York St John University College

OCTOBER 2006 Preface The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) exists to safeguard the public interest in sound standards of higher education (HE) qualifications and to encourage continuous improvement in the management of the quality of HE. To do this QAA carries out reviews of individual HE institutions (universities and colleges of HE). In England and Northern Ireland this process is known as institutional audit. QAA operates similar but separate processes in Scotland and Wales. The purpose of institutional audit The aims of institutional audit are to meet the public interest in knowing that universities and colleges are: z providing HE, awards and qualifications of an acceptable quality and an appropriate academic standard, and z exercising their legal powers to award degrees in a proper manner. Judgements Institutional audit results in judgements about the institutions being reviewed. Judgements are made about: z the confidence that can reasonably be placed in the soundness of the institution's present and likely future management of the quality of its programmes and the academic standards of its awards z the reliance that can reasonably be placed on the accuracy, integrity, completeness and frankness of the information that the institution publishes, and about the quality of its programmes and the standards of its awards. These judgements are expressed as either broad confidence, limited confidence or no confidence and are accompanied by examples of good practice and recommendations for improvement. Nationally agreed standards Institutional audit uses a set of nationally agreed reference points, known as the 'Academic Infrastructure', to consider an institution's standards and quality. These are published by QAA and consist of: z The framework for higher education qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (FHEQ), which include descriptions of different HE qualifications z The Code of practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher education z subject benchmark statements, which describe the characteristics of degrees in different subjects z guidelines for preparing programme specifications, which are descriptions of the what is on offer to students in individual programmes of study. They outline the intended knowledge, skills, understanding and attributes of a student completing that programme. They also give details of teaching and assessment methods and link the programme to the FHEQ. The audit process Institutional audits are carried out by teams of academics who review the way in which institutions oversee their academic quality and standards. Because they are evaluating their equals, the process is called 'peer review'. The main elements of institutional audit are: z a preliminary visit by QAA to the institution nine months before the audit visit z a self-evaluation document submitted by the institution four months before the audit visit z a written submission by the student representative body, if they have chosen to do so, four months before the audit visit z a detailed briefing visit to the institution by the audit team five weeks before the audit visit z the audit visit, which lasts five days z the publication of a report on the audit team's judgements and findings 20 weeks after the audit visit. The evidence for the audit In order to obtain the evidence for its judgement, the audit team carries out a number of activities, including: z reviewing the institution's own internal procedures and documents, such as regulations, policy statements, codes of practice, recruitment publications and minutes of relevant meetings, as well as the self-evaluation document itself z reviewing the written submission from students z asking questions of relevant staff z talking to students about their experiences z exploring how the institution uses the Academic Infrastructure. The audit team also gathers evidence by focusing on examples of the institution's internal quality assurance processes at work using 'audit trails'. These trails may focus on a particular programme or programmes offered at that institution, when they are known as a 'discipline audit trail'. In addition, the audit team may focus on a particular theme that runs throughout the institution's management of its standards and quality. This is known as a 'thematic enquiry'. From 2004, institutions will be required to publish information about the quality and standards of their programmes and awards in a format recommended in document 03/51, Information on quality and standards in higher education: Final guidance, published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. The audit team reviews progress towards meeting this requirement. © The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education 2006 ISBN 1 84482 588 4 All QAA's publications are available on our website www.qaa.ac.uk Printed copies are available from: Linney Direct Adamsway Mansfield NG18 4FN

Tel 01623 450788 Fax 01623 450629 Email [email protected] Registered charity number 1062746 Institutional audit report

