Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education

Transcription

1 Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education One hundred and fifth meeting of the Board of Directors Confirmed minutes of the meeting on 11 October 2017, Jisc Offices, Brettenham House, 5 Lancaster Place, London, WC2E 7EN, 16:00-17:00 Open business Present Members: Mr Christopher Banks (Chair) Professor Tim McIntyre-Bhatty Mr Robert Cashman Mr Stephen Criddle Mr Amatey Doku Ms Linda Duncan Professor Maria Hinfelaar Mr Oliver Johnson Professor Craig Mahoney Professor Denise McAlister Mr Jon Prichard Mr Philip Wilson Apologies Members: Professor Andrew Wathey Joy Carter Professor John Grattan Ms Janet Hull Professor Philip Winn In attendance Officers: Mr Douglas Blackstock (CEO) Miss Lavinia Blackett Mrs Natalie Haines Mr Will Naylor Mr Ian Kimber Ms Rowena Pelik Mrs Liz Rosser Company members' representatives: Chair of ACDAP: Mr Alex Bols (GuildHE) Mr William Hammonds (UUK) Mr Andrew Ramsay Apologies: Observers: Mr Scott Court (HEFCE) Mr Ben Elgar (OIA) Ms Joy Elliot-Bowman (IHE) Ms Arti Saraswat (AoC) 1

2 Welcome and apologies 1 The Chair welcomed members, officers and company member representatives to the meeting, and noted apologies. A particular welcome was extended to new Board members Mr Stephen Criddle, Mr Phillip Wilson and Mr Amatey Doku. 2 A statement was read out on behalf of Janet Hull who was unable to attend her last meeting as a Board member of QAA. The Chair extended his thanks and appreciation to Ms Hull on behalf of the Board for her dedication and contribution to the work of the Agency. Quorum and interests Quorum and interests (item 2) 3 The meeting was declared quorate. No interests were declared. Minutes from the meeting held on 21 June 2017 (item 3, 47) 4 The minutes of the open business of the meeting held on 21 June 2017 were approved as a true and accurate record of the meeting. 5 There were no matters arising from the minutes not otherwise on the agenda. Discussion items Update on away day discussion 6 For the benefit of observers, the Chair summarised key discussions and decisions from the Board away day, Building on World Class Quality - How QAA Can Support UK HE, which was held earlier that day. Key discussions were highlighted as follows: the Board had received presentations from three external speakers, Geoff Gladding UK Trade and Investment - Regional Director for South East Asia and South America in the United Kingdom Trade and Investment's Education team, Stephen Jones, Deputy Director in the Higher Education Reform group in the Department for Education and Alistair Jarvis, Chief Executive of UUK the Board considered its focus for the following 12 months and identified priorities, which included: - Maintaining the UK-wide framework for quality in Higher Education - Protecting quality during a period of transition and change - Relationships with key external stakeholders - Balancing the Agency's regulatory and commercial activities (with a focus on international activities). These priorities would be reflected in the Board's work-plan and future Board agendas. Chief Executive's report (item 5, 48) 7 The Board noted the Chief Executive's report on recent policy developments. The Chief Executive took the opportunity to highlight that: the QAA guidance on Essay Mills produced in partnership with NUS which had resulted in excess of 180 media mentions and coverage on the front page of the Sunday Telegraph on 7 September 2017, the Department for Education published an initial evaluation 2

3 of Year 2 of the TEF, Teaching Excellence Framework: lessons learned summary policy document - the paper confirmed that there would be no changes to the overall structure and methodology of the TEF, but that a number of refinements and steps to strengthen it would be introduced in August 2017, QAA published the second in its new series of Country Reports, focused on Pakistan. The reports provide insights for higher education providers into the higher education and regulatory landscapes of key countries for UK TNE. Further reports are in development on China (publication October 2017) and Ireland (publication December 2017) discussions with the Ministry of Education in the United Arab Emirates regarding the provision of consultancy services were progressing well, and it was anticipated that they would lead to a contract for delivery of the services, as negotiated by the Chief Executive. Calling of the AGM The Chair invited the Board to call the Agency's AGM for 13 December The Board approved the motion. The Company Secretary, would in due course, give notice to all those entitled to receive such notice. Appointment to the Board and Board Committees (item 7, 49) 9 The Board approved the following Board and Board Committee appointments. a To the QAA Scotland Strategic Advisory Committee: Ms Alison Cook (Senior Representative of the Scottish Funding Council for an initial term of 3 years until 11 October 2020) Ms Ann Ashton (Senior Representative of the Scottish Government for an initial term of 3 years until 11 October 2020) Ms Jodie Waite (Senior elected Representative of NUS Scotland for an initial term of 1 year eligible for a further 1 year until 11 October 2018). b To the Audit and Risk Committee: Mr Robert Cashman (until the end of his term as Board Member in June 2018). c To the QAA Wales Strategic Advisory Committee: Ms Claire Morgan - Cardiff Metropolitan University (Nominee of Universities Wales for an initial term of 3 years until 11 October 2020) Mr Martin Stringer - Swansea University (Nominee of Universities Wales for an initial term of 3 years until 11 October 2020) Ms Ellen Jones (Senior elected representative of NUS Wales for an initial term of 1 year until 11 October 2018). d To the Access Recognition and Licensing Committee (ARLC): Mr Stephen Criddle (Board Member representative) for an initial three-year term from 11 October 2017 until 11 October 2020 Dr Gordon Dent, for a second and final three-year term, from 23 January 2018 until 23 January 2021 Dr Elizabeth Mason, Lecturer in Nursing, University of Bangor, (HE Sector representative for an initial three-year term from 11 October 2017 until 11 3

