UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX

PARTNERSHIPS EDUCATION COMMITTEE

6 MAY 2015

UNAPPROVED MINUTES

Chair / Dr Dominic Micklewright
Present / Mr Will Bannister, Mr Andrew Boer, Ms Christine Clynes, Ms Colette Coleman, Mr Ian Davis, Mr Allan Hildon, Ms Rachel Frost, Dr Peter Luther, Professor Roderick Main, Ms Claire Nixon, Mr Yousef Nabi, Professor Aletta Norval, Dr David Penman, Professor David Pevalin, Ms Nicola Pittman, Mr Andy Rees, Mr Brian Rock, Ms Katy Savage, Mr Martin Stimson
Apologies / Ms Linda Cowan, Mr Luke Rodway, Ms Jill Wognum
Secretary / Ms Jeanie Armstrong
In attendance / Mr Neil Barnes, Ms Rachel Brown, Ms Liz Laws, Mr Paul Smart, Mr Dave Stanbury
GENERAL BUSINESS
INTRODUCTIONS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Noted / The Chair welcomed Mr Adrian Martin from the Edge Hotel School, Mr Will Bannister from the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, Ms Christine Clynes from Kaplan and Mr Neil Barnes from Colchester Institute, to their first meeting of the Partnerships Education Committee. Mr Barnes was attending for the item on the Curriculum Review update. / 15/86
The Committee was informed of the departure of two long-serving PEC members; Mr Ian Davis from Colchester Institute who was leaving to take up a new position at the University of East Anglia and Mr Martin Stimson from Writtle College who would retire at the end of May 2015. The Chair thanked them both for their extensive input to the Committee through the years and wished them well for the future. / 15/87
The Committee was informed that Taught Degree Awarding Powers (TDAP) had recently been granted to Writtle College. It was noted that the University was working on a phased transition for the taught provision and the partnership would continue in relation to Research provision. The Chair congratulated the Writtle College members and acknowledged the hard work the Writtle College Centre for Academic Standards Teaching and Learning (CASTLe) team had contributed to the process. / 15/88
STARRING OF AGENDA ITEMS
Items 3, 4, 23a and 27 were starred for discussion in addition to the circulated agenda. The Deputy Dean (Education) (Science and Health) requested clarification on why some courses that had undergone periodic review had exit awards specifically listed. It was noted that partner institutions offered unnamed exit awards unless named exit awards had been explicitly validated. / 15/89
MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
Approved / Minutes of the meeting held on 25 February 2015 with the amendment to Item 15/43 to be reported as an Action to run CPD courses at the Southend Campus as well as the Colchester Campus, if viable, and to provide bespoke sessions for partners. / 15/90
MATTERS ARISING
Item 15/28: A sharing good practice session for the University and Partner members on How to use PPI benchmarking data and ARC action plans effectively would take place on 19 June 2015.
Secretary’s note:
Since the meeting an alternative date for the event is being sought in September 2015 to take place at South Essex College.
