The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) was established in 1997. It has responsibility for assessing the quality of higher education (HE) in England and Northern Ireland from 1 October 1997 under the terms of a contract with the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The purposes of subject review are: to ensure that the public funding provided is supporting education of an acceptable quality, to provide public information on that education through the publication of reports such as this one, and to provide information and insights to encourage improvements in education. The main features of the subject review method are:
The HE sector in England and Northern Ireland is diverse. The HEFCE funds education in over 140 institutions of HE and 75 further education (FE) colleges. These institutions vary greatly in size, subject provision, history and statement of purpose. Each has autonomy to determine its institutional mission, and its specific aims and objectives at subject level. Subject review is carried out in relation to the subject aims and objectives set by each provider. It measures the extent to which each subject provider is successful in achieving its aims and objectives. Readers should be cautious in making comparisons of subject providers solely on the basis of subject review outcomes. Comparisons between providers with substantively different aims and objectives would have little validity.
Subject review examines the wide range of influences that shape the learning experiences and achievements of students. It covers the full breadth of teaching and learning activities, including: direct observation of classroom/seminar/workshop/ laboratory situations, the methods of reviewing students' work, students' work and achievements, the curriculum, staff and staff development, the application of resources (library, information technology, equipment), and student support and guidance. This range of activities is captured within a core set of six aspects of provision, each of which is graded on a four-point scale (1 to 4), in ascending order of merit. The aspects of provision are:
Reviewers are academic and professional peers in the subject. Most are members of the academic staff of UK HE institutions. Others are drawn from industry, commerce, private practice and the professions.
The review method has two main processes:
In addition to individual review reports, the QAA will publish subject overview reports at the conclusion of reviews in a subject. The subject overview reports are distributed widely to schools and FE colleges, public libraries and careers services. Both the review reports and the subject overview reports are available in hard copy and are also on the world-wide web.
1. This Report presents the findings of a review in January 2001 of the quality of education in economics provided by the University of York.
2. The University of York was founded in 1963 and the first colleges opened in 1965. The majority of students are accommodated in the colleges, which integrate the academic and social aspects of the University and facilitate interaction between staff and students. The main campus is at Heslington, close to the city centre. The University is organised into 24 academic departments and 10 research centres. There are 5,840 full-time and 1,023 part-time undergraduate students, and 1,406 full-time and 628 part-time postgraduate students; a total of 7,941 full-time equivalents (FTEs) in the academic year 2000-01.
3. The Department of Economics was established in 1963 and has been on its current site in Alcuin College since 1967. The Department works with the School of Politics, Economics and Philosophy in providing a number of interdisciplinary undergraduate programmes. Students are taught both within the College and in adjacent areas of the University. There are 591 full-time undergraduate students and 126 full-time and 13 part-time postgraduate students, a total of 553 FTEs. They are taught by 40 full-time equivalent academic staff, 12 visiting academic staff and 21 teaching fellows, and supported by 9.5 FTE administrative, technical and clerical staff.
4. The following provision forms the basis of the review:
5. The statistical data in this Introduction are provided by the institution itself. The aims and objectives are presented overleaf. These also are provided by the institution.
The major teaching and learning aim of the Department is to provide a stimulating and enjoyable educational experience in an international community by offering programmes designed to:
The common academic objectives of these programmes are that, having completed them, students will:
Objectives for acquisition of transferable skills are embedded in the delivery of all modules, although the emphasis will vary. They include:
The specific objectives of the undergraduate programmes are to:
and, in Part II, to:
The specific objectives of the Certificate programmes include the Part II objectives above in preparation for MSc entry.
The specific objectives of the Diploma/MSc programmes are to give all students:
Module-specific aims and objectives (including intended learning outcomes) are identified for each module in the documentation provided for students. A general description of each module is provided in the appropriate departmental handbook, outlining content, mode of assessment, prerequisites and the main text to be used. Each module's course handout contains fuller details including intended learning outcomes. Objectives in respect of transferable skills are set out in the Students' Handbook and Introduction to Graduate Studies.
