2. Institutional Arrangements

2.1  The University will regularly review the quality and standards of its Postgraduate Research Programmes through:-

• an annual review of its Code of Practice on Research Degree Programmes by the Graduate School Committee;
• an annual review, at institutional level of appropriate indicators and targets as listed in section 2 by the Graduate Sub-Committee with specific departmental issues of concern raised with academic departments through the Annual review process;
• the Annual review process;
• the six year cycle of the University Review Process which includes external reviewers;
• the postgraduate research student annual reporting exercise;
• an initial Postgraduate Research Degree student questionnaire, conducted by the Graduate School shortly after completion of the induction period;
• an annual student satisfaction survey conducted by the Graduate School;
• an exit questionnaire for all students on completion of their programme conducted by the Graduate School.

2.2 As part of the Annual review process, the Graduate School will provide academic departments with appropriate indicators and targets as follows:

• Submission and completion times and rates;
• Pass, referral and fail rates;
• Withdrawal rates;
• The number of appeals and official complaints, the reasons for them, and how many are upheld.
• Analysis of comments from examiners;
• Recruitment profiles;
• Feedback from research students, supervisors, sponsors and other external funders;
• Information on employment destinations;
• An analysis of completion rates as supplied to the institution by HEFCE.

2.3 When next annual report is due the Graduate School Committee requires academic departments to consider the information provided by the Graduate School and to provide an annual report on postgraduate research programmes from all Boards of Studies.

2.4 The Deputy Deans are responsible for reviewing the annual reports and for taking up with Boards of Studies any questions arising from the documentation.  The Deputy Deans are responsible for providing a summary on the outcome of the review of the annual reports to their Faculty Graduate Sub-Committee during the Epiphany Term.  Issues of concern will be raised with the Graduate School Committee via the Faculty Graduate Sub-Committees if necessary.