Quality Handbook Section 8 - Student representation and student voice requirements

2.1 Students are represented in discussions at all levels of the University, regarding the strategic development of any aspect of the student experience.

2.2 Governance committees provide for student membership. Terms of reference are available in Quality Handbook Section 1 for:

• Academic Board
• Academic Standards and Quality Committee (ASQC)
• School Academic Standards and Quality Committees (SASQCs).

2.3 The Executive Student Forum is a sub-committee of the University Executive Team. The NTSU Executive Officers and members of the University Executive Team meet at least bi-monthly. The primary purpose of the forum is communication of, and discussion about, student feedback relating to their experience at the University.

2.4 The University keeps opportunities for the involvement of students in decision making under review, considering for each new committee or task and finish group:

• Whether the outcomes of the group will have a direct impact on the student experience
• How students already inform the work of the group
• Whether a student member will bring a valuable additional perspective.

2.5 The University is committed to working with NTSU in the continuous development of the student academic representative system.

2.6 The Joint Statement on student academic representation sets out the student academic representation structure as agreed by the University and the Students’ Union, see Quality Handbook Supplement (QHS) 8A.

3.1 Each School operates a School Forum on at least three occasions, throughout the academic year. Terms of reference for NTU Doctoral are provided in Quality Handbook Supplement 8C. Terms of reference for all other Schools, operating School Forums for students of taught courses, are provided in Quality Handbook Supplement 8B.

3.2 The purpose of the School Forum is to facilitate dialogue between the Executive Dean of a School and the relevant staff and students within the School, about the student academic experience.

3.3 All dates, times and locations of School Forums for the coming year are published on the NTU Online Workspace (NOW) at the start of the academic year.

3.4 Minutes of School Forums are published to all students in the School, to course committees and to the School Executive.

3.5 Contributions from students at School Forum may, for example, relate to matters of teaching delivery, marking and assessment, learning materials, facilities and equipment, and student support. More widely, they may relate to matters of academic administration, estates or student support services.

4.1 Student involvement in quality assurance includes:

1. involvement in the ongoing review and development of a course;
2. involvement in the University’s centrally managed processes for the development, review and approval of courses;
3. involvement in the University’s centrally managed process for the periodic review of Schools.

Course development

4.2 Students are involved, through their representative on course committees, in the monitoring, review and development of course operation and delivery. Full details on course committees can be found in Quality Handbook Supplement 1B.

4.3 The University course tutorial system also provides an opportunity for staff and students to engage in dialogue about the continued development of the course.

4.4 Course currency and health are reviewed based on the principles set out in Quality Handbook Section 6; student feedback in the review process is explicit.

Course design and approval process

4.5 Students are included as Student Experience Stakeholders (SES) as part of the course design and approval process, where possible, for new courses and high-impact changes to existing courses. Course design and approval for collaborative provision are not yet included in the role of SES.

4.6 Education, Quality, and Partnerships (EQP) manages the selection process for the recruitment of SES.

4.7 Training is provided to ensure that students are adequately prepared and supported to participate fully in the course design and approval process. Full details on course design and approval process can be found in Quality Handbook Section 5, and membership information is available in Quality Handbook Supplement 5D.

4.8 SES participating in the course design and approval process: prepare for and attend, constructively present their views, and actively participate as full and equal members in meetings and activities.

Periodic review

4.9 Panels for Periodic Reviews (PRs) include a Student Panel Member. Full details on PR can be found in the Quality Handbook Section 7.

4.10 The Students’ Union identifies a Student Panel Member for PR. Training and support are given by the Review Manager.

4.11 Student Panel Members of PR: prepare for and attend, constructively present their views, and actively participate as full and equal members of the panel and meetings.

5.1 The data generated from student surveys is a significant source of feedback to the University for the enhancement of student learning opportunities.

5.2 Student evaluation data should be carefully analysed by course staff as part of their procedures for maintaining and enhancing academic standards and quality. The results of this analysis form part of the course and School monitoring, reporting and review processes.

5.3 The University participates in several national surveys, the results of which are analysed at the University and School level to identify areas of strength and areas for development.

5.4 The purposes of gathering, analysing and using student evaluations are to:

1. proactively enhance the quality of learning opportunities and the standards achieved by students;
2. facilitate dialogue between students and staff on the quality of student learning opportunities;
3. integrate the significant student perspective within the monitoring, reporting and review processes (Quality Handbook Section 6);
4. provide information to enable the University to ensure that students are clear about their courses and the expectations of the University;
5. allow students to contribute to course development;
6. demonstrate the University’s commitment to student academic satisfaction by ensuring that students are aware that student feedback is valued, promptly responded to and appropriately acted upon.

5.5 For module evaluation:

• Student evaluation of modules will be conducted using the University’s module and course survey tool, MySay, for all undergraduate and postgraduate taught modules. The University’s mid-module questionnaire should be used.
  • Mid-module survey responses are anonymous to the module leader unless students identify themselves through any free text comments they provide.
  • Whilst anonymous to the module leader, survey responses are stored confidentially within the system. This means that, in principle, authors of inappropriate or offensive comments can be identified, and disciplinary action could be taken if deemed necessary.
  • Anonymous aggregated survey data and free-text comments may be used for School and University reporting, further research, and marketing.
• School Administration will identify appropriate windows for conducting surveys and module teams will be given advance warning so that they can plan an appropriate session in which to conduct the survey. Exceptions will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
• It is the Module Leader’s responsibility to review the module survey results, provide a written response to students using the Closing the Feedback Loop process in MySay, and to identify actions for enhancement.
• Schools must identify and set achievable yet stretching minimum thresholds for student response rates to module surveys at the start of the academic year. Thresholds should reflect the School context and encourage meaningful engagement.
• The aggregated results of module surveys (excluding student text comments) accompanied by a response to feedback received and any resulting actions to be taken, will be made available via the MySay widget on the NOW Module Learning Room two weeks after the survey has closed.
• No other formal module surveys will be conducted for courses. However, staff are encouraged to consider the range of both formal and informal opportunities to engage with students and should maintain an ongoing dialogue with students about their learning experience.

5.6 For undergraduate course evaluation:

• University-wide student evaluation of courses may be conducted for Levels 4 and 5 as agreed by the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education).
• There will be no University course survey for Level 6, only the official external National Student Survey (NSS).
• Where a course survey has taken place, it is the Course Leader’s responsibility to review the results, provide a written response to students, and identify actions for improvement.
• The results of module and course evaluation surveys should be discussed at a course committee meeting or, where this is not possible, by an alternative meeting of the course team before the end of May.
• A response to any course-level survey must be published for students on NOW as a course news item and emailed to students within three weeks of the course committee where the results were discussed. Further details should be provided at induction or welcome-back events the following year for that cohort of students.

5.7 For vocational or professional courses

• The use of the University standard module and course evaluations is optional.
• Staff are encouraged to develop their own methods for collecting student evaluations, bearing in mind that it is best to adopt a range of evaluation methods.

5.8 To ensure that students are not over-surveyed, the Surveying NTU Students framework must be followed in some instances where large populations of students are surveyed (NTU staff login required to access).