6. The graded profile in paragraph 7 indicates the extent to which the student learning experience and achievement demonstrate that the aims and objectives set by the subject provider are being met. The tests and the criteria applied by the reviewers are these:
To what extent do the student learning experience and student achievement, within this aspect of provision, contribute to meeting the objectives set by the subject provider?
Do the objectives set, and the level of attainment of those objectives, allow the aims set by the subject provider to be met?
1 The aims and/or objectives set by the subject provider are not met; there are major shortcomings that must be rectified.
2 This aspect makes an acceptable contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives, but significant improvement could be made. The aims set by the subject provider are broadly met.
3 This aspect makes a substantial contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives; however, there is scope for improvement. The aims set by the subject provider are substantially met.
4 This aspect makes a full contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives. The aims set by the subject provider are met.
7. The grades awarded as a result of the review are:
|
Aspects of provision
|
Grade
|
|---|---|
| Curriculum Design, Content and Organisation |
4
|
| Teaching, Learning and Assessment |
4
|
| Student Progression and Achievement |
4
|
| Student Support and Guidance |
4
|
| Learning Resources |
4
|
| Quality Management and Enhancement |
4
|
8. The quality of education in economics at the University of York is approved.
9. The Department offers a wide range of programmes at undergraduate level in line with its aims and objectives. These consist of a number of single honours and joint honours degrees with attractive combinations of subjects such as economics with finance, economic history and econometrics. It works with other departments, in particular the School of Politics, Economics and Philosophy, to provide further interdisciplinary programmes such as economics with politics, economics with philosophy, and politics, philosophy and economics. External examiners comment favourably on how the disciplines are brought together. The programmes cater for a wide variety of students' choices and the flexibility of the arrangements allows for transfers between programmes. In Part I of the undergraduate programmes, modules at Level 1 provide core areas of subject knowledge, introduce students to various theoretical approaches and develop analytical, quantitative and transferable skills. Students are also able to choose from a range of electives to suit their academic interests. In Part II, modules at Levels 2 and 3 are designed to develop core areas relevant to a particular programme, offer students a range of electives and further develop students' subject-specific, intellectual and transferable skills.
10. The Department offers a number of specialist postgraduate programmes that receive Economic and Social Research Council recognition, such as the one-year MSc programmes in Economics, Econometrics and Economics and Health Economics. Programmes have a common structure with students combining a variety of core modules that provide underpinning analytical, technical and quantitative skills with specialist options. This is followed by the preparation of a dissertation. A particular feature of the provision is the availability of a summer session for students whose background is not in economics, but who are judged to be able to successfully complete the one-year MSc programmes. The Department also provides parallel two-year MSc programmes and postgraduate certificates such as the Certificate in Economics and the Certificate in Econometrics and Economics. The first year of the two-year MSc programme is operated in common with the postgraduate certificate and is based on a prescribed set of undergraduate modules. The second year is operated in common with the one-year MSc programme.
11. The Department has recently launched a distance-learning programme leading to a Certificate and Diploma in Health Economics for Health Care Professionals. This programme provides an innovatory example of curriculum design in economics and uses module workbooks written by the academic staff.
12. The design and content of curricula at both undergraduate and postgraduate level are clearly related to the stated aims and objectives. Careful organisation of the degree programmes, involving an appropriate system of prerequisites, ensures coherence and academic progression, and provides opportunities for study in both breadth and depth. Courses provide opportunities for vocationally relevant study and, whilst this is true of the programme as a whole, it is especially the case with regard to routes such as economics and finance at the undergraduate level, and health economics at the postgraduate level.
13. Research and staff expertise is clearly reflected in the design and currency of stimulating and challenging curricula. The curriculum at both undergraduate and postgraduate level demonstrates appropriate responsiveness to developments within the discipline and benefits from the high quality and quantity of the Department's research, consultancy and professional activity. For example, the MSc module Taxation and Distribution is based on a course text written by a member of staff, and consultancy and policy advice in the economics of defence and in health economics inform the curriculum on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
14. This aspect makes a full contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives. The aims set by the subject provider are met.
