UNIVERSITY OF HERTFORDSHIRE
ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND AUDIT COMMITTEE
A meeting of the Academic Standards and Audit Committee of the Academic Board will be held on Tuesday, 3 October 2017 at 09.30 hours in the Central Committee Room, MacLaurin Building.
Agenda papers for this meeting have been issued to members, named alternates and officers in attendance only. Non-confidential papers may be obtained on request from Governance Services (telephone: 4564; e-mail: ).
Apologies should be conveyed to the Clerk, Mrs R E Haller (telephone: 4108; e-mail: ).
A G E N D A
1 APOLOGIES
To receive apologies for non-attendance at the meeting.
2 TERMS OF REFERENCE AND COMPOSITION
To note the terms of reference and composition of the Committee. - Paper 2
3 STANDING ORDERS OF THE ACADEMIC BOARD
To note the Standing Orders of the Academic Board. - Paper 3
4 MEMBERSHIP
4.1 To note the Committee’s current membership. - Paper 4.1
4.2 Category 9: Associate Deans of School (Academic Quality Assurance) (or named alternate who shall be the relevant Associate Dean of School (Learning and Teaching))
4.2.1 To note the appointment Dr G Haritos, Associate Dean (Academic Quality Assurance) School of Engineering and Technology, to this Committee with effect from 1 September 2017. Mr T Baker, Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching), School of Engineering and Technology, will serve as his named alternate.
4.2.2 To note that Dr B Henry has been appointed as acting Associate Dean (Academic Quality Assurance) in the School of Law, Criminology and Political Science and that she will serve on this Committee with effect from 1 September 2017.
4.2.3 To note that Ms N Hewitt, School of Life and Medical Sciences, will continue to serve as acting Associate Dean (Academic Quality Assurance) during the academic year 2017-2018.
4.3 To note that Mr S Grace, Research and Representation Manager of the Hertfordshire Students’ Union staff, has been invited to attend meetings in the academic year 2017-2018 as an observer.
4.4 To note that Ms S Kwedi has been elected as Vice-President (Education) of Hertfordshire Students’ Union, for a term of office which will conclude on 31 May 2018, and that she has been invited to attend meetings as an observer during her tenure.
4.5 To welcome new and reappointed members to the meeting.
5 CHAIRMAN’S OVERVIEW
To receive the comments of the Chairman.
6 MINUTES - 20 JUNE 2017
To confirm and sign the minutes. - Paper 6
(Confidential)
7 MATTERS ARISING
7.1 Summary of actions – 20 June 2017
To note the actions arising from the meeting of 20 June 2017. - Paper 7.1
(Confidential)
7.2 Collaborative Operational Delivery Plan (CODP) – Minutes 629.1 and 762.1 refer
To receive an oral report on progress from Mrs J A Bowyer.
7.3 Ratification of Board of Examiner outcomes by absent External Examiners – Minutes 722.1 and 742.1 refer
To receive an oral report on progress from Mrs H Davidson, Assistant Registrar, (Academic Services).
7.4 SAC consideration of Programme Committee minutes, Annual Activity Agreements – Minute 724.3 refers
To receive an oral report on progress from Dr F L Haddleton, chairman and Director of Academic Quality Assurance.
7.5 Degree classification algorithm – Minute 757.5 refers
7.5.1 To note that the University’s degree classification algorithm has been considered by the Chief Executive’s Group and circulated to Committee members. A review of the University’s degree classification methodology is being undertaken.
7.5.2 To receive an oral report from Dr Haddleton.
7.6 Summary to School Academic Committees
7.6.1 To note that matters for report and consideration by the School Academic Committees from the meeting of the Committee held on 7 June 2016 were circulated to Deans of School and Associate Deans (Academic Quality Assurance) by the Chairman on
29 June 2017.
7.6.2 To note that certain information from the meeting of the Committee held on 20 June 2017 has been circulated to members and officers in attendance of School Academic Committees for note.
