Ensuring Teaching Quality

The University is responsible for ensuring quality and standards of all academic awards made in its name. There are a number of people across the University who review your degree programme. They ensure that content is up-to-date, consistent in its treatment of students, appropriate in its forms of quality teaching and assessment, and of the highest standards. The key mechanisms are described below:

Annual Monitoring and Review (AMR) — every year, Schools comment on what went well and what they could improve. Schools are also required to develop an action plan that lists new projects and activities to improve a degree programme. We review this AMR at both faculty and University level each year to identify effective practice to share or issues to address.

Learning and Teaching Review (LTR) — this review occurs approximately every six years. A panel of staff and one discipline-specialist external member reviews each School or subject area. This review assesses quality teaching, learning processes, and the experiences of students and staff.

External Examining — each programme will have at least one external examiner. This will be someone who works at a different University or in industry. External examiners assist the University across a variety of considerations. They ensure that the standards of all awards at Newcastle are at least comparable to other universities in the UK. External examiners review programme aims, learning objectives, and assessment questions and feedback. The University relies on examiners by:

• Requiring them to provide independent and impartial advice. They provide informative comment on the University’s standards and on student achievement.
• Drawing upon their professional advice and expertise. Examiners give full and serious consideration to their reports.

You should not contact external examiners directly. However, you may be asked to meet with them when they come to visit the University. You can also engage with the process through which the University considers and responds to external examiners. You can do this by participating in Boards of Studies, Student Staff Committee, and Faculty Education Committees.

You can engage directly with a Learning and Teaching Review. You can do this by volunteering to meet with the panel. You can also do this by volunteering to serve as a student panel member for a Learning and Teaching Review in another School. You can engage with Annual Monitoring and Review through the student representation system. You can also do this through participating in School and faculty committees.

Changes to your programme — the University recognises that students invest time and personal effort in their studies. As a student, you need timely dialogue and clarity of options when changes occur. Your School will act transparently and communicate with students to minimise impact by changes.