Internal Quality Assurance

Every higher education institution will have its own quality assurance systems and processes in place. At LSE, we attempt to be as 'light touch' as possible in regard to review and monitoring whilst still ensuring appropriately high quality and standards. The School’s Teaching, Learning and Assessment Committee has oversight of quality assurance arrangements and all institutions are answerable to the Quality Assurance Agency (see External Quality Assurance web page), through Institutional Audit, on how robust and effective quality assurance systems.

The School does not produce a quality assurance manual but publishes a policy statement Towards A Strategy outlining the School’s approach to managing quality assurance. The following provides information on the main internal procedures in place at the School:

Programme approval

The School has a system of initial programme and course approval, with input from the providers of resource-based services (to include Library, IT Services and the Academic Planning and Resources Committee) and provision of an external view. A corresponding system is in place for consideration of major modification to existing provision. These processes are conducted by the School’s Sub-Committees. For further information Programme and course approvals.

Internal reviews

One of the main functions of the School’s quality assurance processes is the periodic internal review process, called TLAC Reviews. These are reviews conducted on behalf of the Teaching, Learning and Assessment Committee who is responsible for academic quality assurance, and take place at the departmental level once every five years.

Reviews for the 2008-09 session will be as follows:

Anthropology Department: 29 January 2009;
Economic History Department: 26 February 2009;
Finance Department: 12 March 2009;
Accounting Department: date to be confirmed; and
Language Centre: date to be confirmed

The procedure for conducting reviews is considered annually by TLAC and relevant revisions made to it. For the 2008-09 session procedure please click here.

Previous reviews

Copies of previous review reports can be accessed here; these should be read in conjunction with the relevant procedure document which is also provided:

2007-08:
Management Department (includes EROB; MES: Operational Research; and ISI Groups): report yet to be agreed
Law Department

Review procedures 07-08
Information on the actions taken by each department in response to their reviews will be posted here one year after the review reports have been agreed.

2006-07:
DESTIN
European Institute
Government Department
International Relations Department
Methodology Institute

Review procedures 06-07

A summary of actions taken by departments in response to their reviews will be posted here shortly

2005-06:
Mathematics Department
Statistics Department
Media and Communications Department
Social Policy Department
Sociology Department (includes Gender and Social Psychology Institutes)

Review procedures 05-06

Summary of actions taken by departments in response to their reviews

2004-05:
International History Department
Philosophy Department
Teaching and Learning Centre
Geography Department

Review procedures 04-05

Summary of actions taken by departments in response to their reviews

External Examiner system

The examination of all taught courses in the School includes consideration of examination scripts, assessment processes, and academic standards by an appointed external examiner. External examiners are nominated by departments and appointed (and re-appointed), according to agreed School criteria, by the relevant Sub-Committees on an annual basis. Each year external examiners will submit a written report, the Assistant Registrar (TQARO) will consider all reports and send them to departmental Sub-Boards requesting a response to any issues raised within them. The Teaching, Learning and Assessment Committee also receives a paper outlining any School-wide issues that may arise in any given year.

Further information on external examiners may be found in the Instructions to Examiners handbook.

Feedback from students

The School incorporates feedback from students on its taught provision by operating a series of surveys. For further information on student surveys please see: Surveys of students' opinion

Departmental Annual Reporting

Each department in the School will have its own internal quality assurance processes in place. From the 2008-09 session, the School requires departments to have minimum arrangements in this regard and to report annually on the outcomes of these processes to the Teaching, Learning and Assessment Committee.

Information on the reporting process for the 2008-09 session will be posted here soon (reports will be due for submission in the Summer Term 2009).

For further information on internal quality assurance, please contact Louisa Green
October 2008

^