ASQC Minutes 30 January 2020

Minutes of the meeting of the Cardiff University Academic Standards and Quality Committee (ASQC) held on Thursday, 30 January 2020, in committee room 2, Glamorgan Building, at 10:00.

Present: Professor Amanda Coffey (Chair); Professor Barbara Chadwick; Mr Tomos Evans; Mr Nick Fox; Dr Kate Gilliver; Dr Robert Gossedge; Dr Julie Gwilliam; Professor Martin Jephcote; Professor Dai John; Dr Emma Kidd; Professor Stuart Palmer; Professor Helen Williams; Dr Robert Wilson.

In attendance: Mr Rhodri Evans (Secretary); Ms Hannah Darnley; Ms Claire Morgan; Mrs Rachel Natton; Ms Sally Rutterford; Ms Tracey Stanley; Ms Martine Woodward; Mr Simon Wright.

Apologies: Ms Shekina Ortom; Dr Ryan Prout; Dr Andrew Roberts.

1244 Minutes

The Minutes of the meeting of the Academic Standards and Quality Committee held on 23rd October 2019 (paper 19/152) were confirmed as a true record.

1245 Matters Arising

Received and considered paper 19/333, 'Matters Arising'.

Arising therefrom:

1245.1 Review of Regulations (Minute 1229.1)

Noted

.1that the Regulations had been used to inform the University’s QER mapping documents to demonstrate that it meets:

• the expectations and the core and common practices of the UK Quality Code;
• the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) Part 1; and
• the OIA Good Practice Framework;

.2 the equality impact assessments of the Regulations were in the process of being finalised.

1245.2 Annual Quality Report (Minute 1231)

Noted

.1 that Senate, at its meeting on 6 November 2019, and Council, at its meeting on 25 November 2019, received and considered the Annual Quality Report;
.2 that Senate approved the Annual Quality Report, and the report was used by Council to inform its annual assurance statement to HEFCW.

1245.3 Programme Development (Minute 1233)

Noted that consultation on the proposed Programme Development Policy was being undertaken with the College Deans and College Pro Vice-Chancellors, and ASQC would be asked to re-consider the policy once the consultation had been concluded.

1245.4 Academic Management Regulations (Minute 1235)

Noted that Senate, at its meeting on 6 November 2019, approved the revised Academic Management Regulations with immediate effect.

1245.5 Periodic Review (Minute 1236)

Noted that a focus group would be established to develop a new re-validation process - terms of reference and membership to be confirmed by the Chair of ASQC - and to bring forward proposals for ASQC to consider at its meeting on 29 April 2020.

Implementation of a new process would be undertaken during session 2020/21.

1245.6 Personal Tutor Policy (Minute 1237)

Noted that Senate, at its meeting on 6 November 2019, approved the revised Personal Tutor Policy with immediate effect.

1245.7 PGR Training Policy (Minute 1238)

Noted that Senate, at its meeting on 6 November 2019, approved the PGR Training Policy with effect from 2020/21 session.

1245.8 Other Matters Arising

Noted that other matters arising would be considered elsewhere on the agenda:
.1 ARE (Minute 1229.2)
See Minute 1249.
.2 QER (Minute 1232)
See Minute 1247.
.3 Review of Chair’s Action (Minute 1241)
See Minute 1250.

1246 Items from the Chair

1246.1 Coronavirus

Noted

.1 that the University incident response team had been convened to manage our response to the coronavirus outbreak and, at present, whilst there were no confirmed cases in the UK, the advice from Public Health Wales was being monitored;
.2 that Public Health Wales was advising self-quarantine for all those who have returned from Wuhan in the last 14 days, whether or not they have symptoms, and to remain at home until advised by a clinician;
.3 some of our students may not have been able to return to Cardiff in time for the start of teaching in the Spring Semester or are expected to self-quarantine and may therefore miss teaching activity. In such cases, students are being advised to contact their Academic School to discuss how their learning can be supported during any period of self-quarantine, to avoid the need to take an interruption of studies, which normally would be triggered by an absence of 14 days;
.4 that Schools had been asked to take all available steps to support students with their continued learning during a period of self-quarantine, by making full use of Panopto and Learning Central to do so. Schools had also been asked to maintain a record of the students who are impacted and the actions taken, so that these can be appropriately reported to the relevant Examining Board as extenuating circumstances.

