Full title: Instructions on the organisation and planning of final exams in ordinary assessment sessions and resits in the first semester of the 2020-2021 academic year at UGR faculties and schools
The following instructions have been issued with a view to implementing and expanding on the Resolution of the Rector of the University of Granada of 24 November 2020, which extended the previously-adopted Covid-19 measures, in accordance with Royal Decree 926/2020 of 25 October, declaring a state of alarm to contain the spread of infections caused by SARS-CoV-2, and the Order of 23 November 2020, amending the Order of 8 November 2020, which modulated alert levels 3 and 4 as a result of the critical Covid-19 epidemiological situation in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia.
It is essential, in this regard, that the University of Granada establishes the necessary criteria and instructions for the development of the academic activities related to scenario A, included in the course guides for each degree and subject to the health measures deriving from the application of Royal Decree 926/2020, as well as the related orders issued by the Regional Government of Andalusia.
In relation to the assessment of courses from the first semester of the current academic year, the aforementioned Resolution of 24 November states the following:
1. In accordance with the UGR's Plan for the Adaptation of Teaching and Learning in the Academic Year 2020-21 to the Health Measures deriving from the Covid-19 Pandemic, evaluation will preferably be based on continuous assessment. In this regard, face-to-face (on-campus) assessment exercises which cannot be replaced by other modes of assessment and which are scheduled in the course guides, shall go ahead as planned.
2. In line with the provisions of the UGR's Plan for the Adaptation of Teaching and Learning, and the recommendations of the Direction of Evaluation and Accreditation of the Andalusian Knowledge Agency (DEVA-AAC) to the relevant authorities, final exams that are part of ordinary examination sessions (convocatorias ordinarias) and, if applicable, resits (convocatorias extraordinarias), will be carried out in person, provided that the evolution of the pandemic allows this.
Thus, the Vice-Rector for Teaching and Learning of the University of Granada hereby issues the following instructions regarding the organisation and planning of final exams in ordinary examination sessions (convocatorias ordinarias) and resits (convocatorias extraordinarias) for the first semester of the 2020-2021 academic year:
A. Evaluation exercises that are planned as part of continuous assessment activities will continue to be organised both in face-to-face (on-campus) and remote modes, in line with the conditions established in the relevant course guides. Remote assessments will be carried out using the tools, resources and platforms recommended by the University of Granada.
B. With regard to the final exams of the first semester, which according to the Resolution of 24 November will be held in a face-to-face (on-campus) mode, these instructions are applicable to:
1. Final exams that are part of ordinary examination sessions (convocatorias ordinarias) in the first semester on bachelor's degrees, both at faculties and schools employing the "open" and "self-contained" calendars (calendario de semestres abiertos y calendario de semestres cerrados).
2. Final exams that are part of resits (convocatorias extraordinarias) in the first semester on bachelor's degrees at faculties and schools employing the "self-contained" calendar (calendario de semestres cerrados).
3. Final exams in the first semester for postgraduate degree programmes.
4. Exams that are part of the single final assessment mode (modalidad de evaluación única final).
C. In relation to the planning of final exams in the first semester, the following considerations will be taken into account:
1. Assessments will be carried out in accordance with what is stipulated in the course guides, which indicate the instruments, criteria and weighting established for each case in the Degree Validation Report, as well as their adaptation to the current scenario.
2. The departments and academic coordinators in charge of master's degree programmes will gather the necessary information on space/capacity requirements, the duration of the assessment exercises, approximate number of students taking part in each session, and any other conditions, for each course, which may need to be taken into account to hold the assessment exercises. This information will be passed on to the heads of the faculties and schools in question.
3. The faculties and schools will plan and organise the final exams of the first semester based on the information provided by the departments and the academic coordinators of the master's degree programmes, and in accordance with the Preventive Measures of the UGR Plan for the On-site Return to University in the face of Covid-19, developed by the Health and Risk Prevention Service (SSPRL) and approved by the UGR Health and Safety Committee (CSS) in its session of 5 May 2020.
D. Given that in the current circumstances we do not find ourselves in a context of academic normality, situations associated with Covid-19 may arise that prevent students from taking the final exams of the first semester on the dates established in the relevant calendars. For this reason, in order to guarantee students' right to assessment, these instructions will be complemented with an action protocol to deal with incidents that are not covered by the UGR Assessment Policy and Regulations.
E. Both in the case of face-to-face (on-campus) evaluation exercises that are part of continuous assessment activities, and final exams of the first semester, the principles upon which their organisation and planning are based are included in the UGR's Plan for the Adaptation of Teaching and Learning in the Academic Year 2020-21 to the Health Measures deriving from the Covid-19 Pandemic, approved in an extraordinary session of the Governing Council on 25 June 2020. These principles are based on ensuring responsible and safe face-to-face activities, complemented with technological resources and all the safety measures in place in university spaces. In particular, exams will be carried out in accordance with the preventive measures established in the Action Plans approved by the faculties and schools regarding the special conditions of capacity/seating, disinfection and ventilation.
F. If the relevant state or regional health authorities decide, at any time, to completely suspend face-to-face activities (scenario B), the procedures, instruments, evaluation criteria and weighting established in the course guides with regard to adaptations to this scenario will be applied.
Juan Manuel Martín García, Vice-Rector for Teaching and Learning
