15th May 2001
Group Minutes
SCONUL WORKING GROUP ON QUALITY ASSURANCE
Minutes of Meeting held on 15th May 2001 at the SCONUL Secretariat
Present:
Jeremy Atkinson – University of Glamorgan (Chair)
Michael L. Breaks – Heriot-Watt University (Secretary)
Julie Howell – University of North London
Ann Mathie – Cheltenham & Gloucester College of Higher Education
Scott Robertson – University College Chichester
Keith Webster – School of Oriental & African Studies
Apologies: Elizabeth Heaps (University of York), Howard Nicholson (University of
Bath), Alison Allden (University of Warwick), Nik Pollard (Kingston
University) and Ian Winkworth ( University of Northumbria)
1. The Working Group expressed their thanks to Howard Nicholson, Nik Pollard and Ian
Winkworth for their contribution to the Group.
2. Previous Minutes of Meeting
The minutes of the previous meeting dated 12th October 2000 were approved.
3. Actions
1. Michael Breaks to contact Elizabeth Heaps regarding liaison with ILT.
2. Scott Robertson to complete the Aide Memoire for the evaluation of learning
resources support for Initial Teaching Training.
4. Was on the Agenda.
5. Was on the Agenda.
6. This had been done and a number of new members had joined the Working Group.
7. It was agreed to take no further action regarding Media Services.
8. On the Agenda.
9. On the Agenda.
4. Matters Arising
Item 12 previous minutes
It was agreed to invite Bill Simpson, Trinity College Dublin, to a future meeting to increase
liaison with CONUL.
Item 13 previous minutes
The Working Group would revisit the practice of pulling together a volume of working
papers on institutions’ practices for handling QAA visits, when the new procedures were in
place.
5. Action Plan 2001
This was tabled and endorsed by the meeting.
6. Review of Previous Activities of the Group
Jeremy Atkinson provided a brief history of the SCONUL Quality Working Group; on its
expansion to include a representative of UCISA; and on how it had established useful
channels of communication with QAA and its predecessor bodies.
7. QAA Matters
a) Draft 1 of the Aide Memoire for Assessors Evaluating Learning Resources had been
prepared by Nik Pollard. The draft was agreed and Jeremy Atkinson would finalise
the text. The Aide Memoire had been sent to QA, where it had been well received
as a helpful contribution, and was in use as part of the training of Assessors, which
is undertaken by HESDA.
The Working Group would keep the Aide Memoire under review.
b) Jeremy Atkinson had met with Nicola Channon on 30th April. The first set of
Benchmarking had been completed and the second set was now out for consultation.
In England the Continuation Audit would continue until December 2001 and then
be replaced by Institutional Review. The Secretary of State had indicated that in
England and Wales he wished the QAA to implement sampling as part of a ‘light
touch’ approach, but it was not clear how this would be applied by QAA.
8. Scottish Quality Matters
Michael Breaks reported that a number of Scottish Universities had been visited by QAA
panels – in all cases there was a concentration on process. How effectively were the
communications – both formal and informal – between the academic departments and the
Library (in both directions). Need to show minutes of meetings and other supporting
materials to support statements about communication. One Team had visited the Library,
others had not, but in general there was no discussion of Library stock issues. In general,
learning resources did not appear to be high on the agenda of the QAA Teams.
9. English Quality Matters
Subject visits were still continuing in England, with the new process to be in place from
January 2002.
10. Welsh Quality Matters
The new process would begin from January 2002.
11. SCONUL Web Site
The web weaver for the Quality web site is Wayne Morris at University of Glamorgan. It
was agreed that Michael Breaks would supply content for the site – Membership Details,
Minutes, Aide Memoires - and that the site would not be password protected. ‘Useful
Links’ to other relevant sites would also be investigated.
12. Mailing List
The SCONUL office would establish a mailing list for the Group:
LIS-SCONUL-QUALITY@JISCMAIL.AC.UK
13. Date of Next Meeting
This would be in October 2001 and Jeremy Atkinson would e-mail the Group with possible
dates.
Actions Agreed at this Meeting
1. Michael Breaks to write to Howard Nicholson, Ian Winkworth and Nik Pollard to thank
them for their contribution to the Working Group.
2. Jeremy Atkinson to finalise text of Aide Memoire for QAA.
3. Scott Robertson to finalise text of Aide Memoire for Initial Teacher Training.
4. Jeremy Atkinson would continue liaison with Nicola Channon at the QAA.
5. Michael Breaks to liaise with SCONUL office regarding publication of QAA Aide Memoire
as a SCONUL Publication.
6. SCONUL office to set up a mailing list for the Group.
7. Michael Breaks to develop Quality website with Wayne Morris.
8. Jeremy Atkinson to update SCONUL and UCISA members on quality matters.