: fraud, the granting of exemptions and facilities for students with a chronic illness or disability or who have a connection with the practice of top-level sport;
• discuss student requests;
• hear students and (or) teachers;
• decide to substantiate their decision;
• interpret and apply rules and, if necessary, well-founded, be able and willing to deviate from the rules (e.g. the application of a hardship clause);
• hold discussions with management and colleagues if rules or procedures have not been followed;
• To be accountable for their own work, both internally and externally.
• advise on (adjustments to) the OER;
• contribute to the quality assurance of assessment and examination;
• establish, evaluate, periodically review and communicate relevant procedures and (policy) rules.

For this, he should be able to:

• make decisions;
• act with integrity and be able to deal confidentially with the information obtained;
• acquiring and maintaining up-to-date knowledge of the Teaching and Examination Regulations and testing policy of the study programmes within the institute;
• formulate clearly and carefully in the Dutch and English language, both verbally and in writing;
• be independent and impartial with respect to those involved and management or to the managing director.

The chairman of the policy chamber is responsible for the proper functioning of the examination board. The chairman of the examination chamber is responsible for the decisions taken within his chamber. In the absence of the chairman, the deputy chairman shall take the place of the chairman. The deputy chairman shall have the same tasks and responsibilities as a chairman, but may only sign with an indication of her function as deputy chairman. A deputy chairman has been appointed in advance for the policy chamber; the chairman of the policy chamber appoints a deputy chairman for the examination chambers. Tasks:

• scheduling the meetings;
• preparing the meeting together with the secretary;
• chairing the meeting and guarding the good order;
• Defining, justifying and defending policies towards internal and external parties;
• Signing decisions, lists of figures, certificates, certificates and declarations;
• Identifying and reporting on implementation if they deviate from the policy ;
• act as contact person for appeals submitted to the College of Appeal for the Examinations (Cobex) and conduct the defence;
• periodically consult with the study programme managers about the course of events and possible points of improvement in assuring the assessment quality (this only applies to the chairman of the policy chamber);
• Making the grade report in Progress on behalf of DUO.

This means that the chairman should be able to:

1. lead the examination board;
2. develop policy and establish procedures and rules as prescribed by the WHW;
3. shape and monitor the independence and professional functioning of the examination board;
4. communicate at various levels;
5. be aware of the developments with regard to legislation and regulations (e.g. WHW) and testing and examination and the correct interpretation and application of rules and acting accordingly.

The official secretary is responsible for the proper conduct of the proceedings and is accountable for proper reporting and correspondence.

The work of the official secretary consists of:

• preparing the meetings together with the chairman;
• preparing and handling requests to the policy chamber;
• handling correspondence;
• maintaining and publishing the house regulations and the implementation rules;
• preparation of the annual report;
• setting up and running the secretariat, including archiving;
• Disseminating information about decisions taken.

The official secretary has specific expertise with regard to:

• Communicating clearly in writing and orally;
• Acting accurately, with quality and purpose;
• Setting up the administrative organisation;
• Legal and formal proceedings;
• (external) frameworks and current developments with regard to information provision and archiving.

The secretary of the policy chamber is replaced by the deputy secretary in his absence. He has the same tasks and responsibilities as a secretary, but can only sign with an indication of his position as deputy secretary. If the secretary of the executive chamber is absent, the chairman shall appoint another examination board member for this purpose. The secretary of the policy chamber can be supported by an official secretary (no member, no right to sign).

The activities of the secretary consist of:

• taking notes of the meetings and archiving them (executing and policy chambers);
• signing of certificates (executing chamber, together with the chairman);
• clear formulation of decisions on individual requests from students (executing chamber);
• Drafting of defences in an appeal procedure (executing chamber);
• Preparation of meetings (executing chamber);
• Monitoring the progress of appointments and feedback (executing chamber);
• communicating with the business operations team about the content and form of the certificates;
• Making the grade report in Progress on behalf of DUO.

The secretary has specific expertise with regard to:

• Communicating clearly in writing and orally. In other words, he or she must have sufficient language skills to justify a decision and to substantiate it in writing;
• acting accurately and carefully.

An external member shall be subject to the same requirements as any other member. The specific task of the external member is to help safeguard the independence of the examination board. Some members of the policy chamber have specific expertise: the assessment expert and the study programme expert.

Within the board of examiners, the assessment expert has a special function in monitoring the assessment quality and advising the study programmes with regard to assessment and its assurance. The assessment expert has specific expertise with regard to the:

• The assessment quality and the quality requirements that must then be set for the assessment policy, assessment programme, assessment tools and assessment organisation);
• How to assure assessment quality;
• external frameworks and current developments with regard to assessment and examination.

The study programme expert is a representative of a programme or group of programmes. The member representing the study programme must be well informed about all relevant study programme matters such as professional and study programme profile, educational programme, assessment policy and programme, TER, internship and graduation regulations, etc.