Quality Assurance Policy

1. Quality Assurance Policy

This document presents the Quality Assurance (QA) Policy used at Dunster Business School. DBS promotes academic excellence, broadens access to higher education, and guards values that are humane, democratic, and international.

The guiding context for the formulation of DBA’s Internal Quality Assurance Policy consists of the following: ENQA, et al., ‘Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG)’ (Brussels: EURASHE, 2015); ‘Annex 1 – National Quality Assurance Framework Standards Amended to also cover Online/Blended Learning’ (Malta: National Commission for Further and Higher Education, 2017); and Huertas, Biscan, et al., ‘Considerations for Quality Assurance of E-Learning Provision: Report from the ENQA Working Group VIII on Quality Assurance and E-Learning’ 26 (Brussels: ENQA, 2018). Dunster Business School’s Quality Assurance Policy is publically accessible on the DBS Website.

Dunster Business School uses online and blended learning techniques for course delivery. The Quality Assurance measures and mechanisms apply specifically to online and blended learning, and in both cases, QA is supported by the same software and processes. In cases of blended learning, the physical premises are required to be fit for purpose, without posing physical harm to students or teachers, and with adequate permission for use of the space.

1.1. Research and Education

Dunster Business School supports a relationship between research and teaching content by encouraging the formation of new, diverse, and interdisciplinary modules; by requiring modules to include academic publications from the last ten years; by requiring new modules to undergo peer review; and by encouraging the balanced use of primary and secondary scholarships as criteria of internal peer-review of new modules.

Dunster Business School’s courses require students to engage with research-based scholarship, and they require students to undertake appropriately difficult research tasks as part of the learning process.

1.2. Academic Integrity and Freedom

Dunster Business School ensures the integrity of its activities by providing all faculty members with the ability to propose new courses, the ability to create new academic research groups of their choosing, the ability to participate in the social discussions of the community, the right to be assessed by their scholarly peers, and the right to participate in the processes of the institution. Academic integrity and independence of scholarship are regularly reviewed.

1.3. Academic Fraud

Dunster Business School’s procedures to protect against academic fraud begin with verifying the identity and academic credentials of every faculty and student. Members have their identity verified by a professional verification service provider, and their credentials verified and matched to their identity. Members are thereafter confirmed in their identity through the use of a private password or other digital gatekeepers, and the regular confirmation through face-to-face video conference calls. When modules are examined by long essays, the academic supervisor regularly checks the identity of the student and queries the student’s comprehension of the submissions; DBS further deploys third-party software to check against plagiarism. All cases of academic fraud or plagiarism should be reported using the red-flag procedures

All academic activities occur as college activities, and thus faculty and students must, in addition to verifying their identity and credentials, also be accepted by their peers in a college. All modules and colleges are subject to cyclical peer review, ongoing monitoring and Periodic Review of Programmes.

1.4. Unjust Discrimination and Intolerance

Dunster Business School does not tolerate unjust intolerance or discrimination. The red flag procedure should be used by students and staff in all cases of unjust discrimination or intolerance. Violations of the policy are treated with the utmost seriousness. The investigation of claims of unjust discrimination or intolerance follows the escalation of appeals procedure described below in Red Flag Procedures.

Members of DBS are expected to treat each other with dignity and respect. DBS defends and encourages civility and freedom of discourse. Limits on the freedoms of members, including the freedom of expression, are accountable to the wider faculty body through democratic and deliberative processes that are open to scrutiny.

1.5. Academic governance

The President has the final authority in academic affairs. The Faculty is immediately below the President. The membership of the Faculty Council is composed of all active verified faculty members. The committee responsible for monitoring and improving quality across the institution is the DBS Quality Assurance, Enhancement, and Technology Alignment Committee (DQAETAC). DQAETAC is composed of the President, the Dean and the Faculty Representatives. The committee holds regular meetings.