Curriculum Design, Content and Organisation:
Grade 4.
15. The strategy for teaching, learning and assessment is designed to address the students' varied academic backgrounds and to satisfy the full range of learning objectives. The range of programmes offered by the Department allows students to choose different modes of learning from formal mathematical and statistical approaches to more discursive and historical approaches. The introductory mathematical and quantitative teaching that is needed to support the delivery of the economics programmes differentiates between students with a GCE A-Level pass in Mathematics and those without. Postgraduate students are offered a choice of preparatory mathematical courses appropriate to their varying levels of prior achievement, before the commencement of the assessed components of the programme.
16. The Department emphasises teaching and learning methods with a traditional mix of lectures and small group tutorials, but also includes practical computer-based sessions, projects, dissertations and work placements. At the undergraduate level, the balance between formal teaching in lectures and small groups and self-directed study adjusts as the programmes progress to promote independence and self-reliance in the learning process. The newly introduced distance-learning programme in health economics is delivered using high quality teaching materials and is supported by use of the internet to promote student discussion. The acquisition of transferable skills is embedded in the teaching programme at all levels and is achieved through team activities, presentations and problem-solving exercises. The University offers additional opportunities for the acquisition of transferable skills, through optional studies such at the Information Literacy in All Departments programme (ILIAD), certificates in personal development under the York Award and the Languages for All programme. Economics students participate extensively in all these activities and confirm the value of the provision.
17. The teaching programme is delivered by an enthusiastic and professional body of highly qualified and experienced academic staff. The reviewers observed 16 teaching and learning sessions covering both lectures and small group activities at undergraduate and postgraduate level, and taught by both full-time academic staff and postgraduate teaching fellows. The teaching observed was generally of a high quality, carefully planned and clearly related to module and programme objectives. In the better sessions, the reviewers noted high levels of student participation and the use of well-constructed learning materials based on the research activities of staff. Evidence from meetings with both current and former students confirms student satisfaction with the teaching programme and the quality of feedback on progress provided by staff.
18. The assessment strategy separates learning from formal summative assessment as the Department claims that combining them, as in continuous assessment, reduces students' willingness to take risks and impedes the learning process. It makes extensive use of well designed formative assessment methods in conjunction with small-group teaching. These enhance the acquisition of skills, and provide opportunities for learning and for regular feedback on student achievement. A range of summative assessment methods is in use across the various programmes, including extensive use of unseen examinations, seen examinations, essays and project work, and external examiners confirm the effectiveness of assessment. The Department might wish to consider how it could better articulate its assessment design strategy, particularly the match between assessment methods and learning outcomes in some elements. Examination and marking procedures are thorough, entailing anonymity of candidates and double-marking of all second and final-year undergraduate and postgraduate work. External examiners comment favourably on the fair and consistent treatment of all candidates, and this is confirmed by the reviewers' scrutiny of student work.
19. This aspect makes a full contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives. The aims set by the subject provider are met.
Teaching, Learning and Assessment:
Grade 4.
20. The Department successfully implements its aim to recruit high-calibre students who can benefit from an educational experience within an international context. In the academic year 2000-01, there were 730 students reading economics, including 139 postgraduate students. On undergraduate programmes, 70 per cent of the cohort are male students, and approximately 12 per cent of the intake are from overseas. On postgraduate programmes, 56 per cent are male, and approximately 42 per cent are from overseas. Some 85 per cent of undergraduate students have GCE A-Level qualifications, and the average points score in 2000-01 was 26.7. There are approximately 10 applicants for each undergraduate place and seven applicants for each postgraduate place. A significant feature of the provision is the growth of applications in recent years, which is against the national trend. Applications for the economics degree have increased from 928 in 1997-98 to 1,151 in 2000-01. In the same period, applications for joint degrees have risen from 210 to 264, applications for degrees in the School of Politics, Economics and Philosophy have risen from 484 to 665 and applications for postgraduate programmes have risen from 565 to 998.
