Important changes to the University’s annual monitoring review process conducted in
2005/2006 for annual monitoring review of 2004/2005 provision.
It has been recognised that, following a prolonged and evolutionary period of internal and
external scrutiny of the University’s quality assurance processes under the auspices of the
Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, the University has now reached a stage at
which academic Schools have the maturity to effectively address annual monitoring of all
taught provision within their own internal quality assurance structures.
At the Senate meeting in October 2005 it was formally agreed to delegate responsibility for
and ownership of the Annual Monitoring process to Schools, with immediate effect for the
2005/06 session. Individual academic Schools will be responsible for determining the most
appropriate and effective procedure through which annual monitoring of all taught provision
will be undertaken.
Individual Schools may prefer to review both undergraduate and postgraduate taught
provision simultaneously and combine the previously separate processes.
Outcomes of School annual monitoring review processes will be reported to the Academic
Policy Committee via the School Board (or School Academic Committee with delegated
responsibility) and should include:


a copy of the minutes at which annual monitoring review reports have been
discussed and
a set of performance indicators prepared jointly between the ASSU and Schools
against which Schools will be assessed.
The above information forms the basis of the Annual Report from Schools to the Academic
Policy Committee on the quality of their taught provision with an assurance that a rigorous
and effective review has been undertaken.
Transfer arrangements during 2005/2006 for annual monitoring review of 2004/2005
The following arrangements have been established to ensure that the devolution of annual
monitoring to Schools is both seamless and transparent.
General:
1
Academic departments who submitted undergraduate and/or postgraduate
annual monitoring reports for 2003/2004 monitoring which were subsequently
approved by the Quality Assurance Sub-Committee in June 2005 will be deemed
as demonstrating ‘evidence of good standing’ and therefore will not be required to
submit any further documentation for approval under the former annual
monitoring process. Such academic departments will therefore be permitted to
undertake annual monitoring as part of the new devolved arrangements
conducted through the School.
2
Academic departments who submitted undergraduate and/or postgraduate
annual monitoring reports for 2003/2004 monitoring but were subsequently
requested by an Annual Monitoring Team to resubmit all or part of the report or
action plan and who have still not completed this action will be deemed as
demonstrating ‘no evidence of good standing’ and therefore will be required to
submit an annual monitoring report for 2004/2005 under the former annual
monitoring review process.
Such reports, prepared under the former structure and format, should be
submitted to the ASSU by Thursday 2 February 2006 for both undergraduate
and postgraduate programmes to be considered by a special meeting of the
Annual Monitoring Team on Wednesday 22 February 2005.
Exceptions:
3
All departments offering University awards delivered through collaborative
provision arrangements will be required to produce separate annual monitoring
reports under the former annual monitoring review process as follows.
Academic departments who deliver undergraduate and postgraduate
collaborative programmes will be required to submit a separate annual monitoring
report for that collaborative provision under the former structure and format to the
ASSU by Monday 6 February 2006 to be considered by a special meeting of the
Annual Monitoring Team on Monday 27 February 2006.
4
Bradford College will continue to prepare and review annual monitoring reports
for all awards validated by the University and delivered by the College under the
former annual monitoring process as part of the transitional arrangements for
managing out the programmes. Separate meetings have also been arranged by
Bradford College at which University representatives have been nominated to
attend to review the reports.
Devolved arrangements:
Academic departments/Schools deemed as demonstrating evidence of good standing under
clause 1 above will be required to submit an appropriate report to the School Board (or
School Academic Committee with delegated responsibility) for consideration.
Schedule of Meetings:
The outcomes of the deliberations of annual monitoring reports at a School level should be
submitted to the ASSU as follows:
Provision
Undergraduate
Postgraduate (and
undergraduate if
considered
simultaneously)
To be submitted to ASSU
Monday 24 April 2006
Monday 15 May 2006
To APC for approval
Wednesday 3 May 2006
Friday 26 May 2006
The Associate Deans (Learning & Teaching) will shortly be receiving further information and
supporting documentation to inform the transfer arrangements including details of the
academic departments required to submit annual monitoring reports as part of the former
process as identified under clause 2 above.
Further information and guidance on the annual monitoring process is located on the ASSU
webpages at http://www.brad.ac.uk/admin/acsec/ or alternatively contact your Academic
Standards Administrator in the first instance.
A learning support seminar will be held on Wednesday 9 November at 13.00 in the JBP
Library Room 01.58 to provide an opportunity for colleagues to discuss the new
arrangements for annual monitoring.