A report, in lieu of institutional employment-relevant curricula in a secure but audit, based on enquiries stimulating environment, to demonstrate the relevance of a Christian value base to the undertaken in academic years predominantly secular world in which the 2004-05 and 2005-06, in majority of its students live and work. connection with the University 4 The College's academic provision grew College's application for taught from its roots in teacher education which, degree awarding powers and particularly in the fields of primary and religious university title. education, is still a core element of its academic provision. Nonetheless, the College now offers a portfolio of programmes, ranging from Background foundation studies, short certificate programmes, Foundation Degrees, first degrees and taught 1 The origins of York St John University postgraduate programmes to research degrees, College (the College) lie in St John's College which it delivers under University of Leeds York, a diocesan teacher training institution arrangements. The core of the College's founded in 1841, and Ripon College, a undergraduate offering is its portfolio of women's teacher training college. These undergraduate programmes, primarily specialist institutions merged to become the College degrees with a range of joint honours degrees, of Ripon and York St John in 1975. On its deriving from them. Reflecting the College's withdrawal from Ripon in 1999, the College vocational orientation, all programmes contain took the name York St John College. work-related modules and a work experience 2 The College's programmes have been element, and an increasing number are validated by the University of Leeds since the professionally accredited. 1970s. The College was designated a College 5 The College also claimed in its of the University in the 1990s and became a documentation to be extending and deepening fully accredited institution in 2001. It was its external engagements regionally, nationally awarded taught degree awarding powers at and globally. Regionally its main contribution is the start of the present academic year, which through partnerships with providers of further it intends to activate with effect from academic and higher education, where it emphasises year 2007-08 on the basis of a detailed migration facilitating student access to HE, including plan approved by Academic Board. It has access for those from under-represented groups subsequently applied for the granting of/been whose potential is less likely to be fulfilled in a awarded university title. traditional HE environment. Since 2001 the 3 The College is a Church of England College's distinctive contribution to the Higher foundation, but, other than in the case of the York project (now a Lifelong Learning Network principalship, the incumbent being required to sponsored by the Higher Education Funding be a communicant member of the Church, is Council for England) has been the main vehicle open to staff and students of any or no faith. for its regional widening participation strategy. Building on its Mission Statement, which Nationally the College can claim to have made stresses the provision of excellent, open and some contributions to pedagogic knowledge progressive higher education (HE), embracing and development, but acknowledges that it will difference, challenging prejudice and fulfil its potential, which may include the promoting justice, the College claims to development of a range of collaborative provide widely accessible opportunities for partnerships, only when it can act and promote lifelong learning and to promote the personal itself as a university awarding its own taught and professional development of students and degrees. Globally its involvement appears to staff. Hence it aims, by delivering an the assessor team predominantly aspirational,

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although its current activities include an MA 8 The Principal is the College's chief executive International Studies, taught in Japan and and accounting officer, although the College Poland by a combination of distance learning claims to have a dispersed system of academic and off-site delivery. leadership. It stated in its documentation that the Principal's academic leadership is manifested, in particular, in her chairing of Academic Board and The structure of the College her role in the process for selecting or appointing 6 Under the College's Instruments and professors, readers and heads of school. The Articles, the Governing Body whose members Deputy Principal chairs Research and Enterprise include diocesan, staff, student and non-aligned Committee and APRC has early sight of outline representatives, exercises responsibility for proposals for all new programmes and leads the determining its mission and ethos and for academic planning process. The heads of school, overseeing its academic and corporate two of whom also have senior chairing activities. The majority of business regarding responsibilities, are responsible for identifying, the efficient use of resource and the financial planning and overseeing academic opportunities status of the College is carried out through the for their schools, and for providing academic Strategy, Planning and Resources Committee; leadership on curricular development. The the Audit Committee exercises its statutory brief Director of Learning and Teaching works with with the help of an internal audit service; the the relevant principal lecturers to ensure that the other main governors' committees are the College's academic community engages fully Human Resource Development Committee, with innovation and best practice. The Director Health and Safety Committee and Remuneration of Quality Innovation works similarly with the Committee. The Nominations Committee is principal lecturers for quality and the Office of charged with ensuring the Board has access to the Academic Registrar to ensure that every an appropriate range of skills and experience opportunity for enhancing the quality of the through its members; new members are offered College's academic provision is identified and induction and full briefing materials; and the exploited. Each school has a designated research College holds regular development days for coordinator who, with its professors and readers, the Board. provides academic leadership in research. Many heads of programme demonstrate academic 7 Academic Board, the supreme College leadership through the conceptualisation and committee in respect of academic policy, development of new programmes. contains staff and student representatives sitting alongside a range of College officers. It engages 9 While noting with interest both the extent in policy development through direct to which academic leadership as a concept discussion, but also discharges its detailed permeates many organisational levels within responsibilities for planning, academic standards the College, and the College's inclusive and the quality of the student experience approach to it, the assessor team was unclear through its four main subcommittees: Academic how, precisely, the College defines academic Planning and Resources Committee (APRC), leaders, concluding that the term is a loose Academic Standards Committee (ASC), Student definition and not a formal role or post. While Services Committee and the Board of Examiners the team was encouraged by the collegial for Progress and Award. Each year, both alone spirit and determination to secure universal and in a shared meeting with the Governing engagement with its aims and objectives which Body, it addresses the Annual Quality Report appear to underpin the College's approach, (AQR) (see paragraphs 16 and 19) as and while its enquiries did not uncover any the summative element of the College's annual confusion arising from it, the team is of the evaluative cycle. view that the potential for future uncertainty exists unless the College is clear about every line of accountability and the extent of its page 2 Institutional audit report

