Quality Committee

Approved by Executive Committee 23 January 2025

1. Terms of Reference

1.1 The Quality Committee is responsible for promoting a quality culture throughout the University.

1.2 It plays a supporting role in relation to all policy development and implementation.

1.3 It promotes and facilitates institutional integration and coherence in the context of quality policy and the implementation and management of such policy across the University.

1.4 It helps to ensure that the University takes due regard of relevant statutory quality assurance guidelines and international best practice.

1.5 It will advance human rights, equality, diversity and inclusion in line with university policies. It will aim to foster consistency and adopt common approaches where these serve the best interests of students and staff and ensure compliance with the University’s public sector duty requirements.

2. The Remit

Through its (a) composition, (b) reporting and liaising lines and (c) activities as articulated in its terms of reference, the Quality Committee has the remit to:

2.1 Inform, engage, support and promote a culture of quality by:

a.    Advising Executive Committee (EC), Academic Council (AC) and Governing Authority (GA), in relation to the development, implementation, effectiveness, review or enhancement of any aspect of quality policy or process.
b.    Proposing new or amended quality-related polices to EC or AC for their consideration.
c.    Advising EC and AC on the appropriateness of the internal UL quality review approach, schedule and general quality review process characteristics.
d.    Exploring systems to support QA/QE across the organisation, to facilitate greater reporting, data analysis and sharing of best practice.
e.    Considering and approving the recommendations of review panels constituted to review the quality assurance procedures and other quality assurance or enhancement mechanisms of linked providers.
f.    Periodically evaluating the UL quality manual, which describes the University’s quality assurance and enhancement architecture, and propose enhancements to the quality manual content for consideration by AC and EC.
g.    Considering and where appropriate approving the Annual Quality Assurance Report (AQR) prior to its submission to QQI.
h.    Considering assessment-of-compliance reports in respect of statutory QA guidelines and make enhancement recommendations to relevant officers/offices or Committees, as appropriate.
i.    Carrying out any additional quality-related tasks and initiatives as requested by AC and EC.

2.2 Contribute to and enhance institution-wide reviews, feedback and their implementation by:
a. Supporting, upon request from EC, AC or the PDP, the University’s preparations forinstitutional quality reviews and oversee implementation of post-review activities.
b. Monitoring progress of implementation of actions outlined in the University QIP andescalate to EC/AC as required.
c. Examining themes emerging from quality reviews across areas and present high-level reports/data on the progress being made, barriers encountered.

2.3 Advising on the nature and appropriateness of institutional-level stakeholder feedback mechanisms:
a) considering the findings of these mechanisms, and reporting the findings back to AC;
b) proposing quality enhancements based upon consideration of the findings toEC, AC or any other relevant UL office, officer or committee, as appropriate;
c) considering the effectiveness (both individually and as an integrated whole) of the said institutional-level student feedback mechanisms; and
d) proposing enhancements to the feedback mechanisms.

2.4 Maintain oversight of departmental/unit quality reviews and maximise their usefulness and impact by:
a. Considering and approving publication of the quality review reports to be on foot ofinternal quality reviews
b. Considering initial responses from departments/areas under review rorecommendations and providing feedback where relevant;
c. Monitoring implementation of the quality improvement plan (QIP) generated on footof a quality review report;
d. Making recommendations to EC and AC or other relevant UL office or officer orCommittee, as appropriate, on foot of its consideration of quality review reports or QIPs.

2.5 Support and improve collaborative provision by:
a. Reviewing the appropriateness of procedures in relation to linked and collaborative provision.
b.Recommending enhancements to procedures in relation to linked and collaborative provision, where needed
c. Making recommendations to EC based on reports from the Standing Panel on Collaborations.

2.6 Assess proposals through the lens of the public sector duty with respect to human rights, equality, diversity and inclusion and recommend any additional actions to be taken to address identified issues

3. Governance

3.1 The Committee will act with authority, as delegated by EC in order to take strategic and high-level policy decisions in the area of institutional quality assurance and enhancement.

3.2 In taking forward its remit, the Committee will support equality, diversity and inclusion and strive for gender balance. It will seek consistency and common approaches, where these are in the best interests of students and staff.

3.3 The Committee will liaise closely with other Committees of the EC, AC and other University Committees as appropriate.

3.4 The Committee shall liaise with Governing Authority and with specific university managers and offices in respect of issues or instances pertaining to matters of quality assurance and enhancement.

4. Operations

4.1 The Committee will meet at least six times per annum.

4.2 The Committee will follow a strategic agenda and will agree its Programme of Work on an annual and/or longer-term basis.

4.3 A quorum for a meeting of the Committee shall be one third of the total number of members, rounded up to the nearest whole number, plus one. The participation of members remotely will be counted for the purposes of a quorum. No meeting will proceed in the absence of a quorum.

4.4 Sub-Committees and limited-life Working Groups will take forward as relevant the detailed examination of, and consultation on, the strategic issues which make up the majority of the Committee’s work.

4.5 Sub-Committees and Working Groups will be given a clear brief and will consult as appropriate during their work.

4.6 At the start of each meeting, the Chair of the Committee will ask members to declare any conflict of interest, perceived or otherwise, in relation to any matters on the agenda. Where such a conflict is declared, the member will absent themselves from the meeting during consideration of the agenda item.

4.7 The Committee will provide all reports from quality reviews for noting and provide annual report to the EC. Matters for discussion and/or approval will be escalated by the Chair as necessary.

4.8 Questions arising at any Committee meeting shall be decided by a majority of the votes of the members present, either in person or remotely. Where there is an equality of votes, the Chair shall have an extra casting vote. Where decisions are unanimous, they shall be recorded as such in the minutes. Dissensions and negative votes shall be summarised in the minutes in terms acceptable to the dissenting person(s) or negative voter(s).

4.9 The Committee will review its terms of reference on an annual basis and recommend any proposed changes to the EC for consideration.

4.10 The Committee will undertake a self-evaluation process at least every three years and report on the outcome of this assessment to the EC.

4.11 Where a decision of the Quality Committee is required between scheduled meetings, an email vote will ensue. Committee quorum rules apply for email correspondence.

5. Composition and Membership

6. Responsibilities and Expectations of Committee Members

All members of the Committee:

6.1 Are expected to be collegial and constructive in approach.

6.2 Are expected to read all meeting documentation and prepare in advance of the meeting.

6.3 Should attend regularly and participate fully in the work of the Committee, its Sub Committees and Working Groups. This will involve looking ahead and consulting/gathering input in order to provide the broad spectrum of thoughts and opinions which are necessary for proper consideration of the area being discussed.
6.4 Will need to take collective ownership for any issues under the Committee’s remit and for the discussion and resolution of these issues.

6.5 Are expected to be committed to communicating the work of the Committee to the wider University Community.

6.6 Members may nominate an alternate to attend meetings.

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