Brief description of the paper

An update from Universities UK on the work of the Burgess Implementation Group in developing the Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR).

The HEAR aims to provide more detailed information about a student’s programme, the marks they have gained in individual courses, and also a record of extracurricular activities. Many trialling institutions have consulted students and employers and have received positive feedback about the development of the HEAR.

Action Requested

For noting.

Recommended Person/s responsible for taking action(s) forward

The Convener and Clerk of the Diploma Supplement Working Group.

Resource implications

There will be resource implications in updating or replacing the student transcript and there will likely be implications for the Student Lifecycle Project

Timescale for Implementation

The Implementation Steering Group has now agreed that there should be sector-wide rollout of the HEAR at the beginning of the academic year 2011-2012 following consideration of the recommendations of the Group by Universities UK and GuildHE. There will, apparently, be an opportunity for institutions to start issuing the HEAR voluntarily in 2010-11 based on the success of the current trial. The trial of the HEAR has been extended to a wider range of subjects and tested across the entire provision of institutions with their current third year undergraduates.

Equality implications

The HEAR is intended to provide a richer description of student achievement.