Academic Quality Framework Chapter 17, Part Q

Introduction

1. This Part is an overview of the Northeastern University London (‘the University’) arrangements for ensuring that students are fully represented in all aspects of their learning experience and have a range of opportunities to engage actively in the University’s quality assurance and enhancement processes at all levels. The University recognises that student engagement with quality assurance is vital to the continuing enhancement of the student experience at the University. The processes in this Part are intended to establish a culture and environment that encourages effective engagement by students, both collectively and individually. Responsibility for the implementation of these processes resides with the bodies designated below. Where the detail of the implementation of some of these processes is set out in another Part of this Chapter, this is indicated in the related section.

Overview

2. The University’s processes for securing effective student engagement in quality assurance and enhancement include the gathering of individual and collective feedback from students, the deployment of student representatives, an ongoing programme of induction and support for students and staff according to their quality assurance roles, and a commitment to the monitoring, review and enhancement of the effectiveness of these policies and processes for engaging students. The University maintains a Student Charter in partnership with Northeastern University London Student Union, which presents the mutual expectations and obligations of staff and students for supporting and improving students’ educational experience.

Collection of Feedback from Students

3. The University is responsible for gathering and responding to student feedback systematically and does this using various methods, including programme evaluation, the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES), individual and student group meetings, student participation in periodic review, and through student representation on all of the University’s main committees (Research students will be requested by the Graduate and Research School to complete the PRES).

Surveys

Feedback on Workshops

4. Feedback must be collected by the Doctoral School (‘the DS’) from students after they have participated in workshops undertaken as part of the Research Development Programme (see AQF17, Part P: Research Student Teachers and Demonstrators) and after they have participated in internally run workshops.

Institutional Surveys

5. The DS must consider students’ programme feedback collected via all surveys administered centrally by the University, such as programme surveys or the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey. This feedback should be summarised in the Annual PhD Programme Report to the University of Kent and Northeastern University London PhD Programme Management Board (‘the PhD PMB’).

Student Union Surveys

6. As a student-led organisation, the Student Union is obliged by its democratic constitution to seek the views of its constituency on any topics or campaigns that it is running and may do so by undertaking student surveys. Results of such surveys may then be used to inform or support recommendations to the University and to highlight student concerns.

Actions Resulting from Surveys

7. The results of surveys and feedback should support the development of performance indicators as a tool for the measurement of student satisfaction. Where action plans arise from the collection of student feedback through any means, the relevant body (e.g. committee, discipline, DS, Union) should obtain student input into the development of the action plan. This is to show clearly that the student voice is being heard and to ensure that actions are targeted to continuously enhance the student experience.

Student Participation

Student Engagement Committee

8. Students have an opportunity to raise issues via the Student Engagement Committee (SEC) (see AQF17: Research Programmes of Study, Part L: Student Evaluation). This feedback is considered by the DS as part of the annual monitoring process (see Part E: Annual Monitoring).
9. SEC are important channels of communication between staff and students and shall, as far as possible, be scheduled for times and dates when the student representatives and the majority of students are able to attend.
10. Prior to the SEC meeting an agenda-setting meeting may take place between the Chair and the student representatives. The agenda-setting meeting should include an opportunity for student representatives to bring to the attention of the Chair matters they wish to raise at the meeting, to ensure these are included in the agenda and to enable them to be properly addressed.
11. SEC agendas shall include a standing item for the DS to provide feedback to students (for example in response to surveys or previous action points). The feedback will be formally minuted and carried forward to a future meeting, as necessary.
12. Specific agenda items to be discussed include:
    1. Matters raised by student representatives;
    2. Internal survey results;
    3. Proposed programme specifications (both new and major revisions to existing specifications) prior to the specifications being submitted for approval.
13. Students are encouraged to comment on new courses of study as part of the course design process.

Student Representatives

14. Student representatives are appointed on a yearly basis to represent the student voice and give feedback about their programme of study. Student representatives and their appointments are managed by the Quality team.
15. The DS is required to proactively encourage students to put themselves forward for student representative positions and to work with student representatives to ensure that they are able to engage with the role and with the students they represent throughout the academic year.
16. The DS must ensure that students recognise that the role requires commitment throughout the academic year, including attending relevant meetings and liaising with staff, fellow students and the Student Union. Students should only put themselves forward for student representative positions if they are willing to meet that commitment.
17. Student representatives will gather feedback from their student group and will bring this to the attention of a relevant staff member or the relevant committee and then report back to students on the related outcomes.

