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Contents

Monitoring student progression and achievement is an essential part of ensuring that we are achieving our teaching and learning aims and outcomes, at the School level, at the programme level and at the module level. We must not only 'get it right' but also be able to show that we do so.

There are three aspects of monitoring progression and achievement.

Firstly, we need to ensure that students are doing the right thing at the right time. They must enrol on the correct modules for their programmes, meeting all the necessary prerequisites and corequisites. Should they fail to gain credit in a module, they must take the correct form of resit or repeat assessment at the correct time. It is important that students understand what is expected of them, both within programmes and within modules (for the latter see also 3.2.3 Module Quality Assurance Procedures). To this end we must make it absolutely clear that students have to play a role in monitoring their own progression and achievement. The Student Handbook is one of the main ways in which we ensure that students are properly informed.

Academic Advisors (see 3.5 Student Support and Guidance) have a major role to play in monitoring student progression. The School is currently (October 2002) finalizing a School Information System, which will assist in this monitoring.

The University is currently evolving a system of personal achievement monitoring for students, but this is neither finalized nor mandatory at present. When it is, changes to the School's procedures are likely to be necessary.

The number of credits required for undergraduate students to progress to the next Stage of a programme is defined in University regulations, which may differ according to the year of entry. (See the links in first line of the table(s) in the Undergraduate Programmes section of the School's programmes web page.) Any other progression requirements are spelt out in detail in the degree regulations for each programme-year. In general the School considers that practical software skills are so important that Stage 1 and Stage 2 Single Honours undergraduate students are prevented from progressing if they fail these modules.

Progression decisions are made initially made by Stage 1 and Stage 2 Examination Boards within the School. Legally these boards only RECOMMEND to the University Progress Board that students be allowed to move to the next Stage. Normally the University Board does not change recommendations made to it, but it is free to do so in exceptional circumstances. Once the board has agreed a recommendation then the student can only change that decision via the Appeals process which is described in the "How to appeal" section of the Student Handbook. Appeal forms are available from the Student Records office in Aston Webb.

Appeals are handled within the School by the Appeals Panel.

Secondly, we need to use the data that we have obtained. QAEC is responsible for looking at examination results, mark distributions, students' comments on modules, etc. and identifying changes for the next academic year. This information is also used to inform regular Curriculum Review meetings. See 2.2 Management Structures for more details of the responsibilities of these committees.

Thirdly, we need to comply, so far as is practicable with our resource base, with the University codes of practice regarding undergraduate student progression (e.g. Para. 14) and postgraduate student progression. Information concerning student progression typically arises from Examination Boards; more on the School's procedures will be found in 3.3.1 Assessment Procedures, particularly the section on the Conduct of Examination Boards; see also 3.5 Student Support and Guidance.