Skip to main navigationSkip to main content
The University of Southampton
×
Quality Handbook

Deputy Head of School (Education)

The Deputy Head of School (Education) supports the Head of School and Faculty Associate Dean (Education)  in the development of a School plan that reflects and delivers the University and Faculty strategies, and leads and monitors the implementation of that plan within the School.

The purpose of the Deputy Head of School (Education) role is to:

Deputy Head of School Education - Role Description

Academic Integrity

To work with the Faculty Academic Integrity Officer to encourage and support School AIOs to explore opportunities to improve students’ understanding of academic integrity and its maintenance in their academic work and working practices.

Board of Examiners

To work with the Associate Dean (Education) to nominate academic members of staff to act as Examination Officers in the Faculty. To receive notification as to whether a Board of Examiners is Quorate and decide on the most appropriate decision.  Work with the Examinations Officer to ensuring that they run in a smooth, effective and consistent manner the co-ordination and management of the academic examination procedures for a School

Policies – Missing Marks Policy

To work with Directors of Programmes to discuss the approach to be taken, as soon as they are aware that marks are missing.

Policies – Recognition of Prior Learning

To offer advice on the procedure for considering a request for RPL – where a School does not have its own policy.  To be responsible for the quality assurance and monitoring of RPL processes at School level.

 

Recognition of Prior Learning Policy

Missing Marks Guidelines

Maintain an oversight of all collaborative programmes within their School, via chairmanship of the SPC.

Support Collaboration Sponsors in the initial concept stage of a proposal

Assuring the quality of education delivered collaboratively (including through annual reporting to Academic Quality and Standards Committee)

To sign off the initial proposal form for a collaborative provision proposal.

To sign off the renewing a collaboration form for a collaborative provision renewal.

Collaborative Provision Policy

To read and approve the responses to external examiners reports made by programme team on behalf of the School Programmes Committee.  (Note responses do not have to be approved by School Programmes Committee prior to return to external examiners).

To discuss with programmes teams issues of reciprocity when they arise and decide action to be taken.

To hold formal conversation with programme teams regarding the appointment of external examiners with exceptional arrangements (e.g. where a nominee does not possess previous external examining experience).

To complete section IV of the External examiners nomination form to confirm that the external examiner is endorsed by the SPC.

To sign off the external examiner report form.

To sign off the School Summary Form – external examiners reports and responses.

External Examiner Procedures

Guidance on placements

  • To be part of the discussion with the Director of Programmes and Faculty Academic Registrar if a placement goes wrong with regards to the best advice to give to the student.

Fitness to Practice (where relevant)

  • If the identified concern potentially constitutes serious professional misconduct, suspend the Student from their programme, without prejudice and pending further investigation. 
  • If a student is withdrawn from their programme, write to the students within 5 working days notifying them of the concerns.  (Note: If a student is withdrawn from placement the Programme Lead will notify the student of the concerns).
  • To Chair the Fitness to Practise Panel.
  • To act as a member of a Fitness to Practise Panel for another School.

 

External Advisers

  • Approve the nomination of an external adviser – as received from the Director of Programmes.  Where the external adviser may not meet the normal criteria, to ensure that a rational for appointment is reported to and recorded by School Programmes Committee.
  • Ensure that changes to programmes are considered by School Programmes Committee.
  • Ensure that notification to modules are considered by School Programmes Committee.


Programme Closure

  • Provide advice to the Faculty Board (upon request) as to the detail on a programme closure request.
  • Receive notification from AQSC that a request to start closing a programme has been approved.
  • Nominate the person who will be responsible for carrying out the Stage 2 – consultation.
  • Receive notification from AQSC that a request to close a programme has been approved.
  • Inform students, in writing, that their programme is closing.

Programme Validation 

  • Meet with a programme proposer to plan how a programme concept will be investigated.
  • Advise the Associate Dean (Education) that this meeting has taken place.

Stage 0

  • Meet with the programme proposer to discuss the outcome of their investigations.
  • Undertake additional research on the programme concept.
  • Offer approval of the concept and request that the proposer moves to programme proposal.
  • Notify Associated Dean (Education), Faculty Academic Registrar, Faculty CQA Team.

Stage 1

  • Receive the programme proposal documentation and the outcomes of consultation.
  • Discuss the proposal with the Associate Dean (Education) who will present at Faculty Board.
  • Receive notification of the decision of Faculty Board.

Stage 2

  • To assist in the development of a timeline for programme development.
  • Determine, with the programme proposer and Faculty Academic Registrar the level of consultation required.
  • Approve the nomination for External Adviser.
  • Monitor the response of the programme team to the recommendations/conditions set by the Scrutiny panel.
  • Receive notification from the Faculty Education Committee as to whether the programme is approved.

Programme Revalidation

  • Monitor the number of changes made to a programme and ascertain whether these changes should instigate a revalidation
    Determine the level of input from internal stakeholders for a programme undergoing revalidation

Stage 1

  • Review evaluative report.
  • Use the information in the evaluative report to present to Faculty Board.
  • Receive notification of the decision of Faculty Board.

Stage 2

  • To assist in the development of a timeline for programme development.
  • Determine, with the programme proposer and Faculty Academic Registrar the level of consultation required.
  • Approve the nomination for External Adviser.
  • Monitor the response of the programme team to the recommendations/conditions set by the Scrutiny panel.
  • Receive notification from the Faculty Education Committee as to whether the programme is approved. 
     

External Advisers Policy
Programme Closure Policy
Programme Validation
Programme Revalidation

Academic Student Representation Policy

  • Work with the Students’ Union to implement the Academic Student Representation Policy.
  • Notify the Students’ Union Vice President Education and Democracy of any changes in relevant staffing roles.
  • Determine the shape of Staff Student Liaison Committee provision within the School.

Module Survey

  • Ensuring that anonymous module survey takes place for all taught provision within their School and that it is operated in a consistent and transparent way.
  • Receive module survey results.
  • Ensure that responses to students are provided (e.g. on the main issues raised and how these are being addressed).
  • Confirm implementation of the policy to their School Programmes Committee.

Academic Student Representation Policy

Module Survey Policy

Privacy Settings