Student Representation on Committees

18. As part of the University’s commitment to enabling student engagement with quality assurance, the DS must ensure that students are adequately and formally represented on University committees. Meetings shall, as far as possible, be scheduled for times and dates when the student representatives are able to attend.
19. All matters raised by student representatives at the relevant committee must be given proper consideration and duly minuted. Where an action cannot be implemented, the grounds should be explained and minuted.
20. The University recognises that it can be challenging for students to speak out in formal committees, particularly in the early stages. The DS is required to work with student representatives to ensure that they feel included and able to participate. This should include an informal pre-meeting with the Chair with discussion of the Terms of Reference, proceedings and typical agenda before the first committee meeting.
21. Student Representatives are eligible to sit on:
    1. Student Engagement Committee
    2. Teaching, Learning and Enhancement Committee (‘TLEC’)
    3. Faculty Directors’ Meetings

Student Union

22. At University level there is student representation via the Northeastern University Student Union central University committees and boards, including:
    1. The President sits on Northeastern London Board of Governors as an active observer. This enables the President to be part of discussions, providing the student perspective in the strategic planning of the University. The President is also a member of Academic Board.
    2. The Campus Officer sits on the Health and Safety Committee and, as such, has a direct line of communication with the Facilities Coordinator and HR and Operations Manager to raise facilities matters.
    3. The Campus Officer sits on the Prevent Duty Review Group and, as such, has a direct line of communication with the Prevent Officer and contributes to the oversight of the Prevent Duty at the University.
    4. Student representatives (Student Union Diversity Officer and Postgraduate Taught student representative) are full members of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, which collaborates across all areas of the University to promote, enhance and increase diversity and equality, both internally and externally.
    5. An Officer sits on the Fair Access and Participation Steering Group, which is responsible for the University’s widening participation activities and OfS approved Access and Participation Plan.
23. The University is required to put in place a procedure to monitor student engagement with the appointment process, to include numbers and demographics of students appointed as student representatives. Analysis of resulting data should be used to identify variations and trends, to inform future recruitment strategy and support the sharing of good practice across programmes. This will include ensuring that the student representative system represents the diversity of the student body and putting in place measures where necessary to address any shortfalls.

Induction and Ongoing Support Arrangements for Student Representatives

24. The Quality Team is responsible for delivering effective training for student representatives, including initial induction training and ongoing development and support. This includes provision of weblinks to student representative resources and production of a Student Representative Handbook.
25. The Quality Team will ensure that the student representative training includes developing an understanding of the importance of representatives engaging with their fellow students, so that they are equipped to gather views and comments from the student cohort and to present views at meetings that may differ from their own opinions.
26. The DS and Secretaries of University committees will have mechanisms in place (which may take the form of a range of media, such as display screens, email) to communicate and raise awareness of the representative role and its responsibilities in the context of their respective areas of work and will highlight the importance of the student voice in that work. This is best undertaken regularly throughout the academic year. The DS should agree relevant committee meeting dates and times as soon as the student representatives have been appointed, so that the students can schedule accordingly. It is recommended that the DS also sends advance reminders of forthcoming committee meetings to the representatives.
27. Where student representatives participate in University quality assurance processes, such as periodic review, the Head of Quality Assurance or nominee will brief the participants and provide a programme of induction  to prepare them for their role.
28. All arrangements for induction, training and support are expected to take into account, so far as is possible, students’ backgrounds, whether they are part-time students, and any disability needs.
29. At the end of a student’s tenure as representative, the DS will arrange a handover between outgoing and incoming student representatives and one or more University staff members as appropriate (for example relevant committee chairs). This should also be seen as an opportunity to thank the outgoing student for their efforts in the representative role. Such handovers may be conducted electronically where a physical handover between successive representatives is not possible.

The Student Charter

30. The Student Charter is designed as an overview of the mutual expectations of the University’s staff and students and refers to the obligations staff and students have to one another.

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