1. Institutional Degree Classification Profile
The degree classification profile for Swansea University for the academic years 2017/18 to 2022-23 is illustrated in the table below:
| Classification | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sector (Russell Group Average) Benchmark 1st or 2:1 | 85.5% | 85.9% | 89.8% | 91% | 87.7% | Available Jan ‘24 |
| Sector (Average) Benchmark (1st or 2:1) | 76.3% | 76.3% | 82.2% | 82.7% | 79.2% | Available Jan ‘24 |
| Swansea University (1st or 2:1) | 78% | 79.1% | 81.5% | 82.6% | 82.5% | 83.1% |
| 1st | 29.0% | 29.9% | 35.8% | 37.4% | 34.6% | 37.6% |
| 2:1 | 49.0% | 49.2% | 45.7% | 45.2% | 47.9% | 45.5% |
| 2:2 | 20.0% | 19.2% | 17.1% | 15.6% | 16.2% | 15.6% |
| 3rd | 2.0% | 1.7% | 1.3% | 1.8% | 1.3% | 3.4% |
Degree Outcomes
The data shows that the University’s profile of First Class Honours and Upper Second Class Honours combined has increased in comparison to 2021/22 to 83.1% (+3%). However, the increase has been due to First Class Honours (+4%), whilst Upper Second Class Honours decreased to 45.5% (-1%). There has been a slight decrease in 2:2 classifications to 15.6% (-0.2%).
Whilst benchmarking data will not be available until January 2024, recent years have shown a similar pattern to the sector average, with a slight increase in 2021/22.
The University has continued to maintain standards and enhance the quality of the University’s programmes, to ensure students have the best chance of graduating with First or Upper Second class degrees and to enable them to secure graduate employment.
Growth in the profile of degree outcomes, notably First Class and Upper Second Class outcomes, are attributable to a range of factors focused on enhancement of quality, standards and the student experience:
- Continued enhancements in learning and teaching pedagogy, assessment, student experience and student support, including Personal Tutoring, which has impacted positively on student performance and outcomes.
- A focus on and improvements in weaker subject areas providing increased consistency across the portfolio. The University consistently reviews across a range of metrics the performance of modules and programmes, and this includes the breadth of degree outcomes, across the range awarded.
- Improvements from students with entry qualifications other than A/AS Levels, particularly Access Courses.
2. Assessment and Marking Practices
For all programmes learning outcomes and assessment are clearly mapped against the QAA Quality Code, meet PSRB requirements, consider QAA Subject benchmark statements and align to the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications and Credit and Qualifications Framework Wales. This provides assurance that degree standards are maintained and that external experts, (PSRBs representatives, service users, students, employers, stakeholders) inform and quality assure our programmes.
The University’s Assessment, Marking and Feedback Policy (updated 2023) provides principles of assessment and requirements and drives enhancement in assessment practice. The Policy includes requirements for marking and assessment design, and links to the University’s regulations for Assessment and Award. Assessment design and marking is also overseen by expert External Examiners, who review and approve assessment design to ensure consistency and validity and provide an annual report on assessment processes and attend the relevant Examination Boards.
Recent amendments to the policy have addressed changes to terminology used across the sector within the National Student Survey, assessment penalties, marking and moderation timelines, moderation requirements and Welsh medium requirements.
Implementation of the policy is supported by an extensive Code of Practice for Learning, Teaching and Assessment and by the Swansea Academy for Learning and Teaching and Swansea Academy for Inclusivity.
In addition, all academic staff new to HE, are required to complete the PG Cert Teaching in Higher Education, through which they are introduced to the QAA Quality Code, all aspects of programme and assessment design and quality assurance processes. Further workshops covering all aspects of assessment and marking are provided by the Swansea Academy for Learning and Teaching.
Academic Integrity
The University has undertaken a programme of enhancement activity under the umbrella of 'Ymlaen' throughout 2022/23 and will continue into 2023/24. The work in 2022/23 identified Academic Integrity as an area for enhancement and designated working groups were established for the following 4 themes:
- Staff Briefing
- Policy & Regulations
- Student Academic Integrity skills
- Procedures, Consistency & Systems
The 'Ymlaen' programme supported student engagement with the work on Academic Integrity as well as consultation with staff across the institution. Key outcome from the work is the introduction of a new system that has resulted in the alignment of the Extenuating Circumstances policy across all three faculties, ensuring that the experience for students is consistent, including timeframes and processes for extenuating circumstances.
3. Academic Governance
Academic governance is essential to protecting the value of qualifications that are awarded by the University. The University Education Committee is responsible for the oversight of Quality and Standards, and provides an Annual report to the University’s Council (Governors), which provides assurance to them that quality and standards are being maintained. The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Quality Enhancement Review was conducted in November 2020, in compliance with the requirements of the Quality Assessment Framework for Wales.
Alongside this review, the Governors are asked to confirm a number of statements on an annual basis as part of the HEFCW Quality Assessment Framework for Wales including, for providers with degree awarding powers, that the standards of awards for which they are responsible have been appropriately set and maintained.
To assist the Governors in making that assurance, there is a reporting mechanism that feeds up through the institution via Faculty/School and Institutional level Quality Assurance Committees and Boards to the University Education Committee. There is also a Collaborative Partnership Board, which oversees all Partnership arrangements. Together, this governance structure ensures local bodies are empowered, but the University has clear oversight of quality and standards. All Quality Assurance Committees and Boards have been updated following a restructuring of the institution in summer 2021 to faculties and schools, and to ensure responsiveness and effectiveness in their approach.
