Learning and Teaching Committee

LTC12-M3

Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 14 June 2012

Members: Prof. Morag Bell (in the Chair) Dr Jane Horner

Dr Keith Pond Prof. John Feather

Prof. Memis Acar Prof. Ray Dawson

Prof. Ruth Kinna Prof. Fred Yeadon

Dr Brian Jarvis Dr Jennifer Nutkins

Jan Tennant Dr Phil Richards

Rebecca Bridger Prof. Simon Austin

James Carroll

In attendance: Rob Pearson, Dr Maurice FitzGerald (for item 12/36)

Harriet Bott (for item 12/37)

Apologies: Dr Robert Hamilton Dr John McCardle

Prof. Michael Kong Nigel Thomas

12/34 Minutes

LTC12-M2

1. The Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 20 March 2012 were confirmed.

12/35 Matters Arising from the Minutes not otherwise appearing on the Agenda

12/14 National Student Survey

1. 74% of eligible students had completed the questionnaire by the close of the survey in April. The results would be available for internal review in August and published nationally on 17 September.

12/04 QAA Institutional Review

1. Following the visit of the QAA Review Team from 28 May to 1 June, the University had received a ‘key findings’ letter which confirmed that provision at Loughborough met UK expectations in terms of the academic standards of the awards, the quality of student learning opportunities, and the enhancement of these opportunities.

2. A draft report would be received for factual checking in mid-July and the final report would be available on 20 August. There would be recommendations to be followed up in due course.

3. Staff were thanked for their role in demonstrating the University’s commitment to providing for all students learning and teaching of the highest quality.

12/36 Updating the Loughborough Student Charter

Received: LTC12-P27, LTC12-P27A

Noted:

1. The committee welcomed a report reviewing the successful launch of the Student Charter in 2011/12 and the process whereby it had been revised in preparation for 2012/13.

2. A draft audit and mapping of dissemination activities provided welcome evidence of the embedding of the Charter within Schools in its first year.

Agreed:

3. The content of the 2012/13 Student Charter was approved.

4. Hard copies of the Charter would be distributed to all incoming undergraduate and postgraduate students at the start of the 2012/13 academic session.

5. The Teaching Centre would fund the printing and circulation costs of the 2012/13 Charter and would investigate options for securing funding for future years.

6. The recommendations contained on page 4 of the report, aimed at supporting the further dissemination of the Charter, were approved. The Working Group would oversee their implementation.

7. Dr FitzGerald would investigate the feasibility of providing an interactive web-based version of the Charter that would provide students and staff with further information on how the headline statements in the Charter are enacted.

12/37 Review of the promotion of outgoing exchange student mobility at Loughborough University

Received: LTC12-P28

Noted:

1. The Committee welcomed a report on current and future promotional activities for Erasmus and International Student Exchanges. Several areas of promotional activity had been developed since the recruitment of a graduate intern in August to work on promotional and support projects.

2. It was felt that some students were discouraged from taking study abroad opportunities by uncertainty about the potential impact of grades achieved abroad on their degree classification.

3. Further work was required to raise staff and student awareness of the opportunities for both Erasmus work and study placements.

4. Harriet Bott was thanked for her work as a graduate intern over the past year and for the presentation of the report to the committee.

Agreed:

5. The Academic Registry would review current practice and guidance in this area with a view to making recommendations to a future meeting. Areas for review included:

i. module choice and availability for incoming students

ii. options for encouraging student study mobility, such as permitting the accumulation of credits from study abroad but discounting grades achieved when determining overall degree classification.

iii. the feasibility of a combined promotional event for work placements and study abroad opportunities, or whether separate events were more appropriate.

iv. opportunities for using Erasmus to fund short intensive programmes, such as summer schools.

v. the role of groups such as the International Mobility Team and the Placement Tutors Forum in the promotion of work and study abroad, and the formulation and enaction of policy and practice.

12/38 Learning and Teaching Strategy Implementation Planning Priorities

Received: LTC12-P29

Noted:

1. 2011/12 had been a busy year and significant progress had been made against the implementation plan.