4 October 2020) Ms Fiona Fisk, Academic Registrar, University of Suffolk (HE sector representative for an initial three-year term from 11 October 2017 until 11 October 2020) Ms Ann Baxter, Director of Higher Education, Newcastle College Group (FE Sector representative for an initial three-year term from 11 Oct 2017 until 11 October 2020) Jill Westerman CBE, Principal and Chief Executive, The Northern College (AoC nomination FE Sector for an initial three-year term from 11 October 2017 until 11 October 2020). e To the QAA Student Advisory Committee (SAC): Miss Elizabeth Massey, University of Nottingham, for an initial 1 year term from 11 Mr Robert Simkins, University of Wales Trinity St David, for an initial 1 year term from 11 Mr Aaron Lowman, Brunel University London, for an initial 1 year term from 11 Mr Kevin McStovock, Ulster University, for an initial 1 year term from 11 October 2017 until 11 October 2018 Mr James Brown, BPP University, for an initial 1 year term from 11 October 2017 until 11 October 2018 Mr Joshua Gulrajam, University of Essex, for an initial 1 year term from 11 October 2017 until 11 October 2018 Miss Emma Beenham, Aberystwyth University, for an initial 1 year term from 11 Miss Ran Magnudottir, Royal Veterinary College, for an initial 1 year term from 11 Mrs Caroline Fielder-Shattell, North Lindsay College, for an initial 1 year term from 11. f To the Advisory Committee on Degree Awarding Powers (ACDAP): Dr Steven Wright, Director of Higher Education, Nelson and Colne College, (category - member with a background in College Higher Education), for an initial three-year term from 11 October 2017 until 11 October QAA Self-Assessment Report to ENQA (item 8, 50) 10 The Board received the draft self-assessment report (SAR) prepared for the 2018 review by the European Association for Quality Assurance (ENQA). The draft presented incorporated comments received from external stakeholders, Board members and two international readers. Following careful consideration, the Board: a b c approved, subject to minor amendments, the near-final draft self-assessment report endorsed the action suggested in the annex in response to the international readers' comments delegated final sign off of the submission to the Chair and Chief Executive. 4

5 11 The Chief Executive reported that the review was expected in take place in mid-february 2018 and that the Agency had been informed of the proposed panel members. 12 The Board noted the considerable work that had gone into preparing the submission and thanked all those that had been involved. Board members were encouraged to submit any further comments directly to the secretariat. UK Quality code for Higher Education (item 9, 51) 13 The Board received a report on the proposals for a consultation on the UK Quality Code for Higher Education. It identified the methodology for the consultation and five key phases for the reform of the Code's expectations. Mr Kimber informed the Board that the consultation, which had been launched on 9 October 2017, was being run by the Agency on behalf of the UK Standing Committee on Quality Assessment. The consultation would last for 8 weeks, closing on eight December A further update would be provided to the Board at its meeting in December. 14 The Board: a b noted the details of the proposed work approved the funding of the project from the Innovation and Development Fund to a maximum of 180,000. Reporting items Finance report year ended 31 July 2017 (item 10, 52) 15 The Board noted the summary report of QAA's financial performance for the 12 months to 31 July Mrs Liz Rosser, Director of Resources, confirmed that the report and figures had been reviewed with Mr Jon Prichard (the former Chair of Finance and Strategy Committee (FSC)) and Ms Linda Duncan (Honorary Treasurer). Mrs Rosser informed that the Board that year-end surplus - generated in part by the stabilisation of the Alterative Provider market and a good return on investments - would enable free reserves to be rebuilt to approximately the midpoint of the reserves policy. 16 The Board approved the proposed changes to Financial Regulations that were required in order to comply with the Welsh Language Standards Annual plan - Term 3 monitoring and performance report (item 11, 53) 18 The Board received, for information, a report on QAA's performance against the delivery plan. The Plan detailed in Annex A of the report set out the 29 priorities of the Agency for out of the 29 priorities had been completed (two of which were noted as partially achieved) and two priorities were not achieved due to conditions outside of QAA's control. 19 The Board thanked all those involved with the achievement of these aims annual plan and budget update (item 12, 54) 20 The Board received and noted the Annual Plan and Budget update. 21 Summary report from Board committee meetings (item 13, 55) 5

6 22 The Board received and noted the summary report of Board Committee meetings held since June Any other business 23 There being no other business, the Chair closed the meeting. 6