2. Programme Delivery and Quality Assurance

At Aston it is expected that students will undertake a placement or pre-registration year as part of a four-year course, spanning across all our Schools. Indeed, over 73% of undergraduate second year students now take a placement and this will rise to 100% by 2020. Placements can be taken in the UK and abroad, and include both work and study placements. Placements are vital in offering  employers an opportunity to give their businesses an edge by recruiting high calibre students, whilst providing our undergraduates with the high level of work-based skills they need.

During the placement year, students aim to develop their intellectual and practical skills. The emphasis is on the practical application, evaluation and enhanced appreciation of theories, issues and techniques learnt at University.

If you are an undergraduate Programme Director your role in relation to placements will be to support their increase; to help us achieve Aston’s 2020 overall KPI of 100% placements (with 35% of those abroad) through:

• Ensuring promotion of the placement year opportunities through all appropriate  student-focused  communication channels
• Monitoring student uptake of placements throughout the year and working with the Placements Team to develop initiatives to improve performance, where needed
• Working with the Placements Team, ensuring all students taking a placement have been allocated a dedicated Placement Tutor who is responsible for liaising with the student throughout the year by whatever method  is appropriate to help their development, provide academic  support and maximise  learning opportunities
• Working with the Placements Team and Placement Tutors to ensure appropriate levels of communication with the placement student throughout the year by whatever method is appropriate  providing  support and  guidance for  assessment requirements
• Ensuring all students on a UK-based Placement have received at least one face-to-face visit and students on overseas Placements have received a face-to-face, Skype or telephone ‘visit’
• Ensuring that all the exam and assessment procedures outlined by the University’s regulations for the relevant placement assessment are met
• Ensuring students receive all communications regarding placement assessment including arrangements for assessment submission, marking and feedback. These responsibilities include the arrangements for those on study placements abroad as well as those in the UK
• Encouraging academics to share any potential contacts that could lead to sourcing new placements in the UK and abroad
• Ensuring continuous improvement based on student, employer and tutor feedback.

More information can be found on placement support and placement Handbooks on the placements section of the University website or by visiting the Placements Team website.