Purpose

Academic Quality and Standards Committee (AQSC) is a sub-committee of Education and Student Experience Committee (ESEC).

AQSC supports Education and Student Experience Committee to provide assurance to Senate and Council on the quality and standards of the University’s undergraduate and postgraduate taught education provision, including compliance with relevant legislation and regulations.

Responsibilities

AQSC oversees risks to the academic quality and standards of the University’s undergraduate and postgraduate taught education provision by:

• Maintaining a thematic risk register specific to the committee’s remit, including for risks to compliance with Office for Students Conditions of Registration related to academic quality and standards.
• Maintaining an overview of relevant sector developments and identifying emerging risks in relation to the committee’s remit.
• Maintaining an effective reporting schedule specific to the committee’s remit, ensuring risks are identified. This will include cyclical reporting and specific reporting on matters arising.
• Escalating issues of significant institution risk and/or matters requiring strategic oversight to Education and Student Experience Committee.
• Recommending an annual report to Education and Student Experience Committee (for further recommendation to Senate) which provides an overview of the academic quality and standards of the University’s undergraduate and postgraduate taught education provision.
• Reviewing the effectiveness of academic frameworks, assessment regulations, the Quality Assurance Code of Practice and other policies and procedures related to the University’s undergraduate and postgraduate taught education provision.

AQSC under delegated powers from Education and Student Experience Committee:

• Approves changes to procedure, guidance and forms supporting the Quality Assurance Code of Practice. The committee may further delegate approval of specific changes to the Director of Academic Registry.
• Approves non-consequential changes to academic frameworks, assessment regulations, the Quality Assurance Code of Practice and other policies and procedures related to the University’s undergraduate and postgraduate taught education provision. The committee may further delegate approval of specific changes to the Director of Academic Registry.
• Approves exemptions to academic frameworks, assessment regulations, the Quality Assurance Code of Practice and other policies and procedures related to the University’s undergraduate and postgraduate taught education provision for individual courses and students. Approved exemptions must be reported to Education and Student Experience Committee.
• Recommends to Education and Student Experience Committee consequential changes to academic frameworks, assessment regulations, the Quality Assurance Code of Practice and other policies and procedures related to the University’s undergraduate and postgraduate taught education provision.

AQSC advises Education and Student Experience Committee on the implications of strategy, policy and operational developments for academic quality and standards. This includes, where appropriate, reviewing papers prior to their submission to Education and Student Experience Committee.

AQSC may establish working groups as required.

AQSC promotes continuous enhancement of the quality of learning, teaching and the student experience, including by sharing best practice.

Reporting relationships

AQSC reports to Education and Student Experience Committee on the exercise of its responsibilities and provides assurance through ESEC to Senate. (TBC*)

Where Senate refers a matter directly to AQSC for consideration, AQSC may report directly to Senate on that matter, with ESEC informed as appropriate. (TBC*)

Procedure rules

In the absence of any specific rules, the procedure is as set out in the Standing Orders of Senate.

Meeting frequency

The committee meets five times per year, with additional meetings scheduled as required.

Quorum

The quorum for meetings shall be three members including the Chair.

Only AQSC members can vote, unless they are precluded from doing so by a conflict of interest.

Decisions should normally be made on the basis of consensus. A formal vote can be held where the Chair deems it appropriate

Membership

Ex-officio members

• Head of Academic Quality and Standards

Appointed members

• One member of academic staff appointed by ESEC co-Chairs (AQSC Chair). The appointee should have significant expertise in academic quality and standards
• One member of academic staff appointed by Senate
• One member of academic staff nominated by each Faculty and the School of Management and confirmed by Senate
• A student representative nominated by the SU

In attendance

• Director of Academic Registry
• Director of the Centre for Learning and Teaching
• Deputy Head of Academic Quality and Standards
• One Assistant Registrar nominated by each Faculty and the School of Management, normally the Secretary to Faculty/School Learning, Teaching and Quality Committee
• SU Education Manager
• The Secretary

Further attendees may be invited to meetings/items at the discretion of the Chair.

Where the Chair is unable to attend a meeting, they may nominate a member to chair the meeting in their place.

Where an ex-officio member is unable to attend a meeting, they may nominate an alternate to attend in their place. The nominee assumes the full membership rights of the ex-officio member.

Appointed members serve terms of three academic years. Appointed members may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms.

Meeting dates

Governance publish a full schedule of meeting dates for all committees.

Version

These Terms of Reference are reviewed annually by the Academic Quality and Standards Committee and approved by the Education and Student Experience Committee.

Date of approval: 16 September 2026 *amendments pending approval