Academic Quality Framework Chapter 2

The History of Northeastern University London

1. Northeastern University London (the University) was originally New College of the Humanities (the College) which was founded in 2011, by Professor AC Grayling CBE MA DPhil (Oxon) FRSL FRSA, Supernumerary Fellow of St Anne’s College Oxford and, at the time of founding NCH, Professor of Philosophy at Birkbeck College, University of London. On foundation of the College, Professor Grayling became its first Master, now titled Principal and Founder of the College (Principal).
2. The founding conception was of a College dedicated to the study of the humanities, based on a combination of two great traditions of higher education, viz. the tutorial model encouraging forensic depth and intellectual acuity, and a modified version of the ‘liberal arts’ model providing breadth and context.
3. In February 2019 the College was acquired by Northeastern University (Northeastern) and Northeastern became the sole shareholder of the College. The College’s legal name changed from Tertiary Education Services Limited to NCH at Northeastern Limited, and New College of the Humanities continued to be its trading name.
4. A new Governing Body was put in place which included senior members of Northeastern, the Principal, and independent members with relevant expertise in UK higher education and finance. The Student Union President was invited to join the Board as an observer.
5. In February 2020 the College was granted (time-limited) Taught Degree-Awarding Powers (TDAP) which enabled the College to enhance its provision of education to undergraduate and postgraduate students and include degree apprenticeship programmes in its portfolio. In August 2020, the College was granted indefinite Taught Degree Awarding Powers.
6. In March 2020, the College became a Registered Approved Training Provider for degree apprenticeships which provided the College with additional channels for offering higher education to a broader spectrum of students. In August 2020, the College was on the Register of End-Point Assessment Organisations.
7. In June 2020, NCH at Northeastern was recognised as a charity and was entered onto the Register of Charities.
8. In July 2022, NCH at Northeastern was granted its present title ‘Northeastern University – London’ by the Office for Students.

Northeastern University London’s Mission and Strategic Aims for Quality Higher Education

9. The University’s mission is to be:

‘where the power of learning and discovery through limitless global connections are unleashed. This will be manifested by building on the institution’s current foundations to build differentiation in the UK market, to be a laboratory for global innovation and to become the European hub for the Northeastern network.’

10. The University’s aims include providing an outstanding education, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, all exportable into lifelong learning and applicable to work and life after graduation.
11. The University seeks to provide a personalised and experiential education that supports diverse learners, empowering them for lifelong success and to make a meaningful impact in the world.
12.  The 2025  Northeastern Academic Plan sets out a commitment to rethink “classrooms, campuses and communities as a global university system of unbounded spaces to experience, understand, and solve challenges in their evolving contexts.” The pillars of this academic plan provide the framework for our strategy here at Northeastern University London, and for our intended educational gains.
13.  University graduates will be:
    1. agile across disciplinary boundaries, combining rigorous discipline-specific knowledge and skills with the wide-ranging competencies across disciplines that are needed to address complex 21st century problems;
       1. Students may explore other disciplines and thematic areas (e.g., sustainability, cyber security), and build pathways, which are recognised on their transcripts. This is achieved via a combination of elective courses from other disciplines and selected thematic interdisciplinary courses.
    2. entrepreneurial & innovative, able to identify pressing real-world challenges, and apply academic knowledge and skills effectively in diverse contexts to collaboratively pursue actionable, ethical solutions;
       1. Student immersion in local networks is key to fostering their entrepreneurial and employability skills.
       2. Students will have opportunities to be connected into local start-up ecosystems and community-led and community-engaged projects and outreach.
    3. networked locally and globally, included and inclusive members of an open, lively, and diverse global and local student, alumni, employer, and research community.
       1. Students have the opportunity to build and maintain global networks via global study opportunities in the Northeastern network. All of the undergraduate degree programmes, except for Law, are double degrees, which means that students have the opportunity to achieve a UK degree and a US degree at the same time. This is attained through credit transfer, and via a range of study options. Students will choose between taking the additional credits alongside their UK degree or during an additional year of study at Northeastern. This increases the accessibility of the opportunity, enabling students to design a personalised programme. It will also enhance employability as the double qualification facilitates access to both the UK and US graduate markets. Students’ engagement with local networks includes visiting speaker event series and industry mentoring.
14. The University combines in-depth academic enquiry with outward-looking connections and develops in all students the broad knowledge, intellectual creativity, and multi-faceted skills that prepare them to become engaged citizens and leaders, successful professionals, and lifelong learners from their specialist knowledge and skills. From the 2023/24 academic year, students on undergraduate degree programmes at the University will take courses with the following core attributes:
    1. Writing across audiences and genres;
    2. Integrating knowledge and skills through experience;
    3. Demonstrating thought and action in a capstone project.
15. In addition, students will take courses with at least four of the following core attributes:
    1. Engaging with the natural and designed world;
    2. Exploring creative expression and innovation;
    3. Interpreting culture;
    4. Conducting formal and quantitative reasoning;
    5. Understanding societies and institutions;
    6. Analysing and using data;
    7. Engaging differences and diversity;
    8. Employing ethical reasoning.
    9. Core Attributes are embedded in credit bearing courses, which students take from within their required and optional, or elective courses.

