The effectiveness of institutional procedures for assuring the quality of programmes
168 Programme approval processes, through the composition of validation panels, encourage a collegial approach while maintaining authority centrally through the TLC and GSC. Validation panels, chaired by a member of TLC or GSC, engage in dialogue with departments and take appropriate account of resource availability. A detailed programme specification and a statement of the rationale for the programme, availability of resources and external comment from examiner(s) or assessors support consideration of proposals. The process is iterative and developmental, leading to robust outcomes. Effective use is made of the academic infrastructure, reflected in the careful attention paid to the development of the programme specification. A new module approval template is designed to eliminate previous inconsistency in module descriptions arising from changes to modules.
169 Annual review is undertaken at a specific review meeting or through a range of activities and confirms consideration of a range of evidence. A record of the meeting, or equivalent, is forwarded to the dean, deputy dean or associate dean who responds to the course team and engages in discussion with the department regarding the outcomes of the review. Deans, deputy deans and associate deans assemble summaries of departments' reviews to identify common themes. The report form and guidance provided centrally cross-refers where appropriate to the University's policy in the Teaching and Learning Handbook to promote good practice. However, the University is itself concerned that engagement with annual review processes is variable and requires improvement. The approach taken by the University to address shortcomings in the annual review process are appropriate to secure continued local ownership of quality and standards, but its implementation will require careful monitoring by TLC and GSC.
170 Internal review of quality and standards, known as University Review, takes place every six years. The review panel includes cross-faculty membership and an external specialist but does not include members of the relevant department. External participation in internal review processes is robust and independent. An appropriate range of material evidence is presented to the panel over a two-day period to enable the panel to evaluate the quality of learning opportunities, the standard of student achievement and the rigour of assessment processes. The review panel meets with staff and students. Follow-up reporting is at six months and 18 months. Programme specifications are developed, reviewed and approved through the vehicle of University Review and the University states that this has been a valuable exercise in supporting departments to focus debate on the core academic provision as the basis for discussion of other matters such as admission or student support. At the end of the review a decision is made whether to revalidate provision for a further six years. Follow-up action is reported at six months and 18 months after the review.
171 The absence of a SED in the process is recognised by the University as a weakness. It plans to support the development of departmental processes that are themselves more evaluative. To that end, the development of teaching and learning strategies at department level will provide a strategic context for annual review. The DATs enabled the audit team to test and evaluate the University's processes through the extant documentation provided.
172 The University has recognised the need to integrate procedures associated with teaching and learning with those associated with student support and learning resources. From October 2003, University Review was extended to the colleges, and will subsequently be developed to address other areas of support.
173 Representation of students is well-established, comprehensive and active in the colleges, partner institutions and at University level. Representatives are trained by DSU and confirm that their input is valued and acted upon. Feedback to constituencies on the outcomes of student participation is an area for improvement and good practice in some departments is being disseminated. The University is waiting for the publication of the HEFCE Good Practice guide before embarking on the development of graduate surveys, although graduates from the previous three years are surveyed in the context of University Review.
174 Undergraduate students evaluate their experience of the quality of their programme at module level and the results are sometimes posted on the web site in a very timely fashion. A Graduate Standards Survey, focused on transferable skills, is conducted annually but there is currently no overarching arrangement for gathering and dealing with postgraduate feedback. The University is reviewing the way it implements undergraduate and postgraduate surveys so that comparable data can be extracted in order to inform institutional strategies for teaching and learning and student support.
175 Professional accreditation provides a further opportunity for programme teams to seek feedback from relevant stakeholders, and points raised are dealt with in a thorough and considered way, generally, in a timely fashion and at University level.
176 Responsibility for the quality assurance of collaborative and distance-learning programmes lies with TLC as it does for campus-based undergraduate provision, with VSC having responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the University's policies for collaborative provision. Management committees for the programmes in each partner institution oversee the management of the partnership. These are chaired by a deputy dean acting as a conduit between the University and its partners. Management committees report to VSC and a University Assessor is assigned to each validated programme. The Assessor is a member of the Board of Examiners for comparable internal programmes, and has primary responsibility for assuring the equivalence of standards. The University's systems were correctly evaluated in the SED as robust but a greater degree of inclusivity in its approach to partner institutions would enable students and partners to feel closer to the University and its culture.
