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MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE UNIVERSITY LEARNING AND TEACHING COMMITTEE

Held on Wednesday 28 March, 2018

62. DISCUSSION ITEM

The Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) gave a presentation outlining proposals toreview the governance arrangements for education at Keele.

The aims of the review were to provide clarity between management andgovernance; enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of decision-making; ensure theaccountability of a broad range of activities; and manage changing externalaccountabilities following the change of sector regulator.

A proposal for revising the learning and teaching committee structure was outlined.The included changing ULTC to an Education Committee to reflect a broader remitaligned with the PVC Education’s portfolio. There would be four sub-committeesreporting to ULTC, as follows:

i) Education Policy Sub-Committee: a new sub-committee with a remit toscrutinise policy proposals and existing policies due for review; also toconsider any consequences of implementation;

ii) Quality and Academic Standards Sub-Committee: to revise the existingcommittee by incorporating the final stage of the programme approval processand moving strategic enhancement items to the following sub-committee;

iii) Teaching Excellence Sub-Committee: to manage TEF-related items andoperate a systematic process of reviewing data sets;

iv) Collaborative Provision and Partnerships Sub-Committee: to consider theeducation-related aspects of all partnerships.

The University Student Voice Committee (USVC) would have an opportunity to feed into the education committee structure and there would be student representation on all committees; the arrangements for this would be subject to discussions with the KPA and KeeleSU.

The current Learning and Teaching Technologies Committee would be subsumed into the new structure, with the Keele Institute for Innovation and Teaching Excellence (KIITE) providing a community of practice in the area of learning technologies.

The proposed names of the aforementioned sub-committees were provisional and further work was required to draft terms of reference and determine the remit of each. The positioning of the Exceptional Circumstances Sub-Committee and Examination Boards also required consideration.

It was planned to take a proposal to the June meeting of Senate for approval with implementation of the new structure in the Academic Year 2018/19.

Committee approved

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63. APOLOGIES AND ABSENCES

For a record of attendance, apologies and absence please see the attached list. 64. MINUTES AND ACTIONS

(a) Minutes

The minutes of the meeting held on 24th January 2018 were approved as an accurate record.

(b) Actions List

ULTC received and noted the actions list. The following updates were reported: (i) Item 49, Academic Misconduct Regulation and Code of Practice: a

meeting to review the concerns raised about the proposals had been held and further work was being undertaken following additional feedback from USVC. Updated proposals would be submitted to the next meeting of ULTC for approval. The KPA noted that there had been a receptive reaction to their comments. [Action closed]

(ii) Item 49: the second action relating to evaluating the impact of changes in policy would be addressed by the proposed changes to the committee structure via the introduction of an Education Policy Sub-Committee. [Action closed]

(iii) Item 50, Personal Tutoring – Dual Academic Support: at a briefing meeting for School Managers it was affirmed that the additional provision of a ‘Subject Advice Tutor’ for dual honours students in their second subject required clear communication to staff and students. The Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) would follow this up with the Education Officer, KeeleSU.

ACTION: Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education)

The Committee was reminded that under its terms of reference the Committee was required to support and monitor the implementation of the University's Equality & Diversity Strategy in all relevant areas of the Committee's business.

65. MATTERS ARISING (not elsewhere on the agenda)

There were no matters arising to discuss.

ITEMS FOR SCRUTINY AND APPROVAL

66. PROGRAMME APPROVAL SUB-GROUP

(a) The Committee noted the following programmes approved by the Programme

Approval Sub-Group on behalf of the Committee since the last meeting:

BA (Hons) Accounting and Business Management (Single Honours) BA (Hons) Accounting, Finance and International Business (Single

Honours) BA (Hons) Business and Human Resource Management (Single Honours) BA (Hons) Business Management and Economics (Single Honours) BA (Hons) Business Management and Finance (Single Honours) BA (Hons) Economics (Single Honours) BA (Hons) Economics and Finance (Single Honours) BA (Hons) International Business and Marketing (Single Honours) BA (Hons) International Business Management (Single Honours) BA (Hons) Marketing and Management (Single Honours)

