Centre for Academic Standards and Quality

1
Programme Leaders Briefing May 2009

• Centre for Academic Standards and Quality

2
Academic Quality at Nottingham Trent University

• Chris Slade
• http//www.ntu.ac.uk/CASQ/index.html

3
Governance

• Academic Standards and Quality Committee
• 2 Sub Committees
• SQMSC
• DCPSC
• SASQCs
• http//www.ntu.ac.uk/CASQ/quality_assurance/stand
  ards_quality/61107.pdf
• Executive - CASQ
• http//www.ntu.ac.uk/CASQ/about/aims/index.html

4
(No Transcript)
5
CASQ Responsibilities

• 1. Quality Assurance and Quality Enhancement
• Demonstrate adherence to procedures
• External Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)
• Academic Infrastructure incorporates the
  Framework for Higher Education Qualifications,
  subject benchmarks, and the QAA Code of Practice
  see http//www.qaa.ac.uk/
• Internal Academic Standards and Quality
  Handbook http//www.ntu.ac.uk/CASQ/quality_assu
  rance/standards_quality/index.html
• CASQ Officers support

6
Operation of Quality Assurance

• Approval of new programmes Iteration
• Annual Monitoring Standardised Templates
• Exception reporting
• Data Analysis
• External Examiners
• http//www.ntu.ac.uk/CASQ/quality_assurance/ext_e
  xaminers/current_pros_examiners/index.html
• Periodic School Review - Externality

7
Training for Colleagues

• External Examiners
• Examination Boards
• Approval and Review Chairs and Panel Members
• Programme Leaders
• Student Representatives

8
CASQ Responsibilities

• 2. Collaborative Provision
• Collaborative Provision Register
• Delegated Centres
• School Based
• Keep to NTU QA procedures
• Process for due diligence

9
CASQ Responsibilities

• Institutional and Collaborative Audits
• Overseas Audits
• Dissemination of good practice from QA
• http//www.ntu.ac.uk/CASQ/quality_assurance/subjec
  t_review/56962gp.html
• Public and Statutory Reporting Bodies

10
Course reps from the University perspective
Chris SladeCentre for Academic Standards and
Quality
11
We will be looking at

• Why are you important?
• Overview of University committee system
• What to expect in meetings
• QAA and the role of students in quality

12
Why are you important

• We value the opinion of ALL of our students, and
  you have been chosen to act as the representative
  of your peers.
• Market research regularly takes place which
  clearly demonstrates the importance and impact of
  student feedback
• The last NTU Student Satisfaction Survey was in
  2007 and there will be another in 2009/10.
• This covers all aspects of the student experience
  not just quality of the learning experience

13
The NTU committee system

• 1. Annual course review
• 2. Course/programme Committee
• 3. School Academic Standards and Quality
  Committee
• All of these committees welcome student
  representation from course Reps. You are given
  the chance to have an input at every stage.

14
(No Transcript)
15
(No Transcript)
16
Formal meetings with staff

• Papers in advance skim or look for conclusions
• Search out parts relevant to students
• Do not be afraid to ask your questions
• Address them through the chair
• Prepare bullet points of what you want to say
• Its OK to submit a written report if you cant
  make it
• Make sure you send apologies if you cant go

17
Staff responsibilities

• Inform you in good time of the meetings
• Give you the opportunity to speak and to listen
  and take seriously what you say meetings are
  minuted
• Feed back results of any further discussion, or
  changes as a result of your input
• Not be prejudiced against individuals because of
  their role as rep
• Report your feedback in their annual course
  reports

18
Your responsibilities

• You need to be realistic about demands and give
  balanced feedback
• You need to feed back to fellow students what
  happened
• Dont underestimate the importance of informal
  contact

19
QAA and student input to quality

• Role of QAA and HEFCE
• Increasing role of students in quality
• Important in our own quality monitoring
• National Student Survey February each year
  final year undergraduates
• Affects NTUs reputation in the sector
• Looking for reps for audit meeting on 24th
  November from 16.30 17.30 in the city
• Looking for reps to be trained in the subject
  review process
• Volunteers please contact chris.slade_at_ntu.ac.uk

20
And finally

• If you are not happy you can contact the
  Students Union
• Jen Skuse, Vice President Education Officer
• jen.skuse_at_su.ntu.ac.uk
• Feel free to contact me too
• Chris.slade_at_ntu.ac.uk
• tel [phone]
• But remember your first port of call is your
  programme leader

