University Teaching Committee

University Teaching Committee (UTC) reports to Senate.

Terms of reference

Purpose of the Committee

On behalf of Senate, to assure the standards of taught programmes of study, and to monitor and promote the enhancement of the quality of the academic experience of students on these programmes.

Contact us

Chair: Professor Tracy Lightfoot
Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Teaching, Learning and Students

tracy.lightfoot@york.ac.uk

For all Teaching Committee queries

academic-quality-admin@york.ac.uk

Remit

1. To lead on the enhancement of the University’s educational provision and the student experience, through the development and dissemination of good practice and innovation, internally and externally.

2. To lead on the development, approval and monitoring of institutional quality assurance and enhancement policies and practices including for example those related to:

- - academic frameworks, including responsibility for approval of any exemptions from the frameworks
  - collaborative provision
  - assessment and external examining
  - approval of all educational provision
  - admissions
  - inclusivity
  - evaluation, monitoring and review of all educational provision
  - supervision
  - employability

3. To approve proposals, and modifications, for higher and degree apprenticeship and other professional programmes, taught programmes delivered with external partners (including collaborative provision, International Pathway College and York Online programmes).

4. To approve proposals, and modifications, for higher and degree apprenticeship and other professional programmes, taught programmes delivered with external partners (including collaborative provision, International Pathway College and York Online programmes).

5. To recommend to Senate the approval of new awards of the University

6. To recommend to Senate the approval of new Boards of Studies and any alternative arrangements for the membership of other Boards of Studies.

7. To monitor the standards of taught and research degree programmes (in conjunction with the York Graduate Research School Board) and the quality of students' academic experience including for example through consideration of:

- - reports from Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies and other external bodies, including for examples Office for Students, Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
  - reports from annual reviews
  - external examiners’ reports
  - internal and external student surveys, including the National Student Survey
  - student progression and outcome data
  - data on appeals and complaints.

8. To approve the appointment of the institutional external examiner.

9. To collaborate with students, and Students’ Union colleagues, across all matters relating to the academic experience of students, through student voice activities, co-construction, and partnership working between staff and students.

10. To consider any matters concerning the academic experience of students on taught programmes that may be referred to it by Senate, Faculty Boards, Faculty Learning and Teaching Groups, Boards of Studies or other committees.

11. To refer to the appropriate University Committees resource matters arising from its work.

12. To monitor and review the effectiveness of managing the corporate risk(s) and other key risks related to the Committee's business and advising and assuring any relevant UEB corporate risk owner.

13. To consider the workload associated with the Committee’s business, including via consideration of the impact of the Committee’s decisions on staff workload; and to oversee the workload associated with being a member of the Committee.

14. To consider ways of promoting inclusivity, diversity and equity in relation to all the above.

From January 2021, with the exception of collaborative programmes and proposals which incorporate a new University award, approval of the academic case for a new taught programme resides with the relevant Faculty Learning and Teaching Group (FLTG).

New collaborative programmes (inclusive of provision involving an external provider for example International Pathway College programmes, apprenticeship programmes and online provision delivered in partnership with Higher Ed Partners UK) and proposals which incorporate a new University award, remain with University Teaching Committee.

Find out more about the New Programme approval process

Prior to submission of new programme proposals to UTC it is an expectation that programmes have Stage 1-2 development approval, and that programme proposers have sought advice from their designated Academic Quality Team (AQT) contact.

Members

Ex officio members

Tracy Lightfoot, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Teaching, Learning and Students (Chair)
Jan Ball-Smith, Interim Head of Academic Affairs
Tom Banham, Interim Academic Registrar
Zoe Devlin, Head of Online Partnerships
Sam Hellmuth, Associate Dean for Teaching, Learning and Students for Faculty of Arts and Humanities (Department of Language and Linguistic Science)
Claire Hughes, Associate Dean for Teaching, Learning and Students for Faculty of Science (Environment and Geography)
Duncan Jackson, Head of Academic Quality and Development, and UTC Secretary
Petros Kefalas, Vice-President, Learning and Teaching from CITY College
Steve King, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Teaching, Learning and Students and Chair of Standing Committee on Assessment (Deputy Chair)
Kirsty Lingstadt, Director of Library, Archives and Learning Services
Louise Thurston, Associate Director of Student Careers and Systems
Professor Jill Webb, Associate Dean for Teaching, Learning and Students for Faculty of Social Sciences (School for Business and Society)
Jen Wotherspoon, Deputy Director of Student Administration and Academic Affairs

Deputy Chair: in the absence of the PVC, the Associate PVC shall be nominated to Chair

The Faculty Dean shall be the designated alternate for the respective Associate Dean for Teaching, Learning and Students, in their absence.

Nine academic members

At least two members from each of the three main subject areas, and three members co-opted

Arts and Humanities

Professor Michelle Alexander, Archaeology (until July 2026)
Dr Richard McClary, History of Art (until July 2026)

Social Sciences

Dan Keith, Politics and International Relations (until July 2027)
Claire Ball-Smith, Education (until July 2027)

Sciences

Professor Michael Bate, Mathematics (until July 2027)
Paul Bishop, Psychology (until July 2026)

Co-opted members

Lisa O'Malley, Business and Society (until December 2024)
Simon O'Keefe, (until July 2025)

Student representation

Fenella Johnson, York SU Academic Officer
Kaitlyn Beattie-Zarb, York SU Activities Officer

The University of York Students' Union is permitted to designate alternates to student members of the committee.

In attendance

Sally O'Connor, Assistant Secretary

Quoracy

The quorum shall be one third of members of the Committee, including at least one student representative.

When considering new programme proposals, the approval decision must involve as a minimum: the Chair or Deputy Chair, two further members of UTC and one student representative. All other members must also have been given a reasonable opportunity to comment on the proposal.

Meetings

2024-25

Date	Time	Paper deadline	Paper deadline for new programmes
Thursday 26 September	1.30pm to 4.30pm	Thursday 12 September	Thursday 5 September 2024
Thursday 7 November	9.30am to 12.30pm	Thursday 24 October	Thursday 17 October 2024
Thursday 5 December	9.30am to 12.30pm	Thursday 21 November	Thursday 14 November 2024
Thursday 16 January	9.30am to 12.30pm	Thursday 2 January	Thursday 2 January 2025
Thursday 13 February	9.30am to 12.30pm	Thursday 30 January	Thursday 23 January 2025
Thursday 27 March	9.30am to 12.30pm	Thursday 13 March	Thursday 6 March 2025
Thursday 15 May	9.30am to 12.30pm	Thursday 1 May	Thursday 24 April 2025
Thursday 12 June	9.30am to 12.30pm	Thursday 29 May	Thursday 22 May 2025
Thursday 10 July	9.30am to 12.30pm	Thursday 26 June	Thursday 19 June 2025