The effectiveness of institutional procedures for securing the standards of awards
177 Senate has formal responsibility for all academic matters. The main processes for ensuring that degree programmes conform to Durham's defined standards are those for programme approval and University Review. With explicit reference to the academic infrastructure, the University's regulatory framework with its associated level and qualification descriptors, provide a sound basis for the assurance of standards. Overall responsibility for quality assurance and related issues associated with teaching and learning is vested in TLC and GSC and effective communication between the two committees is maintained through cross-membership. GSC communicates through a network of departmental postgraduate directors of studies led by the Postgraduate Dean, while TLC communicates and consults through a structured series of Faculty TLC subcommittees chaired by the Dean or deputy dean, who is also a member of TLC, and on which the relevant departments are represented.
178 The SED evaluated the approach taken at postgraduate level as less effective than the more structured approach taken by TLC at undergraduate level. The status of GSC's discussions and deliberations together with the formal departmental processes and policies is not as clear. To remedy this, the University has sought to enhance the faculty committee structure for postgraduate programmes based on the HDCs chaired by the associate deans.
179 The overall committee structure is appropriate and the University's deliberative structures are supported by a suite of integrated university-level strategies that continue to be developed and extended. TLC promotes a proactive and reflective culture in its work, supported by the provision of rigorous and well-written documentation.
180 External examiners are used to good effect to secure standards of awards. They confirm that standards are consistent with external reference points such as subject benchmark statements, the FHEQ and the requirements of professional bodies. External examiners moderate assessment design and conduct viva voce examinations where applicable. The revised external examiners' report form, introduced in October 2002 for undergraduate degrees, promotes comprehensive coverage on all appropriate issues and is designed to meet the requirements for information to be made publicly available.
181 The procedures governing the appointment and use of external examiners are consistent with the precepts and guidance set out in the Code of practice, Section 4: External examining. External examiners' reports are considered at appropriate levels within departments and faculties and procedures for managing responses and identification of matters to be addressed are considered by the University to be working well. The University's view is confirmed by the audit team and by external examiners themselves who reflected in their reports the belief that the procedures requiring complete anonymity in the marking of work and the classification of degrees were particularly rigorous. The use of external examiners is strong and scrupulous. Changes to assessment procedures introduced this academic year will have an impact on the work of external examiners, so it is clearly important that internal and external examiners are completely clear as to how these changes will operate in practice.
182 The University provides a programme-specific data set for University Review and annual review in departments, focused on applications, progression and degree classification. A set of prompts assists programme teams to search for qualitative issues that arise out of the quantitative data. Further work is still to be done on the incorporation of admissions and first destination data into the main data set. Although the data inform departmental admissions policies, the SED made no mention of attempts to undertake this on an institution-wide basis. The audit team's review of annual reporting concluded that there was clear evidence that the data described find their way into departmental annual reviews, but their treatment is uneven in operation.
The effectiveness of institutional procedures for supporting learning
183 Support for student learning is both rich and complex and colleges play a part in the academic success of their students. There are many points at which a student can obtain support given the collegiate and multisite character of the University. This necessitates a clear overall strategy for the management and allocation of learning resources that includes libraries, study space and networked PC provision to student rooms. College tutors have close links with academic departments and students' attendance and progress records are monitored by departments and by senior tutors in the colleges. The provision available at the Queen's Campus at Stockton is less mature. The University has made a distinct commitment to establishing the college system as fully and appropriately as possible on Queen's Campus and for postgraduates at Ustinov and, at the time of the audit, all the key components of the college experience were developing for both.
184 The audit team confirmed that the performance of, and users' views of, student services are regularly and appropriately monitored. These include the University library, ITS, CAS, Counselling Service, DUSSD and the welfare and advice services provided by DSU. Appropriate action is taken on matters raised.
