Academic Services

What is an IPR?

Information for Schools, subject areas, and students on programmes under review, and for review team members.

An IPR (Internal Periodic Review) is part of the quality assurance framework to enhance student experience of taught and postgraduate provision within the University. An IPR must take place of all provision on a cycle of no more than six years.

A review team is appointed to visit the School, meet with academic and professional staff and student representatives, and to produce a report with recommendations for the School.

What are the benefits?

An IPR is an opportunity to review the strategic position of the School, identify areas of good practice and areas for development, and to focus on the student experience.

IPRs are designed to be useful and valuable to the School; it is an opportunity to receive input from colleagues from elsewhere in the University, as well as external academics from your subject area.

Who participates from your School?

Your Head of School will need to appoint an Academic Lead, who will be the main point of contact in organising the IPR.

Typical attendees at IPR review visit meetings include:

  • Head of School
  • Programmes Directors
  • Academic teaching staff
  • Postgraduate tutors
  • Student support staff
  • Professional services staff
  • Undergraduate / postgraduate students, including student representatives

What documentation are you required to provide?

The key document Schools are required to provide is a reflective report (Internal Review Support will provide a template), including an outline of your subject-specific remit items. Other required documentation includes, but is not limited to, the School's response to student experience surveys, Programme Handbooks and School/Subject area organisation chart.

Internal Review Support will provide a full list of the required documentation, and someone from Academic Services will discuss the documentation with you in the preparatory stages of your review.

What are the subject-specific remit items?

The subject-specific remit items are topics which should be of most value and relevance to your School. It might be something that you are looking to implement and want to have feedback on, or it might be something that is not working as well as it could be. The IPR is an opportunity to discuss issues and get feedback from a panel who are not based in the School and thus will have a different perspective.

Who participates in the review panel?

The review panel will typically consist of the following members:

  • Convener (University of Edinburgh)
  • Internal member
  • Two external members
  • Student member (University of Edinburgh)
  • Review team administrator (University of Edinburgh, normally Academic Services staff)

What happens after an IPR?

After the review visit, the review team provides a report for the School with recommendations and commendations. This will be approved by Senate Quality Assurance Committee and your School is then expected to respond within 14 weeks.

Your School will give another update after one year to detail progress and changes as a result of the IPR.

Further information

The Internal Periodic Review Handbook provides guidance on roles, process and key stages for Schools being reviewed and for review team members.

University standard remit

All reviews work on a standard remit to ensure consistent coverage.

IPR Information SharePoint

Further guidance and templates for different stages of the IPR process are available on the IPR Information SharePoint site.

IPR Information SharePoint (UoE only - EASE log in required)

Contact

Ongoing support for Schools, subject areas and review teams throughout each review is provided by Academic Services.

Internal Review Support

  • Academic Services

Contact details