Board of Studies Overview and Schedule of Business
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Board of Studies Overview and
Schedule of Business
Role of the board of studies
1. Boards of studies play a crucial role in the management of the University’s taught
programmes. Every taught programme (undergraduate or postgraduate) offered by the
University is overseen by a board of studies, and boards have primary responsibility
(reporting to FLTSECs and ULTSEC) for the day-to-day management of taught
programmes including the management of the quality and standards of these
programmes. The detailed responsibilities and membership of boards of studies are set
out at http://www.ncl.ac.uk/quilt/assets/documents/qsh-bos-tor.pdf .
The business of the board of studies
2. All meetings of the board of studies should include the following as standard items:
a. Follow-up action from the previous meeting.
b. Reports from any sub-committees, and Student-Staff Committee.
c. Student feedback, and any generic issues arising from student withdrawals.
d. Any issues referred to the board by the relevant FLTSEC, or other committee in the
academic in which the board of studies is based.
3. Additionally Table 1 below sets out those issues that must be considered at least
annually by the board of studies. The table does not prescribe when each issue is
considered, but does indicate when data that supports consideration of these issues will
be available.
4. Boards of studies should also consider any other issues that it feels are appropriate in
order for it to discharge its responsibilities as set out in the terms of reference linked to
in paragraph 1 above.
Conduct of the board of studies
5. Boards of studies are required to meet at least once each term. Boards may meet more
frequently than this, but they should not meet less frequently. The timing of meetings
within each term is not prescribed by the University; it is for boards to determine the
timing that best fits the pattern of their business.
6. Minutes must be taken at every meeting of the board, so that there is a full record of
progress with business. These minutes should indicate the issues that have been raised
and dealt with by the board. Board of studies minutes will be primary sources of
information and evidence for processes such as Annual Monitoring and Review, and
Learning and Teaching Review. They will also provide evidence for external review (for
example by Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies, or the QAA).
Sub-groups and sub-committees
17. Boards of studies may choose to establish sub-groups or sub-committees to undertake
particular tasks on their behalf. These may be time-limited, issue -or theme-specific sub-
groups/sub-committees. They may also be standing sub-groups or sub-committees
carrying out specific roles on behalf of the board of studies.
2Table 1 Required issues that must be considered by boards of studies on at least an annual basis
Issue When is data available? Purpose of review
Admissions and recruitment Early autumn To assess effectiveness and success recruitment and admissions,
and consider changes for the future.
Induction Mid-autumn To learn from the experience and change future arrangements.
Student surveys Early autumn Consider NSS / PTES, ISB, Semester 2 module evaluations stage
evaluation results to develop action plans to improve scores in
future and to feed back to students on action.
Placement and study abroad experience the Autumn To check whether arrangements need revision and whether any
previous year current placement providers/study abroad locations should be
withdrawn.
Timeliness of feedback on assessed work Autumn for previous academic To check on compliance with University policy and take remedial
year action if necessary.
External examiners' reports Autumn for previous academic To check on alignment of standards and quality of assessment
year procedures.
Review of exercise of discretion by the board of Early autumn To review BoE and consider whether any changes in policy and
examiners practice are needed.
Degree classifications Autumn To check that pattern is not out of line with expectations.
Retention and progression Autumn for previous academic To check that pattern is not out of line with expectations.
year
Module reviews At end of relevant semester To consider whether any changes are needed in the light of
student feedback, performance, module evaluation questionnaire
results etc.
Approving module changes/new modules December/January To inform pre-registration and timetabling
Approving changes to programme regulations January To inform pre-registration and timetabling
Semester 1 module evaluation questionnaires February To develop action plans to improve scores in future and to feed
3back to students on action.
Update programme specifications April/May Annual updating to keep document current
Introduction of new programmes or major As required, but notice needed For future planning,
programme changes
DLHE data Summer To review employability of graduates and consider possible action.
Personal tutoring Autumn for Stage Evaluation To assess how well PT is running
Questionnaire; Spring for KPI
Library provision Annually To review adequacy of provision and address any issues
Accreditation reviews Unpredictable To ensure adequate planning and appropriate follow up.
Notes:
a. To assist boards of studies in considering these issues, a wide range of data recruitment, applications, student progression and student achievement
can be accessed via the Annual Degree Programme Statistics (ADPS) at http://www.ncl.ac.uk/internal/planning/students/portal.htm . The progression
of cohorts through the entire length of a programme can be reported on using the Cohort Analysis function available at
https://myworkplace.ncl.ac.uk/irj/portal .
b. Results from the National Student Survey and Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey are made available in August each year, and can be found at
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/internal/planning/performance/student-survey/index.htm .
c. Graduate destination from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey is available at
https://internal.ncl.ac.uk/careers/secure/dlhe/reporting/ . Destination data for the previous academic year is usually available from the summer.
d. Prompts for the consideration of many aspects of this data are available at WEBLINK. Please note that this is a suggested list of potential questions and
issues, not a checklist of required questions. Not all of the prompts will be equally relevant to all boards; equally, many boards will want to consider
issues and questions not set out in that document.
4Approved by University Learning, Teaching, and Student Experience Committee, June 2015. Last modified June
2015.
This document is primarily intended for: Chairs of Boards of Studies
Degree Programme Directors
Course Representatives
Contact: Simon Meacher, LTDS, ext. 83969
simon.meacher@ncl.ac.uk
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