7.7 To note any matters not taken elsewhere on the agenda.
8 UNIVERSITY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
8.1 Amendment/endorsement of the academic regulations for the academic year 2017-2018
8.1.1 To note that a summary of changes to the academic regulations for undergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes which were approved by the Academic Board has been circulated to Deans of School, Associate Deans (Academic Quality Assurance), Associate Deans (Learning and Teaching), Academic Registry, External Examiners and all collaborative partners.
i UPR AS12 (and, by association, UPR AS13) - Paper 8.1.1, i
ii UPR AS14 - Paper 8.1.1, ii
The summaries can be viewed on the Centre for Academic Quality Assurance (CAQA) StudyNet site.
8.1.2 To note that non-material amendments to UPR AS11- ‘Schedule of Awards’ and UPR AS17 – ‘Academic Quality’ have been made.
8.1.3 To note the summary of the relevant academic regulatory changes which has been circulated to students. - Paper 8.1.3
9 COLLABORATIVE PROVISION
9.1 HHEC- CQC Annual Report 2016-2017
To receive the report of the Consortium Quality Committee of the Hertfordshire Higher Education Consortium for the academic year ended 31 August 2017 from Dr M J Cahill, Chairman. - Paper 9.1
9.2 Hertfordshire International College (‘HIC’) - 10.45 hours
(NOTE: Mr S Culliford, Head of Academic Partnerships, will attend for this item)
To receive a report from Mr Culliford concerning revised quality assurance arrangements for HIC. - Paper 9.2
10 HIGHER APPRENTICESHIPS AND DEGREE APPRENTICESHIPS
To note a report from Dr Haddleton concerning external quality assessment arrangements. - Paper 10
11 serious adverse circumstances
To receive proposals from Ms C A Rendell, Deputy Director of Academic Quality Assurance, concerning a review of the operation of, and guidance for, serious adverse circumstances. - Paper 11
12 MONITORING AND REVIEW OF TAUGHT PROVISION
12.1 Annual Monitoring and Evaluation Reports (‘AMER’)
To receive an oral report from Ms Rendell concerning changes to the AMER process effective from 1 September 2017.
12.2 Periodic review
To receive an oral report from Ms Rendell concerning changes to the periodic review process effective from 1 September 2017.
12.3 Annual School Reports on Academic Standards and Student Experience
To receive an oral report from Dr Haddleton concerning process for the Annual School Reports 2017-2018.
13 AUDITS 2017-2018
To receive proposals from Mrs C A Rendell, Deputy Director of Academic Quality Assurance concerning audits to be undertaken in the academic year 2017-2018. - Paper 13
(To follow)
14 audits 2016-2017
To receive a report from Ms C A Rendell. - Paper 14
15 HEFCE Annual Provider Review 2017
15.1 To receive an oral report from Dr Haddleton concerning the role of the Committee in the provision of the annual assurance statements from the governing body to HEFCE to comply with the operating model for quality assessment.
15.2 Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (‘ESG’) – Minute 757.1 refers
To consider the how the Committee can support the governing body in the assurance that it continues to meet the standards of Part 1 of the European Standards and Guidelines (‘ESG’). - Paper 15.2
16 PLACEMENT POLICY GROUP 11.15 hours
(NOTE: Ms S Flynn, Convenor of the Placement Policy Group, will attend for this item.)
To receive the annual report for the academic year 2016-2017 from Ms Flynn,
- Paper 16
17 ANNUAL REPORT TO ACADEMIC BOARD
To note and approve the annual report to the Academic Board for the academic year 2106-2017. - Paper 17
(To follow)
18 ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND AUDIT committee RISK REGISTER
This item is confidential and available only to members and officers in attendance.
To note that the risk register will be received at the meeting on 21 November 2017.
19 AGENDA – PART II
To note and approve Part II of the Agenda (items A-E).
