An Coiste Feabhais Acadúil
The Committee on Academic Quality Improvement
The Academic Quality Assurance Programme 2005-2006
Report to Údarás na hOllscoile
Review of
Department of Spanish
A SECOND REVIEW
Self-Assessment
Review Group Visit
Follow Up Meeting
September 2005 to December 2005
8th – 10th February, 2006
11th May 2006
This Report was compiled for members of Údarás na hOllscoile, NUI Galway and its
committees as a readily accessible but comprehensive source of information on the above
review, its context and its outcomes.
Quality Office, March 2007
Report to Údarás – Review of Department of Spanish 2005–2006
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1. Overview of Department
1.1 Aims and Objectives
Aims
The general aims of the Department are that it will increase in size and prestige and be
recognised for its academic excellence both inside NUI Galway and outside it. The Department
will continue to be characterised by a high level of team-work and collaboration and they will
work towards enabling students to develop values of openness and enquiry.
Objectives
• Improve the degree of recognition for research and teaching activities
• Gain an additional academic post to ensure aims are attained
• Devise an implementation plan to ensure the ‘Outline Strategic Plan’ is met
• Collaborate with other language departments
• Increase emphasis on research; increase recruitment of postgraduate research students
1.2 Developments since Last Review in 1998-1999
• Additional recruitment
o Two full-time, permanent lecturers appointed
o Three full-time lector positions accrued
• Relocation from Distillery Road to Arts Millennium Building
o Inadequacy of accommodation highlighted by previous quality review
• Improved communication with students and external bodies
o Departmental staff-student committee meets regularly
o Booklets distributed at beginning of academic year
o Webpage maintained and updated regularly
• Reduction in class sizes (partially implemented)
• Increase in proportion of marks allocated to course work to 50%
o Proportion of Spanish language modules carry this new weighting
• More active participation in interdisciplinary and interdepartmental programmes
• Research activity by Department members has increased (though not to desired extent)
• Syllabus revision (including revision of the First Year History course)
1.3 Background
On the retirement of Professor Diarmuid Bradley, Professor Bill Richardson was appointed as
Chair of Spanish in June 2005. Dr. Kate Quinn was appointed as a full-time permanent Lecturer
in the Department in Spanish in September 1999. Mr. Mel Boland was appointed as a full-time
permanent Lecturer in the Department in September 2001. Three additional full-time lector
positions have accrued to the Department. The growth in staffing, while necessary and
welcome, has lagged behind the general increase in student numbers.
1.4 Student Numbers
The total number of fulltime equivalent (FTE) students in the Department of Spanish was 123 in
the year 2004/2005, representing an increase of 62% in the five years since 1999-2000.
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Report to Údarás – Review of Department of Spanish 2005–2006
1.5 Student to Staff Ratios
In 2004-2005, the number of fulltime equivalent (FTE) academic staff in the Department of
Spanish was 6.9, giving a student:staff ratio of 18 in year ending 2005 (this ratio was 16 in
1999-2000). Across the four modern language departments (French, German, Italian and
Spanish), where small group teaching is essential, the average student:staff ratio was 12.25 in
04/05. For the same academic year, across the Faculty of Arts, the average student:staff ratio
was 21.
1.6 Accommodation and Facilities
The Department has now moved from its former premises on Distillery Road and is housed in
the Arts Millennium Building.
2. Review Group Report Overview and Recommendations
The Review Team consisted of: Professor Alison Sinclair, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, University of
Cambridge (Chair); Professor Ciaran Cosgrove, Department of Hispanic Studies, Trinity College, Dublin; Dr
Gearóid Denvir, Scoil na Gaeilge, NUI Galway; and Dr Martina Prendergast, Environmental Change Institute,
acting as Rapporteur.
2.1 Summary and Main Recommendations from Report
Summary
The Group found that despite evident difficulties facing it, the Department was in good shape
and the teaching staff were exceptionally committed to the students, with students being clearly
appreciative of the work done with them by the staff. The Department was negotiating a
difficult period of change, in the light of exceptionally high numbers, and needs to put in train a
series of measures to see it through this period and to enable it to carry out its strategic plan.
The recommendations given below are made in the light of the Department’s Strategic Plan.
The first objective within the plan is to develop a stronger research profile, and the Group’s
recommendations have this in mind, while being conscious of the difficulties faced by the
Department due to of its teaching pressures. The Department’s aim, as stated in its SelfAssessment Report, stated that its focus was research and teaching in the areas of Spanish
language and literature, and Hispanic culture generally. It is possible that this prioritization of
language within the Department’s aim might alter as the Department moves towards realization
of its strategic aim which places research first, and as it moves towards development of its
undergraduate courses in a way that is consistent with that aim. This, however, is a choice that
the Department will be able to think about as it moves through the current period of transition
towards its new profile.
