An important feature of the work of Faculty Quality Assurance Teams is quality enhancement. Teams meet as a plenary group about three times a year, when there is an opportunity for exchange of views and sharing good practice. In their own faculties, teams have done much to encourage sharing of good practice and have, as a group, been responsible for preparing the University's Guidelines for Direct Student Feedback. It is recognised that teaching and learning quality procedures are likely to overlap with and be enhanced by research and administrative activities for most academic staff. External examiners also indicate whether students' work is at an appropriate level, and are the primary source for assessing comparability of standards.
Most departments also have undergraduate and graduate studies committees.
In addition, there are likely to be departmental working parties concerned with matters relating to resources, for instance library and computing services, laboratories, space and accommodation, or financial matters. Annual reports through faculty quality assurance teams to the quality assurance committees will draw on documentation provided as a result of the teams' work with individual departments during the session. The department's academic plan, including aims and objectives. How courses and units are designed, delivered, reviewed and assessed, including proposed new courses. 4.3 Syllabuses offered, requiring the pre-requisites, objectives and learning outcomes to be clearly stated.