21. Progression and completion rates across all programmes are uniformly high. Academic failure in all years is low with 95 per cent of undergraduate students successfully completing Part I. A small number of students transfer between programmes without loss of credit. Academic failure and withdrawals over the whole programme are around 6.4 per cent. The withdrawal rate has increased in recent years but remains modest and the Department is carefully monitoring this. Over 60 per cent of undergraduates achieve a First or Upper Second class degree, and a further 28 per cent a Lower Second class degree. On postgraduate programmes, over 96 per cent of the students successfully complete their studies.
22. External examiners comment favourably on the standards achieved and the reviewers confirm this. Scrutiny of student work shows that students achieve appropriate levels of understanding in the core areas of microeconomics and macroeconomics, and in optional modules, during Part II of the undergraduate degrees. Former students confirm that the acquisition of both subject-specific and transferable skills is of value to them in their chosen careers, and a significant number of students also take advantage of the additional study available through the ILIAD, York Award and Languages for All programmes.
23. The aim, to prepare those who wish to proceed to more advanced levels of study and to prepare students for successful careers in a wide variety of occupations, is achieved. The Department uses its networks in areas such as health economics and monetary institutions to introduce students to potential future employers, and first destination statistics show that in 1999-2000, over 50 per cent of new graduates found employment. A further 27 per cent continued their studies and some 6 per cent were known to be unemployed. In general, new graduates secure well-remunerated employment and a significant number enter the financial services sector where their knowledge and skills are immediately relevant. Over 60 per cent of postgraduates students found employment and 12 per cent continued their studies.
24. This aspect makes a full contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives. The aims set by the subject provider are met.
Student Progression and Achievement:
Grade 4.
25. There is a clear strategy for student support and guidance within the Department. Effective procedures are in place for admissions, open days and the induction of new undergraduate students. All prospective students are invited, with their parents, to an open day and applicants are provided with information on the programme and a guided tour of the facilities available on campus. In addition, applicants with non-traditional qualifications are offered an interview. Similar procedures are in place for postgraduate programmes and are managed by the Graduate Admissions Panel.
26. The Department provides students with an impressive range of handbooks. These cover Part I and Part II of the undergraduate programme, and all the postgraduate courses. The information is also available on the internet. Handbooks contain full and clear explanations on the structure of the programme and the learning objectives, what is expected of students, assessment procedures and the wide range of welfare and pastoral provision available.
27. A particular strength of the Department is academic guidance, which is provided through a supervisor system. Formative assessment is used to monitor progress, and the information is fed back to the students and their supervisors through a tutorial report form. The role of the supervisor encompasses personal guidance and advice on the selection of modules and programmes of study. The supervisory duties of staff are set out in the impressive Handbook for Supervisors, which offers clear and comprehensive guidance on the nature and extent of the role. Students are advised of the availability of the supervisor during office hours, and many supervisors make themselves available as needed. Students are expected to see their supervisor at least twice each term and the Department monitors this. The reviewers found that academic guidance and tutorial support is well matched to student needs and to teaching and learning methods. Meetings with students confirmed that academic guidance is effective in meeting their needs.
28. The University is divided into colleges, and support is co-ordinated by the student's supervisor and college Provost. The college system is a notable feature of the provision at York. The University offers a comprehensive range of welfare and pastoral care facilities on campus, and these are supplemented by provision within the Department. Specialist help is available in a range of areas such as counselling, health care, financial advice and nursery provision. There is a disability adviser and the University is currently undertaking a redevelopment programme that will enhance services for disabled students. Exchange schemes involving a year's overseas study are available and extensive guidance and support is provided for the small number of students who take up this option. The careers service offers full, effective and early guidance to students, and all first-year students are invited to a formal introduction to the service and its facilities. There is an information room, a duty officer and a personal advice service available by appointment. In addition, a departmental careers officer liaises effectively with the service. Current and former students expressed satisfaction with the careers advice that they received.
