Codes executive group

Purpose

The purpose of the Group is to govern the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes and the Regulations and Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes, specifically by:

  • Supporting strategic educational development through according regulatory and policy change;
  • Undertaking any discrete regulatory and policy development where a substantial issue relating to academic standards has been raised and/or there is a significant risk of non-compliance;
  • Ensuring that the Codes are accessible and mitigate against risk to enable activity.

Terms of Reference

  1. To develop the regulatory basis to support different University strategic initiatives: each initiative will determine the principle or intention and the executive group will subsequently translate those intentions and present them in a proposed set of new or revised regulations and/or policy.
  2. To consider discrete clarifications and updates by reviewing existing, or developing new, policy, as directed by AQSC (to assure academic standards) or ULTC/UPGRC (to regulate and enable new activity) - although this should be prioritised and limited to enable (a) above.
  3. To oversee the content and presentation of the Codes to ensure that they are accessible (e.g. process is extricated from policy) and in line with the recommendations from the Governance Review.

‘Minor’ revision (e.g. where the intention of a clause is unchanged) will be managed and enacted, outside of this governance, by AQPO.

Consultation and approval

Following initial consideration by the Group, proposals setting out the direction of travel for the identified issues will be presented to ULTC, UPGRC and professional service leads for discussion and agreement. The actual revisions to the Codes will then be drafted.

A Green Paper may be presented to Senate for its view where fundamental changes to the principles that underpin the Code/s are being considered or proposed.

The proposed changes to the Codes will be presented to the AQSC and University Education Committee in May.  

Mode of operation

  • The Group will report to the University Academic Quality and Standards Committee.
  • The Group will meet as required, consonant with its work plan, to discuss any matters of substance; it may virtually consider and agree moderate changes to existing policy or regulation.
  • The Group will liaise specifically with professional service divisions (e.g. the Secretary’s Office) as appropriate, depending upon the issues being considered.

The schedule of business will be identified at the start of each academic year in liaison with AQSC, ULTC and UPGRC and approved by the Chairs of these committees

Membership - for 2024/25

Capacity Member
Policy advisors from AQPO Mike White (Chair) and Chris Walker
A Faculty Education Director covering undergraduate programmes Dr James Freeman
A Faculty Education Director covering taught postgraduate programmes Dr Jo Rose
A member of the University Academic Quality and Standards Committee Professor Dave Dymock
A Faculty PGR Director Professor Tom Gaunt
Bristol SU sabbatical officers

Mia Stevens

Gurvin Chopra
A Faculty Head of Student Administration Ben Harrison
Education Process Improvement Manager Alarna Samarasinghe
Head of Assessment Dr Charlotte Verney