Preparing for the new academic year by Lia

Preparing for the new academic year by Lia https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k I would like to capture the experiences and challenges you faced in preparing for the new academic year. Feedback from DPAMS has raised concern in relation to Programme Handbooks, Programme Specs, Module Narratives, Using CAPP, PVGs, Programme Induction. Please add your comments under the relevant section by highlighting the issue, the impact (on you, staff and ultimately on students). Please see the Example posted. I have added an "other" column to capture anything else you may have found challenging. The aim of this is to collect the feedback so that we can formulate a team report on this. With this we will work with professional services who we rely on for this information, look for resolution (if applicable) and an opportunity to improve things in the future. Providing evidence is critical in driving improvement so if you are able to provide examples please upload them to your comments. E.g. where the programme specs have not been fit for purpose. Please note that your responses are anonymous. I would be grateful if you could provide me with your comments and evidence by Wednesday 10th October. Thank you all for your support with this. en-us 2018-09-19 06:25:28 UTC 2018-10-12 14:54:07 UTC hello@padlet.com Issue https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/283397092 non concern
The main Programme Handbook formatting is fine with exception the the prog specs .
concern

The late inclusion of late information (MDXAPP & progession and Support team).
caused additional to wokrload and and organsition of.

]]> 2018-09-19 13:03:12 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/283397092 Concern https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/283400855 The format on these were terrible instead of a straight copy and paste, turned into a reformatting job that could take up an 1:30 min to comlpete. and was easier to sart again.

Programme Leaders unaware the changes to these need to go throughan official process ]]> 2018-09-19 13:09:02 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/283400855 Concern https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/283403026 Programme Leaders unaware the changes to these need to go throughan official process ]]> 2018-09-19 13:13:00 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/283403026 Issue https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/283403540 Many DOP's & PL do not a this time of a clear date just what week they should be held. ]]> 2018-09-19 13:13:58 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/283403540 Validation https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/283796061 My concern is that the Validation process is not very clear. As Administrators the information does not seem to be fed through to us once Validation has been completed, so whilst we are trying to complete handbooks, we do not have information for new modules, programme specs or assessment diagrams.
Our academics do not even seem to be able to support us in this process either. It's not good enough that we should be placed under so much pressure with looming deadlines if we don't have the correct information to work with. If our academics do not know what the information is - then we don't stand a chance!]]> 2018-09-20 09:24:23 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/283796061 many programme specs saved to the shared drive were copies taken from the previous years handbooks and had incorrect information (including module codes that no longer run). Also had specs that had corrupted information where they clearly had not been checked prior to being saved to shared drive. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/287723661 2018-10-01 16:32:59 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/287723661 complaints received from academics about the handbook template changing every year. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/287724538 2018-10-01 16:34:24 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/287724538 Takes a lot of time to transfer information over from the previous years handbooks to the new template thereby increasing the delay with sending it on to the academic to review and update further. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/287724985 2018-10-01 16:35:10 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/287724985 Concern https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/287726329 Not easy to cross reference specs to the capp report as the modules are listed per academic year (i.e. if a programme structure had changed then the modules being studied in Year 3 could differ for the different cohorts/admit terms).]]> 2018-10-01 16:37:21 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/287726329 Dates for Prog HBKs https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/287727836 PVG training confirmed that dates should be entered even if we know they would change. Not sure I agree with putting potentially incorrect information into a handbook!]]> 2018-10-01 16:39:41 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/287727836 MyLearning Pages https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/287729211 There are cases where myLearning pages have not been set up for new programmes from the point of validation. There is then a delay of adding the programme handbook to the VLE for students to access.]]> 2018-10-01 16:41:27 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/287729211 Narratives https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/287730054 Changes received late in the year resulting in handbooks having to be updated at late stage.]]> 2018-10-01 16:42:35 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/287730054 Narratives https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/287730897 Narratives received are too long for PIP. Have to go back to ML/DoP to ask for a summarised version to add.
Should there not be a word count impletmented at the point of review/validation]]> 2018-10-01 16:43:53 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/287730897 Programme Specs were not up to date and were saved as PDF files making it harder to transfer the information to handbooks and increasing drastically the time spent doing this https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/287981172 2018-10-02 08:02:38 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/287981172 I advocate for the idea of creating moodles templates (specific for different schools/ programmes) in which content would need to be simply copied and pasted in. If not possible, PL's should be instructed on how to create their tables (in several cases tables are a mix of table + text box, inside of a text box + a picture, inside of a table, within a text box, etc) and also to and to respect the template's recommendations... https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288007659 2018-10-02 09:25:12 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288007659 Word training for programme leaders OR total formating responsibility for quality officers (PLs send the content, quality upload it exactly the same way to a official format). There should also be great scrutiny cause they were uploaded with a lot of mistakes to the shared drive. Silly ones as lacking modules, wrong modules, no Curriculum Map (on this one the copied the first 10 items of the ProgSpecs). Also one (or maybe 2) wasn't there all together. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288014390

