FRPD INDEX

Section A
Section B
Section C
Appendix 1
Department Reporting and Planning Document
Appendix 2
Courses with low progression rates and / or mean/median marks
Appendix 3
Programmes with low progression rates
Appendix 4
NSS responses at department and subject level
Appendix 4a (i)
PTES responses (on campus postgraduates and faculty / department results)
Appendix 4a (ii)
USS responses (UK based partner and link undergraduates)
Appendix 4a (iii)
USS responses (UK based partner and link undergraduates by department)
Appendix 4a (iv)
USS responses (UK based partner and link undergraduates by colleges)
Appendix 4c (i)
USS responses (wholly overseas postgraduates by department)
Appendix 4c (ii)
USS responses (wholly overseas postgraduates by colleges)
Appendix 5
DHLE data
Appendix 6 (i)
USS responses (wholly overseas undergraduates)
Appendix 6 (ii)
USS responses (wholly overseas undergraduates by college)
Guidance Notes

Quality Assurance Handbook, Appendix M5 (September 2014)

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ANNUAL FACULTY REPORTING AND PLANNING

DOCUMENT 2014-15
SECTION A LEARNING AND TEACHING
SECTION 1: BASIC INFORMATION
Name of Faculty
Session under Review
SECTION 2: FACULTY PROFILE (See guidance notes)
Please provide information for each department
Name of Department
Head of Department
Programmes of Study
Undergraduate
Postgraduate
Other Internal Programmes
Collaborative Programmes/Working with Others with Names of Partners and
Type of Partnership

SECTION 3: FACULTY STRATEGIC OVERVIEW

This should be a succinct review (maximum 10 pages) with short and longerterm strategic action planning aligned to both the University Strategic Plan and
the additional detailed policies and strategies such as Learning Teaching and
Assessment Strategy and the Faculty Strategic Implementation Plan but with
flexibility to include reference to other Faculty priorities.
The Faculty Strategic Overview should focus on:
Progress with previous action plan;
Commentary on key priorities for the Faculty, drawn from Department
Reporting and Planning Documents, the Working with Others Report
and the Research and Enterprise Report;
Notable successes or achievements;
The Faculty response to, for example, the outcome of Internal Audits;
PSRB visits; QAA reviews; the annual University theme; University
strategies.
Portfolio Planning.
Quality Assurance Handbook, Appendix M8 (September 2014)
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SECTION 4: FACULTY STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN

Please provide short and long term strategic action plans that arise
from your strategic overview

Issue

Action
Planned

By Whom

Timescale

What will
success;
look like?

SECTION 5: DEPARTMENTAL REPORTING AND PLANNING DOCUMENT

This section should be prepared by Heads of Department and be informed by
Programme Monitoring Reports which, in turn, would be informed by Course
Monitoring Reports and other datasets. Particular attention should be given to
KPIs (see Appendix 4-6). Departments are also encouraged to report on
enhancement, good practice and achievements. The template for the
Department Reporting and Planning Document is at Appendix 1.
SECTION B: FACULTY COLLABORATIVE PROVISION AND WORKING WITH
OTHERS
1. Collaborative Provision
a) Please provide brief general comments on the successes and challenges in
each type of partnership you deliver. How will you respond to these
challenges and build on the successes?

b) Please provide an overview of the Facultys credit rating activities. (if

applicable)

c) Please provide an overview of any articulation arrangements the Faculty

Quality Assurance Handbook, Appendix M8 (September 2014)
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participates in. (if applicable)

SECTION C: RESEARCH AND ENTERPRISE

1. Research and Enterprise Impact, Quality and Volume
The Strategic Plan of the University states that research informs teaching. In this
section, you are asked to consider how research and enterprise impacts upon the
learning and teaching of both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
a) For each Department, please provide a commentary on research and
enterprise, and its impact on (a) Learning and Teaching and (b) External
Stakeholders

b)

c)

How was the impact mentioned in (a) monitored and evaluated?

Please list the main initiatives planned in the Faculty to enhance the
impact of research and enterprise on learning and teaching.

d) Please list initiatives planned to expand research activity and improve quality
over the next year.

e) What are your targets for Faculty performance in terms of quality and volume
by the end of 2014/15.
2. Research Students

Quality Assurance Handbook, Appendix M8 (September 2014)

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Research Students Enrolled

Full Time
at 31st
July 201x

Part Time
at 31st
July 201x

Full Time
at 31st
July 201x

Part Time
at 31st
July 201x

Architecture Computing and

Humanities
Business
Education and Health
NRI
Pharmacy
Engineering and Science
Total

a) In what areas does the Faculty have the most opportunity to grow research
student numbers?
b) Please describe new initiatives at the Faculty level aimed at enhancing the
quality of student training and supervision of research students.
c) Please summarise the successes and challenges in the Faculty in 2013/14
regarding postgraduate research student activity (Max. 500 words).

