Learning and Teaching Committee Agenda LTC14-A4 Notice of meeting The next meeting of Learning and Teaching Committee will be held on 5 June 2014 at 2.00 pm in the Pearce Committee Room, Hazlerigg Building. Rob Pearson, Secretary 1. Apologies for absence 2. Business of the Agenda Please note that the papers for this Agenda can be found on the following web site: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/committees/learning-and-teaching/ Normally, starred papers will not be circulated in hard copy. Any member wishing to unstar an item is asked to notify the Secretary by 5.00 pm on Tuesday 3 June 2014. Starred items will otherwise be taken without discussion. 3. Previous Minutes LTC14-M3 To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 10 April 2014. 4. Matters arising from the Minutes 14/02 National Student Survey To note that the final response rate for the 2014 NSS was 76.6%, which was ahead of the final response rate for 2013 of 74.3% and ahead of the sector 2014 response rate of 71%. SECTION A – ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION 5. Athena SWAN To receive an overview of the Athena SWAN award from Prof. Steve Rothberg 6. Enterprise, Teaching and Research To discuss the relationship between Enterprise, Teaching and Research in regard to the University Strategy. 7. The Student Experience Team To receive an overview from Dr Manuel Alonso on the work of the Student Experience Team. 8. Change of name for the Teaching Centre LTC14-P33 To receive a report from Dr Carol Robinson. 9. Personal Tutoring at Loughborough – next steps LTC14-P34 To receive a report from Dr Maurice FitzGerald (to be in attendance) 10. Learn Minimum Presence Audit May 2014 LTC14-P35 To receive a report from Charles Shields (to be in attendance) 11. Lecture Capture Research Report LTC14-P36 To receive a report from Dr Janette Matthews. Charles Shields (to be in attendance) to present. 12. e-portfolio Review LTC14-P37 To receive a report from Charles Shields and Sammy Davies (to be in attendance) 13. Student Charter 2014/15 LTC14-P38 To receive a report from Rob Pearson 14. Stretched Degrees – extended flexibility LTC14-P39 To receive a report from Miranda Routledge. Dr Jennifer Nutkins to present. 15. Peer Observation of Teaching and Learning LTC14-P40 To receive a report from Dr Nick Allsopp 16. Support for externally funded L&T projects To receive a verbal report from Dr Jennifer Nutkins on the support available for Schools. SECTION B – ITEMS FOR APPROVAL 17. Revised Bought-in Teacher (BiT) Quality Assurance Proposal LTC14-P41 18. Proposed Amendment to Regulation XVIII (Academic Misconduct) LTC14-P42 *19. Teaching and Learning Roles - Update LTC14-P43 *20. Oversight of the Academic Practice suite of programmes offered by the Teaching Centre LTC14-P44 *21. Review of Degree Classification Regulations LTC14-P45 *22. Report from Curriculum Sub-Committee LTC14-P46 *23. School APR Action Plans LTC14-P47 *24. School L&T Project Update LTC14-P48 *25. Academic Misconduct Committee Report 2012/13 LTC14-P49 *26. Auditing of information published by collaborative partners LTC14-P50 *27. External Examiner reports 2013/14 LTC14-P51 SECTION C – ITEMS FOR INFORMATION *28. Register of Accredited Programmes LTC14-P52 *29. PTES 2014 Overview LTC14-P53 *30. School e-learning implementation plans LTC14-P54 *31. Report from the BUE Validation Sub-Committee LTC14-P55 32. Any other business Author – Rob Pearson, May 2014 Learning and Teaching Committee LTC14-M3 Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 10 April 2014 Attendance Members: Prof. Morag Bell (in the Chair), Dr Jane Horner, Dr Jennifer Nutkins, Dr John McCardle, Prof. Simon Austin, Dr Keith Pond, Dr Carol Robinson, Amy Ward, Dr Brian Jarvis, Prof. Ruth Kinna, Dr Sandie Dann, Dr Manuel Alonso, Prof. Memis Acar, Dr Keith Pond, Dr Vince Dwyer. In attendance: Rob Pearson, Dr Nick Allsopp, Maurice FitzGerald, Hannah Chrisp, Gasim Ibrahim, Ben Cole. Apologies: Dr Lorraine Cale, Prof. Zoe Radnor, Josh Hurrell, Becky Lauder-Fletcher 14/32 Minutes Received: LTC14-M2 1. The Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 13 March 2014 were confirmed. 14/33 Matters arising from the Minutes not otherwise appearing elsewhere on the Agenda 14/02 The 2014 National Student Survey 1. Schools and the Students’ Union were thanked for all the work they had undertaken to encourage eligible students to complete the NSS. Student response rates had been up week-by-week in comparison to 2013 and it was anticipated that the overall response rate would be at or above the figure achieved in 2013. 2. The enhanced provision of information for Schools on student eligibility had helped Schools to target relevant students in 2014. It was agreed that action should be undertaken in 2015 to provide further information to students about the eligibility criteria. 