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Visiting staff and non-visiting external examiners for Academic Year 2021/2022
 

 

Members of University of Malta academic staff, wishing to invite visiting lecturers, visiting examiners, and non-visiting examiners during academic year 2021/2022 are asked to submit their requests to the Visiting Lecturers and External Examiners Committee (VLEEC) by Friday 26 March, 2021. The policy on external examiners is available online.

VLEEC Forms can be accessed through the following links:

• for visiting lecturers - Form VLEE01
• for PhD visiting external examiners - Form VLEE02
• for PhD non-visiting external examiners - Form VLEE02a
• for external examiners for Bachelor’s degree programmes - Form VLEE03
• for non-visiting external examiners for Bachelor's degree programmes - Form VLEE03a
• for external examiners for Master's programmes - Form VLEE04
• for non-visiting external examiners for the examination of a dissertation of a taught Master's programme where the number of ECTS credits assigned to the dissertation is less than 60 - Form VLEE04a
• for non-visiting external examiners for the examination of a dissertation of a taught Master’s programme where the number of ECTS credits assigned to the dissertation is 60 or more - Form VLEE04b
• for non-visiting external examiners for the examination taught study-units - Form VLEE04c

The names of persons recommended should be accompanied by an up-to-date curriculum vitae and publications list. Ideally, there should not be any joint publications with the visiting scholars, to avoid conflict of interest.

When making requests please note the following guidelines:

1. Visiting and non-visiting staff should be members of universities or research institutions of high repute. Visiting staff should preferably be considered from institutions within Europe due to travelling costs. However, the Committee may, if requested, provide funds to support visitors from outside Europe to a maximum amount of EUR 450, beyond which costs will have to be covered by other funds, in addition to a per diem allowance of EUR 105 to a maximum of 5 nights.
   
   
2. For PhD candidates, an external examiner shall be approved on a visiting basis to a maximum of 2 nights, as well as an external examiner on a non-visiting basis.
   
   
3. The maximum subsistence allowance rate allocated for visiting examiners and lecturers is of EUR 105 per night. Kappara Hotel is the official accommodation for visiting scholars of the University of Malta and the rate for 2021 is EUR 55 per night. Thus, if these scholars opt to stay at the Kappara Hotel the subsistence allowance will be split as follows:
   EUR 55 to cover the accommodation costs
   EUR 50 to cover any other expenses incurred by the visiting lecturers / examiners.
   
   Kappara Hotel must be booked through Valletta Campus by contacting Ms Anna Maria Mifsud via email. A copy of the submitted form should be sent together with the booking in order for VLEEC to give approval. Visiting scholars that opt for a different hotel will receive the amount of EUR 105 per night, but without any deduction for accommodation.
   
   
4. When an examiner has given three years of service to the University, an alternative should be sought, unless there are exceptional circumstances. An external examiner appointed to assess Master’s dissertations shall normally not be asked for service after the fifth consecutive assignment. An examiner is also expected not to have previously given teaching services to the University of Malta.
   
   
5. The duration of stay of a visiting lecturer will be determined by the size of the teaching assignment, but should not exceed 5 nights.
   
   
6. Visitors can be substituted in cases where the academic who was originally invited is unable to provide the service to the University. In such cases, approval for a substitute is to be sought from VLEEC.
    
7. Funds committed for a period that remain unutilised may not be automatically carried over for use beyond that period: in such cases, approval will need to be sought from VLEEC.
   
   
8. Expenditure on entertainment of visiting staff is to be debited to Faculty funds and will not be covered from the VLEEC Vote.
   
   
9. If details of the visitors are not yet known, the application should be submitted by inputting TO BE ANNOUNCED (TBA) in order to secure funds.  These changes will be reflected in the form owner's spreadsheet and in the summary of responses. When the name of the visiting scholar is identified the response can be amended by using the Edit your response link, removing TBA, amending details and upload CV. After submitting the amended form send a copy of the new form to by to vlee.committee@um.edu.mt. This is done so as the Office of the Registrar will be able to submit nominees for Rector’s consideration and Senate’s approval. The first letter of Names and Surnames of both the examiners and students should be capitalised. When the name of the visiting scholar is identified the response should be amended by removing TBA in the following fields:
   a) Name of external examiner
   b) Institution
   c) Country of origin of the university where the external examiners/lectures are affiliated.
    
10. Approved lists will be forwarded to Deans/Directors/Administrative Officers in charge by the end of June. It is the responsibility of the Administrative Officers-in-charge to circulate standard operating procedures, approvals and guidelines for the visiting lecturers and external examiners to the Departmental secretaries.
    
    
11. Applications cover the period of one academic year and will be received eight weeks following the launch date.
    
    
12. In relation to issues about payments, Ms Daphne Mifsud, Procurement Section University of Malta should be contacted directly on telephone 2340 3968. Unless bank details are provided, payments will not be affected.
    
    
13. VLEEC only accepts electronic communications for reasons of security and environmental concerns.  All communications should be sent online to the following email address: vlee.committee@um.edu.mt and not to any individual.
    
    
14. The services offered by the VLEE are either funded through the tuition fees payable by the students enrolled on a particular programme or through funding granted to the ½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ.
    
    
15. Visiting external examiners engaged for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, engaged to review the taught component of Master’s degrees obtained mainly by taught study-units, shall be required to forward a report directly to Rector via email. The report should specifically address both the quality of academic standards and the process of evaluation and examination of students.  The report should also point out any strengths and/or weaknesses that require attention and is to reach Rector within one month following completion of the assignment by the examiner.
    
    
16. Reports received from external examiners are reviewed by Rector and the Chair of VLEEC. Reports are retained by the Chairperson of the Committee for reference and quality assurance purposes, while copies of the reports are returned to the Deans/Directors/ Administration Officers-in-charge by end of the calendar year. It is the responsibility of the Administrative Officers-in-charge to circulate these examiner reports to the respective Head of Department/Section and to the Departmental secretaries.
    

Applications should reach VLEEC by the announced deadline, since they cannot be considered once the funds available to the Committee are allocated.

Professor Joseph M. Cacciottolo

Chair, Visiting Lecturers and External Examiners Committee