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Common Awards (Theology, Ministry and Mission)
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Annual Self Evaluation

This policy should be read in conjunction with: 

  • Our glossary, which provides an explanation of many of the key terms below. 
  • The Quality Assurance and Enhancement in Ministerial Formation Handbook from the Church of England.  

Annual Self Evaluation 

TEIs undertake a single process for reviewing, reflecting and reporting on their provision which covers both the requirements for Durham and the Ministry Development Team. This process is undertaken annually and is known as ‘Annual Self Evaluation’ or ‘ASE’. 

ASE can be conducted in a number of ways, such as: 

  1. An annual away-day 
  2. A dedicated meeting of the Management Committee 
  3. Consideration of key issues at routine meetings of committees through the course of the academic year 

We recognise that the particular structures and circumstances of TEIs may require different approaches than those above. It is recommended, however, that TEIs take a phased approach to ASE, allowing key business to be conducted through the course of the academic year which can then inform a more holistic and strategic discussion at a dedicated meeting or away-day. 

The approach chosen by TEIs should ensure that all staff who have taught or assessed on a Common Awards programme are given the opportunity to participate in some stage of the process. Similarly, all TEIs must directly involve students in the ASE process. Where a TEI conducts its ASE solely at an away-day or committee meeting, student representatives must be invited to this meeting and TEIs must ensure that the timing of this meeting allows this. Where a TEI chooses to adopt a phased approach to ASE, student involvement can be achieved through appropriate student representation on the committees participating in the phased ASE. The final ASE submission should be considered and approved for submission by the TEI Management Committee.  

TEIs may want to make use of data available in Moodle (for example, in relation to student progress and achievement), and other data held by individual TEIs (for example, in relation to admissions, student feedback, and academic complaints).  

The ASE process can often lead to curriculum development changes. TEIs are asked to briefly indicate the nature of any such changes in the Section B report form. 

Using the ASE form 

The ASE form is in two inter-related parts. See our Templates and Forms page to download these: 

Section A: Formation and Governance (Church of England) 

Section A is to be filled in by the formational centre within a TEI, or by the TEI where it is coterminous with the formational centre; however, question A7 on governance is likely in any case to need some response at TEI level.

Section A is further subdivided into ‘formation’ and ‘governance’. A TEI will need to decide how many Section As it needs to fill in. Where, for example, ordinands and Reader students share the majority of two formational pathways, the TEI can fill in separate Section A (formation) for these groups of students but a single one for governance. Or it can fill in one Section A but note within it where different issues arise for the two groups of students. Again, a judgement should be made by the practitioners on the best approach, consulting their quality adviser.

Completed Section A forms will be seen by the  Ministry Development Team only (and equivalent bodies in the partner churches where appropriate).

Section B: Taught Programmes (Durham University) 

Section B is filled in mainly by the TEI. However, questions B10-14 may be for the formational centre. Individual TEIs/centres will need to decide the best approach in their case, in consultation with their quality adviser (for an explanation of this role, see the guidance in the Ministry Development Team’s Quality Assurance and Enhancement in Ministerial Formation Handbook).

For Common Awards, only one form should be filled in for all programmes, including undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Within the one form separate points can be made about individual programmes as necessary.

Where a TEI offers awards outside the Common Awards Scheme, a separate report should be provided to National Ministry Team for those programmes. The report will need to include information on the areas covered in Section B. TEIs may provide the information in one of the following formats:

  • EITHER submit the annual review report (or equivalent) that is required by the validating institution (provided that it broadly covers the areas of Section B indicated above);
  • OR, if the annual review report (or equivalent) that is required by the validating institution does not provide information on the questions indicated above, the TEI should submit:
    • EITHER the annual review report (or equivalent) AND additional information relating to the outstanding areas of Section B;
      OR a full, completed Section B form.

Completed Section B forms for Durham University-validated Common Awards will be seen by Durham University and by Ministry Development Team (and equivalent bodies in the partner churches where appropriate).

Completed Section B forms for provision validated by other universities will be seen by Ministry Development Team only (and equivalent bodies in the partner churches where appropriate) and the relevant university if the TEI chooses to share it with that university.

Submission and review of ASE forms 

ASE submissions are reviewed by the Ministry Development Team (and equivalent bodies in the partner churches where appropriate) and Durham University (Section B only). TEIs also offering programmes validated by other universities will need to follow the church’s quality assurances process, and, additionally, to observe any requirements of partner universities academic review procedures. Durham will not have sight of Section B material relating to the delivery or quality assurance of taught programmes validated by other universities, or of non-validated programmes. 

TEIs are asked to submit both Sections A and Section B forms to the Ministry Development Team; the relevant Section B forms will then be shared with Durham. The deadline for ASE submissions is in November each year. See our Common Awards Calendar for this year’s specific submission deadline. While the deadline for the submission of these reports is November, TEIs are welcome to complete this process at the most appropriate time in light of their contexts and the conclusion of their academic year.  

Following the receipt of submissions, a virtual meeting between TEIs and their University Liaison Officer (ULO) will be organised to discuss their content. These discussions form the basis of the annual reports authored by ULOs. See our page on University Liaison Officers for more information.  

As part of our consideration of the ASE reports, Durham will also produce an overview report that will identify any key issues arising from the ASE reports in relation to Common Awards provision. The overview report will seek to identify examples of good practice for dissemination, and highlight areas for enhancement. The overview report will be considered by the Common Awards Management Board. This report is also considered alongside a similar overview report for Section A submissions at a meeting of the CofE’s Quality and Formation Panel.  

Please note that for the Annual Self Evaluation cycle in 2022/23, the virtual meeting between TEIs and their ULO will also consider and discuss TEI action plans generated in response to the From Lament to Action report.

Good Practice 

Good practice shared by individual TEIs or identified through the overview reports is documented on our Good Practice page.