14/34 The University Strategy: realising the learning and teaching priorities Received: LTC14-P21 1. Following approval of the University Strategy: Building Excellence by Council in November 2013, Senate had received a combined Strategic Implementation Plan in March 2014. This included a detailed breakdown of the four themes in the Strategy, identifying priorities, actions and timescales. The learning 1 and teaching elements of this document had been extracted into a single action plan, with areas of responsibility, actions and timescales identified for consideration by the Committee. 2. It was noted that careful consideration should be given to synchronising the priorities and actions identified in the University Strategy with School and Departmental priorities and actions. 3. The Committee endorsed the proposed areas of responsibility, actions and timescales outlined in the paper. It was agreed that the action plan would be amended to identify where individual Schools and Departments were to be involved; to identify timescales for initiation and completion; and to identify and monitor success against KPIs where appropriate. It was expected that the priorities would inform the future agenda of the Committee and that updates on progress would be received at least annually. 14/35 The Teaching Centre contribution to implementing the University Strategy 1. The Committee received a presentation which outlined the priorities of the Teaching Centre for the coming year and identified how the Centre would contribute to the implementation of the University Strategy. Members welcomed the overview and acknowledged the depth and breadth of the activities undertaken. 2. In addition to the initiatives undertaken by the Teaching Centre, the HR working group on Reward and Promotion and Academic Roles would play a critical role in elevating the status of teaching across the University. Among the priorities of the working group, it was recommended that consideration would need to be given to how the creation of Teaching Fellowships would be recognised within the PDR process. 3. It was noted that AD(T)s would welcome the opportunity to reflect and feedback on the successes, challenges and opportunities of their roles, both with each other and with members of the Academic Leadership Team. 4. The presentation would be circulated to members following the meeting, with members encouraged to share the content within their Schools as appropriate. 14/36 Graduate Attributes, Learning Opportunities and the Student Experience Received: LTC14-P22 1. The new combined University Strategic Implementation Plan, which had been received at Senate in March 2014, incorporated the Learning and Teaching Implementation Plan which in turn LTC had considered at its meeting in February (minute LTC14/05 refers). Strategic leadership for different parts of the Plan had also been specified in the paper to Senate. 2. The Committee received a paper focussing on learning opportunities and support for students. It was agreed that in order to ensure that students experienced our offering in a coherent way, and that there was effective coordination between the different sections of the Plan, it was desirable that an overarching framework of opportunities was developed and adopted across the University. The Committee therefore agreed that: • LTC would have oversight of all areas within the curriculum and the academic-related/co-curricular opportunities that were adjacent to it. • LTC would provide input to, and be kept informed about, the extra-curricular opportunities for students and the broader network of personal support that is provided by a range of Professional Services and the LSU. (Oversight currently lies with Student Experience Committee) • To avoid fragmentation and to ensure that students experience our offering in a coherent way, an overarching framework of opportunities would be developed that: - was seen as fundamental to realising the desired attributes of our graduates 2 - captured the distinctiveness of Loughborough’s provision - could be communicated clearly to students and to staff in Schools and Professional Services - could be used in external promotion 3. Members were reminded of the work undertaken by the Sports Development Centre to promote the health and wellbeing agenda, which aimed to help students and staff achieve their aspirations and meet the aspirations set by the University. 14/37 Student Engagement in the Educational Experience Received: LTC14-P23 1. The recent publication of QAA guidance and other related reports in regard to student engagement had highlighted the timeliness of a review into Loughborough’s student engagement agenda. 2. The Committee endorsed a proposal to engage with the student and staff community in order to come to a shared understanding of ‘student engagement’, with a view to developing a shared Code of Practice. It was noted that there were two general definitions of student engagement: the first in regard to improving the motivation of students to engage in learning and to learn independently, and the second in regard to the participation of students in quality enhancement and quality assurance processes, resulting in the improvement of their educational experience.