21
Learning Teaching Enhancement Strategy
Concordance created with Wordle
22
Focus areas Learning environment Professional
development Learner support
Curriculum development
Themes within Academic and study
support Assessment and feedback Blended learning
Employability International trans-cultural
perspectives Research-teaching links Transition
progression
23
School ILTES workselected examples

• Academic and study support
• Learner Development Coordinator post (AD)
• Peer mentoring systems, developmental work (ARES)
• eStats package developed with SAT and EDU (CELS)
• Study support provision, developmental work
  (Education)
• Student representation structures redesigned
  (NBS)
• Plagiarism policy revised (NBS)
• Support for students with specific learning
  difficulties (SS)

24
School ILTES workselected examples

• Transition progression
• Student engagement, developmental work (ArchDBE)
• Data analysis, developmental work (NLS)
• Assessment and feedback
• Coursework feedback sampled new practice
  developed (ARES)
• New coursework assessment feedback form piloted
  (SAT)
• Study of perceptions of assessment feedback (NLS)

25
School ILTES workselected examples

• International provision trans-cultural
  perspectives
• New international collaborative provision (AH)
• Employability
• Professional accreditation for further programmes
  (SAT)
• Work experience opportunities extended (SS)

26
School ILTES workselected examples

• Research-teaching links
• Discipline-based LT research increased (ArchDBE)
• Six research clusters established (Education)
• Professional development
• Sessional lecturers more support for (AD)
• Online LT resource developed (AH)
• 10 secondments awarded in 07-08 (CELS)

27
M-ness symposium 7th July

• For Masters level programme leaders and tutors
• What is M-ness?
• Designing M level programmes
• Supporting M level students in a diversity of
  study modes
• Online M programmes
• Academic integration of M level students
• Masters programmes and continual professional
  development
• Student writing at M level
• Assessment models for Masters programmes
• Katie Head, Carol Jones, Liza Pybus, Peter
  Ramsay-Dawber, Chris Slade, Maggie Turner, Stevie
  Vanhegan, Sue Wallace

28
Ed Foster

• CASQ

29
Themes (that well be lightly skipping over)

• Research into prior learning
• Student expectations of learning in HE
• HERE Project research into retention
• Welcome Week Programme Induction 2008 feedback
• Welcome Week 2009 Resources
• Learner Development 2009-10

30
Students Prior Experiences of Learning Research

• Post-16 University learning teaching
  increasingly divergent
• Interviews during Welcome Week 2008 2009 (n200)

31
Draft Submissions

• 78 students answered this question (2008)

32
Draft Submissions - A level and BTEC
Also an almost identical pattern for FE/ VI Form
33
Resubmission
lt improve grades
After failing an assignmentgt
34
Learning at University Student Expectations
35
What will be the same/ different about learning
at University?

• Different
• Independent study (35 responses)
• Less one-to-one support (25 responses)
• Ive heard that you dont see your tutors at
  all
• More one-to-one support (5 responses)
• Teachers will be better in general, more helpful
  and supportive because you are a new student.
  Will get less time in general but more 1-1 time
  they have office hours here
• Different teaching (15 responses)
• faster pace, More in depth and straight to the
  point

• Same
• Similar learning, teaching support (40
  responses)
• same shit, different day
• Ill keep the same approaches to my own learning
  (14 responses)
• Effort still needs to be put in
• Nothing will be very dissimilar (10 responses)
• I hope nothing
• Dont know (10 responses)
• Unsure, don't know what to expect, haven't
  thought about it
• 2 students thought attendance will be compulsory

36
What will you have to do differently in your new
studies?

• More independent studying (28 responses)
• Writing will be different (24 responses)
• Longer
• Details, particularly referencing
• Very little awareness of stricter deadlines and
  different feedback processes
• Students perhaps see this as more of the same,
  but longer

37
HERE Project
38
HERE Project

• HEFCE/ Paul Hamlyn Trust funded project (2009 -
  2011)
• NTU lead institution with Bournemouth Bradford
  partners
• 1 of 7 projects
• Primarily focusing on the first year
• 2 areas of work
• Student doubters
• Programmes with better-than-peer rates of
  retention
• Developing a programme audit tool
• Progress
• Online survey (656 respondents, 37 considered
  leaving)
• 4 focus groups (non-doubters, doubters, mature
  doubters, doubters from STEM subjects)

39
Analysis of first 458 responses
40
(No Transcript)
41
Current Course Experiences Doubters vs.
non-doubters
Base 656 (doubters 243, non-doubters 413)
42
Key findings from focus groups