Item 15/28: The Dean requested confirmation that Course Teams were aware of the requirement to benchmark Partner Performance Indicators (PPIs) within the Annual Review of Courses (ARCs). Members confirmed. Action completed. / 15/91
DEANS’ ACTION
Received / A report of action taken by the Dean and Associate Dean of Academic Partnerships. / 15/92
Reported / Following discussion at periodic review the Associate Dean approved a change of title from:
§  BSc (Hons) / Dip HE Equine Sports Therapy
to
§  BSc (Hons) and Dip HE Equine Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation / 15/93
SECTION A
EDUCATION AND PARTNERSHIPS STRATEGY AND POLICY
ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND PARTNERSHIPS REPORT
Received / A report from the Academic Standards and Partnerships Office on internal and external developments impacting on the University’s collaborative partners. / 15/94
QAA Subject Benchmark Statements
Reported / Members were asked to note that the QAA had published a revised guidance on nine subjects delivered at Honours degree level and was inviting comments on draft revisions to three other subjects; Languages Cultures and Societies, Linguistics and Law. / 15/95
CMA report on consumer protection law
Reported / The Committee was informed about a report issued by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) giving advice to HE providers on consumer protection law. The report covered three main areas; information provision, terms and conditions and complaint handling. Members’ attention was drawn to the complaint handling section, in particular the extension of the remit of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) and to note that from September 2015 all providers would be required to subscribe to the OIA. Members heard that the University’s responsibilities remained the same in regards to academic appeals. It was noted that useful information for HE providers joining the scheme was available on the OIA website. / 15/96
HEFCE updates on NSS and KIS
Reported / Members were advised that HEFCE had issued information on the timetable for publication of the 2015 NSS results, changes to publication thresholds and also information on Unistats and Key Information Sets data collection timetable and changes for 2015. / 15/97
HEFCE-funded Changing the Learning Landscape project report
Reported / Partners were advised of the report published in March 2015 by a partnership of sector agencies – the Association for Learning Technology, Higher Education Academy, JISC, the NUS and the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education – which aimed to enable HE providers to change their strategic approaches to technology enhanced learning (TEL). Members were interested to hear that Writtle College had provided a case study for the project. / 15/98
University Task and Finish Group on ‘academic infrastructure’ issues
Reported / Members were informed of University discussions to improve timetabling of teaching and examinations; mode and volume of assessment; structure of the academic year; and module credit weightings. The group would report its findings and any recommendations to Senate in July. / 15/99
Reported / It was anticipated that there would be little impact on Partners. Members were asked to note that reference to ‘academic infrastructure’ in this case should not be confused with the term familiar from QAA terminology. / 15/100
Sharing Good Practice Events
Reported / The Committee heard that a sharing good practice event for Statutory Data Returns and encompassing aspects of PPI data was held on 16 April 2015. / 15/101
Exam Board briefing session for Chairs and Secretaries of Exam Boards would take place on Thursday 14 May 2015 at the University of Essex and would be followed by a sharing good practice session with the University Student Appeals, Complaints and Conduct Office. / 15/102
Future events planned for the current academic year were How to use PPI benchmarking data and ARC action plans effectively and Research-led teaching and research in the curriculum. / 15/103
QAA REPORT – ACTION PLAN
Received / Members received a paper requesting PEC to note the recommendations arising from the QAA Higher Education Review and the proposed actions to address each of them. / 15/104
Reported / The report identified six features of good practice that made a positive contribution to students’ learning experiences and four recommendations. / 15/105
Members heard that the revisions to guidance, briefing notes and report templates and the review of the current policy and procedure for changes to academic provision for tracking changes to modules and courses, guidance for external advice and clarity regarding committee reporting mechanisms recommended by the QAA would be submitted to the Education Committee for information in June 2015. / 15/106
The strengthening of the committee structure for oversight of overseas partnerships and the effective oversight of approval and monitoring of postgraduate research degrees delivered at partners would be in place for the start of the 2015/16 academic year. / 15/107
EDUCATION STRATEGY – UPDATE
Received / The Committee received a verbal update from the Chair giving an overview of the progress made in regard to the implementation of the University’s Education Strategy. / 15/108
Reported / Members heard that the Curriculum Review was in train in the University’s departments and at the partner institutions. / 15/109
The Committee was informed of discussions at the University’s Task and Finish Group on ‘academic infrastructure’ issues which included timetabling of teaching and examinations; the mode and volume of assessment; the structure of the academic year and module credit weightings. The group would consider how improvements might be made to the structural issues which impact on the student learning experience. Members were invited to comment on the plan which would be reported to Senate in July. / 15/110
Further innovations reported included a talent development programme and an English language diagnostic test in order for appropriate support to be put in place. It was also noted that the University had appointed additional Learning Technologists to enhance the web-based learning and e-learning resources at the University. Enhanced student representation, changes to the Student Assessment of Modules and Teaching (SAMT) and student mentoring was underway to improve the student experience. / 15/111
PARTNER PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (PPIs) – UPDATE
Received / The Committee received a verbal report from the Chair giving an update on progress made with the implementation of PPIs. / 15/112
Reported / Members heard that discussions had taken place at partner Curriculum and Quality Group and Partnership Management Board meetings. It was noted that a session on use of PPI data had been included at the Partner Statutory Data Returns seminar on 16 April 2015. / 15/113
Noted / Productive discussions had taken place with partners around the timelines for the availability of data. It was noted that PPI data would be released by the Strategic Planning and Change Office by the end of September 2015 and partners could incrementally gather their data for inclusion in the ARCs and consolidate when PPI data became available in September. The Chair reminded partners to review their identified benchmark groups for currency at regular intervals. / 15/114
An action from the Partnerships Education Committee held on 25 February 2015 recommended that a working group was set up for University and Partner members on how to use PPI benchmarking data and ARC action plans effectively. Members heard that the date had been confirmed as 19 June 2015.