Portfolio of Programmes

16. The University’s programmes are premised on the value of the view that there are great benefits of personalised, interdisciplinary study and experiential learning:
    1. Personalised and inclusive
       1. Students are supported to pursue their own unique pathways. Faculty work with academic advisors to guide students’ choices of electives, including discipline-specific and interdisciplinary thematic pathways, to reflect their interests, expertise, and aspirations.
    2. Broad and interdisciplinary
       1. Interdisciplinarity teaches us about the world, about ourselves individually, and about society. It provides us with a range of perspectives and understanding beyond our immediate disciplinary specialism, adds context and depth to that specialism, and provides a platform for setting out on successful careers in a wide range of fields. For example, the study of Business or Science alongside the Humanities and Social Sciences underpins and advances ethical and sustainable approaches to industry and economic development. From the skills and insight acquired, there can be a good expectation of leadership, social and economic entrepreneurship, and valuable civic engagement resulting from interdisciplinary study.

Undergraduate

17. The University offers a variety of undergraduate programmes: Single Honours and Joint Honours. To review the full portfolio on offer, please see here.
    1. With the exception of Law, all undergraduate programmes are part of the University’s Double Degree offering, which enables students to take additional courses with Northeastern University Boston, thereby qualifying for both a UK and US undergraduate award. Students complete 32 US credits (the equivalent to 120 UK credits) in addition to their UK degree credits. These can be taken synchronously alongside the UK programme of study or during a fourth year of study at a US campus location.
    2. The University also offers a range of flexible and accelerated UK undergraduate to US master’s degree pathways. Students can have up to 60 UK (16 US) credits from the final year of their UK undergraduate degree counted in advanced standing towards their Northeastern University Boston US master’s degree. So (if eligible) students can graduate with both a UK undergraduate degree and a US master’s degree in just 4 years.

Postgraduate Taught

18. The University offers a growing portfolio of postgraduate taught degree programmes. To review the full portfolio of postgraduate taught programmes, please see here.

Degree Apprenticeship

19. The University offers an exciting portfolio of undergraduate degree apprenticeship programmes For the full portfolio, please see here.
20. The University also offers postgraduate degree apprenticeship programmes and the full list can be found here.

Postgraduate Research

21. The University has also recently partnered with two other universities to offer postgraduate research degrees. Please see here for the portfolio of PhD programmes.

Experiential and Work Related Learning

22. The University places experiential learning at the centre of its provision and prioritises interactive classes and active learning formats (e.g., labs, practicums, studios, workshops, tutorials, games, debates, role play) as well as authentic assignments adaptable to students’ wider-world interests, values, and goals.
23. Site visits and field trips take students out of the classroom to galleries, museums, law courts, neighbourhoods, political institutions, and employer organisations.
24. Students have the opportunity to learn through challenge-based courses where they work in interdisciplinary teams to develop creative, actionable solutions to complex real-world problems.
25. Industry speakers and industry mentoring are a part of the provision, with dedicated University societies and events to support entrepreneurial capabilities. The University benefits in this area from significant cross-fertilisation with its degree apprenticeship programmes.
26. As part of the University’s mission to provide education to support graduates in life after University for an increasingly complex world, degree apprenticeship programmes were a natural progression once the University was granted TDAP. With Northeastern’s drive for combining the knowledge and skills across technology and humanities, linked with their history of programmes where experience in industry is central to learning, the University is able to develop innovative programmes of technical training alongside academic learning.

