Learning and Teaching Committee

LTC05-A4


NOTICE OF MEETING

A meeting of the Committee will take place on Thursday 10 November 2005 at 9.30 am in the Council Chamber, Administration Building 2.

 

R A Bowyer, Secretary


AGENDA

1.         Apologies for Absence

2.         Welcome to new members

3.         Business of the Agenda

Any member wishing to unstar an item is asked to notify the Secretary by 5.00 pm on Tuesday 8 November 2005. Starred items will otherwise be taken without discussion.

 

Please note that the papers for this Agenda can be found on the web site linked to the following URL: -

 

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/admin/committees/learning_teaching/index.htm

 

Normally, papers for Section A only will be circulated in hard copy.

 

4.         Minutes

LTC05-M3

 

To confirm, subject to any correction, the Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 2 June 2005.

 

5.         Matters Arising from the Minutes not otherwise appearing on the Agenda

*5.1      Changes in General Regulations (M.05/27)

            LTC05-P32

To note discussions at Senate on 29 June 2005.

 

*5.2      Academic Misconduct (M.05/28)

To note that amendments to Regulation XVIII: Academic Misconduct were approved by Senate with effect from 3 October 2005 and that advice was provided by the Programme Development & Quality Team on the section of the document discussed at the previous LTC meeting on penalties available to the Academic Misconduct Committee.

 

*5.3      Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering (M.05/30)

LTC05-P33

To note discussions at Senate on 29 June 2005.

 

*5.4      Senate actions on other recommendations

To note that Senate approved the recommendations of the Committee in the following other matters:

(i)                  Six-month pre-sessional course (M.05/19)

(ii)                Year-long modules (M.05/20)

(iii)               Schemes for allowing Programme Boards to move candidates out of rank order as defined by their Programme Mark (M.05/21)

(iv)              Student Appeals – amendments to Regulation XIV (M.05/29)

(v)                Programme proposals (M.05/37)

(vi)              Assessment policy for students who have a disability (M.05/38)

(vii)             Employment of postgraduate students for teaching and marking (M.05/39)

 

5.5       Any other matters arising not appearing elsewhere on the agenda


SECTION A – ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION

6.         Terms of Reference

            LTC05-P34

To consider the terms of reference of the Committee with a view to reflecting on

 

            (i)         their fitness for purpose

            (ii)        members’ responsibilities.

 

7.         Major issues for 2005/06

            LTC05-P35

To identify major issues for the Committee’s consideration in 2005/06.

 

8.         Learning and Teaching Strategy

            LTC05-P36

            To consider a revised ‘working’ version of the Learning and Teaching Strategy.

 

9.         Periodic Programme Reviews

           

To consider the Reports of Periodic Reviews held during the summer 2005 and the responses of the relevant departments:

 

9.1       Information Science

LTC05-P37

 

9.2       Wolfson School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

LTC05-P38

 

9.3       School of Art and Design

LTC05-P39

 

9.4       Department of Design and Technology

LTC05-P40

 

10.       University responses to Universities UK consultation papers

 

            To consider draft responses to the following:

 

10.1     The UK Honours Degree and Provision of Information

LTC05-P41

 

10.2     Proposals for National Credit Arrangements for Use of Academic Credit

LTC05-P42

Both consultation documents are available at:

http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/consultations/universitiesuk/

 

11.       Use of HEFCE e-learning capital funding

            LTC05-P43

            To receive a report and offer comment on the options under consideration.

 

12.       Condonement

            LTC05-P44

To consider a report on the operation of the use of the new condonement provisions in the Regulations in 2004/05.

 

13.       Joint Degrees

            LTC05-P45

To consider, on the advice of the PDQ Team, the report of a Working Group on Joint Degrees.

 

14.       Master of Research (MRes)

            LTC05-P46

To consider proposals from the PDQ Team concerning the introduction of the degree of Master by Research.

 

15.       Establishment of a Student Diversity Working Group

            LTC05-P47

To consider the establishment of a Student Diversity Working Group.

