LQSC 16 P14

`LEARNING, QUALITY andSTANDARDS COMMITTEE

Minutes of the firstmeeting of the Learning Quality and Standards Committee in the 2016-17 academic session, held on Wednesday14thSeptember2016in Blake 028 Medway Campus

Present: / V. Habgood (Chair) / Director of Learning and Teaching, Education and Health
S. Naylor (Officer) / Quality Manager Academic Quality Unit
W. Cealey Harrison / Head of Academic Quality Unit
C. Ierotheou / Director of Learning and Teaching, Architecture, Computing & Humanities
S. El-Daher / Head of Department Representative, Engineering and Science
C Churchill / Head of Timetabling
S. Walker / Head of Educational Development Unit
E. Bacon / Chair of Learning Innovations Group
C. Couper / Director of Strategic Planning
V. van Lent / VP Education, Students’ Union
Apologies / S. Lea, P. Ieromonachou, K. Cleaver, E. Warren, S. Dempsey
LQSC/16/1.1 / Terms of reference and membership 2016-17
LQSC received and noted the Terms of Reference as agreed by Academic Council last session and agreed no further changes need be requested. The Chair formally welcomed the Director of Strategic Planning to her first meeting, likewise the newly elected VP Education from the Students’ Union. The Officer acknowledged a number of adjustments to ensure the current membership listing is up to date.
LQSC/16/1.2 / Items from the Chair
The Chair requested four items for open discussion:
  • Honours Degree Classification Regulations
LQSC noted that Council had approved a proposal to adopt a new classification algorithm which would be based on a 20%: 80%, L5: L6 weighting, taking account of 120 credits at L5 and the best 90 credits at L6. LQSC acknowledged that a formal update to the Academic Regulations for Taught Awards will now be taken forward by the Academic Registry for publication and promulgation. LQSC noted that all new entrants in 2016-17 will be awarded under the revised regulations but that current Year 2 and 3 students (full time and equivalent) will be awardedthe best outcome from the use of both the current and revised algorithms. It was noted that PAB reports presentingoutcomes for the current and revised algorithms should be available for review by relevant staff as soon as possible and in any event no later than January 2017.
  • Grade Point Average Implementation
LQSC noted that the adoption of a GPA system remains part of University plans for the future, though it will not be fully implemented in 2016-17. The GPA system will sit alongside the HonoursDegree Classification system, as an alternative means of describing student achievement. An end of year GPA score will be available to students as the University introduces the system in 2016-17, and with effect from 2017—18 an “in-year” GPA will be available for all undergraduate degree students, permitting them to assess their progress towards an award. It was acknowledged that Communications and Recruitment has agreed to communicate this change to both staff and students.
  • Annual Programme Review
LQSC acknowledged that a revised annual report at programme level, the Annual Programme Review, will replace the Programme Monitoring Report with immediate effect for all on-campus programmes in respect of the 2015-16 session. LQSC agreed that, where the old PMR has already been completed, there is no requirement to also complete the APR. The development of the report has arisen from the Portfolio Planning Project, and is in response to Head of Department and Programme Leader contributions to make reporting more focussed on enhancement and de-bureaucratisation through the provision of commentary on plans and rationales for programme change and update, supported by evidence. The aim is to move towards incorporating a risk-based approach to reporting as part of the de-bureaucratisation.
  • TEF: Student progression and satisfaction with teaching and learning
With the DVC (Academic) supplying apologies, the Head of the AQU provided a short overview of an original paper presented to VCG on which the item was to be based.
Post-Meeting Note: Following conversation with the DVC (Academic), it was agreed to place this item formally on the October 2016 agenda.
Action / Circulate and Publish APR Template[1] / AQU
Publish and circulate revised Academic Regulations for Taught Awards relating to undergraduate degree classification / Registry
Provide access to revised PAB sheet exemplars by January 2017 / ILS
LQSC/16/1.3 / Minutes of the AQSC meeting of July 2016
The minutes of the meeting of July 2016 were agreed subject to some minor changes.
LQSC/16/1.4 / Actions Arising from the meeting of July 2016
15/5.7 / Sustainability was placed on FLQSC agendas as requested. AQU reported that a short guide to sustainability for use in approvals and reviews is in production.
LQSC/16/1.5 / Improving the Student Experience through UNITU
The Head of EDU introduced a presentation on behalf of the Department of CPDA in which he demonstrated the use that CPDA makes of an internal, online discussion platform, UNITU, utilised by students, student representatives and staff. The platform provides opportunities for any student to raise programme issues, for the student body to vote on them and for student representatives to vet and take forward issues that are thought to be pertinent. The overall aim is to help address issues at source in a responsive fashion. The platform provides feedback areas and progress alerts. The Department believes that in making itself more responsive to student comment through UNITU there may be a positive correlation with a small improvement in NSS scores in relevant areas for 2016. LQSC heard that 48 issues had been submitted and 42 to date resolved at local level this way.
