Possible revisions to structure of the academic year
The University and the Students’ Union are consulting staff and students on possible improvements to two specific aspects of the structure of the academic year for 2013-14, arising from recent feedback from teaching faculty and students.
The introduction of the new structure of the academic year in autumn 2012 followed extensive discussion and consultation, and has created significant improvements in the teaching year. The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) report due soon is expected to give a positive assessment of its creation at Sussex.
A full review by Sussex of the new academic year structure will be taking place in 2013-14, once the new structure has had a full year to run. That review will look at all the issues associated with the new structure and the detail of impact on students and staff.
However, there are two particular aspects of the new structure which the University believes could be amended for 2013-14, if change is supported within the community:
- the date when the 12 weeks of teaching start in the autumn term; and
- the length of the mid-year assessment period.
On the first, the University is seeking views on whether teaching in the autumn should start on Monday 23 September (rather than Thursday 19 September of Freshers’ Week), and then run to finish 12 weeks later on Friday 13 December (rather than Wednesday 11 December). The reason for this change would be to ensure that the teaching week starts on a Monday, reducing any confusion about the running of teaching weeks and to simplify the planning and delivery of teaching activity, as has been asked for by schools.
The Thursday and Friday of Freshers’ Week would still be used for student induction and re-induction. New students would have academic induction to their courses and non-assessed teaching activities – as had been the original model for the new structure. Returning students would also still be expected to be back at Sussex for these two days – and they would be exclusively used for course re-induction and preparation for the following 12 weeks of teaching.
The consultation is also seeking views on a possible change to the mid-year assessment period – which some students had thought too compressed over just nine days. The possible change would involve spreading the assessment over two weeks, so that students would not have more than one assessment on the same day. This earlier start would also allow more time for exams to be marked by teaching staff before the start of teaching in the spring term, with exams front-loaded during the two week period, where possible.
Under this amended model, the new term structure would therefore be:
- Welcome weekend for new students Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September, as before;
- Freshers’ Week starts on Monday 16 September, as before, but with academic induction and re-induction for all students on Thursday 19 and Friday 20 September.
- Twelve weeks of teaching from Monday 23 September until Friday 13 December (ie 2 days later).
- Mid-year assessment: Monday 6 January to Friday 17 January (ie starting two days earlier)
- Spring term teaching period unchanged, starting on Monday 20 January.
To take part in the consultation, fill in the staff survey.
The deadline for responses is Wednesday 26 June. Decisions on these matters would be for Senate, the University’s academic body.
This consultation just concerns the start of autumn term teaching and the length of the mid-year assessment period. The full review of the structure of the academic year will take place during 2013-14.