1246.2 Degree outcomes

Received and considered paper 19/342 ‘Degree Outcomes’.

Noted

.1 that in May 2019, sector-representative bodies for higher education in the UK published a Statement of Intent, reaffirming their commitment to protect the value of UK degrees, and to transparent, consistent and fair academic standards;
.2 the Statement of Intent also confirmed that higher education providers in England and Wales would produce a degree outcomes statement by the end of academic year 2019/20;
.3 that in October 2019, the UK Standing Committee for Quality Assessment (UKSCQA) announced initiatives, developed by the sector, to follow-up on the Statement of Intent:

• New degree classifications descriptions: The common degree classifications descriptions set-out the agreed general criteria that students across the UK should meet in order to achieve the different classes of qualification at undergraduate degree level. These criteria would be a key source of reference in ensuring the comparability and reliability of UK higher education qualifications;
• Degree Outcome Statement: Providing guidance for higher education providers on what to include in their degree outcomes statements;

.4 that the Awards and Progress Committee noted, at its meeting on 12 July 2018, that there had been an increase in the proportion of students achieving 1st class degrees in 2017/18, and the Committee noted, at its meeting on 2 October 2019, that the proportion of 1st class degrees awarded in 2018/19 was similar, and that the degree classification algorithms had not been changed and, therefore, were not a factor;
.5 that the ARE process had student progression and award as an area of focus, which would ensure that any change in the degree outcomes profile is better understood, at College, School and programme level, and that we could be confident that matters raised by external examiners were being addressed;
.6 that the output from ARE would be an essential source of information when developing a degree outcomes statement;
.7 the schedule for the development of a degree outcomes statement:

View QAA webinars                                                                                      15 January 2020

20 February 2020

Feedback and input from ARE                                                                     March-May 2020
Draft Degree Outcomes Statement to be considered and approved by:

• ASQC                                                                                                    June 2020
• Senate                                                                                                  June 2020
• Council                                                                                                  July 2020

Publication of Degree Outcomes Statement                                                   July 2020

.8 Council members had been informed, at a training event on 16 January 2020, of the requirement to publish a degree outcomes statement by the end of the session. In order to better understand the degree outcomes profile of the University, Colleges, and Schools, where possible with reference to sector data, and to identify actions which may be required, Council had requested a paper to be submitted to its meeting on 2 April 2020 to inform a discussion on degree outcomes.

1246.3 Student Surveys

Noted

.1 that the University would not undertake the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) in 2020; PRES would run in 2021, and subsequently would be undertaken every other year;
.2 ASQC would receive a paper at its next meeting, highlighting any changes to the student survey activity, in order that it could be assured that ARE could operate as intended next session.

1247 Quality Enhancement Review (QER)

Received and considered paper 19/336 ‘Quality Enhancement Review Update’.

Noted

1247.1 that the University had submitted its Change Report and Self-Evaluative Analysis, accompanied with supporting documentation, and the QER Student Submission, in accordance with the agreed schedule for the QER, and the submissions had been made available to members of ASQC and Senate;

1247.2 that included within the supporting documentation provided to the Review Team was a mapping of the University’s regulations, policies and practices against the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) Part 1 and the UK Quality Code, demonstrating how we meet the requirements of each;

1247.3 that a mock review was held on 16 and 17 January 2020, which attempted to mirror the actual QER visit, albeit in a lighter-touch manner. The Mock Review Team had three members who have significant experience of QAA reviews: Claire Morgan (Director of CESI), and two external members;

1247.4 that the outcome of the Mock QER would inform our preparations for the QER visits, by determining how to approach lines of enquiry and the staff briefings, which would take place in advance of meetings with the QER Review Team;

1247.5 the Review Team would first visit the University on Tuesday 4 February and the list of attendees was being finalised. The programme for the Review Team’s main visit in March 2020 would be confirmed after the first team visit;

1247.6 the QER student submission included a number of recommendations, identifying areas for enhancement, and it was disappointing that such suggestions had not first been raised with the University in the usual way;

1247.7 the University was reviewing the recommendations included within the QER student submission and was developing a response in partnership with the Students’ Union.

