1. ITLR

The next Institutional Teaching and Learning Review (ITLR) runs through late 2022 and early 2023. ITLR is central to how we assure academic standards, enhance the quality of education, prioritise the focus of institutional and departmental education strategies, and link up with education developments in the Grand Challenges. This activity demonstrates to the University Council, the Office for Students (OfS) and other regulators that as a self-governing institution we can be trusted to take our obligations for quality assurance and student outcomes seriously, which is essential in an increasingly volatile and politicised regulatory environment where our autonomy is challenged. It is also an opportunity for us to further engage students as partners in quality assurance and enhancement, building on our progress here.

We are striking a balance in ITLR, ensuring it adds value for departments while becoming more efficient and risk-based than before. Based on the considerable feedback through our consultation in the spring months, we have adapted the method to accommodate each department’s context; we will make better use of existing documentation (Academic Resourcing Committee (ARC) Strategy Development, Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) accreditation reports etc.) to lighten the requirements of self-evaluation documents; and we will complete the Quality Assurance (QA) aspects quickly, focusing more on looking forward. This recognises the progress made in developing education in recent years and the pressures on workloads. In contrast to other institutions’ approach to quality assurance, we only run ITLR every five years to focus on delivery in other years. We will also build review panels proportionately to reduce the total amount of time required from staff in joining review panels.

2. Curriculum Development

The Dimensions of a Warwick Curriculum bring together the various themes Senate has agreed to embed in curricula. We will use ITLR to understand how well the Dimensions are embedded in programmes, but we have agreed that no curriculum review or design work shall be progressed with departments until ITLR is complete so that one can inform the other. We are developing resources and programme design support to help programme teams embed the Dimensions, and commit to having these in place before moving this project forward. Thereafter, we will work to a five-year timeframe to embed the Dimensions as departments refresh their curricula, and continue to work with ARC to align with further work on portfolio development and strategy review.

3. Inclusive Education

Momentum continues to build around the Inclusive Education Model (IEM) and we will continue to embed it for the benefit of our diverse community. We will distribute funding to support this work in departments, based on the priorities set out in brief Inclusive Education Action Plans developed by early autumn. We are prioritising the IEM for continued attention in tandem with ITLR, rather than integrating it completely, so that we stay on track with our access and participation targets.

4. Course Approval

We have commenced work to replace our course and module approval systems. Information Digital Group (IDG) are gathering the requirements to procure a new solution, which we will implement together improvements to the process ahead of work to embed the Dimensions of a Warwick Curriculum. In the meantime, IDG have completed improvements to address some of the pain points in the current system.

5. Assessment

We have procured and started to pilot the new Warwick Assessment System, with further supported piloting and phasing in planned for the coming year. We are complementing this with the policy changes needed to deliver online and on-campus assessment in tandem, and with the expert staff needed to support departments in designing and delivering diverse ranges of assessment.

6. TEF

We will produce a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) submission in early 2023, demonstrating the impact of our undergraduate education over the last four years against OfS-specified criteria. A project team is already developing the submission. We will draw on examples across disciplines, but we won’t need to ask academic departments to contribute much on this, given that this is not a subject-level TEF. Instead, we will focus on ITLR with the community to ensure that we are well positioned for a successful next TEF in 2026 and that we don’t lose sight of our foundation and postgraduate education. For the first time since the inception of TEF, the Student Union (SU) will also make a submission, underlining the interests of students

7. Degree Apprenticeships

We are preparing for and will undergo an Ofsted monitoring visit and an Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) audit for our established apprenticeships provision in the coming months. The actions resulting from these will need be addressed promptly alongside existing priorities to procure a dedicated apprenticeships management system and to embed our cycle of quality improvement.