strategic or operational devolution. Accordingly view that the complexity of the proposals may the team considers it desirable for the College be disproportionate to the size of the College. to undertake a formal review of its approach to In particular the team was unable to ascertain academic leadership, particularly to ensure the the exact contribution to management to be effectiveness of its accountability procedures. made by the proposed dialogue groups, and is concerned that, should that contribution 10 The Principal is supported by an Executive transpire to be more apparent than real, there Group both to advise her on strategic vision and would be a possibility of collegiality giving way operational management and to provide a to cynicism. Replacing five schools with four linkage between the Governing Body and faculties, however, appears to the team an College staff for delivery of the Corporate Plan. appropriate response to the small size of the This Group currently comprises a fairly large schools being amalgamated. The team also academic and professional membership of assumes that the College will have reflected at managers of schools and service departments. length on whether introducing an additional The College claimed in its documentation that layer of management at faculty level by its breadth facilitates the linkage of strategy appointing four deputy deans is the most and policy on the one hand and effective efficient use of its resources. implementation on the other. Nonetheless the assessor team became aware in the course of its 13 Overall, the review of management visit that the College is giving further arrangements provided the assessor team with consideration to these stated virtues, and a useful insight into the Principal's consultative undertaking a management review designed to approach to institutional developments. Senior improve the capacity of senior College and staff at College and school level expressed their school-level managers to give greater attention to views in a manner which gave credence to strategic, in particular external, matters; to give a the College's claim to have an inclusive and more powerful voice to school-level staff in collegial culture. The team, while accepting College development; and to improve decision- that the proposed College Executive Group making. These objectives appear to the team to has the potential to provide more strategic and carry widespread support within the College. efficient decision-making, and that governors and senior managers will work together to 11 At College level the changes are likely to ensure that the new faculty-level arrangements involve replacing the Executive Group with a provide value for money, is aware of a number smaller College Executive Group supported by a of possible pitfalls in the proposed new wider Senior Management Group, and instituting arrangements, and considers it advisable for the two dialogue groups, one focusing on academic College to keep the clarity and effectiveness of strategy and delivery, the other on academic its new arrangements under formal review. and professional services. At school level the intentions are, first, to redesignate the present five schools as faculties (with two small schools The effectiveness of institutional amalgamating in the process) and, second, to procedures for assuring the create a new post of deputy dean in each faculty to deal with day-to-day operational issues, freeing quality of programmes deans to operate more strategically. 14 The College claimed in its documentation 12 One member of the Executive Group that its quality procedures place great emphasis informed the assessor team that, as informal on programme approval (validation), meetings of relevant members are currently monitoring and review. Validation is a two- held to deal with issues as they arise, the stage process concerned, first, with the place College-level proposals essentially formalise and of a proposed programme in the academic give greater transparency to existing practices. strategy and the linkage of resource planning The team, while noting this point, formed the to academic development and, second, with