• Doubters
• Tended to feel more isolated from the university
  community
• More distant from academic staff
• Didnt know where to go for help
• Appeared less robust about facing knocks
• Felt abandoned after Welcome Week when there
  werent people around to ask for help
• Non-Doubters
• Tended to have enjoyed Welcome Week more
• Tended to be more engaged in Clubs Societies
  actively used them for social support and using
  spare time meaningfully
• Both groups
• Had some difficulties adapting to learning in HE/
  free time

43
Welcome Week Programme Induction 2008
44
Experiences of NTU

• Generally high level of satisfaction with the
  NTU experience has been maintained over the last
  4 years.

satisfied with NTU overall (score as 7-10)
Base1059
45
Issues

• MILO (Mature International LOcal students)
• Number of targeted events
• Lets go for tea
• Freshen up
• MILO meeting places daytime early evening
• MILO BBQ
• However, still appeared to have less satisfactory
  experience

46
Views about Programme induction
95 of respondents had a programme induction (95
in 2006, 91 in 2007)
5 improvement compared to 2007 Have spoken to 8
of the 9 schools, happy to talk to individuals
groups about induction
Base 926 (2007), 1004 (2008)
Agree 7/10
47
Welcome Week 2009
48
Welcome Week 2009Friday 2 Sunday 11 October

• Structure
• First weekend
• Move into halls, completing enrolment/ collecting
  cards, parents event Swine Flu briefing
• Welcome to NTU
• 10.00 am Science Technology, NLS, Art Design
  
• 12.15 pm Arts Humanities, Social Sciences,
  ARES
• 2.30 pm NBS, ADBE, Education
• Weekdays
• University Challenge
• Freshers Fairs
• Tuesday 6 October - Clifton Campus (10 am - 4 pm
  - venue to be confirmed depending upon building
  work in the sports hall)
• Wednesday 7 October - Brackenhurst Campus (10 am
  - 4 pm)
• Thursday 8 October - City Site (Byron House, 10
  am - 4 pm)
• Second Weekend
• Saturday Antics Sunday Trips

49
Induction Resources (Being updated for 2009, but
core info still relevant)

• Icebreakers Guide
• Guide for using guest speakers ( contacts in
  professional services)
• Recommendations for programme induction
• Welcome Week outlook calendar
• (search for NTU Welcome Week)
• New member of staff starting in June, will be
  developingresources specifically to
  supportinduction
• Photos on Flickr
• Search NTU Welcome Week

50
Learning Development Proposal
51
Learning Development Work (2009-10)

• Three main threads
• Increased one-to-one support for students
• Increased emphasis on developing academic skills
  within the curriculum
• Better awareness of issues of transition

52
One-to-one support

• Funding to pay for student mentors to offer 1-1
  support in schools offering limited/ no 1-1
  currently
• Expect it to be primarily writing connected
  skills
• New member of staff recruited to train and
  support students, but intention is for the
  service to be located within schools, not
  centrally
• Discussed with LTCs school managers admin
  support (needs further discussion)
• Should not be seen as a panacea

53
Developing Academic Skills

• New post holder will be taking existing resources
  and re-purposing for use in different
  disciplines
• Priority areas for 2009-10 will be
• Academic Writing
• Transition/ induction
• Building a repository with Social Sciences of
  good practice
• More staff development to be offered,
  particularly in teaching academic writing
• Academic writing issues for working with
  dyslexic, international students etc

54
Student Transition

• Students Writing in Transition Symposium 15 Sept
  2009
• Shadowing Scheme
• Opportunities for staff to spend a day VI/ FE
  college and observe then offer the same in
  return
• Working with Schools, Colleges Community
  Outreach team
• Develop resources to better encourage dialogue
  between staff students about approaches
  expectations
• Goal is for transition to be a theme within new
  ILTES and develop work done by LTCs others into
  transition into the first year

55
Recap

• Students are arriving at NTU with very different
  educational experiences naïve expectations
  about learning at university
• 1/3 of first year students have considered
  withdrawing
• Predominantly due to course-related factors
• We will
• Work to improve Welcome Week 2009
• Particularly for more vulnerable groups
• Develop share best practice about programme
  induction
• Develop resources services to support students
  learning better understand where they are
  coming from

56
Professional Learning and Development

• Programme Leaders Briefing May 2009

57
Learning and Development Strategy at NTU
overarching aims

• to ensure that staff are equipped with the
  knowledge and skills to undertake their roles
  effectively
• to ensure that the development needs of
  individuals and teams are met in line with
  organisational need
• to strengthen the Universitys leadership and
  management capability
• to support all colleagues in the quality
  provision of learning opportunities and
  associated support services for the Universitys
  customers
• to ensure that effective systems and processes
  for the identification and support of learning
  and development needs are in place
• to ensure that staff learning needs are addressed
  equitably and fairly within the Universitys
  diversity and equality frameworks.