The University’s internal Quality Review process comprises Annual Module Review, Annual Programme Review and Quality Reviews which are designed to review in depth areas which require support, without reducing scrutiny in high performance areas. Together, these approaches ensure the University has clear oversight and regular dialogue around the quality and standards of its provision, which underpins degree outcomes.
The External Examiners and External Subject Specialists are critical to the design, approval and ongoing review of programmes, and are engaged in all design or review of programmes. At institutional level, the Progression and Awards Board receives a Faculty/School level External Examiner report, and provides an institutional report to the University Education Committee. Faculties/Schools are required to provide a response at local level, and the University responds to and oversees any action taken in response to External Examiner Reports at institutional level.
In 2022/23 a renewed process and reporting of Faculty Quality Assurance Reports was introduced to cross-reference three sources of data from External Examiner Reports, Annual Programme Review and Student Feedback. This report ensures the triangulation of the voices and experiences of staff, students and external examiners and helps to identify patterns and trends, both in terms of good practice and areas for enhancement. The reports are received by Regulations, Quality and Standards Committee alongside all regulations which are kept under review annually to ensure they remain current and fit for purpose.
4. Classification Algorithms
Swansea University’s classification regulations are published within its Academic Regulations. These regulations are kept under review.
The candidate’s class of degree will normally be determined by the weighted average mark for all modules, including marks of the compensated failures, contributing to the honours' assessment using the following classification boundaries:
Band 3: The best marks achieved in 80 credits pursued at Level 6, given a weighting of 3;
Band 2: Level 6 marks from the remaining 40 credits pursued, and the best marks achieved in 40 credits pursued at Level 5, given a weighting of 2;
Band 1: Marks achieved in remaining Level 5 credits pursued, with a weighting of 1.
A formula is then applied to calculate the degree classification average.
| Class of Degree Weighted Average | |
|---|---|
| First Class Honours Degree | 70%+ |
| Second Class Honours, Division I | 60-69.99% |
| Second Class Honours, Division II | 50-59.99% |
| Third Class Honours Degree | 40-49.99% |
| Pass Degree | 35-39.99% |
Window of Opportunity: Students who are within 2% of the classification boundary can be considered for uplift to the next classification if they satisfy the following criteria.
Preponderance Principle: In order that the student be awarded the higher classification, a student must have achieved marks in the higher classification band in modules attracting a credit weighting equal to half or more of those contributing to the degree classification.
Exit Velocity: The University Progression and Awards Board shall consider the non-weighted average of the Final Year of Study. Where the student's Final Year average is in the higher classification band, the University Progression and Awards Board shall normally award the higher class degree.
5. Continuous Enhancement
The University is undertaking an enhancement programme called 'Ymlaen' (meaning ‘Moving Forward’). It is focused on delivering a step change in organisational effectiveness over the next 3 years and embedding a culture of continuous improvement which will ensure into the future. The Ymlaen programme has a wide scope with three main categories:
1. Major Projects
2. Continuous/Process Improvement
3. Just do it Improvements
In 2022/23, the programme focused on the following 4 key areas:
• Extenuating Circumstances;
• Academic Integrity;
• Academic Mentoring;
• Student Engagement and Communication.
For 2023/24 the programme will be embedding the work of the four areas mentioned above and move focus onto the next stage of the programme including enhancement of student communications, gateway to student services and systems and processes to support both staff and students.
Following significant restructuring of the university from colleges to a faculty and school-based structure in summer 2021, further areas have now been reviewed and restructured to align to new working practices, processes and systems. This has seen the renaming of Academic Services to Education Services with the inclusion of the Swansea Academy for Learning & Teaching and Swansea Academy for Inclusivity within the Education Services directorate. Student Services has also been renamed to Student Life with the inclusion of MyUniHub and Student Partnership & Engagement Services.
Degree outcomes data is one of the key sets of data reviewed by programmes as part of ongoing Annual Module and Programme Review and more in depth Quality Reviews. Effective practice is routinely identified through these quality processes, highlighted in the Faculty Quality Overview Reports outlined previously, as well as through SALT web pages.
Alongside regular monitoring, the University has been focusing on continuous enhancement of the student experience, with particular effort placed on enhancement in the following areas which directly impact on student performance:
Learning and Teaching Pedagogy
The University supports and enables the ongoing enhancement of learning and teaching, with ongoing innovation and enhancement across all Faculties/Schools. Along with support from the Swansea Academy for Learning and Teaching, Faculty/School Education Leads meet regularly, and are focused on enhancing approaches within their areas. The University recognises and rewards learning and teaching through specific career pathways and engagement with the Higher Education (HE) Fellowship process.
This has resulted in a renewed action planning and reporting process to support enhancement, streamlined processes to enable flexibility and responsiveness in our learning and teaching, and targeted interventions to support specific areas across the institution.
Assessment, Marking and Feedback
The University has been focusing on the enhancement of Assessment and Feedback for some time and has recently updated the Assessment, Marking and Feedback policy to address these enhancements.
The University will be focusing on enhancements to assessment in 23/24, with particular emphasis on the embedding of artificial intelligence and guidance to support both staff and students in using such tools, and to ensure that integrity of awards is maintained through effective, authentic and secure assessment practices.