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quality and standards. The College sees the arrangements, to be implemented in academic specification of learning outcomes linked to year 2006-07, to separate review from appropriate assessment instruments and to its revalidation. The procedure is likely to delegate generic level and award descriptors as a central the review of quality arrangements and the feature of the process. student experience to schools, with revalidation handled centrally on the basis of a procedure 15 New programme development begins yet to be determined but involving appropriate with a range of internal discussions of varying externality. The assessor team concurs with the levels of formality, culminating in the presentation College's view that the present arrangement of programme documentation to a validation leaves something to be desired, and accordingly panel constituted of internal and external welcomes the consultation process, the success academic peer and professional reviewers. of which will doubtless form a part of future As far as possible the College perceives the external reviews of the College's quality system. validation event developmentally, seeking not only to assure quality and standards but also 18 As already indicated (paragraph 16) the to use the advice of experienced reviewers annual evaluation of academic provision to enhance the proposal and to engage in culminating in the production of the AQR is an constructive debate with the programme important feature of the College's approach to proposers. The College is currently piloting academic quality management. The assessor a change to the process designed both to team was encouraged to learn that the College integrate the two stages of the process and had responded positively to uncertainties to give the programme specification a more expressed in an earlier QAA evaluation report as central place in the documentation. to the rigour of the process used to produce, and the quality of internal debate on, the AQR. 16 The College's annual evaluation procedure, The team noted in particular that a lively which covers all academic provision, begins debate in ASC had led the College to identify with the production of school annual evaluative the need for a well-focused action plan and the reports (AERs), which contain a school action introduction of procedural improvements, plan and an evaluation of modules and including achieving greater inter-school programmes, drawing appropriately on student consistency in the production of AERs. opinion and external examiner reports. The AERs collectively contribute to the AQR, which 19 The College provided the assessor team contains a complementary College action plan, with the unconfirmed draft AQR for academic an evaluation of the work of ASC, an overview year 2004-05 and the action plan following the of external examiners' reports, commentaries on previous year's report. The 2004-05 AQR, which the work of the main service departments and was similar in structure to that of the previous an identification of lessons deriving from year and appeared to the team both complaints and appeals heard during the year. comprehensive and evaluative, identified areas Areas for concern arising from the AQR, which of good practice and areas for development. is scrutinised and approved by Academic Board It referred to plans for an Internal Quality and Audit Committee and, as noted above, Network intended to encourage staff to benefit discussed in a joint annual meeting of Academic from the experience and expertise of others in Board and the Governing Body, are referred for internal and external quality activities, including action; good practice is identified for wider external examiner and programme validation dissemination. and review, and noted revisions to the terms of reference of school curriculum and quality 17 The periodic review procedure, which enhancement panels, an area of concern to a involves external peer reviewers, is currently previous QAA team. linked to a six-yearly revalidation designed to ensure the continued currency of programmes. The College is currently consulting on revised page 4 Institutional audit report

20 The action plan provided evidence of the of level outcomes, and which relate to The College's action on issues identified in the AQR framework for higher education qualifications for academic year 2003-04. For example, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the external examiner for the Joint Honours subject benchmark statements. The assessor programme had questioned the adequacy of team also notes that all assessment procedures central resources allocated to this large and have been mapped against the relevant section complex programme, causing the Academic of the Code of practice for the assurance of Planning and Resources Committee to initiate academic quality and standards in higher an urgent review of the Joint Honours budget education, published by QAA, which is available in April 2005. In the view of the assessor team, electronically and as hard copy to all members both the draft report and the previous year's of academic staff. action plan support the College's claim that it 23 Assessment regulations are disseminated assures itself of its own academic health by to students through the Student Guide and means of an extensive, rigorous and effective drawn to their attention in programme annual evaluation of academic provision. handbooks. Assessment tasks range from formal closed examinations and traditional essays to The effectiveness of institutional presentations, performances and assessed procedures for assuring the standards placements. Schools are required to have open of awards and transparent marking criteria relating both 21 Schools are responsible for assessment to the College scale of marks and degree at modular level on the basis of policy and classes and to the CCM. The College, while procedures as set out in the College Assessment confident that its approach to assessment is Handbook. Assessment is undertaken by a rigorous and equitable, acknowledged in its module team guided by school and College documentation that its procedures were until procedures for matters such as double-marking recently elaborate and burdensome, relative to and moderation. These activities are monitored the situation in comparable institutions. and calibrated by subject external examiners Accordingly it has undertaken a review of its together with the relevant school assessment assessment requirements with a view to panel (SAP). The outcomes of module simplifying them, and has also committed assessments are determined at SAP and funding to staff training to ensure greater forwarded to the Registry, which oversees the uniformity of practice at school level. consideration of the full profiles of marks for As part of this latter project it has produced an students with a view to progression and award. Assessment Handbook, allocated funds to The assessor team notes that, while University of schools to document their assessment Leeds representatives sit on the College Board procedures and archive their assessed work, of Examiners for Progress and Award, under the and added a Registry representative to all SAP terms of the accreditation agreement they no memberships. The assessor team welcomes longer sit on SAPs as internal examiners, although these initiatives, which offer further evidence of the University does consider assessment results the College's responsiveness to change and its in the course of annual reporting. self-reflective culture. 22 Assessment details are disseminated to 24 External examiners, which the College students in module handbooks. The College considers key to the maintenance of standards claimed in its documentation that it emphasises and the guardianship of its assessment the matching of assessment activities to module procedures, are approved jointly by the Chair and programme outcomes. These in turn are of ASC and a University of Leeds representative set in the context of its Cognitive Capability on the basis of nominations from schools, and Matrix (CCM) and Qualifications Descriptors, inducted by means of a central College event grids which define the College's understandings and individual school and subject area

