HEAR is an electronic document that will be available to you in perpetuity. You will be issued with an updated ‘Interim HEAR’ annually in October/November, and a ‘Final HEAR’ will be issued when you graduate.
HEARs are designed to give potential employers and other universities more insight into course/ programme contents and individual student achievements that have been verified by the university.
The HEAR is designed to:
- Be shared securely with others, for example with a potential employer or future postgraduate tutor
- Fully capture your academic performance and a range of non-academic achievements, thereby enhancing employability
- Enable you to review progress and plan future activities, whether individually or with support from a tutor
- Support your engagement in opportunities beyond the curriculum and act as an aide memoire when making applications for jobs and further study
Eligibility
You are eligible for a HEAR if you are:
- An undergraduate full-time student completing your course July 2013 onwards
This does not include students/graduates of the following:
- Continuing professional development courses
- Erasmus students
About HEAR
What does the HEAR look like?
The HEAR is a national requirement.
The layout and format has been prescribed at a national level by the ‘Measuring and Recording Student Achievement Steering Group’ (Burgess Group).
This layout and format has been copyrighted. It is to be provided as an electronic document.
The service the University is using to provide students with a HEAR is Gradintel, part of the Tribal Group and the suppliers of the student record system. This approach is being adopted by many other universities.
What information is included in the HEAR?
Throughout your academic career your HEAR will develop as more information is added to it. Only information verified by the University and/or the Student Association will be included on the HEAR.
Types of Information Recorded
- Marks and grades
- Classifications
- Non-degree achievements
What are Non-Degree Achievements?
The University’s most senior academic committee, Academic Council is responsible for approving the types of non-degree related achievements that can be considered for inclusion in a HEAR according to a set of guiding principles.
Principals of Inclusion
- Academic context (For example: University prizes and representative roles)
- Non-academic context with aligns with the strategy plan of the University: (For example: Sporting achievement, engagement and partnership)
- External accreditation recognised by the University (For example: Saltire and Duke of Edinburgh Awards)
In addition, items should be:
- Roles that are exclusively available to RGU students
- Open to all students, in principle
- Verifiable and endorsed by the University and/or Student Union; and
- Information presented should be factual, not opinionated
Items approved for inclusion
Academic Prizes
- Academic and/or equivalent meritorious prizes including scholarships
Clubs, Societies and Groups
- Society Posts and Sports Captains
- Participation in student groups e.g. Nightline/Student Media
Personal & Professional Learning
- Leadership Program
- Duke of Edinburgh Award
Student Representation
- Student Engagement and Partnership Awards
- Equality Champions
- Student Officers e.g. Governors, Vice-presidents, Student School Officers
- Student Partners
- Membership of University Committees
- ResLife Assistants
Work Related Experience
- Student Placements-description
- Internships
Volunteering
- Scarlet Awards
- Verified Volunteering Activity
- Saltire Award
- Student Ambassador
- Student Buddy
- BP Student Tutors
Sporting Achievements
- Blues Awards
Study Abroad
- ERASMUS Scheme and/ or equivalent recognised exchange programs
For further information on volunteering, contact
Information for Staff
How do staff request a new item for inclusion in 6.1 Non-Degree Achievements
- Complete the proforma
- Forward to School Academic Board for consideration
- Items endorsed by School Academic Boards are put forward as proposals by the Director of Academic Administration who convenes the Section 6.1 Working Group.
- 6.1 Working Group considers proposals in relation to the approval categories of items for inclusion and makes recommendations to QAEC for approval
- QAEC considers proposals in relation to the approval categories of items for inclusion and makes recommendations to Academic Council for approval.
- Academic Council Approval
Definitions of Awards, Prizes and Achievements
Award
Accredited performance in non-academic contexts measured/assessed by, or with external accreditation recognised by, the University. For the avoidance of doubt, this also provides the opportunity for the inclusion of individual units/modules studies, in addition to the main degree programme, if these do not already appear in section 4.3 of the student transcript.
Prize
Rewarding both academic and non-academic achievement.
Achievement (Other Recognised Activity)
Undertaken by students which demonstrate achievement but for which no recognition is provided in terms of academic credit. This may include volunteering, representative roles or training courses provided or recognised within the institutional context roles; for example representation at national level in sport, or participation in activities encouraged within formal learning but demonstrated through individual student effort out with formally accredited activities.
