Pictured above: Mary Carswell
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.