DQAETAC is tasked with promoting a culture of excellence that reflects the Dunster Business School Quality Assurance policy in line with the Mission Statement. DQAETAC formulates adjustments to existing policy, or its implementation, and delivers these recommendations to the President.

DQAETAC is responsible for ensuring that policies will lead to higher-quality outcomes for students and faculty members across all levels of the institute. DQAETAC reviews student feedback gathered through ongoing monitoring and period surveys. DQAETAC elicits faculty feedback twice per year. Surveys provide both students and faculty members the opportunity to make recommendations beyond the survey questions

DQAETAC is the highest committee for the resolution of all member disputes. DQAETAC receives notification of the dispute, and the associated record of the complaint; DQAETAC may provide the parties to the dispute an opportunity to provide further information before formulating its recommendation to the President.

1.6. Red Flag procedures

Dunster Business School’s red flag procedures provide a formal avenue to report obstructions to academic integrity and freedom, cheating, fraud, serious disagreements; and mitigating circumstances.

A red flag report should be submitted in the case that a member seeks to make an allegation of serious misconduct or to report on any of the issues above (obstructing academic integrity and freedom, unjust discrimination, cheating, fraud, serious disagreements, or mitigating circumstances). In the case of a minor misunderstanding or disagreement between members, then the matter should first be addressed for resolution by the parties, or where involving a student, the Academic Advisor.

The escalation of issues raised through the red flag procedure is as follows. If involving a student, a red flag report will initiate a meeting with the Academic Advisor and the parties concerned. If the one who submitted the red flag is not satisfied that the matter is resolved, then it will be escalated to the Dean (or to a committee designated by the College Dean). If involving faculty members, then the issue is reported directly to the College Dean. For both students and faculty, after the Dean’s decision, the parties involved may accept or appeal the decision; if there is an appeal, the issue will be assigned to DQAETAC for review. The President has final judgment in all matters about red flags.

2. Design and approval of programmes

Programmes at Dunster Business School indicate the geography of the target audience whenever that audience is more restricted than DBSs stated global agenda. All DBS admissions procedures reflect prerequisites for course level and mutual respect for the training of other institutions. Courses at DBS indicate the course level, the qualifications of the teaching staff, the teacher-learner dynamics and, when appropriate, peer-learning dynamics.

2.1. Tutorial teaching

Dunster Business School provides teaching in many different styles, including large synchronous and asynchronous lectures, research discussion seminars, and the style of tutorial teaching.

A small group of students discuss their work with a faculty member. Tutorials are used in the natural sciences and the humanities, and they are used at all course levels.

During the tutorial, students discuss and defend their work while investigating the subject matter of a submitted assignment with a faculty member for about 75 minutes. Students read key sections of their assignments aloud for discussion. Reading their writing aloud strengthens a student’s presentation skills, and benefits the other students. Faculty members ask all participants about how they have addressed the issue under consideration, or how they view the topic in light of the reading.

Towards the end of the tutorial discussion, the next assignment is surveyed, and faculty members are permitted to adjust next week’s assignment prompt, tailoring it to the student’s interests or weaknesses. Adjustments to the assigned prompt should highlight key areas within the scope of the resources available as part of the course.

2.2. Course resources

All courses state, before student application, the resources required to complete the course successfully. Modules normally include a digital version of all the resources required for the successful completion of the module; where this is not possible, modules must specify whether further outside resources will need to be purchased for the successful completion of the module.

Appropriate academic resources consist of peer-reviewed academic publications and recorded lectures by academics holding domain-specific research-based qualifications. For courses with employment or skills-based focus, domain-specific expertise of more than ten years is a qualification for acceptable content and should be combined with scholarly materials.

2.3. Form of assessment

All courses state the assessment techniques used. Academic assessment at Dunstr Business School is of two kinds: formative and cumulative.

Formative assessment applies to the continuous evaluation of student progress, concentrating on submitted assignments or submitted dissertation components, and the ability of the student to respond to issues raised during a teaching session or by faculty feedback.