58
Structural changes
Training and Development Unit
CPD Provision
Centre for Professional Learning and Development
Responsive Strategically aligned Working in
partnership Inter-disciplinary Evidence based
59
What does this mean for us?

• Development of a framework for Academic Practice
• In support of in-role development, progression
  and succession planning
• Developmental framework against which appropriate
  professional learning and development can be
  determined
• Revised provision in support of learning and
  teaching
• An Introduction to Learning and Teaching in HE
• Basic Teaching Toolkit
• Revised provision in support of research
• Research induction for new staff
• Pedagogic research
• Addressing our responsibilities as part of the
  Concordat
• Focused development activities arising from the
  academic planning process

60
Further developments

• Increased collaboration with professional
  services as part of Learning and Teaching
  Development Programme
• E.g. Student Services, Equality and Diversity,
  Careers Service
• Enhanced focus on working at School level
• Use of VLE to support CPD
• Further consideration of flexible, accredited
  professional development pathways
• E.g. PGCHE, PGDip Research Informed Teaching, MA
  HE, MA Academic Practice
• Review of leadership and management provision to
  fully integrate issues relating to academic
  practice

61
Further information

• https//www.ntu.ac.uk/intranet/about_my_job/workin
  g_ntu/learning_development/index.html
• School-based contacts see handout

62
Quality Assurance - update

• Centre for Academic Standards Quality
• Programme Leaders Briefing

63
Developments in the External Examiner Process

• Update external examiner web pages
• School web page including
• new nomination and extension to tenure forms
• an extensive frequently asked questions section
• Updated external examiner page
• New welcome and induction page

64
Welcome and Induction Event

• Plans for a redeveloped induction event for
  external examiners
• Events taking place in February and March
• External examiners will complete a new on-line
  application form for the event (which is located
  on the induction website)
• Later start time
• Overview of process in the morning event,
  organised by CASQ
• Time during the presentation for questions
• School Quality Manager or their nominee to attend
  the morning session
• Schools will be responsible for their new
  external examiner(s) transfer to the afternoon
  sessions
• Schools will provide an induction programme for
  the afternoon and the opportunity for external
  examiners to meet with the programme leaders/team

65
The online report

• Responding to feedback
• Technical adjustments
• Change to questions from September 2009
• Link to report

66
In conclusion

• The External Examiner Appointments Panel CASQ
  continue to explore ways to enhance the process
• Any comments please contact CASQ

67
Periodic School Review
68
Periodic School Review - how does it work?

• Rigorous audit
• Refocus on the Schools processes and procedures
• Greater consideration of quality enhancement
• Includes several audit trails (usually 6
  depending upon complexity of provision)
• Involves external participants and students
• About process not programme
• Law School pilot took place on 30th April and 1st
  May 2009

69
Periodic School Review Feedback on pilot

• Support provided to the School in the run up to
  the event by CASQ
• Repository system
• - of lasting use to Schools
• - ease of use for reviewers
• - environmentally friendly
• Valuable opportunity for the School to reflect on
  
• - QA/QE structures and processes
• - communication channels within the
  School/across the institution
• - linkages between School level planning and
  reporting processes
• Outcomes on institutional level considerations
• Some minor adjustments following the pilot are
  being taken forward

70
Periodic School Review is a new style of internal
audit which supports Schools in the continuing
critical analysis of their provision.
In conclusion
71
Monitoring Annual Reporting- PSQRs

• Monitoring the continuous process by which a
  programme team keeps under review the effective
  operation of its programme of study.
• Reporting summarises the salient outcomes of
  programme monitoring at a fixed point in the
  academic cycle
• Section 5 No changes
• PSQR template and exemplar available on the CASQ
  website
• Updated guidance available on CASQ website,
  includes
• - further guidance on strengths and good
  practice
• - data guidance
• - research, staff development and related
  activities
• Deadline 30th September 2009

