The Management Board reviewed the outcomes of the Away Day, held on 21 October 2011, which focused on the Student Experience and covered many of its aspects: undergraduate and postgraduate, academic and pastoral etc. While a number of action points emerged from the Away Day, the two most significant and pressing related to the undergraduate experience and in particular: the quality and timeliness of assessment and feedback; and the quality, price and distance from College of student accommodation.
It was agreed that:
- Faculty Principals should require their Heads of Department to provide action plans outlining measures already in place and measures that they would be introducing during the current academic year to improve the undergraduate student experience. These plans would be collated by the Faculties and presented at the Management Board’s December meeting.
- The Chief Financial Officer and Director of Commercial Services should together produce a plan for the refurbishment (where appropriate and necessary) of existing accommodation and the development of new accommodation – with recommendations for suitable social amenities at or close to this accommodation, as well as suitable catering facilities at the South Kensington Campus.
- Faculties and Departments should also provide action plans for improving both the undergraduate and postgraduate student experience, including identifying any necessary investment, as part of the Planning Round in Spring 2012. This would enable the Management Board to form a strategic view of requirements, whether capital (perhaps for accommodation) or otherwise (perhaps for assessment and feedback), for improving the student experience at the College.