Trinity Education Project makes strong progress
Posted on: 13 July 2017
The Trinity Education Project (TEP) – a University-wide project to renew and refresh Trinity’s education provision – has made strong progress throughout the 2016/17 academic year.
TEP is one of the central initiatives of the Strategic Plan 2014-19. Its overall purpose is to ensure that the undergraduate curriculum is developed in such a way that enhances Trinity’s reputation for excellence. The focus is on continuing to deliver first-class programmes and a distinctive student experience, and equipping our graduates with skills that enable them to be career ready.
“I have been constantly impressed by the innovative practices already in place and by the enthusiastic engagement and participation of colleagues in TEP-related activities such as the series of knowledge exchanges led by the Trinity Education Fellows and CAPSL,” commented the Vice-Provost/Chief Academic Officer, Professor Chris Morash.
Among the key decisions made during the past year were the agreement of a new academic year structure for the 2018/19 academic year with semesterisation of teaching and learning, and an agreed set of standardised progressions and awards criteria, which will be the basis of a standardised set of university-wide progression regulations.
These decisions will shape much of the implementation work to be completed over the next academic year, so that Trinity is ready to admit students to Year 1 of the new programme architecture on a phased basis. An overview of the implementation timeline ahead looks like this:
Implementation: Academic Year 2018/19
- Implementation of the agreed academic year structure and the introduction of semesterisation for all students.
Phase 1 TEP implementation:
- Admission of Junior Fresh students to Year 1 of the new Science programme architecture via the four new Science entry routes (streams).
- Admission of Junior Fresh students to Year 1 of the new programme architecture for programmes which are not impacted by the external two-subject course review.
Implementation: Academic Year 2019/20
Phase 2 TEP implementation:
- Admission of Junior Fresh students to Year 1 of the new programme architecture in all other programmes (Single Honors, TSM and other two subject combinations, multidisciplinary, common entry) following an external review of entry routes to TSM and other two subject combinations.
“We very much appreciate that a significant effort will be required to identify and work through the impact of the new Academic Year Structure on assessment methods, curriculum renewal and development and the impact that the standardisation of progression and awards such as reassessment, annual progression and degree award calculations at a course and programme level, and various forms of support to Schools will be forthcoming in the months ahead to help with this,” continued the Vice-Provost/CAO.
A new TEP governance structure for Phase 4 of TEP (Implementation) has been established with a reconfigured TEP Steering Committee chaired by the Provost and six new steering sub-groups:
- Public Affairs, Marketing and Internal Communications
- Technology & Business Process Re-engineering
- Trinity Electives and Approved Modules
- Pedagogy, Internships
- Careers, Student Mobility & Co-Curriculum Activities
- Progression & Awards, Fixed Timetable and Learning spaces.
Work has commenced on these priority areas. Professor Kevin Mitchell, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Science Education chairs the 6th sub-group and will be in contact with Schools and Course offices in relation to the progression and awards element of the TEP work-programme in the coming months. In parallel, the Project Manager, Fedelma McNamara will contact each Head of School to identify how best to support them with this work.
“There has been a tremendous amount of work completed over the past 12 months and I would like to thank all colleagues who have participated in the work of the Trinity Education Project this academic year and to date. I look forward to working with colleagues from all around the campus over the next academic year,” concluded the Vice-Provost/CAO.
For further information, please visit the Trinity Education Project website or email trinityeducationproject@tcd.ie
This article features in the summer 2017 edition of the Provost’s ezine, TRINITY NOW.