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NB: all of the above include International Year and Work Placement Year options

BSc (Hons) Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry

MChem Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry NB: both programmes include an International Year option

MSc/MA Geographical and Environmental Research

(b) The Committee noted the following new Placement Year options approved by the Programme Approval Sub-Group on behalf of the Committee since the last meeting: i) BSc (Hons) Mathematics with Work Placement Year ii) MMath (Integrated Master’s) with Work Placement Year

67. HIGHER EDUCATION ACHIEVEMENT REPORT (HEAR) ACTIVITIES

The Committee received for approval a proposal for ‘Audio and visual editing and composition’ to be designated as a HEAR recordable activity. The proposal had been submitted directly to ULTC for scrutiny and approval because the Keele Approach Group was not currently active. In the future it is expected that the KIITE would operate pre-scrutiny of such proposals. The Committee queried aspects of the proposal, including what the volume of the activity was expected to be and whether it met the criteria of being open to all students, as the opportunity appeared to have been earmarked for one particular student. It was also noted that it may constitute double-counting, as it was stated in the proposal that the work would be submitted as part of the student’s academic portfolio. The Committee agreed that the generic HEAR Proposals listed on the final page of the form should be amended to state that activities needed to be separate from a student’s academic programme. This action would be referred to the Head of Student Learning and Curriculum Development.

ACTION: Head of Student Learning and Curriculum Development The Committee agreed to return the proposal to the requester for more information with the caveat that a revised proposal would only be considered if this was not a one-off activity. An exemplar proposal would be provided.

ACTION: Secretary 68. CURRICULUM ANNUAL REVIEW & DEVELOPMENT (CARD) – ANNUAL

OVERVIEW REPORT, 2016-17

The Committee received for approval reports on the findings from the annual monitoring process, CARD, for the 2016/17 Academic Year.

(a) Annual overview report

The commencement of a review of the current CARD process was noted. Issues identified through the CARD process had been referred to the appropriate senior staff member for consideration; for example, comments regarding staffing to the Faculty Deans and Faculty Business Managers. The items of good practice were noted to be of interest to the KIITE. There were no specific recommendations for ULTC to consider.

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Engagement with the process this year had been compromised by a convergence of reporting requirements at the same point in the year and efforts should be made to streamline such requests. The utility of the process was queried, although course review activities were said to be valuable and it was confirmed that at module level there were no specific university requirements.

(b) Report on the annual enhancement theme: ‘What strategies do you employ that explicitly include all learners and are designed in such a way that they may achieve their full potential?’ The recurring themes and prospective actions identified in the report; for example, work on feedback and assessment literacy and assessment diversity, would be referred to the KIITE to consider. The collated responses and case studies were noted as being useful for a Race Equality Charter information request. Solutions, the University’s blog site showcasing the teaching and learning experiences of staff, was queried as to its usefulness as a dissemination tool. Were there other creative methods for sharing good practice and enhancement? The use of away days and conferences was supported, although achieving good attendance at such events was challenging. Informal discussions with key staff were also used as a means of disseminating information.

69. PROGRAMME-LEVEL ILM ACCREDITATION The Committee received for approval a proposal to revise the arrangements for ILM accreditation. The Director of Learning and Teaching for the School of Computing & Mathematics was in attendance to represent the group making the proposals. The original aim of the KUSP (Keele University Skills Portfolio) was that it would be taken by all students; however, it had been completed by only 300 students in the past three years, which included 52 students last year and of these 27 were Adult Nursing students. There was low participation from postgraduate and dual honours students. It was clear that the scheme in its current form was not achieving its stated aims. It was therefore proposed to move to a programme-centric model in order to increase participation and allow flexibility in design; for example, flexibility in when and how artefacts are produced and assessed. Programme Directors would retain discretion as to whether to incorporate ILM accreditation in their programmes. Programme documentation would have to show how accreditation requirements, such as reflection on size areas of learning, would be met within the programme. The proposal had been discussed at Faculty Learning and Teaching Committees (FLTCs) and the collated comments as outlined in the paper were discussed with the following points made:

