QAA Enhancement Theme: Student Transitions
Institutional Theme Team
Wednesday 17 December 2014 at 10.00 in the Tower Boardroom, Merchiston
Present: J Fotheringham, Senior Lecturer ASPEN [Convenor]; G Andronikos,
School of Life, Sport, & Social Sciences [student representative]; G Barkess,
Research Developer, Academic Professional Development; E Barry, Information
Services Advisor; C Campbell, Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing, Midwifery &
Social Care; T Campbell, Student Articulation Facilitator, S&AS; Y Cruickshank,
Lecturer, School of Life, Sport, & Social Sciences; T Evans, Student Recruitment
Officer, S&AS; L Gunn, Regional Strategic Lead, ELRAH; S Homan, Recruitment
Assessment Manager, S&AS; M Huxham, Director of Academic Strategy & Practice;
T Igoe, Confident Futures Consultant; M Jones, Head of Learning & Research
Services; A MacGregor, College Articulation Assistant, S&AS; A McLachlan,
Assistant Director, Recruitment & Admissions; S Moffat, Information Services
Advisor; H Owen, Lecturer, School of Accounting, Financial Services & Law; P Perry,
Lecturer, School of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Care; K Stansfield, Team Leader,
Admissions & International Support, S&AS; A Stupart, Assistant Institute Director,
School of Engineering & the Built Environment; K Swanton, ELIR Institutional Lead,
Academic Quality; M Wood, Napier Students’ Association; A Bostock, Project Officer
ASPEN [Clerk]
Apologies: S Chiu, Lecturer, School of Marketing, Tourism & Languages; M Foster,
Senior Lecturer, School of Marketing, Tourism & Languages; S Cairncross, Dean
FECCI
Welcome and apologies
1. The Convenor welcomed all members to the first meeting of the Student
Transitions institutional team. She extended a particular welcome to one of the
student representatives who was able to attend, G Andronikos. Team members
introduced themselves and apologies were noted (see above).
Introduction to the new Enhancement Theme
2. The Convenor gave a short presentation to introduce the new Enhancement
Theme and set the context for the University’s work on the Theme over the next
three years.
Roles and remit for the Institutional Team
3. The Convenor also discussed the role and remit of the Institutional Team and
provided Members with the Quality Assurance Agency’s key dates and deadlines
for this academic year. It was noted that the first key date was 30th January
2015, by which the University should provide the QAA with six short examples of
transitions practice at Edinburgh Napier to be shared with the sector. The
Convenor invited all Team Members to send her examples of transitions practice
from across Schools and professional service areas. This would provide a useful
bank of case studies going forward, some of which could be sent to the QAA and
some of which could be put onto the University’s Learning Teaching &
Assessment Resource Bank. It was agreed that Members would aim to send
case studies to the Project Officer in ASPEN by 23rd January 2015. The
Convenor also stated that Members should feel free to get in touch with her if
they needed any further information or advice on their case studies.
Reviewing abstracts to allocate institutional funds
4. The Director of Academic Strategy & Practice introduced this agenda item. He
explained that the QAA provided the University with funding for its work on the
Theme each academic year. Consequently, in November 2014, all staff were
invited to make proposals for Student Transitions project work (valued at up to
£3000) relating to any of the following sub themes aligned to Strategy 2020:
international transitions; transitions into placements or work; and use of
institutional data to explore student routes to admission at Edinburgh Napier, the
effects on progress and lessons for staff.
5. It was noted that the University had received more proposals than the QAA’s
funding (£11,000) would cover. Therefore, it was suggested that the Institutional
Team should decide how to disburse the funds across the proposed projects.
Consideration would also be given to how other sources of funding could be
found to support projects which had merit but which were not chosen to receive
QAA funding.
6. The rest of the meeting was dedicated to reviewing project proposals in order to
allocate the funding. Team members were split into groups and each group was
allocated a set of three or four proposals to rank according to the following
criteria: project objective; alignment with the Theme; resources required; and how
the resource would help achieve the objective.
7. Team Members agreed that the following projects should be funded:
Name of Project
Led by
1. International transitions
Articulation routes
Exploring the link between
accessed by overseas
background knowledge and
students to ENU
skills and subsequent
performance and
progression on programmes
University-wide
Scoping existing
international transitions
international transition and
2
Led by
Carles Ibanez and
Alina Gavris
Business School
Monika Foster
(Business School)
mapping project
support initiatives and
recommending
enhancements
Extension of e-toolkit
Supporting international
transitions into postgraduate dissertation
modules
2. Transitions into placement or work
Video case studies – work Supporting transition of
placements
undergraduates into work
placement
Skills Award Framework
Jackie Brodie
Kay Penny
Brian Windram
Colin MacKenzie
Colin Smith
Maureen Ronaldson
(School of
Computing)
Miles Weaver
(Business School)
Investigating good practice
in credit bearing workrelated and co-curricular
learning activities
3. Using institutional data to explore routes to admission, progression and
employment
Transition, progress and
Exploring widening access
Tom Campbell &
success of widening
groups of students and their Katrina Castle
access students
progress and attainment in
(Student and
comparison with traditional
Academic Services)
student groups
Tracking Direct Entrants
Tracking and detailing direct Alastair Stupart
to SEBE
entrants’ progression,
(SEBE)
achievement and transition
to employment
Data visualisation project Exploring student routes to
Alison Varey (School
Edinburgh Napier and their
of Computing)
progression on programmes
Convenor’s closing remarks
8. The Convenor thanked Team Members for their work to allocate funds during this
meeting. Project leads would informed of the team’s decisions before the
Christmas break.
Date of Next Meeting
To be confirmed
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