Cumulative examination requires a student to deepen, extend, and synthesise the scholarly engagements initiated in their prior work. Cumulative assessment is normally in the form of a long essay or portfolio submission. In the case of research projects, a dissertation, thesis or portfolio; cumulative assessment may include oral examination or proctored written examination.

2.4. Course design

Faculty members propose new courses using Dunster Business School’s course proposal tools. These tools gather and align information to define the student workload. Upon submission by a faculty member, the new course proposal is reviewed by DQAETAC and the President for formal compliance with DBS Quality Assurance Policy, after which the course is peer-reviewed internally by faculty members with curriculum expertise.

2.5. Technical and Media Support

Technical and Media Support is provided during both the design and delivery of programmes via (a) direct chat contact, (b) a contact phone number, (c) guidance documentation in the Support Centre, and (d) email support. Technical support requests are routed to a central pool, sorted by nature and severity, and directed to the most relevant expert; the President is responsible for ensuring that technical and media support is adequately provided at all times and may appoint technical support officers.

2.6. Indication of staff for engagement

Students are provided with a clear understanding of which staff members will interact with them. Each course has its faculty members and instructors on the course listed; when a student applies successfully to the course, they will receive an invitation to enrol which indicates the specific instructors on the course, if the student accepts the offer of enrolment. Students are further assigned an Academic Advisor to provide independent support.

2.7. External stakeholders

External stakeholders are invited to participate in the design and review of programmes. Engagements with external universities and businesses are subject to the guidelines of this Policy for Quality Assurance. External partners seeking to propose new academic courses at DBS must do so according to the same standards as faculty members, namely, they must verify their identities and credentials, join a college of peers, be subject to peer review, and propose a course.

DQAETAC seeks feedback from external stakeholders, particularly in cases of employment- or skills-focussed courses; feedback sources include industry experts, potential employers, industry-specific employment data, and students. In cases of purely academic courses, DQAETAC actively seeks feedback from external scholars and potential students. In each case, DQAETAC requests feedback by email or conference call. Recommendations are submitted to the President, who is responsible for the design and enhancement of programmes.

3. Student-centered Learning, Teaching, and Assessment

Modules at Dunster Business School are designed to encourage students to take an active role in shaping the learning process, and the assessment of students reflects this approach. The Criteria and Method of Assessment as well as criteria for marking are published in advance. Procedures are in place to verify the identity of all students participating in the assessment. Students are provided with personal Student Support to help them succeed in their academic studies.

All members of DBS are provided with tools for handling Mitigating Circumstances and the Escalation of Issues and Appeals.

3.1. Criteria and Method of Assessment

The criteria for and method of assessment as well as the marking criteria are published in advance, stated on all programme offerings, are visible before a student enrols in a course, and are available on the Dunster Business School platform for consultation.

The criteria for and method of assessment as well as criteria for marking are formally published in advance, annually in the DBS Academic Handbook, which is binding and valid for the years stated in the Handbook. The DBS Academic Handbook is subject to review by DQAETAC, which gathers faculty feedback and submits its recommendations for revision to the President. The Handbook is publicly available on the DBS platform and is given to every student and faculty member.

The marking scheme employs grade descriptors for the assignment of marks, and faculty provide individual feedback in conjunction with their marks. All faculty are required to familiarise themselves with the marking scheme and the grade descriptors; faculty who seek to develop further their competencies in the skill of marking are encouraged to approach another faculty member for co-marking. All faculty are required to provide marks according to the stated marking criteria and grade descriptors. Students receive marks according to the grade descriptors and additional written feedback on their weekly tutorial essays, and thus students have regular feedback and engagement with the marking criteria and advice on the learning process.