Institutional Governance

The Northeastern London Board

27. Northeastern London Board has oversight and management of the strategic, financial and operational areas of the University’s activities and all other aspects of the University’s existence save for responsibilities of Academic Board in respect of the regulating and directing of the academic work of the University, including teaching and research.

Academic Governance

Academic Board and its Sub-Committees

28. Academic Board is the academic authority of the University and shall take such measures as shall best promote the academic and professional work of the University, safeguard standards and ensure that students receive a high-quality academic experience while studying at the University. This academic authority is exercised within a budgetary and strategic framework set by Northeastern London Board.
29. Academic Board is responsible for regulating and directing the academic work of the University, including the curriculum, teaching, assessment, and research. It has oversight of the academic management and all aspects of quality and standards associated with the University, including academic related policies and procedures. It has the powers to make regulations and policies affecting academic practice.
30. In order to carry out its work in a timely and effective manner, Academic Board delegates specific areas of activity to the following key functional sub-committees:
    1. Teaching, Learning and Enhancement Committee (TLEC) is responsible for enhancing teaching, learning and assessment for all programmes delivered at the University.
    2. Work Related Learning Management Board (WRLMB) is accountable for the performance and risk management of the apprenticeship programmes at the University.
    3. Policy and Compliance Committee (PCC – also reports to ExCo as relevant) is responsible for managing the core academic and human resources documents. When policies and procedures are identified as requiring review, the relevant document author is informed and the revised document is submitted to the appropriate committee for approval. This committee also has the responsibility for monitoring the expectations of the University’s external stakeholders, such as DfE, OfS, and HESA/Jisc.
    4. Research Committee is responsible for developing research and scholarly activities within the University; supporting faculty to underpin their teaching with current research; engaging in collaborative research with external bodies; and disseminating research to a wider audience (specialist and non-specialist).
    5. Academic Promotion Panel determines promotions in accordance with University guidelines. Academic Board records the outcomes of the Panel.
    6. Progression and Award Board is responsible for the consideration of the results of assessment and the decision on student success.

Other Academic Committees

31. Other primary academic committees involved in academic governance include:
    1. The Faculties are responsible for maintaining and promoting excellence in the respective academic disciplines within the University. Each Faculty inputs to Academic Board, via its Director on matters of strategy, and is responsible to TLEC for overseeing the management of the day-to-day academic quality and standards of their taught programmes. Each Faculty also ensures effective engagement with students on programme-related matters and with other Faculties on matters of common interest in teaching and research.
    2. Student Engagement Committee reports to TLEC providing a forum for students to provide feedback and evaluation that will lead to enhancement of the student experience. The committee tracks the questions on the National Student Survey (NSS), completed annually by final year undergraduate students, thereby enabling the University to monitor student satisfaction with key elements of provision, and take measures to address issues and act to disseminate good practice.
    3. All Faculty meetings provide a forum for students to meet with course and programme faculty to discuss proposed curriculum developments, and comment on their current student experience (teaching, assessment, access to resources etc.) They are also a forum for Faculty to feedback to students’ responses to any issues raised at previous meetings or via consultations with Academic Advisors.
       1. Learner Voice reports to the Work Related Learning Management Board providing a forum for learners to provide feedback and evaluation that will lead to enhancement of the learner experience.
       2. Work Related Learning Programme Committee reviews the individual and collective progress made toward the work-related learning programme objectives, and considers data on the programme and feedback from employers and learners.
       3. Research Ethics Committee reports to the Research Committee on the implementation of the Research Strategy and ethical approval for student, academic or collaborative research. It has a lay external research subject specialist.

