How does the External Examiners system work at IMI to ensure a totally fair and transparent grading system for IMI students?

Undergraduate:
Hospitality - Professor Nigel Morgan, University of Wales in Cardiff, UK
Tourism - Dr Edith Szivas, University of Surrey, UK

Postgraduate/MBA
Professor Patricia Rees, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK

The process at IMI is as follows:

Before mid-semester, all exam papers and answer keys are submitted to the IMI Exam Officer who collates them and sets up an internal peer review with a group of lecturers. Exams are given back to lecturers for amendments and resubmitted to the Exam Officer who then forwards them to the respective external examiners for approval/comment. Any necessary changes are made and final, approved exam papers submitted back to the Exam Officer who then is responsible for organizing copying and distribution etc during the exam period together with the Registrar.

Exams are held and marked. A sample of exam scripts and coursework assessments in each of the bands (usually 3 As, 3 Bs, 3Cs, 3 Ds and all fails) are organized by lecturers for each unit, together with a completed Unit Evaluation Report and an overview of student marks for each element of assessment and final mark. All dissertations and their mark sheets are made available for review

The External Examiners then spend 2 days prior to the Exam Board looking at all this documentation to check that the marking and feedback to students is fair, consistent and equivalent to performance on other BA programmes.

The Exam Board is held to approve each student's award/degree classification and is also attended by 2 members from MMU - Maurice Palin who is our Liaison Tutor and John Fenby who is head of the department's Academic Standards Committee. They are here particularly to ensure that degree awards are fair and consistent with MMU decisions. Once all awards have been agreed, the External Examiners each give a brief verbal feedback report which usually offers items for improvement/consideration. A formal, written report is subsequently submitted to IMI and MMU and matters for action are taken from this to be discussed at the next programme committee.



Undergraduate Pathways

IMI Higher Diploma
MMU Dip. HE International Hotel Management
Dip. HE International Tourism Management
Dip. HE International Hotel and Tourism Management
Dip. HE International Hotel and Events Management
Dip. HE International Tourism and Events Management
Dip. HE European Culinary Management

Who are these programmes for? Each of these 5 month programmes, all of which are validated by IMI's UK partner the Manchester Metropolitan University, are equivalent to the third year of university allow a measure of single or combined specialization in either hotel or tourism management and events management. The courses are designed for those with an interest in rapidly achieving junior management positions and who already have relevant qualifications and/or experience.

 

Programme objective and content
The objective of these programmes is to equip students for graduate positions and the future demands of senior management in the tourism, hospitality and corporate event industries. Students receive individual attention and the curriculum focuses on the strategic business development of hospitality and tourism and events organizations. Core subjects include international strategy and marketing, international food and beverage themes and applications, international tourism development, strategies for evaluating management decisions, MICE management, and career planning and development.

Entry Dates
There are two intakes per year, early in February and August.