Preamble

Assessment is an essential component of the educational process. It goes beyond merely assigning grades to students and serves as an effective tool for measuring the extent to which programs and courses achieve their intended learning outcomes. Assessment also contributes to improving teaching and learning strategies based on feedback results. The nature of assessment tasks and activities varies among colleges depending on the programs they offer, necessitating careful design to meet the specific needs of each program, while adhering to general principles, policies, and procedures governing these processes.

Policy

Jouf University is committed to applying rigorous academic standards to ensure that students achieve high-quality learning outcomes. The university adopts multiple assessment mechanisms—including exams, projects, and practical reports—aimed at measuring academic achievement fairly and transparently. The university also provides balanced study plans that focus on developing both cognitive skills and behavioral values, while accommodating diverse learning styles to meet the needs of all students.

Jouf University places great importance on the periodic analysis and evaluation of student achievement results. To enhance the credibility of student assessment outcomes and ensure the alignment of exams with educational objectives and learning outcomes, the university adopts a policy of peer and external verification. Exam papers are sent to experienced academic specialists for review to evaluate the comprehensiveness and accuracy of exam questions in measuring the defined learning outcomes and ensuring compliance with academic quality standards. This approach promotes transparency, improves future assessment design, and ensures the reliability of results in accordance with the highest standards of academic integrity.

Policy Implementation Procedures

First: General Principles to Ensure Effective Student Assessment

1. Ensure that assessment tools include elements such as grading schemes and verbal rating rubrics (when required) to facilitate the work of independent internal reviewers (peers) and external reviewers in evaluating students.
2. Link each assessment tool to specific course learning outcomes to ensure accurate measurement of intended objectives.
3. Adhere to clear procedures for reviewing the marking of answer scripts to verify the accuracy of student grading by following best practices, including:
   • Defining and selecting reviewers.
   • Clearly outlining the tasks assigned to each reviewer.
   • Using specific mechanisms to document reviewers’ work.
   • Defining the responsibilities of both the course instructor and the reviewer to ensure accuracy and fairness in marking and review.

Second: Procedures for Verifying the Effectiveness of Student Assessment

Verification is conducted internally and externally to ensure consistency of assessment standards among markers, a shared understanding of expected learning outcomes, and fairness and reliability of results.

Internal Verification:
Conducted within the academic department using one or more of the following methods:

1. Marking review: A faculty member from the same program (but not the course instructor) reviews the marking of assignments and exams to ensure all parts were marked and totals calculated correctly.
2. Cross-marking: Exchange of exam scripts or samples of assignments with another faculty member to ensure grading accuracy.
3. Random re-marking: The program’s exam and assessment review committee randomly selects at least 10% of exam papers, assignments, and other assessments each semester, ensuring samples cover failing students, average performers, and high achievers. (Research, projects, and oral exams are excluded if more than one faculty member was involved in their assessment.)

Academic departments must submit semesterly/annual reports on internal verification results—highlighting strengths, weaknesses, and improvement actions—to the authorized body.

External Verification:
Conducted by a faculty member from another institution (external examiner/peer reviewer). This system ensures impartial benchmarks and strengthens credibility and confidence in the assessment standards used in academic programs. The external examiner’s responsibilities extend beyond reviewing final exams to also include samples of continuous assessment (coursework).

Third: Selection Procedures and Criteria for External Examiners

1. External examiners for each academic program are nominated by the academic department and approved by the College Council.
2. Appointment of the external examiner is made by College Council resolution, based on the following criteria:
   • Must be employed in an academic institution in the same field and at the same level offered by the university.
   • Must hold at least the rank of Assistant Professor and possess sufficient teaching experience in the specialization.
   • Must have experience in designing and conducting assessments, with full knowledge of the expected standards students must achieve.
   • Must be familiar with current developments in teaching and assessing programs, and demonstrate competence and expertise.
3. All contracting procedures with external examiners are managed through the Vice-Presidency for Educational Affairs.

Fourth: Duties and Responsibilities of the External Examiner

The external examiner is responsible for:

1. Commenting on assessment practices in each course, including the comprehensiveness of assessments and their alignment with the intended learning outcomes.
2. Reviewing and providing feedback on exam blueprints, marking schemes, and model answers.
3. Verifying the adequacy of marking criteria by reviewing samples of exam papers and coursework (without re-marking). The samples must include:
   • Failing student assessments.
   • Average student assessments.
   • High-achieving student assessments.
   • Assessments with notable discrepancies between markers.
4. Commenting on student achievement indicators and comparing them with benchmarks from peer institutions.
5. Recommending corrective measures if course marks deviate significantly from the normal distribution.

Fifth: Procedures Before and After External Verification

1. At the end of each semester, the academic program’s assessment review committee provides the external examiner with a sample of student work (10%–20%), along with exam papers, model answers, exam blueprints, and grading distributions.
2. The external examiner is also provided with the program handbook, course specifications, and the university’s study and exam regulations.
3. These materials are sent via email to the external examiner.
4. The external examiner is given one month to provide feedback, complete the review form, and return the report with all attached documents.
5. If feedback is not received within the specified time, the external examiner is granted an additional 15 days; however, they may submit the report earlier if completed.
6. Video-conference meetings between the external examiner and the program’s assessment review committee may be arranged if necessary.
7. All reports from external examiners are discussed by the program’s assessment review committee, which then shares concise summaries and recommended adjustments with faculty members teaching the courses.
8. All external examiner reports for programs are submitted to the College Council, along with implementation mechanisms and justifications for any unimplemented recommendations.
9. A report of the external examiner’s recommendations and implementation measures is submitted to the Vice-President for Educational Affairs within 15 days of the College Council meeting.

Metadata Template

Authorized by:
Vice-President for Educational Affairs

Dr. Alaa bin Saleh Al-Arjan