1248 Industrial Action

Received and considered paper 19/332 ‘Industrial Action’.

Noted

1248.1 that University and College Union (UCU) members voted in a ballot in favour of industrial action and UCU subsequently informed the University it would take industrial action:

• strike action on 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29 November 2019 and on 2, 3, 4 December 2019;
• action short of a strike from 25 November 2019;

1248.2 that UCU had a mandate to take further strike action during the Spring Semester but had not, to date, notified the University of plans for further strike action;

1248.3 that as a result of the strike action taken in November and December 2019, some lectures and seminars were cancelled, however, not all subjects were affected in the same way;

1248.4 that an update was provided on the actions taken by the University to ensure that all students are provided with appropriate learning opportunities, and to ensure that they have been supported to achieve the relevant learning outcomes of the modules and programmes.

1248.5 that, in accordance with Senate Regulations, the Vice-Chancellor had authorised permitted variations to the arrangements for teaching and assessment, ensuring that the University was able to have oversight of and confidence in the quality and standards of its awards, in order that Heads of School could take appropriate actions to minimise the impact on the student learning experience;

1248.6 that external examiners had been informed, in writing, of the permitted variations to teaching and assessment;

1248.7 that a template has been provided to Heads of Schools to ensure consistent recording of all variation to arrangements, approved by Heads of Schools, and the completed template would be submitted to relevant Examining Boards;

1248.8 that in order to maintain good communication with students during the period of industrial action, student FAQs had been published on the intranet, providing students with an overview of the reason for and potential impact of the industrial action and of the actions being taken by the University, supplementing University-wide communication and communication from Heads of School;

1248.9 that the University would be introducing a bespoke complaints procedure to address complaints relating to industrial action. The procedure would be based on the University’s Student Complaint Procedure but designed to provide students with an opportunity to raise specific issues relating to the industrial action, in line with advice published by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator’s (OIA).

1249 Annual Review And Enhancement

Received and considered paper 19/333, ‘College Report on Annual Review And Enhancement (ARE) Progress’.

Noted

1249.1 that, at its meeting in June 2019, ASQC approved a revised structure and content for the Annual Review and Enhancement (ARE) process for the 2019/20 academic session (paper18/561), developed around a portfolio of evidence related to baseline requirements and enhancement activities, and with the following areas of focus:

• Portfolio development and current programme demand;
• Student Satisfaction (survey data included in TEF metrics);
• Programme Outcomes (progression, award and non-continuation);
• Graduate Outcomes (included in TEF metrics);
• Module outcomes and satisfaction;

1249.2 Schools had received a document providing advice and guidance on the new ARE process, which had been drafted by the College Education Managers and Registry with advice from the College Deans, and which had been approved by the Chair of ASQC;

1249.3 that, due to the release of data being delayed and the unavailability of some staff due to industrial action, the Chair of ASQC approved an amendment to the operational plan, to allow the analysis of Portfolio Development and Programme Demand to be extended to November and December, and the analysis of Undergraduate Programme Outcomes and Undergraduate External Examiner Reports to be delayed from December 2019 to January 2020;

1249.4 that College Deans confirmed that College ARE sub-committees had met in January 2020, and would have a further meeting in April 2020 to review and analyse schools’ submissions and Student Experience Enhancement plans, identifying where progress needs to be made and areas of good practice that could be shared with the wider University community;

1249.5 that all Schools were engaging with the revised process and to date, have reflected on Student Satisfaction (NSS 2019, PRES 2019 and Module Evaluation 2018/19) and portfolio development and current programme demand.  Schools were using one action plan (the Student Experience Enhancement Plan) to report on progress, including areas where Schools/ programmes were falling below benchmark;

