This page outlines the processes, roles and responsibilies around the university's monitoring of the academic quality and standards of taught programmes.
2.0 Key principles
2.1 Overview
Annual Programme Review (APR) is designed to support programmes in a data informed review process to provide timely and efficient feedback to facilitate improvements and assure academic standards.
The APR process ensures the University aligns with regulatory requirements and sector best practice.
As part of a wider programme of review, which includes Periodic Programme Reviews, this process is designed to assure the quality and standards of all taught programmes at the university and ensure they are performing within defined criteria, supporting schools with their responsibilities for the continual monitoring of the health of their programmes.
This process covers all undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes.
Note: in the initial year (reviewing 2024/2025) the APR process will be delivered at school-level with programme-level review being introduced in subsequent years.
The international campuses are incorporated into the APR process via the review of External Examiner Annual Reports
Degree Apprenticeships programmes have a separate monitoring process, see 'Related regulations, policies and procedures' for further details.
Annual Programme Review measures performance of a programme against a published set metrics and thresholds, including:
- Student population
- Student outcomes (e.g. graduate outcomes )
- Degree outcomes
- Access and Participation Plan awarding gaps
- Student Voice (e.g. National Student Survey (NSS), Nottingham Learning Experience Survey (NLES), Nottingham Student Experience Survey (NSES), Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) )
- External examiners annual report
- Internal quality and standards processes (e.g. outside regulation requests)
The metrics will differ between undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes.
Other measurable data may be included as required, based on strategic priorities of the university. Metrics and thresholds will be confirmed in each cycle of the process.
2.4.1 Academic Quality Assurance Team
The Academic Quality Assurance Team will
- Co-ordinate the collection and presentation of a summary of the metrics and outcomes against published thresholds for each programme
- Facilitate an APR Panel to review programme outcomes and award overall ratings on behalf of Quality and Standards Committee
- Facilitate the presentation of the summary of the metrics and outcomes to schools
- Co-ordinate the receipt and approval of school responses, where required
- Provide a written summary report to Quality and Standards Board and relevant university committees
2.4.2 Schools
Schools are required to engage with the summary of metrics and outcomes presented to them. The level of engagement varies according to the overall rating awarded.
All schools are required to review and reflect on their data and take appropriate action to improve and/or sustain and enhance their metrics and student experience. All schools are also required to engage with and respond to their External Examiner Annual Reports.
Where identified, some schools will be required to develop and implement a Programme Improvement Plan (PIP), providing information and creating a defined plan on how the identified areas will be addressed.
Further details on the APR process are available in the 'Related regulations, policies and procedures' section below.
3.0 Related regulations, policies and procedures
4.0 Version control table
Version control table
| Version Number | Purpose/Change | Approving Committee | Date |
|---|
| 1.0 |
Reformatted to align with new University of Nottingham Policy Management Framework based on content last modified on 14/06/2023 |
QSC |
April 2025 |
| 2.0 |
Updated to reflect implementation of the new monitoring process for undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes, launched August 2025 |
QSC |
August 2025 |
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