Quality Assurance Procedures

Due to the relatively large student numbers in some of the years, a greater number of Teaching Assistants (recent graduates of the M. Arch programme) are employed to help the permanent year staff. Students are grouped into smaller units for effective supervision. (The same programme, however, is undertaken by each group of students). In consultation with the Year Staff, Directors of Programmes, and the Head of Department, Architectural Design Studio programmes are drawn for each semester.

To ensure an effective link between taught courses and design assignments, course lecturers give assignments in the theoretical courses related to studio programmes students are involved in at a particular time. Portfolio examinations are conducted at the end of the year by a panel of Year Staff and non-staff, primarily, to ensure internal quality assurance checks as well as to provide a certain level of fairness to the students.

At the end of each semester, two examination boards, namely, the Departmental Examinations Boards and the Faculty Examinations Boards, meet separately but mutually to further ensure the quality assurance measures for all academic programmes. In addition, the University’s Examination Audit team audits all results following which the College Board approves it. However, the Academic Board of the University is the highest body in the University where Quality assurance is concerned. This is done at special meetings convened to consider all university examination results. Presently, a sub-committee appointed by the Academic Board visits all Departments to further ensure the quality of results before they are finally presented to the Board.

For quality assurance and to promote teaching excellence, members of the teaching staff are assessed each semester by the students via an anonymous electronic procedure which is organised by an independent third party, that is, the Quality Assurance Unit of the university.