Annual Programme Review (APR) and Programme Action Plan Guidance
Version:
September 2015
Date last
amended:
29/9/2015
File
name:
APR_Action_Plan_Guidance_September_2015
Refer to:
Annual Quality
Enhancement
Cycle
Contents
1.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 2
2.0 The Annual Programme Review ........................................................................................ 2
3.0 The Programme Action Plan.............................................................................................. 3
4.0 Review and scrutiny .......................................................................................................... 5
5.0 APR and Action Plan scrutiny checklist ............................................................................. 7
6.0 Programme Action Plan Template ..................................................................................... 9
1
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Requirements
Programme Teams are required to complete two documents:
a. The Annual Programme Review (APR)
b. The Annual Programme Action Plan
1.2 Key dates in the Annual Quality Enhancement Cycle
Key dates in the cycle are set out in the Annual Quality Enhancement Cycle.
2.0 The Annual Programme Review
2.1 Purpose
The APR process, which includes the Programme Action Plan, is an important part of the
University’s Annual Quality Enhancement Cycle. It provides key information to programme
teams, departments, faculties, the University, and validating partners, as to the overall
performance of programme areas, their key strengths and areas for future enhancement.
2.2 The process of completing the APR
a. Team ownership: All members of the programme team should be involved in the APR
process.
b. Writing the documents: Each programme team should identify a single person who will
coordinate the writing of the document.
c. Student data: The SAR, or designated person, should request the data relevant to
their faculty from Q&V.
d. Staffing data: Staffing data should be prepared based on the University’s agreed
Workload Model.
Programme Teams are required to review, analyse and reflect on:
a. Key data: This includes recruitment, achievement and progression data
b. Feedback from key stakeholders: This includes from Staff, Students, External
Examiners, Subject Advisors and UK validating partners through its APR and Annual
Institutional Level Review (AILR) Reports. All issues that have been identified by the
Subject Advisor and External Examiner should be responded to in the relevant section
of the APR document.
2
c. Outstanding issues from previous APR and Action Plans: These should be identified
and commentary provided.
Once completed, the APR document and Action Plan are submitted to the Faculty Teaching
and Learning Committee, the University Teaching and Learning Committee, and to UK
Validating Partners. It is used to inform judgements as to the overall performance of
programme areas, to identify areas of good practice for dissemination across the University,
as well as key enhancement themes.
2.3 Supporting documents to inform the APR
The person identified to write the APR should have the following available at the outset:
a. Last year's APR
b. UK validating university’s comments on the APR and the programme's response
c. Current Programme Action Plan
d. The External Examiner's Report
e. The Subject Advisor's/Link Tutor Report
f. The minutes of the Staff - Student Liaison Committee
g. Module Evaluations
3.0 The Programme Action Plan
3.1 Purpose
The Programme Action Plan is produced annually as a result of the APR process. It enables
the programme teams to identify and address the key issues that have emerged from the
APR process and to ensure that these are addressed in a coherent and consistent way to
enhance the programme and the student experience.
3.2 The process of completing the Programme Action Plan
The Programme Action Plan should be produced through discussion with the entire
Programme Team via departmental meetings. It should inform programme development as
part of an annual quality enhancement cycle. The template for the Action Plan is available in
these Guidelines.
3
3.3 The five key areas covered
The Action Plan is divided into five key areas:
a. Student Recruitment
b. Student Achievement and Progression
c. Teaching, Learning and Assessment
d. Staffing including Staff Development Priorities
e. Other
3.4 Ensuring achievable outcomes
To ensure the ongoing enhancement of their programme, programme teams must ensure
that key outcomes to be achieved through the Action Plan are achievable.
For each issue addressed, key outcomes should be identified against which success will be
measured. These outcomes should be SMART - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic,
Time Bound.
3.5 Ongoing review of Programme Action Plan
The programme team should review the Programme Action Plan on a regular basis to ensure
that issues are progressed and to ensure the timely achievement of outcomes. Progress in
achieving key outcomes will be reported to Faculty and University Teaching and Learning
Committees.
Section two of the Action Plan should be completed to identify the extent to which key
outcomes have been achieved and to identify any issues that should be carried over to the
next Programme Action Plan.
3.6 Supporting documents to inform the Action Plan
The key issues to be addressed in the Programme Action Plan should be extracted from the
following sources:
a. Programme APR
b. Programme Action Plan from previous cycle
c. AILR Report
d. Subject Advisor’s Report
e. External Examiner’s Report
f. Report on APR by AD (T) Loughborough (LU ADT) and/or UK validating partner
g. Student Feedback (SF)
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4.0 Review and scrutiny
4.1 Review and scrutiny process
A mechanism should be established by the Faculty Vice Dean(T&L) and/or the departmental
Teaching and Learning Coordinator (and the SAR) to ensure scrutiny of the APR and Action
Plan, by having them read by a suitable person outside the programme as well as by the
SAR. At each stage of the process, appropriate sign off should take place.
The scrutiny and review process should include:
a. Review of APR and Action Plan by Programme Director, HoD, Vice Dean (T&L) and
Dean.
b. Review of the APR and Action Plan by faculty/departmental TLC scrutiny committee
using the standard University review checklist.
c. Submission of APR and Action Plan to the UTLC for scrutiny and approval.
d. Submission of approved APR and Action Plan to Head of Q&V.
e. Submission of approved APR and Action Plan to relevant UK validating university by
Head of Q&V.
