University of Hertfordshire
Academic Services
ACADEMIC QUALITY – A BRIEF GUIDE FOR STUDENTS
Section A
What is Academic Quality?
Why does the University want students to be involved in Academic Quality?
Who is responsible for ensuring academic quality at UH?
How does the University seek to enhance/improve the student experience?
How does the University ensure students achieve the required academic standards
for a particular award?
Section B
What is a Periodic Review?
How is Periodic Review carried out at UH?
What is a UH Periodic Review Panel asked to consider?
What is the student panel member part in the Periodic Review process?
Is what students say going to make a difference?
What are the benefits of taking part in Periodic Review?
Section A
What is Academic Quality?
Academic quality is about:


Assuring the academic standards of your programme (in line with national
expectations), and ensuring that students only receive awards (e.g. a degree)
when they have achieved those standards;
The assurance of and continuous improvement in the student experience, to
help you to achieve those awards. It is about making sure that appropriate
and effective teaching, support, assessment and learning resources are
provided for students, and that processes are in place to enhance them.
Why does the University want students to be involved in Academic Quality?
The University believes that students are very well placed to comment on what is
good about their programmes of study and about their experience at the University
generally. We believe student involvement helps the University to understand the
student perspective, and to continually improve the student learning experience.
Who is responsible for ensuring academic quality at UH?
Ultimately, the University’s Vice-Chancellor has responsibility for academic quality.
However, in practice the Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Ian Campbell has overall
responsibility, assisted by the Director of Academic Quality Assurance, Dr Frank
Haddleton, a Deputy Director and a number of Associate Directors, who together
form the University’s Centre for Academic Quality Assurance (CAQA). Within
Schools, the Dean of School (assisted by Associate Deans of School (Academic
Quality Assurance) are responsible for the academic standards and quality of
programmes and modules within their Schools.
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The Academic Quality Committee structure is shown in the diagram below:
 Overall University responsibility
for academic standards & quality
 Chaired by the Vice-Chancellor
ACADEMIC BOARD
Student
Educational
Experience
Committee
(SEEC)
School
Academic
Committees
(SAC)
Programme
Committees
 School responsibilities including the
student experience, on-going and
annual programme monitoring,
managing collaborative programmes,
dissemination of good practice,
learning teaching and assessment
strategies and implementation of
University regulations and processes
 Chaired by the Dean of School
 Delegated responsibility for the student
experience of all students, including the
academic quality assurance and enhancement
for taught undergraduate & postgraduate
programmes
 Chaired by the PVC (Student Experience)
Academic
Standards
and Audit
Committee
(ASAC)
 Delegated responsibility for the on-  Delegated responsibility for academic
going operation and development
standards, the approval of academic qualityof the programme, including
related University regulations, collaborative
monitoring of performance and
provision, managing external audit and internal
preparing an annual monitoring
auditing of compliance at programme level
and evaluation report
 Chaired by the Director of Academic Quality
 Chaired by the Programme Tutor
Assurance
There are student representatives on all the committees shown above.
How does the University seek to enhance/improve the student experience?
The following are just some of ways by which the University tries to bring about yearon-year improvements in the student experience:
 With the help of representatives from the student body, analysing and acting
on the messages that are fed back through the results of module student
feedback questionnaires, the Student Barometer and the National Student
Survey (NSS);
 Listening to student and staff views at programme committees;
 Analysing data including module results and student progression from one
year to the next;
 Drawing up annual action plans at module, programme and School level
designed to effect ongoing improvements;
 Acting on the recommendations of external examiners;
 Review of programmes of study every 5 or 6 years, to ensure that they are up
to date, fit for purpose and suit the requirements of professional bodies where
relevant;
 Innovative learning and teaching projects;
 Development of all new teaching staff, to enable them to be effective
teachers; and
 Peer Review of teaching – staff observe one another teaching to see what
they can learn from each other about different teaching methods.
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How does the University ensure students achieve the required academic
standards for a particular award?
The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) (www.qaa.ac.uk) is funded out of public
money and exists “to safeguard the public interest in sound standards of higher
education qualifications and to inform and encourage continuous improvement in the
management of the quality of higher education.” To achieve this, the QAA has set in
place a ‘Quality Code for Higher Education’ to provide a means of describing
academic quality in UK higher education. The Quality Code includes three sections
(http://www.qaa.ac.uk/AssuringStandardsAndQuality/qualitycode/Pages/default.aspx) on (a) the setting and maintaining of academic standards,
(b) assuring and enhancing the student experience and (c) the information we
publish to you and prospective students.
Influenced by the national requirements for standards, the main mechanisms by
which the University ensures that students are achieving and being assessed at the
appropriate standards for their award are:
 External Examiner reports – every programme of study has at least one
External Examiner drawn from another university in the UK. The External
Examiner(s) compares standards being applied at their own institution (which are
in turn approved by External Examiner(s) from yet another university). In this way
the system is designed to ensure that there are similar standards across the UK
on similar programmes.
 The Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ)
(http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Pages/quality-codeA1.aspx) which describes the achievements that students being awarded higher
education qualifications (e.g. an honours degree, masters etc) are expected to
attain. Academic staff, including External Examiners, work to these standards.
