PRQC

Terms of reference
  • To advise the Quality Assurance & Enhancement Committee (QAEC) and where appropriate the university Education and Student Experience Committee and/or University Research and Enterprise Board on all matters relating to the development of postgraduate education and research as regards PhD, MPhil, EngD and MD(Res) degrees, including any impact on MRes degrees, including collaborative programmes
  • To advise the QAEC and where appropriate the university Education and Student Experience Committee and/or University Research and Enterprise Board on developments  in  UK  and  international  policy  on  postgraduate  education  and research
  • To advise the QAEC and where appropriate the university Education and Student Experience Committee and/or University Research and Enterprise Board on the university's research culture and the research environment, from a student perspective
  • To support and promote innovations in postgraduate research quality, including where requested by QAEC and/or the University Research and Enterprise Board
  • To determine the standards and framework by which departments operate for postgraduate education and research
  • To propose and advise on modifications to university regulations and procedures that affect postgraduate research students
  • To oversee the processes of quality assurance for postgraduate research degrees (including those for collaborative programmes) including the development and dissemination of precepts for postgraduate research programmes and the sharing of good practice
  • To oversee precept and periodic reviews of existing research degree programmes, including collaborative programmes, and to provide an annual summary of outcomes arising from the reviews to QAEC/Senate
  • To consider proposals for new research degree programmes, major changes to research degree programmes, the suspension and withdrawal of research degree programmes, including those for collaborative programmes, and make recommendations to QAEC as appropriate
  • To receive minutes from any collaborative postgraduate research degree programme committees
  • To receive minutes of the CDT/DTP Governance Committee and other relevant regular reports from other Early Career Researcher Institute Committees and Groups
  • To oversee processes relating to the appointment of postgraduate research examiners and to consider matters arising from their reports
  • To appoint the Special Cases Panel for research programmes and to oversee all special cases, for example for registration, extensions, appointment of examiners and restriction of access to theses
  • To advise on the format and presentation of theses
  • To advise on matters relating to the recruitment and registration of postgraduate research students
  • To oversee the professional skills development programme for postgraduate research students
  • To engage with and recommend action as appropriate to address key themes emerging from internal and external surveys of students, including annual review of Faculty action plans for the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) and university summary reports
  • To receive and consider statistics for research students on admissions, completion rates, withdrawals, referral and failure rates, destination statistics, examination irregularities (including cases of plagiarism), student appeals and disciplinaries, making recommendations for action as appropriate.
  • To report regularly to QAEC

Committee Secretary

For more information please contact Emma Rabin, Assistant Registrar (Partnerships, Monitoring and Evaluation)