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- Academic Partnerships Handbook
- Approval and Revision of Taught Modules and Programmes Handbook
- Assessment, Progression and Awarding: Taught Programmes Handbook
- Credit and Qualifications Framework
- Exceptional Circumstances Handbook
- External Examining Handbook
- Learning and Teaching Support Handbook
- Postgraduate Research Handbook
- Quality Review & Enhancement Framework
- Student Cases Handbook
- Special Provisions for Online Programmes (including those offered in partnership with Keypath Education)
- Special Provisions for Healthcare Programmes
- Special Provisions for Degree Apprenticeships
- Special Provisions for Programmes with Accreditation Licenced by the Engineering Council
1 - Principles and Purpose
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Principles
1.3 Purpose
1.4 Summary of Academic Quality Review and Enhancement Processes
1. Principles and Purpose
The Quality Review and Enhancement Framework provides a structure of review and development meetings that assure the Education Board and the Board of Graduate Research of the quality and standard of teaching and learning at the University of Exeter. It is designed to support a high-quality academic experience for all students by facilitating developmental dialogue between peers and using outcomes to drive continuous improvement and enhancement.
In addition, the Quality Review and Enhancement Framework supports the University of Exeter in meeting the conditions B1 to B6, governing quality, reliable standards, and positive outcomes for all students, of its registration with the Office for Students (OfS). Details of each B Condition can be found here.
The following principles underpin the Quality Review and Enhancement Framework:
• The framework ensures opportunities to monitor, review and report on the quality and standards of all awards granted by the University of Exeter, in line with the national qualifications framework, the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF).
• Student partnership is core to the framework and student representation and feedback should be sought throughout, with students engaged in all elements of the quality of their educational experience.
• The activities encompassed in the framework should be forward-looking, taking the opportunity to learn from the past and taking full account of the current position to ensure that academic standards are sound, teaching and learning is high-quality, and that all students are supported to achieve success.
• The monitoring of quality undertaken within the framework ought to be proportionate to the risk to the student experience.
• Outcomes of the activity defined within the framework should drive improvement and enhancement for the benefit of all students.
The Quality Review and Enhancement Framework provides assurances to the Education Board and the Board of Graduate Research, and to Senate, of the following:
• Faculties have strategic oversight of, and take responsibility for, the academic standards and high-quality of their programmes.
• All students are treated fairly, equitably and as individuals.
• Students have the opportunity to contribute to shaping their learning experience and are engaged individually and collectively in the quality of their educational experience.
• Students are properly and actively informed at appropriate times of matters relevant to their programmes of study.
• There is sufficient external involvement in the design, approval and review of the curriculum to ensure it is of a high-quality.
• Staff are appropriately qualified and skilled, and supported to deliver high-quality academic experiences.
• Innovation and creativity in the design and delivery of the curriculum is actively supported.
Quality Review processes are applicable to all programmes, including Degree Apprenticeships, INTO programmes, and programmes held in partnership with UK and international partners.
Quality Review processes may lead to enhancements that require support from elsewhere in the University, either from academic colleagues, through Annual Module Review and Peer Review (for UG and PGT), or Annual Monitoring Review (for PGR), as well as a range of professional services, for example, including but not limited to:
• The Teaching Quality Assurance and Enhancement Team (TQAE), including Academic Development, Technology Enhanced Learning, Programme Development, and the Quality and Standards Teams. https://as.exeter.ac.uk/tqae/
• Marketing, Recruitment, Communications, and Global https://www.exeter.ac.uk/departments/communication/
• Student Employability and Academic Success (SEAS) http://www.exeter.ac.uk/departments/seas/about/
• Additionally, for Postgraduate Research Programmes, the Researcher Development Team can also help to provide opportunities for students to enhance their research and employability. https://www.exeter.ac.uk/doctoralcollege/researcherdevelopment/rdrc/
1.4 Summary of Academic Quality Review and Enhancement Processes
This is non-exhaustive; further local-level initiatives may also be undertaken at local-level (e.g., Discipline/Department/Faculty (or delegated School)), which are not documented here.
Routine
• Student feedback and representation, including Student-Staff Liaison Committees (SSLCs) for taught programmes, and PGR Liaison Forums (PGRLF)
• Programme amendment and approval for taught and PGR programmes
• Peer dialogue for taught programmes
External
• Accreditation by Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (PSRBs)
• External Examiners (for Assessment, Progression and Awarding Committees (APACs) for taught programmes, including Professional Doctorates)
• External Examiners (for PGR Viva)
• External Assessors (for new taught programmes and significant amendments)
Annual
• APACs
• Quality Review and Enhancement for taught programmes (including the Annual Module Review (AMR), creation of Teaching Excellence Action Plans (TEAPs), which are reviewed at Teaching Excellence Monitoring Meetings (TEMs), before an annual review at a University-level
• Quality Review and Enhancement for PGR programmes including Discipline/Department/Faculty (or delegated School), and University-level reviews
• Annual Monitoring Review for PGR programmes (feeding into PGR Quality Review)
• Partnership Boards for UG, PGT and PGR
Periodic
• Periodic reviews of partnerships
• Other Discipline/Department/Faculty (or delegated School) academic quality assurance activities, and periodic reviews
