• Section 1 - Introduction
• Purpose and Parent Policy
• Responsibilities
• Staff Responsibilities
• Faculty Responsibilities
• Section 2 - Procedure
• Part A - Procedure for Venue Selection and Booking
• Assessment of Venues
• Booking of Venues
• Venue Notification to Students and Faculty
• Assuring the Ongoing Quality of Venues
• Procedure Where Concerns About the Suitability of a Venue Are Identified 

Section 1 - Introduction

Purpose and Parent Policy

(1) This procedure ensures that all on-site facilities used by the College, or a collaborating partner, for teaching, learning and assessment are fit for purpose and satisfy the minimum standard requirements of the College. It also ensures that the suitability of venues is continually reviewed and the views of students, Tutors, Invigilators and administrative support Staff are taken into consideration.

(2) The parent policy is the Ensuring and Maintaining the Quality of Physical Learning and Assessment Environments Policy.

Responsibilities

Staff Responsibilities

(3) The Head of Student Affairs is responsible for the implementation of this procedure. 

(4) The Academic Integrity and Assessments Manager is responsible for ensuring the suitability of venues used for the purpose of assessment, i.e. examination centres.

(5) The Quality, Enhancement and Registrations Manager collates and circulates feedback on venues to relevant stakeholders. 

Faculty Responsibilities

(6) The Programme Director or nominee is responsible for providing details of specific resource requirements, for example, science labs, sports halls and IT equipment. 

(7) The Programme Director or nominee and all Tutors are responsible for providing feedback to the Head of Student Affairs on any teaching venue that is not deemed fit for purpose or gives cause for concern.

(8) Examiners, Invigilators and the Programme Team are required to notify the Academic Integrity and Assessments Manager of any concerns regarding the suitability of venues used for the purpose of assessment.

Section 2 - Procedure

Part A - Procedure for Venue Selection and Booking

Assessment of Venues

(9) The Student Services Officer completes a venue assessment for all potential venues. 

(10) The Student Services Officer may delegate a site visit to an appropriate College or partner representative. 

(11) Suitable venues are recorded in the Database of Approved Venues. 

(12) The Student Services Officer oversees the venue payment process and contributes to budget forecasting. 

Booking of Venues

(13) The Programme Director or nominee ensures that all dates for onsite venues are entered into the Programme Calendar. 

(14) The Student Services Officer consults the Programme Calendar for dates of required venues.

(15) Any specific requirements for teaching venues are confirmed by the Student Services Officer with the Programme Team or Lead Tutor, as appropriate. 

(16) The Academic Integrity and Assessments Manager notifies the Student Services Officer of dates and requirements for assessment venues, to include specific requirements for students with reasonable accommodations.

(17) The Student Services Officer maintains a summary of requirements for each event in a central database. 

(18) The Student Services Officer books an appropriate venue with necessary facilities and capacity using the Database of Approved Venues. 

(19) The Student Services Officer records the completed venue booking in the central spreadsheet and updates the Student Calendar.

(20) One week ahead of the on-site class taking place, the Student Services Officer reconfirms the booking and requirements with the venue.

Venue Notification to Students and Faculty

(21) The Student Calendar is updated by the Student Services Officer with full details of the booked venue. 

(22) Tutors are notified by email of the details of the booked venue by the Student Services Officer. 

(23) The responsibility for notification related to assessment lies with the Assessment and Awards Office. 

Assuring the Ongoing Quality of Venues

(24) At every rebooking of an existing approved venue, the Student Services Officer confirms that they continue to meet the minimum standards and updates the database. Venues which do not meet the minimum standards will be removed from the Database of Approved Venues. 

(25) Students, Tutors, Examiners and Invigilators are advised to notify the Student Services Officer at the earliest opportunity to raise any concerns relating to a venue and its facilities.

(26) Faculty and Adjunct Faculty are requested to submit feedback on on-site teaching venue and facilities.

(27) Students are requested to submit feedback relating to teaching venues after each module which includes the suitability of on-site venues.

(28) Feedback is collated by the Quality, Enhancement and Registrations Manager and passed to the: 

1. Student Services Officer
2. Programme Director in respect of teaching venues
3. Assessment and Awards Office in respect of assessment venues

Procedure Where Concerns About the Suitability of a Venue Are Identified 

(29) When notified of a concern related to a venue, the Student Services Officer will initiate an investigation.

(30) In respect of assessment venues, the matter will be investigated by the Academic Integrity and Assessments Manager to establish if the students’ assessment opportunity was affected and if the Board of Examiners needs to be notified.

(31) The venue will be notified of concerns and be required to address the matter and advise the Student Services Officer of corrective action taken.

(32) The Student Services Officer will brief the Programme Director or nominee of the outcomes of discussions with the venue and details of any corrective action taken, where relevant, and a decision will be reached in relation to the ongoing suitability of the venue.

(33) The Student Services Officer will notify all parties of the decision.

(34) The Academic Integrity and Assessments Manager will record concerns and consider these when planning venue bookings for the next sitting.