New College Durham University Centre is delighted to announce that it has been awarded a Silver rating by the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) panel. The TEF panel recognised the college’s commitment to providing high-quality education and supporting its students' success.
The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) is a national scheme run by the Office for Students (OfS) that aims to encourage higher education providers to improve and deliver excellence in the areas that students care about the most: teaching, learning and achieving positive outcomes from their studies. The TEF assesses and rates universities and colleges for excellence above a set of minimum requirements for quality and standards. Providers receive an overall rating as well as two underpinning ratings – one for the student experience and one for student outcomes.
The TEF panel evaluated various aspects of NCD University Centre's offerings and operations to arrive at the Silver rating overall and Silver for both student experience and student outcomes. The TEF rating is awarded in 2023, and lasts for 4 years.
The TEF panel found the overall student experience at NCD to be of very high quality. NCD was acknowledged for its outstanding teaching, assessment, and feedback practices, which were statistically above benchmark and the course content and delivery were found to effectively encourage student engagement in learning and stretch students to develop their knowledge and skills. The panel stated that NCD demonstrated a strong commitment to research, innovation, scholarship, professional practice, and employer engagement; and that the institution provides excellent support for staff professional development and academic practice.
The report continues to state that NCD fosters a supportive learning environment, and students have access to a readily available range of very high-quality academic support; with NCD having made extensive investments in learning resources, both physical and virtual, to enhance student learning. Students have a strong voice in shaping their educational experience, leading to continuous improvements in the quality of education provided.
Student outcomes was similarly highly rated, with the TEF panel finding that NCD University Centre has very high continuation and completion rates for its full-time and part-time students; and the college effectively supports students in their educational journey, enabling them to achieve educational gains.
Peter Morrison, Vice Principal for Higher Education at New College Durham said: "We are extremely proud of achieving the Sslver rating in the TEF. It reflects our dedication to providing a high-quality educational experience and supporting our students in reaching their full potential. We are committed to continuous improvement and will continue to strive for excellence in all aspects of higher education."
The TEF Silver rating is a testament to NCD University Centre's commitment to its mission of providing quality education, adapting to local needs, and addressing regional skills gaps.
For more information about NCD University Centre and the courses on offer, please visit www.newcollegedurham.ac.uk