Welcome

Embedding quality at strategic, operational and governance levels - A case study

Jon Alltree Director of Learning and Teachingj.r.alltree@herts.ac.uk @jonalltree

Helen BarefootDeputy Head of the Learning and Teaching Instituteh.barefoot@herts.ac.uk @helenbarefoot

Erika MasefieldPresident of the University of Hertfordshire Students'’ Unionuhsupresident@herts.ac.uk @UHSUpresident

Presentation• Background information• Previous structures• Physical and cultural changes• Student engagement

University of Hertfordshire

• Post-92 institution

• 27,500 students– 2,000 international students

• Over 2,000 staff

Quality Assurance – process driven

“Quality assurance processes focusing on compliance and accountability are insufficient” (Harvey, 2005)

Previous structure

Academic Quality Enhancement

Committee

Faculty Academic Quality Enhancement

Committee

Faculty Learning and Teaching Group

Student Performance and Monitoring

Group

Quality Assurance focussedCompliance overwhelming enhancement(Few members actively taught or assessed students)

E.g. Professional Suitability Policy

development and Academic

Offence reporting

No official reporting requirements – operated differently in different Faculties

New structure

Student Educational Experience Committee

Standard Working Party: Student

Performance and Monitoring Group

School Academic Committees

Working groups (e.g. Induction, Academic

Year)

Academic Standards and Audit Committee

“Transformational change calls for a complete re-examination, re-conceptualisation and re-direction of existing practice” (Jackson, 2003)

Student focussed – L&T and student experience prioritised

Enables focused discussion of policy and processes to ensure Academic Standards

Two – way dissemination

SEEC – ways of working

SelflessnessIntegrityObjectivityAccountabilityOpennessHonestyLeadership

Seven principles of public life

Committee on Standards in Public Life, 1994

SEEC Communiqué

Changes in structures and ways of thinking

Student ExperienceThe understanding of students’ engagement with and experience of higher education

• People-focussed

• Student at the centre

• Personal ownership and responsibility

• Subjective

• Qualitative

• Proactive

• Sensitive to contexts

• Tends to think holistically

• Uses the language of values, empathy, relationships, understanding, aspirations

Quality AssuranceThe systematic monitoring and evaluation of variousaspects of higher education

• Activity-focussed

• Provider at the centre

• Central ownership and responsibility

• Objective

• Quantitative

• Reactive

• Preference for uniformity

• Tends to think in units, partitions and segments

• Uses the language of procedures, policies, guidelines, protocols, benchmarks, standards, compliance, audit.

Collaborative approach and co-location

Frank HaddletonDirector of Academic

Quality Assurance

Jon AlltreeDirector of Learning

and Teaching

Collaborative approach and co-location

Learning and Teaching Institute

Centre for Academic Quality Assurance

Co-Location within Academic Registry

Frank HaddletonDirector of Academic

Quality Assurance

Jon AlltreeDirector of Learning and

Teaching

Alignment of missions

• More effective validation and review processes

• Joint policy development• Joint staff development • Enhanced data-informed

activity • Joint working on the QAA

Quality Code

Centre for Academ

ic Quality

AssuranceLe

arni

ng a

nd

Teac

hing

In

stitu

te

Re-organisation and Infrastructure

Dr Andrew Clutterbuck Pro Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience)

Dr Jon AlltreeDirector of Learning and Teaching

Head of the Learning and Teaching Institute

Dr Helen BarefootDeputy Head of the Learning and

Teaching Institute

Dr Frank HaddletonDirector of Academic Quality Assurance

Head of the Centre for Academic Quality Assurance

Catherine RendellDeputy Director of Academic

Quality Assurance

Associate Deans Learning and Teaching

within each Academic School

Associate Deans Academic Quality Assurance within each Academic School

Partnership working

“Working in partnerships, whether these are between staff or between students and staff, is the best means by which to secure meaningful progress and excellent outcomes”

Student Engagement• UHSU reinvigorated the Student representative system• Each School appointed a School Student Representative Organiser (SSRO)• UHSU Sabbatical officer has a seat on all high level committees• Students feature on periodic review and validation panels and on some

interview panels• UHSU President meets regularly with the VC• UHSU work with non academic Business Units – e.g. calm but effective negotiation with the Head of Estates to reduce a planned student accommodation rent rise

Aspirational culture

Thanks to…• Dr Andrew Clutterbuck Pro-vice Chancellor (Student Experience)

• Dr Frank Haddleton Director of Academic Quality Assurance

• Ms Catherine Rendell Deputy Director of Academic Quality Assurance