185 The University library is the major academic resource, on five sites, with extensive holdings of printed items, current periodicals, audiovisual and microform materials, electronic resources, documents and excellent archival collections. Clear strategies for both the library and ITS ensure the availability of their provision to all types of student, including part-time, and mature students, and those with disabilities, wherever they may be based. The library is seeking to offer a single library service and Queen's Campus provision has been steadily upgraded and is supported by a daily system of book transfer. Students were satisfied that library services were working well on both campuses and that complaints are heard and addressed.
186 DUO is an internet-based e-learning environment which is playing an increasingly important part in communicating with students and in their access to key learning resources. These developments are consistent with the University's strategy for developing IT-based support for independent learning.
187 Overall learning support provision is coordinated by COSSS which reports to TLC. Chaired by the Dean of Colleges and Student Support Services, who is able to direct resources across the whole support system, COSSS has moved from an operational to a strategic role in ensuring and developing the quality of student support services across the whole University. The University recognises the importance of a coordinated approach to the management and development of learning resources that is consistent with the teaching and learning strategy. A learning resources strategy group has been formed to assist the development of an overall strategy for learning resources, including priorities for the improvement of lecture theatres and teaching rooms, and the audit team commends this approach. The range and quantity of support for learning at the University is excellent and makes a substantial contribution to the high levels of student retention and achievement.
188 The main source of student guidance, support and supervision in academic matters is provided in the departments, especially by the course or module tutor. The year coordinator or programme leader, head of department or Director of the Combined Honours or Natural Sciences degree offer further support. Where problems arise that cannot be dealt with by these staff, members of the college or dean of the faculty can be consulted.
189 In their SWS and in meetings with the audit team, students constantly expressed appreciation of the approachability and helpfulness of academic staff. Students recognise the staff as a considerable resource in support of their learning and appreciated the research-led mission of the University. Academic support within the library is to be extended by programmes that will teach students the relevance and use of information literacy in problem-solving, research skills and independent learning directly linked to their subject area of study. Measures to offer specific support to disabled students, distance learners and students with special needs are underway. A model PDP is being developed linked with academic departments, colleges and DSU as well as the CAS. The intention is to maintain a broad-based reflection on students' academic and extra curricula experiences while looking forward to employment, thus enabling students to consider their total learning experience and identify further development needs.
190 Regular, free training programmes for students and staff cover all aspects of IT literacy. All students and departments are encouraged to make full use of DUO, and it has proved a popular and useful tool furthering academic support. Students living out of college, those taking a year abroad and students on distance-learning programmes find DUO particularly useful. The audit team learned that uses of DUO are being explored by the Schools Liaison team and local FE colleges, to support the transition of non-traditional students to Durham.
191 Completion rates in 2001-02 of 96 per cent were attributed largely to the University's support service, especially the college system. All students belong to a college and all undergraduates have a personal tutor. The college tutors are central to student support and guidance and provide a link between the personal and academic aspects of the student experience, offering an informal opportunity for students to discuss their adjustment to university life. In addition to the personal tutor, some colleges operate a student mentor or parenting programme for new students which helps them to accommodate to the change from home to University.
192 A major concern of the University is to ensure that staffing levels can identify and cope with the needs of the increasing number of students with disabilities. Workshops to raise awareness among academic and support staff of the need to make reasonable adjustments for disabled students have been held, and TLC has approved a policy on equal opportunities in teaching and learning to be incorporated into the main University policy in order to map Durham practices to the Code of practice, Section 3: Students with disabilities.
193 Support services appeared to be working well for the majority of undergraduates. Students considered that the personal tutors varied in commitment, and there was 'huge scope for improving the college tutor system'. Taught postgraduates, other than international students, are not assigned a personal tutor, and it became increasingly evident during the audit visit that colleges vary in their level of facilities and support. Ustinov College, where postgraduates are members, is currently a distributed rather than a physical resource. Currently, the highest numbers and percentages of part-time, Access and mature students, who clearly require particular support, study at Queen's Campus. The audit team learnt that the Campus is in the process of building up its support systems but some students there registered a sense of isolation. The University was aware of these difficulties and with its new Board of Colleges under the new Dean of Colleges and Student Support, the perceived drift between the colleges and academic departments would be addressed.