3. Research and Enterprise Activities. Please provide brief general comment

on successes and challenges in the Faculty in 2013/14 in meeting the
research and enterprise plan of the University (Max 500 words).

Quality Assurance Handbook, Appendix M8 (September 2014)

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Department

Head Of Department

SECTION 5.1 - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS

SECTION 5.2 PROGRESS WITH ACTION PLAN IN LAST REPORT

SECTION 5.3 DETAILED COMMENTARY

(Drawing from PMRs and other evidence relevant to the Department, this
should focus on: KPIs aligned to the University Strategic Plan [e.g. recruitment,
progression, achievement, employability]; outcomes of student surveys [e.g.
NSS, PTES, USS, iGraduate, new arrivals, student engagement]; external
examiners reports and other external reviews; achievements, good practice
Quality Assurance Handbook, Appendix M8 (September 2014)
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and enhancement activities. Departments may also wish to report on other

matters relevant to, for example, PSRBs, or their response to University policies
or the annual University theme.) Maximum limit 2 pages.

Quality Assurance Handbook, Appendix M8 (September 2014)

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SECTION 5.4 DEPARTMENT ACTION PLAN

Issue

Action
Planned
(what is
department
doing?)

By Whom?

Timescale

What will
success
look like?

SECTION 5.5 DEPARTMENT ACTION PLAN FOR PROGRAMMES AND

COURSES THAT HAVE LESS THAN 10 STUDENTS REGISTERED
Programm
e
/
Courses

Student
Registrati
ons

Action
Planned

By Whom

Timescale

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What will
success
look like?

Guidance Notes for Faculty Reporting and Planning Document (FRPD)

The guiding principle for an effective hierarchy of reporting / monitoring and action planning
within the Faculties needs to start at the course level and should enable Faculties to identify
strategic issues. The re-focusing of the Universitys structure, with emphasis on a Department
Faculty relationship, has presented the opportunity to develop a Department approach to
reporting and planning, although it is acknowledged that some University priorities, such as
employability and personal tutoring are managed and led at Faculty, rather than
Department, level in some Faculties. In the context of Chapter B10 of the QAA Code, it is
considered that Faculty-level reporting on Working with Others is highly relevant, particularly
with the appointment of Faculty Directors of Partnership (or equivalent) with oversight of this
provision.
Course and programme focus is a critical element in the development of learning and
teaching and needs to remain a key component of reporting and planning. As such, it forms
the basis for the Department-level reporting and planning document and must engage all
academic staff, particularly in action planning for enhancement.
A summary of the reporting and planning process is shown in the diagram below. Thus the
FRPD will be comprised of the following sections:-

Section 1 and 2

Faculty Profile

Section 3 and 4

Faculty Strategic Overview and Action Plan

Section 5
Departmental Reporting and Planning Document (submitted as separate reports
in Appendix 1)
Section B

Faculty Collaborative Provision and Working with Others

Section C

Research and Enterprise

Studen
t
Course

Course
Coordin
ator

External
Examin
er

Quality Assurance Handbook, Appendix M8 (September 2014)

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KPI Datasets:
Pass rate
Median grade

Evaluat
ion

Program
me
Evaluatio
n

Link
Tutor
Report
s

Placem
ent
Evaluat
ion

Evaluati
on

Extern
al
Exami
ner
Report
s

PSRB
Reports

Feedbac
k

Course
Monito
ring
Report

Progra
mme
Commit
tee
Meeting
s

Stud
ent
Surv
eys
e.g.
NSS /
USS

DL
HE

KPI Datasets:
Progression/re
tention
Achievement

Recruit
ment
data

Annual
Programme
Monitoring
Report
(also include
commentary on
good practice and
enhancement)

Working with
Others Report

Department
Reporting and
Planning
Document

Faculty
Reporti
ng &
Plannin
g
Docume
nt

Faculty
Strategic
Overview

Quality Assurance Handbook, Appendix M8 (September 2014)

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Research and
Enterprise
Report