 


SECTION B – ITEMS FOR APPROVAL

*16.     Curriculum Sub-Committee – 13 October 2005 (A)

LTC05-P48, LTC05-P48b

16.1     To approve an amendment to the terms of reference of the Curriculum Sub-Committee.  

16.2     To recommend new programme proposals and other strategic changes to Senate on the advice of Curriculum Sub-Committee. 

 

*17.     External Examiners

           

17.1     Statement of responsibilities

LTC05-P49

To approve a statement on the responsibilities of external examiners, on the advice of the PDQ Team following consultation with departments. 

 

17.2     Code of Practice

LTC05-P50

Subject to approval of 17.1 above, to recommend to Senate a revised version of the University Code of Practice on External Examining, which incorporates the criteria for external examiner appointments and revised procedure for handling external examiners’ reports approved at the previous meeting, as well as the above statement of responsibilities. 


SECTION C – ITEMS FOR INFORMATION

*18.     Constitution and Membership of the Committee

            LTC05-P51

            To note.

 

*19.     Curriculum Sub-Committee – 13 October 2005 (B)

LTC05-P52

To note further discussions of the Sub-Committee.

 

*20.     Calculators in University examinations

LTC05-P53

To note that the Chair has taken action on behalf of the Committee to approve a revised list of calculators for use in University examinations (Regulation VII, para 26) and guidelines for students with dyslexia or dyspraxia on choosing a calculator.

 

*21.     Award of Academic Practice Awards and Mini-Projects

            LTC05-P54

            To note awards made in the latest round.

 

*22.     University response to HEA consultation paper

            LTC05-P55

To note the University’s response to an HEA consultation paper on ‘A framework for teaching and supporting student learning in Higher Education’. 

 

The consultation paper is available at

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/news/Consultations.htm

 

*23.     Launch of Teaching Quality Information (TQI) web-site

To note:

 

(i)                  the launch on 22 September 2005 of the TQI web-site, incorporating the results of the 2005 National Student Survey:

 

http://www.tqi.ac.uk

 

(ii)                that further analyses of Loughborough’s NSS results have been circulated widely within the University, and aspects are being pursued in discussions between the ADTs and Departmental Learning and Teaching Co-ordinators.  For highlights of the University’s results, see

 

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/service/publicity/news-relases/2005/91_student_survey.html

 

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/prospectus/achievements/nss.html

 

(iii)       that more detailed results will be disseminated to institutions by Ipsos UK, to support them in identifying good practice and areas for improvement.

*24.     National Student Survey 2006

To note that confirmation has been received of the arrangements for the 2006 NSS.  It will have a similar format and timetable to the 2005 survey.  The same questionnaire will be used, though it is intended to test some additional questions for potential use in subsequent surveys.  There will be an added facility to aggregate the results for the two years of the survey to enable reporting on smaller areas of provision.  Following the 2006 NSS, the frequency of the survey will be reviewed. Information has been circulated to departmental TQI contacts.

           

*25.     QAA Institutional Audit 2004

To note that during the summer the University has responded to a request from QAA for a progress report on actions taken in response to the Report of the Institutional Audit one year on.  Copies available from the Secretary on request.

 

*26.     QAA Special Review of Research Degree Programmes

To note that the QAA is undertaking a one-off desk-based review of research degree programmes.  It will use a questionnaire designed to provide information on the University’s quality assurance framework for RDPs and particularly on how the framework aligns with the precepts of the revised Section 1 Postgraduate research programmes of the QAA Code of Practice.  The University’s response is being co-ordinated by Brigette Vale in the Research Student Office.

 

For the operational description of the special review, see http://www.qaa.ac.uk/reviews/postgraduate/default.asp

 

*27.     DfES consultation paper on ‘Improving the Higher Education Applications Process’

To note that the DfES is consulting on changes to enhance the current system of applications to higher education, including options for moving to a ‘post-qualifications applications’ system.  The University’s response is being handled through the Student Recruitment and Admissions Team.  See http://www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations/

 

*28.     Dates of Future Meetings 2005/06

                        Thursday 9 February 2006

                        Thursday 8 June 2006

 

29.       Any Other Business

 


Author – Robert Bowyer

Date – November 2005

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