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briefings. External examiners' reports are circumstances claims, which, in response to received by the Registry and circulated previous concerns about equity of practice, are promptly to relevant schools, senior College now considered by a College-level Concessions officers and the University of Leeds. Their Committee. contents are addressed at school and College 27 The assessor team scrutinised level, with any matter of exceptional concern documentation relating to and stemming from being addressed immediately at College level the activities of the CEE, and discussed the through circulation to senior College officers. rationale for her appointment with senior staff The overall contents of external examiners' of the College. The team saw evidence of the reports are reviewed at College level as part of value of the CEE role and the seriousness with the annual evaluative process which culminates which the College addresses issues raised. in the production of the College AQR. The Overall, therefore, the team concludes that the assessor team is satisfied that the College is in appointment of a CEE to oversee the College's a position to assure itself that all issues of award process is a feature of good practice. significance raised in external examiners' reports are properly and effectively addressed 28 Nonetheless, in the course of its scrutiny throughout the institution. the assessor team also identified two aspects of the operation of the role where it believes its 25 Until relatively recently subject-level value could be enhanced. First, the team was external examiners were involved only at the unable to locate any document detailing her SAP, the overall degree classification process responsibilities; and, while it can be inferred being handled at College level. This two-stage from documentation that the post holder's approach unavoidably excluded such examiners duties relate to the efficiency of the College's from a closer review of individual student examination board procedures, including the profiles and from an overall review of cohort administrative support underpinning them, performance. Since academic year 2004-05, and not to the academic standards of awards, however, in a move which the College claims a formal job specification would be of value to has been widely welcomed, SAPs have also future CEEs and those liaising with them. been provided with provisional mark profiles Second, the CEE reports annually to the College and degree classifications to enable them to on matters falling within her remit, but only in form a better overview of student achievement a separate section of the external examiner's prior to making recommendations to the report. The team noted that although the two College Board of Examiners. The College has reports prepared thus far distinguish these also invited all external examiners to the roles, the CEE section was noticeably brief, and College Board, although take-up of this offer it believes a bespoke CEE report, possibly has thus far been very limited. written to a College template, would increase 26 In addition, since the academic year its standing and value. Accordingly, the team 2003-04, the College has appointed from considers it desirable for the College to among its external examiners a Chief External enhance the role of the CEE by providing a Examiner (CEE) with responsibility for written specification of the duties involved and overseeing the overall award process at the by requiring the submission of a separate and College Board. Both AQRs produced more detailed CEE's Report. subsequent to this innovation were made available to the assessor team, and record the CEE's satisfaction with arrangements. They note, for example, that the CEE complimented the College for the efficiency with which its new student record system had been introduced and for its handling of mitigating page 6 Institutional audit report

The effectiveness of institutional The assessor team formed the view that the SU procedures for supporting adopts a professional approach to its responsibilities, and that its ability to do so in learning part reflects the manner in which the College 29 The first National Student Survey placed conducts its relations with the SU. the College in a mid-position overall, with 32 The AQR includes an annual evaluation strong performances in personal development, of different aspects of the student experience, academic support and teaching: positive including student complaints (appropriately features confirmed in the assessor team's adjusted to make reference to the Office of discussions with students. The College reported the Independent Adjudicator). The AQR for in its documentation that it was reasonably academic year 2003-04 noted a small decline pleased with this outcome, its particular in the number of complaints from the previous strengths reflecting both its teaching-led year, only a very small number of which mission and the opportunities deriving from involved academic concerns, and from an its small size. The College has identified as analysis of which no recurrent themes were particular areas for attention the effectiveness discernible. The sections on student services, of timetabling, communication with students which appear to the assessor team regarding changes to courses, and general comprehensive in coverage and action course organisation. oriented, identify as areas for further 30 Students who met the assessor team development aspects of counselling, disability confirmed that these matters are already being and writing support, and finance. In the light of addressed, and commented positively on their this report and the 2004 curriculum review, the involvement in the process as well as, more College undertook a review of student services generally, on their overall experience in an in academic year 2004-05 which, inter alia, institution described by one of them as a resulted in the introduction of service level 'learning community' which actively encourages standards either ab initio or to underpin existing them to achieve their potential. International service level agreements. The review has also led students spoke in complimentary terms about to improvements to the provision of information the support and advice given to them both to students and induction arrangements. The before joining their programmes and at the team believes the College provides a caring College, and students in general praised the and helpful environment for its students who accessibility of individual staff and the College's reciprocally appreciate the commitment and flexibility in responding to student expertise of the teaching staff. circumstances. These included one situation 33 Overall, the assessor team is of the view involving students who had been allocated to that the College provides an appropriate and distant professional placements and a second strong learning environment for its students. in which the student body had encountered The students who spoke to the team difficulties in organising the election of appreciated both the resources available and programme representatives. the manner in which they are supported in 31 Sabbatical officers of the Students' Union deploying them to optimal effect. The team (SU) spoke similarly positively about their ease considers the College's claim that its ethos is of access to the Principal and senior managers. simultaneously caring and challenging is well Both the Academic Board and the Governing founded, and accepts that the quality of the Body appear active in seeking student views, services provided has been considerably and the President of the SU particularly enhanced following the 2004-05 review. appreciated the fact that the Chairman of the Overall, in the view of the team, the College's Governing Body had sought his views on a integration of learning resources together with specific matter in advance of a Board meeting. training in their use, and the balance of

