Programme development, monitoring and review - panel membership

9.1 The volume of validations and reviews in any one academic session can be very high, and the availability of suggested Panel members is always a complicating factor. Nonetheless every attempt will be made to establish a Panel at least two months prior to the event.

9.2 The Deputy Principal, University Secretary and Head of the host Division must approve all Panel members.

9.3 The overall aim of the validation and review process is to secure for the students of Queen Margaret University a high quality educational experience. The most important function is to assess the quality and standard of programmes. As such, it is critical that Panels established for validation and review purposes are composed of individuals with sufficient relevant experience to make such judgements.

9.4 However, to promote the development of staff without experience in validation and review, Panels should normally include one inexperienced internal member. To facilitate this, Deans of School and Heads of Division will be asked to identify suitable staff to the Division of Governance and Quality Enhancement at the start of each session.

9.5 To ensure that appropriate members are selected for Panels, consideration will be given to the need for specific skills, for example, experience of clinical placements.

9.6 Panels for postgraduate events should normally include a majority of panellists who have experience of teaching at postgraduate level. Panels for approval of collaborative programmes should normally include at least one member with experience of collaborative arrangements at the University.

9.7 To ensure continuity, it can be helpful for a review Panel to include individuals drawn from the original validation or previous review event. However, it is recognised that this is not always practical or possible.

Structure

9.8 The size of the Panel will vary depending on the nature of the event, but as a minimum guide the following will normally apply:

A Convener, drawn from the School other than that which hosts the programme under consideration (where this is not possible, the Convener may be drawn from another Division within the same School);
A member from the School which houses the programme under consideration, and who is not directly involved with it;
At least one member of staff from a School other than that which houses the programme under consideration (an academic peer from another discipline within the institution);
At least one external advisor who meets all of the criteria in paragraph 9.10 below. If one person can not be found to meet all of the criteria, then additional external people may be added until all the criteria have been met;
Members of PSRB if applicable.
A student member appointed by the Students’ Union and Division of Governance and Quality Enhancement from a Division other than that which houses the programme under consideration.

A member of staff from the Division of Governance and Quality Enhancement will act as Secretary to the Panel.

Criteria for appointment

Convener criteria

9.9 The criteria for a Convener include:

Head of Division (or equivalent), Programme Leader (or equivalent), Senior Lecturer or Lecturer with experience of acting as Convener; or
Lecturer without experience of convening, who has nonetheless participated in a minimum of three events and has other relevant experience.

9.10 In the case of a joint validation or review event with a PSRB, a member of QMU staff will usually chair the meeting.

9.11 In the case of a review, it can be helpful to appoint the same Convener as the most recent validation or review. However, it is recognised that this is not always practical or possible.

External member criteria

9.12 The criteria for external Panel members include:

Experience in academia in an appropriate subject or discipline; and
Experience in professional practice of that subject, in the employment of graduates, or industry; and
Experience of the validation and/or review process.

In normal circumstances, the University will ensure that:

There are no existing links between the proposed external Panel member and the programme/Division;
Former University students, members of staff, governors, External Examiners of the programme presented for approval or a related Queen Margaret University programme will not normally be appointed. Such nominations will only be considered if a period of at least five years has passed since the nominee’s former relationship with the University ended.

Internal member criteria

9.13 The internal Panel members are selected on the basis of their experience in a number of areas for example:

As an External Examiner within the previous five years;
Teaching on, or running a programme similar to that being validated: by mode of study, level, or subject area;
Relevant disciplinary expertise gained in related subject areas, other institutions or professional practice;
Assessment of a programme through validation or professional accreditation events;
Academic understanding, in the sense that most members of academic staff have taught and managed learning, and are therefore able to understand the issues of running and teaching a programme, albeit not in their discipline;
Research expertise, especially for Honours degrees and postgraduate programmes.

Student panellists

Student panellists interested in taking part in validation and review should contact the Students' Union.