PEP: New Year Update

We are especially grateful for your support in achieving a rationalised portfolio of courses and curriculum structures through PEP1: Portfolio Review, and for your positive engagement with the consultation period to develop UCL’s Curriculum Design Principles. We look forward to launching the second phase of the project, PEP2: Curriculum Review towards the end of January 2025.

PEP1: Portfolio Review 

Through PEP1, we aimed to consolidate UCL’s portfolio to improve how we market and manage our courses. Through PEP1 we have now:

• Developed and implemented new Curriculum Definitions;
• Withdrawn 138 undergraduate courses that were dormant or that became post-enrolment specialisms;
• Withdrawn 234 postgraduate courses that were dormant or that became post-enrolment specialisms (to be formally confirmed in January);

• Introduced 207 post-enrolment specialisms across our undergraduate course portfolio.

UCL's Curriculum Design Principles

A consultation period ran between 06 November – 16 December to consider UCL's draft Curriculum Design Principles. These will underpin the design and delivery of all UCL courses and support the next phase of the project, PEP2: Curriculum Review.

The draft Principles were discussed at two roundtable events with staff and two focus groups with undergraduate and postgraduate students hosted by the PEP Team. We engaged in extensive conversation with Faculty Vice-Deans Education, Directors of Education and Student Experience/Faculty Tutors, HEDS, as well as UCL Education Committee and the Students’ Union. Colleagues were also invited to provide written feedback via an online survey which was advertised in staff news.

In early January, the PEP Team will present a summary of the Curriculum Design Principles feedback and the revised Principles for UCL Education Committee’s consideration and approval.

Launch of PEP2: Curriculum Review

The PEP Team has been working with a range of stakeholders over the past term, including Student Registry Operations, Curriculum Information Management Team, Education Services, Vice-Deans Education and Directors of Education and Student Experience/Faculty Tutors, to finalise the design of the Curriculum Review process, timelines and templates which will support PEP2. This documentation will be considered by UCL Education Committee alongside the Curriculum Design Principles in January 2025. PEP2 will formally launch on the 27 January 2025.

The PEP Team will meet individually with education leadership teams in each Faculty in January to talk through the PEP2 process and timelines, share documentation, and support planning for local review activities. This information will be cascaded by Faculties to Departments and full resources outlining the PEP2 process and support packages will be shared on the PEP SharePoint site.

Support for PEP2: Curriculum Review

Curriculum Landscape Study

During Term 1, the PEP Team produced a UCL Curriculum Landscape Study. The report is divided into three parts: student experience, curriculum design and delivery, and quality assurance. It is intended to provide colleagues in departments and faculties with a rich source of information to support their local Curriculum Review activities.   

Curriculum Data Dashboards

We are working closely with the new Curriculum Information Management and Student Data Quality teams to prepare Curriculum Data Dashboards to support the PEP2 process. These dashboards will provide comprehensive information about courses and modules to support reflection and prioritisation during the review process.

The Curriculum Change World Café (HEDS)

As part of PEP, the HEDS Programme Development Unit will be providing materials in the form of ‘Conversation Papers’. These will aim to inspire academic colleagues to think about how they embed the Curriculum Design Principles into their curriculum and enhance, for example, opportunities for student research, digital themes and skills teaching, and the integration of themes such as EDI, sustainability and AI into curriculum content.  

Join HEDS for an in-person world café to discuss curriculum change and share good practice as a community on Tuesday 18 February, 2-4pm.

Register for this event

On behalf of the PEP team, thanks again for all of your ongoing support for PEP.