Updated 16 June 2020, 1.55 PM (section about access to the Library).

NHH will do its utmost to enable all students to complete the semester and take their exams, regardless of how the coronavirus situation develops.

Teaching

All teaching, supervision and other study related activities will commence digitally for the rest of the semester.

The Course responsible shall convey all teaching materials through Canvas, including videos or recorded lectures as replacement for the cancelled lectures. The aim is to ensure the same learning as achieved through teaching under normal circumstances.

All course responsibles will provide information about their courses through Canvas if changes in course approval requirements or other aspects are necessary following the digitalisation of all activities.

Due to capacity, it may take some time before digital teaching is active in all courses.

Examinations

All home examinations and other activities will commence as previously scheduled for individual courses until further notice.

All school examinations in the 2020 spring semester will be replaced by digital home exams on the same date as the originally planned exam, regardless of how the coronavirus situation develops. Open the tabs below to read practical information and more about assessment form and assessment scale for these exams. 

• Practical information about home exams

  Practical information about home exams

  All school examinations this semester will be replaced by home examinations.

  For home exams, you have to upload files to our electronic exam system WISEflow, and you do not have to install the latest version of the FLOWlock browser (only used for school exams).

  All exam papers must be submitted in WISEflow within the deadline. According to NHH’s examination regulations, we can only forward papers submitted within the deadline for grading.

  Standard delivery format is PDF. In some cases, attachments in other file formats may also be uploaded. We advise you to practice converting different files to PDF on your laptop before your exams start. If you have experienced problems converting files to PDF, we recommend you to use Microsoft Print to PDF.

  If you are going to include pictures of calculations in your exam paper, we also recommend you to practice this before your exams.

  If you have issues converting files to PDF or including pictures in your paper before your exams start, you can get in touch with IT support at helpdesk@nhh.no

  It is important that you use a stable connection to the Internet when submitting your examination answer paper. You also have to make sure you have an alternative Internet connection, in case there is a problem with the network you normally use. A good alternative would be to connect to the internet via mobile phone, by utilizing the network to which your mobile is connected

  It is also important that you set aside enough time for the submission. We recommend at least 15 minutes, to ensure you have time to include pictures in your paper and upload attachments. You also have to make sure that you are logged into WISEflow as, after some hours, you will be automatically logged out. Refresh your page before you submit your paper.

  If you have issues uploading/submitting, send an email to exams@nhh.no (note: do not contact the course responsible). All such communication must be in writing, and sent before the deadline.

  You also have to be available on your cellphone in case we need to get in touch with you to provide important information during the exams.

• Assessment form

  Assessment form

  Course coordinators can choose one of the following types of home exam for their course:

  • Digital written exam starting at 9 (duration: 3-7h, determined by course coordinators)
  • Live oral exam in Teams (mainly relevant in smaller classes)
  • Offline oral exam where students upload video presentations to WISEflow

  Another option is to drop the final exam.

  Course coordinators have been asked to consider whether they already have assessed their students' learning outcomes in an adequate way, in which case it could be a better option to skip the final exam (in the case of home exam for school exam).

  In several courses, this process has led to a change in assessment form, which have already been announced to the students in these courses.

• Assessment scale

  Assessment scale

  The change from school exam to home exam in many courses has brought on questions about which assessment scale to use.

  This is a question that has also engaged our students. Therefore, NHH and the Student Committee at NHH (SUN) launched a joint survey between 16 and 18 March, allowing all NHH students to give their input on relevant criteria for the choice of grade scale in different courses.

  The Student Committee summarized the results in a report, which was presented to NHH’s Academic Committee in their special meeting on this topic on 25 March.

  The Academic Committee, which comprises students, faculty and administrative staff, discussed how and in which types of courses to use which grading scale on home exams replacing school exams this spring. The committee agreed on the following:

  When using pass/fail, a passing grade should be awarded if:

  • The candidate has achieved the requirements for learning outcomes and shows essential knowledge, skills and competence.

  An argument that has been raised by many in favor of changing from grade scale A-F to pass/fail, is that this will reduce the students’ incentives for cheating on their home exams. This also motivates the list of criteria for the two grade scales the committee decided on:

  Course that should be assessed with pass/fail:

  -Quantitative courses, where there is typically one correct answer

  • Known models, extensive cramming
  • Little discussion/text, difficult to use plagiarism control

  -Large classes with many students (and potentially many alumni who can help students write their home exam; that is, cheat). This implies that most mandatory bachelor’s level courses should be assessed with pass/fail.