]]> 2018-10-02 09:50:00 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288014390 we should ideally start this job earlier so they're all ready by the end of June - before all PLs disappear until September. For that to happen, work programmes should - again ideally - be ready by April. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288015889 2018-10-02 09:55:26 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288015889 To all of our new validated programmes with top-up (and then later added the direct entry to the second year as well) we were asked by the DoPs (and later confirmed by our quality officer business partner) to use the previous year's specs and erase the non relevant information. This job ended up taking 2 weeks to finish (6 books) cause we saw a lot of mistakes with this strategy. Cutting a long story short, I ended up (hold your seats) designing the strategy myself - with the approval of the DoP - modifying the text of three of the ProG Spec items (9, 12 and 15) for all of those programmes. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288017424 2018-10-02 10:00:59 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288017424 e-learning: not all programmes had a mylearning page. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288030480

]]> 2018-10-02 10:44:18 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288030480 not all shells were created by the students records to be added as new modules on PIP. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288032306 2018-10-02 10:50:16 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288032306 Programme Spec Formatting is a nightmare - when you paste the spec into the main document the formatting is completely thrown out and it takes hours to tidy up. When you are working on 30+ handbooks this becomes a major problem and production of handbooks is severely delayed. Main issue with this seems to be images and text boxes within tables. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288037131 2018-10-02 11:06:36 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288037131 What is CAPP? https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288039242 2018-10-02 11:13:37 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288039242 Foundation students did not get the information via the app re additional programme session for their group only despite info being on SWAPROG https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288040184 2018-10-02 11:16:53 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288040184 Programme Leaders were unaware of their final schedule - as a DPA I sent them an overall timetable but many still seemed unaware of their own sessions - who is responsible for sending individual schedules to PLs? https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288040370 2018-10-02 11:17:30 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288040370 Some PLs were not aware that they were responsible for foundation groups as of this year and did not know about the additional foundation year sessions https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288040921 2018-10-02 11:19:10 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288040921 Inputting all information on SWAPROG, linking all the different programme codes for induction was a huge and complex task https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288041584 2018-10-02 11:20:08 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288041584 Found it impossible to get student numbers from tableau - many programmes where there should be 200+ students registered were showing numbers like 4 or 7 - it was clearly incorrect - where do we go for this information? https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288043026 2018-10-02 11:24:28 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288043026 It has become a 2 meeting process and is very difficult to organise. Should have the dates and times fixed as soon as timetabling is set. Do students agree with the 2 - in some cases long - meetings ? Planning, given rooms are not available and there timing and resourcing issues has become more difficult. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288328160 2018-10-02 18:48:06 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288328160 If recent and accurate is helpful. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288333828 2018-10-02 18:58:55 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288333828 Either we have a long Luns and adequate space to enter the info, or word count at point of validation. No point in validating one version and summarising for PIP. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288334500 2018-10-02 19:00:19 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288334500 Just a link to the one version of programme spec. Programme spec changes - only at validation, review. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288335524 2018-10-02 19:02:26 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288335524 How about one section for all department blurp? One section link to programme spec and luns (not to be updated at programme handbook stage). One section link to services, unihub etc. All updates are done online to have one format for all. It has been difficult to do all updates and then once formatting was done, insert last minute changes. What do students want to see in their handbook? How soon would they like to have it? Would maybe like to have a copy at the point of application? https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288336111 2018-10-02 19:03:43 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288336111 Templates were very late this year, early June, when we are dealing with assessment boards etc so by the time we start work on them programme leaders were already starting to go on leave and did not review them until their return in September - when you have 25+ handbooks to prepare this is too short a timescale to finalise handbooks https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288497694 2018-10-03 08:38:08 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288497694 PLs often do not review red guidance notes https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288499044 2018-10-03 08:42:10 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288499044 Students receive module handbooks - why do we need to put module narratives in the programme handbooks? https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288499725 2018-10-03 08:43:51 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288499725 Tableau https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288629437 Is there any training over the coming weeks for Tableau? My immediate colleagues and myself do not know how to use it]]> 2018-10-03 13:56:47 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288629437 Admissions/Student Communications https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288637738 Students not receiving any communications causing a delay in enrolment, payment of fees and access to online resources etc The evidence I have is emails from students detailing their difficulties]]> 2018-10-03 14:05:23 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288637738 I agree with the above - formatting a nightmare/large sections of generic information not relevant to certain programmes/constant updates and changes. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288641780 2018-10-03 14:09:36 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288641780 I agree with the above - formatting a https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288641820 2018-10-03 14:09:38 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288641820 PVG Training https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288648053 2018-10-03 14:16:10 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288648053 Very late coming out, when you have early start programmes this leaves very little time as academics go on leave etc https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288673030 2018-10-03 14:47:32 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288673030 why do they have to change every year. It's such a time consuming process when actually not much has changed https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288673622 2018-10-03 14:48:19 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288673622 Instead of the all the Uni bumpf being in the handbook - MDX app, well being services etc, can't this be in a separate info booklet and then the programme hanbook is just about the programme and not Uni life. The documents are so long that students don't read them https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288674155 2018-10-03 14:49:08 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288674155 https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288675211 Very late with amendments, PH are already on MyLearning and we get updates. Updates should come out in April/May, not September. The academic calendar can't really be a surprise - we know the new academic year is coming, updates should come in a timely manner ]]> 2018-10-03 14:50:38 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288675211 New PVG system just really doesn't seem to work. And when constructive feedback has been given to the department that have set up this new system it is just ignored. Taking on feedback from the people (DPAs) who actually do PVGs would probably be sensible! https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288677489 2018-10-03 14:54:07 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288677489 Does a new programme handbook come out every year just for the sake of it? Surely if it aint broke don't fix it ... https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288679586 2018-10-03 14:57:21 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/288679586 Welcome went very well and I found the divide in the ID checking to run smoothly. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289102887 Only doing domestics or simple T4 Visa also took pressure of with no complicated cases - still want superv. close by though!