(NOTE: Members wishing to comment on any item in Part II of the Agenda, which consists of items requiring formal note and /or approval, are asked to inform the Chair, through the Clerk, Mrs R E Haller, e-mail: , telephone extension 4108, not less than 48 hours before the meeting. If no such indications are received, Part II will be taken as noted and approved.)
20 CHECK LIST FOR COMMUNICATIONS
To agree how decisions and actions to be taken as outcomes of this meeting will be communicated.
21 PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT
To identify people development needs and to refer them to HR Development.
22 RISK
To consider any risks inherent in the matters dealt with by the Committee during the meeting but not discussed when the item concerned was taken.
23 EMERGENCY BUSINESS
(Admissible only with the consent of the Chairman given prior to the meeting.)
24 DATE OF NEXT MEETING
Tuesday, 21 November 2017, 09.30 hours, Central Committee Room, MacLaurin Building.
Items for the Agenda should be notified to the Clerk, Mrs R E Haller, (e-mail: , telephone extension: 4108), B204, Hatfield by Tuesday
31 October 2017. Supporting papers should be lodged with the Clerk no later than Tuesday, 7 November 2017.
It will be assumed that items from the Schools have been submitted with the approval of the Dean of School.
A G E N D A – PART II
A ACADEMIC QUALITY
Programmes, Courses and Collaborative Agreements
To note the reports confirmed by the Chairman of the Student Educational Experience Committee and ratified by the Vice-Chancellor for the period 3 June – 19 September 2017, with the summary of conclusions and recommendations, which will be noted at the meeting of the Academic Board held on 15 November 2017. - Paper A
B ACADEMIC SERVICES
To note the amendments/revisions to the Academic Services publications for the period to 19 September 2017. - Paper B
(To follow)
Publications are available for inspection online at:
http://www.studynet1.herts.ac.uk/ptl/common/aqo.nsf/Homepage?ReadForm
Members and named alternates wishing to view or obtain copies should refer to this site.
C STUDENT EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
To note publication of the unconfirmed minutes of the meeting of the Student Educational Experience Committee held on 11 July 2017. - Paper C
(Confidential)
(EDRMS ONLY)
D Sub- committees, standing working parties and working groups
To note the sub-committees, standing working parties and working groups of the Committee, their Chairs and convenors and where appropriate their terms of reference and composition. - Paper D
E MATTERS REPORTED FOR INFORMATION
E.1 Academic Regulations for Undergraduate and Taught Postgraduate Programmes 2017-2018
To note publication of the 2017-2018 edition of the Academic Regulations for Undergraduate and Taught Postgraduate Programmes, which are available online via:
Academic Regulations for Undergraduate and Taught Postgraduate Programmes (PDF - 5.37 Mb). A hard copy of the Handbook will be made available by the end of September.
The individual UPRs in the Handbook are available on the Corporate Governance website under the heading University Policies and Regulations (UPRs) – A – Z index:
http://sitem.herts.ac.uk/secreg
E.2 2017 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
To note an email dated 22 June 2016 from the Vice-Chancellor to all staff confirming the award of silver status to the University of Hertfordshire. - Paper E.2
E.3 Grade Point Average (‘GPA’) – Minute 740.1 refers
To note publication of guidance for staff and for students on the introduction of a Grade Point Average (GPA) system of reporting student performance (in parallel with the awarding of numeric module grades and degree classification).
The guidance notes can be viewed on the Centre for Academic Quality Assurance (CAQA) StudyNet site, at:
http://www.studynet2.herts.ac.uk/ptl/common/aqo.nsf/Teaching+Documents/91D3F7D193B8FBB28025811300481FF4?OpenDocument.
E.4 Module Feedback Questionnaires (‘MFQ’)
To note an email dated 19 September 2017 to all staff (Uhq) from Ms S Jarvis, Pro vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience) concerning changes to the MFQs effective 1 September 2017. - Paper E.4
ASAC agenda 03.10.17 6/7