3.2. Identity of students being assessed

Students have their identity verified by a professional verification service provider, and their credentials verified and matched to their identity. Students are thereafter confirmed in their identity through the use of a private password or other digital gatekeepers, and the regular confirmation through face-to-face video conference calls. When modules are examined viva voce, an external examiner is present to participate and ensure the proceedings are conducted fairly. When modules are examined by long essays or projects, the academic supervisor regularly checks the identity of the student and queries the student’s comprehension of the submissions; DBS uses a third-party provider to check against plagiarism. All cases of academic fraud or plagiarism should be reported using the red flag procedures. For further, see Academic Fraud. All courses are subject to cyclical peer review, Ongoing monitoring and Periodic Review of Programmes.

3.3. Tutorial teaching

Dunster Business School provides teaching in many different styles, including large synchronous and asynchronous lectures, research discussion seminars, and tutorial teaching. Tutorial teaching consists of small classes of students studying directly with a professor; classes are rigorous, and the learning outcomes include skills of independent thinking, logical analysis, problem-solving, and intellectual flexibility.

The tutorial teaching method used by DBS is particularly fit for providing student-centred learning. Tutorial teaching provides a highly personal learning experience because every tutorial discussion is tailored specifically to the interests, strengths, needs, weaknesses, and styles of a small number of students. All tutorial courses indicate the maximum number of students per tutorial class.

By design, degree courses with small class sizes may allow greater student choice in selection because fewer students are required to join a class for it to run; this may allow more optional modules to be offered as part of the course.

Tutorials are used both in the natural sciences and the humanities. Preparing for a single tutorial requires 2-3 days of work. A student must review about 200 pages of material (depending on the subject) and prepare a piece of written work – whether mathematical problems or an essay. The student must then be ready to discuss and defend their written work directly with a professor for 75 minutes. At the end of the tutorial, the student receives written feedback and a mark on the submitted work and associated discussion.

Tutorials are mentally demanding and personally engaging. Tutorial teaching produces high-quality domain-specific learning outcomes because students must learn materials for themselves, before presenting their work to a professor in their own words for examination twice per week. By requiring students to describe and analyse topics in their own words, tutorials engage and extend a student’s existing range of abilities

Tutorial teaching produces high-quality domain-agnostic learning outcomes because students must be prepared to organise and present an assignment twice per week and be prepared to think analytically and creatively about what they have done. Students must learn to present their viewpoint, even while being prepared to adopt a new position in light of the evidence and under the examination of the teacher.

Teachers of tutorials are provided with guidance on tutorial teaching, and tutorials are periodically observed by a second faculty member; both the student and faculty member are notified in advance of tutorial observations.

3.4. Selection of essay topics

At the end of every tutorial, the professor and student examine the essay question in the syllabus scheduled for the next week’s tutorial essay. These may be adjusted slightly within the existing scope of the module’s reading list, given the student’s weaknesses and interests. It is normally expected that the final essay question will be suggested entirely by the student based on the module’s assigned reading list.

3.5. Cumulative assessment

Cumulative assessment is directed towards the student’s work, providing an opportunity to deepen, refine, and synthesize the prior weeks of a module.

Cumulative examination requires a student to deepen, extend, and synthesise the scholarly engagements initiated in their prior work. Cumulative assessment is normally in the form of a long essay or portfolio submission, or in the case of research projects, a dissertation or thesis; cumulative assessment may include oral examination or proctored written examination.

All students must declare their submitted work to be of their own efforts and online proctoring techniques, which are at the discretion of DQAETAC, will be required. DQAETAC also conducts periodic reviews of marking practices to ensure uniformity of implementation across modules and colleges, and in such cases requires scripts to be marked twice, including by new examiners.

Examination of a dissertation or thesis will in all cases require that the examiner hold an equivalent or higher degree. Dissertations are marked both by the supervising tutor and by another faculty member of DBS. Their marks will be averaged, but any spread greater than five points that cannot be immediately resolved by the two markers will trigger a review by a third faculty member for a final decision. The examiner must be a faculty member different from the supervising tutor. Faculty are required to have observed an oral dissertation or thesis examination before examining students viva voce; DBS provides its faculty with resources to ensure their alignment with the assessment method. It is normally expected that a viva voce examination will not lower the mark of a dissertation.