Executive Management Structures

32. Executive Committee (ExCo) is comprised of the executive managers of the University and is chaired by the University’s Chief Executive Officer.
33. Its role is to ensure that there is effective day-to-day operational leadership and management of all the activities undertaken by the University.
34. It provides a link between Northeastern London Board, Academic Board, the Senior Management Team (SMT) and the Academic Senior Management Team (AcSMT). It does this by ensuring that the priorities as outlined in the University’s Strategic Plan and/or in Northeastern London Board meetings are implemented by Academic Board and its sub-committees and through its committees, in particular SMT.
35. ExCo supplies Northeastern London Board with updates, reports, draft budgets and accounts, key performance indicators, information on capital investments, and reports on risk management.
36. ExCo is comprised of members with the following responsibilities:
    1. Chief Executive Officer (Chair) provides leadership on and is responsible for the financial, operational and HR aspects of the University; leads on the budgets and plans for the University along with the rest of the executive team.
    2. Dean of Northeastern University London provides leadership on all academic aspects of the University; provides line management responsibilities for the faculty and research activities; manages senior academic staff; and works with the rest of the executive team on the budgets and plans for the University.
    3. Assistant Vice President for Recruitment and Marketing of Global Campuses provides leadership on and is responsible for the recruitment, admissions and marketing aspects of the University, and careers and employer engagement; and works with the rest of the executive team on the budgets and plans for the University.
    4. Associate Dean of Innovation and Enterprise provides leadership on the collaboration between Northeastern and the University on academic activities.
    5. Associate Vice President for Academic Services and Student Engagement, Registrar provides leadership on and is responsible for the academic services teams, namely Registry, Quality, Student Support and Development, Academic Support and Residence Services.
37. ExCo ensures that there is an effective leadership, management and coordination of all the academic services, marketing, recruitment and support activities undertaken by the University. ExCo is responsible for developing detailed operational plans and supporting strategies to deliver the University’s Strategic Plan.
38. ExCo devolves day-to-day operational management to the Senior Management Team (SMT). SMT is made up of the following positions:
    1. Chief Executive Officer
    2. Dean of Northeastern University London
    3. Associate Vice President for Academic Services and Student Engagement, Registrar
    4. Academic Registrar, Assistant Director Academic Services
    5. Director of Finance
    6. Director of Marketing, Admissions, Recruitment and Visa
    7. Director of Resourcing and Operations
    8. Director of Business and Partnership Development and Apprenticeships
    9. HR Director

