Annual Monitoring: Portfolio Performance, Annual Quality Report, External Examiners

Risk-based Framework for Monitoring the Quality of Provision

The University adopts a general, risk-based framework where deliberate steps are taken to use a range of data sources to monitor, manage and enhance the quality of provision.  The Portfolio Performance Dashboard displays key performance indicators across the University’s portfolio at subject and programme level, including B3 metrics.  It provides senior management with a central location from which to access consistently defined performance indicators in line with OfS B3 conditions. 

Module Evaluations

Module leaders, with Heads of Schools, are encouraged to develop a range of evaluation techniques that provide students and staff with the opportunity to comment on all aspects of module provision. Further information is provided on the Student Voice - Module Evaluation and End of Semester Review webpage. 

External Examiners

To ensure standards across the sector External Examiners are employed to monitor provision. You can find out more information about this role on the External Examiner pages.

In terms of the monitoring process, External Examiners see a range of work and marks and attend School Assessment Panels. An External Examiner for Progress and Award also works with the Board of Examiners for Progress and Award.

External Examiners write a report each year and a member of YSJU will write a formal response to this using the Response to External Examiner Report (DOCx, 22.5B). The Procedure for Reviewing External Examiner Reports (PDF, 95.7kB) gives more information.

The response to the External Examiner's report forms part of the Programme Review and Enhancement.

Portfolio Performance

The Portfolio Performance Dashboard is available to all programme teams across the University.

A School Portfolio Risk Profile is produced annually to assess risk in terms of regulation, reputation, sustainability and quality. The reports are used to inform the Portfolio Performance review meetings which are held at School level for any programmes identified as having areas of risk; good practice will also be discussed.  Action Plans are then completed for all programmes which address the data and any associated risks identified through the review process.

Programme teams should give careful consideration to their External Examiner report whilst completing the Action Plan.  

Completed Action Plans should be scrutinised by the School Quality Panel (SQP) before onward submission to Registry: Academic Quality (quality@yorksj.ac.uk) for consideration by the Quality and Standards Committee.

Templates are available from Registry for:

• Action Plan - to be completed by Programme Teams with the relevant Associate Heads and considered by SQP.
• Validated collaborative provision - is to be completed by Validated Collaborative Partners in discussion with the Collaborative Programme Representative (CPR). Included is a template for the review of the management of the partnership to be completed by the Partner and CPRs. Both are to be submitted directly to quality@yorksj.ac.uk. This will be distributed by Academic Quality to the relevant School.
• Franchised collaborative provision - focusses on the management of franchise collaborative partnerships. This is to be completed by the Partner and CPR(s) for each collaborative partner and submitted directly to quality@yorksj.ac.uk. This will be distributed by Academic Quality to the relevant Schools.

Annual Quality Report

York St John University is committed to producing an annual critical account of academic and scholarly activity in the University. This report draws on a number of sources including the distillation of information coming from the Portfolio Performance process. This report ensures that the Academic Board and the Board of Governors are confident in the academic health of the University.