ACTION PLAN FROM HIGHER EDUCATION REVIEW REPORT – NOVEMBER 2015 Good Practice/ Recommendation Detail of good practice/recommendation Action to be taken Responsibility and timescale Success indicators Progress Good practice The Graduate Academic Assistant and Student Learning Assistant schemes which foster student engagement in their academic experience (Expectation B4). To encourage GAAs to engage with UK PSF to gain associate level in line with institutional target of 80% Undertake a pilot study to identify ways in which the effectiveness of SLAs at module level may be measured Director of Learning Teaching and Student Experience Dec 2016 Associate Director, Library and Learning Services October 2016 40% of GAAs have PSF associate level qualifications Identification of measurable outcomes to ensure that resources are effectively targeted Good practice The transparent use of benchmarked targets, based on robust data, which strengthens the annual monitoring process (Expectation B8). Continue to develop data reports to enable data review in AME and target setting in the following areas: Postgraduate taught students Work-based learning programmes Progression from foundation year to level 4 Research continuation Director of Planning October 2016 Inclusion of data in 2016/17 AME process Recommendation Ensure variations in regulations are routinely recorded and monitored At the time of approval of regulations by Academic Registrar, to record in a log Academic Registrar May 2016 Individual partner log detailing COMPLETED
partners are met (Expectation B10). To provide draft of agreement to partner at the time of the IA event but not signed before conditions met If agreement has not been signed prior to scheduled commencement of programme, to write to partner to alert them to the need to have an agreement in place before students can be enrolled Add a new section on ‘Accredited external courses and activities’ to LQEH section 12 (Marketing and Publicity) and update ‘Marketing guidelines Accredited external courses and activities’ Include review of accredited courses material within annual marketing review and include in annual report Accreditation Board Partnerships May 2016 Director of Academic Partnerships May 2016 Director of Academic Partnerships May 2016 International Marketing Officer May 2016 International Marketing Officer May 2016 External LQEH updates confirmed in annual LQEH meeting Standard letter template confirmed and LQEH updates confirmed in annual LQEH meeting LQEH updates confirmed in annual LQEH meeting Report presented to Assurance Committee Meeting COMPLETED COMPLETED COMPLETED COMPLETED COMPLETED
(courses) to receive a schedule of agreements due to expire within the next 12 months at the last meeting of each academic year Accreditation Board (courses) to note any agreements not renewed and the last date at which students may be awarded credit Accreditation Administrator and Deputy Director IWBL May 2016 External Accreditation Administrator and Deputy Director IWBL May 2016 minutes and update to LQEH Meeting minutes and letter to partner confirming arrangements for notification to students about last date of award of credit COMPLETED Recommendation Ensure external scrutiny of the grading scales associated with the importation of marks impacting upon classification (Expectation B6) Appoint an external examiner to the Grade Conversion Panel Associate Director of Academic Partnerships June 2016 External examiner appointment letter issued IN PROGRESS Recommendation Ensure external examiner scrutiny of recognition of prior learning decisions at Level 5 and above if not considered by the accreditation boards (Expectation B6). Review arrangements for entry onto MDX qualifications where RPL at level 5 and above is involved and identify mechanisms to ensure external examiner scrutiny External examiners to review mapping for Academic Registrar September 2016 School Deputy Deans Process incorporates external examiner scrutiny Articulation Board ToR
articulation decisions at Articulation Board For partners: Include discussion of proposed prior learning at validation and incorporate in validation reports July 2016 School Quality Enhancement Managers September 2016 updated LQEH updates confirmed in annual LQEH meeting COMPLETED Recommendation Implement and embed a mechanism to ensure the timely completion of the external examiner report and response cycle (Expectation B7) List of outstanding external examiner responses supplied on a monthly basis to School (Quality) Committees QE Manager to attend each School committee to discuss the spreadsheet produced, and explain the data Report to Assurance Committee citing overdue responses Quality Enhancement Manager (Externality) May 2016 Quality Enhancement Manager (Externality) November 2016 Committees note outstanding responses November 2016 report to Assurance Committee identifies current position COMPLETED IN PROGRESS Affirmation The positive steps being taken to improve the recording and monitoring of complaints (Expectation B9). To add Complaints report to Assurance Committee annual schedule of business To implement the Assurance Committee Officer May 2016 Associate Requirement added to schedule of business October 2016 COMPLETED
recommendations set out in the October 2015 report and Assurance Committee minutes in the next complaints report: Set out the detail of the numbers and the nature of complaints; complaints received by overseas campuses to be included; report to include percentages in addition to raw data. Director (Corporate Services) October 2016 report includes these elements and is signed off by Assurance Committee