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challenge with support for its particular student small number of cases this engagement may population, are sufficiently consonant and have been achieved at the expense of clear coherent for the College's provision and lines of accountability. While one desirable support of learning resources to be considered consequence of the proposed changes may be a feature of good practice. that greater levels of clarity are achieved, for the present the team considers it desirable for the College to undertake a formal review of its Conclusions approach to academic leadership, particularly 34 The assessor team believes broad to ensure the effectiveness of its accountability confidence can be placed in the soundness of procedures. the College's current and likely future 37 The assessor team considers the College's management of the quality of its academic validation and review processes sound and programmes and the academic standards of its effective. The team is especially conscious that awards. Overall the team considers the College the College has kept these under review and has a clearly defined set of committees and has made appropriate modifications to policy quality assurance systems, with appropriate and practice in the light of experience and student representation at institution and school external comment, and regards the College's level. Committee reporting lines are explicit responsiveness and flexibility as significant and well understood, and the fact that support institutional characteristics. staff as well as academics serve on appropriate committees facilitates the integration of 38 The Annual Quality Report draws academic planning and resource allocation. appropriately on school-level experience and the views of students and external examiners. 35 Nonetheless the assessor team is also Its findings are rigorously addressed and the aware that the College is going through a procedures to ensure that significant period of significant change. Its assumption of recommendations are pursued appear robust. taught degree awarding powers with effect Overall it can be said that the College from academic year 2007-08 in an uncertain maintains a high level of awareness of, and climate will present new challenges, and the engagement with, the institutional implications results of its managerial restructuring were of external examiners' comments; at school uncertain at the time of the team's visit. The level there is evidence that matters raised by present arrangements provide an integrated external examiners are appropriately considered approach to academic and student service and acted upon, and that the College has planning, and the creation of a smaller mechanisms to ensure that any derelictions Executive and the introduction of an additional are brought to institutional attention. tier of management at faculty level may, unless carefully managed, have unintended 39 The assessor team considers the external consequences for the culture and ethos of a examiner system sound at both College and small and intimate institution. The team school levels. The introduction of a Chief therefore considers it advisable for the College External Examiner appears imaginative and to keep the clarity and effectiveness of its new constructive, and is considered a feature of arrangements under formal review. good practice. Nonetheless the team also notes certain areas where there is scope for 36 The assessor team also noted the extent to development, and considers it desirable for which responsibility for academic leadership is the College to enhance the role of the Chief devolved to different personnel in different External Examiner by providing a written ways. While appreciating the importance of specification of the duties involved and by ensuring the engagement in College policies requiring the submission of a separate and and developments of all levels of staff, the team more detailed Chief External Examiner's Report. was of the view that there is a danger that in a page 8 Institutional audit report

40 The College's procedures for supporting learning, not least in its achievement of complementarity between formal learning support and pastoral care appear to the assessor team a significant strength. The College has taken considerable pains to enhance its procedures for learning support and to integrate the provision of new facilities with training in their use. Students advised the team that they felt simultaneously supported and challenged in what they described as a genuine 'learning environment', and the degree of consonance between this view and the College's stated policy to nurture and develop students who might not thrive in a traditional higher education environment leads the team to conclude that the College's provision and support of learning resources together constitute a feature of good practice.

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