University of Western Australia
File ref: F12154
30 July 2012
MEMBERS OF THE TEACHING AND LEARNING COMMITTEE
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) (Winthrop Professor Jane Long) – Chair
Nominee of the Chair of the Academic Board (Winthrop Professor Linc Schmitt)
Director, Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (Winthrop Professor Denise
Chalmers)
University Librarian and Director (Information Management) (Dr Mary Davies)
President, Guild of Undergraduates (Mr Matthew Mckenzie)
President, Postgraduate Students’ Association (Ms Aisling Blackmore)
Chair/Representative of each Faculty Teaching and Learning Committee:
Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts (Mr Philip Goldswain)
Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (Dr Neil O’Sullivan)
UWA Business School (Professor Philip Hancock) - Deputy Chair
Faculty of Education (Assistant Professor Elaine Sharplin)
Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics (Professor Cara MacNish)
Faculty of Law (Winthrop Professor Mark Israel)
Faculty of Life and Physical Sciences (Associate Professor Peter Whipp)
Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences (Professor Sandra Carr)
Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (position vacant)
Nominee of the School of Indigenous Studies (Assistant Professor Jeromy Harvey)
BY INVITATION (STANDING INVITEES)
Mr Brian Greene, Associate Director, Policy and Planning, Information Technology Services
Dr Sato Juniper, Associate Director, Graduate Research and Scholarships Office
Professor Sally Sandover, Academic Director, Educational Strategies Office
Dr Greg Marie, Director, Institutional Research Unit
Ms Siri Barrett-Lennard, English Language and Learning Skills Adviser, Student Services
Mr Kelly Smith, Director, International Centre
Mr Mike Shearer, Head of College (Trinity)
STANDING OBSERVOR
Ms Sally Jackson, Administrative Officer, Academic Policy Services
NOTING OF DECISION TAKEN ON 22 JUNE 2012 ON ITEM CONSIDERED BY THE
TEACHING AND LEARNING COMMITTEE BY WAY OF A CIRCULAR
The following item was circulated to members as a proposal from the Chair of the Teaching and
Learning Committee, for decision by the Committee. Members were advised that if there were no (or
a minority of) objections received by the Executive Officer by the stated date the item would be
processed in the normal way and the recommendation would be recorded as a resolution of the
Teaching and Learning Committee in the next set of minutes.
CHAIR’S PROPOSAL - UWA STUDENT EXPERIENCE QUESTIONNAIRE (UWA-SEQ) – REF:
F42348
The Teaching and Learning Committee (TLC) Chair reminded members and participants that at the
June committee meeting it was noted that the item which related to the proposed UWA in-house
Student Survey (the Student Experience Questionnaire (the UWA-SEQ)) would be circulated for
members’ consideration and endorsement, following consideration of the survey by the Assessment
and Evaluation Standing Committee (AESC). Members noted that the AESC had subsequently
completed its consideration, the outcomes of which were provided for TLC members’ information.
TLC members received the following documents for consideration:


An extract from the minutes of a meeting of the AESC held on 16 May 2012, as ratified by
circular on 15 June 2012.
The paper entitled Mapping of TESQA Reporting Requirements with the Proposed UWA –
Student Experience Questionnaire (UWA-SEQ) Data Collection and Student Survey
Reporting.
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 The Final Structure and Approach for the UWA - Student Experience Questionnaire (UWASEQ) paper which included: proposed recommendations for the way forward with the student
survey; the Option A version of the questionnaire as recommended for adoption; and, Option
C as recommended for adoption as a separate measure of the ‘student experience of support’
by way of student services.
The Chair noted that one member of the AESC had not endorsed the proposed timing of the in-house
survey (mid-second semester), on the understanding that it would clash with the new national
University Experience Survey (UES), whose timing was unconfirmed at that stage. The feedback was
provided for members’ information. A further issue raised was that students would perceive their
strong objection that the survey was too long had not been addressed. Members were advised this
issue would be addressed by the proposed recommendation to separately administer the academic
and student services components of the UWA-SEQ.
By way of background, TLC members were reminded of the following:
 The survey was the result of the recommendations of the Student Academic and Cohort
Experience Working Party chaired by the PVC (Education) in 2011, which recommended a
September 2012 in-house survey to glean vital information from students concerning their
experience of New Courses;
 that recommendation had been accepted by the University Education Executive for action;
 the proposed timing of the survey was subsequently further agreed by the Senior Deputy
Vice-Chancellor in mid-March 2012.
TLC members’ endorsement of the Chair’s recommendations was required by circular, to facilitate its
further and final endorsement by a small review team as requested by the Future Framework
Implementation Committee (FFIC), and the UWA Education Executive, by August 2012. Background
information had been provided to members in the June Teaching and Learning Committee agenda, to
assist with preparation for this item.
Members were reminded that the survey had been circulated widely by the Centre for the
Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL) and TLC members, and a number of staff and
student cohorts within and beyond faculties, had provided feedback. It was noted that where feasible
given the agreed primary specifications, the feedback had been incorporated into the survey.
The Chair also reminded members that administration of the national UES in the second half of 2012
was known at the time that the need for an in-house survey was widely agreed. The Chair noted the
appearance of the UES in the year of the introduction of the New Courses and a vital need to survey
student responses to it, as unfortunate and potentially administratively challenging, but unavoidable in
an endeavour to garner data about New Courses from 2012 onwards.
Members were advised that should the University Executive determine that the previously agreed
timing for the UWA-SEQ be revised in light of later UES developments, this change may occur.
It was noted that progression of the UWA-SEQ through the University’s committee system to ensure a
reliable, meaningful and valid survey was ready to administer in Semester 2, remained the specific
task with which the TLC had been charged.
RESOLVED 25/12
That the following recommendations, contained in the paper “Final Structure and Approach for the
UWA - Student Experience Questionnaire (UWA-SEQ)” be endorsed:
1. The Option A version of the questionnaire be adopted as the UWA-SEQ.
2. The University administers a separate, extended, comprehensive range of student services
questions to measure “student experience of support”, in alternate years to the UWA SEQ or
at intervals as determined by the relevant groups involved in the provision of Student Services
(Option C).
3. The University provides incentives to the student body for participating in the survey as a way
to promote the survey and increase response rates.
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4. The survey be:
- launched within a specified period (late August/first week September 2012)
- administered by the process recommended above and detailed in this paper.
5. CATL prepare the reports for dissemination.
6. That re-administration of the survey in 2013 be reviewed in light of the experience of
administering the survey in 2012 and informed by the National UES and revised CEQ (if
applicable).
[Executive Officer’s note: One reply was received by the due date to voice non-agreement with the
Chair’s recommendation and as such, the survey would be transmitted to the review team for
consideration, as requested by the Future Framework Implementation Committee. The TLC endorsed
recommendation would be recorded as a resolution of this Committee in the next set of minutes.]
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