Agenda and Papers - University of Edinburgh

Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey, the Postgraduate Research
Experience Survey, and the International Student Barometer.
The Convener reported on discussions she had had with the project team
about ensuring a more systematic analysis and reporting of course evaluation
questionnaires in order to provide more useful management information for
use by Schools and student support services. Course evaluation was a key
element of the University’s quality assurance framework, and would be the
subject of a task group of QAC in 2011/12. Initial work was being taken
forward by the Convener and College Deans and Associate Deans for
Quality. The College of Science and Engineering had introduced a bank of
core questions, and these were being piloted by some Schools. The intention
was to extend this approach to ensure a degree of comparability across the
University while also responding to individual School needs.
Initial discussions and demonstrations had taken place with a software
company whose product allowed analysis and reporting on electronic and
paper versions of a survey. A visit would shortly take place to a Scottish
institution where the software was already in use. Discussions with GASP
had confirmed that the software being investigated would fit well with that to
be used for the Student Voice project.
5. ANNUAL REPORTS
5.1 Counselling Service Annual Report 2009/10 QAC 10/11 5 D
The report was centred around the University’s strategic theme of ‘Enhancing
our Student Experience’, and showed an excellent, highly-regarded, sector
leading service. Partnership working took place within the University and best
practice was shared across the Scottish sector and beyond. As with many
support services, the Counselling Service was facing the challenge of
increasing service demands and potentially reducing resources. A
consideration for the future would be the balance between the delivery of the
core service and the provision of specialist services.
The service’s accessibility, staff development, management of quality and
standards and management of enhancement and sharing of good practice
were all of very high quality and were commended by the Committee.
The Committee welcomed the planned training in counselling approaches
and training for Directors of Studies and other academic colleagues in mental
health.
It was evident that the Service gathered and analysed feedback carefully. In
this respect the securing of funding to use CORE PC again was very
welcome.
In discussion the Committee heard of developments aimed at continuing to
deliver an effective service to students while reducing staff time spent on
preparation of one-off events. Among these, the development of a suite of off
the shelf workshops could also be deployed at times of peak pressure on
waiting times. With regard to the potential for the Service to operate on an
emergency basis, it was clarified that this would be more appropriately done
by existing emergency services.
3