  Courses that should be assessed with grade scale A-F:

  -Courses where one can design the assignments so that the students do not benefit from communicating with each other or others to solve the assignment

  • Discussion and reflection assignments
  • Emphasis on showing understanding rather than replicating

  -All courses in the master’s program in accounting and auditing (MRR).

  Exceptions:

  • NHH’s regulations state that the two grading scales, A-F and pass/fail, cannot be combined in the same course (section 4-4). Hence, if one part is assessed with grades A-F (or pass/fail), the same grade scale must be used on the exam.
  • MRR students will obtain letter grades (A-F) in all courses, regardless of the overall grading scheme of the course. Students in this program need A-F grades in all courses to fulfil the requirements for state authorized public accountant.

  Grading when retaking a course/an exam with new grading scale:

  [A-F → pass/fail] Students who have a passing letter grade and retake a pass/fail course:

  • If failing the new exam: Letter grade counts
  • If passing the new exam: “Pass” counts

  [pass/fail → A-F] Students who have a “pass” (from spring 2020) and retake a course with A-F scale:

  • If failing the new exam: “Pass” counts
  • If passing the new exam: Letter grade counts

  Process for determining the assessment scale in courses where the assessment form has changed from school exam to home exam:

  1. All course coordinators have been asked to indicate their preferred grading scale given the above criteria by noon on Friday 27 March.
  2. Responses are evaluated by the program manager of the respective course with input from the Student Committee at NHH. A final decision is made by the vice rector for academic affairs based on the suggestion of the program manager.
  3. The decision is shared with the course coordinators and the students.

  These requests will be processed on an ongoing basis, and we hope to have the NHH website updated with assessment scale for all courses by 1 April.

  Students in all courses where school examination is replaced by home examination will be given the opportunity to withdraw from the exam (without using an examination attempt) when NHH has published information about the grading scale, regardless of the previously announced deadline for withdrawal.

• Application for acute special examination arrangements, spring 2020

  Application for acute special examination arrangements, spring 2020

  Due to capacity and staffing considerations during the Corona pandemic, NHH now allows its students to apply for acute special examination arrangements at an earlier time than normal.

  Applications for acute exam arrangements are considered for students who have documented a functional impairment, which causes them significant disadvantages in the exam situation.

  The documentation (medical certificate / specialist statement) must specify what kind of disadvantages the functional impairment entails in an exam situation.

  This must be in place for Section for Exams to ensure that applications for special arrangements are processed in time before the start of the exam.  

  Facilitation due to seasonal allergy

  • NHH will accept applications from 14 April 2020.
  • We still require new and updated documentation. The documentation can be dated 01.04.20 at the earliest.
  • We cannot guarantee processing applications received later than three full business days before the examination date.
  • Applications are sent to exams@nhh.no

  Other acute needs for special arrangements

  • Applications must be submitted as soon as the need arises. The documentation must be of a recent date.
  • We cannot guarantee processing of applications received later than three full business days before the examination date.
  • Applications are sent to exams@nhh.no

• Illness and absence from the exam, spring 2020

  Illness and absence from the exam, spring 2020

  Absence from exam due to illness should be documented, please, refer to:

  NHH's webpage about illness and examinations

  We understand that it can be challenging to get in touch with your doctor these days. Thus, students who are unable to complete a submission must contact Section for Exams, at exams@nhh.no no later than the first business day after the submission date and inform when the doctor's documentation could be sent.

  In case of hospitalization, special rules apply. Please refer to the website above.

No extra round of retake exams in August

NHH has been preparing for a possible extra round of retake exams in August, in case of high absence from exams this spring due to the coronavirus.

We have fortunately not experienced any increase in absence due to illness this semester. For this reason, there will be no extra round of retake exams in August 2020.

Master theses

The deadline for submission of master theses is postponed until 20 June for all students this semester.

Access to the library

The Library reopened 16 June and will be open from 9 AM to 3 PM until 3 July.

Graduation ceremony in June cancelled

Due to the corona pandemic NHH has decided to cancel the traditional graduation ceremony on campus in Bergen in June 2020.

NHH is now working to find an alternative time for this important ceremony. The solution depends on how the pandemic develops.

Affected students will receive information about NHH’s chosen solution as soon as it is in place.

Contact

E-mail: STUDENT@NHH.NO