INTRODUCTION

1 This is a report of an audit, carried out by the Higher Education Quality Council (HEQC), of the quality assurance arrangements for a collaborative partnership between the University of Hertfordshire and Independent Science and Technology Studies (hereafter referred to as IST) to review how the University's quality assurance arrangements operate in respect of the schemes of study listed in the appendix to this report. The audit forms part of a series of pilot audits of overseas collaborative partnerships undertaken in 1996. The audit included a visit to IST in May 1996. Further information about these audits is contained on the inside cover of this report.

2 The academic quality assurance processes of the University were the subject of an HEQC report published in 1995. A separate audit visit led to a report on the University's academic quality assurance arrangements for its collaborative provision which was published in 1996.

3 The Council is grateful to the University of Hertfordshire and to Independent Science and Technology Studies for their assistance and co-operation.

THE AUDIT PROCESS

4 Prior to the audit team's visit to Greece the University provided briefing documentation on its relationship with IST and on how the University's quality assurance arrangements operated with respect to schemes of study offered collaboratively. The University agreed a series of meetings between the team and staff and students of IST. The team, which visited IST on 23 May, comprised: Dr F R Burnett, Professor J E Forbes and Mr J D A McWilliam OBE, auditors. The report was co-ordinated for HEQC by Dr D W Cairns. Dr R J Brown, Chief Executive, HEQC, was present during the visit.

5 The audit team met the Director of IST; the Director of External Academic Affairs; directors of studies and scheme tutors; external examiners; undergraduate students registered for schemes of study at IST and recent IST graduates; and members of the full-time and part-time teaching staff at IST. The team also met the Assistant Registrar (Academic Quality) from the University. In all, the team met more than 40 individuals, some on more than one occasion.

Glossary of terms and abbreviations

6 The University uses the following terms in describing its academic provision:

'scheme of study' a combination of courses leading to a particular named award;

'course' an element in a scheme of study with defined level, objectives, syllabus and assessment;

'programme of study' the totality of 'courses' taken by an individual student.

In view of its particularity, this terminology has been used throughout this report, except where to do so would cause confusion.

Abbreviations

7 The following abbreviations have been used;

AMIS Accounting and Management Information Systems;

IST Independent Science and Technology Studies;

AQC Academic Quality Committee;

the University University of Hertfordshire

Reference is made to the 1995 HEQC Quality Audit Report on the University of Hertfordshire as 'the 1995 Report', and to the 1996 HEQC Collaborative Provision Report on the University's collaborative and partnership provision as 'the 1996 Report'. The Framework Agreement between the University and IST is referred to as 'the Agreement'

BACKGROUND TO THE PARTNERSHIP

8 The partnership between the University and IST began in 1991 when the Director of IST approached the University with a view to developing a franchise agreement. A validation visit took place in May 1992 and the University's BA (Hons) Business Administration was franchised to IST with effect from September 1992. In 1993 the following University schemes of study were added to the franchise portfolio with IST:

BA (Hons) Applied Economics;

BSc (Hons) Accounting & Management Information Systems (AMIS);

BA (Hons) European Studies;

BSc (Hons) Computer Science.

9 A bridging programme leading to an award of BSc (Hons) Computer Science was offered in 1994-95 for one year only and in 1995 the University's 'Year 0' course in Engineering and BA (Hons) Business and Tourism were added to the portfolio; a taught conversion course leading to the University's MSc Computer Science award was added in 1996. All the collaborative schemes of study operated by IST in conjunction with the University are predominantly taught and examined in Greek.

10 Prior to November 1994. each franchised scheme was subject to an individual Memorandum of Agreement. In that month the University and IST concluded a Framework Agreement, signed on behalf of the partners by the Director of IST and the Vice-Chancellor of the University which superseded these individual agreements.

Independent Science and Technology Studies

11 IST is a private higher education institution located in central Athens, established in 1989 by the Directors of the SVIE School for professions allied to medicine. It specialises in business-related schemes of study. Since 1990 its courses have been recognised by the University of Liege for entry to the latter's programmes in business administration and economics, and several American and Australian Universities have recognised its courses for credit towards their own undergraduate degrees. The collaboration with the University of Hertfordshire is currently regarded by IST as the most significant of its partnership arrangements.