]]> 2018-10-04 13:01:48 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289102887 PVG works fine for us and with the student chairing has given a new control. I think the DPA role has become minute taker to Mock Chair guiding the SVL Chair, and I think a clear ideology of what the SVL goals should be should be clear. To champion, to find fault, to change, to something different? The pre and actual board is fine, it is done approximately 2 weeks apart. Works fine. The minute table could be made little easier to complete. Tables fine, but little overly designed. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289103720 2018-10-04 13:03:23 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289103720 Welcome happens through out the year but if your induction does not happen in Week 0 you seem to get less support opportunities. Such as just getting Student Amb. ID checking and Admissions become little more difficult to run. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289106321 2018-10-04 13:07:58 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289106321 Proposed Champions in charge of each area on rotation. So perhaps A is in charge of confirming for 2018 all PVG Minutes are recorded in a folder. Then in 2019 move over to be responsible for HB is confirmed by set date in a certain area. I don't mean responsible to upload, just to check and send out reminder. And rotate so everyone does it, gets to see information and what is stored where over the years...Some jobs little bigger than other jobs...Its knowledge awareness and staff interaction and needs management support so we don't get bullying or a member feeling over whelmed. reading this over perhaps just by school not whole uni. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289109670 2018-10-04 13:13:31 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289109670 PHB should be discarded completely. The information should be in manageable areas on the programme page. Only two people read the PHB. The DOP and DPA. Maybe a PL too! When it goes wrong you call on the section needed - hence manageable online areas. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289115326 2018-10-04 13:21:57 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289115326 MHB should be free range. Stop managing this, let the ML do what they want in accordance with the DOP leadership. If you do not let them put it in the MHB it simply goes on the Module page somewhere and email to direct them to it via a link. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289117176 2018-10-04 13:24:43 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289117176 How do other people keep track of a change to a Module Leader? It happens in an office down the corridor. How am I supposed to know? It is not emailed out to the dept confirming this appointments. I manage it by sending out a list and getting a lot of emails back - some people are sad, some are happy, and some still don't tell me! https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289118859 2018-10-04 13:27:22 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289118859 Programme Handbooks https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289515339 I don't understand why there is a new template each year. If we were just given the new additional information that is needed and where it needs to be slotted in, it would save a huge amount of time as we wouldn't have to start afresh each time. ]]> 2018-10-05 09:30:59 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289515339 PH https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289516061 Even when the templates are circulated, there are still always additional added changes to the template. All the information needed for the handbooks should be ready in advance & late changes should be considered for the next cycle.]]> 2018-10-05 09:33:37 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289516061 Prog specs https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289517342 Copy/pasting from a PDF was a nightmare and took absolutely ages. Ended up copy/pasting the information in sections as when trying to do it as a whole document, some text seemed to be missing. There was a lack consistency with the format within each of specs e.g. where there were diagrams historically, these were made into text but not for all fields. There was still references to Level 1. The template itself should be re-visited as why isn't the whole spec as one document instead of different sections? This causes problems with the look of the spec in the handbook whereby there are big gaps. (I couldn't find a way to make it look better in the handbook).]]> 2018-10-05 09:37:36 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289517342 Purpose of CAPP report? https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289521227 On the basis from some of the comments under the programme spec section, are the same specs in the CAPP just going to be carried forward for next year? If so, we're going to be experiencing issues again. As myself in particular have formatted/amended mine within the handbook now. What is the reason why they have to pulled from this report each year? Back in the day, no changes were made to these in the handbooks unless they had changed, and therefore less time doing the handbook.]]> 2018-10-05 09:52:03 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289521227 Feedback not being listened to https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289523287 The majority of admin staff have fed back at the workshops that the minute template does not work but this has not been taken on board. If the action table has to be circulated ideally within 48 hours then surely a table at the end of the document is easier to circulate? What was wrong with the template we were using before this new one was introduced? ]]> 2018-10-05 10:00:32 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289523287 Students don't know where their classes are https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289525701 We've had a number of enquiries where students have been given information via e-mail that they have a class but the room number information is missing? We've resorted to scrolling down the room booking calendar to try to find the class they should be in but is there somewhere where we should be able to find this information instantly in the absence of academic colleagues?

]]> 2018-10-05 10:10:17 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/289525701 Every year we have to reformat to programme handbook templates and cross reference them to the previous year to understand what they are asking for. It takes days to do. There was some unnecessary repetition of information this year as well. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/290199169 2018-10-08 09:22:42 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/290199169 We asked Programme Leaders to review the welcome schedules from last year and state whether they wanted to make any changes months in advance. We had PLs still making changes a week before the welcome. Some PLs claimed they weren't informed of the schedule until the week before. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/290200153 2018-10-08 09:26:13 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/290200153 Maybe the workbook on tableau for the Welcome Schedules on Tableau could be under the main heading of Welcome as opposed to DPAMS. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/290202499 2018-10-08 09:34:29 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/290202499 I was still receiving new narratives a few weeks before the welcome. https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/290202932 2018-10-08 09:36:06 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/290202932 Programme Handbooks https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/292201633 Do students actually read these handbooks! - all the information is duplication and can be found elsewhere. Eg module information - can be found in module handbook]]> 2018-10-12 14:53:19 UTC https://padlet.com/MDXwelcome/suna3cut4r3k/wish/292201633