From 2018/19, all students on an eligible course at the University of Suffolk will be issued with an electronic Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR). The HEAR replaces the traditional transcript and diploma supplement, and follows a national standard format designed to provide a detailed picture of the student's achievement throughout their time at the University. As well as showing the student's academic results, the HEAR also provides information about the programme of study and grading scheme along with any additional achievements that have been verified by the University such as extracurricular activities, prizes, employability awards, and Students' Union accredited activities.
The HEAR will be available for students to view and share as a formative document from their first year of study, with the final version being issued when their award is conferred.
The University of Suffolk is using Gradintelligence to host the HEAR. The HEAR will be issued in electronic format only, and students/graduates can share their HEAR electronically with potential employers or other higher education providers through Gradintelligence. Only HEARs shared and viewed via Gradintelligence can be considered valid and verified.
As well as providing details of the student's academic achievements, the HEAR also includes information about the programme of study, grading scheme and any approved additional activities, awards and prizes achieved by the student during their studies at the University of Suffolk.
The HEAR is divided into eight sections:
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Section 1 Information identifying the holder of the qualification |
1.1 Family name 1.2 Given name 1.3 Date of birth 1.4 Student identification number |
Notes: 1.4 The student identification number will show both the University's student number, along with the student's HESA identification number. The HUSID (HESA Unique Student Identifier) is the unique national identifying number for students registered at a UK university. It is defined by HESA, the UK's Higher Education Statistics Agency. |
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Section 2 Information identifying the qualification |
2.1 Name of qualification and (if applicable) title conferred 2.2 Main field(s) of study for the qualification 2.3 Name and status of awarding institution 2.4 Name and status of institution (if different from 2.3) administering studies (in original language) 2.5 Language(s) of instruction/examination |
Notes: 2.2 This is the subject area for the programme of study according to the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS) coding system. 2.3 The awarding institution will either be the University of Suffolk, or a joint award of the Universities of East Anglia and Essex (for those students who began their studies with University Campus Suffolk and opted to remain on a joint award following the transition to the University of Suffolk) 2.4 For students at one of the University of Suffolk's partner institutions, the institution administering studies will be the relevant partner institution:
For students at the University of Suffolk who opted to remain on a joint award, the institution administering studies will be the University of Suffolk. |
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Section 3 Information on the level of the qualification |
3.1 Level of qualification 3.2 Official length of programme 3.3 Access requirement(s) |
Notes: 3.1 The level of the qualification is given in terms of the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ). 3.2 For courses which may be studied full-time or part-time, the official length of programme is shown as the length of the full-time mode of study. Students studying part-time may take between one and half and three times as long to complete their studies. |
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Section 4 Information on the contents and results gained |
4.1 Mode of study 4.2 Programme requirements 4.3 Programme details, and the individual grades/marks/credits obtained 4.4 Grading scheme and,if available, grade distribution guidance 4.5 Overall classification of the qualification (in original language) |
Notes: 4.1 The mode of study indicates the student's mode of attendance and will either be full time, part time or mixed mode. Students who changed their mode of attendance from full-time to part-time, or vice versa, during their studies will be shown as mixed mode. 4.2 This section contains:
As a formative document, 4.1 and 4.2 will show details for the intended award. The final HEAR will show the details for the actual award achieved. |
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Section 5 Information on the function of the qualification |
5.1 Access to further study 5.2 Professional status (if applicable) |
Notes: 5.2 If completion of the programme of study leads to eligibility for registration with a professional body, this will be recorded here. |
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Section 6 Additional information |
6.1 Additional information including:
6.2 Further information sources |
Notes: 6.1 This section provides details of any awards and prizes received and any extra-curricular activities undertaken by the student. The University has an agreed set of awards and activities that can be recorded in this section of the HEAR, in accordance with the University's HEAR Additional Information Protocol. All activities, awards and prizes recorded in this section have been verified by the University and/or the Students' Union. The University is not able to verify all extra-curricular activities, and therefore students may have undertaken other activities that are not recorded but which have contributed to their personal and professional development. Such activities may be included in other documentation, such as the student's curriculum vitae or portfolio. |