12 IST is organised into four departments: Economics; Business Administration; European and International Studies; and Informatics. Each department is managed by a director of studies. The directors of studies who, like the majority of the teaching staff combine their duties at IST with those of academic posts in the Greek university system, are members of the IST Educational Board, the senior management committee responsible for all matters of internal academic policy. Members of the IST Educational Board visit the University at least annually for meetings with senior managers of the University.

13 In the immediate future, IST wishes to expand its portfolio of degree courses to include law and health sciences, and to participate in European programmes such as SOCRATES and LINGUA. In the long term its ambition is to provide an 'educational bridge' between Eastern Europe and the Middle East and to attract students from the Greek communities of the diaspora to study for all or part of a UK degree award in Athens.

Quality assurance of collaborative provision

14 Responsibility within the University for establishing and monitoring its quality assurance procedures rests with the Academic Quality Committee, (AQC) chaired by the Director for Academic Quality, which reports to the Academic Board of the University. Each school of the University reports to the AQC through its own school academic quality committee which implements and monitors quality assurance procedures at school level.

15 The Framework Agreement governing the partnership between IST and the University of Hertfordshire gives the University sole responsibility for overall control of the University schemes, the IST schemes and foundation courses, and for monitoring the academic standards of the IST schemes, students, and foundation students. The formal Framework Agreement between IST and the University provides for variation in the content and delivery of schemes of study between those delivered at the University and those offered at IST, provided any such changes are agreed in writing by both parties. The Framework Agreement does not allow for any variation in agreed quality assurance procedures.

INITIAL APPROVAL AND VALIDATION PROCESSES

16 Prior to the formal establishment of the initial partnership agreement, extensive preliminary discussions took place between IST and the University. The University's review of the prospective partner involved a series of visits by senior University staff and a review of the financial status, resources, and organisational and management structures of IST.

17 A University panel undertook a validation visit to IST in May 1992, which resulted in approval to deliver the BA (Hons) Business Administration scheme of studies at IST 'subject to adaptation to incorporate the Greek dimension, for example in business law'. At the time of the validation visit, the panel recognised that they 'could not expect an exact match in terms of the scheme's delivery', but noted the willingness of IST to adopt the University's quality assurance procedures, especially in respect of annual monitoring and external examining.

18 Both the University and IST placed great reliance on 'continued cultural exchange of staff' to ensure that the delivery of the scheme in Athens would be in every way comparable to the delivery of the scheme at the University. Approval by the University's Academic Board for the franchising of BSc Accounting & Management Information Systems, BA Applied Economics and BSc Computer Science, was preceded by visits by validation panels to IST and the submission of reports from the panels to the AQC, which commended them to the Board in July 1993. Each approval was followed by the signing of a memorandum of agreement (see above, paragraph 9).

19 Under the terms of the initial Partnership Agreement the University validated the IST proposal 'to carry out the relevant University schemes and the University agreed to assist IST in providing undergraduate and post-graduate educational services in Greece to the standard that the University offers such services in the United Kingdom'. The number of students registered under this agreement has risen annually and at the time of the audit had reached approximately 600. In this context, the University's use of the term 'validation of a franchise' should be understood to refer to its process for testing and (if acceptable) approving the arrangements made by a partner institution to provide an appropriate teaching and learning environment for a University scheme of study which it wishes to franchise. The term 'validation of a franchise' does not, therefore, refer to a process for testing the appropriateness and level of syllabi and the curriculum of a scheme of study; this is subject to an entirely separate process of validation.

20 All the University schemes of study embraced by the Framework Agreement are franchised to IST, which undertakes to 'ensure that the order of teaching of subjects and content of each IST scheme and foundation course is identical in all material respects to the order of teaching of subjects and content of the equivalent University scheme, unless agreed otherwise in writing by the parties'. Students and IST staff who met the audit team considered that the franchised status of the University's schemes of study at IST constituted a major inducement to students to enrol at IST.

21 At the time of initial validation there were some agreed differences between the UK-based scheme and the scheme franchised to IST. For example, Law required modification to make it relevant to Greek students. Such modifications to the franchised version of the UK scheme were documented at the time of validation or by means of an addendum to particular agreements for the franchise, as exemplified by the BSc/BSc Hons Computer Science. In addition, much of the University's academic provision is delivered by the staff of IST in Greek. Students told the audit team they appreciated the efforts made by IST to support and extend their English language competence, even though only a small part of their programme of studies was taught through English.

