University News Last updated 23 May 2011
National quality auditors have given Birmingham City University an official vote of confidence and praised the “close and sustained partnership between the University and its students”.
Following an institutional audit in November 2010, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has declared its confidence in the University’s management of academic standards and the quality of the learning opportunities available to students.
Auditors, who interviewed staff and students during their week-long visit, describe student involvement and representation as “a key feature of the University”. The report, published this month on the QAA website, goes on to say: “The University has formed an exceptionally close partnership with its students, integrating them into the process of teaching, design and delivery, and the students’ experience is one of dedicated informed support from staff at the institution.”
It praises the University’s Student Academic Partners scheme (SAP) as a feature of good practice, noting “its positive achievements in promoting innovation in learning and teaching”.
The scheme, which brings together students and academic staff to review teaching and learning projects, has already received national acclaim. It beat off stiff competition last year to win the 2010 Times Higher Education (THE) ‘Outstanding Support for Students’ Award, praised at the time by both the Higher Education Academy and President of the National Union of Students.
Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Mary Carswell said she was delighted the University’s innovative and proactive approach to student engagement in teaching and learning had been commended.
“The report recognises the University’s genuine efforts over the past three years to build a closer relationship with our students,” she said. “We firmly believe that students should play an active role in their learning with the opportunity to shape and influence the curriculum, not only to benefit themselves, but also the thousands more that will follow them.”
The report also commented on the University’s Student Experience Strategy, saying: “the University is committed to improving the employability of its students through advice and working closely with employers, as well as the innovative alumni mentoring scheme that matches current students to the University’s graduates who are already in a profession the students aspire to join.”
One student benefiting from this commitment to employability is Alistair Narnor (22) from Newbury, Berkshire, who is now working at the University on a one-year placement. Alistair enrolled to study BA (Hons) Business Management in 2008 and is now working as a Student Consultant, based in the Centre for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT). Using the experience, knowledge and skills he has gained as a student, Alistair is now working to improve learning for students.
Alistair said: “Working as a student consultant in CELT has been truly brilliant. I think the level of responsibility and autonomy I have been given has been absolutely fantastic and for someone of my age, really quite unique.
“The main part of my role as a Student Consultant has involved leading a team of seven student academic partners from across each of the University’s six faculties on a University-wide project, the aim of which has been to identify factors that have had positive and negative effects on the experience of students. We have facilitated a number of focus group sessions and individual video interviews to help us achieve this and we are currently in the final phase of the project.
“I’ve always been a strong proponent of students participating in a placement year and now, having seen for myself the benefits of having a year’s worth of work experience, that view has only been strengthened. Put simply I would not and probably will not be able to truly understand and learn about the intricacies that impact massively on the way an organisation and its relative functional areas operate and perform by simply studying for my degree.”
In total, five areas of good practice were highlighted in the final audit report:
- the promotion of innovation in learning and teaching achieved by the Student Academic Partners scheme
- the close partnership between the University and its students which enhances learning
- the impact of the ‘Redesign of the Learning Experience’ (which reviews the content and delivery of the University curriculum)
- the comprehensive staff development opportunities
- the monitoring of any programmes highlighted by the University’s Senate.
The QAA conducts audits on behalf of the higher education sector to provide public information about academic standards and the quality of learning opportunities provided for students. It also operates under contract to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to meet statutory obligations to assure the quality and standards of academic programmes for which they allocate public funding. The audits form part of the Quality Assurance Framework established in 2002 following revisions to the UK's approach to external quality assurance; at the centre of the process is an emphasis on students and their learning.