Information for Students/ Graduates
Full HEARs are issued on graduation for you to access as an electronic, lifelong document. Interim HEARS are issued annually.
Email notification will be sent to your University email account with details of how to access the report. Access and use of Gradintel services is free for students.
You have control of who sees your documents with the potential to send quickly to multiple destinations so that they can view this secure, authenticated document and confirm the award you have received.
Students who wish to share their HEAR with third parties such as prospective employers, other higher education institutions or any other third party can do so by issuing them with a secure logon. Third parties, who have access permissions issued by students, may view the verified HEAR and print a copy, but it should be noted that the printed version is no longer a verified record by Robert Gordon University.
How can HEARs be shared with third parties?
You can issue a token to third parties and specify how many times it can be viewed. More information about this is available from:
How can I access support for my career planning and job/course search?
The Careers & Employability Centre can support all current students and recent graduates with all aspects of their career planning, job/course search and in making effective applications – full details of services available can be found on the Careers & Employability Centre webpages and on CampusMoodle.
Information for Employers
What does the HEAR mean for employers?
Ease of authentication will be a real benefit to employers.
Information supplied on application forms or CVs can easily be verified through a simple registration system to view the secure HEAR document on the Gradintel website.
Waiting time for confirmation of award will also be reduced.
Students who wish to share their HEAR with third parties such as prospective employers, other higher education institutions or any other third party can do so by issuing them with a secure logon. Third parties, who have access permissions issued by students, may view the verified HEAR and print a copy, but it should be noted that the printed version is no longer a verified record by Robert Gordon University.
How can I access support to apply for jobs and further study?
The Careers & Employability Centre can support all current students and recent graduates with all aspects of their career planning, job/course search and in making effective applications – full details of services available can be found on the Careers & Employability Centre webpages and on CampusMoodle.
Access HEAR
How do I access my HEAR?
HEARs are provided in electronic format.
You can view your HEAR on the Gradintel website.
We will create an account for you as part of your registration at the University and contact you when it is ready to be activated (normally following graduation). For interim HEARs you will be contacted once a year.
Gradintel’s services, including access to the HEAR, are free for students.
Robert Gordon University will publish final HEARs on Gradintel’s site twice a year in August and December. In both cases, publication relates to the previous graduations. Students will be made aware that HEARs are available by the Student Records and Information Team.
Only in exceptional circumstances will a paper copy HEAR be provided. Students who require a paper copy should contact records@rgu.ac.uk
Gradintel provides other services and students who are currently not eligible for a HEAR can register directly with Gradintel. These services are also free for students. Robert Gordon University has no access to any information posted by individual students to the Gradintel website.
What happens to HEARs when I leave Robert Gordon University?
When you graduate, or leave Robert Gordon University for any other reason, a final version of your HEAR will be published. From then on, you will be able to access your HEAR on Gradintel.
What is Gradintel?
Gradintel is the service Robert Gordon University is using to publish the HEAR electronically.
The service allows you to share your HEAR with others such as potential employers or other universities. More information is available on the Gradintel website.
Diploma Supplements are also available on Gradintel. A Diploma Supplement provides a standard description of the nature, level, context, content and status of the studies you have completed.
Why have Gradintel accounts been set up?
Robert Gordon University is working in partnership with Gradintel, part of the Tribal Group who supply the university student records system, to produce HEARs. HEARs are virtual documents that can be accessed when the university issues you with your account activation email.
Why is it necessary to register with Gradintel?
You need to register with Gradintel so that you have a secure way of accessing your HEAR.
Contact us about HEAR
Who do I contact if the academic achievements, such as (examination/assessment results), are not accurate?
If you think that the information about your academic achievements are incorrect, you should contact studentrecords@rgu.ac.uk in the first instance.
Who do I contact if the non-degree related achievements are not accurate, including missing achievements?
If you think that the information about your non-degree related achievements are incorrect, you should contact the verifying body in the first instance; for example, contact RGU SPORT for a query relating to a sports award or the Student Union for a query relating to voluntary work.
Must I accept all of the information published on a HEAR?
Your academic achievements, such as (examination/assessment results) will be published on a HEAR by the university. Any queries relating to this information should be directed to studentrecords@rgu.ac.uk in the first instance.
If you have any other errors on your HEAR contact the Student Records Department: