Change effective from:
September 2016.
Summary of change
Following consultation with faculties during 2015/16, the Academic Board has agreed a Student Engagement with Learning (Contact Hours) Policy to apply to all Undergraduate programmes from 2016/17. The new Policy sets out a number of requirements that must be met by all undergraduate programmes of study in relation to scheduled learning and teaching activities. The Policy also requires all departments to develop their own subject discipline statements which will be approved and reviewed annually through Departmental Management Boards. Departmental Management Boards will be required to ensure compliance with University policy and positioning in relation to sector subject benchmark data. The policy complements the Student Attendance Statement (as agreed by the Academic Board in April 2014) which already commits the University to supporting students’ achievement and facilitating full student engagement with their studies.
What’s different?
- The Policy includes a University Statement on the provision of an excellent educational experience for all its students, defines scheduled learning and teaching activity and sets out requirements that must be met by all undergraduate programmes of study.
- All academic departments are required to have a departmental statement on scheduled learning and teaching activities in place for the start of academic year 2016/17, typically consisting of a number of subject discipline statements.
- Subject discipline statements will include reference to the threshold level of scheduled learning and teaching activity. This is to be determined in reference to subject benchmark information and set to be, on average, above the bottom quartile.
- Individual departmental statements will be signed off within faculties, reported to their respective Faculty Academic Boards and a summary of departmental statements will be presented to the Academic Board in due course.
- The University will make clear information available to all applicants and students about the teaching and learning on their course in line with guidance from the Competition and Markets Authority to HEIs on compliance with consumer protection legislation.
Link to further information
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity (Contact Hours) Policy