December 2022 TLD Bulletin
TLD Bulletin December 2022
1. Policy updates
- Reminder regarding the current consultations on mitigating circumstances and a new Student Pregnancy, Maternity and New Parent Policy and associated Procedures
As mentioned in our November Bulletin, consultation has commenced around the area of mitigating circumstances as well as a draft new Student Pregnancy, Maternity and New Parent Policy and associated Procedures.
Faculties will be carrying out their own consultations, with the aim of producing a Faculty-specific response. If you are based in one of the 3 Faculties, please therefore look out for notification from your own Faculty in relation to the consultations and you will be invited to feed into your own Faculty’s response.
If you would like to provide an individual response, however, the online form for mitigating circumstances is available at: https://forms.office.com/r/7mQvWYptUd.
The online form for the draft new Student Pregnancy, Maternity and New Parent Policy and associated Procedures is available at: https://forms.office.com/r/QN7HAv1Jr7.
The deadline date for submission of individual responses for both consultations is Monday 9th January 2023. Faculty collated responses are to be received by Wednesday 18th January. (Please note that the Faculty of Humanities has requested responses from their School colleagues by 13 December to enable their Faculty response to be considered and produced.)
2. Degree Apprenticeships
- New Providing Monitoring Visit for AMBS degree apprenticeship provision
On 5 and 6 October 2022, two Ofsted inspectors visited AMBS to undertake a visit. The outcomes were very positive. Details of the visit and the report can be found at: https://www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/news/display/?id=29097
3. Taught Programme Enhancement
- National Student Survey (NSS)
NSS is due to launch in the new year and the University completion window opens for UoM students on 30th January 2023 and closes on 30th April 2023. The results of the survey provide key insights into the experiences of UoM students and allow us to drive positive change within the University. As such, it is important that as many students as possible complete the survey so that the feedback is representative of our student cohort. This year the University is aiming for a minimum 65% completion rate, and we will be asking colleagues for support in promoting the NSS survey to students. As part of this we will be offering incentives and prizes, and details of these will follow in the next bulletin.
There are a few changes this year, most notably a new set of core questions, covering areas such as quality of teaching and learning, mental health and wellbeing, academic support and organisation and management. The current question on ‘student satisfaction’ (Q27) will be removed in England to “provide a stronger focus on questions relating to aspects of quality”. However, this question will be retained for UoM students (subject to pending OfS approval) as an optional question at the end of the survey so that students can feedback holistically on their experience. A new four-point item specific response scales will also be used throughout the core questionnaire to replace the Likert response scale.
NSS communications with colleagues and students will commence over the next few weeks so please check the January bulletin for more information. NSS data is now an official national statistic and, as a result, it has become an OfS requirement to develop local communications plans which can be requested for review. TPE will be in touch through faculty TLSEs to provide a template to support consistency with these plans.
4. Appeals, Complaints and Academic Malpractice (Review)
- Join our Appeals, Complaints, Conduct and Discipline (ACCD) Network
Our University has a network for all colleagues (PS or academic) involved in formal or informal academic appeals and complaints, and academic or non-academic conduct and discipline issues.
The network is jointly hosted by the Teaching and Learning Delivery team within the Directorate for Student Experience, and the Advice and Response and Conduct and Discipline teams within Campus Life.
Until now, the network has been attended only by Faculty case-handlers and other key stakeholders. We are opening up the network to all colleagues involved in these areas at every level of the organisation.
When you join the network, you will:
- be added to the dedicated Teams space, and able to interact with other colleagues and seek advice and guidance;
- be invited to attend open meetings (we expect these will take place quarterly bi-annually);
- be invited to an annual on-campus conference in the summer;
- be invited to contribute to consultations on changes to relevant Regulation or Policy/Procedure.
In order to be added to the network, please complete our form.
- If you have any queries, please feel free to contact Jenny Gradwell, Teaching and Learning Manager for Appeals, Complaints, and Discipline: jenny.gradwell@manchester.ac.uk
5. Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) team
The draft TEF submission has now been circulated for comment through T&L Strategy Group (TLSG), Professional Services Leadership Team (PSLT), Students’ Union, and Faculty Leadership Teams / Faculty T&L teams. It contains 32 pages (7 pages over our page-limit) so we still have some work to do in order to streamline what we’re showcasing. With such a vast range of teaching and learning activities as well as support services ensuring our students succeed, these will be difficult decisions to make. All teams have been asked to comment using an online Microsoft Office form or via our TEF inbox by Friday 16 December at 12 noon. The next stage will be to re-draft the submission and reduce it to the required length ready for this to be approved through the Senior Leadership Team. The deadline for submission to the Office for Students is Tuesday 24 January 2023.
If you have any queries regarding the TEF, please do not hesitate to contact Sarah Williams TEF Manager at TEF@manchester.ac.uk.
6. Institute of Teaching and Learning (ITL)
- The Institute of Teaching and Learning Monthly Roundup
Check out our ‘What’s New in ITL’ page on Staffnet at the start of each month, to see what Teaching and Learning tools and resources we have published recently.
We have a number of Workshop’s coming up this month, as our Open Workshop Programme gets underway, and our TEA Blog posts weekly content on Teaching and Learning. New posts on a range of topics every Friday!"
- Workshops this month
Tuesday 13th December 10:30-12:00, online – Active Feedback
- Student Support and Academic Advisors
We have produced two new videos on the topic of Academic Advising, through discussion with existing and past participants- "Academic Advisors: now they can help" and "Academic Advising: what I wish I'd known". Both are aimed at improving student engagement with advising, and Student Comms will be promoting both videos at the start of Semester Two.
- Leaders in Teaching Programme (LEAP)
The ITL team held the latest LEAP Recognition Panel in November 2022, and we are delighted that the first semester we've awarded 62 AdvanceHE fellowships to staff and students from across the University who support teaching and learning activity. This includes seven new Principal Fellows, who are asked to show that they are highly experienced professionals, and able to provide evidence of a sustained and effective record of impact at a strategic level in relation to teaching and learning. Their work may be both within the institution or in wider (inter)national settings, which reinforces just how prestigious this achievement is.
What is LEAP? Accredited by AdvanceHE, the LEAP programme awards Associate, Fellow, Senior and Principal AdvanceHE fellowships and supports colleagues in evidencing their teaching and learning excellence; enabling them to receive a formal national teaching award. LEAP is open to all staff, ranging from colleagues who are beginning to support students in their learning, to those for whom teaching and learning forms part of their role and colleagues who are influencing teaching and learning at an institutional, national or international context.
To apply, or for more information, please visit the LEAP website.
- UK Advising and Tutoring
The University has become an institutional member of UK Advising and Tutoring. All members of staff who act as Academic Advisors or Tutors can therefore sign up to become an Affiliate Member and access online resources and training and the UKAT network. We'd also like to remind you that anyone can sign up to the UoM Academic Advisors' Support Network on Yammer, to connect with other advisors, share resources and ask questions about the Advising model and processes.
7. Contact
If you are aware of other staff members who would like to be added to the TLD Bulletin mailing list to receive future editions of the Bulletin, please contact Miriam Graham (email m.graham@manchester.ac.uk).
If you are from a Collaborative or Validated Partner and you are having difficulties accessing any of the linked documents or web pages, please also contact Miriam Graham (m.graham@manchester.ac.uk).