Appen
dices
to
FRPD

Section A
Faculty Profile
Much of the information to populate this section is available from the Planning and Statistics
(PAS) web pages or Faculty data.
Collaborations and Working with Others
Collaborative partnership arrangements fall into three main types:
1. Partner Colleges
2. Full Cost Collaborations both home and overseas
3. Lifelong Learning network
You should also indicate whether programmes are franchised, validated or externally
validated.
Working with others includes credit-rating, articulation agreements, student
exchanges/mobility (primarily Erasmus) and student placements.
Evidence Base
The evidence base will comprise:
a) Statistical reports available from the PAS web pages
b) National Student Survey outcomes from the PAS web pages
c) Employability and Further Study Statistics (DLHE)
Http://www.gre.ac.uk/offices/pas/student-surveys/dlhe/dlhe-2012-13-leavers
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)

External examiners reports and responses

External review/audit reports and responses
Student feedback from programme committees and other for a (USS, PTES)
Link Tutor reports on collaborative provision
Reports from partner institution

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Faculty Strategic Overview (Section 3)

This section should be prepared by the PVC/Faculty Executive drawing on the
documents and evidence of Section 5 (Departmental Reporting and Planning
Document) and Sections B and C.
Departmental Reporting and Planning Document (See Appendix 1)
Departments are required to develop their own consultative and reflective
approaches to review the evidence base and prepare the annual Departmental
Reporting and Planning document. In recognition of the importance of local delivery
in effective quality assurance and enhancement, the processes by which
Departments use to approach the task of review are not prescriptive, but
Departments are encouraged to consider the following approaches:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.

Round table discussions by programme/course teams

Departmental away days
Focus groups
Reviews of the evidence base
Formation of cognate groups based around certain themes
Discussions of good practice and enhancement

Departmental Reporting and Planning (Section 5) and Appendix 1

5.1 and 5.2 Summary and Progress.
Provide a short commentary on the key points arising from your review of the
Departments activities and the degree to which all actions undertaken, i.e. those
identified in last years SMRD, were achieved during the session. In some case
these might be best commented upon in the Faculty section.
5.3 KPIs and evidence base
Given the developments of GreWeb are still in train and the need to reformat the
course and programme monitoring reports to provide the KPI information, for
reports relating to 2013-14, KPI data was produced centrally by PAS.
1. The data sets show courses and programmes at Aug 1 st 2014 where:

Quality Assurance Handbook, Appendix M8 (September 2014)

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a. Pass rates on courses fall outside Performance Indicator boundaries of

75% for undergraduates at academic level 4, and 80% for undergraduate
courses at level 5 and above, and for all post-graduate courses. The data
shows all courses irrespective of student enrolment.
b. Median marks for courses are outside the range of 45-70% at
undergraduate level and 55-75% at postgraduate level.
c. Programme outcomes in terms of progression of total students by
programmes that are outside a KPI threshold of more than 15% being
unsuccessful and / or more than 15% of students who have reassessment
pending by programme. For details of the breakdown by year group
please go to:
http://gm-xi4-prod:8080/BOE/BI
select: Portal Reports
select: Special Reports
select: FRPD KPI3 31 July
Remove the files not required
select: Run Query
Choose tab: KPI3
Show data
d. DLHE data
2. The other data sets relevant to the Key Performance Indicators cover the NSS
results at departmental level and are highlighted where % agree scores are
below the sector average. Departments are also encouraged to consider the
data at a subject level with a comparison against the sector average for that
subject. This analysis requires you to view the data on the PAS site.
3. The PTES data, USS data on campus year 1, and USS data for off-campus
students has also been provided at either a Faculty or Departmental level, where
appropriate (depending on student numbers). Given the good response rates the
off campus data has also been provided at a Partner level further broken down
at UG and PG level.

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4. External Examiner Reports, outcomes of student surveys course evaluations,

employability; PSRB reports are also important indicators that inform action
planning.
Section B
In completing this section please note:

Please keep commentary succinct and strategic.

a) Each type of collaborative provision (i.e. franchised, validated and externally

validated, Partner College and full-cost) should be considered separately.
b) Commentary should focus on the number of credit-rating arrangements, the
level and amount of credit offered and how the quality assurance of the
arrangements is maintained.
c) Commentary should focus on the number of articulations and the
programmes that students articulate onto. Details should be given on how
the Faculty ensures that the curriculum at the partner remains appropriate
and at a comparable standard.
Section C

Please keep commentary succinct and strategic.

In answering the questions and making comments in this section,

consideration should be given to the Strategic Plan 2012-2017.

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