LQSC found UNITU very interesting but expressed some concerns over how it might be used for an un-briefed student group. All agreed that student representative training, as on all student groups, is critical to success and to ensuring appropriateness of “conversation” in a public arena. The VP Education noted that revised approaches to student training is being adopted by the SU and includes future development of a Code of Conduct which could incorporate guidance on expected protocols and behaviour in public fora. There were also concerns over the system running in parallel with existing Programme Committee requirements of the University but LQSC agreed that the former could incorporate the outcomes of UNITU as a regular agenda item in any case. It was noted that there was little overlap with EVASYS where questions to student have a direct focus on specific issues and areas the University wishes to focus upon.
LQSC agreed the development was of interest and provided a contemporary and usable platform for the student voice. It retains possibility for wider institutional use and any Faculty or Department interested in pursuing this further was asked in the first instance to send an expression of interest to the EDU who will take it forward with CPDA.
LQSC requested that the paper and the Department, if it has not already done so, present the initiative to the Student Experience Committee.[2]
LQSC/16/1.6 / TESTA
The Head of EDU provided a brief history of TESTA and sought LQSC support for reaffirming the use of TESTA institution-wide as a tool for enabling review teams to assess their assessment regimes (both summative and formative) and provide students from the results an improved assessment schedule/load and pedagogical approach.
LQSC agreed that adopting TESTA institutionally could lead to further enhancement of the student experience of assessment and feedback but also acknowledged that to run the programme for all as a requirement, would put the University in a position where resourcing would become a potential issue and inhibit the development. The Committee noted that review methodologies are being considered and the outcomes may lead to a more risk-focussed approach, including the potential to identify specific programmes that should, or need not, utilise TESTA. LQSC reflected that raising the profile of the outcomes of TESTA for review panels would be beneficial to quality management and asked that the D7 Critical Appraisal document for reviews from 2016-17, and for future iterations of the review process, incorporatesspecific commentaryabout the outcomes of TESTA if the programme team has engaged with it.
Action / Update Quality Assurance Handbook (Appendix D7) to include commentary on the outcomes of TESTA in support of the guidance notes already provided. / AQU
LQSC/16/1.7 / Disability and DSA
This item was postponed to the next meeting
LQSC/16/1.8 / Minutes of the Learning Innovation Group (May 2016)
The Minutes of the May 2016 ULIG were received and noted. The ULIG Chair did not to draw anything to the attention of the Committee that required broader discussion at this level.
LQSC/16/1.9 / Edexcel-Pearson Licence Agreement 2016
LQSC received and noted the revised Edexcel-Pearson licence which, in this iteration, requires more data on individual HNs. The AQU will collate the data and re-present the Licence to both the DVC (Academic) and the University Director of Governance and Compliance to determine who signs the licence out at Institutional level. LQSC noted that there is a reduced number of HNs and student numbers, continuing a significant trend over the past 10 years.
Action / Complete Edexcel-Pearson Licence, confirm awards to be recognised formally in the licence, obtain appropriate institutional signature[3] and return completed document to Edexcel Pearson. / LQSC Officer
LQSC/16/1.10 / Quality Assurance Handbook 2016-17
LQSC received a summary and revised text for proposed amendments to the QH for 2016-17 and which are based upon committee requests, changes to other University linked processes and the annual AQU review of the Handbook. LQSC endorsed the proposals but required further amendment to several of the clauses as follows:
  1. Appendix D1: The question “Must all elements of assessment be passed (at 40% for Levels 4, 5 and 6 and 50% for Level 7 courses)? Should be amended (generalised) to take into account all courses including those where the method of assessment is Pass/Fail.
  1. Main Text Clause 4.2. Revised text that commences “Partnership proposals involving other UK HEIs…” and amend to current terminology of “Partnership proposals involving other HEPs (Higher education providers)..”
  1. Chairing Approval and Review Panels: LQSC expressed its concern that appointing internal Faculty chairs one month prior to an event where an external chair cannot be found, as recommended by ARG, was contrary to essential QA principles and the proposal was not endorsed. LQSC suggested a re-wording should focus on where an external Chair is, at very short notice, unable to chair the meeting and where the circumstances are totally unforeseen and all other requirements for the event are in place.