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Section 7 Certification of the HEAR |
7.1 Date 7.2 Signature 7.3 Capacity 7.4 Official stamp or seal |
Notes: 7.1 This is the date on which the award was conferred. Until conferral of the award at graduation, the HEAR will remain uncertified. |
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Section 8 Information on the national higher education system |
Description of higher education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland Diagram depicting higher education qualification levels in England, Wales and Northern Ireland |
All students enrolled on a course at the Univeristy of Suffolk leading to one of the following awards will be issued with a Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR):
- Certificate of Higher Education
- Diploma of Higher Education
- Foundation Degree
- Bachelor's Degree
- Certificate in Education
- Professional Graduate Certificate in Education
- Postgraduate Certificate
- Postgraduate Diploma
- Integrated Master's Degree
- Master's Degree
Students enrolled on courses leading to a University of Suffolk award listed above that are delivered at one of the University's partner institutions listed below will also be eligible for a HEAR:
- University of Suffolk at East Coast College
- University of Suffolk at Suffolk New College
- University of Suffolk at West Suffolk College
- London School of Commerce (including British School of Commerce)
- Global Banking School
- Unitas
- Unicaf
- LD Training
- Hanbridge Institute
- Suffolk and Norfolk SCITT
- North Essex Teacher Training
- BEC Teacher Training
- Inspiration Trust
New students on eligible courses will be sent an account activation email during their first year of study asking them to activate their Gradintelligence account. Their first formative HEAR will be uploaded and made available to view via their Gradintelligence account after their first module results have been ratified and released by the relevant Assessment Board.
Updated formative HEARs will continue to be uploaded and made available to view via Gradintelligence following the ratification and release of results by the relevant Assessment Board.
The final HEAR will be uploaded and issued when the award is conferred (either in April or at the annual graduation ceremonies in the autumn).
No changes or updates will be made to the final HEAR once it has been released. Students are therefore advised to notify the HEAR team (hear@uos.ac.uk) of any changes or updates required to their formative HEAR as soon as possible, and will be asked to confirm that they have checked and confirmed their HEAR as part of the graduation registration process.
There are two main differences between the HEAR and a traditional paper academic transcript.
1. The HEAR gives a richer picture of the student's achievements
In addition to providing details about the student's academic achievements including module marks and degree classification and information about the programme of study, the HEAR contains a specific section (section 6.1 - Additional Information), which describes any additional co-curricular and extra-curricular achievements and activities students might have undertaken or prizes won during their time at the University of Suffolk.
Institutions determine which 'additional information' is included. At the University of Suffolk, these decisions have been guided by the HEAR Additional Information Protocol, which sets out the principles and requirements that must have been met in order for an activity to be included.
Currently approved additional activities and awards include:
- Suffolk+ Award (note: from 2021/22 this will replace the separate recording of Students' Union accredited roles such as Course Representative, School Officer, Liberation Officer, Campus Officer, Chair/Deputy Chair of Council, Democratic Procedures Committee Member, NUS Delegate, Society/Sports Committee Member, Student Trustee)
- FutureMe Award
- Graduate+ Management Development Programme (available to Suffolk Business School students only)
- Student Mentor (available to BA (Hons) Design students only)
- Erasmus + Study Mobility / Traineeship
- Student Life Mentor
- Micro-Placements Scheme
- Peer Assisted Student Success (PASS) Leader
A full list of approved activities and achievements is provided to students in the HEAR area on MySuffolk (the University's intranet).
2. The HEAR can be shared with potential employers and other higher education providers as a secure electronic document
As an electronic document, students can share a secure copy of their HEAR with potential employers and other higher education providers through their Gradintelligence account. All the information provided on the HEAR is verified by the University, so anyone viewing the HEAR through Gradintelligence can be assured of the accuracy and authenticity of the information. Only HEARs shared and viewed on Gradintelligence can be considered valid and verified.
More information about the HEAR at the University of Suffolk is provided to students through the HEAR area on MySuffolk. This includes a full list of approved additional activities and information about how to view and share their HEAR.
More information about the HEAR in general can be found at www.hear.ac.uk.
For any questions about the HEAR at the University of Suffolk, please email the HEAR team (hear@uos.ac.uk).