University administration

Programmes don't just happen.  They are planned, operated and refined over time.  The institution is responsible for ensuring that it sets appropriate academic standards for its awards and offers a good quality education.  This process is known as quality assurance.

Academic Standards describe the level of achievement that a student has to reach to gain an academic award (e.g. a degree).  For similar awards, the threshold level of achievement should be the same across the UK.

Academic Quality is the way of describing how well the learning opportunities available to students are managed by the institution to help students achieve their award.  It is about making sure that appropriate and effective teaching, support, assessment and learning opportunities are provided for them.

The University has a set of policies and procedures, key individuals to make sure that things happen and a system of committees to ensure that decision-making is informed through participation of those involved - including students.

A new programme starts life with a planning process which ultimately leads to its validation following which the course recruits its first students.

The Programmes at the University lead to a variety of awards, for example, Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Arts (BA), Foundation Degrees (FdSc and FdA), Higher National Diploma (HND) or one of many professional bodies.  New programmes undergo a development cycle from planning approval for the newly conceinved programme to validation of the proposals.  This is the term given to the process by with the University satisfies itself that proposals are soundly based to meet appropriate academic standards and are adequately resourced.

For programmes in operation, a process of review is carried out in which the University carries out monitoring activity in order to evaluate the health of its programmes and to plan, and carry out, actions in response.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that programmes operate to high standards and this is achieved through a process of monitoring and evaluation - referred to as review.  This term is used to describe the methods which a programme uses to understand in a broad sense what is going right and what needs improvement.  There are many dimensions to this including the resources available, the teaching and assessment methods being used, and evidence that the programme is progressing satisfactorily, including the day-to-day experiences of the staff involved and the students who are taking that programme.  Feedback from students is therefore an important part of a wide ranging exercise designed to give a full picture of the operation of the programme. 

Review consists of an annual cycle of activities at both the subject and school level.

The annual cycle of review activities includes a report from each programme summarising its findings and its forward planning.  It is through this reporting cycle that actions may be initiated elsewhere in the University, for example, in student support areas or at senior levels where resource allocation issues are determined.  Schools also review all programmes for which they are responsible and have to account to Senate, the most senior academic committee at the University, for the overall health and report any subjects they consider are not performing satisfactorily. 

There are roles for programme level, school level and institutional level committees in this process.  Special panels are convened to consider programmes at validation and periodic review.

For each validation event, a panel is convened to act for the University in approving the proposals.  The panel might include University staff, academics from other institutions, an ex-student or an individual from an organisation employing students from the programme.  The principle is that the panel will be composed of individuals having an interest in the programme from a wide range of perspectives.  In coming to its decision the Panel will read the documented proposals and hold discussions with the programme team and with current students to discover at first hand their experiences of the programme and institution.

An important element of monitoring activity is the gathering of feedback of various sorts.  Feedback from students is an important element of this.

Student Feedback may be formal or informal.  There is an important role for student representatives on committees at all levels of the process.