LEEDS BECKETT UNIVERSITY
CONTINUOUS AUDIT
BRIEFING
Quality Assurance Services
Composition of Audit Activities
ACADEMIC AUDIT
Regulatory process (see section D1 of the APR)
• Serves to assure Academic Board that delegated
responsibilities for Q&S are being appropriately discharged
(reports to committees)
• Promotes quality enhancement through recognition and
dissemination of good practice
Types of Academic Audit
Continuous Audit
Monitoring and evaluation of
routinely produced evidence (desk
based)
and
observation of a range of activities
Enhancement Audit
specific issues or themes which
arise from consideration of the
outcomes of continuous audit
and/or
any other form of internal or
external monitoring and review at
faculty or university level
Collaborative Activity
• Mutual review of franchise partners (incorporates
audit)
• Enhancement audits of partners
Continuous Audit 2013/14
OBSERVATIONS
Exam Boards and Committees
- progression and award regulations are still working through
- ties in with staff development activities
Mitigation Panels
- new process this year
- looking for consistency of approach to assure Academic Board
- looking for teething issues
- outcomes will inform interim review of new process
Continuous Audit 2013/14
DESK BASED
Module Handbooks / Guides / other?
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4 UG and 4 PG Courses in each faculty
How is module information shared with the student?
When is module information shared with the student?
Format?
Consistency of approach?
Focus on clarity of assessment information
Observation Procedure 1
Schedules of activity requested at start of semester 2
QAS appoints Audit Coordinator
All QAS Quality Officers and Team Managers to participate
FQTs asked to participate (quality practitioners)
FQT Managers consulted on which “events” to observe
Supporting materials / templates made available via online
Quality Manual
Observation Procedure 2
Coordinator allocates participants 1-2 events to observe in a nonaligned subject area and emails details and contacts
Participants:
• confirm availability to QAS via email – substitutions are possible –
and thereafter liaise with event secretary to ensure location / time is
confirmed
• familiarise themselves with the relevant guidance materials and
regulations
• attend, observe and submit observations on standardised
templates via email to QAS
Observation Procedure 3
DO
• Remember to check the event details the day before
• Bring guidance materials with you
• Make notes and write up the form later
• Be unobtrusive and uninvolved!
• Look for good practice
• Anonymise individuals in your observations
DON’T
• Be late!
• Be a stranger! Introduce yourself on arrival
• Intervene or give advice – defer to quality teams
• Sit where you can’t see or hear what is going on
Boards and Committees
– Key Matters
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Pre-board undertaken? Check with secretary after if not clear
Attendance – appropriate representation of internal and external examiners?
Agenda – “refreshed version used”?
Mitigation Panel / UPB reports available?
Progression regulations – 30 threshold / 100 cp requirement for most now
Award – appropriate methods applied?
Chairs actions - any outstanding from last time?
- process for new ones clear?
Mitigation Panels
– Key Matters
• Frequency – meetings should be monthly
• Scope – meetings should be at faculty level
• Attendance of Faculty Mitigation Coordinators (FMC) (min of 2 per
faculty)
and general constituency (external)
• Report of mitigation at point of assessment made by FMC?
• Who is presenting the cases? Should be the FMC
• Are tariffs being applied consistently?
• Are arrangements for onward reporting to Board clear?
• Any issues that the FMP feels are unclear?
Any Questions?