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Gower College Swansea, May 2016

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Gower College Swansea, May 2016 Higher Education Review: Wales of Gower College Swansea May 2016 Contents About this review ................................................................................................................ 1 Amended judgement - June 2017 ...................................................................................... 2 Key findings ........................................................................................................................ 5 QAA's judgements about Gower College Swansea ............................................................... 5 Good practice ....................................................................................................................... 5 Recommendations ................................................................................................................ 5 About Gower College Swansea ............................................................................................ 6 Explanation of the findings about Gower College Swansea ............................................ 7 1 Judgement: The maintenance of the academic standards of awards offered on behalf of degree-awarding bodies and/or other awarding organisations ........................... 8 2 Judgement: The quality of student learning opportunities ............................................... 22 3 Judgement: The quality of the information about learning opportunities .......................... 44 4 Judgement: The enhancement of student learning opportunities .................................... 48 5 Commentary on Internationalisation ............................................................................... 51 Glossary ............................................................................................................................ 52 Higher Education Review: Wales of Gower College Swansea About this review This is a report of a Higher Education Review: Wales conducted by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) at Gower College Swansea. The review took place from 16 to 18 May 2016 and was conducted by a team of three reviewers, as follows: Mr Colin Stanfield Dr David Wright Miss Lucy Bannister (student reviewer). The main purpose of the review was to investigate the higher education provided by Gower College Swansea and to make judgements as to whether or not its academic standards and quality meet UK expectations. These expectations are the statements in the UK Quality Code for Higher Education (the Quality Code)1 setting out what all UK higher education providers expect of themselves and of each other, and what the general public can therefore expect of them. In Higher Education Review: Wales the QAA review team: makes judgements on - the setting and maintenance of academic standards - the quality of student learning opportunities - the information provided about higher education provision - the enhancement of student learning opportunities provides a commentary on the institution's approach to internationalisation makes recommendations identifies features of good practice affirms action that the provider is taking or plans to take. A summary of the findings can be found in the section starting on page 5. Explanations of the findings are given in numbered paragraphs in the section starting on page 7. In reviewing Gower College Swansea, the review team has also considered internationalisation as a review theme. The QAA website gives more information about QAA and its mission.2 A dedicated section explains the method for Higher Education Review: Wales3 and has links to the review handbook and other informative documents. For an explanation of terms see the Glossary at the end of this report. 1 The UK Quality Code for Higher Education is published at: www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code. 2 QAA website: www.qaa.ac.uk/about-us. 3 Higher Education Review: Wales web pages: www.qaa.ac.uk/en/ReviewsAndReports/Pages/Higher-Education-Review-Wales.aspx. 1 Higher Education Review: Wales of Gower College Swansea Amended judgement - June 2017 Introduction In May 2016, Gower College Swansea (the College) underwent a Higher Education Review: Wales, which resulted in the following judgements: the maintenance of the academic standards of awards offered on behalf of its degree-awarding bodies and other awarding organisation meets UK expectations; the quality of student learning opportunities meets UK expectations; the quality of the information about learning opportunities requires improvement to meet UK expectations; and the enhancement of student learning opportunities meets UK expectations. Negative judgements are subject to a formal follow-up by QAA, which involves the monitoring of an action plan produced by the College in response to the report findings. The College published an action plan in June 2016 describing how it intended to address the recommendations and good practice identified in the review, and has worked over the last 12 months to demonstrate how it has implemented that plan. The follow-up process included two progress updates and culminated in a desk-based analysis of the College's progress reports and supporting documentary evidence with two reviewers. The desk-based analysis confirmed that the College had successfully addressed recommendations relating to the quality of the information about learning opportunities judgement area and appropriately disseminated good practice identified by the review. Actions in response to recommendations relating to the maintenance of the academic standards of awards, the quality of student learning opportunities and the enhancement of student learning opportunities, which received positive judgements, had also been completed on schedule and contributed to the progress against the quality of the information about learning opportunities judgement area. QAA Board decision and amended judgements The review team concluded that the College had made sufficient progress to recommend to the QAA Board that it amend the information about learning opportunities judgement. The QAA Board accepted the team's recommendation and the judgement is now formally amended. The College's judgements are now as follows. The maintenance of the academic standards of awards offered on behalf of its degree-awarding bodies and other awarding organisation meets UK expectations. The quality of student learning opportunities meets UK expectations. The quality of the information about learning opportunities meets UK expectations. The enhancement of student learning opportunities meets UK expectations. The review can be considered to be signed off as complete. 2 Higher Education Review: Wales of Gower College Swansea Findings from the follow-up process The review team found that the College had made progress against the recommendations as follows. Recommendation - Expectation A3.1 With regard to programme approval processes, the College has revised its programme proposal form and now includes new sections that require programme teams to comment on the alignment of the proposal with The Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (FHEQ) and the relevant Subject Benchmark Statement. The Higher Education Curriculum and Quality Management Group (HECQMG) approved the new process and communicated it to Curriculum Leaders through the Higher Education Operational Group. Recommendation - Expectations B1 and A3.1 In relation to ensuring that all programmes are fully approved before students enrol, the College has a new internal validation procedure approved by the HECQMG. A Strategic Planning Group must approve programme proposals and an Internal Validation Panel must approve any new Pearson programmes. The College holds a curriculum planning event for each learning area, which results in a list of the courses the College will run in the forthcoming academic year. Faculty Administration Officers check that all listed programmes are approved both internally and externally; only then will course codes be generated that enable students to enrol. Additionally, College staff cannot market or add a new higher education programme to UCAS without approval from the Higher Education Manager. Recommendation - Expectation B2 In respect of recognition of prior learning, the College now provides relevant information to applicants via course cards and course pages on its website - although in some cases the links do not work. Nevertheless, the College now specifies the individuals and committees responsible for the quality of information provided for students. The review team resolves that the implementation of actions taken in response to this recommendation are not fully effective. Recommendation - Expectation B5 In relation to engaging students through the Learner Involvement Strategy, the College has developed a Learner Involvement Framework for higher education students, which specifies how the College will further the involvement of higher education students in programme approval and module reviews, and how it will train student representatives. It also clarifies responsibilities for student engagement and the committees that students may be represented on. There is senior-level oversight of the Framework. Student engagement at course-level is appropriate. Recommendation - Expectation C The College has taken appropriate steps to ensure that information provided for its intended audiences about the learning opportunities it offers is fit for purpose, accessible and trustworthy. It introduced a Higher Education Information Planner,
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