22 By the current session, changes which the University had made to the UK equivalents of the schemes of study it had franchised to IST had reached a point where the differences in the curriculum and, perhaps more importantly, the structures of two initially identical sets of provision were substantial. The audit team was told by the University that many of the changes that had been made to the University's UK-based schemes had not yet been applied to its schemes in Greece. In some cases the changes might not be made to those schemes in order to safeguard the stability and academic standards of its schemes offered in Greece, or might be introduced more slowly to allow changes to be made at a pace and in a manner acceptable to its partner. Whilst accepting the good sense evident in this approach, and informed by the University that it had kept its partner up to date with changes in the UK-based schemes (albeit informally), the team would urge the University to document all agreements on curriculum matters between itself and IST.

MONITORING AND REVIEW ARRANGEMENTS

Annual monitoring reports

23 The University requires an IST scheme tutor to be appointed for each scheme of study, whose responsibilities include the preparation of an annual monitoring report, which must be submitted to the AQC of the relevant University school no later than the beginning of the November following the academic year monitored. A standard format is used, and reports are expected to comment on progression, pass, failure and withdrawal rates, external examiners' reports, what 'operational difficulties' have been encountered and how these have been resolved, and future plans. Any proposed changes to the definitive scheme document are attached to the annual monitoring report on an amendment sheet.

24 School AQCs reports to the University AQC in respect of collaborative provision as they do for their own schemes of study. The result of discussions at faculty and University level is then fed back to IST as for other partners, together with any recommendations or requirements for remedial action (see 1996 Report, paragraph 43). It was not made clear to the audit team whether it was common practice for the minutes of the University's AQC to be sent to IST.

Scheme committees

25 A committee, chaired by the scheme tutor, is established to manage the operation of each IST scheme and meets at IST at least once each term. The University appoints a representative, known as a link tutor, to serve ex officio as a member of each scheme committee. Periodic moderation visits to IST by University link tutors and other staff take place during which, for example, tutors assess the ability of IST students to make presentations about a pre-arranged topic and review aspects of student recruitment, teaching and examination processes. IST scheme tutors and University link tutors meet at least once each year. On request, the IST scheme tutor may become a non-voting member of the AQC of the appropriate University school. In the University's Business School, annual monitoring reports are presented to the School's AQC by the University-based moderator who communicates the views of that Committee to IST.

Collection of student feedback

26 Feedback from students relating to each course is gathered by the use of evaluation questionnaires devised by IST in consultation with the University, and analyses of the responses to these are appended to the appropriate annual monitoring reports. Students are able to raise matters at the scheme committees that take responsibility for the day-to­day management of each scheme of study. Those students whom the team met appeared nevertheless to be unaware of the outcomes of the discussions of the issues thus raised. Students told the audit team of the informal means by which they could make their individual or collective views known, and considered that they had adequate channels through which to express their views.

27 The audit team noted the frequency with which University staff visited IST, and that relevant IST staff, such as some scheme tutors and administrative staff, visited the University annually, not least to participate in key elements of the monitoring process. Staff at IST told the team that whilst the University received an annual monitoring report and the results of students' work from IST, similar information about the University schemes was not available to them for use as a diagnostic tool. The team would encourage the University to consider how it might communicate the outcomes of the University's consideration of annual monitoring reports for IST schemes and their nearest equivalents at the University more fully to staff and students at IST.

THE ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS

University assessment policies and mechanisms

28 The 1996 HEQC Report noted that the University used several mechanisms to monitor the student assessment process and that the application of these had had 'a noticeable influence' in standardising assessment procedures, particularly in relation to overseas collaborative schemes (paragraphs 61-65). In considering the University's assessment arrangements with IST the audit team noted that the University does not require the examination papers to be the same as those for the home-based scheme of study.

29 For assessments conducted at IST. examination papers are set by IST staff; they are then translated into English and sent to the University for moderation by internal and external examiners. Scripts are marked by IST staff in accordance with an assessment translation grid provided by the University. Members of the teaching staff of IST form the board of examiners which is chaired by a senior member of the University.

30 Foundation year students at IST sit the same papers as are taken by University-based students and their results are considered by the same Board of Examiners. The 1994 Agreement between the University and IST recognises that the University will have overall control of assessment, whilst IST remains responsible for the day-to-day management of assessment processes.