1249.6 that the analysis of Postgraduate Taught Programme Outcomes and Postgraduate Taught External Examiner Reports had been moved from February 2020 to January 2020 to enable consideration of such matters for all taught programmes at the same time. Schools had been informed of the new timeline, and data for programme outcomes were available and being reviewed by Schools, in order to update the Schools’ Student Experience Enhancement plans by 31 January 2020;

1249.7 that Schools had not reported disruption caused by industrial action to have had an adverse impact on progress in implementing actions;

1249.8 that College Deans would be encouraging the engagement of a range of school staff in the ARE process to ensure the workload was shared across colleagues to reduce the burden on single members of staff;

1249.9 that in the first year of operation there were a few inconsistencies in the ways schools were producing their Student Experience Enhancement plans (SEEPs) and that further advice would be provided to address such matters as the ARE process becomes embedded in future years;

1249.10 that whilst the provision of data to support and inform ARE had improved this session, feedback indicated that there was a need for further action to enhance the provision of reports. Members emphasised that attention be given to the constructive feedback from staff to ensure that the data available for the ARE enabled fully informed decisions to be taken;

1249.11 that progress in implementing the ARE process was encouraging and that Colleges remained on schedule to consider the remaining areas of focus and reporting to ASQC by the end of the session.

Resolved

1249.12 that the Chair to raise the importance of prioritising the enhancement of reports to support the new ARE process which would support Schools, Colleges and the University to take fully informed decisions on the necessary actions to enhance the student experience.

1250 Review Of Executive Actions

Received and considered paper 19/337, ‘Updates on the Recommendations of the ASQC Executive Actions’.

Noted

1250.1 that the review of Executive Actions had been introduced in order that that the Committee could be assured that the decisions being taken on its behalf were appropriate and properly evidenced;

1250.2 that the Deputy Head of Registry and colleagues had considered the recommendations contained in paper 19/155, received by ASQC in October 2019, and confirmed that the protocol surrounding the recording of ASQC Executive Actions was being reviewed;

1250.3 that in reviewing the current approach for recording Executive Actions, improvements should be identified, including the recording of all information digitally, and that reliance on hard copy documentation should be eliminated;

1250.4 that it may be helpful for the advice of the internal audit team to be sought on the process for recording the decisions taken by the Chair on behalf of the Committee and the oversight of such decisions.
Resolved

1250.5 that the Deputy Head of Registry should ensure that a standard operating procedure was developed, ensuring a shared understanding of the decision-making process and where supporting evidence was filed, which should be provided to the member of AQSC reviewing the Executive Actions at the start of the process, each year.

1251 Schedule of Policy Review

Received and considered paper 19/339.

Noted that the Schedule of Policy review had been updated and that ASQC would receive regular updates on progress.

1252 Reports from Groups

Received paper 19/114, 'Report from Programme and Partner Standing Panel’.

Noted

1252.1 that the Moderator reports for St. Padarn’s and South Wales Baptist College had been received and were being discussed with the Head of School.  A response to the Moderator reports would be submitted to the next meeting of the Programme and Partner Standing Panel.

1253 Any Other Business

1253.1 Pro Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience and Academic Standards)

Noted

.1 that Professor Coffey was chairing her last meeting of ASQC and would be commencing as Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost of the University of the West of England from April 2020;
.2 the Committee’s appreciation for Professor Coffey’s significant contribution to the enhancement of the University’s academic quality system and her effective oversight of the Committee’s meetings.

1254 Action taken on behalf of the Committee

Received and noted paper 19/339, being the summary of Executive Action taken by the Chair on behalf of the Committee since the last meeting.

1255 Cardiff University’s Response to HEFCW Circular W19/41HE

Received and noted paper 19/336, Cardiff University’s Response to HEFCW Circular W19/41HE relating to an additional assurance statement for the governing body to cover degree standards and academic integrity.

1256 Date of Meetings: 2019/20

Noted the dates of meetings to be held in Session 2019/20:
29 April 2020 at 10:00am
3 June 2020 at 10:00am