24th June 2002
Group Minutes
SCONUL WORKING GROUP ON QUALITY ASSURANCE
Minutes of Meeting held on 24 June 2002 at the SCONUL Secretariat
Present:
Jeremy Atkinson - University of Glamorgan (Chair)
Michael L. Breaks - Heriot-Watt University (Secretary)
Julie Howell - University of North London
Scott Robertson - University College Chichester
Apologies: Ann Mathie – University of Gloucester
Keith Webster - School of Oriental & African Studies
Alison Allden - University of Warwick
1. Membership
With the resignation of Elizabeth Heaps, University of York it was agreed that Biddy Fisher,
Sheffield Hallam University would be invited to join the Working Group, subject to
confirmation by the Executive Board.
2. Previous Minutes of Meeting
The minutes of the previous meeting dated 23 October 2001 were approved.
3. Matters Arising
2.3 Scott Robertson informed the group that The Draft OFSTED Handbook for the
Inspection of Initial Teacher Training, 2002 – 2008
(http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/public/docs02/itthandbook.pdf) did not contain any
references to libraries or learning resources.
4. The remit of the Working Group and of the Advisory Committee on Performance
Improvement had been agreed between the chairs. The Executive Board had
approved the revised Terms of Reference for the Working Group.
11&12 Jeremy Atkinson and Michael Breaks had completed the Annual Report 2001 and
Action Plan 2002.
4. QAA Developments
(a) A SCONUL response (attached) had been made to QAA CL08/02 Draft Handbook
for Institutional Audit: England and 2002-2005. Transitional Arrangements (29
April 2002).
(b) A SCONUL response (attached) had been made to HEFCE 01/45 Quality
Assurance in Higher Education: proposals for consultation (July 2001) and the
Group noted the publication of HEFCE 02/15 Information on Quality and Standards
in Higher Education: Final report of the Task Group (the Cooke Report), March
2002.
(c) A SCURL response (attached) had been sent to SHEFC Consultation Paper HEC 02
2002 An Enhancement Led Approach to Quality Assurance (February 2002)
5. Chairman’s Update
Jeremy Atkinson had met with Nicola Channon of the QAA on 18th June 2002 and received
an update on QAA developments. A new process of Institutional Audit will be introduced
from February 2003. Longer term this will be on a 6 yearly cycle, but there will be an initial
3-year transitional period during which all institutions will be audited. During this
transitional period, while institutions are waiting for their first audit, there will be some
developmental engagements, which will aim to test the strength of internal review
procedures at the level of the discipline or programme. Some of these will be Subject
Reviews, as defined in the current Academic Review Handbook. Nicola commented that
the Codes of Practice and Subject Benchmarks would stay as part of a framework to which
institutions should pay due heed. The views of students and external examiners are also to
be emphasised.
Jeremy Atkinson and Nicola Channon agreed to keep a watching brief on developments and
to meet again around Easter 2003 to review the implications for learning resources arising
from early examples of Institutional Audit in practice. The Working Group noted that
University College Chichester would be one of the first institutions to undergo Institutional
Audit.
6. Welsh Quality Matters
Jeremy Atkinson reported that a Quality Assurance Working Group had been established to
decide on what new processes for quality should be implemented in Wales and what interim
arrangements to put in place based on disciplinary interactions.
7. Scottish Quality Matters
Michael Breaks reported that SHEFC was to implement a process which would be based on
quality enhancement, built upon a robust system of internal reviews of subject provision
carried out by institutions. External subject reviews would only operate where an institution
has insufficient track record of HE quality assurance or where there was clear evidence that
the institution’s internal processes are failing to ensure that provision has acceptable quality.
Each institution will be subject to periodic institutional audit of its approach to quality.
SHEFC will also institute a programme of activities, which will focus on issues of
enhancement and would be based on annual themes in order to identify, disseminate and
help to embed good practice.
8. Quality Working Group Web Site
The web site had been developed and it was agreed to attempt to add more information from
Professional Associations/Societies on their quality procedures.
It was felt that it would be helpful to have information on the use, and by whom, of the
Working Group’s pages.
9. Provision of Templates and Examples of Best Practice for External Evaluation of
Library and Information Services
The Group reviewed a number of documents that had been supplied by member libraries via
Christopher West, University of Wales Swansea. It was agreed that wider circulation of
some of the documents – universities of Newcastle and Ulster – would be of benefit to
SCONUL members as they prepared their own contributions to the institutional selfassessment
document. It was agreed that Jeremy Atkinson would initiate discussion by
email within the Working Group to seek support for the proposal and if this was
forthcoming, Michael Breaks would contact member libraries to ask them to contribute any
relevant internal documents which then might be made available on the web site, subject to
issues of access control.
10. Video Conference Meeting
The Working Group considered the SCONUL requirement to hold one of its meetings via
video conferencing, but decided that since it only met twice a year this would not assist the
effectiveness of the Group, especially as there was active email discussions between
meetings.
11. SCONUL Members’ Update
The Executive Board required a regular update to members from each Committee if
appropriate.
12. Meeting Summary
The Executive Board required a summary of the minutes from each Committee to be
prepared for them.
13. Date of Next Meeting
The next meeting would be held in October 2002.
Actions arising from this meeting:
i. Jeremy Atkinson to continue to liaise with QAA and to discuss with the QAA on whether
the text of the Aide Memoire was still relevant. MB then to discuss with SCONUL the
publication of the Aide Memoire as a SCONUL publication
ii. Michael Breaks to update the web site, particularly with information on the quality
procedures of professional associations/societies
iii. Jeremy Atkinson and Michael Breaks to initiate development of examples of best practice
for external evaluation of library and information services
iv. Jeremy Atkinson to provide update for SCONUL/UCISA members
v. Michael Breaks to provide summary of minutes for Executive Board
vi. Scott Robertson to consider response on draft OFSTED Handbook for Inspection of Initial
Teacher Training, 2002-2008.