194 The appointment of a new Training and Development Officer has strengthened provision of management training, while training related to quality assurance, teaching and learning has been subject to a relative decline with the absence of the ASDO. The University is exercised by the continuing vacancy in the position of ASDO, which has delayed the implementation of parts of its HR Strategy. Even with this significant hindrance, staff development and dissemination of practice takes place at department level through peer review, appraisal, the Good Practice web site and a Teaching and Learning Forum.
195 The University's HR Strategy explicitly supports the links between teaching and research and values the contribution of staff to teaching excellence. University-wide support for postgraduate students in teaching or demonstrating has been strengthened and the University is committed to extending this at departmental level for more subject-specific assistance. The audit team sees the core principles of the HR Strategy as wholly appropriate for a 'research university' such as Durham. The difficulty in making the appointment is serious, and the team recommends that the University continues to develop alternative means of delivering the appropriate staff development relating to learning and teaching strategies until the ADSO is in post.
The Outcomes of discipline audit trails
Anthropology
196 The scope of the DAT was bachelors and masters degrees in anthropology, biological anthropology, health and human sciences, and archaeology and anthropology. From its study of students' assessed work, and from its discussions with students and staff, the audit team formed the view that the standard of student achievement is appropriate to the titles of the awards and their location within the FHEQ. Programme specifications set out appropriate learning outcomes and link these clearly to teaching, learning and assessment. The undergraduate programme specifications are formulated using relevant subject benchmark statements. The writing of the specifications had been used as an opportunity to review the curriculum.
197 Student evaluation of the provision was very positive and there was considerable praise for the accessibility of academic staff and the support available through the college system. The audit team concluded that the quality of the learning opportunities available to students on both the Durham and Queen's campuses is suitable for the programmes of study leading to the named awards.
Computer science
198 The scope of the computer science DAT was BSc programmes in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Software Engineering, part-time Certificate and Diploma programmes in Information Technology at the Stockton Campus, and two taught postgraduate programmes: MSc in Internet Systems and e-Business, and MSc in Internet and Distributed Systems. The audit team found that the standard of student achievement was appropriate to the titles of the awards and their location within the FHEQ. Programme specifications for all the extant programmes were very informative and conformed to the University's pro forma.
199 Students speak very favourably about their experiences, expressing their appreciation of the quality of information provided to them, the learning resources available, the support they receive and the responsiveness of the Department.
200 Despite the loss of the majority of its academic staff as a result of the University's Strategic Improvement Programme, the Computer Science Department has focused on its taught provision, a result of which the quality of learning opportunities for students has remained high.
Music
201 The degrees covered in the DAT were the BA in Music, MAs in Composition, Electroacoustic Studies, Ethnomusicology, Musicology and Performance, together with joint honours programmes in English Literature and Music, Modern European Languages and Music, Music and Theology, Latin and Music, and the department's contribution to the BA Combined Honours in Arts. The audit team found that the standard of student achievement was appropriate to the titles of the awards and their location within the FHEQ.
202 The music DSED and its supporting documentation gave a clear view of the functioning at departmental level of University Review, Annual Review, programme and module approval. The audit team noted that all University's policies were clearly understood and fully implemented and that monitoring and review at all levels were working well.
203 Students agreed that the documents were helpful and accurate and, consequently, they were fully informed about the language of learning outcomes, level descriptors and grade criteria. Students spoke with enthusiasm of the University library, and considered that the IT provision was more than adequate, and that discipline-specific resources were similarly well provided. Students were well-versed in the philosophy of quality management and were confident that their voice was heard. The audit team concluded that the quality of learning opportunities available to students is suitable for the programmes of study leading to the named awards.
Theology and ministry
204 The scope of the DAT included both the Certificate and Diploma in Higher Education in Theology and Ministry. The audit team considered that the complex admission procedure had worked well in practice, producing a cohort of impressive students. The validation process itself had worked well, promoting several improvements in practices of teaching and assessment, in addition to increasing consistency across modules offered by different members of the NEITE consortium. The team considered the programmes of study, methods of teaching and processes of assessment offered in the Certificate in Higher Education in Theology and Ministry and Diploma in Higher Education in Theology and Ministry to be appropriate for the level of qualification. The high quality of programme specifications for several NEITE courses, and rigorous staff training programmes, provide models of good practice which could benefit the wider University.