All APRs and Action Plans should be sent to the Senior Vice President (Teaching and
Learning) by the agreed deadline, so that they may be reviewed by the University Teaching
and Learning Committee prior to their submission to the UK validating partner.
In carrying out the review and scrutiny process, the checklist in these guidelines should be
used and the following issues should be considered:
a. Focus: The focus of the APR and Action Plan is the programme itself and its delivery.
It is not on personnel issues, or other staffing concerns, for which different forums are
being established in the University.
b. Institutional issues: A distinction should be made between programme specific issues
and issues that are University wide such as the availability of resources, student intake
numbers and levels/etc. University-wide issues should simply be indicated as
concerns to be addressed at the appropriate level.
c. Tone: The tone of the two documents should be neutral, reflective, balanced and
appropriately academic.
5
d. Distribution: It is important to realise that these documents, whilst representing BUE’s
own review, are available in Britain within the public domain through our validating
universities.
e. Font: Arial font size 10 should be used throughout.
4.2 Supporting documentation required by F/DTLC scrutiny committee
In carrying out the review process the following documentation should be submitted by the
department to the FTLC scrutiny committee:
a. The completed APR
b. The completed Programme Action Plan
c. Staff/Student Liaison Committee Minutes
d. External Examiner’s Report and Department’s formal response
e. Current department teaching staff and modules taught
f. Current modules taught on the programme and staff responsible
4.3 Supporting documentation required by UTLC scrutiny committee
a. The completed APR Scrutiny Checklist
b. The completed APR
c. The completed Programme Action Plan
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5.0 APR and Action Plan scrutiny checklist
Programme Title:
Date of APR and Action Plan review by FTLC:
#
Area
Yes
No
Comments
Format
1
The appropriate proforma has been used with the correct
academic year for the APR clearly written in the left hand corner
2
Correct font and size used throughout the document – Arial 10
3
Appropriate formatting of texts and tables
4
Appropriate alignment of all issues and actions in each section
5
UK spelling used
Data sections – Sections 1 to 7
1
All data fields are fully completed
2
Data sets are accurate and consistent
3
Each set of data has been analysed and a commentary provided
which identifies, (a) main trends (b) implications for the
programme team and University, as well as (c) proposed
strategies to address issues
Sections 8 onwards
1
All relevant issues identified have been extracted and listed
2
All actions proposed are (a) SMART and, (b) provide an
appropriate response to each issue which the programme team
will be able to progress in the coming year
3
Tone is neutral, reflective, balanced and appropriately academic
Current Staff Breakdown
1
All data fields are fully completed
2
Data is accurate and consistent
3
University Staff Workload Model has been applied
4
University SSR is met
Future Teaching Staff Requirements
1
All data fields are fully completed
2
Staffing requirements reflect the planned growth of the
programme
3
University Staff Workload Model has been applied
Student Profile and Marketing
1
All sections are fully completed
2
Appropriate analysis is provided
3
Tone is neutral, reflective, balanced and appropriately academic
7
#
Area
Yes
No
Comments
Action Plan
1
All sections are fully completed
2
Items identified are SMART
Supporting Documentation
1
All required documentation is attached
(i) Staff/Student Liaison Committee Minutes
(ii) External Examiner’s Report for and Department’s formal
response
(iii) Current department teaching staff and modules taught
(iv) Current modules taught on the programme and staff
responsible
(v) The annual Programme Action Plan
Review by Programme Director, HoD and Dean of Faculty
1
APR and Action Plan has been reviewed by the Programme
Director
2
APR and Action Pan has been reviewed by the HoD
3
APR and Action Plan has been reviewed by the Dean
Programme Director’s signature:
Date:
HoD’s signature:
Date:
Dean’s signature:
Date:
SAR’s signature
Date:
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6.0 Programme Action Plan Template
Programme Title:
DN
HoD
PT
ML
Academic Year:
Dean
Head of Department
Programme Team
Module Leaders
VD(T&L)
EO
ELC
PD
Vice Dean (Teaching & Learning)
Exam Officer
eLearning Coordinator
Programme Director
PYC
SDC
LC
Preparatory Year Coordinator
Staff Development Coordinator
Library Coordinator
Please expand the table as necessary by adding additional rows and use Arial font size 10.
#
Action required by
(APR, AILR, Programme
Development Plan, SA Report, EE
Report, Student Feedback etc)
1.
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
2.
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
3.
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
4.
4.1
Action to be taken by the Programme
Team
By
whom
By
when
Key outcomes to be achieved
Met?
Yes - Y
No - N
Partially - P
Student Recruitment
Student Achievement & Progression
Teaching, Learning and Assessment
Staffing including Staff Development Priorities
9
#
Action required by
(APR, AILR, Programme
Development Plan, SA Report, EE
Report, Student Feedback etc)
Action to be taken by the Programme
Team
By
whom
By
when
Key outcomes to be achieved
Met?
Yes - Y
No - N
Partially - P
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
5. Other Issues
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
Programme Director
Signature
Date
Head of Department
Signature
Date
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Programme Action Plan - Review of Progress
The programme team should review the Programme Action Plan on a regular basis to monitor achievement and outcomes. It should identify the extent to which
each key outcome has been achieved (Y – Yes, P – Partially, N – No).
At the end of the annual cycle, the overall achievements should be identified, as well as the key issues to carry over to the next Programme Action Plan. These
should be listed below.
Key achievements
Issues affecting achievement of aims
Issues to carry over to next academic year
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