Beth Curtis and Hannah Petrie, Portfolio Officers, University of Exeter
In this blog, Beth and Hannah share how they supported curriculum transformation at the University of Exeter. By working collaboratively across Professional Services and Academic divisions, they helped the transformation programme move from discovery to implementation.
From discovery to implementation
Following a period of discovery and engagement, Exeter’s curriculum transformation programme has focused on a phased implementation of several newly constructed ‘course and assessment design principles’. Appointed in early 2025, our roles as Portfolio Officers have been to work not only within the transformation project team, but also and arguably more significantly, with the three academic faculties in the university to support the review and redesign of undergraduate programmes and modules across the undergraduate portfolio. Bridging the gap between the strategic aims and ambition of the project and its practical application on the ground has been a key feature of our roles. This has focused largely on building relationships with faculty colleagues, education partners and professional service teams to track department-level progress, identify challenges and signpost to support.
Evaluating readiness for implementing curriculum change
To evaluate department and faculty preparedness to implement the course and assessment design principles, we designed and delivered a ‘pulse survey’ during phase one of the programme timeline. The design principles in this phase focused on the application of inclusive teaching and learning practices, assessment review and mapping, and changes to modules and programmes to reflect the University’s Transformative Education Framework, including the design of sustainable field courses.
The ‘pulse surveys’ took place at a department level with the Directors for Education and Student Experience (DESE) and supported by Senior and Deputy Education Partners in each faculty. The survey questions invited DESEs to first score their confidence in departmental readiness to implement each of the phase one course and assessment design principles. They also provided free text boxes to capture qualitative feedback. To minimise any administrative burden, we sent in advance and then completed the surveys live in a pre-arranged meeting, either on Teams or in person. The meetings took the form of an informal discussion, facilitated by us and supported by the faculty Education Partners.
Building relationships and encouraging collaboration
As we were newly appointed to our roles, an integral part of the pulse survey delivery was the opportunity to meet with each DESE and have dedicated time to discuss current progress, challenges and support needs from a discipline-specific context. Professor Dilly Fung writes that curriculum reform is best enacted ‘in the spirit of opening up productive, shared conversations about values and practices…helping to build even better academic, personal and professional connections between the diverse members of the higher education community’ (Fung, 2017, p.145). Building positive working relationships was an important outcome of the pulse survey activity and aided the development of more purposeful collaboration between academic and professional services divisions. The conversations also allowed the project team and senior sponsors to reflect on some of the more nuanced complexities of delivering university-wide curriculum transformation at scale, across the diversity of the undergraduate portfolio.
After the conversations, we analysed the data and shared headline findings back with faculties and departments. This also gave us the opportunity to follow up on areas of concerns or queries raised through the survey activity and link departments with subject-matter experts in our Educator Development and Learning Design teams to provide bespoke support as required by individual programmes.
Moving forward
As the University of Exeter’s project moves into phase two of the programme in the Autumn term of 2025, we are planning a second pulse survey to further support departments in the continued application of the course and assessment design principles. This second phase aligns with the roll-out of the University’s new Curriculum Management System. This system will assist colleagues to review, amend and track module and programme changes as we move towards a more efficient and sustainable model of curriculum design and development.
As we continue, we aim to ensure that meaningful collaboration and dialogue remain central to the way in which we work, strengthening the relationships we have established through the initial phase of the project. Importantly, our roles as Portfolio Officers are permanent, reaching beyond the remit of the programme. They demonstrate the University’s commitment to bridging the gap between Academic and Professional Services colleagues, as we continue to iterate and continuously improve. Curriculum transformation cannot occur in a vacuum and must happen through a holistic approach that recognises and utilises the skills, knowledge and expertise of colleagues at all levels within the institution. By listening, talking and reflecting together, we can hope to achieve change in ways that feel sustainable and meet the needs of the future, for our whole university community.