Cardiff University
Education
Action Taken
The University has reviewed its process for releasing in-year resit results to ensure all available results are ratified at the Main Examining Board in June. The practice of using notional marks where a student has not met a competency standard has been stopped. (AI summary)
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Dear Coroner Sutherland, Re: Mared Thomas Foulkes - Prevent Future Deaths ("your Report") dated 1 Oth November 2021 We acknowledge receipt of your Report to Prevent Future Deaths ("your Report") dated 10th November 2021, issued under paragraph 7, schedule 5 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and regulations 28 and 29 of the Coroner's (investigations) Regulations 2013, following the Inquest which took place on 28th October 2021 into the death of Mared Thomas Foulkes ("Mared") on 8th July 2020 ("the Inquest"). We set out our response to paragraph 5 and 6 of your Report, namely "Coroner's Concerns" and "Action should be taken", below. We are, at all times, very aware of the needs of Mared's family and friends. It is important to us that none of the information we present here, in response to your Report, takes away from the recognition of the fact that Mared's death was a tragedy. We wish to record here again the University's sympathies with, and condolences to Mared's family and friends. The University takes seriously the Coroner's concern that the process for the ratification and release of in-year resit results is complex and confusing. We seek to explain the position both in general terms, and as it applied to Mared in 2020 in response to the Matters of Concern detailed below. We then detail the actions we are taking in response to each of the Coroner's recommended actions. We are committed to ensuring the process for the release and ratification of in year resit results is simplified and removes the potential for confusion. The actions are set out, in detail, in sections 3-5 below and include: = THE QUEEN'S Athena ANNIVERSARY PRIZES 0, INVESTORS ' SWAN UK Quality Assured Registered Charity No. 1136855 IN PEOPLE 20]5 Silver Award Skrwydd Ansawdd y DU Elusen Gofrestredig Rt1if. 1136855
• The removal of potential confusion about the results of in-year resits. The process for the release of in-year resit results has been reviewed to ensure that all available results are ratified at the Main Examining Board in June. This means that students will know the outcome of all assessments they have taken, including in year resits, and will not have provisional results that are subject to later ratification at the Resit Examining Board in September.
• The custom and practice of using notional mark (e.g. 1% to record an academic fail) where the student has not met a competency standard has been stopped with immediate effect.
• A review of the published results transcripts is underway which will provide results for all component parts of a module, clarify the assessment date and attempt number and confirm any progression, resit requirement or academic award. It will also seek to improve tone, language and make explicit reference to where students can access help and support if they are concerned about their results. These actions will be taken before the release of transcripts in July 2022. We will ensure our Academic Schools are briefed on these changes and the expectation that they ensure academic staff are available to students at the time of examination results to respond to questions, queries and concerns. I would like to finish by saying that Mared was a valued member of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and the wider University, and we would like to again express our sincere condolences to her family and friends at this time.
• The removal of potential confusion about the results of in-year resits. The process for the release of in-year resit results has been reviewed to ensure that all available results are ratified at the Main Examining Board in June. This means that students will know the outcome of all assessments they have taken, including in year resits, and will not have provisional results that are subject to later ratification at the Resit Examining Board in September.
• The custom and practice of using notional mark (e.g. 1% to record an academic fail) where the student has not met a competency standard has been stopped with immediate effect.
• A review of the published results transcripts is underway which will provide results for all component parts of a module, clarify the assessment date and attempt number and confirm any progression, resit requirement or academic award. It will also seek to improve tone, language and make explicit reference to where students can access help and support if they are concerned about their results. These actions will be taken before the release of transcripts in July 2022. We will ensure our Academic Schools are briefed on these changes and the expectation that they ensure academic staff are available to students at the time of examination results to respond to questions, queries and concerns. I would like to finish by saying that Mared was a valued member of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and the wider University, and we would like to again express our sincere condolences to her family and friends at this time.