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Teaching and Learning Delivery

TLD Bulletin April 2023

TLD Bulletin April 2023

1.       Staffing updates

We are pleased to welcome Michelle Snowdon, our new TLSE Administrator (Appeals, Complaints and Discipline) to the Teaching and Learning Delivery team. She will be working with Jennie Gradwell, Kevin Hewitt and Fiona Hallard in appeals, complaints and discipline.

2.       Policy updates

  • PGT Degree Regulations

As confirmed in the October 2022 TLD Bulletin, it was agreed that, from 2022/23 onwards, postgraduate taught students will be able to achieve a distinction, even if they require a re-sit or receive a compensated mark, unless their programme has specific accreditation requirements which do not allow this.

This was amended in the PGT Degree Regulations, with a new paragraph J39 reading:
“Students with credit awarded as a result of a referral or compensated mark are eligible for the award of distinction, unless the programme has specific accreditation requirements which do not allow this. This would ensure that, if accredited bodies require that distinctions can only be awarded if students have no credits awarded as a result of referral or compensated marks, then this is permitted.”

Updates have now been made to ‘Appendix A: Postgraduate Degree Classification Scheme’ under the section on ‘Consideration of postgraduate masters students within the boundary zone by mark distribution’ to remove references to all course units having to have been passed at first attempt, when considering students in the boundary zone for the award of Distinction. This was to tie in with the update made in October 2022 in paragraph J39.

A new line was also added to the bottom of the section to read:
“Please also see paragraph J39 for details of arrangements for programmes with specific accreditation requirements.”

  • Policy on Advising Taught Students – consultation via the Senior Advisors’ Network

The Policy on Advising Taught Students and the associated Guidance on Advising are currently being reviewed, with consultation taking place and feedback being sought via the Senior Advisors’ Network (SAN).

We would be particularly keen to find out views in relation to:

a) any details that are now out of date;

b) any details that are currently missing from the Policy and Guidance which colleagues think should be included.

Please could you feed any comments back to your Senior Advisor by 20th June, so they can take these to the Senior Advisors’ Network? (If you’re unsure who your Senior Advisor is, please contact the Institute of Teaching and Learning (email: teaching.learning@manchester.ac.uk).

3.       Taught Programme Enhancement

  • Unit Surveys

Unit Surveys launch on Monday 17 April for all taught students. Every taught course unit has a survey, and all undergraduate and postgraduate taught students will be asked to give their feedback.

Unit Surveys play an important role in how we can measure student satisfaction with their teaching and learning experience, and this semester we’d really like to improve our response rates. So, we need your help in promoting the importance of them to students.

Students are asked to say how far they agree or disagree with a number of general statements and then to give free text responses to questions about the unit and the lecturer for every unit they study. Schools have already been invited to add School-specific questions.

Surveys will be available to students through Blackboard and individual links emailed to them in the coming week. Surveys will close on 14th May.

Please share messages about the importance of their feedback, we want students to understand that it really does count and does make a difference. The results of Unit Surveys are used by Schools to make annual improvements in students’ experience and satisfaction with the units they study. They also supply us with honest, anonymous feedback that helps to improve teaching standards throughout the Institution.

Your support in delivering them is greatly appreciated.

You can access the range of promotional materials that have been created to help you communicate the survey to students via the Unit Surveys webpage here.

Further information

Further information can be sought by emailing: teachingandlearningsurveys@manchester.ac.uk

4.     Appeals, Complaints and Academic Malpractice (Review)

  • ACCD (Appeals, Complaints, Conduct, and Discipline) network open meeting – 18 April at 1pm

The Division of Campus Life and Division of Student and Academic Services are co-hosting an open meeting for all members of the ACCD (Appeals, Complaints, Conduct, and Discipline) network on Tuesday 18 April at 1pm. This will be a presentation from the hosts and a Q&A session via Teams. It will be recorded for anyone who cannot attend on the day.

All are welcome! Please sign up via this link: https://forms.office.com/e/gjvzyP9yBk

5.       Institute of Teaching and Learning (ITL)

Open Workshop Programme

University of Manchester Teaching and Learning Conference 2023   

The Institute of Teaching and Learning are excited to announce the first University of Manchester Teaching and Learning Conference on 6th July 2023. This will be a one-day, flexible, free internal conference focusing on teaching and learning at the University of Manchester. It is open to presentations and participation from all students and staff and will showcase effective practice, drive discussion around teaching and learning and facilitate networks and collaboration.  

We invite papers from all students and staff across the University around the following conference themes:  

1.    Student partnership and the student voice 

2.    Exploring Assessment 

3.    Sustainable Change: the future of T&L in HE 


Submissions are invited from individuals or teams and should be proposed in any of the following formats:  

  • Wicked Problem Sets – 1-hour sessions in which the speaker introduces an issue/big question linked to the themes of the conference with a brief presentation, before the participants act as an action learning set, joining in a roundtable discussion on the topic and putting together a summary of thoughts and recommendations at the end  
  • Standard paper presentations – paper presentation on a specific topic, 15-20 minutes in length with 5 minutes for questions  
  • Poster presentations – Posters will be exhibited on the day and presenters will be asked to give a short spoken presentation on their poster. Posters will also be made available via an online gallery after the conference  
  • Lightning talks – up to 5 minutes, max 20 slides submitted as either part of the Superfan Strand (Lightning talks on things you love) or hits&misses strand (Lightning talks on successes and failures).  

Your submission proposal should outline who is participating, what the format is, your abstract and an explanation of how it connects to the themes. Submit your proposal here. Deadline for submissions: 5pm Tuesday 18th April.  

If you have questions about the formats, would like to suggest something else or would like to volunteer to be part of the conference organising team please contact the organisers, Jennie Blake and Hannah Cobb via teaching.learning@manchester.ac.uk. We also welcome anyone needing support with their submission reaching out, please just indicate what your area of interest is and what format you are considering.    

Submissions will be assessed by a paper committee comprising students and staff from across the University. Speakers will be informed of the paper committee’s decision in May.   

LEAP Awards

The Institute of Teaching and Learning is delighted to announce that a further 69 colleagues have achieved Advance HE fellowships through the University’s Leadership in Education Awards Programme (LEAP). Congratulations to all colleagues on your success.    

Accredited by Advance HE, the LEAP awards Associate, Fellow, Senior and Principal Advance HE fellowships and supports colleagues in evidencing their teaching and learning excellence enabling them to receive a formal, internationally recognised teaching award. Since launching in 2016, LEAP has awarded over 1300 Advance HE fellowships. LEAP is open to all staff who support teaching, learning and the student experience.  More information is available at: 

Postgrad Awards 2023 

Do you know of a project that champions the #postgrad community through support, wellbeing, inclusivity or widening participation? Get it the recognition it deserves by submitting a nomination to the Postgrad Awards! 

6.       Contact

If you are aware of other staff members who would like to be added to the TLD Bulletin mailing list to receive future editions of the Bulletin, please contact Miriam Graham / Ellie Powell (email teaching-policy@manchester.ac.uk).

If you are from a Collaborative or Validated Partner and you are having difficulties accessing any of the linked documents or web pages, please also contact Miriam Graham / Ellie Powell (email teaching-policy@manchester.ac.uk).