72
Business Improvement

• Jon Singfield

73
Business Improvement Objectives

• To gain a better understanding of our cost base
  and ensure that we are making best and most
  efficient use of our finite resources
• To look to release resource from within the
  existing cost base and to redirect this resource
  to income generating activities
• It is our belief that many of our current
  processes are inefficient and costly, and that a
  detailed review of such processes would identify
  resource savings and lessen the burden on staff
• To strengthen areas of significant strategic
  imperative and minimise risk to the University

74
Business Improvement Team
75
Approach

• Working with representatives in relevant key
  roles to
• Document and understand existing processes
• Identify issues and areas for improvement
• Explore possible solutions
• Make recommendations for change
• Using range of tools and techniques including
• Workshops
• Comparator analysis
• Surveys
• Interviews

76
Application Processing

• Ownership
• Garry Smith, Commercial Director has assumed
  overall responsibility
• Alison Wilde appointed as Admissions Manager
• Banner Development
• Major programme of system development underway to
  better support admissions process and deliver
  more efficient service to applicants
• Organisational Change
• New central team will process nearly all
  applications from Oct 2009 onwards
• Replacing College, IDO and Registry admissions
  teams
• Some activities (e.g. interview co-ordination) to
  remain school / college based

77
Programme Development

• Clear and standard processes for
• New programmes
• Changes to existing programmes
• Decommissioning existing programmes
• Alignment of Business and Academic processes
• Ownership
• CASQ now acting as process owners for entire
  process
• Banner Development
• Significant development of Banner system to track
  and hold programme information from initial
  business case through to fully defined programme
  and module specs

78
Sandwich Placements

• Set of university-wide minimum standards
  covering
• Information provision for students and employers
• Assessment (including mechanisms and feedback)
• Contacts (ie visits or virtual contacts)
  including the number, timing and content of
  contacts
• Duration
• Defined responsibilities (for students,
  employers, staff)
• Gathering and sharing feedback from students and
  employers
• Improved guidance, policy and definition of
  placements and associated awards within academic
  framework
• Tracking recording of placement activity on a
  central database

79
Exam Boards

• Recording usage of in-year marks on Banner
• Electronic recording of decisions at boards
• Improved consistency equity of boards through
  reporting and sharing of good practice
• External examiners encouraged to review work on
  site
• Improved standard processes and systems for
  special situations and requests for
  reconsideration

80
Collaborative Provision, Internationalisation and
Outcomes from Institutional Audit

• Chris Slade
• http//www.ntu.ac.uk/CASQ/index.html

81
Proposed Changes to Management of Collaborative
Provision context

• Audit due April 2010 Self Evaluation Document
  to be completed by August 2009
• Need to demonstrate addressed recommendations
  from last audit (2006), Moscow audit, (2007),
  internal audit (2008)
• Also ensure adherence to QAA Code of Practice
• Increase in FEC provision, audit of which now
  affects NTU audit all FEC provision to be signed
  off by Nigel Hastings after liaison with Ruth
  Vincent in CASQ
• Due Diligence, BIP, Commercial Manager input all
  positive for new developments but still legacy to
  address
• 2 subcommittees of ASQC have uneven work
  distribution of work

82
Summary of main proposals

• 1 collaborative subcommittee of ASQC to consider
  all School based and Delegated Provision with
  expanded membership
• Regular SASQC and ASQC subcommittee scrutiny of
  newly designed collaborative register and PSRB
  register standing items on SASQC agendas
• Each SASQC to produce an annual report (as part
  of the SSQR) detailing how they have responded to
  and dealt with PSQRs from collaborative partners
  and FDL programmes (guidance to be provided by
  CASQ)
• Any outstanding collaborative contracts are noted
  at the committee and copied to the relevant Head
  of College to ensure School compliance with the
  Code of Practice. Outstanding contracts Highly
  vulnerable for audit

83
Summary of main proposals (contd)

• That CASQ hold a central depository of all master
  copies of documentation in relation to
  collaborative agreements to include the signed
  contract and all relevant approved documentation
  completed in relation to the establishment of the
  arrangements
• Look of new register shown on next slide

84
(No Transcript)
85
What needs to be done

• ALL partnerships to be notified to CASQ the
  register that goes to QAA will NOT include
  commercially sensitive partnerships but CASQ MUST
  be aware of these for audit.
• ALL OUSTANDING CONTRACTS TO BE SIGNED
• SASQCs to ensure full PSQRs submitted from all
  partners and considered in SSQR guidance will
  be provided
• SASQCs to ensure their part of the collaborative
  and PSRB registers regularly reviewed and updated
• Please also send School/College collaborative
  strategies to Chris Slade for inclusion in the
  SED
• Collaborative audit risk to NTU and workload is
  significantly greater than for institutional
  audit