Making use of pilots to showcase approaches to incorporating ILM accreditation in programmes was supported and one school in each faculty had been identified to run the pilots (Pharmacy, Keele Management School and Computing & Mathematics);

the inclusion of students studying at Level 3 was subject to negotiation with the ILM;

minimum credit requirements were not relevant as accreditation was based on

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the creation of artefacts;

it was recognised that a very small proportion of combined honours students would not have the opportunity of accreditation;

there was the potential for increased central support given the move away from central administration of the scheme

Currently a separate certificate was awarded for the KUSP but consideration would be given as to whether accreditation could be incorporated in the main degree certificate.

The Committee resolved:

That the phasing-out of the existing ILM accreditation model and introduction of pilot running of the new model be approved.

ITEMS FOR REPORT 70. CHAIR’S REPORT

The Chair provided an overview of her current areas of work. The University Strategy was to be refreshed and once this had commenced a new Education Strategy would be devised. The KIITE had been launched and its new Director was due to start on 23rd April. Initial work would comprise setting-up the Institution and devising its action plan for the next academic year. The Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) was subject to an internal audit as to the University’s preparedness. An embedded process to managing the submission requirements of the TEF was favoured. A review of postgraduate taught provision would take place over the coming months, which would consider the process for reviewing the portfolio; how processes support postgraduate provision; online delivery; and student support. A project to look at data analytics was expected, which may be under the direction of the Director of Digital Strategies, and would look at ways to support students with appropriate interventions and advice. Consideration would be given to arrangements for reward and recognition, such as an education scholarship route, which was not compulsory for staff on a Teaching Fellow pathway.

71. REPORT FROM STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES

(a) KeeleSU The Committee received a written report from the Education Officer. The SU’s plan to conduct a survey of the new marking criteria was noted. A wider point was made about evaluating policy changes and the need to establish early-on what successful outcomes looked like. To this end, it was agreed to undertake a staff survey of the new marking criteria and the Education Officer would be asked to share his survey questions. The Head of Academic Quality & Student Conduct would then contact the Associate Deans so that the FLTCs could find out how the marking criteria was being operated in practice.

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ACTION: Head of Academic Quality & Student Conduct / Associate Deans

As to whether the marking criteria would have any long term impact on degree outcomes, analysing cohort results as they progress through the programme would be more informative than viewing any year-on-year changes.

(b) Keele Postgraduate Association (KPA) The Committee received a written report from the KPA Vice-President. Further progress had been made on student voice representation. A meeting had been held with the Students’ Union to review interactions between the KPA and student voice structures so that feedback was communicated. The KPA was aiming for some consistency in representation, although representation for postgraduate research students would not be considered at this stage due to the different governance structures in place.

72. STUDENT APPEALS, COMPLAINTS, MISCONDUCT AND GRIEVANCES: ANNUAL CASEWORK REPORT 2016/17 The Committee received a copy of the report on student casework in 2016/17, which had also been received by Senate.

73. QUALITY AND ACADEMIC STANDARDS COMMITTEE The Committee received the minutes of the meeting held on 14th February 2018.

74. FACULTY LEARNING AND TEACHING COMMITTEES

The Committee received the minutes of recent Faculty Learning and Teaching Committee meetings. (a) Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Learning and Teaching Committee

meetings held on 30th January and 6th March 2018.

(b) Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Learning and Teaching Committee meetings held on 1st February and 8th March 2018. Recent news reported to the Committee included the awarding of additional undergraduate places to the Medical School and the development of a new medical school at the University of Sunderland, which would deliver Keele’s degree course initially until it had developed its own course. Scrutiny had been completed for three new programme proposals in the Faculty, including a Health and Wellbeing degree programme commencing in September 2018 and new provision in Physiotherapy.

(c) Faculty of Natural Sciences Learning and Teaching Committee meetings held on 2nd February and 9th March 2018.