Examinations of a doctoral thesis will in all cases require that the examiner holds a research doctorate and that the examiner be a different faculty member than the supervising tutor. Faculty are required to have observed an oral dissertation or thesis examination before examining students viva voce; DBS provides its faculty with resources to ensure their alignment with the assessment method.

3.6. Student support

In addition to providing their core weekly tutorial lessons, teachers must make available one hour per week of a ‘digital open office hour’ that can be booked by their tutorial students, should they require extra academic support that cannot be provided within the normal tutorial sessions. All new students are required to book an extra session during their first week of studying with DBS.

Moreover, every student is also assigned an Academic Advisor, who is a faculty member from within the student’s college, and who acts as the first point of contact for non-technical academic issues related to the student’s progress, particularly where these may benefit from an independent point of view. Thus, every faculty member not only oversees their students but must also provide, on an exchange basis, availabilities that can be booked per week, per outside student, should the need arise, by their Academic Advisees.

All users of the DBS platform are responsible for the maintenance of their equipment, including their technological hardware, software, and internet connection. Users of the DBS LMS, including all enrolled students, must accept the Technology Agreement, by which they attest that they possess the technical infrastructure needed to engage successfully with the DBS software platform – including the hardware and software necessary to make a video conference call over the internet, compose and submit typewritten work to the DBS LMS, and engage over extended periods with digital resources at the direction of their tutors.

3.7. Mitigating circumstances and appeals

The regulations for assessment take into account mitigating circumstances and provide a clear avenue for handling appeals and complaints. When serious circumstances (‘Mitigating Circumstances’), beyond the control of a student or faculty member, adversely affect academic performance or tutorial support, the appeal related to the Mitigating Circumstances must be submitted using Dunster Business School’s red flag procedure.

Mitigating Circumstances may include but are not limited to serious medical problems, domestic and personal circumstances, major accidents or interruptions of public services, disturbances during examination, or serious administrative or procedural errors with a material affect on outcomes.

Mitigating circumstances do not normally include a member’s personal technology problems, including software, hardware, or personal internet connection failures; employment obligations or changes in employment obligations; permanent or sustained medical conditions (unless there is a sudden change of condition); or circumstances where no official evidence has been submitted.

Mitigating circumstances are normally only considered when a red flag has been submitted for the issue before the deadline of an affected assignment, or within two weeks of a cumulative examination. Proof of mitigating circumstances may result in an extended deadline or examination period, or the possibility to retake an examination; it will not result in any remarking of existing submissions or exams.

4. Student Admission, Progression, Recognition, and Certification

4.1. Admissions criteria

Dunster Business School’s admissions criteria are implemented consistently and transparently. All DBS admissions procedures reflect respect for the training of other institutions.

The following three criteria are important for admissions

— Evidence of academic ability, including both proven and potential excellence.

— The aptitude of the student to benefit from the education offered in the course, such as online tutorials or supervised independent research.

— Competence and interest in pursuing the course subject.

Applicants are always evaluated based on evidence submitted in their application; that evidence consists of a record of their prior educational achievements and those publicly described selection criteria which are stated on the program in line with the approved requirements of the course. The admissions process is conducted by college administrators and faculty members who teach the course to which the student is admitted.

4.2. Admissions process

Students must follow the instructions stated on the DBS platform for the programme to which they apply. All students must submit the requested evidence for the course, including a record of their prior educational achievements, and those documents required by the programme. Students are informed of the expected start date of the programme before they apply, and the outcome of their application is delivered, using the contact details provided by the student.

Students are admitted to a course of study by college administrators, and by faculty members who teach the course. Course offerings state whether application submission and assessments are open and ongoing, and they state the start date of programmes. Students may apply to multiple courses.

