Dansk nedenfor.
The Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education (hereinafter the Agency) has impressed upon AAU that AAU should turn over the assessors’ exam notes if the student has requested the notes in connection with AAU’s review of an exam complaint. AAU received the above feedback from the Agency in connection with a student's complaint on AAU's refusal of a request for access to the assessors’ notes.
Case history and the Agency's decision
In connection with an exam complaint on the assessment, the assessors in their statement referred to the notes they had taken during the exam. The student then requested access to the assessors’ notes; AAU refused the request. As grounds for its refusal to grant access to the documents, it was AAU’s assessment that assessors’ notes be considered internal notes. The student filed a complaint with the Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education on AAU’s refusal of access to the documents.
The Ministerial Order on University Examinations and Grading (the Examination Order) § 23 states that the co-examiner and examiner must take notes on the performance and their deliberations on the grade for use in the event of an appeal.
Until now AAU has interpreted this provision such that the notes would provide the basis of the statement assessors must write in connection with an exam complaint (in accordance with § 35 (2)). For the same reason, until now AAU has not allowed access to the assessors’ notes.
It was the Agency’s assessment that AAU is obligated to turn over the assessors' notes in connection with reviewing complaints.
AAU will follow the Agency’s feedback. This means that in the future AAU will grant requests for access to assessors’ notes in connection with reviewing complaints if the student asks for it.
Submitting notes
The above means that AAU's internal assessors and external co-examiners must be aware that students may see the notes taken during the exam.
However, it is important to stress that at the same time the Agency clarified that there are no formal requirements for the notes. The notes are still a tool for assessors to use when they have to write a statement in an exam complaint.
However, it is important that all assessors be informed that going forward assessor notes may be turned over to the students.
The Ministerial Order on University Examinations and Grading (the Examination Order) § 23 states that assessors must keep the exam notes for at least one year or until any appeal procedure has been completed.
It is important that assessors make sure to keep the documents in this period so that it is possible to turn them over to the students if they request to receive the notes in connection with an appeal procedure.
If a student requests to see assessors' notes in connection with an exam complaint, the person handling the complaint will contact the assessors.
If the assessors are contacted by the students, they can either refer a student to the person handling the complaint or turn over the notes themselves.
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Ny praksis vedr. udlevering af bedømmernoter ved anmodning om aktindsigt fra studerende
Styrelsen for Forskning og Uddannelse (herefter Styrelsen) har indskærpet over for AAU, at AAU bør udlevere bedømmernes notater fra eksamen, hvis en studerende beder om noterne i forbindelse med AAU’s behandlingen af en eksamensklage. AAU har modtaget ovenstående tilbagemelding fra Styrelsen i forbindelse med en studerendes klage over AAU’s afslag på en anmodning om aktindsigt i bedømmernes noter.
Sagsforløb og Styrelsens afgørelse
I forbindelse med en eksamensklage over bedømmelsen havde bedømmerne i deres udtalelse henvist til de notater, som de havde taget under prøven. Den studerende bad herefter om aktindsigt i bedømmernes noter, hvilket AAU gav afslag på. AAU gav som begrundelse for afslaget på aktindsigt, at AAU vurderede, at bedømmernes notater betragtes som interne noter. Den studerende påklagede AAU’s afslag på aktindsigt til Styrelsen for Forskning og Uddannelse.
Det fremgår af eksamensbekendtgørelsens § 23, at censor og eksaminator skal tage notater om præstationen og karakterfastsættelsen under voteringen til brug for en eventuel klagesag.
AAU har hidtil tolket denne bestemmelsen således, at notaterne skulle danne grundlag for den udtalelse, som bedømmerne skal skrive ifm. en eksamensklage (i overensstemmelse med § 35 stk. 2). Af samme grund har AAU ikke hidtil givet aktindsigt i bedømmernes noter.
Styrelsen vurderede, at AAU er forpligtede til at udlevere bedømmernes noter ifm. behandlingen af eksamensklager.
AAU tager Styrelsens tilbagemelding til efterretning. Det betyder, at AAU fremover giver medhold i anmodninger om aktindsigt i bedømmernes noter i forbindelse med behandling af eksamensklager.
udlevering af notater
Ovenstående betyder, at AAU’s interne bedømmere og eksterne censorer skal være opmærksomme på, at studerende kan få indsigt i de noter, der tages under prøven.
Det er dog vigtigt at understrege, at Styrelsen i samme ombæring har præciseret, at der ikke er formkrav til noterne. Noterne er fortsat et redskab til bedømmerne, som de kan tage afsæt i, når de skal skrive udtalelse i en eksamensklage.
Det er dog vigtigt at alle bedømmere informeres om, at bedømmernoterne fremadrettet kan blive udleveret til de studerende.
Det fremgår af eksamensbekendtgørelsens § 23, at bedømmerne skal opbevarer noterne fra eksamen i mindst et år, eller indtil en eventuel klagesag er afsluttet.
Det er vigtigt, at bedømmerne sørger for at gemme dokumenterne i denne periode, så det er muligt at udlevere til de studerende, såfremt de anmoder om at få noterne udleveret i forbindelse med en klagesag.
Såfremt en studerende ifm. en eksamensklage anmoder om indsigt i bedømmernes noter, vil sagsbehandleren af eksamensklagen tage kontakt til bedømmerne.
Hvis bedømmerne bliver kontaktet af de studerende, kan de enten henvise til sagsbehandleren af eksamensklagen eller selv udlevere noterne.