September 2012

Section 5: Course Monitoring and Annual Reporting

• Course monitoring is a continuous process by which a course team keeps under review (via the Course Committee) the effective operation of its course(s).
• Course teams monitor and evaluate the standards and quality of the course through collecting and analysing evidence from a number of sources, including: student evaluation; external examiner reports; course information and materials; statistical data; reflections by staff as individuals and in teams; and central services.
• Course leaders take responsibility for engaging all contributors to the management, delivery and development of the course in the monitoring process.
• The course leader maintains a rolling action plan designed to enhance quality. It is expected that the CSQR rolling action plan will relate to the School’s plans wherever possible.
• Each course team reports on the key outcomes of monitoring through the production of a Course Standards and Quality Report (CSQR). The CSQR submission date is determined by the SASQC.
• SASQCs carry major responsibility for the continuous monitoring of courses and for annual reporting within a School.
• The SASQC is responsible for:
  • identifying and discussing good practice.
  • ensuring that effective course monitoring takes place and that CSQRs are produced.
  • analysing all the CSQRs (and external examiner reports) within their School and ensuring that action plans are progressed and completed, and that enhancements are taken forward.
  • preparing and submitting to ASQC an annual School Standards and Quality Report (SSQR).
  • ensuring that the action points within the SSQR are acted upon and enhancements achieved and disseminated as appropriate.
• The SSQR will set out a rolling action plan and an evaluation of the School’s LTES action plan. This SSQR is submitted to CADQ by 31 Jan each year.
• When the processes at course and School level are completed, ASQC via CADQ receives the SSQR from each School. By the end of March, ASQC will produce an overview report – which draws together School rolling action plans, good practice, quality assurance and enhancement related issues for University consideration and the School’s LTES focus. This overview report is circulated to Schools (and individual feedback is provided to each School on request).
• SASQCs submit a mid-term SSQR update to ASQC (in time for its October meeting).
• Validated Centres submit a more detailed report (and a Centre-wide Standards and Quality Report if applicable) via their Academic Board or equivalent and VSSC. Other collaborative partners may also be required to submit a more detailed CSQR at the request of the SASQC. CADQ will prepare a Validated Centres Standards and Quality Report on an annual basis which reflects on quality assurance and management at Validated Centres.
• Full details can be found in Section 5 of the ASQ Handbook.

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