86
Internationalisation update

• Chris Slade

87
Context and background

• Group established in June 2007 to investigate and
  promote ways of developing internationalisation
  across the University including
• Curriculum
• Research
• Liaison with collaborative partners
• Engagement with Bologna
• Quality of provision and compliance with QAA code
  of practice

88
Context and background (2)

• Position paper developed and submitted to members
  of SMT February 2008
• Diploma supplement development Spring 2008
• Internal audit report on international
  collaborative provision May 2008
• Business Improvement Project support for
  placements, oversight of business development
  proposals
• Lack of awareness and/or engagement re Erasmus
  provision in some parts of the University
• Collaborative audit April 2010

89
Context and background (3)

• Meeting to discuss outcomes of internal audit
  report and to discuss improving management of
  collaborative provision (Peter Jones, CASQ, 4
  Deans, Head of Finance) CS to take forward
  proposals and develop strategy for quality
  management
• Meeting with Peter Jones October 2008 after tacit
  agreement from Vice Chancellor that
  internationalisation needs to be addressed with
  consideration of resources see VC e-News re
  India
• Update on School activities, particularly NBS and
  Art and Design
• Clarification of role of International
  Development Office primarily focused on
  recruitment of international students with a
  marketing and sales remit

90
Current situation

• Need for international affairs function
  acknowledged to coordinate international activity
  and relationships and support students, both at
  NTU and on placement
• E portfolio?
• Recognition of need to engage with globalisation
  agenda primary driver is what other HEIs are
  doing
• Establishment of a Strategy group comprising
  senior staff members to which this group reports
  to get plans approved and actioned

91
Work streams

• Coordination strategy
• Pre-requisite audit of students, partners,
  (exchange, joint degree, research, validation and
  course based), staff visits, (e.g. recruitment
  visits), international bids, existing NTU
  provision in curriculum
• Good practice at other institutions
• Quality review to address audit requirements
• Support for international students
• E learning
• cultural
• language
• NTU curriculum development
• Life Long Learning Programme (Erasmus)
• Alumni

92
QAA Institutional Audit outcomes
93
Main findings

• Broad confidence highest rating
• Commended for
• ASQ Handbook
• Links with employers and embedding employability
• RIT
• Welcome Week
• Structured and strategic approach to enhancement
• Supervision, support and monitoring of Post
  graduate research students.

94
Main observations

• The University has clearly set out to ensure that
  all students are prepared for the world of work
  with the opportunities to apply their learning in
  a work context , Students met during the audit
  praised the vocational relevance of their
  programme and the broad encouragement to
  undertake work experience/volunteering,
  Students state that they have the ability to
  shape their education
• University views its students as partners in the
  learning experience the University values the
  input of students, is a responsive institution
  and has an extensive framework for student
  participation in quality assurance

95
Main observations

• Well established College and School structure
• Clearly defined governance
• Robust and effective management of academic
  standards
• Strength (as reported by students) of staff
  support, availability, accessibility and
  responsiveness to feedback
• Strong and scrupulous use of External Examiners
  Systems and processes for the appointment and
  use of EEs are robust and appropriately
  implemented and therefore make a significant
  contribution to security of academic standards
• Well established resource allocation procedures
• Critical and informative annual monitoring of
  programmes

96
Main observations

• Use of School rolling action plans for monitoring
  and enhancement
• Use of student evaluation to inform the
  development and enhancement of practice (NSS and
  internal survey)
• Praise for NOW, physical facilities for
  students, Student Support Services, the
  Universitys positive approach to staff
  development, and commitment to quality
  enhancement
• Well developed research activity
• Development of the graduate School and college
  based support arrangements created a coherent
  and cross disciplinary framework that addresses
  the risks of isolation that can hamper research
  students

97
Main observations

• Effective working of research committees
• Good induction training and provision of
  information for PGRs
• Quality of PGR supervision
• Generally robust and effective means of
  maintaining the accuracy, quality and
  completeness of published info
• Triple A project, to develop and disseminate
  transferable resources to improve access to
  assessment (primarily aimed at disabled students).

98
Recommendations two levels

• Advisable
• Consistently apply the policies and guidance
  provided in the ASQ Handbook with respect to
  feedback to students on assessment
• Remain mindful when sampling programmes for the
  new Periodic School review process.
• Desirable
• Make the process for responding to changes in
  external reference points (benchmarking) more
  systematic.