Appointment of external examiners

31 As the 1996 HEQC Report noted, external examiners for the University's overseas collaborative schemes are 'appointed and briefed in exactly the same way as external examiners for UK based schemes'. If possible, external examiners will be familiar with both UK and local education systems and have the appropriate language skills as well as subject expertise.

32 In two cases the external examiners appointed for IST schemes of study have been UK-based, but fluent in Greek. With these exceptions all other external examiners appointed for IST schemes of study have been based in Greece and attached exclusively to those schemes. External examiners submit reports to IST which forwards them to the University. The audit team noted the University's difficulties in finding a suitable external examiner for a scheme of study, validated in May 1993, and that in 1995 an existing visiting external examiner had 'kindly agreed to advise'.

33 Whilst it is the aspiration of the University that, so far as possible, those of its external examiners who are based in Greece will be conversant with the role of external examiners in the UK higher education system, in practice it was clear to the audit team that it was difficult to ensure that Greek examiners working within a very different higher education system had sufficiently detailed knowledge of UK assessment and examining systems to undertake the task without suitable support.

34 Locally-based Greek external examiners who met the audit team expressed themselves familiar with UK higher education practices, and considered that comparisons could be made between IST students studying for the University's awards and student performance in Greek universities. The challenging nature of the tasks facing locally-based Greek external examiners was freely acknowledged in a number of the briefing papers the audit team saw. These noted the difficulty of ensuring comparability of standards, and the restricted opportunities for locally-based external examiners to gain the necessary experience to perform this part of their duties, without access to a wide sample of scripts from corresponding courses and schemes of study from UK-based students. The 1996 HEQC Report described a number of ways in which the University was seeking to instil its expectations and standards of practice amongst locally-based external examiners (paragraphs 69-72). To this end the University had organised a workshop for newly-appointed external examiners, although none of the local external examiners who met the team had taken up the invitation to attend.

35 External examiners based in Greece told the audit team that they would welcome further guidance on assessment procedures from the University. For example, it was suggested that it would be helpful for them to receive information on the performance of the students following the UK-based scheme of study to help broaden their knowledge, together with advice on the role and use of the University assessment translation grid for the categorisation of marks. The team considered that this was essential to allow locally-based external examiners in Greece to assess students' performance correctly. Sight of the eventual annual monitoring report sent to the University might also be of benefit to the external examiners.

36 The 1996 HEQC Report suggested that the University might strengthen its system for checking the suitability of proposed external examiners and discuss how it might avoid any possible conflicts of interests (paragraph 68). From its discussions with external examiners, it appeared to the audit team that the University's processes for approving external examiners had not identified the fact that staff who had recently taught at IST had been appointed as external examiners, and that a number of the staff of IST and the external examiners appeared to have posts in the same department of a Greek university. The University told the audit team that the operation of its quality assurance arrangements for the selection, appointment, and induction of external examiners for collaborative programmes was under review, in the course of which it will doubtless wish to clarify all aspects of its procedures for selecting and appointing external examiners for such provision.

Administration of examinations

37 IST is responsible for the security of papers and the management of the examination process itself. The security of the whole assessment process was clearly a matter of importance to staff at IST and the audit team learnt of some of the steps taken by administrative staff at IST to ensure that the integrity of the assessment process was maintained.

38 The assessment of students at IST is brought to a conclusion at an examination board in Athens, the results of students on the comparable schemes in the University being considered by a separate board in the UK. Both boards use identical regulations and rules of procedure, although the audit team noted one occasion at IST when there had been uncertainty about which assessment regulations actually applied to the students under consideration. The matter had subsequently been resolved by the member of the University chairing the relevant board of examiners. This uncertainty, whilst resolved at the time, suggested to the team that the University may wish to take steps to ensure that its assessment regulations are clear and known to its partner. Although the University requires that identical assessment regulations are applied to its schemes of study in Greece, its practices of setting different examination papers for students in the UK and Greece, and of using substantially different external examiners for the UK-based schemes and those in Greece, increase the difficulty for the University of ensuring the comparability of its awards in the two locations.

Student appeals against the decision of an examination board

39 Students at IST told the audit team that they were aware of the appeals procedures of the University.

STAFFING AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT

40 Under the terms of the 1994 Agreement between the University and IST, the latter is responsible for providing staff to teach the University's approved schemes of study in Athens. Although the University is required to provide some teaching assistance, the agreement limits the obligation to a maximum of six person days per year for the first three academic years. IST is obliged to 'ensure that the quality and experience of IST staff engaged to teach each IST study scheme....will not materially differ from the quality and experience of the staff as detailed in the (relevant) validation papers and validation report'.

