Faculty Level NSS Action Plan Template 2013-2014

Section A: Faculty Information

Faculty / Creative Arts, Technologies and Science (CATS)
Associate Dean / Peter Dean
Date / 4 November 2013

Section B: Reflection on progress against the previous action plan.

Overall Summary

Areas that have improved since the last action plan. / The Faculty has shown a year-on-year improvement in overall satisfaction from 74% to 80% and is now consistent with the university-wide overall satisfaction. All elements of the NSS have shown improvement year-on-year although at 79%, Teaching is 3% below its 82% peak in 2011.
Areas that have seen a decline in performance since the last action plan. / All areas of the NSS have shown an improvement since the last action plan.
Issues that have persisted since the last action plan. / The significant issues impacting our NSS outcomes have remained consistent across recent years. To make a step change in our performance and to reach upper quartile satisfaction then we need to improve the quality of teaching and learning so that it is consistently good across all courses. This needs to be supported by an effective, engaging and imaginative assessment regime that goes beyond just compliance with feedback deadlines.

Reflection on progress against previous actions.

The format of the reporting template has changed this year. The actions indicated below have been compiled by aligning actions from the previous year against the indicated rows in the table below. A level 6 survey was not completed last year so there is no relevant action for this row. Similarly, a reflection on BUS data was not required in last year NSS action planning.

Ref / Actions (transposed from the previous report) / Outcome and Progress / Good practice identified for wider dissemination. / Ongoing Challenges Identified.
Teaching and Learning / Engage with CLE to address teaching quality issues / CC/PoLe/HoDs prioritising teaching quality in course plans.
CLE working with HoDs on HEA accreditation for staff, coaching training for PATs / A Mind’s Eye project – students and staff working in partnership in professional practice. / The ability to deliver an excellent student experience still needs to be foregrounded in the recruitment of academic staff.
Assessment and Feedback / Promote innovative practices in assessment and efficient and effective feedback mechanisms that complement a high quality learning experience / Better awareness (in course plans) of minimum standards and greater compliance leading a slightly improved outcome. / A number of employability-focussed assessment activities in several departments indicate what can be achieved. / Feedback schedule compliance can be seen as the only measure of assessment effectiveness.
Academic Support / Development of PAT system / Good progress. Widespread coaching training for PATs. PATadmin system rolling out to support partnership working with professional services. / Coaching training very well received / PATadmin system rollout rather late for the start of the academic year.
Initiative to engage lower tariff point students with additional PAD support not yet fully effective.
Organisation and Management / Improve timetabling and course-level O&M – primarily around communication / Continuing improvement to course-level timetabling but first rollout of personalised timetables was problematic. / Journalism courses making very effective use of BREO to update and engage students / Timetabling needs to be completed earlier with personalised timetables available before registration.
Learning Resources / Work with professional services to address areas of specialised learning resources. / Some progress in Science and PAE. Major developments in Art and Design. Media/Journalism now significantly declining. / Art and Design relocation to the Alexon Building / Specialised learning resources now the limiting factor in NSS improvement in some areas, eg. Media.
Personal Development / Engage with Employability Action Group initiatives. / Good progress on some alumini/student/industry networking events. Some areas development good placement opportunities / TV Industry Wrap Party / Placement opportunities still to be expanded with greater consistency and support.
Reflection on BUS data / N/A
Other – including level 6 Student Satisfaction Survey results

Section C: Action Planning for the coming academic year

Overall summary

Specific Actions

Ref / Aims / Actions required / By whom (Main person identified in Bold) / By when / Resource needs with any costings. / Success criteria – expected outcomes.
Teaching and Learning / Consistently good teaching across all courses / Development of observation, feedback and support and build into staff review and staff development / ED, AD(SE), HoDs, PoLes / July 2014 / Leadership and Management time / Student attainment rises together with NSS teaching score >= sector average (86%)
Assessment and Feedback / Support good learning with effective assessment / All courses to meet minimum standards of feedback.
Course teams to review assessment practices in light of sector good practice / HoDs, PoLes, CCs, all academic staff / July 2014 / Course Coordinator time needs to be reflected in workload planning / Student attainment rises (assessment for learning) together with NSS A&F score >= upper quartile (75%)
Academic Support / Improve identification and support of students at risk / Embed new PAT practices and review effectiveness / AD(SE), academic staff / July 2014 / PATadmin (with support), staff time / Improved retention and progression
Organisation and Management / Deliver of timely and accurate communication to students, particularly their personal timetable / Development of seminar allocation process with academic departments and central timetabling / Local academic TT coordinators, central TT / April 2014 / Staff time / Improved attendance levels at classes. O&M NSS scores rises to sector average (78%)
Learning Resources / Improve access to specialised learning resources / Complete transfer of Art and Design to Alexon Building. Develop specialised resources for other departments / ED, AD(SE), HoDs / July 2014 / Capital investment / Student attainment rises together with LR NSS score to sector average (84%)
Personal Development / Improve student employability through engagement with EAG initiative. / Disseminate EAG materials
Reflection on BUS data / BUS data providesunit-level confirmation of NSS results – aim is use BUS data to target interventions / Integrate BUS results with course NSS actions to produce a single improvement plan for each course / HoDs, PoLes, CCs / December 2013 / Staff time / Improved NSS overall satisfaction (sector average 86%)
Other – including level 6 Student Satisfaction Survey results / Level 6 survey data provides level-specific confirmation of NSS results – aim to use for level-based interventions to support NSS 2014 / Results fed back to students together with a you said, we didthat’s consistent with the overall improvement plan. / HoDs, PoLes, CCs / December 2013 / Staff time / Improved NSS overall satisfaction (sector average 86%)

1

Section D: University Wide Aims and Challenges

.

Ref / University Specific Aim/Challenge / Suggested Resolution / Priority
Teaching and Learning / Ensuring academic staff (inc. VLs) have the knowledge, skills and experience to deliver a high quality student experience as our highest priority. / Review and enhance staff recruitment, induction and CPD processes / High
Assessment and Feedback / Ensuring that our assessment practices are constructively aligned with our strategic aims, particularly around employability and the student experience / Increase the level of challenge at approval and review. The continuation of current assessment practices should require as much justification as changing practice / High
Academic Support / PAT system still developing. / Requires further monitoring and review to ensure effective delivery / Low
(Already underway)
Organisation and Management / Personalised timetables still not fully realised. / Greater involvement of academic departments in seminar allocation together with earlier deadlines / Medium
Learning Resources / Balancing the provision of general learning resources and spaces with the specific needs of specialised courses that address particular areas of employability and professional practice. / Provide support for medium-sized LR development projects within faculties as well as campus-level projects / High
Personal Development / Delivering a significant improvement in graduate-level employment outcomes / Develop and delivery the initiatives arising from the EAG / Medium
Reflection on BUS data / BUS data continues to provide a useful insight into unit level activity / Continue with current approach
Other – including level 6 Student Satisfaction Survey results / Level 6 survey has provided some new information as it asks some differenct questions to the NSS but have we learnt very much that we didn’t already know? / Rework Level 6 survey to be more of a developmental activity for students in their final year, signposting them towards enhancing their exit-velocity. / Medium

Peter Dean
Associate Dean (Student Experience)
Faculty of Creative Arts, Technologies and Science

1

1