The institution's use of the academic infrastructure
205 The University has responded to the publication of the Code of practice, the FHEQ and the subject benchmark statements with careful deliberation, but at a relatively slow pace. It has undertaken a gap analysis mapping the current practice against the precepts of the Code. In many cases the consequent changes to internal policies, codes and procedures had only recently come into effect or were still under consideration during the audit visit. The SED recognises this, pointing out that with effect from October 2003, quality management within the University took place within the context of new policies and procedures in the following areas: a credit policy; level descriptors; qualification descriptors; generic assessment criteria; revised undergraduate core regulations; revised core regulations for taught postgraduate and 'graduate' programmes; and revised guidelines for placement learning.
206 The audit team considered a large number of documents and heard much evidence that demonstrate the care with which the University has gone about adjusting its established procedures in order to align its processes with the external reference points that make up the academic infrastructure. It is evident that the time this has taken reflects both the University's tradition of relatively autonomous departments and the high academic standards those departments have sustained. When the externally stimulated changes to the University's procedures are completed, they will provide a coherent and explicit foundation for the continuing management and enhancement of quality. The TLC is well-placed to assess the outcomes of the significant number of changes that first came into operation in the academic year 2003-04. In those areas where adjustments were not complete at the time of the audit, particularly those involving programme specifications and the Code of practice, Section 10: Recruitment and admissions the audit team would encourage the University to progress the work more speedily.
The utility of the SED as an illustration of the institution's capacity to reflect upon its own strengths and limitations, and to act on these to enhance quality and standards
207 The institutional SED provided an acceptable level of reflection on the University's quality assurance processes, identifying areas of strength and weakness. In a number of instances the SED indicated that the Agency audit would provide an opportunity for the University to seek an external opinion on the appropriateness of its adaptations to the academic infrastructure for HE, for example, in the context of approval and review procedures. Many matters raised in the SED had already begun to be acted upon. The audit team was, however, able to identify further areas for consideration by the University and the SWS confirmed that the University had not reflected sufficiently on the experience of its postgraduate students.Commentary on the institution's intentions for the enhancement of quality and standards
208 The SED identified the need to develop an 'overarching provision for quality enhancement' as 'an area which requires major attention over the next three years'. The appointment of an ASDO who will focus on staff development in relation to teaching, learning and assessment is seen as 'crucial' to the development of such a provision. The ASDO is also a critical appointment to facilitate the development of departmental-level teaching and learning strategies. These are intended to promote more evaluative processes and the strategic development of the Annual Review process.
209 The audit team shares the view that the University is well-placed to formulate and implement its agenda for quality enhancement: the CLTRHE, which was described as fully integrated into the academic teaching of the University, is active in providing a range of staff development activities for both new and established academic staff, and there are numerous examples of quality enhancement at the departmental and programme level that were apparent to the team at the DAT level. However, the team advises the University to accelerate the introduction of a strategy for quality enhancement including planned provision of learning and teaching strategies at departmental level.
Reliability of information
210 At the time of the audit, HEFCE 03/51 had only recently been published, although the University had been making preparations on the basis of the earlier report, HEFCE 02/15. The University believes that it will have no difficulty in providing the necessary data to inform the quantitative information set, drawn from data held by the Higher Education Statistics Agency. With respect to the qualitative information set, the University has reviewed and amended the external examiners' report format and has consulted its external examiners on the publication of their reports. The summary of overall student satisfaction is on hold, pending the issue of national guidelines.
211 The audit team reviewed a variety of University and department publications as well as the web site. Overall, the information provided to students appeared to be appropriate and effective, and no significant problem areas were identified. The team, therefore, finds the University's currently published information to be accurate and reliable. Moreover, the University was alert to the requirements of TQI and to the implications of HEFCE 03/51, and appears to be on course to fulfil its responsibilities in this respect
Features of good practice
212 The audit team identified the following as being good practice at the University:
- the work of the TLC as an engine of change in promoting a proactive and reflective culture in its work (paragraphs 24 to 27; 29 to 32);
- the rigorous and well-written documentation in support of the management of quality and standards (paragraph 32);
- the detailed and analytical process adopted in the development of programme specifications (paragraphs 52 to 53, 116; 123; 134 and 148);
- the high level of attendance by students where they have a representative role (paragraph 59);
- the positive steps taken by the University to recognise excellence in teaching (paragraph 74);
- action to evaluate the efficacy of the college experience and the introduction of a Dean of Colleges and Student Support (paragraphs 96 to 97 and 101); and
- effective policy implementation for students studying by distance learning (paragraphs 80 to 82).