2. A Learning and Teaching Strategy Implementation Plan for 2012/13 would be drafted over the coming months. Members discussed priorities and identified the following possible areas of focus:

i. Development and promotion of e-learning. For example, development of an interactive online tool to enable students to access the variety of support available across campus that helps develop their academic and transferable skills.

ii. Rationalising sources of guidance and documentation for staff and students, for example on work and study placements.

iii. IT projects, such as a full online admission system and a CRM system project

iv. Support for postgraduates who teach.

v. Support for students in the transition from school to University.

vi. Processes and timescales for programme approval.

vii. Support for learning and teaching in the new School structure.

3. The e-Learning Advisory Group had drafted an update to the University minimum online presence. The draft would be circulated for comment.

12/39 The role of ADTs in Approving Programme Proposals

Received: LTC12-P30

Agreed:

1. A Dean or their nominee, such as a Head of Department, was required to sign-off programme proposals as they were responsible for signing-off resource commitments.

2. AD(T)s would also be required to sign-off proposals, but would not be the sole signatories.

3. The requirements of the sign-off process would be considered during the review of the programme and module approval and review process (see minute 12/28.2).

12/40 Institutional overview of External Examiner reports - 2010/11

Received: LTC12-P31

Noted:

1. The overwhelming majority of External Examiner reports were very positive about Loughborough University, its staff and students.

Agreed:

2. The Academic Standards and Procedures Sub-Committee would consider the broader regulatory issues identified in the report and disseminate effective practice.

12/41 Report of Curriculum Sub-Committee – 10 May 2012

LTC12-P32, LTC12-P32A

1. It was agreed to recommend new programme proposals and other strategic changes to Senate on the advice of Curriculum Sub-Committee, as set out in the report.

2. It was agreed that Chair’s Action would be taken to approve the programmes for which there remained issues to be resolved, as noted at the meeting.

12/42 Recommendations from the Academic Standards and Procedures Sub-Committee – 21 May 2012

Agreed:

1. The Committee approved the following for submission to Senate for approval:

i. Proposal for amendment to Regulation XXI

Received: LTC12-P33

ii. Proposal for Amendment to Regulation XXII

Received: LTC12-P34

iii. Proposal for Points Based System Immigration and Participation Monitoring

Received: LTC12-P35

iv. Proposal for merit award

Received: LTC12-P36, LTC12-P36A, LTC12-P36B

12/43 The British University in Egypt: Report of AILR Visit, 29-30 April 2012

Received: LTC12-P37

12/44 Key Information Sets

Received: LTC12-P38, LTC12-P38A

Noted:

1. AD(T)s were encouraged to forward comments on the programme data to Chris Garrod in the Academic Registry.

12/45 University Library Learning and Teaching Group: Highlights from 2011/12

Received: LTC12-P39

12/46 National consultations

Noted:

1. HEFCE Consultation on a Risk based approach to Quality Assurance

http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/year/2012/201211/

2. UK Quality Code for Higher education, Chapter B3: Learning and teaching - Draft for consultation

http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Newsroom/Consultations/Pages/learning-teaching.aspx

12/47 Minutes of sub-committees and working groups

Received:

1. Working Group to Review Practice and Guidance on Plagiarism Detection - 4 May 2010: LTC12-P40

Noted:

i. Rebecca Bridger provided comments on the minutes to be taken into consideration by the Working Group when formulating its recommendations.

ii. Issues arising from a recent Academic Misconduct Appeal Hearing were noted and would be taken into consideration by the Working Group.

2. ASPSC - 10 May 2012: LTC12-P41

3. CSC minutes - 10 May 2012: LTC12-P42

4. ELAG minutes 1 February 2012 and 17 April 2012: LTC12-P43, LTC12-P44

12/48 Any Other Business

1. It was noted that this was the last meeting of the committee for Prof. Fred Yeadon, Rebecca Bridger and James Carroll. The Chair thanked them for their contribution to the work of the committee and wished them well for the future.

Author – Rob Pearson

Date – June 2012