All applications are always reviewed according to the criteria and based on the evidence submitted. The applications are overseen by the Dean. In the case that disagreement arises within an admissions committee about whether to admit a specific student, the College Dean makes the final decision. In the case of any allegation of procedural misconduct, or inappropriate discrimination or prejudice, then a red flag should be submitted according to the normal procedure.

All students are oriented and inducted into their course in the following manner. Students are informed of the requirements for completing their course; course-specific orientation information is stated on the course materials. All newly enrolled students are further assigned, as a part of their programme, contact points for academic and college questions.

4.3. Progression, recognition, and certification

All requirements for course progression are applied uniformly, stated in the course description, and students must acknowledge their understanding of the course description and its requirements before enrolling in the course; this includes a statement on cheating and plagiarism. All courses state the minimum grades required for progression, and all grades reflect the stated marking criteria and grade descriptors.

The methods used to recognise and validate student progression apply specifically to online or blended learning, and these are uniformly applied. These methods include the capture of data relevant to progression, including the submission of weekly or final essays, attendance at tutorial meetings, the mark and written feedback received on submitted work and examinations, and the accumulation of relevant grades with an average meeting the stated requirement for successful course completion. Student records, including the official transcript of completed modules and grades, are stored digitally.

Students who complete a course of study receive a digital certificate and access to a copy of their transcript. Certificates and transcripts provide contextual information on the credit earned.

4.4. Teaching staff

All teaching is provided by competent academics or industry experts with qualifications commensurate to their role. All teachers are also expected to have relevant teaching experience in the domain of their expertise. Other teaching staff are called Instructors or Professional Experts. They are used in a course to provide domain-specific academic and industry insights, including teaching during synchronous sessions and feedback on student work. Instructors and Professional Experts operate under the supervision of staff with PhDs. Professional Experts must have at least 7 years of industry-specific professional and/or management experience and are under the direct authority of the Faculty members. All staff must receive pedagogical training before engaging with students.

Dunster Business School uses clear, fair, and transparent processes for teaching recruitment, conditions of employment, and professional advancement. Notices of availabilities are publically listed on the DBS website and, when available, other sites visited by academics. Criteria for teaching positions, including any associated conditions of ongoing employment, are clearly stated. Applications for teaching are reviewed by the Academic Board of the college, or a committee until a position(s) is filled. All applicants are required to demonstrate their competence for the teaching position by providing a copy of their credentials to be verified before the position is filled. This policy applies to all teaching roles, including any teaching services provided by third-party vendors, which are subject to the same process of review. In all cases, the final decision for filling a role according to the criteria stated in the public notice is made by the Academic Board.

Dunster Business School’s QA policies and procedures apply consistently to full-time, part-time, ad hoc, and third-party teaching activities. All teaching activities fall within the scope of the QA policy. Teaching staff, including part-time or ad hoc teaching, staff are directed towards updates and developments in their field as well as the methodological requirements for their programmes. All Faculty Members are encouraged to discuss innovative forms of teaching, formulate how these may be implemented, and propose those implementations. At the end of all teaching modules, students provide feedback on their teaching experience, and twice per year, faculty provide feedback by survey. All teachers are expected to maintain a record of positive student outcomes, and teaching activities are periodically reviewed or observed. In cases of disagreement, or suspected misconduct, fraud, or prejudice; a red flag should be submitted.

The link between teaching and research is supported by DBSf’s model of tutorial teaching, which encourages engagement by both tutors and students with specialised scholarship, and stimulates students and tutors to engage in the discovery or creation of new knowledge. All modules are subject to processes of quality enhancement to improve student outcomes, including the module’s continued engagement.

5. Learning Resources and Support

5.1. Learning resources

Courses offered by Dunster Business School are designed for online or blended learning. The required course materials are indicated on modules before students enrol. The module provides clear information for students to understand what the cost of additional materials will be, before the student enrols in the course, and wherever possible, practical guidance should be provided on the acquisition of the required materials from diverse vendors.