41 Teaching appointments at IST are made and confirmed by the Educational Board of IST, a weekly meeting of its senior academic managers. Although some posts are advertised, most appointments are made as a result of personal contact. A panel of senior staff of IST will confer prior to a decision being made. From its discussion with IST staff, the audit team was informed of instances where individuals had been approached and invited to submit a curriculum vitae in order to be considered for teaching posts. The audit team was told that it was normal for the curriculum vitae of IST staff to be sent to members of staff at the University for comment. Although University comment was welcomed, there was no evidence to suggest that it was required prior to any appointment actually being made.

42 Whilst recognising that the appointment mechanisms employed by IST will be shaped by local factors, the audit team nevertheless considered that the lack of agreed appointment criteria might make it difficult for IST to comply with the terms of the Framework Agreement with the University. It appeared to the audit team that following initial validation, University monitoring of staffing at IST had been largely informal and operated at school level. It was not clear how the University gathered information from its schools in order to assure itself that the staffing arrangements of IST continued to provide for equivalent teaching quality as required by the Framework Agreement.

Staff development

43 Perhaps because the majority of the local teaching staff delivering the University's schemes of study at IST are employed on a part-time basis, it did not surprise the audit team to hear that working for a private educational institution offered only modest direct staff development opportunities. Nonetheless, IST staff met by the team spoke highly of the wide range of contacts they had developed with University staff at the subject level. They also clearly had other, often very relevant, employment experience. There was plentiful evidence of continuing professional development.

PUBLICITY AND PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

44 The University's policy for the monitoring of materials promoting collaborative schemes of study is that it 'is subject to the approval of the University ... normally exercised through the Director of Studies or Associate Dean (Academic Quality) of the School concerned. Draft material prepared by the partner institution, normally in collaboration with one or more University staff, is submitted for approval before publication'.

45 Drafts of promotional materials produced by IST relating to the University's schemes of study are submitted to the University for approval. Students who met the audit team confirmed that the information they had received about the franchise arrangement in advance of their registration had been fair and accurate. Although the team could find no reference to formal guidance concerning information, publicity, public relations and promotion of the collaboration in the formal agreement it concluded that in practice, this aspect of the monitoring of the franchise by the University was operating effectively. The University may wish to consider the inclusion of such a clause, recommended in the HEQC Code, in its next revision of the formal Agreement.

CONCLUSIONS AND POINTS FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION

46 Throughout the visit, the audit team heard from staff and students of IST of the high value they placed on its links with the University of Hertfordshire and on the University's schemes delivered at IST. Members of the staff of IST appeared to the team to have benefited from their extensive contacts with the University. Students considered that they were receiving a higher education which was very close to what they would have received had they being studying on the University scheme in the UK. It appeared to the team that the University had chosen to develop links with a well-established private higher education institution in Greece in which staff at the highest level shared the University's determination to maintain a high quality of educational provision, and where staff throughout IST worked hard to safeguard the quality of that provision.

47 The audit team saw evidence that the University maintained a close and detailed overview of the operation of its franchises, and of the partnership between itself and IST on which they are founded, in order to maintain its academic provision in Greece at the highest possible level of quality. The team considers that this determination, further supported by careful consideration of the matters raised earlier in this report, will enable the University to continue to satisfy itself with confidence that the nature of the educational experience for students on IST-taught schemes of study leading to University awards, and the academic standards of those awards, are comparable with those expected of its UK-based schemes of study.

Appendix 1

University of Hertfordshire schemes operating at Independent Science and Technology Studies, Athens

Scheme title	UH Faculty responsible	Approved to run from
BA (Hons)/BA Business Administration	Business School	1992
BA (Hons) / BA Applied Economics	Business School	1993
BSc (Hons)/BSc Accounting and Management Information Systems	Business School	1993
BA (Hons)/BA European Studies	Business School	1993
BSc (Hons)/BSc Computer Science	Information Sciences	1993
BSc (Hons) Computer Science Bridging Programme (one year only)	Information Sciences	1994
BA (Hons)/BA Business and Tourism	Business School	1995
Foundation Year (Year 0) of the BEng (Hons)/BEng Extended Engineering Degrees	Engineering	1995
MSc Computer Science	Information Sciences	1996