1. Objective
To establish coordination mechanisms for undergraduate and graduate degree courses included in the Faculty Internal Quality Assurance System (hereinafter, IQAS), to which the Implementation Certificate was granted (July 2014).
The undergraduate and graduate degree courses must have a teaching coordination system in accordance with the provisions of the Key Procedure PCC05_M01.
2. Coordination of subjects according to the Academic Planning Regulations of the ULPGC (BOULPGC, no. 1 of 14 January 2014, page 23)
“Chapter 2. On the coordination of the subjects
Article 33 – Teaching Coordinators
1. When a subject is taught by several lecturers, the coordinator of the subject performs the following functions:
- Coordinates the development of the syllabus in all groups.
- Coordinates together with the other lecturers of the subject that the assessment criteria are used as set out in the syllabus.
- If there is no agreement between the lecturers, a meeting shall be convened. The secretary of the department, or his/her delegate, is responsible for the compilation in a report of an accurate summary record of such a meeting. This report must be sent to the head of department within five days.
- Works to ensure that all lecturers use materials and complete the teaching activities included in the syllabus. In addition, every lecturer may use other materials in order to achieve the objectives of the subject.
- Informs the head of the centre or department of complaints or deviations in teaching practices assessed in coordination meetings.
2. If a degree course is taught in centres located in more than one island, a coordinator of subject for every centre shall be appointed. This coordinator must teach in such a degree course and will be called coordinator of subject-centre. Such a coordinator has the same functions as a coordinator of a subject has, with the exception of the coordination of the update on the syllabus. A coordinator of subject-centre shall be appointed as coordinator subject-course to coordinate teaching practice in the corresponding centres. The coordinator of subject-course must coordinate the update on the syllabus.
3. Under no circumstances may a lecturer coordinate more than two subjects shared with other lecturers, unless there is not another possibility due to the characteristics of the teaching tasks.
4. The coordinator must be unanimously elected.
5. If the lecturers teaching the subject do not unanimously agree, the coordinator shall be appointed according to the order of precedence (Annex II). Such a coordinator must have a complete teaching group and must meet the terms set out herein.
6. Where necessary, a coordinator of a Branch for the basic subjects of a Branch shall be elected by the Committee of such a Branch of knowledge. This coordinator of a Branch must be a full-time lecturer included in the teaching team approved in the annual teaching plan of the degree course in which the basic subjects are taught.
7. The coordinator of a Branch works to ensure the fulfilment of all agreements reached at the Committee of a Branch with respect to the content of the basic subjects of a Branch included in the diverse degree courses.”
3. Objectives of the coordination
- To improve teaching practice.
- To ensure the use of the teaching methods as established in the syllabus and in accordance with the verification of the degree course.
- To ensure that the diverse lecturers teaching the same subject teach the contents set out in the syllabus.
- To standardise the qualification framework between groups and lecturers of a subject, as well as between other related subjects of the degree course.
- To ensure that the diverse groups of students have the same teaching contents, available resources, and qualification framework.
4. The functions of the coordinator
- Develops the syllabus of the subject.
- Designs and revises the syllabus with the other lecturers of the subject, as well as with other lecturers of related subjects of the degree course.
- Promotes new teaching activities and methods.
- Convenes subject coordination meetings. All lecturers teaching the corresponding subject must attend to such meetings.
- Analyses potential different results between diverse groups of students of a subject, as well as between other related subjects of the degree course.
- Attends coordination meetings of a year, and informs the other lecturers of the subject.
- Makes a report on academic and coordination actions developed for the subject (Annex 1 – PCC05_M01).
5. Teaching Coordination Procedure
Teaching coordination is linked to the Key Procedure for Teaching Development and Student Assessment (PCC05_M01) of the IQAS.
In the first phase of coordination, the coordinator and the rest of the lecturers of each subject develop the corresponding syllabus.
A year coordination meeting is held at the beginning of each semester. In this meeting, the coordinator of each subject suggests a schedule of activities in order to avoid overlapping between the activities included in the syllabuses of the rest of subjects.
In addition, coordinators try not to include an excessive number of activities. Therefore, student assessment should be conducted with a balanced distribution of tasks throughout the academic year.
A coordination meeting is held at the end of each semester. In this meeting, coordinators and lecturers review the activities conducted and their results and they also emphasises problems found in order to resolve them in the following academic year.
6. Integration with the IQAS
This document shall be attached as evidence to the Key Procedure for Teaching Development and Student Assessment (PCC05_M01) of the IQAS. The set of reports resulting from the coordination meetings of every undergraduate degree course shall be attached as evidence to such a procedure.
The Quality Assurance Committee analyses all the information on coordination actions undertaken in the degree courses, they also suggests appropriate actions.
7. Recognition of coordination activities in Docentia
To facilitate the coordination activities set out herein, coordination is considered as an assessment factor of indicators included in the Docentia reports of the Faculty.
The failure to undertake the coordination actions set out herein would lead to a negative assessment in Docentia for the lecturers involved.