75. LEARNING, TEACHING AND TECHNOLOGIES COMMITTEE There were no recent minutes to consider.

76. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Borderline discretion at examination boards

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The treatment of student results at the borderline of classification boundaries was an issue raised by external examiners on a regular basis. It was increasingly clear that the sector was moving away from discretionary decision-making; however, at Keele the practice was valued. Applying a consistent approach to circumstances such as disruption to studies may lead to additional appeals and the current process allowed ‘unused’ exceptional circumstances (EC) to be taken into account; however, there was inconsistency in how this was applied and clearer guidance would be beneficial. In respect of disruption to studies caused by industrial action, the guidance to schools was to look favourably on EC claims where an impact was shown. The Pro Vice-Chancellor (Students) would be alerted to potential confusion in the Frequently Asked Questions information.

ACTION: Head of Academic Quality & Student Conduct The Committee decided that the University’s approach to borderline discretion at examination boards should not be changed at the present time.

Amendment to Regulation 1A A proposed amendment to Regulation 1A was tabled at the meeting for approval. The proposal was to permit students to obtain the ‘with competence in [language]’ suffix to the degree award title by completing sufficient credits outwith their main programme of study. This amendment would address circumstances whereby there was insufficient space within a programme structure to accrue the credits in language modules required for the award. The Committee resolved:

That the proposed amendment to Regulation 1A be recommended to Senate for approval.

77. DATE AND TIME OF FUTURE MEETINGS

The next meeting will take place at 2.00pm on Wednesday 23rd May in CM2.08, Claus Moser Building. Please send any agenda items and papers electronically to Ed McCauley (e.mccauley@keele.ac.uk) by Monday 14th May. The final meeting of the Academic Year 2017/18 will take place on Wednesday 18th July.

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Attendance List for the Meeting of University Learning and Teaching Committee Held on Wednesday 28th March, 2018 MEMBERSHIP Professor Helen O’Sullivan Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) and Chair of ULTC A Professor Trevor McMillan Vice Chancellor (Ex-officio) A Professor Mark Ormerod Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost (Ex-officio) A Dr Anne Loweth Pro Vice-Chancellor (Students) (Ex-officio) A Professor Pauline Walsh Pro Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Medicine &

Health Sciences; and Chair of the Quality and Academic Standards Committee (Ex-officio)

A Professor Jonathan Wastling Pro Vice-Chancellor (Postgraduate Studies) and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences (Ex-officio)

A Professor Shane O’Neill Pro Vice-Chancellor (Advancement and Global Engagement) and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences (Ex-officio)

A Professor Steven Shardlow Chair of the Learning, Teaching & Technologies Committee (Ex-officio) Dr Katie Maddock Associate Dean for Learning & Teaching, Faculty of Medicine & Health

Sciences Mr Kelvin Johnstone Associate Dean for Learning & Teaching, Faculty of Humanities & Social

Sciences Dr Katie Szkornik Associate Dean for Learning & Teaching, Faculty of Natural Sciences A Professor Julius Sim Medicine & Health Sciences Faculty Postgraduate Director of Learning

and Teaching A Dr Wynne Thomas Member of Senate (Medicine & Health Sciences), 2015-18 Dr Philip Morgan Member of Senate (Humanities and Social Sciences), 2017-20 Professor David Hoole Member of Senate (Natural Sciences), 2017-20 A Mr Jeff Saddington-Wiltshire Education Officer, Students’ Union, 2017-18 Mr George Blake Vice-President of the KPA, 2017-18 IN ATTENDANCE (ALL MEETINGS) Dr Helen Galbraith Academic Registrar and Director of Student and Academic Services (item

62 only) Ms Dorothea Ross-Simpson Head of Academic Quality and Student Conduct A Dr Jackie Potter Head of Learning and Professional Development Centre A Mr Tim Hinchcliffe Head of Student Learning and Curriculum Development Mr Paul Reynolds University Librarian Mr Simon Rimmington Acting Director of the Foundation Year Centre IN ATTENDANCE Dr Martyn Parker

Director of Learning and Teaching, School of Computing & Mathematics (item 69 only)

SECRETARIAT Mr Ed McCauley Quality Assurance Manager (Minutes)

Key A = Absent/Apologies