External assessors need a fairer deal

ENDof term, Wimbledon, the lure of 2. Such are the delights of late June and early July. External examining, on the other hand, is unlikely to be what academics enjoy most about the start of summer. Yet grading samples of exam scripts and wrestling at meetings over borderline cases and potential firsts and failures is what hundreds of teachers find themselves doing at this time of year.

Why? It's hardly for the money. Most academics feel that the fee for being an external examiner ranges from the low to the derisory. The average payment for courses at undergraduate level is about Pounds 300, though some institutions pay much less. Fees vary from about Pounds 50 to Pounds 200 at masters' level. For doctorates, the going rate can be as little as Pounds 3. an hour - well below what could be described as a minimum wage.

Of course, for academics on permanent contracts, these fees, plus expenses, will be in addition to a salary. But when daily consultancy rates for lawyers and other in-demand dons can exceed Pounds 1,000, the amounts paid do look small.

It is probably a blend of academic curiosity, obligation and a healthy concern for CVs which is holding the external examiner system together. Teachers are curious to know how students and courses at other universities compare with their own. Meeting colleagues working in the same field can be stimulating. Indeed, it can be flattering to be asked to be an examiner. More than this, it is up to the external examiner to ensure comparability of degree standards in the UK and fair treatment of students. Besides, if you do not act as an external examiner, you cannot expect others to come to moderate your courses.

But over the past decade the complexity and workload in examining has become severe. The ending of the binary line has brought under one system institutions with widely differing missions. The increase in student numbers has far outstripped the growth in staff. And modular courses have become widespread, and new de-gree subjects have mushroomed. The introduction of semesters has meant a rolling programme of exams during the academic year. At the same time, the assessment of research and teaching plus internal and external quality audit, have added to the burden.

It is not surprising, then, that some academics feel enough is enough. Why not spend the time writing a research paper, which would at least count in the research assessment exercise?

Despite these problems, recent studies have concluded that the external examiner system is still necessary. "There is little or no support for abandoning external examining, but there is a clear need to address the question of how to strengthen the system," wrote Harold Silver and his team in their 1995 report for the Higher Education Quality Council.

One way of strengthening the system is to raise fees. This year, the Association of University Teachers has published recommended daily rates for external examiners. At undergraduate level these are Pounds 150 per day for courses with up to 50 students and Pounds 175 for more than 50 students. At masters' level, the daily rate is Pounds 200 per day. The PhD rate is Pounds 400 per candidate for three days' work and attending the viva. Bigger fees would help cope with the increase in exam candidates. Teaching quality assessment should ack-knowledge the contribution made by external examiners to courses.

Examiners should be allowed a few days off for external duties. There should be a UK database for them, with induction to encourage more staff to become examiners. It might also be helpful to have guidelines for host institutions so they can provide background information about courses.

You never know, external examining might then become an enjoyable part of summer once again.

Stephen Court is a researcher with the Association of University Teachers.