29. This aspect makes a full contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives. The aims set by the subject provider are met.
Student Support and Guidance:
Grade 4.
30. The University has well-developed procedures and structures for the management of learning resources. The provision is extensive and enables the Department to meet its stated aims. In particular, there is an effective departmental library committee which makes policy decisions about library spending and which has a clear strategy for the acquisition of stock. Liaison between the departmental library officer and library staff is both active and effective.
31. The main stock of books and journals on economics is located in the J.B.Morrell Library. The library is open for 77 hours each week during term-time and there are study facilities in five of the colleges that are open 24-hours. There is good provision of all core texts and the students commend the stock, facilities and opening hours. Multiple copies are held in a short-loan collection and there is effective management of this collection by the departmental library officer and the subject specialist librarian. The library catalogue is available on-line, both on networked computers on campus and from remote sites. Library provision in economics is generous and has risen from £68,540 in 1998-99 to £86,516 in 2000-01. The library's extensive journal collection is augmented by electronic access to current and back issues, and by subscriptions to Datastream, FT Discovery and CD-ROM based materials. The Department has its own health economics library in the Health Economics Resource Centre, which provides good facilities for postgraduates. Students on the distance learning programme have postal access to the facilities.
32. The Library Plus scheme enables students to access stock, and enjoy borrowing rights, from three other UK libraries. There is a regular, free minibus service to the British Library at Boston Spa. For material not available in the University library, students have access to an interlibrary loan scheme with the first 30 requests from postgraduates, and first 10 requests from undergraduates, available free of charge. New initiatives, such as the Certificate and Diploma in Health Economics for Health Care Professionals, are given a separate allocation and are well resourced. Students expressed a high level of satisfaction with library provision and services.
33. IT facilities are provided in the colleges, the Health Economics Resource Centre and in the Department. There is 24-hour access to IT facilities and there are 277 PCs available centrally, with a further 354 in the Departments. The University policy is to locate new resources on the ground floor of buildings to facilitate disabled access. An adequate range of software is available on networked PC's including word processing and spreadsheet software and econometrics packages. IT training is available for students through the University's ILIAD programme. Teaching fellows have access to PCs in their dedicated rooms in Alcuin College. Internet-based provision of material for students has been expanded and is of good quality providing a range of resources including past examination papers, copies of lecture notes and solutions to quantitative problems. IT provision is consistent with support for the curriculum, and with the teaching and learning strategy.
34. The Department has been on its current site in Alcuin College since 1967 and has expanded over time into adjacent areas. Most teaching rooms are located in or close to the Department, but large lectures are held in theatres near the centre of the campus. Teaching, social and recreational accommodation in the colleges is appropriate. The University is currently involved in a £21million redevelopment of Alcuin College and there are temporary problems caused by the construction work. However, accommodation is adequate and will be considerably improved once the development work has been completed.
35. The Department claims that its principal learning resource is the academic staff, whose expertise is maintained by active research of recognised excellence. The reviewers noted that the Department has highly qualified, professional and enthusiastic academic staff, and students commend the technical, administrative and clerical staff for their support.
36. This aspect makes a full contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives. The aims set by the subject provider are met.
Learning Resources:
Grade 4.
37. The University's strategy for managing quality is based on a system of annual departmental programme reviews, coupled with visits to departments by a panel from the University Teaching Committee, which is responsible for monitoring and developing quality assurance structures on behalf of the Senate. The last visit to the Department was in 1998. The reviewers confirm that the strategy is effective in managing the quality of provision.
38. Within the Department, the Board of Studies has overall responsibility for the management and enhancement of quality in economics, and is supported by several sub-committees such as the Examinations Committees for Parts I and II of the undergraduate programmes and the Graduate School Board. The Board of Studies meets twice each term, with a standing agenda, and undertakes the annual programme review for the Department. External examiners' reports and minutes of the Departmental Teaching Committee provide formal evidence to the Board of Studies. The recent introduction of an annual report from the Head of Department, that informs the Board of Studies, is a valuable addition to quality assurance procedures. The annual review is sent to the University Teaching Committee. Quality assurance procedures are robust and are operated effectively by the Department.