Academic Management Structure

39. The University’s academic management structure is the responsibility of the Dean, and they delegate roles and responsibilities to key senior faculty members and professional staff:
    1. The Associate Dean of Innovation and Enterprise (ADIE) has strategic oversight of the University’s academic programmes, ensuring that they are current, relevant and valued by students, the disciplines and the wider university network. The ADIE collaborates with the Academic Dean of Northeastern University London to promote the development of the faculty and to manage its activities within the institution’s framework and policies.
    2. The Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs (ADFA) has oversight of the line management of all faculty, and the academic workload model. The ADFA also promotes the development of the faculty and manages its activities within the University’s framework and policies.
    3. The Associate Dean of Research and Knowledge Exchange has oversight of all research activities at the University, including Research Management (compliance and funding), Postgraduate Research, strategic direction and preparing for the Research Excellence Framework (REF).
    4. The Associate Dean of Global Impact and Sustainability is responsible for the academic strategic and operational management of student mobility and international education programmes. These offer Northeastern University students the opportunity to take a range of experiential courses over a variety of subjects and to have an international experience. The Associate Dean of Global Impact and Sustainability provides line management to directors of mobility programmes, global partnerships, and sustainable curriculum.
    5. The Associate Dean of Teaching and Learning has strategic oversight of all teaching and learning activities in the University, including programme and curriculum development (undergraduate, postgraduate taught, apprenticeships), the University’s Teaching and Learning strategy, Fair Access and Participation, Student Voice and Engagement, National Student Survey (NSS) strategy, and Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Strategy. The Associate Vice President for Academic Services and Student Engagement, Registrar is responsible for the strategic leadership of academic services and compliance with the external stakeholders, such as the Department for Education and the Office for Students.
    6. The Academic Registrar is charged with overseeing the operation of academic services with the heads of departments and acts as Secretary to Academic Board.
    7. The Head of Registry is responsible for managing the production of the definitive record of students, programmes and courses, as well as guiding and supporting the work of faculty, and managing professional staff, through regulations, student enrolment, assessment, attendance monitoring, academic misconduct, complaints, discipline, and assessment.
    8. The Head of Quality Assurance (HQA) is responsible for managing the quality assurance and enhancement of academic standards and learning opportunities on all programmes and ensures the day-to-day management of, and compliance with, the relevant standards. Responsibilities include managing approvals (with control of the master copies of the core programme documentation), periodic reviews, the annual monitoring process, and national and institutional student surveys. The HQA is also responsible for managing the student voice mechanisms, supporting the student representatives in their role, and the management, review and implementation of academic policies and procedures.
    9. Faculty Directors are responsible for curriculum development and management of all programmes based in their Faculty. They represent their Faculty at Academic Board and relevant committees such as Course Assessment Boards, and Academic Promotion Panels. Faculty Directors also chair and manage Faculty Meetings and oversee recruitment and career development of all their faculty. They may also act as Course Leaders.
    10. The Director of Careers (DC) leads the University’s careers and employability activities for undergraduate and postgraduate students. The DC is responsible for the management of the in-house careers programme, and the Careers counselling activities.
    11. The Director of Entrepreneurship (DE) leads the University’s entrepreneurship activities and oversees its incubator space.

External Quality Assurance & Enhancement

40. The University is committed to the highest academic standards and to continually enhancing the quality of its programmes and student experience. It has invested in developing and establishing a culture of quality that underpins all areas of its work. The University engages with relevant external reference points to ensure that quality is maintained, monitored, and enhanced, where appropriate. The key external reference points are outlined below.

Regulatory Framework for Higher Education in England

41. The Regulatory Framework for Higher Education in England (the Framework) is designed to support the Office for Students (OfS) to mitigate the risk that the primary regulatory objectives for Higher Education in England are met. The four primary regulatory objectives are that all students, from all backgrounds, and with the ability and desire to undertake higher education:
    1. Are supported to access, succeed in, and progress from, higher education.
    2. Receive a high quality academic experience, and their interests are protected which they study or in the event of provider, campus or course closure.
    3. Are able to progress into employment or further study and their qualifications hold their value over time.
    4. Receive value for money.
42. The Framework states how the OfS will perform its various functions, and provides guidance to registered higher education providers on the ongoing conditions of regulation.

UK Quality Code & Framework for Higher Education Qualifications

43. The UK Quality Code gives all higher education providers a starting point for setting, describing and assuring the academic standards, and the quality of the learning opportunities.
44. The Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) is integrated in the UK Quality Code. It is used to ensure that the programmes at the University are comparable to other similar programmes in the UK and the level of achievement is clear to both internal and external stakeholders.

QAA Subject Benchmark Statements

45. The QAA Subject Benchmark Statements are used to inform the curriculum design to ensure that students are achieving the academic level as stated in the subject benchmark statement. Each programme, major and minor, is mapped to their relevant subject benchmark statement, demonstrating that the programme has developed against the agreed standards within that subject arena. This mapping is part of the Programme Specification which is reviewed and evaluated at programme approval events.

Degree Apprenticeship Standards

46. All degree apprenticeship programmes are mapped to the relevant degree apprenticeship standard demonstrating that the curriculum and learning complies with the standard for that programme. The Programme Director is responsible for ensuring that mapping of the programme to the apprenticeship standard.

