Faculty of Natural Sciences

Strategic Responsibilities

• To provide a forum for deliberation on matters of academic policy and the development of taught education* across the Faculty to enable the achievement of the College Strategy.
• To consider and advise on developments in the educational portfolio of the Faculty.
• To assess the implications of proposed new policies and procedures (both internal and external) and contribute to QAEC discussion or directly to external bodies.
• To advise, implement and monitor new policies and procedures (both internal and external) which affect the activities and/or administration of teaching.

* Includes undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes of study and short course provision. The Committee may consider items related to postgraduate research provision, for example the results of the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey, if there are not other groups or committees in place to do that within the Faculty/Centre.

 Quality and Standards Responsibilities

• To provide a forum for the discussion of student issues and to monitor the student  experience, for example via student survey results and staff-student committees, at all points of delivery.
• To provide oversight and scrutiny of the processes of quality assurance for the Faculty’s academic provision in accordance with the College’s Academic Standards Framework.
• To oversee the implementation of the College’s Annual Monitoring process by (i) the receipt and consideration of Department’s Annual Monitoring Reports (AMRs) (ii) the preparation of an annual summary report on issues and emerging themes arising from the Committee’s consideration of the AMRs, for submission to the Quality Assurance and Enhancement Committee (QAEC).
• To identify through the annual monitoring, periodic review and other quality assurance mechanisms, good practice and innovation in learning, teaching and assessment and promote its dissemination across the Faculty and elsewhere in the College.
• To consider on an annual basis College summaries of external examiner reports.
• To consider reports of Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies on undergraduate and postgraduate taught provision.
• To approve changes to existing programme curricula (including for existing collaborative provision) and short course provision in accordance with the College Academic Standards Framework and Programme and Module Modification Procedure and report these to the Programmes Committee.
• To approve changes to entry requirements for existing programmes of study.
• To approve and keep under review programme specifications for taught degree programmes and approve and keep under review course specifications for short course provision and inform QAEC.
• To approve and keep under review marking schemes and schemes for award of honours and inform QAEC.
• To appoint panels to consider special cases for admission and other circumstances.
• To oversee all special cases.
• To oversee the professional skills development programme for Master’s level students.
• To approve, in collaboration with the Registry and International Office when appropriate, new exchange arrangements and the renewal of existing exchange agreements and report these to QAEC.
• To report regularly through formal minutes and termly summary reports to QAEC.
• Where appropriate to appoint sub-committees to carry out the above responsibilities.

 To be quorate a minimum of one third of the total expected members need to be present.

Constitution

• A senior representative for educational leadership for the Faculty as Chair;
• A College Consul;
• At least two student representatives;
• Additional members to be determined by each Faculty

For meetings including consideration of quality and standards matters:

• At least one representative from the Registry nominated by the Academic Registrar or Director of Academic Quality and Standards;
• A representative from the Educational Development Unit;
• Student representation including the ICU Deputy President Education and Postgraduate Representation Committee representative

 Faculty of Natural Sciences Education Committee (NSEC)