Procedures for Dealing with Enquiries about Results for AIM accredited Qualifications

1. Enquiries about availability of results

In most instances student enquiries will relate to when results and/or certificates will become available. In this case Discipling The Nations College must respond to learners with accurate information for example:

    1. If recommendations for credit awards for internally assessed units have not yet been received from Discipling The Nations College.
    2. If Verification to verify results has not yet taken place.

In all cases above, Discipling The Nations College will:

    1. Record the enquiry, including the learner’s name, learner number and the nature of the enquiry, logging contact details for responding to the learner.
    2. Within five working days of the enquiry, assess the status of the results. This will include internal investigation, but also may include contacting the AIM, Verifier or Lead AIM.
    3. Once the status of the results has been established the learner should be contacted with the outcomes and a clear response given with respect to:
        1. The explanation of the reasons for the delay.
        2. A timescale within which results will be issued.

In all cases regardless of the mode of enquiry (e.g. telephone, e-mail, letter) a written record of the response will be forwarded to the student. If the student requests that a written response is not required a file note of the response must be made.

 2. Enquiries about Results

If a full response cannot be given within five days of the enquiry, the student must be contacted within the five-day period with:

    • Confirmation that the enquiry is being dealt with.
    • A timescale when a full response will be provided to the student.

In all cases:

    • The student will receive communication within five working days.
    • The full response to the enquiry will be within ten working days.

Students may enquire about actual results. These enquiries may relate to the results for unit credits and external assessment. In most instances enquiries are likely to relate to non-achievement of credit or external assessment.

Student’s enquiries about the results of the unit achievement, which are assessed through internally set tasks.

Where a student is enquiring about the non-achievement of internally assessed unit credit, the following procedure must be followed.

    1. Record the enquiry, including the student’s name, student number, and the nature of the enquiry, logging contact details for responses.
    2. Where the student has already enquired with Discipling The Nations College, but feels further information is necessary, the student may approach AIM direct who will respond to the enquiry.
    3. Within five working days of the enquiry, Discipling The Nations College, with the AIM as appropriate, will assess the position of the results with respect to the enquiry. This will include:
        • Contacting the assessor for factual information.
        • Contacting the External Moderator for factual information.
        • The student will be informed of any information or action with a timescale for receipt of the outcomes of the enquiry.
    4. The factual outcomes of the AIM investigation will be conveyed to the learner in writing. If the factual information conveyed confirms non-achievement of the credit awards, the learner will be forwarded a copy of the appeals procedure.
    5. If the factual investigation shows that an error was made and the student should have been awarded credit the learner will be informed. The following is the minimum information to be conveyed:
        • That an error had been made in their results.
        • The actual results obtained with unit titles credit value and level.
        • An apology for the error and an explanation as to how the error occurred.
        • A copy of the Discipling The Nations College and AIM complaints procedures.
    6. In all cases the learner will receive communication including details of when the outcomes of the enquiry will be available. The full outcomes of the enquiry will be available to the learner within twenty working days from the date of the original enquiry.

3. Enquiries about Results of External Assessments

Discipling The Nations College will not at present be running courses requiring external assessments.

4. Other Enquiries

Any enquiries that fall outside these procedures, especially any enquiries which may indicate a failure in quality assurance, must be notified immediately to the AIM Director of Quality in writing. In particular, but not exclusively, this includes results incorrectly awarded to learners for either internally assessed units or for external assessment.