Read our latest news bulletin
See in Microsoft Sway
1. Upcoming Deadlines and Key Dates
3rd September – Durham University Overarching Board of Examiners (Summer)
1st October - Deadline: TEIs to submit New Student Programme Registration data
7th October - TEIs to ask Common Awards students to send any feedback for the Management Board to the CAMB student representatives
14th October (approx) - TEIs to receive Banner IDs of new students
24th October Common Awards Management Board
25th October - Deadline: TEIs to submit Board of Examiners Membership Lists
25th October - Deadline: TEIs to submit Module Registration Data for quality assurance checks
25th October - Deadline: TEIs to submit APL Credits and supporting documentation
Late October - TEIs asked to circulate invitation letters to students eligible to attend the Durham University Congregation ceremony in January 2025
If any TEI staff members would appreciate further information on preparing for these processes, please contact the Common Awards Team.
2. New Student Programme Registration including Study Path update
TEIs are asked to submit New Student Programme Registration data by the 1st October 2024.
Detailed guidance on this process is available on the Common Awards website here.
Study Path
Those members of staff who attended the Moodle Update sessions last summer will be aware that the University was making some changes in its student records system, Banner, in response to HESA reporting requirements. From 2024/25 onwards, students will receive one Banner ID and use that same Banner ID for every Common Awards programme from now on. Students will instead be issued a different ‘Study Path number’ for each different Common Awards programme they register on. The programme groupings for when a ‘Study Path number’ may change remains the same as those for when a Banner ID was required. In essence, from 2024/25 onwards, the Study Path number will operate in the same way as the Banner ID previously did.
Study Path Example
Previous process
In previous years, when a student registered with your TEI, you would go through the registration process in Moodle, send the data to the University at the relevant registration point in the year, and a Banner ID will be generated for the student.
In the case of a student registered on the BA programme, they will receive a Banner ID for the duration of their programme; however, if the student completes the BA and subsequently registers on the MA, then they would receive a new Banner ID for their postgraduate programme.
New process
Going forward, in the example above the student would receive a Banner ID when they register on the BA, along with a Study Path number, which if this is their first registration with the University the Study Path number will be 1. When they complete studies, and register on the MA, they will keep the same Banner ID but a new Study Path 2 will be generated.
If there is an instance where you have a student registered on the undergraduate Diploma, completes their studies but then returns within 5 years to top up the award to the BA, their original Study Path (that was generated when the student registered on the Diploma) will be re-opened, as the credit gained towards the Diploma will count towards the BA.
3. Campus Cards
The deadline for submitting photographs and supplementary student list is 1st November 2024. In order to ensure this process is as smooth as possible, we have produced a process guide for TEIs to follow, which is attached to the email sent introducing this September Bulletin.
4. TEI Forum
The chair of the TEI Forum has contacted members to consider possible dates for this meeting. The date will be confirmed in due course. This meeting will be held online. Please contact Lucy Dallas (Chair) directly with any agenda items.
Each TEI Principal (or equivalent) is permitted to nominate up to four members of core staff to serve as members of the TEI Forum. An email has been sent to key contacts regarding 2024-25 membership. For more information, please see our website.
5. Staff Development: Core Skills
This programme provides participants with the opportunity to work through interactive online content in their own time, to discuss their learning with colleagues across the UK and with facilitators from Durham University’s Centre for Academic Development.
Successful completion of the Account of Professional Practice confers Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (now known as AdvanceHE) and the post-nominal letters AFHEA.
More information about the programme is available on our website.
Registration for the programme is now open.
Registration to attend the introductory session in December (date tbc) closes on Wednesday 20th November at 12 noon. Final registration for the programme closes in early January 2025 (date tbc). Dates will be added to the website when available.
6. Winter Congregation 2025
Students
Students eligible for graduation (those who have successfully completed the BA, MA, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate) will be invited to attend the graduation ceremony at Durham Cathedral. We will shortly be sending student invitation letters to TEIs, and registration will be open between October and December 2024 (exact dates to be confirmed).
We will also be hosting a post-ceremony celebration event in Durham for those attending graduation; further information will follow shortly.
TEI Staff
Members of staff in TEIs are also welcome to attend the Common Awards graduation ceremonies; the staff attendance registration form will be sent to TEIs in October.
Academic Procession
Members of staff in TEIs who hold an undergraduate degree are eligible to participate in the academic procession for the Common Awards students. If you are interested in this, please indicate on the staff attendance registration form in October.
7. Board of Examiners
The first Overarching Board of Examiners meeting for 2023/24 will take place on 3rd September 2024, where around 241 students will be considered for an award. Following the meeting we will send passlists to TEIs to confirm; TEIs are reminded not to share the passlists directly with students. Parchments and transcripts for students not eligible for Congregation (Graduation) will be produced within ~8 weeks. Those eligible for Congregation (Graduation) will receive their award documentation ~8 weeks after the ceremony.
The Winter Overarching Board of Examiners is due to be held on 3rd December 2024.
TEIs are reminded that Boards of Examiners must ensure that the following is submitted to Durham in line with the deadlines in published guidance and the Common Awards Calendar:
Further information on the documents TEIs must submit following Board of Examiners meetings is available here.
8. TEI Attendance – Durham Board of Examiners
TEIs are reminded that they are very welcome to send a representative from their TEI Board of Examiners (normally the Chair) to observe the meetings of the overarching Board. Up to three TEI BoE representatives may attend each board. This can be a good way for TEIs to discover more about how the overarching Board works, and to see how we handle decisions about their students.
Please contact the team if a representative from your TEI Board of Examiners wishes to attend the December Board of Examiners meeting.
9. Student Records reminder
TEIs are asked to ensure that students’ Moodle records are accurate and up to date following a decision to withdraw from study, and that all modules and marks (including failed modules) are fully recorded. Please also ensure that the final record is shared with the Common Awards Team when submitting the Change of Registration Form, in order to ensure the Banner record is accurate should the student wish to return to study in the future.
A process guide has been produced, which is attached to the email sent introducing this September Bulletin, detailing the documents required for change of registrations (whether a CoR, TEI approved concession or CA approved concession).
10. Conversion of Marks
We would like to remind TEIs of the principles surrounding the conversion of marks.
Some assignments, like language tests, might produce quantitative scores. Those scores are not the marks for that assignment. In principle, they will always need to go through some process of conversion – where conversion involves making qualitative judgments about what is meant by different levels of achievement in a quantitatively scored test, and then translating those qualitative judgments into numerical marks in the normal way.
Further information on Converting Test Scores into Marks is available on our website.
11. AI Update to Common Awards Academic Misconduct Policy for 2024/25
Following the recent communication regarding an update to the Common Awards Academic Misconduct policy and guidance. TEIs are reminded to ensure that students are made aware of the policy, particularly the changes relating to the use of generative AI, and that the declaration signed by students at the start of the academic year is updated to include the additional wording. For further information, please see paragraphs 4, 5 and 6 under ‘Further information’ in the revised policy.
12. Staffing Update
We are delighted to welcome Professor Mike Higton back from research leave.
13. Further Information
The full 2024/25 calendar is available here.
With very best wishes for the start of the academic year,
The Common Awards Team
