The Modular Examination Committee (MEC) will meet to consider the progress of students in Stage I and that of continuing students in Stage II and to determine recommendations of awards and special actions to be taken in respect of individual students. In particular, it is responsible for decisions arising from exceptional circumstances which affect a student's progress or award.
Currently MEC is the body that authorises, confirms or makes awards to students registered on the UMP. To achieve this, it:
- reviews student records referred to it with a view to making awards or implementing regulations with regard to individual programmes;
- provides a forum for discussion of principles which underpin the regulations and decisions that flow from them;
- discusses and agrees guidelines by which SECs will make judgements on student progress and achievement;
- authorises reports to Student Finance England or other funding bodies on student progress;
- provides a forum to consider general points related to the equity and standards of awards to students and to feedback views from other Programme Leads and from Chief External Examiners to SECs.
Membership of MEC will be as follows:
- Pro-vice Chancellor (student experience) (chair)
- Head of Student Central
- Programme Support Manager
- Head of Taught Programmes Team (clerk to the MEC)
- Chairs of Subject Examination Committee
- Chief External Examiner (2)
Any other External Examiner, Dean of Faculty or Programme Lead may choose to attend as an observer. Alternates may be appointed.
In practice the main MEC meets in two sessions. The first meeting considers all non-graduating students, and the second (attended by the Chief External Examiners) considers all students potentially due for awards. Its main role is to attempt, as far as possible, to maintain equity and standards - especially for exceptional cases - within the programme across subjects and it has agreed numerous guidelines and good practice to this end.
In general, MEC does not discuss those students who meet all the requirements for the award for which they are registered or who do not fall foul of any regulations. Instead a progressive filtering system is used so that students who fall foul of the regulations - especially those concerned with progression - are dealt with according to standard practices and/or guidelines without further discussion. In fact, about 10% of students fall into this category and have to be considered by SECs or have to be considered in detail in committee.
Some of the problems are resolved by correcting errors or omissions (e.g. missing marks found, outstanding DF or DD grades converted etc). SECs will, of course, also be considering proposed changes to module marks following moderation and these may also lead to changes to awards or other recommendations. Once these have been decided and reported, the Chair of MEC can present to MEC the new status of these students and the appropriate action without further discussions in MEC. Consequently, it is usually only 1% or less of the students whose situations need to be considered in detail by MEC.