September 2012

Section 22: Glossary of Terms

ASQC - stands for Academic Standards and Quality Committee which has delegated responsibility from Academic Board for overview of the policies, practices and regulations governing NTU's taught courses.

CADQ - Centre for Academic Development and Quality. CADQ is the administrative centre responsible for managing and enhancing NTU's quality arrangements.

Course - a curriculum of modules and structured learning, independent learning and associated learner support, which together have been designed and validated to lead to a specific named award or awards of the university. A course may contain pathways that usually comprise a sub-set of the full course diet and may lead to awards in their own right. 

Course Development Sub-committee - oversees the university's processes and identifies good practice = programme development.

Course specification - a written explanation of the rationale, aims, learning outcomes, academic subject content, learning and teaching details, assessment details and learning resources associated with a specified course of study. It is formally designated as a course specification in line with standard technical nomenclature across the UK higher education community, and should be expressed in language that is readily understood by all stakeholders, especially students, employers and staff.

CRDC - College Research Degrees Committee; it has delegated responsibility for the operation of research degrees within a College.

CSQR - Course Standards and Quality Report; a CSQR sets out, on an annual basis, the salient action points/good practice arising from course monitoring.

Curriculum Map - charts each module against the programme outcomes. It will indicate - for each module - where a course outcome is 'taught' or assessed.

LTES - Learning and Teaching Enhancement Strategy. The framework document identifies the priority areas for the University and articulates the support structures and activities to meet these priorities.  Within this framework, each School has created an action plan by choosing focus areas and articulating goals appropriate to the School context.

LTC – Learning and Teaching Co-ordinator (an academic located in, and representing, each School). Individually, and as a group, LTCs are important contacts for advice on learning and teaching issues and developments.  The work of LTCs closely connects to the ILTES.

Module specification - a written explanation of the rationale, aims, learning outcomes, academic subject content, learning and teaching details, assessment details and learning resources associated with a specified module within a course.

NOW - NTU Online Workspace. NOW is the University's Virtual Learning Environment, formerly known as the VLP.

PSR - Periodic School Review complements other University mechanisms for assuring the standards and quality of its provision.  The focus of PSR is the review of the quality assurance and enhancement policies, procedures and strategies within the School. Each School is reviewed every five years.

PSRB - Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body.

QAA - Quality Assurance Agency.

SASQC - School Academic Standards and Quality Committee; it has prime responsibility within a School for academic quality and standards.

SSQR – School Standards and Quality Report; SSQRs set out, on an annual basis, the salient actions/good practice arising from School monitoring.

Subject - an academic discipline, which can form part or all of the entire course.

URDC - University Research Degrees Committee; it governs Research Degree regulations, and monitors and reviews the work of CRDCs.

Validated Centre –  a particular form of collaboration in which an external partner undertakes all aspects of programme design, delivery and management.

VSSC -  Validation Service Sub-Committee.  It oversees the quality of NTU's Validated Collaborative arrangements.  

A complete Glossary of Terms can be found in Section 22 of the ASQ Handbook.

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