Other External Reference Points

47. University faculty and professional staff hold a number of external roles, including memberships to subject specific societies and/or associations, and may act as external examiners at other higher education providers.
48. Extensive use is made of the reports written by the External Examiners for the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

Internal Quality Assurance and Enhancement

49. The University has specific aims and objectives for academic quality assurance and enhancement. These are articulated in the Quality Assurance and Enhancement Strategy. The evolution of our quality and enhancement process has been informed by external reference points, including the Framework, FHEQ, UK Quality Code, and degree apprenticeship standards.
50. To ensure that the University meets its aims with respect to academic quality and standards, we have developed comprehensive academic policies and regulations as presented in this framework.
51. Further information about staff responsibilities for quality assurance and enhancement can be found in AQF3: Assurance and Enhancement of Academic Quality and Standards.

Teaching & Learning Practices

52. The University is a higher education provider delivering undergraduate, postgraduate and degree apprenticeship programmes, each following the teaching and learning practices according to the University.

Undergraduate Programmes

53. All undergraduate programmes are normally delivered over three years. Each academic year is divided into two semesters.
54. The undergraduate programmes are delivered using lectures, seminars, workshops, and labs (See Appendix A).
55. Students are expected to manage their own learning and become independent learners. Students are required to submit formative and summative pieces of work, on time.

Postgraduate Taught Programmes

56. The postgraduate taught programmes have full- and part-time pathways. The full-time programmes are normally delivered over a year and part-time programmes are normally delivered over two years.
57. The postgraduate taught programmes are delivered using a combination of interactive group teaching, lectures, and supervisions.
58. Students are expected to manage their own learning following formative submission deadlines, along with the summative deadlines.

Degree Apprenticeship Programmes

59. The degree apprenticeship programmes are delivered using a blended approach of face-to-face teaching in block sessions, online learning, and project-based learning.
60. Learners are required to manage their learning alongside their work responsibilities.

Postgraduate Research

61. The postgraduate research programmes have full- and part-time pathways. The full-time programmes are normally delivered over three and a half years and part-time programmes are normally delivered over five (minimum) and six years (maximum).
62. Students are expected to undertake a programme of training and research approved by the Kent-Northeastern University London PhD Programme Management Board and under the supervision of a member or members of the staff of the University approved by the Associate Dean of Research & Knowledge Exchange.

Academic Resourcing

63. The overarching approach that is taken by the University in the relations to resource allocations is:
    1. The University’s resource allocation decisions will be informed by the University’s mission statement and its strategic plan.
    2. Resource allocation needs to take into account the financial sustainability of the University.
    3. Resource allocation will always be informed by the need to uphold standards and quality provision, including the infrastructure of the University.
    4. Resource decisions will be taken in such a way as to uphold the University policies on academic independence, fairness, equality and diversity.
    5. The University will communicate openly and transparently on decisions about resources via the decisions and minutes of appropriate committees.
64. The Resource Allocation Group (RAG) is the committee responsible for implementing the Resource Allocation Policy. RAG reports to ExCo and ultimately Northeastern London Board that sets the overall University budget. For further information, please refer to the Resource Allocation Policy.

Assessment and Monitoring: Principles of Assessment

65. Assessment describes any processes that appraise an individual’s knowledge, understanding, abilities, or skills. There are many forms of assessment, serving a variety of purposes. These include:
    1. Promoting student learning by providing the student with feedback to help improve their performance;
    2. Evaluating the student knowledge, understanding, abilities, or skills;
    3. Enabling the public (including employers) and higher education providers to know that an individual has attained an appropriate level of achievement that reflects the academic standards by the awarding institution and agreed UK norms, including the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications. This may include meeting other professional requirements.
66. The way in which students are assessed fundamentally affects their learning. Good assessment practice is designed to be aligned with teaching and learning opportunities and to ensure that, in order to pass a course and the overall programme, students have to demonstrate they have achieved the learning outcomes.

Student Support

Academic Support

67. The University recognises the importance of supporting students with their learning. Students enrolled on a work-related programme have regular tripartite reviews with their line manager and Success Manager to monitor success and progression on the programme. The reviews are central to their achieving their full potential on the programme. Targets are set at each review and monitored throughout their progression through the programme. Feedback from the line manager and Success Manager is recorded at the review providing them with clear guidance on their progression.
68. For more information on academic support, please see AQF9 Student Guidance and Learner Support.

