UCIL Governance
UCIL has established a governance structure that is sustainable and meets the long-term needs of its teaching units. The governance structure for UCIL includes the following:
The purpose of the Academic Board
The Academic Board is responsible for the Strategic Development of UCIL in line with the University’s Strategy for Teaching, Learning and the Student Experience – specifically focusing on ‘No boundaries to learning’ and ‘Promoting interdisciplinary learning’.
Responsibilities:
- To define, articulate and widely communicate the vision and strategic direction of UCIL, including developing an ongoing Plan of Action with clear and measurable goals;
- To ensure that students are provided with a broad range of appropriate, high-quality units that match the aims and vision of UCIL;
- To promote and encourage uptake of UCIL units across all parts of the University;
- Oversight of the UCIL Teaching and Learning Panel;
- Oversight of the UCIL Examination Board;
- Management and allocation of physical and financial resources.
Membership:
- Academic Director (Chair)
- Teaching Learning and Student Experience Co-ordinator (Secretary)
- Teaching and Learning Manager (Academic Development)
- Teaching and Learning Officer (Marketing and Communications)
- Learning and Assessment Developer
- Two Faculty Representatives FSE
- Two Faculty Representatives, HUMS
- Two Faculty Representatives, BMH
- University Library Representative
- University of Manchester Students’ Union Representative – Education Officer
- Up to four co-opted members with specific remits – e.g. pedagogy, blended learning
Role of Members:
- Actively contribute to discussion and decision making for the good of the University and UCIL, without Faculty bias;
- Represent the views of their Faculty as appropriate;
- Be an active ambassador for UCIL within their Faculty;
- Cascade information about UCIL within their Faculty as appropriate.
Reporting:
The Board will report to the Vice-President of Teaching and Learning and Students.
The Academic Board meets two times per year.
The UCIL Teaching and Learning Panel
The UCIL Teaching and Learning Panel is responsible for the development, delivery, assessment and monitoring of UCIL’s teaching and learning activities, in line with UCIL’s overall strategy and aims.
Responsibilities:
- Ensure that the UCIL unit portfolio remains consistent with the vision for UCIL as set out by the Academic Board;
- Provide academic input to the development of the UCIL unit portfolio;
- Approve new UCIL units;
- Oversee information provided to students, academic and PSS staff, including handbooks, unit descriptions and the website;
- Review student numbers and take action as appropriate;
- Receive unit survey results, unit convener responses, and take action where appropriate;
- Ensure that UCIL units meet the University’s quality assurance and enhancement requirements;
- Monitor assessment process and Examination Board activities;
- Manage annual monitoring and review, including SEAP and Periodic Reviews.
- Consideration of appointment of External Examiners
- Ensure that the student voice and student input is heard
- Listen to feedback from student focus groups
- To complete any other roles and functions as may become apparent through the panel
Membership:
- Academic Director (Chair)
- Teaching Learning and Student Experience Co-ordinator (Secretary)
- Teaching and Learning Manager (Academic Development)
- Teaching and Learning Officer (Marketing and Communications)
- Learning and Assessment Developer
- One representative from each Faculty
- Up to six unit conveners to represent the full range of units
- Three UCIL student representatives
Reporting:
The Teaching and Learning Panel reports to the UCIL Academic Board.
The Panel meets two times per year.
UCIL values feedback from students about the content of units and overall student experience of taking a UCIL unit. The main channel for communicating this feedback is through our student representatives on the Student Staff Liaison Committee. The committee meets once each semester and comprises student reps, the Academic Director of UCIL and members of the UCIL Teaching and Learning Panel.
Responsibilities
- To discuss any matter relating to the experience of students in UCIL
- Student representatives to make recommendations to the Academic Director of UCIL and unit convenors.
- To receive feedback on actions taken in response to requests or information provided by students through their representatives, as well as that provided from other sources such as National Student Survey, unit surveys or the Students’ Union.
Membership
- Students from across all three Faculties who have taken a UCIL unit (approx. 12 students)
- Members of Teaching and Learning Panel
The UCIL Examination Board is the equivalent of a School subject Examination Board. It runs according to the standard University Guidance on Examination Boards and in reference to the related policies and procedures.
The UCIL Examination Board is responsible for ensuring that the output of the teaching, learning and assessment process is fair and consistent across UCIL units. The UCIL Examination Board will consider and ratify marks across all UCIL units and feed these into School Examination Boards. External Examiners appointed to UCIL attend meetings of the UCIL Examination Board.
All Faculties are represented on each group. The participation of all Faculties ensures that cross-faculty discussions are taking place to provide continuous improvement in the guidance provided to unit convenors, as well as highly detailed scrutiny of all proposals from multiple perspectives leading to further development of units.
UCIL Examination Board is the equivalent of a School subject Examination Board and includes two External Examiners.