Recommendations for action
213 The audit team also recommends that the University should consider taking further action in a number of areas to ensure that the quality of its provision and the academic standards of the awards are maintained.
The University is advised to:
- accelerate the introduction of a strategy for quality enhancement including planned development of learning and teaching strategies at department-level (paragraphs 35; 76 and 79); and
- adopt a more systematic and visible form of annual review (paragraphs 39 to 41).
- It is desirable that the University:
- monitor more carefully the learning experience of postgraduate students, particularly on taught programmes (paragraphs 25; 62 and 95);
- disseminate good practice to provide more timely feedback to students on their evaluation of the learning experience (paragraphs 60; 118 and 143);
- institute a more systematic approach to recording appraisal to enable the University to maintain an oversight of the consistency of participation in the process (paragraphs 73; 125 and 131); and
- recognise the good practice in partner colleges from which the University may benefit (paragraphs 151, 153 and 157).
Appendix
The University of Durham's response to the audit report
The University of Durham is pleased with the strongly positive report of the audit team. We are gratified that several major aspects of our provision have been singled out as exemplifying good practice and that the considerable progress which we have made since our previous audit in developing our quality assurance mechanisms has been recognised. We endorse the report's tribute to our students whose positive involvement in committees and in responding to opportunities for feedback makes a major contribution to institutional discussions on many aspects of teaching and learning. We especially welcome the comments of the report on the effectiveness of our support for student learning, which the auditors linked with our high levels of retention and student achievement; student appreciation of the impact of staff research on their learning experience; and the steps we are taking to promote and recognise excellence in teaching.
We were not surprised that development of the annual review procedure was the main recommendation of the audit team. The University had already recognised the need to promote a strategy for quality enhancement, and we were aware that in the changing context of quality assurance and enhancement - and in particular the cessation of subject review - the annual review of teaching needed to be more consistent. We made this explicit in the SED and explained that we had already put in train plans to appoint an Academic Staff Development Officer to lead the necessary developments. Since the Audit visit we are pleased to report that an Academic Staff Development Officer has taken up post, and is working with departments on a more strategic approach to teaching and learning in general, including the development of teaching and learning strategies as such. This will form the basis for an enhanced annual review process.
Other developments since the Audit visit which will further contribute to the enhancement of teaching and learning include:
- a new appointment in the Personnel Section dedicated to developing a performance management system to replace the existing appraisal process. This will embrace teaching as well as research activity and will articulate with our developing strategy for quality enhancement;
- postgraduate student support is being enhanced by restructuring the Graduate School Office to focus more on this area of activity, and work is under way to develop further graduate facilities at Ustinov College including the building of additional residential accommodation and social amenities which will provide an enhanced focus for the college;
- restructuring of the Graduate School Office and Undergraduate Section into the Academic Support Office will result in undergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes being managed alongside each other, so ensuring a consistent degree of quality management across programmes. This will include procedures for monitoring the student experience, which will be made comparable with those for undergraduate programmes. In addition, now that the HEFCE Good Practice Guide to Collecting and Using Student Feedback has been published, TLC has established a working group to undertake a full, strategic review of all the mechanisms for feedback across the full range of the student experience. This will feed in directly to the quality enhancement agenda;
- a new Director has been appointed to the International Office, and enhanced support for International students has been provided through the Dean of Colleges and Student Support Services division;
- a Director has been appointed to establish a Strategic Planning and Change Unit;
- a coordinated Learning Resources Strategy. This will ensure the effective integration of the University's strategies for Teaching and Learning, Library, IT and Learning Technologies, and Estates.
In addition a working group of senior colleagues has been established by TLC to ensure that all the issues raised in the Audit report are addressed.
ISBN 1 84482 117 X
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