The university’s Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience Professor Sarah Speight has been appointed to panel of academic experts in learning and teaching to carry out Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) assessments.

The panel brings together an impressive breadth and depth of independent academic expertise, and experience in representing students, from all parts of the higher education sector.

Their job will be to decide the ratings for providers that are due to take part in the TEF by making submissions in January 2023.

Speaking about the appointment, Professor Speight said: “A core purpose of the TEF is to encourage universities to improve student experience and student outcomes. Serving on the TEF panel will give me the opportunity to draw on my own professional experience in the assessment of how well the sector does this,  it will enable me to learn from others and to develop my own educational leadership. It will be hard work, but also a privilege”.

The new panel is the latest milestone in the Office for Students’ (OfS) work to overhaul the approach to regulating quality. A third of the members are students, bringing a wide range of experience in representing the interests of students from all backgrounds.

Professor Sir Chris Husbands is the chair of the TEF Panel, which also includes:

• Two deputy chairs
• 40 academic members
• 20 student members
• Two OfS staff members

The Teaching Excellence Framework is a national scheme run by the Office for Students that aims to encourage higher education providers to improve and deliver excellence in the areas that students care about the most: teaching, learning and student outcomes (whether students go on to managerial or professional employment, or further study).

The TEF does this by assessing and rating universities and colleges for excellence above a set of minimum requirements for quality and standards.

Providers that take part in TEF can receive an overall rating as well as two underpinning ratings – one for the student experience and one for student outcomes.

The ratings reflect the extent to which a provider delivers an excellent experience and outcomes for its mix of undergraduate students and across the range of its undergraduate courses and subjects.

Find out more about the new TEF Panel, including a full list of members here.