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Education Committee has approved the following changes to the Quality Review Framework, for the 2024-25 academic year. These changes will feature in the updated Academic Manual from 1 September.

1. From Consultation to Partnership

Building on the work done last year to radically reduce the centrally mandated business being pushed into our Staff-Student Committees (SSCCs), Council has nowÌýapprovedÌýchanging their name to Student Partnership Committees (SPCs). From September all departments will be expected to run at least one Student Partnership Committee covering all the department's UG and PGT programmes. This committee should meet 3 times a year and report to the Department Education Committee.Ìý

As a reminder to colleagues, these committees are a standing part of our local education and student experience governance as set out in Statutes and Regulations for Management.ÌýThere should also be provision for PGR students, either as part of the same SPC, or a separate one specific to their programmes.

This name change reflects a change in approach for SPCs, with anÌýaim to encourage stronger partnership with elected student representatives to act upon feedback provided via the NSS and Annual Programme Surveys. ThisÌýaligns with work already underway to increase the importance of the student voice across education and student experience governance at UCL.

The SU, in collaboration with VPESE and SRS, will issue updated guidance and support resources for SPC Chairs and elected student Academic Representatives before the start of next academic session.

2. External Examining Refocused

Following an initial review of the operation of our Boards of Examiners, conducted by the Quality and Standards Committee (QSC) in 2023/24, Education Committee has approved the following changes to the External Examining regulations for 2024/25.Ìý

• It has been clarified that external examiners are asked to provide their assurance at the programme and not the module level.Ìý
• Linked to this, samples sent to external examiners do not need to cover every module but should provide a sufficient breadth of material to enable a fair judgment about student performance, and staff assessment and marking practice, across the programme. Ìý
• The previous stipulation that external examiners must not have collaborated with staff or students on a programme in the last five years has been replaced with a stipulation that Exam Board Chairs must assure themselves that potential conflicts of interest are appropriately identified and resolved.Ìý

During the 2024/25 academic year, QSC will commission the production of guidance and templates for Boards of Examiners to enable them to document their local:Ìý

• Assessment Scrutiny Practices
• Marking and Second Marking Procedures
• Internal Moderation Procedures

This information, which will be maintained and shared with external examiners annually, will support a move to a further streamlining of sampling. QSC will also commission the production of enhanced statistical reports to enable easy year-on-year tracking of student progression and award outcomes at programme level.Ìý

3. Changes to Peer Dialogue

We have simplified the presentation of the Peer Dialogue Scheme in the Academic Manual. Rather than regulating the specific methods that can be used to conduct an enhancement focused discussion, we are simply stating that all staff with significant teaching responsibilities are required to complete one at least once per year. Academic Directors of Education (Chairs of Department Teaching Committees) are responsible for ensuring that this is happening in their department.Ìý

Recommended peer dialogue formats will be advertised on the Teaching and Learning webpages.Ìý