Secretary’s note:
Since the meeting the seminar on How to use PPI benchmarking data and ARC action plans effectively would now take place at South Essex College in September 2015. / 15/115
CURRICULUM REVIEW
Received / A verbal report from the Chair to inform the Committee of progress in the implementation of the University’s Curriculum Review. / 15/116
Reported / The Chair thanked the partners for the submission of the Curriculum Review action plans and noted that some partners had used the University Faculty template and advised the use of the specific partner template in future. The Committee heard that all partners had engaged with the Curriculum Review and where there were no Periodic Reviews planned, partners had incorporated Curriculum Review through internal mechanisms and cross-discipline third-party consultation. / 15/117
Noted / It was noted from evidence in the action plans that partners were engaging with the capstone project. Members also heard that Digital Literacy would be the thematic element for the SEC QAA HE Review and this would link well with the Curriculum Review. / 15/118
WORK-BASED LEARNING TASK AND FINISH GROUP
Received / A report from the Director of Employability on discussions from the University’s Task and Finish Group on Work-based Learning. / 15/119
Reported / The Committee was advised of the University’s discussions on the part that Work-based Learning should play in the curriculum, the definitions of Work-based Learning and its guiding principles, the resource models including the IT system that underpin delivery and support, and the aspiration for future expansion. Members heard that the focus had been on three areas, IT provision, human resource issues and curriculum expectations. / 15/120
The definition of Work-based Learning was expressed as Learning through placements, visits or projects for an employer or client, that are connected to the curriculum and the five points of the proposed policy framework for Work-based Learning as set out in the paper was discussed and feedback on the paper was requested from partners. It was recognised that the definition was flexible and could include the self-employed, remote working or a project set by an employer. / 15/121
The Chair welcomed the definition and noted that partner institutions have great experience of using Work-based Learning in the curriculum. The Committee endorsed the proposed policy which would now progress to Education Committee for approval. / 15/122
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Received / A verbal report from the Learning and Development Manager on the proposal to expand CPD opportunities to partner institutions. / 15/123
Reported / Building on the proposal discussed at the February meeting of the Partnerships Education Committee to expand the CPD opportunities offered by the University to include partner institutions, the Learning and Development Manager indicated that the University wanted to enquire if CPD arrangements could be reciprocated. / 15/124
It was noted that CPD opportunities were split into academic and professional related courses and members welcomed the availability of the professional related courses such as Myers Briggs, Springboard and minute writing opportunities. / 15/125
The possibility of a separate booking system for partners was discussed and it was proposed that Learning and Development contacts at partner institutions would discuss with the University’s Learning and Development team how to progress the proposal. / 15/126
PGR STUDENT INDUCTION
Received / A report on the induction of postgraduate research students by the Assistant Education Manager (Registry) sponsored by the Associate Dean (Postgraduate Research and Education) / 15/127
Reported / Following on from the report to Education Committee on Postgraduate Research Student Retention and Success, a fuller induction scheme for new postgraduate research (PGR) students, in addition to the existing Doctoral Welcome Conference and current induction events, has been developed which would include pre-arrival and a First 100 days programme. The Chair welcomed the paper which would help ensure that PGR students were well supported. / 15/128