Sufficient funding is allocated for DBS technical infrastructure; the President is responsible for ensuring that digital infrastructure has the following features: (1) Automated procedures to ensure continuity of service in case of site-specific equipment or software failure; and (2) Backup systems that include real-time mirroring of data with onsite and offsite backups..

5.2. Diverse student requirements

The needs of diverse student populations are considered, and students are informed about the requirements and responsibilities they must accept by enrolling in a programme at Dunster Business School. All users of the DBS learning platform, including students, must accept the Technology Agreement, by which they attest that they possess the technical infrastructure needed to engage successfully.

All resources are fit for purpose and accessible. Students are informed about the services available to them. Students or faculty members in need of technical support for their engagement with the DBS platform should, in the first instance, consult the digital guide and Customer Support, or contact the designated support person. Technical support personnel are highly trained and provided the opportunity for continued professional development.

6. Information Management

Student and teacher records begin with a verification of identity and credentials by a professional verification service provider; the identity of the student or teacher is thereafter continuously confirmed through the use of (1) a private password and other digital gatekeepers, and (2) the regular confirmation through face-to-face video conference calls which are central to the personalise education provided.

Student records include information on admissions, student details, and assessments. Information about students is collected at enrolment, during and at the end of every programme, at departure, and, where possible, by follow-up after departure. The information that is gathered attends to the following metrics: the profile of the student population, student progression, success and drop-out rates; student satisfaction with the programmes; the adequacy of learning resources and student support available; and the career paths of graduates. Information is gathered from the profile information of students and by survey. Information is analysed by DQAETAC.

Dunster Business School’s data backup systems are in line with the highest standards for international enterprises. DBS uses server systems that are maintained by a professional technical staff. The data architecture is designed for redundancy and automatic continuity of service in cases of site-specific failure, and the hardware is regularly updated across the system.

7. Public information

Information on the DBS platform is displayed about the teaching activities and programmes; including the selection criteria for admissions; the qualifications awarded, the formative and summative assessment procedures used, the learning resources and opportunities available, the potential career pathways of those completing the course; and, when sufficient information is available, the pass rates and post-course employment information of prior students on the programme.

Sufficient information is available for prospective applicants to be able to make an informed choice in terms of the knowledge, skills and competencies they are likely to have developed upon successful completion of the programme. Information is displayed publicly and is meant to be useful for prospective and current students considering the learning outcomes they should expect to acquire on completing a programme; as well as for graduates, other stakeholders, and the public.

8. On-going Monitoring and Periodic Review of Programmes

Ongoing monitoring and periodic review and revision of study programmes aim to ensure that the programmes and resources remain appropriate and to create a supportive and effective learning environment for both faculty and students. Actions planned or taken as a result of the monitoring and periodic review of programs are communicated to those concerned.

On-going and periodic monitoring is the responsibility of DQAETAC. The scope includes the periodic observation of teaching. External stakeholders are consulted in the formation of new programmes, and the periodic review of programmes; where those programmes expressly aim for employability, stakeholders from the world of work are consulted. Where relevant, external stakeholders will include the input of External Quality Assurance.

The ongoing review of programmes includes surveys that query both students and faculty about the perceived changing needs of society, and members of DQAETAC are directed to third-party publications to help them stay abreast of developments in the education sector.

On-going monitoring and periodic review, including through surveys and external consultations, seek to discover whether programmes are up to date, appropriate to the needs of society, appropriate and balanced in their workload, effective for student progression and completion, appropriate and effective in their formative and summative assessment, meeting the expectations of students, and supported by appropriate services for the programme.

DQAETAC formulates recommendations based on the results of the ongoing monitoring and periodic review of programmes, which are delivered to the President for final decision. Actions taken as a result of periodic reviews are communicated to stakeholders, including teachers and students.

Regular reviews will examine all Dunster Business School Quality Assurance policies to ensure that it is fit-for-purpose and that they address QA requirements in line with the scope and complexity of the education services that Dunster Business School provides.