Action / Update QAH prior to publication as advised by the Committee / AQU
LQSC/16/1.11 / Faculty LQSC Minutes
LQSC received two sets of draft minutes from FACH and FEH. No immediate issues were raised, but LQSC agreed that future presentations of minutes should only be those formally ratified by the initial committee, even if this entails a significant time delay in their receipt as a result of the meetings schedule.
LQSC/16/1.12 / External examiner nominations
The following nominations were nominated by the Faculty and endorsed by LQSC
Faculty / Title / FirstName / Surname / AwardID / HEI / Commences / Completes
FBUS / Prof / Menelaos / Karanasos / Programme Listing Request of Faculty / Brunel University / Successor to Vasco Gabriel / 31-Dec-20
FBUS / Dr / Motasam / Tatahi / Programme Listing Request of Faculty / Regents University / Successor to Hulya Dagevirwen / 31-Dec-20
FBUS / Dr / Annina / Kaltenbrunner / Programme Listing Request of Faculty / Leeds University / Successor to Bruce Philp / 31-Dec-20
FBUS / Dr / Vessela / Warren / Programme Listing Request of Faculty / University of Worcester / Successor to Sue Greener / 31-Dec-20
FBUS / Dr / Alisha / Ali / P13033 / Sheffield Hallam University / Successor to Ade Oriade / 31-Dec-20
LQSC/16/1.13 / Approval and Review Group Minutes (July 2016)
ARG Minutes from July 2016 were received and noted. LQSC discussed and endorsed two recommendations:
The development of a Student Handbook - agreed that the recommendation applied to the process for producing a handbook and not the essential contents per se.
That recommendations made by Panels be responded to formally in the APR of the year following the review/approval.
LQSC/16/1.14 / AOB
Students’ Union / The VP Education provided LQSC with an update on the current SU plans to enhance its training programme for student representatives and which the Committee welcomed as positive additions to the process of selection, induction and support. The proposals include:
Development of generic materials and removal of campus based materials.
Development of revised training sessions.
Development of online interactive briefing materials.
AQU representatives requested support from the SU Directorate in nominating interested students to sit on Approval and Review Panels. The AQU agreed to arrange contact meetings between the relevant Quality Management and the VP Education.
EDU / EDU noted the publication of the current Professional Development Programmes which can be found here. The EDU Head also noted that the Programme Leader HUB and discussions on training needs will commence over the next week on each campus.

Date of the next meeting: Wednesday 19th October 2016, Blake 028, Medway Campus 2016. PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF START TIME TO 14.00.

Learning Quality and Standards Committee 15-M1 Sept 14th 2016Page1

[1] Quality Assurance Handbook, Appendix M5

[2]Paper sent to SEC Secretary 22/9/2016 SN

[3] Sent to DVC(Academic) and Director of Governance 21/9/216