Welfare Support

69. Student welfare is supported by Student Support and Development (SSD), who are part of Academic Services. SSD consists of the Head of Student Support and Development (HSSD), Student Wellbeing Coordinators (SWC), Student Support Coordinator (SSC) and Mental Health Advisers (MHA), who work closely together to support students. SSD supports students with learning differences, additional learning support requirements, special requirements for exams and financial support. The MHAs offers confidential and impartial advice on a range of wellbeing issues that may affect a student’s time at the University, such as mental health conditions. SSD is the first point of contact for these areas and is available via email, telephone, and in person.
70. Further detail on student support can be found in AQF9 Student Guidance & Learner Support.

Student Voice

71. All students are encouraged to have input into improving quality and standards at the University through giving their views and feedback, known as using their student voice. Student voice mechanisms include student representation and student evaluation questionnaires.
72. All staff and Student Union are committed to encouraging the student body to engage and to ensuring that student input contributes to decision-making at the University. Student voice mechanisms are described in detail in AQF10: Student Voice.

Management Information and Student Records

Student Records

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students

73. Quercus is the student information system used by the University. This software underpins the University’s attendance management and assessment processes and is able to produce reports. It also provides reports for statutory data returns.

Learners

74. Learner records are the responsibility of the Director of Business and Partnership Development and Apprenticeships. Records are maintained accurately to enable the University to submit data required by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).
75. Learners also have their record on Quercus where the information is stored securely for the production of academic transcripts and reports for statutory data returns.

Data Protection

76. Staff should be aware that the General Data Protection Regulation gives students the right to request access to personal data relating to them, including since 2005 data held in manual datasets which are not structured by reference to individuals.
77. This could include examination scripts, sub-course marks, and copies of references received (though not references given) regarding them.
78. If a member of staff receives a formal request from a student or apprentice for disclosure of personal data held by the University on the student, the University should refer the request to the University’s Data Protection Officer.

Communication at the University

79. The University is committed to ensuring excellent communications. The University uses a variety of methods for communicating with staff, students, employers and the public as appropriate.

The Website

80. The site focuses predominantly on the requirements of potential students, as well as the needs of current students and staff. It provides information relating to academic and non-academic programmes and services, faculty, news, events, educational and student blogs and films. It holds the Academic Handbook, which contains all the University’s governance structure, academic policies and procedures, academic quality framework, strategies and student handbooks.
81. The website is subject to a process of continuous review and development, led by the Director of Admissions, Recruitment, Marketing, and Visa Compliance, regarding both its structure and content, aligned with the University’s evolution, the changing needs of its target audiences, and best-practice and regulatory recommendations, such as the Competition and Marketing Authority and QAA guidance. Factual information relating to degree programmes, courses, faculty and services is regularly updated throughout the year.

The Email System

82. The University uses Google mail and all students and staff are given a University email account.
83. Emails are the primary form of communication between, and with, students and staff. The primary communications are about the day-to-day organisation and information that is of immediate, or short-term, relevance.
84. The University sends staff announcement emails whenever there are changes in the faculty or professional staff. Periodic announcement emails are sent regarding the launch of new programmes or services, enhancements to existing programmes or services. ‘The Quay’ is an e-newsletter used to communicate a range of items relating to the University, including media coverage of the University, conference participation, society activities and articles and new books written by faculty.

The Virtual Learning Environment

85. The University has used a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) since July 2012 to support the students’ learning. Faculty can upload among others presentations, articles and references to support students’ learning. All summative written assignments are submitted through the VLE.

Staff Training Day

86. The University’s annual Staff Training Day is an important annual event. It is held at the start of the academic year and addresses a range of topics relevant to that academic year, such as revised policies and procedures. There are a variety of presentations from professional staff, updating all staff on developments such as new tutorial rooms, that have occurred in preparation for the new academic year. The Dean and CEO provide all staff with updates on the University, from an academic and business point of view. Faculty who have been on research leave, present their research activities to the whole forum.

Appendix A: Teaching and Learning Methods

The list below is not exhaustive. Rather it reflects the main teaching and learning methods adopted by faculty at the University. A single teaching session could focus on one particular method, or combine several.

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