University Teaching Committee

Terms

Terms of reference 2022/23 

Purpose of the Committee: 

On behalf of Senate, to assure the standards of taught programmes of study, and to monitor and promote the enhancement of the quality of the academic experience of students on these programmes.

Reporting structure:

• UTC is a sub-committee of Senate, and reports directly to Senate. 
• The following groups report to UTC:
• Standing Committee on Assessment 
• Access and Participation Steering Group
• Faculty Learning and Teaching Groups
• Apprenticeship Monitoring Board
• Academic Skills Committee
• UTC Working Groups
• Other fora as required
• UTC receives updates from:
• Special Cases Committee
• Inclusive Learning Steering Group
• Employability Strategy Group
• Library and Archives Committee
• Apprenticeships Monitoring Board
• UTC Working Groups
• Other fora as required

Terms of Reference:

1. To lead on the enhancement of learning, teaching and the student experience, through the development and dissemination of good practice and innovation.
2. To lead on the development, approval and monitoring of institutional quality assurance policies including for example:

• academic frameworks, including responsibility for approval of any exemptions from the frameworks
• collaborative provision
• assessment and external examining 
• academic  approval 
• programme evaluation, monitoring and review 

3. To develop and monitor the implementation of policy and practice to align with the University strategy regarding academic provision and the academic experience of students on taught programmes, including for example:

• academic support and development for taught students, including supervisory practices 
• admissions, access and widening participation 
• employability 
• Inclusivity 

4. To approve proposals, and modifications, for higher and degree apprenticeship programmes, taught programmes delivered with external partners (including collaborative provision, International Pathway College and York Online programmes).

5. To recommend to Senate the approval of new awards of the University.

6. To monitor the standards of taught and research degree programmes (in conjunction with the York Graduate Research School Board) and the quality of students' academic experience including through consideration:

• reports from Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies and other external bodies, including for examples Office for Students, Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
• reports from periodic and annual reviews 
• external examiners’ reports 
• internal and external student surveys, including the National Student Survey and Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey;
• student progression, academic achievement and employability data
• data on appeals and complaints in terms of their impact on the student experience and to ensure that appropriate action is taken in response.

7. To  support the development and recognition of achievement of those involved in teaching.

8. To oversee the Annual Teaching & Learning Conference.

9. To promote student engagement on all matters relating to the academic experience of students. 

10. To consider any matters concerning the academic experience of students on taught programmes that may be referred to it by Senate, Faculty Boards, Faculty Learning and Teaching Groups, Boards of Studies or other committees.

11. To refer to the appropriate University Committee of Body regarding any resource matters arising from its work.

12. To establish fora and working groups to facilitate its work.

13. To monitor and review the effectiveness of managing the corporate risk(s) and other key risks related to the Committee's business and advising and assuring any relevant UEB corporate risk owner.

14. To consider ways of promoting inclusivity, diversity and equity in relation to all the above.

1 SCA reports directly to Senate on the approval of awards

² These may be subject to approval via Senate or associated sub-committees of UTC

Membership

Membership 2022/23 

Ex officio 

• Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Teaching, Learning and Students: Tracy Lightfoot (Chair)
• Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Teaching, Learning and Students: Professor Steve King (Deputy Chair)
• Associate Dean for Teaching, Learning and Students for Faculty of Science: Professor Claire Hughes (Environment and Geography)
• Associate Dean for Teaching, Learning and Students for Faculty of Social Sciences: Jill Webb (School for Business & Society)
• Associate Dean for Teaching, Learning and Students for Faculty of Arts and Humanities: Dr Tom Cantrell (School of Arts and Creative Technologies)
• Academic Registrar: Dr Wayne Campbell
• Director of Student Administration and Academic Affairs: Tom Banham
• Head of Library and Learning Services: Kirsty Lingstadt 
• Head of Student Progress: Jen Wotherspoon
• Director of Student Careers and Systems: Hannah Smith
• Head of Inclusive Learning and Apprenticeships: Jan Ball-Smith
• Chair of Standing Committee on Assessment: Dr Patrick Gallimore 
• Chair of Special Cases Committee: Jen Wotherspoon (Acting)
• Head of Academic Quality (Secretary): Jane Warne
• Head of Online Partnerships: Dr Zoe Devlin
• Vice President Learning & Teaching from CITY College: Petros Kafalas

Deputy Chair: in the absence of the PVC, the Associate PVC shall be nominated to Chair 

The Faculty Dean shall be the designated alternate for the respective Associate Dean for Teaching, Learning and Students, in their absence. 

Nine members, with at least two members from each of the three main subject areas, and three members co-opted. Members should normally have experience of a leadership/management role in relation to teaching and learning (eg, present or former HoDs, Chairs of BoS, GSB or other departmental committees). Details are below:

Student representation
One undergraduate representative - Debayan Dey, YUSU Academic Officer (1 year)
One postgraduate representative - Teng Lingshuai Zhang, GSA Vice President Academic (1 year)
The Students' Union and Graduate Students' Association are permitted to designate alternates to student members of the committee.

In attendance
Assistant Secretary: David Gent

Quoracy: 

The quorum shall be one third of members of the Committee, including at least one student representative. 

When considering new programme proposals, the approval decision must involve as a minimum: the Chair or Deputy Chair, two further members of UTC and one student representative. All other members must also have been given a reasonable opportunity to comment on the proposal.

Meetings

Meeting dates

Details of the 2022/23 meetings are shown below:

• Thursday 29 September 2022, 9.30am - 12.30pm
• Thursday 24 November 2022, 9.30am - 12.30pm
• Thursday 19 January 2023, 9.30am - 12.30pm
• Thursday 30 March 2023, 9.30am - 12.30pm
• Thursday 8 June 2023, 9.30am - 12.30pm
• Thursday 13 July 2023, 9.30am - 12.30pm

Minutes and Agendas

Meeting Minutes and Agendas

Meeting Minutes

Submission deadlines

Submission deadlines 2022/23

Teaching committee

* to note - from January 2021, with the exception of collaborative programmes and proposals which incorporate a new University award, approval of the academic case for a new taught programme resides with the relevant Faculty Learning and Teaching Group (FLTG). New collaborative programmes (inclusive of provision involving an external provider for example International Pathway College programmes, apprenticeship programmes and online provision delivered in partnership with Higher Ed Partners UK) and proposals which incorporate a new University award, remain with University Teaching Committee.

Prior to submission of new programme proposals to UTC it is an expectation that programme proposers have sought advice from their designated Academic Quality Team (AQT) contact and their Programme Design and Learning Technology Team contact, and that the proposal submitted to UTC has been informed by that advice.