Bulletin Special Supplement Jun 1965

furnishing examiners, (but not necessarily exclusively) f r om among those members who have been effectively in charge of courses; and that their deliberations w i l l be on a basis wh i ch makes it inevitable that the candidates w i ll be well known to them. Under these circumstances, there should be no difficulties in ensuring that the f o rm of each examination paper w i ll be closely determined by what the staff i s aiming to achieve through lectures and small-group teaching; in a word, that the examination is designed as a powerful teaching aid, used judiciously and carefully. A t the same time it is desirable that as a general rule there should be a broad parity between comparable course s in different colleges: this applies to examinations also. T he most suitable organ for ensuring this is a Board of Studies. L6 .8 Wh en we t u rn to examinations more directly related to the standards expected of a candidate for a degree, several other considerations must be borne in m i nd. T he degree awarded is a University degree, and the standing and prestige of th e University as a whole is involved. It w i ll not be possible to continue for an indefinite time w i th arrangements whereby a College teaches and examines in virtually complete independence for its t h i rd and fourth year courses: if only because the development of laboratory subjects w i l l impose the need to share some at least of the more costly equipment, resources, laboratories, and specialist instruction. It is possible on the one hand to envisage a College preparing its students fo r examinations in subjects not usually taken by students in other Colleges; on the other hand it is normal to assume there w i ll be growing areas in wh i ch each College w i ll be teaching its students along ver y similar lines, or along lines wh i ch tend to become similar. T he day may not be far off, it may be assumed, when University lectures as such w i ll be provided by specialists w h om it wou ld be common sense to make equall y available to students f r om all Colleges. L6.9 In this rapidl y evolving situation, we consider it a matter of urgency that the procedures for degree examination s should be considered afresh. There are two main considerations to be borne in mind. One is the standing of th e University and its responsibility for standards and equity. T he other is the function of the examinations as auxiliaries intimately related to teaching, (whether University or college teaching). I n our view there need be no conflict between these two thing. T he latter consideration is internal to the University, while the former concerns its dealing w i th society and w i th other learned institutions, and for this reason calls for procedures in wh i ch external examiners should play an important part. But i f there are boards of University examiners for degree examinations (third and fourth year courses), these w i ll include members of the academic staff who would also we presume be members of Boards of Studies, wh i ch should of course be concerned w i th courses and programmes. There need thus be no failure of communication. I f there are to be Board s of Studies to discuss courses and co-ordinate work in given fields of teaching, we may suppose als o that in submitting course proposals to the Senate th e Boards wou ld include in their proposals general specifications concerning the examinations that wo u ld f o rm part of the courses. I t is for the Senate to decid e major lines of academic policy, and — we hope — for the Boards of Studies to embody these lines in the development of programmes and courses; it is then fo r examiners to give executive effect at the proper time to the decisions arrived at in these ways. L6.10 We agree w i th the view expressed by the Committee on Teaching Method s (para. 14) that it should be an urgent duty of the Senate t o consider arrangements for examinations ; we consider that the first task here should be to perfect a system of University degree examination boards initially dealing w i t h existing courses. Such a system should have two main features: (i) flexibility, by wh i ch special College initiatives and preferences can be catered for; ( i i) a common general approach to standards and forms of examination (both written and other). T h e second of these features is at the present time the more important, though it may require less emphasis when the Colleges are brought physically nearer together on one campus site. L6.11 I n particular we would suggest tha t great benefit can be derived f r om as mu ch participation as possible by external examiners. We are not in a position to make suggestions as to how the y should operate, except to say that they should deal with, and confront simultaneously, all the examiners of the University in a given subject or subject-group; and have access to any or all examination scripts ; and that they should have in m i nd Universit y standards as well as College traditions. We consider tha t no effort or reasonable expense should be spared to make it possible, particularly in these early years, for external examiners to operate as fully and effectively as possible, and without undue pressure of time. L6.12 Moreover, if it is accepted that examinations can help the teaching process and should not be allowed to frustrate it, it wou ld follow that the Senate's deliberations on this subject cannot well be carried on without reference to the teaching courses to whic h the examinations relate. It would be possible , but in our view undesirable, to devise an examination system in the abstract, and then to invite those concerned to find ways of preparing (coaching or cramming ) students for it. We wou ld hope the Senate might prefer to see the matter approached in the opposite way �一 that is, to begin w i th academic courses, their general aims and specific ends, and proceed thence to the examinations wh i ch serve these ends. T h is can best be done, we consider, through setting up 39