Main Recommendations for Department
a) A full audit of workload should be made by the Department, in order to re-examine
workload in the light of teaching hours, marking commitments, and administrative
responsibilities
b) The Department might wish to consider whether they might wish to adopt a policy of an
optimum number of students for language classes
c) The Department, in its examination of courses for undergraduates should pay particular
attention to parity between classes, particularly but not exclusively for beginners, to ensure
common practice and expectations
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d) The Department might wish to consider whether its practice of having one examination at
the end of the first year for both beginners and advanced students is one which they wish to
pursue
e) The Department should explore ways of streamlining its management structure, making
provision to deal with the current lack of continuity for Language Assistants, and
rationalizing as far as possible responsibilities and meetings
f) The Department should give thought to the development of its fourth-year provision,
particularly in view of its aim of attracting more graduate students, and to second-year nonlanguage modules in so much as they lead towards the fourth-year provision
g) A review of the MA in Translation might be in order, especially in the context of other MA
programmes in Translation, both in Ireland and abroad, and that the question of the
involvement of other departments be re-examined
h) The Department should be encouraged to bid for a further post: this could be either a further
academic post or a further ALT post to be used exclusively for the Department. The holder
of which might take responsibility for the development and implementation of the various
language courses. The Department needs to consider this in the light of a review of its
current teaching dispositions and careful thought about how they might be re-arranged if
either of these posts were allocated to it
i) The Department should make use of resources within the University that are able to assist it
in terms of development, teaching and research. In particular we believe that consultation
with CELT would be of value. In addition to this there are opportunities offered by the
Research Office, and the Library
j) All staff should be encouraged to participate in the staff training and development courses
organized by the Human Resources Department
Main Recommendation for University
a) NUI Galway should seek to improve the availability of the reports of external examiners to
Departments, this being essential for the development of Departments, and for recognition
of the University in the broader context.
3. Action Plans
Follow up Meeting
Thursday 11th May 2006
Present: Mr M Kavanagh – Registrars Office, Professor J Gosling – Director of Quality (Chair), Dr M Prendergast
– Review Group Rapporteur, Dr G Denvir – Review Group Cognate, Professor J Marshall – Dean of Arts,
Professor B Richardson - Head of Department, Dr I MacLaren – Director of CELT, Dr L Shaughnessy, Mr M
Boland, Ms B Sangrador-Vegas, Ms S Alvarez-Jiminez, Mr A Avezuela, Ms P Alderete-Diez, Dr J Wood, Ms M
Linnane (in attendance).
Apologies: Professor Nicholas Canny – Vice-President for Research
3.1 Action Plan for the Department of Spanish
a) The Department will conduct an audit of workload taking into account the new position of
ALT which is expected to be filled by September 2006. The new appointment should also
allow some reduction in the size of language classes.
b) The Department Management Committee will meet three to six times per semester, with a
major short term objective of ensuring clarification of the teaching, administrative and
coordination roles and loads assigned to individual embers of staff.
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c) To facilitate greater comparability between different language course groups, the
Department will introduce a standard course book for all First Year Beginners classes in
time for 2006–07 academic year.
d) To improve the pedagogical potential of student assessment procedures, the Department will
introduce separate assessment exercises and examinations for ab initio and other first year
BA students with effect from the academic year 2006–07
e) Fundamental revision of BA Final Year curriculum (including the implications of changes
for the second-year curriculum) is a major goal for the Department , to be agreed and
implemented by September 2007.
f) The Department will revise the programme leading to the MA in Translation Studies in the
light of experience gained in the introduction of the new MA in Advanced Language Skills.
The revised programme will be implemented by September 2008.
g) While developing and putting in place anticipated plans for innovations in teaching and
research, the Department will increasingly call on the Library, CELT and the Research
Office for advice and assistance.
h) The Department will continue to ensure that staff take full advantage of the training
opportunities that are offered by the Human Resources and CELT. Already this calendar
year, both academic staff and administrative staff have taken courses.
i) The Department will continue to make the case to the relevant bodies for additional
administrative support at peak times, which are more pronounced in departments with
largely small-group teaching and significant international programmes.
3.2 Action Plan for University Management
a) The University has agreed to a request from the Department for an additional Applied
Language Teacher in Spanish, and the position has now been advertised.
b) To improve resource allocation, the Dean will continue to search for ways to improve the
predictability of the number of students in both First Arts and Second Arts taking particular
subjects, including Spanish.
c) The Director of Quality in conjunction with the Registrars Office, will work to ensure the
timely provision of external examiners’ reports to academic departments is mandatory, and
that all such reports that are relevant over a number of years are supplied in advance to
review groups.
d) The Registrar and Dean will take into account the specific administrative needs of
departments such as Spanish when applications for relevant support and the resourcing of
new faculty and school structures are being considered
Approved by: Head of Department, Professor B Richardson, 23 June 2006
Approved by: Dean of Arts, Professor K Barry, 27 July 2006
Approved by: Registrar, Professor J Browne, 28 July 2006
Approved by: Vice President, Prof. N. Canny, 25 July 2006
Approved by: Director of CELT, Dr I MacLaren, 27 July 2006
Finalised: 28 July 2006, Jim Gosling, Director of Quality
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