Annual Review of Courses
The Annual Review of Courses (ARC) provides a concise summary of all developmental activity undertaken and planned by a department in relation to a course/group of courses.
These reports are required for all undergraduate and taught postgraduate awards. All courses should be included in the report, including sub-degree courses such as Foundation degrees, Diplomas of Higher Education, and Certificates of Higher Education. Where modules are offered which are not linked to a course, for example CPD modules, these should also be included.
Review of ARCs for undergraduate and postgraduate taught provision – provide your feedback now
Consultation is now being formally undertaken in Autumn 2023 to understand departmental views on the ARC reporting process for UG and PGT provision, as well as the template used. An online feedback form is currently available for staff within departments and professional services teams who wish to provide feedback. The form will close on 8 December 2023.
Function of ARCs
ARCs are a useful resource for departmental staff, faculties, external examiners and external auditors as they enable the department to:
- review and evaluate their courses and modules to inform quality assurance and enhancement
- develop action plans that ensure the enhancement of the courses and modules under review
- ensure excellence in the quality of education and alignment to the University’s Education Objectives
- identify and share good practice and lessons to be learned
ARCs allow the University to have oversight of themes that are emerging across departments and faculties that need to be acted upon, and to share good practice across the institution. From an external point of view, an effective ARC is a necessity if we are to demonstrate to external auditors the currency, security and validity of our awards.
PSRB requirements
Departments should contact the Quality and Academic Development team (QUAD) where there are particular requirements of a professional, statutory or regulatory body (PSRB) which may affect the format of annual monitoring and reporting.
Reflective evaluation and quality enhancement
In order to be effective, ARC reports need to act as a focus for reflective evaluation of curriculum, delivery, student experience and the achievement of students. They also need to look forward to the next delivery of the curriculum, building on the experience and evidence of the previous year, and thereby facilitate the active enhancement of quality and standards.
Deadlines for submitting reports
The timeframe for the preparation and submission of the ARC has been designed to align with the University's Annual Strategic Planning process, and to enable reports to be considered by the autumn meeting of the Faculty Education Committee (UG) and spring meeting (PG).
Please note that the Deans will be reviewing these reports and providing the Faculty Education Committee with an overview at their meetings in autumn for undergraduate (usually late November/early December) and the spring term (usually February). It is therefore essential that reports are submitted by the deadlines below, or ideally earlier where possible.
- Undergraduate: By noon on Wednesday 15 November 2023
- Postgraduate: By noon on Wednesday 31 January 2024
Planning Information Portal
The Planning Information Portal provides access to reports and documentation that supports the annual planning process and the Annual Review of Courses (ARC) including:
- ARC data report
- KPI (Key Performance Indicator) report
- NSS (National Student Survey) - by department
- NSS (National Student Survey) - by subject
- UKES (UK Engagement Survey) results
- NSS and UKES free text comments are available on PIP (select your department, then ‘Documents relating to student surveys’)
- PTES (Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey) results
- Graduate Outcomes
In addition to the ARC data report, further ‘added value’ dashboards are available to enable in-depth insight into the following areas:
Resources
Preparation and guidance
Proformas and reports
- Annual Review of Courses proforma 2022-23 (Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught) (.pdf)
- Annual Review of Courses proforma 2022-23 (Postgraduate Research) (.pdf)
- Guidance and proformas for partner institutions completing the Annual Review of Courses
- Deans' Summary Report (Postgraduate Research) (example templates available, please contact Research or QUAD team)
- ARC review feedback form
For UG/PGT, the QUAD team can provide further guidance.
Pro-formas for all levels of provision are provided, but please use the templates pre-populated for each Department on Box. Departments will be provided specific links to their templates over the summer/autumn term each year,
For PGR, the Postgraduate Research Education team can also provide guidance.