39. New programmes are subject to external scrutiny and are approved by the University Teaching Committee, which must also approve substantive changes to existing programmes. The University provides comprehensive guidelines on the role of external examiners who are involved in the approval of examination papers, the assessment of examination scripts, scrutiny of other assessed work and oral examinations. They attend the Examination Board and comment on programme content, balance and structure. The Department maintains close links with its external examiners and takes prompt action on their comments and suggestions. External examiners comment favourably on the quality of the programmes overall and on the operation of quality procedures.
40. Student feedback is collected at the end of each module. It provides formal evidence to the Board of Studies and informs the annual report by the Head of Department. Staff and students have appropriate representation on all relevant committees, and students comment favourably on the speed with which remedial action is taken. A student forum and a forum for teaching fellows are held each term and provide further feedback to the Board of Studies and Head of Department.
41. The Department has participated in the University's staff appraisal scheme since the early 1990s, and has well-developed arrangements for the peer observation of teaching. Staff can choose a colleague to review their teaching, and documentation is sent to the Head of Department following the review to report on any agreed action. The information is used to inform staff development needs and provides evidence for the Head of Department's report. New staff are allocated a mentor whose role is to help in the development of teaching, research and administrative skills, and to act as peer reviewer. Teaching fellows must complete a formal training programme organised by the Director of Teaching Fellows as preparation for their role as undergraduate tutors. They receive an induction pack outlining the key aspects of the role, and both teaching fellows and students confirm the value of the training provided. The Department seeks to disseminate good practice through the Departmental Teaching Committee, which arranges lunchtime seminars on topics such as the development of transferable skills and the use of computers in teaching economics.
42. The Department operates appropriate procedures for self-evaluation and improvement, and the self-assessment document provides a useful starting point for subject review. Management information is readily available in the Department and is used effectively. Staff and students were consulted on the self-evaluation and confirmed their contributions to the document.
43. This aspect makes a full contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives. The aims set by the subject provider are met.
Quality Management and Enhancement:
Grade 4.
44. The quality of education in economics at University of York is approved. All aspects make a full contribution to attainment of the stated objectives and the aims are met. The reviewers come to this conclusion, based upon the review visit together with an analysis of the self-assessment and additional data provided.
45. The positive features of the education in economics in relation to the aspects of provision include the following:
a. A wide range of attractive undergraduate programmes, including the interdisciplinary School of Politics, Economics and Philosophy programmes, and Economic and Social Research Council recognised postgraduate programmes catering for different student backgrounds (paragraphs 9; 10).
b. Research, consultancy and professional activity underpins the curriculum and provides a stimulating learning environment (paragraph 13).
c. A range of teaching and learning methods which allow students to choose between differing approaches, supported by high-quality learning materials (paragraphs 15; 16).
d. Well-designed formative assessments enhance the acquisition of subject-specific and transferable skills, and provide extensive opportunities for learning and regular feedback on student achievement (paragraph 18).
e. The programmes continue to attract highly-motivated students with good academic qualifications against national trends in the demand for courses in economics (paragraph 20).
f. Progression and completion rates across all programmes are uniformly high and first-destination statistics show that graduates secure well-remunerated employment (paragraphs 21; 23).
g. Student handbooks provide clear and concise information, and the Handbook for Supervisors is particularly impressive (paragraphs 26; 27).
h. Academic guidance and tutorial support is well matched to learning methods, and there is good liaison between academic and support staff (paragraphs 27; 28).
i. Library resources are generous and support the broad portfolio of provision effectively (paragraphs 31; 32).
j. There is 24-hour access to information technology facilities; and training is available through the programme for Information Literacy in All Departments (paragraph 33).
k. Quality assurance procedures are robust and the introduction of an annual report from the Head of Department is a useful addition (paragraph 38)
l. The formal training and mentoring of teaching fellows enhances the quality of tutoring in the Department (paragraph 41).