Feedback to Faculty and University
Feedback to the Faculty and University from departments
Through the EPDs and EEPs, departments identified areas where additional support would enhance their improvement activities to sustain high‑quality education in the context of rising student numbers, increasing programme complexity, digital transformation, and expanding regulatory obligations. Requests centre on staffing capacity, teaching space and digital infrastructure, systems and AI guidance, curriculum governance clarity, and strengthened support for student experience and inclusion.
Key themes included:
- Leadership capacity and role clarity
- Data accessibility
- Consistency in assessment practices, module evaluation, resits and mitigation
- Joint degree governance and oversight
- AI coordination
- Space, timetabling and staffing capacity
- Student experience, inclusion & engagement
This priority aligns with the work of Learning and Teaching Action Group 5: Leading Learning and Teaching. The group will develop clear role descriptors and propose aligned departmental leadership structures to strengthen educational leadership across the institution.
A Data Superusers Group has now been established. Initial work, alongside DataLabs, will involve collaborating with teams and departments to map out student‑data needs. The aim is to create a streamlined set of core data resources that meet the needs of multiple teams, reducing the need for repeated individual requests.
A significant programme of work is currently underway to strengthen and enhance assessment practices. This includes the development of a new Assessment Strategy, alongside preparation for the upcoming assessment and curriculum reform accelerator programme. An Assessment Steering Group and Action Group 3: Assessment for Learning will deliver frameworks and resources for implementation of the Strategy.
Governance and oversight of joint degrees remain areas requiring improvement to ensure an equitable and consistent student experience. This priority aligns with the work of Action Group 1: Staff Experience and Teaching Excellence, which is exploring the introduction of a joint programmes framework to strengthen coordination and clarity.
Work is currently underway to introduce a strengthened AI governance structure. This will establish dedicated action groups tasked with delivering tangible outcomes related to AI, including the development of departmental guidance for staff and students and the delivery of AI literacy training.
This theme aligns with the remit of Learning and Teaching Action Group 1: Staff Experience and Teaching Excellence, as well as Action Group 4: Curriculum Futures. Discussions within these groups are exploring the scalability of pedagogical practice, innovation in teaching approaches, and the operational enablers, such as space, timetabling processes, and staffing capacity, required to support effective delivery.
Enhanced coordination with Disability Services was a recurring theme and is reflected in the Wellbeing Strategy, which is currently progressing through the approval process. Work in this area also continues through the Disabled Student Champions Network.
Requests for affordable in‑sessional English provision were noted. In response, in‑sessional provision has been reinstated for PGT students for the next academic year, with communications to be released shortly.
In addition, there were calls for more effective SU engagement for SSLCs, Unitu, and student voice structures. This is being addressed through the Student Voice Group in collaboration with the SU.