APR Template for Research Programmes

August 2017

University of Bristol

ANNUAL PROGRAMME REVIEW FOR RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

Notes on use of this APR report template:

(i) This template should be used in conjunction with the Policy on APR(R), available at:

(ii) Programmes with a taught component must complete sections 9-11.

(iii)Actions arising should be allocated to a named individual and added to the School Education Action Plan.

(iv) The report should be submitted to AQPO by email at

Academic year covered e.g. 2015/16
School
1.Programme(s) being reviewed
Ref: APR (R) Policy Section 1 - including 1.3 for programmes delivered through external partnership /collaborative arrangements
2.Date of meeting
3.Attendees of meeting
Ref: APR (R) Policy 3.6
4.Actions and successes from previous APR report
Ref:APR (R) Policy 3.3
How have the outcomes and actions from the previousyear’s APR been addressed?
Comments on completed actions
Ongoing actions (what, who, when)
Areas of good practice/enhancement you wish to highlight

PART A: ASSURING ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND QUALITY

5. Review of Supervisors/Examiners’ Feedback
Ref:APR (R) Policy4.2
  • Are any major changes needed? If so, at what which forum will they be discussed and decisions taken?
  • How does staff feedback correlate with student feedback and discussions at the staff/student liaison
  • committee (or equivalent)
  • ?
  • How does the school intend to address any issues regarding supervisor/student ratio, trends, distribution of students among staff?
  • Any general feedback from examiners of research students from the previous year
  • ?

Review/Comments / Action (what, who, when)
6. Review of Processes
Ref: APR (R) Policy 4.3
  • How are procedures relating to research students, including the annual monitoring process, working?
  • What arrangements are in place for students whose supervisors are away e.g. on research leave?

Review/Comments / Action (what, who, when)
7. Review of the Student Progress and Attainment
Ref: APR (R) Policy 4.4
  • How is the school responding to any trends in postgraduate student numbers?
  • Characteristics of the intake population (e.g. gender balance, home/overseas); are these significant?
  • How is the school responding to any apparent trends in student progress, submission and completion rates?

Review/Comments / Action (what, who, when)
8.Other Internal and External Review
Ref:APR (R) Policy 4.5
  • Has there been an external review of any /all of the programmes this year e.g. school review or Research Councilvisit? If so,what issues/actions arose from this review?
  • How has the school responded to the recommendations from the last FQT Report?

Review/Comments / Action (what, who, when)

Programmes with a Taught Component must also complete sections 9-11

These sections should only be completed if there is a taught component to the programme. If there is no taught component, please go to section 12.

9. Programme Structure, Content, Specification and Learning Outcomes
Ref: APR (R) Policy 4.6
  • How has the school assured that all the programme aims and learning outcomes continue to be met by the mandatory units?
  • How has the school assured that the summative and formative assessment load and methods continue to be appropriate across the programme?
  • Has the ongoing relevance of the programme content been reviewed and is the school satisfied with its relevance?
  • If the programme has a year abroad or year in industry, how does the school monitor the content of this and are the outcomes satisfactory?
  • Is there sufficient opportunity for students to take open units (at UG level)?
  • Have you made ANY changes to the programme (Yes/No)?
If YES:
  • Have any incremental changes had a cumulative effect on the programme? Has the programme Specification been revised and approved to take account of these changes?
  • Have you reviewed your Programme Specification(s), as shown in the Programme Catalogue, to ensure they are up to date and complete, and have all changes been approved by the faculty board(s)?

Review/Comments / Action (what, who, when)
10. Unit Changes and Learning Outcomes and Assessment
Ref: APR (R) Policy 4.7, referalso to Report on Unit Changes provided by AQPO
  • How do the assessments show that all unit aims and intended learning outcomes (ILOs) are being met?
  • Are there any issues arising from staff feedback?
  • For joint honours programmes, given any unit changes, is the programme as a whole still appropriately integrated, with learning outcomes distinct from those of each single honours programme?
  • Please ensure that any inter-disciplinary units (UNIV/FAC units, which are not connected to the programme(s) but where the unit director is a member of the School) have been reviewed.
  • Have you made ANY unit changes (Yes/No)?
If YES:
  • Have you revised your Unit Specification(s), as shown in the Unit Catalogue, to ensure they are up to date and complete, and have all changes been approved at faculty level?
  • For relevant units has the KIS data also been updated?

Review/Comments / Action (what, who, when)
11.Response to External Examiner Reports / Feedback
Ref:APR (R) Policy 4.8
  • Include the full school response that was sent to the external, covering all comments and recommendations including any that the school may be unable to implement or disagrees with. Review progress on any actions arising from the school’s response, and identify outstanding issues.
  • Has the external examiner(s) confirmed that the programme is meeting threshold academic standards?
  • Have any comments from the external examiner(s) required you to make changes to the programme?

Review/Comments / Action (what, who, when)

PART B: STUDENT EXPERIENCE AND FEEDBACK

12. Student Development and Support
Ref: APR (R) Policy 4.9
  • Consideration of the suitability of the induction and support provided for research students, and any issues identified regarding the student experience
  • Analysis of research student skills /development opportunities, including training to teach and the take-up of this training by students
  • Discussion of recent student destinations on completion of their research degree

Review/Comments / Action (what, who, when)
13.Review of Student Feedback
Ref: APR (R) Policy 4.10
  • What does analysis of the student feedback show?
  • What were the key issues discussed at the SSLC and what actions were identified? Did the SSLC structure enable issues arising from student feedback to be addressed and dealt with appropriately?
  • How does student feedback collected compare with the results/comments from any internal and/or external surveys?
  • What action is being taken/will be taken as a result of student feedback?
  • Are there mechanisms in place for the school to communicate to students what is being done as a result of their feedback, and are these working?

Review/Comments / Action (what, who, when)

PART C: CONTEXT OF PROGRAMME DELIVERY

14. Strategic Issues
Ref: APR (R) Policy 4.11
The Head of School or Nomineeis invited to provide a brief summary of key strategic issues affecting the programme(s).
Review/Comments / Action (what, who, when)

Section 15 need only be completed if you are reporting on a programme delivered through an external partnership/collaborative arrangement.

15. External Partnership Programmes/Collaborative Arrangements/Doctoral Colleges
Ref: APR (R) Policy4.12
  • Is the taught element of the programme taught elsewhere? Did the lead institution for the taught element share the annual QA outcomes with the partner institutions and were there any issues arising?
  • Are there PhD co-supervision arrangements with external academic or industrial supervisors?Are there any issues arising (e.g. for progress monitoring)?
  • Have any specific issues been identified (e.g. in relation to the student experience, research environment, support and facilities)arising from programmes delivered through external partnerships, professional placements or split site delivery?
  • Is the collaboration with partners in the delivery of theprogramme(s) working effectively?
  • Have any changes been made to the operation of the collaborative arrangement?

Review/Comments / Action (what, who, when)

PART D: COMMUNICATION

16.Dissemination of APR actions and outcomes
Ref: APR (R) Policy Section 4.13, 5.1
How will the school disseminate the actions and outcomes of this APR – to both staff and students?
Review/Comments / Action (what, who, when)

PART E: DECLARATION

17. The published programme specifications, where these are in place, (taking into account changes recommended during the APR) for the programmes listed in section 1 are an accurate representation of the relevant programme.
Ref: APR (R) Policy Section 4.6
18. The published Partnerships Register is accurate and up to date for any external partnership programmes / collaborative arrangements in relation to Section 1.
Ref: APR (R) Policy4.12
Reviewer / Date

1