At its meeting in May 2021 ASC received responses to issues identified through Annual Monitoring 2019-20 with the exception of the response relating to communications around admissions and recruitment. The issues included: the currency of information given to students regarding what was to be offered on-campus; communications regarding admissions matters being sent inappropriately to academic staff; and the short lead-in time given to staff in the Colleges and Schools to provide information to Admissions/Recruitment. The responses were now provided and indicated that the issues were all known, and work was ongoing to address them. 

The Convener reported that all meetings for 2021-22 would take place online via Zoom as meeting room space on campus was being prioritised for teaching. 

The Convener noted the following items that would be reported on at a future meeting:

• Academic Regulations Sub-committee met twice in June 2021 to discuss future developments of Incomplete Assessment and Good Cause, and it was hoped that a report would be available for the November 2021 meeting of ASC (ASC/2020/53).
• A review of EvaSys was pending. This would include looking at improving return rates and addressing the inappropriate inclusion of personal comments in responses (ASC/2020/54.1).
• ASC had agreed that work was required in relation to the tone of some of the responses provided through the Annual Monitoring process (ASC/2020/54.1).
• Discussions were ongoing with GSA regarding the early exit award to be made to students after completing four years on the integrated masters MEDes programme, the final two years having been taken at exchange institutions abroad (ASC/2020/57.2).

ASC received the responses provided to the recommendations arising from the review of Economic & Social History which took place on 6 March 2020. The report detailed the responses and progress made to date in implementing the nine recommendations. Dr Ballance, who had reviewed the original report, advised that the responses were generally satisfactory. It was agreed that further updates would be requested for the January 2022 meeting of ASC in relation to the following recommendations:

Recommendation 1: The recommendation had identified a need for clarification of the role of Adviser of Study. The response detailed a review that had taken place of Professional Services 'Advising' but it did not address clarification of the advising role or how academic advising staff should interact with the Professional Services team.

Recommendation 2: The recommendation concerned a review of communications within the Subject Area. The response set out a number of actions that had been taken and referred to further review and consultation with students to be undertaken at the Staff-Student Liaison Committee in November 2021. ASC would welcome a further update following that meeting.

Recommendation 9: It had been recommended that the Subject Area develop an overarching plan setting out its vision for the future, which would provide a framework for tackling a number of issues highlighted in the review. The response included information about how some of these issues were being addressed but it did not appear that an overarching plan had yet been put in place. ASC requested a further response on this.

ASC received a report on new and amended programmes approved during the course of 2020-21, some of which would be introduced in 2022-23. 

ASC received an update on course and programme approval arrangements for proposals under consideration for 2022-23. For proposals for new and amended courses/programmes, the normal approval processes would apply.

Temporary adjustments that had been made in response to the pandemic and which were being made permanent were now required to be submitted to PIP. A facility had been introduced to allow such proposals to be approved by a system bulk upload, thus reducing the workload associated with submitting and processing proposals through PIP. Ms Butcher clarified that such proposals did not require consultations to be undertaken. Online guidance would shortly be updated and PIP users notified.

ASC welcomed these arrangements.

ASC received the University's Annual Report to the Scottish Funding Council on Institutional-led Reviews of Quality.

The Report covered a summary of Periodic Subject Review outcomes for the five reviews held in 2020-21 noting recommendations, commendations and good practice. This year the report also covered contextual information around the management of the pandemic as well as an update on progress with the six recommendations arising from ELIR4 in 2019. The latter was included given that the standard annual engagement meeting with QAA was not held during the 2020-21 session; instead there was a positive meeting with colleagues at QAA that focussed on the SFC's in-year overview of approaches to assuring and enhancing the quality of digital provision in HEIs in response to the pandemic.

ASC endorsed the report.

ASC received a proposal from SRUC to develop a MRes Zoonoses and Epidemiology of Animal Infectious Diseases programme which will be a part of a programme of new developments in its North Faculty based at its Inverness site. The proposal included the completed business case documentation, as approved by SRUC's Programme Approvals and Academic Standards committee. This provided an outline of the programme aims, outcomes, viability and resources required for the new development.

Professor MacFarlane advised the committee that it appeared to be a well considered proposal in a highly topical subject area. Actions were in train to ensure appropriate staffing, and concerns about the remote location were being addressed through developing teaching largely on a distance learning basis, with options available for project work to be carried out on site or remotely.

ASC agreed to give in-principle approval to the proposed new programme. Validation was scheduled to take place in early 2022 with a view to delivery (subject to ASC approval) starting in September 2022.

The remit and composition for 2021-22 was approved.  

The membership for 2021-22 was approved.  

ASC received audit reports from the four Colleges. All reports showed that issues had been missed during course approval at School level. While this was disappointing, particularly where key consultations had not been undertaken, it was acknowledged that the academic session 2020-21 had been particularly challenging for staff. All the reports gave indications that the issues either had been, or were in the process of being, followed up. It was difficult to make comparisons between the Colleges as it was likely that the way that the issues were described differed. Arts appeared to have a high proportion of courses where requirements had not been fully met but Dr McCarthy noted that some pre-selection of courses for auditing was undertaken, with those that appeared to be incomplete being looked at more closely by himself or one of the Deans, and that even minor issues were logged. It was also noted that in the College of Science & Engineering report there was a useful summary of issues for the College to focus on in the next year. It was felt that the other Colleges might find this a useful approach too. This suggestion would be fed back.

Action: Clerk