So for example, the FHEQ states that an honours graduate:
“will have developed an understanding of a complex body of knowledge, some of
it at the current boundaries of an academic discipline. Through this, the graduate
will have developed analytical techniques and problem-solving skills that can be
applied in many types of employment. The graduate will be able to evaluate
evidence, arguments and assumptions, to reach sound judgments, and to
communicate effectively. An Honours graduate should have the qualities needed
for employment in situations requiring the exercise of personal responsibility, and
decision-making in complex and unpredictable circumstances.”
 Professional, statutory or regulatory body requirements – some
programmes of study (e.g. some nursing, engineering, business, social work and
law programmes) are accredited by professional, statutory or regulatory bodies
who may set particular standards as well as specifying the content of modules
and assessment methods.
 Subject Benchmarks
(http://www.qaa.ac.uk/AssuringStandardsAndQuality/subjectguidance/Pages/Subject-benchmark-statements.aspx) which set out
expectations regarding standards of degrees in particular subject areas e.g. law,
engineering etc. They describe what gives a discipline its coherence and identity,
and define what can be expected of a graduate in terms of the abilities and skills
needed to develop understanding or competence in the subject. Some
benchmark statements combine or make reference to professional standards
required by external professional or regulatory bodies in the discipline. Academic
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staff are required to take account of the relevant subject benchmark statement
for their subject area in designing programmes and in assessing students.
Section B
Periodic Review of Programmes of Study
What is a Periodic Review?
Periodic Review allows the University, with the help of external consultants, to review
all aspects of a programme of study, assessing current performance and future
strategy, in relation to the following specific areas of activity: curriculum and
standards, organisation, resources and learning and teaching. Programmes are
normally reviewed every 6 years. In broad terms, the purpose of a review is to ensure
that the programme is up to date and to enhance the quality of the programme.
The programme team produces documentation providing a critical review of the
operation of the programme over the previous 6 years and setting out proposed
changes. This is then discussed by a panel. The panel uses its expertise and
knowledge of the subject and of higher education to review the programme against
the set of nationally-agreed reference points, known as the Quality Code (see
above).
The key influences are as follows:
 The Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) (see above);
 Subject benchmark statements (see above);
 QAA’s own guidance on programme design and approval, and programme
review (http://www.qaa.ac.uk/AssuringStandardsAndQuality/qualitycode/Pages/Quality-Code-Part-B.aspx);
 A requirement for all programmes to have a document called a programme
specification – The QAA describes this document as “a concise description of
the intended outcomes of learning the programme of study, and the means by
which these outcomes are achieved and demonstrated in terms of knowledge,
understanding, skills and other attributes”. QAA has produced guidelines to offer
help to those preparing programmes specifications.
How is Periodic Review carried out at UH?
 Before the Periodic Review event, a development team (comprising the
programme tutor and a group of key staff who teach on the programme) reviews
the operation of the programme over the past six years and considers what
changes should be made. As part of this, they will organise a focus group to
gather the student opinion of the programme. The team will produce
documentation which is sent out to external consultants for advice.
 A one-day approval event will take place. The approval panel will include a
number of senior University of Hertfordshire members of staff not connected with
the programme under review, at least one external member (from another
university) and, a student representative from the programme of study, or a
recent graduate. There may also be a member(s) of professional or regulatory
bodies where the programme receives accreditation.
 At the conclusion of the event, the panel will recommend to the Academic Board
re-approval or non-approval of the programme of study. It may set conditions
which have to be satisfied by the programme team, or make recommendations
which the programme team are required to consider.
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What is a UH Periodic Review Panel asked to consider?
The panel is asked to consider:
 the coherence of the programme in terms of its content, curriculum, assessment,
progression and structure;
 the appropriateness of the standards of the awards offered;
 whether the programme can be delivered at an appropriate level and quality;
 whether the teaching and learning strategies are designed to meet the aims and
objectives and that these are appropriate for an undergraduate/postgraduate
programme;
 whether the resources available for the programme are appropriate.
What part do student panel members play in the Periodic Review process?
The student is a full panel member and as such has the status of any other panel
member. Understandably, you may feel a little out of your depth at the thought of
joining an experienced panel, but don’t let this put you off! Remember, the panel
values you for your student perspective on issues. Experience has shown that
students are a very valuable part of a Periodic Review process as they tend to ask
useful questions that other panel members may not think of asking.
Before the event you will be expected to read through the documentation and provide
concise comments on areas you believe need to be explored by the panel at the
event. These comments are collated by the Chair with the comments of other panel
members and form the basis of the discussion at the panel event itself. You are free
to comment on any aspect of the documentation but as a student you may well be
particularly able to comment on learning, teaching and assessment and student
support and guidance.
You may like to get in touch with the Clerk to the event to identify someone to explain
and discuss the documentation with you before the panel event. At the event itself,
there are private panel meetings at which you should not hesitate to ask questions,
or seek clarification.
Is what students say going to make a difference?
Yes. Student input is taken very seriously throughout the Periodic Review process
and the panel will, in decision making, treat the student as a full panel member.
What are the benefits of taking part in Periodic Review?
 The purpose of a periodic review is to assure the quality and standards of the
programme, which is vital for both future and existing students. By representing
students in Periodic Review, you are playing a part in making sure the academic
experience of your student members is continually improving;
 You will be able to influence innovation and change on the programme of study;
 You will develop your employability skills including oral communication and
influencing, which can be cited as experience in your curriculum vitae.
Depending on your particular programme of study, you may be able to obtain
academic credit.
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